Chapter 124 Breaking a Boulder on His Chest

"Hey, Xiaomei, where's Xiaoer today?"

Today, we're entertaining guests, and the maids and servants in the mansion were busy from early morning, preparing dishes and cleaning. The mansion was bustling with people. The Song family was wealthy and powerful; aside from the extraneous things, every maid and servant was impeccably behaved, their manners were specially trained, and their clothes and jewelry were made of brocade and gold—they were all a sight to behold as they walked.

Song Jin sat in the pavilion, brewing milk tea around the stove.

Yesterday, the steward in charge of purchasing for the Song family saw several camels brought by merchants from the Northern Desert. Thinking that his young lady, Miss Tiger, had a big appetite and had never eaten this kind of thing before, he bought them.

There happened to be a milk-producing camel inside, and Song Jin just snatched it. She originally planned to make yogurt, but gave up after less than a day and instead brought a jug of camel milk to make milk tea.

Unfortunately, this stuff has a strong flavor; whether you add milk or tea, the taste is a bit strange.

She took a few sips and sat there, roasting the tangerines that had been brought back from outside, munching on a sweet potato. Seeing Xiaomei over there, she called her over and poured her a cup.

"Try it"

Xiao Mei hesitated for a moment, looking at the slightly strange color, before taking it. She carefully took a sip, and instantly frowned, covering her mouth as if about to spit it out. She quickly poured herself another cup of normal tea to rinse her mouth, repeating this twice before the taste seemed a little milder, but a strange flavor still lingered. She frowned, looking somewhat resentful.

Song Jin laughed: "Is it really that bad?"

She took another bite herself, smacked her lips, and said that apart from being slightly fishy and a little bland, everything else was fine.

She immediately said, "Xiaomei, you've changed. You used to be so thrifty and good at managing the household. Why are you so picky now?"

Xiao Mei, used to this, wiped her mouth and said, "If Miss has nothing else to do, why don't you go outside for a stroll?"

This young lady of hers has always had extraordinary energy. Back in town, with mountains, rivers, and bandits to keep her entertained, things were a little better. But in the capital, with nowhere to channel her energy, she turned it on people.

Xiao Mei was used to it, and even quite calm.

Song Jin curled her lip: "Where's Xiao Er? Hey, is that girl slacking off? She was supposed to get paid for a month's work."

They had already agreed that after the New Year, they would go to the government office to register for the redemption of the four of them from their servitude. After the redemption, they could run the blacksmith shop themselves, and they would also be given a small courtyard and two hundred severance pay per person.

This money, along with the shop, is enough for them to establish themselves in Yong'an City. They don't want any more.

As for why they stayed until after the New Year, it was because the Song family would give out generous red envelopes at the end of the year, which they couldn't refuse.

These few people were just that simple and unpretentious.

Xiao Mei frowned further and sighed softly, "She wasn't feeling well, so I didn't let her come."

As she spoke, she noticed her breath had a strange smell, so she quickly took another sip of tea and then began chewing on tea leaves.

But it's particular.

Song Jin chewed on some roasted meat jerky: "Are you sick? Have you called a doctor?"

Xiao Mei shook her head, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully said, "I'm not sick. It's just that yesterday, when we went out for a stroll, we ran into someone..."

Song Jin raised her head, her brows furrowed: "Did you bully me? Who? I'm going to find him tonight."

Xiao Mei's lips twitched: "...Miss, please save your breath. No, it's that person, they might be Xiao Er's relative."

Song Jin tilted her head: "Relatives?"

This girl was an orphan and sold to a brokerage firm. She just happened to fall next to her and was picked up. If we're talking about relatives...

Xiao Mei nodded and sighed softly, "That person looks a lot like her, and even shares the same surname, so he's probably not far off. We inquired about him yesterday; they said he was a young general who returned to the city last time, and he's doing quite well."

If they were far away and out of sight, it wouldn't matter, and it wouldn't affect Xiao Er no matter what kind of life they lived. But now that they're right in front of her, living such a good life, who could be comfortable with that?

Xiao Mei could empathize deeply. Fortunately, her younger brother was practically useless; he could hardly even go to the county town, let alone the capital. That was a small comfort.

Song Jin listened thoughtfully, then stroked her chin: "So similar?"

Xiao Mei nodded: "Their eyebrows and eyes are exactly the same. Most importantly, he's also very tall, almost as tall as Amao."

That really meant to poke her earlobe; her biggest concern was her small size.

Song Jin clapped her hands, raised her chin, and said protectively, "Who cares about the generals or the lower-ranking officers? It was their family that did this despicable thing, so they have to take responsibility. Even if Song Shenzhi comes back, it won't matter. Go tell Xiao Er not to be sad. I'll take her to get revenge tomorrow."

Xiao Mei felt a warmth in her heart, but still hesitated: "What about the Third Young Master?"

Song Jin said indifferently, "Who cares which young master he is? Debts must be repaid, and sons must pay their fathers' debts. It's only right and proper. You could ask my mother and she would agree on the same principle."

Xiao Mei still hesitated

Song Jin gritted her teeth: "Go ask my mother."

Xiao Mei nodded: "Then I'll go put the things over there first, and then go ask Madam. Miss, you can play by yourself."

As she spoke, she smiled slightly, then left, clutching the cup in her arms.

They've all really gone too far!

Feeling frustrated, Song Jin picked up her milk tea, took a sip, and then crunched up the nuts, tangerines, dried meat, and dates on the baking tray. She then leaped over the wall to go play with Huang Huang.

In this home, only it won't despise her.

Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

...

Heavy snow fell in the twelfth lunar month, and reports of disasters from various regions continued to circulate in the imperial court, causing the court session to end later than usual.

In the past, when court sessions ended, the Grand Secretary Song Shang, a first-rank official, would lead the way, being the first to leave the court. Since he was absent, and a new Grand Secretary had not yet been appointed, and there was no one to keep order among the officials, the last remaining Duke of the court, Duke Ren, led the way, and everyone left the court.

Song Xingzhi was in the second batch, etc.

He walked calmly through the procession, and then, after exiting the ranks, he approached Yang Guoan, the Minister of Rites, and said politely, "Please, Your Excellency."

Looking at his posture, Yang Guoan felt a mix of emotions, including regret and remorse.

Compared to Chang Wenshan, the son-in-law of a marquis, he had always held the man before him in higher regard and admiration.

Although Song Xingzhi was not without the vice of being a womanizer, he was exceptionally capable, having achieved such a high position at a young age, and he lacked the usual arrogance and conceit. He was also reserved and gentle in his dealings with others, and his character was beyond reproach.

Even assuming he's prone to infidelity after marriage, he'll at least show his wife the respect she deserves, unlike Chang Wenshan.

Thinking about the mess my eldest daughter has been through these past few years

Yang Guoan felt frustrated and regretful. He should have been more assertive and not let that girl have her way.

His Majesty's decision to exempt Song Xingzhi from the mourning period clearly demonstrates his intention to preserve the Song family's prosperity, following in the footsteps of Song Shang.

Song Xingzhi's future is bright; among the younger generation, only Song Shenzhi can rival him.

But it's too late to think about these things now.

After silently reflecting on his actions, Yang Guoan returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Song, let's go."

Although he was somewhat puzzled as to why Song Xingzhi had invited him to his residence to discuss matters, it was ultimately a good thing.

When his daughter broke off the engagement, she sided with the Marquis's family for the past few years. Although the Song family didn't say anything outwardly, they must have harbored resentment, and the two families had little contact. Now that the ice has been broken, he naturally wants to seize the opportunity.

Besides, looking at Song Xingzhi's handsome face and considering that he hadn't married all these years and had recently broken up his harem, Yang Guoan felt a little tempted.

Perhaps, there's still a chance to mend those broken ties from the past.

The two of them talked about matters of the court, each lost in their own thoughts, as they walked towards the Song residence.

The banquet was already prepared, and the dishes on the table were exceptionally lavish, with all sorts of luxurious ingredients seemingly given away for free. Few banquets could reach this standard. In comparison, the maids serving the meal seemed rather meager.

The maids in the Song household were naturally beautiful and intelligent, but there were very few of them; they would prepare the food in twos and threes and then leave.

The Song family disliked outsiders, so they were generally unattended during meals, a custom that continued in the Song household.

Yang Guoan sighed with emotion. So, the Song family, which many people viewed as demonic and monstrous, was actually the best place for women.

Brothers live in harmony and unity; there are no alluring beauties below, nor difficult mothers-in-law above.

Unlike the Xuanping Marquis's mansion, which was a complete mess, with its several branches in disarray, its old matriarch being difficult to deal with, and all sorts of unruly maids and concubines. Although his daughter had managed to forcefully drive them away, the troubles were far from over.

Yang Guoan's heart stirred: "Speaking of which, Princess Mingguang and Madam Song went out to search for their relatives some time ago. I wonder if they found them?"

Song Xingzhi's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this.

He already couldn't afford to offend that mother and daughter, and now this search for his relatives has uncovered a huge problem. He's really suffering.

Song Xingzhi: "Found them, they're all safe and sound."

Yang Guoan: "That's good. General Song and Prince Qi have been gone for a long time. It's snowing heavily outside. I don't know if their trip will be successful."

Song Xingzhi: "The snow in the south is light, but there might be unexpected events. The third brother is experienced, and the Prince of Qi is highly skilled in martial arts. They will definitely be able to handle it smoothly and return before the New Year."

Yang Guoan asked tentatively, "What about His Majesty after Prince Qi's return?"

Song Xingzhi smiled: "Prince Qi is His Majesty's own son. He has suffered since childhood, and after finally returning home, he has gone out to travel several times. His Majesty will surely feel sorry for him upon his return."

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, they all understood the underlying meaning.

Even if Qi Zheng were completely incompetent and knew nothing about disaster relief, with so many capable people around him, he would still have to earn some credit for his expedition. Besides, he had indeed acquired genuine skills after years of wandering the martial world.

The two chatted like that until a sudden commotion of gongs and drums outside interrupted their conversation.

A lump in Song Xingzhi's throat

He remembered that they had agreed that the kid would come over to eat when they were having meals, right? What was going on here?

Meeting Yang Guoan's surprised and puzzled gaze, Song Xingzhi suppressed his heart pounding and said with a smile, "My little sister is quite lively and playful. I wonder what she's up to this time. Why don't you come with me, Lord Yang, to take a look?"

Yang Guoan nodded hesitantly.

He had heard of Song Jin's reputation before, both from outsiders and from his daughter, but he had only met her in person on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

At that time, she was dressed in a bright red dress, radiant and elegant, making it hard to believe she was the arrogant, domineering, and rebellious person in the rumors.

So the two put down their bowls and chopsticks and went outside, following the direction of the sound, into the garden.

What was once a tranquil place of falling snow and red plum blossoms is now like a rural school, filled with a bunch of teenagers, banging drums and gongs, tumbling and jumping through hoops, forming a kind of theatrical troupe.

Right across from the little brat, Song Jin and his group sat in chairs, clapping and tossing money with glee, clearly very happy.

Yang Yanjun was among them. She had just tossed her coin arrow into the basin like a game of pitch-pot when she turned around and saw her father. She was somewhat surprised, but showed no unease or guilt, and strode over.

"Hey, Dad, what are you doing here?"

Yang Guoan looked at her blank expression and felt a headache coming on: "Shouldn't I be asking you that? What kind of nonsense is going on in your head?"

Yang Yanjun scratched her head and casually picked up a few colorful ropes. She laughed and said, "What I just threw is nothing. By the way, Dad, you haven't answered me yet. What are you doing here?"

Yang Guoan felt that this question should be asked of her. Given the circumstances of their two families, was it appropriate for her to come here every few days?

He: "I'll do it."

Before he could speak, Song Jin walked over, put her hand on Yang Yanjun's shoulder, and said with a smirk, "So this is your father. Lord Yang, I've heard so much about you. You must have had a tough time with such an unlucky daughter all these years."

Yang Guoan was moved to tears.

That's right, if he doesn't suffer, who will? His wife passed away early, and for years he was afraid of being bullied, so he didn't remarry. It wasn't until she reached engagement age and needed someone to help with the arrangements that he finally found an honest and gentle second wife.

But this kid is full of ideas, causes a lot of trouble, and is incredibly stubborn.

He had said a few years ago that if things really didn't work out, she should get a divorce and return home, but she wouldn't listen. Then she caused a scene at the banquet. If it weren't for His Majesty's mercy, she wouldn't have fared well. Song Jin's words really struck a chord with Yang Guoan. Listen to that, listen to what a eloquent child she is, unlike her father.

That scoundrel Song Shang actually produced a fine grandson!

Yang Guoan: "Not at all, not at all. It's no trouble at all. It's my own child, so I have to raise her no matter how hard it is. Princess Mingguang, you're too kind. My daughter is mischievous, but I hope she hasn't caused you any trouble?"

Yang Yanjun was incredulous.

Is it reasonable to say that? To say that Song Jin is unruly in front of her? That's like showing off your skills over someone else's head.

Song Jin raised an eyebrow, finding the old man Yang Guoan rather pleasing to the eye: "He is a bit annoying, but this princess is magnanimous, so it's not a big deal."

Yang Guoan exclaimed, "The princess has a magnanimous heart!"

Song Jin: "Not at all, not at all, unlike Lord Yang. When it comes to life, you have to have a calm mindset. Once you're calm, you'll find that there's no hurdle you can't overcome. Come, come, Lord Yang, sit down and let's chat..."

As she spoke, she pulled the person over there to watch the acrobatics together.

Yang Yanjun stood there, completely stunned, and then laughed in exasperation: "Whose father is this anyway?"

Song Xingzhi's lips twitched: "It's definitely yours."

His younger sister's father is inside; that old geezer is nowhere near as capable.

Yang Yanjun looked at the two people chatting happily and said speechlessly, "Wait, why are you calling him? Are you two that close?"

Song Xingzhi looked down at her completely unreserved expression, paused for a moment, and then whispered, "Actually, we're quite familiar with each other."

After all, they meet every day in the imperial court and often work together.

Moreover, the two families had discussed marriage before.

Yang Yanjun, unsurprised, immediately felt embarrassed. She gave an awkward laugh and quickly walked towards her father, interrupting his rambling: "Could you please say less? Don't I have any dignity left? Let's watch the show, these kids are amazing. They've been practicing since they were little, they're quite the performers."

Yang Guoan then stopped talking and looked at the kids, asking in confusion, "Where did you all come from?"

Song Jin sat with her legs crossed to one side, pointing to the little boy at the top who was breathing fire, and said, "They are orphans from the villages outside the city. They learn martial arts and opera from elementary school, and when they reach a certain age, the villagers take them to the city to earn some money to support themselves. Although they are young and not as professional as the others, they are quite interesting."

The children in the Shangyang Village Orphanage were divided into several groups. The best group consisted of children with a talent for reading and arithmetic. The slightly less gifted group excelled in embroidery and carpentry. The most difficult group consisted of children learning various skills such as acrobatics.

But they had no other talents, nor the opportunity to improve through trial and error. So they could only practice acrobatics day after day, just to earn a living.

Yang Guoan sighed, "So that's how it is. These children look only seven or eight years old. If it were Jun..."

He then shut his mouth, subconsciously glancing at Yang Yanjun with a hint of worry.

Yang Yanjun's expression darkened for a moment, then she forced herself to continue, "If my little stone were still alive, he would be seven years old next year."

Song Jin pointed to Ningning on the other side and said casually, "If he were reincarnated, he would be about this age."

Yang Yanjun looked at Ningning, whose face was covered with two little red balls and whose hair was tied in a topknot, and laughed out loud: "Pretty much. What is this girl doing?"

Song Jin smiled and said, "I don't know, it's obviously Xiao Hua's bad idea."

As they spoke, Ningning wobbled onto the stage. She wasn't from the orphanage; she couldn't do any tricks, let alone acrobatics. Sometimes she'd even trip over a run. She had no special talents.

On stage, her round eyes darted around, and she grinned, revealing her tiny white teeth, saying in a sweet, childlike voice, "I want to sing a song called 'The Princess Picking Mushrooms'."

"Da da da, the princess fights the tiger, after fighting the tiger she catches the bear, after catching the bear she walks back, oh dear, mushrooms, mushrooms, so many mushrooms, the princess picks mushrooms..."

Song Jin: ...

If no one was encouraging her behind the scenes, she would recite the text while doing a handstand.

Yang Yanjun laughed heartily, leaning on her shoulder: "Ten taels of silver, is it worth it?"

Those kids are young, but if you want to fool them, you have to put up real money; they're very clever.

Song Jin looked at the silly-apple-like kid on the stage and chuckled, "Keep laughing, just don't cry later."

Yang Yanjun wiped away her tears: "I won't cry."

Song Jin rolled her eyes and took the opportunity to turn and look at Yang Guoan.

She had found out earlier and originally intended to tell Yang Yanjun directly, but her deadbeat father insisted that this old man come and take a look. Since he said that, it meant the little brat definitely resembled someone.

Although Ningning's makeup is quite elaborate now, her overall facial features are still quite distinct; if you wanted to recognize her, you should be able to.

Song Jin observed Yang Guoan's reaction, but saw that he was all smiles and showed no particular reaction.

?

Did she guess wrong?

Did that deadbeat father mean for her to talk to the old man herself?

Song Jin was completely baffled. Qu Maoze's actions were unpredictable, making it difficult to guess his thoughts. He spoke with a lot more cryptic meaning than he actually knew, but asking him directly was risky. Didn't she have any pride?

She touched the red string in her bosom, wondering whether she should just take it out.

Yang Guoan, who had been all smiles, suddenly changed his expression, his face showing surprise, doubt, and longing...

The emotions were right.

Song Jin jolted awake. She cleared her throat, about to explain the little boy's complicated background, when she noticed that someone else had taken the stage.

The girl with the same pigtails tied in a topknot carried a bluestone slab almost as tall as herself onto the stage. With a loud "Hey!" she patted her chest and declared in a clear, powerful voice, "I'll perform the 'breaking a boulder with my chest' act for everyone!"

As she spoke, she collapsed to the ground. The other two children lifted the stone slab and placed it on her chest. Sheng Ge picked up a hammer from the side, walked over, and struck the ground twice to prove it was a real hammer, not just an empty shell.

Lying there, Xiao Hua still dutifully shouted at the top of her lungs, "Life is tough, kids are risking their lives, if you don't have money, please support us financially, if you have money, please support us generously, thank you!"

Song Jin almost choked on her saliva.

Everyone there had money; this kid's pretty quick-witted.

Her expression turned indescribable, and she was just about to have someone drag the unruly children downstairs.

Yang Guoan had already gotten up and rushed over, his face full of worry, muttering, "This won't do, this won't do..."

Song Jin felt that her brain was about to stop working.

This is not quite what she expected.