Madam He rubbed her temples. "Xizhi? What exactly happened? This dowry was moved from your courtyard!"
Holding the key to her dowry, Song Xizhi stepped over the pile of trash and took a few steps into the yard: "Grandmother, I really don't know."
“The key to my sister’s dowry is in her hands, and I simply returned it intact. Now that I’ve come with the key, I assume that my sister wants to return the dowry that belongs to me.”
Song Xizhi gestured towards the pile of dowry chests in the distance.
When everyone turned their heads, they saw a pile of dowry items in the corner of the courtyard. These were Song Xizhi's dowry items, which had not yet been moved from Guanyunxuan.
He Yunze became even angrier when he saw Song Xi pretending to be stupid: "Ruo'an has properly arranged your dowry in the courtyard, and she thought of returning it to you as soon as she woke up!"
"But you've done such a vicious thing! If you don't hand over Ruo'an's dowry intact, I will definitely divorce you on behalf of my elder brother!"
But as soon as He Yunze finished speaking, Song Xizhi bent down and opened his dowry chest with a key.
It made a snapping sound.
What everyone smelled was an indescribable stench.
Song Xizhi opened the box, and everyone saw a swarm of flying insects flying out of it.
Qing Tong quickly shielded Song Xizhi behind him.
He looked down and saw inside: "The eldest young mistress's dowry chest is full of rotten food scraps and is infested with worms."
Everyone present was stunned by the scene before them, even the sobbing Song Ruoan was frozen in place in astonishment.
Song Xizhi used the key to open the other dowry chests again.
Marquis An Ding and Madam He stepped forward at the same time and saw a pile of broken copper and iron and a pile of pastries that were moldy and infested with maggots in the box.
A pungent, irritating smell rushed to her head, causing Madam He to gag.
Marquis An Ding hurriedly shielded his mother behind him: "It's all rubbish! What on earth happened?"
Song Ruoan's face turned pale instantly: "I didn't do it! I didn't touch my sister's dowry at all!"
Song Xizhi nodded hurriedly, Xizi clutched her heart, her face full of sincerity: "Sister, I believe you, because I didn't make your dowry!"
He Yunze's expression changed immediately: "What exactly is going on?"
Song Xizhi lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment: "My dowry has been kept by my younger sister ever since I married into the Marquis's mansion."
"If it wasn't done by my sister, then it must have already been in this state when it was sent out of the Song residence."
"My sister's dowry must also be like that."
As Song Xizhi spoke, he suddenly looked up, his clear black and white eyes staring intently at Song Ruoan's face:
"But why did Mother give us a pile of scrap metal as dowry?"
Song Ruoan stood there, her mind blank, feeling Song Xizhi's gaze, and cold sweat broke out on her back.
Even He Yunze, who was jumping up and down in a panic just now, was now completely still.
Marquis An Ding's face was ashen: "The Song family is offering scraps as dowry; they're slapping me in the face!"
"Is Song Juncai dissatisfied with me?"
Old Madam He, supported by the nanny, walked out wearily: "Since our wedding night, there hasn't been a single day of peace. How exactly does Madam Song manage the household?"
Marquis An Ding wrote a letter and sent it to the Song residence by express horse.
The cursive script moves like dragons and snakes, each word and phrase questioning Song Juncai: what exactly is the meaning behind it?
Do you want to become in-laws or enemies?
Song Juncai was terrified by the letter and rushed off to confront Zhao Qianlan.
"What's going on? What exactly happened? What did you put in your two daughters' dowries?"
Upon hearing this news, Zhao Qianlan froze in astonishment: "Ruo'an's dowry is full of land deeds, silver notes, and other treasures. How could I possibly mistreat her? She's our only daughter!"
Song Juncai was so anxious he was practically spitting fire: "What about Song Xizhi? What did you give Song Xizhi as part of her dowry? How come when the Marquis of Anding opened her dowry chest, it was full of rats and maggots!"
Zhao Qianlan raised her eyes in disbelief: "How could there be both rats and maggots?!"
She moved her lips, struggling to speak: "I only... I only gave Xizhi some delicious pastries and warm bedding as part of her dowry... It's all, all from my heart..."
Upon hearing this, Song Juncai was so angry that he saw stars.
With one slap, he knocked Zhao Qianlan to the ground.
"How am I supposed to face people after this? How am I supposed to face people after this?!"
"You're even trying to embezzle this small dowry? You've been trying to arrange a marriage between Ruo'an and the church, and now you're cutting back on Song Xizhi's dowry!"
"Because of the marriage exchange, they only received their dowry today. Aren't all your delicious pastries already rotten and infested with maggots? The Marquis of Anding and his entire family caught them red-handed!"
Song Juncai's string of words left Zhao Qianlan's mind blank. She cried weakly, "No, that's not how it is, my husband! Let me explain!"
Song Juncai bent down and brought his ear close to Zhao Qianlan's face, angrily saying, "Speak up! Explain yourself! Let's see if you can come up with a brilliant explanation!"
"Song Xizhi's dowry was pastries... but, Ruo'an's dowry was all..."
Before Song Juncai could finish listening to Zhao Qianlan's words, he heard a servant urgently knocking on the door to report.
"Master! Master! Something terrible has happened! For some reason, the news has spread throughout the city!"
Song Juncai froze, a cold sweat running down his back: "What are they saying outside?"
"They say our Song family's stewards are lax, causing the Second Miss to lose her chastity, and the Second Son-in-law angrily left on their wedding night, leading to the Marquis's mansion selling off the Second Miss's maid!"
"Now they say we're heartless and insane, not only swallowing the late lady's dowry, but now even trying to swallow the dowries of our two daughters! The Marquis's mansion sent a letter overnight questioning us! They say you're truly unworthy of being human!"
Upon hearing this, Song Juncai staggered and fell to the ground.
He was sweating profusely, his eyes glazed over: "How...how did it all become so widely known all of a sudden?"
Seeing this, Zhao Qianlan wiped away her tears and hurriedly helped Song Juncai up from the ground: "Husband, husband! What should we do now?"
"I'm truly innocent!"
Upon hearing this, Song Juncai gritted his teeth in anger and slapped Zhao Qianlan hard across the face again: "You think you're innocent? You stole their dowry and you still dare to complain? You're the one who caused all this!"
"What else can we do? We'll prepare two sets of dowry according to the dowry list right now and send them to the Marquis of Anding's residence with great fanfare and fanfare!"
"I want the whole world to know that it wasn't me, Song Juncai, who mistreated my daughter!"
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