Qiao Yunni thought she had misheard and stared blankly at Song Lian'er.
"Lian'er, what are you saying?"
Although she wasn't entirely sure, a certain emotion stirred within her.
“I said I wanted to go with my mother, and I would go wherever she went.”
Qiao Yunni's tears, which she had just stopped, broke down again.
She never expected her daughter to make such a choice at this time.
True friendship is revealed in times of adversity; perhaps this is the essence of the saying.
“But your mother has nothing. If you follow your mother, you will suffer from hunger and cold. You might encounter bandits on the road or go hungry, and you could lose your life. Your mother is already very happy that you have such a heart. Really, your mother is very content. You should stay in the Song family and serve your uncle and aunt. No, they are your parents now. You must—”
Before she could finish speaking, Song Lian'er interrupted her: "I'd rather follow a beggar mother than a high-ranking official father. Home is where my mother is. Even if there's no house or land, the sky is my roof and the earth is my bed. There's food in everything in the world. I'm not afraid. I only want my mother. Besides, I'm all grown up now. I want to protect my mother."
Qiao Yunni's lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.
The villagers at the door nodded in agreement.
"What a fine daughter! The Qiao family has raised such a wonderful daughter. The Song family is well-off, yet they are willing to give up their good fortune to follow her. Where can you find a daughter like her?"
"However, even if the Song family does release them, where can a mother with a broken leg and a little girl as thin as a bean sprout go? How long can they survive?"
"Alas, yes, the Qiao family is pitiful, they've been dragged into the Song family's mess."
At this point, the Song family's surprise turned into anger.
"You wretched girl, do you even know what you're saying? You've been kicked out of the house by your mother, and you've never had a proper meal. Who knows when she'll be dragged away and eaten by wolves? I think you don't want to live anymore." Madam Shen was originally calculating how much silver Song Lian'er could fetch, but when she heard her say this, she was furious.
"Even if I'm dragged away and eaten by jackals, I'll stay with my mother. You're not my mother, so it's none of your business." How could Song Lian'er not know Shen's scheme? She wanted to use her to exchange for betrothal money, but she was afraid that even if she had the life to exchange for it, she wouldn't have the life to spend it.
Old Song said with a serious face, "Don't think it's so easy. Your mother only has this baggage and not a penny. How she will survive is a big problem. If you go with your mother, you will be courting death."
“You are so heartless. My mother has been your slave for so many years. You won’t give her a single penny. That’s why I’m going with her. I’m the only person my mother can rely on.”
As Song Lian'er spoke, Qiao Yunni was already sobbing uncontrollably.
"You're my Song family's granddaughter, do you think you can just leave as you please?" Old Mrs. Song said with a vicious look on her face, "If we don't let you go, you can't leave."
If she raises him for another two or three years, she can exchange him for a dowry. How could she possibly let go of such a desirable opportunity?
Qiao Yunni also knew that this was unrealistic, and advised Song Lian'er: "Lian'er, you are a girl of the Song family. It was your mother who was abandoned by the family, not you. You should stay in the Song family. In three years, your grandmother and your parents will find you a good marriage. If you stay with your mother, your mother will only be a burden to you. What can your mother give you?"
Song Lian'er pulled Qiao Yunni aside and whispered to her, "Mother, I heard Grandma and Uncle discussing that when I come of age, they plan to sell me to a wealthy man in his fifties or sixties as a concubine to raise money for my eldest and second cousins to get married."
Qiao Yunni seemed to have been struck by lightning, her whole body stiffening. She never expected that her mother-in-law, elder brother, and sister-in-law would think this way. This was truly outrageous.
She held back from revealing that it was because Old Lady Song wouldn't feed Lian'er that she was driven to desperation. This was because Old Lady Song was the mother-in-law and the head of the family. Even if she disliked or was impatient with her, she still had to fulfill her responsibilities as a daughter-in-law and respect her elders.
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