Chapter 515: Expulsion

Song Yichun was more ruthless and shameless than Song Mo and Dou Zhao had imagined.

Song Mo thought about it for a day and planned to talk to Song Yichun about Song Han the next day. However, when he went to Xiangxiyuan the next morning, Song Yichun had already entered the palace.

"Is the Duke going alone?" Song Mo couldn't help but frown. "Has Mr. Tao already set a time for the departure?"

He was received by Huang Qing, the chief steward of the Duke of Ying's mansion. He said respectfully, "The Duke is served by Zeng Wu. Mr. Tao will leave after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Song Mo nodded, returned to Yizhitang, and said to Dou Zhao: "The weather is getting cooler. While the weather is good and you are still young, let's take Yuan Ge'er to visit Old An!"

He admired his grandmother's calmness and composure and had more respect for the old lady.

Dou Zhaoqi asked, "Is it because the Duke is unwilling to go to the palace to talk about Song Han?"

"No!" Song Mo said expressionlessly, "Father went to the palace early in the morning."

He couldn't tell what he felt in his heart, but he didn't want to see Song Yichun anyway.

Dou Zhao, however, had a vague understanding.

As a father, Song Yichun had no affection for either Song Mo or Song Han, and Song Mo felt disappointed with him from the bottom of his heart.

She also hears the laughter of children, and the grandmother's kindness can make Song Mo feel a little warmth.

Dou Zhao loudly instructed Ruotong, the maids and servants were happily packing up things, Yuan Ge'er was running in and out, and the house was filled with a warm and lively atmosphere.

Song Mo's expression gradually relaxed.

Dou Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled as he returned to the alley behind the temple with Song Mo and Yuan Ge'er.

The disciplinary order is also there.

She personally made seven or eight sets of autumn clothes for her grandmother. Seeing that the weather was good today, she brought her maid to visit her grandmother.

When Dou Zhao and his friends went there, she was helping her grandmother wash her hair.

Grandma was very happy and the smile on her face never stopped.

Song Mo quietly teased her: "Look, you've fallen out of favor!"

Dou Zhao was delighted that someone was taking such good care of his grandmother. He snorted, "I am an aunt, how can I be treated the same as my sisters-in-law!"

When an aunt returns to her parents' home, she is a guest, but her sister-in-law is a daughter-in-law, and it is her responsibility to be filial to her parents-in-law.

Song Mo laughed.

Yuan Ge'er ran over and said, "Great-grandmother, great-grandmother, let me massage your shoulders!"

"Oh my!" Grandmother couldn't help but say, "Our Yuan brother knows how to massage people's shoulders."

Ji Ling smiled gently, brought a stool and placed it behind his grandmother, then helped Yuan Ge'er stand on it.

Yuan Ge'er used his little hands to pat his grandmother's back and said, "My father massaged my mother's shoulders. When they were massaging my shoulders, they chased me out."

Everyone was stunned, looking at Song Mo's red face. They wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. They all lowered their heads, unable to hold back their laughter.

"What's going on?" Dou Shiying heard that Song Mo and his wife had brought Yuan Ge'er to the Temple Back Alley, and also brought Dou Dechang. When he entered the door, he saw that everyone looked as if their throats were being strangled. He couldn't help but wonder, "Didn't I miss something?"

"Yes, yes." Grandmother smiled and said, "Didn't you say you had something to do today? Why are you here again? Have you had breakfast? Aunt Hong made sweet potato porridge today, do you want some?"

Dou Shiying didn't understand, so he just followed his grandmother's words and said, "I've already used it. I heard Yantang was coming, so I came to take a look. I'll leave later." He then said to Song Mo, "Xu Zhiji went to the Ministry of Works to serve as the Right Secretary. He's treating us to dinner today."

Song Mo hurriedly asked, "Does my father-in-law know Xu Zhiji well? I have some work to do in the Ministry of Industry. When is the right time, introduce Xu Zhiji to me."

"Okay!" Dou Shiying said with a smile, "How about you come with me to have a drink today? He's pretty easy to talk to."

"I won't go today. I'll just talk to Old An today." Song Mo pulled Dou Shiying to the nearby room to talk.

Dou Dechang touched his head, confused: "What happened? Why does Yantang look a little uncomfortable?"

"It's really nothing." Ji Ling glanced at Dou Zhao who was drinking tea with his head down, and decided to tell this matter quietly to Dou Dechang after returning home, so that her husband could also share the joke of Dou Zhao and Song Mo.

When she saw her grandmother signaling Yuan Ge'er to stop beating him, she smiled and went forward to hug Yuan Ge'er, saying, "Our Yuan Ge'er is the most obedient. Grandma has finished beating him. You are tired too. Let your uncle take you out to play."

Grandma grabbed a handful of sugar dumplings and said to him with a smile: "Come to grandma's room after playing for a while. Grandma has a lot of delicious food!"

Yuan Ge'er nodded with a smile, and Dou Dechang carried him on his shoulders and went to the garden at the back.

Ji Ling nudged Dou Zhao and said with a smile, "The scarlet skirt you wore last time was very beautiful. Who made it? I want to make one for the Mid-Autumn Festival, too."

Dou Zhao saw that she was serious but her eyes were glittering with teasing. He blushed immediately and said, "Are you lying to me in front of me?"

Ji Lingze couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

Dou Zhao was so angry that he turned his face stern and ignored the order.

"This child!" the grandmother said angrily, "It's a good thing that you and your wife are living in harmony. What are you worried about?" Dou Zhao's face was as bright as the morning glow.

Ji Lingzeze put his arm around Dou Zhao's shoulders and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, don't be angry. I brought some freshly made osmanthus honey, let's go make glutinous rice balls."

Dou Zhao laughed, thinking that he was a bit stubborn just now and almost made Ji Lingze lose face. Fortunately, Ji Lingze was broad-minded and did not take these things to heart.

She embarrassedly told Lingze to go to the kitchen.

When they returned home in the evening, Yan Chaoqing was waiting for them at the gate of the Duke of Ying's Mansion.

Song Mo and Dou Zhao were both secretly surprised.

Yan Chaoqing came forward with a wry smile and said, "The Duke returned at noon, and he sent people to ask if you had returned every half an hour..."

Before Song Mo left, he told Yan Chao Liao that unless it was something related to the palace, he should say that he didn't know where he had gone.

Dou Zhao and Song Mo couldn't help but look at each other when they heard this.

Song Mo whispered, "Take the child back first. I'll go see what's wrong with him."

Dou Zhao said "hmm" and returned to Yizhitang. He had just washed and combed his hair when Chen Qushui asked to see him.

"I found out that after the Duke returned from the palace, he sent people to visit several members of the Song family." He guessed, "Maybe he decided to open the ancestral hall."

So fast?

The matter has been dragging on for several years, and it’s resolved like this?

Dou Zhao, on the other hand, felt it was unreal.

About half an hour later, Song Mo came back.

His expression showed no emotion, but he was not as calm and composed as usual, and instead looked strange.

Dou Zhao asked hurriedly, "Why is the Duke looking for you?"

"He decided to open the ancestral hall early tomorrow morning." Song Mo said, his voice full of fatigue, "Take Song Hansui out of the Duke of Ying's mansion."

Seeing this, Chen Qushui winked at Dou Zhao and quietly retreated.

Dou Zhao gently patted his waist and let out a long sigh.

Song Mo said dejectedly: "He wants me dead, and he showed no mercy to Song Han, and he doesn't care about my mother at all. I really want to dig his heart open to see if it is red or black."

Is this also his anger from his previous life?

Dou Zhao put his face on his back and said softly, "I only know that Song Yantang is the best person to me in this world."

Song Mo smiled, turned around and hugged Dou Zhao in his arms.

There were maids and servants lighting the lanterns under the eaves with laughter and whispers, and the sound of Yuan Ge'er running around on the corridor, the wet nurse's anxious calls, and the kitchen maid's whispers asking Ruotong and others if they wanted a midnight snack. All of these sounds were intertwined together, making a little noise, but full of vitality, and Song Mo's heart was filled up all at once.

He let go of Dou Zhao with a smile, took her hand and said, "Let's go and watch the servants light the lamps."

The lights were turned on, and the whole place was bright, warming his heart.

Dou Zhao smiled slightly and followed Song Mo out of the hall.

※※※※※

That night, Song Mo not only sent people to pick up Miao Ansu from the farm, but also brought Miao's uncle, Miao's father, and Miao Anping over.

"Song Han is unfilial. My father has reported it to the emperor and wants to expel him from the family." He met the Miao family in the small study. "Miao is right. My idea is to let Miao and Song Han divorce first, and then the Song family can open the ancestral hall."

The Miao family members were all stunned and looked at each other.

After a while, Uncle Miao coughed and said, "What about our Sixth Aunt's daily chewing in the future?"

Miao Anping shuddered.

Although he didn't do good things, he wasn't a big villain. None of the people he associated with would kill people. When he was beaten, he didn't understand at the time, but he saw some clues afterwards, and then he realized how far the Miao family and the Song family were apart - they said they would kill people, and nothing would happen after the killing. If he beat up a good girl, he would be reported to the government immediately, and he would be fined and sued, and there would be no room for compromise.

"Uncle," he said hurriedly, "what are you talking about? The Second Master was expelled from the family, and the Crown Prince specially asked us to discuss the Sixth Aunt's divorce beforehand. How could the Crown Prince not consider the Sixth Aunt's future life? We just need to listen to the Crown Prince, and we won't be wrong."

Miao's father couldn't help but glare at his son fiercely.

He was just stunned by the divorce, but when he came to his senses, even if he was thinking about how to get some money from the Song family, once his daughter had no relationship with the Song family, he would never get any benefits!

Miao Anping didn't want his father to ruin his business, so he stared back at him without changing his mind, and said, "Master, we will listen to you. My uncle and father are both old, and they feel sorry for Sixth Aunt who will have no one to rely on in the future, so they may say something unpleasant. Master, please don't take it to heart."

After being beaten, he became much more sensible.

Song Mo thought to himself and simply ignored Uncle Miao and Father Miao. He said to Miao Anping, "All the properties under Song Han's name will belong to the Miao family. In the future, no one will be involved in marriage. What do you think?"

The people of the Miao family thought that the Song family would at most give Miao a few hundred or a thousand taels of silver, so they were overjoyed when they heard this and agreed without hesitation.

Song Mo arranged for several people to stay in four alleys and went to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao said to Qixia: "The Duke insisted on opening the ancestral hall, so I had to let you come. Fortunately, there are no outsiders. You should be afraid too!"

Qixia's face was full of tears, but she didn't dare to cry out loud.

She knelt down and kowtowed to Dou Zhao, and Ren Miao Ansu could not pull her up. "Madam, thank you for letting me testify. I dream of seeing the expression on Second Master's face when he knows that he has been abandoned by his relatives and friends."