Chapter Twenty-Four: Green Tea vs. White Lotus
The atmosphere in the lobby was oppressive.
She seemed oblivious to the two people kneeling on the ground and her parents, whose faces were ashen, sitting down in a corner as if she were watching a play.
When her father, Song Qingming, saw her, he grasped at a straw and spoke in an agitated tone:
"Yiqiu, you've come at the right time! You be the judge of this! This... this scoundrel has done such a foolish thing, should this woman even be allowed to enter the house!"
Mother Song Shenshi rubbed her temples, her face concurring with a headache:
"Yes, Yiqiu, you're very knowledgeable. Tell me, how should this be handled?"
Song Yiqiu seemed to only then notice the two people on the ground, her gaze sweeping lightly over the woman in white, who was crying with tears streaming down her face and had a slightly protruding lower abdomen.
Her eyes held a pie chart-like quality, revealing three parts gentleness, three parts allure, and four parts pitifulness.
Yes, she does have a delicate and pitiful appearance, no wonder she could bewitch Third Brother.
She looked away, her tone distant:
"Father, Mother, I have just arrived and know nothing of the whole story. Let my sister Sangyu tell me the details. She is always considerate and thoughtful, and I'm sure she already knows everything."
The fire suddenly spread to her, catching Song Sangyu completely off guard.
How could she not know? But whatever she says is wrong!
If she agrees to let Ying'er enter the family, she will offend her parents and appear to lack manners. If she opposes it, she will offend her third brother, who is devoted to protecting Ying'er.
She had no choice but to feign ignorance and weakness, and pass the ball back:
“Sister is joking… I am young, inexperienced, and ignorant. How can I compare to you, sister, with your far-sighted vision and decisiveness? This matter… is entirely up to you, sister, father, and mother to decide. I dare not speak presumptuously.”
Song Yiqiu smirked and bluntly exposed the truth:
"We're only two or three months apart. 'Sister' and 'younger sister' are just titles. Why should the younger sister belittle herself?"
Kneeling on the ground, Song Haochu was already agitated. Seeing Song Yiqiu's detached demeanor, he immediately found an outlet for his anger, pointing at Song Yiqiu and yelling at his parents:
"Father! Mother! Why do you ask her? She herself has an ambiguous relationship with the coachman, yet she's still a daughter of the Song family. Why can't Ying'er? Ying'er is a pure courtesan, her body is innocent! She has no one else but me!"
"You bastard!"
Song Qingming slammed his fist on the table in anger.
"Your sister was framed! I think all your Confucian classics have gone to waste!"
Song Yiqiu spoke at the opportune moment, feigning suspicion:
"Father, please calm down. Although Third Brother's words are rough, they are not unreasonable. I was framed by a villain who wanted to ruin my reputation."
"Third Brother lives in the academy year-round, so he should be completely focused on his studies. How could he have been able to have so much contact with this... Miss Ying'er, and even get her pregnant? Could it be that someone... was secretly acting as a go-between, intentionally guiding her?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Everyone's eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, were drawn to Song Sangyu. It was common knowledge in the manor that Song Sangyu frequently went to the academy to deliver things to her brothers.
Song Sangyu's expression changed slightly as she immediately felt the questioning gaze from her third brother, Song Haochu.
She cursed Song Yiqiu's wickedness in her heart, quickly squeezed out tears, and said to Ying'er in a pitiful voice:
“Miss Ying’er, my third brother is a scholar with a bright future, and he values his reputation above all else. If you truly care about him, you shouldn’t be here now, forcing him to make a decision that disobeys his parents and ruins his future!”
“If you have any difficulties, you can tell me in private. I will definitely ask my mother to give you more money so that you can live a worry-free life in your later years. Why do you have to make such a scene and ruin someone’s reputation?”
Her words, seemingly meant to comfort, were in fact accusations that Ying'er had ulterior motives and disregarded Song Haochu's future.
Ying'er, who was able to mingle in the world of pleasure, was certainly no pushover.
She immediately sensed the veiled meaning in Song Sangyu's words, raised her tear-filled face, looked at Song Sangyu, and spoke softly:
“Miss Sangyu, how can you say that? Haochu and I are mutually in love, but our feelings have remained within the bounds of propriety…”
"If it weren't for the overwhelming emotions, I, I..."
She cried even more heartbrokenly, then suddenly seemed to remember something, glanced timidly at Song Sangyu, quickly lowered her head, and sobbed softly.
"Besides...besides, if it weren't for Miss Sangyu's frequent visits to the academy, where you would share interesting stories from the outside world with Haochu, and...and occasionally bring Haochu the pastries and sachets I made, saying that Haochu would definitely like them, we wouldn't...wouldn't have grown so deeply in love...and reached this point today..."
Upon hearing this, Song Sangyu's face turned pale instantly.
She did often send gifts to her brothers in an attempt to please them, and sometimes she would bring them small trinkets from outside at their request, but she never imagined it would lead to this.
That bitch dares to bite back!
"You're talking nonsense!"
Song Sangyu retorted in a shrill voice, losing her composure.
"When did I ever deliver anything for you? I had no idea you existed! Don't make false accusations!"
Startled by her, Ying'er, like a frightened little rabbit, shrank into Song Haochu's arms, crying and trembling all over.
"Haochu, I didn't... I didn't lie. Miss Sangyu... she clearly said she envied us and that she would help us, so why is she denying it now..."
Song Haochu looked at Ying'er, who was crying her eyes out in his arms, and then at Song Sangyu, who was eager to deny it, and frowned.
Yes, Sang Yu comes to the academy often. If she hadn't delivered them, how could Ying'er's things have ended up in her hands? Could it be that Sang Yu is helping them on the surface, but secretly...?
"Song Sangyu! Is that you?"
Song Haochu glared angrily.
"Third Brother! Do you believe her but not me?"
Song Sangye was both angry and anxious, and tears streamed down her face.
"How could I do such a thing! It was clearly her shamelessness that led her to seduce you!"
"Enough!"
The father, Song Qingming, was so engrossed in the noise that he slammed his hand on the table.
"Shut up, all of you!"
Chaos erupted in the hall. The two women wept and blamed each other, leaving Song Haochu in a dilemma.
Song Yiqiu watched the dog-eat-dog show with a cold eye, feeling that the time was right.
He then slowly rose to his feet, his voice clear and melodious:
“Father, Mother, things have come to this point, arguing is pointless. Since Miss Ying’er insists that she and Third Brother are in love and that she is pregnant with the Song family’s child, driving her away would only hurt Yin Qi and chill Third Brother’s heart.”
She got up, walked to Ying'er, and extended her hand.
"The ground is cold, and your sister is still pregnant, get up."
Ying'er snuggled closer to Song Haochu, ignoring him. Song Yiqiu smiled and continued speaking:
"In my opinion, it would be better to do this. Since Miss Ying'er is a respectable courtesan, she has a clean background. We should temporarily settle her in a secluded place outside the mansion and have someone take good care of her until she gives birth to her child safely."
"If she gives birth to a son, she will be granted the status of a concubine, and the child will be recorded in the Song family genealogy. If she gives birth to a daughter, she will be given more money and allowed to leave on her own."
"In this way, we can both fulfill Third Brother's sense of duty and save the child, without immediately disgracing the family and preserving the Song family's reputation. As for Third Brother..."
She looked at Song Haochu, her tone serious:
"The most urgent matter is the imperial examination! If Third Brother passes the examination this time, it will be a double celebration. Father and Mother will be proud and may not care about this matter anymore."
"If I fail the exam... then it means that being attached to one's children is indeed hindering one's studies. We can discuss other things then. What do you think, Father and Mother?"
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