Chapter Nineteen: A Loyal Maid Sacrifices Herself to Protect Her Master
Inside the Song Family Ancestral Hall.
Hundreds of white candles were lit, their flames flickering.
The crackling flames cast flickering shadows on the ground.
The ancestral tablets were surrounded by candles, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of incense, perhaps due to regular maintenance.
Song Yiqiu's gaze passed over the unfamiliar ancestral tablets of the Song family and landed directly on the tablet in the far corner, which was covered with a thin layer of ash.
That was my grandmother, Shen Zhaohua.
How ridiculous!
If it weren't for the powerful support of her grandmother, Shen Zhaohua, how could her father, Song Qingming, a poor scholar, have risen to the position of a sixth-rank official in the Bureau of Classics? And how could he have achieved his current wealth and status?
But now, Grandmother's memorial tablet is placed so disrespectfully in a corner, as if it were something shameful.
The Song Clan Ancestral Hall was not unfamiliar to her.
In the years before she went to the frontier, she disliked needlework and preferred martial arts, and was punished by her mother to kneel countless times.
Each time, she stubbornly straightened her back, waiting for her grandmother to come and take her back to Zhaohua Mansion.
She slowly walked forward, gently brushing away the dust from her grandmother's memorial tablet, her eyes filled with longing.
Behind him came Song Shenshi's cold rebuke:
"Now that you're here, why don't you kneel down properly!"
Without hesitation, Song Yiqiu straightened her back, turned around, and knelt down facing the direction of her grandmother's memorial tablet.
When Madam Song saw the direction in which she was kneeling, her expression became even more unpleasant.
At this moment, Granny Wang walked in carrying a mahogany tray. On the tray was a family cane, about the thickness of a child's wrist, made of thorny branches, with thorns still stuck to it.
Madam Song grabbed it and demanded an answer in a stern voice:
"Song Yiqiu! Do you know you're wrong?"
Song Yiqiu frowned slightly, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
What wrong did she do? It was never Song Yiqiu who wronged the Song family.
Seeing this, Granny Li knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded:
"Madam! This is unacceptable! This family discipline is too harsh. How can Miss's body withstand such a thick cane? She won't be able to get out of bed for ten days or half a month! Miss... she knows she was wrong, please, Madam, have mercy!"
Song Sangyu immediately knelt down as well, her voice choked with sobs, but her gaze remained fixed on Song Yiqiu:
"Mother, please calm down! Although my sister hasn't said a word, she definitely knows she was wrong and has no intention of being resentful!"
"It's all Sang Yu's fault. Sang Yu shouldn't have come back and upset her sister... Sister just doesn't like me. If she can calm down, Sang Yu doesn't need this status as the legitimate daughter!"
"As long as I can stay by my father and mother's side, even if I have to be a maid who serves tea and water, Sangyu will be willing!"
This is tantamount to pouring water on hot oil.
Song Shen's anger intensified:
"Wang Mama! Help the Second Miss up! She is of noble birth; how can she kneel!"
She then stared intently at Song Yiqiu.
"Song Yiqiu, I'll see today just how tough you are! And how tight your lips can be!"
After saying that, she actually raised her arm and used all her strength to slap Song Yiqiu hard on the back.
Snap!
Song Yiqiu's clothes tore instantly on her back, her skin and flesh rolled back, and blood splattered, quickly staining her entire back red.
Everyone was stunned.
Even Shen herself was stunned.
She had threatened Song Yiqiu with family discipline before; Song Yiqiu would always dodge when they were little, and she never really intended to kill her... So why did she not dodge or flinch this time, but instead endure it head-on?
Bai Mei's eyes widened in fury, and she was about to rush forward when Qing Zhu, who seemed to be insane, grabbed her wrist tightly.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Qingzhu shook her head very slightly at her.
Granny Li exclaimed in surprise:
"Young Miss!"
She collapsed to the ground, crying out.
"Madam! How could you be so cruel! The eldest young lady is your own flesh and blood!!"
Song Yiqiu endured the full force of the blow, a metallic taste lingering on her lips.
Fortunately, seven years on the frontier had forged her into a strong physique; if it were an ordinary young lady, she would probably have fainted by now.
She didn't even sway; she just took a deep breath.
"Mother, is this... enough to make up for it?"
After speaking, his gaze fell on his grandmother's memorial tablet:
Grandmother, Yiqiu is in so much pain... But this time, no one will take her back.
Provoked by her question, Madam Song lost face and, in a fit of anger, retorted:
"Ha! Perhaps I didn't use enough force just now, which is why you still dare to be so sharp-tongued!"
As she spoke, she raised the blood-stained thorn branch once more.
Just as the brambles were about to fall again,
"Ah! Don't hit the young lady! You bad guy! Hit the bad guy!"
Qingzhu, who had been acting dazed and confused, suddenly screamed as if she had been greatly frightened, and pounced on Song Yiqiu.
Before Song Shen could stop in time, the barbed thorns lashed hard across Qingzhu's back.
"Hmm!"
Qingzhu let out a short groan of pain, closed her eyes, and fainted, collapsing limply onto Song Yiqiu.
"Green bamboo!"
Song Yiqiu gasped, feeling the damp heat on her back. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins.
How could you be so stupid!
Granny Li was terrified:
"Madam! You can't hit her anymore! Someone's going to die!!"
Madam Song was also stunned by this sudden turn of events, looking at Qingzhu, who was lying unconscious on Song Yiqiu's back.
She loosened her grip, and the blood-stained thorn fell to the ground.
She then panicked a little and screamed towards the door:
"Doctor! Quick! Go get a doctor!!"
Looking at Song Yiqiu's disheveled appearance, Song Sangyu couldn't help but smile, observing everything with a cold eye.
However, the next moment, her smile froze on her face.
Despite the excruciating pain, Song Yiqiu carefully picked up the unconscious Qingzhu and stood up.
Bai Mei immediately stepped forward, quickly took off her outer garment, and draped it over Song Yiqiu's bloodied and mangled back to cover the horrifying wound.
Beads of sweat appeared on Song Yiqiu's forehead as she forced back her murderous intent and spoke:
"No need for Mother to worry."
"But I will remember what happened today."
"If anything happens to Qingzhu..."
She paused, then looked at Song Sangyu.
"Every single one of you here, I, Song Yiqiu, will not let a single one of you go."
After saying that, she stopped looking at anyone, picked up Qingzhu, and walked step by step toward her main courtyard.
Song Sangye shuddered in fright and lowered her head, pretending it was none of her business.
Behind them came Song Shenshi's angry curses:
"Song Yiqiu! What kind of attitude is this? You stop right there! How dare you leave without my permission? Stop right there!"
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