Chapter 14 Lost Banknotes
Drinking tea and basking in the sun in the courtyard, they chatted happily. Song Ci acted like a spoiled child and took his arm, "Daddy, why don't you stay in Beijing instead of going out?"
Father Song frowned. "There are many peddlers and merchants in the capital, and most of them have connections behind them. Our Song family has no foundation. If we do business in the capital now, I'm afraid we won't make any money and will offend people."
After saying this, he met his daughter's disappointed gaze and softened his voice, "Xiaoci, Daddy promises you that Daddy will quickly build up the business and stay in Beijing to accompany you, okay?"
Song Ci buried himself in his father's arms, sniffed while lowering his head, and wiped away the tears from his eyes.
Dad had said this countless times in his previous life, but no matter how hard he tried to make money, the people of the Song family were never satisfied, forcing him to spend more energy and time running around outside.
She stood in the yard. As spring went and autumn came, her father would always come back to rest for a few days before leaving. What she saw most was her father's back as he walked away.
As the number of his departures increased, Daddy's posture was no longer as straight as before. He was bent over with fatigue and looked very old.
But this time, she would not let her family go back to the old ways no matter what.
Noticing something unusual about Song Ci in his arms, Father Song patted her frail back and said with a smile, "Xiao Ci feels sorry for Daddy, but we are all members of the Song family. Your eldest uncle and second uncle studied and became officials, and Daddy only has this talent for business. The more money Daddy makes, the better Xiao Ci and Mom will live in the future."
The moisture that had just faded away from the eyes came back again, and Song Ci's big eyes were filled with mist.
"father."
"What's wrong."
"It's nothing. I just want my dad to be well and for our family to be well."
Song Lao San laughed heartily, "Xiao Ci is right, our family will definitely be fine."
At this moment, he did not realize the meaning of Song Ci's words. This family does not include everyone in the Song family.
As he spoke, he carefully took out a silver hairpin from his bosom and scratched his head sheepishly. "Daddy is not well off, so I could only buy this silver hairpin for Xiaoci. Daddy thought that you have grown up, and other girls like to dress up. My daughter is so pretty, so naturally she should dress up well too. This silver hairpin is not expensive. When Daddy makes money in the future, I will buy you a better one."
Song Ci took the hairpin, caressed it lovingly, looked at the crabapple blossoms carved on it, and smiled with two shallow dimples: "Daddy still remembers that I love crabapple blossoms the most."
"Of course I remember."
"Then, what did Daddy buy for Mommy?" Both Daddy and Mommy have been married for more than ten years, but they always blush when they get along with each other. There was a cunning flash in Song Ci's eyes.
As expected, Song's father's face flushed, and he said in a muffled voice, "Of course... of course I bought it, but your mother has never liked dressing up, so I don't know if she will like it."
Not fond of dressing up? That woman doesn’t care about beauty.
She vaguely remembered that when she was a few years old, her mother was very beautiful and with a little dressing up, she would be the most conspicuous person in the crowd.
But later, she gradually stopped caring about dressing up, shedding her former beautiful and exquisite clothes and wearing the simplest and crudest clothes. Her delicate bun also became the simplest and neatest. She became no different from any other village woman, and her beautiful features seemed to have lost their color and were covered with dust.
She asked her mother why she didn't dress up anymore. Her mother would always gently say that those beautiful clothes and pretty jewelry were inconvenient to wear while working and serving her mother-in-law, so she would not wear them anymore.
She didn't understand it at the time, but she still felt a little sad in her heart. She liked gentle and beautiful mothers.
When I grew up and thought back on it, wasn’t this a great cruelty to my mother?
If she dressed up, the jewelry on her body would definitely be taken away by Old Lady Song in their own name, and she would scold her for being unfaithful to her husband. A married woman with children who dressed up all day long must have bad intentions and was deliberately trying to seduce other men.
Heard of such scolding, my mother was so ashamed and angry that she wanted to cry, so she stopped dressing up.
"Dad, Mom will like it." Song Ci looked up with a serious expression.
Father Song was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll give it to your mother later."
At night, when he returned to the room, he saw that the bedding that had been originally spread flat beside the bed had traces of wrinkles, and Song Ci knew that it was done.
She called Wanxiang over and said, "Go and tell them that I've lost some silver. Search all the servants' rooms in the third room."
Wanxiang smiled and said, "I understand."
He ran out of the house, yelling, "There's a thief! There's a thief! The lady has lost something!"
Song Ci narrowed her eyes and looked at Qiao Xianglan who was hurriedly coming over, with a look of grievance on her face, "Mother."
Qiao Xianglan was called out by Wanxiang's loud voice. She was still in shock and was relieved to see that her daughter was fine.
"What happened? Did you lose something?"
"Mom, have you forgotten that the money your daughter saved for medicine was lost." Her eyes turned red and she looked at Qiao Xianglan aggrieved and helpless.
"How could that be! Where did you put it? Did you put the wrong thing?" Qiao Xianglan searched carefully.
Song Ci knew that with her mother's personality, she would definitely not be able to accept the fact that there was a thief in the third room for a while, but she had a way to make her believe it.
"Mom, please stop looking. I've searched everywhere I put the silver, but it's nowhere to be found."
Qiao Xianglan was very anxious. This was the money for her daughter to replenish her body. What would she do if it was lost?
Seeing her sweating profusely in anxiety, Song Ci felt a little guilty, but thinking that what she was doing now was for a better tomorrow, she held back her words of comfort.
"Mom, the bedding was made by Wanxiang this morning, but when I came back just now, there were signs of rummaging. There can't be any other reason except that it was stolen."
Qiao Xianglan's face turned pale and she clutched her chest. "But in our third room, apart from Wanxiang, Wanxia, and a maid in the courtyard, who else could it be?"
"Wanxiang has always been by my side, so it certainly can't be her. The only ones left are Wanxia and Mrs. Song."
Wanxia, who had rushed over, just walked in and heard these words, and immediately became furious.
"Miss Third can eat whatever she wants, but she can't say whatever she wants! I've served the Third House for several years, diligently and conscientiously, and I've never betrayed my master. How could Miss Third assume this of me?"
Wanxia looked angry, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"Wanxia, don't be angry, Xiaoci was just talking casually..."
Qiao Xianglan subconsciously tried to comfort Wanxia, but before she could finish her words, Song Ci grabbed her and said, "Don't worry, sister Wanxia, I was just guessing. Now that you say you didn't take the silver, the third room is only this big, we'll know if we search it."
Song Ci looked at the sunset, and seeing her eyes dodging, he felt very confident.
Wanxia pursed her lips and said aggrievedly, "I have been in the Third House for so many years. Even if I have no merits, I have worked hard. The Third Miss lost her silver and she blamed me and even searched my room. I am really wronged and cannot swallow this."
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