Song Tao looked at her father’s cowardly demeanor and felt as though a foul breath was choked up in her chest.
She shifted to one side, making way for Song Daliang, and said, "Father, your friends must still be waiting for you. You should go and enjoy yourself; mother and I will prepare some offerings for Uncle, tomorrow is his twenty-seventh day memorial."
Song Daliang was in no mood to go out anymore.
The reason the Song Family Kiln Factory had been able to continuously receive orders from the Imperial Kiln Factory over the years was not because Song Youliang had great relationships with each successive Supervisor of Pottery, but because the Song Family could produce the white porcelain for imperial rituals that even the Imperial Kiln Factory couldn’t replicate.
That was the reason the Song Family Kiln Factory dared to claim to be the best in Jingde Town.
If the Song Family Kiln Factory could no longer produce white porcelain, then what was there to fight for?
Song Daliang snatched Song Tao’s arm and asked, "Who told you about the secret formula for the white porcelain?"
Song Tao glanced at him and replied, "Father, that’s not something for you to worry about. Don’t you know a lot of people? If you don’t believe it, you can ask those friends of yours to look into it."
After hearing this, Song Daliang ran out immediately.
But just as he had taken a few steps, Song Tao called out to him again. She said, "Father, everyone thinks that the secret formula for white porcelain is in the hands of Song Li, who is in charge of glazing. However, it’s actually with Xiang Yang. When you investigate, make sure you don’t look in the wrong direction and end up finding nothing, then think I’m lying."
Even though Song Daliang was rather dense, he could still sense the certainty in Song Tao’s voice when she said this.
Especially since she accurately mentioned the names Song Li and Xiang Yang.
He believed her at least forty to fifty percent and without a word, he ran out.
Madam Wang anxiously asked Song Tao, "What is all this about?"
Song Tao patted Madam Wang’s hand and said, "Mother, don’t worry about it. My father can’t accomplish things well and only makes matters worse. If we don’t ring a loud bell to get his attention, he won’t take things seriously. Just wait for him to come back and look for us."
"Us?!" Madam Wang asked, perplexed.
Song Tao smiled and replied, "Of course ’us’! Without your help, mother, how could I accomplish anything by myself?"
Not to mention anything else; if her mother didn’t help, who would keep an eye on her father?
She did not want to confront Song Jiyun head-on just yet.
Song Jiyun was too defiant.
Faced with the old lady pressuring her to get married, she actually came up with the idea of pretending to slip and fall.
And she managed to pull it off, too.
These past few days, whenever her mind was idle, it seemed as though she could hear Song Jiyun’s clashing basins, and the image of Song Jiyun crashing down with them would appear in her mind.
She still remembered feeling weak in the knees at the time; if not for Ding Xiang’s support, she would not know if she could have walked out of the memorial hall.
The people of the Song Family had talked a big game, but in the end, they could only gloomily watch Song Jiyun make her offerings to her uncle.
At this thought, a secretive excitement surged within Song Tao’s heart.
She turned to Madam Wang and said, "Mother, please tell Tianbao that we will be paying a visit to my aunt’s place later, so that she knows for sure that Tianbao will definitely go to pay respects to my uncle tomorrow."
She might as well see if she could find an opportunity to meet that Young Master Yuan.
Madam Wang had always had a good relationship with Madam Qian.
Both of them had children after being married for three or four years, both had three daughters one after another, and both were disliked by Madam Zeng.
Once Madam Wang had a son while Madam Qian still had only daughters, Madam Wang’s sympathy turned into pity, and she treated Madam Qian even better.
Upon hearing Song Tao’s words, she immediately responded, "Indeed, we should pay a visit to your aunt. If your father goes crazy again tomorrow and won’t let us go, we will have already paid our respects today, and your aunt won’t blame us."
Song Tao nodded and, together with Madam Wang, took the unwilling Song Tianbao to the second branch of the family.
On their way, Song Tao coaxed Song Tianbao, "If you behave well today, I’ll give you three taels of silver to buy candy tomorrow."
Song Tianbao simply looked down upon him and let out a derisive snort, saying, "I didn’t do anything yesterday, yet father gave me five taels of silver."
Song Tao smiled and said, "Then you got another three taels today, isn’t that good?"
Song Tianbao bowed his head and started to do the math.
However, Song Tao cursed him as a fool in her heart.
Her father was being so generous now because he had embezzled quite a bit of silver under the pretense of funeral expenses from the second branch of the family. Once he ran out of silver, and found you a widow with a substantial dowry to marry, you would find out whether or not father was good to you!
Nevertheless, she still felt a bit anxious in her heart.
Song Jiyun had money in his hands while she had always been strapped for cash, even when she wanted to reward someone, she couldn’t pull out much silver.
The group then went to Madam Qian’s place.
Although Madam Qian had grievances against Song Daliang, she would not vent her anger on Madam Wang and the Song sisters. Especially the eldest daughter of the main branch, Song Mei, who not only wept for Song Youliang but also kept vigil for several nights with the youngest, Song Jixue.
Song Tao did not sit for long before she asked about Song Jiyun. Upon learning that Song Jiyun had returned to his own residence, she rose with a smiling face, saying, "Second aunt, I am going to have a talk with Younger Sister Yun. Mother, when you leave, just send a maid to call me."
Both Madam Qian and Madam Wang responded.
Song Tao, accompanied by Ding Xiang, went to Song Jiyun’s place.
However, when she reached the gate, her steps faltered, and she turned a corner towards Yinyu Hall.
The black lacquered ruyi gate of Yinyu Hall was tightly closed, with a black lacquered and light green silk covered palace lantern hanging on either side. The vegetation on both sides was lush, exuding an air of tranquility and peace.
Song Tao straightened her clothes.
Today, she had simply coiled her hair into a bun, adorned with a row of Jade Hairpin Flowers, wearing a peach pink plain gauze beizi vest with a white pick-stitched skirt—clean, neat, and prim, conveying a warm elegance amidst the cool of the summer evening.
She was very confident in her appearance and attire.
In her previous life, even after becoming a mother, when she went out, there were still young rascals who would gaze at her.
Ding Xiang stepped forward to knock on the door.
There was no response for a long while.
Song Tao frowned and knocked on the door herself.
Yet, there was still no answer after quite some time.
She instructed Ding Xiang, "Could it be that Young Master Yuan has moved somewhere else?"
She herself stood forlornly at the door, waiting.
The lamplight made her stand out.
This made her feel as if everything about her could be seen clearly by others, which was disconcerting.
She hid herself beside the fragrance camphor forest, and after what seemed a long wait, Ding Xiang finally arrived.
"Young Master Yuan is still living here," she said breathlessly, "but for some reason, nobody answered the door. They said the people serving Young Master Yuan, if not directly brought by Miss Yun, were handpicked by the Second Madam. They couldn’t just strike up a conversation."
Song Tao, still hopeful, knocked on the door for a while longer.
There was still no movement.
Just as she was about to leave, disappointed, the door creaked open, and a small head with a coiled bun peeked out.
"Miss Tao! Why, it’s you?" Xiang Zhan exclaimed loudly, not hiding her surprise in the least, "What are you doing here at Young Master Yuan’s residence so late?"
Song Tao’s face instantly burned with embarrassment, wishing she could vanish into a crack in the ground.
Yet Xiang Zhan went on to say, "Are you here looking for Young Master Yuan? Young Master Yuan is at our Miss’s place. Young Master Yuan said if you have anything to say, you could tell our Miss, and she’ll pass it on to her!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
