After leaving the Wong Family, Song Jiyun’s upper and lower eyelids kept fighting, and she fell asleep in the sedan chair.
When she arrived home, she saw Yuan Yunzhong standing in front of the curio shelf in her study, examining an Arhat Cup.
Seeing her return, he lifted his eyelids to give her a faint glance.
Startled, she was jolted alert, thinking she had mistaken her surroundings for somewhere else. She hurriedly looked back outside and, recognizing the familiar scene, finally assured herself of her location.
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but widen her eyes and asked, "Young Master Yuan, what are you doing here? Is there something urgent?"
Yuan Yunzhong didn’t make a sound but just quietly glanced at her.
Though she looked weary, her gaze was clear and poised, showing that the morning’s words from the Song Family had left no mark on her heart.
He placed the Arhat Cup back in its original spot, said "nothing," and then took his leave from the study.
Song Jiyun stood there for a long time before she came back to her senses.
Then why did he come here?
Just to look at the porcelain she collected?
Confused and tired enough to fall asleep standing up, she thought it was best not to dwell on it if she didn’t understand. If there was truly an issue, Yuan Yunzhong would surely come to find her again.
Song Jiyun collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep.
She slept straight through until the next morning.
Madam Qian brought two sticks of ginseng and had Nanny Zheng urge Song Jiyun to brew tea to drink, reminding Nanny Zheng, "She doesn’t like the taste of ginseng, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on her. She has lost weight these past few days."
Nanny Zheng felt sympathy for Song Jiyun, saying, "The young mistress can’t rest. If it were any other year, she could have stayed at Tianzhuang for a few days."
However, Song Jiyun had an idea upon hearing this.
As long as Wong Dahai’s issue remained unresolved, there would be no peace at home. With Madam Qian so incensed, it was better to avoid the situation.
She coaxed her mother into taking her two sisters to stay in Gratitude Temple for a few days, "To conduct prayers for father and to wish for our sisters’ good fortune."
Madam Qian was reluctant to leave her eldest daughter at home alone to withstand the wolves and tigers.
Song Jiyun had no choice but to signal to Nanny Zheng with her eyes.
After much persuasion from Nanny Zheng, Madam Qian finally agreed.
Fearing the situation might worsen if delayed, Song Jiyun bade farewell to Madam Qian and her sisters immediately after lunch.
But just as their carriage had barely left the main street and the gate of the Song Family had not yet been closed, Ninth Master Song, Song Daliang, and Song Sanliang came rushing over with a crowd.
Song Sanliang was even yelling, "Song Jiyun, come out! The Sacrificial White Porcelain batch that the Kiln Factory fired up this morning didn’t produce a single finished piece! If it weren’t for your curse, how could such a disaster happen at the Song Family Kiln Factory?"
Steward Wu was taken aback and anxiously said, "Miss, what should we do?"
Song Jiyun hesitated for a moment, and by then, Song Sanliang and the others had already rushed over, surrounding her and Steward Wu.
Only then did she realize that most of the people who came with Song Sanliang were capable masters from the Kiln Factory, with only a few onlookers.
Song Jiyun’s face darkened as she demanded of Song Sanliang and the others, "What are you trying to do?"
The people from the Kiln Factory looked at her angrily, but no one spoke.
Song Sanliang, however, stepped forward and said sternly, "Song Jiyun, from now on, you are not to involve yourself in the affairs of the Kiln Factory!"
Meanwhile, Song Daliang, seeing more and more onlookers outside the gate, hurriedly repeated the day’s events of the Kiln Factory failing to produce any finished Sacrificial White Porcelain goods.
The crowd murmured among themselves.
Angered, Song Jiyun laughed, "I didn’t even go to the Kiln Factory. You failed to fire the kiln, and yet you blame me for it!"
Her words left many people from the kiln factory with shocked expressions.
Song Sanliang was even more direct, "Do you think we are wrongfully accusing you? The kiln factory is still the same kiln factory, and the people making the porcelain are still the same people. The only variable is you. Do you still dare to say that this matter has nothing to do with you?"
"To impose a crime upon someone, one need not lack words!" Song Jiyun firmly denied, "Where is the evidence?! You say I’ve brought trouble to the kiln factory; you can’t just rely on gossip. Shouldn’t matters in this world require evidence, rather than just opening one’s mouth? Then I might as well say it was you who brought trouble to the kiln factory. Haven’t you also meddled in the affairs of the kiln factory?"
"Can you be the same as us?" Ninth Master Song immediately supported Song Sanliang, "Since Pangu created heaven and earth, men are Yang and women are Yin. It’s only natural for men to be in charge, but when a woman takes charge, it’s like heaven and earth are reversed. This time the kiln factory failed to produce the sacrificial white porcelain, it’s a warning from the heavens!"
Song Jiyun retaliated without courtesy, "Is it so rare for the Song Family Kiln Factory to have an empty firing?"
Of course not. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
It’s just that it had been many years since the Song Family Kiln Factory had encountered such a situation.
Some people in the kiln factory showed hesitation on their faces.
Song Sanliang, however, had come prepared.
He was determined to pin the nefarious reputation on Song Jiyun and win over these people from the kiln factory today, no matter what.
He said, "You want evidence, right? Fine! Let me ask you. This morning, when the kiln was opened, not a single piece of finished product was burned, is that a fact?"
"What does that have to do with the evidence you’re talking about?" Song Jiyun replied, wary.
"You just answer whether it’s a fact," he insisted.
Song Jiyun remained silent.
"Is it a fact that Wong Dahai has gone missing?"
Song Jiyun looked at him steadily.
Song Sanliang pressed on, "Isn’t it true that the inventory slips from the storage room disappeared, and the Imperial Burn cups are gone?"
Song Jiyun glared furiously.
"You still say all this has nothing to do with you!" Song Sanliang shouted, "Isn’t it all since Wong Dahai attended your family’s banquet that these incidents started?"
The crowd around them immediately erupted.
Song Jiyun’s complexion turned ugly.
"Nonsense!" she denied vehemently, anger evident in her voice, "By your logic, Wong Dahai’s disappearance must also be related to you—you live right next door to our house, perhaps Wong Dahai was snatched away by you right after the feast and imprisoned in your home. Didn’t he go missing after leaving my place?"
Everyone listened with dropped jaws, and the chatter became even more chaotic.
Not that anyone believed her, but because Song Jiyun’s allegations seemed far-fetched.
Song Sanliang couldn’t help feeling smug, believing that Song Jiyun was in disarray.
"Slanderous!" he exclaimed, "Wong Dahai and I had no enmity, why would I abduct him?"
"To take over our family’s kiln factory!" Song Jiyun retorted with a sneer, "With Wong Dahai missing, the porcelain for Prince Ning’s Mansion can’t be accounted for, and anyone who wants to take control of the kiln factory would need to find Wong Dahai. You were in the perfect position to cause chaos while pointing the finger at me, making everyone think that I, a girl, cannot manage the kiln factory."
The crowd was stunned.
Especially Ninth Master Song and Song Daliang, their gazes at Song Sanliang now contained a hint of scrutiny.
Song Sanliang was so angry he was jumping up and down, but he couldn’t afford to fall out with Ninth Master Song and Song Daliang right now.
"You nonsense-talking girl!" he said, "I’m also looking for Wong Dahai!"
Song Jiyun replied, "Why else would Wong Dahai’s value have soared so high, so quickly? A thief crying ’stop thief’ certainly wouldn’t want the thief to get caught!"
Upon hearing this, Song Sanliang was hit by a sudden idea, and his eyes whirled with thought.
"If you say I’ve taken Wong Dahai to my house, then I’ll open my doors for you to search," he pointed at Song Jiyun, "If you can find him, I will cease to interfere with your family’s affairs from now on. But if you can’t find him, you’ll have to leave the kiln factory!"
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