This was also why Old Madam Xiang found wealthy families incomprehensible—country folk would never cherish these money-losing goods. If a daughter was born, who knew how many were drowned, thrown away, or abandoned without a second thought.

Yet these wealthy families were oddly fond of money-losing goods, some even treasuring them more than their sons. When she had seen Song Linlang’s dowry flowing out like water back then, her eyes had truly turned red with envy.

Now Song Linlang was dead, leaving behind Xiang Mingzi. Would the Song family really bear to watch her suffer hardship?

She smiled, looking at her son with shrewdness and calculation. “If she insists on divorce, then you insist on keeping Xiang Mingzi. After all, she has the Xiang surname and is your daughter. Even if she takes it to court, there’s no precedent for awarding a child to someone of a different surname.”

As for the divorce itself, she truly didn’t care about it—she had never wanted a daughter-in-law like Song Linlang in the first place.

Xiang Yunzhang listened in some confusion. Sitting on the round stool, he picked up the porridge his mother had served and took a sip. Feeling his empty stomach finally settling, his mind cleared a bit. He asked, “What if she keeps clamoring for people to be handed over? If Nanny Zheng, Nanny Wang, and the others tell about the arsenic, even with ten mouths I couldn’t explain it away!”

“That’s why I say you’re stupid!” Old Madam Xiang poked him again in exasperation, grinding her teeth. “Of course you can’t give in to them on this! If you hand over the people, you won’t be able to explain away the arsenic matter no matter how many mouths you have. But if you don’t hand them over, at most they can accuse you of embezzling dowry property—when that time comes, just say that those servants were afraid of being blamed for inadequate care and fled. Won’t that settle it? With no evidence and no witnesses, what can they do?!”

Xiang Yunzhang couldn’t help but admire his mother. All those years of fighting and scheming in the countryside had truly honed her cunning. At the critical moment, she was more useful than him, a provincial governor who had passed the imperial examination.

He hastily agreed and sprang to his feet. “No time to waste. I’ll arrange right now to send away all those people close to her.”

Old Madam Xiang nodded, then asked, “What about the physician? What will you do about that physician?”

The physician couldn’t very well be sent away, could he? Otherwise, wouldn’t Hechun Hall raise a fuss?

Xiang Yunzhang thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. “Then find some pretext to detain him for a few days? We’ll deal with it after the Song family members leave.”

Old Madam Xiang also thought this was feasible. Watching her son about to rush out the door in a flurry, she said, “Now there’s no evidence left in anyone’s hands. Straighten your backbone and be more assertive. What is there to fear from them? You’re a provincial governor, after all. Let them make their fuss if they want.”

Xiang Yunzhang agreed and grabbed his outer robe before heading out.

Old Madam Xiang turned back to ask the little maid serving her, “Where’s that jinx?”

Although she thought her fate was strong enough to withstand being cursed, she had felt some regret after the person came to her room. In the end, she had changed her mind and had the little maid take the child to sleep in the side courtyard.

The little maid curtsied, looking at her somewhat fearfully. “Still in the side courtyard. Should I go fetch her?”

Old Madam Xiang shook her head in disgust—fetch her for what? Once the Song family left, she could just take her directly to the witch doctor and have her burned. Did they need even more people cursed?

Song Chuyi hadn’t gone to rest. She put herself in Xiang Yunzhang’s shoes and considered what she would do if she were him right now. If Song Linlang’s death truly had something suspicious about it, and he was detaining Song Linlang’s close servants for another purpose—fearing they would reveal something—what would he do?

Murder to silence them? With all the Song family members present now, doing such a thing would be easily discovered. Killing people without a proper justification—even a provincial governor probably couldn’t shoulder that responsibility.

Then only one option remained: sending them away—selling them to human traffickers would probably be the most covert method Xiang Yunzhang could think of. He was surely guarding against the Song family too, not daring to send people to estates under his name or Song Linlang’s name to avoid suspicion.

Qing Tao draped over her that golden fire-fox fur cloak and, seeing her furrowed brow, asked, “Miss, are you worried about Aunt’s matter?”

In recent days, Song Chuyi had been speaking less and less. Qing Tao and Ziyun would consciously try to encourage her to talk more—while it was good for a young lady to be quiet and composed, being too restrained ultimately lacked the liveliness of youth.

Song Chuyi nodded, bracing her hands on the table as she stood up and ordered, “Come with me to Old Madam’s place.”

The dead cannot return to life—Song Chuyi understood this principle. But when someone died, they should still receive the justice they deserved. That faithless man Xiang Yunzhang, who couldn’t even keep his promises—what right did he have to live so comfortably?

She was determined to seek justice for Song Linlang.

Old Madam Song hadn’t rested either. She didn’t dare close her eyes even for a moment. She had been filled with joy at the thought of seeing the daughter she hadn’t seen in so long, only to receive this final meeting—the bitter outcome of a white-haired person seeing off a black-haired one. Her heart was full of grief and rage.

Seeing Song Chuyi arrive, she forced a smile and beckoned her to sit beside her, absently stroking her hair. “Grandmother had your Third Uncle go inquire about who treated your aunt back then. I believe there will be results soon. But I haven’t been able to see your cousin yet, which still makes me uneasy.”

Although they had reason on their side, Xiang Mingzi had the Xiang surname after all. If the Xiang family truly became obstinate and decided to make enemies of the Song family, the Song family simply wouldn’t be able to take Xiang Mingzi away.

Song Chuyi leaned against Old Madam Song’s knee and quietly listened. When she finished, Song Chuyi straightened up and looked at her. “Grandmother, not only the physician. I suspect Master Xiang may not be willing to let us see the servants who attended Aunt. If there truly is something sinister…”

Old Madam Song understood the implication, her hand movements pausing.

“Third Uncle stayed here before—does he have any acquaintances who could discreetly gather information?” Song Chuyi pondered for a moment. “If Aunt’s death truly has irregularities, the Xiang family should send away all these attending servants far away. When that time comes, with no evidence and no witnesses, even if we’re certain Aunt’s death wasn’t simple, we won’t be able to do anything to them.”

Song Chuyi only needed to hint at the sordid affairs of the inner chambers for Old Madam Song to understand completely.

She let out a cold laugh and turned back to instruct Nanny Huang and Nanny Qin. “You two go out quietly and inquire which brokerages have received people to sell. Especially ask around with those independent matchmakers.”

No one understood these intricacies better than Nanny Huang and Nanny Qin. After hearing Old Madam Song’s instructions, the two immediately agreed. They returned to their rooms to tidy up and disguise themselves as ordinary women before going out to gather information.

Old Madam Song’s rage accumulated more and more in her heart, the veins on the back of her hands bulging one by one.