“And now you want me to produce her original dowry—isn’t this forcing us to our deaths?” Old Madam Xiang sat on the ground, legs crossed in a posture of complete shamelessness like a dead pig that doesn’t fear boiling water. She sneered sarcastically, “I know your family has wealth and power, and we’re no match for you. But if you insist on driving a dog into a dead-end alley, don’t blame us country folk for not understanding proper etiquette…”
Old Madam Song found this laughable. Looking at Old Madam Xiang, she found it rather incredible and asked her, “Is Old Madam deliberately lying with her eyes wide open? The dowry list clearly states that Linlang had five shops under her name, three of them in the capital. These three are all managed by people from our Earl Manor. The annual accounts are recorded clearly and plainly, and every year’s income was sent to the Xiang family in Shu. Old Madam, don’t take offense at my blunt words, but even if I don’t count the other shops, residences, and estates under her name, just the three shops in the capital alone would be enough for her to eat the abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw you mentioned for a lifetime!”
Old Madam Xiang’s mouth nearly curled up to her nose. She huffed indignantly and looked at Old Madam Song. “She never handed her dowry over to me to manage—how would I know where her money went? Those dead assets may be plentiful, but every year the festival gifts she sent home weren’t they always two or three full carts? Aren’t these worth silver?”
Seeing Old Madam Song’s eyes fixed on her, she simply decided to throw all caution to the wind—after all, as a widow who had lost her husband and struggled to raise her son, she had never understood what use the word “dignity” had.
Moreover, Old Madam Xiang had always been the most practical person. When her husband died back then, she had never considered remarrying. She worked hard to raise her son and watched him pass the imperial examinations. Although she very much disliked her son marrying a young lady from a high-ranking family that didn’t match their status, she didn’t fight it to the death either, only complaining verbally. This was because she knew that given her circumstances, she might not be able to marry into anything better. It was better to guard the little bit of land her husband left behind and live well, better to raise her son up to be her support. It was also because she understood what benefits the marriage alliance with the Song family would bring her son.
Now that her son had entered prison and would be escorted to the Ministry of Justice after the New Year, she was even more determined to tightly grip everything she could grip.
Especially Song Linlang’s dowry—this large sum of silver would not only be capital for securing advantages for Xiang Yunzhang in the future, but also capital for her grandsons to continue living comfortably and respectably.
Old Madam Song no longer wished to argue with such a marketplace shrew. She glanced back, and Nanny Zheng automatically stepped forward, her expression somewhat haughty as she pulled several red papers from her bosom and tossed them to Old Madam Xiang. “Old Madam, since you mentioned gift lists, let’s discuss them properly. All the festival gifts our young lady sent back over the years are recorded here. Except for the first year when they were taken directly from the dowry, everything else came from the surplus of the shops and estates, without touching even a thread of your manor’s private property.”
Old Madam Xiang held her grandson as she sat on the steps, coldly watching the graceful and dignified Old Madam Song. She strangely perceived how this old madam differed from Song Linlang, and warily scooted her bottom backward. “So what?!”
Song Chuyi had no patience to continue wasting time with a rat that forever lived in the gutter. She said coldly from behind Nanny Zheng, “Nothing much. Today you hand over the items, and we’ll part ways completely with no further entanglements.”
She stepped forward two paces, bent down, and pulled up the small child from Old Madam Xiang’s arms. She looked at him meaningfully, then looked at Old Madam Xiang. “This isn’t your Shu countryside or your village where throwing tantrums and rolling on the ground can give you the advantage. Your tricks won’t work with us. If you refuse to speak properly, we also have ways of not speaking properly. Old Madam, you’re old and crafty—you should know when to yield. Don’t you agree?”
Old Madam Xiang looked at Song Chuyi strangely and laughed once. After understanding the threat in Song Chuyi’s words, she seemed somewhat incredulous. After a long silence, she coldly spat out a sentence, “Then this: I’ll give you Mingzi. As for the dowry, you can only take half.”
Even just half of Song Linlang’s dowry would be enough to support the entire Xiang family for a lifetime.
Behind Song Chuyi, Luyi burst out laughing. “You really have the face to say that—half? We won’t leave you even a single coin!”
Song Chuyi’s eyes stared fixedly at Old Madam Xiang, her face showing no trace of a smile. Bright light gathered in her eyes, but upon closer inspection, there seemed to be no emotion whatsoever.
She finally lost patience. Releasing the child in her hands, she crouched in front of Old Madam Xiang and asked her, “Did you hear that? My maid says we won’t leave you a single coin. Old Madam, having money also requires having the life to spend it. Master Xiang is now imprisoned. You’re no longer the old madam of the Magistrate’s household here in Qingzhou City. Moreover, you’re dragging along so many grandsons and granddaughters. If something were to accidentally happen…”
Old Madam Xiang’s face collapsed, her shriveled face wrinkling all together. She covered her face and burst into loud wailing. As she cried, she slapped her thighs, looking as though she was about to start singing again.
Old Madam Song gave a cold laugh, interrupting her performance. Her voice was as cold as well water in winter. “Old Madam Xiang, this trick doesn’t work on us. I’ve already sent a letter to your Xiang clan patriarch. Even if you insist on withholding the items, at worst we’ll just go to the yamen and fight another lawsuit. Don’t you agree?”
Old Madam Xiang stopped crying—she couldn’t afford to provoke the Xiang clan patriarch.
She stood up in exasperation and fury, pointing angrily at Old Madam Song and Song Chuyi, her face full of resentment. “Will you only be satisfied when you’ve driven people to death?!”
Song Chuyi’s brows furrowed, and Nanny Xu immediately stepped forward and knocked away Old Madam Xiang’s pointing finger.
“No one wants to drive you to death. The authorities have already ruled that my aunt is divorced from your son. You’re keeping someone else’s dowry and refusing to release it—this reasoning won’t hold up anywhere. If you’re not afraid of death, then by all means make a scene. I’ll just watch how you harm your son and grandsons to death!” Song Chuyi cast a cold glance at the boy cowering behind Old Madam Xiang and laughed mockingly. “While we’re still speaking to you civilly, prepare my cousin’s and aunt’s dowries properly. Otherwise… when the bailiffs arrive, you probably won’t even have a place to celebrate New Year.”
Old Madam Xiang’s mouth turned downward, gripping her grandson’s hand tightly. In the end, she didn’t continue her unreasonable entanglement.
Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang led people inside to collect Song Linlang’s belongings, while Nanny Huang and Nanny Qin went to receive Xiang Mingzi.
As soon as Xiang Mingzi came out, Old Madam Song couldn’t help but cry. She reached out and pulled her into her embrace, as though holding Song Linlang whom she had lost and found again.
Old Madam Xiang ultimately couldn’t restrain herself. She raised her voice and called out to Mingzi, “Your father—he’s still your father after all! Are you just going to watch him like this…”