Madam Song clutched her handkerchief and took a long breath before walking out with Song Yao and Song Nian.

Song Lan’an stood in the inner courtyard of the first branch. Song Wan had just entered with Song Fu when she saw Song Lan’an waiting ahead. She curtsied slightly and softly called out, “Father.”

“Good that you’ve returned. I’ve already had your mother tidy up your courtyard. If there’s anything you need, just tell your mother.”

“Thank you for Father’s concern.”

Song Lan’an nodded, dropped a line about being busy, and left the inner courtyard.

Song Fu pointed to the servants carrying the luggage trunks behind them, telling them to go ahead to the courtyard. Just as everyone was leaving, Madam Song arrived with Song Yao and Song Nian.

“Wan’er greets Mother and her two younger sisters.”

Song Yao and Song Nian also said in unison, “Greetings to eldest sister.”

“Wan’er must be tired from the journey. Go back to your room and rest first. We’re family—no need for excessive formality.”

Song Yao and Song Nian stood behind Madam Song without another word.

Song Wan smiled lightly and nodded. “Then Wan’er will return to her room first. Mother and sisters should also rest well.”

After speaking, she curtsied slightly to them. Heng Zhi, Heng Wu, Jinshu, and Luanjian followed behind their mistress, each paying respects to the masters of the household before following Song Wan away.

Upon returning to her own courtyard, the smile on Song Wan’s face became somewhat more genuine.

“Miss, this servant will go find the steward to request some fabric. These bed curtains all look old—they should be replaced with new ones now.”

“Miss, this servant will organize your trunks. The sachets in the large wardrobe have probably lost their fragrance and can no longer repel clothing moths.”

“Miss, this servant…”

Heng Zhi and Heng Wu busied themselves energetically while Song Wan sat at the edge of her canopy bed, quietly observing everything before her.

The objects in the room were both familiar and strange. For a moment she felt disoriented, as if six years had passed in an instant without leaving the slightest ripple.

Yet after the calm, it also seemed as though those six years had stirred up towering waves that only now were gradually subsiding, everything returning to tranquility.

“Oh my.”

Heng Zhi went to remove the bed curtains. The rope tying the curtains suddenly broke, and the thin inner gauze swept past Song Wan’s face. She smiled and raised her hand to brush it aside.

“What happened?”

Heng Zhi smiled. “One of the auspicious knots Miss had tied before is missing. No wonder this rope broke…”

Song Wan looked up and indeed saw that one of the decorative knots she’d practiced making in her youth was missing.

That auspicious knot had originally been taught to her by Nanny Zhao for her to tie for her future husband, yet unexpectedly no one had the fortune to enjoy it.

Thinking of this, Song Wan suddenly smiled, secretly feeling momentarily embarrassed by her own thick-facedness.

“Take them all down and put them away. They’re no longer needed.”

The room still contained some seasonal gifts Jiang Xingjian had sent in his youth. Song Wan instructed Heng Zhi to place them together with the old items in the room and store them in the warehouse.

“Change the inner layer of the bed curtains to goose-yellow light gauze, and the outer layer to water-green brocade. The window screens, wardrobe curtains, and drapes should also be changed to more vibrant colors.”

As Old Lady Lang spoke, she said to Jinshu, “Come with me to find the steward. Lend this old woman that strength of yours, and we’ll replace everything in Miss’s room.”

Jinshu smiled and agreed, then left together with Old Lady Lang.

Song Wan rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her lips.

During the first few days after returning to the Song residence, no one came looking for her. Song Wan only focused on tidying up the courtyard, having no mind for other matters. But after just three to five days of peace, someone couldn’t sit still and came with their family in tow to gossip.

Yang Pianzhi brought the timid-looking Song Zhao over. The moment she saw the orange-yellow hundred-blessings embroidered vest Song Wan wore, her eyes immediately went straight.

The vest’s style was ordinary, but the fabric was excellent—clearly a fine gift bestowed from the palace.

Feeling uncomfortable in her heart, she couldn’t help but become sarcastic.

“Elder Sister Wan has such bearing. I wonder if it’s because the Marquis of Chengyang’s household raises people well—you certainly look much better than before you were married.”

Song Wan smiled softly. “Thank you for Third Aunt’s praise.”

Yang Pianzhi snorted and sat before her. Just as she was about to say some unpleasant words to make herself feel better, she saw Madam Song approaching with Song Yao and Song Nian.

Seeing her arrival, Yang Pianzhi laughed derisively twice and resentfully dragged Song Zhao away.

Seeing this, Madam Song said dryly, “She still expects me to arrange a good marriage for Song Zhao. Next time she comes to bother you, don’t take it to heart.”

Song Wan nodded obediently. “Wan’er understands.”

Madam Song said no more. Song Yao stared at Song Wan without blinking, her tone unwilling. “This younger sister doesn’t understand something and wonders if eldest sister might enlighten her?”

Even though Song Yao tried her best to conceal the sharpness in her eyes, her tone inevitably revealed a trace of resentment.

Seeing this, Song Wan’s lips curved slightly. “Second younger sister, please speak.”

“Younger sister doesn’t understand—in the past, eldest sister was always the most rule-abiding person. How is it that now you’ve done something like severing your marriage ties and returning to the family residence?”

“Books say that women must carefully maintain their reputation and moral integrity, and their words and actions must conform to propriety without being careless…”

“They say that one’s husband is like heaven. Heaven cannot be escaped, one’s husband cannot be left. Acting in violation of the spirits and deities will bring heavenly punishment.”

“Eldest sister has also read books and understood principles since childhood. How could you not know these truths written in books?”

Song Wan frowned slightly but didn’t speak.

Her severing of ties with Jiang Xingjian did indeed violate wifely virtue…

Just as she was thinking of enduring Song Yao’s interrogation, she suddenly remembered Ji Rong standing in the moonlight, gently saying that the young lady should think more of herself.

She had never been as willful and unrestrained as Lin Jiayue even once, yet now watching Madam Song tacitly allow Song Yao to be disrespectful to her elder sister and interrogate her, she finally felt three parts anger.

“In what capacity is second younger sister interrogating me? Is this how Mother usually teaches you to speak to your elder siblings?”

Song Wan turned to look at Madam Song. Madam Song clutched her handkerchief and frowned. “How can you speak to your elder sister this way? Are these words you should be saying?”

“It was Yao’er who overstepped.”

Seeing Song Yao apologize quietly, Madam Song slightly lowered her eyes and said, “Wan’er, it’s not that Mother deliberately wants to make things difficult for you, but what Yao’er said has some merit.”

“Now that you’ve returned, it’s truly made the household restless. Setting aside the marriage prospects of your several younger sisters at home, you cannot bear even the squeezing from outsiders.”

Song Wan smiled faintly. “Then where does Mother think Wan’er should go that would be more appropriate? Or is Mother saying she wants to send Wan’er back to the Marquis of Chengyang’s household?”

Madam Song pressed her lips together without answering.

Song Yao, however, muttered quietly, “If Yao’er were eldest sister, she would definitely find a nunnery and spend this life as a companion to the eternal lamp.”

Hearing this, Song Wan wasn’t angered but smiled and replied, “If Song Wan were now the one in charge of this household, I would naturally find a Buddhist hall and become a nun. Unfortunately, it’s Father who’s in charge now. Father told his daughter to return to the residence, and as a filial child, I dare not disobey.”

Seeing the mother and daughters’ expressions turn stormy, Song Wan said calmly, “My return to the Song residence was a condition in the power struggle between His Highness the Crown Prince and Father. If Mother forcibly makes me return to the Marquis of Chengyang’s household, it would be making Father openly oppose the Crown Prince and turn to support the Fifth Prince instead.”

Speaking to this point, Song Wan paused slightly before continuing, “Moreover, if I’m not mistaken, Father should have said he has arrangements for second younger sister and third younger sister’s marriages, which is why he had Mother give up the marriage alliance with the Cui family. Since that’s the case, why is Mother still so short-sighted, spending her energy daily on making things difficult for Wan’er?”