“Ah Wan?”

“Mother.”

Song Wan barely came back to her senses and realized they had already returned to the Song residence.

She had just been completely immersed in shame and regret, not even noticing that Madam Song was sitting in front of her.

Madam Song smiled warmly. “Why do you look so absent-minded? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Perhaps it was a bit hot today. The sun made me somewhat dizzy.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Song hurriedly had a maid beside her bring ice cream. Song Wan took it, tasted a bite, then set it aside.

“I should have visited you at the Marquis household these past days, but I was busy organizing your dowry and it was delayed. I didn’t expect you and Xingjian would return home today. The master hasn’t seen him for a long time and will likely want to talk for quite a while. If you’re truly uncomfortable, go back to your room and rest—nothing in your room has been touched.”

Song Wan smiled shyly. “How could I be so delicate? Mother needn’t worry.”

“That’s good then.”

Madam Song was Song Wan’s biological maternal aunt. After Song Wan’s birth mother passed away, her father married a concubine-born daughter of the Su family—first to consolidate the marriage alliance between the Song and Su households, and second to better care for her elder brother and herself.

However, when Madam Song married in, Song Fu had already passed the age to be raised by inner-quarter women, and Song Wan herself had been taken to her aunt’s courtyard. Thus over these years, her relationship with Madam Song had been lukewarm, not particularly close.

For a moment they had nothing to say. After quite a while, Madam Song said dryly, “I’ll have the steward bring your dowry list so you can check if anything is missing.”

Before long, the Song household’s steward matron came in carrying a yellow rosewood box. Madam Song opened it and handed it to Song Wan to look over.

Song Wan glanced at it and found no issues. Not only was her mother’s dowry completely intact inside, the household had also provided several shops in excellent locations, two estates in the outskirts of the capital, and two hundred mu of good farmland. Even in the capital, this dowry was extremely impressive.

“Thank you for your hard work these past days, Mother.”

“Not at all. It’s all what I should do.”

After they spoke, they again had nothing to say. If it were any other day, Song Wan would certainly not be so negligent. But now her heart was in turmoil, her scattered thoughts leaving her in no mood for pleasantries.

It wasn’t until the household’s steward matron came to find Madam Song and she told Song Wan to rest in her own courtyard that both felt considerably relieved.

Walking out of the courtyard, Song Wan saw a man standing under the covered walkway, as if waiting for her.

The man had long eyebrows extending to his temples, cold and proud eyes. Standing alone there, he exuded an air of pride. Song Wan looked for a moment and recognized this person as her elder brother, Song Fu.

Song Fu turned his head. Seeing her staring blankly at him, he couldn’t help but reveal a smile of three parts warmth.

“Ah Wan, come here.”

The man beckoned. Song Wan quickened her pace and walked over.

“I greet Elder Brother.”

Seeing Song Fu, she suddenly felt somewhat unable to suppress her grievances. Her tone also carried a barely detectable sob.

Song Fu stared carefully at her face for a long while without speaking.

In his memory, she was still a little girl who loved to eat sweet cakes. If one day he returned home from the government school without bringing her some sweets, she would look at him with an aggrieved expression.

Today was somewhat similar, yet not entirely the same.

Before, if she felt wronged, she would tell him immediately. But now she only lowered her head, afraid he might notice.

Song Fu furrowed his brows and spoke. “Now that Xingjian has returned, your situation at the Marquis household is different from before. Remember to be harmonious in your daily conduct, magnanimous toward others, filial to your elders, and don’t compete with your sisters-in-law…”

After just a few sentences, he saw Song Wan’s eyes reddening. Song Fu hastily stopped.

Song Wan smiled lightly with red eyes. “Where did Elder Brother learn these words? You sound just like an elderly nanny from the inner quarters.”

Song Fu paused slightly, somewhat embarrassed.

He was afraid Song Wan had no mother to guide her, no one to teach her these inner-quarter matters. So he had racked his brains to come up with a few words of advice. Who would have thought his own sister would react this way upon hearing them?

“Elder Brother doesn’t understand inner-quarter matters…”

“Wan’er knows.”

One phrase “Elder Brother doesn’t understand” made Song Wan’s eyes heat up, nearly shedding tears.

Seeing this, Song Fu knew she wasn’t having a smooth time at the Marquis household. But as her elder brother, he couldn’t interfere in her husband’s household affairs either.

After thinking for a long time, Song Fu finally said, “There’s a vacancy in the Ministry of Personnel. If nothing unexpected happens, Elder Brother will take a position in the Ministry of Personnel this year.”

Last year he had already taken the position of Assistant Director at the Imperial Academy. According to Father’s plan, if he lay low at the Imperial Academy for several years, he could enter the Secretariat. With Father protecting and guiding him in the Secretariat, he could certainly rise smoothly. But if so, for nearly ten years he would have to keep a low profile and not show his capabilities.

Song Fu looked at Song Wan’s slightly reddened eyes and furrowed his brows slightly.

Going to the Secretariat was too slow. He could wait ten years, but Song Wan could not.

The Song family’s legitimate line had two sons and three daughters. Though Song Wan was the legitimate eldest daughter, she wasn’t Father’s only daughter. Moreover, the marriage alliance with the Marquis of Chengyang’s household was truly unstable. Though no disturbances were visible now, he could see the undercurrents beneath the calm.

If in the future the two or three factions fought, the Song household would likely not fully protect her.

In a few breaths, Song Fu overturned Song Lan’an’s preparations of several years.

“The Ministry of Personnel is the foremost of the Six Ministries—where would a vacancy come from? Is Elder Brother trying to deceive Wan’er who was a widow for six years and doesn’t know worldly affairs?”

“Moreover, how would Father let Elder Brother go to the Ministry of Personnel?”

Song Wan said softly, “Elder Brother, don’t overthink. Wan’er is doing very well at the Marquis household. Old Madam and Madam treat Wan’er like their own daughter. Husband… Husband is gentle and considerate. We two were childhood sweethearts—our feelings couldn’t be deeper.”

“It’s just that after not seeing Elder Brother for many years, Wan’er missed him dearly.”

She didn’t know how Father had arranged things for Elder Brother, but certainly wouldn’t let him go to the Ministry of Personnel. The Ministry of Personnel did have real power, but how easy was it to enter? He spoke this way because seeing her, he assumed she wasn’t doing well and was hastily seeking a position in the Ministry of Personnel to back her up.

But how could she be so selfish?

“Elder Brother, properly follow Father’s arrangements. Don’t…”

“Don’t meddle in men’s affairs.”

Song Fu bent his finger and lightly tapped Song Wan’s head. Seeing her cover her head, he smiled and took out a small wooden box from his chest.

“Elder Brother’s addition to your dowry.”

Song Wan opened it. Inside was a box full of bank notes of various denominations—some for a thousand taels, some for a hundred, and even two for fifty taels. Her nose grew sour as she murmured, “The household only gives two taels monthly allowance. There must be three or four thousand taels here. How long did Elder Brother save to accumulate this box?”

Song Fu frowned. “Why ask these questions? What Elder Brother gives you, you just take.”

“It must be what Elder Brother saved since childhood.”

Song Fu glanced at her. “Aunt used to say all the time that if a daughter has no dowry when going to her husband’s family, she’ll be looked down upon.”

Song Wan clutched the wooden box, biting her lips tightly, afraid that if she wasn’t careful, tears would fall from her eyes.

Song Fu reached out to pat her head and sighed slightly. “Elder Brother is a man. If he wants silver, he has his ways—not comparable to you, a woman of the inner quarters.”

“Elder Brother asks nothing else, only hopes you’ll be well…”

As the siblings were warmly reminiscing, Jiang Xingjian cleared his throat lightly from a distance. Seeing this, Song Fu withdrew his hand.