Xiang Mingzi didn’t move. She nestled in Old Madam Song’s embrace, forcibly holding back all the tears that had nearly spilled from her eyes, not letting a single drop fall. Her eyes were moist as she turned her head to look at Old Madam Xiang. “He deserves to die!”

The eleven-year-old girl already possessed the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Over these years, she had seen clearly with her own eyes how Xiang Yunzhang had treated herself and her mother. Even a vicious tiger doesn’t eat its cubs, yet Xiang Yunzhang had actually wanted to burn her to death to pray for blessings for Xiang Lian…

Her father had died the moment he personally ordered her to be handed over to the witch doctor—he died in both her heart and her mother’s.

Her mother had planned for her welfare even unto death, dying precisely so that she could escape from the Xiang family…

With a pool of tears in her eyes, she emerged from Old Madam Song’s warm embrace and laughed coldly, looking at Old Madam Xiang whose stunned expression had transformed into fury. “You’re the ones who killed my mother!”

All these years, Song Linlang had taught her daughter to oppose the Xiang family like this! Old Madam Xiang’s face darkened as she looked at Xiang Mingzi, her hands tucked into her sleeves as she spat, “Abandoning your roots and forgetting ancestral grace—you’ll meet a bad end in the future! Don’t think that just because you’ve latched onto a high branch, or because your maternal family has great power and influence, you can disregard your own natal family. No matter how good they are to you, they’re still surnamed Song, not Xiang. I’ll keep my eyes wide open and watch what fate befalls you, this heaven-damned disaster star who abandons her father and ignores her younger siblings!”

Old Madam Song covered Xiang Mingzi’s ears with both hands, cast one final cold glance at Old Madam Xiang, and walked straight outside with her and Song Chuyi.

Old Madam Xiang didn’t follow. She grabbed up her young grandson from the ground and hurried with furrowed brows toward Song Linlang’s main courtyard. By the time she arrived, the belongings Song Linlang had brought to Qingzhou were almost completely cleared out. The rooms were empty, not even a bed remained. Several stools were scattered haphazardly throughout the room, making it feel spacious and frightening.

She wailed once, feeling as though half her life had been taken away. Unwilling to accept this, she pulled aside the stools and tables—but there was still nothing, completely empty. Even the canopy bed had been dismantled and taken away—the Song family people were clearly determined to exterminate them completely, leaving the Xiang family no path to survival.

Even all the charcoal from the side rooms had been completely cleared out…

Old Madam Xiang stumbled and crawled up from the ground. After thinking for a moment, she headed toward Xiang Yunzhang’s study—but after walking briskly for a stretch, she remembered that when Xiang Yunzhang was imprisoned a few days ago, those bailiffs had already thoroughly ransacked the study clean under the pretext of his embezzlement.

What was she to do now? She did have some private savings, but they definitely couldn’t continue living in the magistrate’s yamen. For now, they’d have to rent a house outside—Xiang Yunzhang had previously owned a villa in Qingzhou, but unfortunately it belonged to Song Linlang, and it had surely already been reclaimed by the Song family.

She also needed to smooth things over for her son. In this bitter cold weather, if she didn’t manage things well, who knew what suffering he’d endure inside.

After a brief clearing, Qingzhou began snowing again in drifting flakes. Snowflakes sparsely settled on her face, ice-cold and painful, and she couldn’t help but dash into Mistress Bai’s room.

Mistress Bai had quite a collection of things—Xiang Yunzhang had always been generous with women. His daily expenses were usually covered by Song Linlang, so his salary and the gifts he received probably all flowed into the hands of his several mistresses.

She rummaged through everything, collecting gold, silver, and jewelry into a jewelry box. Those clothes, silks, curtains, bedding, and other items she piled together, ready to be packed up and taken away.

Fortunately, these odds and ends added up were probably worth at least two or three hundred taels of silver. She let out a soft breath, easing the pain in her chest that had intensified over money, then shuffled toward the other mistresses’ quarters—they should also have some things that could be searched out.

But whether it was because they’d heard the judgment results and were frightened, or because they’d seen through Old Madam Xiang’s character, the other mistresses’ rooms were already completely empty—they’d probably fled just now while Old Madam Song came to demand accountability and reclaim the dowry.

Old Madam Xiang clutched her chest and cursed bitterly for a while. Holding these mistresses’ indenture contracts in her hand, she didn’t know where to report this, and couldn’t help but burst into loud tears.

Old Madam Song, however, didn’t plan to let this habitually harsh Old Madam Xiang off so easily. After returning home, she first had Nanny Huang take Xiang Mingzi to wash up and rest, then turned back to instruct Nanny Qin. “Go send out visiting cards. We’ve been staying in Qingzhou City for so long, thanks to the help of relatives and old friends. We should properly thank them. Prepare several tables of wine and dishes to entertain them properly.”

Led by Madam Li, Old Madam Song instructed Nanny Qin to send cards to everyone of any standing in Qingzhou City.

Song Chuyi understood Old Madam Song’s meaning. Inviting all these most prominent people of Qingzhou City was undoubtedly showing the wind’s direction to the people below, letting them know how they should treat the Xiang family.

After instructing Nanny Qin, Old Madam Song turned back to look at Song Chuyi. “Xiaoyi, these next few days, keep your cousin company properly… Some words are easier to say between girls of similar age…”

Having encountered such a great change, and Xiang Mingzi being just an ordinary girl after all, Old Madam Song was truly afraid that Xiang Mingzi wouldn’t be able to endure.

Seeing Song Chuyi agree, she pondered deeply for a long while, then suddenly reached out to beckon Yushu over, instructing in a low voice, “In a moment, go out and see Third Master. Tell him to find a small courtyard outside—the Xiang family can no longer live in the yamen, they’ll definitely need to rent a house outside. Tell Third Master these are my words: have him find some local thugs and ruffians to rent the courtyard to the Xiang family.”

Old Madam Xiang always had some private savings, and having been magistrate for several years, Xiang Yunzhang couldn’t possibly have no money—he still had silver on him. To make them suffer some hardship would require using some schemes.

Later, when the house was rented out, they’d have the real owner come to reclaim the property. At that time, Old Madam Xiang’s efforts would be like drawing water with a bamboo basket—a complete waste. With neither money nor house left, she’d probably be angered half to death.

Everyone had been indignant that this Old Madam Xiang was let off too lightly. Hearing this, they all felt relieved. Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang were even more righteously indignant as they laughed coldly several times. “This Old Madam Xiang really should be properly dealt with. She’s lived good days for too long, thinking she’s naturally the kind of person who should live well. She doesn’t even consider what she’d actually be without our young lady!”

What she’d be, Old Madam Xiang would soon know herself. When she first began tormenting Song Linlang, she actually should have already foreseen her own ending.

Many thanks to Elegant and Refined Bo for the protection talisman, and thanks to everyone for the monthly tickets.