When Xiang Mingzi rushed over, Second Master Song hadn’t yet arrived. She gripped Song Chuyi’s hand, anxious and unsure what to do. After several years of interaction with Song Chuyi, she was well aware that Song Chuyi wasn’t particularly close to this father of hers. Now seeing Song Chuyi in such a hurry to arrange her marriage, and Song Chuyi frightened like this, she instinctively sided with Song Chuyi, feeling that Song Yi was just like her own father Xiang Yunzhang—someone who disregarded his daughter’s life and death, only wanting to use his daughter for profit.
Song Chuyi, however, managed to maintain her composure. She smiled at Xiang Mingzi and instead comforted her. “I’m fine. Grandmother won’t let him marry me off just like that.” She simply didn’t want Song Yi to endlessly continue doing these vexing things. Her patience with Song Yi had been completely worn away bit by bit. The little warmth she’d had since her rebirth had also dissipated with the truth about Cui Shi’s death and his almost biased protection of Song Chuning. Yet Song Yi was still her and Song Yan’s biological father. No matter how distant their relationship, Song Yi had the right to arrange their marriages.
She didn’t want to confront Song Yi directly, nor did she want to do anything to him—she always remembered how good he’d been to her in her past life, and to Song Yan. For the sake of this bit of blood kinship, she couldn’t bring herself to truly eliminate future troubles forever. Moreover, Song Yan would soon take the imperial examinations. If something happened to Song Yi at this time, Song Yan’s future would inevitably be delayed by three years.
Xiang Mingzi’s assumption that Song Yi disregarded his daughter’s life and wishes was truly somewhat unjust. Song Yi himself thought he was considering Song Chuyi’s interests—although Song Chuyi didn’t treat him as a father and hadn’t even told him about something as important as her fate, he had always harbored guilt toward Song Chuyi and her brother because of Song Chuning’s matter. Upon hearing that Song Chuyi had been given a fate reading by Master Yuanhui at the hunting grounds, he worried so much he couldn’t even eat.
People of the time placed great importance on fate readings. There were even rules about placing the betrothal horoscopes of both man and woman under the Kitchen God’s image for three days—only if nothing went wrong in the household during this time could the marriage proceed. With Song Chuyi’s fate as a celestial calamity and lonely star, how difficult would it be to marry her off?
Second Master Song didn’t want his daughter to be like Third Brother’s Song Chumi, marrying a mere provincial graduate who, just a month after the wedding, had to return to his hometown with his mother to pay respects to ancestors and visit relatives. He had racked his brains over her future prospects.
It just so happened that while drinking outside, Shen Xiaohai heard him mention this worry. Not only did he not disdain Song Chuyi’s fate, he actively proposed to Song Yi that he wanted to arrange a betrothal for his heir grandson Shen Qingrang.
In Song Yi’s eyes, this was truly a godsend. Duke Yingguo’s Manor was after all one of the founding noble families, had always maintained good relations with Earl of Changning’s Manor, and Shen Qingrang was the legitimate son destined to inherit the family estate. That Shen Xiaohai didn’t mind the talk about Song Chuyi’s fate and was willing to bring out his legitimate son to propose to Song Chuyi showed the man’s sincerity.
In his view, this was a match that couldn’t be better. Song Chuyi now bore such a fate that she would likely have difficulty even marrying down, and Song Yi couldn’t bear to see her marry down. He immediately agreed.
To reassure him, Shen Xiaohai even had someone return home to fetch a family heirloom as a betrothal token. He felt even more strongly that this matter was feasible, thinking he would bring the item back to show Song Chuyi first, then go find Old Master Song and Old Madam Song to discuss the matter.
Who knew that before he could take the initiative to seek them out, Old Madam Song had already sent someone to summon him. He hurried into the room with wind at his heels. Seeing Old Madam Song’s poor complexion and the gold-lacquered box containing the Shen family’s token tossed aside, the smile on his face faltered with momentary hesitation.
Old Madam Song didn’t give him a chance to speak. She first swept the items on the table to the floor and looked at him with a mirthless smile, asking, “What is this?! What is this item of unknown origin that you’re sending to your daughter’s chambers?!”
Second Master Song was dumbfounded by this barrage of questions. Looking at that string of eighteen jade beads, he couldn’t speak for a long while. Only after some time did he belatedly explain the item’s origin, somewhat aggrieved as he tried to explain to Old Madam Song. “Your son was thinking of Xiaoyi’s interests. She’s already a widowed eldest daughter, falling into the category of ‘five unmarriageables,’ and now she’s been saddled with such a fate. Her marriage prospects will truly be difficult in the future. Your son remembers she’s always gotten along well with Seventh Young Master Shen, and the Shen family has this intention as well. I thought this would be mutually beneficial—at least they’re childhood sweethearts who know each other well, and the Shen family wouldn’t dare mistreat her…”
Old Madam Song laughed coldly. “I didn’t realize your daughter was so worthless in your eyes. What ‘five unmarriageables’—she still has me, her grandmother, raising and teaching her! As for the fate matter, everyone has their own destiny. Those who look down on her, we naturally look down on them too. Are you so eager to marry off your daughter casually like this?! Setting that aside ten thousand steps, why didn’t you come report to me and your father before making such a major decision on your own?!”
Second Master Song’s face showed complete incomprehension. Under Old Madam Song’s gaze, he grew somewhat flustered and lowered his head, his eyes falling on the string of beads, feeling somewhat bewildered. “Your son thought…”
Old Madam Song felt that stuffiness in her chest intensify. She frowned and rebuked him sternly. “You thought—what did you think?! Speaking of childhood sweethearts, when have you ever seen Xiaoyi have any interaction with Seventh Young Master Shen? For such a major matter, Xiaoyi has no mother, yet you didn’t consult with us or ask Xiaoyi’s opinion. You just decided to settle this matter with a few words?!”
Second Master Song was left speechless by Old Madam Song’s questions. He had only felt that it was already an unexpected blessing that someone like the Shen family was willing to take Song Chuyi with her current situation. How could he think to ask his parents’ opinion or his daughter’s opinion? He had assumed they would all be pleased, but now it seemed this wasn’t the case at all?
First Madam timely interjected, “Second Uncle, you’re being too presumptuous. For such a major matter, how could you settle it without discussing with Old Madam and Old Master? This concerns Xiaoyi’s entire life.”
At the time, how could Song Yi have thought to consult with anyone? He had only felt he’d picked up an enormous bargain, afraid the Shen family might have second thoughts and back out. He thought the sooner it was settled, the better. He hadn’t expected that his wholehearted consideration for his daughter would earn such censure from Old Madam Song. He felt both confused and aggrieved. “I had always thought Xiaoyi liked her Seventh Brother… Didn’t she used to eagerly pursue Seventh Young Master Shen?”
From this alone, one could see how estranged Song Yi had become from Song Chuyi. Those were ancient affairs from how many years ago, yet he was still immersed in them, completely unaware of how times and circumstances had changed. All those words said to him before—he’d let them go in one ear and out the other without hearing a single sentence. They had all become mere wind past his ears.