Old Madam Song finished her medicinal decoction with Yushu’s assistance and frowned slightly. “She went to the ancestral hall?”

Nanny Huang’s face showed some sorrow as she nodded. “Indeed. She knelt there for half a day and cried for half a day. Even this old servant felt her heart ache watching.”

Old Madam Song pondered for a long while.

The Second Master’s first wife had been beyond excellent. She came from an illustrious family steeped in literary tradition. What was rare was that despite her kind heart, she possessed a gentle temperament. Three years after marrying in, she had borne the Second Master one son and one daughter.

Back then, to seek Cui Shi’s hand in marriage, the Old Earl himself had personally engaged the matchmaker.

What a pity her fate was thin. After giving birth to Song Yan through a difficult labor, her fragrant soul had dissipated like jade.

Over these years, for the sake of Cui Shi’s memory, Old Madam Song had always shown particular favoritism toward the siblings Song Chuyi and Song Yan. Who knew that though Sixth Girl appeared clever, she had no conscience whatsoever.

She couldn’t distinguish at all who treated her well and who treated her poorly.

As time wore on, Old Madam Song’s patience had gradually worn thin.

No matter how deep the affection for Cui Shi, it couldn’t withstand such erosion.

After all, the current Second Madam Li Shi was also her daughter-in-law, and her children were also descendants of the Song family.

Now, hearing that Song Chuyi had actually cried before Cui Shi’s memorial tablet, Old Madam Song was rather surprised.

Just now when Third Branch’s family made a fuss, Song Chuyi hadn’t argued loudly even once—yet in this matter, she was clearly in the right. Song Chumi was older than her, and for the older to strike the younger was always wrong, especially since it had made Song Chuyi so ill she nearly lost her life. If this had been a month ago, the first thing Song Chuyi would have done upon waking would be to run to Ningde Courtyard and raise a tremendous uproar.

After one illness, had even her temperament seemingly changed?

“Jieyi, don’t you think Sixth Girl has changed somewhat?” Old Madam Song watched several maids in the corridor making decorative knots, her question casual.

Jieyi was Nanny Huang’s given name.

She thought for a moment and nodded. “She has changed somewhat. Sixth Miss has a good heart—it’s just that her temperament is too impatient. If she can now change this impatient nature, it would be a great blessing.”

After all, she carried Cui Shi’s bloodline and had grown into exceedingly fine features. Though only seven years old, she was a round little bundle, but her eyes and brows were exquisite. When she smiled, she resembled a crescent moon in the sky, causing one to feel pleasure just looking at her.

The Great Zhou Dynasty, having once had an empress, afforded women fairly high status. Before marriage, they were honored guests in their natal families, raised with utmost care and respect.

Because Song Chuyi was born of Cui Shi and carried the blood of the Cui family of Boling, and had lost her mother young, she enjoyed even greater favor from Old Madam and was spoiled lawlessly—constantly jealous, quarrelsome, and annoying.

Old Madam pitied her but had no desire to raise a foolish girl ignorant of propriety and unable to recognize when to advance or retreat.

For families like theirs with noble titles and prosperity, proper conduct was the foremost priority. Family tradition was more important than anything.

Thinking of the people Song Chuyi had offended when going out recently, Old Madam Song narrowed her eyes slightly and said coolly, “We’ll see.”

She hoped Sixth Girl had truly matured. Otherwise…

Song Chuyi could probably guess what Old Madam Song was thinking now.

In her previous life, she had been blinded by greed, her entire heart hung upon one man. She had paid no attention to family honor or her maternal family’s younger brother.

Now, living again, she had discovered that nothing would forever be yours. If you didn’t know how to cherish things, sooner or later you would lose them all.

Such as Old Madam’s protection and Father’s affection.

She hadn’t valued these things in her previous life. Only after marrying and arriving at her in-laws’ home did she realize how important support from one’s natal family and one’s dowry truly were.

She didn’t know why she could live again, but since she had this opportunity for rebirth, she would live well and obtain everything she had failed to get and wanted in her previous life.

The first step was to find a reliable backer.

Her stepmother Li Shi was absolutely impossible. In her previous life, it was Li Shi and Song Chuning’s sugar-coated bullets that had blown her to smithereens. Her own father couldn’t be said to be completely reliable either—generally speaking, there was some truth to what the nannies always gossiped about: when there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather.

She was his daughter, but Song Chuning was also his daughter.

She remembered Song Yi had been deeply worried at her bedside when she was ill, yet she couldn’t forget that Li Shi had deliberately raised her into a waste right under his very nose.

As these thoughts flew through her mind, she had already entered the main courtyard of the second branch.

The second branch’s household currently resided in a small two-section courtyard. The front housed Song Yi’s study, the rear main hall was Li Shi’s residence, and the side courtyards on either side housed her and Song Chuning respectively.

Nanny Xu had long been stretching her neck waiting outside the gate. Seeing Song Chuyi return, she first breathed a sigh of relief, pulling her to look left and right, then feeling the temperature of her hands before finally smiling. “Let’s return to your room to change your outer garments, then go pay respects to Madam.”

Song Chuyi nodded. From the corner of her eye, she only glimpsed Qing Tao and Hong Yu who had come out to greet her. Huang Yao, who had originally accompanied her, was nowhere to be seen.

She curved her lips in a cold smile, returned to her room to change, and then headed to the main hall.

Li Shi was reclining on a couch drinking tea. Below her, a row of chairs was covered with somewhat worn grey squirrel fur. Several concubines sat atop them, smiling and chatting to keep her company. Today Li Shi wore a stone-blue button-front jacket with a lilac horse-face skirt below. On her ears hung two round, lustrous pale green pearls. Her entire bearing was dignified and noble.

Song Chuyi steadied her breathing for a moment before stepping forward to pay respects to Li Shi.

Before she could complete her bow, Li Shi had already sat up straight and quickly called for her to rise. Su Zhi, who attended Li Shi, had already perceptively descended to help Song Chuyi up, smiling as she said, “We can tell you’ve recovered. Miss’s complexion looks much better today.”

Li Shi smiled and beckoned, intimately pulling Song Chuyi to sit beside her. She personally adjusted Song Chuyi’s collar, looked her over from all sides for a while, and smiled. “Your complexion truly looks much better.” She then admonished, “In the future, you absolutely must not be so reckless. Look what happened—you fell ill. Was that enjoyable?”

Without waiting for Song Chuyi to speak, she continued earnestly, “Regarding this incident, both you and your Eighth Sister acted wrongly. She shouldn’t have cried and lost her composure just because she felt wronged, and even more, she shouldn’t have instigated you to offend your Fourth Sister. You’re the same—even if you listened to her words, you should have come to tell me first rather than fighting with your Fourth Sister.”

This was entirely different from what she had said in the previous life.

The several concubines put away their smiles. None dared to speak.

Song Chuyi’s temperament was eccentric and difficult. Who knew which word might offend her? They might as well all keep their mouths shut and play mute.

The room thus suddenly fell quiet.

Seeing that Song Chuyi surprisingly hadn’t indignantly talked back, Li Shi’s suspicions grew, though her face revealed nothing. She smiled and said, “Why so silent? You must think Mother spoke incorrectly and feel indignant?”

Song Chuyi thought to herself that she was still too useless. Li Shi was clearly an expert at reading people, knowing what to say at what moment to achieve maximum effect. If she had made a scene in Old Madam’s quarters this morning, Li Shi would have done as in her previous life—gone with the flow to echo her, praising her for valuing relationships and righteousness, letting her thoroughly offend the third branch and disappoint Old Madam.

But this time she hadn’t made a scene, so Li Shi was taking the opposite approach to put her at ease.

After half a day without hearing Song Chuyi say a single word, Li Shi showed no anger. Instead, she laughed softly and sighed, “What a foolish child. I’m speaking for your benefit, yet you sulk at me. If your father knew, he’d blame me again for not knowing how to guide you. You, oh you—when will you let me worry less?”

She then smiled at Su Wen and said, “Go wrap up the cloud-slice cakes and jade dumplings that were just made this morning. Sixth Miss can take them back with her shortly.”

Su Wen smiled and agreed. She carefully studied Song Chuyi’s expression for a while. Seeing nothing unusual, she said, “These cloud-slice cakes were made by Madam’s own hands. There were only a few plates in total. Apart from those sent to Old Madam and the various madams, only this one plate remains, specially reserved for Sixth Miss. Even Eighth Miss didn’t get any.”

Li Shi’s superficial efforts were always performed so well. She treated her husband’s children from his first wife with affectionate warmth, even better than she treated her own biological child. In her previous life, her virtuous reputation eventually spread far and wide, making her a model among the noble ladies of the capital.

But only Song Chuyi understood that this kindness was arsenic wrapped in honey.

After finishing her words, Li Shi instructed Su Xin to lead Song Chuyi to the eastern side courtyard to play.

The eastern side courtyard was Song Chuning’s residence. Though small, it had everything needed. A small covered corridor connected it to Li Shi’s main courtyard. Both sides of the long corridor were planted with osmanthus trees that would send their fragrance drifting for miles every August.

The moment she entered the gate, Song Chuning had already swiftly rushed forward, embracing Song Chuyi fully and chiding, “Sixth Sister, why didn’t you tell me when you recovered? If you had told Mother and me, we could have invited you to pay respects together.”

If one truly cared, would there be any need to tell? Living in the same residence, could anyone’s condition really be hidden? Li Shi had taken Song Chuning to pay respects early simply to avoid the possible conflict between the third branch and Song Chuyi.

“I only felt slightly better this morning,” Song Chuyi said with a smile, looking at the delicately pretty Song Chuning. She still held her hand intimately as usual. “Nanny Xu sent someone to inquire and only then learned Mother and you had already gone to pay respects. We followed shortly after, but by then you had already returned.”

“Third Aunt kept speaking ill of you to Grandmother. Mother argued with her a few times and was reprimanded by Grandmother,” Song Chuning said with an aggrieved pout, looking like a plump little dumpling. “Still angry, Mother took me and withdrew early.”

Though only five years old, Song Chuning spoke with clear logic and organization. Her voice was like an oriole, soft and pleasant like an oriole emerging from a valley.

In her previous life, Song Chuyi at ten probably couldn’t speak as well as Song Chuning at five.

Although in her previous life Song Chuning had repeatedly claimed she hated Song Chuyi to the bone because she had stolen Shen Qingrang, Song Chuyi felt it wasn’t that simple.

Their relationship had been as close as blood sisters—even closer than blood sisters. The ill-tempered Song Chuyi had always granted Song Chuning’s every request.

As long as Song Chuning had mentioned even once—just once—that she liked Shen Qingrang or had feelings for him, Song Chuyi would never have continued her desperate pursuit of Shen Qingrang or become so deeply infatuated.

Yet not only had they not done so, they had actually encouraged her to fly into the flame like a moth…