Chapter 20 p3
The Song family had come again. Yuli didn’t want to see them, but a maid came with a message, saying that they were waiting outside the residence and wouldn’t leave.
Yuli felt as if she were being blackmailed. If she didn’t grant their wish, they would not leave, and it would be Xie Yao who would lose face.
She finally thought of a way to get rid of them, one that was guaranteed to sweep away the three of them and Mei Qing behind them. She had someone let them in.
In the hall, Yuli only saw the couple, not her brother Yaozu.
Just as she was wondering, Mother Song came over with an anxious look and held her hand.
She heard her say, “Daughter, Mother was wrong a few days ago. I shouldn’t have advised you to remarry. For the sake of me giving birth to you and raising you, please forgive your parents.”
Before Yuli could be surprised.
Song Zhu lowered his head slightly and forced a smile at her. “Girl, Father was confused. I didn’t expect our son-in-law to be so capable. We won’t remarry. Live a good life with our son-in-law.”
In the past, this unscrupulous father had looked at Yuli as if she were a valuable object in the house, constantly suppressing her while thinking of selling her for a high price. Today, his smile at her actually had a hint of fawning.
Yuli suppressed her surprise and said calmly, “I was never going to remarry in the first place. Why have you changed your tune? What happened? Where is your precious son?”
Speaking of their precious son, Mother Song kept wiping her tears. Song Zhu gave her a look, and she put away her crying face.
Yuli guessed what had happened. These two were probably here to ask Xie Yao for help.
But they didn’t mention seeing their son-in-law. They talked a lot about Yuli’s childhood, such as buying her candied haws and new clothes for the New Year. The only bit of warmth was brought up over and over again.
When Yuli transmigrated, she had inherited some of the original body’s memories.
The original body’s parents were extremely biased. All the good things went to brother Yaozu, and she only got the leftovers. Her brother was lazy and gluttonous, but she did all the rough and tiring work.
In her modern life, Yuli was an only child. Although her parents were strict with her and had high expectations, they did their best to give her the best. She only had to do housework, and as long as her mother was around, she could be lazy.
It was only when she first came to this time and place that she realized her parents loved her the most. She had died in a car accident, and her parents must have been devastated. That period of time was as if she had lost her parents, and she would often cry for no reason.
But she only received neglect, and even ridicule, from this couple.
Even with the original body’s memories, Yuli had never treated them as parents, and they had never loved her as their own daughter, not even the Mother Song who had carried her for ten months and given birth to her.
She even suspected that she had been able to transmigrate into Song Yi’s body because she had died of depression.
Fortunately, she, Song Yuli, was not born and raised by them.
“Have you said enough?” Thinking of her parents, Yuli felt even more that they were not fit to be parents, and her tone was cold.
The two of them put away their smiles and looked at Yuli, their faces full of apprehension.
Yuli put on a professional smile. “Since you are so considerate to me, I want to ask for something from you. You should agree, right?”
Mother Song nodded repeatedly, but Song Zhu hesitated.
Yuli saw their reactions and said, “I want my fifty taels of silver back.”
Mother Song wanted to agree, but Song Zhu seemed reluctant.
Yuli knew this old man loved money as much as his life and smiled. “By the way, and my maid’s indenture contract, give it to me as well.”
Song Zhu did not nod, his face sullen, probably thinking about how to bargain.
Footsteps were heard from outside the door.
Yuli had sent everyone away like last time. No one should have come in. She turned to look and saw Xie Yao coming with the setting sun.
He was wearing a moon-white scholar’s robe, made of some unknown material, that shimmered in the sunlight, covering his whole person in a soft, lustrous glow.
He was tall, a head taller than the Song Zhu in front of her, and his shoulders were broad. When he walked towards her, he looked at her with concentration, with a faint smile.
When he was by her side, Yuli felt more confident.
She was not going to accept Song Zhu’s bargaining, but she saw Song Zhu and Mother Song’s knees go weak, and they were about to kneel to Xie Yao.
“What are you doing, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law? Get up,” Xie Yao said. He didn’t help them up. There seemed to be a smile on his lips, but his eyes were clearly cold.
Song Zhu and Mother Song stood up, their backs bowed, their shoulders hunched, only looking up at him with their foreheads, extremely respectful.
Yuli almost thought they knew Xie Yao was the regent.
“It is this humble one who has eyes but failed to see,” Song Zhu said, his voice trembling. He glanced at Xie Yao’s majestic and inscrutable face, and couldn’t even speak clearly. He stopped beating around the bush and begged directly, “I beg my son-in-law to say a few good words to the Prefect of the Capital, to let him release this humble one’s son. This humble one is willing to give money, any amount.”
Yuli now knew that brother Yaozu had been arrested.
She was secretly happy. She exchanged a look with Xie Yao. Xie Yao saw her hidden smugness, and a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.
Xie Yao said, “Although the Prefect of the Capital is a good friend of mine, this is a public case. I am just a merchant and cannot interfere.”
Song Zhu’s face turned pale, but he still begged, “I have inquired. He has received my son-in-law’s kindness. As long as my son-in-law speaks, it would be good if he could give my son a lighter sentence.”
Mother Song also said, “Yes, son-in-law, can you say a word, just one word, for Yuli’s sake?”
It was as if this one word was just a small effort for him, and Yuli was willing to sell her face to save her brother.
Yuli squeezed his hand and shook it from side to side, signaling him to refuse.
But Xie Yao said, “I’ll try.”
Yuli looked at him. He returned a gentle smile.
They were not yet that in sync. Yuli still thought he was really going to help for her sake.
If he were an ordinary merchant, this one word might not be effective. But if he went as the regent, the Prefect of the Capital would serve the person well and release him without him even saying a word.
Yuli felt a little repulsed and let go of his hand.
The couple thought they had received a guarantee and thanked him profusely.
Xie Yao said, “Just now I heard Yuli ask you for something. Is it some rare thing?”
Song Zhu smiled obsequiously. “No, just a maid and a few dozen taels of silver. The silver can be given immediately. The maid’s indenture contract is not on me. This humble one will personally deliver it in a few days when I go back.”
“No, you have to give it to me first,” Yuli said.
Song Zhu looked at Xie Yao. Xie Yao said nothing.
“Alright,” Song Zhu agreed. “I’ll write a letter immediately when I get back and have someone deliver it.”
It was already late, and it was time for dinner. Yuli had not planned to keep them for dinner, but Xie Yao was there. Although they were not like parents, she didn’t want to make Xie Yao seem rude.
She still kept them for dinner. But not long after the meal, she made the excuse that it was late and the road was not safe, and saw them off.
Yuli was very polite and even had someone prepare some gifts for them to take with them, which were pastries made by Uncle Hu and the others.
When they left, Xie Yao did not see them off. Without their son-in-law present, Song Zhu’s ugly face returned, but he said nothing and just walked in front.
Yuli and Mother Song walked side by side.
Mother Song spoke to her, crying about how her son had been arrested. Yuli was not at all concerned and just responded faintly.
After crying, she complained again, complaining that Song Zhu had become even more stingy after getting money, only giving her a meager household allowance, while the rest was in his hands.
Yuli found it expected. Then she heard Mother Song say, “You don’t know, a few days after you got married, your father took two concubines, who are even younger than you.”
Only then was Yuli a little surprised. Song Zhu was over forty, yet he had married two teenage girls. How could any family be so cruel as to send their daughter to be a concubine to such a thing?
Mother Song continued with tears in her eyes, “The poor have their own way of living, and being rich is not necessarily a good life. There is no man in the world who doesn’t want women after becoming rich.”
Mother Song’s words were crude but reasonable. Yuli said nothing.
Mother Song turned the topic to her. “Didn’t you say your son-in-law often doesn’t come home? Does he have other women outside?”
Yuli denied it. “He won’t have anyone else.”
Seeing Yuli so certain, Mother Song just smiled bitterly.
Seeing Mother Song’s sorrow, Yuli felt she was also a pitiful person. After all, her body in this life was a piece of flesh that had fallen from her. Yuli thought of her mother in her past life and felt a wave of sadness.
Yuli stuffed the fifty taels of silver notes that Song Zhu had just given her into her hand, then pulled a gold hairpin from her head and took off a pair of jade bracelets from her hand, and put them in her arms.
“These are for you,” Yuli said, looking at Song Zhu’s back, and said in a low voice, “If you have any spirit, divorce him and live a good life on your own.”
Mother Song held the silver notes and jewelry. Hearing her words, she trembled.
Yuli said no more, saw the two of them to the second gate, and then turned back to Mingyue Residence.
After passing through a few paths, she saw Xie Yao waiting for her under the hanging flower gate of Mingyue Residence.
Yuli walked over quickly and smiled at him. He glanced at her and said calmly, “You’re missing a gold sparrow hairpin and two cyan jade bracelets.”
He was very observant. Yuli was a little embarrassed for having given away the jewelry he had given her without permission.
Xie Yao continued, “If you like them, I’ll replace them for you tomorrow.”
Good thing he didn’t mind. Yuli went forward and linked her arm with his, and they walked into the room together.
In the hall, the maids had all withdrawn. Only then did Yuli say, “Just now I pulled your hand and shook it because I wanted you to refuse. Why did you agree? Are you really going to go to the Prefect to plead for him?”
Xie Yao smiled faintly. “If I hadn’t agreed, how would you have gotten your fifty taels of silver?”
Yuli smiled and shook her head. “The silver is not the most important thing.”
“I can see that. What you want is your maid’s indenture contract.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“They can’t see it.”
The implication was that only he could see it.
Yuli didn’t mind and said, “Just now my mother told me that my brother beat someone on the street. He deserves it. The law will judge him. You don’t have to say anything and waste a favor.”
Yuli’s thinking was still stuck in a society with the rule of law. Procedural justice and the rule of law were all inviolable things. And it was just a beating; the sentence probably wouldn’t be too heavy. It would be good for him to suffer a little.
Xie Yao seemed to chuckle.
Yuli looked over. He only had a faint smile. “I won’t go. Once you get the indenture contract, you will never have to see them again.”
For a moment, Yuli seemed to feel a chill. Although they were not fit to be parents, they did not deserve to die. Yuli was worried that Xie Yao was planning to do something secretly.
“Actually, I don’t blame them,” Yuli said, holding his hand and smiling. “Women are born with less strength than men and can’t do heavy work. In an era where life depends on farming, men have more labor value. It’s understandable that they are more valued.”
Yuli explained the preference for sons over daughters from a modern economic perspective, hoping that Xie Yao would not take them to heart. They just wouldn’t see each other in the future; there was no need to target them.
Xie Yao took her hand, pulled her closer, wrapped his arm around her waist, and looked down at her for a while. “Mm, I don’t blame them.”
Yuli was relieved.
Xie Yao kissed her forehead, let her go, and called for someone to bring hot water.
It was getting late. Yuli went to take a bath first.
Xie Yao sat in the hall for a while, then walked out of Mingyue Residence.
After standing for a moment, a shadow guard in black appeared silently.
“There’s no need to kill those two anymore,” Xie Yao said slowly. “After the indenture contract is sent out, make them bankrupt.”
Yuli’s kind heart couldn’t bear for them to die, but he felt they deserved to die, so he would just have to make their lives a living hell.
The shadow guard took his order and disappeared silently.
When Yuli came out of the bath, Xie Yao was already sitting on the edge of the bed, his nightgown slightly open, looking at her.
Yuli was only wearing a thin nightgown, her delicate figure faintly visible. She walked to the bed, wanting to get in, but was pulled over by Xie Yao by the waist.
After a dizzying spin, she landed in Xie Yao’s arms. A strong, subtle fragrance filled her nose, and Yuli’s breathing quickened.
She sat on his lap. Xie Yao held her back, his palm gently stroking her, and he lowered his head to kiss her lips lightly.
Yuli clutched his collar, her cheeks flushed, spreading to her neck, dyeing it a cherry pink.
Not long after, Xie Yao let her go.
“Extinguish the lights first,” Yuli panted.
Xie Yao rubbed against her ear, his eyes surging with darkness. He took a few deep breaths, his eyes returned to calm, and he put her down to extinguish the lights.
The lamps were extinguished one by one, and finally, it was dark.