Chapter Three: Is She Narrow-Minded?

Wang Mengqi spoke so loudly that many guests gathered around. At this point, Song Tang couldn’t leave even if she wanted to, so she simply put on a stern face.

“Mengqi, I don’t understand what you’re saying. I, Song Tang, am the legitimate daughter of Madam He, how could I be considered adopted? But you, you’re stirring up trouble for no reason—what are your intentions?”

Wang Mengqi hadn’t expected Song Tang to challenge her so openly, and her anger flared. “Hmph, if you’re truly the Earl’s legitimate daughter, then why was Song Wei’s coming-of-age ceremony more lavish than yours?”

Song Tang smiled faintly. “What does the scale of a ceremony have to do with whether I am the legitimate daughter? My mother favors my younger sister, so naturally she arranged a grander event for her. Mengqi, if you really care about these things, perhaps you should worry about your own coming-of-age ceremony. It would be embarrassing for you if it couldn’t compare to my sister’s.”

“You!” Wang Mengqi was momentarily speechless, and in her frustration, she grabbed a teacup from the table and tried to throw its contents at Song Tang.

Song Tang reacted swiftly, dodging to the side.

Seeing that the tea had missed, Wang Mengqi lost face and grew even more furious, about to erupt again, but was stopped by Madam Zhou, who had come over upon hearing the commotion.

“Mengqi, what are you doing? Today is a joyful occasion for the Song family. Causing a scene like this is highly improper.”

Chastised by her mother, Wang Mengqi’s face flushed red and white by turns. She could only sullenly set down the teacup.

“Mother, she pushed me to the point where I lost control,” Wang Mengqi complained, trying to paint herself as the victim.

Song Tang was not about to let Wang Mengqi get away with it. Since Madam Zhou was here, she intended to seek justice for herself.

She gave Madam Zhou a respectful salute. “Madam Zhou, everyone saw how Mengqi just behaved. I had no intention of arguing, but she provoked me for no reason, even going so far as to throw tea. You are our honored guests today, so of course I won’t take it to heart, but I hope you will consider—Mengqi and I have no quarrel. Why would she seek me out like this today?”

Madam Zhou’s expression darkened at these words. She knew her own daughter’s temperament well—easily influenced, prone to flaunting the status of their ducal family, and fond of mocking others.

It was all the fault of the old Madam Wang, who had spoiled her since childhood!

Still, there must have been a reason—her daughter wouldn’t pick a fight with Song Tang for no cause. Clearly, someone had been sowing discord behind the scenes.

Madam Zhou turned to Wang Mengqi, her voice stern. “Mengqi, what is this really about?”

Wang Mengqi hesitated, about to say that Song Wei had told her Song Tang called her fat behind her back, when Madam He appeared with Song Wei in tow.

“Madam Zhou, Madam Qin, why are you all standing here? Please, come take your seats—the auspicious hour is near.” Madam He greeted them with a beaming smile, seemingly unaware of the recent commotion.

Song Wei, however, was well aware. Seeing the unhappy faces of Song Tang and Wang Mengqi, she secretly rejoiced.

“Mengqi, why are your eyes red? Are you alright?” Song Wei stepped forward, taking Wang Mengqi’s hand and feigning concern.

“What business is it of yours?” Even Wang Mengqi, no matter how slow, realized she’d been used as a pawn; she shook off Song Wei’s hand and gave her a fierce glare.

Song Wei looked utterly perplexed and innocent, making it appear to any onlooker that Wang Mengqi, upset with Song Tang, had simply taken it out on Song Wei—poor child.

Madam Zhou glanced at Song Wei, already forming her own judgments.

Song Tang eyed Song Wei coldly, debating whether to let her off or teach her a lesson then and there. At that moment, Mu Ziyu arrived.

Mu Ziyu’s eyes first landed on Song Tang, but the next moment, they never left Song Wei.

Mu Ziyu was a handsome man, and the moment he entered, many young ladies looked his way. Yet the man beside him drew even more attention.

With sword-shaped brows and starry eyes, a straight nose, dressed in moon-white brocade, his black hair bound with a jade crown, he had deep, compelling eyes and an extraordinary bearing—even Song Tang couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.

This man was Marquis Mu Changxiao, Mu Ziyu’s third uncle, six years his senior.

Mu Ziyu’s mother, Madam Sun, disliked the marriage arrangement between her son and Song Tang, so she had not attended.

With nearly all the guests present, it was unseemly to prolong the tension. Madam Zhou spoke first: “Today is a celebration for the Song family—let’s discuss this later at home.”

“Yes, yes, we’ll sort it out later.” Madam He shot Song Tang a reproachful look, certain she was stirring up trouble again, and hurried to smooth things over. “It was my Song Tang’s lack of propriety that made everyone laugh. Come, let’s all take our seats—the auspicious hour is almost here.”

“How was I improper?” Song Tang suddenly caught sight of the bracelet on Song Wei’s wrist—it was the Lingxi Jade Bracelet. Her voice rose: “Isn’t that bracelet on Song Wei’s wrist the one Grandmother left for me?”

Father, mother, brother—even the bracelet Grandmother had left her had been taken by Song Wei. Song Tang’s anger surged.

The Lingxi Jade Bracelet was part of Grandmother’s dowry: its texture like congealed fat, a deep emerald hue, clear and lustrous, cool to the touch—a beloved keepsake in her grandmother’s lifetime.

Song Tang remembered that as a child, her grandmother often told her that the bracelet would be passed down to her when she married—her parents both knew this well.

Yet now, the bracelet her grandmother had promised her was on Song Wei’s wrist!

Song Tang knew Song Wei had long coveted the Lingxi Jade Bracelet, but it had always been kept in the Song family’s private treasury, to which Song Wei had no access.

Which meant, Song Wei must have mentioned her desire to Madam He, who then took the bracelet from the treasury and gave it to Song Wei—without a thought for her at all!

Back when Song Wei first entered the Song household, both Grandfather and Grandmother were still alive.

They never favored Song Wei: firstly, because she was not of Song blood but the orphaned niece from Madam He’s own family; though they hadn’t objected to her joining the family, they were hardly pleased about it.

Secondly, once Song Wei joined the household, Song Tang’s temper grew worse. The two girls fought constantly—Song Wei crying and appearing bullied, but the elderly couple, seasoned in life, could see through her manipulations. Even so, their son and daughter-in-law treated Song Wei as their own and openly favored her.

So before they passed, Grandfather and Grandmother reminded their son and daughter-in-law to treat Song Tang well—she was their own child, after all. If not to favor her, at least to treat her equally.

But it seemed neither of them listened. Without Grandfather and Grandmother’s restraint, they were even more brazen in their bias toward Song Wei, ignoring Song Tang completely.

—

Seeing Song Tang so furious, Song Wei shrank back and, in a show of meekness, curtseyed. “Sister, please don’t be upset. I’ll take off the bracelet and return it to you right now.”

She feigned pitiful compliance, but the moment she reached to remove the bracelet, Madam He pressed down on her hand.

“The bracelet has nothing to do with Wei’er. If you want one, I’ll buy you a better one later,” Madam He said sternly, inwardly certain that Song Tang was narrow-minded, just like her grandmother. She much preferred the gentle, compliant Song Wei.