Chapter 57 Part2 (1/2)

Chapter 57.2: Move Aside, Bad Green Plum

The front and back courtyards of Song fu were both brightly lit. The maids and menservants all stood with decorum at either side of the pathway, causing Master Lin and Madam Lin to feel a bit apprehensive as they walked in.

Madam Lin knitted her brows as she silently pondered. Could it be that their daughter actually broke the Song family's daughter-in-law's hand? No matter how it was put, she was still a member of the government official's family. Things were probably ruined this time.

Thick solid candles lit up the hall, making it even brighter than daylight. Song Liangzhuo was still being obstructed from meeting with Xiaoqi, so he didn't know why such large forces were mustered at all.

Master Lin took the lead and entered the hall first. Seeing Zixiao and Song Liangzhuo standing inside, he gave a humph, ”Wonder what matter this is that caused Son-in-Law to send someone to pound on my door in the middle of the night?”

Song Liangzhuo knitted his brows, displeased, then turned around and walked to the side without replying.

Master Lin saw Zixiao's bandaged hand and cried in alarm: ”What is this? Who was it that had such great guts to injure you?”

Tears welled up in Zixiao's eyes as she gently shook her head, ”Dad, it was daughter that wasn't careful, it had nothing to do with Xiaoqi meimei.”T/N

Master Lin was just about to vituperate when Mother Song gave a heavy humph first and walked in pulling the Xiaoqi who had both hands bandaged up to her arms.

The moment Xiaoqi walked in, a dense smell of medicine was carried in with her, alarming Song Liangzhuo to the point his heart tightened. Earlier, the evening light was dim so he didn't see any injuries on her, but from the looks of this, her injuries weren't light.

Song Liangzhuo looked towards Xiaoqi's face disbelievingly. Xiaoqi's entire face was swollen and her swollen lips were still flattened grievously. When she saw Song Liangzhuo, the corners of her mouth turned down and tears started falling once again.

Song Liangzhuo felt a pang in his heart and his steps involuntarily s.h.i.+fted towards her.

Xiaoqi flattened her lips as she dodged backwards, causing Song Liangzhuo's pained heart to also contract uncomfortably. Song Liangzhuo reached out and spoke with a gentleness that seemed worried about startling Xiaoqi, ”Come over here, where did you get hurt?”

Xiaoqi's swollen eyes were also filled with drops of glistening tears. She glanced left and right. When she saw Zixiao, her body abruptly stiffened and then trembled as if she received a huge fright.

Mother Song closed her eyes, satisfied. She waited until Song Liangzhuo carefully pulled Xiaoqi into his arms and brought her to the side before starting to speak: ”It sure is difficult to invite Master Lin and Madam Lin. Right now it seems to almost be midnight. Master and Madam Lin sure have given our family a good wait.”

Master Lin humphed, ”In-laws family's mother's words are strange. And so, what matter was it that led in-laws family's mother to send someone to pound on the Lin family's door in the middle of the night?”

Mother Song gave a humph then walked to the master seat and sat down. She didn't hurry to speak but lifted the tea and gently swept it with the lid for a moment before lifting her eyes to shoot a glance at Zixiao and speaking coldly: ”It seems Master Lin and Madam Lin didn't see. My family's daughter-in-law's hands were almost crippled, and this was all brought about by the Lin family's daughter's remarkable ability.”

Zixiao looked at the two arms Xiaoqi held extended straight out with shock. Her mouth opened speechlessly, but in the end, she sensibly chose to cover her mouth and start weeping.

Madam Lin walked over to pulled Zixiao into her arms, then angrily said: ”In-laws family's mother…”

”Hm?” Mother Song put down the teacup and said: ”Hold on, Madam Lin. As long as our Song family hasn't relented, our two families are still not in-laws. Madam Lin has always been highly principled; I expect Madam Lin wouldn't be as unreasonable as Master Lin, right?!”

Madam Lin's embarra.s.sed face was flushed red. She bit her lips as she said: ”My family's daughter isn't that type of person. It couldn't be that Madam Song thought my family's daughter seemed easy to bully and purposefully made up an accusation in order to kick her out?!”

Mother Song didn't continue to argue but lifted her chin and said: ”Does Lady Lin have anything to say?”

Zixiao couldn't quite get a grasp of the situation. Glancing at Xiaoqi and the Song Liangzhuo that had kept his head lowered looking at Xiaoqi this entire time, Zixiao swallowed and didn't know quite where to begin speaking.

”Zixiao, if there's anything then you should just speak. Dad and your mom will support you.” Master Lin said loudly.

Mother Song gave a light scoff, then lowered her eyes as she stroked the teacup in her hand.

Zixiao's lips trembled as she said while crying: ”Last night at dinner, while Second Older Brother was talking about matters with Aunt Xue and Uncle Song, Zixiao had a maid bring hot tea. Zixiao thought that if there's something to be had, Xiaoqi meimei should have it first, so Zixiao had the maid carry the tea to Xiaoqi meimei. Who knew, who knew, wuu~~ Perhaps Xiaoqi meimei doesn't like Zixiao, she actually splashed the hot tea all over Zixiao's hand. Dad, Mom, Zixiao, wuu, feels wronged ah~~ Xiaoqi meimei even, even splashed a plate of food on Zixiao. Aunt Xue, Aunt Xue and them, they…”

Zixiao cried to the point she had to gasp for breath. A hand that was wrapped into a zongzi(type of food, imagery) was lightly lifted to cover her mouth. Her appearance was extremely pitiable.

Master Lin was just about to start interrogating when Mother Song flung the teacup in her hand onto the floor. Xiaoqi was startled and trembled a moment before turning to look towards Mother Song. Seeing her displeased face, she felt momentarily helpless. Zixiao's crying also came to a spontaneous end. As she looked at Mother Song, for a moment her expression turned panicked.

The arm Song Liangzhuo had wrapped around Xiaoqi hadn't loosened this entire time. He didn't pay attention to what the two people at the side were arguing about at all. His entire sight and heart were focused on the Xiaoqi that had cried into a swollen little doll. Song Liangzhuo saw her body turn rigid before she turned her head away again. She seemed to still bear grudges regarding that hit of his. Song Liangzhuo didn't care about the people around them anymore. He couldn’t help but lower his head to gently press it against her cheek as he said, ”Don't cry anymore. I was wrong, I won't be like this anymore.”

Xiaoqi lifted her eyes to look at Song Liangzhuo. Her lips flattened and her tears fell again, causing the already swollen eyes to hurt to the point she couldn't open them. Xiaoqi sniffled a word, ”Hurts.”

Song Liangzhuo's heart ached and he wanted to stroke those two gauze-bandaged arms but he also didn't dare to touch them, so he could only hug Xiaoqi tighter. He drew her into his arms until her cheek was against his chest and gently patted her.

Mother Song's smash of the teacup got Master Lin to shut up and Madam Lin also looked nervously at Mother Song, a bit helpless.

When all was said and done, Mother Song's aura was powerful. With just a sweep of her bright eyes, it caused all the maids in the hall to kneel down with thuds.

Qiu Tong pointed towards one of the kneeling little maids and said: ”Xiao Hong, the Song fu doesn't raise things that eat inside but still dig outside. Now recount the entire sequence of events clearly. If there's a single mistake then don't think of working for a living in Song fu anymore.”