After being sent to the country estate, she had enjoyed a few leisurely years!
Being brought back again had marked the beginning of a life in hell!
She could not think about it anymore. The moment she pictured that bloody, mangled scene, Song Qingling lost all appetite and even felt a little nauseated!
Song Qingling glanced at Song Yaoyao beside her. Only her sister could eat with such carefree abandon!
Song Yaoyao sensed her elder sister's gaze. When she looked up, sure enough, Song Qingling was watching her. She hurriedly swallowed her mouthful and asked:
"Big Sister, why aren't you eating?
Is the food not to your liking?"
Song Qingling shook her head:
"No, just eat."
Song Yaoyao looked at the dishes on the table. Most were rich meat dishes, so she said:
"Big Sister, should I order a few light dishes for you instead?"
Song Qingling shook her head. "No need. Hurry and eat. It won't taste good once it gets cold."
"All right."
Song Yaoyao lowered her head and continued eating.
Once she was full, Song Yaoyao looked up at the dishes on the table. There was still so much left!
Song Yaoyao hurriedly called the manager over and asked him to pack it up!
The manager had seen people pack up freshly prepared dishes that no one had touched to take home, but this was his first time seeing someone pack up leftovers. For a moment, he could not quite process it.
Seeing the manager standing there in a daze, Song Yaoyao asked:
"Manager, what's wrong? Is there a problem with packing it up?"
The manager came to his senses and hurriedly said:
"No problem. I'll have it packed up right away!"
The manager immediately summoned a waiter to help pack the food.
Song Qingling was also left somewhat bewildered by Song Yaoyao's actions.
"Yaoyao, are we really packing this up?"
Song Yaoyao patted Song Qingling's arm:
"Never mind delicacies from the mountains and seas-many ordinary people can't even get enough of the plainest food. We mustn't waste it.
Since we paid for it, of course we should take whatever we can't finish home and eat it at our next meal.
There's nothing wrong with that!
As for what other people think, I don't care."
In her previous life, Song Yaoyao had long since developed the good habit of being thrifty!
This tableful of food had originally been enough for seven or eight people. After the Sixth Prince left with his companions, her elder sister had not eaten either. Song Yaoyao alone had eaten some, leaving far more than a little behind.
Besides, every one of these dishes cost a pretty penny. What a shame it would be to waste them.
Song Qingling nodded. "All right."
Only after the food was packed did Song Yaoyao and Song Qingling leave the restaurant.
After Song Yaoyao left, someone in one of the other private rooms finally asked:
"Should we keep following Little Lord Song?"
"Little Lord Song strained her back. She probably can't do any more shopping and will likely head home next. We can't follow her there."
"I'm done. After following her all morning, I've walked so much my legs are about to snap."
"I'm done too. I'm nearly starving to death."
"Feasting on gossip is certainly satisfying, but I'm not following her anymore either. Let's fill our stomachs first!"
Following Little Lord Song did let them feast on fresh gossip, but they could not follow her for all twenty-four hours of the day.
Their bodies could not take it either.
Some left their private rooms and went home; others stayed at the restaurant and ordered food.
Song Yaoyao and Song Qingling climbed into their carriage, which headed toward their residence.
As soon as they returned, Madam Song learned that Song Yaoyao had been injured and hurried over.
The moment she entered the courtyard, Madam Song began scolding Song Yaoyao:
"You only went out shopping. How did you manage to strain your back?
Can't you be a little more composed, like your sister?"
Song Yaoyao felt wronged too. Hadn't she only copied Su Yu and twisted a few times? Who could have known she would wrench her back?
Faced with her mother, Song Yaoyao was still quite timid.
Looking at her younger sister cowering like a quail, Song Qingling finally explained the whole story to their mother.
Madam Song glared at Song Yaoyao:
"Why were you copying someone else for no reason?"
Even while scolding her, Madam Song did not forget to instruct the elderly serving woman beside her to apply medicated oil to Song Yaoyao. After applying it, she was to massage the area so the oil would absorb properly and her back would recover faster.
The massage really hurt!
Song Yaoyao shrieked and yelped in pain!
She frightened the elderly serving woman so badly that her hands began trembling.
Madam Song told the elderly serving woman:
"Pay her no mind. Just keep going."
Then she said to Song Yaoyao:
"It's supposed to hurt. You need to suffer a little so you remember this lesson! Let's see if you dare do it again!"
Song Yaoyao pouted:
"Are you even my real mother?"
Madam Song replied irritably:
"No.
The woman who empties the chamber pots found you. I only let you stay here because I felt sorry for you."
Song Yaoyao: "..."
Song Qingling: "..."
Neither had expected Madam Song to say that!
Ugh! There was simply no living like this!
At last, once all the medicated oil had been massaged in and absorbed, the elderly serving woman stopped.
Song Yaoyao could only feel the skin where she had been rubbed growing scorching hot, while the strained area burned fiercely!
What an agonizingly intense sensation!
Watching Song Yaoyao, who was still grimacing, Madam Song said:
"Rest well for now. Tonight, I'll have the serving woman come back to apply more medicine and massage you again."
Song Yaoyao panicked:
"Mother, again? Can't we skip it?"
Song Yaoyao knew this would help her recover faster, but the sensation was truly too agonizing. She could hardly bear it.
"Get some rest. There's no room for discussion."
Song Yaoyao still wanted to make another attempt, but Madam Song had already led her entourage out of her bedroom.
Song Yaoyao stretched out a hand in a dramatic, pleading reach and called after her, "Mother, Mother, wait..."
Madam Song ignored Song Yaoyao entirely and was already far away.
Song Yaoyao helplessly withdrew her hand and sighed. Ah!
Fine, then!
Song Qingling offered Song Yaoyao a few words of comfort before leaving as well.
The moment Song Qingling stepped out of Song Yaoyao's courtyard, Madam Song, who had been waiting there, called her away.
Madam Song wanted to know exactly what had happened during their outing that day.
When Song Yaoyao got up early the next morning, she could clearly feel that her back was much better than the day before. The elderly serving woman's massage had indeed been very effective.
As soon as court began that day, Censor Qian stepped forward to impeach Qin Hanshan, the Minister of Revenue. He accused him of failing to govern his household strictly, allowing a concubine to switch out his legitimate daughter, and then failing to treat that daughter well even after she was finally found...
Song Yaoyao's eyes immediately lit up:
*[Guagua, someone finally discovered what Qin Hanshan did!*
This is wonderful!
Someone like him doesn't deserve to be a parent at all.
Do you think Madam Qin would fall apart if she knew Qin Mengdai was the daughter of that concubine, Concubine Guo?
*Then again, perhaps not. Madam Qin isn't right in the head to begin with. She might still be unwilling to part with Qin Mengdai.]*
Guagua: [Grand Tutor Su knows about this now. No matter how reluctant Madam Qin is to part with her, she probably won't have a say anymore.]
Song Yaoyao: [That's true.]
The emperor had already known about Qin Hanshan's affairs. Among the people he had assigned to Song Yaoyao, several could also hear her thoughts.
They had reported the matter to the emperor the day before. He, too, had been astonished. How could there be someone so unsound of mind among his officials?