Soon, it was dinnertime.
Jiang Qingyu and his son had come home for dinner, a rare occurrence.
They had originally intended to stand up for Chen Ruyin and the others.
But Song Yutang spoke first, her tone breezy. "The old concubine led the younger women of the household in worshipping foreign things and fawning over foreigners, disgracing our family traditions. Grandpa sent them to the side dining room to reflect. Uncle and Younger Brother are both descended from a mistress, so their lack of manners is hardly surprising. Would you like to join them and learn a few rules?"
As the wife of the family's eldest legitimate grandson, with a mother-in-law who could not assert herself, she had already fully assumed the role of mistress of the household.
Jiang Sinian flew into a rage on the spot. "What do you mean, 'Younger Brother born of the secondary line'? My parents were married when they had me!"
Song Yutang slammed her teacup onto the table with a crack. "So you do know your father was born to a concubine? As the son of a concubine's son, how dare you shout at the eldest young madam? You really do have a lesser wife's blood in your veins. Your whole family has no manners."
"You..." Jiang Sinian was beside himself with fury and made to charge at her.
"Stop! What kind of disgraceful commotion is this?" Old Master Jiang happened to witness the scene and sternly stopped him.
Jiang Qingyu hurried forward, sighing as he put on a troubled expression. "Dad, every other word out of her mouth is 'concubine's son' or 'mistress.' Is that any way for a junior to treat her elders? Our family has always been harmonious, but this daughter-in-law of my elder brother's really is..."
"Yutang..." The old master, too, felt that Song Yutang's repeated references showed rather little respect for her elders.
Song Yutang immediately swept an icy gaze toward him and accused him with complete conviction. "Grandpa, just look at how you've spoiled your descendants! Never mind that a mistress is shortsighted and worships everything foreign. These two not only refuse to rein her in, they even dare make a scene in front of you. That shows how crooked they are down to their bones! Making fools of themselves is a minor matter. What if they sell out the country for personal glory someday? They won't just ruin the family business-the entire Jiang Family's name will stink for ten thousand years!"
"..."
Of course Old Master Jiang knew she was exaggerating.
But over the past two days, he had been subjected to righteous denunciations at every turn, and every attempt to fight back had failed.
She had genuinely beaten the fear into him.
His granddaughter-in-law was even more old-fashioned than he was.
He could not beat her. He simply could not beat her.
Feeling a little guilty, he delivered his final verdict. "Enough from all of you. Worshipping foreign things is indeed unacceptable. If you two have any objections, get yourselves over to the side dining room too."
A flash of venomous resentment crossed both Jiang Qingyu's and his son's eyes.
But the old master had spoken, so they could only sit down reluctantly.
Her blond-haired younger brother-in-law looked as though he had discovered some strange creature. After recovering from his shock, he secretly gave Song Yutang another thumbs-up. "Bad... ass..."
At last, the dining table fell completely silent.
Then Song Yutang ate too much again.
Mostly because Jiang Guoqiang was such a good cook, and he had specially made her a spicy blood curd hot pot.
It was packed with beef tripe, duck intestines, aorta, and great chunks of tender beef.
Once the hot oil was poured over it, the aroma was incredible.
Watching the four of them eat until their mouths glistened with grease, Jiang Qingyu and his son exchanged a glance, feeling even more strongly that something was wrong.
Jiang Guoqiang's family had always been so timid at the dining table before. How had they suddenly become like this?
It was as though they had suddenly become the masters of this house.
Song Yutang had eaten far too much, and all that thinking had exhausted her.
After her shower, she flopped onto the bed, unwilling to move even a finger.
But having a baby was her top priority, and she did not want to get up and do the work herself.
So she simply found a dirty little video and played it for Jiang Muyan to hear.
And so, the sleeping Jiang Muyan suddenly heard a strange voice. "Dame... dame... aaah, eee..."
He jolted in fright, his mind snapping fully awake.
At the same time, Song Yutang's thoughts reached his ears: Auditory stimulation... ought to help a little, right? I'm tired anyway, and I can't be bothered to move. I'll try it first. If he responds, I can just use him.
Jiang Muyan was so angry he almost laughed. ...Just use me? Does she really think I'm a sex toy?
"Dame, dame..."
The strange sounds filled the entire room.
Even Song Yutang got goosebumps listening to them, so she simply found a pair of wireless earbuds and put them into Jiang Muyan's ears.
In an instant, his entire world was reduced to sounds that made the face flush and the heart race.
Jiang Muyan: (￣△￣;)
With peace and quiet restored for herself, Song Yutang casually set the phone aside, found a book on law, and lay in bed reading.
This was a wonderful era, with ample food and clothing and a thriving civilization.
That also meant every action had to remain within the boundaries of the law.
It looks like simply killing Concubine Sun and my half brother and half sister could drag me down too. I need to study the law more before I can safely get my hands on the Song Family's assets...
Jiang Muyan, who was immersed in the onslaught of suggestive sounds: *???*
So she was still eyeing the Song Family's fortune?
The most urgent thing is still to have a baby first. Once I secure inheritance rights in the richest family, the Song Family will be nothing but clowns hopping about. A baby, a baby, a baby, money, power... That dry-pot lobster was delicious, and so was the spicy blood curd hot pot. The tripe was so crunchy... I wonder what Dad will make me tomorrow? The food in the Jiang household is so good, and my parents-in-law are so nice... But if Jiang Muyan weren't the richest man's eldest grandson, I certainly wouldn't want to endure hardship with him...
Song Yutang's thoughts grew increasingly jumbled.
*???*
Jiang Muyan gradually went from puzzled to speechless.
In the end, he could only smile bitterly.
Well... fine.
At least she was perfectly open about her love of money.
"Dame, dame... yamete..." Another demonic cry drilled through his brain from the earbuds.
Jiang Muyan: *...*
Song Yutang's thoughts were so muddled that she seemed about to fall asleep.
Did that mean no one would close the playback window for him?
Things went exactly as Jiang Muyan had predicted.
Soon, even breathing sounded beside him.
His entire world was left with nothing but the sounds of a man and woman having sex.
He had thought it would be over once the video finished.
But to his surprise, when one ended, the next automatically began...
Several times, his consciousness grew hazy, and he nearly drifted off.
But before long, a strange sound would startle him with a jolt.
His mind would become completely clear again.
The cycle repeated...
Early the next morning, Song Yutang was woken by knocking.
Outside, Li Xiulan called softly, "Yutang, are you awake? Today is your return visit to your maiden home. We need to get ready early."
Return to my maiden home?
Only then did Song Yutang's muddled brain catch up.
So the custom of returning to one's maiden home on the third day of marriage existed in modern times too.
She hurried out of bed, washed, and dressed in a respectable pale-blue-green qipao.
Having transmigrated only a few days ago, Song Yutang had not yet developed the habit of carrying her phone everywhere.
So when she left, she completely forgot that phones were even a thing.
Jiang Muyan, lying in bed: ??? What about your phone? Song Yutang, don't you take your phone when you go out?
No matter how he shouted in his mind, she still heartlessly shut the door and left.
Jiang Muyan was utterly numb.
He could only pin his hopes on the family doctor.
But when the medical team arrived for his routine checkup and saw the earbuds in his ears, they somehow came to an understanding. "The eldest young madam is so attentive. She even went out of her way to play music or audiobooks for the young master. Perhaps it will help stimulate his nerves and aid his recovery."
"Yes, let's not disturb him. Let the young master listen a little longer..."
Before leaving, they even thoughtfully plugged in his nearly dead phone to charge.
Jiang Muyan: *...*
Did that mean he would have to keep enduring these strange sounds until Song Yutang returned?
And a visit to the bride's maiden home usually took an entire day.
Jiang Muyan felt as though he was about to split apart:
: _(′ཀ`"∠)_
And the sounds in his ears continued.
Time passed like a dull knife slicing through flesh.
Sticky, suggestive sounds bombarded him without pause.
Who knew how much more time passed?
Jiang Muyan's head hurt as though it would split, yet his consciousness seemed to grow clearer and clearer.
No.
This can't go on.
He was an academic genius, a business prodigy.
His life should have been sharp and brilliant, not spent lying here like a puddle of sludge, subjected to this absurd treatment.
Jiang Muyan, if you're a man, get up.
Rage, humiliation, despair...
All those emotions churned and collided in his chest, finally merging into a raging torrent that surged straight to the crown of his head.
He had had enough.
He could not endure another second.
He wanted to wake up.
Right now.
Immediately.
His desire to awaken reached its peak, until he felt all the blood in his body surging. Nerve endings that had long lain dormant crackled like a lit fuse.
All his strength, all his will, converged on a single point-
Open your eyes.
Boom-
Jiang Muyan's mind went blank, as though something had exploded in the darkness.
After an unknown stretch of time, a hand with well-defined knuckles slowly rose.
Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, falling squarely on his slightly curled fingertips.
And Jiang Muyan's eyelids, which had remained tightly shut all this time, finally, slowly...
Opened a sliver.