The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 717 - 679: Passing the Buck (8th Update)

Wen Wan introduced, "This is Lady Kang Ding."

Song Qi forced a stiff smile and curtsied, "Greetings, Madam."

Mrs. Yao’s gaze fell on Song Qi’s small face, somewhat lost in thought.

Although Li Huairu had been under her care for several years and had grown increasingly charming and lovely, one’s facial features couldn’t change. This girl’s features had a four or five percent resemblance to Li Huairu. If one didn’t look closely and only caught a glance from afar, Mrs. Yao might mistake this face for her foster daughter, Li Huairu.

"Madam, please come inside." Wen Wan invited, gesturing for a maid to lead Mrs. Yao to the garden, while she kept Song Qi back, asking her, "What were you hiding from earlier?"

"I wasn’t," Song Qi dared not meet Wen Wan’s eyes, and stammered, "I just suddenly remembered the birthday gift I prepared for Grandpa was left in the West Courtyard, so I wanted to go back and get it."

Wen Wan trusted her instincts, "Do you know Lady Kang Ding?"

"N-No, I don’t." Song Qi’s words faltered, as she, being young and inexperienced, was not good at lying and thus her speech betrayed her.

Wen Wan squinted slightly, "Really don’t know?"

Being stared at by Wen Wan like this, Song Qi only felt her lips go dry, and her voice trembled, "I..."

"Qi Qi," Wen Wan said, "You’re still young; if there’s anything, you can’t hide it from the adults. Otherwise, if accidents happen in the future and you blame us, then it’s your fault."

If this was said by Second Lang’s wife, it would surely have no deterrent impact. But when Wen Wan spoke, Song Qi immediately panicked. She twisted her fingers and bit her lip, looking unsure of where to begin.

Wen Wan led her to sit on a nearby corridor bench, asking carefully, "What’s going on?"

"Aunt, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell my parents, or they’ll kill me."

Wen Wan took a deep breath, "Alright, speak." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Song Qi leaned closer to Wen Wan and whispered, "Last year during Shangsi Festival, when elder sister and brother-in-law met, I saw Sanyang."

Wen Wan was somewhat surprised, "Saw clearly?"

"I saw it clearly," Song Qi said, "Sanyang has a mole in her eyebrow. If it was just a resemblance, it’s impossible for a birthmark to be identical. I’m sure that child is Sanyang, but..."

"But what?"

"She seemed to have some connection with Lady Kang Ding just now, but I couldn’t figure out what precisely."

Wen Wan and Song Jiao actually knew all this earlier; they just kept it from the family, especially not letting Second Lang’s wife and Song Qi know.

It’s because they feared that Second Lang’s wife would be upset knowing her daughter had memory loss, and also feared Song Qi would cause a scene regardless.

Unexpectedly, this girl had already discovered Sanyang’s whereabouts a year ago.

"Why didn’t you tell your parents at the time?" Wen Wan asked.

Song Qi didn’t dare confess that she didn’t want Sanyang to come home back then, fearing that once she returned, she would completely become the one with the least presence in the family, just saying, "Even if I told them, what could they do? My parents have no power or influence, could they dare to make a scene at the Uncle Mansion’s door demanding for her return?"

"Then why were you running earlier?" Wen Wan asked again.

Song Qi said, "I recognized Madam, afraid that I would accidentally say something wrong revealing I knew but didn’t report, so I didn’t dare face her."

These words were relatively honest, and Wen Wan didn’t dig deeper, "Since you’ve hidden it before, continue to hide it in the future. Don’t let your parents know; otherwise, they will be heartbroken again."

Song Qi found Wen Wan’s reaction very strange, "I said I saw Sanyang who has been missing for years. Isn’t Aunt surprised?"

Wen Wan said, "She lost her memory and can’t remember anything, not even the Song family people."

Song Qi gasped in shock and then inhaled sharply, "Aunt knows everything?"

Wen Wan nodded, "I knew earlier than you, but it would be better not to know."

Because there’s no way to get her back, thinking about it only adds a hitch in the heart.

Knowing that she’s not the only insider, Song Qi instantly relaxed, promising, "You can rest assured, I won’t leak even a word to my parents."

"Leak what? Let me hear too."

Suddenly, Song Jiao’s laughter came from behind.

Wen Wan and Song Qi turned back together, only to see Song Jiao had somehow arrived unnoticed, and was now standing inside the Hanging Flower Gate, raising her eyebrows as she looked at the two of them.

Song Qi felt guilty and lowered her head, saying, "It’s nothing."

Wen Wan quickly regained her composure and asked Song Jiao, "When did you get here?"

"Just now." Song Jiao smiled, "If I hadn’t walked lightly, you’d have noticed me long ago; how else could I have overheard your whispers?"

She then deliberately asked Song Qi, "What were you talking about that you can’t share with me?"

Song Qi pressed her lips together and looked at Wen Wan.

Wen Wan gestured for her to leave first.

Song Qi took it as a blessing and dashed away in an instant, vanishing from sight.

Song Jiao withdrew her gaze, "Was Third Aunt just talking to Qi Qi about Sanyang?"

Wen Wan nodded, "I sent a note to the Kangding Bo Mansion inviting Lady Kang Ding to visit. When Song Qi saw her, she turned and ran. I pulled her aside to ask why, and she told me she’d seen Sanyang last year when she followed you out during the Shangsi Festival. She’d kept it a secret for a year, fearing her parents’ reprimand, and asked me to keep it under wraps."

"No wonder I thought something was odd when she came back that day, so there was more to it." Song Jiao mused, looking over thoughtfully, "Did Sanyang accompany Lady Kang Ding to the banquet today?"

Wen Wan shook her head regretfully, "No."

Song Jiao grew anxious, "How could she not..."

Although she was saved by the Li Family, she is still a child of the Song Family. They had agreed not to forcibly bring her back before Sanyang recovered her memory, but they just wanted to see her at the grandfather’s birthday banquet, and even that wasn’t allowed?

Lady Kang Ding’s actions were indeed disheartening.

"Forget it." Wen Wan patted her shoulder, "I didn’t insist on her bringing Sanyang in the invitation anyway. It’s quite normal for her to attend alone."

Song Qi frowned in dissatisfaction, "Does it mean my sister will stay with them forever?"

Frustrated, she added, "When those two medical prodigies from the Yun Family were around, why didn’t it occur to me to invite them to check on Sanyang’s symptoms? They even cured someone as complicated as Mr. Xu, so memory loss should be nothing to them."

"I did think of it, but I’m afraid the Li Family wouldn’t agree." Wen Wan sighed.

Just then, Yun Cai came over to summon her, saying the banquet was about to begin and inviting the lady to take charge of the proceedings.

Only then did Wen Wan let Song Jiao find her own place at the table and followed Yun Cai away.

With the two houses merged, the banquet venue felt exceptionally spacious, and in the outer courtyard, Old Song sat at the head of the table in a Five Blessings longevity jacket, listening to the never-ending stream of well-wishes from the guests, his smile wide and beaming.

Song Wei watched the old man being as happy as a child and suddenly recalled the year he decided to take the imperial exams; when sending him to the county town, the bent elderly man took the last copper coin from his cloth wrap to fund his travels. Filled with emotion, he raised his cup, "Father, your child wishes you eternal youth, longevity as the pines and cranes, free from illness and pain, with more blessings and longevity."

Old Song was moved and repeated "Good, good, good" thrice.

Song Erlang, seeing this, also raised his cup to make his toast, "Father, I don’t have as good a way with words as Third Son, so I simply wish you smooth sailing, all your hopes fulfilled, prosperity in all endeavors, a united family, five distinguished children, perfect harmony, starry blessings, eightfold fortune, eternal joy, and... perfection without flaws."

Xie Tao burst into laughter, "Second Brother, where did you steal that from? You didn’t even practice and stumbled over your words."

Song Erlang glared at him, "At least I made it from one to ten, if you have the skill, then do your own."

"I will." Xie Tao raised his eyebrows and stood up, "I wish the honored elder like the sun and moon forever prosperous, with endless blessings."

Song Erlang jokingly chided, "You must have asked Xie Zheng for that."

"Doesn’t matter whom I asked, saying it is what counts." Xie Tao threw back his drink.

Having had these as starters, the eldest grandson Yuanbao, second grandson Jinbao, eldest nephew Xie Zheng, eldest son-in-law Xu Shu, eldest granddaughter’s husband Liang Jun, and tutor Xu Dengke all became interested, stringing together flowery felicities with each line, making Old Song laugh until his mouth couldn’t close. He said, "Good, once Yuanbao brings a wife in, the four generations under one roof won’t be far off."

Hearing this, a group of people immediately perked up and turned the focus on Song Yuanbao, asking him when he’d bring a wife home.

Song Yuanbao, with his thick skin, didn’t feel embarrassed in front of so many people. But because Xu Dengke was present, he didn’t dare mention the top scholar and said simply, "Next year."

"Yuanbao’s decision to wed must have broken many a young lady’s heart." Xie Tao sipped his wine and continued, "The other day I went to a teahouse, and in the private room were two girls crying their hearts out. They hadn’t touched a single dish they ordered, and when settling the bill, they threw me a mean look, probably because they knew our relationship, couldn’t vent at you, and took it out on me."

Song Yuanbao rolled his eyes, "Who knows who the girls you’re talking about are; it’s probably Uncle messing around outside, and now can’t handle it and wants to pin it on me. I won’t take the blame for you."

Listening to the banter between the two, everyone burst into laughter.