Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 143 - 22: Aftermath

The Song Family is no pushover either. Lord Qi didn’t plan on confronting them head-on, so he invited someone to mediate and hosted Old Master Song for a drink. The Song Family had already coordinated their views internally. Old Master Song attended the gathering, signaling a willingness for reconciliation. Both sides took a step back, and Gao Yue’s appointment as the Eighth-Rank County Magistrate of Qing’an County was quickly finalized.

Qing’an County is a well-known county in the northern region, famous for producing tribute fragrance pears, abundant in both mountains and water, and quite prosperous. If one performs well, they could earn an excellent evaluation each year, and just by the tribute pears, they could connect with a number of influential people.

The only downside is being just a County Magistrate, subordinate to a County Magistrate above, who is a disciple of Marquis Wenchang. Not only is he from a noble family, but he is also genuinely intellectual, seeking to accumulate experience by serving outside. It would be laughable for Gao Yue to expect to stand out; he might remain a County Magistrate for ten years or more till the opportunity has passed.

However, Gao Yue was unaware of all these; he just felt that this marriage alliance was truly worthwhile, and even if the wife was a bit foolish, it didn’t matter since the Song Family had to concede. And Lord Qi didn’t know this either, still friendly like brothers with Old Master Song.

In the Qi Family’s inner quarters, Mrs. Qi sneered, "This is the consequence of underestimating women. Who is Mr. Wang? Mr. Wang is her father. Whether Lord Qi wanted to know something or not, it depended on her decision. A favored concubine? That’s just a plaything; losing face by arguing with her is beneath me. I’ll just watch her court her own disaster quietly."

These are all matters for later. Currently, the Song Family had just started exerting pressure on Gao Yue.

Because Fifth Miss came, the Old Madam, fearing she would say something unpleasant that would embarrass Susu, had already instructed the maidservants to leave. Only Susu and Nanny Qin remained in the room, waiting for Fifth Miss to leave. Afterward, the three were silent in the upper room of Sui’an Hall.

After a long while, Susu walked to the Old Madam and knelt down, "Old Madam, let me leave the residence!" The Heir’s wife and Nanny Qian underestimated the Old Madam and Nanny Qin’s capabilities. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Third Miss, who manages the household, hadn’t heard a whisper of this beforehand, which itself was strange. Nanny Qin didn’t just secretly investigate who spread the rumors, but also who acted to obscure Third Miss’s ears and eyes.

In truth, Nanny Qin did not find evidence that it was someone from Qingfeng Pavilion who acted, but the Song Family isn’t that large. It wasn’t the First Madam, nor the Second Madam, and certainly not the Old Madam. The men in the outer courtyard wouldn’t meddle in this matter. All the girls, except Fifth Miss, were on good terms with Susu and lacked such capability. So who else could it be, who else had such means, it was as clear as day.

In fact, Nanny Qian, like Gao Yue, committed the same mistake of being too clever for her own good, overcomplicating the matter unnecessarily.

The Old Madam looked at Susu kneeling by her side, easily forming tears in her eyes, something she could count on one hand for her lifetime, "You’re digging out my heart!"

Susu lifted her head, her beautiful starry eyes filled with unstoppable tears, "Old Madam, I don’t entirely agree with what Fifth Miss said, but I accept the last sentence. My presence in the residence always pricks some people, people you wish to protect. I can’t bear it nor do I wish to trouble you, let me leave. Now, I feel neither like a master nor a servant; it’s truly meaningless. Once out, when I return to visit you, I can stand up straight and regard you like my own grandmother."

Old Madam Song stroked Susu’s head, "You’ve said it all, then what more is there for me to say? Silly child, why can’t you just be a bit muddled?" Old Madam Song squeezed her eyes shut. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she feared her most beloved child would fulfill that saying, "Beauty has a thin fate," and "sharp wit leads to pain."

"Go, go, leaving might be better. I’m old and fear I might not be able to protect you anymore!"

Susu burst into tears, as if pouring out a lifetime of grievances. In the past life, her ties with her parents were shallow; in this life, she was adrift. Finally finding someone as protective as a grandmother, and now she would lose this too. Despite the luxuries, Susu still felt that living was too bitter!