Mrs. Lu sat on the Arhat bed, staring blankly at a cup of tea beside her.
"Madam, the young lady is here." Aunt Zhou reported softly.
Mrs. Lu pursed her lips; what was meant to come would eventually come, what needed to be faced still had to be faced.
Song Zi entered with her trusted maid Cui Wei, cheerfully greeting Mrs. Lu: "Sister-in-law, it’s been a few years."
Mrs. Lu stood up, returned the greeting with a faint smile, her eyes sweeping over her face, a pang of bitterness rising in her heart.
You could tell just by looking at someone’s face whether they’re living well or not.
Song Zi’s features were relaxed, her complexion rosy, clearly indicating she was living a very comfortable life.
"Three years, I suppose." Mrs. Lu said, pointing to a seat, "Are you staying this time?"
Song Zi replied, "No, I’m not leaving. My husband will return to the capital next year to serve at the Ministry of Industry as a Junior Officer. He should stay in the capital from now on."
Lin Guangxiong was merely a fellow Scholar, getting to the Fourth Rank in his lifetime would be a great fortune, the worst being Fifth Rank, and that’s as far as it went.
Mrs. Lu was stunned for a moment, the bitterness in her heart deepening.
Song Zi noticed her listlessness, her lack of enthusiasm, a lingering melancholy between her brows, and her own coldness told her that Mrs. Lu held a deep grievance against her own brother.
Thinking of what Song Zhiqing had done, she became a bit angry. Taking a concubine was one thing, but doing it secretly and then telling after the fact, what kind of behavior was this? How did this place the first wife?
"Sister-in-law, you’ve been wronged." Song Zi grasped Mrs. Lu’s hand resting on the small table by the bed.
Mrs. Lu froze, then her eyes reddened, tears welling up quickly filling her eyes before a drop fell.
She turned her head, avoiding looking at Song Zi.
Song Zi could only sit closer to her, personally wiping her tears with a handkerchief, "Sister-in-law, you know me, I am not one for beating around the bush, I’m straightforward. No matter how much I try to console you, you might think I’m making excuses for my brother because he is my brother, so I won’t say anything, saying anything would be too empty."
Mrs. Lu sniffed, not saying a word.
"Sister-in-law, I’ll say just this, my brother was wrong, this I admit. I can assure you, no matter how many children my brother has, I will always value Wei’er and her siblings most, and I’ll only acknowledge you as my sister-in-law."
Mrs. Lu was somewhat moved, turning her head to look at her.
"If you don’t believe me, just watch what I do?" Song Zi continued, "I know what being illegitimate feels like, my biggest regret is not being born from my legal mother, so I don’t favor illegitimate children, even if I am one myself."
This was not to coax Mrs. Lu but to know what was in her own best interest; favoring illegitimate siblings and nephews, befriending them? Wouldn’t that alienate her older or second sister-in-law, or even her own mother!
Mrs. Lu spoke with bitterness, "You are stronger than your sister-in-law."
"Sister-in-law, life is still long; even now, I cannot guarantee that Ming Hui’s father won’t take a concubine in the future. But I’m not afraid, I have four legitimate children with me, and I’m already an Imperial Decree Madam. No matter how many women he takes, they are just playthings, would he really dare to divorce me for those lowly ones?"
And the crucial point is her family’s background is powerful and her backing strong, so her stance is firm, but Mrs. Lu has no family, so she didn’t poke her sore spot.
"Sister-in-law, I will always be on your side." Song Zi solemnly stated again, "Trust me."
Mrs. Lu cracked a slight smile, but how important is trust, really; can the bond between sisters-in-law really outweigh that between siblings?