Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 163: Mother, You Are the Disgrace of My Life
SLAP—
A sharp slap struck Song Xilan across the face.
"Kneel!"
Mrs. Liu pointed at her daughter, fuming. "Do you have any idea how that old witch treated me, your mother, in front of all the servants?!"
Song Xilan bit her lip and knelt, one side of her face already red and swollen.
"She humiliated me! She looked down on me! She kept calling me ’mistress,’ completely disrespecting my position as the lady of the General Mansion!" Mrs. Liu trembled with such rage that she swayed on her feet. Nanny Tian quickly helped her to a seat, from which she pointed at Song Xilan and screamed, "Your mother was being shamed by an outsider, and where were you? I sent people everywhere to find you, but you were nowhere to be seen! Tell me, what was the point of raising you?!"
"Mother, why must you take your anger out on me?"
Song Xilan suddenly stood up. "Why was the Marchioness Xuan Chang humiliating you? Was it my fault?"
"What did you just say?"
Mrs. Liu stared at her in disbelief as Song Xilan continued, "I have never once blamed you for your background being inferior to Lin Shuniang’s. I never blamed you for not giving me a life of prestige or a foundation of confidence. I never blamed you for the scorn and humiliation I’ve had to endure. So I’m asking you, please, spare me!"
"You... you..."
"If you had only tried to improve yourself, to become educated, reasonable, virtuous, and kind, what would your background even matter? At least you wouldn’t be subjected to such scorn! And even as you are, haven’t you become the lady of the General Mansion? What is there to be unhappy about? You’re always comparing yourself to Lin Shuniang, feeling you’ve been treated unjustly. But have you ever stopped to think that the glory she earned wasn’t because she was a daughter of the Marquis Mansion? She fought for it with her life!"
Mrs. Liu’s eyes widened in fury. She opened her mouth but was unable to form a single rebuttal!
"Song Lianhe has been ignorant and unskilled her entire life, scorned by the people of Ling’an City, yet she is still acknowledged as the legitimate first daughter of the General Mansion! No one ever questioned whether she was worthy of her title as a County Princess! And why is that? It’s because she had her mother’s protection! Her mother’s life was tragically short, but it was enough to shelter her daughter for a lifetime! And you, Mother? Besides blaming heaven and earth, clinging to power, and seething with resentment, what have you ever done for me? Do you have any idea? You are the shame of my existence!"
"You... What did you say?!"
Mrs. Liu suddenly erupted in a piercing shriek. "You ungrateful wretch! I gave my very heart and soul to you, and you say I’m your shame?! Without me, would you be the first daughter of the General Mansion? Would you have this endless luxury? Without me, you still dream of marrying a Prince? Dream on! Anyone in the world can look down on me, but not you! You don’t have the right!"
Nanny Tian hurried forward to mediate. "Miss, please, apologize to your mother. She’s pregnant, after all."
"Ungrateful wretches! All of you are ungrateful wretches!"
Mrs. Liu roared, then collapsed onto the bed, wailing hysterically.
Song Xilan pressed her lips into a thin line, turned, and walked out.
’My mother only thinks of her own grievances, but what about mine?’
Tomorrow was her wedding day!
But one look at the General Mansion revealed not a single shred of festive cheer.
The servants bustled about in silence, tiptoeing around and hardly daring to breathe.
Since the Marchioness Xuan Chang’s departure, Song Xingfeng had remained shut away in his own courtyard. As for Mrs. Liu, her wails from Die Cui Pavilion were loud enough to shake the heavens. The wedding of the General Mansion’s eldest daughter was being arranged by no one but the household steward.
The fire set by the Marchioness Xuan Chang had only burned Xubai Small Building to the ground. The flames had been extinguished, but the ashes seemed to be spreading throughout the entire General Mansion, leaving decay and rot in their wake.
In stark contrast was the bustling Xuan Chang Marquis Mansion.
With the wedding only a day away, Uncle Liang arrived respectfully with his staff at noon.
There was no need for the Marchioness to lift a finger. Uncle Liang had a chair brought for her, and after she was seated, he had tea and snacks served. "Your Ladyship, please just watch from here. If anything is not to your satisfaction, simply give the order."
He then began to methodically direct the servants, first having the Marquis Mansion swept clean. After that, a steady stream of proprietors and clerks from the various silk emporiums, restaurants, and jewelry shops of Ling’an City flowed in and out.
The teahouses outside the Marquis Mansion were packed with gawkers. They watched the flurry of activity, remarking that they had never before seen a groom’s family come to the bride’s home to help organize the wedding—and even bring all the betrothal gifts with them!
The whole affair was unheard of.
Hadn’t everyone said that Prince Qing detested the company of women?
This didn’t look like detestation at all. It was just that his heart had not yet been stirred!
Now that he had met the young lady of the Marquis Mansion, wasn’t he finally descending into the mortal world and its passions?
Song Lianhe sat beside her grandmother, her chin cupped in her hands, and murmured, "Grandmother, for some reason... none of this feels real."
The Marchioness sipped her tea, casting a sidelong glance at her granddaughter. "Your taste in men has certainly improved this time," she said with a grin.
"Grandmother, are you saying that Zhou Cangyan... he..."
Song Lianhe didn’t know how to describe her feelings. Their marriage was now an arrow nocked on a bowstring—it had to be released.
And yet, everything also felt as if it were falling perfectly into place.
’Just... getting married...’
"This Zhou Cangyan... your grandfather and I often heard of him during our travels. Based solely on his battlefield exploits—charging headfirst into enemy lines, fearless and alone—he can be called a true man of iron and grit!"
The Marchioness Xuan Chang clearly held him in high regard.
"As for having a man like that for a husband..." She glanced at her granddaughter with a faint smile. "Say what you will, but his willingness to defy the emperor for you—that gesture alone is deeply moving."
Song Lianhe asked, puzzled, "Grandmother, aren’t you worried he might have ulterior motives?"
"Heh, whether he has ulterior motives or not is a question you’ll have to answer."
"Me?"
"I’ll admit, I had my doubts before. But after returning to the city and seeing you, they’ve all vanished."
She gazed lovingly at Song Lianhe and stroked the crown of her head. "You’re truly becoming more and more like your mother," she murmured. "To see that you’re no longer obsessed with Prince Ling... your grandfather and I could weep with joy in our sleep."
Song Lianhe felt a little embarrassed. After all, she wasn’t the original owner of this body. Even though she knew this was just the world of a book, she still felt a pang of guilt and apology.
Other than taking the original’s place and showing filial piety to her grandparents, she couldn’t think of any other way to make it up to them.
"You’re about to be a wife. In the future, without your family by your side, you mustn’t be impulsive. Think before you act. However, if that Prince Qing dares to bully you, you don’t have to tolerate it. So what if he’s a Prince? No daughter of the Lin family should ever be bullied! You just come straight home. Your grandfather and I will have your back. Worst case, we’ll get you a divorce and take care of you for the rest of your life!"
Uncle Liang, who was walking past just then, nearly stumbled and had to discreetly wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Grandmother~"
Moved, Song Lianhe threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. "Don’t worry, Grandmother. You said it yourself, I’m a daughter of the Lin family! I won’t tarnish your and Grandfather’s great name! If any trouble starts, I’ll take care of it myself!"
"Good! My dear granddaughter, you do just that. If anything happens, the Marquis Mansion will be here to back you up!"
"Just you watch, Grandmother!"
Uncle Liang’s eye twitched violently.
’A true daughter of a martial family!’
