Chapter 86

You Siqi pursed her lips and said to Song Dingxiang, "I know I have been careless in my thinking, but I really have no other way. My parents have only me as their child, and I don't want their hard-earned belongings to fall into someone else's hands, so..."

"But I haven't seen you fighting for it," Song Dingxiang looked at her indifferently, "I only see you compromising and sacrificing yourself."

You Siqi, being only a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, became anxious upon hearing this, "I have fought for it, but I am just a daughter after all, I..."

"What does being a daughter have to do with it? As long as your parents support you, even a daughter can hold up the family business. If it wasn't for you constantly giving in, how could they have forced you into such absurd things like the embroidered ball for marriage? Now that you have come back with my brother, it's simply a way to avoid the responsibility you should bear and to find someone to handle the pressure for you. But if you can't stand up for yourself, not to mention finding just one person, even if you find ten, the family business will not fall into your hands," Song Dingxiang stood up and said, "You better think it over, the men in our Song family will not marry into other families."

You Siqi stubbornly bit her lip, her eyes red, and only after Song Dingxiang left the room did she start to cry.

"Song Hutou, you are simply a fool! How can I even talk to you?" Song Dingxiang poked Song Hutou's head with frustration, "You said you were going out to play, to see the world, and I helped persuade our parents to let you go out. But what did you do? You've gotten yourself into such a mess!"

Song Hutou, wanting to disappear, smiled along, "Sister, my dear second sister, please don't scold me, I didn't expect this either, I just wanted to see and experience something different as we rarely have such things happen here..."

"So, what do you suggest now?" Song Dingxiang, sitting in her chair, glared at Song Hutou, feeling angry, "First, tell me what your intentions are towards that girl."

Embarrassed, Song Hutou scratched his head and said, "Initially, I was annoyed, but later I found Miss You to be a good person. She's been through a lot, not many people are as capable as you, Second Sister. She told me she had a brother. Originally, the family business could have been supported by her brother, but when he went out to collect debts, he supposedly encountered bandits, and within days of returning..."

"In that case, have you considered whether her brother really encountered bandits, or something else? What wouldn't such families do to secure their wealth? Bandits... were they caught?" Song Dingxiang asked.

"They said they only caught a few small fry who didn't know anything. I didn't think much at first, but when Miss You talked about her brother, I had this thought. Could it be that other families conspired for the wealth of the You family, leading to tragedy? I really didn't want to get involved originally, but when I saw how pitiful Miss You was..." Song Hutou explained.

Mocking, Song Dingxiang said, "Someone harmed her brother, and instead of trying to find the culprit, she ended up being forced into a marriage by the embroidered ball. I can't say for sure what kind of person this girl is, but I can only say that if you really marry her, you must put all your effort into helping her sustain the family business and hold off those wolves. Otherwise, if she continues like this, the family property is likely to slip away. Song Hutou, now that you're eighteen, think carefully."

"Sister, Second Sister!" Song Hutou hurriedly grabbed Song Dingxiang's arm, pleading, "Second Sister, with your skills, you must be able to help her, right?"

Song Dingxiang replied, "What can I do to help her? We're separated by such a far distance, I don't understand silk and cocoon business well, and you're so sure I can help her? You shouldn't have let her cling to you in the first place! Song Hutou, give me a definite answer. If you want to marry her, I can agree, but after marrying her, you must listen to me. Otherwise, don't expect me to help you in any way!"

"Second Sister, are you agreeing? No, no, I don't want to marry into her family, I just realized that I really like Miss You... Second Sister..." Song Hutou looked at Song Dingxiang pleadingly, his face full of supplication.

Song Dingxiang felt that she may have been spoiling her younger brother too much, allowing him to become a bit reckless. If he could fall on his face in this matter, it would be good, even though the cost is high, but it would still be within a controllable range.

Besides, whether the You family lives or dies is none of her concern. Song Dingxiang is neither a god nor a saint, she is already doing well to manage her own affairs, it's impossible and out of her reach to meddle in affairs with Su Hang.

"You come back home with me, leave her alone for a few days, and see what she really thinks." Song Dingxiang sighed, glared fiercely at Song Hutou before turning and leaving the room.

*

You Siqi looked at her maid Lian'er, tears streaming down her face, and asked, "Lian'er, do you think I have made a mistake? If it were me who died instead of my brother, would things have turned out differently?"

Heartbroken for her mistress, Lian'er quickly advised, "Miss, please don't think like that. Your uncles and those families are ruthless like wolves; the incident with Young Master and the bandits was definitely no accident. It was too coincidental, with so many servants usually by his side, but that day, he went out in a haste without many of them and encountered bandits. Plus, it was the servants who reported the incident, without mentioning why Young Master was in such a hurry to return. However, Miss, even if Mr. Song stands by your side, what if things go wrong or if he can't handle those families?"

"I have been too naive..." You Siqi said, painfully covering her forehead, "At first, I just thought those people arranged to harm me, but now, if Mr. Song were to come back with me and something happened to him, wouldn't it be my fault? Sister Song is right, it's because I can't stand on my own that I always seek help from others, it's my fault."

"Miss..." Lian'er didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only silently shed tears with You Siqi.

The master and servant spent their first uneasy night in Weixian County. The next day, You Siqi took a deep breath and walked out, heading towards the room where Song Hutou lived.

Seeing her, the waiter smiled and said, "Miss You, Madam Zhou said if you want to see Young Master Song, go to the teahouse opposite, she will be waiting there for you."

Following the waiter's instructions, You Siqi walked towards the opposite teahouse. Taking a deep breath at the door, she pushed it open.

Song Dingxiang was sitting inside, with Zhenshu standing behind her, smiling at You Siqi.

You Siqi bowed and said, "Madam Zhou, I have thought about it all night and realized that it was indeed my fault. The You family is like a den of wolves, and I shouldn't have dragged an innocent person into ruining their life. I used to think it was simple, that as long as I found someone to marry into the family and had a child, they would let me go. But now, I realize... I have been avoiding the truth, and I've been neglecting this issue. If it wasn't for Madam Zhou's wake-up call, maybe I..."

Song Dingxiang nodded slightly and said, "I don't need to dictate to you, but because it involves my brother. I asked him yesterday, and he does indeed like you a lot. But I can't let this liking turn into resentment. If you agree, you can write a letter to your family, stay here to marry my brother, and then I will arrange for you to be escorted back. As for what you want to do after going back, I will not interfere, nor will I let him interfere."

"What does Madam Zhou mean?" You Siqi was taken aback, finding it hard to understand.

Song Dingxiang said, "My brother rarely finds someone he likes, as his elder sister, I shouldn't interfere. But let me make it clear, I can protect you completely, but we will not touch a single bit of your family property. It's up to you whether you can handle this or stay."

You Siqi's lips trembled, she seemed to want to smile but couldn't, hurriedly wiped away the tears that had suddenly flowed, and said, "Actually, it's not necessary. My family's messy affairs... I wonder if Mr. Song mentioned to you that I once had a brother. I have always suspected that they were responsible for my brother's death, but since we are all from the You family, I never dared to speak out about it. But if Mr. Song... I can't bear such responsibility. I'm sorry, Madam Zhou."

The door of the room suddenly pushed open, and Song Hutou bounced out from inside, grinned at You Siqi, saying, "Miss You, if you truly like me, then trust me once. I can't promise to protect your family's property, but I can ensure your safety."

Song Dingxiang snorted.

Song Hutou quickly tried to appease her, saying, "It's not my skill, it's my elder sister, my second sister. I haven't told you all along, but my second sister is a county princess appointed by the emperor, and her husband is a General. Your family wouldn't dare to touch me, and if they don't touch me, they wouldn't touch you either. I'll take care of you and your parents, but I won't meddle in anything else, as I don't understand it."

You Siqi looked incredulously at Song Hutou, then at Song Dingxiang, and suddenly knelt down, saying, “County... county princess... I, I have overstepped. I thought Mr. Song was a higher-class young master, and he said he wasn't of high rank, so I thought I could... Yes, I was wrong."

Song Dingxiang said, "It was indeed your fault before. But since things have come to this, and my brother truly likes you, you don't need to worry about anything. After all, your future together is for yourselves to decide. If things don't work out, the best I can do is to help you return to Weixian County to live out your days."

"Return to Weixian County?" You Siqi heard the key point and looked up at Song Dingxiang, saying, "County princess, what do you mean?"

Song Dingxiang said, "You will marry him, it's a marriage, not a union. He will go to Hangzhou, and also develop from there. If you have children, our family will allow one of the boys to have the surname You. As for everything else, it will depend on your fate."

You Siqi couldn't believe that such a stroke of luck had come her way. Overjoyed, she trembled with excitement, and finally, overwhelmed with emotion, she fainted.

Upon receiving his daughter's letter, You Siqi's father initially felt angry and even heartbroken. He thought he failed his daughter and pushed her into such a situation.

However, as he read the last part of the letter, he was stunned, his mouth agape, "Wife, wife! We are saved, we are saved!"

With relatives pressing them at every step, losing their son, and their daughter being forced to flee, Siqi's mother washed her face with tears every day, wishing she could also leave. Just after taking medicine, she heard her husband's cry and saw him rushing in frantically.

Weakly, she asked, "What's wrong? Did Siqi write to us? Quick, tell me, we don't need all these things, let her come back, should we not want all of this..."

"No, dear, look at this!" Siqi's father handed the letter to her mother, saying, "It's a huge stroke of luck, this is a huge stroke of luck!"

After reading the letter, Siqi's mother burst into tears, holding the paper to her chest, and after a while said, "This half of my life's hard work, and Qinger's revenge, I thought it would last forever... I never expected this, we... we can't go on like this. We must pull ourselves together. With the county princess supporting us now, what do we have to fear? It should be them who fear us!"

You Siqi stayed in Weixian County to hold the wedding. Fang shi drank the tea for her daughter-in-law and looked at her second son, who had a big smile on his face, feeling more and more annoyed.

"I mean, my son is being raised by someone else, while my daughter can stay with us. Did I misunderstand my own children?" She complained to her sister-in-law, "What a hassle, coming from so far away..."

"It seems he isn't your son too after all..." Fang's voice trembled with sadness.

Zhang shi countered, his voice rising, "How can he not be my son? I watched Hutou grow up with my own eyes. You were in such a fragile state after giving birth, and I took care of him – everything except breastfeeding. Now you claim he isn't mine? Perhaps I deserve a cup of that daughter-in-law tea after all."

Fang shi sighed, "I have three more sons besides him. They will grow up and start their own families. I don't care about having daughters-in-law. Besides, didn't Dingxiang says that Hutou has always been a restless person. It would be good for him to go out and fight more. Besides, it's not like I don't have... Look at you being so pleased with yourself."

Zhang shi couldn't help but laugh and cry. As Fang shi grew older, she became more temperamental, and besides her daughter, no one could control her.

Even Li shi, who saw her, had a headache, saying that she was getting younger, not like a grandmother at all.

Song Dingxiang sent Song Hutou to Hangzhou to run a soy sauce factory. The temperatures and humidity in the north and south are different, and the soy sauce produced can vary in taste.

Apart from that, the southern taste is lighter and sweeter, so adjustments were made to cater to that market. Despite Song Hutou's experience as a manager and his many years of exposure to soy sauce, success in the southern market was uncertain.

As for the silk and silk cocoon business, Song Hutou was strictly prohibited from touching it. You Siqi could do it if she could, and if not, the whole family would return or focus on soy sauce production. There was no need to risk everything on one venture.

You Siqi walked nervously and returned with excitement. Not only she and Song Hutou returned, but also several dozen bodyguards provided by General Zhou.

These were people who had fought on the battlefield. Although they were no longer in the military, they still exuded a fierce aura.

In addition to the bodyguards, there were two maids, two servants, and several experienced soy sauce makers. With several large carts of betrothal gifts, You Siqi no longer needed to bow her head to avoid trouble; she could now hold her head high and live confidently.

"You mean the county princess is really a county princess? You mean the General is really a General?" The second son of You rolled his eyes, shouting loudly, "I might as well say I am of royal blood! Since You Siqi is married, the You family property should belong to me. You all should do whatever you want, just don't bother me."

Song Hutou smiled slightly at him, saying, "Oh, speaking of royal blood, this uncle may not know, but my brother-in-law - that general, he really is of royal blood. By the way, when we arrived, we already sent letters to the county magistrate and prefect. If you don't believe me, you can go ask. Also, since my wife is surnamed You, the family property has nothing to do with you. She will do what she can, if you want. Don't worry about it; you will receive your annual dividends. Why come looking for trouble with me?"

"Stop trying to scare me with the county magistrate and prefect, do you think I'm scared? Even if they come, I'm not afraid!" The second son of You sneered, "A person of royal blood is so destitute? Who are you trying to fool? Guards, get them out! I am the master of the You family!"

"Insolent!" An angry voice sounded, and someone hurriedly walked in, saying to Song Hutou, "Young Master Song, we have received letters from the county princess and the General. In fact, not only the General and the county princess, but even the Eighth Prince sent a message asking us to take care of you. Please rest assured, under my jurisdiction, we will not tolerate any crimes that harm lives and seize properties."

The second son of You was stunned when he saw this person. "No, Mr. Xu, we had an agreement..."

"Take him away. I suspected something fishy about the mountain bandit incident back then and now have found some clues. We will definitely get to the bottom of this!"

The dramatic turn of events left the rest of the You family stunned. They only gathered around after the county magistrate left, all smiling as they said, "Ah, we always knew the second brother was unreliable. How could such a domineering person become the master of our You family? That role belongs to the eldest brother; he must be the one."

*

Time flies like an arrow, and the sun and moon shuttle by. In the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed.

Song Hutou and his wife, You Siqi, prepared to return to Weixian County to retire, with their daughter and youngest son. He passed on the soy sauce factory to his eldest son, while the silk business was inherited by the second son, who managed it perfectly.

"If it wasn't for me crying and begging to come and explore this area, perhaps we wouldn't have had the fate to be together," Song Hutou smiled as he looked at his still round-faced wife.

Nestled by her man, You Siqi watched their youngest son and daughter running around excitedly for the hike, a satisfied smile on her face.

Over these twenty years, the Song family had completely stayed away from the silk business, with Song Hutou wholeheartedly focused on his soy sauce business. You Siqi endured the most difficult days at the start, gaining recognition from the merchants she worked with for her abilities, firmly holding onto the family's estate, which she now handed over to her second son.

She couldn't guarantee that her second son would continue to grow the family business steadily, but she was now content and at peace. After bidding farewell to her parents, she finally decided to return to Weixian County with Song Hutou. She felt blessed to have married a man who had silently supported her throughout her life.