Chapter 127: How Would I Dare to Blame You, Sister

"Sister, why didn't you tell us when you returned to the Capital? You didn't even send a letter!" At this moment, Jiang Mianmian was already standing at the gate of the Song Mansion with several maidservants holding tea.

A carriage stopped in front of the Song Mansion. Lin Jiaojiao, who stepped down from the carriage, was already over forty, yet she still looked exactly as she had all those years ago.

Lin Jiaojiao's figure remained the same as it was back then; beneath her slender frame, she still retained her graceful curves. Her skin was fairer than snow, and with just a light touch of powder, she possessed a beauty that could topple cities, drawing sidelong glances from passersby.

It was just that she, too, had coiled her hair into the bun of a married woman, and her face held a bit more maturity. When her apricot-shaped eyes caught sight of the Song Mansion's mistress, Jiang Mianmian, a hint of joy immediately appeared at the corners of her brows.

"I came to the Capital together with Tie Zhu. The journey was long, and we were escorting important criminals from an enemy state, so I didn't know when we would arrive and simply didn't write to inform you," Lin Jiaojiao said with a smile, pulling Jiang Mianmian's hand. "Is my younger sister blaming me?"

"How would I dare to blame you, Sister?" Jiang Mianmian gave a playful pout and hurriedly gestured for the maidservants to bring tea. "You must be thirsty, Sister. I haven't had time to brew you any Dragon Well tea, so I can only make do with Maojian tea."

Lin Jiaojiao, however, was in no rush to drink the tea. She held Jiang Mianmian's hand and took the opportunity to check her pulse. After only a moment, she said, "Your liver fire has been too high lately. It seems you've been quite angered by You'an."

"Who's to say otherwise?" At the mention of the child Song You'an, a trace of anger immediately appeared on Jiang Mianmian's face. "He is used to infuriating me. Once he gets me worked up, he runs off to hide with Mother. If it weren't for Mother protecting him, I would definitely make his bottom bloom!"

"Just yesterday, he was lazy with his schoolwork and even talked back to his tutor. I think it would be better to have him go to Yun Province with you and let him train under Tie Zhu!"

"I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to bear it," Lin Jiaojiao laughed. "I brought some Yunshan Medicinal Herbs this time to help you regulate your health."

As they were speaking, Song You'an came out supporting Song Mu. When Song Mu saw Lin Jiaojiao from a distance, her eyes instantly turned red, and she couldn't help but lower her head to wipe away tears.

"Everything is fine, our daughter has returned, why are you wiping away tears?" Although Song Fu, who was walking beside Song Mu, said this, he eventually found his own eyes turning red as well.

Lin Jiaojiao looked up and saw Song Fu and Song Mu, their bodies somewhat hunched and their hair gray. She had a thousand words she wanted to say, but in the end, they all turned into a regretful kneel. "Father, Mother, are you both well? Your daughter is unfilial; only now have I returned to visit you both..."

"We are both well, get up, quickly get up!" Song Mu helped Lin Jiaojiao up from the ground, only to see that her apricot-shaped eyes were already veiled in a mist of tears.

Song Mu wiped her tears again. "Good daughter, it is your mother's lack of ability that I could not protect you in the Capital. This matter cannot be blamed on you. It is good that you are back, it is good that you are back. You'an, come quickly and pay your respects to your aunt."

Song You'an was fifteen years old, over six feet tall, and had a slender, lean build just like Song Shijie, but his face resembled Jiang Mianmian's by sixty or seventy percent, also possessing a heart-shaped face.

Since his birth, he had only seen this Adopted Daughter of the Song family during his infancy, but he had no memory of it. Seeing Lin Jiaojiao now, he only felt a sense of familiarity and closeness.

Over these years, this aunt far away in Yun Province had often entrusted courier agencies to send things home, many of which were novel gadgets specifically for him. He liked them very much, especially those peculiar things made of wood that had four wheels; he still kept them in a box, and thus he was very fond of this aunt.

Song You'an bowed obediently and said, "Nephew pays respects to Aunt."

"You rascal, why are you never this obedient with your schoolwork on normal days!" Seeing her son, Jiang Mianmian felt a surge of anger and raised her hand to strike him. The boy panicked and hid behind Song Mu, "Grandmother, save me!"

"Your cousin has now been enfeoffed as the Piaoji Young General, and look at you—not only have you accomplished nothing, but you also have no proper bearing on a daily basis!"

Lin Jiaojiao covered her mouth and chuckled. She held back Jiang Mianmian, who was about to hit the child. "Sister, your father was originally a soldier. I think You'an might have inherited his maternal grandfather's traits and also wants to wield blades and spears. When Tie Zhu returns from court today, I will have your cousin take him to train. If he truly is a talent for martial arts, following Tie Zhu will work, so he doesn't spend all day at home making your mother angry."

"Great!" Once Song You'an heard he could train with his cousin, the current Piaoji Young General, his youthful nature was immediately revealed. Moreover, since his mother's attempt to hit him had been blocked by his aunt, he straightened his back. "Mother, I am going to train and learn martial arts with Cousin, so you can't just hit me whenever you want! Otherwise, I will..."

"Otherwise what?" Jiang Mianmian was so angry that she took two or three steps forward to twist his ear, scaring him into running away. "Otherwise I will complain to Aunt and Uncle!"

The whole room burst into laughter. Lin Jiaojiao went over to support Song Mu as they entered the house. The maidservants brewed Longjing on the side, and the servants awaited Lin Jiaojiao's orders, moving the cartload of Yunshan Medicinal Herbs from the back of the carriage, bag by bag, into the house.

Passersby outside the gate saw this scene, and every one of them remarked on the filial piety of the Song family's Adopted Daughter.

Yet among these passersby, there was a middle-aged man with a hunched back and bowed waist. That man was Zhao An. He sported a rat-like mustache and had the appearance of a villain. Seeing the bustle at the Song family gate, he couldn't help but walk closer to take a look, only then realizing that the goods were all high-quality medicinal herbs.

Just then, a massive Lingzhi mushroom fell out of a bag, as large as his own open palm!

As soon as the passersby saw that massive Lingzhi, they all looked on with greedy eyes. The Lingzhi shocked Zhao An so much that he clicked his tongue. "Where was this Lingzhi produced to be so large? Could you sell me one?"

"Not for sale, not for sale!" The Song family servant moving the goods waved his hand impatiently. He picked up the Lingzhi and put it back into the bag, but Zhao An clearly saw that there were twenty or thirty more Lingzhi of the same size in that sack!

He grabbed a Song family servant who was moving goods. "Hey, the Song family doesn't need so many herbs, just give me one! My master is the legitimate daughter of Chancellor Su, Su Wanqiu. As long as you are willing to sell me one, my master will surely give you a tael of gold later!"

"Who cares about your gold! Chancellor Su is about to be replaced, what's so great about that! Our Old Master Song was a former Chancellor himself!"

The servant did not give him any face, and upon hearing him mention Chancellor Su, he was even more dismissive. "Since your master is so powerful and influential, why don't you go get high-quality herbs elsewhere instead of coming here to our Song Mansion!"

"Besides, these medicinal herbs were transported thousands of miles from Yun Province by our Song family's Adopted Daughter to honor the Old Master and Old Madam. What does this have to do with your Su Family!"