Free Web NovelChapter 59: Chapter 43: A Bastard’s Sermon, Won’t Listen, Won’t Listen
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to find out more.
Zhao Xiaoyu pulled on Song Qinghan’s arm. "Miss Song, let’s go sit over there. You meant well. If others don’t appreciate it, then so be it."
Song Qinghan gave Zhao Xiaoyu and the surrounding crowd a helpless, bitter smile. Putting on a heartbroken expression, she allowed Zhao Xiaoyu to pull her away. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Song Yunzhao mentally lit a candle for Zhao Xiaoyu. ’That girl is not only clueless, she’s brainless. I have no idea how her family felt comfortable sending her here.’
The crowd gradually dispersed, each returning to their own seat. Only He Lan Yun remained. She looked at Song Yunzhao and sneered, "So what if you saved Qin Xiyue? She was watching from a distance just now and didn’t say a single word on your behalf."
Song Yunzhao gave He Lan Yun a puzzled look. "Why would she speak up for me? We’ve only met a few times. We’re not friends."
’She was desperate to distance herself from the female lead. The last thing she wanted was for them to be lumped together.’
"But you saved her." He Lan Yun looked at Song Yunzhao as if she were an idiot.
"That wasn’t a rescue, it was self-preservation. If you hadn’t acted so rashly, I wouldn’t have had to get involved." Song Yunzhao grew angry just thinking about it. ’If He Lan Yun weren’t always so impulsive, would I keep getting dragged into her messes?’
He Lan Yun’s expression was indescribable as she looked at Song Yunzhao. ’She never imagined that Song Yunzhao truly had no intention of being seen as Qin Xiyue’s savior. This was a golden opportunity to curry favor with the Qin Family, and she was actually throwing it away!’
On that point alone, He Lan Yun started to see her in a slightly better light. But then, remembering the several times she’d had bad luck because of her, she rolled her eyes at Song Yunzhao and walked away.
Song Yunzhao was left speechless.
’Every single one of them is seriously unhinged.’
’What a rotten way to start the day.’
Song Yexi pulled Song Yunzhao down to sit. "Please, just take a break," she whispered.
’Don’t cause any more trouble. I really can’t take it.’
’I never would have thought Yun Zhao was involved with the young ladies from the Capital City’s most prominent families. When they approached her, she actually refused to acknowledge it... A life-saving debt! I didn’t realize my third younger sister had so much integrity.’
’No wonder Third Uncle is so fond of her.’
’Then again,’ she thought, ’while the Song Family may be in decline now, our ancestors once knew great glory. Third Sister did the right thing. We mustn’t tarnish our ancestors’ prestigious name.’
’Besides, the young ladies from those families are all incredibly high-born and arrogant. Trying to curry favor with them would only lead to being looked down upon.’ freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Song Yexi’s thoughts were a tangled mess. She felt it was a pity, but she also felt Yun Zhao had done the right thing. She was torn, like a pancake being cooked on both sides of a griddle.
Song Yunzhao met Song Yexi’s complicated gaze. While she couldn’t guess her thoughts with perfect accuracy, she could get the gist of it. Since she didn’t hear Song Yexi say anything about it being a pity, Song Yunzhao was actually quite pleased.
’Are powerful connections so easy to make?’
’People always say you should marry someone of equal social standing. The truth is, it’s the same with friendships.’
’There was a joke back in my time: of ten couples who fall in love and date, nine will break up, and the one that doesn’t will argue endlessly.’
’The meaning is that if you try to form a family by dating on your own, nine out of ten couples won’t make it to the altar. The one pair that does get married will have a chaotic life full of drama.’
’Conversely, marriages arranged through introductions tend to be much smoother.’
’Why?’
’Is it because the matches are better?’
’Not at all.’
’It’s because couples who fall in love have excessively high expectations of one another. Love carries so much weight that once conflict arises, the resulting disappointment is magnified.’
’But arranged marriages are different. Because the families are on relatively equal footing and there aren’t many expectations, the couple doesn’t nitpick. Instead, they learn to accommodate each other, and they can make the marriage work.’
’To put it more realistically, marriage is also a contest between equals.’
’What girl doesn’t dream of a passionate, whirlwind romance in the prime of her youth, of smoothly transitioning into marriage, having an adorable child, and growing old with the person she loves?’
’But while the dream is beautiful, reality is harsh. Those who actually achieve it are few and far between.’
’The trivialities of daily life are the whetstone that grinds love away.’
’If that’s the case in the relatively tolerant society of the modern era, how much more so here in ancient times, with its rigid etiquette and rules?’
Song Yunzhao had always been a pragmatist. Having a mother like Mrs. Cai—muddle-headed, paranoid, and selfish—had forced her to be. Even her father’s affection was something she had to earn. From a very young age, she had sought every opportunity to spend time with him, day after day, year after year, all for the sake of self-preservation.
’Nothing in this world comes without a price.’
Song Yunzhao wasn’t lost in thought for long. Soon, an instructing matron arrived, and all the concubines rose in unison to greet her.
