Chapter 3

Chapter 3

That night, Song Dog was dragged to the ancestral hall and beaten with several dozen strikes of the paddle, while the transmigrated woman soaked in a stinking pond until morning.

The manor physicians crowded around to treat my sprained ankle. The beautiful concubines gathered to fuss over me, asking if I was cold or in pain. My mother-in-law and sisters-in-law brought me a heap of tonics, and the old general cursed up a storm as he promised me, “If he dares make you cry again, I’ll break his legs.”

After Song Yan finished taking his beating, he happened to be carried in through the door. He lay all alone in a corner, with only one apprentice applying medicine for him. Truly pitiful.

I laughed, rather unkindly.

He happened to see it. Our eyes met, sparks flying, lightning crackling. It was the kind of look sworn enemies gave each other when they met.

After a long moment, he gave a cold snort and looked away.

He hated me, so I hated him too. The two of us had been mutually disgusted by the sight of each other for years.

Back when we first married, on our wedding night, he abandoned me and ran off to a brothel to drink with courtesans and support the top courtesan. After he was dragged back, he took a beating. For the next month, he slept in the study every night and refused to enter the bridal chamber, so he took another beating. Then, shameless as ever, he wormed his way into the Song Family Army and went off on campaign with his father.

He came back from that campaign after doing nothing but freeloading and waiting to die, with not a shred of military merit to his name, and even brought back an orphan girl who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth.

And there it was. Another beating.

Getting thrashed every day, never learning his lesson.

If not for the glorious military achievements of his father and brother, this fool’s ashes would have been scattered into the moat by now.

“If he weren’t the handsomest man in the entire capital, I would have killed this useless sack of wine and rice!” I stomped my foot and declared viciously to Imperial Brother.

Imperial Brother was not frightened by my ferocity in the slightest. Instead, he laughed. His thin face was all sharp, distinct bone structure, and he sounded utterly certain. “You wouldn’t. He is the youngest son of the Song Family. You wouldn’t chill the hearts of the Song Family’s old ministers.”

He laughed too hard and started coughing behind his hand. My heart ached, and I hurriedly patted his back. The sound of that cough sent waves of panic through me.

Imperial Brother told me to at least put on a show and send Song Yan some medicine. I agreed without even thinking, obedient as could be. Every rebellious bone in my body went docile, afraid that if he got worked up, he would start coughing again.

After returning to Song Manor, I personally went to the kitchen and spent half the day brewing medicine. Then I carried it over myself to visit Song Dog. As soon as I arrived, I happened to run into the transmigrated woman, who was also holding a bowl of medicine and preparing to enter his room.

I was too lazy to spare her a glance. I walked past her to Song Yan’s bedside, too lazy to spare him a glance either, and set the scalding-hot medicine on the table. My words were concise and to the point. “Drink.”

Song Yan gave it a listless glance, frowned, and turned his head away. “Why is it you? I’m not drinking it.”