The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 56 - Time of Death

Though the carriage was lined with thick felt rugs and had two specially crafted small doors, the cold still seeped in from every little gap, making it impossible to stay warm.

Yushu poured a cup of hot tea for Old Lady Song, then reached out to check the warmth of the foot warmer. Satisfied that it was still hot, she breathed a sigh of relief. "There's not a village or inn in sight; it seems we'll have to stay with a farm family tonight."

Traveling away from home meant letting go of some comforts. At times, you might find yourself in the middle of nowhere, where money can't secure a decent place to stay.

Old Lady Song, who had traveled far and wide in her lifetime, was used to such minor inconveniences. She smiled and shook her head. "What's the harm? The late emperor once stayed in a rundown temple while traveling incognito. On the road, whether you're royalty or nobility, any shelter that keeps out the wind and rain is a blessing. I feel more for you young ones; you're probably not used to places like these."

Yushu blushed slightly. Two nights ago, they'd stayed with a farmer's family, and she'd found it difficult to settle in—there was barely room to set her foot down, and though they'd brought their own bedding, she'd spent the night restless, bothered by the strange smell. She'd woken up the next day looking quite haggard. But Song Chuyi and Old Lady Song had seemed unbothered, treating it all as perfectly natural.

Smiling, she pressed her lips together, took the cup from Old Lady Song, and sat crouched on the seat, laughing, "It's us maids who are being delicate. If neither you nor Sixth Miss mind, then we surely shouldn't act like we're too important."

Old Lady Song appreciated this about Yushu—she never tried to hide her shortcomings and was quick to own up to her mistakes.

Thinking of Song Chuyi, she couldn't help but remark, "You're right; I hadn't expected Xiao Yi to endure such hardships at her age."

Then, remembering what Song Chuyi had once mentioned about her suffering at Duke Ying's residence, she felt a pang of sadness. Here was a young lady from a prestigious family, adapting so naturally to such conditions—proof that in her dream, she must have truly known hardship.

Around noon, the snow let up for a while, and Song Chuyi came up to the carriage to chat with Old Lady Song.

Finally, Old Lady Song couldn't hold back her question. "Was your experience in the dream that intense? You're able to set foot in such dirty places without flinching, and your expression doesn't even change."

Song Chuyi was slightly taken aback but quickly understood what Old Lady Song was asking. She smiled, watching as Yushu set out a few snack boxes with calm, yet indescribably cold detachment on her face.

"Grandmother, I remember when I made mistakes as a child, you always taught me not to repeat the same mistake twice." Song Chuyi held the cup with both hands, the steam blurring her face slightly, but her voice was unwavering and clear. "Where I stumbled before, I won't let myself fall in the same place a second time."

Her good fortune in this life didn't come merely from being reborn. Her foresight now came from the thirty-odd years of hard lessons in her previous life. In a way, she had the miserable twenty years in the Duke of Ying's residence to thank, where she endured a life worse than death, watching her loved ones die one by one, enduring heartbreak that etched these lessons deeply into her mind, allowing her not to forget them even for a moment. Only because of that suffering could this life go more smoothly than the last.

What was a bit of dirt in a farmhouse courtyard? In her previous life, when she had reached the end of the line at Duke Ying's residence, she had even eaten wild grass from the yard to stave off hunger. In comparison, her insides then might have been filthier than the mud on the ground now.

Old Lady Song had rarely seen such a fearful expression on Song Chuyi's face. Realizing it had stirred her painful memories, she sighed, falling silent for a moment before remarking, "How hard it is to be a woman in this world."

Yes, how undeserved are the sufferings of women in this world?

She had certainly made mistakes in her previous life—following Shen Qingrang too closely, disregarding the decorum between men and women, and exchanging affections with him in private. But Shen Qingrang, who didn't even like her, still felt compelled to draw her in...

Since her rebirth, Song Chuyi had always deliberately avoided members of the Shen family. Every time she saw them, the resentment she had worked so hard to bury threatened to resurface.

She knew she'd made mistakes in her previous life, but she didn't believe it was solely her fault.

If Shen Qingrang didn't like her, he could have easily rejected her, could have flown freely with Song Chuning instead. By that time, Song Chuning was already more popular than she was, and with the support of Song Yi and Lady Li, what couldn't she obtain?

Yet none of them, not even Lady Li, did anything. They watched coldly as she threw herself at Shen Qingrang like a moth to a flame, even smiling as they praised her match with him as destined. They let her fall, bit by bit, into an inescapable abyss, watching her descent from heaven to hell as she lost both her son and her younger brother...

Song Chuyi's heart throbbed sharply. She set her cup down, clutching her chest in discomfort, and a large tear unexpectedly fell onto the back of her hand.

In this life, she could still see Song Yan, still had the chance to make amends.

But her child—she would never have that same child again.

Resting her head on the table as if asleep, Song Chuyi remained motionless. Old Lady Song hesitated, then signaled to Yushu to cover her with a blanket. Yet, for some reason, a vague unease crept over her heart.

Perhaps it was the anxiety of returning home. About to reunite with her long-lost daughter, even an experienced elder like Old Lady Song felt a touch of nervousness.

But Song Chuyi wasn't truly asleep. Resting on her elbows, she was calculating the day of Song Chuning's downfall.

After her rebirth, she had considered that perhaps Song Chuning's malice was something instilled by Lady Li, that she was being influenced and corrupted by her. After all, she was only five years old; perhaps she hadn't truly become twisted yet.

But reality had delivered a harsh slap.

This seemingly gentle, harmless young girl would, without hesitation, stab you in the back while laughing. If not for her good fortune—if, by sheer chance, Qin Chuan's son hadn't been with Song Yan that night—Song Yan would have been lost.

From that moment, Song Chuyi had developed a murderous intent toward Song Chuning.

She could tolerate Song Chuning's jealousy and could understand her infatuation with Shen Qingrang. But just as in her previous life, she could never accept Song Chuning harming those around her.

The lessons of her past life were enough. In this life, she would not allow the same things to happen again.

She wouldn't have the good fortune to start over a third time, so she couldn't afford any losses, any delays. A person as dangerous as Song Chuning would be best dealt with sooner rather than later.