Born to Be Either Rich or Noble - Chapter 80

Qian Tong couldn’t guess who she was, but anyone who could directly call out Song Yunzhi’s name had to be a girl from the capital—and she must be related to him.

Qian Tong nodded.

The girl let out a sigh of relief, stepping inside. She didn’t make Qian Tong guess; she revealed herself first. “I am his younger sister, Song Yun Zhao. Where is he?”

Qian Tong froze.

The prince’s sister. No wonder she seemed familiar—this house was full of heavenly beings.

They had just formalized their engagement, and now the bride’s family was here. It was too sudden; Qian Tong wasn’t prepared. She stood there, suddenly nervous, as the girl entered.

Finally, the girl asked, “And you are?”

Who was she? The fiancée’s sister-in-law, of course.

Yet meeting one’s in-laws is always nerve-wracking, even for an attractive young woman like Qian Tong. She didn’t know if Song Yunzhi had informed his family about the engagement, but the betrothal had only just been agreed upon today—there hadn’t been time.

Looking at the celestial little sister before her, Qian Tong’s throat went dry, and she stammered, “I-I am…”

Song Yun Zhao smiled, waiting patiently.

Better not scare her yet. Qian Tong said quickly, “I am in charge of the housekeeping at the magistrate’s residence.” She smiled warmly. “Ah, Lady Song! Please, come in and sit. The prince is busy but will be back soon.”

Suspicion flickered in Song Yun Zhao’s eyes, but she did not question her and only smiled politely.

Qian Tong welcomed her enthusiastically, taking the bundle from her shoulder. “Lady Song, please, sit…” She moved to make tea. The water in the kettle had long since cooled. Song Yunzhi preferred to be self-sufficient, and with no servants inside, Qian Tong had to search for a stove. She squatted to lift the lid—fortunately, the coals were not yet spent. She grabbed a fan from Song Yunzhi’s desk and fanned the fire, asking, “Lady Song, why are you here alone?”

The legitimate daughter of a marquis’ household, without guards or maidservants? Why was she in such disarray? How had she gotten inside unnoticed?

Why had no one sent word?

Qian Tong was fully awake now, her mind racing with questions.

Song Yun Zhao hesitated, her expression complex. “There was an incident on the way here.” Seeing Qian Tong bustling, she added lightly, “You needn’t trouble yourself, I’ll just have some cold tea.”

Cold tea for her little sister-in-law? She wasn’t crazy. Qian Tong replied, “Wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon. Even though the weather is hot, drinking cold tea too fast can cause illness…”

The previous kettle had almost been emptied by the girl.

“Thank you, sister.” While Qian Tong prepared tea, Song Yun Zhao asked, “Do you know what those lacquered boxes outside are for?” She had seen them when she entered—quite the display.

Qian Tong didn’t know how the girl had gotten inside, how no one had met her, and couldn’t hide the truth entirely. She steeled herself and said, “They are the dowry of Qian Tong, the Seventh Miss of the Qian family.”

Song Yun Zhao froze.

Seeing the shock on her face, Qian Tong felt momentarily guilty. She worked faster, fanning the fire and preparing the tea, silently thinking, Where is the prince? His sister has arrived—explain this to her first!

Fearing more questions, she asked, “Lady Song, would you like it warm?”

Song Yunzhi nodded. “Thank you, sister.”

Qian Tong poured the tea and intended to leave for now. Once Song Yunzhi had reported everything to his sister, she could visit properly. “Lady Song, rest for a while…”

Song Yun Zhao, however, was curious. “Sister, have you met my fiancée?”

Qian Tong froze. She knew?

Seeing her reaction, Song Yun Zhao doubted herself. “My brother’s bride… isn’t she Qian Tong, the Seventh Miss of the Qian family?”

Indeed, that was correct.

Now knowing she was aware, Qian Tong had no choice but to admit it. She was about to speak when footsteps sounded outside. A hurried servant reported, “Prince, Lady Song should be inside…”

Finally, he was back. Qian Tong let out a relieved breath.

Song Yunzhi stepped in, his gaze sweeping between the two of them. His eyes settled first on Song Yun Zhao, looking disheveled. He frowned. “Why do you look like this?”

She was alone, without attendants. Where were their parents?

When did she become so daring?

“Brother.” Song Yun Zhao rose and performed a crouching bow, straightening her messy hair, avoiding his gaze. “I received your letter and hurried here. There were some incidents along the way. I heard from this sister that Qian Tong delivered her dowry today. You are to be married? So soon? Father and mother are in Shu Prefecture and not at the residence…”

Qian Tong: …

She had already moved to the doorway, about to leave, when Song Yunzhi called, “Where are you going? Come in.”

Song Yun Zhao paused, following his gaze. She looked at the two of them, puzzled by the subtle dynamics, when Song Yunzhi said, “Your fiancée, Qian Tong.”

Song Yun Zhao froze.

She had lied!

No wonder his room had such a beautiful young woman.

It turned out she was the Seventh Miss of the Qian family.

Meeting her wide-eyed stare, Qian Tong winked, playfully saying, “You talk to your brother first. I’ll prepare some food for you.”

Now that her identity was revealed, she had to act the part of a sister-in-law, showing concern. “Look, your dress is dirty. I’ll prepare hot water; you can wash…”

One foot forward, hands flailing.

This wasn’t her home; where was she supposed to get water or food?

Today she had delivered her proposal, and now she was already acting as a sister-in-law. Qian Tong found Fuyin and Wang Zhao, who were counting the dowry, and began planning the next steps.

She instructed Fuyin, “Go to the inn and buy all the signature dishes of Yangzhou. Take the Shu brocade I have here and tailor new clothes to fit me. The designs must be the best and done quickly. Then pick a few hair ornaments from my wardrobe—choose the expensive ones.”

Fuyin, astonished, nodded blankly.

Qian Tong then told Wang Zhao, “Please have someone prepare a room, heat water, and provide a bath tub.” She pulled the largest silver note from her pouch—one thousand taels—and placed it in Wang Zhao’s stunned hands. “The little sister has arrived. These next few days, treat her well. Whatever she wants, buy it. Don’t worry about the cost. If this runs out, tell me.”

Wang Zhao was stunned.

Lady Song had arrived?

And the Marquis and Grand Princess? Their engagement had been finalized. Wang Zhao didn’t question Qian Tong, clutching the silver note and hurrying to carry out her instructions.

Before the room could be tidied, the items Qian Tong sent began arriving, piled before Song Yun Zhao.

Exquisite food, fine silks, gold and silver jewelry—she was surrounded by luxury.

Though born in the marquis’ household, Song Yun Zhao had never experienced such lavish treatment. She stared at Song Yunzhi, then seemed to understand. “So… Brother and fiancée…”

She had heard of Yangzhou’s extravagant lifestyle.

Song Yunzhi interrupted, “Don’t overthink.”

She had imagined too much. Aside from giving him a golden cicada, most of her promises were empty.

“Continue.”

Song Yun Zhao explained her disheveled state. “I received your letter and knew it was urgent. Waiting for Father and Mother would be too late. I also feared reporting to Grandmother would delay me, so I left secretly. When leaving the capital, I brought five guards and two maids. I became seasick, traveled on official roads, and all went smoothly until a mountain road near the city, where bandits ambushed us. My servants and I were scattered…”

She skipped the unpleasant details. “Fortunately, a young gentleman rescued me, asked my name, and brought me to the magistrate’s residence.”

Song Yunzhi felt his blood surge.

He hadn’t expected his naive, homebound sister to arrive here safely—it was a miracle.

And if she had been out alone, did the young lord from the duke’s household know?

Song Yunzhi rubbed his temple. “Did you give him your real name?”

Song Yun Zhao nodded, puzzled. “Yes.” She didn’t lie.

“Where is he?”

“He left.”

Song Yunzhi knew asking further would yield nothing. It was quicker to investigate himself. His sister-in-law had prepared her accommodations; he still had work to do. “You must be tired from the journey. Rest for now.”

Qian Tong returned to the Qian residence first, immediately surrounded by her family.

Second Madam Qian had recovered, but after hearing from Third Madam, nearly fainted again. After confirming that the prince had agreed to marry her daughter—and not harm her—she muttered prayers, “May the gods protect us, thank the heavens for watching over the Qian family…”

The three elder masters of the Qian family came out as well. Qian Tong sat in the center, presiding like a judge.

Third Master Qian asked his wife again, “Did you hear clearly? Did the prince truly agree?”

With Third Madam and the concubines present, and finally seeing the bride’s confirmation, the questions stopped.

Qian Tong’s head ached from nodding so much.

Second Master Qian, unable to contain his excitement, pulled Qian Tong aside to the study. “How is this possible?” he said, his voice trembling. “I told you, that Daoist was truly powerful, and you didn’t believe me. Now… you’ve made our family proud.”

Behind closed doors, Second Master’s eyes glistened with tears.

A merchant’s life was hard, and only family knew the struggle.

Without a powerful protector, the family could be wiped out in an instant, just like his eldest son’s family. A Hu tribe attack could annihilate a household—no one would know where they perished.

Now the Qian family had a strong ally. Who could harm them unnoticed?

Qian Tong watched Second Master wipe away tears and sighed, realizing this was exactly as she and Song Yunzhi had planned.

She said calmly, “Your daughter isn’t so bad. What’s wrong with marrying a prince? There’s no need to get so excited. He won’t eat you. No matter how noble, he’ll still be your son-in-law…”

Second Master turned to glare at her. “Don’t talk nonsense. We haven’t offended him enough. Tomorrow, I’ll go personally to apologize…”

Just then, a servant reported, “Second Master, the prince is here.”