Chapter 47: The Brothers Finally Grew Up

Song Shiwei understood Song Mingting's thoughts and feelings all too well.

She patted her second brother's shoulder and whispered softly to comfort him, "Second Brother, there's no need for you to be so angry."

"Think about it this way: if we got rid of Third-master Wang and these bailiffs, there would just be other bailiffs sent to escort us."

"It is far better to keep Third-master Wang and his men under our control. That way, we will not only have far fewer troubles on the road, but we also won't have to worry about bailiffs plotting against us or tormenting us."

Earlier, she had indeed considered dealing with Third-master Wang and his men.

However, once they were dealt with, the emperor and the others would undoubtedly send new bailiffs.

And those new bailiffs might not be so easy to handle.

Song Mingting clenched his fists, once again hating his own powerlessness.

He blamed himself for spending the past dozen or so years indulging in pleasure, never once taking his father's and concubine mother's words to heart.

If only he had studied properly, made more useful friends, and used his brain more, his eldest sister wouldn't have to work so hard and bear such a heavy burden.

"Eldest Sister, I've made things hard for you."

His tone was full of self-reproach and guilt. "Clearly I am the older brother, and it should be me protecting you all."

"Yet, it falls to you to labor to protect us."

Song Shiwei gave a faint smile, her voice gentle. "Second Brother, we are family."

"When you talk like this, you are treating me like an outsider."

Song Mingting gently stroked her head, his eyes filled with heartache. "Eldest Sister, it's not about treating you like an outsider."

"You should have been living a happy and blissful life under the protection of your father and brothers."

"It's just that your second brother is useless."

He had to work harder and make himself useful so that his eldest sister wouldn't have to endure such hardship.

Song Shiwei could see that his mind was racing, but she chose not to expose it.

Usually, her second brother was a prodigal who loved to play and spent his days eating, drinking, and making merry. He never applied his mind to serious matters, and for this, their father and mother had often scolded him.

Yet, whatever their father said went in one ear and out the other, and he would promptly cast his parents' admonitions and teachings to the wind.

Now that her second brother had learned to reflect on himself, it was a good thing.

"Second Brother, you are not useless," she gently persuaded.

"As long as you apply your mind to proper matters, you will surely accomplish something great in no time."

In truth, Second Brother was very clever and learned everything quickly; he simply hadn't been willing to apply himself before.

After all, prior to this, he had their eldest brother above him to hold things up and their younger brother below him, leaving no need for him, the middle child, to worry.

Song Mingting had already made up his mind. From this moment on, he would protect his eldest sister and his family well. He could no longer rely on her for everything, and he certainly wouldn't let her work so hard anymore.

"Eldest Sister, no matter what happens from now on, you must talk to the family. Don't carry everything on your shoulders alone, understand?"

Song Shiwei smiled and agreed, knowing that her second brother had truly changed.

This was a good thing.

When Song Mingting returned to the room, he knelt before his father.

This made Elder Song's eyebrows twitch, instinctively filling him with a sense of impending doom.

Whenever Mingting got into trouble or made a mistake, he would always be exceptionally docile in admitting his fault first, hoping to minimize his punishment.

"...What kind of trouble have you gotten into this time?"

He felt rather helpless. "Didn't you just go with Shiwei to handle matters?"

He truly had no idea how to discipline Mingting anymore.

The boy was certainly smart, but his cleverness was never applied to the right path, even though he didn't commit genuinely wicked deeds.

Song Mingting kowtowed a few times, his face full of guilt. "Father, I was wrong all these past years."

"From now on, I will protect this family and put my mind to proper matters."

Elder Song was both startled and bewildered, staring blankly at Song Mingxuan and Song Mingyu.

"Is the second one... losing his mind?"

To be honest, all these years he had longed for the second boy to focus on serious matters.

Yet when this moment actually arrived, it felt quite terrifying.

For no reason at all, how could the second boy suddenly turn over a new leaf?

Song Mingxuan and Song Mingyu exchanged glances, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.

"Second Brother, are you running a fever?" Song Mingyu squatted down in front of Song Mingting and felt his forehead.

"You're not burning up."

He looked puzzled. "Then why would Second Brother say such things? It's completely unlike his usual style."

Song Mingting's lips twitched, and his self-reproach deepened. He had truly been such a scoundrel in the past that his own family naturally thought this way of him.

"Father, it's just that when I was handling things with Eldest Sister earlier, I saw how hard she works and finally realized that I was in the wrong."

Hearing this, Elder Song let out a long sigh. "Shiwei does indeed work very hard."

He swept a look of deep frustration at his three sons. "All three of you have flaws in various ways, and usually you fail to see the bigger picture."

"Even after this exile, none of you stepped up immediately."

"Everything is handled by Shiwei. You act as though you are blind to how exhausted and weary she is."

At these words, Song Mingxuan, Song Mingyu, and Song Mingting all lowered their heads in shame.

Thinking about it now, it was indeed true. Ever since the exile began, they hadn't managed a single thing; their eldest sister had taken care of everything.

Elder Song continued, "Now that you know how exhausting and tiring it is for Shiwei, you must help her more, do you understand?"

The three brothers readily agreed.

As her older brothers, it was their duty to take care of Eldest Sister, rather than having her take care of them.

"Father, we will shoulder the responsibilities of being older brothers and won't let Eldest Sister suffer like this anymore," Song Mingxuan promised.

Elder Song sighed, "It is good that you have such thoughts."

"I never expected you to master everything overnight, but I do hope you will share more of Shiwei's burdens."

He couldn't help but lament once more: if only Shiwei were a man, how wonderful that would be.

In this world, women were always subjected to excessive harshness and difficulties.

The three brothers gave their word. From this day forward, they would protect their eldest sister and their family.

Song Shiwei knew nothing of this.

Upon returning to her room, she was pulled aside by Concubine Chun.

"Eldest Miss," Concubine Chun said in a very low voice, "Madam has not been sleeping. She has been muttering on and on, saying she wants to have you married off as soon as possible."

"She even said that once you are married, Master will understand her good intentions."

Concubine Chun simply could not fathom what was going on in Madam's mind. They were currently on the road of exile, struggling with all their might just to stay alive, yet Madam had the leisure to plot such things.

Besides, what kind of good men could possibly be found on the road of exile?

Song Shiwei felt a throbbing headache, accompanied by a heavy wave of bitterness and sorrow.

She had always believed that her mother didn't mind her being a girl, having treated her exceptionally well since childhood.

Only now did she realize that her mother did mind; she merely intended to use her to secure benefits for her father and the family.

"Thank you, Concubine Chun. I will handle this matter."

Concubine Chun looked at her with deep sympathy. "Eldest Miss, please forgive this concubine for speaking out of turn."

"This matter will not be easy to resolve. Madam's ingrained belief is that a woman must marry."

After a pause, she added, "Moreover, if Song Shilan were to catch wind of this matter, she would definitely seize the opportunity to scheme against you."