Chapter 299: Chapter 299

These words made Wen Wan, who had followed them, laugh softly, "You’re younger than him by several years yourself, so why do you call him a kid?"

Song Yuanbao wore an expression of naturalness, "Can’t you see, Mother? Su Yaoqi looks inexperienced at first glance."

Just by the momentum in the front hall earlier, his father didn’t need to say a word; that calm aura completely pounded Su Yaoqi.

Song Yuanbao even wickedly thought, if he were a woman, he definitely wouldn’t choose a young man who had no opinions in difficult situations and showed all his thoughts on his face.

While youth has its advantages, ultimately it’s not the best choice for enduring everyday life peacefully.

Wen Wan said, "He was born into a high-status family and has been overly protected since childhood, so it’s normal for him to be unaware of worldly affairs."

"But that doesn’t give him a reason to pester Mother," Song Yuanbao said, curling his lip.

Wen Wan didn’t bother explaining to the twelve-year-old Yuanbao that sometimes feelings come inexplicably.

Moreover, judging by Su Yaoqi’s looks, it was probably his first time being moved by a girl, which made him undoubtedly more innocent compared to Wen Wan’s purposeful marriage to Song Wei back then.

However, this innocence often leads people to lose their reason.

Wen Wan didn’t feel that a young man who could grow up peacefully in a prestigious family until seventeen could be truly ignorant, especially one who was a supervisor at the Imperial College and would usually have interactions with people.

His "naïveté" in this matter stemmed from the emotion in his heart, eyes filled with novelty and intrigue, prompting him to follow his feelings rather than approach for gain, causing him to overlook too much.

But in the eyes of an onlooker, his actions seemed foolish and naive.

Glancing in the direction of the departing carriage, Wen Wan sighed, "I hope he can resolve his knots early." Google seaʀᴄh nοvelfire.net

Although the couple hadn’t said anything excessive to Su Yaoqi before, laying such bloody truths in front of him undeniably dealt the youth a heavy blow hard to bear.

He was the same age as Lu Yanqing; if he couldn’t adjust properly, he might easily twist this setback into a darker psychology, making it hard to return later.

Turning back inside, Wen Wan didn’t forget to educate Song Yuanbao, "The same goes for you. You shouldn’t easily make promises to a girl when you can’t take responsibility yet. Also, there’s the issue of social status."

Song Yuanbao looked at her in surprise, "Do you also think social status should match?"

Wen Wan smiled at him, "Do you think I’ve become snobbish?"

Song Yuanbao didn’t speak, evidently showing agreement tacitly.

Wen Wan said, "If the difference in social rank is too great, bringing a girl into the family will eventually harm her."

Song Yuanbao didn’t quite understand.

Wen Wan exemplified with her own experience, "Think about it, if I hadn’t married your father but married into the Prime Minister’s Mansion, how long do you think I, with my humble background and shallow knowledge, could survive in such a place?"

"But our family can’t compare to the Prime Minister’s Mansion," Song Yuanbao felt Wen Wan’s example was somewhat inappropriate.

Wen Wan didn’t get angry; instead, she became more patient, "Even if it can’t compare with the Prime Minister’s Mansion, at least it should be compared with families of a similar official rank, right? You’re now a supervisor at the Imperial College; in the future, if you really succeed in your exams, could you marry a rural girl who doesn’t know a single big character? Not asking for much, but at least she should be smart and literate, right? Where do you find such a girl in the countryside, and wouldn’t you still have to look in the city? Gathering all these conditions together, isn’t it just choosing by social status?"

Seeing Song Yuanbao still remain silent, Wen Wan continued, "If you still don’t understand, think about why I don’t stay home to take care of children but run to Hongwen Academy every day—because I have no background, I can only rely on effort now. A few years back, I couldn’t even recognize a word nor speak, and your father is destined to climb upwards; if he becomes the official everyone curries favor with, and his wife can’t read a single word, what would others think of him?"

Song Yuanbao feebly said, "Father isn’t that kind of person; he wouldn’t disdain you."

"That’s right, he wouldn’t despise me, but I’m not a wooden stake; I have my own thoughts. I don’t want to hold him back nor become a joke in the circle because of myself."

Pausing, she asked him, "Do you understand what I’ve explained?"

Song Yuanbao nodded somewhat knowingly, "I guess I understand."

"Guess you understand?" Wen Wan chuckled.

"That’s how I interpret it, listen to see if it’s correct."

Song Yuanbao thought for a while and said, "If I marry a girl with too much difference in social status, either she can’t help me in certain things and would only hold me back, or she’d lag behind me and be ridiculed by outsiders, causing her some harm. Is that what you mean?"

Wen Wan, fearing he might derive some other erroneous ideas, quickly corrected, "I only think you should marry a girl of suitable social status in the future, but you mustn’t look down on girls from less privileged backgrounds. These are two separate issues, and the basic respect for people and things must be maintained."

Song Yuanbao nodded repeatedly, saying he now fully understood.

Su Yaoqi returned to the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and his father asked where he had been.

Su Yaoqi said he took a break today and went out to play with classmates.

Su Xiang snorted coldly, "You think you can lie in front of me? Everyone under me has told me that you went to the Song family."

"Then why do you still ask knowingly?" Su Yaoqi was in a lousy mood, which was rare for him to talk back to his father.

Su Xiang kept a stern face, "Now you’ve seen that she’s already married, have you finally given up?"

Su Yaoqi was startled, "How do you know?"

"I’m your father. That little mess you’re up to, how could I not know?"

After a while, he muttered, "Even if you know, so what? If you dare to harm a hair on her head, I’ll stop going to the Imperial College, stay home and starve myself to death."

"You brat, don’t think I can’t handle you!"

Su Yaoqi leaned back on the chair, presenting a look of "do what you want."

Su Xiang was so angry that his mustache twitched.

If it weren’t for Grandma Su stepping in to stop him, Su Xiang almost kicked him.

Unfilial son! Blind fool!

Of all people, you like a woman who’s already been married?

Finally catching his breath, Su Xiang clutched his chest with one hand and pointed at Grandma Su with the other, "Go, find two pure maidservants, and from today they will start serving the Fourth Son. He’s not allowed to gallivant around anymore. If he grows crooked, I’ll twist your neck crooked!"

Grandma Su rolled her eyes but quickly went to make arrangements.

Su Yaoqi, who had never had a concubine, frowned immediately upon hearing this, "What is father doing? Maidservants? I don’t want any!"

"Fine if you don’t, but you’d better stay home obediently. If you dare run to the Song family again, I’ll break your legs."

Su Yaoqi secretly rolled his eyes.

Unless she personally invites him, he wouldn’t go, even if someone paid him.

"I’m upset, I want to be alone." Su Yaoqi started to shoo people away.

"Getting this hurt over a woman, you’re really pathetic." Su Xiang was furious.

"What else can I do?" Su Yaoqi retorted loudly, "Isn’t it all inherited from you, dad?"

When Grandma Su brought the maidservants, Su Xiang had already been driven back by his son’s antics to slam tables and curse.

Su Yaoqi glanced at the two timid maidservants standing in front of him.

Have to admit, his mother’s taste was truly impeccable.

These two girls were both exceptionally beautiful.

It’s just a shame that none of them caught his eye.

Seeing her son frown, Grandma Su hurriedly said, "Fourth Son, if you think there’s anything wrong, just say it, and I’ll find ones that fit your standards instead."

"They’re all fine." Su Yaoqi turned his gaze away, his voice listless and lacking energy, "But I just don’t want any."

"This is your father’s requirement." Grandma Su reminded him.

"But I still don’t want them." Su Yaoqi still refused.

Grandma Su waved for the maidservants to leave first and sat down beside Su Yaoqi, speaking gently, "You’re not young anymore, you should understand some things. Your father doesn’t let you go out looking for girls just anywhere, it’s for your own good. Our Fourth Son’s proper wife must be the daughter of a reputable family in the Capital.

Over the years, think about how much effort your father has invested in you. You should feel at least some of it. Look at the entire mansion, who else besides you dares to talk back to him? It’s not that he can’t do anything about you, he just can’t bear to severely punish you. Otherwise, if it were any of your three older brothers above you, if anyone dared to defy him, they’d have been beaten black and blue long ago. How could they be as lively as you are now?"

Su Yaoqi mumbled gloomily, "If dad doesn’t want me getting involved in family feuds, why arrange for a concubine? I don’t like it, I don’t want it!"

"As long as you peacefully focus on your studies in the future, then no maidservants it is. I’ll go discuss this with your father."

"And please tell him not to harm the Song family, or I... I’ll become a monk and never come back!"

"You child." Grandma Su spat twice, "Don’t speak nonsense. You’re destined for an official career, how can you become a monk?"