Nie Shi felt this way because their courtyard was likely to be unsettled as well.
Since Song Jiayang's health had improved, the First Madam began to think about having grandchildren.
Therefore, these past few days, the First Madam had been busy arranging for Song Jiayang to take concubines.
Song Jiayang and Nie Shi were actually very much in love and did not wish to take concubines, but they could not defy his mother and could only agree to compromise.
Now, the First Madam had already selected two good concubines for Song Jiayang outside, and they were to be brought into the household soon. No matter how unhappy Nie Shi was, she could only smile and agree, saying that it was naturally for the sake of the Song family's descendants. She was worried about internal strife within the household and also worried that her own womb had not yet conceived. Song Chaoyu understood this.
Song Chaoyu held Nie Shi's hand and said, "Sister-in-law, please don't worry. My brother is not the kind of person who forgets his wife after taking concubines. If it weren't for Mother constantly urging him, brother wouldn't want to take concubines. Sister-in-law can set rules for brother, stipulating that the concubines downstairs are not allowed to conceive until your womb has conceived. Isn't this common in wealthy families?"
Nie Shi smiled upon hearing this, then tapped Song Chaoyu's head and said, "You girl, you're not even married yet, and you know so much. Whoever marries you in the future will surely be terrified? Mother is taking concubines to continue the Song family's lineage. If I don't let them get pregnant, won't Mother eat me alive?"
She looked at Song Yanjiao slowly entering the bridal chamber and sighed, "Forget it. Such matters are all fate. What is destined will come, and what is not destined cannot be forced. If heaven pities me, it will naturally give me a child, and I won't have to worry about anything."
It was best that she could see things so clearly.
Song Chaoyu also watched as Song Yanjiao entered the bridal chamber and sat properly inside.
Maids from the Ning King's mansion were guarding outside the bridal chamber. Before Song Chaoyu entered, she heard a maid walking out muttering, "Why do I keep smelling an indescribable foul odor somewhere? It's faint, all the way here!"
Another maid beside her chimed in, "You smell it too? I thought my nose was malfunctioning! Perhaps someone didn't wash yesterday and has such a stench on them?"
A foul odor?
The first person Song Chaoyu thought of was Song Yanjiao!
She glanced at the two maids. Both maids lowered their heads, not daring to say anything in front of Song Chaoyu.
Nie Shi also heard this and exchanged a look with Song Chaoyu, signaling them to go into the bridal chamber to check.
Upon entering the bridal chamber, Song Chaoyu did not smell any strange odor, but she still pulled Song Yanjiao's personal maid aside and asked, "When you washed Second Sister just now, did you wash her thoroughly?"
The maid nodded, "It should have been washed clean, but all the way here, I also smelled it. I don't know where the smell is coming from! Could it be from our young lady?"
Song Chaoyu frowned and looked at Song Yanjiao, "Have all her belongings been changed?"
The maid nodded, but then suddenly remembered something and looked at Song Chaoyu in horror, "Her shoes... her shoes weren't changed!"
Song Chaoyu looked at Song Yanjiao's shoes. From the embroidered shoes adorned with phoenix heads and shining pearls, she couldn't discern anything unusual. "Why weren't the shoes changed?"
The maid quickly explained, "These wedding shoes were a gift from the Empress. Young lady said that since the 'thing' wasn't splashed on them, there was no need to change them. Otherwise, she would lose face if she wore them out!"
Song Chaoyu sighed, "Hurry and get Second Sister's shoes. We'll know if the smell is from them!"
"Ah?"
The maid was somewhat reluctant, "Go get the wedding shoes now? What will the young lady wear?"
Song Chaoyu shot the maid a look. "Later tonight, the Ning King will bring people to disturb the bridal chamber. Do you want everyone to smell a foul odor in the bridal chamber? Find a way to change her shoes for her! Even the maids of the Ning King's mansion said they smelled a stench, otherwise, why would I be asking you?"
"Yes."
The maid's thoughts immediately turned to resentment towards the two maids from the Ning King's mansion outside, and then she went to Song Yanjiao.
Let alone others, Song Yanjiao herself had smelled a faint odor along the way.
However, as the bride, she could neither move freely nor run around, so she could only endure it.
Now, she was eager to take off those shoes. When the maid brought the shoes to Song Chaoyu and Nie Pingshu, a slightly strong foul odor wafted over.
Nie Shi couldn't help but cover her nose and said, "It's this smell! Oh my, you checked too carelessly! Look at the pearls and their settings, is there still some unclean dirt on them? It's likely seeped into the embroidery, and these shoes cannot be worn anymore!"
Although Song Yanjiao was reluctant, she also realized that after the shoes were taken away, the foul odor was no longer as noticeable.
So she had to change into another pair of embroidered shoes and asked the maids to open the windows of the bridal chamber for a while in the cold winter weather. Only then did the foul odor gradually disappear.
However...
Song Chaoyu would not tell Song Yanjiao that when she took off her embroidered shoes earlier, she saw that Song Yanjiao's red wedding socks were actually stained with some dirt. Now that the shoes were changed, the dirt was trapped inside, so the smell was naturally not detectable from the outside.
She just didn't know if the Ning King would be able to smell it when she truly consummated the marriage with him tonight.
In any case, it had nothing to do with Song Chaoyu. Before the bridal chamber ceremony, she left the Ning King's mansion with Song Jiayang and Nie Shi.
---
After a whole day of festivities, by the time they returned to the Song family, the banquet at the Song family had already concluded.
Nie Shi told the First Madam about the shoes incident, and the First Madam severely punished the maids from the courtyards who had helped Song Yanjiao change and wash that day.
Since none of this concerned Song Chaoyu, she went to deliver food to Song Yanrou before returning to the Painting Books Courtyard.
The next day was Song Yanjiao's return visit to her maiden home.
The Old Madam, along with Song Chaoyu, sat in the main hall early in the morning, waiting for Song Yanjiao. The entire Song family was in high spirits.
However, before the return visit even began, and before the Song family's breakfast was ready, Song Yanjiao, dressed entirely in red, stormed into the main hall in a furious rage.
She rarely lost her composure like this, appearing to be in a fit of anger. "Where is the Third Girl?! Bring her out to me, I will kill her!"
"What is this?!"
Seeing Song Yanjiao like this, the Old Madam also slapped the table and said, "What are you doing throwing a tantrum at your maiden home so early on the second day of your marriage? Where is the Ning King? Why didn't he come with you? Why did you come so early? Have you forgotten the rules for the return visit?"