Such quick wit, such defiance—where was the demeanor of a lady from a good family?
Master Fu trembled with anger.
“Fine, fine, fine! This is the good daughter raised by the Xie family.” He pointed at the door and roared, “Get out! Get out of my sight!”
Her father’s attitude sent a chill through Fu Tingyun’s fingertips.
“Don’t worry, after I see Mother, I’ll naturally leave,” she said as she lifted the curtain to the left room.
Fu’s sister-in-law had just come out of this room earlier.
It was an inner chamber with a black lacquered bed frame and crimson floral floral-patterned Hangzhou silk cushions. A rattle and a wooden carved bird lay on the kang bed—it was Fu’s sister-in-law’s private chamber.
Shouldn’t the elders be residing next to the main hall?
Fu Tingyun was momentarily confused.
Fu’s sister-in-law had already realized her intention and hurriedly stood up in panic.
Master Fu also understood and shouted, “What are you doing?” He stepped forward to stop Fu Tingyun.
Fu Tingyun ignored him and turned to run out of the hall, shouting as she ran, “Mother, I’m Quanhui! I’ve come to see you!”
Master Fu pursued her with a frosty expression. Seeing his servant standing dumbfounded in the courtyard, he exploded in anger: “Fool, what are you standing there for? Hurry and drag her out!”
The servant snapped to attention and rushed forward to grab Fu Tingyun, but was intercepted by Yu Wei, who wrapped her arms around his waist: “Master Fu, please let the young miss see the madam! Every time the young miss thinks of madam, her eyes fill with tears…”
A mere little maid, daring to defy him!
Master Fu was beside himself with rage. Taking two strides where others would take three, he grabbed Fu Tingyun just as she was about to lift the curtain hanging over the adjacent room: “Get out! Get out!” he roared, forcefully dragging her away.
Fu Tingyun felt a chill in her heart.
With all this commotion, why had her mother still not appeared?
Could it be that her mother also didn’t want to see her?
That couldn’t be, that couldn’t be… If her mother didn’t want to see her, why would Xiu Zhu’s family have been inquiring about her whereabouts when Jin Yuanbao delivered her silver bracelet?
This thought gave her renewed courage.
“After I see Mother, I’ll naturally leave,” Fu Tingyun struggled, “There’s no need for you to say more.”
“This is my residence, my home,” Master Fu forcefully dragged Fu Tingyun toward the exit, “You have no right to speak here.”
For a moment, the courtyard was filled with shouting, crying, cursing, and yelling—complete chaos.
Born into an official family, Fu’s sister-in-law had never witnessed such a scene and was too shocked to speak. It was her wet nurse Dong, who, fearing something might happen to her, came forward to support her, bringing her back to her senses.
Fu Tingyun was no match for Master Fu’s strength, nor was Yu Wei a match for the brawny servant. The mistress and maid were pushed out of the Fu family gate one after another.
Fu Tingyun tried to force her way back in: “I’ll leave naturally after seeing Mother!”
Upon hearing this, Master Fu blocked the gate with an ashen face. Looking up, he saw an official sedan chair stopped in front of the neighboring residence of Zhou, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Revenue. Zhou’s sedan bearers and attendants were all craning their necks to look in this direction.
It was just when officials were returning from court… How could he have forgotten this?
Master Fu grew even more annoyed and said in a low voice: “If you don’t mind losing face, go ahead and make a scene.”
Fu Tingyun had also noticed and sneered: “If you don’t mind living here in shame, why should I be afraid?”
“You…” Master Fu glared at Fu Tingyun with a look that suggested he would devour her if he could.
Fu’s sister-in-law, fearing this confrontation would end badly, hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Fu Tingyun: “Don’t do this! You’re father and daughter after all. This kind of bitter quarrel will only make Mother sad!”
Fu Tingyun pursed her lips.
Master Fu gave a cold “hmph,” his imposing manner suddenly weakening somewhat.
Fu’s sister-in-law couldn’t help but sigh in relief and advised Fu Tingyun in a low voice: “Go back first. Whatever matters there are, we can discuss them later!”
Master Fu, seeing his daughter-in-law’s submissive manner, flared up again and said loudly: “Later? What later? If she has any ability, let her never darken my door again!”
Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but want to retort, but Fu’s sister-in-law pinched her hard: “I’ll tell Mother-in-law…”
Her voice was low and urgent, her eyes carrying an unmistakable plea.
Fu Tingyun fell silent. After a moment, she squeezed Fu’s sister-in-law’s hand, reminding her not to forget her promise, then called to Yu Wei: “Let’s go!”
Yu Wei quickly responded and came forward to assist Fu Tingyun.
Fu Tingyun shook her off, straightened her back, and walked toward the alley entrance without looking back.
Yu Wei hesitated, glancing at the Fu family gate, then at the retreating figure of Fu Tingyun, before hurrying after her.
Master Fu watched his daughter walk farther and farther away, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
The whispered discussions of the Zhou family servants carried over.
He resolutely turned around and ordered Fu’s sister-in-law: “Close the gate!”
Fu’s sister-in-law hurriedly complied, going to close the gate herself.
From behind came her father-in-law’s gloomy voice: “Don’t stir up trouble with your mother-in-law, or don’t blame me for making Jiezhi divorce you.”
Jiezhi was her husband Fu Tingkui’s courtesy name.
Fu’s sister-in-law couldn’t help but shudder. She quickly turned around, only to see her father-in-law already striding into the hall.
…
Zheng San saw Fu Tingyun’s swollen, red cheek and couldn’t help exclaiming: “What happened to you?”
“Nothing.” Only now did Fu Tingyun show signs of fatigue. “I’m tired. Let’s hurry back to the inn!”
Although they had been together for nearly two years, both Fu Tingyun and Zhao Ling maintained an air of mystery. Zheng San, accustomed to the jianghu, sensed something, but since Fu Tingyun and Zhao Ling had been genuinely good to his family, he had never inquired about their background. He had friends in both Xi’an Prefecture and the capital, but out of respect for Fu Tingyun and Zhao Ling, he had never sought to investigate their origins and had even deliberately distanced himself from those former acquaintances.
He didn’t ask further. After Yu Wei helped Fu Tingyun into the carriage, he jumped onto the driver’s seat and silently drove the carriage out of Sixi Alley.
Inside the carriage, Yu Wei gently dabbed Fu Tingyun’s face with a handkerchief: “Miss, how are you feeling?” Then added, “The master didn’t mean it…”
Fu Tingyun winced in pain and turned her face away with a hiss: “Don’t make excuses for him.”
“Miss…” Yu Wei quickly withdrew her hand. “No matter what, you are father and daughter. You can’t defy the master…”
Fu Tingyun remained silent, but her brow reflected her stern disposition.
Yu Wei couldn’t help but sigh softly.
Back at the inn, Master Lü had just returned from outside. Seeing Fu Tingyun’s face, he was stunned: “What happened?” Then his face showed anger, “Miss Fu, there’s no need to let this matter drop. I just went with two stewards from Duke Fuguo’s residence to the Shuntian Prefecture to process the property transfer documents, and then dined with several officials from the prefecture. We just finished…”
What did the Shuntian Prefecture count for in the capital?
Fu Tingyun smiled, but caught sight of the concerned Zheng San from the corner of her eye, which warmed her heart.
“It’s just some family matters, not something to trouble the Shuntian Prefecture officials with.” She looked gratefully at Master Lü. “Don’t worry, I’ll resolve this matter myself.” Then she smiled and added, “If I truly can’t resolve it, there will still be time to ask for help from the Shuntian Prefecture.”
Hearing this, Master Lü could not press further. He instructed Zheng San to quickly find a doctor, then returned to the guest room with Fu Tingyun and handed over the completed documents one by one: “The residence is quite large. Although it’s just for a temporary stay, it will quickly deteriorate if not maintained. I took the liberty of asking the neighboring stewards to recommend two rough-work women to come every few days to clean. This will save on wages and also help Zheng San’s wife with her work.”
“You’re always so thoughtful.”
As they talked, considering that they had already purchased a residence, staying an extra day at the inn would mean an extra day’s expense. They borrowed an almanac from the innkeeper and set the moving date for the fourteenth day of the second month. Master Lü hurried to invite Daoist priests to check the feng shui and Buddhist monks to bless the house. Zheng San found craftsmen to whitewash the walls and trim the plants. Zheng San’s wife was busy cleaning the house and washing the kitchenware. Asen ran back and forth, either helping Master Lü deliver messages to Fu Tingyun, or helping Zheng San request money from Fu Tingyun, or helping Zheng San’s wife watch Linchun. Everyone was busy nonstop. Finally, they managed to prepare everything before the fourteenth day of the second month. After setting off two strings of firecrackers, they officially moved in.
Immediately, people sent female servants to offer congratulations: “We are from Master Wu’s household across the way, sent by our mistress to congratulate…” She looked at Fu Tingyun dressed as a young lady, yet clearly the master of the house, and for a moment didn’t know how to address her.
Fu Tingyun smiled and said: “My surname is Fu.”
The servant woman was quick-witted and immediately addressed her as “Miss Fu,” saying: “Our master was a jinshi scholar in the seventeenth year of Xiping and currently serves as Vice Minister in the Ministry of Rites. He is from Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province. May I ask where Miss Fu is from? How did you come to reside in the capital?” She was tactfully inquiring about her background.
“We are from Xi’an Prefecture,” Fu Tingyun said vaguely. “We came to the capital to visit relatives. Staying at an inn was too expensive, so we purchased a residence.” Then she instructed Zheng San’s wife to prepare four types of gifts for the servant to take back. “Please thank your mistress for me. After we’re settled, I’ll invite your mistress over for a simple meal.” She rewarded the woman with four silver coins.
The servant returned to report to her mistress: “If she were in business, that Miss Fu is too graceful and shows no trace of money-mindedness, so that doesn’t seem right. If she were from an official family, firstly, I haven’t heard of such a family, and secondly, she was very vague, which also doesn’t seem right. Having purchased a residence in Shijia Alley, she also doesn’t seem to be someone’s concubine…”
Madam Shi Wenbin was celebrating her fiftieth birthday, and Madam Wu was fretting over what gift to send. Hearing this, she said dismissively: “As long as we’ve shown proper courtesy, that’s fine. In the future, pay attention, and if you find out whose relative she is, report to me then.”
The servant woman smiled in acknowledgment and withdrew.
Meanwhile, Fu Tingyun continued to receive congratulations from neighbors on both sides. Master Lü suggested choosing an auspicious day to invite the neighboring ladies over for a simple meal, but Fu Tingyun objected: “As a single woman, it’s not appropriate for me to host guests. Even when the Ninth Master arrives, with neighbors who are Vice Ministers or Deputy Directors, they may not wish to socialize with us. Let’s forget about it—we’ll be returning to Zhangye after summer anyway.”
Master Lü did not insist.
But in her heart, Fu Tingyun was preoccupied with Sixi Alley, wondering: “She said she would send word to Mother, why hasn’t there been any news yet…”