Madam Wu arranged for Miss Wu to stay in the rear room of her residence. She assigned her wet nurse to teach Miss Wu proper etiquette, allocated one of her maids to serve her, and purchased two young maids to learn from the senior maid so they could follow Miss Wu to the Yu family in the future.
Miss Wu was not entirely willing in her heart and appeared somewhat distracted while learning the etiquette.
Madam Wu noticed this and felt anxious. She frequently advised her: “The Yu family’s young master is not only a Jinshi graduate but also young and handsome. Although you’ll be entering as a concubine, Madam Yu is only fifty years old this year and in good health. If you bear a son, Madam Yu will surely help raise him until he reaches adulthood. What are you worried about?”
But ultimately, she would still need to be subservient to others.
Miss Wu grumbled inwardly, thinking that at this point, if she refused, her father and younger sister would likely struggle to rely on the clan… She might as well consider herself dead, exchanging her life for better days for her father and sister. With this mindset, she changed her attitude and only asked Madam Wu: “If anyone from home asks about me, please just say I died from illness.”
Madam Wu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then nodded gently.
Miss Wu sighed with relief and began earnestly learning etiquette from Madam Wu’s wet nurse.
Madam Wu then invited people to help make seasonal clothes for Miss Wu. She thought about the fine items stored in her treasury, but since Miss Wu was going to be someone’s concubine, she couldn’t dress like the legitimate wife.
When she sent word for the tailor’s shop to come take measurements, she asked them to bring along some fashionable new fabric styles from the capital.
The tailor shop was somewhat famous in the capital, located in the adjacent Chun Tree Hutong. Households from surrounding hutongs would seek their services for any clothing needs. Since they would be entering the inner quarters and serving important customers, the tailor’s wife personally came to take measurements.
While measuring Miss Wu, she complimented her beauty: “…One look and I can tell you’re Madam’s family member!”
“You’re mistaken there.” Everyone loves hearing nice words, especially since Miss Wu was indeed beautiful. Madam Wu smiled and said, “She’s my husband’s niece.”
“Oh my,” the tailor’s wife laughed, “No wonder I see that all the young masters and misses in your household are exceptionally good-looking, they take after Master Wu.” She then carefully examined Madam Wu, “This proves that you and the master are a match made in heaven, looking like a true couple.”
The flattery made Madam Wu laugh heartily.
Seeing the good atmosphere, the tailor’s wife took the opportunity to bring out a peach-red Hangzhou silk fabric embroidered with delicate yellow butterfly patterns: “What do you think of this one? It’s a new style from the Jiangnan Imperial Textile Factory this year. Next door, Madam Zhao had a small jacket made from this for their eldest daughter, and it looks stunning on her.”
Madam Wu found the peach-red vibrant and the soft yellow delicate, already somewhat inclined to choose it. Hearing that Zhao Ling’s daughter also had one made, she liked it even more.
A matron serving nearby smiled and asked, “Such a lovely color, I wonder how much it costs per bolt?”
The tailor’s wife smiled, “For others, it would certainly be expensive, but for your household, nothing is too costly—only twelve taels of silver per bolt.”
So expensive!
Madam Wu’s brow flickered with hesitation.
The serving matron, being quick-witted, immediately said, “It’s beautiful indeed, but our young lady will wear this when meeting people. Madam Yu is known for preferring simplicity and elegance. Madam, I suggest we set this aside for now, and if we can’t find anything more suitable, we can reconsider it.”
Madam Wu pretended to nod in agreement, having the tailor’s wife put it aside.
The tailor’s wife, with her keen eye, realized Madam Wu found it too expensive. Without showing any reaction, she brought out some second-tier fabrics. Madam Wu selected the plain ones to make several sets of clothes for Miss Wu and paid a deposit. The tailor’s wife packed up her things and smiled, “Would the young lady like a few pairs of Songjiang cloth socks? Next door, Madam Zhao had a few small garments made for their eldest son, and there’s some fabric left over. If the young lady wants to add a few pairs of socks, I can make them and deliver them together, as my tribute to you, Madam.”
She meant she would provide them for free.
Madam Wu, feeling somewhat embarrassed, smiled and said, “We do need to add a few pairs of socks, but there’s no need for you to provide them for free. Just calculate them at the market price along with the labor cost.”
The woman chuckled and expressed many words of gratitude. In the end, despite Madam Wu’s repeated refusals, she reluctantly accepted the socks.
After the tailor’s wife left, Miss Wu quietly asked her attendant, “What position does this neighboring Official Zhao hold?”
The attendant replied with a smile, “Zhao is a General. Both his parents have passed away, so his wife manages the household.” She then sighed, “Their eldest daughter is only three years old this year, and their eldest son is just six months old!”
Miss Wu couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
She thought to herself that her sister was already thirteen years old but had never worn a new piece of clothing. Yet the Zhao family’s young daughter and son, still too young to understand anything, were wearing clothes made from fabric costing twelve taels of silver per bolt. It truly was a different fate for different people…
Meanwhile, Madam Wu also smiled, “I didn’t expect Madam Zhao to be so generous!”
The serving matron smiled, “After all, they are the eldest son and daughter. Besides, I’ve heard that General Zhao is skilled in managing affairs and accumulated substantial wealth when he was in Shaanxi.”
Madam Wu thought for a moment and said, “For this year’s New Year gifts, add another ten taels of silver for the Zhao family… no, make it twenty taels of silver!”
The matron smiled and acknowledged the instruction.
At this time, Fu Tingyun was worrying about money: “…Eight thousand taels of silver, to be paid in full at once, not a penny less?”
Yu Wei nodded with a bitter smile: “The broker is waiting outside. He said if funds are tight right now, there’s another villa for sale a few houses down. It’s about ten mu smaller than this one and separated from Yuming Mountain by several other villas. Unlike the current one, which has a direct view of Yuming Mountain from the back.”
Fu Tingyun carefully recalled the scene when they went to view the villa: “That won’t do. With several villas in between, the cool breeze won’t reach us in summer, making the purchase pointless. If that’s the case, tell the broker the price is too high and we can’t afford so much at once. Ask him to look harder and find us another place, smaller is fine, but it must be close to Yuming Mountain.”
Yu Wei hesitated, “Madam, what about using the funds we sent back to Xi’an…”
Fu Tingyun shook her head: “That’s for A-Sen to buy farmland. With the start of winter approaching, it’s precisely when people are selling their land. That’s a major matter; if we can’t find a suitable villa this year, we can wait until next year.”
Yu Wei said no more and went to the outer courtyard to relay the message.
Fu Tingyun began calculating in her mind.
Zhao Ling had brought back five or six thousand taels of silver over the past year, which she had saved. Adding to her existing savings, it totaled roughly eight or nine thousand taels. She had sent two thousand taels to Xi’an to help A-Sen purchase farmland, leaving about six thousand taels… Jin Yuanbao’s wedding was set for the twelfth of March next year, which would also require a sum of money. She was also thinking about acquiring a farm or shop near the capital. It seemed that buying a suitable villa would have to wait another year.
Thinking of this, she put aside the matter of buying a villa and pondered whether a farm or a shop would yield better returns… Both farms and shops generate income, but farms depend on the weather—in good years, rent is collected smoothly; in bad years, seeds must be loaned to help tenants through difficult times. Shops provide more stable income but require larger investments, taking ten to twenty years to recover the capital… It would be best to run a small business using her shop… When Yu Wei returned after dismissing the broker, she instructed: “Tell the outer courtyard that if Uncle Jin comes, please invite him to the main hall. I have something to discuss with him.”
Yu Wei acknowledged but showed some hesitation in her expression.
Fu Tingyun asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Wei remained silent.
Fu Tingyun took her to the side room of the inner chamber to talk.
Yu Wei said softly, “The person who came to deliver silver to the Fifth Master this year is a cousin of Sister Yi Tong. He sent me a message saying he was entrusted by Yi Tong with something for me. He asked me to meet him at a restaurant called ‘Zeng Ji’ outside the West Straight Gate… What do you think…?”
“Yi Tong is very reliable. Her cousin doesn’t want to come here, either, to avoid trouble by pretending not to know I’m still alive—covering his ears while stealing a bell, feigning ignorance while understanding—or he doesn’t want people to discover he’s been to our home. If Fu family members questioned him, it would be difficult to explain. We don’t need to worry about these details. Since he’s arranged to meet you, you should go. I’ll tell Zhang San, he’ll know what to do,” said Fu Tingyun.
Upon hearing this, Yu Wei’s expression relaxed, and she smiled, “I also think I should meet him. ‘If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you catch the tiger cubs?'”
Fu Tingyun laughed heartily, “It’s just a restaurant! If we ever return to the Fu family in Huayin, that would truly be entering the dragon’s pool and tiger’s den!”
Yu Wei looked triumphant as she smiled, “I always follow Madam wherever you go, I’ll go too.”
The two chatted and joked for a while before Fu Tingyun sent Pearl to relay a message to Zhang San. The next day, Yu Wei rode in Zhang San’s carriage to the West Straight Gate.
They returned around noon.
Yu Wei’s face was very pale.
Fu Tingyun handed her son Xi’er to the wet nurse, abandoned her half-eaten meal, and went with Yu Wei to the side room.
Before she could speak, Yu Wei said, “The First Young Mistress is gone!”
Fu Tingyun’s head buzzed, her heart feeling empty. Her lips quivered, and for a long while, she didn’t know what to say.
Yu Wei continued in a somber voice: “Following your instructions, Sister Yi Tong would tell the First Young Mistress’s servants whatever information she sought. During the New Year, when the Old Master returned home for ancestral worship, the First Young Mistress begged him to help find Zuo Junjie, but she was scolded by both the Old Master and the Grand Mistress.”
“The First Young Mistress said nothing at the time, but during the Dragon Boat Festival ancestral worship, she created a scene in front of the entire clan. She said that since the heir had already taken a wife, she had fulfilled her duty to the Fu family ancestors, and she begged the elder ladies to allow her to practice cultivation at Biyun Temple.”
“Everyone was shocked at that moment.”
“The Sixth Branch’s ancestress asked the First Young Mistress what was wrong, but she wouldn’t say anything, only crying and begging the ancestress to take pity on her years of widowhood in the Fu family and let her go to Biyun Temple to practice cultivation. The Grand Mistress’s face turned ashen with anger. Seeing this, the elder ladies dared not say more, and the Dragon Boat Festival ancestral worship ended in discord.”
“Afterward, the Grand Mistress and First Madam took the First Young Mistress to the main hall, asking her to explain what she was trying to do. The First Young Mistress said she had received news that Zuo Junjie was with the Yu family’s eldest son, Yu Jingxiu, in the capital. She said your situation was all caused by that young master Yu looking down on the Fu family and wanting to break off the engagement, which led him to entice Zuo Junjie to create trouble. She said that you were still alive and asked the Old Master to have Zuo Junjie confront you in the ancestral hall to clear both Zuo Junjie’s and your names.”
“The Grand Mistress was so angry she fainted.”
“The First Madam had people carry the First Young Mistress back to her quarters, sold all her servants, and replaced them with new ones.”
“Sister Yi Tong also didn’t dare to pass any more messages to the First Young Mistress.”
“Unexpectedly, on the twenty-sixth of September, when the Tenth Young Master of the Fifth Branch and his new bride went to pay respects at the family temple, they opened the doors of the ancestral hall only to find the First Young Mistress had hanged herself from the beam.”
“Now people in Huayin are spreading rumors that the Fu family is deceiving the world, mistreating a widowed daughter-in-law, driving her to suicide…”