“Seventh Sister?” Fifth Cousin Sister was astonished. “She’s received the news as well?”

Fu Tingyun smiled upon hearing this.

Fifth Cousin Sister had married into Huazhou, not far from Huayin, while Seventh Cousin Sister had married into Wuhe Village in Huayin. Only Third Cousin Sister had married the farthest away—the Shen family was located in Hancheng County, Tongzhou, north of Huayin, a place the Fu family would never pass through even by mistake.

Since Fifth Cousin Sister in Huazhou had received the news, how could Seventh Cousin Sister in Huayin not have heard about it?

She rose to welcome Seventh Cousin Sister.

Fifth Cousin Sister also stood up: “I’ll go with you.”

The sisters walked side by side to the festooned gate.

Coming toward them was a fair-skinned young matron with a plump, rounded figure.

Upon seeing Fu Tingyun, she swept in like the wind, took Fu Tingyun’s hand, and stood in the center of the courtyard, carefully examining Fu Tingyun up and down in the bright afternoon sunlight.

Eyebrows like distant mountains, lively eyes, skin like beautiful jade… who else could it be but their Ninth Sister?

“You’re still alive?” Before she could finish her sentence, tears were already streaming down her face. “If that’s the case, why didn’t you send someone to inform me? If Mother hadn’t sent her maid to deliver winter clothes to our Sansan, wouldn’t we sisters have missed each other? I’ve been worrying about you all this time, not knowing you were well-fed and well-dressed with no troubles at all!” By the end of her speech, she sounded somewhat angry. “Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?” Looking up, she saw Fifth Cousin Sister, who had followed them, and reproached her, “Fifth Sister, how could you come to see Ninth Sister without inviting me along? Were you afraid I’d spread the news everywhere?”

“You’re already a mother of three children, yet your temper is still as impatient as before,” Fifth Cousin Sister said with resignation. “I had only heard rumors from servants, how could I rashly bring you along? What if we had misidentified the person? How would we have explained ourselves?”

Fu Tingyun stared at the richly dressed, plump woman before her, dumbfounded. After a moment, she came to her senses: “Seventh Sister, you, how did you become like this?”

In her memory, Seventh Cousin Sister had been as slender and graceful as a willow swaying in the wind.

Seventh Cousin Sister was somewhat irritated by the question: “Don’t mention it. My mother-in-law insisted I eat more. I gained a circle with each child. By the time I gave birth to our Sansan, I had become like this…” As she spoke, her gaze toward Fu Tingyun revealed a hint of envy. “How did you manage it? You’re even more beautiful than when you were unmarried?” As soon as she finished speaking, she showed a look of frustration and grabbed Fu Tingyun’s hand: “Don’t be like before, evading questions you don’t want to answer by changing the subject. I won’t fall for that anymore. Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?”

You’re the one jumping from one topic to another, yet you blame me for evading questions.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Yet a warm current surged in her heart.

She thought back to the days in the Fu family that had seemed bitter at the time but now appeared carefree and worry-free…

Her expression softened.

“What does Seventh Sister want to know?” Fu Tingyun asked while leading Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister into the inner chamber.

“Why didn’t you come find me?” Seventh Cousin Sister hit the mark with her question.

Fu Tingyun recounted the course of events once more.

Fifth Cousin Sister appeared steady but was somewhat impatient when facing matters, while Seventh Cousin Sister seemed impatient but was very steady when confronting issues.

As she listened, her expression grew increasingly solemn. After Fu Tingyun finished, she didn’t probe into the details but instead pondered for a while before asking softly: “Does Third Sister know about this matter?”

“She probably doesn’t know yet, does she?” Before Fu Tingyun could answer, Fifth Cousin Sister had already replied, “Hancheng is somewhat remote.”

Upon hearing this, Seventh Cousin Sister said to Fu Tingyun: “The Shen family is wealthy, and Third Sister brought a substantial dowry when she married. After entering the family, she gave birth to two sons in succession, and then her husband passed the imperial examinations. Everyone in the Shen family greatly respects Third Sister. Even when Grandmother mentions Third Sister, she smiles, not to mention Eldest Sister and the others. You should let Third Sister know about your return.”

Her meaning was that among the sisters, Third Cousin Sister was now living the best life. If Third Cousin Sister intervened in her matter, the Fu family would have to muster their resources to deal with it, regardless of their feelings.

Fu Tingyun was slightly surprised and asked: “Doesn’t Seventh Sister have any other questions for me?”

Seventh Cousin Sister smiled slightly and said: “We sisters grew up together. Don’t we understand what kind of person you are? Why ask more?”

“Seventh Sister!” Fu Tingyun’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“All right, all right,” Seventh Cousin Sister laughed, “Now is not the time for golden tears. Your most pressing concern now is to find a way to have Third Sister intervene… With Third Sister as an intermediary, even if you can’t be reinstated in the family registry, you can at least maintain relations with the Fu family as a relative…”

No wonder Seventh Cousin Sister didn’t pursue those details further.

In her view, what was past was past. The urgent matter now was how to regain the Fu family’s protection.

“I intend to inform all the sisters,” Fifth Cousin Sister said after listening, “Tenth Sister married into the Jian family, which is also quite good—their clan uncle is currently a Secretary in the capital, and they say even the Provincial Administration Commissioner has to give their family some face.”

“This isn’t a matter of strength in numbers,” Seventh Cousin Sister disagreed. “Tenth Sister is from the Third Branch, and Third Aunt has always been diplomatic on all sides. Like mother, like daughter—she may not get involved in this matter.”

Seventh Cousin Sister was the eldest legitimate daughter of the Fu family’s Sixth Mistress.

Fifth Cousin Sister’s face turned red with displeasure: “By your reasoning, since I’m from the Fourth Branch, and my mother has never gotten along with Fifth Aunt, I shouldn’t be involved in this matter either?”

Seventh Cousin Sister frowned: “That’s not what I meant…”

“Let me speak, sisters,” Fu Tingyun quickly interrupted, seeing them arguing over her affairs. “I have no plans to return to Huayin!”

Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister both looked at Fu Tingyun in surprise.

Fu Tingyun nodded gently and said seriously: “I don’t wish to speak of the rights and wrongs of our elders. I won’t pursue the Fu family’s past mistakes or deliberately stir up trouble for them. I’ve preserved the Fu family’s face, which repays their kindness in raising me. I don’t want any further entanglements with the Fu family.” She sighed and continued, “If Fifth Sister hadn’t found me, I wouldn’t have planned to meet with my sisters… But now that everyone knows I’ve returned, I should at least host a gathering for my sisters. This is only out of affection for our sisterhood from before and has nothing to do with the Fu family!”

Fifth Cousin Sister nodded thoughtfully.

Seventh Cousin Sister, however, anxiously asked: “Ninth Sister, do you realize what you’re saying?”

“I do,” Fu Tingyun smiled. “Everyone in the capital knows that both my parents have passed away, that I have no elders, and that the Grand Empress Dowager arranged my marriage to Zhao Ling!”

Seventh Cousin Sister was speechless.

“That’s fine!” Fifth Cousin Sister said quietly. “In this world, what’s united will eventually divide, and what’s divided will eventually unite again—how much more so for ordinary people like us. Since Ninth Sister doesn’t wish to bring up the past, we’ll treat this as meeting a new sister. I still propose we inform all our sisters. Those who wish to come may come, and those who have reservations, we won’t force.”

Seventh Cousin Sister remained silent.

The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat oppressive.

Fifth Cousin Sister smiled and said: “Quanhui, you’re hosting this gathering, how can you be so lazy? I’ve helped you determine the guests, so you should at least set a date!”

Fu Tingyun knew Fifth Cousin Sister was helping her change the subject, so she smiled and instructed Yu Wei: “Go fetch the calendar.” She and Fifth Cousin Sister whispered together for quite some time and settled on the second day of the tenth month.

Fifth Cousin Sister smiled: “…Even if Third Cousin Sister receives the message, she’ll have time to come.”

She then turned to ask Seventh Cousin Sister, who had been silent all along, “What do you think, Sister?”

Instead of answering the question, Seventh Cousin Sister asked Fu Tingyun: “You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

A woman without a natal family has no one to stand up for her when she’s bullied.

Fu Tingyun nodded and smiled: “I’ve already discussed this matter with my husband.”

Seventh Cousin Sister had nothing more to say.

Fu Tingyun smiled brightly at her.

That smile was as radiant as summer sunshine, warm and fearless.

Seventh Cousin Sister suddenly felt at peace.

They had all grown up, and each had their path to follow.

Just as she had never dreamed that one day she would become as plump as Sixth Sister.

As long as they were all safe and sound, it was a blessing.

With this thought, she laughed heartily: “If Third Sister dares not to come, I’ll run to Hancheng to drag her here!” Her voice exuded boundless confidence and a somewhat presumptuous intimacy.

Fu Tingyun was somewhat surprised.

From Fifth Sister’s tone, Third Sister was treated with deference even by Grandmother because she had married well. Yet Seventh Sister’s words suggested she could stand as an equal to Third Sister… Could it be that Seventh Sister had also married very well?

She remembered that Seventh Sister had married her maternal aunt’s cousin, surnamed Bai. At the time of the engagement, Brother-in-law Bai’s legitimate uncle was already a successful candidate in the provincial examination, and Brother-in-law Bai studied under this uncle and had already passed the county examination and assembly examination.

Fifth Cousin Sister seemed to notice her confusion and explained with a smile: “Brother-in-law Bai became a successful candidate in the provincial examination two years ago. His uncle ranked in the second class of the Jiaxu Imperial Examination. Since there were no palace scholars selected that year, Uncle Bai was appointed as Deputy Magistrate in Yichun County, and just this spring, he was promoted to County Magistrate.”

So Seventh Sister’s husband’s uncle was in the same examination year as Yu Jingxiu!

The world was truly small.

Fu Tingyun was somewhat moved after this realization.

Seventh Cousin Sister misunderstood her to be lamenting the vicissitudes of life and smiled: “After spring next year, your brother-in-law plans to study at the Imperial Academy. At that time, he may need to trouble Ninth Sister for some assistance.”

Fu Tingyun felt this was somewhat sudden.

The Fu family’s Fifth Master was in the capital.

And she remembered that Seventh Cousin Sister’s birth uncle, Shu Ming, had been an excellent scholar.

She couldn’t help asking: “How is Uncle Shu?”

Seventh Cousin Sister smiled bitterly: “Uncle is now the County Magistrate of Meng County!”

When she was still at home, Shu Ming had not yet passed the imperial examination.

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but ask: “Was Uncle Shu also from the Jiaxu examination year?”

“The same year as Third Sister’s husband.”

This must be one of the reasons why Seventh Sister dared to “drag” Third Sister!

Fu Tingyun smiled, pressing her lips together.

Seventh Cousin Sister tactfully explained why they wouldn’t stay at Fifth Master Fu’s residence: “There are too many rules at Fifth Uncle’s place. I’m afraid your brother-in-law might offend Fifth Uncle!”

Fu Tingyun thought of her brother, who had repeatedly failed the examinations, and understood somewhat. She smiled and said: “I wouldn’t dare claim to be able to help. I’ve been living in the capital for several years and am familiar with most places. If my brother-in-law doesn’t mind, the guest rooms in the south wing of my house are still vacant. Why not stay there? If you need to go anywhere, just have my household staff assist you, so you won’t need to ask for directions.”