Fu Tingyun was taken aback. Considering the complex relationships in the Yu family’s inner quarters, she guessed that Concubine Wu must have done some questionable things. But that was all in the past—now that she had left the Yu household, she was no longer one of them. What mattered was that she wouldn’t stray from the right path going forward and would live an upright life. Seeing her crying so heartbrokenly, Fu Tingyun’s heart softened. She sighed gently and consoled her tactfully: “As the Buddha says, ‘Put down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha at once.’ As long as you have good intentions and accumulate virtue from now on, the Bodhisattva will bless you.” She then bent down to help her up.

Miss Wu clutched her hand tightly, remaining kneeling as her tears fell even more heavily: “Madam Zhao… you don’t know… that day when I met you at Tanzhe Temple, I wanted to tell you… I didn’t want to be a concubine, but I couldn’t stand by and watch my elderly father and young sister with nowhere to turn… Once in the Yu family, Yu Jingxiu wouldn’t even look at me, treating me with cold indifference in his every gesture, while Madam Wu only kept urging me to please Madam Yu and Yu Jingxiu… I had no one to share my feelings with… I thought, it’s fine, I’ll just treat it as if I were practicing austerities in a nunnery… Unexpectedly, I became pregnant…” At this point, her face gradually lost all color. “I was initially elated, thinking that if I could bear a child, I would have something to look forward to in life. Though Yu Jingxiu looked down on me, the child would still be his flesh and blood. For the child’s sake, he might show me some respect and treat me with courtesy in front of others—that would have been enough for me… But I never imagined that not only would he show no joy, but he would find fault with me constantly, giving me the cold shoulder and treating me even worse than before… Only then did I understand my situation… Even if the child were born, it would be like me, forever at his mercy, and even having to defer to the legitimate son… I began to wonder, why did I become pregnant? How much better it would be without this child!”

As Fu Tingyun listened, her heart sank. She vaguely sensed that something chilling had happened, and she felt a tightening in her chest.

“…That year on the Ghost Festival, Madam Yu and the First Madam were going to Tanzhe Temple to burn incense,” Miss Wu stared blankly into space, mumbling, “I was seeing them off, waiting early at the entrance gate… Madam Yu hadn’t arrived yet. Soon, the First Madam came, surrounded by her entourage… I hurried forward to pay my respects… but the First Madam didn’t even look at me, just snorted and walked past… All the maids and matrons were eagerly following close behind the First Madam. I don’t know who it was, but someone bumped my shoulder as they passed by… I knew someone was trying to trip me up to please the First Madam. Fearing they might try again, I stepped back a few paces… not noticing the steps behind me. I fell backward down the stairs…”

Fu Tingyun exclaimed, “So it wasn’t Madam Fan who pushed you after all?”

“No!” A flush crossed Miss Wu’s pale face as she avoided Fu Tingyun’s gaze, lowering her head in shame and embarrassment. “I was careless…” she said softly. “Lian Xin was so shocked she froze for a moment before reacting, grabbing my hand and asking, ‘Concubine, what happened?’ Her lips were white… The First Madam merely glanced at me with furrowed brows and scolded her maids, ‘Why are you all standing there dumbfounded? Help the Concubine back to her room and call a doctor to examine her.’ The maid and Lian Xin supported me as we walked back… Meanwhile, Madam Yu approached and, seeing two maids supporting me, asked what had happened. The First Madam casually smiled and said, ‘Nothing! I noticed Concubine Wu is heavy with child, so I told her she didn’t need to see me off and sent a young maid to help her back.’ My waist felt as if it had broken, and I could barely walk steadily. Madam Yu glanced at me and just gave a light ‘mm’ before turning away and boarding the carriage with the First Madam.”

“That’s when I truly understood.”

“No matter how kindly Madam Yu treated me normally, when it came to family interests and disputes over offspring, she would never take my side. Only I foolishly remembered what she had once said—’ Once the child is born, I will raise it by my side, and as long as I have food to eat, I will never let the child go hungry…'”

As she spoke, her tears, which had stopped earlier, began to fall again.

“When I returned to my room, I sensed something was wrong.”

“But when I recalled the First Madam’s casual tone when speaking to Madam Yu, and the dismissive sound in Madam Yu’s voice, my heart felt as if it were being pierced by needles… Since none of you wanted this child, why should I care? I had long since lost the will to live anyway—at worst, I would forfeit my life as compensation…”

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but grip Miss Wu’s hand tightly.

Miss Wu’s lips trembled: “I remained silent. By the afternoon, when Madam Yu and the First Madam were due to return from the temple, Lian Xin came to ask if I wanted to wait for them at the entrance gate. Only then did she notice something was wrong…” Her voice grew increasingly faint. “Later, the imperial physician came… I secretly discarded the medicine…” At this point, she broke into loud sobs.

Fu Tingyun felt an indescribable sadness.

She wasn’t sure if it was for Miss Wu or for the child who, unwanted, had been abandoned by its mother.

Yet looking at the weeping Miss Wu, she seemed to understand her choice.

Much like herself, whenever she saw her children and thought of their father, her heart would feel as sweet as if she had drunk honeyed water.

“Don’t cry anymore!” Fu Tingyun consoled Miss Wu, her voice now filled with genuine warmth rather than polite formality, which surprised even herself. “Yesterday’s matters cannot be undone. One must look forward to life improving. I’ve seen village women still working in the fields right before giving birth, which shows that whether a child survives doesn’t depend entirely on being careful or not—perhaps you and that child simply weren’t fated to be together…”

Miss Wu looked up in surprise, her eyes bright and dark after being washed by tears: “You… you forgive me…” she said cautiously, her expression full of anxious hope.

Fu Tingyun was startled, then understood.

Miss Wu had studied “Admonitions for Women” and “Biographies of Exemplary Women.” Ethically speaking, as a mother, she had essentially killed her child—a grave sin that would condemn her to the eighteenth level of hell after death. But emotionally, she felt she had spared the child from the pain of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate, from the lifelong inferiority of being a concubine’s child. In this contradiction, she desperately needed someone to judge her actions…

Perhaps because she couldn’t tell others about this, or for some other reason, Miss Wu had chosen Fu Tingyun as the judge of her right and wrong.

Was this why Miss Wu had an inexplicable fondness and closeness toward her?

Fu Tingyun couldn’t be sure.

She hoped her words and actions could comfort Miss Wu’s troubled heart, and she sincerely wished that Miss Wu could leave her past behind and begin a new life.

In a way, she and Miss Wu were alike—both victims of Yu Jingxiu.

“Who am I to grant forgiveness?” she smiled. “I just believe that in life, everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that we don’t repeat the same mistakes.”

Miss Wu quickly said, “I will never do such a thing again!” Then, realizing her words were somewhat inappropriate, she hastily added, “There’s a Lotus Temple in our area that takes in elderly people without families and children abandoned by their parents. I’ve already discussed it with my father, brother-in-law, and sister. After returning home, I’ll become a lay Buddhist at the nearby Lotus Temple, helping the temple masters care for the elderly and children.”

Fu Tingyun was surprised by the Wu family’s open-mindedness. On reflection, she thought this arrangement was good. Taking care of others and receiving acknowledgment could gradually help one forget past traumas.

She called for Yu Wei to bring in a silver note worth one hundred taels.

“This is my donation to the Lotus Temple,” Fu Tingyun pressed the silver note into Miss Wu’s hands. “If the temple faces any difficulties in the future, just let me know. I may not be able to help with much, but I can certainly donate some funds.”

Seeing her sincere words, Miss Wu considered briefly and without false modesty, accepted the silver note, saying, “I will tell the head master, and I will light incense for you before the Buddha every day, praying for peace and good fortune for your entire household!”

Fu Tingyun thanked her, and they chatted for a while longer. As noon approached, Fu Tingyun invited Miss Wu to stay for lunch, but she politely declined, saying she still needed to bid farewell to Madam Wu. Fu Tingyun didn’t insist and saw her off at the main gate.

On the day of Miss Wu’s departure, Fu Tingyun sent Yu Wei with parting gifts to accompany Miss Wu for part of her journey. When Yu Wei returned, Madam Wu came along, expressing gratitude for Fu Tingyun’s sendoff for Miss Wu. Fu Tingyun responded with a few perfunctory phrases before changing the subject to the spring banquet on the second day of the second lunar month. Madam Wu enthusiastically described whom she had invited and how the banquet was arranged, letting the previous matter drop.

Before long, March arrived. Officials who had come to the capital to report on their duties began leaving one after another, but there was no sign of Zhao Ling.

Fu Tingyun grew increasingly anxious and asked Ah-Sen to inquire about him.

Before any news came from Ah-Sen, Manager Ye suddenly visited. He said that the restaurant she had invested in had been flourishing in recent years, and the original location was becoming too small. He wanted to rent the adjacent shop and also open branch locations on East and West Main Street. This required more capital than they had available, so he came to discuss with Fu Tingyun whether she could contribute her annual dividend of ten thousand taels as capital for the expansion.

When Fu Tingyun initially invested in the restaurant, she had only hoped to maintain her household expenses. Now, not only were those expenses more than covered, but she was also able to save money, which made her quite pleased. She asked about Manager Ye’s plans, and hearing that everything was well-organized, she knew this wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision based on temporary success. She happily gave Manager Ye a silver note for ten thousand taels.

Manager Ye left with a broad smile.

The next day, he brought several potential locations for Fu Tingyun to consider.

The two of them discussed back and forth for most of the day.

Next came the shop layouts and menu selections… Fu Tingyun was busy every day, but her doubts grew increasingly stronger.

She was only a shareholder; these operational matters shouldn’t be her concern…