Chapter 127

Fu Tingjun and Yuwei exchanged bewildered glances.

They stood there for what felt like an eternity until the front door creaked open. The woman bent her knees in a slight bow to Fu Tingjun and said with a smile, "I apologize for keeping you waiting, miss. Our young mistress invites you to the main hall for tea." She then respectfully gestured for Fu Tingjun to enter.

Why was she being received by her sister-in-law rather than her mother?

They said her mother was bedridden and that her sister-in-law managed household affairs. When guests arrived, it was only natural to see the sister-in-law first!

Fu Tingjun reassured herself.

As long as she could meet someone, that was enough. Everything else could come gradually.

Fu Tingjun followed the woman into the residence with Yuwei trailing behind.

Only now did she understand why Master Lyu had described their house on Shi Family Lane as "square and boxy."

The courtyard's main gate faced east, with the yard stretching longer from north to south than from east to west. The five main rooms faced the gate directly, bearing the full brunt of the western sun in summer—stifling and oppressive. The second room from the east served as the main hall, its doors thrown wide open. From the courtyard, one could see the landscape painting on the central wall flanked by two black-lacquered armchairs. On the north side stood two wing rooms—one a kitchen, the other with its door tightly shut, seemingly serving as a servant's private quarters. A protruding wall on the south side blocked the view of the two westernmost rooms of the main building, leaving the covered corridor pitch dark even in broad daylight. Fortunately, someone's garden lay beyond the southern wall, where several date trees stretched their branches into the courtyard. Potted pomegranates and two oleanders sat beneath the southern wall, lending the yard a touch of life.

So modest! It couldn't even compare to the residences of the more respectable stewards in the Fu household.

Fu Tingjun was secretly astonished. She also pondered—wasn't her mother supposed to be ill? Why was there no smell of medicine anywhere in the courtyard?

She sat expressionlessly in the armchair on the south side, while Yuwei stood silently behind her.

A door creaked behind her.

She turned her head and saw a round-faced woman enter, dressed in a green brocade jacket.

This must be her sister-in-law?

Somewhat uncertain, Fu Tingjun rose with a smile, her gaze sweeping quickly over the woman.

The woman was about twenty-five or twenty-six, with fair skin and a slightly plump figure. Her hair was coiled into a round bun adorned with two pearl flowers, and gold willow-leaf earrings dangled from her ears. She smiled before speaking, radiating warmth and approachability.

The woman who had led them in introduced her with a smile: "This is our young mistress."

Fu Tingjun's eyes brightened, her face breaking into a beaming smile as she called out warmly, "Sister-in-law!"

Her sister-in-law seemed momentarily taken aback.

"You flatter me with such courtesy." She studied Fu Tingjun discreetly even as she smiled. "Please, do sit down! I hear from Donggu that you've come from Weinan. That's my mother-in-law's natal home, so we're hardly strangers. However, my mother-in-law is unwell and no longer receives visitors. If you have any business, you may speak with me directly." She then settled into the armchair at the head of the hall, gazing at Fu Tingjun with a smile. Though her tone was polite, her words carried a cool detachment, as if Fu Tingjun were some poor relative come to the capital seeking favors.

Fu Tingjun's smile froze on her face. It took her a long moment to recover. Just as she was about to speak, the woman her sister-in-law had called Donggu entered carrying tea, and Fu Tingjun swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

But Donggu didn't withdraw after serving the tea. Instead, she clutched the tea tray to her chest and took her place behind the young mistress.

Fu Tingjun's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. She said in a low voice, "I have matters to discuss with my sister-in-law. I would ask that you dismiss your attendant."

The young mistress, however, laughed lightly. "Donggu is my wet nurse. Whatever you have to say, miss, you may say it freely. It's of no consequence."

She was clearly on her guard.

Fu Tingjun felt a moment of bewilderment.

How had things come to this?

The sister-in-law she remembered would smile at her ingratiatingly, patiently play with her in the mud, bathe her, and read her beautiful poetry... What had changed everything?

Seeing Fu Tingjun lost in thought, Yuwei quickly nudged her back. Fu Tingjun snapped out of her reverie, pressed her lips together, and said quietly, "I have urgent matters to discuss. It would be better if we had some privacy."

The young mistress's expression flickered with displeasure. After a moment's consideration, she nodded to Donggu. Donggu shot her a look that said "Don't worry," then tiptoed out, closing the hall door behind her.

"Now, miss, you may speak." The young mistress's expression had turned cold.

"Sister-in-law!" Due to the earlier exchange, the joy Fu Tingjun had felt at finding family suddenly evaporated without a trace. Her voice became calm and measured. "I am Fu Tingjun!"

The young mistress's face changed dramatically. "You—what did you say?" She rose hastily, her sleeve sweeping across the teacup beside her. The cup toppled onto the table, scattering jade-green tea leaves across the black-lacquered table with its endless swastika pattern, and onto the hem of her garment. "You—what did you say?" She paid no heed to the mess, her body trembling like a sieve, her face alternating between pale and ashen as she demanded again.

"Sister-in-law..." Fu Tingjun had just begun to speak when the door was suddenly pushed open with a bang, and Donggu rushed in with a panicked expression: "Young Mistress, what happened?"

"It's nothing, nothing!" The Young Mistress Fu was full of shock and instinctively refused Donggu, "I just accidentally knocked over the teacup. It's none of your business. I still have things to discuss with Miss Fu, so you may leave first!"

Donggu looked suspiciously at Fu Tingjun, whose face was equally pale, murmured an acknowledgment, and respectfully withdrew.

The creaking sound of the closing door was like Buddhist scripture to her ears, snapping the Young Mistress Fu back to her senses.

Her teeth chattering, she shouted sternly, "What impostor are you? How dare you claim to be a relative of an official! Everyone in Huayin knows that my husband's younger sister passed away from illness. Don't you dare spout nonsense here! Leave at once, or else if I summon the constables of Shuntian Prefecture, you'll be in for a beating." She then shooed her away, "Why aren't you leaving yet!"

Fu Tingjun had considered many possibilities, and this one was within her expectations—she could even understand it. If a sister-in-law whom one had only met once suddenly returned from the dead, anyone's first reaction would be to think they were dealing with a fraud.

That being the case, why did her sister-in-law instinctively address her as "Miss Fu" in front of Donggu?

Her sister-in-law clearly recognized in her heart that she was Fu Tingjun, yet still tried to scare her with words and drive her away.

She also recalled the hint of wariness in Donggu's eyes when she had first announced herself as a fellow townsman from Weinan...

Fu Tingjun suddenly felt as if she had fallen into an ice cavern, her body turning cold.

Her sister-in-law had clearly been forewarned!

And who was it that had given her this warning?

Fu Tingjun dared not think about it.

Somewhat numbly, she said, "I have only met my sister-in-law once, so it's natural that you don't recognize me. Please allow me to see my mother—whether I'm real or fake, you'll know once she sees me." Thinking that her sister-in-law was merely a daughter-in-law, with in-laws above and a husband beside her, and that she might not have the final say in household matters, she considerately added, "Sister-in-law need not trouble yourself!"

The Young Mistress Fu's expression shifted unpredictably.

She had heard about her husband's younger sister's matter before.

Unlike what the outside world said, her father-in-law had told her that the young lady had been abducted by refugees.

Being a woman herself, she had secretly grieved for her sister-in-law.

So when Fu Tingjun first entered, she had only felt she looked somewhat familiar without thinking much of it. It wasn't until Fu Tingjun gave her name that everything clicked. Setting aside everything else, with the five or six parts resemblance between the siblings' brows and eyes, she was convinced Fu Tingjun wasn't lying.

Any woman married into the Fu family, regardless of her family background, had to first learn the Fu family's female precepts from her elders. She knew the family's rules well. Moreover, after the young lady's misfortune, her father-in-law had specifically called her in for a private admonishment...

Thinking of all this, her eyes involuntarily fell upon the gold hairpin inlaid with jade and plum blossom design in Fu Tingjun's hair.

This was her mother-in-law's possession. When she had married into the Fu family and served tea to her mother-in-law on the second day, the latter had been wearing this very plum hairpin. The jade set within was of the finest quality—a deep, verdant green, flowing like a pool of water. Even she, a woman from a distinguished family, had admired it enviously. And since Fu Tingjun had been abducted by refugees, how had she managed to preserve this hairpin?

Fu Tingjun's background was now unclear... Even if some young man from a good family loved her beauty, how could he marry her?

She was probably...

At this thought, she couldn't help but bite her lip and say, "Wait a moment," before turning and entering the inner chamber. She quickly returned, holding a money pouch.

"This is twenty taels of silver, my private savings. I can't spare any more than this," the Young Mistress Fu said, pressing the pouch into Fu Tingjun's hands. "You must leave quickly! If Father-in-law or your brother returns, it'll be disastrous. You have your own life to live now—like me, I haven't returned to my natal family even once since I married. Just think of yourself as a married daughter who's gone off..." She babbled words of comfort incoherently while pushing her toward the door.

"Sister-in-law!" Fu Tingjun clutched the money pouch, warmth filling her heart. "I've been wronged! I came this time specifically to tell Mother and Father about this matter. Please, just let me see Mother!" Fearing her sister-in-law wouldn't believe her, she quickly gestured to Yuwei, who stood nearby with tears brimming in her eyes. "This is my personal maidservant. They've already uncovered how Zuo Junjie framed me..."

"Fu..." Young Mistress Fu was somewhat at a loss for how to address her, mumbling a greeting before continuing, "Even so, what can be done? Now that you and the Yu family have broken off the engagement, and the family has told outsiders that you've 'passed away from illness,' you've also started your own life. Why pursue this matter any further? Besides, Mother-in-law is truly ill. When she doesn't think of you, it's fine, but the moment you come to mind, she weeps endlessly day and night. Not only has her eyesight been ruined, but it has also caused a rift between her and Father-in-law. You know how Father-in-law has always respected Mother-in-law; even while serving in the capital, he preferred to have us sons and daughters-in-law attend to him rather than take a concubine. Now that both are past forty, it's the age for enjoying grandchildren. If you keep clinging to this, it will only make them more miserable. Consider it repaying Father-in-law and Mother-in-law's kindness in raising you—please, be merciful, let things settle, and give them some peace!" As she spoke, she tearfully took Fu Tingjun's hand. "I'm ten years older than you, so please listen to me! Some things fade with time. Just think of it as not having the fortune to marry into the Yu family and become an official's wife."

"Fade with time!" Fu Tingjun murmured, repeating Young Mistress Fu's words, standing dazed in the Fu family's main hall, her expression slightly vacant.