Chapter 193

Madam Yu's mood suddenly plummeted. She ordered Mama Shu in a low voice, "We're returning to the residence!"

Mama Shu was taken aback, exclaiming, "But we've already reached the entrance of Jiangxiang Garden..." She looked up and saw Madam Yu's face as dark as the sky before a storm, and quickly swallowed the rest of her words, loudly telling the coachman, "Return to the residence."

The coachman acknowledged the order and drove away from Jiangxiang Garden.

Madam Yu closed her eyes, leaning against the large bolster, lost in thought.

Mama Shu dared not make a sound. When the carriage stopped, she helped Madam Yu alight.

Madam Yu looked up and saw her daughter-in-law, Lady Fan, waiting at the hanging flower gate.

Lady Fan smiled as she stepped forward to support her mother-in-law: "Didn't you say you were going to visit Madam Ji's house? Why are you back so soon?"

Madam Yu couldn't help but glance at her abdomen, and suddenly lost all interest in even answering.

She silently returned to the inner chamber.

Along the way, Lady Fan glanced at Mama Shu several times, but Mama Shu kept her eyelids lowered, pretending not to see.

Lady Fan grew secretly anxious and served her mother-in-law with even greater care and caution.

Madam Yu said nothing, simply dismissing her to go rest.

But Mama Shu saw everything clearly.

Madam Yu had endured her way from granddaughter-in-law, to daughter-in-law, and finally to mother-in-law, and even now, there was still the Grand Madame above her. The angrier she became, the less she spoke, for fear that disaster would come from her mouth.

Mama Shu quickly brewed a cup of Madam Yu's favorite Tieguanyin tea, then picked up a beauty mallet and began gently tapping Madam Yu's legs.

Madam Yu allowed Mama Shu to attend to her for a while, then said, "Go and bring me the letter that the Eldest Aunt wrote to me a few days ago."

Mama Shu acknowledged and set down the beauty mallet, going to the study's side room to find the letter.

Madam Yu didn't even look at it, placing it on the kang table, and added, "Tell the gatekeeper that if the eldest young master returns, he should come see me."

Mama Shu acknowledged and withdrew.

By the hour of you (around 5-7 PM), Yu Jingxiu returned.

He smiled as he sat down beside his mother, calling out affectionately, "Mother," and asked, "What instructions do you have for me?"

Ever since his mother had spoken those words last time, he had tactfully reminded his wife, and his wife had humbled herself before his mother. Over the past half year, while the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law wasn't exactly intimate, it could be considered harmonious and friendly, which had also improved his mood considerably.

Madam Yu smiled and said, "Can't I just chat with you without any particular reason?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Jingxiu began massaging his mother's shoulders while smiling, "I see you've been either visiting Madam Ji's house or hosting tea parties at home with Madam Wu and the others these days. How would I dare to intrude?"

His teasing tone made Madam Yu laugh again.

After the mother and son chatted for a while, Madam Yu picked up the letter on the kang table and handed it to Yu Jingxiu: "Take a look. It's from your Eldest Aunt and your Third Aunt, written to me."

Yu Jingxiu opened the letter with confusion, and after a quick glance, his expression changed slightly.

"Mother, you're not thinking of agreeing, are you?" He grabbed his mother's hand nervously. "This is too absurd."

"What your Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt said isn't without reason," Madam Yu smiled. "You carry the responsibility of three branches of the family. Even if you had sons now, let alone being without heirs, it would still be reasonable for them to each select nieces from their natal families to serve you, with any children born belonging to their respective branches. Besides, they've chosen close relatives... I've thought it over again and again, but I truly don't know how to respond. I've delayed for so many days already—if I put it off any longer, who knows what your Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt might think. That's why I called you here to discuss how we should handle this matter."

When his mother said "discuss," she had always already made up her mind—she was merely pressuring him to agree.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to force the Fu family to break off the engagement...

As the thought flashed through his mind, he remembered Zuo Junjie, from whom there was still no news.

He couldn't help but feel a hint of resentment.

But he didn't dare go against his mother.

Not to mention that his mother held the position of an elder, and defying her would be unfilial—just considering that the family business had barely been maintained under both his Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt, but had flourished under his mother's management, and that his father never doubted his mother's abilities and would agree to any suggestion she made—even just on the grounds that his mother's current actions were "reasonable," he had no way to oppose her.

With these thoughts in mind, Yu Jingxiu took a deep breath and said seriously, "Mother, I've been married for so many years without producing an heir for the Yu family. It's only natural that Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt are anxious and want to select virtuous and refined women to serve by my side. But we cannot agree at this time!"

No matter how things changed, the core remained the same.

In the end, she still wanted to give that Lady Fan a chance.

Madam Yu sneered inwardly, but her face was as warm as a spring breeze as she said slowly, "Tell me, what's your reasoning?"

Yu Jingxiu smiled and said, "Think about it, Mother. I haven't taken a concubine for so many years, and the moment Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt bring it up, we immediately agree. To others, it would look like matters in our household can be interfered with whenever Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt wish. Those two women they plan to send over are relatives of Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt's natal families. If they enter our doors, won't their tails be wagging in the air? If they refuse to submit to Lady Fan's discipline, could we send them back? In the end, it would be our household that falls into chaos." As he spoke, his gaze toward his mother grew ever more sincere. "If you ask me, we should politely decline this time. As for the women in my quarters, I'll speak with Lady Fan. She has several gentle-natured dowry maids by her side—we can simply elevate one of them."

Madam Yu laughed upon hearing this, slowly nodding. "What you say makes sense. However, it would be best to wait until she bears a son before elevating her."

Yu Jingxiu was overjoyed at this, barely restraining himself from showing his delight on his face.

He resumed massaging his mother's shoulders and continued offering advice. "Mother, I think you should use this reasoning to reply to Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt—say that there's already someone in my quarters, and you've long given the word that whoever bears a son will be elevated to concubine. If we suddenly bring in two concubines now, it would likely cause discord in the household. But if we don't elevate them, the women Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt specially selected for me—well, one must respect the monk for the sake of the Buddha—it would seem too dismissive..."

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Madam Yu said with a smile, slowly picking up her teacup from the kang table. "But have you considered—if there's still no news in your quarters by next year, what will people say?"

Yu Jingxiu's expression froze.

Then it might be his problem...

Fine beads of sweat immediately formed on his forehead.

...

Fu Tingjun had no idea she had already crossed paths with Madam Yu. For three consecutive days, she sent A Sen off to the examination hall early each morning, and when he came out, she never asked how he did, only saying, "What's done is done—don't dwell on it. Just focus on how to approach the next session."

A Sen was naturally carefree by temperament, and with Fu Tingjun's reassurance that "if you don't pass this year, you can try again next year," he came out of the examination hall in better spirits than before. He went straight to ask Jin Yuanbao about his matchmaking meeting: "Did you fancy anyone?"

Fu Tingjun believed that examination results were determined by one's usual efforts, so she was happy to let him relax. She laughed and said, "That Miss Shi—she's said to know how to make over forty different kinds of pickled vegetables. The moment your Yuanbao brother heard that, he agreed immediately."

A Sen said at once, "Then Miss Shi must be quite plain-looking."

"Nonsense." Fu Tingjun scolded him with a laugh.

"I'm not talking nonsense!" A Sen said, unconvinced. "If Miss Shi were pretty, Yuanbao wouldn't have agreed only after learning she had inner virtues."

"You little rascal!" Fu Tingjun shook her head with a smile.

A Sen lifted his chin, grinning smugly.

When they got back, he asked Jin Yuanbao, "Are you going to take a pretty concubine later?"

Jin Yuanbao twisted his ear. "Worry about your own child examination first!" Then he added in a low voice, "People like us—if we have extra money, it naturally goes to the children... Do you think keeping a concubine doesn't cost money?" This made A Sen burst out laughing, and he ran off to tell Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun laughed uncontrollably as well.

Only Youyou, playing with her doll nearby, didn't understand what was going on. She stood on the kang and tugged at A Sen's sleeve. "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, tell me too."

A Sen scooped Youyou up and perched her on his shoulder. "Youyou, let's ignore Yuanbao Uncle. Let's go play 'swallow flying.'" With that, he ran out of the room carrying Youyou on his shoulders.

A string of silvery laughter scattered across the courtyard.

Fu Tingjun shook her head, braced her waist, and stood up. She personally supervised Zhenzhu, Wuyue, Kou'er, and the others in cleaning the house—Zhao Ling had written yesterday saying he would return by the end of the second month.

Seeing this, Yuwei hurried over to support her. "The weather is lovely today—why don't you go sit in the courtyard and get some sun? If you stand here, we're afraid of bumping into you, and it makes us hesitant and clumsy."

Fu Tingjun laughed heartily at this and took Yuwei's arm. "Let's go to the clothing shop and have some clothes made!" She looked down at herself. "See, my clothes are all too small now."

Yuwei covered her mouth and giggled. "Shall I accompany you right now, then? If we go early to take your measurements, we can start cutting and sewing sooner—it's only about ten days until the end of the second month, and I think you'll need at least four or five new sets, won't you?"

"That works." Fu Tingjun called A Sen to watch the house and went with Yuwei to West Street.

Besides having clothes made, she also needed to buy seasonal flowers to decorate the house, stock up on several more varieties of incense, and get some summer clothes for Zhao Ling—though some had already been made, there were new fashionable patterns this spring, so she ought to add a few more pieces...

In the end, Zhao Ling returned five days early, and Fu Tingjun's clothes were still at the tailor's shop, not yet picked up.

She let out an "Ouch!" and lowered the handkerchief in her hand, trying to cover her now prominently protruding belly.

But Zhao Ling was already at her side in a single stride, wrapping an arm around her waist and bending down to plant a kiss on her belly. "Even in my dreams, I'm thinking of you, Youyou, and the child in your belly!"

All her worries dissipated like morning dew vanishing under the sun.

Fu Tingjun looked at her husband before her—travel-worn, stubble-faced, as if he hadn't slept in days—and suddenly her eyes welled up with tears.

Having been brought over by Mrs. Tong upon hearing the news, Youyou let out a delighted cry of "Papa!" and threw herself into Zhao Ling's arms.

Zhao Ling laughed heartily and tossed Youyou up into the air. "My little girl, do you still recognize your papa?"

Fu Tingjun screamed in fright.

Youyou was screaming too, but hers was a scream filled with joy.

When she landed back in Zhao Ling's arms, Youyou nodded eagerly, calling out "Papa" with her dark, sparkling eyes shining. "Papa, again!"

Fu Tingjun grabbed Zhao Ling's arm. "Don't toss the child—it's too dangerous."

Zhao Ling winked at Youyou. "Your mother says no." Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he whispered, "We'll play again when your mother isn't around."

Youyou mimicked her father's whisper. "Okay, we'll play after Mama falls asleep."

The whole room burst into laughter.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but laugh as well.

But in that laughter there was joy, and there were tears, and there was a certain flavor called happiness lingering in her heart.