Chapter 224

A journey of twenty-odd days was monotonous and lonely even for adults, let alone children.

The Shaanxi Regional Military Commission naturally could not pretend to be unaware.

"Madam!" Seeing Fu Tingjun, her eyes reddened. "We've been waiting for you." As she spoke, her gaze had already turned toward the area behind her. "Where is the eldest young lady? Where is the eldest young master? Didn't they say they would come with you?" A hint of urgency showed between her brows.

Thinking that Youyou was visiting Chang'an County for the first time, Fu Tingjun had told the child stories about some of the people and events in Chang'an. As soon as Madam Lyu spoke, Youyou knew who she was.

The Prefect of Xi'an and the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shaanxi both sent people bearing gifts and name cards.

Yuwe i pondered for a moment, then smiled and agreed, escorted by Zheng San back to Huayin.

"Quickly, rise!" She personally stepped forward to take Yitong's hand, and her gaze involuntarily fell upon her.

She respectfully greeted Madam Lyu, calling out loudly, "Great-aunt."

Fu Tingjun descended from the carriage and gazed at the old locust tree stretching beyond the wall, momentarily lost in thought.

For a time, Yangliu Lane was bustling with traffic, even livelier than Guangren Temple.

Fu Tingjun then invited Master Lyu over to inquire about purchasing the burial ground and ancestral ritual land.

Madam Lyu declined repeatedly.

Within a few days, she returned.

"I think the burial ground and the ancestral ritual land should be together. That way, if we need to erect a memorial archway or something in the future, it will be more convenient," Master Lyu said. "I've looked at several sites, and the feng shui masters all said they were good. But this matter is of great importance, and my knowledge is shallow. I dare not make the decision alone. I'll have to wait for Madam to inspect them before deciding."

But she had to admit that with the county magistrate's wife putting in a good word, these two middlemen were extremely diligent. In just two days, they had found seven or eight residences for her. Fu Tingjun and Master Lyu discussed it and chose a large courtyard with three sections and three inner courtyards.

They also sent people bearing gifts and name cards.

It was only then that Madam Lyu came to her senses. She slapped her forehead and said self-reproachfully, "Look at me..." Then she turned sideways to invite Fu Tingjun and the others inside, personally serving tea and water and attending to Fu Tingjun's washing and dressing. Master Lyu, meanwhile, arranged the attendants with A Sen, and it was not until dusk that everything was settled.

Fu Tingjun thought this was a good idea. She stayed in Chang'an County for three days and got everything done.

Some official wives who considered themselves of high status also came to visit Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun answered them one by one, then said, "My pregnancy has been going very well, and this isn't my first child. The people around me are experienced as well. You needn't worry."

Had it not been for that upheaval, Yitong, even if she hadn't followed her, would have received the Fu family's protection... How could she have ended up living in such straitened circumstances?

Fu Tingjun nodded, suddenly feeling relieved, and smiled. "Very well then, pick a day to move into the residence in Chang'an! Once you're settled, come and kowtow to Ninth Master."

Although they had never met, Yuwei had heard Fu Tingjun mention Madam Lyu more than once. When they met, seeing her kind countenance and how attentive she was to Youyou and Xige'er, Yuwei's fondness for her grew. She quickly smiled and replied, "Yes, this is the eldest young master!"

"Then I'll buy the vegetable plot next to it as well?" Master Lyu said, looking at it. "In the future, when the family grows, that area can be used too."

"No wonder people say it's easy to be an official when you have connections at court," she remarked privately to Yuwei. "If not for the county magistrate's wife, I would have had to stay in Chang'an for at least ten days." Then she instructed Yuwei to prepare a generous gift to send to the county magistrate's wife, and added, "There's nothing more for me to do here. Didn't you say you wanted to return to Huayin? Why not set out tomorrow? Just make sure you're back before Ninth Master returns in early October."

Perhaps it was because she had become a mother, but Yitong had gained a lot of weight. She wore a half-new, half-old green satin jacket of Lu silk and only a pair of silver-plated lilac earrings.

Fu Tingjun could understand Madam Lyu's insistence. Knowing that continuing the discussion would lead nowhere, she simply ignored her and directly had Yuwei hold Xige'er to greet Madam Lyu.

Xige'er was a bit shy with strangers. He turned his head away and buried it against Yuwei's shoulder.

Fu Tingjun knew that if Master Lyu found out about this matter, he would never allow her to travel about so much.

"Miss had just arrived in the capital at that time," Yitong said with a smile. "I was afraid I'd cause trouble for you if I came. Besides, although life was hard, he never once looked down on me, so I didn't feel it was bitter..."

Madam Lyu immediately stepped forward: "This, this must be the eldest young master?"

Master Lyu, however, let out an exclamation: "Madam, you're with child?"

As she spoke, Mother Tong had already carried Youyou down.

She ran in beaming, asking with concern about her daily life.

"This won't do, this won't do!" She waved her hands repeatedly. "How could I deserve to be called 'Great-aunt' by the eldest young lady?" As she spoke, she looked toward Fu Tingjun. "Without Ninth Master, our old bones would long ago have been scattered who knows where. Calling me 'aunt' was only a temporary expedient back then. How could it be taken seriously? Madam doing this—aren't you overwhelming me?"

She had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Guangren Temple was still as lively and bustling as ever, and Yangliu Lane was still as peaceful and serene.

Yitong agreed without a moment's hesitation.

As she spoke, Yuwei had already carried Xige'er down.

These things were originally given to her by the mistress herself.

Hearing this, Yuwei gritted her teeth and interjected, "Madam, you're pregnant! From the capital to Xi'an, Ninth Master has already sent who knows how many people to inquire... Now that you've finally arrived safely at Xi'an Prefecture, you should rest for a few days first!"

Returning with her was also Yitong.

A child imitating an adult is inherently clumsy yet endearing, and Youyou's voice was sweet and pleasant. At such a young age, she already knew some etiquette for dealing with others without being prompted by adults. Mother Lyu was momentarily stunned, then boundless joy welled up within her.

Madam Lyu, who was outside helping Zhenzhu arrange the furnishings, also learned of this.

Her fingers, once as delicate as scallion whites, had become withered and rough, cracked in several places.

Yitong smiled and acknowledged, then began telling Fu Tingjun about matters in Huayin.

After a long separation, Fu Tingjun's tears could not help but fall in a steady stream.

Yuwei smiled apologetically and explained, "The young master is going out for the first time!"

Fu Tingjun had no choice but to thank her again and again.

"You..." Fu Tingjun felt as if a heavy stone were pressing on her heart.

"Yitong, why didn't you come to find me in the capital? You were married off, and I thought you must be living well..."

Had it not been for that upheaval back then, how would Yitong have known the depth of her good husband's affection for her, and how would she have followed him through those hard days that, though difficult, felt sweet?

When they met the county magistrate's wife, after exchanging pleasantries, someone led two men in their forties to stand at the foot of the steps outside the hall.

Yuwei watched and covered her mouth with a chuckle: "In their household, Brother Huo listens to everything Sister Yitong says." She added, "Brother Huo's family originally had some modest property, but later Yitong's father-in-law became bedridden, and their savings were gradually drained. First Madame sent someone to ask Yitong if she would be willing to return to the Fu family to serve, but Yitong didn't want to be someone who betrays trust and forgets loyalty, so she flatly refused."

Fu Tingjun felt embarrassed.

Indeed!

Had it not been for Zhao Ling back then, how could she have come this far?

Madam Lyu nodded approvingly as she listened, but still earnestly reminded her with words like "don't overexert yourself" and "tell me if you crave anything." The next day, before dawn, she personally stewed an old hen soup for Fu Tingjun: "...The journey was so arduous, you must replenish your strength."

"Why don't you discuss it with your husband and come with me to the capital?" Fu Tingjun said. "Or, you could help me manage the residence in Chang'an! I still need someone to oversee things there."

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but smile bitterly.

That would be the site of the Zhao family's ancestral graves. Whether it would bless future generations depended greatly on the feng shui. Moreover, since the ancestral ritual land was adjacent to the grave site, it could be converted into grave land whenever needed in the future. Master Lyu indeed could not easily make that decision on his own.

Yuwei saw this and signaled Zhenzhu to help Madam Lyu up, laughing, "The mistress will be staying in Xi'an for over twenty days. There's plenty of time ahead—whatever Madam Lyu has to say, there will be ample opportunity to speak with the mistress. But this isn't the right place for conversation!"

Madam Lyu couldn't help but feel undeserving, her face flushing red as she murmured, "This won't do! This won't do!" She seemed at a loss.

"You must be the young miss, aren't you?" She crouched before Youyou and took her little hand. "I'm your Mother Lyu!" As she spoke, she looked Youyou up and down, as if trying to etch her image into her heart.

The county magistrate's wife pointed to the two men and said, "These are the best brokers in Chang'an. Aren't you looking to buy a residence? Just use them! With me vouching for them, they wouldn't dare deceive you."

Fu Tingjun thought for a moment and said, "Very well, tomorrow I'll go with you to look at the land." She added, "I estimate that Ninth Master should be returning from Jiangnan by mid-October. We still need to carve the stele, pave the walkway... This matter needs to be settled early!"

After much difficulty, they finally selected four or five locations. Master Lyu hired a sedan chair from the finest sedan shop in Xi'an Prefecture, and with Tengji Guard members escorting them, they went to inspect the grave sites.

This inevitably stirred up attention among the people of Xi'an Prefecture.

Madam Lyu watched and walked over.

"Ninth Miss... no, Madam..." She choked with sobs as she knelt before Fu Tingjun, tears streaming down her face like rain. "I thought I would never see you again..."

A Sen was Zhao Ling's younger brother and a xiucai scholar, so he represented the Zhao family in socializing with these Shaanxi officials.

Seeing that this was getting nowhere, she used the excuse of needing to purchase a residence in Chang'an County and went there.

Fu Tingjun couldn't bear to refuse her kindness, and she was also somewhat worried that the jostling of the carriage might tire her and the child in her womb, so she let Madam Lyu do as she pleased—one day stewing chicken soup, the next day sea cucumber soup—while she herself discussed the matter of purchasing grave land with Master Lyu.

Fu Tingjun was greatly startled.

Fu Tingjun was overwhelmed with social obligations, and her real business was set aside.

Having just received the news, Madam Lyu, supported by a young maidservant who had only recently had her hair done up, hurried out with rapid, gasping steps.

"If it weren't for you and your husband guarding Ninth Master's properties here on Willow Lane, how could he have focused on his work outside with peace of mind?" Fu Tingjun said with a smile as she walked over. "Even a biological aunt wouldn't do more than this! Please don't stand on ceremony with us!" With that, she took Madam Lyu's hand with gentle insistence. "Let the younger generation pay their respects to you—it's the least we can do to express our gratitude."

Madam Lyu's gaze rested on Xige'er with delight. "He's grown so handsome... takes after his mother... he'll surely grow into a refined and elegant young gentleman..." She stroked Xige'er's head with a look of deep affection.

But just as they entered the city, a calling card from the wife of the Chang'an County Magistrate arrived.

Fu Tingjun's face flushed.

Master Lyu was already beaming with joy. "Then you should rest at home, madam! I'll have someone sketch out those plots of land for you to look at. If you find them suitable, we can take a sedan chair to see them in person—no need to rush."