Chapter 226

Fifth Sister's hand froze mid-air.

Fu Tingjun, distracted by the children's fussing, didn't notice her fifth sister's odd behavior. She hurriedly set the child down and gestured to her fifth sister, saying, "This is your Fifth Aunt. Quickly, pay your respects to Fifth Aunt!" Remembering how close she had been to this fifth sister during her time in the Fu household, yet never once sending her word afterward, she felt a pang of guilt. Flustered, she gestured to her pair of children and said, "This is Eldest Girl Youyou, and this is Eldest Boy Xi-ge."

Youyou and Xige'er stepped forward to greet Fifth Aunt.

Fifth Sister was momentarily at a loss, then, thinking quickly, she pulled out the silver hairpin shaped like a "peace every year" from her hair and slipped off the twisted silver bangles from her wrist, handing them to the two children. "This is Fifth Aunt's welcome gift." Clearly, it was a spur-of-the-moment gesture; she hadn't prepared anything beforehand.

Mother Tong looked toward Fu Tingjun.

Fu Tingjun gave a slight nod. Mother Tong smiled and stepped forward to accept the gifts.

Youyou and Xige'er quickly thanked Fifth Aunt.

One child's voice was sweet and melodious, the other's was mumbling and unclear, yet both were as adorable as porcelain dolls.

Fifth Aunt couldn't help but exclaim, "These two children—they look just like you when you were little..." As she spoke, she couldn't resist picking up the younger one, Xige'er.

Xige'er squirmed in her arms, reaching out toward his mother.

Fifth Aunt knew the child was shy around strangers, so she quickly handed him back to Fu Tingjun. As she looked up, she caught sight of Yuwei standing behind Fu Tingjun. Her eyes widened in shock. "Yuwei, you... how are you still..." She grew pale as a sheet, stumbling backward several steps, and clasped her hands together in prayer, muttering, "My Ninth Sister never wronged you. Have a conscience—if you have anything to say, just tell her in a dream. Don't come to her in person. She still has two children to raise..." In broad daylight, she had mistaken Yuwei for a ghost.

Fu Tingjun was caught between laughter and tears, though a flicker of warmth stirred in her heart. She handed the child to Mother Tong and took her fifth sister's hand. "Let's talk inside."

Fifth Sister gripped Fu Tingjun's hand tightly, her expression steadying slightly—until she spotted Yitong.

Her eyes widened even further.

Fifth Sister was the legitimate daughter of Fourth Madam, and Fourth Madam was fond of gossip, greedy, and petty.

Yitong didn't want to reveal Fu Tingjun's affairs, nor did she want to lie to Fifth Sister and betray her duties as a servant. So she said vaguely, "A few days ago, Yuwei came to visit me, and that's when I learned Ninth Young Lady had returned. I came along with Yuwei to pay my respects to Ninth Young Lady."

Fifth Sister looked at Fu Tingjun, her face full of suspicion.

Fu Tingjun sighed and simply pulled her straight into the inner chamber.

...

"So you're saying that Yu Jingxiu was secretly involved with his teacher's daughter, scheming desperately to break off the engagement, and that's why he instigated Zuo Junjie to frame you?" Fifth Sister, after listening to Fu Tingjun's account, was stunned for a long while before speaking in astonishment.

Fu Tingjun nodded. "I found Zuo Junjie, and the Yu family has admitted to it as well."

Fifth Sister jumped to her feet at once. "How is that possible? Marriage is decided by one's parents and arranged through a matchmaker. Even if the Yu family agreed, how could Eldest Uncle and Fifth Uncle possibly consent? Besides, the Yu family was in the wrong from the start. Even if Eldest Uncle and Fifth Uncle were momentarily deceived by the Yu family and let you suffer injustice, once the truth came to light, for the sake of the Yu family's reputation, they couldn't clear your name publicly—but why didn't they at least acknowledge you privately..." She stopped mid-sentence, a strange expression crossing her face. "Could it be that Eldest Uncle's reinstatement and Fifth Uncle's promotion have something to do with the Yu family?"

Though this fifth sister of hers was born to Fourth Aunt, Grandmother had always looked down on Fourth Aunt's ways. Fifth Sister had actually been raised by Grandmother and took after her greatly—not only shrewd and capable, but quick-witted and sharp-minded. That was also why Fu Tingjun had gotten along so well with her since childhood.

Fu Tingjun glanced at her fifth sister but said nothing.

Fifth Sister was alarmed. "Did I actually guess right?"

"Not exactly, but not far off either," Fu Tingjun said. "As for the rest, I'm not in a position to say. If you truly want to know, why not ask Grandmother? She should know. Or, you could ask Eldest Aunt as well!"

Fifth Sister fell silent.

Since Fu Tingjun wasn't at liberty to speak, it must involve their elders—she truly couldn't press further.

Fu Tingjun, seeing this, was reminded of another matter. "I heard that a merchant family has offered thirty thousand taels of silver to betroth Fourteenth Sister."

"That's exactly why I've come," Fifth Cousin said, her expression turning serious. "The rumors are spreading everywhere—I heard about them even in Lintong. At first I thought someone was making things up." She smiled bitterly. "You don't know, but ever since your 'death,' the gossip about the Fu family hasn't stopped... I was furious at first and sent people to investigate, but they could even name the suitor's full name, his hometown, and his rank among his brothers with such detail..." She glanced at Fu Tingjun. "After the Fu family was attacked by the refugees, Grandmother's spirits grew worse and worse. Since last year, she's often called her attendants by the wrong names, and sometimes when you'd tell her one thing, she'd answer about something else entirely. I was afraid she might have a moment of confusion, so I rushed over from Lintong... but Grandmother's mind was perfectly clear... She just told me not to worry, that she had her own plans. So I went to see Mother—she was in the middle of venting her anger at Eldest Aunt."

"I scolded Mother, then went to apologize to Eldest Aunt. I was about to return to Lintong when I heard from a servant woman who used to attend me that you were still alive—that you'd been rescued by the current emperor, betrothed by the Grand Empress Dowager, and married to Zhao Ling, the Deputy Commander of Xuanfu who had rendered merit in following the dragon. Five months ago, Zhao Ling was honored for his service in defending the border, and both his parents were posthumously ennobled. You'd come from the capital to erect tombstones for your in-laws and were staying at the home of Zhao Ling's maternal uncle in Yangliu Lane, Chongyi Ward, Xi'an Prefecture."

"I was astonished to hear all this."

"I thought about asking Eldest Aunt, but knowing she was still at odds with Mother, and since that servant woman was so adamant, and the Yao family's lacquerware business had been thriving in Xi'an Prefecture these past few years—I'd come to Xi'an several times with your brother-in-law—I was afraid of making a fool of myself if I'd gotten it wrong, so I sent a steward ahead to investigate..." She grew somewhat emotional and took Fu Tingjun's hand. "I never imagined you were truly alive, and truly married to an official, with a pair of children..." She sighed, a hint of hesitation flickering across her brow as she asked softly, "That Lord Zhao—does he have a good temper?"

She was asking, in a roundabout way, whether Zhao Ling treated her well.

"His temper isn't good," Fu Tingjun said, and as she thought of Zhao Ling, a smile crept unbidden into her eyes and brows. "But he treats me well." Feeling that this didn't convey even a tenth of what Zhao Ling meant to her, she added, "In matters great and small, he always puts me first."

Fifth Cousin let out a long breath of relief. "That's good, that's good."

Fu Tingjun smiled faintly.

Fifth Cousin wanted to ask what she planned to do now, but then she thought of how the elders at home refused to acknowledge that Fu Tingjun was still alive, and how Fu Tingjun's words showed no intention of returning to Huayin—she knew the grievances between them couldn't be untangled easily. And as a married daughter whose husband was merely a low-ranking scholar, it wasn't her place to intervene. So she didn't ask, and instead chatted about sisterly matters: "Eldest Sister and Second Sister probably don't know you're alive yet. I think we should send word to them." Then she sighed. "Seventh Sister just had a son a few days ago. When we went to the full-month celebration, she mentioned you, and Second Sister was secretly wiping away tears!"

Since Fifth Sister had already been stirred into action, the other sisters would learn of it sooner or later anyway. Rather than have them feel she was playing favorites, it would be better to take this opportunity to gather all the sisters together for a reunion. She didn't know when she'd next be able to return to Xi'an, or what things would be like when she did.

"Then I'll ask Fifth Sister to help make the arrangements!" Fu Tingjun said tactfully. "If any sister truly can't get away, there's no need to force it."

Fifth Cousin understood and nodded. "I know what to do!"

Fu Tingjun then asked about Fourteenth Sister's marriage: "Although Grandmother's mind is clear, some matters still need to be clarified publicly. A lie repeated a thousand times becomes truth."

If this matter weren't explained properly, it would look like her mother had sold her daughter for advancement. But to explain it, one would inevitably have to speak of Grandmother and Eldest Aunt...

Fifth Cousin thought it over, and in the end, blood ties won out.

She lowered her voice. "When Third Sister married, the family had already started selling off fields and land. It was done discreetly, so no one knew. By the time the refugees attacked the Fu family, most of the good things in the family's public storehouse had vanished, and the family's fortunes grew increasingly strained... This household will eventually be handed over to Eldest Aunt. What Grandmother is doing is simply trying to get Eldest Aunt to take charge of managing the household affairs," she said, hesitating for a moment before lowering her voice further. "Eldest Aunt's brothers have been doing remarkably well in business these past few years, and her dowry investments have been quite profitable... Perhaps that's exactly why—if Eldest Aunt were to insist on dividing the family, sacrificing the pawn to save the rook, the other branches would become collateral lines, but at least some dignity could be preserved."

Grandmother had planned well.

If Eldest Aunt didn't want to be cursed behind her back as "unfilial," she would have to use her dowry money to subsidize the household expenses.

Fu Tingjun sneered inwardly.

Her fifth cousin, as if not satisfied with the chaos, continued, "You might not know this, but Third Sister's mother-in-law passed away two years ago. Now Third Sister manages the household affairs. I vaguely recall my mother mentioning that Grandmother once borrowed silver from Third Sister. Since Third Sister had just taken over the household, she discussed it with Third Brother-in-law and used her own dowry money. Because of this, Second Aunt even sent her personal maid to Third Sister's house... As for how things are at home now, I really wouldn't dare say!"

Fu Tingjun remembered that Third Brother-in-law was a widower surnamed Shen. The two daughters from his previous marriage had both died young, and he was quite wealthy. By the time Third Sister married him, he was already a juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination).

She couldn't help asking, "How is Third Sister doing now?"

"Third Brother-in-law passed the imperial examination last year, ranking thirteenth in the second class. He reported to the Ministry of Personnel, but then his mother passed away, so he's been in mourning at home," Fifth Cousin said with a smile. "Third Brother-in-law is a straightforward man, and he lets Third Sister manage all the household affairs. These past two years, Second Sister has relied heavily on Third Sister's help."

Just as the two were talking, Zhenzhu came to report, "Madam, a lady claiming to be your seventh cousin has come to see you!"