Chapter 227

"Seventh Sister?" Fifth Cousin was taken aback. "She's heard the news too?"

Fu Tingjun smiled at this.

Fifth Cousin had married into Huazhou, not far from Huayin, while Seventh Cousin had married into Wuhe Township in Huayin. Only Third Cousin had married the farthest—the Shen family was in Hancheng County, Tongzhou, north of Huayin, so far that even if the Fu family took a wrong turn, they would never pass by there.

Since Fifth Cousin in Huazhou had already heard the news, how could Seventh Cousin in Huayin not have?

She rose to greet Seventh Cousin.

Fifth Cousin also stood up. "I'll go with you."

The two sisters walked side by side to the hanging flower gate.

A plump, fair-skinned young woman with a round, pleasing figure came toward them.

Seeing Fu Tingjun, she swept in like the wind, grabbed Fu Tingjun's hand, and stood in the middle of the courtyard. Under the bright afternoon sunlight, she scrutinized Fu Tingjun carefully from head to toe.

Distant-mountain brows, lively eyes, jade-like skin... who else could it be but their Ninth Sister?

"You're really still alive?" Before she could finish her sentence, tears were already streaming down her face. "If so, why didn't you send someone to tell me? If Mother hadn't sent her personal maid to deliver winter clothes to our Sansan, wouldn't we sisters have missed each other entirely? I've been worrying about you all this time, and here you are, eating well and dressing well, with nothing wrong at all!" By the end, she was somewhat angry. "Tell me quickly, what exactly is going on?" She looked up and saw Fifth Cousin following behind, and scolded, "Fifth Sister, really—since you came to see Ninth Sister, why didn't you invite me along? Are you afraid I'd go around blabbing?"

"You're already the mother of three children, yet your temper is still as impatient as ever?" Fifth Cousin said with some helplessness. "I only heard rumors from the servants; I couldn't just drag you along rashly. What if I'd mistaken someone? How would we have handled that?"

Meanwhile, Fu Tingjun stared at the ornately dressed, full-figured woman before her, dumbfounded. It took her a moment to recover her senses: "Seventh Sister, you, how did you become like this?"

In her memory, Seventh Cousin was still that lithe, willow-swaying woman.

Seventh Cousin grew somewhat annoyed at this: "Don't even mention it. My mother-in-law insisted I eat more. After each birth I got rounder, and by the time I gave birth to our Sansan, I'd ended up like this..." As she spoke, a hint of envy showed in her eyes as she looked at Fu Tingjun. "How did you manage it? You're even more beautiful than when you were a maiden!" The moment she said this, she wore a regretful expression and grabbed Fu Tingjun's hand. "Don't you do what you used to do—changing the subject and brushing me off when you don't want to tell me something. I won't fall for that trick again. Tell me quickly, what exactly is going on?"

It's you who keeps jumping from one topic to another, yet you're blaming me for brushing you off.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Yet a warmth surged in her heart.

She thought of the days back in the Fu household—days that had seemed so stifling then but now seemed carefree and untroubled...

Her expression softened.

"What does Seventh Sister want to know?" Fu Tingjun asked as she walked with Fifth Cousin and Seventh Cousin into the inner chamber.

"Why didn't you come find me?" Seventh Cousin hit the nail on the head.

Fu Tingjun recounted the whole story again.

Fifth Cousin appeared steady but was actually somewhat impetuous in handling matters, while Seventh Cousin appeared impetuous but was actually very steady in handling matters.

The more she listened, the more solemn her expression became. When Fu Tingjun finished, she didn't press for details but pondered for a long while before speaking quietly: "Does Third Sister know about this?"

"She probably doesn't know yet, right?" Before Fu Tingjun could speak, Fifth Cousin said, "Hancheng is rather remote."

Seventh Cousin then said to Fu Tingjun, "The Shen family is wealthy, and Third Sister brought a large dowry when she married in. She bore two sons in succession, and then Third Brother-in-law passed the imperial examination. Everyone in the Shen family holds Third Sister in high regard. Even Grandmother speaks of her with a smile, not to mention Eldest Sister and the others. Now that you've come back, you should let Third Sister know."

Her meaning was that among the sisters, Third Cousin was now the most well-off, and if Third Cousin stepped in on her behalf, the Fu family would have no choice but to take the matter seriously.

Fu Tingjun was momentarily stunned and said, "Does Seventh Sister have nothing else to ask me?"

Seventh Cousin smiled gently and said, "We sisters grew up together. Don't we know what kind of person you are? Why would we need to ask?"

"Seventh Sister!" Tears welled up in Fu Tingjun's eyes.

"Alright, alright," Seventh Cousin said with a laugh. "Now is not the time for shedding golden beans. Your most urgent task now is to find a way to get Third Sister to step in... With Third Sister as the intermediary, even if you can't be reinstated into the family register, you can at least maintain relations with the Fu family as relatives..."

No wonder Seventh Cousin had stopped pressing for details.

In her view, what was past was past. What mattered now was how to regain the Fu family's protection.

"What I mean is to send word to all our sisters," Fifth Cousin said upon hearing this. "Tenth Sister's marriage into the Jian family isn't bad either—their clan uncle is now a Supervising Secretary in the capital, and they say even the Provincial Administration Commissioner has to show their family some respect."

"This isn't a matter of strength in numbers." Seventh Cousin clearly disagreed. "Tenth Sister belongs to the Third Branch, and Third Aunt has always been a smooth operator—like mother, like daughter. She may not want to get involved in this."

Seventh Cousin was the eldest legitimate daughter of Sixth Madam of the Fu family.

Fifth Cousin's face flushed red with displeasure. "By your reasoning, since I'm from the Fourth Branch and my mother has never gotten along with Fifth Aunt, then I shouldn't be involved either?"

Seventh Cousin frowned. "That's not what I meant..."

"Let me say something, both of you," Fu Tingjun interjected hurriedly, seeing them argue over her affairs. "I have no intention of returning to Huayin!"

Both Fifth Cousin and Seventh Cousin stared at Fu Tingjun in surprise.

Fu Tingjun nodded gently and said seriously, "I don't wish to discuss the rights and wrongs of our elders any further. I will not pursue the Fu family's transgressions, nor will I stir up trouble to bring misfortune upon them. I'll preserve the family's dignity—that repays my debt of gratitude for their raising me. I don't want any more entanglements with the Fu family." She sighed and added, "If Fifth Sister hadn't come looking for me this time, I wouldn't have planned to meet with any of my sisters... But since everyone now knows I've returned, I suppose I should play host and gather the sisters for a get-together. Yet that's only out of regard for our former sisterly bond—it has nothing to do with the Fu family!"

Fifth Cousin nodded thoughtfully.

Seventh Cousin, however, spoke urgently. "Ninth Sister, do you know what you're saying?"

"I do." Fu Tingjun smiled. "Everyone in the capital knows that my parents have both passed away, that I have no elders, and that the Grand Empress Dowager arranged my marriage to Zhao Ling!"

Seventh Cousin was struck speechless.

"Very well then!" Fifth Cousin said softly. "Even the realm under heaven long divides and reunites in turn—let alone us ordinary mortals. Since Ninth Sister doesn't wish to speak of the past, let's simply treat it as if we've made the acquaintance of a new sister. I still hold to my original idea: send word to all the sisters. Those who wish to come may come; those who have reservations, we won't force."

Seventh Cousin remained silent.

The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat heavy.

Fifth Cousin smiled at the sight and said, "Quanhui, this is your gathering—how can you be lazy? I've helped you decide on the guests; surely you can at least pick a date!"

Fu Tingjun knew Fifth Cousin was helping her change the subject, so she smiled and instructed Yuwei: "Go fetch the almanac." She and Fifth Cousin huddled together chattering for quite a while before settling on the second day of the tenth month.

Fifth Cousin laughed. "...Even if Third Cousin only receives word then, she'll still have time to make the journey." She then turned to ask Seventh Cousin, who had remained silent throughout, "What do you think, Sister?"

But Seventh Cousin answered Fu Tingjun instead, ignoring the question. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"

A woman without her natal family to fall back on has no one to stand up for her when she's bullied.

Fu Tingjun nodded and smiled. "I've already discussed this matter with my husband."

Seventh Cousin had nothing more to say.

Fu Tingjun beamed at her.

That smile was radiant as summer sunlight—warm and utterly fearless.

Seventh Cousin suddenly felt at peace.

They had all grown up now. Each had her own path to walk.

Take herself, for instance—she'd never dreamed she'd one day be as plump as Sixth Sister.

As long as they could all live safely and soundly, that was blessing enough.

At this thought, she laughed aloud. "If Third Sister dares not to come, I'll go all the way to Hancheng and drag her back myself!" Her voice brimmed with confidence, tinged with an unapologetic intimacy.

Fu Tingjun was somewhat surprised.

From Fifth Sister's tone, Third Sister had married so well that even Grandmother had to yield to her somewhat. Yet Seventh Sister's words carried a flavor of standing on equal footing with Third Sister... Could it be that Seventh Sister had also married very well?

She recalled that Seventh Sister had married the cousin-nephew of her own maternal aunt—surname Bai. When the match was being arranged, Bai's paternal uncle was already a provincial graduate, and Bai had been studying under this uncle, having already passed both the county and prefectural examinations.

Fifth Cousin seemed to perceive her confusion and explained with a smile: "Bai passed the provincial examination the year before last. His uncle placed in the second tier of the jiaxu year examination, and since no Hanlin scholars were selected that year, Uncle Bai was posted as assistant magistrate of Yichun County. This spring, he was just promoted to magistrate."

Seventh Cousin's husband's uncle was actually in the same examination cohort as Yu Jingxiu!

What a small world.

Fu Tingjun felt a wave of emotion at this realization.

But Seventh Cousin mistook her reaction for lamenting the vicissitudes of fate and laughed. "When spring comes next year, your brother-in-law plans to study at the Imperial Academy. I may have to ask Ninth Sister to look after him a bit."

Fu Tingjun found this somewhat abrupt.

Fifth Master Fu was in the capital.

And she remembered that Seventh Cousin's maternal uncle, Shu Ming, had been quite accomplished in his studies back in the day.

She couldn't help but ask, "How are Uncle Shu and his family doing?"

Seventh Cousin smiled bitterly. "Uncle is now serving as the county magistrate of Meng County!"

When she had been at home, Shu Ming had not yet passed the imperial examination.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but say, "Was Uncle Shu also in the same class as the Jiachen year graduates?"

"He was in the same class as Third Sister's husband."

That was probably one of the reasons Seventh Sister dared to "drag" Third Sister out!

Fu Tingjun smiled quietly.

Seventh Cousin explained in a roundabout way why she didn't stay at Fifth Master Fu's residence: "Fifth Uncle's household has too many rules. I'm afraid your brother-in-law might upset Fifth Uncle!"

Fu Tingjun thought of her brother, who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, and understood somewhat. She smiled and said, "I wouldn't presume to say I'm looking after you. I've been settled in the capital for a few years now and know most of the places. If Brother-in-law doesn't mind, the guest room in the south wing of my house is still vacant. Why not stay at my place? If you need to go anywhere, just have the servants attend to you—no need to ask for directions."