Chapter 93

Madam Wang seemed about to speak but hesitated.

With Fu Tingjun still by her side, this topic was truly not suitable for further discussion.

With this thought, she looked toward Fu Tingjun, only to see her staring blankly in the direction where the two men had disappeared.

Such matters must have been far too shocking for Fu Tingjun!

Madam Wang thought this and softly called out, "Miss Fu."

Fu Tingjun snapped back to attention.

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Let's hurry inside! After all that commotion they caused, the house is probably in a complete mess by now."

Fu Tingjun thought of A Sen and Linchun, who were still hiding in the wardrobe, and quickly replied, "Yes," then asked Madam Qi to help invite Daoist Shanning from Seven Star Temple to come perform a ritual at the house tomorrow: "...After what has happened, I still have to deal with the authorities, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get away!"

Madam Qi was always enthusiastic about such matters. She immediately thumped her chest: "Don't worry, leave this to me. Other people charge at least five taels of silver for a ritual, but I'll go bargain for you—four taels at most and it'll be done!"

"Then I thank Madam Qi very much." Fu Tingjun expressed her gratitude sincerely.

Although Madam Qi was fond of talking, she also had a warm and enthusiastic side.

When Fu Tingjun returned home, Zheng San immediately closed the door.

Madam Qi and the neighbors, however, remained in the alley discussing what had just happened.

The main hall was no longer suitable for receiving Madam Wang, so Fu Tingjun invited her to sit in A Sen's room instead. She herself quickly stepped into the inner chamber, calling A Sen's name as she opened the wardrobe on the kang.

"You're back!" A Sen, who had been stifled in there, gasped for air and shouted happily.

Linchun in his arms mimicked A Sen's tone: "You're back!"

This delighted Fu Tingjun so much that she hugged Linchun and kissed her: "Good Linchun, you were so well-behaved, not making a sound hiding in the wardrobe. Tomorrow I'll have your father go to the street and buy you some candy."

Linchun giggled.

A Sen put on a shameless grin: "I was well-behaved too. I want candy as well."

Fu Tingjun gave a half-smiling "hmph."

A Sen felt guilty and laughed sheepishly. Looking up and seeing Madam Wang, he jumped off the kang as if seeking refuge and ran to her side, calling out "Madam" and offering a bow.

Everyone loves a child who is close to them.

Madam Wang nodded with a smile and rewarded A Sen with a four-fen silver ingot bearing the inscription "Top Scholar": "Here, use this to buy yourself some candy!"

"It's neither New Year nor a festival—you're too kind." Fu Tingjun tried to stop it, and A Sen didn't dare accept either.

"Take it!" Madam Wang gave it sincerely. "You listened to my words, and in times of danger you thought of me—we're like family now, so don't be shy." She said, then laughed, "And you don't need to save money on my account. When I married, my dowry was considerable. It's just that a wife follows her husband's fate—your Lord Wang's salary isn't much, so I can't be too extravagant. Just take it, no need to economize for me."

Accepting another's sincerity appropriately is also a form of respect.

Fu Tingjun smiled and gestured for A Sen to take it, then thanked Madam Wang on his behalf.

Zheng Sanniang served tea.

Noticing some scrapes on her palm, Fu Tingjun chided, "Didn't I tell you to stay home? Why did you run out as well?"

According to her original instructions, after Zheng San had dealt with the others, Zheng Sanniang was to hide in the wardrobe with Linchun and A Sen until dawn.

"I thought—since you had our head of household say that you were spending the night at Madam Wang's place—it would seem strange if you had no attendant by your side." Zheng Sanniang murmured. "I, I won't do it again next time. I'll definitely follow your instructions!"

Madam Wang interjected, "Sanniang was being loyal. Miss Fu need not be too harsh."

Fu Tingjun could only shake her head with a smile.

After Zheng Sanniang had hidden in A Sen's room, she had a sudden idea—she had A Sen help her climb over the wall, then hid by the great stone lion in front of the General's residence. When Fu Tingjun came out, she had followed the sedan chair back.

"Are there any other injuries?" Fu Tingjun asked her softly.

"No, no." Zheng Sanniang laughed. "A Sen tied a sash to the bench and wedged the bench against the window frame. I climbed down along the sash, but when I landed, I didn't steady my feet and scraped my hand on the wall."

Hearing this, Madam Wang laughed: "Miss Fu, I truly never expected you to have such boldness—to deal with Feng Dahu yourself without even waiting for Banner-bearer Zhao to return!" By the end, her words had turned into admiration.

"You flatter me, Madam." Fu Tingjun was also a little moved. "I simply understand that no matter when, the only person one can rely on is oneself."

"Exactly right!" Madam Wang nodded, approval already showing in her eyes. "Take this matter for instance—the Feng siblings are so brazen. Even if you stayed at my residence, Concubine Feng would still scheme against you by every possible means. We're in the open while they're in the shadows; it's impossible to guard against every move. If she succeeded in her schemes, regret would come too late. Better to take the initiative and set a trap, even using gold and silver as bait to lure Feng Dahu in, so he can never make a move against you again." She smiled as she spoke. "However, I didn't expect that you would dare to scheme against even me."

Fu Tingjun's face flushed red. "I beg your forgiveness, madam. The truth is, I had no certainty that Feng Dahu would take the bait, so I had no choice but to keep even you in the dark. But I also knew that you are every bit as capable as any man, and would surely rescue me from danger—that's the only reason I dared to act so boldly. Whatever blame you lay on me is deserved; I only ask that you not hold it against me. I regard you as an elder..."

"Enough, enough!" Madam Wang laughed, interrupting Fu Tingjun. "If I truly held it against you, I wouldn't have accompanied you on this journey." Then, curiosity coloring her voice, she asked, "How did you know that someone would inquire about your whereabouts through my personal attendant?" Her face was full of curiosity.

Fu Tingjun said sheepishly, "There's no special trick to it. I simply observed how Deputy General Liu indulged Madam Feng, and thought that she would never let the matter rest. To scheme against me, she would first need to know my whereabouts. Since I was staying at your residence, she wouldn't dare ask you about me directly, so she would surely try to find out through your personal attendant. I deliberately instructed the attendant that if anyone asked, she should say I had hidden silver at home and was worried about it, so I had gone back. Anyone hearing that would find it perfectly reasonable."

Madam Wang nodded repeatedly. "Wouldn't this be what Sun Tzu's Art of War calls 'know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles'!"

"Madam, if you keep teasing me like this, I'll have to find a hole to crawl into," Fu Tingjun said, blushing with embarrassment.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you." As Madam Wang spoke, her smile gradually faded. "When Feng Dahu slipped into your room, you were hiding in the west chamber. What if those two dogs had gone mad and bitten you too? What would you have done? You ran out through the main room while the dogs were occupied with Feng Dahu—but if Zheng San hadn't dealt with Feng Dahu's accomplices in time, and they saw you run out and raised an alarm, exposing your whereabouts, what then? If the neighbors heard the commotion and came to gather outside your door, and you ran straight into them, what would you have done? The general's residence enforces a curfew—if you waited outside until dawn to come find me, and the guards refused to let you in, what then? If someone had spotted you, what would you have done?" She spoke with growing seriousness. "Miss Fu, this matter was like walking along the edge of a cliff—one careless step and you'd be dashed to pieces. Have you considered: if something had happened to you, how would Banner-bearer Zhao have felt?"

Those two dogs—she had bought them while planning the whole affair, and they had been starved for days. When she hid in the west chamber, she had been terrified too... When she slipped into the general's residence disguised as a woman, one lift of her veil would have exposed her—in that moment, she had been tense beyond words... She never wanted to experience such things again.

But if she hadn't done it, what would have been waiting for her instead?

Weighing the two options, if she ever faced such a situation again, she would probably still take the risk, still gamble on it.

Fu Tingjun lowered her head and said nothing.

Madam Wang looked at her and let out a long sigh.

"Miss Fu, what am I to say to you!" Her voice carried a hint of amusement. "What I mean is, besides relying on yourself, you must also learn to trust others. If you ever encounter such a situation again, remember to discuss it with me. I believe that with my help, you wouldn't have to wander outside the general's residence alone until dawn!"

"Madam Wang!" Fu Tingjun looked up in surprise, her dark eyes sparkling like morning stars—bright and radiant.

Madam Wang smiled and patted her hand. "Do you remember?"

A brilliant smile slowly spread across Fu Tingjun's lips. "I'll remember. From now on, if anything happens, I'll discuss it with you."

Madam Wang nodded with satisfaction, then smiled and called to her personal attendant. "Li Niang, take a bottle of the wound-healing ointment from my trunk and deliver it to Deputy General Liu. Tell him that in Banner-bearer Zhao's household, apart from one man who helps with odd jobs, the rest are children and womenfolk, so they'd gotten some dogs to keep watch at night. Last night, a thief came calling and was bitten by the dogs. Miss Fu, having been invited by me to stay at my residence, received word this morning and we went together to the back street, only to discover that the one bitten by the dogs was none other than Young Master Feng. This wound-healing ointment of mine is a family recipe, famous throughout all of Fujian. Let him try it on Young Master Feng—if it works well, I'll send word to Fujian to have several more bottles brought over."

Everyone was stunned.

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Silly child, if Feng Dahu were to die, it would be a case of mutual destruction. Madam Feng would stop at nothing—she'd overturn boards and kick over beds, doing anything imaginable. You are fine porcelain, while she is but a clay jar. Why should we stoop to her level? Let's find a way to save Feng Dahu. First, to keep her brother alive, she'll surely quiet down for a while. We can use this opportunity to send word to the Marquis of Yingchuan. Once he learns of this, he will surely seek justice for us. Only then will the true danger be eliminated. Second, she takes my medicine every day, knowing full well she's suffered this loss for nothing and must endure it in silence. Whenever she thinks of it, given her temperament, her heart will surely bleed. And if her heart bleeds, I think we'll find some satisfaction in watching. Third, I just took a look at Feng Dahu—the state he's in. I think it's better to keep him alive. At least, others will look at him and remember why he ended up this way, and he himself will look at his own reflection and recall how he came to be in this condition... Isn't that even better?"

Fu Tingjun was dumbfounded.

Madam Wang looked at her with a beaming smile.

"The older the ginger, the spicier it is!" Fu Tingjun finally murmured after a long pause.

Madam Wang laughed behind her sleeve. "You flatter me, you flatter me."

"I'm just wondering—how effective is Madam Wang's wound-healing ointment, exactly?"

"Rest assured, rest assured," Madam Wang said. "There was once a man whose leg was bitten off by a fish in the sea, and it was only thanks to our family's wound-healing ointment that the wound scabbed over. However, after the scab fell off, the wound looked absolutely revolting!" With that, she burst into hearty laughter.