Chapter 160: Resignation
Using stolen property as an excuse, Zheng San quickly enlisted the help of several freelance gangs who had long been entrenched around Tanzhe Temple to search for Zuo Junjie.
As the sun set behind the western hills, with no news of Zuo Junjie, Fu Tingyun and her party would soon be late returning to the city.
Disappointed, Fu Tingyun instructed Zheng San, "Aside from the agreed-upon reward, give them an extra twenty taels of silver. Tell them that although the items stolen by the beggar aren’t valuable, they were gifts from my late mother and hold great sentimental value to me. Ask them to keep an eye out—if they can help us find that beggar, there’s an additional fifty taels of silver as thanks."
Zheng San acknowledged and left.
Yu Wei was unwilling to give up. But seeing Fu Tingyun’s protruding belly, she bit her lip and said, "Madam, perhaps I should stay behind to continue the search..."
"No! It’s too dangerous," Fu Tingyun rejected without hesitation. "We’ll return first and discuss it with Ninth Master before deciding anything further."
Though Yu Wei complied, her expression darkened.
Zheng San lifted the carriage curtain.
"Madam, thanks to your extra twenty taels," he said with visible delight, "those freelance gangs told me the beggar who stole the items came from Tongzhou half a year ago and has been staying in a rundown house near Tanzhe Temple, in a place controlled by someone called Lu A-Shu. They’ll go notify Lu A-Shu and demand he hand the man over within three days... They told us to rest assured and wait at home for their news."
"Truly, every snake has its path, and every rat its tunnel," Fu Tingyun smiled with satisfaction. "Keep a close eye on this matter—we must find that beggar." Her expression gradually turned cold. "Spend whatever is necessary. Don’t hold back—just come to me for the funds."
Zheng San acknowledged and went to negotiate further with the group before driving the carriage back to the city.
"Head to Four Happiness Alley," Fu Tingyun instructed Zheng San.
Zheng San paused briefly before turning the carriage toward Four Happiness Alley.
Inside the carriage, Yu Wei looked at Fu Tingyun in surprise. "Madam, are you planning to..."
"I want to tell my father about Zuo Junjie begging at Tanzhe Temple..." Fu Tingyun’s expression gradually grew solemn.
And then?
Would Wu Laoye happily assist Madam in finding Zuo Junjie? Or would he scold her for stirring up trouble, turning a settled matter into chaos once more?
Yu Wei watched Fu Tingyun quietly, waiting for her to continue, only to see her press her lips tightly together before turning her face toward the carriage window.
Her calm gaze and indifferent demeanor... at this moment, carried an inexplicable eeriness.
Like the stillness before a storm, there was a palpable tension—a sense of impending upheaval.
Yu Wei couldn’t help but shiver.
For the first time, she wondered if her relentless pursuit of the truth about the past might also be harming Madam.
In silence, they soon arrived at Four Happiness Alley.
The aroma of meals wafted from every household—it was dinnertime.
When the servant announced "Madam Zhao" had arrived, Master Fu the Fifth pretended not to hear and handed his bowl to his daughter-in-law. "Another serving, please."
Madam Fu snapped out of her daze. "Oh," she responded hastily, taking the bowl to refill it.
Fu Tinggui, however, glared fiercely at his wife and scolded in a low voice, "Acting so flustered—what kind of behavior is this?"Madam Fu, full of grievances, said with tears in her eyes, "It was my fault," and handed the bowl to Master Fu the Fifth with both hands.
Master Fu the Fifth took the bowl, picked up a piece of chicken, and ate it with rice, chewing slowly before giving a faint smile. "Hmm, this dish is quite well-made," he remarked with satisfaction as he continued his meal.
But the young lady was still waiting outside!
Should she invite her in or not?
Madam Fu felt as if sitting on pins and needles.
The servant who had come to deliver the message stood awkwardly, unsure whether to advance or retreat, casting pleading glances at Madam Fu.
She could only offer a bitter smile.
Then, Fu Tingyun's voice rang in her ears: "Is everyone having dinner?"
Master Fu the Fifth paused mid-air with his chopsticks, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Fu Tinggui, on the other hand, jumped up in panic and shouted, "What are you doing here?" The chair behind him toppled over unexpectedly with a loud clatter, adding a touch of disarray to his already feeble outburst.
Madam Fu, greatly relieved, gave Fu Tingyun a warm smile and hurriedly poured her a cup of tea. Yet she dared not address her as "young lady," merely mumbling a few indistinct words before saying, "Please have some tea."
With a loud "smack!" Master Fu the Fifth slammed his chopsticks onto the table, causing the dishes and bowls to clatter noisily.
Before he could begin his reprimand, Fu Tingyun smiled at Madam Fu and said, "Thank you," accepting the teacup.
"Today, while offering incense at Tanzhe Temple, I not only encountered Madam Yu and her daughter-in-law," she said, her gaze fixed firmly on her father seated at the head of the table, "but I also ran into Zuo Junjie!"
"What did you say?" Master Fu the Fifth stared at Fu Tingyun in shock, his face instantly turning pale, his lips trembling uncontrollably. "You—you said you met Madam Yu and Zuo Junjie?"
"Indeed!" Fu Tingyun took two steps forward, locking eyes with her father. "I not only met Madam Yu but also Zuo Junjie!"
A flicker of fear crossed Master Fu the Fifth's handsome face. "Did Madam Yu recognize you? What did you say?" His tone carried unmistakable urgency.
"I avoided Madam Yu," Fu Tingyun replied, her gaze unwavering. "She didn’t see me." She noticed her father exhale deeply, his expression easing slightly. "Zuo Junjie was begging near Tanzhe Temple. When he saw me, he bolted like a startled rabbit. Yu Wei chased him for a long time but couldn’t catch him... Zhao Ling is on duty at the palace today, so I had no one to consult. But if we delay any longer, Zuo Junjie might escape. I’d like to ask Father to help capture him—there are things that need to be said clearly, face to face."
"I understand." This time, Master Fu the Fifth neither dismissed her nor ignored her. Instead, his expression turned grave as he said, "I will handle this matter. You need not involve yourself further to avoid stirring up unnecessary trouble. As for Madam Yu..." He paused in thought. "If she asks, tell her that during the chaos in Huayin, you were separated from your family. They assumed you had died and reported it to us, so we held a funeral in your name, declaring you deceased from illness..."
Yu Wei listened, tears welling up uncontrollably in her eyes.Master Wu finally agreed to help the mistress... Once Zuo Junjie is captured and the mistress's innocence is proven, Master Wu will surely reconcile with her. Then the family can be reunited, and Madam won't have to quarrel with Master Wu all the time...
The more she thought about it, the happier she became, and she couldn't help but glance at Fu Tingyun.
Yet she saw Fu Tingyun's face as still as water, without a trace of joy!
She was taken aback.
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Upon returning home, Anxin was pacing anxiously in the front courtyard.
Seeing Yu Wei supporting Fu Tingyun as she entered, his spirits lifted, and his face brightened noticeably.
"Mistress, at the hour of You, Ninth Master sent someone to ask if you had returned safely from Tanzhe Temple," Anxin stepped forward to greet Fu Tingyun. "When you hadn't returned, he sent someone to inquire every half hour. There have been four rounds of messengers already. If you hadn't come back, I would have had to go out of the city to look for you." As he spoke, someone called from outside the gate, "Brother Anxin, has the mistress returned?"
Anxin glanced at Fu Tingyun and hurriedly responded before quickly returning: "It's someone sent by Ninth Master, asking if you've returned. They were relieved to hear you're back—Ninth Master was extremely worried. If you hadn't returned, he was going to ask Lord Mo, who's off duty today, to look for you. He also said that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau predicts heavy rain in the coming days, and the weather will turn cold. He asked you to have Zheng San check all the doors and windows at home and reminded you to add layers to avoid catching a chill."
Fu Tingyun smiled and acknowledged the message before entering the inner courtyard with Yu Wei.
That night, unable to sleep, she called for Zhenzhu to light a lamp and reclined on the kang, playing out strategies with a chessboard.
Yu Wei, seeing the light, knocked on the door.
"Let me keep you company, Mistress," she said, wrapping herself in a light robe and sitting opposite Fu Tingyun.
The mid-spring nights in the capital still carried a chill.
After a moment's thought, Fu Tingyun instructed Zhenzhu to fetch a thin quilt for Yu Wei. "You may retire. Yu Wei will stay with me."
Zhenzhu smiled, curtsied in agreement, and withdrew.
Yu Wei then asked Fu Tingyun, "Mistress, hasn't Master Wu already agreed to help us? Why do you seem unhappy instead?"
Fu Tingyun toyed with a chess piece in silence before finally speaking softly, "Did you notice that when Master Wu heard we encountered both Madam Yu and Zuo Junjie, logically, whether for the Fu family's reputation or to clear my name, he should have been more concerned about Zuo Junjie. Yet, quite the opposite, his first reaction was to ask about Madam Yu and even instructed me on how to explain if we met her again... Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
She no longer referred to Master Fu the Fifth as "Father," as before, but as "Master Wu"—a term of respect from a junior to a senior!
Yu Wei's heart skipped a beat. "Master Wu must not have expected us to meet Madam Yu. It was just a surprise, so..."
Fu Tingyun shook her head, cutting her off. "Madam Yu once sent someone to visit Mother, and we both live in the capital. The chance of meeting her isn't small. If anything, the real surprise should have been encountering Zuo Junjie, shouldn't it?"
Yu Wei fell silent.Fu Tingyun continued, "The master actually wants me to claim that I became separated from my family when Migrant Bandits appeared in Huayin, which is why my family held a funeral in my name as if I had died of illness. Doesn't this directly align with the rumors circulating in Huayin City about me being abducted by bandits and losing my virtue? Where does this leave Ninth Master? Where does this leave me? How could I possibly hold my head up and live confidently in this world? Is this really consideration for my feelings?"
"Madam..." A child should not speak of a parent's faults. Yu Wei gazed at Fu Tingyun in fear.
Fu Tingyun suddenly laughed, her smile weak and pale. "Yu Wei, I want to ask you—when you've been urging me to reconcile with the master all this time, were those truly your sincere words?"
Yu Wei very much wanted to say they were sincere, but as the words reached her lips and she saw the sorrow flickering in Fu Tingyun's eyes, her heart ached unbearably. Those dishonest words simply wouldn't come out.
"From now on, don't try to persuade me anymore," Fu Tingyun said with a smile. "And don't try to persuade yourself either."
Tears streamed down Yu Wei's face.
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Dear sisters and brothers, my apologies—I originally intended to take a two-hour nap at noon, but when I woke up, it was already 5 PM... Then tragedy struck... That's why the update is so late... I'll make it up with an extra chapter tomorrow at noon... runs away covering head
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(End of Chapter)
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