Chapter 192: The Blue Bird
Madam Wu settled Miss Wu in the back room of her own residence, assigning her wet nurse to teach the girl etiquette. She also sent one of her personal maids to attend to Miss Wu and purchased two young maids to train under the senior maid, so they could accompany Miss Wu to the Yu Family in the future.
Miss Wu wasn’t entirely willing and approached her lessons half-heartedly.
Madam Wu noticed this and grew anxious, frequently advising her: "The Yu Family’s young master is not only a Presented Scholar but also young and handsome. Though you’ll be a concubine, Madam Yu is only in her fifties and in good health. If you bear the eldest son, she will surely help raise him until adulthood. What is there to worry about?"
But in the end, she would still have to bow and scrape before others.
Miss Wu muttered to herself, thinking that since things had come to this, refusing would leave her father and younger sister without support in the clan… She might as well consider herself dead, trading her life for her father and sister’s well-being. With this thought, her mood shifted, and she pleaded with Madam Wu: "If anyone from the family asks, just say I died of illness."
Madam Wu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then nodded gently.
Miss Wu sighed in relief and began earnestly learning etiquette under Madam Wu’s wet nurse.
Madam Wu then hired someone to make seasonal clothes for Miss Wu at home. However, considering that her own storeroom held only the finest goods—and Miss Wu was to be a concubine—she couldn’t let her dress like a proper wife, could she?
When she sent word to the tailor to come and take measurements, she also requested they bring a few bolts of the latest fashionable fabrics from the capital.
The tailor’s shop was well-known in the capital, located in the nearby Chunshu Alley, where households from the surrounding lanes often commissioned their work. Since they frequently entered inner courtyards and served high-status clients, the tailor’s wife personally came to take measurements.
As she measured Miss Wu, she praised her beauty: "...One look and I can tell she’s a relative of Madam’s!"
"You’re mistaken there," Madam Wu laughed, pleased by the flattery—especially since Miss Wu was indeed beautiful. "This is my husband’s niece."
"Oh!" the tailor’s wife exclaimed, smiling. "No wonder all the young masters and ladies of your household are so handsome—they take after Lord Wu." She then studied Madam Wu closely. "It’s clear that you and Lord Wu are a match made in heaven, sharing a resemblance as husband and wife."
The flattery delighted Madam Wu.
Seizing the cheerful atmosphere, the tailor’s wife brought out a bolt of peach-red Hangzhou silk embroidered with delicate yellow flowers and butterflies. "What do you think of this one? It’s this year’s new design from the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. The wife of Lord Zhao next door had a jacket made for their eldest daughter in this fabric, and it looked absolutely stunning."
Madam Wu admired the vibrant peach-red and soft yellow hues, already inclined toward the fabric. Hearing that Zhao Ling’s daughter had also worn it further convinced her.
The Housekeeper serving nearby smiled and asked, "Such fine colors—how much does a bolt cost?"
The tailor’s wife replied smoothly, "For other households, it would naturally be expensive. But for your esteemed residence, nothing is too costly. It’s only twelve taels per bolt."
So expensive!
A flicker of hesitation crossed Madam Wu’s brow.The attendant housekeeper was quick-witted and immediately said, "It is good, but our young lady needs to wear it to meet guests. Madam Yu is famously fond of simplicity and elegance. Madam, I think it might be better to set this aside for now. If we can't find anything more suitable, we can reconsider later."
Madam Wu pretended to nod thoughtfully and had the tailor's wife put it aside.
The tailor's wife was sharp-eyed and knew Madam Wu was reluctant to spend. Without showing it, she brought out slightly inferior fabrics. Madam Wu picked the more modest ones to make a few outfits for her daughter and paid the deposit. As the tailor's wife packed up, she smiled and said, "Would the young lady like a few pairs of socks made from Songjiang cloth? Next door, Madam Zhao had some small garments made for their eldest son, and there's a bit of leftover fabric. If the young lady would like a few pairs of socks, I can make them and deliver them together as a token of my appreciation to Madam."
In other words, they would be free.
Madam Wu, feeling embarrassed, replied with a smile, "We do need a few pairs of socks, but there's no need for you to give them for free. Just add the market price to the labor cost."
The tailor's wife effusively thanked her, and in the end, Madam Wu reluctantly accepted the socks after failing to refuse.
After they left, the young lady quietly asked her attendant, "What does the Zhao family next door do?"
The attendant smiled and replied, "Lord Zhao is a regional commander. His parents are no longer around, and their household is managed by Madam Zhao." She added with a sigh, "Their eldest daughter is only three years old, and their eldest son is just six months old!"
The young lady couldn't help but marvel.
She thought to herself that her own younger sister was already thirteen and had never worn a new outfit, while the Zhao children, still too young to understand, were dressed in fabric costing twelve taels per bolt. Truly, fate treats people differently...
Meanwhile, Madam Wu also remarked with a smile, "Who would have thought Madam Zhao would be so generous?"
The housekeeper chuckled, "After all, they are the eldest son and daughter. And I’ve heard Lord Zhao is skilled in managing affairs—he amassed a considerable fortune back when he was in Shaanxi."
Madam Wu pondered for a moment and said, "For this year’s New Year gifts, let’s add another ten taels... no, twenty taels to the Zhao family’s portion!"
The housekeeper acknowledged with a smile.
Meanwhile, Fu Tingyun was worrying about money: "...Eight thousand taels, all at once, not a single tael less?"
Yu Wei nodded with a bitter smile. "The broker is waiting outside. He said if funds are tight, there are a couple of other estates for sale. They’re about ten acres smaller and separated from the Yuming Mountain by a few other properties. Unlike this one, which directly faces the mountain."
Fu Tingyun carefully recalled her visit to the estate. "That won’t do. With other estates in between, the cool summer breezes won’t reach us, and the whole point of buying it would be lost. In that case, tell the broker the price is too high and we can’t gather the funds right now. Ask him to keep looking for another estate—smaller is fine, but it must be closer to Yuming Mountain."
Yu Wei hesitated. "Madam, perhaps we could use the funds meant for Xi’an..."
Fu Tingyun shook her head. "That money is for A Sen’s land purchase. Winter is approaching, and this is the season when people sell land. That’s the priority. If we can’t find a suitable estate this year, we can always buy one next year."
Yu Wei said nothing more and went to relay the message to the broker in the outer courtyard.Fu Tingyun began calculating their finances in her mind.
Zhao Ling had brought back five to six thousand taels of silver over the past year, all of which she had saved. Combined with their existing savings, they now had around eight to nine thousand taels. Two thousand taels had been sent to Xi'an to help A Sen purchase some land, leaving them with six thousand taels... Jin Yuanbao's wedding was scheduled for the twelfth of March next year, which would require another sum. She also contemplated buying an estate or a shop near the capital. It seemed that acquiring a satisfactory villa would have to wait another year.
With that thought, she set aside the idea of purchasing a villa and instead weighed the potential returns of investing in an estate versus a shop... Both could generate income, but estates relied heavily on weather conditions. Even in good years, the most they could expect was smooth rent collection, while poor harvests might necessitate providing seeds to help tenants survive. Shops offered more stable returns but required larger initial investments, taking a decade or two to recoup costs... Perhaps the best option was to start a small business using their own shop... When Yu Wei returned with the broker's report, she instructed her, "Inform the outer courtyard that if Uncle Jin comes, he should be brought to the main hall. I have matters to discuss with him."
Yu Wei acknowledged but hesitated slightly.
Fu Tingyun noticed and asked, "What's the matter?"
Yu Wei remained silent.
Fu Tingyun led her to the inner chamber's side room to speak privately.
Yu Wei whispered, "This year, the person delivering silver to Wu Laoye is a cousin of Yi Tong's. He sent word that Yi Tong entrusted him with something for me and asked to meet at a restaurant called 'Zeng Ji' outside Xizhimen Gate... What do you think...?"
"Yi Tong is very reliable. If her cousin doesn’t wish to come here, it’s either to avoid trouble—pretending not to know I’m alive, feigning ignorance—or to avoid being noticed visiting us, making it harder to explain if questioned by the Fu family. Regardless, since he’s arranged a meeting, you should go," Fu Tingyun said. "I’ll speak to Zheng San. He’ll know what to do."
Relieved, Yu Wei smiled. "I also thought it best to meet. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Fu Tingyun laughed heartily. "It’s just a restaurant. If we ever return to the Fu family in Huayin, that would be the real lion’s den!"
Yu Wei lifted her chin proudly. "I’ll always follow you, madam. Wherever you go, I go."
After exchanging a few lighthearted remarks, Fu Tingyun sent Zhenzhu to relay the message to Zheng San. The next day, Yu Wei rode in Zheng San’s carriage to Xizhimen.
They returned by noon.
Yu Wei’s face was deathly pale.
Fu Tingyun handed Xi’ge to the nursemaid, left her half-finished meal, and hurried with Yu Wei to the inner chamber’s side room.
Before she could speak, Yu Wei blurted out, "The young madam is gone!"
Fu Tingyun’s mind buzzed, her heart suddenly hollow. Her lips trembled, and for a long moment, she couldn’t find words.Yu Wei said solemnly, "Following your instructions, Sister Yi Tong did her best to pass on any information the First Young Mistress wanted to inquire about to her attendants. During the New Year, when the First Elder returned to the ancestral home to pay respects to the ancestors, the First Young Mistress begged him to help find Zuo Junjie. Not only was she scolded harshly by the First Elder, but she was also reprimanded by the Dowager.
"At the time, the First Young Mistress said nothing. But during the Dragon Boat Festival ancestral rites, she made a scene in front of the entire clan, declaring that since the heir had already taken a wife, she had done her duty to the Fu family ancestors. She begged the elderly matriarchs to grant her permission to retire to the Azure Cloud Temple for spiritual practice.
"Everyone was stunned.
"The matriarch of the sixth branch asked the First Young Mistress what was wrong, but she refused to explain, only weeping and pleading for the matriarch's mercy, asking to be allowed to go to the Azure Cloud Temple in recognition of her years of widowhood in the Fu household. The Dowager turned livid with anger. The other elderly ladies, seeing this, dared not speak further, and the Dragon Boat Festival ancestral rites ended in discord.
"Afterwards, the Dowager and the First Madam took the First Young Mistress to the main hall and demanded she explain herself. The First Young Mistress revealed she had received news that Zuo Junjie was in the hands of Young Master Yu Jingxiu of the Yu Family in the capital. She claimed your entire ordeal stemmed from Young Master Yu looking down on the Fu family and scheming to break off the engagement by luring Zuo Junjie into wrongdoing. Now that you were still alive, she begged the First Elder to arrange a confrontation between Zuo Junjie and you in the ancestral hall to clear both your names.
"The Dowager fainted from rage.
"The First Madam had the First Young Mistress forcibly taken back to her quarters, selling off all her attendants and replacing them with new ones.
"Even Sister Yi Tong no longer dared to pass messages to the First Young Mistress.
"Then on the twenty-sixth day of the ninth month, when the newlywed Tenth Young Master of the fifth branch and his bride went to perform temple rites, they opened the ancestral hall doors to find the First Young Mistress already hanged from the beams.
"Now all of Huayin is abuzz with rumors that the Fu family are hypocrites who mistreat their widowed daughters-in-law, driving them to suicide..."
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I've been in training sessions recently, and couldn't manage double updates this afternoon due to a colleague gathering. Will resume normal schedule after this weekend...O(∩_∩)O~...
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(End of Chapter)
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