Chapter 221: Sisters
Fifth Sister's hand froze mid-air.
Fu Tingyun, preoccupied with her fussing child, didn't notice her sister's odd reaction. She hastily set the child down and pointed to Fifth Sister, saying, "This is your Fifth Aunt. Quickly greet your Fifth Aunt!" Remembering how close she had once been with this elder sister in the Fu family yet never having sent her any word afterward, Fu Tingyun felt a pang of guilt. Flustered, she introduced her children, "This is Da Jie'er Youyou, and this is Da Ge'er Xige."
Youyou and Xige stepped forward to greet Fifth Sister.
For a moment, Fifth Sister seemed at a loss. After some thought, she pulled the silver hairpin inscribed with "Everlasting Peace" from her hair and slipped the filigree silver bracelet from her wrist, handing them to the children. "These are your Fifth Aunt's gifts for meeting you." Clearly, this was an impromptu gesture—she hadn't prepared anything beforehand.
Housekeeper Tong looked to Fu Tingyun for guidance.
Fu Tingyun gave a slight nod.
With a smile, Housekeeper Tong stepped forward to accept the gifts.
Youyou and Xige hurried to thank Fifth Sister.
One child's voice was melodious and sweet, the other's still unclear and babbling, but both were as delicate as carved jade, utterly adorable.
Fifth Aunt of the Fu Family couldn't help exclaiming, "These two look just like you when you were little..." As she spoke, she couldn't resist picking up the younger Xige.
Xige squirmed in her arms, reaching out toward his mother.
Realizing the child was shy around strangers, Fifth Aunt quickly handed him back to Fu Tingyun. But as she lifted her gaze, she caught sight of Yu Wei standing behind Fu Tingyun. Her eyes widened in shock. "Yu Wei, you—how are you still..." Her face turned ashen as she stumbled backward several steps, clasping her hands together in prayer toward Yu Wei. "My ninth sister never wronged you. You must be fair—if you have any grievances, just appear in her dreams. Don't come for her in person—she has two children to care for..." In broad daylight, she had mistaken Yu Wei for a ghost.
Fu Tingyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry, though she was faintly moved. Handing the child to Housekeeper Tong, she took Fifth Sister's hand. "Let's talk inside."
Fifth Sister gripped Fu Tingyun's hand tightly, her expression steadying slightly—until she noticed Yi Tong.
Her eyes grew even wider.
Fifth Sister was the legitimate daughter of Fourth Madam, who was fond of gossip and notoriously petty and greedy.
Unwilling to disclose Fu Tingyun's affairs to her yet also reluctant to lie and breach her duty as a servant, Yi Tong answered vaguely, "A few days ago, Yu Wei came to see me, and I learned that Ninth Young Miss had returned. So I came with Yu Wei to pay my respects."
Fifth Sister turned to Fu Tingyun, suspicion written all over her face.
With a sigh, Fu Tingyun simply pulled her into the inner chamber.
※※※※※
"...So you're saying Yu Jingxiu was secretly involved with his teacher's daughter and went to great lengths to break off the engagement, which is why he incited Zuo Junjie to frame you?" After hearing Fu Tingyun's account, Fifth Sister stood stunned for a long moment before exclaiming in astonishment.
Fu Tingyun nodded. "I found Zuo Junjie, and the Yu family has admitted to it."Fifth Sister jumped up at once: "How could this be? Marriage is a matter of parental orders and matchmaker's words. Even if the Yu Family agreed, how could Uncle and Fifth Uncle possibly consent? Besides, the Yu Family was clearly in the wrong from the start. Even if Uncle and Fifth Uncle were temporarily deceived by them, causing you to suffer unjustly, the truth eventually came out. For the sake of the Yu Family's reputation, they couldn’t publicly clear your name, but why didn’t they acknowledge you privately..." Before she could finish, a strange expression crossed her face. "Could Uncle’s reinstatement and Fifth Uncle’s promotion be related to the Yu Family?"
Though this fifth sister was born to Fourth Aunt, Grandmother had always disapproved of Fourth Aunt’s ways. Fifth Sister had practically been raised by Grandmother and took after her—sharp, capable, and quick-witted. That was why Fu Tingyun had always gotten along so well with her.
Fu Tingyun glanced at Fifth Sister but remained silent.
Fifth Sister was aghast. "Did I actually guess right?"
"Not entirely, but close enough," Fu Tingyun said. "I can’t say more. If you really want to know, you might ask Grandmother. She should be aware. Or you could ask Aunt!"
Fifth Sister fell silent.
Since Fu Tingyun couldn’t elaborate, it clearly involved the elders, and she knew better than to press further.
Fu Tingyun then recalled another matter. "I heard a merchant family offered thirty thousand taels of silver to propose marriage to Fourteenth Sister?"
"That’s exactly why I’m here," Fifth Sister said, her expression turning serious. "The rumors are everywhere—I even heard them in Lintong. At first, I thought it was just slander." She gave a bitter smile. "You wouldn’t know, but ever since you 'passed away,' gossip about the Fu Family hasn’t stopped... At first, I was just furious and sent people to investigate. But the details—the suitor’s name, origin, even his birth order—were all so specific..." She glanced at Fu Tingyun. "After the Fu Family was attacked by the Migrant Bandits, Grandmother’s health worsened. Since last year, she’s even started mixing up the names of her own servants. Sometimes when you talk to her about one thing, she’ll answer about another. Worried she might have made a rash decision, I rushed here from Lintong... But Grandmother’s mind was clear. She just told me not to interfere—she had her own plans. Then I went to see Mother—she was in the middle of scolding Aunt."
"I reprimanded Mother and went to apologize to Aunt. Just as I was about to return to Lintong, a former servant of mine told me you were still alive—rescued by the current Emperor, no less, and married to Zhao Ling, the Deputy Commander of Xuanfu, who had Merit from supporting the emperor. Five months ago, Zhao Ling was honored for defending the borders, and his parents were posthumously enfeoffed. You’d returned from the capital to erect a memorial tablet for them and were staying at the home of Zhao Ling’s uncle in Willow Lane, Chongyi Ward, Xi’an Prefecture."
"I was utterly shocked.""I originally wanted to ask Aunt about it, but considering she's currently at odds with my mother, and that servant woman swore up and down about it—these past few years the Yao family's lacquerware business has consistently supplied Xi'an Prefecture. Since I've visited Xi'an several times with your brother-in-law, I was afraid of making a mistake and becoming a laughingstock, so I sent a steward ahead to inquire along the way..." At this point, she grew visibly emotional and grasped Fu Tingyun's hands, saying, "I never imagined you were truly still alive, and that you'd actually married an official and had two children..." She sighed wistfully, then with a hint of hesitation in her brow, asked softly, "That Lord Zhao... does he have a good temper?"
She was tactfully asking whether Zhao Ling treated her well.
"His temper isn't good," Fu Tingyun replied, thinking of Zhao Ling as an unconscious smile crept into the corners of her eyes. "But he treats me well." Feeling this didn't capture even a tenth of how Zhao Ling was with her, she added, "Whether it's major or minor matters, he always puts me first."
Fifth Sister exhaled deeply upon hearing this. "That's good, that's good."
Fu Tingyun smiled faintly.
Fifth Sister considered asking about her current plans, but then remembered how the family elders refused to acknowledge Fu Tingyun's survival, and how Fu Tingyun's words contained no hint of returning to Huayin. Realizing the grievances between them were likely too complex to explain now—and being a married woman herself with only a scholar for a husband—she knew it wasn't her place to intervene. Instead, she simply chatted about sisterly matters: "Eldest Sister and Second Sister surely don't know you're alive yet. I think we should send them word." Then she sighed, "Seventh Sister just had a son recently. When we went for the full-month celebration, she mentioned you, and Second Sister secretly wiped away tears!"
Since Fifth Sister already knew, the others would find out sooner or later. Rather than having them think she was playing favorites later, Fu Tingyun decided this was an opportunity to gather her sisters. She didn't know when she'd return to Xi'an again, or what circumstances would await her then.
"Then please help arrange it, Fifth Sister," Fu Tingyun said tactfully. "If any of our sisters can't get away from family obligations, there's no need to insist."
Fifth Sister understood and nodded. "Understood!"
Fu Tingyun then inquired about Fourteenth Sister's marriage: "Although Grandmother understands the situation, some matters still need to be clarified openly. Repeated rumors become 'truth.'"
If this wasn't explained properly, it would appear her mother had sold her daughter for personal gain. But to explain would inevitably involve Grandmother and Aunt...
After some thought, Fifth Sister ultimately let family loyalty prevail.She whispered, "When Third Sister got married, the family had already started selling off land and properties. It was just done discreetly, so no one knew. By the time the Migrant Bandits raided the Fu residence, many valuable items from the family's public treasury had already disappeared, and the family's fortunes began to decline... This household was meant to be handed over to Aunt eventually. Grandmother's actions were simply to ensure Aunt would take full control of the household affairs." She hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice further, "Aunt's brothers from her maternal family have been thriving in business these past few years, and her dowry has yielded substantial returns... Perhaps because of this, if Aunt insists on dividing the family to save the core assets, the other branches would become collateral lines, preserving at least some dignity."
Grandmother had played her cards well.
If Aunt didn't want to be branded as "unfilial" behind her back, she would have to dip into her dowry to support the household.
Fu Tingyun sneered inwardly.
Fifth Sister, as if stirring the pot further, continued, "You might not know this, but Third Sister's mother-in-law passed away two years ago. Now Third Sister manages their household affairs. I vaguely recall my mother mentioning that Grandmother once borrowed money from Third Sister. Since Third Sister had just taken charge, she discussed it with Third Older Cousin's Husband and used her own dowry. Over this matter, Second Sister even sent her personal Housekeeper to Third Sister's home... Honestly, I can't say for certain how things stand in the family now!"
Fu Tingyun remembered that Third Older Cousin's Husband was a widower named Shen, whose two daughters from his first wife had died young. He was quite wealthy, and by the time Third Sister married him, he was already a provincial graduate.
She couldn't help but ask, "How is Third Sister doing now?"
"Third Older Cousin's Husband ranked thirteenth in the second tier of last year's metropolitan examinations and reported to the Ministry of Personnel. But when his mother passed away, he had to observe mourning at home," Fifth Sister said with a smile. "He's a straightforward man and lets Third Sister manage everything at home. These past two years, Second Sister has relied heavily on Third Sister's support."
As they were talking, Zhenzhu came to report, "Madam, a lady claiming to be your Seventh Sister requests an audience!"
※
O(∩_∩)O~
※
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel