Chapter 304: Forgiveness
Fu Tingyun was taken aback, recalling the intricate and complicated relationships within the Yu Family's inner courtyard. She suspected that Consort Wu might have done some unspeakable things in the past. But since those were bygone days and she had already left the Yu Family, she was no longer one of them. All Fu Tingyun hoped was that from now on, Consort Wu would walk the right path and live with dignity. Seeing her weeping so bitterly, Fu Tingyun’s heart softened, and she sighed faintly before gently advising her, “As the Buddhist saying goes, ‘Drop the butcher’s knife, and become a Buddha on the spot.’ As long as you sincerely turn to goodness and accumulate virtue from now on, the Bodhisattva will surely bless you.” Then she bent down to help her up.
But Consort Wu clung to her hand, refusing to rise. Kneeling there, her tears fell even more fiercely. “Madam Zhao… you don’t know… When I met you at Tanzhe Temple that day, I wanted to tell you… I never wanted to be a concubine, but I couldn’t bear to watch my elderly father and young sister be left with no way out… After entering the Yu Family, Yu Xiujing wouldn’t even spare me a glance. His every gesture was filled with cold indifference, and Madam Wu only kept urging me to please Madam Yu and Yu Xiujing… I had no one to confide in… I thought it was fine—I’d treat it as if I were cultivating in a nunnery… But then I became pregnant…” Her face gradually lost all color as she spoke. “At the time, I was overjoyed, thinking that if I could bear a child, my future would hold some hope. Even if Yu Xiujing looked down on me, the child would still be his flesh and blood. For the sake of the child, he might at least show me some courtesy in front of others, and that would have been enough for me… But I never expected that not only was he not the least bit happy, he also nitpicked my every fault, treated me with contempt, and behaved even worse toward me than before… That was when I realized my true situation… Even if the child were born, they would be just like me—forever at his mercy, even having to endure the disdain of the legitimate heir… I began to think, why did I have to get pregnant? How much better it would have been if this child had never existed!”
Listening to this, Fu Tingyun’s heart skipped a beat, a vague sense of something chilling creeping over her. She couldn’t help but tense up.
“…That year, during the Ghost Festival, Madam Yu and the young mistress went to Tanzhe Temple to offer incense,” Consort Wu murmured, her gaze vacant as she stared blankly into the air. “I saw them off, waiting early by the festooned gate… Before long, the young mistress arrived first, surrounded by her entourage… I hurried forward to pay my respects… But the young mistress didn’t even glance at me, merely letting out a disdainful ‘hmph’ as she walked past me… The maids and matrons all scrambled to follow closely behind her, and in the commotion, someone bumped into my shoulder… I knew someone was trying to trip me up to curry favor with the young mistress. Afraid they might try again, I took a few steps back… but I didn’t notice the steps behind me, and I fell backward onto the ground…”
Fu Tingyun gasped, her eyes widening. “So… it wasn’t Fan Shi who pushed you?”"No!" A flush of color flashed across Consort Wu's pale face as she averted her gaze from Fu Tingyun, lowering her head in shame and embarrassment. "It was my own carelessness..." she murmured. "Lianxin was so frightened she froze, only reacting after a long moment. She grabbed my hand asking 'Madam, what's wrong?'—her lips were completely white... But the mistress just frowned at me with a glance, scolding her maids, 'What are you idiots standing around for? Help the madam back to her room and fetch a physician.' The maid and Lianxin supported me as we moved back... Then Madam Yu came over and, seeing two maids assisting me, asked what had happened. The mistress replied lightly with a smile, 'It's nothing! I noticed Consort Wu is heavily pregnant, so I told her not to see me off and sent a maid to help her back.'... At the time, my back felt like it was breaking—I could barely walk steadily. Madam Yu glanced at me and merely gave a soft 'Hmm' before turning away to board the carriage with the mistress without another look.
"That was when I fully understood.
"No matter how kindly Madam Yu usually treated me, when it came to family reputation or disputes over heirs, she would never take my side. Only I had been foolish enough to remember her words—'As long as you bear the child, I'll raise it as my own. If I have rice to eat, the child will never have to drink porridge'..."
As she spoke, tears that had stopped began to fall again.
"Back in my room, I knew something was wrong.
"But when I recalled the mistress's casual tone with Madam Yu, and Madam Yu's indifferent hum, it felt like needles were stabbing my heart... If none of you wanted this child, why should I care? I didn’t want to live anyway—at worst, I’d just give my life for his..."
Fu Tingyun instinctively tightened her grip on Consort Wu's hand.
Consort Wu's lips trembled: "I stayed silent. By afternoon, when Madam Yu and the mistress were returning from the temple, Lianxin came to ask if I wanted to wait at the gate—that’s when they realized something was wrong..." Her voice grew fainter. "Later, the imperial physician came... I secretly poured out the medicine..." At this, she broke into loud sobs.
Fu Tingyun felt an indescribable sorrow.
She wasn’t sure if it was for Consort Wu or the child who had been abandoned for being unwanted.
Yet as she watched Consort Wu weep uncontrollably, she somehow understood her choice.
Just like herself—every time she saw her children and thought of their father, her heart would fill with sweetness, as if she had drunk honeyed water.
"Don’t cry," Fu Tingyun consoled, her voice carrying a genuine warmth that surprised even her, far removed from polite formality. "What’s done is done. One must look forward—only then can life get better. I’ve seen peasant women laboring in the fields right before childbirth. Whether a child survives isn’t just about caution—sometimes it’s simply that you and the child weren’t meant to be..."
Consort Wu looked up in surprise, her tear-stained eyes dark and bright. "You... you forgive me..." she ventured cautiously, her expression a mix of trepidation and hope.
Fu Tingyun was taken aback before comprehension dawned.Miss Wu was someone who had read Admonitions for Women and Biographies of Virtuous Women . Ethically speaking, as a mother, she had essentially killed her own child—a grave sin that would condemn her to the eighteenth level of hell after death. Yet emotionally, she believed she had spared her child the suffering of facing the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate offspring, and the lifelong inferiority of being a bastard. In that light, her actions felt justified. Torn by this contradiction, she desperately needed someone to judge the morality of her actions...
Perhaps because this matter couldn’t be spoken of to others, or for some other reason, Miss Wu had cast herself as the one to judge her own choices.
Was this why Miss Wu felt an inexplicable fondness and closeness toward her?
Fu Tingyun couldn’t say for certain.
She hoped her words and actions could soothe Miss Wu’s troubled heart and sincerely wished for her to leave the past behind and start anew.
In a way, both she and Miss Wu were victims of Yu Xiujing.
“Who am I to say whether I forgive you or not?” Fu Tingyun said with a gentle smile. “But I believe no one goes through life without making mistakes. What matters is that we don’t repeat the same ones.”
Miss Wu hurriedly replied, “I would never do such a thing again!” Then, realizing how that sounded, she quickly added, “There’s a Lotus Nunnery back home that takes in elderly widows and abandoned children. I’ve already discussed it with my father, brother-in-law, and sister—once I return, I’ll become a lay devotee there, helping the nuns care for those in need.”
Fu Tingyun was surprised by the Wu family’s open-mindedness. On reflection, she thought this arrangement fitting. By caring for others and earning their gratitude, Miss Wu could gradually heal from her past wounds.
She called for Yu Wei to bring a hundred taels in bank notes.
“This is my donation to Lotus Nunnery,” Fu Tingyun said, pressing the notes into Miss Wu’s hands. “If the nunnery ever faces difficulties in the future, send word to me. I may not be able to help with much, but I can certainly contribute to their funds.”
Seeing her sincerity, Miss Wu accepted the gift without false modesty. “I’ll inform the abbess,” she said. “And I’ll light incense daily before the Bodhisattva on your behalf, praying for your household’s safety and prosperity.”
Fu Tingyun thanked her, and they chatted a while longer. As noon approached, Fu Tingyun invited Miss Wu to stay for lunch, but she politely declined, explaining she still needed to bid farewell to Madam Wu. Not wishing to detain her further, Fu Tingyun saw her to the gate.
On the day of Miss Wu’s departure, Fu Tingyun sent Yu Wei with a courtesy gift to see her off. To her surprise, Yu Wei returned accompanied by Madam Wu, who effusively expressed her gratitude for Fu Tingyun’s kindness. Fu Tingyun brushed off the thanks and steered the conversation toward the spring banquet scheduled for the second day of the second lunar month. Madam Wu eagerly described her guest list and arrangements, allowing the matter to pass without further mention.
Soon, it was already the third month. Officials who had come to the capital for their evaluations had begun leaving one after another—yet Zhao Ling remained nowhere to be seen.
Growing anxious, Fu Tingyun sent A Sen to inquire.There was still no news from A Sen, but Shopkeeper Ye suddenly paid a visit. He mentioned that the restaurant she had invested in had been thriving over the past few years, and the original location was becoming insufficient. They planned to acquire the adjacent shop and open branches on both East Street and West Street. However, this expansion would strain their cash flow, so he came to discuss with Fu Tingyun whether she could contribute this year’s dividend of ten thousand taels to fund the expansion.
Initially, Fu Tingyun had invested in the restaurant merely to cover household expenses. Now, not only were the household expenses comfortably covered, but there was also surplus money saved, which delighted her. After listening to Shopkeeper Ye’s well-organized plans and confirming this wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision due to good business, she readily handed over ten thousand taels in bank notes to him.
Shopkeeper Ye left with a smile.
The next day, he returned with several potential locations for Fu Tingyun’s input.
They spent most of the day deliberating back and forth.
Then came the shop layouts, menu selections… Fu Tingyun found herself busier than ever, yet a growing question nagged at her.
She had only been a silent partner—shouldn’t these operational matters be outside her responsibilities?
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End of the month—please support with guaranteed pink votes!
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PS: Recommending Yi Qianzhong’s new novel The Good Son-in-Law : A tale of revenge and counter-revenge, where the male lead repeatedly lashes out and, failing in his revenge, ends up paying with himself.
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(End of Chapter)
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