Chapter 10: A Joke
Turning back time to around noon today, the returning spy was dusty from travel, still in his gray-brown short shirt and loose pants, not having had time to change. After a brief report, he took out a letter from his bosom and presented it with both hands: “My lady, I have also brought back Fu Daren’s reply to you.”
By now, Wen Nianyue, who knew that Fu Jizhou had come to the capital alone because Fu Ling had allowed her secondary husband to dig up his father’s tomb, had a face as dark as black water: “Zhu Sheng, bring it here. I want to see what other nonsense that old woman has to say!”
Zhu Sheng bowed his head and took the letter from the spy’s hand, placing it on the desk in front of Wen Nianyue. He glanced at it quickly, seeing the rather dignified handwriting on the envelope that read: “To Elder Sister Wen”.
This handwriting reminded Zhu Sheng that Fu Ling Daren had once been a successful Tanhua, riding horses through the streets. Although somewhat extreme and stubborn, she was also upright and full of patriotic enthusiasm.
Wen Nianyue opened the letter and skimmed through it briefly, then slammed the paper onto the table, her brows furrowed in anger: “Such a despicable person, I have truly never seen in my life!”
Zhu Sheng and the spy standing in the hall were both startled by her anger, trembling slightly. After a while, Zhu Sheng finally spoke: “Fu Daren, she…”
“She actually said that Jizhou’s behavior is improper, neither filial nor chaste, leaving without informing his parents, staying alone at his fiancée’s home without proper status, tarnishing the family’s reputation. Since what’s done is done, she has nothing more to say and will consider him as if he had never been born. If I’m willing to keep him as a foster husband for my legitimate daughter, that would be sparing his life, and he can serve as an attendant or slave in the future!” As Wen Nianyue spoke, she became more and more enraged.
Zhu Sheng also widened his eyes in disbelief. Although throughout dynasties, vast amounts of gold and silver had been invested in research to improve women’s childbirth, making it a minor matter, it was still flesh and blood from one’s own body. How could Fu Daren be so heartless?
The spy suddenly furrowed his brows and saluted, saying: “This subordinate investigated Young Master Fu’s journey to the capital along the way. Local vendors and passersby all said they had seen a small man wearing a veil, of thin build. Some mischievous people tried to harass him but were stopped and taught a lesson by someone dressed in short clothes, disguised. This subordinate guesses that Young Master Fu must have been secretly protected on his way to the capital. As for the secret force… my lady knows that Young Master Fu’s maternal family, the Zhou clan, became extinct eight years ago, so…”
Hearing this, Wen Nianyue sat up straight, frowning in confusion: “You mean Fu Ling did this, she’s scheming against me?”
“This subordinate has investigated that eight years ago, after Zhou Zhengjun suddenly died from bandit attacks, Fu Daren was also devastated for nights, spending days drinking and wailing by Zhou Zhengjun’s tomb. With no one to take care of the household, Young Master Fu hired a wet nurse. For some unknown reason, the following year, that wet nurse was elevated to the position of secondary husband, and Fu Daren even had a daughter with him. How that secondary husband treated Young Master Fu is unknown, but it’s possible that Fu Daren, knowing the secondary husband couldn’t tolerate Young Master Fu, came up with the idea of sending him to the Wen family for fostering.”
“That’s still scheming against me!” Wen Nianyue crumpled the letter on the desk into a ball, her eyes as deep and dark as ink. Anyone who has been schemed against would not be in a good mood, especially when the scheme involved her own daughter. It was one thing for her daughter to like Fu Jizhou, but it was another for Fu Ling and her son to scheme against the Wen family’s legitimate daughter.
Thinking of Fu Jizhou’s condition when he arrived, Zhu Sheng couldn’t help but speak up: “I don’t know what Fu Daren’s thoughts are, but Young Master Fu definitely doesn’t think that way.”
Wen Nianyue turned her head to look at him: “Why?”
“My lady may have forgotten, Young Master Fu came to break off the engagement. If it weren’t for the young miss interfering and hiding the marriage contract, the engagement would have been canceled by now.” Zhu Sheng lowered his eyes and said slowly, “My lady, as a woman, you may not know much about this, but if an unmarried man runs away from home and is caught by household registration officials, he will be treated as a vagrant, at most sentenced to three years of hard labor. However, if there is a marriage or engagement record in the government office, and he is caught by household registration officials, he will be handed over to the wife’s family for disposal. Nowadays, most families’ treatment of runaway male in-laws is often drowning, and in worse cases, selling them to male brothels as punishment.”
Zhu Sheng guessed that under Fu Ling Daren’s indulgence, the Fu family’s secondary husband mistreated Young Master Fu and even dug up Young Master Fu’s father’s tomb. Heartbroken, Young Master Fu was no longer willing to stay in the Fu family, but once a man runs away, he faces the possibility of being caught and brought back.
If he didn’t have an engagement, it might be better. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs, Fu Ling Daren wouldn’t punish him severely. But he happened to have an engagement, and if caught and brought back, he would be sent directly to the wife’s family, who would decide his fate. According to the Great Mi Dynasty’s customs of punishing runaway male in-laws, Fu Jizhou naturally didn’t want to put his fate in the hands of a strange wife’s family. So he decided to go to Wei Jing to break off the engagement first, then escape from the Fu family, and from then on, be responsible for his own life and death in distant lands.
Hearing that many families’ punishments for runaway male in-laws were so harsh, almost cruel, Wen Nianyue frowned: “Why go to such extremes?”
Zhu Sheng paused for a moment before saying in a somber tone: “Without severe punishment, future generations might follow suit.”
The spy also advised: “This subordinate has secretly investigated the Fu mansion. Young Master Fu’s living quarters were remote and dilapidated, already abandoned. If he were to be sent back, I’m afraid…”
Hearing this, Wen Nianyue’s eyes drooped slightly. After a long silence, she finally let out a long sigh: “Enough, enough. What fault is it of a child? Let’s pretend I never knew about this. From now on, Young Master Fu will be considered a cousin of our Wen family, and all his expenses will be treated the same as the Wen family’s legitimate young masters.”
Zhu Sheng quickly agreed and said no more.
Confined by the fact that this matter involved Fu Ling’s inner court affairs, Wen Nianyue had no justification to intervene. She could only fume to herself, downing dozens of cups of wine, gradually drowning her anger in endless melancholy.
Once upon a time, green gauze filled the window; today, carved beams are covered in cobwebs.
It’s truly… a joke.
“Why is Mother drinking so much?” Wen Ru, sitting at the lower seat, watched Wen Nianyue drink one cup after another, feeling concerned.
In the 21st century, she had little family fortune and was busy with work, never having a day of ease. Coming here, Wen Nianyue treated her well in every way, so she regarded Wen Nianyue as her birth mother and the Wen mansion as her own home. Seeing her drinking alone in melancholy, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Hearing this, Hua Ting looked over: “Perhaps she’s thinking of her primary husband.”
Wen Ru nodded, thinking it must be so. Today at the family banquet, both aunts had their beautiful men accompanying them, but her mother was alone, busy every day, bearing the burden of the entire Wen family, which was very hard.
Thinking of this, Wen Ru stood up, asked for a cup of warm milk, and walked up the steps to Wen Nianyue’s side: “Mother, drinking too much alcohol is harmful to your health. Have some milk to sober up.”
Wen Nianyue looked up at her, then glanced at Fu Jizhou sitting below, who was looking worried. She felt much comforted, took the milk, and pulled Wen Ru to sit beside her, saying with a smile: “Jinyi has grown up and knows how to care for her mother now.”
Wen Ru smiled along: “Of course, I’ve grown up so quickly. Mother, if you have any worries, tell your daughter. I’m willing to share your burdens.”
Wen Nianyue rubbed her head and replied seriously: “I’ll remember that. Tomorrow when you go to school, I’ll have Liu Xiansheng and Wei Niangzi each add an extra hour for you.”
Wen Ru searched through her memories and suddenly widened her eyes, saying: “Mother, how can you take my comforting words seriously? Let’s keep things as they are. Liu Xiansheng who teaches literature is fine, but Wei Niangzi at the martial arts field is quite skilled, and her punches and kicks hurt a lot.”
Wen Nianyue couldn’t help but laugh, pushing her aside: “Alright, alright, you little flatterer. Go on now. The family banquet is coming to an end. You escort Jizhou back, and from now on, take care of each other, do more and cause less trouble. Don’t make me worry, and I’ll be at peace.”
Wen Ru steadied herself, bowed, and then said: “Mother, don’t worry. When I grow up, whether wind blows or rain falls, I will protect everyone in the Wen family well, ensuring that mother, Jizhou, Hua Ting, Zhu Sheng, and all the servants live in peace, prosperity, and glory.”
Whether Wen Nianyue believed it or not, she said it with utmost seriousness.
