Chapter 76 Each Gets What They Need
Fu Yunxiu sat in the West Garden until sunset before getting up to take his leave. Mantou, who had been waiting outside, was getting quite anxious. When he saw Fu Yunxiu come out, he hurriedly went to greet him.
"Young master, why did you take so long to come out?"
"Is something the matter?" Fu Yunxiu asked.
"It's nothing, it's just that you've been inside for so long, what could have happened to me?" Mantou said.
"What could possibly happen to me?" Fu Yunxiu chuckled.
Things are different now. Fu Yunxiu is no longer the sickly man who could be easily manipulated. Moreover, he has a debt of gratitude to Madam Liu and her son.
I just don't know if Liu will be able to get anything useful out of that Su.
The two arrived at Wutong Garden, where Aman had been waiting for a long time at the entrance.
On her way back from selling flower dew in the afternoon, she overheard people talking about the three young masters of the Marquis's mansion.
When Aman learned that Fu Yunxiu had returned, she hurriedly went home, but no one was home.
Upon inquiring, I learned that the three brothers went to the Hou Mansion's ancestral hall as soon as they returned.
It's a long detour from Wutong Garden to the Hou Mansion Ancestral Hall. Aman originally wanted to wait at home, but her longing for Fu Yunxiu was too strong, and she was also afraid that something might happen to him, so she went anyway.
Aman jogged all the way, but by the time she arrived, everyone had already left. She didn't see Fu Yunxiu, but instead saw a sickly-looking Madam Fu being supported by Fu Yunting.
When Madam Fu learned that she had come to see Fu Yunxiu, she not only treated her coldly but also mocked Fu Yunxiu, saying that he had recognized a thief as his mother.
Aman didn't believe her and rushed to the Marquis's residence, only to be told that the eldest son was discussing matters with Madam Liu.
Since leaving home this morning, Aman was exhausted and thirsty from her journey. She really didn't want to wait at the entrance of the Marquis's mansion anymore. Thinking that Fu Yunxiu should come out soon, she decided to go home and wait.
Who knew that this wait would last until the sun set in the west.
During this time, she didn't receive a single word from Fu Yunxiu. She knew he was busy, but even if he was, surely he could find the time to send a message through someone!
Didn't he ever think that he would worry if he knew that the man was coming back but not going home?
Aman grew angrier the more he thought about it, so he simply took a small stool to the door and waited, ready to confront him.
On the other side, Fu Yunxiu didn't realize until he reached the alley entrance that he had been back for so long but had forgotten to tell Aman. At noon, the three of them had made such a big fuss, attracting quite a crowd; Aman must have known he was back.
"Oh no!" The thought of Aman worrying about this made Fu Yunxiu forget all about being a noble young master. He took off running, startling Mantou.
"What's wrong now? Are you in a bind?"
With his long arms and legs, Fu Yunxiu quickly left the steamed bun behind. Just as he reached the door, Fu Yunxiu finally stopped and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes.
Catching his breath, he was about to knock on the door when he saw Ah Man sitting under the shade of a tree in the dim moonlight, staring at him with a melancholy gaze.
Fu Yunxiu smiled guiltily and stepped forward, calling out, "Aman."
"You're back." Aman stood up, looked him up and down, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was all safe and sound.
"Why are you sitting at the door so late at night? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold from the draft?" Seeing Aman walking towards him step by step, Fu Yunxiu could no longer care about anything else. He quickly took two steps forward and reached out to pull Aman into his arms.
Her small body, carrying a slight chill of the night, extinguished Fu Yunxiu's anxiety and unease of the day.
Fu Yunxiu buried his face in Aman's neck and took a deep breath. His arms held Aman tightly like vises, as if afraid she would run away.
Sensing Fu Yunxiu's genuine exhaustion, Aman's anger vanished instantly.
She reached out and patted Fu Yunxiu on the back. "Okay, let's go home first."
"Mmm." Fu Yunxiu responded verbally, but showed no intention of letting go, holding her like that for a long time. "I missed you so much."
Ah Man was secretly pleased, but she didn't mince words, "I didn't even say I'd send someone to let you know, do you know how worried I was?"
As she spoke, Aman playfully punched him on the back.
The force was neither too light nor too heavy, and it felt like a tickle to Fu Yunxiu. He smiled and explained, "I had just returned at noon when I heard that the clan leader was holding a meeting in the ancestral hall. I was in such a hurry that I didn't pay attention. After the meeting ended, I had some questions to ask Madam Liu, so I forgot about it."
But it was still his own fault after all, so Fu Yunxiu quickly raised his hand and swore, "I swear, it won't happen again. Please forgive me this time."
Faced with the pitiful expression on that handsome face, Aman couldn't bring herself to refuse. She could only glare at him and scold him, "You're smart enough to know your place. If you do it again, I won't let you off the hook."
"Okay, okay, there definitely won't be a next time."
The two of them went into the house hand in hand, completely forgetting about Mantou.
Therefore, when Mantou finally arrived at Wutong Garden, panting heavily, he was greeted only by a tightly closed gate.
Damn it!
That young master is so disloyal! He values women more than his servants.
Luckily, the door wasn't bolted, otherwise he would have really gone berserk.
Mantou pushed open the door and went inside; there was no one in the front yard. The kitchen light was on, and Mantou went over to find Aman, who had just prepared the porridge.
"I don't know when you'll be back, so I cooked some lean meat porridge to keep it warm. Try it; it should be safe to eat right away."
Aman handed the porridge to Fu Yunxiu, and Mantou angrily lifted the curtain and entered the room.
When Aman saw him, she immediately beamed with joy, "You're back! Perfect timing! I just finished cooking the porridge, come and eat!"
From morning until now, Mantou hasn't had a drop of water or eaten anything. Back at the Marquis's residence, he was almost fainting from hunger. Fortunately, a familiar maid gave him two pastries, which is how he's managed to hold on until now.
Now, a bowl of steaming hot porridge is placed in front of me, its aroma wafting into my nose, and I feel my mouth watering just looking at the steamed bun.
Looking at the smiling Aman and then at the cold-blooded young master, Mantou ultimately chose to be angry rather than humiliated.
He took the bowl and spoon, and without saying a word, simply ate in silence.
But nobody cared.
Aman had already eaten and wasn't hungry, so since he had nothing else to do, he inquired about the day's events.
Everything inside the ancestral hall seemed normal, though the story was thrilling, it was understandable. After all, the struggle for titles had always been like this.
But when Aman heard Fu Yunxiu mention cooperating with Madam Liu, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Although the situation wasn't as dire as Madam Fu described—the young master recognizing a thief as his mother—had he truly forgotten the suffering he had endured, most of which stemmed from Madam Liu?
“Young Master…” Aman wanted to ask, but didn’t know how to begin.
Fu Yunxiu glanced at her, seemingly understanding what she was thinking, and explained, "It's just a matter of each getting what they need."
Now that the Liu family has fallen, Madam Liu urgently needs a powerful backer to secure her position as the Lady of the Marquis's Mansion while preserving her life of luxury. Clearly, he is an excellent choice.
Similarly, he also needs a shrewd person with a certain voice and the means to speak on his behalf and protect him.
But Fu Yunxiu didn't want to explain these things too clearly to Aman; he didn't want Aman to know too much about his dark side.
"Alright," Fu Yunxiu patted Aman's head, "Don't worry, I'll protect myself, there won't be any problems."
Seeing that she didn't want to talk to him anymore, Aman didn't press her for details, but he was still a little unhappy.
She felt that the young master seemed to have changed; he had started hiding things from her.
After dinner, the three of them talked for a while before going to their respective rooms to sleep.
Fu Yunxiu was exhausted from the long journey and the heated debate. After washing up, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The moon rises above the branches, casting shimmering shadows.
Looking at the crescent moon in the sky, Fu Yunting felt utterly exhausted.
Just now, he had a big argument with Madam Fu.
Originally, Madam Fu had been upset at the ancestral hall today, and as her son, he shouldn't have made her even angrier. But unfortunately, she was just too stubborn.
Since returning from the ancestral hall, she had been constantly urging him to prove himself, inherit the title, and become the head of the family. But his true ambition lay elsewhere.
From beginning to end, he wanted to enter officialdom through the imperial examination and speak out for the people.
But his mother said he was useless, giving up readily available money and power to do something so thankless and exhausting.
Now, whenever he closes his eyes, all he can see is Madam Fu pounding her chest and crying out about her miserable life. She has given birth to two sons, one of whom has betrayed her and conspired with others to scheme against her, while the other is utterly useless and has squandered all her good intentions.
She said that all her efforts over the years had been for him, and he couldn't understand her good intentions. She also said that if he insisted on giving up his title, she would hang herself. She had no desire to live long ago for raising such an unfilial son.
Fu Yunting felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe.
He didn't understand why his mother insisted on him inheriting the title, even though his elder brother was also her son. He couldn't comprehend what had happened during this time that had caused his brother to completely distance himself from their mother, and even from him.
Something must have happened during that time that he didn't know about, but he couldn't guess it, and he had no time to guess.
Just thinking about being pressured like this by his mother every day made him feel breathless.
In the past, he could have confided in his older brother, but now, he has no one to confide in.
How did things turn out like this? They should be the closest family members!
"Why!"
In the quiet of the night, some people are unable to sleep, while others are sound asleep.
The next day at dawn, Madam Liu sent a visiting card to the Wang family mansion, inviting his wife to have tea at Cuihua Tower.
The Wang family was a prominent merchant family, and most of the businesses under Madam Liu's name were in cooperation with the Wang family. Moreover, Madam Wang was Madam Liu's close friend.
The two used to meet up for tea and shopping every day, but these days Madam Liu was worried about Fu Changze's well-being, so they had less contact.
However, today, she invited Madam Wang not just for tea, but to ask her for a favor.
"Beg me?" Madam Liu's words flattered Madam Wang. "I have other things to do, why don't you take care of yours?"
Madam Wang knew what she was up to. "That's right, and only you can help."
Madam Liu waved her hand, and Madam Wang leaned in to whisper to her for a while before nodding, "So that's how it is."
As luck would have it, Fu Yunxiu asked her to try and get some information out of Fu Ang's concubine, Su Shi. And coincidentally, Su Shi and Wang's concubine, He Shi, were best friends, often drinking tea and listening to music together.
She invited Madam Wang today to ask for her help in finding out about Chen's past from Madam Su.
"That's it, simple." Madam Wang agreed immediately.
Because of her relationship with Madam Liu, she held absolute power in the Wang family.
Even though she was unable to bear children, and the wealthy man Wang took several concubines and had many illegitimate children, none of them could shake her position as the head mistress of the household. In addition, because she used both kindness and severity, everyone respected her greatly.
It was nothing more than taking advantage of He Shi's invitation to Su Shi, pretending to bump into her, and then trying to get information out of her. It wasn't difficult at all.
Madam Wang readily agreed and promised to give her news within two days at the latest.
Madam Liu delivered the message to Fu Yunxiu, and spent the rest of her time diligently taking care of her son at home.
This resulted in no news from the people Madam Fu had sent to keep watch for two consecutive days.
"You mean she's been at home these past two days and hasn't had any contact with them?" Madam Fu's fingernails dug into her teacup; she was clearly on the verge of exploding with anger.
"Yes," the person keeping watch replied, "Ever since the Second Madam met with Madam Wang that day, she has been staying in the West Garden and hasn't even left the house."
With a "crack," the cup in Madam Fu's hand fell straight to the legs of the person who was spying on her, shattering into pieces. The person was startled and hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Madam, please calm down, Madam, please calm down! I really didn't see anyone leave the West Garden."
"Useless! You're all useless! What use are you to me?" Madam Fu swept her hand, knocking all the tea sets off the table to the ground. Fu Yunting, who had just entered the room, was nearly hit by the falling objects.
"Young master, be careful." The pageboy Ajiu flashed in front of Fu Yunting to block him.
Fu Yunting glanced around the room and immediately felt a headache coming on. Suppressing his displeasure, Fu Yunting pushed Ajiu aside and stepped inside. "Mother, what's wrong? Why are you so angry?"
Seeing Fu Yunting, Madam Fu's anger flared even more, and she immediately retorted, "What's wrong with you? None of these people can give me any peace of mind. Let me ask you, I told you to go and cultivate relationships with the clan leader, did you go?"
“Mother,” Fu Yunting’s expression also turned sour as he brought up the matter, “Didn’t I say that I have no interest in the position of family head? Why are you forcing me?”
"I forced you? Fu Yunting, you're supposed to be a scholar, you've read all those classic texts but they're all useless. What do you mean by forcing you? Aren't I doing all this for your own good?"
"Mother!" Fu Yunting could no longer bear it, but when he looked at Madam Fu's face, which was obviously much older, he couldn't say anything.
He sighed and said in a low voice, "I know you mean well, but in the current situation, Second Uncle clearly came prepared, and no matter what we do, it will be of no use. Eldest Brother is also your son. Even if he becomes the head of the family, you will still be the high and mighty mistress of the Marquis's mansion. Why do you have to work so hard?"
“You are you, and he is he; they are not the same,” Mrs. Fu said.
no the same.
Fu Yunxiu hated her. He would rather associate with that vile woman, Liu Shi, than befriend her. Moreover, for so many years, she had devoted all her energy to Fu Yunting. She was unwilling to accept this; she was truly unwilling to accept it.
Madam Fu's stubbornness left Fu Yunting completely helpless. He couldn't understand why they were different sons.
In this situation, he was helpless and had no other options.
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