Chapter 29 Accountability
Yuqiu went there three times, but the gates of Wutong Garden were always closed. She finally met the person on the fourth visit.
At that time, Aman and the others had just finished eating and were preparing to rest for a while.
After helping Fu Yunxiu to sleep, Aman returned to her own room. She had just taken off her coat and was about to get into bed when she heard someone knocking on the door.
The banging and crashing sounds like they were in a hurry.
Ah Man was puzzled. Outsiders rarely came to Wutong Garden, and why were they so anxious?
Aman got dressed and went to open the door.
The door opened, and outside stood an unfamiliar face, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in an old-fashioned manner, looking at Aman with a serious expression.
Aman was even more puzzled and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
The other person didn't answer, but instead called her by name, "You're Aman?"
Seeing that the other person recognized her, Aman looked her over again. She was sure she didn't know this person, but she still nodded. "Yes, I am Aman. May I ask who you are?"
The other person's tone remained serious. "I serve by the lady's side. She has asked me to summon you to the Marquis's residence."
"To the Marquis's residence?" Aman was puzzled. Ever since she suggested cooking at the Wutong Garden that day, she had never been to the Marquis's residence, nor had she seen Madam Fu. Why was she being summoned to meet her now?
Moreover, judging from the aunt's expression, Aman felt that it wasn't a good thing.
She asked, "I wonder what business you have with me, Madam? I need to inform you, young master."
Unexpectedly, the other party interrupted her directly, "Miss, you'd better come with me quickly. If you are late and anger the madam, no one can bear the consequences. As for what it is, you will know when you get there."
The other party's tone was forceful, clearly leaving no room for Aman to object.
Although Aman was uneasy, she knew she couldn't resist, so she closed the door and followed her.
Inside the room, Mantou was awakened by their voices, but because he was wearing his undergarments, he couldn't come out directly. Through the window, he could only see that the person who came in was Yuqiu, who was by the lady's side.
Seeing Aman follow her away, Mantou felt a little uneasy, wondering what Madam wanted to see Aman about.
But he didn't take it to heart. After all, what could Madam possibly want with Aman? She would just give her a few words of advice and tell her to take good care of the young master.
After pondering for a moment, Mantou returned to bed.
Aman followed Yuqiu to the Marquis's residence, entering through a side gate and proceeding to the East Garden.
In the front hall of the East Garden, Madam Fu was already getting impatient.
Because of all this trouble, she didn't even take a nap and only ate a little lunch. Her beautiful face was full of fatigue.
Except for Yuqiu, the four maids stood on either side of her, expressionless and serious to the point of looking fierce.
Aman had a bad feeling ever since she entered the East Garden, and now she was even more certain of it.
Yuqiu led her into the front hall, explained the situation to Madam Fu, and then stood next to Yuxiang.
Aman looked up and met Madam Fu's fierce gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously bent her knees to greet her, but Madam Fu stepped forward and slapped her across the face.
With a "smack," Aman was stunned and stared blankly at her.
Aman's eyes were filled with disbelief, and he was even a little taken aback.
But the burning pain on her face indicated that this was not an illusion.
"You little hussy, what do you think you are!" Madam Fu was already furious because of the Second Madam's deliberate mockery. After waiting for Aman for so long, her anger only intensified. She disregarded her status as a madam and spoke very rudely.
Seeing this, Yuxiang, who was standing to the side, quickly stepped forward to comfort her, "Madam, calm down. It's not worth getting yourself upset over such a small matter."
After saying that, she looked at Aman and said, "Hurry up and kneel down."
From childhood to adulthood, even the grandmother who raised her never laid a finger on her. But now, not only was she beaten, but she was also called a little slut.
Most importantly, the other party didn't even give her a reason.
Aman, his temper flaring, retorted to Yuxiang, "I won't kneel. You have to give me a reason for hitting someone for no reason!"
Just as Madam Fu was being helped to sit down by Yu Xiang, she heard A Man's words and immediately stood up again. "A reason? Fine, then I'll give you a reason."
"Let me ask you, was it your idea for Yunxiu to go grocery shopping with you?"
It was indeed because of this matter.
Aman had been thinking about this on the way here, and now that she had a clear idea, she spoke with more confidence. "It's my idea. Young Master has been cooped up in his room all year round. He should go out for a walk. It will be good for his health."
Aman didn't think he had done anything wrong in this matter.
Seeing her standing tall and proud, completely unaware of her mistake, Madam Fu was even more furious. "You're so considerate of Yunxiu! Who do you think you are? A lowly servant, yet you dare to instigate Yunxiu to do such disgraceful things with you."
Madam Fu was furious. She pointed at Aman, her chest heaving violently, which startled Yuxiang, who quickly stepped in to help her catch her breath.
But Aman seemed not to see it and continued to argue, "Selling vegetables is not something that can be done in a respectable manner. It is better to work hard with your own hands than to wait to pick up other people's leftovers every day. Is Madam afraid that the young master will lose face for the Marquis's mansion by selling vegetables, or that he will lose face for you?"
Aman pinpointed the problem perfectly.
If she truly cared about the young master, she wouldn't have waited until they had been selling vegetables for almost a month to find out about this, and she certainly wouldn't have gone so long without visiting him in person.
Madam Fu could tell that Aman was speaking up for Fu Yunxiu. Yes, she did owe her son a lot, but how could a servant of such low status like her have the right to interfere in matters between mother and son?
The wife nodded repeatedly in anger, also a little embarrassed and furious that she had been exposed. "Fine, fine, you really are sharp-tongued. Since you still don't understand your mistake, Yuqiu, take her down to reflect on her actions. Without my order, she is not allowed to get up."
"Yes." Yu Qiu accepted the order, and the four servants waiting outside the hall immediately came in, grabbed A Man, and took her outside.
Men are naturally stronger than women, let alone four of them. Even if Aman is incredibly strong, he would have no choice but to surrender to them.
Soon, the men led Aman to an open space covered with pebbles and a dog chain.
The chain was broken into four sections and laid flat on top.
This is the Marquis's rule for punishing servants. Kneeling here for an hour will force even those with bones of iron to submit.
Aman didn't want to kneel. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why should she kneel?
However, even the two springs couldn't withstand the strength of four hands. No matter how much Aman struggled, she couldn't overcome the power of these four people. The iron chain had been baking in the sun all afternoon and had absorbed the heat from the stones, making it extremely hot.
In summer, people wear relatively light clothing, and Aman almost immediately felt a piercing pain in his knees as soon as he knelt down.
It's hard and hot.
Yuqiu stood in the shade of a tree, fanning herself with her hand, watching Anman's resistance with a playful expression. "I advise you, young lady, to kneel down and reflect on your actions. In this Marquis's mansion, the Madam's words are law. If you truly anger the Madam, it won't be as simple as kneeling on iron chains."
In the hall, Madam Fu watched Ah Man being led away with an arrogant expression, and her anger grew even stronger.
A lowly servant has actually started meddling in his master's affairs.
We really should set some rules for them.
Yu Xiang gently patted her back and poured her a cup of tea. "Madam, calm down. Don't let a servant upset you."
"The people around Yun Xiu are becoming more and more unruly."
"The eldest young master has always been indifferent to worldly affairs. There is only one steamed bun in Wutong Garden, so naturally no one teaches him manners."
“No, it’s one thing if he embarrasses himself, but if this gets back to the capital and Yunting can’t hold his head up in front of his classmates, that would be a real problem.” Madam Fu became more and more frightened as she thought about it. “No, I have to go to Wutong Garden myself.”
Whether it was Aman's idea or Fu Yunxiu's idea, in the end, it still had to be approved by their master, Fu Yunxiu.
He himself is useless; does he really intend to ruin his brother's future as well?
“Madam, the sun is shining brightly outside right now. Why don’t you wait until it’s cooler before going? You didn’t eat much at noon, and it wouldn’t be good if you caught a heatstroke,” Yuxiang advised.
Of course, the main reason is that the lady is in a bad mood right now, and if she goes to see the young master at this time, the two of them will definitely start arguing.
But Madam Fu's mind was completely occupied with her youngest son, and she couldn't care less about anything else.
Madam Fu brought Yuqiu and Yurong to Wutong Garden. Yuqiu went up and knocked on the door. After a while, Mantou hurriedly slipped on his shoes and came out to open the door.
"Madam, what brings you here?" Mantou was still somewhat surprised to see Madam Fu.
The young master has lived in Wutong Garden for three years, and the number of times his wife has taken the initiative to visit him can be counted on one hand.
Today is quite unusual.
"Is the young master here? The lady is here to see him," Yuqiu said.
"Yes, yes, young master is taking a nap," Mantou said as he invited everyone in.
"Have him get up and see me," Madam Fu said, her tone harsh and devoid of any gentleness. It was as if she were meeting with some complete stranger.
Mantou paused in his hand as he closed the door, realizing that Madam Fu's visit was not well-intentioned. He quickly replied, "Yes, yes, this servant will go and invite the young master right away. Please wait a moment, Madam."
In the east wing, Fu Yunxiu had already woken up when he heard the knocking.
Hearing the familiar voice, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. Why was his mother here?
Sensing that the atmosphere was a bit off, Mantou cautiously knocked on the door and explained his purpose to Fu Yunxiu.
Fu Yunxiu gave a faint "hmm" and let Mantou go in to help him change his clothes.
Mantou went out to report, "Madam, please wait a moment, young master will be ready soon."
As Mantou entered the house, Madam Fu stood on the porch and casually glanced around the small courtyard.
It's been almost two months since she last visited the courtyard, and to be honest, there have been quite a few changes.
Although the houses in front were still collapsed and the trees were charred black and lifeless, the area had been cleaned up very well.
In the corner, there was a wooden rack with washed clothes on it, fluttering in the hot summer breeze, adding a touch of warmth to the otherwise quiet courtyard.
This courtyard finally looks a bit more lively.
Madam Fu knew that this was Aman's doing.
But she didn't come here to admire the scenery.
Soon, Fu Yunxiu changed his clothes, and Mantou opened the door and invited them in.
"Wait outside," Mrs. Fu said.
"Yes," Mantou replied, his heart filled with worry as he watched Madam Fu lead her people inside.
As Madam Fu stepped into the room, she immediately noticed the unidentified flowers in the vase on Fu Yunxiu's desk.
The screen that used to block the door has been removed at some point, and the desk is now right in front of the room, making the room seem spacious and brighter.
It was quite different from the original oppressive and dim atmosphere.
Fu Yunxiu pushed his wheelchair from the bedroom area. Because he was often exposed to the wind and sun outside, his skin was much darker than before, but it also had a rosy glow that he had never had before. He looked stronger and was not as sickly as before.
Madam Fu saw all of this, but remained silent.
She walked straight to the table and sat down. Fu Yunxiu picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to her with both hands. "Why have you come, Mother?"
Madam Fu did not accept his tea. Her beautiful eyes stared at him silently, filled with accusation. "I heard you're buying groceries at the market on Changqing Street?"
Fu Yunxiu paused slightly in his teacup, then put it down and asked calmly, "How did Mother know about this?"
"It was Liu Yu who told me."
Sure enough, he asked how Madam Fu knew about a place like Changqing Street.
But just how indifferent must one be to need an outsider to tell them about their own son?
But he was used to this kind of thing.
"Yes," Fu Yunxiu answered honestly. "Does Mother see any problem with this?"
Seeing that he also looked indifferent, Madam Fu was furious.
Does he know his own identity? Does he know what he is doing?
He was the son of a noble family, not a country bumpkin struggling to make a living.
"Yun Xiu, have you forgotten your identity? You are the eldest son of the Marquis's mansion. Every move you make represents the face of the Marquis's mansion. If others find out that you are going out to buy groceries now, where will the face of the Marquis's mansion be?"
Seeing that Fu Yunxiu remained unmoved, Madam Fu became even more furious. "Yes, I know you hate me. But even if you hate the Marquis's Mansion and hate me, what about Yunting? He is your own brother."
"If his classmates find out that you, as the elder brother, are selling vegetables, how will he face them? How will he hold his head high in front of them? Have you thought about that? He's destined to become a top scholar and pursue an official career. How can anyone respect him if you do this? Do you really want to ruin him as well?"
The husband and wife's accusations came like a barrage of cannon fire, every single word reaching Fu Yunxiu's ears.
But even after saying all that, the bottom line is that his current behavior will embarrass Fu Yunting.
What Marquis's mansion, what myself—it's all a facade.
She only cared about his youngest son.
Even though he had known for a long time that his mother was biased, Fu Yunxiu still felt a pang of bitterness in his heart when he realized it again.
Seeing that he remained silent, Madam Fu realized that she was emotional and had spoken somewhat recklessly.
But what she said was true.
Now, the second son, as the acting head of the family, is eyeing the position of head of the family covetously, and several pairs of eyes from the second branch of the family are also eyeing this position.
Yun Xiu is already crippled. If Yun Ting were to suffer any further mishaps, where would the mother and son find a place to stand in this Marquis's mansion?
She finally softened her tone, "Mother knows you feel wronged, but Mother has no other choice now. Your maternal family is useless and can't compare to the Liu family, which has risen in status. You know those people in the clan; they're all adept at changing their tune depending on the wind. In the current Marquis's mansion, I only have the title of First Madam; I have no real power. If I don't consider your brother's long-term future, then there will be no place for my son and me in this Marquis's mansion in the future."
Madam Fu spoke with tears streaming down her face, while Fu Yunxiu remained silent with his head down, but Madam Fu knew that he must have taken her words to heart.
She took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears, intending to appeal to her emotions and reason with her, "To be honest, I'm quite happy that you're willing to go out. But you are, after all, the eldest son of the Marquis's mansion, and these things shouldn't be your concern. I know it was all Aman's idea. She comes from the countryside, and although she's good at taking care of people, she's still wild and untamed, and doesn't understand respect and dignity. Tomorrow I'll have Yurong come over and teach her. After all, she's someone who serves you, and she should know some rules."
Madam Fu looked at Fu Yunxiu with a gentle expression and her gaze was full of maternal love, as if she were truly thinking of him.
But Fu Yunxiu knew perfectly well what she was planning to do.
If Aman stays at Wutong Garden to learn manners, he won't be able to go out and sell vegetables anymore. Besides, he has seen how Aunt Yurong teaches manners.
Most of the women his father brought into the household when he was young were mistreated by his mother under the guise of teaching them manners.
At best, she'll verbally abuse him; at worst, she'll beat him. Madam Fu is forcing him to submit.
If she had come at him directly today, Fu Yunxiu might not have cared. But it was Aman...
He didn't want the issues between him and his mother to implicate Aman, an innocent person, and he especially didn't want Aman to lose her liveliness and become rigid and inflexible under Yu Rong's tutelage.
He didn't want to see these things.
Seeing that he remained silent, Madam Fu was not in a hurry. She slowly took a sip of tea and waited, her eyes filled with a determined look.
After a moment, Fu Yunxiu finally spoke, "I agree, just don't touch Aman, she's innocent."
Upon hearing this, Madam Fu smiled slightly, but after putting down her cup, her eyes turned loving. "Look at what you're saying, child. It's as if I'm some kind of villain. Ah Man is a good child. I can tell from your expression that she's been serving you very well lately. If you think she doesn't need to be taught manners, then don't. After all, she's serving you, so she should be treated according to your wishes."
“But since you think she’s agreeable, then you should still hurry up with the matter of having children.” Having achieved her goal, Madam Fu relaxed, rubbing her forehead, looking exhausted. “This morning I was ridiculed by Liu Yu and her people, which gave me a headache.”
Yu Xiang stepped forward at the opportune moment, "Madam, would you like to call a doctor to take a look?"
“No need,” Madam Fu waved her hand, “I’ll be fine after a rest.”
"Then Mother, please go and rest early. I have difficulty walking, so I won't see you off." Fu Yunxiu directly gave her the order to leave.
Madam Fu didn't see anything wrong with it. In any case, she didn't really want to stay here. With Yu Xiang's help, she stood up and said gently, "In that case, I'll go back first. Liu Yu said that she had sent your monthly allowance for the past two months several times but hadn't seen you. So I've left it with me for now. I'll have someone send it over later."
"Take care, Mother."
Madam Fu and her entourage left in a flurry, and the courtyard returned to its former tranquility.
After locking the door, Mantou returned to the east room and saw Fu Yunxiu sitting at the table with his back to the door.
Amidst the dappled shadows of the trees, the young man sitting in his wheelchair appeared so small and forlorn.
"Young Master," Mantou called out instinctively.
"Mantou, you can go out now!" Fu Yunxiu's voice was low, just like his mood at that moment.
"Young master," Mantou said, feeling a little reluctant.
"Get out." Fu Yunxiu's attitude was firm.
Mantou sighed helplessly, knowing that the young master certainly didn't want to see anyone at this moment, so he could only back out and close the door, his face full of worry.
It's always the same; whenever the lady comes, the young master is in a bad mood.
Although he wasn't in the room and didn't hear what they said, he knew from the lady's smug expression after she left that the young master must have suffered a great injustice.
It seems to have always been like this, from childhood to adulthood.
He had never seen a mother as biased and partial as his wife.
Is it because the young master has been in poor health and sickly since childhood?
Shouldn't children in this situation usually receive more love and care from their mothers?
The steamed bun squatted down along the door frame.
I wonder how long the young master will stay alone this time.
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