Fu Qiyuan knew Jiao's mother best; she was a woman who would rather die than live in dishonor. She was so strong-willed and resilient, yet after the immense joy of regaining her son, she could still cruelly drive him away. How deeply must she have been hurt to utter such resolute words?
He was heartbroken, but he couldn't undo the painful past. All he could do was hold his mother and let her vent her frustrations.
Jiao's mother felt joy, anger, sorrow, and hatred. Her son was still her son, but he was no longer her son. No one could make up for the wounds and suffering she had endured, and the effort she had put in could never be taken back. The hardships and difficulties that followed would not disappear just because her son had returned; their situation might even be worse than before.
As long as she was certain that the person in front of her was alive, what did it matter whether he recognized them or was by their side? Back then, she took a step back for the sake of her family, and now, for the sake of her child, what harm was there in taking another step back?
Jiao's mother's hysterical cries could be faintly heard in the courtyard. Fu Shu immediately ordered the housekeeper to clear the area, and even Xue Zhen was invited to the kitchen to help.
Steward Zhou felt a little uneasy. He had come here from the estate to help the young master manage affairs on the master's orders, but he never expected the young master to make him a steward. He could manage the crops and the farmhands and tenants, but he had never done such delicate work before.
That was one thing, but he seemed to have heard something he shouldn't have. If he wasn't mistaken, there were cries for mother and son coming from inside just now, which could be a matter of life and death!
Butler Zhou braced himself and stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Fu Shu, and said with a smile, "Young Master Fu, the old lady's health isn't very good, and she can't withstand such extreme joy or sorrow. You see..."
Fu Shu chuckled and reached out to stroke Steward Zhou's beard. "Master really has a good eye for people. Steward Zhou, you really are... Alright, you go ahead and do your work. Do what you're supposed to do, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't say what you shouldn't say. Young Master likes people who do their jobs well the most!"
"Alright, alright, I'll get back to work then!" Having received the order, Steward Zhou felt reassured and left happily.
Fu Shu was not as talkative and charming as Fu Zhi. He was more shrewd and calculating. He was originally Fu Qiyuan's eyes and ears in the capital, but now he had to keep him by his side to protect and manage the people and things that Fu Qiyuan cared about.
Hearing the commotion coming from inside, Fu Shu had a feeling that his young master seemed to be in big trouble. He frowned and an idea came to him.
Despite being scolded by the old lady and the young master, he secretly woke up the young master, then jumped into the yard and started shouting at the top of his lungs.
Sure enough, upon hearing that the child was crying, the mother and son, who had been sobbing, quickly stopped arguing and rubbing their swollen eyes as they headed straight for their destination.
The child just hadn't slept enough; after holding and comforting him for a few moments, he fell into a deep, sweet sleep again.
Fu Shu noticed out of the corner of his eye that the young master seemed to have glared at him, so he quietly slipped away.
This interruption made it difficult for the mother and son to continue arguing.
Fu Qiyuan knew that his mother needed time to accept this fact and needed someone to calmly think it over, so he said gently, "Mother, the wet nurse will arrive first thing tomorrow morning. I have already arranged for servants to keep watch tonight, so you don't need to worry. If you need anything, just tell the steward to call me. From now on, I will live next door."
Fu Shu spent a day buying the neighbor's house for twice the amount of money, and then spent another day cleaning the house inside and out, moving all the furniture in. It was now habitable.
Fu Qiyuan hadn't had a proper rest for two nights in a row. He had been taking turns looking after the old, the young, and the children, enduring two days and two nights of hardship. Now that he had finally revealed the biggest secret he had kept in his heart, he should be able to get a good night's sleep tonight.
Jiao's mother had always known her son's abilities, and now that he had power, what couldn't he do? She glanced at her son's dark circles under his eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Fu Qiyuan jumped up with joy like a child, "Then, Mother, you should rest early after you finish eating. I'll go buy some toys for the child first, and I won't come over tonight. I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning!"
For several days in a row, Fu Qiyuan left early and returned late, piling the child's crib full of various toys. As for the little guy, he didn't need the crib yet. He slept either next to Jiang Shan or in the arms of Jiao's mother and Fu Qiyuan. The wet nurse they had specially hired was not needed.
Fu Qiyuan was very good at taking care of children. The baby, who was only a few days old, would always stare at the little toys in Fu Qiyuan's hand with his big, dark eyes when he opened his eyes, and would turn his little head with great effort in response to the sound of the rattle.
So, whenever the child was awake, Jiang Shan's room was always filled with all sorts of tinkling and clanging sounds, accompanied by someone's one-sided monologues and constant questioning and answering, occasionally even bringing Jiang Shan, the mother, into the room for interaction.
Every day, without fail, Fu Qiyuan would feed Jiang Shan ginseng soup and herbal medicine. He would also hold the child and talk to her, vividly describing every movement and expression of the child to her, and telling her what new skills the child had learned that day.
Even when the child is blowing bubbles, he can't help but come up to Jiangshan and say, "Shan'er, look, this kid is stronger today than yesterday. He's blowing bubbles faster and more often, and he's even glaring at me now!"
At these times, Jiao's mother would always watch quietly, listen, feel heartache, and be moved.
Jiao's mother and Fu Qiyuan's relationship seemed to have returned to what it was before, but something seemed different. Knowing what her son had gone through three years ago, Jiao's mother couldn't help but sigh, "It's all fate!" She didn't know what destiny held, but every choice she made now required her to be cautious, and she had to make some decisions against her conscience.
She resolutely forbade Fu Qiyuan to reveal their mother-son relationship, and she could not let anyone know that he was Jiao's second son, especially Shan'er. She even forbade Fu Qiyuan to call her "mother," otherwise she would disown him as her son.
Having no other choice, Fu Qiyuan had to settle for second best and first get his mother to accept his place in the family.
He just didn't know that Jiao's mother couldn't tell him about Jiangshan's ordeal. It was the deepest wound in everyone's heart, and to uncover it would reveal a bloody mess.
It wasn't until the county government delivered Fu Qiyuan's letter of appointment to the Jiao residence that Jiao's mother realized that her son was actually the newly appointed magistrate of Guyang County.
Magistrate Cao is about to leave, and Fu Qiyuan must go and hand over the duties; there can be no further delay.
Before leaving, Fu Qiyuan knelt before Jiao's mother and said firmly, "Mother, I will seek justice for you and will never let anyone who tries to harm you get away with it!"
With a complicated expression, Jiao's mother helped him up, wanting to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to speak.
"Just remember that Shan'er has done a great service to this family. She has suffered so much. I don't expect anything in return from you. Just don't let Shan'er down and don't make her feel heartbroken!" In the end, she couldn't bring herself to say anything too harsh to the child she had raised.
Fu Qiyuan went to Guyang County to take up his post, taking Fu Shu and all his entourage with him, while Fu Wen was left behind at Jiao's residence.
Having reclaimed his original name, Fu Wen solemnly performed the first kneeling ceremony before Jiao's mother.
"This humble servant, Fu Wen, greets the old lady!"
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