Cheng never dreamed that when she finally returned to her parents' home, she would be scolded mercilessly by her own mother.
She felt incredibly wronged, but she dared not throw a tantrum in front of her mother. She could show weakness and act cute, but she could never be self-righteous or act on her own initiative.
Her mother chose her as her daughter many years ago, and also abandoned her dignity many years ago. In the end, it was her willful actions that harmed her parents, and she brought it upon herself.
After Madam Cheng had finished crying, Old Madam Cheng had a maid take Madam Cheng away to wash up, and the mother and daughter sat down together again in peace.
“Your uncle will definitely not stand idly by in your affairs. I trust him to do things. What I’m worried about is your cousin and your nephews! The Pei family is large and powerful with many offspring, so there’s bound to be infighting within the clan. Fortunately, they’ve been very good to you and your brother. They’ve also helped you out quite a bit, both openly and secretly, with all your expenses in the capital.”
At this point, Old Madam Cheng glanced at Cheng Shi indifferently and said coldly, "You don't need to worry about your uncle's side anymore. I will write to them. You should comfort Yuan'er and not go against him at every turn. He has never had any affection for you, his own mother, so don't expect him to always go along with you! Daughters are all debts, and this is a debt you willingly incurred. No one can help you repay it!"
After the maid took Madam Cheng to see Cheng Mu, a faint hint of mockery flashed in Old Madam Cheng's eyes.
See? This is karma!
The letter sent from the capital to Yuzhou was almost a month late. Pei Tianyou, the patriarch of the Pei family, only realized that the situation was far more complicated than he had imagined when he received his sister's letter.
My niece's son is actually the newly appointed magistrate of Guyang County!
His own grandson was going to deal with the woman the county magistrate liked!
Pei Tianyou knew in his heart how unreliable his niece's actions were, and that his son and grandson were even more unreliable. With so many members of the Pei family involved in lawsuits, it was impossible for him to simply dismiss the matter with a single word, much less for Fu Qiyuan to let it go because of their relationship.
His younger sister had endured humiliation and hardship for many years, yet she repeatedly reminded him not to associate too much with those in the capital, precisely to prevent Fu Ting from targeting the Pei family. He had no idea that the child his niece had taken back three years ago would side with the Pei family.
Right now, appealing to family ties won't work; the only option is to pay money to avoid trouble!
Pei Tianyou and Old Madam Cheng shared similar thoughts. She was just a woman; unless she was a fairy descended from heaven, how much influence could she possibly have on Fu Qiyuan? At worst, they could just carry her back in a sedan chair. Only by winning Fu Qiyuan's heart could they play the emotional card.
Madam Cheng knew her daughter better than anyone else; she was simply unwilling to accept it! To put it more bluntly, she was dissatisfied that her son didn't listen to her. Not only did he fail to find her a suitable daughter-in-law from a noble family, as she wished, but he also got involved with a lowly country woman. This was intolerable!
There was one more thing that Madam Cheng didn't tell Old Madam Cheng: Fu Qiyuan went to great lengths to run to Guyang County for one fundamental reason: his adoptive mother was in Guyang County! She had worked so hard to give birth to her son and finally found him; how could she let him go back and recognize another woman as his mother? Where would that leave his dignity as his biological mother?
No one could have imagined that an unbreakable bond had formed between Fu Qiyuan and Jiang Shan. Fu Zhi did not tell Cheng Shi that Jiang Shan was pregnant. Pei Wang and others, who knew that Jiang Shan had given birth, were still trapped in the dark and hopeless prison, crying out to heaven and earth in vain.
Fu Qiyuan would not let the people in the capital know about Jianghuai, nor would he allow any unstable factors to threaten the country and his children.
Therefore, Fu Qiyuan received the news as soon as Pei Tianyou's eldest son, Pei Guangnian, appeared in Guyang County.
Pei Guangnian is the vice president of the Yuzhou Chamber of Commerce. He is very good at business and generous. Even the governor of Yuzhou gives him some face. He is also the next person in charge of the Pei family.
Fu Qiyuan pretended to avoid Pei Guangnian for three days, and on the fourth night, he was "accidentally" met by Pei Guangnian at the Bafang Restaurant and became his guest of honor.
Fu Qiyuan perfectly portrayed a naive newcomer to officialdom, completely ignorant of human relationships and social customs, yet eloquent and erudite in his quotations.
Pei Guangnian felt a deep sense of frustration; none of the things he had prepared were of any use.
Seeing that this stubborn fellow was unyielding, Pei Guangnian had no choice but to follow his unconventional approach.
"Lord Fu, the Pei family of Yuzhou is actually a very close relative of you. I am here on the orders of the head of the Pei family to ask you for a small favor..." As he spoke, the attendant behind Pei Guangnian brought out a box more than a foot long. When the lid was opened, the box was full of silver ingots that gleamed.
Fu Qiyuan raised an eyebrow in surprise, then slapped his forehead and exclaimed in realization, "Now that you mention it, I do remember! My maternal grandmother was from the Pei family of Yuzhou!"
Pei Guangnian's smile became even more genuine, and he said with delight, "Your maternal grandmother is my aunt, so you should call me 'cousin'!"
Fu Qiyuan immediately raised his hand in a cupped-up gesture and called out "Cousin" in a crisp and straightforward manner. Then, he said righteously and solemnly, "Since we are relatives, there is no need to spend money. As long as it does not violate the law or the imperial court, it is just a small favor. Please feel free to ask, Cousin!"
Pei Guangnian choked for a moment, unsure of what to say next.
Fu Qiyuan smiled warmly and personally poured Pei Guangnian a glass of wine, saying, "Although I've never heard my father mention the Pei family, my mother is very close to them. Even if I can't help you, Uncle, I will ask my father to lend a hand. You can rest assured, Uncle!"
Pei Guang felt a chill run down his spine after the New Year and waved his hands repeatedly, "How could I trouble my cousin-in-law!"
What a joke! My aunt has repeatedly warned me that Fu Ting must not find out about this, otherwise even a small matter could escalate into a bloodbath.
Pei Guangnian had no idea that the fear that flashed through his mind would be confirmed by the young man in front of him. He seemed to have forgotten that this was that man's son, just like his father, who hated evil and had the same clear sense of right and wrong.
Because he didn't know whether Pei Wang had confessed about the Pei family, Pei Guangnian dared not act rashly and had to make other plans.
When Jiang Shan returned from the shop, he happened to pass by the Bafang Restaurant and saw Fu Qiyuan seeing Pei Guangnian off.
"Who is it?" Jiang Shan asked casually.
"A businessman," Fu Qiyuan said casually, before boarding Jiangshan's carriage.
But Jiang Shan wouldn't give up, and continued, "Doing business? What kind of business? It's quite impressive, looks like a big business, must have a lot of resources! Next time you see him, introduce me, maybe we can cooperate!"
Four words flashed through Fu Qiyuan's mind: Letting the wolf into the house!
On the street about five zhang away, another conversation between a master and his servant could be heard:
"Sir, what should we do? It seems that Lord Fu doesn't want to give the Pei family any face?"
"Hmph, either he's a blockhead, or he's a cunning little fox, just like his father!"
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