Fu Shi did not pay much attention to Concubine Su or Concubine Ding. Concubine Su came from a humble background and could at most rise to the status of a concubine. Concubine Ding had a dull temperament; although she adored her husband, she did not win his favor.
Fu Shi never felt jealous of these two women. Instead, as the principal wife, she believed she should care for them, as they were all women sharing the same fate.
Concubines were not allowed to socialize freely outside the household, and their status was inherently low. Even their husband regarded them lightly, never truly holding them in his heart—a sorrow shared by many women.
Yet Xiao Fu Shi was different. She had entered the household through a proper marriage. On the day Fu Shi returned with her children after immense hardship, she witnessed Liu Chengxu and Xiao Fu Shi deeply in love. He held her as they celebrated their beloved daughter’s first birthday, exchanging tender glances filled with affection.
At that moment, Fu Shi felt utterly disheartened. After enduring countless hardships to return, her husband had changed his heart and married her own younger sister.
Fortunately, upon seeing her for the first time, her husband pushed Xiao Fu Shi aside. From then on, Xiao Fu Shi lived a secluded life, never causing trouble or vying for favor. Even when Fu Shi sought her opinion on household management or social engagements, Xiao Fu Shi politely declined.
For many years, the relationship among the three women remained this way, and Fu Shi had almost forgotten about Xiao Fu Shi. Little did she expect her to visit today.
Li Shu entered with her mother, encountering many people she had gradually forgotten from her past life. Her father, whom she remembered as the elderly Minister Liu, was now in his prime—vigorous, powerful, and commanding.
Outsiders often said Fu Shi and Xiao Fu Shi bore a fifty percent resemblance, but in reality, they were entirely different. Fu Shi had fair skin, a tall and full yet not plump figure, and a round, dumpling-like face that exuded fortune. Her smile revealed a pair of dimples, making her appear bright and lively. Xiao Fu Shi, on the other hand, was delicate and graceful, with a rosy complexion that evoked pity. Her soft, gentle voice made her seem even more tender and serene.
Li Shu understood the reasons for their differences. Fu Shi was the treasured daughter of the Fu family, spirited and confident in her youth, well-versed in the ways of being a wife. As her father’s career faced difficulties, she embraced simplicity and frugality. In contrast, her own mother was a concubine-born daughter, humble at home. After marriage, her status as a second wife initially drew criticism from her father. Though the couple eventually grew close, Fu Shi’s unexpected return from the dead complicated matters. Her mother, outwardly delicate but inwardly stubborn, feared being looked down upon and thus exercised excessive caution in everything.
If not for her sake, her mother would never have humbled herself or broken her own promises.
When Liu Chengxu first met Xiao Fu Shi, despite his strong resistance, he could not deny her breathtaking beauty, reminiscent of “a bird startled into the pine vines, a fish afraid to sink among lotus flowers.” Now, dressed in a milky-white gauze gown, her graceful silhouette was captivating. Not only Liu Chengxu but even the members of the main household, who had not seen Xiao Fu Shi for a long time, thought to themselves, “A fox spirit bewitching men.”
“Master, elder sister,” Xiao Fu Shi greeted with a faint smile.
Fu Shi quickly composed herself and asked, “Come, I’ve already asked Yu Ping to set the tableware. Why don’t you and Shu Jie’er sit down and eat? We can talk slowly.”
She appeared utterly sincere, and Xiao Fu Shi responded gratefully, “Thank you for your kindness, elder sister. But Shu Jie’er and I had plenty of snacks in the afternoon and aren’t hungry now. I wouldn’t come without a reason—Shu Jie’er has developed a rash of heat bumps on her neck, and the ice hasn’t arrived yet. I’m worried she won’t sleep well tonight. That’s why I wondered if you might…”
She spoke with great humility, and everyone could see the heat rash covering Li Shu's neck, which indeed looked alarming.
This certainly wasn't Fu Shi's intention. As the head of the household, Fu Shi truly had a difficult time. The Liu family of Macheng was indeed a prominent clan in Jinghu, but with her husband serving as a seventh-rank Tuiguan (judicial officer), the expenses for maintaining connections in the Jiujiang government alone amounted to five or six hundred taels, with an additional four or five hundred taels spent in the capital. Unfortunately, Liu Chengxu was known for his integrity and refused to accept any illicit gains, so the family had no choice but to cut back on expenses.
Not only was Xiao Fu Shi affected, but even Fu Shi herself lived frugally.
Standing at the doorway, Yu Ping and Yu Lan exchanged glances, convinced that Xiao Fu Shi had deliberately done this to criticize the primary wife in front of the master, though her methods were rather clumsy.
Upon hearing this, Fu Shi immediately responded, "This is my fault. With the recent drought, I asked them to buy ice early to avoid it being snatched up by other households. In that case, take a basin of ice from my room first. As for Li Shu's condition, have a doctor prescribe some ointment to apply."
Fu Shi's words and actions perfectly befitted her role as the primary wife. Xiao Fu Shi hadn't come to pick a fight with her, so she promptly replied, "In that case, I'm relieved. As for the medicine, there's no need. I still have some prickly heat powder and have been applying it to her these past few days."
"Li Shu, thank your elder mother," Xiao Fu Shi said, looking at Li Shu.
Li Shu quickly replied sweetly, "Thank you, elder mother."
Fu Shi felt somewhat uneasy, but seeing Xiao Fu Shi and Li Shu like this, her heart softened with compassion. However, when Xiao Fu Shi finished speaking and immediately took the child away, she felt slightly relieved.
She even said to Liu Chengxu, "Master, I see Li Shu has a lot of heat rash, and their room faces the west, exposed to the afternoon sun. Why not send two basins of ice over?"
Liu Chengxu grunted in response, seemingly indifferent.
Suddenly, a cry of alarm was heard outside, followed by a young girl's sobbing: "Mother, what's wrong? Mother…"
Before Fu Shi could react, she saw Liu Chengxu dart out like an arrow from a bow. Li Shu, looking at her mother who had fainted, flushed with anger, vaguely guessed the truth but was still startled.
By the time Li Shu regained her composure, she saw her father anxiously gathered around her mother, calling out, "Qiujun, Qiujun…"
Though Liu Chengxu came from a family with a medical background and knew some medicine, seeing Xiao Fu Shi's flushed face and labored breathing, he panicked. It was only when the servant Chang An reminded him that it might be heatstroke that he realized.
Liu Chengxu picked up Xiao Fu Shi and rushed to the west courtyard. After laying her on the bed, he loosened her collar and urgently said to Dan Hong, "Quickly go to Chang An and fetch some Huoxiang Zhengqi Powder."
This Huoxiang Zhengqi Powder came from the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang (Formulas of the Bureau of the People's Welfare Pharmacy in the Taiping Era). It was most suitable for summer ailments caused by cold and dampness affecting the spleen and stomach, making it perfect for treating heatstroke.
Meanwhile, seeing Liu Chengxu rush out carrying Xiao Fu Shi, Fu Shi remained where she was. Yu Ping and the others quickly urged, "Madam, why don't you go and see? The master could have moved the second wife to the side room. Why go to the west courtyard?"
Fu Shi turned to Yu Ping and asked, "Was it you who didn't give the second wife ice today?"
Yu Ping stamped her foot, not thinking she had done anything wrong. "We only have ten basins of ice each day. Our young master studies hard and sweats profusely, so I…" She wanted to say that such things had happened before. Xiao Fu Shi was no good person—she had seduced the master during Fu Shi's mourning period, and the two had become involved.
Even back in the Fu family, everyone knew Xiao Fu Shi's status—a concubine-born daughter with ambitions higher than the sky, who swaggered into the Liu Family with arrogance. Her parents, who had once managed the courtyard for Fu Shi, were beaten with boards by Xiao Fu Shi and sent off to a manor. She even altered Fu Shi’s former residence beyond recognition.
How could such a person be allowed to succeed? A petty villain, I spit on her.
Fu Shi was so furious she nearly fell backward: "Hurry and send two basins of ice over."
For some reason, Fu Shi felt a vague unease. She had always believed she was the most special to Liu Chengxu, but she never expected her husband to react so strongly when her younger sister fainted.
Thus, as the primary wife, she should have gone over, yet now she hesitated…
She even dared not face it.
Could it be that her husband truly had feelings for her sister? Was she no longer the only one?