Seeing Su Fu’s suddenly distant attitude, Su Qing was momentarily stunned.
“Elder Sister, are you still blaming me over what happened last time?”
Su Fu didn’t even spare her a glance. She simply walked past her and went inside.
Su Qing stood rooted to the spot, her handkerchief crumpled tightly in her fist, her expression dark and unsightly.
Inside the room, the Old Madam sat with her eyes closed. When Su Fu entered, the nanny beside her leaned down and whispered softly, “Old Madam, the Eldest Miss has arrived.”
“Granddaughter greets Grandmother.”
After waiting for quite some time with no response, Su Fu remained standing in her bowing posture.
A moment later, Su Qing entered. “Grandmother, your granddaughter has come to pay her respects!”
Hearing Su Qing’s voice, the Old Madam slowly opened her eyes.
With a warm smile, she said, “Qing’er is here!”
As if only just noticing Su Fu, she exclaimed, “Oh! Fu girl is here too. Why are you both standing? Come sit beside Grandmother.”
She looked Su Fu up and down. “I heard you were ill some days ago. Now that I see you, your complexion looks much better than before.”
“Thank you for your concern, Grandmother. I’ve recovered considerably. I haven’t been able to come pay my respects these past days—please forgive your granddaughter.”
“I know you’re a filial child. You’ve only just recovered and already came to greet this old woman.”
Her tone suddenly shifted.
“However, you must be more cautious in your conduct from now on. You must not act rashly as you did before. What if one day you offend some noble lady or young miss outside and bring trouble upon the Su family? I would not spare you!”
“I understand,” Su Fu replied obediently.
The Old Madam looked at her in slight surprise. Su Fu’s meek demeanor was unusual enough that she studied her a moment longer.
Just then, Madam Zhou arrived.
Su Fu had not come today merely to pay respects. Seeing Zhou Shi present, she spoke up:
“Grandmother, Mother, Fu’er has another matter to discuss.”
She rose to her feet, her eyes clear and bright, her voice crisp and composed. She bowed respectfully to both women.
“I have now reached my coming-of-age. I am no longer a child. Therefore, I wish to reclaim the dowry my birth mother left me. Since I am not yet married, I would like to begin learning how to manage it in advance. That way, when the time comes, I will not be flustered or ignorant.”
At her words, both the Old Madam and Zhou Shi’s expressions shifted—if only for a fleeting instant.
They exchanged a glance, silently communicating something.
The Old Madam frowned slightly, then spoke in a measured tone, “Fu’er, the dowry your mother left has always been kept safe by your mother and me. It is for your own good. You are but a young girl—how could you possibly have the energy to manage such matters? These things are best handled by your elders.”
Zhou Shi quickly chimed in, “That’s right, Fu’er. Though you have come of age, you are not yet betrothed. Your dowry has been managed jointly by your grandmother and me. When you marry, it will naturally be returned to you. Do you mean to say you do not trust us?”
But Su Fu remained unmoved. Her gaze darkened slightly as she looked steadily at them.
“Grandmother, Mother, I appreciate your good intentions. But I know that I must grow up eventually. I cannot depend on my elders forever. Before she passed, my birth mother hoped that I would be independent. Father also taught me that as the Eldest Miss of the Su family, I must bear responsibility.”
“This dowry is a remembrance left by my mother. I believe that if I study diligently—and with Grandmother and Mother’s guidance—I will surely be able to manage it well.”
A flash of determination and confidence flickered in her eyes.
The Old Madam and Zhou Shi’s gazes dimmed. Su Fu’s words had effectively blocked all their excuses.
At the side, Su Qing grew anxious. Why had Su Fu suddenly decided to reclaim her dowry? She had taken quite a few items from it over the years. If Su Fu retrieved it now, it would be like cutting flesh from her own body.
The Old Madam sat in her grand armchair, holding a cup of hot tea, her eyes flickering.
In her heart, she calculated the vast wealth left by Su Fu’s birth mother. It was no small sum. If Su Fu took it back, the Su family’s expenses would inevitably be affected.
No. Even if she had to lose face, she absolutely could not allow Su Fu to reclaim it.
She took a slow sip of tea, suppressing her irritation. Her expression gradually turned stern.
“You speak wrongly. Before you are married, your dowry belongs to the Su family. Everything you eat and wear—what is not provided by the Su family? Without this household, would you be who you are today? Not only are you ungrateful, you stand here haggling with your grandmother and mother over such matters!”
She set the teacup down heavily on the table, her chest rising and falling as though she were truly angered.
After several steadying breaths, she continued, “You are not yet betrothed. When your marriage is arranged, it will not be too late to learn how to manage these matters.”
Yet inwardly, she was already planning to quickly find a suitable husband to marry Su Fu off.
Su Fu had known she would not retrieve the dowry in a single attempt. But seeing the Old Madam’s current expression still made her feel disgusted.
“It was your granddaughter’s oversight. Grandmother and Mother have worked hard managing my dowry, and I have always been grateful in my heart. I trust that under your stewardship, the dowry must be flourishing.”
Hearing this, Zhou Shi recalled the lands and shops among Su Fu’s dowry. Many of the most fertile fields and prime shops in bustling markets had already been quietly appropriated by her.
She had intended to reserve them as part of Su Qing’s future dowry.
The smile on Zhou Shi’s face stiffened for a brief moment.
But only for a moment.
Soon she resumed her usual gentle expression, smiling warmly. “Rest assured, Fu’er. The dowry your mother left you will be returned intact when you marry.”
The Old Madam rubbed her temples, appearing fatigued once more, and waved her hand dismissively. “Enough. You may all leave. I am tired.”
After everyone departed, she sat up straight—no trace of fatigue remained.
She instructed Nanny An beside her, “When the eldest returns tonight, tell him to come see me.”
“Yes, Old Madam.”
Back at Lanxiang Pavilion, Su Fu asked, “Qiushuang, is there an inventory list for the dowry Mother left me?”
“Yes, Miss! It’s in the box beneath your dressing table.”
Joy flickered in Su Fu’s heart. With the inventory list, things would be easier.
In her previous life, she had never cared about the dowry her mother left her and had no idea how substantial it was. When she married into the General’s Residence, Zhou Shi had prepared what appeared to be a generous dowry—everything one would expect.
But it was merely for show. The items themselves were cheap and worthless.
After entering the General’s Residence, she had even endured cold mockery from servants over her dowry. At the time, she disliked Xiao Junhe and paid little mind to it.
But this life was different.
There was much she needed to accomplish.
And she understood clearly—without money, nothing could be done.
Moreover, in this lifetime, she would never allow the dowry her birth mother left her to be handed over to those people for nothing.