“What purpose do I have?” Cheng Shi stiffened her neck again, her posture as if ready to fight someone to the death. “My purpose is to let everyone know how the Cui Family has bullied me! Even in the future… when people talk about it, they won’t be able to say a single bad word about me! Only I have the right to criticize the Cui Family!”
Yuan Fuyu’s frown deepened. “So, you just want to morally suppress the Cui Family? You’re satisfied with letting others’ gossip uphold justice for you, with people pitying you and calling you poor and miserable?”
Only at this moment did Yuan Fuyu suddenly understand.
Cheng Shi’s complaints and resentment in front of her were merely to make her sigh and say “poor mother,” to make her share the same hatred against Song Yiniang, rather than truly wanting her to find a way to help Cheng Shi escape her predicament.
Enraged and ashamed, Cheng Shi grabbed the medicine bowl beside her and threw it at Yuan Fuyu.
The medicine bowl hit the copper stove, shattering into pieces on the floor, startling the charcoal fire inside and causing sparks to fly everywhere.
Mama Qin, who was attending to Cheng Shi outside the door, hurried in at the sound. “Oh my, what happened?”
Yuan Fuyu lifted her skirt, shaking off the medicine stains, her voice calm. “I’ll leave early the day after tomorrow. Take care, Mother.”
“Fourth Miss…”
Mama Qin was about to say something, but Cheng Shi interrupted her. “Let her go! Since she believes her heartless, ungrateful father and doesn’t want her paralyzed mother, when her father sells her out, no one will be able to save her!”
Watching Yuan Fuyu leave, Mama Qin quickly scurried to the bedside to persuade Cheng Shi. “My dear lady, now is not the time to be angry with Fourth Miss!”
“She insists on believing that wolf in sheep’s clothing father of hers, what can I do!”
·
Before dawn on the third day, Yuan Fuyu was ready to depart.
She had already agreed with Master Cui that she wouldn’t return to the Cui Family in Wu City, but would go directly from Taiqing to the western post station in Wu City to meet up with the Cui Family’s carriage convoy.
At the end of the Yin hour, Taiqing County was silent all around, with only occasional barks of dogs coming from the alleys.
Jinshu, dressed in practical martial attire with a short knife and long sword at her waist, carried a lantern and escorted Yuan Fuyu, who was wrapped in a fox fur coat, as they walked toward the estate gate. Before they even left the estate, they saw Mama Qin holding a sandalwood box, standing waiting at the moon gate.
Seeing Yuan Fuyu, Mama Qin quickly stepped forward and bowed. “Fourth Miss, this old servant has a few words I’d like to say to you in private.”
Yuan Fuyu glanced at her martial maid Jinshu beside her, and Jinshu understandingly stepped away.
Only then did Mama Qin speak. “Fourth Miss, please don’t blame your mother. Over the years, your mother has been paralyzed and bedridden, never going out, and her temperament has become increasingly stubborn! You’re the only one she has by her side, so she can only pour out her bitterness to you. Actually, all that she’s told you is because she wants you to persuade your father to change his mind, and to advise your younger brother not to be won over by that vixen Song Yiniang!”
Seeing Yuan Fuyu frown and knowing she didn’t like hearing this, Mama Qin quickly added, “Your mother doesn’t want to stop you from going to the capital either, it’s just… Fourth Miss, you’ve grown more and more beautiful now, and your mother is worried that your father, blinded by greed, might have ulterior motives in taking you to the capital. That’s why she forbids you from going.”
Aside from complaining all day, Cheng Shi was a very considerate mother. Yuan Fuyu had seen all the kindness she showed to Cui Siniang.
In winter, she would worry about having the servants air Cui Siniang’s quilts and turn them frequently, instructing the maids to warm the quilts with incense every night before Cui Siniang went to sleep.
In summer, she would have the servants hang extravagant moon-shadow gauze canopies over Cui Siniang’s courtyard, afraid that mosquitoes might bite Cui Siniang.
Throughout the four seasons, Cheng Shi was always attentive to clothing and food.
It was precisely for this reason that Yuan Fuyu wanted to help Cheng Shi escape her predicament.
“Your mother asked you to feign illness to avoid this, but she worries that if your father insists on taking you away, she won’t be able to stop him from her sickbed. Look… just in case, your mother prepared these for you.” Mama Qin handed her the sandalwood box and lowered her voice, “Inside are some silver notes, the address of Fourth Miss’s maternal grandfather in the capital, and a letter from your mother to your grandfather. If your father in the capital truly gives you trouble, remember to seek out your grandfather.”
Yuan Fuyu accepted the sandalwood box: “Grandfather? But I heard… that grandfather lost contact with mother after she married father?”
If that weren’t the case, how would the Cui Family dare to bully Cheng Shi like this.
Since she had already told Yuan Fuyu this much, Mama Qin didn’t hide anything else: “Actually, your mother and the old master never lost contact. Back then, the old master was worried about enemies seeking revenge, and to avoid implicating your mother, they publicly claimed to have severed ties after she married into the Cui Family. Your grandfather doesn’t know about your mother’s paralysis yet. If Fourth Miss has no other choice but to seek the old master’s help, you must tell him your mother is doing well to spare him the worry.”
Yuan Fuyu nodded: “I understand. Unless absolutely necessary, I won’t disturb grandfather.”
Mama Qin’s eyes reddened: “Fourth Miss, this old servant must say one more thing – no matter how splendidly your father describes the capital, never stay there. Your aunt was given by the Cui Family to become a noble’s concubine and died before she even turned twenty. Your mother is truly worried about you.”
“Before I leave, I have some words for you too, Mama Qin.” Yuan Fuyu said, “I’ve replaced the servants and guards at the Cui Family old residence twice already – they’re all our people. The current steward, Manager Liu, is competent. After I leave… they will only take orders from mother. If mother becomes uncomfortable living at the Cui Family old residence, she can move to the estate I bought in Baoying. If mother wishes to divorce, Manager Liu knows how to handle it properly.”
Mama Qin nodded with a sob.
“Additionally, Mama Qin…” Yuan Fuyu traced the carvings on the wooden box, “You must make mother understand that complaining to everyone, hoping others will judge her as pitiful and condemn the Cui Family as unjust, serves no purpose other than providing gossip for others. Merchant families don’t care about propriety and shame. Father won’t neglect Song Yiniang and bring mother back just because of some relatives’ persuasion. That foolish brother of mine, with his absurd behavior, won’t come to serve mother dutifully or listen to her complaints about the Cui Family just because of others’ criticism.”
Yuan Fuyu knew that even if she said these words, Cheng Shi might not listen, so she could only say this much.
Mama Qin stayed by Yuan Fuyu’s side, tirelessly offering advice as she escorted her to the gate.
Before boarding the carriage, Yuan Fuyu looked back at the Cui Family old residence where she had lived for three years.
Over these three years, Yuan Fuyu had purged the Cui Family old residence twice, leaving only capable people.
This time, she was taking only one team of guards and her martial maid Jinshu, leaving everyone else for Cheng Shi.
She could only hope that Cui Siniang’s mother, Cheng Shi, would soon come to her senses and escape the quagmire of the Cui Family.
Mama Qin stood at the entrance of the Cui residence, watching Yuan Fuyu board the carriage. With red-rimmed eyes, she hurried forward two steps and instructed Jinshu, who had just mounted his horse, to take good care of Cui Siniang and return as quickly as possible after completing their task.
Four chestnut-maned horses led the way, with guards in martial attire holding torches to clear the path.
Behind two luggage-laden carriages followed the elmwood carriage with blue silk curtains carrying Yuan Fuyu.
Jinshu guarded one side of the carriage while six robust female escorts rode at the rear, jolting their way out of the city.