Fu Zhuoxu was carried inside, crying even more pitifully in his aunt Fu Xuanzhao’s arms. “Auntie, Auntie…”
Fu Xuanzhao continuously patted her eldest nephew’s back to comfort him. “Auntie is here! Auntie is here! It’s just that children usually prefer staying with their own parents.”
Fu Zhuoxu deliberately stopped crying to refute Fu Xuanzhao. “Hic, Auntie is lying. I don’t want to.”
Fu Xuanzhao gently pinched Fu Zhuoxu’s nose. “That’s because you haven’t experienced the benefits of being with your mother yet.”
Fu Zhuoxu shook his head, indicating he didn’t understand what his aunt was saying.
He was only worried about whether he would have delicious food that evening. “Grandmother, she won’t really abandon me, will she?”
Fu Xuanzhao held her little nephew, feeling quite pleased. “Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry. If not for your grandmother’s permission, how could I be here waiting for you, little rascal?”
Fu Zhuoxu truly couldn’t understand such long sentences, but he sensed reassurance from his aunt’s tone.
He rested his head against his aunt’s chest and peacefully fell asleep. All that fussing had exhausted him.
Jiang Wanwen watched her daughter return carrying her grandson, feeling utterly astonished. “Has your sister-in-law abandoned her own son just to spite me?”
Fu Xuanzhao also felt indignant on behalf of her nephew. “Who knows what sister-in-law is thinking?”
While responding to her mother, Fu Xuanzhao carried Fu Zhuoxu into the inner chamber.
If Fu Xuanzhao wanted to keep her mother company, she had to let her nephew sleep in her mother’s quarters.
Not long after Xiao Jiaru left, Fu Xuanming and Fu Xuanchen arrived.
After entering and paying their respects, the two immediately scanned the room but saw no sign of their sister-in-law.
Fu Xuanchen was the first to unable to restrain himself from asking, “Mother, didn’t they say sister-in-law was here? Where is she?”
Someone had informed Fu Xuanming and Fu Xuanchen about Xiao Jiaru’s visit. However, at that time, they were busy directing workers and couldn’t get away. After hastily completing their tasks, they rushed back.
Fu Xuanzhao, already upset today, felt she had found her pillars of support now that her brothers had returned. She quickly complained, “Mother dragged her out and threw her out. She left without even taking Xu Er. It was infuriating.”
Fu Xuanchen’s first reaction was to defend their sister-in-law. “Sister-in-law isn’t that kind of person. Did you and mother misunderstand? Besides, if she were truly that unreasonable, why didn’t mother beat her?”
Fu Xuanchen’s words earned him simultaneous disdainful looks from Fu Xuanming and Fu Xuanzhao.
Knowing his place in the family—with his cunning second brother and ruthless younger sister—Fu Xuanchen immediately fell silent, sulkily sinking into a chair and pretending to sip tea intently.
Jiang Wanwen also retorted to her third son, “She wasn’t raised by me. What right would I have to beat her?”
Meanwhile, Fu Xuanming smiled and inquired, “How exactly was it infuriating? Tell us in detail, little sister.”
Jiang Wanwen sat at the head, watching her three children discuss the matter while occasionally taking sips of tea.
Speaking of this, Fu Xuanzhao regretted her reaction at the time—why hadn’t she picked a fight with her sister-in-law? “Sister-in-law only brought a thousand taels of silver and a thousand catties of fine grain. In the end, because we left Shengyang without informing her maiden family, she cursed Mother Consort for being heartless.”
Enraged, Mother Consort immediately grabbed Sister-in-law and Xu Er and threw them out.
As a result, Sister-in-law left Xu Er outside the gate and rode off on her horse alone.
Fu Xuanming wasn’t just angry—he was absolutely furious. If not for Mother Consort’s quick reaction, their entire family would have perished in Shengyang. How dare Sister-in-law come before Mother Consort with her sarcastic remarks!
Despite his rage, Fu Xuanming was a rational person. Circumstances were stronger than individuals! They were now in his elder brother’s territory, lacking both manpower and provisions. Any temper had to be swallowed.
If blood ties were truly reliable, they wouldn’t have fled Shengyang in such disarray. Forget about their possessions—they hadn’t even been able to bring along their loyal attendants.
Though Fu Xuanming was seething inside, he maintained a gentle demeanor to comfort his sister, “Don’t be angry. We must first stand on our own feet and not rely on Elder Brother or Sister-in-law.”
Jiang Wanwen strongly agreed with her second son’s words, “Ming’er is right. We must establish ourselves independently. What others have is never as reliable as what we possess ourselves.”
After listening for a while, Fu Xuanchen felt he understood Mother Consort and Second Brother’s meaning and spoke up, “Then should I return the silver and grain Sister-in-law sent?”
“Shut up! I raised your elder brother all these years. Is eating a thousand catties of his grain too much?” Jiang Wanwen thought her youngest son was also foolish—how could he consider returning resources already in hand? What a spendthrift!
Seeing Mother Consort flare up again, Fu Xuanchen immediately backed down, “Of course you can eat it. You’re Elder Brother’s mother consort. Not just a thousand catties of fine grain—even ten thousand catties would be fitting.”
Noting how quickly her third son conceded, Jiang Wanwen decided not to press the matter. Otherwise, she’d have to give the boy another beating.
Among those present, Fu Xuanming was the most troubled.
No matter how clever he was, Fu Xuanming was only a fourteen-year-old youth. He worried both about Mother Consort’s safety and what their group would eat.
He couldn’t help expressing his concerns to Mother Consort, “Now we can only hope that Sworn Brother and Headman Ma return soon. Only with grain in hand can we feel secure.”
Jiang Wanwen still had thirty thousand catties of grain in her space. With their current small numbers, this supply would last them quite a while.
She just hadn’t found the right opportunity to reveal it yet, but having reserves felt reassuring nonetheless.
So Jiang Wanwen still had the presence of mind to comfort her son, “Don’t worry about your sworn brother’s capabilities. He’s someone who fought alongside your maternal grandfather.”
Jiang Wanwen’s current biggest worry was having no one to help her farm the land. With so much acreage, she couldn’t possibly till it all herself.
She urgently needed capable people—those who could help her purchase, manage, and supervise workers and affairs.
Perhaps heaven heard Jiang Wanwen’s silent plea. No sooner had she finished her mental grumbling than Ruhua entered to announce, ‘Yu Zongguan has come with his wife and daughter to request an audience.’
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanwen only paused momentarily before remembering who Yu Zongguan was. “Quickly invite Yu Zongguan and his family of three inside.”
At this, all three of Fu Xuanming’s siblings could sense Mother Consort’s delight.
Yu Zongguan entered with his wife and daughter, immediately performing a grand bow to Jiang Wanwen. “This humble servant pays respects to Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty live a thousand…”
“You’d better call me Old Wangfei or Master! These three all call me Mother Consort.” Jiang Wanwen interrupted Yu Wei’s remaining words with a smile, then pointed toward Fu Xuanming and his two siblings.
Yu Wei, having grown wise with age, immediately changed his address upon hearing this. “This humble servant greets the Master!”
Jiang Wanwen was indeed short of staff, but what she truly needed were people willing to follow her wholeheartedly. “Actually, now that you’ve obtained the Maishenqi (indentures), you should consider carefully. This might not necessarily be a good place for you.”