Fu Yu's lips twitched. He stood by the railing, his robes fluttering in the wind, and waited for the evening breeze to clear his head before saying, "Father is very happy to have hot pot tonight, as are Zhao'er and Lan Yin—it's been a rare lively occasion since Mother passed away." He turned his head to look at You Tong's profile. "Lan Yin likes you very much; I can tell."
"We share similar interests, so of course we get along well. I also like her; she's genuine and lovely."
You Tong thought of her charming and innocent sister-in-law, and her voice couldn't help but chuckle.
Fu Yu glanced at her and said, "If she knew what you said earlier, she would probably be heartbroken."
You Tong knew perfectly well which matter this referred to.
She paused, then lowered her eyes slightly.
How could she not have thought about it? After marrying into the Fu family, Fu Lanyin was the first person to set aside her prejudices and get close to her, even helping her to find backup several times and reminding her to be wary of Shen Yueyi. It wouldn't be easy to let go of her. Besides her, Fu Zhao and Fu Deqing were also quite good to her. Tonight, while enjoying hot pot, not only were the Fu family father and son happy, but she also felt joyful and content. Even when Fu Yu added food for her and Fu Zhao and his siblings teased her, she felt that this might be what she had been longing for—
They enjoy preparing delicious food out of interest, and the couple lives in harmony, as do the siblings.
But beneath this warmth lie numerous shackles and constraints.
She remembered it clearly all along.
You Tong bit her lip, and seeing that Fu Yu didn't seem to be joking, she said seriously, "Is this why you came here tonight, my husband?"
"Hmm." Fu Yu's voice was not loud. "Tell me the reason."
He had walked away the previous two times when the topic of divorce was brought up, but this time he brought it up himself, which clearly meant he was serious.
You Tong looked up and met Fu Yu's eyes. Like the deep night, his gaze made her heart skip a beat. Her fingers unconsciously curled up. She took a deep breath and said, "Anything else is meaningless. I'll only say two things. First, please think about it, husband. If Lan Yin were to leave this place and end up in the same situation I was in when I first arrived, what would we do? Second—" She paused, and seeing that Fu Yu showed no displeasure, she continued, "Husband, you must remember what happened with the Second Young Master Qin?"
"Remember."
“That day, I was in the private room with him and did nothing wrong, yet I was scolded for no reason.” You Tong thought of Madam Fu’s expression that day, and her heart was still knotted with resentment. “At the time, I was afraid of making things difficult for my husband, so I didn’t say much, but I remember Madam Fu’s scolding clearly. The so-called ‘avoiding suspicion’ was just telling me to keep my feet bound and stay in the inner courtyard, and it would be best not to step out of the mansion.”
“Grandmother’s words were indeed too harsh, and those two maids have been severely punished.” Fu Yu knew his grandmother’s temperament. When she was calm, Du Youtong was quite critical. He could vaguely guess what she would say when she was furious.
A hint of apology flickered in his eyes as he reached out and grasped her shoulder.
You Tong didn't move, letting the warmth of his palm seep through her clothes, and said softly, "Does my husband think that what bothers me is only my grandmother's reprimand?"
Fu Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, unable to recall anything amiss about what happened at Shou'an Hall that day.
You Tong chuckled to herself, then changed the subject, saying, "The reason I spoke with Young Master Qin in the private room that day was because of the tripe we had for hot pot today. This stuff is very delicate; if the chef isn't dedicated, it won't taste good. He knows a cook who has used tripe in her cooking before, so we talked about it briefly. To be honest, my husband, I'd very much like to find that cook to be my assistant, and I need Young Master Qin's help with this."
"That's easy, I'll send someone to ask."
"If I were to make him a dish of tripe and discuss this matter with him in person, would my husband mind?"
Fu Yu was stunned, vaguely understanding the implication of her words.
The prevailing social norms weren't particularly strict, but even among high-ranking families, rules were still numerous. For example, in the Shen family, if Fu Deming wasn't present and she needed to discuss matters with a male relative, she would usually set up a screen to separate them and summon the steward outside, who would then relay the message. Sometimes, this was even less convenient than for a young lady. In a family like the Fu family, under the watchful eyes of countless people, and with the old lady placing particular importance on reputation, the rules were even stricter. In the old lady's eyes, You Tong's behavior that day was frivolous and lacking in dignity and propriety, like that of a common woman.
In Fu Yu's view, while keeping an eye on the identities of the women in the Fu family, he also couldn't break the rules or act out of line.
So he said, "If you really want to go, I'll have someone accompany you. Before you go, tell your grandmother."
You Tong lowered her eyes, a fleeting look of disappointment in them, and said, "Okay."
After a pause, he said, "Look, the young mistress is of such high status, yet it's so difficult for her to see anyone."
Even if she was sensible and wouldn't overstep any boundaries, she still needed to inform her elders and obtain their permission before being watched by a group of people. Otherwise, if anyone saw her and, like Su Ruolan, gossiped and stirred things up, she would be reprimanded. Sometimes, the common women that the esteemed old lady looked down upon were actually much freer than her.
But these words cannot be spoken.
Born into a prestigious family and enjoying that privilege, one must abide by the rules and maintain a dignified and proper demeanor. She understands that one cannot have both fish and bear's paw. The only choice she has is to weigh the pros and cons.
You Tong sighed inwardly.
Although Fu Yu was a military general, he came from a prominent family and grew up within strict rules from the time he was an infant. Madam Fu, along with Madam Tian and Madam Shen, set an example and taught him by example. These teachings were imprinted in his mind and ingrained in his bones, so he had long been accustomed to them and could hardly detect anything amiss.
He thought You Tong's sigh was really childish and just smiled at it.
"I understand." He nodded.
You Tong raised her eyebrows and tentatively asked, "Then what does my husband intend to do..."
"Let me think about it."
Of course, this couldn't be forced, especially since Fu Yu was a powerful man with the power of life and death. You Tong wisely refrained from asking any further questions.
...
Nanlou was, after all, Fu Yu's territory, and if he wanted to stay overnight, no one could stop him.
Therefore, when Fu Yu returned from Wangyun Tower and went straight into the house to bathe in the inner room, You Tong could only let him in, lest she be too rough and make a slight mistake that would make him feel uncomfortable and ruin the important matter. Fortunately, after bathing, Fu Yu went to the side room to read a book, and You Tong seized the opportunity to climb onto the bed early and fall into a deep sleep.
By the time Fu Yu finished reading the book, it was already very late at night. The maids had all retreated to the outer room to await orders, but Zhou Gu was sitting in a chair by the side room door doing needlework, while also keeping an eye on the candlelight and trimming the lamp wick.
The night was deep and quiet, with only the wind rustling the bamboo tips.
Fu Yu rubbed his temples, closed the book, and put it down.
Although Zhou Gu was engrossed in her needlework, it was as if she had eyes in the top of her head. She immediately stood up and asked, "General, are you going to rest?"
Fu Yu leaned back in his chair without moving, and after a moment said, "Aunt Zhou."
Zhou Gu was a servant woman by Tian Shi's side. She had watched Fu Yu grow up and had even held him in his swaddling clothes when he was a baby, taking meticulous care of him. Now that Fu Yu was young, promising, and held great power, although she respected him as her master and dared not overstep her bounds in the slightest, she still regarded him as half a child in her heart and handled everything with care.
Seeing Fu Yu's furrowed brow, he asked, "Does the general have any orders?"
"Young Madam—" Fu Yu paused, opened his eyes, straightened up, and asked, "What do you think of her character?"
Aunt Zhou seemed a little surprised, but still lowered her eyes and said, "The young mistress comes from a distinguished family. She is not only beautiful, but also gentle and kind-hearted. She treats us scaredies very kindly. To be honest, General, the South Tower was too quiet before, and everyone kept to their place and rarely made noise. After the young mistress came, it became much more lively. When you returned to the capital, General, everyone missed her very much."
"Look at her, is she happy married into this family?"
This problem is a bit tricky.
Aunt Zhou dared not speak for a moment.
Fu Yu then said, "You are someone who serves your mother, so please speak freely."
Zhou Gu knew perfectly well how much the deceased Tian Shi held in the hearts of Fu Yu and his son. Fu Deqing was only in his forties, still in his prime, but he never remarried after losing his wife. He treated Tian Shi's former servants with exceptional kindness. Although Fu Yu was arrogant and haughty, he was quite polite to her when he visited Nanlou.
Since he wanted to hear the truth, Aunt Zhou didn't hide anything from him.
"When the young mistress first arrived, she did not have a comfortable time. The general was busy with official business and rarely visited. At that time, Su Ruolan was also there, and some of the maids in the courtyard were resentful and were instigated by her to be lazy. Shou'an Hall indulged her, and I could not do anything about Miss Su. The young mistress was young and had no one to support her, so she really suffered a lot of grievances, which I saw all of.
Fu Yu nodded, paused for a moment, and then asked, "And now?"
"Things are much better now. However, the young mistress is quite frivolous, and I think the general shouldn't be too demanding of her."
The room fell silent for a moment. As Fu Yu stood up, the flames on the table flickered.
"Understood. Please take good care of her from now on, and help her with whatever she likes to do. Thank you for your help."
Having said that, he went back to his inner room to rest.
Aunt Zhou didn't dare to go in. She simply extinguished the candles, lowered the curtains, and went back to her room to sleep.
...
Spring nights are long, and although the brazier has been removed from the house, the brocade quilt is still the one used for winter nights.
You Tong went to bed early last night. In the middle of the night, she felt hot and tried to kick off the covers in her sleep. However, she was in a light sleep at the time, and the moment she moved her hands and feet, she woke up.
My body was indeed very hot, as if I were holding a hot water bottle.
She turned over in a daze, realizing that her back was being supported. A thought flashed through her mind, and she quickly regained some clarity.
Opening her eyes, in the dimly lit bed curtains, the first thing she saw was Fu Yu's chest.
The two buttons near her neck were undone, revealing her neck and the muscles beneath. Her breath fell on his chest, occasionally brushing back onto her face. Her head was resting on Fu Yu's arm, her legs slightly bent, nestled in his embrace, and her right hand was resting on his lean waist.
You Tong's head almost went blank.
Wanting to escape quickly, Fu Yu seemed to sense something and tightened his arms around her in his sleep.
He had stayed up late again last night. When You Tong was eating hot pot, she could see the stubble on his face by the candlelight, which showed that he had been working very hard. Even the most energetic person is not made of iron and bronze, and he needs to rest. You Tong was afraid of waking him, so she shrank back and did not dare to move.
Fu Yu slightly moved his head and touched her head.
You Tong blinked, her mind gradually clearing in the quiet night, but for some reason, her heart was in turmoil.
When You Tong first married into the Fu family, she felt that Fu Yu was cold, ruthless, and had a bad temper. Although he was handsome and dignified, he had no other redeeming qualities and was definitely not a good match for her. Therefore, she remained calm and even though she was a little nervous, she was afraid that he was unpredictable and that she might offend him and cause trouble.
At that time, my decision to divorce was absolutely firm.
She still wants a divorce, but for some reason, she is gradually becoming agitated.
You Tong tilted her head slightly, looking at his sleeping face, unable to fall asleep with her eyes open.
...
The next morning, You Tong was awakened by the sound of Fu Yu getting up.
I opened my eyes and saw that the sky outside was just beginning to lighten; it was clearly not early.
Meanwhile, Madam Fu's illness was not yet cured, and her daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law paid their respects and took care of her every day, so she could not slack off. She quickly got up, washed, dressed, and did her hair. Fu Yu also dressed neatly. The couple did not say much and went straight to Shou'an Hall.
When they arrived, the Shen mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had not yet arrived, but unexpectedly, there was also a Shen Yueyi.
—That person and Madam Mei are both guests, so they shouldn't need to come and pay their respects.
With this question in mind, You Tong bowed to Fu Yu. Madam Fu sat upright on the daybed and asked Fu Yu to get up. She explained, "Yueyi is gentle and considerate, and she can keep this old woman company. I've left her to stay in Shou'an Hall so it won't be too lonely in the mornings and evenings. When you meet Lord Shen later, tell him that it's good for her and her daughter to live in the mansion, and that he doesn't need to rush to pick them up."
Fu Yu agreed, and seeing Shen Yueyi sitting beside him with a smile, he said, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Shen."
"General, you are too kind. It is my honor to have Yueyi by the old lady's side." Her voice was gentle and sincere.
The old lady patted her hand with a smile and asked, "I heard from your father that you are setting off south tomorrow. Is everything arranged?"
"Everything is settled, Grandmother, please rest assured."
The grandfather and grandson conversed as usual, but You Tong, standing nearby, was taken aback. Fu Yu's southward journey was naturally due to his promise to Xu Chaozong to help quell the rebellion. The displaced people there were causing great trouble, and the bandit leaders were all seasoned soldiers, perhaps no less capable than the Tatars and Dongdan. Moreover, the rebel army was different from the enemy army. Fu Yu's journey south, without the support of the Fu family's powerful army, would likely be fraught with danger.
Even though she knew this would happen, hearing it only now, and only after arriving here, still made her heart skip a beat.
You Tong subconsciously looked at Fu Yu, who, coincidentally, was also looking at her.
Their eyes met, and You Tong was caught off guard, unable to hide the surprise and worry in her eyes.
The smile on Fu Yu's lips vanished in an instant, and he casually said, "I was going to tell you last night, but I forgot."
Chapter 51 Farewell
Although Madam Fu held a prestigious position in Qizhou, her family background was not particularly high before she married into the Fu family. Her only virtues were her gentleness and kindness. After giving birth to Fu Deqing and his brother, she devoted herself to caring for the children and managing the household affairs in the inner quarters, waiting for her husband to return from his military campaigns. Later, after her son married and they had grandchildren, both she and her daughter-in-law remained secluded in the inner quarters, never interfering in military matters.