“Mother! Why are you afraid of him?” Having been humiliated in the ancestral hall, Fu Jingye had returned to his room to change his clothes. He asked Madam Liu irritably, “It was obviously Lao Er who started the fight today. If we go over the details with Father, how could he ever put the blame on me?”
“What exactly happened?” Madam Liu composed herself and settled onto a sandalwood stool. She lifted a cup of steaming tea and gently skimmed the foam from its surface.
Fu Jingye slammed his fist onto the table to vent his anger, “It’s all because you’ve been having me help out at the teahouse lately? That wealthy Sun guy from the southwest rarely comes to town and wants a large batch of aged tea. I only took him to Huachun Yuan for drinks to drive up the price. Who would have thought that when I woke up, the clothes hanging in the room had vanished—they even stripped me clean down to my loincloth!”
Madam Liu asked, “Then how do you know the clothes were taken by someone Fu Jingxuan sent?”
“Of course, it was JinNiang who told me. I was furious when I heard it and intended to storm into his courtyard and give him a beating, only to see that son of a b*tch hanging my underwear on a bamboo pole out in the sun for all to see!”
Madam Liu looked suspicious. “Regarding the clothes… did this Jin Niang mention it of her own accord?”
“Certainly.”
“What did she say?”
“She naturally told me the truth, saying that Second Fu sent San Bao to threaten her, broke in and snatched the clothes, while also slandered me as reckless and incompetent, accusing me of acting on impulse!”
Madam Liu slammed her teacup down with a “clatter.” She ignored the tea spilling onto her luxurious skirts and shouted at Fu Jingye, “I see you truly are reckless and incompetent! I’ve told you many times to rein your temper and be more tactful! Now, even a brothel madam won’t help you! How am I supposed to fight for the family estate for you?!”
Fu Jingye argued stubbornly, “How did Jin Niang not help me? Didn’t she tell me everything?”
“Tell, tell, tell, tell my foot! Your father is a merchant, not an official! Where would a merchant’s son get the nerve to break down doors and steal things? Besides, are the thugs and handymen at Huachun Yuan all dead? Would they just let that little runt San Bao come and go as he pleases?! Second Young Master Fu has spent years lingering in the flower, bird, and fish markets; half the people in Jiangling Prefecture are familiar with him, and he’s far more skilled at dealing with others than you are. How do you know Jin-niang didn’t conspire with him to intentionally provoke you and make you lose your mind before charging into the ancestral hall?”
Fu Jingye was left completely bewildered by her words. Thinking it over carefully, things indeed felt wrong. The moment he woke up, Jin Niang was blocking the door to tattle him. Ordinarily, if a guest’s belongings went missing, it would be her fault. The best course would have been to hide it, and if that wasn’t possible, she should have at least found him some clothes to cover up first! Why on earth would she just hand him a woman’s chemise?
Fu Jingye gnashed his teeth in hatred and turned to leave. Madame Liu stood up and asked, “Where are you going?”
“To confront Second Fu, of course!”
Madam Liu was fuming with rage. She stepped forward and grabbed him by the ear, exasperated by his failure to live up to expectations. “How did I give birth to such a reckless thing like you! You’re already being led around by the nose. Once I’m gone, Fu Jingxuan will play you to death!”
The Eldest Young Master yanked his ear free and bellowed, “Then what am I supposed to do?! Just let him toy with me however he likes?!”
Madam Liu paced as she pondered. “Don’t be fooled by Fu Jingxuan’s casual demeanor; he’s exactly the type who won’t get out of bed without a profit. Picking a fight all of a sudden is surely more than just a scheme to make you look foolish.”
“What do you mean, Mother?”
Madam Liu said, “He stayed quiet all winter, so why did he choose to cause trouble just as Cheng Xiqiu showed up? Could it be that Second Fu also has his eye on the family estate?”
Before Madam Liu could respond, Fu Jingye cut in. “That must be it!” He sneered, “And with a sickly sister in tow, he actually dares to harbor such thoughts?”
Madam Liu had no desire to bother with her foolish son any longer; she turned her attention to calculations, thoughtfully mulling over Fu Shuang’er’s name.
Fu Shuang’er was the only daughter of the Fu family. Even if Fu Shangyi disliked her mother, he still treated the girl well. From a young age, he had found masters to teach her the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, hoping to emulate scholarly families and raise a refined lady of the house.
After sitting in Cheng Xiqiu’s room for a while, Fu Jingxuan and Shuang’er went to the small pavilion in the center of the backyard lake. Fu Shangyi cultivated a taste for the arts, keeping his residence elegant, charming, and distinctly stylish.
The siblings settled into the pavilion, and Fu Jingxuan presented a bonsai he had carefully tended for a long time for them to admire. Sitting on a stone stool, Shuang’er said, “Second Brother, has this sparrow-brow bonsai grown new branches?”
Fu Jingxuan replied, “They just sprouted a few days ago. This plant tolerates shade but thrives in sunlight; it takes root very quickly. The pot interior must be roomy with ample soil, while the exterior should be elegant and beautiful. You can’t keep it in the same pot forever either; you have to loosen the soil and change its living quarters every now and then. It’s very difficult to care for.”
Fu Shuang’er brewed tea for him and smiled gently. “Second Brother claims it’s difficult to care for, yet you tended to it all these years. It seems you truly likes it from the heart.”
“Indeed.” The jade pot was intricately carved, and the leaves were a verdant green. This bird plum on the stone table looked vigorous and singular; Fu Jingxuan had clearly put much effort into it.
Fu Shuang’er handed the blue-and-white vine-patterned porcelain teacup to her brother and looked at the scenery with him. As she watched, she became somewhat distracted as if she were hiding something on her mind.
Fu Jingxuan tapped the stone table with two fingers and asked, “Does Shuang’er like it?”
Fu Shuang’er snapped back to her senses, flustered. “Since Second Brother care for it and likes it, I naturally like it too.”
Fu Jingxuan was generous, “Since you like it, I’ll give it to you.”
“Give it to me? But Second Brother has tended this plant for five years, putting so much care and effort into it…”
Fu Jingxuan said, “What of it if I’ve tended it for five years? You’ve been my sister for sixteen years. It’s just a potted tree; there’s nothing inappropriate about giving it to you.”
Indeed, there was nothing improper about it. Fu Shuang’er did not refuse again; she thanked him and accepted it. “I…”
“What is it?”
“Nothing, it’s nothing…”
“There’s definitely something.” Second Young Master Fu asked with a faint smile, “Is there anything you can’t tell me?”
Fu Shuang’er instantly became uneasy, her cheeks turning crimson as she twisted her fingers. “It’s nothing, really. I just… just wanted to ask…”
Seeing that she couldn’t get a single word out, Fu Jingxuan spoke for her, “How is Kang Lin doing lately?”
As soon as this name was mentioned, Fu Shuang’er’s face turned even redder.
Kang Lin was a tenant farmer on Baichuan Mountain whose family had rented the Fu family’s tea fields since his father’s generation. As a youth, he had come to the Fu household with Uncle Kang to pay the rent and encountered Fu Shuang’er watching the fish by the lake; the two fell in love at first sight. However, due to the disparity in their social status, the lovers could only meet secretly once a month. It was already past the middle of the month, and Kang Lin had yet to come down the mountain. Worried, Shuang’er couldn’t help but ask, “Second Brother, has something happened at Brother Kang Lin’s home?”
Fu Jingxuan picked up his teacup, took a leisurely sip, and murmured, “It isn’t anything major either. He even brought some new tea to give to me a few days ago.”
“A few days ago?” Shuang’er was surprised. “If he came down the mountain, why didn’t he come to see me?”
Fu Jingxuan’s eyes flickered. He looked at Fu Shuang’er for a long moment before saying, “Kang Lin asked me to keep it from you.”
Although Fu Shuang’er was physically weak, she had a stubborn temperament. She grabbed her brother’s sleeve and asked anxiously, “Why keep it from me?”
Fu Jingxuan looked troubled and hesitated. “It’s Uncle Kang… he arranged a marriage for him.”
“Arranged a marriage?” Fu Shuang’er’s grip tightened as her face turning pale.
“But don’t worry, Shuang’er,” Fu Jingxuan reassured her. “Kang Lin’s heart and eyes are full of you; he’s already turned that family down. It’s just that…”
Fu Shuang’er asked, “Just what?”
Fu Jingxuan set down his teacup and met her trembling, uneasy gaze. “It’s just that both you and Kang Lin have reached the age of marriage. If he doesn’t come to propose soon, I fear Father will also begin arranging a marriage for you.”
