Prosperous Spring

Chapter 6

Fu Jun stormed down the mountain in anger.

How could Fu Rou dare be left behind? Naturally, she hurried to follow him.

The two of them left in an imposing manner, as if the earlier commotion had nothing to do with them.

Fu Zhen looked at the people who had been watching from a distance earlier and asked Madam Fu, "There will definitely be rumors after today. Does Mother have any plan to deal with them?"

Madam Fu hardened her resolve and said, "They refused to let things go today, so it’s no more than a complete falling out."

Fu Zhen didn’t offer an opinion.

It was true that Fu Jun had not treated them well, but in the past, he had never given anyone any reason to spread gossip. In Fu Zhen’s memory, this was the first time Fu Rou had gone so mad as to try to kill her.

Today, Fu Jun and Fu Rou were shameless, but Madam Fu and her children had their pride.

Madam Fu had endured in silence all these years for the sake of her two children. After all, her younger son, Fu Jia, was already in his studies and took his lessons very seriously. He was likely to pursue the civil service exams in the future. A sudden fallout would affect both Fu Zhen and Fu Jia.

Thinking of this, Fu Zhen asked, "What’s our connection to the Du family?"

Madam Fu froze. "Which Du family?"

Fu Zhen was puzzled. "Earlier, Fu Rou mentioned that she wanted the engagement with the Du family. Does Mother not know?"

Fu Rou’s earlier words had been clear—the engagement was Fu Zhen’s, but Fu Rou wanted it. From what had happened today, it was easy to understand that all of Fu Rou’s strange behavior was because of the Du family. Since it was Fu Zhen’s engagement, Madam Fu had no reason not to know.

Sure enough, Madam Fu’s eyes began to flicker. She squeezed her palm for a moment before responding, "She’s just repeating gossip. Don’t pay attention to her."

Gossip about an engagement?

Fu Zhen could see that Madam Fu didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t press further. She had enough problems to deal with at the moment and didn’t want to add a mysterious engagement to the list.

"As for the aftermath, we should leave it to Father."

"Him?"

"Father is the head of the Fu family, and he’s the one who made a scene in public. Shouldn’t he be the one to handle the aftermath?"

Fu Zhen smiled and got into the carriage.

Madam Fu was skeptical but followed her into the carriage as well.

Inside the temple hall, the Buddhist chants were clear and bright.

In the temple’s rear courtyard, the noblewomen were sitting and sipping tea when a servant hurriedly approached one of the ladies.

"The Fu family has already descended the mountain. I followed them for a while and noticed that the eldest daughter of the Fu family looks quite different from before. Although she seems frail, her demeanor is full of vitality. She doesn’t appear to be someone at death’s door."

The woman frowned. "Are you sure you saw clearly?"

"I’m absolutely certain. When she got into the carriage, she did so on her own, without any help, and even extended her hand to assist her mother."

The woman’s expression became inscrutable. She didn’t even hear the other noblewomen speaking to her.

A noblewoman seated nearby noticed her distraction and teased with a smile, "Is Lady Du thinking of some urgent matter?"

The woman snapped back to attention, quickly placing her tea down with a smile. "It’s nothing, just a small matter. What were we just talking about? Has Minister Xu made any new recommendations lately?"

As they descended the mountain, the mother and daughter did not start any new conversations.

Madam Fu was still worried that Fu Jun would make things difficult for them when they returned to the manor, but seeing Fu Zhen sitting there so calmly, as if in deep meditation, she couldn’t help but lose herself in thought.

Madam Fu hadn’t seen with her own eyes how Fu Rou had bullied Fu Zhen earlier. The incident had happened so suddenly that she hadn’t even had time to ask the servants. But she had no doubt that it was Fu Rou who had initiated the attack. After all, how many times had Fu Rou bullied Fu Zhen in secret over the years?

In the past, Fu Zhen had always suffered in silence, never retaliating. Given her frail body, she couldn’t even make it halfway to the temple without needing several breaks. She had no way to deal with someone as strong and healthy as Fu Rou. Yet, despite this, Fu Rou still found it necessary to bully her!

Thinking of this, Madam Fu couldn’t help but feel angry again. But when she glanced at the current Fu Zhen, she suppressed her anger.

Ultimately, it was her own lack of strength that had forced Fu Zhen to such a desperate point, where she had to protect herself in such a reckless manner.

But she, too, had been powerless...

As she sighed in guilt, Fu Zhen gently took hold of her right hand, resting on her lap. "Why are you sighing, Mother?"