TDFM Chapter 117

Family Disgrace 

That day was the seventh day after Madam Xiao’s death.

According to the customs around the capital, on the seventh day after death, people would prepare a spirit meal for the deceased, and the family would also host a banquet to entertain relatives who came to pay their respects.

The Fu family had already learned the whole story in advance and were all waiting anxiously for Yun Qing and her group’s arrival. The neighbors had also caught wind of the situation, and the bold ones ran to the Fu house to watch the excitement. The Fu family couldn’t drive them away.

With neighbors and relatives who came to pay respects, the small courtyard couldn’t hold everyone, and a crowd of people still stood chatting on the street outside the wall.

The women of the Fu family were busy in the kitchen with the children, while Madam Xiao’s husband Scholar Fu and his sons Fu Dalang and Fu Erlang received Yun Qing and the others together.

These three men, still wearing mourning clothes, respectfully bent their backs and led them into their family courtyard.

Speaking of which, Princess Anping was also quite troublesome. She was clearly afraid, yet couldn’t resist being curious. In the end, she still begged Yun Qing to open her yin-yang eyes again, thinking that the immortal maiden would surely not watch a ghost harm her.

So she entered the Fu family courtyard with a ghost on her back.

Upon entering the courtyard and seeing so many people staring at her, Princess Anping became very displeased and pointed with her jade finger. “Drive them all out!”

The guards drove everyone away, and the courtyard suddenly became quiet.

Scholar Fu bent his waist even lower.

Yun Qing roughly assessed these three closest relatives of Madam Xiao.

Scholar Fu was the shortest, with a gaunt face and weary expression. Fu Dalang had dark skin and a sturdy build, appearing more stable. Fu Erlang was pale and thin with some handsomeness, and his eyes rolled around, occasionally glancing at the richly dressed Princess Anping.

Yun Qing asked, “Wasn’t there also a daughter? Didn’t she come today?”

Scholar Fu quickly said, “She came, she came. My daughter has an infant with her, and because she was overcome with grief, she fell ill. My virtuous son-in-law is taking care of her, so they didn’t come out to greet you. Would this distinguished guest like to see her?”

Yun Qing waved her hand and said, “Not necessary for now. Are you ready?”

“Re, ready…”

She opened the yin-yang eyes for the father and three sons. Although they were mentally prepared, when they saw Madam Xiao on Princess Anping’s back, they immediately broke down crying.

Tears wet Scholar Fu’s gaunt face as he wailed. “My wife, my virtuous and moral wife! You must be reluctant to leave me and the children, so you hurried back to see us! I wish I could die in your place!”

Madam Xiao, lying on Princess Anping’s back, looked at her crying family in confusion. “What’s wrong with you all? Has the emperor passed away?”

Princess Anping angrily said, “Your father is the one who died!”

“Yes, my father died long ago.” This time she heard clearly again.

Princess Anping opened her mouth, speechless.

Everyone slowly comforted the Fu family father and sons, helping them to their feet.

Fu Xue said, “The deceased has passed on, please accept our condolences. Can you first think about what this old woman’s obsession was in life? Help her resolve her obsession early so she can depart in peace.”

“I know what the obsession is,” Scholar Fu wiped his tears with his sleeve and said, “I understand my wife the most.”

“Oh? Then tell us.”

Before Scholar Fu could answer, he first turned to look and, seeing the courtyard gate was closed, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his voice and said, “My wife was actually angered to death!”

“What?!”

Scholar Fu looked at his two sons with hatred, and both wished they could bury their heads in the ground, not daring to speak.

“Sigh, family disgrace should not be aired publicly. If it weren’t to help my wife depart in peace, I would be too ashamed to speak of it.”

Then he revealed the cause of Madam Xiao’s death.

Madam Xiao’s two sons each had their qualities – the eldest was honest, steady, and hardworking, while the second was clever and resourceful. But no one is perfect, and both sons had their flaws. The eldest, though honest and reliable, lacked flexibility, while the second, though smart, was somewhat ambitious but lacking in ability.

Although it’s natural for parents to hope their children will succeed, the couple knew their children wouldn’t achieve great things, and they were content living ordinary lives. With the addition of a gentle and virtuous daughter, all three children were filial, and relatives and friends envied her blessed offspring.

A month ago, through a friend’s introduction, Fu Dalang worked cutting ice for wealthy people. Working most diligently in the freezing weather, he was lucky enough to be noticed by a nobleman and received two ten-tael silver ingots.

Because Fu Dalang’s brother-in-law was a worthless scoundrel who often came to search for money, Fu Dalang dared not keep the money at home and gave the twenty taels of silver to his mother Madam Xiao for safekeeping.

It happened that Fu Erlang had befriended someone who claimed to do big business. This friend transported spices and medicinal materials from the south to sell in the capital. Fu Erlang had seen with his own eyes that their warehouse in the capital was filled with precious spices.

Fu Erlang became tempted and, after much pleading, the friend finally agreed to let him do business together. The journey to trade was long and treacherous, with possible bandits along the way. Fu Erlang, having a young master’s temperament, couldn’t endure such hardships, so he only invested money as a partner.

Where would he get such money!

He had no choice but to ask his parents.

Scholar Fu’s salary was meager, and life in the capital was difficult. Moreover, though he was only a minor ninth-rank official, he was still in officialdom and needed money for social obligations. Which matter didn’t require spending money!

So when Erlang came asking for money, he directly spread his hands. “I have no money.”

Madam Xiao couldn’t resist Fu Erlang’s persistent pleading and temporarily lent him the two silver ingots that Fu Dalang had stored with her.

Fu Erlang gave the two silver ingots to that friend to “invest,” and the next day, this friend disappeared. He searched all over the capital, but everyone said they had never seen this person. Naturally, the warehouse supposedly full of spices didn’t belong to this person either.

Only then did Fu Erlang realize he had been deceived.

When Fu Dalang learned of this, he beat Fu Erlang in front of their mother.

Madam Xiao became anxious and suffered a heart attack, rolling her eyes back and fainting.

She never woke up from that faint.

…..

After Scholar Fu finished speaking, the two Fu sons were already crying and kneeling on the ground, beating themselves while crying out “Unfilial son.”

Yun Qing sighed and said, “Now that we know the cause, it’s easier to handle. Princess, please have someone go to the money exchange to get two ten-tael silver ingots, quickly.”

Princess Anping summoned a swift-footed guard and gave such instructions.

Soon after, the guard came running back with a cloth bag. Opening the bag revealed two ingots of dazzlingly white snowflake silver.

Yun Qing had Fu Erlang hold the snowflake silver before Madam Xiao and loudly tell her that the money had been recovered.

“Say it several times; there will be one time when she hears it.”

Fu Erlang did as told, tears streaming down his face.

Madam Xiao stared blankly at the silver and suddenly said, “These are not my two silver ingots. These two are of too good quality.”

Fu Xue anxiously covered her forehead. “This old lady! She’s unclear when she should understand, and too clear when she should be confused!”

Madam Xiao said, “Oh dear, I wanted to explain to you all, but whenever I get anxious, I fall asleep.”

“Dalang, what I gave to Erlang wasn’t your two ingots. Your silver is safely kept by me, in the small hidden compartment under the black lacquered cabinet by my bedside.”

Fu Dalang was stunned.

“What I gave Erlang was the money I had saved to buy my coffin. When Mother was alive, she never enjoyed good fortune, so she always hoped to have some dignity when departing. This money was what I saved bit by bit over these decades.

Originally it was all loose change, but seeing your two beautiful ingots, I took my loose change to the silver shop to melt down and cast into ingots. What a coincidence – it was exactly two ten-tael ingots too! Just of inferior quality.”

“Dalang, I know you don’t really care about the silver. You just felt that Mother favored Erlang and found an excuse to vent the resentment in your heart.

But Dalang, Erlang is unstable and unreliable. Mother was just afraid he wouldn’t live well, not that I don’t love you.

Both palms and backs of hands are flesh. Sometimes, whether Mother acts or doesn’t act, there are complaints. I wish I could give you my whole heart.”

(TL: 手心手背都是肉 → an idiom meaning all children are equally precious (like both sides of the hand being flesh)

Fu Dalang was already sobbing uncontrollably. “Mother, I was wrong, I was wrong!”

Fu Erlang cried and shook his head. “It was me who was wrong, Mother, it was me who was wrong. I’m sorry to you and to elder brother. I’m sorry to everyone!”

Madam Xiao struggled and slid down from Princess Anping’s back, walking to her two sons.

Fu Xue widened her eyes and whispered to Yun Qing. “Senior sister, it seems to be working?”

Madam Xiao reached out to grasp Fu Erlang’s hands holding the silver, but her hand passed through the silver, grasping nothing. She frowned in confusion and, after several attempts, pulled Fu Erlang’s hands downward.

Fu Erlang followed his mother’s direction and lowered his hands.

Then Madam Xiao went to pull Fu Dalang’s hand. Finally, the two sons’ hands were clasped together, and she smiled with satisfaction. “Don’t quarrel in the future. Family harmony brings prosperity to all endeavors.”

Fu Dalang said, “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Erlang.” As he spoke, he reached out to embrace his younger brother’s shoulder.

Madam Xiao nodded: “If you’re well, then I can rest assured.” She turned to smile at everyone.

Princess Anping breathed a great sigh of relief. “Hurry and leave! Farewell and don’t come back!”

For a newly deceased soul, no guidance was needed. Yun Qing raised her sword finger and recited a soul-sending incantation. “Life and death have their way, yin and yang have their order. The soul roams the heavens, please return to your place.”

Madam Xiao’s footsteps moved, she floated for a moment, then climbed back onto Princess Anping’s back and settled down comfortably.

Everyone: “…………….”

Fu Xue incredulously pointed at the rock-steady Madam Xiao. “Senior sister, what does she mean?”

Yun Qing pinched her temples. “It means this isn’t her obsession.”

“Huh? Then what else could it be?”

“I don’t know,” Yun Qing shook her head and looked at the Fu family father and sons. “Think carefully again about what she couldn’t let go of, couldn’t understand, or couldn’t get over in life.

If there really isn’t anything, did she encounter any strange people or events recently? Or did she offend anyone? Any suspicious matters can be mentioned.”

Scholar Fu thought hard and shook his head. “My wife had a very good temperament, never competing or fighting, never making enemies. She lived a life without want, with children and grandchildren around her. What could she not let go of?”

The situation reached an impasse. Looking at the bewildered father and three sons, Yun Qing said, “I want to see your daughter.”

“Ah? Very well…”

Scholar Fu led Yun Qing to a room and gently knocked. “Zhenniang, a distinguished guest wants to see you.”

A weak voice from inside answered, “Father, let her come in.”

Yun Qing pushed open the door and entered the room, seeing an honest-looking man sitting by the bed, helping a woman sit up.

The woman was pale with sparse hair and red eyes. She had apparently already heard about the matter. Upon seeing Yun Qing, she asked, “What happened to my mother?”

Yun Qing couldn’t bear to tell her directly and said, “Your mother is fine. King Yama said she accumulated virtue and did good deeds in this life, so she can be reborn into a good family in the next life. There’s just one thing – she needs to resolve her obsession from this life. Do you know what your mother’s obsession is?”

Hearing this, the woman breathed a sigh of relief, thought for a while, and said, “There’s one matter, but I don’t know if it counts.”

“Which matter?”

The woman blushed and lowered her head. “This matter involves my parents, and as their child, it’s not proper to speak of parental affairs. Distinguished guest, you need only ask my father about what kind of relationship he had with someone forty years ago when my mother was pregnant with elder brother.”

Yun Qing nodded, took out a bank note from her bosom and placed it in the woman’s hand. “This is what your mother entrusted me to give you. Use it to nourish your body.”

….

Leaving the room, Yun Qing gently closed the door, then darkened her expression and returned to the courtyard.

With a stern face, she questioned Scholar Fu, “Forty years ago, when your wife was pregnant, what kind of relationship did you have with someone?”

Scholar Fu’s old face reddened as he complained, “That was so many years ago. My wife and I have always been harmonious. Why did Zhenniang bring that up?”

Fu Xue said, “We’d better bring it up. Since you’ve been harmonious, you surely don’t want to see your wife’s soul remain restless.”

Scholar Fu choked and said slowly, “I’m ashamed to say, when I was young and ignorant, I had some involvement with an opera actress.”

Though he spoke of being “ashamed,” there was no shame on his face. In men’s world, romance never requires shame.

Yun Qing frowned and asked, “What happened later?”

“After my wife learned of it, she decided to bring that actress into our home. Two years later, the actress couldn’t get along with the main wife and left. We parted on good terms and had no further entanglements. After that, my wife and I sang in harmony and treated each other with respect for decades, never quarreling again.”

Yun Qing touched her chin and asked, “In your decades without quarreling, do you think it was you being tolerant of her, or her being tolerant of you?”

Scholar Fu was stunned by the question.

Yun Qing sighed. “Regardless, try it first.”

Scholar Fu asked in confusion, “Try what?”

“Enduring in silence doesn’t mean not minding. Try kneeling down and admitting your mistakes.”

Scholar Fu was very resistant. “This… the husband guides the wife, and I’m also a court official. This, this, this is improper!”

Fu Xue frightened him. “Not kneeling is also fine, but if you really are her obsession, she might take you away at any time.”

Scholar Fu’s face changed, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

Then he loudly recounted his mistakes. Again, fearing she couldn’t hear clearly, he repeated everything several times.

In Scholar Fu’s repetitions, Madam Xiao caught the name “Meiniang” – that was the actress.

She said, “Why are you suddenly mentioning Meiniang? That was so many years ago. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten.”

“Sigh, husband, actually when Meiniang left back then, it wasn’t that I wanted to drive her away.”

Scholar Fu was stunned and looked up at her.

“She was just a confused woman, but not bad in nature. What deep hatred could I have with her?”

“She was truly confused, always hoping for a man’s true heart, but a man’s true heart is even shorter than a flower’s blooming period. When she first came to our home, you still cared for her somewhat. She felt that love could sustain them, so even if life was harder, it didn’t matter.

Later, you gradually didn’t cherish her as much, and only then did she realize life was difficult. She wanted to leave but was too embarrassed to speak up, fearing people would say she despised poverty and loved wealth.

I knew she would eventually leave. I also knew you were someone who cared about face. If you were abandoned by an actress, you would surely feel humiliated. In that case, let me be the villain.”

Scholar Fu wept and slowly bowed his head, his forehead touching the cold ground.

“Having such a wife, this life has no regrets!”

Fu Xue said with a dark expression. “You have no regrets, but what about her?” pointing at Madam Xiao.

Scholar Fu raised his voice and said loudly, “Wife, I was wrong, I’m sorry!” His voice was so loud it seemed he wanted the whole world to hear.

Madam Xiao was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply, “I never thought you would actually bow your head.”

Scholar Fu kept his head down, uncomfortably wiping tears with his sleeve.

“I waited for you to say ‘I’m sorry’ my whole life.” She said, “I originally thought I would be very happy, but everything has already passed. It’s no longer important, no longer important.

You did so many things that wronged me – not important. You apologized – also not important. Actually, you yourself are not important at all. It was my own obsessive delusion. What’s truly important is…

Ah, it seems there really is something very important…” As she spoke, she confused herself, and strange light began to overflow from her aged eyes – it was the obsession from deep in her soul stirring.

Yun Qing’s heart lifted slightly as she watched the light in her eyes bloom and then fade.

Then she still lay steadily on Princess Anping’s back.

Yun Qing helplessly supported her forehead. “Still not working.”

Princess Anping stamped her feet in anger. “You old woman, hurry up and tell us what your obsession is!”

Suddenly a voice came from the gate. “I know what her obsession is.”

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw that the previously closed courtyard gate had somehow been pushed open, with quite a few people standing outside who had gotten their fill of watching the excitement. At the front of the crowd was an old lady with silver hair.

The old lady repeated, “I know what my sister’s obsession is.”