After Mrs. Fu got the answer she wanted from Cheng Wanmiao, she suddenly became energetic and looked as if she was several years younger.
Early the next morning, the old lady couldn't wait for Fu Tingye to come to greet her, so she led a group of maids and women to the courtyard where he lived in person.
Originally, Fu Tingye had almost forgotten the frustration and anger at the banquet after receiving "special treatment" from Hua Qingxue. Unexpectedly, the old lady did not intend to let him go and ran over early in the morning.
Fu Tingye thought about it and guessed some of his intentions, but he felt very bored and ordered his servants: "Just say I'm not here."
He didn't want to see the old lady.
But Mrs. Fu was not easily dismissed. When Fu Tingye disappeared, she had to force her way in.
Now that she was old, the guards did not dare to stop her and actually let her in.
"Where did my son go yesterday?" Mrs. Fu was smiling, but there was a hint of sinisterness in her smile. "Did you do something disgraceful, so you don't have the face to see me?"
Fu Tingye didn't want to argue with her, so he avoided talking about yesterday's events and replied expressionlessly: "My son is busy with official work, and my mother came here early in the morning. What can I do?"
Mrs. Fu suddenly became angry, pointed at him and cursed: "You bastard! You still have the nerve to ask me?! Are you ready to let go of what happened yesterday?!"
Fu Tingye was neither angry nor annoyed, and looked directly at Mrs. Fu calmly, "My son doesn't know what his mother is asking about."
The old lady became more powerful and said word by word: "Wanmiao grew up beside me. She was bullied yesterday. The Hou Mansion owes her this matter. The Hou Mansion must give her justice!"
Fu Tingye's eyes flashed with sarcasm, "Oh, mother, how do you think the Hou Mansion should give her justice?"
"Of course I will marry you!" Mrs. Fu said confidently.
Fu Tingye's face turned completely cold, and his tone was filled with chills: "Really, I don't know who will marry my cousin?"
Madam Fu poked the floor tile with the crutch in her hand and shouted angrily: "You have ruined her reputation, are you still planning to stay out of it?!"
"My son can't bear such a crime. It's best for my mother to ask clearly." Fu Tingye's hands had already been clenched into fists and he said slowly with a calm face, "My mother should know who has stained my cousin's reputation. bright… "
"What do you mean by this?!" Mrs. Fu's dry eyes widened with a ferocious look on her face, "Are you blaming me? I was in charge of the entire Hou Mansion at a young age, and now I'm so sick that half of my body is buried. You can do it yourself. You made a scandal and you blame me?!"
Fu Tingye had a sullen face and suppressed his emotions, "That's not what my son meant."
Mrs. Fu's expression softened slightly and she said softly: "Wanmiao is already sixteen years old, just the age to get married. She has good looks and a good temperament. She can afford to be the young lady of the Hou Mansion. She will wait until the funeral next year. Come on, let’s get this matter done, so as not to spread the word that our palace is bullying orphans.”
"Cheng Wanmiao's parents are both here, how can we talk about an orphan?" Fu Tingye said sarcastically.
"Are you unwilling?" Mrs. Fu heard the resistance in Fu Tingye's words, and her face that had just softened immediately fell.
Fu Tingye lowered his eyes, cold and distant, "I have been away from the mansion for many years. I have no intention of interfering with who the young lady of the Hou Mansion is, but my wife will not be Cheng Wanmiao."
Mrs. Fu looked at him steadily and said nothing for a long time, only the gloom accumulated in her eyes...
Fu Tingye said: "My son still has official duties. If my mother has nothing to do, I will allow her son to retire."
Mrs. Fu gave a horrifying smile, the sneer on her pale face looking stern, "Oh, you have grown up after all... your wings have hardened, and you can ignore your mother's words..."
She suddenly raised her voice and shouted: "After all, we are not biological! I'm afraid you don't even see me as a mother!"
Fu Tingye's face changed slightly.
Such questioning is extremely serious.
In the Qi Dynasty's environment where filial piety is emphasized, ordinary officials may even be demoted and lose their official positions if their mothers reprimand them like this!
Even though Fu Tingye is now in a high position and is not afraid of people's opinions, who would want his reputation to be damaged
Fu Tingye's expression changed, not because of fear, but because of chills.
His mother, in order to achieve her goal, did not hesitate to use such words to force him!
Even though he was not her biological child, she had devoted all her efforts to raising him! He has always been respectful and supportive of her!
Even if they are not biologically related as mother and son, they are still a family!
Why go to the point of turning against each other? !
Seeing that Fu Tingye was still unmoved, the old lady looked even more ferocious, almost hysterical: "Since ancient times, marriage has been the order of parents and the words of matchmakers! You don't see me as a mother in your eyes, and you don't even listen to my mother's words about marriage! If I had known it, Now, why did I bother to raise you with all my heart and soul! It would be better if I never had a son like you!—"
Her words became more and more exaggerated, and Fu Tingye's face turned livid.
As a son of a man, no matter how dissatisfied he is, he cannot openly quarrel with his mother in this courtyard. In that case, he will really be charged with disobedience and unfilial piety!
The guard beside him reminded in a low voice: "General, the more you talk about the old lady's current state, the more fuel is added to the fire."
The old lady cannot achieve her goal, so she wants to suppress him with filial piety.
If Fu Tingye says anything more to make the old lady angry, he will be labeled as unfilial!
Fu Tingye turned around and left with a sullen face.
He walked in a hurry, his face full of impatience and anger, and allowed the old lady to shout and shout in front of all the maids and servants.
"You traitor! You traitor!—"
He walked very fast, and the yelling and cursing behind him gradually faded away. A sentence suddenly popped into Fu Tingye's mind - his mother has changed.
He felt bad.
From being a dignified and elegant Marquis to the unreasonable and mischievous woman she is today, if my father had a spirit in heaven, what would he think when he saw his mother behaving like this
He was invincible on the battlefield, but facing Mrs. Fu, he was unable to hit, scold, or do anything.
The only thing that can be done is to keep out of sight. It is best to pass the time as quickly as possible, and then return to Qingzhou after the things in the capital are finished.
…
Hua Qingxue had no idea about Fu Tingye's emotional journey, and Fu Tingye was not the kind of person who was used to talking. He would find it pretentious.
A batch of golden oranges were sent as tribute from the southwest, which were round and big. Li Jingnan sent a basket to Hua Qingxue without even thinking about it.
It just so happened that Hua Qingxue also wanted to talk to Li Jingnan about the academy.
In the evening, Fu Tingye came to see Hua Qingxue as usual, and found that the little emperor was here again, and he and Hua Qingxue chatted enthusiastically in the room all day long, and they were still reluctant to leave until the sun went down.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late." Fu Tingye entered the room, looked at Li Jingnan who frequently came here for private visits in private, and hinted that it was time for him to return to the palace.
Li Jingnan was in a good mood and did not feel dissatisfied, and happily led Xiaodouzi away.
When I left, I also took away a can of orange peel candy that Hua Qingxue made myself today.
Otherwise, how could the little emperor's expression be so happy
Perhaps it was because of Mrs. Fu's incident that Fu Tingye was in a bad mood. Now that he saw Hua Qingxue and Li Jingnan enjoying themselves, he felt a little uncomfortable.
"You never give me anything." He stood behind Hua Qingxue with a faint tone.
Hua Qingxue burst out laughing, "General, those are just gadgets."
Although Fu Tingye did not show anger, his expression was lost, which was very inconsistent with his previous mature and steady temperament.
"Every time you make something new, you will think about the little emperor." He said.
Handmade soap, glass mirror, kaleidoscope... a lot of little gadgets. Hua Qingxue just received fresh oranges today and made orange peel candies for Li Jingnan.
Hua Qingxue was amused and helpless when she saw Fu Tingye taking this matter seriously, "He is a child. He likes these gadgets given to him. If they were given to a general... he would definitely feel childish, right?"
Think about Fu Tingye playing with a kaleidoscope and eating orange peel candies, uh...
He will definitely feel very boring!
but…
Hua Qingxue glanced at the silent Fu Tingye and felt that he had been acting strange recently. Is it really because she had neglected him
She suddenly had an idea in her mind and said with a smile: "General, close your eyes and I will give you a gift."
Fu Tingye smiled and touched her head, "I don't blame you for sending gifts to the emperor, I just felt it. You can keep the remaining orange peel candies for yourself."
"It's not orange peel candy." Hua Qingxue pursed her lips and smiled, "This is really a gift prepared just for you. Close your eyes."
Fu Tingye followed her and closed his eyes.
There was a rustling sound in his ears, and he heard a rustling sound. It seemed that Hua Qingxue was rummaging through the pages. After a while, there was no movement again.
Fu Tingye was feeling strange when he heard Hua Qingxue telling him: "It's not healed yet, don't open your eyes!"
When Fu Tingye heard this, the corners of his lips could not help but curl up, and he continued to wait with his eyes closed.
After a while, Hua Qingxue said: "Okay, you can open your eyes now!" There was a hint of joy in her tone.
Fu Tingye opened his eyes, and Hua Qingxue's smiling face came into view. His heart was beating fast, and just as he was about to take her into his arms, Hua Qingxue suddenly raised a piece of paper and smiled, "Dang dang dang! - gift!"
Is there really a gift
Hua Qingxue held up a piece of dark yellow paper in her hand. The paper was empty and there was nothing on it.
"What is this?" Fu Tingye took it in his hand and looked at it.
It's just an ordinary piece of paper with some wet marks on it, so you can't tell the difference.
"Here, look at this." Hua Qingxue brought a lit candlestick with a smile on her face, "Put it on and bake it, a little far away so it doesn't burn."
Fu Tingye did as she said, and something gradually changed on the paper.
Faintly... there are deeper marks showing up.
Fu Tingye had a look of surprise on his face, and continued to move the paper in his hand. As he moved, a stubble-covered face slowly appeared on the paper. Although it was in a cartoon shape, it could be seen that this face was very special. Fierce and evil.
Fu Tingye: "..."
Hua Qingxue covered her mouth and secretly laughed, "Does it look like the painting? You looked like this when I first saw you."
Fu Tingye was stunned for a while and asked: "How did you do it?"
Hua Qingxue stuffed the peeled orange flesh on the table into his mouth. Instead of answering, she asked with a smile: "Is it sweet?"