The study was a row of three rooms; the middle was the reception room, the west side was where Fu Jun used to read and review papers, and the east side was Fu Jun's bedroom.
Normally, Fu Jun mostly stayed in Mrs. Liu's Qiluo Courtyard, sotis he would sleep in the study, and on so occasions, he would return to the main room to rest in Mrs. Fu's room.
In Fu Zhen's mory, Mrs. Fu's fear and disgust for Fu Jun mostly stemd from his occasional stays.
Six years ago, Mr. Ning died of a serious illness contracted while raising grain and forage for the court to resist enemies in the northwest. He had not even been buried yet when Fu Jun revealed his true nature.
At that ti, Mrs. Fu was tending to her children in front of the spirit tablet, while Fu Jun openly brought his long-kept mistress back to the Fu Family, and it was then that the ever-believing Mrs. Fu realized her husband had constantly deceived her.
It was fortunate that Mrs. Fu was born with such good looks, which made Fu Jun sowhat sincere to her in the first two years. When she was pregnant with Fu Zhen, she suffered greatly, and Fu Jun would often get up at midnight to massage her sore spots and fetch food for her from the bed.
However, Old Madam Fu, who had always doted on her only son, could not bear to see him so attentive. While she couldn't speak against these actions due to the large inheritance from the Ning Family, she would secretly smile and wound Mrs. Fu.
In terms of family background, although the Ning Family was wealthy, the Fu Family was based on farming and scholarly pursuits, with a literary heritage, and ancestors who frequently held high positions. Although Fu Jun only passed the lowest grade of the Imperial Examination and was later promoted to County Magistrate due to the court's urgent need for talent during a regi change, in the eyes of ordinary people, this marriage was not equal.
Ridiculous inequality!
Apart from his status as an imperial examination candidate, how did Fu Jun's character, appearance, or family background match up to Mrs. Fu's?!
He was able to beco an official because of Mr. Ning!
Yet, Mrs. Fu knew this gap would always exist. Despite knowing her mother-in-law's temper was bad, she only thought about the couple's love and let it be. Even when saddened, she never spoke to others about it privately.
The accumulated rage almost claid two lives when Fu Zhen was born.
During the three months of confinent after childbirth, Fu Jun's days by her side gradually decreased.
Mrs. Fu initially thought it was because her appearance waned after the birth, but later realized that he had already beco involved with Mrs. Liu, and while she wholeheartedly cared for their often-ill daughter, he had built a second household outside. In addition, while Mrs. Fu gave birth to their children, Mrs. Liu had already given birth to a son and a daughter!
What was even more appalling was the despicable man constantly favoring his still-young concubine, yet unwilling to let go of his still-charming wife, verbally abusing her for lacking allure, while occasionally staying with her to coax her into bringing out her private savings to support their entire family!
But what could be done?
Mrs. Fu also had to take care of both their children, and since Fu Jun was a man, she couldn't oppose him, and often had to swallow her grievances.
Fortunately, Mr. Ning left behind so loyal subordinates when he passed, ensuring that most of the family wealth remained in Mrs. Fu's hands. No matter how many malicious sches Fu Jun concocted, he could only scratch the surface, with the bulk still controlled by Mrs. Fu. This is also why Mrs. Fu has been able to remain unscathed under the dealings of the scoundrel couple, and maintain her status as the wife.
Fu Jun and Mrs. Liu's treacherous ambitions were as evident as Sima Zhao's. When Fu Rou pushed Fu Zhen off the cliff earlier, she had personally stated that everything in the Fu Family would belong to them!
Now, as Fu Zhen stood at the threshold, she couldn't help but coldly smile at the crying Mrs. Liu and her daughter embracing each other.
Each one not much to look at, yet thinking quite nicely of themselves!
"Father has been shouting for a while now, isn't he tired?"
She walked straight in, and in just that mont, Mrs. Fu had been fiercely rebuked once over, standing grievously below the hall while arguing with Fu Jun with valid reasons, but how could she contend with those three mouths?
Fu Zhen glanced around the room, her eyes landing on Fu Rou's face.
Fu Rou, who was just playing along with Mrs. Liu, shrank back at the sight of her approach, slipping behind Fu Jun: "Father, save !" She shivered as she was caught by Fu Zhen's gaze.
"Soone! Pin her down for !" Already infuriated by Mrs. Liu's provocations, Fu Jun imdiately roared his command, "Bring out the sticks! Beat this insubordinate girl fiercely for !"
Fu Zhen smirked.
A young lady of noble birth, when making a mistake, is supposed to be beaten by servant rods—this is the rotten family tradition of the Fu Family!
She walked to the center of the room: "Father, look at my body, how many beatings can I endure?"
"Even if I beat you to death, it would be justified! You bullied your younger sister, so you must know what punishnt you should bear!"
Fu Jun's finger nearly touched the tip of her nose.
How arrogant she's beco!
Why didn't he see such audacity in her before?
Step by step, he would first convict her of bullying her younger sister, then convict her of unfilial behavior!
If he didn't show the Ning mother and daughter so severity today, what sense of justice was there!
"It's said that even a tiger won't eat its cubs. I am your own daughter, if you say so, then I must report this to the authorities."
Fu Zhen glanced at the matrons who had co in with sticks, her eyes coldly returning to Fu Jun: "Father, do you know, before I pinched Fu Rou, she tricked onto the mountain, then personally pushed off it, with the intention to kill. Traces remain by the cliff, and with so many people present at the temple today, it's unlikely there are no witnesses.
"I'll have soone call the Shuntian Prefecture officers to co so they can investigate the truth. Let's see if it is indeed who went mad and tried to murder soone, or if Fu Rou harbored malice to murder her elder sister. The people at the temple today were all way beyond the Fu Family's reach. Surely, if they saw being hard, there would be no need for them to protect a murderer and will truthfully report to Lord Governor.
"If it's judged that nothing I've said happened, I won't need you to lift a hand, I will definitely crash myself against the gate here, but if the governnt confirms Fu Rou had truly hard , I would never accept any conciliation. What does Father think?"
Fu Jun did not expect this stubborn girl to be so ruthless, and for a mont, found himself speechless!
He spoke of beating her to death, but how could it be real? If truly killed, the Ning household would definitely go all out against him, not to ntion the authorities would co knocking. What good would co of that for him?
Yet, what she said here genuinely aroused his suspicion—usually timid and fearful, Fu Zhen now suddenly appeared as if she would kill anyone she saw, which indeed seed abnormal. Saying she was scared insane by Fu Rou might be plausible.
But could Fu Rou, who was usually as kind and understanding as her mother and always spoke kindly and gently to others, really have pushed Fu Zhen off the cliff?
She was only fourteen!
"Zhen Er, could you even make a story more convincing?" Observing Fu Jun's unsettling expression, Mrs. Liu raised her head, coldly assessing Fu Zhen, "From the mont you walked in, you've been aggressive. Rou Er is always so gentle, kind-hearted, and communicative—could she possibly push you? Could she harm you? —Where are all you servants? Did you not hear the master's words? All deaf? He ordered you to strike, so why aren't you moving?!"
Fu Rou hadn't been wrong earlier, this stubborn girl seed to have grown so skills, daring to threaten them. In for a penny, in for a pound, they might as well beat her to death now, to settle it once and for all! These matrons had been prepared ahead of ti by her; a few strikes guaranteed an end to her!
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