Chapter 282: Tian Fu’s Mother
Martial Artist Wu was frightened by yesterday’s "ghost" and even developed a high fever in the middle of the night.
Ordinarily, a martial master’s illness wouldn’t alarm the entire Tian Family, but it did get Tian Fu’s attention.
Yu An wandered around the Tian Family estate during the day and overheard some servants gossiping. They said Tian Fu treated Martial Artist Wu exceptionally well—so well, in fact, that he had stayed by his bedside all through the previous night.
One of them gossiped, "If you ask me, there must be some kind of secret between Young Master Tian Fu and Martial Artist Wu. Why else would he treat him better than his own father?"
His companion retorted, "Martial Artist Wu saved Young Master Tian Fu’s life. What’s wrong with personally attending to his life-saving mentor when he’s sick? You’re all reading too much into it."
"Keep your voice down! If the masters hear us, we’ll be in for it!"
The first speaker said dismissively, "This spot is out of the way. It’s just the two of us talking, so don’t be so tense."
"Besides, Young Master Tian Fu isn’t favored anyway. So what if someone hears? You think he’s going to run and tattle to his father, the Second Master, or to the Family Head?"
They wouldn’t listen to him anyway.
"Hey, see that courtyard up ahead? Young Master Tian Fu’s mother is locked up in there. The rumor is she was caught having an affair. Her lover died on the spot, and the Second Master wanted to kill Second Madam Tian, but her maiden family is not to be trifled with..."
Even though she was supposedly caught red-handed, the "evidence" didn’t add up. After all, Second Madam Tian wasn’t crazy. If she were going to have an affair, she’d at least pick someone handsome.
The man they caught with her, though...
"Let’s not talk about it, let’s not talk about it," the speaker made a gagging motion. "I was one of the men who threw her ’lover’s’ body into the mass grave. I’m braver than most, so I snuck a peek. His face... He had a pointy chin and sunken cheeks, with eyes as small as beans. He looked worse than me!"
So she was locked in the courtyard up ahead, guarded around the clock. She’d lost her freedom, but at least she was alive.
When they fell silent, Yu An hesitated for a moment before walking toward the courtyard ahead.
There were guards outside the courtyard, but Yu An, relying on her "Invisibility," swaggered right in.
She had assumed it was just the two guards at the gate, but once inside the courtyard, Yu An saw two matrons and four Maids.
They were sunbathing lazily in the courtyard, as if they were there for their retirement.
Just then, a little girl of about five or six came out of the house. She tiptoed to the kitchen and, a moment later, emerged with two steamed buns.
"What do you have there! How dare you steal! I’ll beat you to death!"
One of the matrons saw the girl’s actions and roared in anger. The little girl was so frightened that she dropped the steamed buns. Her face deathly pale, she explained, "Matron, the Madam is hungry. I... I was getting two buns for her to eat..."
"Hungry? What’s there to be hungry about?" the matron, her face fleshy and fierce, said viciously. "You just ate, and now you want more? ’Second Madam,’ my foot. Pah! Must be a reincarnated hungry ghost!"
The others opened their eyes, chiming in one after another to egg the matron on to teach the girl a lesson.
The little girl trembled with fear. It was true they had just eaten, but she and the Madam had only received a single hard biscuit each—nowhere near enough to feel full.
The Madam had even given her half of her own portion, which was why her stomach was aching with hunger now.
The little girl didn’t dare to argue. She just hoped that after taking a slap or two, she would be allowed to take the dirty buns away.
Just as she expected, the matron stood up in a rage, and the girl squeezed her eyes shut in fear.
But the searing pain she anticipated never came. Instead, she heard a THUD, followed by the matron’s shriek of pain.
Mustering her courage, the little girl opened her eyes to see that a large pit had somehow appeared in the courtyard, and the matron had fallen into it.
As the others heard the commotion and rushed to help, the girl gritted her teeth, snatched up the buns, and scurried back into the house.
Yu An averted her gaze. While the remaining matron and the Maids were trying to rescue their companion from the pit, she kicked them in one by one.
’A matter of convenience. Ah, no, a matter of foot-convenience.’
Inside the house, Yu An saw a frail woman leaning against the headboard. The little girl was tearing the dusty skin off the steamed buns and giving the clean parts to the woman.
"Madam, please eat something. The pain will lessen once you have a full stomach."
Meng Fanxin was emaciated beyond recognition. Hearing the little girl, she raised a hand to pat her small head. "He’er, you eat. As for me... I... I don’t have many days left to live."
’Her maiden family had only spared her life to prevent the scandal from affecting the marriage prospects of their other children. Eking out this miserable existence for so long... for her, living was torture.’
’She had considered ending it all herself, but she didn’t recognize the woman who had just entered. Had the Family Head or the Second Master sent someone to finally finish her off?’
Yu An noticed that Meng Fanxin’s gaze was fixed upon her. ’She can see me?’ Yu An wondered, puzzled.
He’er refused, breaking off a small piece and holding it to Meng Fanxin’s lips. "Madam..."
Meng Fanxin shook her head, giving the girl an affectionate look before her gaze returned to Yu An. "Miss, if you are here to take my life, please, take it."
"But He’er is still just a child. I have some savings here. Can I ask for your help in getting her away from the Tian Family?"
With some effort, she pulled out a box from under her pillow. When she opened it, it was full of gold and silver jewelry.
Yu An frowned slightly. ’So she really can see me.’
He’er, however, was terrified. "M-Madam, what are you saying? There’s no one else in here but us!"
’I’ve heard the elders say that people on the verge of death can see things that others can’t. Could the Madam be...?’
Meng Fanxin was startled. ’I’m sure there’s someone standing right there. Why can’t He’er see her?’
"It seems you are the only one who can see me. I’m not a Tian Family member. You want to get this girl out of here? I can help you, but I need to ask you something first."
Although Meng Fanxin had no idea what this stranger wanted with her, her intuition told her this was the only chance for He’er to escape the Tian Family.
"Alright," she nodded slightly. "He’er, could you go wait in the inner room for a moment?"
He’er didn’t want to. She was afraid that if she left, she might never see the Madam again. But seeing her Madam’s insistence, she had no choice but to obey and enter the inner room.
As soon as the girl left, Meng Fanxin managed to sit up straighter. "Miss, please ask whatever you wish. I will tell you everything I know."
’She was a dying woman anyway. Even if this girl asked about the Tian Family’s secrets, she would reveal them all.’
’The only problem was, she didn’t know many of those secrets herself.’
To Meng Fanxin’s surprise, Yu An didn’t ask about the Tian Family’s secrets. Instead, she posed a perplexing question.
"Wait, let me confirm first. You’re Second Madam Tian, right?"
"I am," Meng Fanxin said with a bitter laugh. "Though I’m not much of a ’Second Madam’ anymore."
’She’d heard that the Second Master of the Tian Family had already remarried and had even taken on three or four concubines.’
’Thinking of the love she and her husband had once shared, of the vows of a lifetime they had exchanged under the moon, a wave of bitterness washed over Meng Fanxin.’
"Good," Yu An breathed a sigh of relief. "What I want to ask is, how much do you know about your son, Tian Fu?"
"Tian Fu?"
Hearing that name, the smile on Meng Fanxin’s face slowly faded, replaced by a chilling look of disappointment.
"He’s just as his name implies—heartless. If I had known this day would come, I would have drowned him the moment he was born!"