Zhen Tingyun’s return drew the attention of the entire household.
To understand why, one had to begin with her father.
The previous night, because of what had happened to Zhen Tingyun, Father Zhen had quarreled fiercely with Madam Pei and moved to the study to sleep. The next morning, still angry, he had gone to work. Yet he couldn’t stop worrying about his youngest daughter, so he left the office early and hurried home.
Only after returning did he learn that Zhen Tingyun had ridden out alone that morning and had yet to return.
Already irritated, Father Zhen suppressed his temper and asked where she’d gone.
Madam Pei had assumed her daughter merely wanted to clear her head. Given the girl’s stubborn personality, she hadn’t asked any questions. Besides, with the considerate and affectionate Zhen Yiyun keeping her company, she had been content to leave the younger daughter alone, thinking a little cold treatment might temper the girl’s disposition.
So when Father Zhen suddenly questioned her, Madam Pei could only answer, “I don’t know.”
After all, Zhen Tingyun had left with a horse and refused any attendants.
One girl and one horse, six swift legs altogether, could have ridden anywhere inside or outside the capital.
How could Madam Pei possibly know where she’d gone?
Seeing her indifferent attitude only infuriated Father Zhen further.
He couldn’t help raising his voice. “She’s your daughter too! As her mother, how can you care so little? She suffered such a terrible grievance yesterday. That was when she needed comfort the most. Yet instead of consoling her, you simply watched her leave alone. And now she’s nowhere to be found, yet you’re still able to sit here without concern?”
In Father Zhen’s eyes, his own mother had certainly possessed many faults but her love for her children had always been unquestionable.
When the family had been poor, she’d rather suffer herself than allow her son to go without.
To Father Zhen, that was what mothers were supposed to be.
They loved their children unconditionally.
But Madam Pei wasn’t like that.
Perhaps it was precisely because reality differed so greatly from the ideal in his heart that his disappointment ran so deep. Still, after years of marriage, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything too cruel. Otherwise, he might have pointed straight at her and declared that none of her recent actions were worthy of a real mother.
The night before, they had already argued once over the entrance examination permit.
Deep down, Madam Pei had begun to feel somewhat guilty, admitting to herself that perhaps she had indeed handled the matter poorly. But now Father Zhen was berating her all over again because of Zhen Tingyun.
Madam Pei herself had been the cherished youngest daughter of her own family. Raised under Old Madam Pei’s doting care, she was hardly someone without a temper.
Listening to one accusation after another, the spark of anger inside her finally flared. Unable to vent her frustration at her husband, she unconsciously shifted it onto the daughter who still hadn’t returned.
For all these years, our marriage has been loving and harmonious. We’ve never once quarreled. Yet now we’ve argued twice because of this daughter.
People always said daughters were their mothers’ little padded jackets. Her eldest daughter, Yiyun, had always been obedient and considerate. Only this younger daughter…
Perhaps she had been born to oppose her.
Even the pregnancy had come at an unfortunate time. The birth itself had caused her endless suffering.
Only after many years had life finally become peaceful again.
Then the girl had been brought back home.
Since then, there had been no blessings,
Only endless trouble, until husband and wife had already quarreled twice because of her.
Anger had a way of twisting one’s thoughts.
In Madam Pei’s heart, she had already begun to see her youngest daughter almost as an ill-fated curse.
Seeing that Father Zhen remained furious, she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped at her tears. Choking back sobs, she retorted, “What do you mean I don’t care? Are you the only busy person in this family? Am I supposed to have nothing to do except stay home and watch over your children? Yes, you’ve only recently come to the capital and serve as an official. Of course you’re busy and exhausted but am I not busy? Your salary alone wouldn’t even support this household. If we’d relied only on your government pay, the whole family would be living on nothing but cold wind. The reason our household enjoys its current comfort is because I’ve carefully managed every expense and found ways to increase our income. And ever since you came to the capital, haven’t I handled every social obligation for you? Visits to colleagues, gifts, weddings, funerals, weren’t all those arrangements made by me?”
“There are countless matters inside and outside this household. Should I abandon all of them and do nothing except keep my eyes fixed on her? She’s already grown. Her legs belong to her. If she insists on leaving, who could possibly stop her?”
As she spoke, she gripped the handkerchief more tightly. Even her teeth clenched. “Even if I was partly at fault over the examination permit, couldn’t she have spoken to me properly? Did she really have to be so stubborn? At daybreak she left without saying a word. No explanation. No maidservant. She simply led her horse away. Go ask around the capital! What respectable family’s daughter behaves like that? If word of this gets out, how am I supposed to show my face as her mother? I couldn’t even sleep last night because I was worrying about her. This morning I was still lying in my room thinking about her when the gatekeeper reported she’d ridden out. I immediately sent someone after her but by then she’d already disappeared. And now you’re blaming me! Tell me, how is that my fault? I’ve truly done nothing but sit quietly at home, and disaster has fallen from the sky in the form of this troublesome child!”
The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became. Lowering her head, she burst into tears.
Father Zhen’s face flushed red with anger. “What kind of nonsense are you saying? If you hadn’t done what you did, would Ting Jie’er have stormed out on horseback in the first place? And even if your daughter disappeared, was your only response to stay home complaining? Couldn’t you have sent people to look for her? If you’d dispatched someone the moment she left this morning, she’d probably have been found by now. Instead, you’ve waited until it’s become so late that you don’t even know where to begin searching!”
“What did I do?” Madam Pei shot back. “Wasn’t it only an examination permit? What respectable young lady would throw such a tantrum over something like that? She dares turn against her own mother, and the moment she’s angry she rides off on horseback…”
The more she spoke, the harsher her words became. “Such an unfilial daughter, even if she comes back, she’ll only come back to make me angry!”
Before she could finish, a sharp smack rang through the room.
Madam Pei froze.
Father Zhen froze as well.
In those days, unfilial conduct was considered one of the gravest offenses imaginable. Father Zhen simply couldn’t bear to hear those words any longer. Acting on impulse, he had slapped his wife across the face.
Madam Pei had always taken great care of her appearance.
Though she was already the mother of three children, her skin remained as fair as snow, and she was still as beautiful as a young maiden.
Precisely because of that, the slap left an angry red handprint blooming immediately across her delicate white cheek, each finger clearly outlined.
It was the first time in her life she had ever been struck.
As the youngest daughter in her family, she had been cherished by Old Madam Pei like a priceless jewel.
Even Old Master Pei had doted on her. When he was stripped of office and forced to leave the capital, his two sons were already grown, but his youngest daughter had still been a little girl, condemned to hardship because of his misfortune. He had always felt especially guilty toward her.
Even after her marriage, though her mother-in-law, Old Lady Zhen, had made life difficult for her in countless ways, she had never once laid a finger on her.
So Madam Pei had never imagined that the first person to strike her would be the husband who had loved her faithfully for so many years.
For a long moment she simply stared blankly. She even forgot to cry. Only the blazing fury filling her chest remained.
Her eyes reddened as she glared at Father Zhen.
“You…!”
“You actually hit me?!”
“Zhen Dongping!”
“Do you still remember what you promised me when you married me?!”
Her cheek was swollen, her hair disheveled, her eyes bloodshot. She looked as though she wanted nothing more than to rush forward and return the slap.
Father Zhen regretted it the moment his hand fell.
Seeing her like this, he hurriedly softened his tone and tried to comfort her. But Madam Pei had always been the sort of person who grew stronger the more others yielded.
Instead of calming down, she became even more relentless. The husband and wife began quarreling more fiercely than ever.
Their raised voices echoed through the house, eventually alarming Old Lady Zhen in the neighboring courtyard. Only then did the old woman learn that Madam Pei had secretly given Zhen Tingyun’s examination permit to Pei Mingzhu.
The moment she heard the truth, Old Lady Zhen burst into tears. She dropped straight onto the ground, pounding her chest and wailing loudly, looking only a step away from rolling about on the floor. “My poor Second Girl! What terrible fate is this? How did she end up with such a black-hearted mother?”
Madam Pei was already furious from arguing with her husband.
Seeing her mother-in-law making such an outrageous scene only made her chest tighten further.
One hand pressed against her heart, her face turned pale and bluish as though she might collapse at any moment.
Caught between his elderly mother and his wife, Father Zhen found himself in an impossible position.
He could only patiently try to reason with his wife while comforting his mother at the same time.
Meanwhile, half his thoughts remained occupied by his missing youngest daughter.
The worry alone seemed enough to turn his hair gray.
When Old Lady Zhen learned that her granddaughter had disappeared after leaving home, she cried even harder.
Still seated on the ground, she beat her chest and thighs while cursing Madam Pei as though she were an evil stepmother.
Madam Pei could no longer endure it.
The sight brought back countless grievances from years past.
Having spent the entire previous night without sleep, and now exhausted by another fierce quarrel, she suddenly felt her chest constrict. Her vision went black. She fainted on the spot.
Old Lady Zhen had spent many years fighting with this daughter-in-law.
She had plenty of experience.
Seeing Madam Pei faint so suddenly, the old woman secretly rolled her eyes. Then she immediately let out an even louder howl. “Pitiful child! What kind of real mother behaves like this? Even a stepmother wouldn’t be so cruel!”
With that, she rolled her eyes dramatically and fainted as well.
Who says you’re the only one who can faint? If you’re fainting, then we’ll faint together!
On one side lay his wife, unconscious from anger.
On the other lay his elderly mother, who had cried until she passed out.
Father Zhen broke into a cold sweat. He felt utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, after years serving as an official, he had seen all manner of crises. Compared to his younger self, he had become much better at keeping his composure.
After only a brief pause, he immediately began giving orders. Servants were instructed to carry both his wife and his mother to their rooms. A physician was summoned at once. Then Father Zhen dispatched people throughout the capital to search for his daughter.
At this point, saving face no longer mattered.
His daughter’s safety came first.
He simply couldn’t bear imagining what might happen to a fourteen-year-old girl wandering alone outside. If they still couldn’t find her…
He would have no choice but to visit the Pei family and beg Old Master Pei to use his influence with the Capital Patrol Office.
The entire Zhen household descended into chaos.
And it was precisely then that Zhen Tingyun stepped down from Madam Chu’s carriage and returned safely, leading Malantou by the reins.
The elderly gatekeeper, who had been waiting anxiously outside, nearly cried with relief at the sight of her. Hurrying over, he led her into the residence while chattering nonstop. “Second Miss, where have you been? Master has been worried sick! He already sent people all over the city looking for you. And Old Madam and Madam… They were so worried about you that they both cried until they fainted…”
This outcome had never crossed Zhen Tingyun’s mind.
She had carefully calculated everything based on Madam Pei’s and Zhen Yiyun’s personalities.
In her estimation, once she stormed out that morning, Madam Pei would certainly be furious.
With Zhen Yiyun adding fuel to the fire, no one would bother looking for her.
She had planned to return quietly after the examination, hide in Old Lady Zhen’s courtyard, and pretend nothing had happened.
Only now did she understand what people meant when they said:
Man proposes, Heaven disposes.
She had thought of everything… except for one thing.
Her father’s concern.
She remembered the father from her dream, Cold-faced, indifferent, declaring that he would send her back to the countryside. Then she looked at the man standing before her now, His face full of worry, his eyes fixed only on her.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
Father Zhen, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with relief. He hurried over, pulled his daughter close, and looked her up and down again and again. His eyes gradually reddened.
Thinking of the injustice she had suffered, he didn’t even ask where she had gone that day. Instead, he simply let out a long breath and repeated over and over, “It’s enough that you’re back. That’s all that matters. You’re home now.”
The joy and concern in his expression were impossible to hide.
Seeing her father like this, Zhen Tingyun suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Lowering her head, she said softly, “It’s my fault. I’ve made Father, Grandmother, and everyone in the family worry about me.”
“It’s all right.” Father Zhen shook his head and pointed toward the inner room. “Your grandmother and your mother have been worried sick over you. They’ve both fainted. You should go see them.”
Zhen Tingyun had been worrying about her grandmother all along. Old Lady Zhen was already advanced in years, such a shock could easily damage her health. Thinking of this, she quickened her pace and hurried into the inner chamber.
There she found Old Lady Zhen and Madam Pei lying on opposite sides of the couch, both appearing weak and unconscious.
After such a major incident, Zhen Yiyun and Zhen Hengzhe were naturally present as well.
The moment Zhen Yiyun saw her, she frowned. Suppressing her irritation, she said, “Second Sister, the next time you go out, even if you don’t want to tell Father and Mother, you should at least bring a few attendants with you. Otherwise, not only will the whole family worry over you, but it wouldn’t be good for you either…”
“And why wouldn’t it be good?” Zhen Tingyun had only been concerned about her grandmother and hadn’t intended to respond, but Zhen Yiyun’s pointed, insinuating tone was too much to ignore.
Biting her lip, Zhen Yiyun looked Zhen Tingyun up and down meaningfully before speaking in a gentle voice. “You’re still young. You don’t know that even in the capital there are hoodlums and ruffians. You’re a young lady. If you were to go out alone and… if something were to happen…”
“Big Sister, that’s enough!” To everyone’s surprise, it was Zhen Hengzhe who interrupted her. Both sisters looked at him in astonishment.
He had always admired and respected his mother and eldest sister above all else. Never before had he spoken to her like this. Even now, his face was filled with conflict, every word coming with difficulty. “Second Sister has already returned safely. What’s the point of saying all this now?”
Zhen Yiyun stared at her younger brother in disbelief.
Avoiding her gaze instinctively, the youthful boy’s face showed hesitation and inner struggle, yet he continued. “Wasn’t the reason Second Sister went out today because Mother gave her examination permit to Cousin Mingzhu from the Pei family without even telling her? After something like that happened at home, she was upset. What’s wrong with going out to clear her head? How can you stand here kicking someone when they’re already down?”
Ordinarily, Zhen Hengzhe would never have spoken this way but Madam Pei had secretly exchanged Zhen Tingyun’s examination permit for Pei Mingzhu’s, and that was something he simply couldn’t accept. He had devoted himself to studying since childhood with the goal of succeeding in the imperial examinations and entering official service. Naturally, he regarded examinations and academic achievement with great importance. He simply couldn’t stomach seeing Madam Pei casually hand over Zhen Tingyun’s examination permit.
It was an act of obvious unfairness.
Yet as a son, he could not openly criticize his own mother. All he could do was speak a single word of fairness before turning and leaving.
Father Zhen had been standing outside and had heard every word exchanged within. When his son came out, he didn’t scold him. Instead, he sighed. “Very well. Your mother and grandmother aren’t in any real danger now, and your second sister has returned. There’s no need for you to stay here. Go back and continue your studies.”
As a father, he felt gratified that his son could distinguish right from wrong instead of allowing family affection to cloud his judgment.
Zhen Hengzhe seemed as though he wanted to say something. He bit his lip, but in the end remained silent. Bowing respectfully to his father, he departed.
Watching his son leave, Father Zhen couldn’t help but think: Fortunately, we’ve always been strict in raising him. We started his education early and had him move into the front courtyard while still young. Though he dearly loves and respects his mother and eldest sister, at least he hasn’t been led astray. Deep down, he still knows the difference between right and wrong…
The thought had only just arisen before he suppressed it. It wasn’t fair to think that way.
After all, during all these years he had served as an official away from home, the household had always been peaceful. His wife had been regarded as virtuous, his children obedient, and the family harmonious. Madam Pei had never done anything truly wicked before.
Countless thoughts passed through Father Zhen’s mind before he finally pushed them all aside.
Stepping into the room, he saw his eldest daughter keeping watch beside Madam Pei while his younger daughter stayed beside Old Lady Zhen. One stood on each side, the division between them as clear as the boundary between two rivers.
He couldn’t help sighing once more.
Seeing this, Zhen Tingyun said, “Father, I was in the wrong today. I should apologize to Mother. But both Mother and Grandmother are unconscious right now. Why don’t I escort Grandmother back to her courtyard first? Tomorrow I’ll come and apologize properly to Mother.”
Father Zhen considered this.
He suspected that if Madam Pei saw Zhen Tingyun now, harsh words would be inevitable. He didn’t want his daughter to be hurt. Better to speak with Madam Pei first himself and let the mother and daughter reconcile later under calmer circumstances.
So he nodded. “Very well. Have someone carry your grandmother back to her courtyard. Once the physician arrives, I’ll send him over to examine her. As for apologizing… the greater fault doesn’t lie with you, so there’s no need for apologies. Just take good care of your grandmother.”
Understanding her father’s intentions, Zhen Tingyun felt deeply touched. She nodded in agreement.
Before long, servants came to carry the couch, escorting Old Lady Zhen all the way back to her residence.
Once they had settled her inside, Zhen Tingyun instructed the servants, “Grandmother’s face is covered in sweat. She must be terribly uncomfortable. Hurry and bring some warm water so I can wipe her down.”
Only after everyone in the room had left did she lean close to her grandmother’s ear and whisper, “Grandmother, it’s time to wake up. If you keep pretending, it won’t look convincing anymore.”
In truth, Old Lady Zhen had never completely fainted.
She had merely been so furious that she temporarily lost consciousness. She had recovered long ago, but she didn’t want Madam Pei to get off lightly, so she kept her eyes shut and continued pretending. Now that her granddaughter had exposed her, she wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. Instead, she opened her eyes and glared at her. “And who do you think this old woman is doing all this for, you ungrateful little wretch?!”
Zhen Tingyun hurriedly coaxed her. “I know, Grandmother. You’re doing it all for me.”
Old Lady Zhen wiped at her face with one hand. “Quick, hand me a handkerchief and wipe my face! You clueless girl! What sweat? This isn’t sweat at all, it’s all tears I’ve cried over you!”
Zhen Tingyun couldn’t help laughing at her grandmother’s words. Nodding quickly, she humored her, “All right, all right, tears, not sweat.”
As they spoke, a maid brought in a basin of hot water. Zhen Tingyun personally took a cloth, soaked it, and gently wiped her grandmother’s face. “You’re already at your age, Grandmother. You really ought to take better care of yourself. How can you keep exhausting yourself like this?”
“I’m only doing this for you!” At the mention of it, Old Lady Zhen remembered how her granddaughter’s examination permit had been given away, and anger flared up again. Grinding her teeth, she said bitterly, “Your mother’s favoritism has gone too far! She actually dared to hand your permit over to her niece. Even a stepmother wouldn’t be so heartless.”
Zhen Tingyun looked slightly surprised. “Actually, Eldest Aunt didn’t simply take it for free. She exchanged one of her shops for it. I thought Grandmother might think the shop was the better bargain.”
“I’m not as shortsighted as your mother!” Old Lady Zhen might have loved a good bargain, but she genuinely cared about her granddaughter. “I’ve watched how hard you’ve studied all these years. Do you think I haven’t noticed? Besides, this isn’t the countryside anymore, this is the capital. Things are different here. I’ve never met those noble young ladies outside, but just look at your elder sister. Every day she goes off to the Womens’ Academy with her nose so high it’s practically pointed at the sky! I’ve figured it out by now. If you don’t study or attend school, the people in the capital will look down on you.”
Hearing those words, Zhen Tingyun’s heart felt both warm and aching.
Knowing her grandmother was too old to be getting worked up like this, she could only soothe her gently. “You’re already of such an age, Grandmother. Don’t get angry over these things. Besides, the permit has already been given away. There’s no point trying to get it back now.”
Old Lady Zhen was so angry she raised a hand as if to smack her. “You foolish girl! If you just let something like this go, your mother will think she’s in the right! Next time something happens, she’ll expect you to give in again as if it’s only natural. Are you planning to spend your whole life sacrificing yourself for every aunt and cousin in the Pei family?”
Zhen Tingyun didn’t answer.
She thought to herself, There won’t be a next time. I’ll never give Madam Pei another opportunity like this. I’ll never yield again.
But Old Lady Zhen mistook her silence for stubborn foolishness and became even more exasperated. “And you! Whenever something happens, you just bottle it all up and suffer in silence! Why didn’t you tell me? If you’d come to me sooner, I’d have thrown away every last shred of my old woman’s pride and marched straight to the Pei family to demand your examination permit back! We were the ones in the right. If we’d gone to ask for it, would they really have dared refuse? What, has the Pei family no shame left?”
Crude as her words were, the reasoning itself wasn’t wrong. The problem was that this was the capital, not a rural village. Some principles worked in the countryside but not in the capital.
“Grandmother, please hear me out first.” Zhen Tingyun sighed softly.
She knew she had to explain everything clearly to her grandmother. She absolutely couldn’t let her repeat the mistakes that had happened in her previous life.
Holding the weathered hand that felt like old tree bark, she gently stroked it as she spoke. “If we went to demand it back, the Pei family values its reputation. They’d certainly return it. But once such a scene was made, the relationship between our two families would surely suffer.”
She paused before continuing. “Think about it. Grandfather Pei isn’t only Father’s father-in-law. He’s also the teacher who educated him and guided him in his studies. Father reveres him almost as though he were his own father. If Grandfather Pei became angry with our family because of this, Father would be deeply distressed.”
Old Lady Zhen’s expression changed.
Zhen Tingyun continued. “Besides, Father has only recently arrived in the capital. Everything is difficult at the beginning. It’s only because the Pei family has been looking after us as relatives by marriage that things have gone relatively smoothly. Even so, Father leaves early and returns late every day. If the Pei family were offended as well, wouldn’t life in officialdom become even harder for him? We may not be able to help Father much, but at the very least we shouldn’t make things harder for him.”
If things escalated, the Pei family would be unhappy. And if the Pei family was unhappy, Father Zhen certainly wouldn’t be happy either.
Even if he knew that both his mother and daughter were in the right, it didn’t mean he would truly be pleased.
Sometimes how a conflict begins matters far less than how it ends, and where everyone’s interests ultimately lie.
Old Lady Zhen loved her son dearly. After hearing this, she fell silent. Only after a long while did she murmur, “What you’re saying makes sense, child. But… what about you? What are you going to do now?”
The more she thought about it, the guiltier and more miserable she became.
She hated that she had grown old and useless, unable to help her granddaughter in the slightest, forced to watch her precious granddaughter suffer such an injustice.
After thinking it over, Zhen Tingyun decided she couldn’t bear to let her grandmother continue worrying. So she leaned close and quietly told her everything that had happened during today’s examination.
Old Lady Zhen was both shocked and delighted. “Is that really true?”
Zhen Tingyun blinked innocently. “When have I ever lied to you, Grandmother?”
“Nonsense!” Old Lady Zhen snapped. “Just last night you fooled me with those red eyes of yours!”
With a perfectly straight face, Zhen Tingyun replied, “But I did tell you I was taking the examination today. That part was true, wasn’t it?”
Old Lady Zhen was rendered speechless. So angry she nearly leapt up to smack her granddaughter, she had barely gotten halfway off the bed when a servant announced from outside that the physician had arrived.
Old Lady Zhen immediately lay back down. Although her eyes remained open, her face instantly assumed the appearance of someone barely clinging to life.
Zhen Tingyun thought to herself, Even without taking your pulse, Grandmother, any physician who sees how rosy and healthy you look will know you’re pretending to be ill.
