After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen-Chapter 16 - 015 Can You Believe Me?

Fu Zhen lived in Longcui House, right behind the main courtyard where Mrs. Fu lived, which was convenient for Mrs. Fu to take care of her in the past.

The mother and daughter first returned to the main courtyard, entered the house, and Mrs. Fu pulled Fu Zhen to sit down, carefully staring at her.

Things had developed to this point, and Fu Zhen surely knew she had something on her mind to say, so she let her caress her hair while watching her silently shed tears with reddened eyes.

"What really happened today on the mountain?"

Mrs. Fu asked cautiously, her voice soft and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing something.

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Fu Zhen said, "I didn't intend to say anything, lest it worry you, but Mrs. Liu and her daughter were really arrogant, so it's also good to let you know.

"Today on the mountain, when you went to the Buddha hall to seek Master Cheng Kong, I waited outside while the maid went to fetch clothes for me. That's when Fu Rou came over and said Father sent for me with some instructions. I didn't suspect anything and followed her to the cliff's edge.

"But Father wasn't there at all. She cursed me a few times and took the chance when no one was watching to push me off the cliff. Fortunately, a branch caught me, and I didn't fall all the way down.

"I was so furious, I never expected she would have such audacity. In a moment of lost control, I ended up gripping her neck, scaring her a bit."

Knowing that Mrs. Fu tolerated so much humiliation all for the sake of her children, how could Fu Zhen dare to let her know that the original Fu Zhen was no longer there, and the body she birthed now housed another soul?

Even though it involved incidents of fighting and scolding, she had to slowly think of a way to smooth things over.

"Fu Rou actually dared to harbor murderous intent?" Mrs. Fu asked in shock and anger, "She really pushed you off the cliff?"

"She did. But don't worry, Mother; since I didn't die today, I won't let her have another chance to harm me in the future. Look at it this way, isn't that a good thing? If she hadn't been so thorough, how could I have found my resolve?"

Mrs. Fu might still long for the original Fu Zhen, but for now, she could only persuade her like this.

Today's event was so sudden, really catching people off guard, leaving no time for deliberation or planning.

Luckily, in the end, Fu Jun and Mrs. Liu didn't gain any advantage, and Fu Zhen did not want Mrs. Fu to stir up more trouble due to Fu Rou's malicious deeds.

"Mother," Fu Zhen drank some water and started a new topic, "may I ask you how exactly Father and Mrs. Liu managed to get the upper hand over you? How much of your wealth did they seize? Do you have any idea?"

The former Fu Zhen, although she saw her mother suffer, was not very clear about what exactly Fu Jun did behind the scenes, due to Mrs. Fu's careful protection of her daughter.

Mrs. Fu sighed deeply, "Mrs. Liu naturally relied on your father's support to act so brazenly, along with the old lady—" Here, she paused, perhaps out of reluctance to speak ill of her elders, then continued, "Over these years, for household expenses and mansion repairs, all from the public fund, were from mine.

"Back when your grandfather was alive, your father seemed devoted to me; I never minded any expenses, often accommodating him at the mention of money.

"But somehow, my giving became a habit. He needed money without having to ask me directly; he even took it from the housekeeper, who quietly advised me to inquire about where the money was going. I asked, and it was mostly spent on his friendships with colleagues.

"I thought men should not be too shabby when outside, especially considering he was the Ning Family's son-in-law; wouldn't being too stingy lead to gossip?

"Furthermore, being a family, why should there be such division?"

"Little did I know that my trust made his audacity grow. After your grandfather passed away, he brought Mrs. Liu and her children back, and that's when I really woke up and checked the accounts, finding he not only embezzled a large amount within the house but had also taken much more from the books.

"The shopkeepers initially thought I permitted it; it wasn't until then they realized I was deceived. Luckily, he couldn't take the estates or shops, and the losses were only in silver coins.

"When I confronted him, he threatened me with you two in return! He said, if I didn't continue as Mrs. Fu, he wouldn't spare you, since he already has children with Mrs. Liu!"

Mrs. Fu wiped her tears at this point.

Hearing this, Fu Zhen felt fiery anger rising, but understanding Mrs. Fu's predicament, Fu Jun's threats were not entirely baseless.

He could accept someone of Mrs. Liu's background and even have three children with her; there must be some true affection, so if his legitimate children were to meet tragedy, the surviving one, isolated, could hardly compare to the four on the other side.

From this perspective, Fu Jun's promise to beat her to death wasn't just an empty threat.

Whether the legitimate elder daughter lived or died made no difference to him.

Fu Zhen, privately grinding her teeth, then looked at Mrs. Fu: "Before you married, Mother, did you know how much the Fu Family owned?"

Mrs. Fu sneered slightly, "We married in Jiangling. When I entered, the Fu Family had only three rice shops, a three-entry house, and a three-hundred-acre field estate. Besides gold, silver, jade, and the silver coins in the bank, the total value was only seven or eight thousand taels; they relied on their scholarly family's reputation.

"I know because we inventoried it together before we moved to the capital that year."

Fu Zhen took a deep breath.

The original owner had never managed the household accounts, so she had no idea about Fu Family's assets, though she distinctly remembered that now the Fu Family owned several estates, had opened several shops in the capital, and surely more.

Could they achieve that on their own?

No, they fattened themselves by draining Mrs. Fu and the Ning Family's wealth over the years!

She asked, "Do you have any plans, Mother? We can't continue like this, can we?"

"Zhen Er, what do you think?"

Surprisingly, Mrs. Fu asked her in return.

Fu Zhen replied, "I think we ought to reclaim what's ours, and ensure all evildoers face severe punishment!"

Mrs. Fu was momentarily stunned, then murmured, "How could I not want what you're saying? But easier said than done?"

Who wouldn't want to punish vile men and women, but she needed the capability. She was not only alone, but also had to take care of two children. If something happened to her, would Fu Jun and Mrs. Liu spare her children? No way, she had to endure and bear the humiliation until they could stand on their own.

"So, Mother, leave this matter to me," Fu Zhen clenched her hand. "Can you trust me?"

Mrs. Fu looked at her, instinctively trying to stop her, but found herself unconsciously realizing that the daughter before her no longer needed her protection as before. On the contrary, she could protect her.

Her actions today were more impressive than her own.

Perhaps the current predicament was partly her doing, caused by being overly cautious and tolerant, letting the scoundrel's ambition spiral out of control.

Wasn't she, in the past, more appreciative of straightforward women like the present Zhen Er?

Her once fragile daughter now had a vibrant side, and no matter what, she should be glad!

Emotions surging, she nodded: "Alright. I'll listen to you! Even if there's trouble, at worst, Mother will face it with you!"

"Thank you, Mother!" Fu Zhen, immensely relieved, embraced her before sitting up and saying, "Don't worry, I won't act recklessly. I'll be careful."

Mrs. Fu gently caressed her face, smiling.

Since she decided to go all out, what was the harm if it brought trouble?

Now, looking at her spirited daughter, she even began to wonder whether the phrase "the destiny has changed" that Cheng Kong mentioned might really exist...