Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Thirty-Three:
A Guide to Improving the Living Environment

With things being as they were, Cuiwei ended up giving up trying to control everyone and, with the help of Danju and Xiaotao, carefully guarded Minglan’s main room. Mu Cang Zhai descended into chaos and the younger maidservants followed their elders’ actions, either going out to visit other courtyards or hanging out with one another to talk. Only Yan Cao and a few other girls remained steadfast in their work, showing that Fang Mama’s years of training was not in vain.

The struggle among the women in the inner residence was about having patience. Minglan could resist it and some others can’t. Mrs. Liu Kun came to Minglan and subtly hinted that she should take control of the maidservants in her residence.

“They’re all very good, what’s wrong with them?” Minglan asked naively.

Liu Mama swallowed her anger and reluctantly said, “That Mei’er dared to show her face to Eldest Young Master and wasn’t punished for it, so there’s that.  There are also little girls running around all day dressed up and causing trouble!”

On the way to and from school every morning, Changbai only took a few steps to enter Mu Cang Zhai. Cuiwei, Danju, and Minglan were guarding the residence tightly, and Yin Xing was passionate and struggling. She stood at the door to the residence every day, straining her neck and waiting. As soon as she saw Changbai, she would run up to greet him and politely invited him into Mu Cang Zhai to sit. Changbai couldn’t stop himself from complaining about it to Mrs. Liu Kun, who was in charge of the household. She was shocked by this behavior and quickly went to scold Yin Xing. Yin Xing’s temper had increased lately, and she even dared to retort with, “Mama, don’t worry about it. I’m from Sixth Miss’s residence now. She doesn’t even talk to me, why should you mind?”

“Yin Xing is just a bit enthusiastic,” Minglan said, feeling embarrassed. Mrs. Liu Kun was fuming. “Besides, she was given to me by Madam. How can I not treat her with dignity?”

Mrs. Liu Kun left in frustration. Danju hurriedly said, “Miss, can we clean up those little hussies now?”

Minglan smiled and shook her head. “It isn’t the right time, yet.”

Two days later, Madam Wang kept Minglan after their morning greetings to scold her. “The little girls in your courtyard are becoming more and more disrespectful. What’s her name, Ke’er? Do you not care about her and your third brother speaking intimately together outside of your residence?” What she really wanted to say was Yin Xing had been appearing in front of Changbai more frequently recently.

Minglan continued to pretend to be foolish and said, “Ke’er was originally from Third Brother’s room. He sent over his cherished maid. How can I punish her? Will Third Brother be angry at me in the future if I do punish her?” Madam Wang was disappointed that Minglan wasn’t living up to her expectations but continued to warmly encourage her. Minglan kept hesitating.

Helping Minglan out of the main courtyard, Xiaotao excitedly asked, “Miss, even Madam has spoken up now. Can we finally clean up those little hussies?”

Once again, Minglan smiled and said, “Wait a little longer, be patient.”

Minglan clenched her fists and waited for three more days, waiting for Sheng Hong to be at home. The whole family went to pay their respects to Old Madam Sheng early in the morning and Minglan purposely dressed in a slightly shabby way. After everyone had bowed and sat down by chronological order, Old Madam Sheng sat at the front of the room with a dark expression and silent. Seeing Old Madam Sheng’s expression, Sheng Hong asked what had happened.

Old Madam Sheng pointed at Minglan in displeasure. “Ask Sixth Miss. Her residence is about to be overthrown by unruly servants and she is not doing a good job at keeping things under control!”

“What did you say?” Sheng Hong asked, taken aback. “Minglan, what’s going on?”

Minglan had a blank expression on her face and cautiously stood up. Madam Wang was startled. She knew that the recent chaos in Mu Cang Zhai had been bad, and many of the women in charge had come to talk about it. Old Madam Sheng had to know about it sooner or later. Knowing that Minglan hadn’t reported this to her grandmother, Madam Wang felt somewhat satisfied with her.

Minglan hesitated for a while, her eyes darting to look at Changfeng and Molan. Rulan hurriedly spoke up and said, “Father, let me talk! Sixth Sister is way too kind and lets the maidservants play around. Nowadays, the little maids in Mu Cang Zhai don’t do any work. They only play in the garden, not take care of the garden. The house is not cleaned and they can’t handle big or small tasks. They even have time to talk and gossip with each other! My main maid even said a few words to them, but she was ignored!”

“Minglan!” Sheng Hong said angrily, patting his thigh. “How come you can’t control the people in your courtyard?”

This was the first time that Sheng Hong accepted a complaint from Rulan. Bolstered by this, Rulan quickly continued before Minglan could answer, “The two most mischievous people in Sixth Sister’s residence are from Third Brother. How can Sixth Sister handle it?”

Hearing that Concubine Lin was involved, Sheng Hong couldn’t stop from hesitating. He glanced at Changfeng, who lowered his head, and looked at Madam Wang skeptically. Madam Wang looked at Sheng Hong’s appearance and knew that he suspected her of using Concubine Lin as a means of an attack. She easily suppressed the anger that rose in her, forcing a smile and turning to her daughter. “Ru’er, don’t talk nonsense. Your third brother must have picked the best for your little sister.”

“I’m not talking nonsense!” Rulan immediately retorted. “Those two little girls, with one eye taller than the sky, dare to show Eldest Brother face. There’s a girl who constantly acts sick and has to be attended to every day. Her demeanor almost surpasses her master! Minglan, come on, have I said any nonsense?” She pulled on Minglan, asking her to testify.

“I might have wronged them in my residence,” Minglan said, frowning. “I offended Eldest Brother but didn’t talk about it. Liu Mama, who is tired, has repeatedly prescribed medicine for my residence. After just a dozen days, Ke’er has been sick five times. Luckily, Third Brother often comes to visit Ke’er, and Ke’er gets better faster!”

“How could such a thing happen?!” Sheng Hong was shocked.

“The day before yesterday, in broad daylight, someone saw a girl in front of Mu Cang Zhai’s entrance pulling on Brother Bai’er. That is inappropriate!” Old Madam Sheng said coldly. Madam Wang angrily pressed her fingers into the cushion of her chair.

Nobody knew their son better than his own father. Sheng Hong raised his head to look at Changbai’s stern face and then looked at the guilty expression Changfeng had, knowing that what was said was true. He cursed Concubine Lin under his breath for causing this trouble. She wanted to get rid of an eyesore of a girl, but there was no need to bring Minglan into this. Off to the side, Molan began to worry and tried her best to give a meaningful look to Changfeng. “Don’t worry, Father,” she said. “This is a small matter. Those ignorant girls just need to be taught a lesson, there’s no need to get angry! Sixth Sister, it doesn’t matter who gave you those girls, they are now servants of Mu Cang Zhai. You can beat or scold them as you wish. Could it be that you are too softhearted and that’s why the girls can disrespect and bully you?”

Changfeng understood Molan’s meaningful glance, and immediately jumped into action. He looked at Minglan with a hint of shame on his face. “I’ve caused you trouble. But those girls usually never caused any issues with me. You aren’t used to this yet, are you? Little Sister, just talk with them. They’re smart and will understand!”

With a few gentle words, it was as if this matter was over. The corners of Rulan’s mouth were raised in disdain and she sneered. Old Madam Sheng became furious and slapped the table heavily, raising her voice for her to say, “What did you say? You’re calling this a small matter? She’s too softhearted? Look at Minglan, it’s only been about twenty days since she moved out of my residence, and it’s already like this! Can it be that the master has to yield to the servant now?! Those wicked slaves are taking advantage of Sixth Miss but it’s her fault?!”

Changfeng and Molan saw that Old Madam Sheng was angry and quickly stood up, respectfully standing to the side.

Sheng Hong glanced at Minglan to really look at her. Sure enough, she had lost a lot of weight, her chin was now prominent, and her complexion pale. She was completely different from when she had lived in Shou’an Hall, no longer the plump little girl he been fond of. He suddenly frowned and turned to Madam Wang, demanding answers. “How did you let it get like this? Minglan’s residence is so unruly yet you didn’t do anything about it?”

“…I thought she was old enough and able to handle this on her own…” Madam Wang suddenly found herself involved in this and felt she had been wronged. She wanted Minglan to take care of Ke’er and Mei’er on her own.

“Old enough?” Sheng Hong interrupted her before she could continue speaking. “Minglan has always been by Old Madam’s side. She’s just moved out to live in her own residence! You didn’t instruct her on how to control the servants and just watched from the sidelines?!”

The statement was blunt and hit the nail on the head. Madam Wang’s face became ugly, and she felt a deep hatred in her heart. Minglan saw it and slowly stood up. “Father, don’t blame Madam,” she whispered. “Madam is very kind to me and she even sent me two girls to help me. It’s me who doesn’t have the ability to control my servants.” The more she spoke, the lower and more tearful her voice became.

Madam Wang’s face softened and she put on an air of feeling aggrieved. “Those two girls were actually sent by Brother Feng’er,” she said. “How can I go against his face? Those little girls learned by imitating what others did.” She lowered her head as she spoke, taking a glance at Sheng Hong.

Sheng Hong thought about it and felt a little guilty. He gave Madam Wang a comforting look. Old Madam sat at the front of the room, a hint of sarcasm floating around her mouth. “Still, she should spend more energy to teach her. Teach Ming’er how to clean up her residence, then she can learn more.”

“What Old Madam said is correct,” Sheng Hong immediately agreed. “Madam should teach her.”

“Minglan is also my daughter,” Madam Wang hurriedly said once she saw the look Sheng Hong was giving her. “Naturally I will take care of her.”

Changfeng looked worried as he gave a pleading glance to Minglan. Minglan did her best not to turn her head and stood in front of Old Madam Sheng as she listened to the scolding. Rulan looked at Molan with a provocative expression on her face, but the older girl remained expressionless. Molan didn’t care about the fate of those girls, she just felt a bit embarrassed.

Madam Wang acted swiftly and forcefully, bringing Shi Mama and Mrs. Liu Kun to Mu Cang Zhai that same day. She asked Minglan to sit to the side and watch, and Rulan fought with her life to be able to follow. She sat down next to Minglan and they watched how Madam Wang exerted her influence outside.

Mrs. Liu Kun ordered all the girls in Mu Cang Zhai to stand neatly in the courtyard. Madam Wang was sitting above them, and Cuiwei carefully brought her a cup of hot ginseng tea. Madam Wang took a satisfied sip and glanced at the girls in the courtyard one by one. Although the girls were usually playful, they were also aware that today was not a good day. They all hunched their shoulders, lowered their heads, and stood still while holding their breath.

“…I know you all are young, but I didn’t expect you to bully Sixth Miss’s good nature and climb over her! How brave of you!” Madam Wang slapped the chair arm and cursed fiercely. “Which one is Ke’er? Come out!”

Ke’er walked forward with a swaying gait, wearing a long silk jacket trimmed with water red fur, delicate and charming. Madam Wang looked at her and sneered. “What a sickly Xi Shi! I’ve heard that you have been very ill these days, taking medicine and getting sick every other day, but you haven’t gotten better. It seems like this residence is not suitable for you. Fine, you are demoted to a third-rank girl and you can go back to your original room!”
[Xi Shi (c. 450 BCE) is one of the ‘Four Beauties of ancient China.’  Her beauty was said to be so extreme that while she stood over a balcony to look at fish in a pond, the fish all forgot to swim and sank below the surface because they were so dazzled by her.]

Ke’er was overjoyed and willing to go back to Changfeng’s side, even if she had to be demoted. She gave Madam Wang a low bow, expressing her gratitude. Madam Wang inwardly laughed. She waved her hand and asked an older servant to accompany Ke’er to pack her things!

Mrs. Liu Kun bent down and whispered a couple words into Madam Wang’s ear. She straightened up and shouted loudly, “Which one of you is Mei’er? Come out!”

Mei’er bit her lip, straightened her back and walked out to greet Madam Wang. Madam Wang gave her a sidelong glance and said coldly, “What a big personality! I heard that you beat people and curse dogs, quarreled with Yu Mama, and quarreled with your sisters all day long. Even the master dared not be the leader!”

“Even if you’re my Madam, I’m not afraid,” Mei’er said, trembling slightly. “It’s just that the rules in this residence are not the same as the ones I’m used to. So, I reasoned a few words, I didn’t argue.”

Madam Wang’s eyes shone brightly, and she vigorously slapped the armrest. The old woman next to her immediately stepped forward, reaching out and slapping her across the face. Mei’er’s white jade-like face suddenly swelled up, and the woman cursed loudly, “You hussy! How dare you speak back to your Madam! Where did you learn this rule? If you say another word, I’ll break your mouth!”

Madam Wang snorted coldly and looked at Mrs. Liu Kun. Mrs. Liu Kun understood and loudly announced, “Mei’er will have her pay deducted for half a year and is demoted to a third-rank girl. Pull her outside and give her ten lashes!”

As she spoke, someone grabbed Mei’er and pulled her out as she wailed. Madam Wang picked up her teacup and gently swished it with a slow and gentle movement. Minglan sat to the side, motionless. Rulan looked happy from time to time, and she even pulled on Minglan’s sleeve and said, “You should learn! Don’t turn around and have Mother bring in reinforcements!” Minglan responded with a forced smile, her small hand clenching into a fist in her sleeve.

Finally, Madam Wang asked someone to bring Yin Xing out and looked her up and down with sharp eyes. Yin Xing was already trembling with fear. Her knees softened and she knelt down. “You came from my residence,” Madam Wang said calmly. “Since you are so concerned about my people, you should come back.”

Yin Xing felt the chill of those words and began to kowtow repeatedly, unable to speak. Mrs. Liu Kun had a disdainful smile on her face and she motioned for someone to pull away the already weak Yin Xing.

After Madam Wang finished dealing with the few that stood out, she loudly scolded the remaining little girls and left with Rulan. Minglan, with a stiff smile, thanked Madam Wang for her kindness and sent them off. Suddenly, Mu Cang Zhai was as quiet as a cemetery. Mei’er had been carried back, and Minglan asked Danju to go to Fang Mama to get some medicine to apply to her. She hid in her room, lying flat on the kang bed, staring blankly at the roof.

At noon, Minglan went to Shou’an Hall for lunch. The grandparent and grandchild ate in silence. Old Madam Sheng saw that her expression was tense, but she didn’t speak and left her alone. After the meal, she quietly drank a cup of tea and refused to go back. She was like a lost little puppy, finding its way home eventually. Her head drooped and she went into the old woman’s bedroom, took off her shoes and socks, and then rolled into Old Madam Sheng’s warm pavilion like a little squirrel. She didn’t shed her clothes and crawled onto the bed and wrapped herself in a quilt.

Old Madam Sheng felt amused and followed her in to see what she was doing. She saw Minglan covering her entire body with the quilt. She went up to the bed and lightly knocked against it. A small hand stretched out from under the quilt and pulled on Old Madam Sheng’s sleeve. “Grandmother,” came Minglan’s muffled voice. “Let’s take a nap together.”

Old Madam Sheng was originally going to go to her Buddhist temple but, hearing this, she sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. She lifted a corner of the quilt and dug out the little girl’s head. “Is everything over?” she asked warmly. Minglan nodded dejectedly.

“Are you scared?” Old Madam Sheng asked.

Minglan raised her head and woodenly shook it. “No, I knew this would happen.”

Old Madam Sheng comforted her granddaughter by rubbing her hair. “Then why do you act like you’re half dead?”

Minglan buried herself into her grandmother’s arms, her head encased in the sandalwood scented clothing. She suddenly remembered her mother from her previous life, who had the same taste, and felt heartbroken. “Grandmother, am I a bad person?” she asked in a low voice. “I deliberately indulged them. Every time Ke’er fell ill, I would allow news to reach Third Brother. I knew Eldest Brother would come by while going to school and I specifically told Yin Xing about it. After Liu Mama scolded her the first time, it was me who encouraged Yin Xing and made her feel confident, so she would keep on bothering Eldest Brother again and again. She kept rummaging through my belongings and asked about Shou’an Hall and I was so tired of her! I know that Madam dislikes the maids seducing Eldest Brother the most. I knew that when it got to be an issue, she would definitely crack down on Yin Xing. I also knew that Concubine Lin didn’t like Ke’er before she sent her to me. Madam would definitely send Ke’er back to bother her if she had the opportunity… Concubine Lin… I’ve started calculating like her, but… I don’t want to be that type of person!”

As she spoke, her nose soured and tears began to fall. She was feeling more and more like the bad guys on television.

Minglan began crying nonstop in Old Madam Sheng’s arms, tears covering a large area of her clothing. Old Madam Sheng lovingly caressed her small shoulders and slowly rocked her in her arms, as if Minglan was a little baby. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she whispered. “Good Ming’er, don’t cry. Who in this world doesn’t want to live a fair and upright life? Who doesn’t want to live a peaceful life? How many people in the world can there be?”

Minglan heard the helplessness in Old Madam Sheng’s tone, and her heart filled with pain. From the first commotion among the four girls, she began to contemplate. Although Jiu’er liked to meddle in her affairs, she still calmed down. Her mother was the head maid of the Sheng Mansion and couldn’t touch her. Mei’er had a big temper, so she just needed to clean up slowly, probably without giving too much of a hard time. Ke’er was both a bait and smoke bomb, who could easily pull in Madam Wang and drive her away. The most troublesome thing was Yin Xing. The girls sent by Madam were in a tough position, even if they moved residences, they could still easily offend Madam. The best way for her to change her situation was to do it on her own, and her target was Changbai…

Minglan felt disgusted with herself. She raised her head up, tears on her face, and choked out, “Eldest Brother treated me so well and I even calculated against him. I, I…”

“That’s impossible!” Old Madam Sheng interrupted, treating it as if it were no big deal.

Minglan was surprised and watched as she calmly asked Fang Mama to fetch water and a cloth. Turning her head, she saw Minglan’s stunned expression. “If your Brother Bai’er was your true biological brother, would you still be so cautious?”

Of course not, she would just cry and ask her brother to support her – Minglan felt panicked.

Minglan understood this and felt even more sad. She looked at Old Madam Sheng with tearful eyes. Her grandmother’s face was calm and steady as a rock. “You must remember,” she said softly. “You don’t have a maternal uncle’s family, you don’t have a legitimate brother, a legitimate mother above you, or a prominent sister below you. If you want to live a comfortable and peaceful life, you need to understand more.”

Minglan had never heard Old Madam Sheng say such a thing before. She sat there in a daze.

Fang Mama came back into the room at that moment, carrying a hot pot of water. She carefully soaked the handkerchief and wrung it dry. Old Madam Sheng took the handkerchief and carefully wiped Minglan’s face with gentle and loving movements, but her tone was surprisingly cold. “If you were born to Madam, would you need to bear this anger? You could live in arrogance. If you were born to Concubine Lin, no one else could count on you. If you had a legitimate brother, your mother’s family would also rely on you in the future… Aside from me, an old lady who doesn’t have many days left, who else do you have? If you don’t count, you will have to compromise and live your life, be humble and patient. Are you willing?”

Minglan’s mind was in chaos and she was unable to string words together. Old Madam Sheng returned the handkerchief to Fang Mama, took a white jade shell box, picked some pearl almond oil and gently rubbed it on Minglan’s tender little face. Old Madam Sheng felt heartbroken as she looked at Minglan’s little face, it was missing a lot of meat. “There’s nothing wrong with being a schemer,” she said slowly, “as long as you don’t intentionally harm someone. This time, except for those few girls, no one got hurt. It’s already good.”

Fang Mama stood by and looked at Minglan, with a compassionate expression in her eyes. “Miss,” she said softly, “listen to me. Old Madam is doing this for your own good. You need to be careful and think how to gain control in the future.”

Minglan had been wooden and as if in a daze. She suddenly snapped out of it. “Control? But Madam has intimidated everyone today and they’re all afraid? What else can I do?”

Old Madam Sheng immediately became furious and shook off Minglan, standing solemnly by the bed. “They are afraid of Madam now, not you, their master! If you don’t show some skills to subdue the servants, how can you manage the affairs and household chores when you get married in the future? If you don’t stand up for yourself, no one else can help you! Hurry up, get her dressed and let her go back. Don’t stay here! I don’t want to see such a worthless thing! Hurry up! Hurry up!”

As she spoke, she shook her hand and walked out. In a fit of anger, her steps became slightly unstable and her body trembled. Fang Mama quickly stepped forward to help her, and she called Cuiping to help Minglan with her clothing. Old Madam Sheng walked hastily, and when she entered her Buddhist hall, she gasped for breath. Fang Mama quickly helped her sit down and gently rubbed her back. “Old Madam is also too strict,” she said. “Sixth Miss is just good natured. She’s not completely stupid, and she knows this in her heart.”

Old Madam Sheng was slightly relieved and sighed. “Wisdom is intelligence. At a young age, she knows the pros and cons of being powerful, and she doesn’t act recklessly. She knows that retreat is the key to progress. I can rest assured for when she’s living outside, but unfortunately, she has a too broad-minded personality and lacks courage. She doesn’t even get angry when the girls play around!”

“Old Madam, you’re just saying that because you’re heartbroken for Sixth Miss,” Fang Mama said with a smile. “If it were someone else, you wouldn’t be able to say anything about being ruthless and scheming. Don’t worry, Sixth Miss is naturally honest and intelligent. She will have great luck in the future.”

…

After Minglan got thoughtlessly scolded, she walked out of Shou’an Hall in a daze. She didn’t feel guilty at all; she wasn’t an unprincipled goddess. She knew that what she had done was in self-defense. What she hated was that she was so scheming now. She lost her original, carefree state of mind. Being careful and scheming was very annoying.

She slowly walked back to Mu Cang Zhai. As she passed by the courtyard, she suddenly decided that she would go and visit Mei’er.

She turned around and walked around the mansion. Today, all the maids were exceptionally well-behaved. Minglan saw Qin Sang was standing by a small medicine stove by the door, waving a large fan to fan the flames. The medicine jar was bubbling. Danju led Minglan into the far-right chamber. As soon as the curtain was lifted, Minglan smelled a strong smell of medicine and she furrowed her brows. Mei’er was lying on a bed with a pale face. When she heard movement at the door, she turned her head to see Minglan and began to struggle to kneel to the floor. Minglan signaled to Danju and Danju quickly stopped Mei’er from moving.

Yan Cao brought a soft stool from outside for Minglan to sit on, and then went to prepare tea. Minglan stopped her before she could go and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll leave here soon. You guys can leave, I want to speak to Mei’er.” Danju then pulled all the young girls out of the room.

Taking advantage of the afternoon sunshine, Minglan looked at Mei’er carefully. Her hair was disheveled, one side of her face was blue, and the other side was red and swollen. Her lips were chapped and there were bloodstains on them. Her expression seemed uneasy. Minglan looked at her for a moment and then said carefully, “…Ke’er has gone back. If you want to go back to Third Brother, I can speak for you…”

“No!” Mei’er screamed, pulling Minglan’s sleeve. “Miss, please don’t ask me to go back. I won’t go back! I have good sewing skills, and I will serve you well in the future and never cause you trouble!”

“Why?” Minglan asked.

Mei’er bit her lips and her face turned even whiter. Minglan patiently waited for her to collect her thoughts. “The other girls came to me and said that Ke’er was beaten by Concubine Lin and sent to do hard work outside. Third Master… Third Young Master didn’t help at all. Usually, he and Ke’er are so sweet together it’s nauseating, but Concubine Lin was so furious today that he didn’t dare protect her! Although Ke’er pretended to be sick a lot, she really does have a weak body, this time she can… she can…”

Tears fell as she spoke. Mei’er took a breath, raised her face and wiped away the tears with one hand. She spoke in a clanging voice, “Ke’er is a confused person. She hoped wholeheartedly that she could be with Third Young Master, but I’m not like that. My mother was just a child, and as soon as my father passed away, that woman sold us both. I don’t know… I don’t know if I can see my mother again in this life…!”

Minglan knew that her father had been a xiucai and, despite her poor family background, her father still took in concubines. Mei’er choked up as she recalled that. “I will never be a concubine, even if I have to live a poor life! I heard that all servant girls of young masters will become concubines in the future, so I worked hard and don’t know who I am anymore! I saw your good temperament and became arrogant. Miss, you can punish me and beat me, just don’t drive me away!”
[Xiucai is a person who passed the county level imperial exam.]

“I once heard a saying that having pride can be a good thing, but it isn’t good to be arrogant,” Minglan said slowly. “Since you’ve figured that out, why don’t you stay here? By the way, what’s your original name? Let’s not use Mei’er anymore, it sounds disrespectful.” Minglan was surprised that she could use such a calm tone when talking about changing someone’s name at will.

Mei’er remained silent for a moment and then whispered, “…Ru Mei. My father named me Ru Mei. It was changed because it was close to Fifth Miss’s name.”

Minglan looked out of the window. “In the future, let’s call you Ruo Mei,” she said softly. “In memory of your father.”

“Thank you for giving me this name,” Ruo Mei whispered.

Minglan stood up and began to leave, stopping before she exited. “You know how to read. I have written a set of rules and regulations for everyone to follow. Hurry and get better so that you can teach the young girls how to properly behave according to the rules.”

Ruo Mei looked surprised and then her expression turned to joy. She bowed down and thanked her.

Minglan walked out of the room and suddenly felt a warm breeze brushing her face. In the blink of an eye, there was already sharp green grass sprouting from crevices in the ground. Minglan calmly looked out at the distant scenery for a while. She turned her head and smiled at Danju. “The weather has warmed up. Let’s go see if the ice on the lake melted. We can go fishing! After resting all winter, I wonder how fat the fish will be.”

Danju had been following Minglan as she walked around, knowing that her mistress was in a bad mood. She was too nervous to persuade her, but seeing her suddenly smile again and knew she was feeling better. “Okay,” she said happily. “I’ll go find a big basket for the fish!”

Sheng Minglan, formally known as Yao Yiyi, was a modern-day native who traveled through space and time. The body she inhabited was eleven-years-old, unmarried, and had to drop out of school. Although she didn’t have the best, she had a lot more than most people. She decided she would strive to survive in this ancient era.

…

Next Chapter: Grandmother, Eldest Brother, Qi Heng