Lu Ershenzi let out a piercing shriek, feeling as if her internal organs were about to shatter. She involuntarily released Xue Shi and nearly vomited bile. Xianglan, still brandishing the door bolt, attempted to strike again. The onlookers cried out in alarm, "This is terrible!" and rushed to wrest the bolt from her grasp. Xianglan allowed them to seize it, then turned and dashed into the kitchen, emerging with a kitchen knife. She charged toward Lu Ershenzi, shouting, "You've been stealing from our family day in and day out, and today you dare beat and curse my mother! I'll settle all scores—old and new—with you! I won't live anymore! Let's perish together!"
The kitchen knife gleamed menacingly under the sunlight, its cold glint sending chills down everyone's spine. Lu Ershenzi, startled, scrambled to evade. The neighbors hurriedly intervened, urging Xianglan, "Talk this out calmly! Put the knife down!"
Xianglan screamed hoarsely, "Why didn't you stop that shrew when she was beating and cursing my mother? Our family has suffered unbearable humiliation today! I'll kill her first, then slit my own throat—at least it'll be a clean end!" She continued to press forward, cursing, "Go ahead and summon your 'Concubine'! Pah! What 'Concubine'? She's nothing but a Bedchamber maid, a cur relying on her master's power! Today, I'll plunge this blade into you and watch you bleed, then end my own life!"
Seeing Xianglan's deadly resolve, the crowd moved to disarm her. She retorted fiercely, "Anyone who tries to take my knife is my enemy! If I can't kill her today, I'll do it tomorrow!" Her intimidating demeanor momentarily stunned everyone. Xianglan then glared at Lu Ershenzi, gnashing her teeth, "You shrew, come face your death! Since you beat my mother, I'll take it out on your brat to vent my rage!"
The crowd stared wide-eyed: What?! Not only did she threaten to kill Lu Ershenzi, but she also targeted the children? Everyone knew the Lu family had three daughters and finally welcomed a son the year before last, treasuring him like the apple of their eye. This Chen Family girl appeared beautiful and gentle, but she turned out to be the fiercest shrew of all!
Lu Ershenzi had initially intended to confront Xianglan head-on, but upon hearing "I'll take it out on your brat," and witnessing the other's reckless desperation, she was cowed into silence, cowering in a corner of the yard. Xue Shi, though gratified by her daughter's defense, grew fearful at the sight of Xianglan wielding a knife, eyes blazing with murderous intent. Staggering forward, she embraced Xianglan and pleaded, "My child, put the knife down! If this ends in bloodshed and a lawsuit, how will I live?"
Xianglan, thinking it wise to quit while ahead, maintained a stoic expression and handed the knife to Xue Shi, saying, "You hold this." She then broke free from the crowd and stormed into the Lu family's house. Lu Ershenzi's two daughters, who had been peeking from the doorway, scattered in terror as Xianglan burst in. Rummaging swiftly through the room, Xianglan yanked a fine cloth garment from under a quilt and dashed out, holding it up. "This is the new dress my mother made for me! The cuffs are embroidered with an orchid and the character 'Lan'—I drew the pattern myself! Which of your daughters is named 'Lan'?"
Lu Ershenzi's face flushed and paled alternately as she evaded, "My second daughter has a dress of the same color. I must have mistaken it."
Xianglan sneered, "Mistaken it? Who do you think you're fooling?"The crowd chimed in with placating words, urging, "It's all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. Neighbors should be able to talk things out."
Xianglan snorted coldly and said, "Apologize to my mother, and we'll let this matter drop. Otherwise, I'd rather die than let this slide—I'll take it to the estate and make sure Madam, the ladies, and Eldest Master all know that the 'Concubine' of the Lu family has a thieving mother!"
Lu Ershenzi hated Xianglan to the core, wishing she could tear her apart. But Xianglan had seized her most vulnerable weakness, making an apology utterly impossible. Her eyes darted, and she promptly threw herself to the ground, wailing and lamenting, "Oh heavens! That door bolt nearly beat me to death! My back aches, my chest hurts—my dear Concubine, if you don’t come to stand up for me, I’ll be stabbed to death! How wretched my fate is, to be trampled and humiliated by some brat from a destitute family..." She rolled on the ground, throwing a tantrum and refusing to get up.
Xianglan strode over and spat fiercely in Lu Ershenzi’s face, cursing word by word: "Shameless—wretch!" With that, she pulled Xue Shi into the house and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Chen Wanquan had been hiding inside for quite some time. When the commotion erupted in the yard, he had paced anxiously in the room. Seeing Xianglan, he gnashed his teeth and said, "You, you! Always causing trouble for your elders!"
Xianglan ignored him, directly fetching water for Xue Shi to wash her face and tidy up, then poured herself half a cup of cold tea to drink. After Xue Shi finished washing, she combed her hair and remarked, "As satisfying as this outburst was, their eldest daughter still holds some influence..."
Chen Wanquan flared up in anger, "You’re only thinking of that now? And what about your daughter’s reputation? Once word gets out that 'the Chen Family’s young daughter is a knife-wielding shrew,' how will she ever marry?"
Xianglan waved her hand impatiently, shooting Chen Wanquan a glare. "Enough, enough. If Father had such backbone, why didn’t you stand up for Mother? You only dare to bully your own family—cowardly and meek to outsiders. If you had any sense of responsibility, why would I need to bear the label of 'shrew'?"
Chen Wanquan only dared vent his temper on his wife; toward his daughter, he was both doting and somewhat afraid. At her words, he fell silent. Xianglan continued, "Lu Ershenzi is a hardened troublemaker, reckless and unreasonable—what use is reasoning with her? The only way is to fight force with force, to ensure she behaves. Our family is refined and cultured—we’d never stoop to squabbling like Black-boned chickens with her sort, only to bring misery upon ourselves. We’ve endured minor grievances before. But now she’s insulted our family’s dignity. If we don’t stand up, people will gossip behind our backs, calling us spineless, and they’ll bully us even more. Today it’s stealing clothes—what about tomorrow, our valuables? The day after, our silver?" She looked at Chen Wanquan and added, "With such a weak family backing me, what good marriage prospects do you think I’ll have? Even if I marry, I’ll be bullied by my in-laws. With no son in the family, others already look down on us. If I don’t seize this chance to establish our authority today, who knows how we’ll be trampled in the future? So what if I’m called a 'shrew'?"
Xue Shi burst out laughing, tapping Xianglan’s forehead. "You were raised in a Buddhist temple since childhood—isn’t the Buddha about compassion? How did you end up grabbing a kitchen knife? You scared me half to death."Xianglan made a funny face and laughed, "The Buddha said, 'The wrathful Vajra and the bowing Bodhisattva'—I was just playing the Vajra to enlighten Lu Ershenzi. Besides, I knew exactly what I was doing. I wouldn’t really have chopped her; it was just an act to scare her."
Xue Shi held Xianglan affectionately and said, "My daughter has grown up and knows how to stand up for her mother." Chen Wanquan shot Xue Shi a fierce glare, shaking his head and sighing. Leaning into Xue Shi’s embrace, Xianglan said, "Don’t worry, Mother. Although I’m a girl, I’m no less capable than a man. There’s a saying, 'A woman can be a hero too.' As long as I live, I won’t let you suffer any injustice."
Chen Wanquan sneered, "You’re so impressive—what a pity you weren’t born a red-robed general!"
Xianglan pursed her lips and said nothing. She did wish she had been born a red-robed general, or at least a man. Alas, in this life, she remained a woman.
In her previous life, she had been Shen Jialan, the legitimate granddaughter of Shen Wenhan, the Junior Mentor to the Crown Prince and Grand Secretary of the Household Administration of the Heir Apparent. She, too, had once been praised as "a woman who could rival any man." The Shen family was a distinguished and noble lineage, highly favored by the Crown Prince, with a flourishing and prosperous clan. Shen Jialan had been tutored extensively from a young age, mastering music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and household management. Who could have foreseen that after the old emperor’s passing, the Eighth Prince would storm the palace in a rebellion? The Crown Prince vanished without a trace, and the imperial court changed overnight. The Eighth Prince spared no effort in purging the Crown Prince’s faction, and the Shen family, caught in the struggle for succession, was implicated and subjected to the extermination of nine branches of the clan. The legitimate descendants of the Shen family were executed at the Meridian Gate, while the women were consigned to the Bureau of Music and Entertainment. At fifteen, Shen Jialan was already married, but her husband’s family was also affected and exiled three thousand miles away.
Shen Jialan fell from the clouds into the mud. In a single night, her family was destroyed, and she witnessed the harshness and suffering of the world, accompanying her husband’s family on their arduous exile. Along the way, they endured cold and hunger, ostracism and bullying—hardships beyond description. Her newlywed husband, Xiao Hang, fell gravely ill during the journey. To protect her husband and his family, she transformed from an elegant young lady of a noble house into a fierce, sharp-clawed virago. Even so, she ultimately failed to keep her family intact—her husband died of illness halfway, and she, stricken with a severe cold and on the brink of death, was abandoned by the officials and soon succumbed to her illness.
When she opened her eyes again, she had become a tiny infant, being playfully coaxed by Xue Shi, who softly called her "Xianglan." Though she was now a family-raised servant of the Lin family, she had never felt more grateful or content.
The prominent Lin family of Jiangnan was all too familiar to her. The Lins had started as merchants, later marrying daughters of impoverished or lesser-born officials, gradually rising to prosperity. Their descendants entered officialdom, and after three generations, their influence spread across the Jiangnan region, amassing immense wealth and power. The family patriarch, Lin Zhaoxiang, was shrewd and adept at navigating social and political circles. When she was thirteen, Lin Zhaoxiang had intended to propose a marriage alliance with the Shen family, seeking to wed her to his eldest grandson, Lin Jinlou—even though she was four years older than Lin Jinlou. For reasons unknown, the matter was eventually dropped, and Lin Zhaoxiang submitted a memorial to retire and return to his hometown. Two years later, when the court was swept by a storm of bloodshed, the Shen family was nearly wiped out, while the Lin family stood firm, thriving more than ever.Shen Jialan had experienced family confiscation and knew that servants faced even more tragic fates after their masters fell from grace—she had heard that all her former chief maids had ended up in brothels. She silently comforted herself: with the court situation now stabilized and the Lin family shrewdly observing all sides, they likely wouldn’t repeat the Shen family’s downfall. For now, this servant identity might remain secure. As a child raised in a Buddhist temple, she spent her days with Dingyi Shitai; though life was austere, it was peaceful and joyful. Only when she returned to the secular world did she abruptly face harsh reality: a weak-willed, alcoholic father, a frail mother, and her own impending coming-of-age ceremony, with matchmakers already bustling about arranging her marriage.
Xue Shi was a beauty, but Chen Xianglan’s vessel was even more exquisite—enhanced by an ethereal grace, literacy, and exceptional needlework. Usually quiet with a sweet, lingering smile, and with both Chen parents being honest folk, their doorstep was nearly worn out by suitors. Even several influential stewards from the Lin estate came inquiring.
Her father favored the third son of Huang, assistant manager of the grain shop; her mother preferred the youngest son of Liu, head manager of the silk emporium—both were hereditary servants of the Lin family. Xianglan had met them: barely literate, devoid of ambition or insight, merely less rustic than other servants of powerful clans. Xue Shi was already delightedly comparing options, planning to finalize a match by year’s end, then spend silver to coax influential matrons into seeking the masters’ permission for Xianglan’s marriage—thus fulfilling her own cherished wish.
Xianglan wanted to scream at the heavens—she would rather die than marry this way! Wedding a Lin family servant meant her descendants would forever be Lin family slaves. What were servants? Chattel. Property. They couldn’t take imperial exams, marry freely, or own land deeds. They were their masters’ playthings—to be sold, killed, dismembered, or gifted as their masters saw fit!
Xianglan refused to spend her life as an object. Given a second chance at life, she was determined to become a landlady with property, fields, and livestock—living peacefully with her family. Even as a child, she had strategized about freeing her family from servitude while ensuring their future livelihood. When she learned her father had signed a redeemable contract (not a lifelong bond), her eyes lit up: redeeming him would open her own path to freedom. Moreover, she’d heard of Lin family servants buying their own freedom! She had secretly painted several works, instructing her father to sell them at an antique shop under the guise of temple nuns fundraising for monastery repairs—the shop taking a ten percent commission. The paintings sold out in days, earning one tael and two mace of silver. Ecstatic, Xianglan hid the money carefully.
Today, Lu Ershenzi had stumbled right into her hands. Her goals were threefold: defend her mother’s dignity, intimidate the bullies who harassed her family, and establish a formidable reputation to delay marriage arrangements while she plotted her next moves.
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