Qin Shi ordered Cao Lihuan to move out. Since Huier had been beaten and was confined to bed, Cao Lihuan had to personally pack her valuables and fine belongings. She had originally intended to secretly pocket a few valuable items from Luoxue Courtyard, but unexpectedly, Han Mama personally brought people over, carrying a ledger to inventory all the curios and furniture in Luoxue Courtyard. Cao Lihuan secretly seethed with resentment but put on a righteous demeanor, saying to Xianglan, "That old hag Qin is vile and rotten to the core! What kind of person am I? I have integrity and pride—I disdain such sneaky, lowly behavior. Even if I were to starve to death on the streets, I wouldn’t take a single thread from their household!"
Xianglan lowered her head, sneered coldly, and walked out. Liu Pozi tugged at Xianglan’s sleeve and said, "Now that she’s moving out of Luoxue Courtyard, my life will be much easier. After all, my duty is just to watch over the courtyard—where she goes has nothing to do with me. But you, you’ll still have to endure her temper."
Xianglan smiled and replied, "It won’t be for much longer. At most six months, she’ll be married off."
Cao Lihuan had often complained about Luoxue Courtyard being cramped, but compared to her new quarters, Luoxue Courtyard seemed grand and splendid. The small courtyard on the west side of the estate was tiny, and the house was somewhat old. Although the window screens had been re-pasted and some repairs had been made, it still looked dull. The furniture inside was also outdated, and if not for the incense burning, a faint musty smell would linger in the air.
Cao Lihuan’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Xianglan and Huairui kept their heads down, packing silently, not uttering a word. Just then, Siqiao was helped over to pay her respects to Cao Lihuan. Cao Lihuan glanced at Siqiao, noting her plain appearance and lack of cleverness, and felt displeased. Upon learning that Siqiao had been bought from outside and that her family was nearly extinct, Cao Lihuan gritted her teeth in silent fury, thinking, "I had hoped to ask the Lin family for a maid before my marriage, preferably Huairui—her grandfather and father manage a shop, so there’s some benefit to be squeezed from her. Failing that, Xianglan would do—she’s hardworking, obedient, and easy to manage. But instead, they foist this useless girl on me! From what Huier said, she’s incompetent at every task and utterly foolish. How infuriating!" Without even lifting her eyelids, she dismissed Siqiao back to her room in a few curt words.
After tidying up Cao Lihuan’s bedroom, Xianglan returned to her own small room. As soon as she entered, she saw Siqiao lying on the bed, moaning in pain. Xianglan hurried over and saw that Siqiao’s face was pale, covered in a fine layer of sweat, and her lips were dry and peeling. Xianglan sighed inwardly, turned to pour a cup of water, and returned softly saying, "Drink some water. We’ve just moved in, so there’s no hot water yet. Later, I’ll boil a pot and make you some hot tea."
Siqiao whispered, "Water is fine." Struggling to sit up, she gulped down a large cup.
Xianglan gently pulled down Siqiao’s trousers and saw her buttocks covered in bruises, some purple and some blue, oozing blood and swollen badly. She couldn’t help exclaiming, "Oh my!" realizing that the beating had been severe. If it had been any worse, it might have damaged tendons or bones, and she could have ended up crippled.
Siqiao asked tearfully, "How… how is my injury?"
Xianglan comforted her, "It’s nothing serious, just superficial wounds. Once we apply some medicine and you rest for a few days, you’ll be fine. Wait here, I’ll get the medicine for you." She slipped into Cao Lihuan’s room, secretly took half a bottle of medicinal oil left over from Huier’s treatment, and gently applied it to Siqiao’s buttocks.Siqiao kept groaning, her hands gripping the pillow tightly. The pain turned her lips pale, and beads of sweat rolled down in streams. Xianglan, always soft-hearted, felt even more pity seeing this and said, "Endure it a little longer. Once the medicine takes effect, it'll be fine."
Siqiao remained silent for a long while. Only after Xianglan finished applying the medicine and stood up to leave did she realize Siqiao had long been in tears, her teardrops soaking the pillow and leaving a large wet patch. Yet she bit her lips, refusing to make a sound. Xianglan sighed and sat back down, saying, "You... you must be more alert from now on. Miss Huan is shrewd. If you're careful with your words and actions and focus on your work, things won't go too badly for you."
Siqiao sobbed, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been greedy for that pair of silver bracelets and thought it was harmless to just echo a few careless remarks, who knew it would come to this..."
Xianglan shook her head repeatedly and lowered her voice, "Gossip about the masters isn't something to spread lightly."
Siqiao said through tears, "I know that now, but it's too late..."
Xianglan tried to console her a few more times, but seeing Siqiao still weeping, she had no choice but to take the bucket and go out to fetch water. Leaving the courtyard and turning two corners, there was a well. Xianglan struggled to draw the bucket up from the well when suddenly she felt the weight lighten. Turning her head, she saw Song Ke standing behind her, reaching out to help her draw water. He smiled at her, his brows and eyes glowing with a subtle, tender charm. Startled, Xianglan let go and stepped back two paces. Song Ke also released his grip, and the bucket clattered and splashed into the well with a "plop."
Xianglan retreated two more steps. Though Song Ke often smiled, this smile was distinctly different—it was as if... as if... her former husband Xiao Hang... Xiao Hang used to smile like that too, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, his eyes lifting. He was usually quite serious and only showed such a smile in their private chambers, his gaze filled with warmth—she had loved seeing Xiao Hang smile the most. On their wedding night, when he lifted her veil and she looked up, it was that very smile that met her eyes.
Though it was a different person now, the smile felt incredibly familiar, as if her husband had been resurrected and was standing right before her.
From the first moment Song Ke saw Xianglan, he felt an indescribable familiarity about the girl, making him want to draw closer. Xianglan's eyes were extremely beautiful, like two agates, but the most captivating part was the spirit within them—like two deep pools that, if gazed into for too long, could ensnare one's soul. Song Ke still remembered that in his previous life, when he was gravely ill, his wife, née Shen, had such eyes, looking at him firmly and repeating over and over, "You will recover from this illness. Endure a little longer. Once we cross this mountain, we'll find the best physician for you!"
The two stood by the well, staring at each other. Song Ke felt his heart racing wildly. He knew he shouldn't stare so directly and forced himself to look away, turning around silently to pull the rope and help Xianglan draw the water.
Xianglan steadied her mind and inwardly scolded herself, "Chen Xianglan, wake up from your daydream! Xiao Hang... he has long turned to dust. The one before you is Young Master Song Ke—don't mistake his identity!" Composing herself, she straightened her dress, curtsied, and said, "Thank you, Young Master." With that, she went to lift the water.Song Ke blocked her way, saying, "The bucket is too heavy. Let me carry it for you."
Xianglan hurriedly tried to snatch it back, exclaiming, "How could I let you do that!"
But Song Ke insisted on lifting the bucket and said to Xianglan, "Let's go. I'll carry it for you for a while." He quickened his pace, then turned back and smiled at her. "I've told you before—if you feel bad about it, just make me a case for the Four Treasures of the Study as thanks."
Seeing his smile, an inexplicable warmth surged in Xianglan's heart. This young man's mannerisms were so similar to Xiao Hang's—so much so that they reminded her of the purest and most tranquil years of her past life. Back then, she and Xiao Hang were newlyweds, deeply in love, composing poetry together, adorning themselves with flowers, and competing in verse. They were inseparable, supporting each other through thick and thin, even in exile, sharing life and death. But her current reincarnated life had long buried the noble and elegant lady she once was, Shen Jialan. Now, crushed into the dust, she struggled to survive, worn down by the harsh passage of time. In Song Ke, she saw a shadow she yearned for, yet he was a lofty young master, while she was but a lowly maid.
Xianglan followed behind Song Ke with her head bowed. After turning a corner, she whispered, "You can leave me here. Thank you, Eldest Master Song."
Frowning slightly at her distant attitude, Song Ke knew it was inappropriate to accompany her further. He set the bucket down, his lips moving as if to speak, but he found no words. He could only watch as Xianglan struggled to drag the bucket away, step by laborious step.
Returning to the small courtyard, Xianglan found Cao Lihuan impatiently calling for water to wash up. She placed the kettle on the stove, her mind somewhat distracted. Once the water boiled, she first brought a basin of hot water to Cao Lihuan, then prepared a pot of tea and delivered it to her room. Only then did she take the remaining water back to her own room, wringing out a hot towel to wipe Siqiao's face and helping her take medicine. Siqiao continued to murmur regrets, and after offering a few words of comfort, Xianglan reminded her of some points to note while serving Cao Lihuan. Immediately, Siqiao began treating Xianglan as a confidante, affectionately calling her "little sister" repeatedly. After lunch, Siqiao fell into a deep sleep. Xianglan took out the green jade frog Song Ke had given her from her bundle, holding it in her palm and gazing at it for a long time before silently putting it back.
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