Since moving to her new quarters, Cao Lihuan had been deeply discontented. Every day, she would shut herself in with Huier to curse Qin Shi repeatedly. When her anger boiled over, she would take it out on Xianglan, while making pointed remarks about Siqiao: "Who knows if she's pretending or really still unwell, lying in bed like a corpse all day—living better than her mistress! As if I’m supporting another young madam here, putting on such airs!"
Upon hearing this, Siqiao had no choice but to endure the pain and rise, limping as she went to serve. But Cao Lihuan would then complain about her clumsiness and assign her to needlework instead. Siqiao was unskilled with her hands, often taking a full day to embroider a single flower poorly, which inevitably led to more scolding. Xianglan pitied her and would help with the work whenever she had a free moment. As Siqiao embroidered, tears would sometimes fall in large drops. Xianglan would immediately nudge her and whisper, "What are you crying for? If tears stain the fabric, that ogress will skin you alive! Wipe those tears quickly. What are you upset about? We're all enduring the same hardships. Whether you face the day with joy or sorrow, it's still a day—you must learn to be more resilient."
Siqiao wiped her tears with her sleeve and sobbed, "I feel like I can't endure it anymore..."
Xianglan said firmly, "You must endure, whether you can or not. Would you rather hang yourself? Sometimes it's like this: just when you think there's no way forward, you unexpectedly find a hidden path leading to a brighter place. Other times, when everything seems splendid and full of promise, you might suddenly find yourself at the edge of a cliff, shattered to pieces..."
"What are you saying? You're frightening me," Siqiao said, rubbing her arms. She was about to say more when they heard Cao Lihuan shouting in the courtyard, "Xianglan! Xianglan!"
Xianglan quickly responded, set down her embroidery hoop, and hurried out. It turned out Cao Lihuan wanted her to fetch water again. Xianglan dragged the bucket outside, and upon returning with the water, she noticed a short, stocky man standing at the courtyard gate.
Pretending not to see him, Xianglan lowered her head and tried to walk past. The courtyard they now lived in was connected to the inner gate, and since moving there, Cao Lihuan had often summoned her trusted servant Si Shunr to discuss matters. Cao Lihuan was a shrewd woman. When her parents passed away, she conspired with her brother to divide the family fortune, securing a sum for herself. With it, she purchased a small estate on the outskirts of Jinling, entrusting it to her wet nurse's family. This Si Shunr was the wet nurse's son. In his twenties, he was short in stature but decent-looking. Initially, he appeared capable, but he was prone to drinking, gambling, and womanizing, his mind always straying from proper paths. He had affairs with two young widows and squandered money in brothels, exuding an air of vulgarity. Though he had a wife back home, upon arriving in Jinling and catching sight of a few maids from the Lin family, he immediately felt his own wife was as clumsy as a fat pig—nothing like the Lin family's maids, with their slender, soft waists swaying like willow branches, more enchanting than celestial beauties. Since then, whenever he visited the Lin residence, he would dress up, hoping to seduce a few pretty maids, but none paid him any attention.
At that moment, Si Shunr was idly standing by the courtyard gate when he suddenly spotted a beautiful girl carrying a wooden bucket. His eyes widened in astonishment, his soul seemingly flying away. He felt that even the famous courtesans he paid five taels for a night were like dirt in comparison. Eagerly, he approached with a smile and said, "Miss, that must be heavy. Let me carry it for you." As he spoke, he reached for the bucket, taking the opportunity to brush his hand against Xianglan's.Xianglan had heard of Si Shunr from Cao Lihuan and Huier before. Recognizing him at once, she grew wary. When Si Shunr approached, she hastily stepped aside, lowered her head, and said, "No need," then hurried inside.
Si Shunr wouldn't let her go so easily. He followed her, fluttering a folding fan with what he imagined was dashing charm, and smiled ingratiatingly. "Sister, do you serve Miss Huan? How come I've never seen you before? You look so familiar today—could it be we were connected in a past life?"
Xianglan found his words both ridiculous and irritating. She walked on stiff-faced, but Si Shunr kept chattering, grasping for conversation. "Are you attending Miss Huan? I heard from the young lady that the family gave her a maid named Siqiao, who's as lovely as a fairy and clever with her hands—truly living up to her name. Could that be you?"
Xianglan stopped and turned, her expression stern. "What business do you have here? This is the inner residence. If you trespass further, I'll call for help!"
Seeing Xianglan's cold glare, which only enhanced her striking beauty, Si Shunr felt his bones melt. He piled on smiles. "Miss Huan sent for me..."
"If Miss Huan summoned you, you should wait at the gate! Only when she calls for you may you enter. Do you understand the rules? Your shameless behavior is an insult to Miss Huan!" With that, she abandoned her bucket and stormed into the house.
Inside, she noticed Siqiao wasn't there. On the kang lay an unfinished embroidery of colorful butterflies and peonies. Picking up the hoop, Xianglan finished embroidering a leaf, then quietly cracked open the window to peek outside. Seeing Si Shunr had left, she went out to fetch the bucket, carried it to the tea room, and filled a copper pot to boil water.
Meanwhile, Si Shunr, having been rebuffed by Xianglan, found her fiery temper all the more captivating—her scolds and anger only heightened her charm. His heart itching like a cat's scratch, he was drifting in a daze when Huairui called him inside. Returning to Cao Lihuan's room, he received two tasks: first, to fetch two baskets of fresh pears and fruits from the estate in a few days for Qin Shi's birthday; second, to deliver a message to her brother Cao Gang, informing him that Zhao Yuechan had approved a landscaping procurement assignment, pending only Qin Shi's consent, and urging her brother to be patient. After relaying this, Cao Lihuan tossed him a handful of reward coins and sent him off. But to her surprise, Si Shunr dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowed twice, and pleaded, "Eldest Miss, no, no—Madam, Ancestral Madam! If you don't grant me this favor, I won't be able to go on living!"
Startled, Cao Lihuan asked, "What is it?"
"Just now, I saw a maid carrying a water bucket. I don't know if she's the one you mentioned—Siqiao, given by the Lin family. The moment I saw her, I lost my soul! If you could betroth her to me, I'd divorce my wife at once and serve you like an ox or horse for life—I'd even give my life for you!" He kowtowed again, his head thumping loudly.Cao Lihuan knew Si Shunr was a lecherous scoundrel and secretly looked down on him, but with no better alternatives at hand, she usually turned a blind eye. Behind his back, she often complained to Huier, calling him "a lustful donkey whose legs tremble at the sight of women, unable to control his urges, constantly scheming vulgar deeds—a wretch who'll die badly." Yet to his face, she maintained a pleasant demeanor to coax him into serving her. Hearing his request, she pondered briefly, lifting her teacup for a sip. "Siqiao? The girl carrying water buckets? What does she look like?"
Si Shunr knelt stiffly, gesturing animatedly. "Well... she's quite pretty—fair-skinned, large-eyed, with a slender waist, wearing her hair in twin buns and a moon-white skirt..."
"Enough." Cao Lihuan understood immediately, a cold smirk playing on her lips. "I doubt you'd fancy Siqiao. That girl is Xianglan, from the Lin household. Abandon this foolish notion."
Si Shunr protested at once, "So what if she serves the Lins? She's still a maid!" Creeping forward on his knees with an ingratiating smile, he winked conspiratorially. "My dear lady, I've always been loyal to you. Grant me this, and you'll be my savior, my second parent! Besides, all these years I've served you faithfully—if not with merit, at least with diligence..."
Cao Lihuan recoiled at his fawning closeness, her expression turning icy. "Enough! Must you be so pathetic?" Calming herself, she reconsidered: though Xianglan was simple-minded, lacking social grace and cunning, she worked diligently and was easily manipulated. Her exquisite needlework made her valuable, and Cao had long intended to keep her. Yet Xianglan's striking beauty posed a threat—if retained after marriage, she could become trouble. Giving her to Si Shunr, however, would secure his loyalty, ensure a subservient wife who couldn't cause trouble, and provide a pliable servant. Cao, never one for scruples, cared nothing for karma or others' suffering. A vicious scheme took shape in her mind. Noting only Huier asleep in the adjacent room, she murmured, "What you ask... isn't entirely impossible..."
Si Shunr leaned forward as if receiving divine decree, nodding eagerly like a pecking chick. Finally, he clapped his hands, smacking his lips. "If this succeeds, I'd die content!"
Cao Lihuan smiled benignly. "I knew you were sensible. I ask no gratitude—just serve me well hereafter."
"Understood! Understood! This humble servant won't forget!" Si Shunr vowed repeatedly.
Clutching her handkerchief, Cao's smile held a trace of chill. Deep down, she acknowledged the truth: she envied Xianglan! That minx, though a maid, carried herself with innate nobility—every gesture refined and dignified. It disgusted Cao. Despite all her efforts to torment and suppress Xianglan, and despite the girl's outwardly meek compliance, Cao sensed an unbroken pride she could never truly tame.Cao Lihuan's eyes gleamed with coldness—Let this lady see how that proud bone of yours could still hold up when you end up with some wretched, vulgar man!
Behind the screen, Siqiao trembled all over. There happened to be a back door in the room, positioned right behind this screen. Earlier, Cao Lihuan had asked Siqiao to move two potted plants outside to bask in the sun. When Siqiao returned after moving the plants and was about to close the door, she suddenly heard Si Shunr mention her name. Summoning her courage, she hid behind the screen to eavesdrop, and what she heard sent a cold sweat breaking out all over her body.
In a daze, Siqiao returned to the small room she shared with Xianglan. As she entered, she saw Xianglan holding an embroidery hoop, working on her task for her. Hazily, Siqiao sat down on the kang, but a sharp pain on her buttocks made her stand up immediately. Xianglan chuckled, "How could you sit so soon? You still walk with a bit of a limp now. Apply the medicine for a couple more days, and you'll be fine."
Looking at Xianglan's smiling face, Siqiao swallowed the words that had reached the tip of her tongue and said nothing at all.
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