Xianglan stole a glance outside and saw maids and matrons moving about in the distance. Suddenly, she spotted Xiao Juan with a white cloth tied around her waist, carrying a large gift box as she approached from afar. A surge of joy rose in Xianglan's heart, and she opened her mouth to call out, only to see Xiao Juan turn onto the corridor with the box in hand. Disappointed but helpless, Xianglan could only sigh.
She stood by the window for a while longer, fearing she might be discovered, then turned back and found an old cushion to sit against the wall. An ordinary woman might have been frightened out of her wits by such a sudden turn of events, but Xianglan, having experienced the highs and lows of life in her past—family confiscation, exile, and heartbreaking separations—and possessing a resilient spirit, now steeled herself. She began to take out the items on her person one by one.
She retrieved a dozen copper coins, a small piece of broken silver, an old silver hairpin from her head, and finally removed the jade pendant from her neck. This pendant was none other than the jade frog Song Ke had given her. She had originally kept it in a box, but when she returned home to visit her parents, she hesitated and, as if bewitched, ended up wearing it around her neck. It had been there for quite some time now.
Gently stroking the jade frog, Xianglan thought to herself, "I don’t know when Zhao Yuechan plans to sell me off. With my face covered in injuries, I doubt I’ll fetch a high price or be sent to a decent place. If no one comes to rescue me, I’ll have to keep these things safe—perhaps they can bribe someone to save my life." She carefully tucked the items close to her body, then leaned back and closed her eyes, silently reciting scriptures in her mind.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she curled up on the cushion and drifted into a fitful sleep. Upon waking, she felt ravenous, and her face throbbed with pain. Peering through the door crack, she realized it was already past noon. The household had finished their meals, and the courtyard was eerily quiet, the sun glaring harshly on the ground with not a soul in sight.
Xianglan sighed silently, walked to the water vat, and scooped up a ladle of cold water to drink. Looking down at her reflection, she saw her face had swollen even more, her cheeks now a ghastly shade of blue and purple. As she stood there dazed, she suddenly heard a soft voice calling from outside the door, "Is anyone in there?" A handkerchief was slipped through the crack at the bottom of the door, with a few pieces of pastry on top.
Xianglan hurried over and peeked through the gap, spotting Tinglan standing outside, her face filled with anxiety. It turned out Tinglan had heard the commotion the night before and knew Xianglan had been punished and was to be sold by Zhao Yuechan. Pitying Xianglan’s plight but also fearing her mistress’s wrath, Tinglan, remembering the bond they once shared, had secretly brought some food.
Like a dying person catching a glimpse of light, Xianglan pressed herself against the door and pleaded in a low voice, "Tinglan, Tinglan, I beg you for a favor. I have a jade pendant here—take it and go—"
But Tinglan, already terrified out of her wits, interrupted, "Xianglan, bringing you food is already a huge risk. I can’t do anything more. Take care of yourself—I have to go." With that, she hurried away.
Xianglan banged her head heavily against the door, the tiny flame of hope in her heart snuffed out in an instant. Slowly, she crouched down, picked up the pastry, and placed a small piece in her mouth, letting it soften before swallowing it slowly. Tears welled up in her eyes. She understood that Tinglan’s act of bringing her food was already a great risk, and it was only natural that she couldn’t help further. Yet, disappointment still overwhelmed her. The tears rolled into her mouth, bitter and acrid.She had initially entered the Lin household because her parents intended to marry her off to the son of one of the Lin family's respectable servants. Unwilling to comply, she had sought refuge in the household to find a way to free herself from servitude. But once inside the Lin residence, she realized how little control she had over her fate. As a servant with no one to rely on, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and endure every humiliation. First, Cao Lihuan tormented her relentlessly, and it was only through countless schemes that she managed to escape that tiger's den. When she finally moved into Concubine Lan's quarters, she had hoped for a few peaceful days, planning to find a well-connected senior servant as a patron. After enduring a few more years, she might have been able to leave the household as a free woman. But then, unforeseen disaster struck again.
At times, she felt she couldn’t bear it any longer—death might be cleaner. Yet after gritting her teeth, she found she could still swallow all this bitterness, clinging desperately to that faint glimmer of hope.
Hugging her knees, she thought carefully for a long while. Suddenly, she remembered that Chun Ling had been coughing these past few days and went to the small kitchen to brew medicine after every meal. Chun Ling always took the shortcut, passing by this little room. Though they weren’t close—there was even some unspoken hostility between them—Xianglan had no choice but to try.
Xianglan curled up in the corner, waiting patiently. As dusk fell, Chun Ling indeed approached from a distance. Xianglan’s heart leaped with joy, and she hurried to the window, tossing out two small pieces of charcoal she had dug out from the cabinet. Both hit Chun Ling.
Startled, Chun Ling stopped and looked around. Xianglan quickly threw another piece, this time striking Chun Ling’s shoulder. Seeing Chun Ling glance her way, she whispered urgently, “Chun Ling, Chun Ling, come closer. It’s me, Xianglan.”
Chun Ling’s eyes widened in shock. Hesitantly, she stepped forward and murmured, “Xianglan? Ying Shuang and the others said you were sick and had gone home…” As she drew nearer, she caught sight of Xianglan’s badly swollen face through the torn window paper and gasped. “You… what happened to you…?”
Xianglan quickly motioned for her to be quiet, tears streaming down her face. “Dear sister, I’ve been wrongfully accused. The mistress has locked me up, and I’m about to be sold off. Please, save me.” She held out the jade frog. “Take this to Lying Cloud Courtyard and give it to Master Song Ke. Ask him to buy me… Under my bed, there’s a box with two taels of silver and a hairpin. Take them all—just please help me this once. I’ll never forget your kindness, even if I’m crushed to dust!”
Chun Ling hesitated. “You said you were wronged. How?”
Xianglan clenched her teeth. “The master wanted to raise my status, so the mistress decided to sell me off.”
With that one sentence, Chun Ling understood. Her heart sank, realizing the gravity of the situation. As she wavered, Xianglan pleaded again, “Dear sister, I beg you—just take this jade pendant to Master Song Ke and ask him to buy me. Don’t let the mistress sell me to a brothel…” She then dropped to her knees. Though Chun Ling couldn’t see inside the room, she heard loud thuds—Xianglan was clearly kowtowing.
Just as Chun Ling was about to speak, she spotted Ying Shuang and the others approaching from a distance. Clutching the jade frog, she hurried away. Back in her room, Chun Ling sat on the bed, her heart still pounding wildly.She truly didn't care much for Xianglan. Considering herself quite capable, she had always aspired to stand out among the maidservants. In Qin Shi's quarters, there were too many talented individuals, making it hard for her to rise above. Now that she was by Qing Lan's side, she found herself relied upon for everything. Unexpectedly, Xianglan appeared out of nowhere. Although she didn't compete with her, Xianglan's amiable nature made her popular among the younger maids, and she had even caught Lin Jinlou's eye, which made Chun Ling somewhat envious. But seeing Xianglan in this state now... Chun Ling shivered slightly. It's not the common man's fault for possessing a treasure—being a maidservant with ordinary looks like hers was perhaps better. She wasn't truly malicious at heart, and her past jealousy toward Xianglan now turned into pity. Even she had to admit that Xianglan's personality and temperament were likable—humble, gentle, not one to stir up trouble or gossip. Whenever someone sought her help, she always did her best.
But helping her deliver that jade frog to Lying Cloud Courtyard... Chun Ling hesitated. She was genuinely afraid of Zhao Yuechan and didn't want to invite trouble. Yet, recalling Xianglan's tearful plea—"Don't let the mistress sell me to a brothel"—her heart wavered. Unable to sleep all night, she finally gritted her teeth the next morning and thought, "Xianglan is truly detestable. She annoyed me back in the quarters, and now she's given me such a dilemma. If I don't help her this once, how could my conscience ever rest?" Clutching the jade frog, she headed to Lying Cloud Courtyard.
Upon entering the courtyard, she spotted a maid watering flowers and asked, "Where's Suju?" The young maid recognized Chun Ling, knowing she and Suju—Lin Jinting's bedchamber servant—had entered the household together and shared some camaraderie. Smiling, she replied, "The third master just woke up. Sister Suju is attending to him." She then went inside to fetch Suju.
Suju emerged with a smile. "What brings you here?"
Chun Ling stepped forward. "I’ve come to ask a favor of you. With Concubine Lan recently gone, there’s much to do in the quarters. I was hoping you could spare some time to help me with some needlework."
Suju replied, "That’s no trouble at all. Just wait a moment—once the third master leaves for the academy, we can talk in detail."
Chun Ling quickly asked, "Is the third master going to the academy with Master Song?"
Suju nodded. "Indeed. Master Song just arrived—they’re both inside now."
Just then, Song Ke walked out, turning his head to call, "Xiu Hong, hurry up. I’ll wait for you outside."
Seeing this, Chun Ling felt as if she had struck gold. She nudged Suju and said, "Go back inside and attend to them. I’ll wait for you." Once Suju reentered, she swiftly approached Song Ke and pressed the jade frog into his hand, whispering, "Master Song, Xianglan asked me to bring this to you. She says she’s been falsely accused by the mistress and locked up. In a few days, she’ll be sold to a brothel. She begs you to buy her instead."
Song Ke’s expression darkened as he took the pendant. He had only heard recently that Lin Jinlou had taken a liking to Xianglan and had intended to ask for her, but Lin had been away. Now, to receive such news... He asked, "Where is she being held?"
Chun Ling replied, "In a small room at Knowing Spring Pavilion... Master Song, I’ve risked my life to deliver this message. Please act as if I was never here!"
Song Ke assured her, "Of course. I won’t breathe a word of it." Chun Ling curtsied and hurried away.Song Ke pondered for a moment, then stepped outside and summoned his personal attendant Ludou. He took out a tally token and instructed, "Go to the accounts office and tell them I need to withdraw one hundred taels of silver." After a brief pause, he added, "Make it three hundred taels. Be quick about it." Ludou accepted the order and hurried off with the token, but we'll leave that aside for now.
Meanwhile, Hua Mei returned home with the account book tucked away. The night passed without incident. The next day, her father urged her to return to the Lin household, saying, "You've stayed home for one night without reason—it's time to go back. Even though the Master isn't home, lingering here will give people in the mansion fodder for gossip. Now that our family's circumstances have improved, and your brother is under Eldest Master Lou's care in the army, you must serve with extra diligence."
Hua Mei sneered, "Our family's better fortunes—don't forget they came from you selling your daughter."
At these words, her father hunched his shoulders and fell silent. Hua Mei's maiden name was Du, and her father, Du Yu, had once held the rank of seventh-grade captain. However, he was impeached for embezzlement, lost his official position, and was further implicated in cases of reckless disregard for human life. After exhausting the family's wealth to save his own life, the entire household was sentenced to military servitude. To secure the family's future, Du Yu gave his eldest daughter, born of a concubine, as a concubine to a high-ranking official. She was later transferred to Lin Jinlou, becoming his Bedchamber Attendant—this girl was Hua Mei.
Du Yu harbored some guilt toward Hua Mei, and since the family relied on her, he feigned deafness when she rebuked him.
Thank you Yin Zi for the PK votes and review votes, thank you Yan Sansheng for two Peace Talismans, and thank you Hua Xiyue Xi, yu21yu21, and christine_86 for the Peace Talismans. Still seeking pink votes. This story probably isn't the type where the female lead has numerous golden fingers, thrives effortlessly, and controls everything. Retribution and vengeance are easy, but enduring hardship with patience is far harder. The female lead isn't omniscient or transcendentally wise above all others. Unlike the protagonist in A Dream Among Flowers , Xianglan isn't strong-willed—her bones are full of resistance, but she endures. She rarely schemes and is soft-hearted and kind. Though some say, "Without scheming, you can't survive in a grand household," there's a saying: "Benevolence is invincible." Good causes yield good results—not everything in this world can be achieved through cunning and cleverness. I'm a doting author, after all! As for the female lead's circumstances... consider it a case of "suppress first, uplift later." Hehe.
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