Cai Fu and Qing Pu accompanied Jin Chao to the east wing today. Upon hearing Gu Lian’s words, Cai Fu immediately tried to kneel but didn’t dare say a word…

How could Fourth Miss Lian suddenly ask for her? She was afraid her mistress might misunderstand! What if her mistress thought she had private dealings with Fourth Miss Lian? Cai Fu hoped her mistress would look back at her, to know this wasn’t her intention. But her mistress did not move.

Jin Chao slightly raised an eyebrow and slowly covered her teacup, saying: “Lian wants a maid from my quarters?”

Gu Lian understood perfectly well; she wasn’t foolish. For Gu Jin Chao, things like Madam Feng’s favor, riches, and jewels weren’t important. What mattered were the people around her. She protected her people firmly, whether it was her father, her sister, or the maids in her quarters. In return, these people reciprocated her kindness with either exceptional service or extreme loyalty.

Last time, Madam Feng wanted to marry Qing Pu to Xu Hou Cai, and what happened? She lost Song Xiang instead. That Xu Hou Cai had returned to his dissolute lifestyle of wine and women, and no one could control him. Song Xiang had been pregnant with a girl but miscarried unexpectedly. A perfectly fine young woman now lived like a bitter wife, complaining all day—either about Xu Hou Cai or about Madam Feng. Recently, an old woman brought complaints to Madam Feng, who didn’t even want to deal with them.

Gu Lian smiled and said: “Is Cousin Jin Chao unwilling? I’ve never asked you for anything before, and you won’t grant even this small request. Cousin Jin Chao will soon marry into another family. How many maids do you need? It would be better to assign her to me.”

Madam Feng frowned slightly. Gu Lian’s only flaw was her narrow-mindedness; she couldn’t tolerate others. As the youngest legitimate daughter in the family, everyone spoiled her. Everything best had to be hers, and she absolutely couldn’t bear anyone rising above her.

But given her current prospects, Madam Feng couldn’t rebuke her.

Cai Fu knelt on the ground, her hands trembling. To leave her mistress and go to Fourth Miss Lian… she would rather die!

She carefully raised her head to see Fourth Miss Lian coldly looking at Jin Chao, while Madam Feng was examining her with an icy, merciless gaze.

…They held her life in their hands, like a grasshopper they could play with however they wanted.

Madam Feng said mildly: “Lian, Grandmother has steady maids here too. Your Second Sister’s maids have all come with her from Shi’an and have been following her all along. If they went to you, you wouldn’t be accustomed to how they serve…”

Gu Lian hugged Madam Feng’s arm and continued to act coquettishly: “Grandmother, I’m getting married soon. I need clever and sensible maids. Coming from Shi’an is perfect—I’ve never been to Shi’an, so she can talk to me and keep me from being bored!”

Cai Fu was sweating profusely.

Only Gu Jin Chao could be sacrificed now.

Madam Feng looked helplessly at Gu Jin Chao and said softly: “Chao, why not assign Cai Fu to serve Lian for now? She’s just in a momentary fancy. If you’re short on maids, why not pick some from Grandmother’s quarters…”

Jin Chao suppressed her anger. To give Cai Fu to her for entertainment—how could she say such a thing!

She said coldly: “Lian, now that the family order has been rearranged, you should call me Second Sister.”

Gu Lian’s smile froze.

Jin Chao continued: “As for Lian’s liking for this maid Cai Fu, that’s Cai Fu’s fault! For a maid to be disloyal to her master is a serious offense. I dare not give her to you, little sister. What if Cai Fu causes trouble for you in the future? Wouldn’t that harm your prospects? Cai Fu,” Jin Chao said, “this is your wrongdoing. Quickly apologize to the Fourth Miss.”

Cai Fu hurriedly said: “This servant is ignorant and unworthy to serve the Fourth Miss. Fourth Miss, please spare this servant!”

Gu Lian’s face alternated between red and white.

Gu Jin Chao had always been firm in such matters. After such words were spoken, Madam Feng dared not urge further. If Jin Chao was pushed too far, she was capable of anything. She had Gu De Zhao and the Ji family behind her; she wasn’t someone who could be manipulated at will.

Madam Feng yawned and said: “Since Cai Fu is also unwilling, let’s drop this matter. I’m tired. You may all withdraw now.”

Gu Jin Chao curtseyed and left with her two maids. When they reached a cluster of yellow locust trees, Gu Lian called out to her.

“I didn’t pay my respects to Second Sister just now, so let me make up for it.” Gu Lian curtsied, “Second Sister can say these things now, but in the future, you must be careful. One can eat carelessly, but one cannot speak carelessly.” In the future, after she made an advantageous marriage, what would Jin Chao matter?

Jin Chao turned back and smiled: “Please be forgiving, Lian. How could I dare trouble you to curtsy?”

Her attitude was practically in Jin Chao’s face. She couldn’t control her temper.

“When the Yao family broke off the engagement, I thought Lian would be heartbroken. But it seems Lian doesn’t care much.” Jin Chao continued.

Gu Lian reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, glaring at her fiercely: “The Yao family breaking the engagement… what business is it of yours! You’re just shortsighted. If there weren’t something better, do you think Grandmother would agree to break the engagement?” Thinking of Madam Feng saying ‘Naturally there’s something better,’ Gu Lian straightened her back, a cold smile appearing at the corners of her mouth, “Instead of worrying about my marriage, you should think about yourself. Even Lan is getting married, yet you’re still here. Aren’t you ashamed!”

Something better? No wonder Madam Feng had been beaming with joy lately.

Jin Chao smiled: “Naturally, I won’t trouble you to worry about me.”

She paid no more attention to Gu Lian and walked toward Yan Xiu Hall with Qing Pu and Cai Fu. On the way, she heard Cai Fu crying softly behind her.

When they reached Yan Xiu Hall, she took Cai Fu’s hand and took a red gold plum blossom hairpin from her dressing table drawer, placing it in Cai Fu’s palm. She sighed: “Stop crying. This is nothing.”

Cai Fu glanced at Jin Chao and nodded gently. “This servant doesn’t know why, but the tears just won’t stop… This servant has also implicated the miss. I don’t dare accept your reward.”

Jin Chao smiled and shook her head: “It’s just an undeserved misfortune… I’ve given it to you, so keep it. I won’t take it back.”

After Cai Fu finally accepted the gift and withdrew, Jin Chao looked out the window in silence for a moment.

She suddenly recalled that night when lanterns were lit brightly everywhere, Old Madam Chen sat on the master chair with an ashen face, and she was thrown to the ground. She didn’t want to cry, didn’t want to be ridiculed, but tears streamed down uncontrollably. Chen Xuan Qing stood with his hands behind his back next to Old Madam Chen. When a serving woman came to press her down, she struggled fiercely. Old Madam Chen’s reprimands, Fifth Madam Chen’s cold laughter, Second Madam Chen’s expressionless face. The fear and terror in her heart—it was like a nightmare.

Somehow everyone disappeared, all sounds vanished, and Chen Xuan Qing’s black boots stood firmly in front of her.

His voice was cold: “How does it feel…” After a moment of silence, he seemed surprised, “You’re crying. What do you have to cry about? Do you even deserve to cry? When you were hurting others, did you ever think about this outcome? Seeing you disgusts me, and pretending to be nice to you makes me sick.”

He sighed deeply: “Thankfully, it’s all over, Gu Jin Chao.”

She tried hard to raise her head to see what expression Chen Xuan Qing had.

But it all felt like a dream, everything seemed unreal. She only remembered the damp, cold woodshed, a rat crawling over her arm. She screamed in terror, curled up into a ball, feeling utterly hopeless.

Jin Chao woke from her dream.

She had dreamed of the most absurd and pitiful moment of her previous life.

Hearing that she was awake, Qing Pu and the others entered with clothes and copper basins. Cai Fu’s face especially bore a smile.

“…The kitchen made the salty soybean milk you like.”

Jin Chao smiled. She had dreamed of this scene countless times during her more than ten years in the side courtyard and no longer felt anything about it.

She took the warm, damp fine cloth and wiped her face, exchanging a few words with Cai Fu. After a while, she drank the salty soybean milk and went to pay respects to Madam Feng. Upon returning, she brought out a large embroidery frame, preparing to embroider a screen.

Since copying wasn’t going well, Jin Chao decided to rely on her skilled embroidery instead.

Outside, the sunlight was perfect, pouring in through the eaves of the corridor. Several gardenia plants in the courtyard filled the air with fragrance.

Qing Pu stood by, helping to pass thimbles, scissors, or silk threads.

Outside, a commotion began to build. Jin Chao raised her head and glanced, saying to Qing Pu: “There must be some important visitor; otherwise, the disturbance wouldn’t be so great. Go to the hanging flower gate and see.”

Qing Pu assented and went. After a while, she returned and told her: “…Old Madam Chang from the Zheng Grand Master’s Chang family has come to our mansion. It’s said she’s here to propose a marriage. The Old Madam personally went out to welcome her, surrounded by people, and they’ve now gone to the east wing…”

Jin Chao couldn’t help but think of what Gu Lian had said last night.

The ancestors of the Zheng Grand Master’s Chang family had helped the founding emperor establish the dynasty, and their descendants had continuously enjoyed vast imperial favor and honor. Compared to the Long Xing Marquis Ye family’s prosperity in military affairs, the Zheng Grand Master’s family produced many talented people with administrative abilities. Old Madam Chang was especially respected and known for both virtue and talent.

To be able to persuade Old Madam Chang to act as a matchmaker… what kind of family must it be?

Jin Chao felt her left eyelid twitching strongly.

Could it be that Old Madam Chang had come to propose marriage to Gu Lian? And the proposing family was extremely distinguished, even surpassing the Yao family. Madam Feng had known about this all along, which is why she was so happy when the Yao family broke off the engagement. Gu Lian had even told her to “be careful in the future,” as she already knew about it. That’s why she was so unbridled.

So who exactly was proposing marriage to Gu Lian?

Someone with such great influence.

Gu Jin Chao shook her head at the thought. Who Gu Lian married was none of her business. No matter how good the match was, it wouldn’t help—Gu Lian wouldn’t be able to maintain her position after marrying into the family. Wasn’t that what happened in her previous life when she married Yao Wen Xiu? She might as well focus on improving the ink bamboo painting in her hands.

She didn’t believe she couldn’t embroider the bamboo’s upright posture!

Madam Feng escorted Old Madam Chang to the reception area in the east wing and quickly ordered a maid to bring out fresh Taiping Houkui tea.

Old Madam Chang was over seventy years old and needed a servant woman to support her while walking. She wore a sandalwood-colored longevity-patterned long vest and a black jade-inlaid headband. Her silver hair was neatly arranged in a bun, and she wore a cyan jade bracelet on her wrist.

She smiled and said: “Old Madam Gu, please don’t stand on ceremony. I’m not a tea connoisseur, and drinking fine tea would be a waste on me.”

Knowing she had come to propose marriage on behalf of Third Master Chen, how could Madam Feng dare to neglect her? She hurriedly invited Old Madam Chang to the seat of honor and smiled, saying: “We must still treat you well. Let’s sit down and talk at length.”