The winter New Year period passed very peacefully. The lively places became even livelier, while the quiet places became even quieter. No one had come to visit Jiang Ruan’s courtyard for quite some time, so the three of them were enjoying a rare period of leisure.

The morning air was fresh. Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao sat at the doorway mending clothes. All of their garments were as old as could be, patched over and over again. Although both were skilled at embroidery and could make the clothes wearable by patching them with floral and plant embroidery, bright silk threads were extremely precious to them, so they wouldn’t normally use such exquisite patches.

The girl sat quietly by the window, earnestly reading the book before her. Sunlight fell on her beautiful profile, her long eyelashes fluttering gently like butterfly wings, her eyes pure and beautiful, possessing a softness that made one’s heart ache with tenderness.

Lian Qiao inadvertently turned back and became somewhat mesmerized, thinking that her young mistress was truly a rare beauty in this world. When quiet, she was clear and gentle like a serene landscape painting, but when she turned fierce, she had a sharp and captivating allure. The saying “still as a maiden, swift as a fleeing rabbit” should describe women like Jiang Ruan.

Seeing Lian Qiao lost in thought, Bai Zhi also turned to look and said thoughtfully: “Miss has grown older now, and with her increased height, her old clothes are somewhat strained to fit. Spring is approaching – we should find time to make two new garments for Miss to wear.”

“Easier said than done,” Lian Qiao snapped back to reality and continued sewing the buttons on the garment before her: “Those people reduced the New Year allowances by half. Two new garments would require quite a bit of fabric – where would we find it? I think we’ll have to go to the mountains to pick medicinal herbs and exchange them for some silver to save up for buying fabric for Miss.” She paused again: “Our Miss is born so beautiful, yet the clothes she wears are all shabby and old. At this age, young ladies from other families dress like flowers, but our Miss – she doesn’t have a single bright garment, wasting such good looks. If our Miss wore beautiful clothes, wouldn’t she outshine all the young ladies in the capital?”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but smile at Lian Qiao’s words: “You’re such a talker. Why speak of the capital now? We don’t even know when we can return to the manor.”

Once they mentioned returning to the manor, both their spirits dampened somewhat. After a while, Lian Qiao shook her head: “Don’t think so much. Didn’t Miss say that after the New Year we could return? I think Miss already has a plan – we don’t need to worry.”

Bai Zhi nodded: “Miss is clever, but… I just hope nothing goes wrong.”

While they were chatting, someone knocked on the door outside. It was Xiao Yuan, the maid who delivered firewood. The estate allocated them firewood rather than charcoal, and whose instructions this followed was naturally self-evident. Every winter was the most difficult time for the three master and servants, and this firewood was given in fixed portions – not a bit more was allowed. Zhang Lan truly wasn’t afraid of freezing the three of them to death.

Xiao Yuan greeted Jiang Ruan properly and picked out the firewood from her basket with nimble movements. Lian Qiao helped from the side. After finishing, Xiao Yuan glanced at the garment in Bai Zhi’s hands and smiled: “Sister Bai Zhi’s hands are truly skillful. This needlework is fine and sturdy, and you can’t tell at all from the outside.”

Bai Zhi smiled: “It’s just sewing for fun. Since it’s worn on the body, who would notice in daily life?”

“Sister Bai Zhi is wrong,” Xiao Yuan shook her head: “This year Mother made me a new peach-colored short jacket, but while working, I tore a gash under the arm. I want to mend it, but that spot is hard to patch, and if I’m not careful, it’ll show. It’s quite troublesome – if I had Sister’s skill, I wouldn’t need to worry.”

“What’s so difficult about that?” Lian Qiao handed the basket back to Xiao Yuan: “Just have Bai Zhi patch it for you.”

“Really?” Xiao Yuan looked at Bai Zhi with surprise, her eyes full of undisguised expectation.

Bai Zhi nodded with a smile: “Of course. I just don’t have peach-colored silk thread here, so you’ll need to bring the thread along.”

“No problem! Thank you, Sister Bai Zhi – you’re so kind.” Xiao Yuan immediately smiled upon hearing this: “Had I known Sister Bai Zhi was so agreeable, I should have visited more often. I have a pile of torn clothes that I’ve mended haphazardly.”

“You little thing,” Lian Qiao pretended to be angry: “You just want to take advantage of us. Who doesn’t know that you maids serving outside live well – what torn clothes could you have?”

“Who says we live well?” Xiao Yuan pouted: “Although it’s quieter here, I’d rather serve someone with as good a temperament as Miss. To be honest with you sisters, those outside are indeed very difficult to serve. Not to mention Nanny Lan, even her youngest son is no easy lamp to tend. His usual mischief is one thing, but lately he’s been extremely excessive. I heard he secretly sold a piece of the family’s land behind Nanny Lan’s back. When Nanny Lan learned of this last night, she flew into a rage. These past few days, we maids have all been keeping our heads down, afraid of touching her bad luck.”

“Oh? Is this really true?” Bai Zhi exchanged a glance with Lian Qiao: “Although Chen Zhao usually likes to cause trouble, he’s not particularly generous with spending. Why would he sell land?”

“Exactly, exactly,” Lian Qiao said: “You’re not deceiving us, are you?”

“Nothing of the sort,” Xiao Yuan waved her hands repeatedly: “All of us maids who manage purchases outside know about this. That day it made Nanny Lan quite angry. I heard that when she asked where the money went, he didn’t know either. She turned his room upside down – guess what the result was? Not a single coin left!”

“Ah,” Lian Qiao exclaimed: “How very strange! A piece of land could be exchanged for quite a lot of silver. It couldn’t all be spent in just a few days – did the silver fly away by itself?”

“Nanny Lan found it very strange too, but that person claimed to know nothing when questioned. Finally, after a big fight with Nanny Lan, he stormed off.” Xiao Yuan said.

The three continued discussing this matter for a while, each having their own theories about Chen Zhao. Seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Yuan rose to take her leave, and Lian Qiao walked her to the courtyard entrance. Bai Zhi put down the garment in her hands and walked over to Jiang Ruan, who was reading. Jiang Ruan looked up with a half-smile: “He’s quite bold – selling land as soon as he decides to.”

“Miss,” Bai Zhi said: “Although this servant doesn’t know what happened, I feel that this land-selling matter was orchestrated by Miss. I’m very puzzled, but I’m too dim-witted to figure it out.”

“Can’t figure it out?” Jiang Ruan said: “It’s very simple.” Before she finished speaking, they heard Lian Qiao’s loud voice from outside: “What are you doing rushing in like that? Have you no manners?”

From the other direction came an angry voice: “Don’t block my way – let me in!”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but be startled. That voice was very familiar – it was Chen Fang. But what was Chen Fang doing here?

Jiang Ruan spread her hands: “See? You’ll understand very soon.”