One night passed.

Bai He and Lu Ju both slept poorly last night. In her drowsiness, Mo Zi seemed to hear soft talking—they were worried about Qiu Sanniang’s matter, so the two didn’t fall into deep sleep until the sky began to turn faintly gray.

Afraid of waking them, Mo Zi got up quietly. Regardless of whose turn it was to serve this morning, she wanted to take their shift. She could understand their worries. It wasn’t the kind of anxiety about one person achieving the Way and all their chickens and dogs ascending to heaven, nor the notion of sharing glory and sharing loss. Bai He and Lu Ju sincerely hoped their good young lady could find a good husband who would cherish her for life. But having followed Qiu Sanniang abroad for many years, what they’d seen and heard had made them no longer naive. At least they hadn’t completely lost hope. If the Third Young Master of Prince Jing’s mansion were chosen, this hope would be somewhat distant.

Mo Zi walked out of the room. Just as she turned around wanting to go to Qiu Sanniang’s place, she saw a person sitting on the stone chair beside the canna flowers.

Black hair scattered over apricot-colored outer garments, fair skin almost transparent in the sunrise’s cloud light, hands supporting her cheeks in a rare display of a daughter’s troubled thoughts.

Mo Zi looked at Qiu Sanniang from the corridor. What did being born into wealth matter? In this world’s marriages, it was often the wealthier women who could least find happiness. The polygamous system destined them to share one person’s love and affection with other women.

Having brewed a pot of fresh tea, Mo Zi gently placed the tray on the stone table. Holding the pot with both hands, she poured out a cup of clear green liquid, stood to one side, and quietly waited. It seemed even a woman as carefree as fire, with bright and brilliant eyes, had them clouded with dimness due to the unpredictability of marriage.

“Mo Zi, sit.” Qiu Sanniang picked up the teacup and slowly drank two sips. “This is truly comfortable.”

Mo Zi sat as instructed. “Young lady, I said not to be influenced by my words. What’s most important is your own decision.”

“My decision?” Qiu Sanniang’s tone was utterly fragile. “Do I still have a choice now? I can choose not to pick Prince Jing’s mansion, and my good mother can conveniently find some lowly man to marry me off to. Even if I fall out with the entire Qiu family, as an old maid unwilling to marry, wouldn’t I truly burden you few maids, following me to live days of being looked down upon by others?”

Not a single thing Mo Zi had said was wrong. A married woman’s status was more useful than an unmarried young lady’s. Marrying the Third Young Master of Prince Jing’s mansion was better than marrying a man of unknown background. At worst, she just wouldn’t compete for what was inside, but compete for what was outside. At worst, she’d wait to be divorced and live independently. Originally, she held no great hopes for her future husband. The expectation of finding someone wholehearted—she’d long stopped thinking about that.

“I’ve already thought it through, it’s just—” her heart felt immeasurably desolate.

“Young lady, I understand.” Regardless, Qiu Sanniang was a young woman. Daughters naturally had long feelings. Hearts only grew cold after those long feelings. “But the young lady needn’t be too pessimistic. Whether it’s the concubine called Jin Si, that Third Young Master, or even Prince Jing’s mansion—if we truly compete, we won’t necessarily lose.”

Qiu Sanniang suddenly stood up, pacing rapidly back and forth before Mo Zi several times, then suddenly laughed lightly. “Yes, I’m the one being muddled. The battle hasn’t even started, and I can’t admit defeat first. If I did that, I’d be as weak as Liu Niang.”

“The young lady speaks correctly.” Moreover, Mo Zi believed that as long as Qiu Sanniang maintained her hobby of loving to make money, the jealous squabbles of backyard women would be utterly boring and tedious, not worth mentioning.

However, she didn’t say this, lest Qiu Sanniang become overly proud. When her mood became idle, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t torment her.

“Mo Zi, the way I see it, you’d better prepare those three hundred taels.” Qiu Sanniang recovered her usual shrewdness, as if the weakness had been merely an illusion in the morning light.

“Young lady, rest assured. Mo Zi will certainly honor the agreement. The day the young lady departs for the capital will be the day Mo Zi presents the matchmaking fee to Cinian Nunnery.” Spoken lightly, but without confidence—this was called a dead duck’s hard mouth, slapping one’s face to appear fat.

“I’ve said it before—when you handle matters, I’ve always been very assured.” Qiu Sanniang valued Mo Zi for her abilities and intelligence and boldly employed her.

Qiu Sanniang also kept one hand back—firmly tightening Mo Zi’s purse strings. This was because if she were in Mo Zi’s position, she would probably leave as soon as she had some private savings. Otherwise, why had she never considered having Bai He, Lu Ju, or Xiao Yi advance the three hundred taels?

Qiu Sanniang reached out to take the teapot. Her wrist, pure as jade, gently descended as she poured a cup of tea for Mo Zi.

Mo Zi watched Qiu Sanniang push the cup over, not daring to underestimate this gesture in the slightest. Qiu Sanniang might not need maids to serve her in details like dressing and bathing, but that didn’t mean she would actively pour tea for maids. It wasn’t the lofty concern about major matters like marriage, but rather in trivial matters, bit by bit, giving a sense of equality. This was where Qiu Sanniang differed from ordinary young ladies of wealthy households. As long as she was willing to put in the effort, she could make simple-minded maids willing to sacrifice everything for her.

Who had ever seen a young lady pour tea for a maid? Such a small matter, yet it required a usually noble person to lower their posture. Qiu Sanniang could do it because her experience traveling north and south had taught her the techniques of winning hearts.

From the beginning, Mo Zi had “worked” for Qiu Sanniang with a worker’s mentality, but precisely because she was such a mistress, she had established herself at her side, gradually abandoning the idea of direct escape and instead seeking a more proper way to survive.

Mo Zi said thanks. Her delicate fingers steadily grasped the teacup, drinking calmly and openly without a trace of humble unease.

Qiu Sanniang saw this and smiled, also picking up her tea to drink.

“Young lady… good morning.” A hurried, anxious voice came from the corridor. Lu Ju ran out in a panic.

“Mo Zi, why didn’t you call us?” Bai He rarely showed awkwardness. In all these years serving Qiu Sanniang, this was the first time she’d overslept.

“Young lady, these two were so worried they didn’t sleep all night, so I took their shift this once.” Mo Zi clearly knew when she could joke and when to answer seriously.

“Worrying for nothing!” Qiu Sanniang chided, but the light in her eyes folded and refolded, no longer allowing anyone to underestimate her. “Bai He, go help the nunnery’s kitchen staff. Make some fresh and creative vegetarian dishes to let the guests from the capital taste your cooking skills. Lu Ju, help me dress my hair. Prepare to go see Aunt Madam Wei. Mo Zi, after you finish breakfast, bring me the account books from Wangqiu Tower. Just return before the evening meal. Xiao Yi—”

Everyone had assumed Xiao Yi wasn’t in the courtyard, but when Qiu Sanniang called her name, Xiao Yi jumped down from the roof, landing right in front of Lu Ju, scaring Lu Ju into crying out “Mother!”

“Xiao Yi, you go back to the mansion to gather intelligence.” Qiu Sanniang waved her hand.

With one command, each person received their orders and departed. Truly one maid worth three—this was indeed Qiu Sanniang’s good fortune.

When the sun reached dusk, Mo Zi returned changed into women’s clothing and saw Bai He in the courtyard cutting bamboo leaves.

“In such a leisurely mood?” She walked over and looked—the leaves had been cut into flower shapes. “Is the young lady in her room?” As she spoke, she was about to walk into the room.

Bai He grabbed her. “Don’t go right now. The young lady is brooding in anger.”

“What happened?” Mo Zi naturally thought of Madam Wei. “Could it be that aunt madam said something?”

“When we had breakfast together this morning, she was still laughing and chatting with our young lady. After the meal, she accompanied her on a walk. Who knew that after talking for just a little while, it suddenly went quiet. The young lady tried to speak several times, but Aunt Madam Wei was strangely cold. Seeing there was no point, the young lady returned early.” These past two days, Bai He constantly wanted to sigh. “It’s made my heart anxious. I don’t know how to console her.”

“What did the young lady and Aunt Madam Wei talk about?” It must have been a problem with the conversation content.

“Just talked about these past six months at home. I thought it sounded fine.” Bai He didn’t see any problem.

Then what exactly was the reason?