Madam Qin ordered Cao Li Huan to move out. Since Hui Er was bedridden from her beating, Cao Li Huan had to personally pack her valuable belongings. She had intended to secretly take some precious items from Luo Xue Wu, but unexpectedly, Mother Han personally came with others, holding a ledger to inventory all the furnishings and ornaments in Luo Xue Wu.

Cao Li Huan harbored silent hatred but put on a righteous face, saying to Xiang Lan, “That old hag Qin is truly rotten to the core. Who does she think I am? I have integrity! I would never stoop to petty theft. Even if I starved to death on the street, I wouldn’t take a single thread from their house!”

Xiang Lan left with a cold smile, head lowered. Old Woman Liu tugged at Xiang Lan’s sleeve and said, “Now that she’s moving out of Luo Xue Wu, I can finally have some peace. After all, my job is just to watch over Luo Xue Wu’s courtyard. Wherever she goes is none of my business. But you’ll still have to put up with her temper.”

Xiang Lan smiled and said, “Not for much longer. In half a year at most, she’ll be married off.”

While Cao Li Huan had often complained about Luo Xue Wu being too small, compared to her new quarters, Luo Xue Wu was practically a palace. This small courtyard on the west side of the manor was tiny, and the building was somewhat old. Though the window screens had been repapered and repairs made, it still lacked freshness. The furniture was old-fashioned, and if not for the burning incense, one could detect a faint musty smell.

Cao Li Huan’s face was as dark as a pot bottom. Xiang Lan and Huai Rui kept their heads down while organizing things, not saying a word. At this moment, Si Qiao was helped over to pay her respects to Cao Li Huan. Looking at Si Qiao, Cao Li Huan saw her plain appearance and unintelligent demeanor, which displeased her.

Upon learning that Si Qiao was purchased from outside and her family was nearly all dead, she gnashed her teeth in silent hatred, thinking: “I had hoped to ask the Lin family for one of their maids when I got married since I had too few personal maids. Preferably Huai Rui, since her family manages shops and could be squeezed for benefits. Even Xiang Lan would do, as she’s hardworking and easy to manage. Instead, they’ve forced this useless girl on me. Hui Er says she can’t do anything right and she’s completely stupid. How infuriating!” She barely lifted her eyelids as she quickly dismissed Si Qiao back to her room.

Xiang Lan finished arranging Cao Li Huan’s bedroom and returned to her small room, where she found Si Qiao lying on the bed moaning. Taking a few steps closer, she saw Si Qiao’s pale face covered in a layer of fine sweat beads, her lips dry and peeling. Xiang Lan sighed quietly, turned to pour a cup of water, and said softly, “Have some water. We’ve just moved in and don’t have any hot water yet. Later I’ll boil some and make you hot tea.”

Si Qiao said quietly, “Water is fine,” and struggled to sit up and gulp down a large cup.

Xiang Lan gently helped Si Qiao remove her pants to examine the injury. Seeing blue and purple welts on her buttocks with traces of blood and severe swelling, she exclaimed in dismay, thinking this beating had been especially severe – any harder and it might have caused permanent damage, possibly even leaving her lame.

Si Qiao asked tearfully, “How… how bad is my injury?”

Xiang Lan comforted her, “It’s nothing serious, just flesh wounds. After applying medicine and resting for a few days, you’ll be fine. Wait here, I’ll get some medicine for you.” She snuck into Cao Li Huan’s room and secretly took half a bottle of medicinal oil left over from Hui Er’s treatment, then gently applied it to Si Qiao’s buttocks.

Si Qiao continued moaning, clutching her pillow tightly, her face pale with pain as sweat rolled down in streams. Xiang Lan, always soft-hearted, felt increasingly sympathetic and said, “Bear with it a little longer. Once the medicine takes effect, you’ll feel better.”

Si Qiao remained silent for a long while. When Xiang Lan finished applying the medicine and was about to leave, she noticed Si Qiao’s face was covered in tears that had soaked a large patch of her pillow, though she had been biting her lip to stay quiet. Xiang Lan sighed and sat back down, saying, “You… you should be more careful in the future. Young Lady Cao is shrewd. If you’re cautious with your words and actions and focus on your work from now on, things won’t go too badly.”

Si Qiao sobbed, “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been greedy for that pair of silver bracelets and thoughtlessly gone along with careless gossip, I wouldn’t have ended up in this state…”

Xiang Lan shook her head repeatedly and said in a low voice, “One mustn’t spread idle talk about the masters.”

Si Qiao said tearfully, “I understand now, but it’s too late…”

After consoling her a few more times and seeing Si Qiao still crying, Xiang Lan took a water bucket and went out. After turning two corners past the courtyard, she reached a well. As she struggled to pull up the bucket, she suddenly felt her hands lighten. Turning around, she saw Song Ke standing behind her, helping her draw water with a gentle smile that lit up his features with tender romance. Xiang Lan was startled, let go, and stepped back two paces. Song Ke’s grip also loosened, and the bucket crashed back into the well with a splash.

Xiang Lan stepped back two more paces. Though Song Ke often smiled, this smile was quite different – it reminded her of her husband Xiao Hang from her previous life… Xiao Hang smiled just like that, with slightly upturned corners of his mouth and lifted eyes. He had been rather serious by nature and only showed such smiles in their private chamber, his features filled with tenderness – she had loved seeing Xiao Hang smile most of all. On their wedding night, when he lifted her veil and she looked up, she was met with just such a smile.

Though this was a different person now, that smile was extremely familiar, as if her husband had come back to life and was standing before her.

From the first time Song Ke saw Xiang Lan, he felt an inexplicable familiarity with this girl that made him want to be closer to her. Xiang Lan’s eyes were exceptionally beautiful, like two agates, but most beautiful was the spirit within them – like deep pools that could trap one’s soul if gazed at too long. Song Ke remembered that in his previous life, when he was terminally ill, his wife Lady Shen had such eyes, looking at him steadfastly and repeatedly saying, “Your illness will surely be cured. Just endure a little longer, and once we get past this hurdle, I’ll find you the best doctor!”

The two stood by the well, gazing at each other. Song Ke felt his heart beginning to race. Knowing he shouldn’t stare so directly at her, he forced himself to look away and turned to silently pull up the rope, helping Xiang Lan draw the water.

Xiang Lan steadied herself, silently chiding herself: “Chen Xiang Lan, wake up from your daydream! Xiao Hang… he’s long since turned to yellow earth. The person before you is Young Master Song Ke – don’t mistake your position!” She composed herself, straightened her clothes, curtsied, and said, “Thank you, Young Master Song.”

As she reached for the bucket, Song Ke blocked her way, saying, “The bucket is too heavy. Let me carry it for you.”

Xiang Lan hurriedly tried to take it, saying, “How could I allow that!”

But Song Ke insisted on carrying the bucket, telling her, “Come on, I’ll carry it part of the way.” He took a few quick steps, then turned back to smile at her again. “I told you before, if you feel indebted, you can make me a case for my writing supplies to thank me.”

Looking at his smile, Xiang Lan felt an inexplicable warmth rise in her heart. This young man’s every gesture was so similar to Xiao Hang, reminding her of the pure, peaceful years of her previous life when she and Xiao Hang were newlyweds, deeply in love, composing poetry together, playing with flowers and grass, inseparable – even when exiled, they had supported each other through life and death. But after reincarnation, life had buried the once elegant and noble Lady Shen Jia Lan in the dust, struggling to survive as the sharp passage of time left her somewhat weary. Song Ke carried the shadow of what she yearned for, but he was a high-born young master while she was just a humble maid.

Xiang Lan followed behind Song Ke with a lowered head. After turning a corner, she said softly, “Please stop here, thank you, Young Master Song.”

Song Ke frowned slightly at her formal manner but knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to go further. He set down the bucket, his lips moving as if to speak, but not knowing what to say, he could only watch as Xiang Lan laboriously dragged the water bucket away step by step.

When Xiang Lan returned to the small courtyard, Cao Li Huan was already impatient for water to wash up. Xiang Lan put the kettle on the stove, rather absentminded. After the water boiled, she first brought a basin of hot water to Cao Li Huan, then brewed a pot of hot tea and delivered it to her bedroom. Only then did she take the remaining water back to her room, wrung out a hot towel to wipe Si Qiao’s face, and found some medicine pills to help her take.

Si Qiao continued muttering about her regrets, and after Xiang Lan consoled her a few times and gave some advice about serving Cao Li Huan, Si Qiao immediately treated Xiang Lan as a confidante, affectionately calling her “sister.” After lunch, Si Qiao fell into a deep sleep, and Xiang Lan took out the green jade frog that Song Ke had given her from her bundle, held it in her palm, and looked at it for a long while before silently putting it back.