The next day, after lunch.

“Sister Hui Qin, is Miss’s medicine ready? It’s time for her to take it.” Lu Ye stood at the door, her face full of anxiety, yet forced to put on a smile—humble and ingratiating.

“Can’t you see I’m brewing it?”

Hui Qin leaned against the doorway cracking sunflower seeds, snapping irritably. If First Madam hadn’t repeatedly instructed that she must personally brew the medicine, why would she stand here smelling that awful odor? Even so, she had long since stopped doing it herself, instead having a little maid do it.

Lu Ye fished out a copper coin from her clothes and ingratiatingly handed it to Hui Qin: “Sister Hui Qin, you know I’m stupid and can’t speak properly—please don’t hold it against me. Seventh Miss depends on this medicine to sustain her life each day, so I came urgently. Don’t be angry. This bit of money is for you to buy sunflower seeds—it’s just my small token of appreciation. Please accept it graciously and don’t think it’s too little.”

Hui Qin tucked the copper coin into her sleeve, turned her nose skyward, and snorted: “Take it away then.”

Lu Ye carefully carried the medicine bowl, happily heading toward Qin Shuying’s room. Hui Qin sneered coldly: “Rushing to her death—she’ll die quickly!”

For three consecutive days, no one came to disturb Qin Shuying. The maids in Spring Garden remained as negligent as usual, and Qin Shuying’s chamber continued to echo with intermittent coughing.

Nanny Fu still wore a worried expression, frequently loitering outside Yilan Garden, wanting to ask Sixth Miss to come chat with Qin Shuying. But Sixth Miss had many lessons and needed to copy scriptures to pray for Qin Shuying’s blessing, so she had no time to visit.

That ugly maid Lu Ye, who always cared for Seventh Miss, also frequently entered Seventh Miss’s room to serve her. This was originally a senior maid’s duty, but now Hui Qin was delighted to let Lu Ye take over, even the medicine that Xu Shi had specifically instructed must be watched until finished was now carried by Lu Ye for Qin Shuying to drink.

After being splashed with medicine twice by Qin Shuying, Hui Qin had her own superstitions and considered it very unlucky. Only a fool would serve Seventh Miss when there were no benefits and the risk of being infected by that sickly girl.

Indeed, Lu Ye had only served Seventh Miss for two days and was already starting to cough!

At noon, when the sun was good, Qin Shuying would sit under the eaves to sun herself, always appearing listless. The maids were used to it—the former Seventh Miss had been just like this.

People from the first branch had come again, all seeing Qin Shuying cough until her face turned red, spittle flying everywhere.

Zou Shi from the third branch and Fifth Miss Qin Lulu had also visited, both expressing helplessness and sighs, only able to comfort her with a few words.

Three days later, Qin Yunyun finally had time to spare a visit to see Qin Shuying. Qin Shuying was extremely happy, enthusiastically pestering Qin Yunyun to tell her about outside affairs.

How could Qin Yunyun have patience for this? Using too much schoolwork as an excuse, she sat only briefly before wanting to leave.

Qin Shuying clutched Qin Yunyun and wept: “Sixth Sister, please have pity on your younger sister! Stay and sit with me a while longer!”

As she spoke, her mouth full of medicinal breath rushed toward Qin Yunyun’s face—nauseating and foul-smelling.

Qin Yunyun felt indescribable nausea and irritation, then left with tears streaming down her face. Everyone in the Qin mansion praised how Sixth Miss truly had deep sisterly affection.

Old Madam naturally also sent her personal senior maid to bring things and inquire about the illness.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since her rebirth.

Qin Shuying stood at the window, continuously doing bending exercises. From the initial dizziness and blurred vision, she could now do fifty repetitions. Her body had basically recovered. Exercise and fitness—this was something she had learned from merchants and peddlers in her previous life. Before, she had paid no attention to it, even looked down on it somewhat, thinking it crude and unbearable.

Having died once, she had abandoned many prejudices. Whatever was beneficial to herself, no matter what it was, should be used for her own advantage. Xu Shi had been able to control Qin Shuying precisely because Qin Shuying’s body was weak, wasn’t it? The urgent priority was to restore her health.

Now her appetite had greatly increased. To avoid detection, she had to secretly eat the food Nanny Fu brought from outside every day. Previously, Xu Shi had said young ladies should prioritize being slender and graceful. Now, she only wanted a healthy body.

Lu Ye sat at the door doing needlework, sometimes calling into the room: “Cough cough cough… Miss, does this look good?”

From inside would come Qin Shuying’s weak voice: “It’s quite nice. Cough cough cough…”

In the courtyard, maids would sigh: When would Seventh Miss’s illness get better? Or rather, when would Seventh Miss pass away? These days were truly hard to endure. Those who couldn’t bear it had found various excuses to seek livelier places in the gardens.

Only Hong Juan and Lu Ye remained conscientiously working in the courtyard.

Besides her assigned duties, Hong Juan spent all her time in the room doing needlework. Hong Juan’s family was poor, so she took the needlework she made to her parents to sell for household expenses.

After finishing her exercises, Qin Shuying stood at the window. The maple leaves in Spring Garden were growing redder and redder—from afar, they looked like flames burning. Qin Shuying’s lips curved in a cold smile. She no longer had anything to burn—what she wanted was destruction!

In her previous life, she had been tolerant and kind-hearted—what had been the result? In this life, Qin Shuying was gentle and obedient—what had been the result?

In the end, both paths led to death. Why not fight to the bitter end?

She wanted to seize the initiative herself.

She couldn’t help but recall something.

In her previous life, Qin Yaoyao had been industrious in managing the household, dignified and rigorous. She did business well and was excellent at needlework. Lu Changxuan thought she only had eyes for money, didn’t understand romance or elegance, and was completely ignorant of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—simply crude and unbearable, with no common language between them.

Lu Changxuan was wrong!

Before marriage, to display her pure and gentle nature, Xu Shi had hired the same tutors for both legitimate and concubine-born daughters. To avoid competing with the legitimate daughter’s brilliance, she had focused on keeping a low profile, only excelling in needlework while appearing mediocre in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In truth, she had learned them well too, especially chess and painting, having secretly put in much effort. Though she couldn’t compare to the legitimate daughter’s excellence, she certainly couldn’t be called crude and unbearable. After marriage, all her time and energy had been devoted to the family business—where would she have had time to continue learning? And where would she have had time to compose poetry, play music, or play chess with Lu Changxuan?

And she herself had also been wrong!

She had thought that by earning such a vast family fortune for the Lu household, she could be considered virtuous and dutiful, and Lu Changxuan would, like countless other officials, give her, his legitimate wife, basic respect, maintain her position, and ensure domestic tranquility. And she, having a legitimate son, would have a position in the Lu family as stable as a rock. As for how many concubines he had, whether those concubines were her own sisters or others—none of it mattered.

How utterly wrong she had been!

“Miss, it’s time.” Lu Ye entered the room, interrupting Qin Shuying’s recollections.

Today was Old Madam Qin’s sixty-first birthday. In these peaceful and prosperous times, the Qin mansion had Lianpin in the palace, and the Qin men were quite accomplished. Qin Yongtao’s generation had all turned out well, and Qin Kaile’s generation was also intelligent and progressive. The family’s prosperity was already visible.

As a legitimate granddaughter, Qin Shuying was required to attend the birthday banquet today.