The thirty-second year of the Yongchang era, Changwu County.

At dawn, as the sky began to brighten, the long street was covered with a layer of jade-white snow. Light snow drifted down from the sky with a rustling sound, dampening the Spring Festival couplets on the small courtyard door.

Though the New Year was approaching, there was no festive atmosphere in the county town—every household had their doors tightly shut.

From within the pitch-black houses, several suppressed coughs suddenly rang out, followed by a childish voice: “Mother, I’ll go out to fetch water.”

After a long moment, a woman’s voice replied: “Don’t wander too far.”

“I understand.”

The door creaked open with a “squeak,” and out walked a girl of eight or nine years old, wearing a sunflower-colored silk jacket and a pair of torn red cotton shoes. She adjusted the felt hat on her head, picked up a water bucket, and walked toward the street.

Three months ago, Changwu County had been struck by an epidemic. The plague came with fierce momentum, causing people to fall ill household by household. The disease initially caused fever, then gradually robbed people of their strength, leaving them paralyzed in bed. Red rashes would appear on their bodies, and after some days, their entire bodies would fester and they would die. The corpses would then be wrapped in mats by the government office workers and carted away to be burned east of the city.

Of the five members of the Lu family, only Lu Tong could still walk around. She was just a nine-year-old child, yet she had to care for her parents and siblings all by herself—it was truly exhausting.

The well was located in front of the old temple at the East Gate, but Lu Tong carried her wooden bucket and headed directly toward the west of the city. The cotton shoe had a hole in the opening, and gradually snow water seeped in, making the girl’s face turn even paler from the cold.

After walking about five or six li through the city, there were fewer and fewer people, but the mansions became increasingly luxurious. Turning around a corner, a three-courtyard vermillion-doored compound appeared before her eyes. Lu Tong stopped and sat down in front of the two stone lions at the entrance of the residence.

This was the residence of the local magistrate, Li Maocai.

After the epidemic, the county’s population had dwindled, and people were rarely seen on the streets. Occasionally, there would be silhouettes of runners pulling board carts with corpses, hurrying past. The Spring Festival couplets at the entrance of the Li residence were still from last year, the black characters blurred from being soaked by rain and snow. Not far away, in front of a long pillar, a brand-new carriage was tethered.

The date-red horse glanced at her sideways, then lowered its head to lick the snow water in the groove on the ground. Lu Tong huddled closer to the stone lion, hugging her legs as she stared blankly at the vermillion gate.

Dark clouds overhead brought bitter cold, mixed with large clusters of wind and snow. With a “creak,” the gate opened, and someone walked out.

Below the snow-white hem of a dress were a pair of light blue embroidered shoes with rolling cloud patterns, the shoe surface adorned with a round, lustrous pearl. The hem was also flowing, light as cloud and mist. Looking up, there was snow-white silk gauze.

This was a woman wearing a veil.

The woman stepped out of the gate and walked forward. A pair of hands grabbed her skirt hem. She turned back to see the little girl at her feet clutching her skirt, timidly speaking: “Excuse me… are you the doctor who cured Young Master Li?”

The woman paused. After a moment, she spoke, her voice clear and smooth like jade, tinged with a strange coldness: “Why do you say that?”

Lu Tong pursed her lips and said softly: “I’ve been waiting here for a month, and I haven’t seen Young Master Li’s corpse carried out. During these days, the only stranger entering and leaving the Li residence has been you, Miss.” She looked up at the woman before her: “You’re the doctor who cured Young Master Li, aren’t you?”

Lu Tong had been keeping watch at the magistrate’s residence for a month now. A month ago, when she went to the medical hall to get medicine, she saw the Li family’s carriage enter the county medical hall. A servant helped the coughing Eldest Young Master Li into the medical hall.

Eldest Young Master Li had also contracted the epidemic.

Countless people in Changwu County fell ill daily. The medical halls couldn’t accommodate them all, nor did they have medicine to save them. Ordinary families who contracted the disease could only wait to die at home, but as the only son in his family, Magistrate Li would certainly use every means possible to save his only child’s life.

Lu Tong had kept watch at the Li residence gate and saw this strange woman enter the Li residence. Faintly, the fragrance of medicine drifted from above the courtyard. One day, two days, three days… for a full twenty days, there were no white mourning banners hanging in front of the Li residence.

From the onset of the epidemic disease to death took at most half a month, yet it had now been a full month.

Eldest Young Master Li hadn’t died—he had survived.

The woman looked down at Lu Tong. The veil covered her face, so Lu Tong couldn’t see her expression. She only heard her voice, which carried a casual indifference: “Yes, I cured him.”

Lu Tong’s heart leaped with joy.

The epidemic had been present for three months. Several batches of doctors in the medical halls had died, and no physicians from far or near dared come to this place. Everyone in Changwu County was waiting to die. Now that this woman could cure Eldest Young Master Li, Changwu County had hope.

“Miss, can you cure the epidemic?” Lu Tong asked carefully.

The woman laughed: “I don’t cure epidemics—I only neutralize poison. The epidemic is also a type of poison, so naturally it can be neutralized.”

Lu Tong didn’t quite understand her words and only asked softly: “Miss… could you save my family?”

The woman looked down. Lu Tong could feel the other’s gaze falling on her, as if examining her. Just as she was feeling uneasy, she heard the person before her say: “Very well.” Before she could feel joy, the woman continued: “However, my consultation fee is very expensive.”

Lu Tong was stunned: “…How much do you need?”

“Magistrate Li paid eight hundred taels of silver to buy his son’s life. Little girl, how many people are in your family?”

Lu Tong stared at her blankly.

Her father was just an ordinary teacher at the academy. Since contracting the epidemic, he had already resigned. Her mother usually took on embroidery work at the general store to make a living. When there was nothing to do, they lived in poverty. Now that the family had no source of income, the money for medicine was constantly being spent. Her elder sister and second brother were also becoming increasingly seriously ill… Not to mention eight hundred taels of silver—even eight taels of silver, their family couldn’t afford.

The woman laughed lightly and walked past Lu Tong toward the carriage.

Lu Tong watched her retreating figure. In her mind flashed the cramped room filled with the sour-bitter scent of medicine, her mother’s tears and father’s sighs, her elder sister’s gentle comfort, her second brother’s forced cheerful smile… She hurried after her in a few steps: “Miss!”

The woman’s footsteps paused, but she didn’t turn around.

“Thud.”

Lu Tong knelt down and spoke urgently: “I… my family doesn’t have that much silver. I can sell myself to you. I can do many, many things—I can endure great hardship!” As if afraid the person before her wouldn’t believe her, she spread open her hands, revealing her tender, still childish palms: “Usually I do all the household work. I can do anything! Please save my family, Miss. I’m willing to work like an ox or horse for you for the rest of my life!”

Her felt hat fell off, her forehead pressed against the snow on the ground, becoming soaked with icy cold. The sky was overcast, and the north wind made the lanterns under the eaves billow.

After a long while, someone’s voice rang out: “Sell yourself to me?”

“I know I’m not worth that much silver,” Lu Tong’s voice was somewhat choked with sobs, “but I can do anything… anything…”

A pair of hands lifted her up from the ground.

“Being my servant will involve enduring much hardship. Do you have no regrets?”

Lu Tong murmured: “No regrets.”

“Good.” The woman seemed to smile, bending down to pick up the fallen felt hat and gently putting it back on Lu Tong’s head. Her tone carried something inexplicable: “I’ll save your family, and you’ll come with me. How about that?”

Lu Tong looked at her and nodded.

“What a good child.” She took Lu Tong’s hand and said lightly: “It’s a deal.”