The thirty-second year of Yongchang, Changwu County.

Early morning, as the sky barely brightened, a layer of jade-white covered the long street. Snow fell softly from above, dampening the Spring Festival couplets on the small courtyard gates.

Despite the approaching New Year, the county town held no festive atmosphere, with every household’s doors tightly shut.

In a pitch-dark house, a few suppressed coughs suddenly rang out, followed by a childish voice: “Mother, I’m going to fetch water.”

After a while, a woman’s response came: “Don’t go too far.”

“I know.”

With a creak, the door opened, and an eight or nine-year-old girl walked out. She wore a sunflower-colored silk jacket and a pair of worn red cotton shoes. Adjusting the felt hat on her head, she carried a water bucket and walked toward the street.

Three months ago, Changwu County was struck by an epidemic. The disease came fiercely, felling households one by one. It began with a fever, then gradually sapped strength until victims were bedridden, covered in red rashes. After some days, their bodies would rot before death. The bodies were then rolled up in mats by government officials and taken to be burned in the east of the city.

Of the five members of the Lu family, only Lu Tong could still walk. As a nine-year-old child, she alone had to care for her parents and siblings, which was truly difficult.

Though the well was in front of the old temple at the East Gate, Lu Tong carried her wooden bucket westward through the city. A hole had worn through her cotton shoes, and snow water gradually seeped in, making the girl’s face increasingly pale from the cold.

Walking about five or six li through the city, the population thinned while the mansions grew more luxurious. After turning down an alley, a three-courtyard mansion with vermillion gates appeared. Lu Tong stopped and sat down in front of two stone lions at the entrance.

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

After the epidemic, the county’s population had dwindled, with few people seen on the streets. The occasional passerby would be bailiffs hurriedly pulling carts loaded with corpses. The Spring Festival couplets at the Li residence were from last year, the black characters blurred by rain and snow. Not far from the tall pillars, however, was tied a brand new carriage.

The chestnut horse turned to look at her once, then lowered its head to lick snow water from a depression in the ground. Lu Tong huddled closer to the stone lion, hugging her knees while staring blankly at the vermillion gate.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, cold and mixed with large clusters of snow. With a creak, the gate opened and someone walked out.

Below a snow-white skirt hem was a pair of light cyan embroidered shoes with cloud patterns, the shoe surface adorned with a round, lustrous pearl. The skirt hem was floating too, light as clouds and mist, rising to snow-white silk gauze above.

This was a woman wearing a veil.

As the woman stepped out and walked forward, a pair of hands grabbed her skirt hem. She turned back to find the girl clutching her skirt, timidly asking: “Excuse me… are you the doctor who cured Young Master Li?”

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

Lu Tong pressed her lips together and said softly: “I’ve waited here for a month and haven’t seen Young Master Li’s corpse carried out. These days, you’re the only stranger who has come and gone from the Li residence.”

She looked up at the woman before her: “You’re the doctor who cured Young Master Li, aren’t you?”

Lu Tong had been watching the magistrate’s residence for a month. A month ago, while getting medicine from the clinic, she saw the Li family’s carriage enter the county clinic, with servants helping the coughing Young Master Li inside.

Young Master Li had also contracted the epidemic.

Countless people in Changwu County were infected daily, more than the clinics could handle, and there was no medicine to save them. Ordinary families who contracted the disease could only wait for death at home, but as the only son, Magistrate Li would certainly use every means possible to save his son’s life.

Lu Tong kept watch at the Li residence gate, seeing this strange woman enter. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted from above the compound. One day, two days, three days… for a full twenty days, no white funeral banners were hung at the Li residence.

From the onset of the epidemic to death typically took no more than half a month, but now a full month had passed.

Young Master Li hadn’t died. He had survived.

The woman looked down at Lu Tong. The veil concealed her features, so Lu Tong couldn’t see her expression, only hearing her voice, which held a hint of casual indifference: “Yes, I cured him.”

Lu Tong’s heart leaped with joy.

This epidemic had lasted three months, with several batches of doctors at the clinic already dead. No medical practitioners from far or near dared come to this place anymore. Everyone in Changwu County was waiting for death, but now since this woman could cure Young Master Li, there was hope for Changwu County.

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

The woman laughed: “I can’t cure the epidemic. I can only cure poison. The epidemic is also a kind of poison, so naturally, it can be cured.”

Lu Tong didn’t quite understand her words, only softly asking: “Miss… can you save my family?”

The woman looked down. Lu Tong could feel the other’s gaze falling on her, seemingly appraising. Just as she was growing uneasy, she heard the person before her say: “Alright.” Before she could rejoice, the woman continued, “However, my fee is very expensive.”

Lu Tong froze: “…How much?”

“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 and had already resigned after contracting the epidemic. Her mother usually earned a living doing embroidery work for the general store. Though they lived frugally when nothing was wrong, now with no source of income and medicine costs constantly draining their resources, her elder sister and second brother growing increasingly ill… forget eight hundred taels of silver, they couldn’t even afford eight taels.

The woman gave a light laugh and walked past Lu Tong toward the carriage.

Lu Tong watched her back, her mind flashing to the bitter medicinal smell in their cramped room, her mother’s tears and father’s sighs, her elder sister’s gentle comfort, her second brother’s forced smile… She chased after the woman in a few steps: “Miss!”

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

With a thud.

Lu Tong knelt, speaking urgently: “I-my family doesn’t have that much silver. I can sell myself to you. I can do lots and lots of work, I’m very hardworking!” As if afraid the person before her wouldn’t believe it, she spread her hands, revealing white, delicate, still childish palms. “I usually do all the housework at home, I can do anything! Please save my family, Miss. I’m willing to be your servant for life!”

Her felt hat had fallen off, her forehead touching the snowy ground, absorbing its icy cold. The sky was gloomy, and the north wind made the lanterns under the eaves sway.

After a 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, “but I can do anything… anything…”

A pair of hands helped her up from the ground.

“Being my servant will involve much hardship. You won’t regret it?”

Lu Tong murmured: “I won’t regret it.”

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

Lu Tong looked at her and nodded.

“Such a good child.” She took Lu Tong’s hand, saying coolly: “Deal.”

Author’s Note: Long time no see everyone, starting a new story! No reincarnation or palace intrigue, just a straightforward revenge story. Liu Tong is an emotionally stable psychopath who has also suffered much in the past. Hope everyone likes this new story~