The water shimmered green as oars cut through the ice-speckled surface with a gentle patter. Through the vast expanse of mist and fog, a boat emerged. Having traversed mountains and ridges, skirting ponds and waterways, the vessel crossed Xuanwu Lake, connecting with the tidal channels north of Jianye, entering the waterways around Jianye City as daylight broke—spring had just arrived, the ice and snow were melting, the weather gradually warming, and the two Luo sisters were about to enter the city.

It was the fourteenth year of Yuanshuo.

The boat was wide but short, agile and swift, well-suited for river travel. It contained only one cabin, with an elderly couple manning the oars. Compared to the current trend of extravagance, this boat was much more modest. Now that they had entered Jianye’s waterways where no bandits would dare cause trouble, the elderly woman rowing relaxed slightly. While rowing, she couldn’t help but peek through the cabin window at the fairy-like young lady within—

Dressed in moon-white and water-blue colors, the young lady wore gossamer silk and robes, with a plain sash trailing to the ground and her skirt hem scattered with flowers to her feet. Her hair was styled in a cloud-like updo; her forehead adorned with five-petaled flowers made of gold powder and leaf, radiating brilliance; on her snow-white wrist, a jade-green bracelet gleamed pure as bamboo. The beauty knelt on a long couch, with books and wooden boxes arranged on the table before her. Her peach-tinted cheeks and phoenix eyes were sharp as water… as she gazed out the window with melancholy, she resembled a flame orchid blooming intensely under the moonlight. Despite her allure, her demeanor remained elegant.

The elderly woman was struck by her beauty: truly a woman captivating at every moment.

Though the Luo family of Ruyang had fallen, with Miss Luo’s beauty and bearing, upon entering Jianye City, she would surely attract countless young lords vying for her love. Even with a child in tow and depending on others’ charity, she would surely live well. Compared to impoverished people like themselves who weathered all hardships, the orphaned Luo sisters were already quite fortunate.

While the elderly woman was admiring this peerless beauty in her heart, Miss Luo, or Luo Lingyu, was leisurely organizing items on the table with her maid Lingxi. The nine-year-old young miss Luo Yunhua, wearing small braids, lay in a corner of the couch, randomly reciting from a book she held. The nine-year-old girl’s eyes darted about, peeking through gaps in the book to see what her sister was doing—

With jade fingers stained red with henna deftly working an abacus, Luo Lingyu recited: “The Old Marquis is in Jiaozhou, which I hear is a dangerous place. I’ve prayed for his safety and will send it to him once we reach Jianye; these crimson silk shoes I made by hand, light as clouds yet sturdy, are for the Old Madam; these ten boxes of rose pastries are for the aunts, as First Aunt particularly loved them in Ruyang; this calligraphy collection is Master Ming’s proudest work, for brother Yan; I haven’t met our two cousins and don’t know their preferences, but brushes and ink stones are always appropriate; then there are sachets, books, old paintings, fur coats…”

The maid Lingxi busily arranged these items according to her mistress’s instructions, her movements quick while Luo Lingyu spoke slowly. Having served together for many years, maid Lingxi glanced at her elegant, moon-bright mistress and listened to her oriole-like voice gently listing items… Lingxi slightly rolled her eyes: “Miss, we haven’t even entered Jianye City or the Lu family gates yet. There are only us servants on the boat, no outsiders, Miss needn’t put on such airs.”

“Do take a rest.”

Luo Lingyu’s phoenix eyes flashed as she glared at her maid: “What do you mean putting on airs? This is simply how I am.”

As mistress and maid conversed, Luo Yunhua, lying on the couch reading, tapped the wooden frame with her book and wailed: “Sister, I’m so hungry—”

Luo Lingyu: “Stay hungry then. Read your book, and you’ll forget about being hungry.”

Luo Yunhua puffed up her cheeks, dissatisfied, blowing at her bangs. Still a child, she had clear features, delicately carved like jade, but lacked her sister’s beauty. Her sister was giving away all the nice things to relatives, making her even hungrier just listening, yet there was no food… The little miss cupped her cheeks, imagining life after reaching Jianye: “I can’t wait to reach the Lu family! Then there will be water shield soup, suckling pig, preserved fish…”

Luo Lingyu leaned by the window like a figure in a painting of court ladies, still speaking softly: “Yunhua, you mustn’t. The Lu family has a great house in Jiangnan, with extremely high standing. Though we’re from a scholarly family and have fallen on hard times, we cannot disgrace the Luo name and invite ridicule. When we reach the Lu family, you must show restraint when Old Madam invites you to dine, don’t pounce on the food as if you’ve never eaten before; when the aunts ask if you’re hungry or tired, you must say not hungry, not tired at all. If you eat and drink greedily without restraint, I’ll beat you later.”

Luo Yunhua: “But I’m so hungry—!”

Luo Lingyu had already stopped paying attention to Luo Yunhua, lowering her head again to work the abacus. Amidst the clear clicking of beads, maid Lingxi cast a sympathetic look at the little miss whose cheeks had grown noticeably thinner since boarding the boat. Not only did Luo Lingyu maintain constant refinement and restraint herself, but she also watched over the little miss. Poor little miss hadn’t seen a grain of rice in two days, surviving only on vegetable soup. But Luo Lingyu wasn’t being cruel to her sister—ahem, they were simply too poor.

While Lingxi’s mind wandered, Luo Lingyu had moved on to discussing expenses: “…We’ll reach Jianye in two days. After giving these gifts, we’ll have over two hundred taels of silver left. After paying the boat fare, we’ll give Old Madam one hundred taels for our lodging; the remaining hundred will go toward rewards for maids and servants, participating in various banquets and outings… If we spend carefully, it should last about half a year. In that time, if I can marry a husband, our difficult situation will be resolved.”

These words brought tears to listeners’ eyes and pain to their hearts.

Luo Lingyu rested her chin on her hand, gazing worriedly out the window at the mountains and peaks rising above the water, concerned about her fate after reaching Jianye…

Nearby, Luo Yunhua was still crying out: “Sister, I’m hungry—”

“Hungry—! There’s no beauty in books, no gold houses in books—hungry!”

Each cry is longer than the last, each higher pitched than before, too noisy for Luo Lingyu to maintain her melancholy beauty pose.

Luo Lingyu had to say: “…Then let’s have the boat stop and try fishing.”

Luo Yunhua immediately cheered, throwing down her book and scrambling up from the couch, urging her sister’s maid Lingxi to find her shoes and socks. Luo Yunhua pattered out of the cabin, leaning over the bow while swallowing saliva, eyes wide as she waited for fish. The elderly couple feared this beautiful girl might fall in and tried persuading for quite a while before Luo Lingyu finally emerged from the cabin holding a fishing rod, followed by the maid carrying a fish basket.

The beauty’s long dress fluttered as she stood on the boat, striking as a passing swan. Such a delicate beauty holding a heavy fishing rod that nearly touched the ground. The elderly woman’s heart trembled as she hurried over to stop her: “This won’t do, this won’t do! Miss should sit and rest, leave rough work like fishing to us—ah!”

Luo Lingyu smiled gently, saying softly “It’s no trouble” as her wrist moved with force. She cast the fishing rod outward, the line flying like leaping waves, tracing a bright arc through the air before landing with a “splash.” Little Miss Luo Yunhua clapped her hands cheering for her sister, not at all worried that her sister was too weak to catch fish; maid Lingxi set the fish basket at Luo Lingyu’s feet, also completely at ease. Luo Lingyu’s sudden skilled fishing motion startled the elderly couple rowing.

Though the beauty appeared delicate, she wasn’t so delicate—

Without bait, in half an hour, she caught a small fish.

Luo Yunhua watched disappointedly: “Sister, catch more. Such a small fish isn’t enough for us!”

Another half hour passed and she caught another fish. The elderly couple on the boat greatly admired the young miss standing at the bow, clothes fluttering, fishing rod in hand, expression composed. Luo Yunhua and Lingxi busily cheered Luo Lingyu on. But perhaps her luck had run out—Luo Lingyu’s wrist ached and she couldn’t catch any more fish. Brushing aside some dark hair the wind had blown loose at her temples, Luo Lingyu regretfully began to reel in—

“Alright, that’s enough for now… ah!”

The boat suddenly shook with a “thud,” sending everyone stumbling backward. But Luo Lingyu, holding the fishing rod, felt her wrist grow heavy as she was pulled forward, about to be dragged into the water. As everyone cried out “Miss, be careful!”, Luo Lingyu was pulled off balance, falling onto the deck. The fishing line sank rapidly as Luo Lingyu grabbed the boat with one hand, not daring to let go—

Her whole body pressed against the deck, legs weak and powerless, her skirt caught on the fishing line pulling her overboard. Luo Lingyu screamed: “Quick, save me—”

The jolted boat had barely steadied when everyone rushed over to grab and support Luo Lingyu. Luo Yunhua was scared to tears, worried about being left alone if her sister was gone; Lingxi was also pale-faced, tightly holding Luo Lingyu’s waist and pulling her back. With both the sister and maid so panicked, they could only rely on the experienced elderly couple. After an “oh!” from the elderly woman, the old man reached into the water, muttering: “Seems someone crashed into the boat.”

The sky was grey and dim, and everyone’s clothes were soaking wet. The women worked together pulling Luo Lingyu back, whose whole body felt numb from the tension, lips trembling speechlessly; the old man exerted himself, pulling on the fishing hook, truly finding a person. At the old man’s call, everyone went to look at the person caught on the hook. Luo Lingyu, face pale as snow, surrounded by the others, vaguely saw someone emerge weakly from under the water. Broad robes soaked through, cotton garments covered in fish eggs, catkins, and duckweed, all mixed with dripping black hair, wrapped around this person floating up to climb onto the bow.

Vaguely a man.

Wearing tattered clothes, a poor person. The consequences of saving a poor drowning man were unthinkable…

Luo Lingyu immediately leaned forward, undoing the fishing hook and line. Everyone thought she was saving him, but instead, she grabbed the person’s arm, lying across the gunwale and pushing hard outward, trying to push this person back off the boat. Her movements were firm, her force not light, causing Luo Yunhua to cry out in horror: “Sister, no—”

At this moment no one knew this was the Lu family’s third young master of Jianye, the Luo sisters’ cousin Lu Yun. Many years later, when Third Young Master Lu held a high position and great power, recalling his first meeting with his wife, he laughed coldly—

His wife was ruthless indeed. Truly an unforgettable moment!