Time flowed back a thousand years, under the vast sky covered by the Great Qing Dynasty.

Summer of the sixth year of Baoyuan, Marquis Dingxi’s residence.

The morning rain had been falling for quite a while. It was mealtime, and the servant women and maids coming and going all carried umbrellas. Various colored clothes and umbrellas wove together like colorful clouds, interspersed with laughter about stepping on shoes and splashing skirts. The exquisite vessels couldn’t mask the aroma of food, and as they passed by, a young maid standing under the corridor corner couldn’t help but sniff and swallow her saliva.

The young maid was fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing a blue cloth jacket and trousers—the most ordinary maid’s attire in Marquis Dingxi’s residence. But what was unusual was that she wore a red sash, a color only second-rank maids in Marquis Dingxi’s residence were allowed to use.

This blue and red formed a striking contrast, particularly eye-catching, yet the people coming and going didn’t even glance at her, as if she were air.

The young maid held a basket in one hand and rubbed her stomach with the other, gazing longingly at the kitchen entrance. Gradually, the foot traffic lessened.

A short, plump woman stepped out, followed closely by four or five older women all competing to hold umbrellas for her.

“I tell you all to be more alert. You’re all veterans of many years—don’t lose face. Do what should be done, don’t take what shouldn’t be taken, and keep your eyes open. I’m telling you…” the woman said slowly and deliberately, her voice carrying some arrogance. At this point, she stopped walking.

When she stopped, the older women behind her immediately stopped too, looking at her with flattering, ingratiating smiles.

“…If anyone loses face for me, don’t blame me for not giving them face. When I throw someone out, it won’t be just one person. When they come crying to me about their whole family having no livelihood, I won’t care,” the woman said with a half-smile, slightly raising her hand to point at these people, revealing two pure gold bracelets on her plump, white wrists.

“Madam Dong is giving unnecessary instructions. We’re all advanced in years—how could we do anything inappropriate?” a horse-faced woman said with an apologetic smile.

“Yes, yes, if we still need Madam Dong to teach us at this point, we might as well have lived in vain and should leave this place immediately,” everyone chimed in agreement.

This was Madam Dong, the stewardess in charge of the upper quarters’ kitchen in Marquis Dingxi’s residence.

The young maid bit her lower lip and rushed out from the corridor corner, standing in front of this group of people in the rain.

Madam Dong was just showing a satisfied smile, about to make some jokes, when someone suddenly stood in front of her. Because of running urgently, they splashed water everywhere, leaving marks on her pine-colored horse-face skirt.

“Oh my, seeking death!” the nearby women exclaimed. Catching sight of the newcomer’s blue clothing from the corner of their eyes, they immediately raised their hands and slapped her.

These women were robust, and the young maid was struck on the shoulder, stumbling and dropping the basket in her hands.

“Wait, isn’t this…” Madam Dong focused her eyes to see clearly who stood before her, especially noting the red sash, and couldn’t help but pause.

The woman who had struck out also saw this and was startled. She was just a third-rank rough servant—she couldn’t afford to offend a second-rank maid from the upper quarters. Reflexively, her knees bent.

“It’s A’Hao,” Madam Dong said, drawing out her voice.

Hearing the name A’Hao, the woman who had bent her knees immediately straightened up again, breathing a sigh of relief. She even felt she had been frightened and glared at the maid.

A’Hao stood in the rain, quickly getting soaked, her hair plastered to her head and face, looking increasingly bedraggled.

“Madam Dong, I… our Young Madam’s…” she said tremblingly.

“What about the Young Madam? What instructions does she have?” Madam Dong asked, looking at her with a smiling, amiable attitude.

“The Young Madam asked me to inquire whether this month’s allowance could be distributed?” A’Hao said, raising her head to glance at Madam Dong, her small face pale whether from fear or being drenched by rain.

Madam Dong’s expression turned cold.

“What? Have you forgotten about Qiutong Courtyard’s portion again?” she said indifferently.

Originally, hearing the young maid’s complaint and seeing Madam Dong’s cold face, the older women were somewhat afraid, thinking about how to beg for mercy and admit fault. But hearing such a question asked, they laughed again.

“Really deserved that slap,” one woman raised her hand and lightly pretended to slap her own face, saying regretfully, “I actually forgot!”

She said this while looking at the young maid, bowing slightly in courtesy.

“Miss, please hit me. Hearing that Third Miss caught a cold, I panicked and rushed to purchase the light meals, fruits, and vegetables she ordered. I’m old and useless, can’t handle stress, remembering one thing and forgetting another…” she said with a smile.

How could the young maid dare to hit her?

“Nanny is joking. Naturally Third Miss’s illness is more important…” she said in a low voice, biting her lower lip.

Madam Dong’s face showed a smile, then turned cold again.

“Are you all stupid? The young lady is standing in the rain,” she said.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding older women seemed to just notice that the person before them had been soaked by the rain like a drowned rat, and hurriedly came forward to hold umbrellas for her.

“Why did you come out in this weather…”

“Could have just sent anyone to say a word…”

“The young lady came personally…”

Everyone spoke up, full of heartfelt care and concern.

“No matter how busy, don’t delay the work that should be done. If there’s a next time, don’t blame me for being merciless,” Madam Dong said to these women, shaking her head with a smile.

The older women all swore and vowed there would never be a next time.

“Then I’ll go first,” Madam Dong said, then looked at A’Hao. “A’Hao, if you need anything, come tell me.”

A’Hao nodded and thanked her while trembling all over.

Madam Dong left, and the older women in the courtyard returned with laughter, talking about everything from a young lady praising a dish and rewarding some money to which maid made the shoes the gatekeeper Sibao was wearing. It wasn’t until A’Hao followed them into the house that one of them seemed to just notice her.

“Why hasn’t the young lady left yet?” she asked.

A’Hao looked down at her empty basket.

“Oh my, we’ll have someone personally deliver the items. It’s raining and the roads are bad—how could we let the young lady carry them?” the woman said with a smile, while instructing the other women, “Elder sisters, did you hear? Quickly prepare the items and send them to the Young Madam.”

Scattered laughing responses echoed through the room.

“I…” A’Hao hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something more, but was pushed and pulled out the door by the woman.

The courtyard gate shut with a snap. The rain grew heavier, and A’Hao stamped her feet, put the basket over her head, and ran quickly along the small path.

Passing through one gate after another, crossing a side passage, she could see in the distance through the rain mist a small courtyard standing alone, with a few flowering trees scattered around it and nothing else, appearing particularly lonely.

A red umbrella came drifting from that direction.

“A’Ru,” A’Hao saw and called out, quickening her pace.

Under the red umbrella was a girl about her age, wearing a simple white undergarment with a blue vest and gray cloth skirt. This entirely plain attire gave her a gloominess inappropriate for her age. Seeing the maid running through the rain, she also quickened her steps.

“Why didn’t you take an umbrella when going out? Running back drenched in rain—couldn’t you borrow one somewhere…” She finally covered the running person with her umbrella. Looking at the thoroughly soaked girl, her face showed both heartache and anxiety as she took out a handkerchief to wipe her face.

“I ran fast, it’s fine,” A’Hao said with a giggle.

With only one umbrella, this child was afraid she wouldn’t have one to use. A’Ru felt very sad.

“Quickly go back and change,” she said, reaching to pull A’Hao, but seeing A’Hao’s empty basket, her expression paused. “How is it, still no…”

“Sister, they said they’ll have someone bring it right away,” A’Hao quickly said, feeling somewhat ashamed and self-reproachful for not handling the matter well.

A’Ru sighed.

This “right away” would probably be two or three days later…

“Sister, why did you come out? The Young Madam, she…” A’Hao quickly asked again.

“The Young Madam is sleeping. I was worried about you, so I came out to look,” A’Ru said.

The two talked as they walked to the courtyard. The courtyard wall was somewhat mottled, with a paint-chipped plaque hanging on it inscribed with the three characters “Qiutong Courtyard.” With a creaking sound, they pushed open the door and the two women entered.

After changing clothes in the room, A’Ru prepared a bowl of ginger soup and brought it over.

“Sister, there isn’t much ginger left. Save it for the Young Madam,” A’Hao declined.

“Drink it. The Young Madam’s health doesn’t depend on one bowl of ginger soup,” A’Ru said with a sigh. “Most importantly, we all need to stay well, otherwise, who can the Young Madam rely on…”

As she said this, tears couldn’t help but fall.

A’Hao said nothing more, took the ginger soup and drank it in large gulps.

“Sister, don’t worry. We can all stay well. When the Young Master returns and learns that the Young Madam has recovered her health, he’ll definitely take us away,” she said with a smile.

A’Ru looked at her, the smile at the corner of her mouth very bitter.

“I hope so,” she said softly.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

“I’ll go heat some water so the Young Madam can wash when she wakes up,” A’Ru stood up and said, breaking the gloom in the room.

A’Hao nodded, arranging her hair in front of the bronze mirror on the low, old table. Just as she tied the last hair ribbon, she heard a sharp scream from outside, followed by the sound of a copper basin hitting the ground.

This sound was sharp and piercing, scraping across eardrums and chilling to the bone.

A’Hao shuddered and rushed out, only to see A’Ru sitting on the threshold of the main room, trembling all over and screaming continuously.

“Sister, what’s wrong?” she hurriedly ran over, reaching out to support A’Ru while instinctively looking up.

Piercing screams tore through the rain mist.

“Young Madam, Young Madam,” A’Hao cried out, crawling toward the room.

Following her gaze, one could see a pair of feet suspended in mid-air, wearing shoes embroidered with twining lotus patterns. Looking up, there was a white gauze skirt, and a snow-blue collared embroidered robe, then a pale white face with the tongue slightly protruding.

“Quick, let her down,” A’Ru, recovering from her screaming, rushed over and hugged the legs, lifting them up.

A’Hao cried as she came to help, and they finally lowered the person hanging from the beam.

“No… no… breath…” A’Ru tremblingly felt for the woman’s breathing, her face immediately turning ashen.

“Young Madam…” A’Hao burst into loud sobs, throwing herself on the woman lying on the ground. “How could you be so confused!”

The woman on the ground lay motionless. If not for her face turned iron-blue from suffocation, she would look no different from someone sleeping.

“Quick, quick, go tell the Marquis and Madam,” A’Ru, being a few years older, got up and ran outside.

The door slammed open with a bang. A’Hao’s crying suddenly stopped. She covered her mouth with her hand. With the door open, wind carried rain continuously into the room. Except for the pattering of rain, there was no other sound. The plain room, clean as a snow cave, seemed increasingly cold and sinister.

A’Hao’s breathing became more and more rapid. She suddenly didn’t dare look at the person lying on the ground. With another bang from the door, she let out a scream and rushed into the rain.

Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky, accompanied by thunderous roars that almost tore apart the entire heavens.

A’Hao, who had just run out of the courtyard, collapsed to the ground and fainted from fright.

At the same time, the person lying on the ground in the room moved her hands, then her whole body convulsed as if having spasms. The hand hanging at her side suddenly lifted and waved, as if trying to grab something. Her throat made coughing sounds, and at that moment, a white box suddenly appeared above her, falling straight down and hitting the person on the ground squarely and forcefully in the abdomen.

“Ow, my mother,” the person on the ground cried out in pain and sat up abruptly.