The morning classes were all about teaching women how to be wives, mothers, and daughters, with principles like “obey your father at home, obey your husband after marriage.” Ming Shu found herself dozing off during these lessons. After barely enduring the women’s conduct class, it was time for needlework, which was still not Ming Shu’s forte.
After setting up the embroidery frame and threading the needle, she made her first stitch.
“Ouch…”
Two gasps sounded simultaneously.
Yin Shu Jun turned her head to see Ming Shu sucking her finger just like herself.
Perfect synchronization.
Ming Shu smiled at her, but Yin Shu Jun still despised her and turned away with a cold snort.
The morning passed with routine teachings, and when lunchtime came, the young ladies were collected by their maids like prisoners granted amnesty. Ming Shu noticed that throughout the session, apart from Yin Liang Jun, no one had spoken a single word to Yin Shu Jun.
“Elder Sister, Sister Ming Shu, let’s go pay our respects to Mother together. I heard they prepared pickled goose feet in Mother’s quarters today, and it’s delicious,” Yin Liang Jun excitedly suggested after asking her maid to pack up her things.
Ming Shu frowned slightly. The “Mother” Yin Liang Jun referred to must be her stepmother, Shu Jun’s birth mother, Lady Li.
Watching Yin Liang Jun’s affectionate manner, one might mistake her for the legitimate daughter of the household, the real daughter of Lady Li.
“If you want to play the role of a filial child, do it yourself. I’m not interested,” Yin Shu Jun didn’t give any face and left immediately.
Since Shu Jun wouldn’t visit Lady Li, Ming Shu naturally wouldn’t go either. Liang Jun looked a bit disappointed, putting on a pitiful expression as if she’d been bullied, but she quickly smiled again, waved goodbye to Ming Shu, and left the classroom with the other young ladies.
From a distance, Ming Shu observed several girls gathering around Liang Jun, whispering among themselves while stealing glances at Shu Jun.
Those glances were far from friendly, more like thorns.
Yin Shu Jun was in a foul mood, her beautiful face tightly drawn. She didn’t have the energy to torment Ming Shu and walked with her maids to her garden but didn’t enter. After standing at the garden gate for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, she turned and headed to Huai Xiu Pavilion instead.
Ming Shu could only follow.
The group hurriedly arrived outside Huai Xiu Pavilion. Today, Yin Li Cheng had returned for lunch and was also in the pavilion. The maids were busy setting up dishes inside, and the room was quite lively with laughter. The maid holding the curtain at the door was smiling towards the room, not noticing the people outside.
Ming Shu followed Shu Jun to the entrance, and just as Shu Jun was about to enter, Lady Li’s voice suddenly came from inside.
“Good child, you’re so thoughtful. If only Shu Jun had half your sensibility, I would be at ease.”
“We’re trying to have a nice meal, why bring up that unfilial child?” Yin Li Cheng’s voice followed immediately.
Lady Li fell silent, and Yin Liang Jun changed the subject, bringing back the lively atmosphere. Even Lady Li laughed along, making them seem like a perfect family of three. Meanwhile, Shu Jun, who had heard everything through the curtain, had turned ghastly pale. Before the curtain maid could announce her presence, Shu Jun turned and left.
Ming Shu smiled apologetically at the maid and hurried after her.
After leaving Huai Xiu Pavilion, Yin Shu Jun’s face grew even darker, as if covered by a layer of storm clouds. Wherever she went, servants scattered to avoid her, none daring to approach for fear of incurring her wrath.
Ming Shu observed coldly, thinking how Yin Shu Jun’s relationships were the complete opposite of Yin Liang Jun’s.
After walking for a while, Yin Shu Jun stopped at a secluded latrine. Without saying anything to Ming Shu, she went straight in and closed the door.
As the saying goes, nature’s calls wait for no one. Ming Shu had been holding it throughout the morning session, unable to find an opportunity to relieve herself while following Shu Jun. Now that Shu Jun had gone to the latrine, she thought she could quickly take care of business too. After notifying Shu Jun’s little maid, she hurriedly entered the latrine.
Closing the door and finishing her business, Ming Shu felt relieved and was just arranging her skirts to leave when she discovered the door wouldn’t budge.
She pushed harder, but the door remained firmly shut, locked from the outside.
Yin Shu Jun’s malicious voice came from outside: “If you want to follow me around, let’s see if you’re qualified. Just watching me for your mistress like a dog?”
Ming Shu remained silent, and Yin Shu Jun continued, “If a spider couldn’t scare you to death, how about something more? Should I let some snakes keep you company?”
A few sobs seemed to come from inside, and Yin Shu Jun’s face finally showed a gloomy smile, her mood seemingly improved by Ming Shu’s apparent submission. She said, “Want to come out? Then beg me!”
Ming Shu whimpered: “Miss Shu Jun, please spare me.”
Yin Shu Jun grew more pleased: “Spare you? How dare you think…”
Before she could finish, Ming Shu suddenly screamed: “Ah— Snake!”
Yin Shu Jun’s expression changed, and before she could speak, the person inside cried out weakly: “I… I’ve been bitten, poison… this snake… it’s poisonous…”
Ming Shu’s voice gradually weakened, and Yin Shu Jun began to panic: “Hey! Stop trying to fool me, how could there be snakes here?!”
The little maid beside her was already terrified, crying anxiously, “Miss, there are snakes here, please let Miss Ming Shu out! What if something terrible happens?”
This latrine was built for emergency use, surrounded by trees and plants for privacy. As it was spring with abundant growth, the presence of snakes and insects wouldn’t be unusual.
“Don’t you dare let her out!” Yin Shu Jun maintained her tough exterior but secretly moved toward the door to investigate.
How could things be so coincidental that a snake would appear just when mentioned? She didn’t believe it.
“Miss Shu Jun, I’ve never wronged you before, why are you trying to harm me like this? I… I…” Ming Shu’s voice was barely a whisper before suddenly rising sharply, “If I die, my ghost will never let you rest!”
Just as Yin Shu Jun pressed against the door to listen, Ming Shu’s sudden sharp cry startled her. The door suddenly shook as if someone had collapsed against it, giving Yin Shu Jun quite a fright.
The little maid was almost crying, but Yin Shu Jun still wouldn’t open the door, only calling out: “Hey?! Stop trying to scare me! People don’t die that easily! Hey, Lu Ming Shu!”
After calling several times with no response from inside, Yin Shu Jun began to panic. She had only wanted to teach Lu Ming Shu a lesson, not take her life.
“Hey! Wake up!” She called while frantically unlocking the door.
As soon as the lock was removed and the door cracked open, Yin Shu Jun peered through the gap, unexpectedly meeting a single eye. That eye stared at her unblinkingly, and in the darkness of the latrine, it seemed to float in mid-air. Yin Shu Jun’s scalp tingled, and the next moment, the door burst open from inside, accompanied by Ming Shu’s loud “Wa!” Yin Shu Jun stumbled backward two steps and landed on her bottom.
She… almost wet herself.
The little maid stood dumbfounded with tears still in her eyes, forgetting even to help her mistress up.
“You… you… you…” Yin Shu Jun’s heart was pounding, her legs too weak to stand, pointing at Ming Shu speechlessly.
Ming Shu straightened her clothes and walked out casually, saying nonchalantly, “Oh my, why is Miss Shu Jun sitting on the ground? The spring air is chilly, so be careful not to catch cold. Quick, help her up.” The last sentence was directed at the little maid.
While speaking, Ming Shu bent down and directly helped Yin Shu Jun up, with the little maid finally coming to her senses and rushing to assist.
Ming Shu maintained her smile: “Miss Shu Jun, let me support you. After all this excitement, I’m getting hungry too. Shall we go back for lunch?”
Thus, all the servants in the Yin Manor witnessed an extraordinary sight.
The new companion reader, Lu Ming Shu, was openly supporting Yin Shu Jun as they walked, and Yin Shu Jun offered no resistance whatsoever.
By the next day, Ming Shu’s name had spread throughout the entire Yin Manor.
After losing two confrontations, the wayward young lady finally settled down somewhat and stopped tormenting Ming Shu. Whether she was intimidated or secretly plotting something else remained unclear.
Since she stopped provoking Ming Shu, Ming Shu became like an invisible person by her side. They went everywhere together and ate together, and while Yin Shu Jun never showed her a friendly face and maintained a cold demeanor, Ming Shu paid no mind. She ate when she should eat, drank when she should drink, and dutifully submitted her daily reports about Yin Shu Jun to Lady Li.
Lady Li was very satisfied with Ming Shu and made an exception by rewarding her with a month’s salary in advance, encouraging her to keep up the good work.
With those five taels of silver in her possession, Ming Shu’s gaze toward Yin Shu Jun became especially benevolent.
Besides the records she submitted to Lady Li, she kept a separate notebook to document the behavior of others in the Yin Manor. From her observer’s perspective, Yin Shu Jun wasn’t quite what the rumors made her out to be. If Yin Shu Jun were truly the heartless, vicious person people claimed, she wouldn’t have panicked so much when Ming Shu pretended to be bitten by a snake. If Ming Shu had died or been injured, Yin Shu Jun should have been happy.
Ming Shu always felt there was something inexplicably strange about Yin Shu Jun’s dramatic personality change, especially after interacting with her. This feeling only grew stronger.
Her elder brother had reminded her not to believe everything she heard, and she kept this firmly in mind.
Thinking of Lu Chang, she became distracted, and when she came back to her senses, she realized she had unconsciously doodled a portrait on paper. She glared at the portrait and muttered, “Won’t let me go to the academy? Fine, who wants to see you anyway, hmph! You’d better not come back either!”
Despite her words, she… still missed her elder brother!
Achoo!
Whether it was from a sudden cool breeze in the mountains or something else, Lu Chang sneezed.
Perhaps Ming Shu was cursing him?
That day when he sent her down the mountain, her eyes were full of resentment. She’d probably hold that grudge for a while.
Thinking of Ming Shu, Lu Chang put down his book. There was only a single lonely lamp in the corridor, illuminating thousands of bamboo stalks outside the window, making the mountain wilderness seem even more quietly dull. Ming Shu’s smile flashed before his eyes, somehow bringing an unconscious smile to his lips.
Well, he had a break coming up in a few days. He might as well go home for a visit.
After several peaceful days, while Ming Shu’s relationship with Yin Shu Jun showed no improvement and they still despised each other, her relationships with others in Yin Manor grew rapidly.
When it came to popularity, Ming Shu had always been the type people naturally liked since childhood. First, she was pretty and smiled often; second, she was tactful, courteous, and spoke without putting on airs. This not only won over the elders but also made her popular among her peers, though in a different way from Yin Liang Jun’s popularity.
In just a few days at the Yin Manor, Ming Shu had become a hero among the young people. Not only did the young ladies admire her, but even the young masters of the Yin family would wait in the long corridor of the Run Wen Hall after classes to catch a glimpse of her.
“That’s her, the fierce one who catches spiders with her bare hands.”
“I heard she taught our eldest miss a lesson in the latrine, that’s amazing!”
“Indeed, now the eldest miss doesn’t dare to do anything to her.”
“And she’s quite pretty too…”
Ming Shu walked through all sorts of gazes and comments, nearly bowing to her audience in mock humility.
Her popularity brought many benefits. She naturally integrated into the lower levels of the Yin Manor, and when she didn’t need to follow Yin Shu Jun, she would grab some melon seeds and peanuts in her handkerchief and either hide in the garden or sneak to the kitchen to gossip with the maids and elderly servants. She was well on her way to learning about eighteen generations of the Yin family ancestors, even discovering private matters like which daughter-in-law gave birth before seven months of pregnancy.
Of course, while she listened and observed much, she spoke little, always maintaining a curious gaze and an amazed tone when addressing her gossip partners, giving them full faces. The more the speakers enjoyed themselves, the more enthusiastic they became, gradually opening up completely.
Meanwhile, Yin Shu Jun watched Ming Shu’s behavior with disgust, categorizing her with those gossipmongers and grinding her teeth in hatred.
On this clear day, Ming Shu was following Yin Shu Jun back from Run Wen Hall as usual, with no one speaking along the way.
When they reached a small stone bridge, a snow-white cat suddenly darted in front of them, causing Yin Shu Jun to stop. The cat was beautiful, with sapphire-blue eyes like jewels. It stood on the bridge post and raised its paw to scratch its head, showing no fear of people.
Yin Shu Jun stared for a moment, then suddenly walked toward the cat.
Ming Shu immediately noticed that Shuang Yan, Yin Shu Jun’s maid, tensed up.
Shuang Yan was only about twelve years old, too young to be Yin Shu Jun’s maid. Originally, she was just a second-class maid in Yin Shu Jun’s quarters, responsible for rough work like boiling water and sweeping. However, after Yin Shu Jun’s head maid left due to abuse, and several subsequent maids also fled her harsh treatment, no one in the entire manor dared to serve in her quarters. Thus, the childlike Shuang Yan was promoted to fill the vacancy and temporarily serve Yin Shu Jun.
Ming Shu noticed Shuang Yan clutching her clothes, watching Yin Shu Jun nervously.
But Yin Shu Jun merely walked up to the cat and gently stroked the fur behind its ears. The cat enjoyed it, meowing at her and half-closing its eyes. Yin Shu Jun smiled, but Shuang Yan trembled with anxiety, only managing to say to Ming Shu: “Miss Ming Shu, please… stop or miss.”
Ming Shu was confused at first but quickly understood.
Yin Shu Jun was notorious for abusing animals.
Over the past few days, Ming Shu had learned that Yin Shu Jun once kept a cat and a rabbit in her quarters for many years, showing great affection for both. But two years ago, a servant witnessed a horrific scene: the cat and rabbit were found disemboweled under the flowers in Yin Shu Jun’s garden, with Yin Shu Jun crouching beside their bodies, holding blood-covered scissors.
The rumors of Yin Shu Jun’s animal abuse started from that incident.
Afterward, any animal that came near Yin Shu Jun met an unfortunate end, seemingly confirming her guilt. As a result, no animals remained around her.
“She… she won’t throw the cat into the river, will she?” Shuang Yan trembled, not daring to stop Yin Shu Jun.
Yin Shu Jun had already skillfully reached for the cat’s scruff, intending to pick it up. Tree shadows fell across her face, and because of the rumors, her smile took on an eerie quality that inexplicably sent chills down one’s spine.
Just as Ming Shu was about to step forward, an angry shout came from the bridge.
“Yin Shu Jun, let go of my cat!”
Yin Shu Jun’s hand quickly withdrew, startling the cat, which let out a sharp “meow” and darted away. The person from the bridge rushed over to confront Yin Shu Jun.
Ming Shu turned to look and saw several people on the bridge. The one in front was a handsome young man of fifteen or sixteen years.
It was Yin Shu Jun’s younger brother from the same mother, Yin Hao Yu.