Chapter 13: and

On a lazy afternoon, Xie Qingli wandered through the Zhang family garden, feeling utterly bored.

Xue Henian had been lingering in Luming County, and Master Zhang, fearing he might pose a threat to Xie Qingli, had confined her to the estate. Calculating the days, Song Zhaoxing should have returned to the prefectural city by now. Xie Qingli wanted to find him as soon as possible to retrieve her jade pendant, but since she could not leave the estate, she felt a growing resentment toward Xue Henian.

"Miss, Miss, look what I have!" her maid, Chunya, ran over happily, carrying a small birdcage. Madam Zhang, pitying Xie Qingli’s loneliness at such a young age, had specifically chosen Chunya for her. Chunya was of a similar age and had a lively, active temperament; though she was a maid, she was truly a playmate.

Chunya held the cage up to Xie Qingli like she was presenting a treasure: "Miss, look how cute this little bird is! Isn't it fun?" Xie Qingli had been in low spirits for the past few days, and Chunya had been trying every trick to cheer her up, though with little success—as was the case now.

Xie Qingli glanced into the cage. Inside was a bird with snow-white plumage; perhaps it had been jostled, as it looked a bit wilted. She tapped Chunya on the forehead and teased, "Look at me, your Miss. Do I look like this bird trapped in a cage?"

Chunya looked blank. She had gone to great lengths to trade for this bird from Young Master Shou'an’s servant, never expecting that instead of cheering her mistress up, she had only made her sad. If that was the case, what use was the bird? Chunya opened the cage, and the bird fluttered away happily.

Xie Qingli feigned a sigh again: "Alas, the bird can happily fly out of its cage, but I cannot even leave the estate. It seems I am not even as well off as a bird." Upon hearing this, a mist of tears instantly welled up in Chunya’s round eyes. Why was she so clumsy? Had she done something wrong again?

Seeing that she had taken the joke too far and that the little maid had taken it to heart, Xie Qingli quickly coaxed her: "Don't cry, Chunya. I was just joking. This is my home; how could it be like a birdcage? Besides, with you here to play with me every day, I am very happy." As she spoke, she flashed a wide smile.

Chunya walked ahead, pouting. She wasn't angry at her mistress, but at herself for not being clever enough. She couldn't tell if her mistress was just pretending to be happy to comfort her. The Madam had assigned her to the Miss, yet she was of no use.

As they reached a rockery, Chunya suddenly stopped. A burst of whispering came from behind the stones. Xie Qingli caught up and was about to speak, but Chunya made a shushing gesture and pointed behind the rockery.

"Let me tell you, I heard that this eldest young lady of ours is something else. You must take a detour whenever you see her, or you might fall under her spell," a middle-aged woman’s voice rang out, filled with gossip and excitement.

"Why? I ran into the eldest young lady in the garden yesterday, and she even smiled at me. She looks so beautiful when she smiles; I think she’s a wonderful mistress! I really envy the sisters who get to serve in her quarters. I want to be transferred to her courtyard, too," a young female voice replied with envy.

The older woman hurriedly stopped her: "Oh, you mustn't! I heard the eldest young lady knows sorcery. You think she’s good because she must have cast a spell on you. Our Master and Madam are now completely bewitched by her, especially the Madam—she’s ready to give her heart and soul to her. I heard that even the porridge she drank this morning was cooked by the Madam herself. Think about it, Young Master Shou'an has been sickly for so many years; how many times has the Madam cooked medicine for him?"

"Now that you mention it, it is a bit suspicious. The Madam has only known the eldest young lady for a few days, yet she treats this goddaughter with no blood relation even better than her own son, Young Master Shou'an. Could she really know sorcery? But if she has such powerful magic, why stay in our estate?" the young woman asked, deeply puzzled.

"For the family fortune, of course! I heard that a few days ago, the Master intended to give her half the family assets, but she refused. Our Zhang family is so wealthy; who wouldn't be tempted by that much money? Bah, she didn't want it because she thought half wasn't enough—she wants the whole lot. Besides, who knows if Young Master Shou'an is truly cured? Maybe it’s her black magic; he might look healthy, but he could be even sicker inside."

"Black magic? Is she a monster?"

"I heard someone saw a snake two or three zhang long on the west mountain of Deer Village. It was as thick as a person; it must have turned into a spirit. Our eldest young lady came from Deer Village—maybe she’s that snake transformed..."

Chunya could no longer listen. She shouted at the rockery: "Who dares to spread such lies about our mistress? Is your skin itching for a beating?" There was a rustling sound, and two figures with their heads covered in scarves rushed out, disappearing without a trace in moments.

Chunya wanted to chase them, but Xie Qingli held her back. In a while, she would be going to Shengjing to find her mother, Jiang Muxue. Once she left, these rumors would naturally collapse on their own; she didn't want to cause more trouble.

After dinner, Xie Qingli strolled to Li Lanzhi’s courtyard. Zhuangzhuang changed every day and grew more adorable; Xie Qingli felt something was missing if she didn't tease him daily.

Hu Er was studying medical texts. Master Zhang had wanted him to pursue the imperial examinations, but Hu Er chose medicine instead. Firstly, he was a bit old to start from scratch, and secondly, he was only interested in medicine. However, his skills were mediocre, so Master Zhang had found him an experienced old doctor. Hu Er would observe and learn during the day and continue reading medical books at night.

Seeing Xie Qingli, Hu Er was overjoyed and hurried to ask about the parts of the medical texts he didn't understand. The two discussed them for a while, and Hu Er’s admiration for Xie Qingli’s medical knowledge grew even deeper. Seeing that Hu Er still seemed unsatisfied, Li Lanzhi quickly found an excuse to send him away and dismissed the maids and servants in the room.

Once only the two of them remained, Xie Qingli smiled: "Sister-in-law Lanzhi, are you getting used to living here?"

Li Lanzhi nodded: "Suddenly living in such a grand mansion with so many servants, I was quite uneasy for the first few days. It felt like a dream; I didn't know when I would wake up and find myself back in Deer Village. But these days, Father-in-law and Mother-in-law have been very kind to us, and my heart has gradually settled."

"But that’s not why I brought you here. This afternoon, I heard the maids and servants in the courtyard spreading rumors about you. The rumors are simply outrageous, but I fear someone with ill intent might believe them. You must be careful, sister."

Xie Qingli was startled. She had thought it was just idle chatter between a couple of servants, but for such rumors to spread through the estate, someone must be stirring the pot. Her foster parents wouldn't believe it, but if it reached Zhang Shou'an’s ears and caused him to harbor resentment, the Zhang household would be in turmoil, and her foster parents would be caught in the middle.

Xie Qingli hurried back to her courtyard, frowning in thought. The best solution she could think of was to proactively lay the matter out to Zhang Shou'an, clear his doubts, and then find a way to root out the person behind it.

Taking a bottle of her homemade pills, Xie Qingli went with Chunya to Zhang Shou'an’s courtyard. Aside from the two times she treated his illness, she had never come here, nor had she ever spent time alone with him, so she didn't know his temperament.

Stopping at the door of Zhang Shou'an’s room, Xie Qingli paused. In just a few short days, the room had changed completely. The once-barren, cave-like room had lacked any sign of life, but now, with books stacked on the table, green potted plants by the window, and paintings hanging on the walls, it was full of vitality. Zhang Shou'an was leaning against a daybed, quietly flipping through a book. He was still thin, but there was no longer a trace of illness about him.

Zhang Shou'an looked up and saw the young girl bathed in the soft glow of the sunset, looking like a fairy from the heavens. She was clever, wise, kind, and adorable; with a gentle wave of her hand, she had changed the fate of a dying man.

But now, a trace of worry appeared on her face. Had she heard those rumors?

(End of chapter)