Chapter 1: The Transmigrator

On a scorching summer day, the cicadas in the trees chirped tirelessly.

In a residence within Yixing City, a young maid girl dressed in emerald green clothing appeared to have just returned from outside. She was hurrying with small, rapid steps toward the rooms on the western side of the estate.

With a "creak," the little maid pushed open the door and walked quickly to the side of a woman sitting on a daybed holding an embroidery needle. Her face was flushed red from the hurried journey, yet she possessed an irrepressible excitement: "Miss, I just returned from the Silk Workshop. Guess what happened!"

Without waiting for the woman on the daybed to answer, the little maid continued animatedly, "As soon as that shopkeeper saw me, he was like a wolf seeing a lamb, asking straight away if I had brought the sachets and coin purses. He said those young masters and noble ladies love them so much that they sold out early in the morning. For the past few days, many young masters and ladies have been sending people to ask if new stock has arrived. I did as you instructed, Miss, and had him sign the contract you drafted, and settled the silver all at once. Look!"

As she spoke, the little maid pulled a stack of banknotes from her bosom. The sight of the whole stack of bright white banknotes made her extremely excited; the sachets and coin purses Miss had made were actually worth several hundred taels. Including the few pieces of embroidery Miss had previously asked her to take for consignment, it totaled nearly two thousand taels. She had clutched them tightly on her way back, fearing someone might snatch them away.

Xia Tingning looked up at the little maid, Wanyu, who was gesturing wildly and staring at the banknotes with glowing eyes, and couldn't help but find it amusing.

Her gaze swept over the banknotes on the table. Nearly two thousand taels; she understood the situation in her heart. "Those pieces of embroidery were sold as well?"

The little maid named Wanyu nodded like a pounding garlic: "Sold, sold! The shopkeeper of Youran Residence said they sold for two thousand taels. I gave him a ten percent commission as previously discussed, and he even asked me when there would be new embroidery pieces."

Xia Tingning nodded in response. Those sachets and coin purses were both exquisite and beautiful, and since they were unlike anything in this dynasty, they were naturally very popular among the sons and daughters of wealthy families. She had also specially embroidered several large-scale double-sided embroideries; not only were the patterns novel, but the stitching methods were unprecedented. They were perfectly suited for buying as gifts or for celebrating birthdays. However, double-sided embroidery was extremely labor-intensive; those few pieces had taken her several years to complete. But since they could be exchanged for these several thousand taels, it was considered worthwhile.

Xia Tingning picked up the banknotes, counted them, and then handed them back to Wanyu. "Put them away. Yun'er should be finishing his lessons soon. Tidy up and prepare the meal."

Xia Ziyun was Xia Tingning's younger brother. He was ten years old this year, four years younger than Xia Tingning, and usually attended school daily.

"Yes, Miss." Wanyu happily tucked the banknotes into a small locked box and then hurried to the kitchen to arrange the meal.

Xia Tingning set down the embroidery in her hands, walked slowly to the window, and looked at the few white magnolia trees outside. Her thoughts drifted. In a flash, eight years had passed since she arrived in this world. She still remembered how she had clearly been in a car accident, only to wake up as a six-year-old girl.

This was a dynasty with no historical records, yet it was very similar to ancient China. Most things found in ancient China existed here, but some things did not. For example, sachets and coin purses—they were actually non-existent here.

Xia Tingning chuckled softly; this actually worked in her favor. Those items had brought her a considerable amount of silver. One had to know that in ancient times, women had no real status; only by having money could one avoid being manipulated by others.

While Xia Tingning was immersed in her thoughts, Wanyu pushed the door open from the outside: "Miss, the meal is set. Madam and the Young Master are already waiting for you in the hall."

Hearing this, Xia Tingning withdrew her thoughts and replied, "Mm, let's go." She reached out to close the window and walked out of the room toward the hall.

In the main hall, Lady Shui was sitting at a round table listening to her youngest son recount the day's events at school. Seeing her daughter approaching from afar, she hurriedly beckoned her to sit beside her. "Ning'er, come quickly to Mother."

Xia Tingning walked into the hall with a smile and sat beside her mother. Lady Shui took her daughter's hand, gazing at Xia Tingning's increasingly beautiful and delicate face with a smile. A wave of tenderness rose in her heart, and she sighed inwardly: *Ning'er has been clever since childhood, steady in her actions, and possesses wisdom and insight no less than a man's. If she were a boy, her future would surely be limitless. It is a pity she was born a girl; a daughter must always marry into a good family to have someone to rely on in this life. But with Ning'er's status... sigh.*

Fortunately, Yun'er was currently being taught by Ning'er, so his studies were excellent. He surely wouldn't fare poorly in the future; once Yun'er became successful, he would certainly be able to look after his elder sister.

Thinking of this, Lady Shui couldn't help but feel slightly relieved.

Sitting to Lady Shui's right was Xia Tingning's four-year-old brother, Xia Ziyun, whose features bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Xia Tingning's.

As soon as Xia Ziyun saw his sister arrive, he immediately hopped over to sit beside her, his bright black eyes flashing with excitement: "Sister, I answered all the questions the teacher gave yesterday exactly how you taught me. The teacher was very satisfied and kept praising me for my good explanations!"

Looking at her brother's excited and cute little face, Xia Tingning smiled and patted his head. "Mm, even though the teacher praised you, you must not become arrogant and complacent."

"Yun'er knows!" Xia Ziyun nodded obediently and responded in a crisp voice.

Seeing her children so close and loving, Lady Shui was also very happy. She hurriedly called the maids to serve the meal and said with a smile, "Come, Ning'er, Yun'er. Eat quickly, both of you eat more."

Xia Tingning looked at her mother, who was smiling affectionately while serving food to her and her brother, and then glanced at the dining table where only the three of them sat. She couldn't help but think of her "cheap" father of this life.

*Sigh,* she sighed inwardly. Her mother, true to her name, was gentle and lovely, but her temperament was soft. To put it nicely, she was kind; to put it bluntly, she was a fool.

It was said that back then, her maternal grandfather's family had fallen into decline and passed away early, leaving only her mother and some farmland. For her mother, a lady of a traditional household who had never stepped foot outside the inner gates, guarding the residence and property left by her grandfather must have been a source of great terror.

Coincidentally, at that time, she met her father, who was in Yixing City on official business. They fell in love, and from then on, she followed him. However, when her "cheap" father later took her mother back to his residence in the capital, intending to give her a formal status, the primary wife had many complaints about her husband taking a concubine privately. Furthermore, for some reason, the father's elderly mother also disagreed with him bringing her mother back to the manor. Left with no choice, he could only return to Yixing City and set up this separate residence to settle her.

The first few years were fine; her father held an official post in Yixing and only returned to the capital twice a year. As the saying goes, "the heavens are high and the emperor is far away," so her mother and he naturally enjoyed a few years of happy and blissful times.

But as her father was transferred back to the capital a few years ago, her mother had not seen him for several years. She only received letters and a bit of silver sent by his messengers every month.

According to her mother, that "cheap" father's career was quite smooth; not long ago, he had been promoted to the fourth rank, and the silver he sent was more than before.

Upon hearing this, Xia Tingning merely let out a cold snort in her heart. That bit of silver was barely enough to keep such a large family fed and clothed. Truly a useless man.

After finishing lunch, Xia Tingning bid farewell to her mother and instructed her brother to return to his room for a nap. Only then did she lead her maid back toward her own room, instructing Wanyu as they walked: "Go find Uncle Guan."

Wanyu responded and turned to walk toward the old residence.