Chapter 5: Ling Xi's Residence

The old lady continued her tirade.

"What, can't this old woman order you around anymore? If this old woman can't order you around, why did you bother being born into our family? Why didn't you just stay up in heaven and enjoy your blessings?"

"Grandma, I’ve never worked in the fields before. Wouldn't I just be a burden if I went now?

How about this, I’ll take the food to the fields. You stay here at home and get some rest with Minghui." Delivering the food had always been the old lady’s job.

Pei Fuzhu could tell that the old lady was unhappy because of Pei Lingxi fainting and was just looking for a way to torment her. If she didn't let the old lady vent this frustration, she really might make her go work in the fields!

Although delivering food at high noon meant the scorching sun would practically melt a person, it would only be for a short while.

At worst, she could wear long sleeves and put on a straw hat.

Otherwise, if the old lady truly made up her mind, she really wouldn't be able to win against her.

Pei Fuzhu was living a second life. Although she had snatched the title of "Heaven’s Favorite Daughter" from Pei Lingxi, sparing herself from the old lady’s torment like in her past life, deep down, she still didn't dare to provoke the old lady too much.

She wasn't actually Heaven’s favorite.

She still relied on this family for food and clothing. If she really ticked the old lady off, even with her reputation as a "lucky doll," the filial sons and grandsons in this house would kick her out in a heartbeat.

But she still felt aggrieved. What did Pei Lingxi fainting have to do with her?

Why did the old lady blame her every time something went wrong?!

The old lady snorted, which was as good as an agreement, and as she turned away, the corner of her mouth curled up slightly.

Pei Fuzhu wiped away her tears and headed toward the kitchen...

***

Lingxi lay obediently in the room by herself, pricking up her ears to listen to the outside.

This body had exceptionally good hearing. Just how good?

The vegetable garden in the backyard and the well in the front yard were forty or fifty meters apart, with house walls blocking the way. Even so, Lingxi, while picking cucumbers in the backyard, could hear Pei Fuzhu and the third aunt whispering to each other by the well in the front yard.

Lying on the *kang*, Lingxi had no trouble listening to the movements outside.

Thus, even though she couldn't see, she had essentially witnessed the whole scene, and the little spark of excitement in her eyes was impossible to suppress.

It wasn't until the noise outside had died down for a while that Lingxi’s excitement finally faded.

Realizing that there was no one left in the house, Lingxi began to scan her surroundings.

Lingxi’s room consisted of an outer room for guests and an inner room for sleeping.

The walls of the room were covered entirely with smooth, exquisite bamboo curtains, which kept the dust out while adding a touch of rustic charm. The furniture was very complete—tables, chairs, cupboards, and cabinets were all there. Her grandma said they were all made of high-quality wood.

Against the west wall of the outer room was a narrow *kang*, one and a half meters wide and three meters long. In the northern provinces, winter lasted five or six months, so when guests came, they were first invited to sit on the *kang*.

As such, both the outer and inner rooms had *kang*s installed, and the inner room also had a canopy bed.

Lingxi had woken up on the *kang* in the outer room. She couldn't stay still, so she quietly got up.

When she was at the Immortal Heaven Palace, her body had been too weak; she had to beg her foster father to push her around the palace in a chair just to leave her room. Now that she finally had a body that could run around, she really wanted to go out and wander.

But—

Her grandma forbade her from leaving the room.

She had always followed the rule of listening to whoever held the power.

Therefore, Lingxi decided to explore only within her own territory.

As long as she didn't show her face outside, in everyone else's eyes, she would still be lying down, right?

Lingxi happily gave her clever brain a thumbs-up and wandered around the room joyfully.

Lingxi’s room was exceptionally clean and tidy.

On the *kang* were two *kang* cabinets. One held pillows, blankets, and bedding for occasional naps in the outer room; the other contained toys like Go, Chinese chess, and playing cards.

On top of the *kang* cabinet sat a small box filled with snacks and a few books she would flip through casually.

On the square table against the wall in the outer room sat a tea set and a thermos.

Next to the square table was a cabinet that served as a pantry. The top shelf held jars of brown sugar, white sugar, tea leaves, and honey. The middle held cups, plates, and bowls, and the bottom held several cloth bags containing peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds—not many, only a few catties in total.

Hanging directly above the five-drawer chest against the east wall was an embroidery of a pastoral landscape.

The chest contained small odds and ends like needles, thread, scissors, a slingshot, and gloves.

She moved to the inner room, where everything was also arranged neatly. The bedding on the canopy bed was folded like blocks of tofu, and even inside the three-door wardrobe, clothes and bedding were organized perfectly. Every single item was placed with great care.

Lingxi, who had never tidied a room in her life, was filled with admiration.

She had originally thought about storing things she didn't need in her storage pendant, but looking at it now, everything was just right.

In her memories, the east wing where Lingxi lived was actually quite ingenious.

Behind the bamboo curtains on the wall, there was actually a door leading to the neighboring courtyard.

The old Pei family’s three courtyards were each made of blue stone, with five main rooms and east and west wing rooms.

This had been built with money from Lingxi’s father back in the day. When it was first built, the youngest uncle was still a baby smaller than Minghui, so naturally, they prioritized the brothers who were about to get married.

Thus, the three courtyards from east to west were defaulted to Pei Eldest, Pei Second, and Pei Third.

However, Pei Eldest—Lingxi’s father—had always been away, so his courtyard remained empty until Lingxi returned home.

When Lingxi was sent back to the village as a lone child, she had her own courtyard, but they didn't dare let her live there alone.

For safety and convenience, she lived in the east wing of the second uncle’s courtyard, ate with them, and used their courtyard gate.

Lingxi’s own courtyard, the easternmost one, had been locked up ever since and never opened again.

But in reality, for Lingxi’s convenience, the second uncle and his sons had secretly opened a door in Lingxi’s room leading to the next courtyard.

The outer room of Lingxi’s quarters was adjacent to the west wall of the kitchen in the neighboring courtyard.

One could go directly through from Lingxi’s room. In the past, when Lingxi bathed or did laundry, or when her grandma occasionally cooked something special for her on a small stove, it was all done in the neighboring courtyard.

Usually, with the door closed and the bamboo curtain drawn, for all these years, aside from those in the know, even the eldest sister-in-law who lived in the same courtyard hadn't discovered this hidden gem.

It wasn't that anyone was intentionally hiding it; it was just that no one had ever brought it up...

Following her memories, Lingxi lifted the bamboo curtain, ready to take a peek at the small kitchen, when she heard the sound of a door opening in the courtyard.

Lingxi’s small body stiffened. She immediately returned to the *kang*. After a moment of thought, she pulled over the snack box from the cabinet, took out the peach blossom cake her grandma had just given her, and began to eat it slowly.

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(End of chapter)