Chapter 1 Who is she?

"Miss Su, please get ready, we are about to dock."

Hearing the old boatman's call, Su Ying tightened her old cloak, carried her bag, and walked out of the cabin.

Suddenly she felt some pain on her face. She reached out to check and found that it was tiny snowflakes mixed with ice hitting her face.

The weather in the south of the Yangtze River is warm and there is little snow. She had seen snow once when she was young, and she only remembered that the snow was as delicate as a pampered daughter in the boudoir, fine and white, melting as soon as it fell to the ground, and extremely precious.

She had originally thought that the snow in the capital was just a little heavier, but she had never expected it to be as heavy as small pebbles, carrying a fierce force, as if it did not welcome the arrival of her, the daughter of a relative who had come to live with her.

Soon after, the boat stopped at the ferry.

She walked on the wooden planks and went up the stone steps covered with a thin layer of snow. After a few steps, the soft-soled embroidered shoes on her feet were soaked, and her socks stuck to her feet, wet and cold.

Before she left, her grandmother worried that she wouldn't be able to withstand the cold weather in the capital. She specially sewed an extra layer of upper on her shoes, but it still didn't keep her warm, and she couldn't help but sigh.

At this time of year, ordinary people would not go to the capital unless it was urgent or official business. The ferry was deserted, with only a few porters coming and going. After Su Ying got ashore, she took a quick look and saw a half-worn carriage parked at the corner of the street.

An old servant stood beside the carriage, shaking the snow off his hat, which showed that he had just arrived.

Seeing her approach, the old servant asked, "Miss, are you from the Rong family in Yueqing?"

The Rong family is her maternal grandfather's family. The person she went to Beijing to seek refuge with this time was the second wife of the Du family who had been widowed for many years - her aunt Rong Ruolan.

Su Ying's maternal grandfather, Rong Anli, once served as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy. He was dismissed from office for speaking out against powerful officials in the imperial court, and the family returned home. Today, at the foot of Yandang Mountain, Rong Anli has been teaching for over twenty years. Several of his students now hold official positions. Though he lacks official status, he still enjoys a sterling reputation among the Jiangnan literati.

Because of this, when her stepmother, Lin, attempted to marry her off to a wealthy businessman from Yueqing, she secretly sent a message to her maid. Later, her grandmother, leveraging the Rong family's remaining influence, pressured her father, Su Jianrong, to "borrow" her, claiming her aunt in Beijing missed her dearly.

"The Du Mansion is headed by the eldest lady. Your aunt has been a widow for many years and has long since stopped caring about the affairs of the mansion. This time, for your sake, I have specially asked the old lady and the eldest lady. When you get there, please be more tolerant and don't make things difficult for your aunt. Your grandfather has also sent letters to several old students in the capital. We don't seek to find a rich family, but only one that understands things. Otherwise..."

The grandmother never said the second half of her sentence, but Su Ying understood it. If she didn't like him in the capital, she would have no choice but to go back to Yueqing.

The wheels of the carriage creaked as they chased the light snow, passing through the downtown area, through the streets and alleys, and finally arrived at the Du Mansion where my aunt lived.

As soon as the carriage stopped, someone outside the carriage was heard asking, "Has Miss Su arrived?"

When Su Ying heard the sound, she immediately lifted the curtain and got out of the car.

I saw a female servant, who was dressed quite elegantly, in a navy blue satin jacket with a skirt of the same color with dark patterns. She wore a pair of small red gold bracelets on her wrists. She looked at people with a measured look, and for a moment it was hard to tell whether she was the master or the servant.

Su Ying stepped forward, half bowed, and said, "Hello, Madam!"

The servant girl didn't move, but kept grumbling and refusing, "No, no, how can you let the young lady bow to an old woman like me?"

Su Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that she had guessed correctly and done the right thing.

The carriage stopped at the corner gate. Clearly, the Du family treated her as an insignificant, distant relative. Although the servant was well-dressed, she had been waiting at the corner gate for quite some time. This meant she must be a prominent maid serving the mistress of the household. Therefore, she called out "Mammy" and gave a half-boo as a sign of respect.

"Hello, Miss Su. I am an old woman serving the First Madam. My wife's name is Dushun. She used to be a servant to the Master, but now she manages some chores in the front yard. If you think I am kind enough, you can just call me Madam Li. The Madam asked me to tell you that you must have had a hard time traveling, so I won't disturb you from meeting the Second Madam and her nephew. Tomorrow, when you've rested up, we'll see each other again."

Nanny Li smiled and spoke politely, and at first glance, her words made one feel that the Madam was extremely considerate. But upon closer inspection, one could sense a hint of neglect.

"Please ask Madam Su Ying to thank the First Madam for her consideration. Su Ying will respectfully obey your orders. After cleaning up, I will pay my respects to Madam and the Old Madam tomorrow."

She bowed again, but this time it was different. She bent her knees slightly, gathered her sleeves, and bowed, then faced Li Ma Ma and performed a full and formal ceremony.

Nanny Li turned aside and waited for Su Ying to finish her greetings before politely saying, "I will definitely convey the young lady's kindness."

Unexpectedly, this scene was seen by Du Heng, the only son of the Du family who had just returned home.

Last night, several of his classmates held a literary gathering, reading old scrolls and critiquing policy papers until the third watch. Because the lights were dim on a snowy night, everyone opted to stay at the host's house. That's why Du Heng returned home in the early morning, treading through the snow. As he passed through the screen wall, he spotted from afar, from the outer courtyard, a woman in a green cloak, standing by the corner gate, respectfully bowing to Matron Li, who was standing beside his mother.

The Corner Gate was a secondary gate to the mansion, traditionally used by servants and goods to enter and exit. Guests were always allowed through the main gate as a sign of respect. This woman's attire didn't look like someone who would enter or exit through the Corner Gate, yet she actually gave Matron Li a full bow. Du Heng frowned slightly, feeling that this was unconventional and unseemly.

So, he paused for a moment, turned around and asked the servant behind him: "Who is she?"

The servant's name was Qingquan, and he had been Du Heng's servant since he was a child.

Qingquan had followed the young master in and out yesterday. How could he know what was going on in the mansion? The young master's unclear question confused him. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and looked in the direction the young master was looking. He realized that the "she" he was referring to was the strange woman at the corner gate. So he cleverly ran to the gatehouse and in a few breaths, he brought back the reply: "She is the niece of the second wife from her hometown, and she is staying at our mansion."

Second aunt's niece, is she here to stay?

Du Heng was startled and looked again, but the side passage behind the corner gate was already empty.

He gave up. Since he had not returned home the whole night, he should go back to his room as soon as possible to wash up and pay his respects to his grandmother and mother early.