Chapter 10 Heaven is Unjust; the woman's voice is unheard by anyone...

Lin Lan had already been in the Shen family for four years when she entered their prestigious residence.

The village has always been poor; getting a new piece of clothing is a luxury, and having a full meal is a rare treat.

She was sickly as a child, and was even thinner and smaller than other children.

Just then, a girl from the village who worked as a maid in a wealthy family returned from the city, which caused a stir among the villagers. Lin Lan also ran to the village entrance with the other children to look around.

It is said that she was intelligent, considerate, and lovable, and thus received the favor of the mistress, who treated her like a daughter. Not only was she allowed to return to her hometown to get married when she reached marriageable age, but she was also provided with a new set of clothes and jewelry as a dowry.

Her glamorous wedding and return home in glory stirred a thought in her mother and father's hearts.

The city might really be a way out.

Just then, the Shen family in the west of the city was recruiting people, and eight-year-old Lin Lan was sent into this deep mansion in a daze.

She remembered that on the day she entered the city, several kites were floating in the sky outside the city.

At that time, the famine had not yet arrived, the river had not yet dried up, and a fine spring rain had just fallen the night before, filling the air with the moist scent of earth.

The donkey cart creaked forward, and in the fields beside the road, the pale yellow forsythia was in full bloom.

To make her look more pleasing, her mother specially dressed Lin Lan in a new dress that was also a pale yellow.

She usually wore old clothes, but after changing into new ones, she spun around in front of the bronze mirror again and again, almost not recognizing herself.

Before she left, her mother carefully combed her hair neatly and gave her many instructions on her behavior: "Be quick with your hands and feet, be sharp-eyed, and don't talk back..."

Finally, she murmured self-deprecatingly, her voice choked with emotion, "My Xiaolan is so wonderful, no one could dislike her."

Lin Lan noticed that her mother was acting strangely; although she was smiling, there was a hint of tears in her eyes.

She was too young to understand the meaning of parting.

Her father held her hand and, instead of rushing to the Shen Mansion, he first took out his money at the market to buy her a sugar figurine, something he never did before.

The sweet taste melted on her tongue, a flavor she had never tasted before.

"Xiao Lan, be smart later and remember to call for help," her father said, stroking her hair.

"Okay!" Lin Lan nodded.

She has always been very obedient and doesn't need much prompting from others.

For some reason, her father felt even more distressed looking at her.

Walking two miles from the city gate towards the river, you arrive at the gate of the Shen Mansion. The steward, who came to select people, critically scanned the new maids and finally settled on Lin Lan.

Although she was petite, she had clean-cut eyes and a clever air about her.

"Name?" The butler opened the book, the pen tip hovering in mid-air.

Father was taken aback, and quickly bowed: "This humble subject is Lin Wang."

The housekeeper frowned impatiently: "Ask your daughter!"

"Oh, her name is Lin Lan, Shan Fenglan." Lin Wang hurriedly answered, pressing his fingerprint on the contract while secretly slipping a small string of copper coins into the steward's hand, smiling apologetically, "The child is young and doesn't understand, please be patient and take good care of her..."

Lin Lan clutched her father's clothes and timidly peeked out.

The sight before her made her hold her breath.

The mansion was very large, with black tiles and white walls stretching endlessly, far superior to the low, dilapidated thatched huts in my home.

Even the ground beneath your feet is a smooth bluestone path, unlike the dirt roads in farmhouses, it is swept clean and spotless.

The courtyard was deep and secluded, with lush flowers and trees. Several maids dressed in neat blue robes were quietly sweeping and cleaning, and occasionally soft whispers could be heard.

She vaguely thought to herself: From now on, I'll be one of them too?

They would have enough to eat, a place to live, and perhaps even nice, clean clothes to wear.

But what about their parents? Will they be as heartbroken as their parents were when they passed away?

"Xiao Lan," after handing everything over to the steward, her father squatted down and gently patted her head with his rough hands, his voice a little tight, "Father is going back now, your mother is still waiting at home."

Lin Lan's heart tightened; this was the first time she had truly left her parents.

She suppressed her surging grievances and tried her best to appear sensible: "Goodbye, Father."

After a pause, she finally couldn't help but ask, "When will Father come to see me again?"

Lin Wang didn't know either.

Looking up, I saw the sky was clear and threatening rain, and the flowers on the branches were in full bloom.

His throat bobbed, and he could only offer a vague expectation: "When the flowers bloom again, Father will bring Mother to see you."

Her mother's words seemed to have come true; many people liked Lin Lan.

Despite the strict rules set by the headmistress, Lin Lan learned quickly and well.

When the steward brought her and the other new maids to the madam, he made sure she stood in the front row.

Seeing that she was small in stature but had bright eyes and graceful manners, the lady assigned her to the young lady's courtyard.

The young lady's given name was Huaiyu, and just like her name, she was a person as beautiful as jade and snow.

Dressed in fine clothes and pampered, she was only a few years older than Lin Lan, yet she looked much more mature than the petite Lin Lan.

But she wasn't spoiled; on the contrary, she was very lively.

When no one was around, the young lady would often talk to Lin Lan and even wanted to play with her.

Lin Lan kept her identity as a maid in mind and refused each time, saying, "Miss, this is not in accordance with the rules."

The young lady smiled slyly and pointed to the exquisite swing in the courtyard: "Alright, Ah Lan, stop pretending! Yesterday, you watched me play on this swing, and your eyes almost popped out of your head."

Lin Lan's face felt a little hot. How did Miss know?

Without a word, the young lady pressed Lin Lan down onto the swing, circled behind her, and cheered, "Hold on tight, I'll push you!"

The next second, her body was propelled upwards by a force, and Lin Lan's heart jumped into her throat. She tightly closed her eyes.

The wind whistled past my ears, bringing a strange sense of weightlessness.

She suddenly wanted to know what it looked like from the sky.

Curiosity finally overcame fear, and at the moment when she reached the highest point, Lin Lan opened her eyes.

The azure sky seemed almost within reach, and white clouds drifted slowly across the horizon.

As the swing descended, her view gradually came down, and she saw the sprawling houses and towering walls of the Shen family mansion.

They overlapped and surrounded each other, completely enveloping this small world.

She was nothing more than a tiny ant who witnessed all of this.

"The Shen Mansion...it's so big," she murmured unconsciously.

Shen Huaiyu, standing behind him, curled her lip in disapproval.

"It's just a cage."

"Whether it's big or small, it's all the same."

Miss Shen treated her very well, almost like sisters.

She also learned from this that even young ladies living in luxury have their troubles.

Master Shen intended to use her as a pawn in a political marriage, and he had been looking for a suitable match for her early on in order to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy.

The young lady deeply resented this, but was powerless to do anything about it. Over the years, the family had taken good care of her, hoping she would be of use in the future.

The Shen family valued literature and education, and specially hired tutors to teach all their children.

Of all the people, Shen Huaiyu was the most gifted.

She was particularly skilled in calligraphy, her small regular script with delicate flowers was elegant and refined, her poems and essays were ingenious and full of spirit. Even her teacher praised her to Master Shen: "Master, Miss is very intelligent, especially in poetry and prose. Her insights are unique and she is a rare talent among young ladies."

At that moment, Shen Huaiyu was passing by with Lin Lan, carrying newly copied poems.

Upon hearing the gentleman's praise, Lin Lan clearly saw the corners of the young lady's lips curve upwards almost imperceptibly.

Lin Lan was also happy for her young lady. During these days of serving her with writing and calligraphy, she had learned quite a few characters from her young lady and knew that the exquisite articles written by her young lady were far beyond what ordinary young ladies could write.

The young lady really wanted to give her poems to her father and get his approval.

However, upon hearing this, Mr. Shen simply waved his hand dismissively, showing some impatience.

"For a young woman, knowing a few words and being able to be a good wife and mother and manage the household is enough. No matter how much she learns, it's ultimately just a pastime for the women's quarters. What great use is it to the family or the country?"

His tone was calm, yet every word he spoke was hurtful.

"Does she expect her husband to grind ink, lay out paper, sew, wash, and manage all the household chores after she marries into his family?"

The young lady trembled, and the bright light that had just been in her eyes vanished completely in an instant.

Lin Lan watched her mistress's retreating figure nervously, but she didn't look in that direction again. Instead, she flicked her sleeve and left the corridor.

What happened next completely disappointed the young lady.

One day, her good-for-nothing brother, Shen Huaijing, made a name for himself at a poetry gathering in the city. His poem about plum blossoms drew cheers from the audience, and his talent became widely known.

Overjoyed, Master Shen hosted a banquet, and the guests praised him for his excellent parenting skills.

Only Lin Lan knew that the masterpiece that everyone was vying to recite was just a few days ago that the young lady had casually written on a draft paper and had not yet submitted to the teacher for review.

Shen Huaijing happened to see it and secretly copied it.

Throughout the celebratory banquet, Shen Huaiyu remained pale, her lips tightly pressed together, and she did not utter a single word.

Shen Huaijing was probably feeling guilty, so he specially instructed the servants to place several of Huaiyu's favorite snacks in front of her.

However, some tactless guests, with forced smiles, said to Shen Huaiyu, "Miss Shen is so fortunate to have such a talented brother. When you get married, your family will definitely be a strong support for you and will never let you suffer any injustice."

These words were like lighting a fuse.

Shen Huaiyu suddenly stood up and, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, turned and rushed out of the flower hall.

"Miss!" Lin Lan's heart tightened, and she quickly chased after her.

Like a gust of wind, Shen Huaiyu ran straight back to her small courtyard.

Instead of going through the main gate, she used the swing board and the flower stand next to her to nimbly climb up the high courtyard wall and stand on the roof of the side room in the blink of an eye.

"Miss! Come down quickly! It's dangerous!" Lin Lan stamped her feet anxiously from below, her voice trembling.

"No!" Shen Huaiyu stood stubbornly on the roof ridge, her small figure appearing particularly frail in the night wind.

Lin Lan made up her mind and, disregarding everything else, followed the example of her mistress, climbing onto the roof using both hands and feet.

The wind was cold at this height, and she was only dressed in thin clothes; she couldn't help but shiver.

Seeing the young lady's lonely figure, she mustered her courage and carefully moved over.

"Ah Lan," Shen Huaiyu called her name without turning around, "Why?"

"Why is it that when I, Shen Huaiyu, write articles and poems, no one knows about them?"

"He, Shen Huaijing, only stole one of my incomplete manuscripts, yet he became a universally praised genius?"

The night wind howled, causing her clothes to flutter.

The girl's clear voice startled the birds roosting under the eaves, and the empty courtyard seemed to echo with her voice.

Lin Lan was terrified and hurriedly looked around.

After confirming that no one was around, she rushed over and tightly grasped Shen Huaiyu's cold hand, her voice trembling with tears: "Miss, please stop! What if Master and Madam hear us..."

The banquet is being held today for this very reason. If anyone were to overhear this, it would be a disgrace to Master Shen.

The next second, the young lady slowly turned her head, but Lin Lan was stunned.

She saw the young lady's tears.

“No one will hear you.” Shen Huaiyu looked at her, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling. “A woman’s voice is something no one can hear.”

A note from the author:

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