Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Escape.
Father Lin took a few quick steps forward and lifted the curtain before his wife. After his mother entered the room, he followed her and rushed to Lin Zhi's bedside, holding her down as she tried to get up.
Finally, Father Lin set up a small table on the bed and said, "Don't move. Have a good rest."
Mother Lin placed the tray on the small table and continued to persuade, "Your father is right. Sister Zhi, just lie down for a while."
As she spoke, she scooped up a spoonful of rice soup, blew on it again and again, and when the heat had almost dissipated, she handed it to her daughter: "Come on, open your mouth, ah——"
Not to mention her previous life, she had never been treated this way even after she was five years old. Lin Zhi's cheeks flushed red, and she felt embarrassed. She endured the pain and said in a hoarse voice, "No, no need. I, I..."
"Why are you so embarrassed?" Lin's mother said nothing and put the spoon to her lips: "My dear, ah——"
Linzhi was at a loss as to what to do, so she had no choice but to let her mother feed her rice soup. The soup was half warm and half cold, just the right temperature for her to drink.
As Linzhi swallowed, the rice soup flowed down her esophagus, soothing her aching throat and falling into her empty stomach.
Although the rice soup was not scalding hot, Linzhi felt a warm current spreading from the bottom of her heart and flowing straight to every part of her body.
Seeing that Lin Zhi no longer refused and just opened her mouth and drank the rice soup mouthful by mouthful, Lin's mother finally felt relieved and even her tense muscles and bones relaxed a little.
After Linzhi finished drinking the rice soup, she dozed off with her eyes half closed like a chick pecking at rice. Only then did Lin's mother tiptoe out the door, wanting to let her daughter have a good rest.
As she lit the stove to make the medicine, she muttered to Lin's father, "I've paid the kitchen and asked Chef Wang to make some fish soup for me. Go to the market later and buy some pears and an old hen to nourish Sister Zhi..."
Father Lin listened patiently, responding from time to time, but his brows were still furrowed.
Lin's mother's voice gradually became softer and finally stopped, replaced by bursts of sobbing.
Father Lin stretched out his hand and silently embraced his wife.
Mother Lin leaned in his arms, tears streaming down her face. "Tell me...how could our Sister Zhi have encountered something like this?"
"I've been a loyal servant to our family my entire life, devoted entirely to the old lady and my husband. How could I have ended up like this? Is there any justice in this world?"
"Just like that, just like that..."
"She just gave Sister Zhi to a streetwalker like that. She wants to kill Sister Zhi..."
"Sister Zhi always only says good things about others and has never said a bad word about Third Miss. Now that I think about it, I don't know how much she has been wronged..."
Seeing his wife's voice getting louder and louder, Father Lin quickly covered her mouth: "Jiao Niang, please keep your voice down."
But Lin's mother's tears fell on the back of his hand, just like a branding iron on the back of his hand, and the stabbing pain went straight into his chest.
Lin's father and mother were whispering outside, unaware that Lin Zhi was feigning sleep. Although her eyes were closed, she heard everything they said.
Lin Zhi closed her eyes and carefully recalled her original body's memories. First, her original body's appearance and name were exactly the same as hers. Second, her ancestors for several generations had all been servants, though not from Xi Zhizhou's family, but rather slaves brought as a dowry by the old lady Zhao.
The dynasty she traveled through had customs and rituals similar to those of the Northern Song Dynasty. The benevolent emperor of this dynasty had, from the very beginning, banned hereditary slavery among the common people, replacing it with employment, known as "human servants."
Therefore, only families of high rank and high status could retain the household servants that had existed since the founding of the country. Even a family as prominent as Xi Zhizhou's had only a few dozen household servants, and the number of people was less than one-tenth of the number of human servants.
Unfortunately, all the original family members were house-born children, and their lives and property were in the hands of the master family.
Lin Zhi's father, Lin Sen, served the prefectural governor from a young age, rising from a runner to become the third steward of the government office. His mother, Su Jiaoniang, was the daughter of the old lady's wet nurse. She had learned needlework from a young age, and many of the old lady's inner garments were made by her. However, due to her deteriorating eyesight in the past two years, she gradually retreated to the background, primarily responsible for tracing patterns and teaching apprentices.
The original body received careful teaching from her mother Su Jiaoniang, so her needlework skills were naturally good. She was chosen to serve in the eldest girl's room since she was young.
Yes, my predecessor initially worked in the eldest girl’s sewing room, and was later chosen by the prefect’s wife, Mrs. Li, to serve in the third girl’s room.
Her previous life was a person who was content with the current situation. When she came to the third lady's room, she still worked hard and never made any mistakes.
Linzhi pondered this over and over again, feeling that if there was any rift between master and servant, there was only one thing that was suspicious. After the third girl's marriage was settled, the prefect's wife, Mrs. Li, had summoned the original self to speak with her, implicitly advising her to serve her sister and her husband wholeheartedly.
Although the original body had no feelings about being a concubine, she did not resist it. She just followed the master's orders and never changed her attitude because of this matter.
But everyone knows this matter.
The more Lin Zhi thought about it, the more strange it seemed to her. The third girl had just admired fabric patterns with her original body the day before, saying she wanted to make new clothes. But now she suddenly became violent and treated people like this. She really couldn't find the reason.
The original body also couldn't understand it. In her despair, she had the thought of disobeying her master's orders for the first time in her life, and finally ended her life with a white silk.
Lin Zhi's mouth was raw, and she didn't know how to react for a moment. But she didn't have time to grieve for her predecessor for a moment, and had to start thinking about the problems she faced.
Although the reason why the Third Lady treated her predecessor in this way was still unclear, if he went back to work for the Third Lady, he would undoubtedly be returning to the fire pit.
Today she could give herself to a street urchin, tomorrow she could give herself to the lowest servant, or even sell herself to a place where she could never see the light of day.
Just thinking about it made Linzhi feel cold.
If she fell into that state, what would happen to this couple who loved their only daughter? Lin Zhi boasted that since she had taken over the original body, she should be filial to her parents on her behalf. When she thought of this, her heart became heavier.
At that moment, Lin Zhi overheard the conversation outside again. Lin Sen was holding Su Jiaoniang, explaining the matter in detail. Finally, he placed his hands on her shoulders and applied a little pressure: "Jiaoniang, remember this."
"You can just say it in front of me."
"When you go out, don't say a word against the Third Miss."
Song Jiaoniang pursed her lips and said nothing.
Lin Sen had to raise his voice: "Jiao Niang, I say this for our family... Our family is a place where children are born, and without the permission of the master family, they will be like this for the rest of their lives!"
"If you harbor resentment and reveal it, I'm afraid that my husband and his wife will not feel guilty, but instead feel wary."
"By then, our family..." Lin Sen couldn't help choking up when he said this.
In the past, he was highly trusted by his husband because of his family background and he felt that his family was more respectable than the hired maids.
But now, Lin Sen thought how great it would be if his family was also hired. His daughter would not commit suicide in despair because of a word from the master, and he would not have to worry about the destruction of his family.
Although Lin Sen didn't continue, Song Jiaoniang already understood what he meant. She subconsciously grasped her husband's sleeve, her face filled with disbelief. "How could this be? The Third Young Lady has already done such a thing, could the mansion still..."
At this moment, a hoarse voice called out from the room: "Dad... Mom..."
Even though Lin Zhi's voice was weak and low, the two people who were talking immediately heard the noise. They quickly stopped talking, lifted the curtain and went into the room, looking anxiously at Lin Zhi who was lying on the couch: "Sister Zhi, are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Zhi shook her head, not caring about her previous attempt to conceal her identity by using amnesia. She swallowed her sweet, fishy saliva and then, enduring the stinging pain, said, "Mom, you and Dad, you are doing this for my own good."
"But the Third Miss, the Third Miss, is also the child of my husband and my wife. Yes, she is the granddaughter of the old lady..."
"Jie Zhi?" Song Jiaoniang was surprised at first. Judging from her daughter's reaction, she seemed to be conscious and there was no risk of amnesia.
But the joy only lasted for a moment.
As Song Jiaoniang heard her daughter's words clearly, the smile on her face suddenly disappeared, and a chill came from her bones.
"Jiao Niang, Sister Zhi is right."
“…” Song Jiaoniang fell down on the edge of the couch, crying uncontrollably, without saying a word.
As a mother, she wanted to seek justice for her child, but she forgot that the third girl was also the apple of her husband and wife's eye.
After a while, Song Jiaoniang wiped away the tears on her face and said through gritted teeth, "You are right..."
"I'm glad you figured it out." Lin Sen breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was halfway through his words, Song Jiaoniang interrupted him: "We have to go, we have to go."
Lin Zhi looked surprised, and Lin Sen was suddenly stunned.
Song Jiaoniang had completely calmed down at this moment. She looked up at the father and daughter and repeated, "We have to leave. We have to find a way to get out of this quickly."
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