Chapter 3 I Guarantee Your Bright Future
The bathtub was overflowing with water, and the steam was so hot it made one's eyes blurry and indistinct.
Chunyan bustled about, her heart as joyful and carefree as a swallow in spring sunshine.
"Good sister, I knew I hadn't misjudged you! You've really made a name for yourself! You have a bright future ahead of you, so don't forget your sister in the future, I'm counting on you! Is the water cold? Let me add some more for you. Look at this bath powder, I heard it's made with more than a dozen kinds of flowers, plus pearl powder and fragrance, and this moisturizing cream, jasmine powder, osmanthus oil... It's all good stuff, all for you, my good sister! How about that? You should believe me now, I didn't lie to you."
Shanlai sat naked in the bathtub, the hot water covering almost half of her face. She sat there quietly, ignoring Chunyan's endless chatter.
She was not happy at all, because the master of the house was too good to her, unusually good, so good that she was convinced that the master wanted to get something out of her. But what was it about her that was worth coveting? She couldn't figure it out.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
Chunyan asked, "Who is it? What's the matter?"
The person outside replied, "It's me. I've come to deliver the clothes."
Chunyan then went to open the door.
The door opened, and a gentle breeze slipped in, along with the person.
"Let me see! They've all seen them, but I haven't."
Chunyan, clutching her clothes, hurriedly closed the door and turned around to complain, "Why did you have to come and cause trouble now of all times?" As she spoke, the newcomer had already approached the bathtub, startling Shanlai so much that she hugged herself tightly, staring with her large, innocent eyes, shrinking into the corner of the bathtub.
The newcomer laughed heartily, bent over and holding onto the edge of the bathtub, asking Shan Lai, "Did I scare you?" Then she added, "Don't be afraid, we're all women, what's there to be afraid of?"
Shanlai was already Chunyan's darling, and seeing this, she rushed over, pulled him aside, and warned, "Don't scare her!"
"You're not that easily scared."
"What if?"
"You're being too cautious."
"Of course I have to be careful."
The man laughed again and said, "You're right! Be careful, she's really beautiful, definitely worth five hundred taels. Chunyan, you're going to be rich!"
Chunyan was secretly pleased, but she cursed aloud, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
The newcomer laughed and scolded, "What are you pretending for? I've heard everything! This is the young mistress! The old lady spent five hundred taels of silver to buy Lian Si's young mistress! You're from the same village, so when one person achieves success, even their chickens and dogs benefit. Aren't you rich now?"
That's the truth, and Chunyan thought so too, but the truth is hard to hear, and some truths can't be spoken or heard.
Chunyan shouted, "I'll tear your mouth off!"
The newcomer was equally assertive, declaring, "I'm not afraid of you."
The two started playfully fighting.
Shanlai sat in the bathtub, staring blankly as the two wrestled.
Only then did she understand.
It turns out she's the youngest grandmother.
It turns out they wanted her to be their concubine.
But the contract has already been signed.
what to do?
Shanlai was pulled out of the water in a daze, and then sat down in front of the dressing table in a daze. People dried her hair and applied osmanthus oil to her. Then she was pulled to see Old Madam Liu.
I came here willingly, but I don't want to leave.
She didn't want to be a concubine.
Being a concubine is not good.
She just knew.
But the contract had already been signed, and she was now a servant in the Liu household, her life in their hands. Let alone making her a concubine, even killing her was just a matter of lifting a finger.
What should she do? Accept her fate? If she doesn't accept it and runs away, what will happen to her father?
Is this my fate?
She really cried, tears streaming down her face.
They arrived at the same place again and saw Old Madam Qin once more.
Shanlai had stopped crying. On the way here, she had come to a realization: her father's life was more important, so she decided to accept her fate.
When Shanlai was brought before Madam Qin, Madam Qin was still looking at Shanlai's indenture. Only when someone beside her reminded her did she look up. Shanlai had been tidied up and looked brand new, and Madam Qin's eyes suddenly lit up again.
"Such beautiful handwriting is rare indeed," said Madam Qin with a smile. "And the characters are so well written, it doesn't look like a child's handwriting at all." As she spoke, she beckoned to Shanlai, "Good child, come closer to me, I have something to tell you."
Shanlai stepped forward.
Madam Qin eagerly grasped Shanlai's hand. This elderly noblewoman had well-maintained hands, smooth and delicate beyond her years, very soft, but cold, so cold that Shanlai involuntarily shivered.
"Good boy, do you know why I offered five hundred taels to buy you?"
Shanlai trembled again, instinctively trying to pull his hand back.
“I have a grandson, ten years old this year, who just celebrated his birthday two months ago. He’s an exceptionally good and intelligent child…” Mentioning her beloved grandson, Old Madam Qin couldn’t help but reveal a loving and contented smile. “If I had to say who I value most in the world, it would only be him… I want him to be well. Child, as long as you can make him happy, let alone five hundred taels, even five thousand or fifty thousand taels would be enough, as long as he’s happy… as long as he’s willing to treat you well, I will never mistreat you.” As she spoke, her icy hands gently caressed Shan Lai’s face, causing Shan Lai to feel a strong urge to escape, but reason forced her to suppress it.
I guarantee you a bright future.
This was a promise from Old Madam Qin, and she was satisfied with it. She had said enough, so she looked up, glanced to the side, and called out, "Ru Hui."
A woman with a long face and a tall figure responded and walked out from the crowd, standing in front of Old Madam Qin.
Madam Qin said, "Take her to settle in first."
Ru Hui lowered her head and agreed, "Don't worry, Grandma, I understand." After saying that, she reached out to take Shan Lai's hand.
Suddenly a commotion broke out outside, growing louder as it approached, drawing everyone's attention.
Shanlai also pricked up his ears to listen carefully, as if shouting, "Someone has returned."
The little girl ran in, shouting joyfully, "Lian Si is back!"
Madam Qin immediately stood up. "You've arrived so quickly?" she said, and walked out, intending to go and meet them herself.
Shan Zi's heart pounded whenever she heard the name "Lian Si". She knew who Lian Si was, but what did he look like? What was his temperament like? What if he was born like Widow Huang's son, and had a temper even worse than Li Wu, the village rascal?
What should we do?
Just then, footsteps sounded.
Thinking about it won't help.
Shanlai steeled his resolve, pursed his lips, and raised his head.
The person just walked in.
Li Wu was also ten years old. He was much taller than Li Wu, but thinner. In terms of appearance and demeanor, Li Wu was certainly no match for him.
He was very handsome, with a face as white as powder, lips as red as cinnabar, delicate eyebrows and long eyes, very refined, and looked just like a girl. He was only ten years old, but his hair was already tied up. He wore a brand new white and blue brocade robe and was adorned with a longevity lock, precious jade, amulets and other amulets for blessing and protection. There were more than a dozen of them, and at a glance, people could tell that he was a precious young master from a wealthy family.
As soon as the young master entered the door, his eyes were fixed on Shanlai.
Old Madam Liu laughed so hard her eyes disappeared, and asked him, "What are you looking at? You're so engrossed that you've forgotten your manners."
Upon hearing this, Liu Min, the beloved only grandson of Old Madam Qin and the precious young master of the Liu family, glanced at her, snorted, turned to look at his grandmother, and pointed to the only stranger in the room: "Is it her?"
Madam Qin smiled and said, "Isn't it her? She's so beautiful, don't you like her?"
Liu Min snorted again and said, "What's the use of being beautiful? I need to be literate."
"Not only can he read, but he can also write. Look, I think his handwriting is even better than yours." With that, he handed over Shanlai's indenture.
Liu Min took the card, stared at Shan Lai's name on it for a long time, and then let out another cold snort when he looked up.
"Goodness, what a strange name, it doesn't sound right at all. How can a girl's name not sound right? Who is she from? Is her name Chunyan? Then you should change it to... um... Yunli! From now on, you'll be called Yunli! What a good name, isn't it?" After saying that, he laughed smugly.
Madam Qin, however, forbade it, saying, "Why change the name? Shanlai is fine, it's not vulgar."
Liu Min pouted, dissatisfied, and said, "Doesn't the old lady always give in to my every whim? Why won't she even allow me to change a maid's name this time?"
Because this is no ordinary girl.
Madam Qin and Shanlai were, in a sense, the master and the servant, but Madam Qin was the one who was trying to curry favor with Shanlai, simply because she had high hopes for him.
Madam Qin said, "Yunli is a good name, but it's not as good as Shanlai. I prefer the name Shanlai."
Liu Min was still unconvinced. "How is it okay? I just find it strange. How do you interpret such a name? Tell me, what do these two characters mean?"
The last sentence refers to goodness.
Having accepted her fate, Shanlai now acted like a servant. If her master wanted her to change her name to Yunli, she would change it to Yunli. If her master asked her a question, she would answer it honestly.
“My father said that he asked someone to name me. The person said that it was because he had accumulated good deeds that God gave him such a daughter as me. I am the child he got from doing good deeds, so I am named this.”
Madam Qin immediately said, "Listen to this! This name has a story behind it. Her father is ill right now, how can you change her name?"
Liu Min pursed his lips and said, "Her father is ill, and she's not by his side serving him medicine. Why did she come to our house? In my opinion, it would be better to send her home."
Madam Qin said, "Is the world as easy as you think? You've never suffered since you were born, so you know nothing about human hardships. If she doesn't sell herself, how will her father have the money to buy medicine? If you make her go home, you're not only cutting off her father's way out, but also hers. How can you be so heartless?"
Those few words struck a nerve with Shan Lai, and as he lowered his head, his eyes were already filled with tears.
Liu Min exclaimed in surprise, "She came to our mansion to sell herself in order to save her father?"
Madam Qin nodded, sighed, and said, "Her father doesn't know yet. She came without telling him because she was afraid he wouldn't agree if he found out."
Liu Min was unaware of these inside details.
All he knew was that his grandmother had bought someone for him, and that she wasn't just to be a maid.
Liu Min was deeply troubled by the death of the maid who served him with his writing implements. Firstly, he had developed feelings for her, having known her for a time and spent time with her. Her sudden passing at the prime of her youth was deeply saddening. Secondly, the other maids in the household were all incompetent; none of them were literate, and they couldn't even properly tidy up the books, let alone the manuscripts. When he tried to tidy them up himself, he knocked over the inkstone, staining the sleeves of his newly donned clothes. It wasn't that he was distressed about the clothes—after all, he was the young master of the Liu family and could afford a few new outfits—but he was simply annoyed by the misfortunes that prevented him from even concentrating on his studies.
So I was thinking of going out to play.
He was upset, and his grandmother was naturally very distressed. She immediately gave in to his wishes, packed his things, and sent him to stay at a friend's house.
His grandmother cherished him dearly, and her heart ached terribly if she didn't see him for a day. That's why, after seeing Shanlai, she sent someone to bring her beloved son back.
The maidservants were not important; Liu Min hadn't seen his grandmother for several days and missed her terribly. He had been planning to return anyway, so he was lucky to make it in time.
What should have been a smooth and successful event turned into a disaster when some of the people who came to pick him up started talking nonsense. They said that his grandmother had spent several hundred taels of silver not to buy him a maid, but to buy them a young mistress. After saying this, they even went around bowing to him, congratulating him, and asking for a reward.
His friends were there too, teasing him, bowing and laughing as they congratulated him, saying they would bring a few people with gifts to congratulate him later.
I'm so angry!
What little grandma? This is all nonsense.
And those servants in his household are as stupid as pigs, making him the butt of ridicule.
He had been holding his breath the whole way.
Of course, you have to catch people and throw them out.
Even if she's beautiful, it won't work; we have to get rid of her.
But she was truly a woman of great loyalty and compassion; for the sake of her father, she was willing to sell herself.
He admitted that he did indeed feel a little bit of admiration for her.
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