After sighing, Shen Ruyi used Er Ya’s old patched-up bag to pack the money and placed it in her space.
Now that she had the space, it was safer to store valuables there.
Er Ya’s belongings weren’t much to organize, so after putting the copper coins into the space, Shen Ruyi sat on the bed, lost in thought.
“Oh! She’s awake! Looks like she’s fully recovered?” Suddenly, a voice full of surprise came from the doorway.
Shen Ruyi looked up to see a girl with an oval face, extremely fair skin, dressed in the attire of a second-rank maidservant, smiling brightly at her. Her smile was like a smooth, glowing pearl.
“Sister Pearl, you’re here.” Instantly, Shen Ruyi’s mind pulled up her information: Pearl, a second-rank maid in the Old Madam’s courtyard.
“I’ve come to deliver your medicine. Since you’re better now, you don’t need to brew another bowl,” Pearl said.
Behind her, a younger maid without hair tied yet carried a bowl of medicine for Shen Ruyi.
A strong herbal scent wafted into Shen Ruyi’s nose, and Pearl watched with a relaxed, pleased smile.
Shen Ruyi took the bowl, covering it with her sleeve as seen in TV dramas, but mentally redirected the contents into her space instead of drinking it.
Wiping her lips, she said, “I’ve finished it. Thank you, Sister Pearl.”
“No problem, it’s all on the Old Madam and Grandma Liu’s instructions. Rest in the room for now. Soon, the Old Madam may send good news,” Pearl said.
Pearl didn’t bother speaking much to a simple low-ranking maid, even if this one now seemed a bit more clever than before.
After sending Pearl and the young maid away, Shen Ruyi sat on the bed, half dazed, half pondering her future.
Er Ya had signed a death contract—unless the Marquis’ residence released her, she would remain a slave forever.
She didn’t know how long Master Liaokong or the Old Madam had said she would be needed. Was it for a lifetime?
That meant her future could only be one of a few grim options: live as a spinster, marry a servant, or become a concubine for the masters.
All of these were unacceptable for Shen Ruyi, who had transmigrated here.
The more she thought, the more hopeless her future seemed.
At least Er Ya could do physical labor. Shen Ruyi, however, was truly unskilled and ignorant about farming.
Unable to figure out a solution, she flopped onto the bed. The mattress immediately protested with a harsh creak.
Ah, the bed is hard and terrible. Both the bedding and blankets are thin—how will I survive winter?
Er Ya’s memories had no heated bed. Although it snowed every year in the capital, it wasn’t like in Shen Ruyi’s previous life—just a thin layer of snow.
From Er Ya’s memory, it was similar to the dry, cold climate of Jiangcheng in Shen Ruyi’s previous life.
Both masters and maidservants relied on charcoal stoves, but low-ranking maids endured the cold themselves.
Winter clothes in her bundle weren’t thick. Shen Ruyi wondered how Er Ya had survived all these years.
Even less than a day here, Shen Ruyi had already sighed more than in her entire previous life.
At noon, Shen Ruyi followed Ping’er and Xingyu to the main kitchen for lunch. After eating, Ping’er and Xingyu went back to work.
The low-ranking maids in the Third Young Master’s courtyard never had a moment of rest. They only had one unified day off a month to catch their breath.
As Shen Ruyi entered the courtyard, she saw Pearl following a matron.
“Grandma Liu, Sister Pearl,” Shen Ruyi quickly greeted them with a bow.
“Yes, looks like she’s fully recovered. Come inside and talk,” Grandma Liu said after examining Shen Ruyi’s face carefully, smiling.
The room was cramped. Grandma Liu barely furrowed her brows, then stepped inside ahead of Shen Ruyi.
Pearl held a small wooden box, waiting at the doorway.
“Pearl, put the things on… on the bed,” Grandma Liu instructed.
Pearl carried the wooden box inside, placed it on the bed, and then stepped back outside.
“The Old Madam knows about this. You suffered this time, but she said that from now on, you’ll work with Granny Wang in the back garden. These are her rewards for you,” Grandma Liu explained.
She clearly saw no reason to waste time on a low-ranking maid, and the room made her uncomfortable—so she got straight to the point.
“Thank you for the reward from the Old Madam, and thank you, Grandma Liu,” Shen Ruyi replied.
She didn’t know how else to respond; Er Ya had no experience. She simply mimicked what she remembered from dramas, and followed the protocol Er Ya had learned, bowing respectfully.
Glancing at Grandma Liu’s face, she saw she hadn’t made a mistake.
“Rest well today. Tomorrow, you’ll move to the residence for low-ranking maids, and then report to Granny Wang,” Grandma Liu said, leaving with Pearl.
Shen Ruyi waited until they were out of sight, then returned to her room and opened the wooden box containing the reward:
Two silver ingots, each weighing five taels, a silver hairpin, a silver bracelet, and a few handkerchiefs.
In Er Ya’s memory, this was a substantial reward for a low-ranking maid.
Shen Ruyi happily stored the box in her space, finally no longer penniless.
That night, she told her roommates she would be moving early the next morning, and carried Er Ya’s bundle to the residence for low-ranking maids.
The new room was slightly smaller than the previous one, but only four maids lived there, including Shen Ruyi. Beds were separate, with small gaps between them, similar in width to twin beds in a hotel room in her past life.
After placing her belongings, Shen Ruyi used Er Ya’s memories to report to Granny Wang.
“Granny Wang, I’m Ruyi. Grandma Liu told me to come to you and follow your instructions,” Shen Ruyi said awkwardly.
Fortunately, everyone already knew Er Ya’s character in the residence, so they were accustomed to her behavior.
Granny Wang understood why Ruyi had come, and casually assigned her some miscellaneous chores.
Shen Ruyi decided to maintain Er Ya’s persona.
Er Ya’s personality was known throughout the residence. Even if she made mistakes, as long as the Old Madam was around, no one dared to punish her. Perfect!
Shen Ruyi, acting as a lucky charm, quietly settled into the small back-garden department.
Compared to life in the Third Young Master’s courtyard, this place was practically paradise.