It was the ninth month, and the weather was exceptionally hot. Yanggu County felt like a great furnace; the moment one stepped outside, a wave of heat would leave them drenched in sweat. The cicadas’ heart-rending cries could still be heard, though much weaker than in the summer, seeming to herald that these days would soon be over.
In the Ximen Family residence, Wu Yueniang, the first wife, sat in the center of the main hall, a string of jadeite prayer beads in her hand, her pretty face filled with anxiety. A moment later, a steward entered the room. Upon seeing him, Wu Yueniang immediately stood up and asked urgently, “How is it? Have those ruffians outside taken the money and left?”
The steward shook his head with a pained expression. “Mistress, Ma Liulang said that either we bring out the money before dark, or they will force their way in.”
“H-how could this be…” Wu Yueniang’s face turned deathly pale, and her body swayed as if about to collapse. The people around her rushed to support her. A plump woman with a pointed forehead and a small nose shouted, “What a rootless bastard! The master has given him plenty of benefits on ordinary days, but now he’s causing a scene the moment something doesn’t go his way. Let him come! As if I’d be afraid of him!”
Wu Yueniang was already on edge, and hearing this made her anger boil over. She violently shook off the other woman’s hand, pointed at her nose, and cursed, “Do you think you’re still in your brothel? This is the proper residence of a great official! If we just let those idlers in, how are the young ladies and wives of this family supposed to live!”
The woman’s face flushed red with shame from the scolding, but she didn’t dare to talk back, merely muttering as she sat down to the side. No one in the room spoke. For a time, only the sound of sorrowful sobbing could be heard.
It turned out that the master of this household had the compound surname Ximen and had run an apothecary in Yanggu County for generations, accumulating considerable wealth. That Ma Liulang was a local ruffian who, relying on his sister being a concubine to the county magistrate, ran amok in Yanggu County. In the winter, Ma Liulang’s parents had caught a cold. After half a year of nursing, they ultimately didn’t pull through, passing away one after the other the night before last.
It was normal for children to grieve the death of their parents, but who would have thought that Ma Liulang would pin the blame on the Ximen Family? He claimed his parents had died from taking damp medicinal herbs from the Ximen apothecary and demanded a thousand taels of gold in compensation.
Everyone knew full well whether the medicine was truly the cause of death. Unfortunately, power trumped reason. After some pillow talk, the county magistrate decided to turn a blind eye. If the head of the household, Ximen Qing, were present, he could have greased some palms and the matter would likely have been settled. However, he had gone to Bianjing City to procure goods early in the spring and there was still no news of him. Ma Liulang had precisely calculated that he was dealing with a household of women and planned to strike while the iron was hot. By the time Ximen Qing returned, the matter would already be settled.
The shouting outside grew louder. Wu Yueniang felt as if a thousand-pound boulder was crushing her chest, making it hard to breathe. In the end, she could only grit her teeth and tell the head steward to take stock of the storeroom and see how much silver was left in the house.
The head steward let out a long sigh, his expression filled with grief and indignation. If it came to this, the Ximen Family probably wouldn’t recover for more than a decade. Just as he was about to act, a clear voice suddenly came from behind the door curtain. “Wait.”
A moment later, a tall girl of fifteen or sixteen with her hair in a dragon-bud chignon lifted the curtain and walked out. She wore a silver-gray short jacket, covered by a scallion-green beizi. Her plain, unadorned face was like a carving of white jade, with bright eyes, white teeth, a jade-like nose, and thin lips. Her eyebrows were dark and straight, soaring like swords, lending her entire person a sharp and decisive air.
As soon as the girl entered the room, she handed the tray in her hands to a servant, then curtsied to Wu Yueniang in the main seat. “Mistress, this servant has a way to delay them for a while.”
Wu Yueniang’s brow furrowed slightly upon seeing her. A flash of impatience crossed her face as she said in a low voice, “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed recuperating? This is none of your business. Go back!”
This person was Wu Yueniang’s head maid, with the surname Pang and the given name Chunmei. She had been sold to the residence two years ago. Because of her good looks and nimble hands, she was usually heavily relied upon by Wu Yueniang. Pang Chunmei had an arrogant temperament and liked to show off and be competitive. Sometimes she even dared to mock the master, Ximen Qing, let alone the other servants. A few days ago, she had gotten into a fight with several other maids, fallen into the water, and had only just gotten out of bed after many days of recuperation.
Seeing Wu Yueniang’s trusted aide voluntarily step forward, the second wife, Li Jiaor, who had just been scolded, rolled her eyes and said, “Elder Sister, don’t be anxious. Why not hear the girl out first? Chunmei, just say whatever you’ve thought of. No one here will blame you.”
Wu Yueniang didn’t have time to stop her. Seeing this, she shot Pang Chunmei a fierce glare and said through gritted teeth, “Fine, speak. Think it through before you do!”
Pang Chunmei smiled, seemingly unconcerned by her mistress’s threat. She pondered for a moment, but instead of speaking publicly, she took two steps forward and whispered something in Wu Yueniang’s ear.
The onlookers saw Wu Yueniang’s expression shift from anger to shock, and finally to a daze. For a moment, they were all quite curious as to what the maid Chunmei had said.
Ignoring the probing gazes around her, Wu Yueniang couldn’t help but ask, “Will this… work?”
“By my calculations, Father should be returning soon. As long as we immediately send someone on horseback, we might even run into him along the way. Once he’s back, everything can be negotiated,” Pang Chunmei said sincerely to the woman before her. “Mistress, no matter what, it can’t be any worse than it is now.”
Wu Yueniang seemed to be moved. A moment later, as if she had steeled her resolve, she summoned several stewards and gave them instructions. Then she gathered the women of the household and said sternly, “Don’t say or do anything. When I tell you to cry later, cry loudly!”
With the man of the house away, the first wife was the backbone. At this moment, even Li Jiaor, who was usually at odds with her, didn’t dare to cause trouble. They all nodded in agreement.
Outside, Ma Liulang and more than thirty burly ruffians were cursing and swearing as they waited for the Ximen Family to hand over the money.
Suddenly, a burst of wailing erupted from within the residence, followed by incessant, heart-rending cries.
Ma Liulang couldn’t help but frown. He sent one of his underlings to ask what was going on. After a long while, the gate was pushed open, and the old steward, who had been so defiant before, staggered out, his face full of grief and indignation. “My master, on his way back, was passing Jingyang Ridge. Worried about his family, he traveled through the night. As a result… as a result, he encountered a great tiger. The master… was eaten by that tiger!!”
“What?!” Ma Liulang was greatly alarmed. Although he had long heard of a tiger injuring people on Jingyang Ridge, this was the first time he had faced it so directly. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “So what does your family plan to do now?”
The old steward fought back his grief. “The mistress inside has already fainted. Right now, we can only send people up the mountain to collect the master’s remains, to recover as much as we can. Master Ma, please be merciful. Can we put the matter between our two families aside for now? At least wait until our master is buried.”
Ma Liulang hesitated. Although the timing was coincidental, he didn’t doubt the truth of the story. Leaving aside the dangers of Jingyang Ridge, he had never seen a family make up a curse about their own master.
The sound of crying from inside grew louder and louder. Ma Liulang was a scoundrel. Those who walked the streets inevitably cared about their reputation. Demanding a debt for his parents was one thing, but if he truly prevented them from even collecting the corpse, word would get out and he would become a laughingstock. He figured the Ximen Family was right here and couldn’t run away, so he nodded and gave them five days. He would come back for the money in five days. He also threatened that if they didn’t pay up then, he would smash up the Ximen Family’s home as well.
The steward thanked him profusely, personally presented him with a gift, and saw the group off. Once they were far away, he quickly ordered someone to ride out at top speed to inform the master, as per the mistress’s instructions.
With the plan presented, there was nothing more for Pang Chunmei to do. She went to her room in the rear courtyard. As the head maid of the residence, she had her own room. Closing the door, her whole body finally relaxed.
That’s right, Pang Chunmei was actually a transmigrator.
In her previous life, her surname was Zhao, and her name was Zhao Chunmei, which was somewhat similar to this body’s name. After dying of illness in her past life, she opened her eyes to find she had become a maid in a household during the Northern Song Dynasty. All told, she had only transmigrated four or five days ago.
The original owner had probably died because she hadn’t been properly treated after falling into the water. These past few days, Zhao Chunmei had to recuperate while also gathering information, all without letting anyone notice that something was amiss, so it had been exceptionally difficult.
Fortunately, the original owner had an arrogant and fiery temper and didn’t get along well with those around her, so not many people noticed that she had a new soul. Through her inquiries during this time, she had learned about the current dynasty, the master’s surname, and some of her own past.
It was currently the first year of the Chonghe era. The reigning emperor was the very same Emperor Huizong who would lose his kingdom. Zhao Chunmei was fairly familiar with this period of history and knew there was still some time before the Jurchens invaded from the north. Although the Northern Song Dynasty was experiencing constant minor uprisings, it was generally peaceful.
A few days ago, as she was lying in bed planning her future, she suddenly heard the maids outside crying and learned the whole story of Ma Liulang causing trouble. She hadn’t paid it much mind at first, until a maid tearfully mentioned that Ma Liulang had once taken a fancy to a maid from another household, demanded her, and then taken her back to torture her. Zhao Chunmei was instantly on alert.
If that scoundrel really did break in, the original owner was beautiful and unpopular; she would very likely be the first one sacrificed. Zhao Chunmei was not the type to sit and wait for death. She had just transmigrated and was completely unfamiliar with her surroundings. If she fell into a dangerous situation, she probably wouldn’t even be able to save herself. As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. She couldn’t worry about much else, and after a moment’s thought, she ran out to offer a plan.
Afterward, things went as she had expected. Just three or four days later, the head of the household, Ximen Qing, rushed back. He immediately went about greasing palms, pulling strings, and finding backers. After more than ten days of hard work, he finally managed to suppress the matter.
During this period, Zhao Chunmei mostly lay in bed recuperating. Thanks to the original owner’s bad temper, no one came to disturb her. Until one day, she was informed that the mistress had something for her. Only then did she get out of bed, stretch, and follow the messenger to the main hall.
However, as soon as she arrived and saw the scene inside, Zhao Chunmei’s heart skipped a beat.
The room was packed with people. Besides Wu Yueniang and the various concubines, a tall, handsome man was seated in the master’s chair.
The man wore a green pleated robe, a gold-and-jade collar around his neck, and Chenqiao-style shoes on his feet. He held a gold-dusted Sichuan fan in his hand, looking particularly dashing. It was just that his eyes darted back and forth, and when he saw Zhao Chunmei, they lit up with a peculiar brilliance.
Seeing this, Zhao Chunmei understood that this person was probably the head of the household, Ximen Qing. She silently mocked the name in her heart, but on the surface, she maintained a respectful demeanor and gave a slight curtsy.
“Rise,” Ximen Qing said casually. “Was it your idea to have the family say I was dead?”
Before Zhao Chunmei could speak, the second wife, Li Jiaor, cut in. “Indeed it was. We were all worried about the family’s safety at the time, and no one could think straight. We just listened to what this ‘big sister’ of the mistress’s room said. Oh my, it was really just the two of them who decided. If anyone else had heard, they would have tried to stop it.”
Wu Yueniang’s face stiffened. She quickly explained, “I was in a panic at the time and just went along with whatever this girl said. Speaking of which, she’s only been in the residence for a year and has never been one to keep quiet. It’s no wonder she could come up with such an idea.”
Seeing this, Zhao Chunmei sighed inwardly, thinking that this Wu Yueniang was not a very perceptive person. Regardless of how long she had been here, in the eyes of outsiders, the mistress and her maid were a single unit. To distance herself now just to fight with the second wife was useless and would only alienate those close to her.
As she thought this, she still addressed Ximen Qing above her in a steady voice, “It was this servant who acted rashly in a moment of desperation, without proper consideration. I hope that you, old master, will punish me.”
Ximen Qing looked at her with a half-smile. After a long moment, he snapped his fan shut with a pa and said loudly, “Good! To think my residence has such a talent. We owe it all to you this time, otherwise the family would have suffered a great loss. Go to Daian later and collect ten strings of cash as a reward.”
“Yes, thank you, Father, for the reward,” Zhao Chunmei replied calmly.
Everyone else was stunned by this turn of events. Li Jiaor, not giving up, said, “Where’s the justice in this? How can she get money for cursing you, brother?”
Ximen Qing was getting impatient with her. He waved his hand and said, “What do you know? Am I someone who can be cursed to death just by someone saying so? A whole family of women, not even as useful as a slip of a girl.”
This remark made everyone’s faces burn with shame. Ximen Qing paid them no mind and looked Zhao Chunmei up and down, growing more and more pleased the more he looked. Wu Yueniang was rigid and spent her days praying to Buddha. The second wife, Li Jiaor, came from a brothel. The third wife, Meng Yulou, didn’t concern herself with household affairs, and the fourth, Sun Xue’e, was merely a dowry maid. He had long wanted to find someone who could manage the rear courtyards. Now, seeing how clever and beautiful Chunmei was, how could he hold back? He immediately said to Wu Yueniang, “I think this girl is quite good. I happen to be short-handed. Transfer her to my side tomorrow.”
Everyone knew what kind of character the man of the house was. Their gazes immediately became suggestive, and the third wife, Meng Yulou, even directly congratulated the young woman.
Zhao Chunmei’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she was complaining wildly.
Just as she was wondering what to do next, Ximen spoke again. “Alright, now that things have finally quieted down, I plan to take a stroll to the apothecary. Chunmei, you come with me.”
Seeing that matters had come to this, Zhao Chunmei could only take a deep breath and force herself to say, “Yes.”
And so, the wives and concubines in the room could only watch their husband leave, their hearts filled with a mixture of sourness and bitterness.
This was actually Zhao Chunmei’s first time going out since she transmigrated. Different from what she had imagined, although Yanggu County wasn’t large, it was still quite prosperous. The Ximen Family was located in a bustling area, and just a few steps out was the so-called commercial street. The road was lively with the cries of vendors and the bustle of shoppers.
Ximen Qing would turn back from time to time to speak with Zhao Chunmei, looking as if he had truly taken a mind to make her his own.
Zhao Chunmei frowned secretly and deliberately acted cold and dull, answering only when asked. After a few rounds of this, he lost interest in talking.
After walking a few more steps, they arrived at Zishi Street, where they happened upon a shabbily dressed, skinny youth carrying a bamboo basket. The moment the youth saw them, his eyes lit up. He scurried over, bowing and scraping. “Great Official Ximen, long time no see! Buy a pear to quench your thirst!”
With that, he took out a few pears from his basket and eagerly handed them over.
Ximen Qing took them, tossed him a few coins as a tip, and asked casually, “You’re Yun Ge’er? Where’s that three-inch nail Wu Da who’s always with you?”
“Hah, his brother Wu Er is a bailiff at the yamen. Wu Da went to deliver a meal to his brother.” Yun Ge’er spent his days roaming the streets and was an expert at flattery. Seeing the man’s forehead beaded with sweat from walking, he immediately said, “Great Official, you must be tired. This autumn tiger is quite fierce. Wang Qianniang’s tea stall is just ahead. Why don’t you go and rest your feet?”
Ximen nodded, gave him some more money, and waved him away. He lifted his leg, intending to go sit at the tea stall. However, after just two steps, he saw that the maid walking with him had frozen in place. He frowned in displeasure and said in a low voice, “What are you spacing out for? Hurry up!”
Zhao Chunmei’s gaze shifted to his face. Recalling their previous conversation, her eyes were vacant.
Wu Da, Wu Er, Wang Qianniang… so this is Ximen Qing?!
It wasn’t her fault she didn’t react sooner. All told, she had been transmigrated for less than a month, most of which was spent sick in bed. She had also been under the preconceived notion that this was a historical transmigration, and the servants in the household rarely called the master by his full name. Although she had found the name “Pang Chunmei” a bit familiar, she ultimately hadn’t thought much of it.
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Chunmei told herself to calm down. It could just be a coincidence.
Just as her thoughts were racing and her mind was in turmoil, a dark shadow suddenly flashed by. A bamboo pole used for propping open windows happened to strike Ximen on the head.
Ximen Qing cried out, “Aiyo!” and clutched his head. He was about to curse when he looked up and froze.
On the second floor, a beautiful woman said timidly and delicately, “This humble one didn’t mean to. Great Official, please don’t be offended.”
Zhao Chunmei: “…”
Alright, now she knew. It definitely wasn’t a coincidence.