At night, a strong wind blew through the withered branches, casting dancing moon shadows and producing a rustling sound. Li Wan, lying in bed, tossed and turned restlessly, unable to sleep due to an unbearable itch. She had been running a slight fever for the past two days and was resting at home. Unexpectedly, as soon as she lay down to sleep that evening, her scalp began to itch intensely.
Li Wan had always lived with Concubine Su, a situation born of necessity. Liu Chengxu was only a Tuiguan, a judicial officer of modest rank, and the official residence assigned to him was not spacious. As he aspired to be an upright official, everyone naturally lived in cramped conditions.
Upon learning of Li Wan’s discomfort, the servants immediately reported it to Concubine Su, who was also still awake. She hurried over at once. Hearing her daughter complain of itching in her hair, she parted the strands and discovered small red papules. Instantly, she recognized what it was, for when she was young, her younger brother had contracted chickenpox.
Putao suggested, “Yiniang, shall I go to Concubine Ding and ask her to summon a physician?”
Concubine Su was about to agree but then reconsidered. “No, it’s too late now to fetch any proper physician. For now, do not speak of this to anyone. It’s merely a child’s fever, nothing serious.”
Putao found this odd but did not dwell on it.
The next day, Xiao Fu Shi was enjoying a bowl of bird’s nest porridge, prepared on Liu Chengxu’s orders. Though he could not accompany her personally, he had instructed the kitchen staff to take extra care. The kitchen naturally dared not be negligent, for if the Second Lady gave birth to a boy, he would be the family’s Legitimate Son.
Although the Liu Family had no hereditary titles to inherit—most members pursued either the Imperial Examination or the Military Imperial Examination—the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate offspring was not particularly pronounced. However, the eldest branch happened to have no sons. If the Second Lady bore a Legitimate Son, he would inherit the wealth, property, and position of clan heir from both the eldest and second branches. Xiao Fu Shi had originally intended to avoid stirring trouble, but she felt uneasy about Concubine Ding’s influence. Thus, when the kitchen staff approached her, Xiao Fu Shi signaled for them to align with her.
In this household, although Concubine Ding managed domestic affairs, her status was inferior to that of the Second Lady, and she paled even further in terms of favor. Moreover, with the Second Lady now pregnant, Xiao Fu Shi did not even need to extend an olive branch before winning over several individuals.
Concubine Ding, of course, was aware of this. As the household manager, how could any activity within the home escape her notice?
She had always assumed that Fu Shi and Xiao Fu Shi, being sisters, maintained a clear boundary, avoiding direct confrontation and adhering to unwritten rules—engaging in subtle rivalry but never crossing lines. Yet now, things seemed to be shifting…
Ming Yue promptly reported, “Yiniang, it is said that Lin Da’s wife from the kitchen and the second steward of the inner courtyard have been frequently visiting the Second Lady.”
“Hmm, then you must be even more vigilant. The kitchen is a place where incidents can easily occur, especially with food and drink for a pregnant woman. I find Concubine Su’s behavior suspicious—keep a close watch on her,” Concubine Ding murmured with a slight frown.
Ming Yue curled her lip. “Why should you still concern yourself with them? In my humble opinion, since the Second Lady is forming factions, you should—”
“Should what? Harm another’s child to secure my own status? Such a thing is beyond me,” Concubine Ding replied with a wry smile.
Ming Yue fell silent, not daring to speak further.
Qing Feng entered from outside and could not help but add, “I saw the master heading to the Second Lady’s quarters, saying he would have his meal served there.”
Concubine Ding’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Come, let us go to the First Lady.”
Liu Chengxu had come to discuss the case with Xiao Fu Shi. Though he had been worried upon learning of her pregnancy, Fu Shi's grief over losing her son had made him prioritize her first. Now, with the case as an excuse, he could visit Xiao Fu Shi again, which brought him joy.
"Husband," Xiao Fu Shi quickly rose to her feet.
"No need for formalities. What are you all doing?" Liu Chengxu took Xiao Fu Shi's hand.
Xiao Fu Shi glanced at Li Shu and said, "I'm teaching her knot-tying, but she can't seem to settle her mind. She needs to learn to be calmer."
Li Shu, who was in the middle of tying knots, thought to herself that her mother really knew how to phrase things. It was clearly her mother playing with her, yet she made it sound so proper. Sure enough, Liu Chengxu patted Li Shu's head and said, "The little girl is growing up."
"Indeed, next year we should have a tutor properly teach her etiquette. Husband, I don't expect her to become a talented scholar, but if she can read and write and not be illiterate, I'll be at ease. Also, I've heard there's an exceptionally skilled embroiderer in Jiujiang. If possible, could you arrange for this little troublemaker to learn from her? It might help her settle down." Xiao Fu Shi deliberately put on an expression as if she were overwhelmed by Li Shu's antics.
Li Shu thought to herself that her mother was always thinking of her. When young ladies socialized, they were expected to present various needlework. If a girl had particularly bright and skillful work, she would surely be praised—it was the most suitable gift for social occasions.
On ordinary days, she also learned painting from her mother. Anyone skilled in calligraphy and painting could draw floral patterns, making embroidery work more novel and beautiful.
How could Liu Chengxu refuse? He naturally agreed. Xiao Fu Shi then mentioned that she had personally brewed a jar of grape wine. She smiled and said, "It was when I visited the wife of the Assistant Prefect last time—she gave me some grapes, so I brewed a small bottle myself. I thought, on a snowy day, we could build a snowman in the courtyard, sit by the door, pour the wine into crystal cups, and enjoy the snow while drinking. It would be like the verse: 'Green ant new-brewed wine, red clay small stove. Evening sky about to snow, could we share a cup?'"
"Well said, and fitting for the scene. But as a new mother, you shouldn't drink. How about letting me have a taste today, hmm?" Liu Chengxu had been exhausted lately—with matters at home, outside, and in his career. Next year was the capital evaluation, and he had no idea how his official career would fare. On top of that, he had to constantly attend to Fu Shi's emotions.
He also worried about how his parents back home would react to the news of their son's death—how heartbroken and sorrowful they would be.
Seeing her parents like this, Li Shu blushed and ran back to her room, not wanting to disturb them.
In her room, there was a small red clay stove, kept there in case Xiao Fu Shi wanted to brew some soup or tea for convenience. However, Dan Qing was using fire tongs to place a brand-new piece of fabric into the stove to burn.
"Sister Dan Qing, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, it's just damaged."
Seeing that Dan Qing didn't want to say more, Li Shu guessed there must be something wrong with the fabric, but Dan Qing couldn't explain it to a child like her. So, Li Shu pretended to yawn, went to bed, and closed her eyes to feign sleep.
Not long after, Dan Hong came in and peeked inside. "Has Third Miss fallen asleep?"
"Yes, she just went to sleep. Children need a lot of rest."
"The mistress is truly cautious, burning the fabric sent by Concubine Su. She came visiting with the cloth, making it seem like a proper gesture, but who knows if there's something wrong with it? I heard Second Miss has caught a chill, and it's contagious, so she's not letting anyone visit easily." Dan Hong felt that caution was never wrong, though the fabric was quite nice—it was a pity to burn it.
Only then did Li Shu realize it was Concubine Su who had sent it. Suddenly, she remembered something: in her past life, Second Sister was someone she remembered as "exceptionally clever and quick-witted," tall and slender, with a charming face where a few freckles only added to her allure. Yet, on the day Liu Shuzhao passed away, her face was smooth as a peeled egg—what more was there to wonder about?
How she had contracted chickenpox in her past life was self-evident.
But before she could bring it up with her mother, Concubine Ding reported the matter to Liu Chengxu and Fu Shi. Concubine Ding had always been known for her integrity and wisdom, and now she said, "At first, I also thought it was just an ordinary chill, but who would have thought Second Miss had broken out in pox? If it weren’t for the fact that Putao, who serves her, was covered in them, I wouldn’t have known."
Nanny Rao anxiously said, "Oh no, our eldest miss and Second Miss are together all the time—could she have been infected?"
Concubine Ding pressed her hand gently. "I’ve already had a doctor check her pulse. Eldest Miss is fine. Concubine Su also knows the seriousness—she only allowed Putao to attend to her closely. But this still isn’t right. I know she loves her child, but there are still two young masters in the household…"
"Pass on my order: move them out first, and only bring them back once they’re completely recovered." Liu Chengxu was absolutely furious.
When Fu Shi learned that her daughter Li Jia was unharmed, she first breathed a sigh of relief, then realized Concubine Su’s actions were utterly reckless.
…
When the news reached Xiao Fu Shi, she sat for a long time, so long that Li Shu couldn’t help but look at her. "Mother, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, nothing." Xiao Fu Shi snapped out of her thoughts.
Then she suddenly instructed Dan Hong, "That madder-red butterfly-patterned scattered-flower brocade that Concubine Su sent last time—I remember we have a few feet of it here too, right?"
Dan Hong smiled. "Yes, it was distributed to us together. Is there anything she has that we don’t?"
"That’s good. Then I’ll trouble you and Dan Qing to work through the night to make a close-fitting garment for Shu Jie'er. Tell everyone it was made from the fabric Concubine Su sent." Xiao Fu Shi ordered.
Though Dan Hong didn’t understand why, she still complied.
Li Shu immediately understood Xiao Fu Shi’s intention. After hearing her words earlier, Xiao Fu Shi had likely begun tightening control over the servants and taking precautions, which was why she burned the fabric—though she didn’t actually know if there was anything wrong with it.
Now that the truth was clear, perhaps Concubine Su had intended to send the fabric to infect Li Shu, so that Xiao Fu Shi wouldn’t be able to protect her child.
Whether there were others behind this who wanted to harm the child in Xiao Fu Shi’s womb remained unknown. By making them think Li Shu might have contracted chickenpox, they might be able to lure out those lurking further in the shadows.
"Mother, have Concubine Su and Second Sister been moved out?" Li Shu asked.
Xiao Fu Shi nodded. "Yes, chickenpox is highly contagious. Thankfully, you’re fine."
Li Shu hugged Xiao Fu Shi tightly. In her past life, her mother had personally cared for her. She couldn’t help but say, "Mother, if I ever get chickenpox, please send me away too. I’m afraid of passing it to you—I don’t want you to take care of me."
"Silly girl, I'm not afraid. I had chickenpox when I was little. Anyone who has had it once won't get it again." Xiao Fu Shi was not worried about being infected because she had also contracted it in her childhood.
Li Shu suddenly understood. She pieced together the truth: in her previous life, Concubine Su must have originally planned to send the cloth to harm her and Mother. Who would have known that Mother had already had it before and wouldn't be infected? But later, when one scheme failed, she likely devised another—the fall.
How could someone fall for no reason?
Nanny Rao laughed and said, "From now on, she will surely lose the master's favor. And by sending out that cloth contaminated with smallpox, she unintentionally did us a favor."
Yu Ping also nodded. "Indeed, if a pregnant woman contracts chickenpox, it can cause fetal deformities, premature birth, or stillbirth. But she can't blame anyone else—only herself for being too impatient. Our lady is kind-hearted, yet she secretly targeted the eldest young master. Now, it's just retribution."