In the gentle warmth of March, the Yin family in Huaixi was bustling with excitement. It was all because their Fourth Miss, now a married lady, had returned to her hometown for a visit—a truly joyous occasion.
The Yin family was considered well-off in Huaixi, though their origins were humble.
They had started as street vendors, and through three generations of concerted effort, they had expanded their family business. By Old Master Yin’s generation, they were primarily engaged in mulberry, tea, and raw silk production. They had even donated to obtain the Sanzhi rank, granting them official status.
Now, they appeared as respectable gentry—able to meet officials without bowing and having a seat in court—but when it came to ancestral heritage, they still fell short compared to families with generations of scholarly tradition. In the eyes of the literati, they were merely upstarts.
Fortunately, their family ethos was decent. After their fortunes grew, they did not bully the locals but instead were known for their philanthropy, building bridges and paving roads, earning a reputation for virtue. Thus, despite their somewhat humble origins, even scholars would nod in approval when their name was mentioned, acknowledging their goodness.
Especially since Old Master Yin’s fourth daughter had married into a genuine scholarly family, elevating their standing even further.
It all began with a single act of kindness by the old master years ago.
That year, turmoil struck the capital, and many officials were exiled thousands of miles away. Unable to endure the hardships, many perished along the journey.
Old Master Yin, then still young, encountered one such exiled official during his travels. The guards were merely waiting for the man to die so they could bury him on the spot and continue their journey. The old master noticed the exiled official’s young son, who, despite his misery, maintained a calm and resolute demeanor—exactly the kind of “child from a scholarly family” he admired. Moved by compassion, he paid for the exiled official’s medical treatment, saving his life.
He thought this fleeting connection would fade with time, but years later, the exiled official was exonerated and reinstated. He made a special trip to Huaixi to find his benefactor.
The young boy had grown into a youth, and even the hardships of growing up in a remote, desolate place could not diminish his graceful bearing. The old master was utterly charmed.
Perhaps his fondness was too obvious to conceal, for the father noticed. He said, “If not for Brother Yin back then, I would never have made it to Yazhou. Had I died, my orphaned son and widow would likely have perished as well. This child owes his life to you, Brother Yin. Let him be your ‘half-son.'”
A son-in-law is considered half a son, and “half-son” here referred to a son-in-law.
Having been exonerated and reinstated, his family’s status was far beyond what the Yin family could aspire to. This sudden stroke of marital fortune delighted the old master.
Thus, the two families were joined in marriage, and the Yin family’s fourth daughter, of suitable age, was married into an official’s household as if in a dream.
Now, after several years of marriage, Fourth Miss had returned to her hometown for a visit, and the Yin family was joyously welcoming their daughter home.
Amidst this celebration, however, there was an unpleasant minor incident—the passing of Concubine Yan, a concubine of Third Master Yin, the old master’s third son.
“To choose such a time, causing trouble on such a joyous day. The concubine truly had no sense of timing.”
“How can you say that? Who gets to choose when they die?”
“But the old madam is quite displeased about this and has been giving our mistress a hard time.”
“Our master originally asked the mistress to raise the young miss in her courtyard, and she had agreed. But now, unhappy with the situation, she has gone back on her word.”
“Ah, our young miss truly has an unfortunate fate…”
“But you can’t blame others. It’s all her birth mother’s fault.”
The maids in the outer room were not speaking softly, and at the very least, Yin Shi, lying in the inner room, could hear every word clearly.
She had been lying in bed for two days and had now sorted out her identity and relationships—yes, she was the “she” in the last sentence who couldn’t blame others. She was the biological daughter of the recently deceased Concubine Yan, the daughter of Third Master Yin, and her given name was Yin Shi.
Of course, the little girl truly named “Yin Shi” had developed a high fever on the very night her mother died, and her soul had already been taken along by her mother to be reborn.
The current Yin Shi had traveled through time and space from another world to be reborn here for a second time.
“Speaking of which, the young master is truly handsome.”
The maids thought Yin Shi was still asleep and took the opportunity to chat, full of enthusiasm.
“You saw him?”
“When the aunt and the young master entered, I peeked through the corridor window and caught a glimpse. He really is good-looking. Who knows how handsome he’ll be when he grows up. I’ve heard that Master Shen is a handsome man himself.”
“My mother said that back when the third aunt and fourth aunt were of marriageable age, the old madam, being the legitimate daughter, wanted to arrange the marriage for the third aunt. But the old master arranged for Master Shen to meet the two aunts from across the pond, and the master chose the fourth aunt himself.” The maid lowered her voice. “Everyone said, since they were all merchant daughters and not from scholarly families, what difference did it make between legitimate and illegitimate? Naturally, he chose the prettier one…”
“The fourth aunt is a concubine-born daughter, exceptionally beautiful, so of course the young master she gave birth to is also good-looking.”
“When the old madam scolded our mistress, it wasn’t because Concubine Yan died at an inconvenient time. It was because her own third aunt became a widow just last year, while the concubine-born fourth aunt is living so well, and even her own brother, our master, is favored by the old master. How could the old madam not be angry?”
“Shh…” Another maid was startled by these words. “Don’t let the young lady hear…”
“She’s probably still asleep. Let me check.”
The storytelling maid also grew cautious, for the young lady they served was only eight years old—an age when children love to repeat things and can’t keep their mouths shut. If she overheard and repeated it in front of her masters, they would be the ones punished.
Yin Shi had only been here for two days, and the original body was still a child, leaving very limited information in her mind. For the sake of her future survival, she wanted to learn more. Hearing the maid enter, she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
The maid entered quietly, lifted the bed curtain to glance at her, then quietly left, closing the partition door behind her. “It’s fine, she’s still asleep.”
Another maid sighed. “So young and already without a mother. How pitiful.”
The maid who had just entered the inner room scoffed. “No matter how pitiful, she’s still a young lady of this household. Can she compare to us, born as servants? Save your compassion.”
The other fell silent for a moment. “You’re right…”
The idle chatter that followed contained little useful information.
Yin Shi opened her eyes and stared at the Hundred Butterflies Pattern bed curtain hanging above her.
It was exquisite. Even in another time and place, this would be considered a fine piece of craftsmanship.
Her second rebirth had landed her in an awkward position.
“Awkward” because the Yin family’s ancestors were small-time peddlers. As the saying goes, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Moreover, her father, Third Master Yin, was a concubine-born son, and she herself had been reborn as the concubine-born daughter of this concubine-born son.
Yet the phrase “not too low” is used because the family had been diligent since the time of the great-grandfather, and both the great-grandfather and grandfather had amassed a substantial fortune, even purchasing official titles. Although in the Da Mu Dynasty, purchasing a title did not grant actual official authority—only the nominal status of a sanguan—it did change one’s social standing.
Thanks to the family’s wealth, as the daughter of a concubine’s son among so many branches of this large household, she remained inconspicuous. Yet she still enjoyed gold hairpins, jade bracelets, fine silks, and embroidered skirts, living a life free from worry.
No matter what, compared to the servants gossiping in the side room, the difference was like that between clouds and mud.
To still complain about one’s birth would be utterly pretentious.
Yin Shi let out a long sigh.
She had been lying down for two days; it was time to get up.
Sorting through the memories she had inherited and the gossip she had overheard from the maids over the past two days, Yin Shi sat up and called out, “Come… ahem, come here.”
The maids in the side room heard her voice and pushed the door open. “Has the young lady finally risen? Are you feeling better?”
Another maid chimed in, “Now that you’re up, you should go pay respects to Madam, kowtow, and let the master and Madam know you’re well so they can rest assured.”
“You must recover quickly, young lady. All the other young ladies are now currying favor with Fourth Aunt, while our place remains cold and deserted.”
“With your birth mother no longer here, your well-being depends entirely on Madam. If you could win Fourth Aunt’s favor, perhaps even Madam would look upon you more kindly.”
This maid was the one who had been gossiping behind her back. Yin Shi knew her name was Qing Yan, a house-born servant of the Yin family. Instead of asking whether she was thirsty or hungry upon entering, Qing Yan immediately began lamenting her missed opportunity to gain favor with Fourth Aunt, who had married into a prestigious family.
This maid harbored no genuine affection for “Yin Shi” herself, but from a practical standpoint, everything she said was correct.
As Yin Shi’s maid, her fate was tied to Yin Shi’s; only if Yin Shi prospered could she hope to do well herself.
Yin Shi did not resent such calculations. Often in life, one must strategize to secure greater benefits and live a better life.
However… Yin Shi glanced upward at the beams, painted with intricate designs.
On the table sat delicate famille rose porcelain, youthful and charming.
Looking around, whether these two maids genuinely cared for her or simply had no other choice after being assigned to her, they were still servants attending to her daily needs.
To have her own independent courtyard, never go hungry or cold, and have others serve her—this was already quite good.
Truly, it was enough; there was no need to stir up trouble.
Thus, although Yin Shi knew Qing Yan was right, after weighing the costs and benefits in her mind, she felt content with her current situation and had no desire to humble herself as Qing Yan hoped in pursuit of something “better.”
Let it be.
“I’m thirsty,” Yin Shi said calmly, sitting upright by the bed, unruffled by the urging and intimidation. She even touched her stomach and looked up at the maid. “And I’m hungry.”
At eight years old, how could she be so clueless, only thinking about eating and drinking?
An ambitious maid paired with an unambitious young lady—Qing Yan was nearly driven mad.
The old master’s fourth daughter had married into the Shen family of the capital and was now Madam Shen.
She was the best-married among the Yin family’s daughters, and this marriage alliance brought great honor to the Yin family. It also provided the Yin family with a protective talisman in the local area. Although the Yin family could not rely on this influence to commit any wrongdoing, many previously difficult matters became much easier to resolve by simply presenting the name card of their in-laws.
Over the years, the Yin family had received considerable assistance from the Shen family.
Thus, although Madam Shen was not in Huaixi, her former courtyard in the Yin residence was preserved and not allocated to the younger generation. Everything remained as it was, regularly cleaned and maintained, awaiting the day when the Fourth Aunt might return for a visit.
Now, that day had indeed arrived.
Madam Shen was entertaining her sister-in-law, Third Madam, in her former courtyard.
Among her siblings, Madam Shen and Third Master Yin were born of the same mother, making Third Madam her closest sister-in-law, more intimate than any other sisters- or brothers-in-law.
Third Madam had brought along the children of the third branch: “Come here, all of you.”
Both boys and girls stepped forward, bowing and addressing her as “Aunt.”
Regardless of their status as legitimate or illegitimate children, these were all her third brother’s children—her own dear nieces and nephews. They had already met earlier in the inner hall, but in the presence of the matriarch, Madam Shen could not show favoritism toward her brother’s children and neglect the others. Now, in this private setting, seeing so many healthy and lovely children, Madam Shen beamed with joy: “Come closer, let me have a look.”
She patted one child’s head and asked another a question. As a daughter who had married far away and could return to her maiden home only a few times in her life, she cherished these moments to bond with her nieces and nephews.
She then called her own son forward to meet his cousins, reminding him: “These are your closest kin.”
Though they bore different surnames, they were connected by maternal blood. The young boy nodded, his gentle eyes sweeping over the group before he remarked, “Why is one elder sister missing?”
Even Madam Shen, in her delight, had not noticed.
It was also because there were so many children—Third Master had three sons and five daughters. Standing together, they formed a lively crowd.
Yet this young cousin had noticed someone was absent.
Third Madam, who had been speaking with Madam Shen, turned at his words.
The boy had a handsome face, with particularly striking eyes and brows: “There should be a Fourth Elder Sister. Why hasn’t she come?”
He spoke unhurriedly, without the impatience typical of children his age.
His gaze was steady, his eyes clear and bright as polished jade.