“Where did this thief come from, running about recklessly? Do you know where you are?” Qiuyue had never seen the man before and thought he was a burglar. She was about to call for the house guards when her mistress touched her shoulder.
“This one should be from the household. Doesn’t he look like Second Young Master?” Jiang Yunniang crouched down, studying Song Wenjian’s frail face. It seemed he had once again been abused by those in his courtyard.
After hearing her mistress, Qiuyue looked more closely. Though the man’s clothes were worn and faded, the fabric was fine brocade—not something a servant would wear.
Nanny Sun, calmer, summoned two night patrol boys. They explained this was the third young master, a concubine’s son from the second branch.
Qiuyue and the others had never seen Song Wenjian before, whether at greetings or in the gardens, so they hadn’t recognized him. But they had heard others say the third young master was born prematurely and sickly, never leaving his courtyard even during New Year celebrations. So why had he come out tonight?
As they wondered, Song Wenjian’s servant, Shanshi, came running. Seeing Jiang Yunniang, he hurriedly apologized. “Forgive us, Second Young Madam. Our young master rarely leaves his rooms and doesn’t understand the rules. I’ll take him back now. Please excuse us.”
As he spoke, Shanshi gripped Song Wenjian’s arm and pinched him hard in the shadows. He had only dozed for a while, and this sickly master had slipped out, causing trouble. Luckily, he hadn’t run into someone from the second branch, or Second Madam would have had him flogged.
“Third Young Master is the master. You are only a servant, yet you dare say he doesn’t know the rules?” Jiang Yunniang never forgot grudges, nor did she forget kindness. She didn’t know why, in her previous life, Song Wenjian had brought her food, but when she had been left with scraps, he had occasionally given her a clean, hot meal. That kindness she would remember.
At her words, Shanshi’s smile froze.
“Second Young Madam is right. I misspoke. It’s late, let me take the young master back.” Inwardly, Shanshi cursed Jiang Yunniang—meddling busybody, why should the eldest branch interfere in the second branch’s affairs?
Seeing Song Wenjian’s poor condition, Jiang Yunniang knew he couldn’t stay outside. “Nanny Sun, fetch some tonic from our courtyard and deliver it later to Third Young Master’s rooms.” She deliberately glanced at Shanshi, signaling that her people would come, so he had better not mistreat Song Wenjian again.
She returned to Chunxi Courtyard with Qiuyue. After Nanny Sun delivered the medicine, Qiuyue helped Jiang Yunniang wash and dress.
“Second Young Madam, I don’t understand. Why help Third Young Master?” Qiuyue thought no one in the Song family was worth helping.
“I pity him,” Jiang Yunniang said. “Look at him—he must live poorly. Perhaps I feel some sympathy. It’s only medicine and food. Don’t worry, we have plenty.”
After washing, Jiang Yunniang applied ointment and lay down.
Later, Nanny Sun returned with dew on her hair. “Second Young Madam, I stayed until Third Young Master ate the pastries. His courtyard is truly shabby. The bedding is damp, and his attendants show him no respect. Clearly, he lives badly.”
“I thought so. He’s so thin, he must eat and sleep poorly,” Jiang Yunniang replied. As his sister‑in‑law, she could not show too much care openly.
Besides, in this life, the past events had not yet happened. If she suddenly treated Song Wenjian too well, it would arouse suspicion. She thought of her mother’s health, which also needed care. Tomorrow, she planned to go out, establish ties with Doctor Luo, and perhaps later invite him to treat Song Wenjian.
That night, Song Wenjian’s courtyard was unusually lit with several lamps.
Shanshi looked at the tonic Nanny Sun had delivered and sneered. “The doctor said you cannot take supplements. You can’t eat these.”
He shoved the pastries off the table. “Oops, I knocked them over. You can’t eat food from the floor. Chunlai, come clean this up!”
A boy of twelve or thirteen came to sweep. On the bed, Song Wenjian only watched silently, saying nothing.
When Chunlai finished, Shanshi went to the candles. “Rest now. Tomorrow I must report to Second Madam, so I won’t stay here to trouble you.” He blew out the candles and left, carelessly closing the door, leaving a wide gap.
Cold wind whistled into the room. Song Wenjian touched his bedding—it was damp. Whenever he disobeyed, Shanshi and the others punished him like this or withheld his food for the day.
Today was the death anniversary of his concubine‑mother. He only wanted to visit the courtyard where she had once lived, to bow before it. But the attendants arranged by Madam Xu refused to let him leave his quarters no matter what. Of course—looking like a walking skeleton, how could Madam Xu allow others to see him?
Everyone in the Song household said Madam Xu was round‑faced and kind, the most easygoing of women. Even if he shouted that she mistreated him, no one would believe it. His sharp nails dug into his palms until blood flowed. Staring at the moonlight on the ground, Song Wenjian’s eyes brimmed with endless hatred. He staggered from his bed, picked up a crumb of pastry no bigger than a fingernail, and held it carefully in his hands. At twenty years old, this was the first time anyone had spoken up for him.
Song Wenjian sat on the floor, unmoving for a long while, until voices outside drew his gaze to the crack in the door.
“Chunlai, tomorrow, take these herbs and sell them. Following this master all these years, we’ve had nothing but hardship, not a drop of profit,” Shanshi grumbled in the courtyard, not bothering to lower his voice, unconcerned if Song Wenjian heard.
“Wow, red ginseng!” Chunlai exclaimed with delight. “Brother Shanshi, who is this Second Young Madam anyway, to be so generous?”
Shanshi snorted, rubbing his stubbled chin with a lewd grin. “She’s just a foolish idiot. Everyone else avoids Third Young Master, afraid of catching his misfortune. Only she is stupid enough not to know better. But you haven’t seen her—our Second Young Madam is truly a beauty. Red lips, white teeth, slim waist, full hips—I couldn’t help but stare several times.”
“Really?” Chunlai, though young, had grown up among the servants and understood such crude talk well enough.
“Of course. Too bad Second Young Master doesn’t cherish her. I think she’s prettier than Jiang Bairou.” Shanshi swallowed hard. “Enough, go rest. I’m tired too.”
“Alright, Brother Shanshi. I’ve prepared food and drink for you. Tomorrow morning I’ll sell the herbs.” Chunlai laughed, pushed open Shanshi’s door, and went back to his own room.
Neither noticed the pair of eyes watching them through a crack in the door not far away.
At dawn the next day, Chunlai left with the herbs. When he returned with money and entered through the side gate, he overheard talk about Second Young Master’s courtyard.
“Second Young Madam just entered the household, and already Second Master is taking a concubine. Her days ahead will be bitter.”
“A concubine? Who is he taking?” Chunlai asked curiously.
“Who else? The Jiang family’s second daughter. They say the Old Master agreed. Last night, Second Young Master brought her into Chunxi Courtyard. Hey, don’t spread this around, or I’ll thrash you.”
“Don’t worry, brother, my lips are sealed.” Chunlai grinned and ran back to the courtyard.
Second Young Madam was truly unfortunate—beautiful and generous, yet already overshadowed. Those herbs had fetched twenty taels of silver. One day, he thought, he must see for himself how beautiful she really was.
Not daring to be too greedy, Chunlai hid two taels for himself and planned to give the rest to Brother Shanshi. But when he entered the courtyard, he found it crowded with people. Asking what had happened, he learned someone in their quarters had died.