Chu Yi wore a silver-white robe, his five-colored silk belt studded with gemstones gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight. On his head rested a purple-gold crown, and he was draped in a crimson, gold-edged cloak embroidered with the Five Blessings and Ruyi motifs. Standing in the winter's cold wind, he truly looked like a face of jade, his figure as upright as a pine or cypress, his spirit soaring—so radiant that it seemed as if the sunlight had settled upon him.
Amid the reunion of family, Mr. Lin did not forget to introduce his children. Chu Yi stood still and exchanged greetings with everyone in turn.
Lin Songluan found herself unable to utter the word "junior brother" as she had intended. Almost instinctively, she smoothed the dark hair on her head. Her once-proud complexion, fair as snow, and her features, delicate as a painting, suddenly seemed to lose their luster. Not even the long-awaited reunion with her father could bring her greater joy.
In contrast, Lin Songfeng was more straightforward. He said directly, "I had thought that sons of military families were all rugged and bold. I never expected my junior brother to be such a handsome figure. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you often from now on—I hope you won’t mind." He spoke the words "junior brother" without hesitation, sounding both affectionate and natural.
Upon hearing this, Lin Songluan hurriedly smoothed things over for him. "Please forgive my brother’s frankness, Senior Brother," she said. "He has a straightforward nature and began studying with our father at an early age. I hope you’ll be understanding." She reached out to tug at Lin Songfeng’s sleeve, signaling him not to say more.
Chu Yi smiled. "Miss Lin worries too much. Young Master Lin is too polite. I, too, have been looking forward to meeting you." His words were gracious, but they carried no intention of deepening the acquaintance. After all, if he had wished to appear warm, addressing them as "junior brother" and "junior sister" would have been more fitting than "young master" and "miss."
Lin Songfeng was about to speak again when Mr. Lin interjected, "It’s cold. Let’s continue inside."
The group proceeded to the inner gate.
Suian followed Mama Lu to greet them.
While wearing a smile, Suian discreetly observed the family.
Mrs. Lin was a fair-skinned, petite woman. Young Master Lin still bore a childlike air, while Miss Lin was of medium height, with delicate features and a reserved demeanor.
Both Young Master Lin and Miss Lin carried bundles in their hands. After Mama Lu stepped forward to welcome them, Miss Lin even hugged her bundle to her chest.
Mama Lu said warmly, "Mrs. Lin, Young Master, and Miss, you must have had a tiring journey. Our Old Madam has been talking about you for days—we’ve finally been able to welcome you. It’s such a joy for Mr. Lin’s family to be reunited…"
Mrs. Lin, seemingly unaccustomed to socializing, glanced timidly at her husband.
Mr. Lin, aloof and detached, hardly even knew who Mama Lu was and was of little help in the situation.
It was Miss Lin who proved clever, looking toward Chu Yi.
Chu Yi cleared his throat and called to Suian, "Suian, come here." Turning to Mrs. Lin, he said, "Madam, and Young Master and Miss Lin, this girl oversaw the preparation of your rooms. If anything is unsuitable, please feel free to ask her. Mama Lu is a senior maid serving my mother. If Suian falls short in any way, you may speak to Mama Lu."
Seeing that even their accommodations had been prepared, Mrs. Lin felt immensely grateful. Lin Songfeng and Lin Songluan, however, misunderstood, assuming Suian was a maid assigned to serve them.
Lin Songfeng thrust his bundle into Suian’s arms, burying her small frame completely. Seeing that her brother hadn’t thought to yield to his elder sister, Lin Songluan shot him an annoyed glare. Remembering Chu Yi’s presence, she quickly tried to smooth things over. "Our luggage is so heavy—you should carry it yourself."
Lin Songluan glanced at Suian again, feeling even more displeased. A mere servant girl, yet she looked as delicate as a young lady from a wealthy family, dressed even better than herself. Hmph! Without that kind of fate, she shouldn’t dress like that!
Suian’s heart sank. The Lin family hadn’t even offered a reward—not even a word of thanks. And just now, Miss Lin’s gaze had been as sharp as a knife.
In a grand household, it was unwise to show kindness indiscriminately.
Since her goal hadn’t been achieved, Suian decided to treat her earlier efforts as nothing more than diligent service. Seeing that Lin Songfeng had indeed come over to take the bundle from her hands at his sister’s urging, she unceremoniously handed it back to him and said with a smile, “Mr. Lin is noble and upright. I never expected Miss Lin and Young Master Lin to be so polite as well. Everything in the courtyard is properly arranged. Mr. Lin doesn’t require personal attendants, so there’s only a cleaning maid for the courtyard and a cook who specializes in southern cuisine. If Mrs. Lin needs anything else, please feel free to come to Ninth Master’s study courtyard and ask me.”
Chu Yi sneered inwardly. In his opinion, the only purpose of her entire speech was to emphasize the words “Ninth Master,” letting the Lin family know she was his maid. Now she knew to use him as a shield.
He wouldn’t reprimand her in front of outsiders, but he’d make sure to find something to keep her busy later.
Lin Songfeng didn’t mind. Having just arrived in the capital, he was still brimming with admiration from the journey and had no interest in such trivial matters. “This estate is truly magnificent and spacious!” He asked whether there was a lake, how many acres the estate covered, and so on. “In the south, water is abundant, so having a lake within a residence isn’t uncommon. What’s rare is that there’s also a lake here in the north…”
Chu Yi smiled and said, “There’s a lake right behind the courtyard where you’ll be staying, Young Master Lin. It’s not cold enough yet, but once the ice forms, many people in the capital come to our estate for ice-skating festivities.”
In the south, not only was ice rare, but even snowflakes were a novelty. Lin Songfeng had only read about ice-skating festivities in books and had never witnessed one firsthand.
His admiration was genuine, which only made Lin Songluan more annoyed. It made them seem too unsophisticated. Even if their family couldn’t compare, they shouldn’t lose the dignity of scholars.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Lin felt her son was right and was pleased to see Lin Songfeng chatting so amiably with Chu Yi, the host. She nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Mama Lu watched the family with a faint smile. Today had been an eye-opener for her, and she’d have plenty to tell Old Madam later.
Their Ninth Master’s fellow disciples? Hah! The Grand Tutor of the court had personally taught Ninth Master when he was young. Only the Grand Tutor’s students could be considered Ninth Master’s fellow disciples!
As they entered the courtyard, Lin Songfeng exclaimed again, “This courtyard is even larger than our own.”
Lin Songluan was almost out of patience but managed a light, dismissive tone. “Northern estates are spacious by nature, quite different from the compact and delicate designs of the south. It’s simply a different architectural style.”
Regardless, the family was satisfied with the accommodations Suian had prepared.
Suian noticed Mrs. Lin’s entire expression relax.
Mrs. Lin was indeed pleased. She had endured hardships along the journey, and it was a relief to finally feel at home here.
The courtyard had eight or nine rooms on the north side, all quite spacious, with side rooms on the east and west. Several rooms on the south side served as the kitchen and bathing area. The charcoal pit beside the kitchen was already filled with charcoal, prepared for the Lin family’s use during the winter.
Miss Lin chose an eastern side room for her living quarters, designating the adjacent room as a study where she could also do needlework and such. Lin Songfeng could stay anywhere, so he selected a western side room, leaving the main room for Mr. and Mrs. Lin.
Chu Yi’s presence today to accompany them was at his mother’s urging, and by now his patience was nearly exhausted. He directly cupped his hands and said, “Sir, your family has just reunited, so I won’t intrude any further. Once you’ve settled your family in, I’ll host a welcome banquet for them.”
Mr. Lin nodded in agreement. Teaching Chu Yi had been a reluctant decision for him; in his eyes, Chu Yi was nothing but an idle, uneducated playboy.
One student unwilling to learn, the other teacher grudgingly instructing—their master-disciple bond was as thin as a cicada’s wing. Truth be told, Mr. Lin was already quite surprised that Chu Yi had stood at the gate to welcome his family today. Thus, he didn’t take Chu Yi’s polite talk of a welcome banquet to heart.
As Chu Yi prepared to leave, Suian followed suit. The enthusiasm she had felt during the journey of the past few days had now completely vanished.
When Old Madam heard Mama Lu’s description of the Lin family’s shabby appearance, she didn’t laugh as Mama Lu had expected. Instead, she said, “How pitiful. Have a banquet brought in from Pushanfang to celebrate the Lin family’s reunion.”
After a moment’s thought, she suddenly asked, “What is that girl Suian up to?”
Mama Lu put on an expression of wanting to laugh but not daring to, earning a displeased glare from Old Madam before she quickly replied, “Ninth Master said he wants to write poetry, following the Nine-Nine Winter Solstice Countdown—one poem each day. He told Suian to hurry and prepare eighty-one poetry slips.”
Old Madam smiled and simply said, “That child,” before dismissing Mama Lu.
Those above have their own troubles, but those below have even more.
A single word from the master, and the servants run their legs off.
Such was Suian’s situation now. She worked until evening, placing the paper slips under molds and moving stones to press them down, leaving her back aching, breathless, and utterly unwilling to speak.
Finally managing to move aside, she sat on a wooden stool, massaging her shoulders and staring blankly.
Fortunately, this courtyard was located behind the inner residence. In the evening, the front was lively, while the back grew quiet, making the faint murmurs from next door barely audible.
Having received no reward in the morning, she had gloomily eaten two steamed buns at lunch. Now, though exhausted, she wasn’t hungry at all, so she used the fading evening light to ponder her own thoughts.
Memories of her past life remained fresh and intact: just admitted to military school, young and spirited, she had witnessed a few swindlers setting up a scam. Unable to stand by, she stepped forward to expose them but was pushed down a flight of stairs. When she awoke, she found herself in a different world. If it was a transmigration, the memories of her previous self were crystal clear—her deceased mother, her frail father, etched deeply in her heart. If it was but a fleeting dream, she still vividly recalled the joy of receiving her university admission letter in her past life, the sorrow of bidding farewell to her family and heading north alone, the sharp pain in her skull from the fall down the stairs, and the distorted faces of the crowd before she lost consciousness…
Anxiety, grief, her father’s weeping—all gradually extinguished her hope of returning. With her father’s illness urgently needing treatment, she had no choice but to sell herself.
A maid in a grand household, surviving with caution, not a single day in these three years had she forgotten her original goal: to buy back her freedom and leave.
Signing a lifelong contract is akin to being sentenced to life without parole; redemption is no easy matter. The first requirement is having enough money. For maids in the inner household, earning a few coins by doing needlework—such as handkerchiefs, pouches, or tassels—to sell outside is one possible path. Unfortunately, Suian’s mother passed away early, and after entering Chu Mansion, she served in the study, never having the chance to learn needlework.
She does, however, excel at drawing floral patterns. But paper and brushes are all provided by the mansion. Occasionally drawing a few patterns for the maids in Old Madam’s or the ladies’ courtyards is one thing; attempting to sell them outside, however, would be another. If Ninth Master found out, a beating would be the least of her worries.
Ninth Master may appear indifferent to everything, but she knows he is a ruthless man, his thoughts as sharp as thorns. Having grown up surrounded by adoration, he has no concept of showing mercy or leaving room for others.