When Chang Yuan came to deliver the charcoal brazier, A’Yuan was just about to go to sleep. Chun Tao carried it in, unable to hide the smug expression on her face.
“Those snobbish old women in the front courtyard deliberately withheld the mistress’s charcoal. Luckily, the young master has returned. Fearing the mistress would be cold, he immediately sent Chang Yuan with the brazier.”
Chun Tao had a fiery temper and was a servant born and raised in the Marquis Manor. She had never suffered such humiliation before.
She had originally thought that by following a seductive mistress, she would be able to wield influence within the manor. Little did she expect that her mistress was gentle-natured, offending no one, and now even the dirtiest and vilest dared to bully her.
A’Yuan tugged at the corner of her lips. How could she not want to be more assertive? But her status was lowly, and she had no backing. If she truly became arrogant and complacent, relying on Wei Xun’s favor, her fate would only be worse.
Besides, Wei Xun had no feelings for her.
She was merely a tool to warm his bed twice a month.
A’Yuan lowered her head and rubbed her sore, aching wrist, softly instructing Chun Tao, “Bring me my sewing basket.”
“Mistress, it’s late at night…”
Chun Tao’s expression froze, and she stood there unwilling to move.
The embroidery work shouldn’t have been the mistress’s responsibility in the first place. The manor had embroiderers, so why did Second Mistress assign all the needlework to her mistress?
“It’s fine. I can’t sleep, so I’ll just stitch a few.”
A’Yuan’s tone remained gentle, but her attitude was firm. Chun Tao knew she couldn’t argue, so she stomped her foot and turned to fetch it.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t sleep. Second Mistress was in a hurry, and the mistress had already stayed up for three consecutive nights. Today, she had also attended to the young master. Who knew how exhausted she was now?
Chun Tao sniffled, her nose tingling with bitterness, feeling even more aggrieved on behalf of her mistress.
Why was the concubine in Second Master’s quarters living in comfort and luxury, while her mistress was constantly mistreated? If she told the young master, Second Mistress would surely rein in her behavior.
But every time she wanted to complain, her mistress would stop her, wearing an expression of sternness she had never seen before.
Her mistress said that if she dared to complain, she would be driven out of the Jade Clear Courtyard.
She had pledged her loyalty to her mistress three years ago, so she naturally didn’t dare to go. She could only watch helplessly as her mistress endured the mistreatment.
Chun Tao fetched the sewing basket and turned up the wick of the lamp a little brighter. She brought a small stool and sat by the bed, keeping her mistress company as she sewed.
The little maid puffed out her cheeks, her expression indignant. A’Yuan swallowed the words urging her to rest, stood up, and draped a fur-collared cloak over her. “Then help me sort the threads.”
Though Chun Tao was still angry, her hands obeyed. She huffily straightened the embroidery threads.
A’Yuan glanced at her twice, afraid she would feel embarrassed or annoyed, then quickly turned away, though the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
At least in this vast manor, she still had Chun Tao by her side.
The window was slightly ajar, and the candlelight flickered in the breeze, casting the shadows of the mistress and her maid onto the windowpane.
A’Yuan had learned Su embroidery, known for its lively stitching and meticulous craftsmanship, and she excelled at embroidering flowers and birds.
Since entering the Spring Mist Tower in Yangzhou at the age of five, she had been learning embroidery for ten years.
The Spring Mist Tower trained “skinny horses” not only in appearance but also in skills. However, most skinny horses chose talents like singing and dancing, which relied on their looks to serve others, unable to endure the hardships of embroidery. In the end, only A’Yuan persisted.
She lowered her head and picked up the half-embroidered sock. Second Mistress Zhao Wan loved peonies and had specifically instructed that her clothes and socks be embroidered with them.
Peony petals were intricate, with many colors, each flower consuming half a day of her energy.
A’Yuan had originally wanted to delay, but the news of Wei Xun sending the charcoal brazier today would soon reach the ears of the second branch.
Now that the Second Mistress is in charge of the household, it must have been her idea to withhold the charcoal. As Wei Xun’s own sister-in-law, Wei Xun had humiliated her, and though she wouldn’t dare confront him directly, she would surely find ways to make things difficult for A’Yuan.
A’Yuan disliked trouble. She would rather work harder herself to avoid leaving any openings for criticism than stir up trouble that might reach Wei Xun.
Three years ago, when she first entered the Jade Clarity Courtyard, Wei Xun had already warned her. Even now, she remembered the man’s cold tone.
“Since you’ve entered the manor, behave yourself. Serve my mother diligently and treat my elder brother and his wife with respect. I am busy with official duties and have no time to deal with your troubles.”
At the time, A’Yuan was nearly fifteen, still harboring the romantic dreams of a young girl. Wei Xun was a rare handsome gentleman in the capital, and A’Yuan was delighted to become his chamber maid.
But Wei Xun’s words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, completely extinguishing her romantic fantasies.
For three years, she had been cautious and careful, treading on thin ice in the Marquis Manor. No matter how much she suffered, she never thought of troubling Wei Xun.
She had nothing, but she could still guard her heart.
The master and servant worked through half the night before finishing all six sets of clothes and socks.
The moment she put away the needle and thread, A’Yuan felt dizzy and her vision darkened, nearly falling off the bed. Fortunately, Chun Tao was there to support her.
“Why must you do this, mistress? It would only take a word to the Young Master…”
The little maid was exasperated, but A’Yuan forced a faint smile and said nothing. “It’s late. Go to bed. I’ll be fine after resting a while.”
Her life had been much harder before. Now, just staying up for two nights made her body feel delicate.
A’Yuan felt a pang of self-mockery. Compared to Chun Tao’s anger, she truly didn’t feel wronged.
Being able to live peacefully now was already enough for her.
Chun Tao massaged her temples for a while and only left when she saw A’Yuan’s complexion had improved.
The candle was extinguished, the door closed, and the room returned to silence.
Exhausted from the day’s work, A’Yuan had forced herself to finish the clothes and socks. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.
But her sleep was restless. In her dreams, there were flames everywhere, and the air was filled with cries and wails.
Her father and mother lay on the ground, arrows piercing their chests. A’Yuan, only five years old, threw herself over them, her voice hoarse from crying.
“Father… Mother…”
With her last breath, her mother pushed her away. “A’Yuan, run. Promise me… survive.”
Before she could finish, another arrow shot from the distance struck her mother’s heart. Blood sprayed onto A’Yuan’s face, blinding and scalding.
She froze, watching as horses approached in the distance. Her feet felt as if nailed to the ground, unable to move.
But her mother’s words echoed in her ears. A’Yuan had no time for grief or fear. She forced herself to flee, but how could a five-year-old child outrun galloping horses? Soon, she was caught by bandits and thrown onto a horse’s back.
The bandit roughly wiped the blood from her face. Seeing A’Yuan’s appearance, his eyes lit up.
“What a pretty little girl. She’ll fetch a good price!”
In times of chaos, women were commodities, and brothels were the highest bidders.
A’Yuan was sold to the Misty Rain Pavilion, becoming a lamb waiting to be sold, raised only to be offered to new patrons.
During her ten years as a “thin horse,” A’Yuan always remembered her mother’s words: no matter how hard or painful, she must survive.
But even the strongest endurance has its limits.
The fire that consumed the Xie family and the whips and cold water of the Misty Rain Pavilion alternated in her dreams. A’Yuan curled up under the blanket, her tears soaking the pillow.
“Mother, A’Yuan is so tired of living.”
“A’Yuan wants to go home…”