In April, morning mist hung thick in the air. Early-rising birds perched on the bamboo chairs in the courtyard, chattering noisily as if urging people to get up.
Miss Player was woken by the noise. Yawning, she climbed up from the canopy bed and casually pulled a cloth doll from beside the thin pillow.
The doll was fashioned like a real dog, nearly half her size. It was not stylized or cute in a simple way, but rather quite realistic.
Its eyes were made in three different colors, glistening with lifelike vitality. Its body was yellow, the fur vividly rendered—soft to the eye, smooth to the touch.
The old, worn longevity-patterned quilt had been replaced with a soft, pale green silk comforter. Wrapped around her, it was almost weightless, yet warm and comfortable. A row of wooden railings had been installed around the bed, their inner sides wrapped in delicate silk embroidered with blooming flowers—very pleasing to the eye.
She did not rush to get out of bed. Instead, she opened the game panel to check the major events that had occurred during the “Fast Forward Time” period.
【You have been given a name: Jiang Yushu.】
【A new group of servants has been purchased; the household population has increased.】
【You fell gravely ill. The family had already accepted your death as inevitable; only your grandmother, Madam Sun, held onto hope and cared for you day and night without rest.】
【You recovered. Your grandmother, Madam Sun, lost five jin in weight.】
【At six months old, you learned to say “Grandmother.”】
【Your relationship with your elder brother is extremely poor. No matter what the family tries, you refuse to call him “brother.”】
【You fell ill—caught a chill.】
【You recovered. Your grandmother, Madam Sun, lost five jin in weight.】
【At one year old, you could correctly name most objects and speak sentences of about five characters without stammering.】
……
【At three years old, you fell ill. A total of fifty-three taels of silver was spent. Your grandmother, Madam Sun, grumbled as she cared for you and lost five jin in weight.】
【You recovered.】
There had been three recorded major illnesses, two of which had nearly taken her life.
Ah… nothing to be done. Her starting Constitution had only been three points, after all.
Miss Player firmly refused to admit that crying constantly as a baby might have had any negative effect on her health.
Taozi tiptoed into the inner room like a thief, only to find that her young mistress was already awake without a sound. The small figure sat on the bed clutching the doll, staring straight at the bed curtains with a serious, jade-like face—so adorable it was almost unbearable.
"My lady, you’ve only just recovered—you mustn’t catch a chill."
Taozi tucked the loose silk quilt around her, wrapping her tightly, and repeated several times that she must not climb out before daring to leave and fetch the clothes warming over the brazier.
Watching her busy figure, Miss Player tilted her head, puzzled.
This maid who served Madam Sun was still in Yinian Hall? She reviewed the “major events” again, yet found no record of her father Jiang Yan taking a concubine—nor any mention of illegitimate siblings being born.
In the previous run, Madam Sun had proposed taking a concubine for Jiang Yan even before Madam Qian had completed her confinement. The candidate had already been decided—Taozi, the very maid at her side.
The reason had been brutally simple: if you cannot bear a son, then let a concubine do it.
During her confinement, when her hormones were unstable and her emotions volatile, Madam Qian would hold herself together in front of others—but when night fell and all was quiet, she would silently weep while holding Miss Player.
She had said it many times—Mother only has you.
Miss Player had pitied her, sympathized with her, and even admired her. Despite everything, Madam Qian had never blamed her daughter’s gender and had raised her with determination. Year after year, living together day after day, they had become something like half mother and daughter in truth.
A pity that her sincerity had been misplaced.
At first, Jiang Yan had refused to take a concubine. But after Madam Sun brought it up repeatedly—and Madam Qian herself agreed—Taozi officially entered his chambers when Miss Player was half a year old. She only gained the status of concubine after giving birth to her first son.
Taozi had not been Jiang Yan’s only concubine. By regulation, his rank allowed him two, and though he did not exceed that number, he filled both positions.
The other concubine had been given by Madam Qian herself—Yinzhu, her personal maid. The Second Miss Jiang who later framed Miss Player for illicit relations with a servant had been Yinzhu’s daughter.
To understand what had changed, Miss Player opened the game panel and searched “taking concubines” in the “Retrospection” function. With a thought, the past replayed itself.
Having just experienced the rushing flow of time like a small boat carried along a great river, the sensation of time stopping and flowing backward now felt faint. What fascinated her instead was her current state—something she had never experienced in the previous run.
As the dazzling colors faded, she found herself still in Yinian Hall. But something had changed—the furniture and Taozi appeared larger. The room had not changed—she had.
Miss Player realized she had become smaller again.
And within this smaller body, she could not control her actions.
An immersive first-person playback of past events? That was quite engaging.
Outside, it was already night. Madam Sun was frugal—the courtyard was never lit at night. On a moonless evening, the outside was pitch black.
Three people sat around the square table. Miss Player was one of them. Opposite her sat Jiang Yan; beside her, Madam Sun.
The dishes were empty, wiped clean of oil. The rice bowls had been finished. The meal had clearly reached its end.
Madam Sun beckoned to Taozi. "Come here."
Taozi, clearly aware of what was about to happen, lowered her head shyly and stepped forward.
Madam Sun said to her son, "It has been over a year since your wife gave birth to Youyou, yet there has been no further news. There is only Jingxing in the family—you have too few heirs. Today, I will make the decision. You will take a concubine. Taozi will go with you to the main room shortly."
Jiang Yan glanced at Taozi’s flushed cheeks. A flicker of desire appeared in his eyes—but quickly vanished. He refused, saying, "No. If I am to take someone, Yuan'er must agree."
With a sharp crack, the bowl in front of Miss Player smashed—her hand had moved on its own.
"Wow," she thought.
Time she had not personally lived through had not been empty. For the NPCs, every day had been real. The system had continued her character’s behavior in her absence.
"Taozi is mine!"
The character declared it with domineering certainty.
Jiang Yan slammed the table in anger. "What are you doing?"
Madam Sun, however, was not angry at all. She pulled the child into her arms. "My darling, don’t be afraid."
Jiang Yan met her gaze. His anger immediately faded by more than half, and his voice dropped.
"What distinguishes humans from beasts is speech and propriety. Throwing a bowl during a meal is improper and should be punished."
Madam Sun turned and glared at him like a protective beast. "If you want my life, just say it! Taozi, go fetch a butcher’s knife for your county deputy magistrate. My neck is right here—go on, chop!"
Jiang Yan: "…"
Having subdued her son, Madam Sun coaxed the child. "If Taozi becomes your father’s concubine, you will soon have younger siblings. Then you won’t be the youngest—you’ll be a grown-up."
The child shook her head vigorously. "Children born to Mother are clever and beautiful. How could those born to concubines be the same? Besides, ‘legitimate and illegitimate mingled together—this is the root of household disorder; in lesser official families, it is even worse.’ Father should not take a concubine."
Madam Sun understood only the first part. Jiang Yan, however, understood every word—and knew this could not possibly be knowledge possessed by a child barely over one year old. It had to be something repeated after hearing it.
"Who said that to you?"
Even as he asked, he already knew the answer.
"Grandmother Huang told me."
Miss Player nodded inwardly in satisfaction.
Jiang Yan’s expression shifted rapidly. He looked at Taozi for a moment, then averted his gaze. It was true—his mother had carefully chosen a suitable concubine, and as a man, he acknowledged his own nature. But compared to his official career, restraining himself became easy.
He wanted advancement too much.
He had no desire to displease Lady Huang—after all, Magistrate Huang was a filial son.
Jiang Yan said, "Mother, do not mention taking a concubine again…"
……
Miss Player ended the “Retrospection” function, her mouth slightly open.
What was the ultimate form of revenge? Not eliminating danger in the cradle—but preventing one’s enemy from ever being born at all.
The threat of Second Miss Jiang had vanished without a trace—she had not even acted personally. A single “Fast Forward Time” had erased it like the flap of a butterfly’s wings.
She paused in astonishment—only natural.
Soft footsteps approached. The wet nurse entered carrying a small white porcelain bowl, followed by Tiangua and a young maid of seven or eight. The bowl contained warm milk. Miss Player was surprised the wet nurse had not been dismissed.
In the previous run, she had not had a wet nurse—Madam Qian had fed her personally.
Feeding had been troublesome. By six months old, she had switched to goat’s milk, and the household had kept a she-goat for that purpose.
After she was carefully dressed and cleaned from head to toe and brought to the dining table, Madam Sun entered, a thin sheen of sweat on her body. Compared to three and a half years ago, she had changed so much that Miss Player almost failed to recognize her.
The old woman had lost at least twenty jin! She had once weighed around one hundred and thirty jin and stood about one meter sixty-five tall.
It was said she had always been strong, unusually sturdy for a woman of Great Xi. But before her son Jiang Yan passed the county examination, she had never had the chance to gain weight.
That flesh had been put on during the years after Madam Qian entered the household.
Now her waist was slender, her steps light, and most importantly, her eyes were bright and her complexion ruddy. More than three years later, she looked seven or eight years younger.
"We agreed on morning exercise, yet you still failed to get up."
Madam Sun sat down, taking a cloth from Taozi to wipe her sweat. She wore a light cotton top and trousers, while Miss Player, beneath her underclothes, still wore a padded jacket. Grandmother and granddaughter seemed to live in entirely different seasons.
Miss Player had no idea what agreement they had made—but she was well-practiced in handling such gaps.
Skip what you don’t know.
"What are we eating today?" she asked.
A bowl of steamed egg custard sprinkled with minced meat was placed before her, along with a small plate holding three white steamed buns. Her chair was specially made, much like a modern child’s dining chair, able to secure her body, with a soft cushion beneath her. In the corner stood an ancient version of a baby stroller and a walker. The entire Yinian Hall was filled with the atmosphere of raising a child.
After breakfast, Miss Player held out her hands.
Madam Sun personally lifted her down, wiping her face and hands clean.
Taozi lifted the curtain as Madam Qian entered with Yinzhu. She performed a respectful bow and said with a smile, "Mother, I have come to pay my respects."
Miss Player quietly observed.
After a few words of casual conversation, Madam Sun said, "It’s getting late. Take Youyou out. Go early and return early—don’t let her catch the wind."
Madam Qian agreed and left Yinian Hall.
The attendants followed one after another.
Cradled in Taozi’s arms, Miss Player looked ahead. Passing through the first gate, a winding corridor extended forward in a loop, leading to Madam Qian’s residence in the main courtyard.
Most official residences in Great Xi had two courtyards; some smaller counties had only one. But Cuixi County, with its silk, walnuts, iron mines, and a river port capable of receiving large ships, had a strong economy—it was a top-tier county.
The county yamen’s residence was correspondingly grand—three courtyards, with the main house at the center. Precious trees grew in the yard. In a large stone basin, lotus leaves spread across the surface, and red koi swam beneath, rippling the water and blowing small bubbles.
"Why is my childhood name Youyou?"
Miss Player inwardly praised her own voice—it was more pleasant than the finest birdsong.
Madam Qian walked past the stone basin, the koi darting shyly beneath the leaves. She replied gently, "Youyou is the sound a young deer makes. Your grandmother thought your cries sounded just like that."
"Oh, Youyou was given by Grandmother. What about ‘Yushu’?"
"Your father proposed several names. Lady Huang said this one was the best."
In this life, she was still called Yushu—but her childhood name differed from the previous run.
The wind stirred, and the bronze bells hanging from the eaves chimed softly. Miss Player stared at them, reaching out instinctively.
That sound had been the most familiar melody of her previous life.
Taozi paused and lifted her higher. Just as her fingers were about to touch the ancient bronze bell, Madam Qian, who had reached the ornamental gate, turned and urged, "Youyou, hurry—our carriage has been waiting for quite some time."
Looking down from above, Miss Player asked, "Where are we going?"
Jin Sui stepped forward with a smile. "To report to you, Miss—we are going to ‘Qian Embroidery,’ a fabric shop under Madam’s name."