At the tail end of summer, cicadas still buzzed faintly in the ear, while autumn’s osmanthus fragrance had already begun to settle across the courtyard like frost. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed, and Miss Player was now a one-month-old infant.
A week ago, she had fallen ill with a high fever. Only in the past two days had she fully recovered.
With a Constitution of only 3, being frail and prone to illness in infancy was entirely expected. If she wished, she could simply block out the discomfort. The Jiang family, after all, was an official household—any child would be carefully tended. She would not die so easily.
As for growing up safely, Miss Player had experience.
In her previous run, her Constitution had also been 3. Once she gained mobility, she had slowly strengthened her body through gradual exercise. As long as she did not rush things, her Constitution would steadily rise to a passable level.
She did not take her illness to heart.
But Madam Sun, who was raising her, had swallowed bitterness and poured out sweetness, exhausting both body and mind. In just one short month, she had lost more than ten jin.
Because the illness had looked dangerous, the money spent had flowed like water. In just a few days, it had already exceeded twenty taels. Every time Madam Sun paid out silver, her heart ached—but whenever it came time to summon a physician or buy medicine, she never hesitated for even a moment.
Miss Player understood very clearly:
After investing so much, Madam Sun would never again entertain the thought of sending her away to be raised by someone else, as she had in the previous run. She would raise her personally.
And yet, the task progress stubbornly remained at 50%. For the past few days, the progress bar had seemed frozen, refusing to move at all.
Inside the room, Tiangua picked up a set of thin padded trousers and handed them to Madam Sun.
Madam Sun was wearing a loose upper garment. She took the newly made trousers and put them on with practiced ease. The waistband was clearly half an inch too large. With one arm holding the baby, she deftly tightened the sash, her cloth shoes dragging slightly against the floor with a soft scuffing sound.
She walked two rounds.
There was no discomfort.
“For the next set of autumn clothes, make the waist half an inch smaller.”
After giving the instruction, she returned to sit on the bed.
When Taozi crept into the room, she saw Tiangua immediately raise a finger to her lips.
Curious, Taozi stretched her neck to look toward the canopy bed.
Madam Sun was already lying down, the baby in her arms, fast asleep.
The two maids had just reached the doorway when—
A small figure burst in, knocking them aside as it rushed straight into the room.
Taozi took the worst of the impact.
“Ow—!” she cried, falling heavily to the ground, unable to get up for quite some time.
Tiangua managed to steady herself against the doorframe, but by the time she raised her arms to block the intruder, it was already too late.
“Waa—waa—waa—!”
A bright, piercing cry rang through Yinian Hall.
Immediately after, Madam Sun’s furious voice erupted from within.
“You little rascal! Trouble follows you everywhere. How many times have I told you? You’re not to frighten your sister! In one ear and out the other—you never remember! And you sneaked in again! Stop right there—I’ll beat you today if it’s the last thing I do!”
The small figure that had rushed inside came scrambling back out, clutching its head as it fled. Even as he ran, he kept turning back, reluctant to leave, his face full of mischievous delight.
Who else could it be but the Jiang family’s eldest young master—Jiang Jingxing?
Madam Sun chased to the doorway with Miss Player in her arms, but Jiang Jingxing was already gone without a trace.
She stood there, breathing heavily, muttering under her breath, “That child—no sense of consideration at all.”
She took a deep breath, then lowered her head and gently teased the baby with her finger.
“Good thing we weren’t scared. The fright’s gone, flown away.”
Only then did Miss Player realize—
She had forgotten to cry.
But it was not too late.
She blinked her round eyes at Madam Sun, her mouth quivering—then burst into loud sobs.
Madam Sun: “……”
Midwife Ma stepped out from behind the screen.
Seeing Miss Player’s little face flushed red from crying, her heart softened. At last, she voiced what she had long kept to herself.
“Old Madam, a child of three or four is at that age—when cats hate them and dogs loathe them. In our village, they get beaten every few days and still climb onto rooftops. Adults simply cannot control them. The young master finds the young miss novel and amusing—he will surely keep coming to bother you. Frightening her like this will not be a one-time thing. It will continue until he grows sensible.
“You know as well as I do—infants’ souls are unstable. They must not be startled often. In my view, it would be better to separate the two for now.”
Midwife Ma spoke softly, gentle as cotton. Unless addressed directly, she never spoke out of turn.
This was the first time she had offered her own opinion.
Madam Sun could not help but take it seriously.
“…I will think on it.”
The moment Madam Sun finished speaking—
Miss Player saw the task bar surge forward.
50% → 60%.
She immediately enlarged the task panel and reread every line of Growth Task (I).
Not a single word required the caregiver to raise only one child.
“Only one” meant: the caregiver must have only one child under their care—and that child must be her.
In the previous run, the task description had been clear and explicit. Not like this run—half-hidden, ambiguous, even containing concealed requirements.
With Morality below zero, the game’s difficulty had multiplied.
Miss Player wiggled her tiny fingers, describing her situation, and submitted a bug report.
A few seconds later, a reply arrived:
【Dear Closed Beta Player, hello! We have reviewed your account data and determined that the current task difficulty is reasonable. Thank you very much for taking the time to provide feedback! For more exciting content, please explore on your own.】
Exactly as expected.
If the completion conditions could not be changed—
Then she would simply drive Jiang Jingxing away.
Hmph. Succession disputes had always worked this way.
Miss Player had just stopped crying when a maid from Lady Huang’s household came to invite them.
“The sun is out today—warm and pleasant. Our Lady asks that Old Madam bring the young miss over for a visit. Would it be suitable for her to go out today?”
Madam Sun knew that infants needed time outdoors.
She had originally planned to take Miss Player into the courtyard after her nap anyway.
Since her rest had already been disturbed, making a trip to Lady Huang’s residence posed no problem. She accepted readily.
Refusing help from the maids, Madam Sun carried Miss Player herself, strolling along the path behind the county yamen and entering through the inner residence gate.
By now, she understood the layout:
The front was where the County Magistrate handled official business—main gate, ceremonial gate, main hall, second hall, third hall. Magistrate Huang’s daily living quarters were in the third hall.
Lady Huang lived in the upper room at the far end of the inner residence gate, with rows of wing rooms on either side.
Since Magistrate Huang had not yet taken a wife—
Miss Player could not help but remark inwardly: What a young and handsome magistrate.
The east wing stood empty for now. The west wing had not been put to use either.
The servants lived in the rear garden adjoining the courtyard. There were many of them. Last time she came, Miss Player had personally heard Lady Huang remark that the residence could not accommodate so many people, and that she had already selected an estate where some would be sent to manage it.
On fine days, Lady Huang would receive them in the courtyard.
Today, the sky was clear and the breeze gentle.
She had gauze curtains hung around the hexagonal pavilion—light-filtering, wind-blocking. Beside it lay a pond and artificial rockery. With the breeze softened but not stifled, the pavilion remained comfortably cool.
The moment she saw the grandmother and child approach, Lady Huang’s eyes lit up.
She had fully recovered now, her complexion even better than before. Rising to her feet, she beckoned.
“Elder Sister, come quickly and take a look at this undergarment. I had it made slightly larger based on her old one—see if it fits.”
Miss Player’s clothes were always put on and taken off by Madam Sun herself.
The moment she held the fine cotton bellyband, she knew the size was right.
“The child grows quickly. Such fine cloth—after one or two wears, it will already be outgrown. You’ve spent too much.”
“If good cloth isn’t made into clothing to be worn, then what use is it?”
Lady Huang teased the baby with a small bell.
“This kind of fine cotton can’t be bought locally—breathable and soft. Since the size fits, I’ll make a few more so she can change between them. Her skin is delicate—she shouldn’t wear other people’s old clothes. Not like last time, when she broke out in a rash.”
“It wasn’t a rash,” Madam Sun corrected. “Just a patch of redness on her arm.”
Old clothes were softer, better than ordinary new fabric—but they could not compare to this.
Just from holding it, Madam Sun could tell the material was perfect for an infant in autumn.
“We’re late!”
The Principal Clerk’s Wife and the Registrar’s Wife arrived together, taking seats in the pavilion.
Madam Sun did not continue the topic.
After all, the old clothes had come from the Principal Clerk’s household.
These days, most of Miss Player’s clothing consisted of Jiang Jingxing’s old garments. She did have some new ones, and the Principal Clerk’s Wife had previously offered old clothes to curry favor with Lady Huang.
In truth, the redness on Miss Player’s arm might not even have been caused by the clothes. Madam Sun was meticulous—she inspected every old garment before use, rejecting anything unsuitable.
Lady Huang was a person of extremes—she either cherished or despised.
She did not like the Principal Clerk’s Wife.
These two women could only visit once or twice every ten days. After being turned away enough times, they had learned what to say—and what not to.
As long as Miss Player was present, they only needed to praise the child.
But praise alone could not sustain a conversation forever. Since Miss Player could not respond with “thank you,” the topic inevitably shifted back to Madam Sun.
Such a good child—surely raised well by her grandmother!
After a round of flattery, Madam Sun felt thoroughly pleased.
Lady Huang believed it was true.
Even the women offering the praise did not think themselves insincere.
Madam Sun truly did raise the child personally.
And she truly had raised her well.
As the sun began to set, Madam Sun left the county residence with the child in her arms.
The Principal Clerk’s Wife and the Registrar’s Wife tactfully took their leave as well, walking out alongside her.
The Registrar’s Wife said, “The incense burner on the table and the white porcelain vase for flowers both bore the mark ‘Made in the Xihe era.’ Those are imperial workshop items. Just what kind of background does Lady Huang have?”
Miss Player was surprised.
The Registrar’s Wife had sharp eyes.
Items made by the imperial workshops were designed, supervised, or produced by the imperial household—used by the royal family, for rituals, or as rewards to high officials. Private imitation was forbidden.
They represented the highest level of craftsmanship—and, more importantly, status.
The Principal Clerk’s Wife’s eyes flickered. “In any case, she’s a noble from the Imperial Capital. We’re far from the throne here—what more could we possibly learn?”
The Registrar’s Wife pressed on. “Old Madam, has Lady Huang ever mentioned where she’s from? Which ward in the Imperial Capital the magistrate lived in? Whether he’s entered the palace?”
“I don’t understand any of what you’re saying,” Madam Sun replied.
The Registrar’s Wife quickly explained, sweating slightly as she spoke at length about the wards of the Imperial Capital and how different ranks of people resided in different districts.
Finally, she asked hopefully, “Do any of those ward names sound familiar to you?”
“No,” Madam Sun said simply. “When I see Lady Huang tomorrow, I’ll ask her for you—tell her you’re curious which ward she lived in.”
The Registrar’s Wife: “……”
Her face drained of color.
She hurriedly begged Madam Sun not to ask, nearly slapping her own mouth in regret, explaining frantically until she was drenched in sweat.
Whether she had managed to stop her or not—she had no idea.
At the crossroads, they parted ways.
After walking a few steps, once Madam Sun was out of sight, the Registrar’s Wife spat lightly and muttered, “Ignorant country woman.”
Unseen by her—
Madam Sun also turned back and spat.
“When speaking to someone powerful, they smile and flatter. When facing someone weaker, they put on airs. City or countryside—it’s all the same. In the end, everyone’s just two eyes, one nose, one mouth—no one escapes that same human tendency to cling to power and chase advantage.”
To fawn on the powerful and trample the weak.
Miss Player had not expected such words from Madam Sun.
She realized—
Madam Sun had shed her illusions about the circle of officials’ families.
A circle she once feared, believing it refined and elevated—only to discover it was no different from anywhere else.
From then on, there would be no more trembling caution.
Smack.
Miss Player was kissed squarely on the forehead, stunned.
Madam Sun looked immensely pleased.
“Thanks to you, little girl—after living in the county yamen for a year with nothing but the name of an official’s mother, I finally know what it feels like to hold my head high and breathe freely.”
Miss Player: “……”
She clenched her tiny fists, futilely wiping at a forehead that wasn’t even wet, and snorted inwardly.
Enjoy it while you can.
You’ll pay for it tonight.