“You child, speaking without restraint! If you enter the manor alone without an adult to protect you, won’t you just fall into Madam Wu’s hands? She might be pregnant now. If she uses her pregnancy to torment you and settle old grudges, and your aunt is blocked from entering the manor, you might not even get to see your father!”
Old Madam Ding wiped her tears: “I’ve already lost your mother. If something were to happen to you, how could I go on living?”
“Why are you telling the child such things!” Old Master Ding grumbled.
“If I don’t say it now, she won’t even know how she dies once she goes in!”
“How could it come to that!”
“How could it not? That Wu Shi is a jealous woman! If she were generous, how could my He’er have died without even a proper status? My poor daughter~”
Old Master Ding fell silent.
His original name was Ding Wang. As a child, he was sold into the Shen family along with his mother. When Old Master Shen was young and selecting attendants, he bestowed the names “Jian,” “Du,” “Mo,” and “Yan.” He was the one named “Du.”
When he grew up, he married a cook from the manor and had two daughters.
Later, the eldest daughter, Ding He, even became the senior maid of Third Young Master Shen Rusong.
Apart from not having a son, life was comfortable, and he held a respectable position in the manor.
Later, when the old master gave up the imperial examinations and became a County Magistrate, he followed him to Anyang to take up the post. As a trusted long-time attendant, he even had access to the county government office.
How did things come to this?
Yes, it all started when He’er climbed into Young Master Song’s bed.
After the old madam passed away, with no one managing the inner courtyard, the girl got wicked ideas. She began to look down on Amáo, thinking he was just a servant, far less handsome than the young master. Amáo was such a good boy—they grew up together, and despite having no parents, he was willing to marry into her family.
That alone might have been manageable. At worst, they could wait for Ju’er to grow up and bring in a son-in-law.
But the worst mistake was He’er becoming utterly infatuated, determined to bear the third young master’s first son and secure a concubine’s status before the young mistress entered the household. Her mother worked in the kitchen, making it easy to tamper with things. The mother and daughter kept it from him and secretly swapped the contraceptive soup.
But when the pregnancy was discovered, it coincided with Young Master Song failing the County Examination and not attaining the Xiucai (Government Student) rank.
Already furious, the old master flew into a rage and immediately ordered someone to force He’er to drink Cold Medicine.
With no mistress managing the inner courtyard and the old master not understanding such matters, no one was sent to keep watch. They carried their daughter, who had fainted from losing so much blood, back home.
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, despite all the bleeding, the child didn’t miscarry.
The mother and daughter felt they had another chance to turn things around, and he, too, foolishly helped keep it hidden. For half a year, they stayed indoors, living in fear, until He’er gave birth prematurely—only to have a baby girl.
Now it could no longer be hidden. The enraged old master expelled his entire family from the manor. Moreover, the old master was already arranging a marriage for Young Master Song at the time, so this unwanted, illegitimate daughter was never acknowledged.
Out of sentiment for their shared upbringing, the old master didn’t drive them to utter ruin. He settled his family on the Shen family’s estate in the suburbs, where they became ordinary tenant farmers.
But how could this compare to life in the manor? From then on, the Ding family shut their doors, ashamed to face others.
After the child was born, Shen Rusong did send someone with money once. The entire family clung to this lifeline like drowning people.
He gave his granddaughter the nickname “Gui”—Gui meaning noble, like the laurel branch plucked from the moon palace.
They simply hoped that one day Shen Rusong would have a legitimate son and begin taking concubines, or that he would pass the imperial examination and become a Xiucai, and in his great joy, the old master might remember that he still had a pitiful granddaughter living outside the family.
Amid the whole family’s eager anticipation, Shen Rusong got married, Shen Rusong failed the imperial examination again, Shen Rusong’s wife, Madam Wu, forbade him from taking concubines, Shen Rusong’s father-in-law was promoted, Shen Rusong failed the imperial examination yet again, Shen Rusong was sent by the angry old master to study at his father-in-law’s post…
Year after year, the news that reached them was never the good tidings they awaited. Amid this relentless stream of bad news, He’er passed away in despair.
Amáo came to see her a few times, and in the end, he cried so sorrowfully—what a good child, such a pity.
Sitting in the dim and cramped home on the estate, he wondered countless times: if He’er hadn’t insisted on becoming a chamber maid, if the old woman hadn’t swapped the contraceptive soup, would he have fallen to such a state?
Zhou Yan, who had started out with him back then and was only two years older, had already become the chief steward at the old mansion in Shouzhou Prefecture.
Did he regret it?
He did regret it, but during this return to the old place, he realized he didn’t even have the right to regret.
Stepping into Shen Mansion once more, every familiar spot, every familiar or unfamiliar face, was a torment to him.
Especially seeing Cao Mo, this younger generation’s “Mo”—the little brat who used to follow him around, flattering him with cries of “Uncle Ding, Uncle Ding.”
Now, the man wore a stern expression, arranging everything from a lofty position, while he trailed behind with an ingratiating smile…
He regretted it, he couldn’t accept it!
Sister Gui and Ju’er were his last cards to play. He must remember the lesson from back then—with Ju’er, he absolutely must not force things again.
But this time, the old woman was right: having only an unfavored concubine-born daughter in the inner quarters would be completely useless to his Ding family. So, he first needed to understand the true situation inside the inner quarters before deciding Ju’er’s next move.
Having made up his mind, Ding Wang raised his eyes to look at his wife and daughter weeping together in the inner room and said hoarsely, “Stop crying, all of you. I’ll have to swallow my pride and humble myself!”
Western room of the rear annex.
“You’re back! Come in quickly!” Niu Shi looked triumphant, almost wanting to shout for everyone to come out and see. “Look at our Yuan Jie’er’s little face, washed so fresh and radiant!”
Hu Sicai glared at her—this wasteful woman!
Shouting before they’d even secured any benefits—who knew if there were thieves in this courtyard!
He pulled the person inside quickly, closed the doors and windows, and eagerly lowered his voice: “Did you see her?”
“See who?” Shen Yiyi feigned confusion.
“Your legitimate mother—Madam Wu!”
“No, I didn’t.”
Hu Sicai and Niu Shi exchanged bewildered glances: “Then what were you doing all this time? The others came back long ago!”
“Because I washed my hair. That sister said I had to let it dry before she could comb it.”
“…Didn’t you see anyone else?”
“Yes, I did!” Watching the two instantly grow excited again, Shen Yiyi spoke slowly, “Does the nanny who helped with the bath count?”
Looking at their niece’s utterly innocent expression, Hu Sicai and his wife felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.
“At least the others got rewards—bulging pouches, who knows how many good things were inside! But her? She came back empty-handed, wasting my time waiting all this while! Just like that Sister Gui, eyes on the top of her head, utterly useless—”
Niu Shi couldn’t hold back her cursing anymore and was about to continue when Hu Sicai stopped her.
Niu Shi shot Shen Yiyi a fierce glare before storming into the inner room to vent her anger by scolding Hutou and hitting Da Ya.
Hu Sicai continued to interrogate Shen Yiyi relentlessly.
To make him give up sooner, Shen Yiyi firmly insisted: she took a bath, dried her hair, and nothing else happened—she saw no one.
If you have the guts, go confront someone in the inner quarters!
You ask what Sister Nian brought back?
I don’t know!
You ask why it was only given to her?
Here, take a look at my clear and innocent big eyes!
This exchange directly resulted in dinner that evening, where the extra Zaliang Bobo were left unfinished for the first time, with several remaining uneaten. Over on Niu Shi’s side, she kept grumbling and cursing, likely having filled her belly halfway with anger. As for Hu Sicai, he was absent-minded the entire time.
Was he… crushed and deflated?