In the silence, Shen Yiyi slowly crawled back.
Tonight’s revelation was too much to handle; she needed time to process it.
Most importantly, at first listen, Niu Shi’s reasoning didn’t seem entirely illogical? The consequences were terrifying—what would her future hold now?
Thud!
Shen Yiyi’s forehead collided with the bedpost, producing a clear, audible thump.
In the pitch-dark room, she saw stars dancing before her eyes.
Stunned by both pain and fear, Shen Yiyi held back tears, lying frozen on the floor for a long time, not daring to move a muscle.
Fortunately, Hu Sicai and the others were too preoccupied to notice, assuming it was just a child tossing in their sleep.
She’d deal with it tomorrow. Tonight was far too overwhelming; she absolutely needed to recover!
Clutching her head, Shen Yiyi slowly climbed back into bed.
“Why aren’t you going out!”
After breakfast, the Zhang family belatedly realized that the men from both households were absent. Upon inquiring, they discovered both had left the estate. Zhang Xiuxiu immediately grew anxious.
Zhang Dalang let out a loud belch, unconcerned. “They’re out on business. We don’t have anything to do.”
“…Then, can’t you just go out and wander around?”
“Wander where? I don’t know anyone, and going out costs money. Not going.”
“You!” Seeing his hopeless, lazy attitude, Zhang Xiuxiu fumed, pounding Zhang Dalang several times before storming into the inner room to sulk.
Zhang Dalang smoothly slid off the chair and crouched on the floor, instinctively raising his arms to shield his head.
He was used to it. The women in his family always had such inexplicable tempers, sigh~
Sister-in-law Zhang watched coldly, regretting that she’d finished her sunflower seeds. Still, judging by the situation, they’d likely be going home soon. She’d fry up a big batch then.
Lost in thought, she stood up and headed into the inner room, planning to add fuel to the fire and make sure this matter was settled for good!
Sister Nian quietly slipped behind the chair, tugged at her uncle’s sleeve, and handed him half a piece of malt candy.
The candy bore clear tooth marks. Zhang Dalang didn’t mind at all, taking it and stuffing it into his mouth in one go.
Sister Nian smiled, her eyes crinkling, and mimicking him, ate the other half herself.
“You… what happened to your head?” Da Ya stared at the new change on Shen Yiyi’s face, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, hesitantly whispering the question.
“Ouch!” It hurt to the touch. Without a mirror here, it was surely bruised. “I bumped it on the bed frame while sleeping last night.”
Still reeling from last night’s bombshell, Shen Yiyi had overslept and missed breakfast. By the time she finished washing up and came out, Hu Sicai was already gone.
A steamed bun sat on the table. It was obvious—the servant who came to clear the dishes must have left it for her. Given how Niu Shi felt about her now, it was a miracle she hadn’t cursed her out.
Judging by the size of the plate and the lone, small bun, Niu Shi had shown considerable restraint by not taking everything.
Just as Shen Yiyi picked it up, Niu Shi walked over. Shooting Shen Yiyi a fierce glare, she snorted, snatched the bun, and stormed out of the room.
Shen Yiyi: …Take back what I just thought.
With the two men absent, the atmosphere in the Rear annex courtyard was tense and anxious today. Without anyone idly chatting in the yard, the children wisely stayed indoors, avoiding the adults’ bad moods.
Only the area near the courtyard gate became a popular spot, with people constantly standing there, peering outside.
At lunchtime, Hu Sicai did not return. Niu Shi was busy dealing with the uninvited Sister-in-law Zhang who kept asking questions and had no time to pay attention to Shen Yiyi.
In the afternoon, Old Master Ding returned, but Hu Sicai was still nowhere to be seen.
Seeing Niu Shi growing increasingly agitated, Shen Yiyi consciously shrank into a corner, staying out of her sight.
During dinner, Niu Shi ate absentmindedly, and Shen Yiyi, who could not avoid her, became the target of her frustration.
It was not until complete darkness fell that Hu Sicai’s apologetic voice was heard at the courtyard gate: “Yes, yes! I won’t be this late next time.”
The narrow-eyed servant from that day wore a stern expression as he watched Hu Sicai stagger inside before closing the courtyard gate properly and leaving with his lantern.
Niu Shi, smelling the strong odor of alcohol on Hu Sicai, helped him into the room. Several times she tried to speak but was silenced.
The door closed, cutting off the prying eyes of others.
Niu Shi took Hutou outside to relieve himself.
Shen Yiyi sat on the bed, unbraiding her hair, and looked at Hu Sicai, who was already lying on the floor mat in the outer room, snoring loudly. Earlier, when he entered, Hu Sicai had stared straight at her with a naked gaze, as if appraising an object.
“Did you make Father and Mother angry?” Da Ya asked cheerfully.
Shen Yiyi turned to look at her. It seemed she rarely saw Da Ya smile. In her limited memories, those few smiles were either timid or forced—never as genuine as the one before her now—
“I just went over to deliver water and heard Father tell Mother they’re going to sell you to a brothel!”
—a smile so genuine yet filled with malice.
Hu Sicai never woke up. Despite Niu Shi’s hitting and pinching, he remained unresponsive, clearly having drunk a lot.
Niu Shi, frustrated, tossed and turned for a while before slowly falling asleep.
Shen Yiyi stared blankly at the canopy above the bed.
She knew Hu Sicai and the others might not take her back to Xilin Village and had even considered the possibility of being sold. All day, she had been anxious about this. But she had still overestimated Hu Sicai’s character.
Brothel.
She didn’t know how much Da Ya understood about this term, but as a modern person, she fully understood what such a place meant for women.
Just to make a little more money? Hah, human nature.
Just like Da Ya, who, out of jealousy or her own dissatisfaction, could harbor such malice toward someone who posed no conflict of interest with her—someone who had been the kindest to her.
Shen Yiyi! Stay alert!
What had she been doing these past few days? She had a sense of crisis, but not enough.
She was still filled with the superiority of a modern person, not completely free from the mindset of a time-travel game, just as she still chased after that elusive golden finger.
This was not modern society, not a university campus.
She told herself, you are now just a useless little girl living in ancient times. An orphan, underage, isolated from information, with no survival skills.
In the face of a huge survival crisis, you have no trump cards. You can only fight with all your might to survive.
Shen Yiyi kept pinching her arm. She couldn’t fall asleep. She was afraid that if Hu Sicai woke up in the middle of the night, he might discuss things with Niu Shi like the night before. At this critical juncture of life and death, she dared not miss any information.
Dawn arrived, and Shen Yiyi, who had stayed up all night, gained nothing.
Seeing the bloodshot eyes and listless spirit in her gaze, Da Ya was both surprised and delighted. She tried several times to strike up a conversation but was ignored by Shen Yiyi.
Hu Sicai went out again.
She wondered if they had already discussed it this morning; she needed to think of a solution quickly. Shen Yiyi gritted her teeth.
Under Niu Shi’s overwhelming malice, she barely managed a few bites at lunch.
Cold mockery was one thing, but snatching food? How childish for an adult!
Shen Yiyi felt utterly drained.
Da Ya watched Shen Yiyi as she ate, as if she were some delicious side dish. Even though she still couldn’t get any meat herself, she felt a little thrill and, for the first time ever, spoke up several times during the meal.
In the afternoon, Hong’er suddenly came to take the three children for snacks.
Shen Yiyi’s eyes lit up—her chance had arrived!
At the courtyard gate, she refused the half-withered Luffa flower Niu Shi tossed at her. First, she gave Hong’er a sweet smile, then took the hand of Sister Nian, who was on the verge of tears again, and walked over.
Yes, this was the only solution she could think of—she would stay in the Shen household.
Not by pretending to be their daughter, but by staying as a maidservant.
It wasn’t that she willingly wanted to become a servant, but she truly had nowhere else to go. Compared to a brothel, being a maidservant in the Shen household was clearly much safer.
As long as she could fetch a good price, Hu Sicai didn’t necessarily have to kill her.
With two additional young ladies in the Shen household, they would surely need someone to look after them, right? The only question was whether the Shen family would accept a maidservant as young as her.
She needed to build a good relationship with one of the Shen young ladies in advance, hoping to create a position like “study companion” for herself.
Sister Gui wasn’t very friendly toward her, showing a competitive, almost hostile attitude typical of little girls.
Sister Nian, whom she had gotten somewhat familiar with over the past few days, was just an ordinary, timid, and shy girl. Naturally, she chose her.
In the inner courtyard, it was the same West Wing room as before.
As soon as she entered, she saw a young woman seated at the head of the room.
“Madam,” Hong’er bowed.
Madam? Wu Shi, Master Shen’s wife? Shen Yiyi hurriedly followed suit.
Then she looked up. Madam Wu appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in an ivory-white Ru skirt, over which she wore a fei-colored half-arm jacket embroidered with winding lotus patterns.
A rose-red waistband cinched her waist tightly, paired with a matching palace sash from which hung a double Heng Biyu green jade pendant.
Her face was round, likely what the ancients often described as “face like a silver plate.” Her features weren’t particularly stunning, but her skin was exceptionally fair, adding significantly to her overall appearance.
A pair of green, shimmering earrings further accentuated her skin, which was as smooth as congealed fat.
Wu Shi also examined the three girls before her. The one on the left, noticeably taller, was undoubtedly the eldest, Sister Gui, her face stiff and trembling slightly.
Tsk, such a petty demeanor—she must have learned it from her mother, who climbed into bed.
The one in the middle was clearly the youngest, but she was so dark! Not pretty at all!
Her husband was so handsome; this one must have taken after her mother.
The one on the right—
Oh! What happened to the bruise on her forehead? But this child is truly lovely! Her mother must have been a beauty too…
Just as a pang of jealousy rose in Wu Shi’s heart, she remembered—this was a “good child.” Her mother had remarried, and far away at that!
Immediately, her mood lifted. Seeing Shen Yiyi’s dark, grape-like eyes blinking as she looked at her, she couldn’t help but smile. “What are you looking at?”
“Sister, you’re so beautiful!” Due to her family circumstances, Shen Yiyi’s instinct to flatter and please elders had become second nature.
And to be honest, Madam Wu’s complexion was truly exquisite—praising her wasn’t insincere in the slightest.
The room immediately erupted in laughter, even Nanny Tong, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back her amusement.
Wu Shi covered her mouth with a handkerchief, laughing so hard she trembled like a flower in the wind.
“You silly child! You can’t call me sister, you should call me—”
“Ahem!” Nanny Tong quickly reminded her, as the master hadn’t given his approval yet.
Wu Shi paused: “Well, call me Madam for now.”
Nanny Tong promptly arranged for the girls to take their seats and called for refreshments and tea. She simply wanted to change the subject, lest her mistress be coaxed into taking on the role of mother too quickly.