Chapter 02

Chapter 02

"Acknowledged."

Zhuming, hearing the young master's order, nodded without hesitation.

"Yun Bai, go retrieve the silver. Miss, please follow me back to the mansion," Zhuming said.

A young servant she didn’t know swiftly mounted a horse and left. Presumably, it was Yun Bai.

"This servant understands," said Ye Cailing, giving a slight curtsy before stepping onto the carriage following behind.

Her heart started racing, though it took her a moment to realize it.

She had never gambled before, but she thought that perhaps the most thrilling gamble of her life was happening today.

She had relied on every piece of information she could remember.

No one else knew just how dangerous this situation was.

Fortunately, her gamble had paid off.

The wheels rolled on the ground, making a rumbling sound.

*

The carriage carrying Ye Cailing passed through the main gate of the Xie Mansion and arrived at a small ornate side gate on the southwest corner.

Ye Cailing stepped down from the carriage and, as expected, the dark green carriage was nowhere to be seen.

The Xie Mansion had strict protocols. The masters would naturally not use the same door as the servants.

"Miss Ye, is it?"

The sound of hooves approached as a servant boy dismounted his horse. His hair was a bit unruly. He pulled out a contract and looked Ye Cailing over before tying the reins with one hand and grinning.

"Follow me, I'm Qing Shi. I've followed young master Hong since I was little. The steward asked me to take you to the mansion first."

They passed through several courtyards, encountering only a few maids and older women who stood respectfully to the side.

After walking for a long time, they still hadn't reached their destination.

"Young master... Qing," Ye Cailing hesitated but, out of courtesy, added the title, "may I ask if you have seen my family?"

Qing Shi shrugged. "No need for such formality. Just call me Qing Shi. I haven't seen the others, only your elder brother. He said he had just returned from the gambling house."

Ye Cailing was about to ask more, but Qing Shi stopped and pointed to a carved door ahead. "That's the inner court of the Xie Mansion. Men are not allowed inside."

"—Nanny Xu."

The matron standing inside the inner courtyard gate wore a brown dress and a neat low bun, carrying a small bamboo snack box. She smiled and handed the box to Qing Shi, saying these were snacks steamed by the girls in the inner court.

"Just some treats the girls made for fun. Take some and share them with your courtyard."

Qing Shi happily accepted, thanking her, and gestured for Ye Cailing to follow Nanny Xu inside.

Ye Cailing hurriedly nodded in agreement.

She thought to herself that the Xie Mansion indeed had strict rules. The mansion seemed like its own world, with social customs handled with ease. To make a place for herself here, she would need to navigate relationships like Nanny Xu does.

The two proceeded forward, one after the other.

"I heard your name is Cailing? Then I shall call you Lingniang."

Nanny Xu's tone was calm and composed as she led Ye Cailing further into the inner courtyard, though she was pondering to herself.

The Xie Mansion was known for its strict selection process for servants.

Especially for a position close to Young Master Hong, even the house-born maids would go out of their way to compete for it. It was no secret that Young Master Hong, the legitimate son of the Xie family's main branch, was currently returning to his hometown for a visit. However, everyone knew he would eventually return to the capital.

The youngest third-place laureate in the thirteenth year of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with a face as refined as a jade tree and unmatched beauty, he was upright and honorable.

His future was sure to be bright.

Many eyes within the Xie Mansion were fixed on him. All servants, hoping to rise with their master, wanted to follow the right master to avoid unnecessary detours.

This girl, Ye Cailing, was unknown and not a house-born maid from the estate. Alone, she came from outside the mansion and was assigned to Young Master Hong's courtyard upon arrival.

Nanny Xu secretly assessed the girl's appearance.

She was truly elegant.

Her beauty was like that of a crabapple blossom.

Could it be that Young Master Hong had chosen her as a concubine?

With this thought, Nanny Xu’s demeanor toward Ye Cailing became warmer, and she led her to a small courtyard.

"This is the courtyard where the maids of Young Master Hong reside. Don’t mind the crowdedness for now, Lingniang. The four head maids haven’t been chosen yet, so all eight of you are staying here together. Once the selections are made, you will be assigned to different courtyards."

"If you truly follow Young Master Hong, you will have a courtyard all to yourself. For now, just settle here temporarily, Lingniang."

Ye Cailing bowed slightly, seeing Nanny Xu off, her heart filled with doubts.

A concubine? Why did Nanny Xu sound somewhat envious?

However, her purpose in coming here was not to become a concubine.

Entering the courtyard, several maids were chatting under the eaves. Upon seeing Ye Cailing enter, they scrutinized her with their eyes.

They exchanged glances and, giggling, pushed one of the maids forward.

Ye Cailing, holding her bundle, smiled politely. "This humble servant is named Ye Cailing. You may call me Lingniang, sisters."

The maid pushed forward kept looking at her face, letting some time pass before giving a somewhat odd smile.

"May I ask, Lingniang, which estate is your family from? Do you have parents or brothers working in the Xie Mansion?"

Ye Cailing shook her head, thinking they were probing her background.

It was said that noble families had house-born maids who, though servants, were loyal and often favored by their masters.

Perhaps these maids were house-born.

Ye Cailing said, "My family resides in Xiama Ling, and none of us have worked in the Xie Mansion. May I ask the elder sister her name?"

The maid sneered, "Lingniang, you must be joking. We are just simple maids. How could we dare call you our sister?"

"Wen Di, don't bother quarreling with her. She secretly got involved with Young Master Hong and now has the nerve to make fools of us sisters here!"

Another maid said with a smile.

Ignoring Ye Cailing, they turned and dispersed to their rooms.

Left alone, Ye Cailing stood in the center of the courtyard for a moment.

At that moment, outside the high walls of the Xie Mansion.

An emaciated man had been squatting there for several hours. He spat on the ground, then, seeing the gatekeeper about to leave, staggered to his feet and tried to push inside.

The gatekeeper, accustomed to dealing with troublemakers, quickly blocked his path.

"Ouch!" Ye Qingshan pretended to fall but forced a smile, brazenly saying, "Sir, my younger sister really works here. Could you please let me speak with her for a moment?"

The servant had rejected him many times before and, with his patience worn thin, replied, "The Xie Mansion has its rules. If your sister is truly a maid here, she would tell you the days she leaves the mansion. Why are you causing a fuss here?"

Ye Qingshan nodded humbly, trying to ask another question, but the servant turned away, no longer paying him any attention.

Ye Qingshan spat on the ground again, muttering something as he left.

On his way back, he recalled what had happened a few days ago and couldn't help but sneer. Ye Cailing thought she was something special, but she was just a wild girl they had picked up.

But for now, he couldn't tell her that. After all, she had climbed a high branch of the Xie family.

On the day she was allowed to leave the mansion, the girl would return—

*

A few days earlier, on the day Ye Qingshan returned home, it was late at night in Xiamaling.

The neighbors were already asleep. Ye Cailing hurried through the quiet streets, clutching her rough cloth bundle tightly.

Her elder brother had gone to find work but had not returned for several days. Fortunately, she was still helping at the printing workshop making ink, and her monthly wages could support the family.

The wooden door creaked as she pushed it open and, as expected, saw a pair of dark, lively eyes.

Her younger sister, Ping Niang, was sitting at the table when she saw her elder sister and immediately ran over, her small hands taking the bundle her sister carried and skillfully searching inside.

"Elder sister, is there any food today? Ping'er is hungry."

Ye Cailing looked at her helplessly and shook her head.

"There's some glutinous rice flour at home. I'll scoop some for you and make rice dumplings, alright?"

Ping Niang pouted, clearly disappointed.

"You promised to bring osmanthus cakes for Ping'er..."

Though she said that, the little girl, understanding the situation, went to fetch firewood for cooking the dumplings in the courtyard.

Ye Cailing smiled helplessly.

In the past, the family had some savings. Her parents sold fruits and vegetables in Yunzhou. She was the second child in the family, and though her elder brother Ye Qingshan wasn't successful in his studies, he followed their parents into business and had some business acumen.

Since the war began near Yunzhou, business had become difficult. Her father died of an epidemic while out selling fruits, and her mother fell ill and couldn't get up.

Her elder brother left to raise money and had been missing for three months now.

Only she and her younger sister were left to guard the house.

The silver coins that her elder brother had left behind weren't much, and even with their frugality, the money was gone. Moreover, there was the endless expense of their mother's regular medicine.

She had been doing odd jobs at the printing workshop for the boss, and her sharp eyes and quick hands made her a favorite among the workers, but the monthly wages were paid only once a month, and lately, she’d been tight on cash.

She sighed and silently calculated where else she could find some part-time work tomorrow.

Suddenly, she heard her younger sister scream. Her heart skipped a beat, and she rushed out of the courtyard in two or three steps.

The visitor was travel-worn, his rough clothes smeared with soot and dirt. When he looked up, a meandering new scar on his forehead was visible, the dark red color indicating it was fresh.

It was her elder brother, Ye Qingshan.

She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the earlier scream was actually a surprised cry from Ye Cai. Her little sister didn’t care about anything else—she just wanted food the moment she saw a family member.

Ye Qingshan chuckled and pulled out some pastries from his coat to hand to her.

"Come in quickly."

Ye Cailing immediately greeted him.

The group sat down under the light. Mother Du was dozing on the sickbed, but upon seeing Ye Qingshan, she perked up a bit and struggled to sit up.

Ye Cailing looked at the pastries in Cai's hand and frowned slightly. The pastries looked somewhat rough, cut unevenly into large pieces, with red and green fruit strips embedded in them, not like the usual ones bought at the neighborhood corner.

The younger sister, regardless, ate happily.

"Brother, are you going to travel far again this time?"

Ye Qingshan shook his head.

"I came back to raise money."

Ye Cailing and Mother Du exchanged a glance, and Ye Cailing sighed softly, turning to the stove. Seeing the dumplings bubbling in the pot, she hesitated, then added more water.

There was only enough to make what was needed. Now, she could only add water to stretch it into an extra bowl.

Looking at the nearly empty bowl of dumpling soup, Ye Qingshan's words about raising money stuck in his throat.

*

He didn’t touch the bowl and paced around the small living room like a trapped beast.

"There's no way out, no way out. Those people don’t play nice."

The voice grew lower.

"Selling people, selling land—those are the kinds of things they would do."

Ye Cailing felt suspicious, and seeing Ye Qingshan's dejected appearance, a thought flashed through her mind like a spark.