Chapter 5 What a Coincidence

Chapter 5: What a Coincidence

Xiao Lin Shi, a daughter born to a concubine in the Lin family, had always been at odds with Ji Chan’s mother, yet they maintained contact over the years.

Ji Chan once overheard the maids gossiping: apparently, in her youth, Xiao Lin Shi had been infatuated with the man who was to become her brother-in-law, the Marquis of Jinyang. This infatuation had caused quite a scandal, but she was soon married off to Zhao Ming, a second-tier graduate of that year’s imperial examinations.

The maids all believed that the only reason she shamelessly continued to associate with the Marquis’s household was her lingering obsession with him.

After her marriage, Xiao Lin Shi lived a comfortable life, blessed with both sons and daughters, and her husband was utterly devoted to her.

Thanks to the Lin family’s connections, her husband had remained in the capital and had since risen to the position of Left Assistant Censor-in-chief in the Censorate, a fourth-rank official.

Ji Chan had only seen this aunt during festive occasions, and they rarely exchanged more than a few words. Their relationship was distant, so she never expected that after being expelled from the Marquis’s residence, this aunt would still be willing to associate with her.

Hearing Sun Ma’s words, Ah Chan replied, “Thank you for Auntie’s concern. Everything is fine now.”

“It’s good that the young lady is unharmed,” Sun Ma said, patting her chest as if greatly relieved. To be taken by the Bright Mirror Bureau and return alive was nothing short of a miracle.

At the same time, she felt a subtle surprise. The young lady’s tone seemed slightly different from before, somehow more pleasant to the ear.

Ah Chan smiled softly and asked, “Sun Ma, you must be tired after waiting so long. Would you like to rest inside?”

She took out the key from a hidden pocket, intending to open the door, but Sun Ma quickly declined. “This old servant won’t impose. I’m just here to deliver Madam’s message. She says it’s been a long time since she last saw you and would like to invite you over for a chat. Would the young lady be free tomorrow?”

“Since Auntie has invited me, of course I have time.”

“That’s good. You should get some rest tonight. This old servant will come to fetch you tomorrow.”

Having delivered her mistress’s message, Sun Ma did not linger. She returned to the carriage, and soon the coachman drove away.

Ah Chan stood by the door, watching the carriage depart before turning to unlock it. As expected, she was greeted by a cloud of dust, and the chill inside was bone-numbing.

This had once been a general store with two floors. After reclaiming it, the shelves had been removed, leaving the ground floor empty—not even a stool remained.

She closed the door and went upstairs. The second floor was just as cold, though it contained a few more items.

A simple wooden bed stood against the wall, its blanket neatly folded. Beside it was a wooden cabinet containing undergarments and a new set of winter clothes. In the corner of the cabinet was a small wooden box holding loose silver coins—about ten taels in total.

A brazier sat beneath the bed, filled with ashes and half-burned charcoal.

With the brazier, she might finally avoid another night of sleeplessness from the cold.

Ah Chan went downstairs to the backyard. Though the shop’s location was not ideal, it had one advantage: a well in the courtyard, along with a storage shed, a kitchen, and an outhouse.

If not for the well, the shop’s price would have been much higher than others, and it might not have remained unsold for so long. Fortunately, this meant she had a place to stay.

The storage shed held the charcoal and firewood she had bought earlier, while the kitchen was stocked with rice and flour, saving her another trip outside.

Feeling unwell, Ah Chan could barely muster the energy to move, but after seven days in prison, she desperately needed to clean herself. She boiled a pot of water in the kitchen, then quickly bathed behind the closed door, using the stove’s warmth.

As she wiped herself with the hot water from the wooden tub, Ah Chan carefully avoided the lash marks on her body. Thanks to the ointment the prison doctor had given her to stop the bleeding, the wounds had scabbed over and were healing.

When the cloth reached her waist, Ah Chan was surprised to find faint, thread-like black marks appearing under the hot water.

The lines seemed as if they had always been there, yet Ji Chan’s memories confirmed that she’d never had such marks.

Then she noticed identical black lines on her knees and elbows—all new developments on her body.

Perhaps… She touched her neck. If her limbs had these marks, there should be one here as well.

Were these marks the reason for her debilitating weakness? Ah Chan couldn’t be sure.

But they were undoubtedly connected to the possession. Unfortunately, she had no clues about their origin or how to remove them. For now, she could only play it by ear.

Luckily, the marks faded once she finished bathing.

That night, with the brazier lit, the room was finally marginally warmer, and Ah Chan managed to get some decent sleep—until the early hours of the morning, when the cold woke her. The charcoal had burned out, and her stomach growled angrily with hunger.

Wrapped in the blanket, she lay motionless, radiating utter despair. Being human was truly miserable—three meals a day were a necessity, and the cold could kill you. The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt.

Her consciousness and instincts battled until willpower won over hunger. It wasn’t until Sun Ma arrived to fetch her that she ate a few chestnut cakes in the carriage to quiet her hunger.

Watching Ah Chan gracefully finish an entire plate of chestnut cakes, Sun Ma sighed inwardly. What a pity—a proper marquis' legitimate daughter reduced to such a state, apparently without even having had breakfast.

By the time Ah Chan finished eating and drank a cup of hot tea, the carriage had already stopped at the Zhao residence’s gate.

Sun Ma led her through the inner courtyard, down a corridor, and to the main house.

Perhaps the timing was unfortunate—no sooner had they entered the courtyard than Ah Chan heard a woman’s shrill voice from inside: “What’s so bad about being a second wife? I *want* to marry him!”

The voice belonged to her cousin, Zhao Wenyue, who she’d only seen a handful of times as a child.

Zhao Wenyue was clearly arguing with her mother about her marriage prospects. But who was she so desperate to marry that the daughter of a Left Assistant Censor-in-chief would willingly become a second wife?

Sun Ma, just as startled by this scene, flushed with embarrassment. But seeing Ah Chan pretend she hadn't heard anything, she relaxed slightly.

Quickening her pace, Sun Ma pushed open the door and announced loudly, “Madam, I’ve brought Miss Chan.”

Her voice interrupted the argument. Xiao Lin Shi took a deep breath before saying, “Come in.”

Ah Chan stepped inside, greeted by a wave of warmth. Her gaze fell on her aunt, Xiao Lin Shi, reclining on a daybed. The woman looked much the same as she remembered—except for her conspicuously rounded belly. She was pregnant.

Zhao Wenyue, having just quarreled with her mother, stood nearby. When Ah Chan entered, the girl’s gaze burned with unmistakable hostility.

Ah Chan was puzzled. She had no history with this cousin—what had sparked this hostility?

“Ah Chan pays her respects to Auntie.” She bowed to Xiao Lin Shi.

Her form of address didn’t raise suspicion—the names “Ah Chan” and “Ah Chan” were pronounced similarly, and Lin Shi had occasionally called her daughter by the latter before her death.

“Come, sit.” Xiao Lin Shi gestured to her niece before impatiently dismissing her daughter. “Enough. Stop vexing me and go.”

Zhao Wenyue, unsatisfied with the earlier argument, wouldn’t back down. Pointing at Ah Chan, she demanded, “Is it because of *her* that you won’t let me marry Xue Lang?”

*Xue Lang?* The surname made Ah Chan’s gaze sharpen. Which Xue?

Xiao Lin Shi’s face darkened. She slammed a hand on the table and snapped, “You could be a proper wife, yet you insist on being a second one! You’ve barely met Xue Mingtang a few times, and already you’re besotted!”

*Xue Mingtang*—Ah Chan certainly knew that name. He was Xue Shi’s younger brother. On the night of the Lantern Festival, those words—*Lord Xue*—had been branded into Ji Chan’s memory.

*What a coincidence.*

As a mother, Xiao Lin Shi believed she had her daughter’s best interests at heart. But Zhao Wenyue saw things differently—to her, her mother was the villain standing in the way of true love.

Moreover, she was convinced that her mother opposed the match only because Xue Lang’s sister had married her uncle as a second wife. How could her mother let such petty grudges interfere with her happiness?

Unwilling to make a scene in front of Ah Chan but unable to resist a parting shot, Zhao Wenyue spat out venomously, “Don’t act so righteous, Mother. I know your loyalty lies with the Lin family. But everyone in the capital knows about Auntie’s affair—they’re all wondering who my dear cousin’s real father is.”

“The fault doesn’t lie with Uncle, nor with Xue Lang’s sister. There’s no need for you to impose the Lin family’s grudges on me!”

Upon hearing her daughter's words, even Xiao Lin Shi was so furious she saw stars. She pointed at Zhao Wenyue but before she could speak, sharp pains shot through her stomach, startling the maids who hurriedly gathered around. Sun Ma also rushed out to fetch a physician.

Zhao Wenyue seemed to finally realize the trouble she had caused and seized the opportunity during the commotion in the main room to sneak away.

The physician arrived quickly and prescribed Xiao Lin Shi some medicine to prevent miscarriage, advising her to rest and avoid further agitation.

After seeing the physician off, Sun Ma couldn’t help but advise, "Madam, you are now carrying a precious child—finally expecting a young master. Please keep your temper in check and avoid quarreling with the Second Young Lady."

Xiao Lin Shi snorted coldly, "Was I the one quarreling with her? She clearly wanted to anger me to death. And the master—who knows what's gotten into him—actually thinks highly of that Xue Mingtang. How could my daughter marry some lowly sixth-rank nobody? Even if she can’t wed into a noble family, she shouldn't just lower herself like that."

Sun Ma sighed. The madam had been stubborn like this for years, unwilling to heed advice.

Though quick with her words, Xiao Lin Shi’s temper faded quickly. Once the pain in her belly subsided, she finally remembered Ah Chan, who had been left aside.

"I heard you encountered the Evil Calamity on the Lantern Festival night. Are you alright now?"

Ah Chan, seated on a chair, replied, "I am fine. The Bright Mirror Bureau’s investigation confirmed my innocence, and I was released."

"That’s good. With your mother gone, I am your only family left in the capital. Don't go causing me problems."

Ah Chan smiled. What else could she say? That her aunt was blunt and outspoken?

"You must be eighteen now. It’s all your mother’s fault for insisting on keeping you, not even arranging a marriage. Now, finding a good match won’t be easy."

Lowering her gaze, Ah Chan said softly, "Ah Chan must observe three years of mourning for my mother. Marriage is the furthest thing from my thoughts."