Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On an early spring morning, Xilin Mountain lay shrouded in a vast, white mist.

Spring arrived late in these mountains; even though half a month had passed since the season officially began, a biting chill still permeated the air.

Su Qingruo had risen before dawn, shouldering a small bamboo basket as he set off into the mountains.

He intended to gather wild vegetables and, if possible, some fresh bamboo shoots, hoping to bring back food for his younger siblings.

Su Qingruo was the eldest child of Su Laosan’s family, who lived in Yunxiang Village at the foot of Xilin Mountain.

His father, Su Laosan, had five children in total.

The first four were either boys or girls, and it wasn’t until the fifth child that a son was finally born.

Su Qingruo, the eldest, had half a year ago stumbled upon an incredible stroke of luck: he married the Third Young Master of County Magistrate Yun’s family in Qiuping County.

The county magistrate of Qiuping County was surnamed Yun. The Yun family had originally been of humble origins, but over the years, they had produced three officials, transforming their status within just over a decade.

This particular magistrate was the youngest of the Yun family’s three sons and the least accomplished. Despite having passed the imperial examinations, he had only risen to the position of county magistrate and had remained there for years without promotion.

Yet, even as the least successful member of his family, to a small village like theirs, he was still an exalted figure.

Logically speaking, no matter how poorly a county magistrate fared, his third son should never have married a peasant.

Moreover, Su Qingruo was not just any peasant—he was also a mute who couldn't speak.

But fate had a strange sense of humor, and against all odds, the Third Young Master had been forced to take him as his lawful husband.

The Third Young Master had been frail since childhood and was a concubine-born son, never particularly favored in the family. Two years ago, he had been sent to the countryside under the pretext of recuperating from illness.

He had lived there for two years, with the Yun family paying him no attention.

Then, as luck would have it, half a year ago, the Yun family’s Third Madam suddenly came to visit him.

On the surface, it was a visit, but for some inexplicable reason, the young master ended up falling into the river. Despite the bustling crowd around, not a single person jumped in to save him.

Su Qingruo was honest to a fault—perhaps even a little foolish.

He happened to be passing by and, seeing the Third Young Master on the verge of drowning, plunged into the water without hesitation to rescue him.

His intentions had been pure—he only wanted to save a life and hadn’t thought beyond that.

But he hadn’t accounted for the rigid propriety of noble households. As a young man, he had gotten soaked while saving him, something he himself saw no issue with. Yet when Mrs. Yun witnessed it, she insisted that the Third Young Master marry him.

What had she said again? Ah, it went something like this:

"This young man disregarded his own reputation to save you. Whether for his sake or for the Yun family’s honor, you must marry him. If you don’t, he will be subjected to endless gossip and may never find a husband. That would make you heartless and unjust—and your uncle despises those without virtue. Think carefully."

Su Qingruo had desperately wanted to say that it didn’t matter—he had never expected to marry anyway. The countryside wasn’t so strict about such things; he had often gotten his clothes wet while working in the fields with others, and no one had ever cared.

But alas, he was mute. He couldn’t speak.

Nor could he write, as he was illiterate.

He could only gesture frantically, trying to convey that he didn’t need the Third Young Master to take responsibility for him.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, no one paid him any mind.

His father was all too eager to marry him off—not only to secure a dowry but also to rid himself of his mute son.

As for the Yun family’s Third Madam, she cared even less about Su Qingruo’s feelings.

She simply wanted to dispose of the Third Young Master as quickly as possible, lest he one day rise to prominence and return to compete with her own sons for the family’s inheritance.

This outcome suited her perfectly—the Third Young Master hadn’t died, but he was as good as ruined, now married to a mute husband. Even if he wanted to turn his life around, he no longer could.

Moreover, the Third Young Master had always been proud. Forced to marry a mute against his will, he would likely torment himself without her needing to lift a finger.

And so, the two were hastily wed. The Yun family sent only an old maidservant, who handed Su Laosan fifty taels of silver before Su Qingruo was bundled off with nothing but a shabby little bundle, married off to the Third Young Master in disgrace.

On their wedding night, the Third Young Master drank heavily and flew into a rage, falling ill by nightfall.

His illness lingered for half a year, and his resentment toward Su Qingruo only grew. He saw him as an accomplice of the Third Madam, believing they had conspired to humiliate him.

Thus, he treated him with contempt—not only refusing to consummate the marriage but also allowing the servants to torment him daily.

When Su Qingruo married into the household, he had brought nothing but a single change of clothes.

His in-laws provided him with no new garments, and having left the Su family with nothing, he was left shivering in thin robes through the winter.

Had it not been for his younger sister’s pity—secretly procuring a tattered cotton coat for him—he might have frozen to death long ago.

The reason Su Qingruo now ventured into the mountains every day was simple: his in-laws refused to feed him. To avoid starvation, he foraged for wild vegetables, sharing what little he could with his siblings.

Life in the Su household was harsh, with a brood of children to feed. Su Laosan and his wife cared only for their youngest son, neglecting the rest entirely.

Su Qingruo couldn't bear to leave them to fend for themselves, so he did what he could to help—though he could scarcely keep himself alive.

……

Some villagers who spotted Su Qingruo heading into the mountains so early couldn’t resist gossiping behind his back.

A young woman whispered, "I thought he’d struck gold by marrying the Yun family’s Third Young Master—that he’d live the life of a nobleman's husband. But it seems being a rich man’s husband isn’t so easy. I hear even after half a year of marriage, he’s still untouched."

Beside her stood an older woman, who chuckled and said, "Isn’t that the truth? When he first married, his father and brother strutted around the village, boasting about their newfound fortune. Hah! Little did they know the Third Young Master would never stoop to accepting a country boy. No matter that he’s an unfavored concubine-born son exiled to the countryside—he’s still a scholar, cultured and refined. How could he ever want a peasant? If not for the Third Madam’s scheming, forcing him to acknowledge the marriage in public, he’d never have agreed to take him."

Sighing, the older woman added, "Poor Third Young Master—a magistrate’s son, banished alone to the countryside. A refined young master like him must resent being stuck in our backwater village."

The younger woman sighed as well. "What can he do? He’s neither the eldest nor the legitimate heir. With an elder half-brother and a legitimate second brother ahead of him—and born to a mere maidservant—he was always the easiest to push around."

County Magistrate Yun had three sons: the eldest was concubine-born, the second was the Third Madam’s own son.

Though the eldest wasn’t her biological child, she had raised him from infancy, treating him no differently from her own.

Only the third son was different—neither her flesh and blood nor raised by her.

With his birth mother still alive, the Third Madam saw him as nothing but a thorn in her side.

Before the two could continue their conversation, a slender figure appeared in the distance.

It was a young woman with features as fine as a painting, and she was not from their village but a maid who’d come with the Third Young Master to the countryside.

Though the Third Young Master of the Yun family was out of favor and had been sent to the countryside, he still brought two servants with him—one a young man and the other a young woman.

The young woman was named Ze Lan, the very one they saw now, said to be the bedmaid chosen for the Third Young Master by the Yun family.

The other servant, a young man, was named Gan Cao. Because their master had been frail since childhood, both their names were taken from medicinal plants.

To be honest, to the villagers, personal attendants to a young master shouldn’t have such inauspicious names. They should be given auspicious names like Laifu (Good Fortune), Wangcai (Prosperity), or Ping’an (Peace).

It was rare to see personal attendants all named after medicinal herbs. It almost seemed like... the person who named them wished for the Third Young Master to fall ill constantly.

Ze Lan swayed her hips as she walked past the two gossiping villagers. She was heading to the village entrance to find a Yun family’s hired hand, asking him to get some tonic herbs from town.

The mistress had mentioned that the old lady had recently inquired about the Third Young Master and said she’d come back to visit him soon.

No one knew what had made the old woman suddenly think of him. To prevent the Third Young Master from dying on their watch, they had to find a way to fatten him up a bit.

While Ze Lan went to fetch help, on the other side, their long-comatose Third Young Master suddenly awoke.

At first, the Third Young Master remained silent after waking. Gan Cao, standing vigil, grew more and more jittery, terrified that the young master might realize they were the ones who had harmed him.

This lasted for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea before the disoriented young master finally lifted his eyelids and looked at Gan Cao.

"Bring me a cup of water."

Hearing this, Gan Cao immediately approached cautiously and filled a cup with water.

Gan Cao had meant to help him drink the water himself—after all, the Third Young Master’s breathing had nearly stopped the night before, and now that he had miraculously come to, he might not be able to drink on his own.

But before he could lean in, the young master took the cup from his hands.

The Third Young Master’s movements were slow, his wrist trembling slightly, yet he steadily brought the cup to his lips.

He took a couple of small sips, just enough to moisten his lips, then handed the cup back to Gan Cao.

Then, as if seeing Gan Cao for the first time, he began studying him with icy detachment.

Gan Cao felt his scalp crawl under the gaze and, panicked, dropped to his knees by the young master’s bed.

Just as Gan Cao feared the Third Young Master had discovered something and was about to accuse him, the young master suddenly waved his hand, motioning for him to go.

Seeing this, Gan Cao asked in a shaky whisper,

"Young Master, do you... do you not need me to attend to you?"

"Leave. I want to rest a little longer."

The Third Young Master’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion.

Gan Cao felt even more uneasy but dared not stay any longer. He hurriedly bowed and scuttled out of the room with hurried steps.

Once Gan Cao was gone, the Third Young Master, who had claimed he wanted to rest, did not lie down. Instead, he gazed at his wrist with a complicated expression.

Only after confirming that the bracelet on his wrist had followed him did he finally breathe a quiet sigh of relief.