Chapter 5: Striving to Rise Above

Page 1/3

Having seen Su Yue change into a jade-green, fragmented cross-collar jacket with a moon-white pleated skirt, gracefully carrying a redwood lunchbox as she headed to the outer courtyard, Su Xin quietly slipped out from under the large locust tree nearby and turned into the Pear Blossom Courtyard.

“Third Miss, Su Yue is all dressed and has already left!” Su Xin frowned, unable to understand why her lady would give Su Yue such an opportunity. Although she was two years younger than Su Yue, she fully grasped the implications behind Madam Xu’s words.

Her master was nearly thirty years old, and Su Yue was only fifteen—why was she so eager to pursue this?

Dan Tai Jing nodded slightly and gently waved her hand. Madam Xu understood this meant the Third Miss wished to be alone for a while.

Madam Xu set down the soup bowl in her hand, took hold of the somewhat distracted Su Xin, and left the room.

“Madam Xu, Su Yue—” Su Xin hesitated for a long moment, but knowing such words were inappropriate to mention before the Third Miss, she could only ask Madam Xu in private. Yet, being young, the words were hard to say, so she paused and finally said, “Master is nearly thirty years old…”

Madam Xu smiled softly, taking Su Xin’s hand and saying, “That is the difference between you and Su Yue.”

Casting a wary glance around as if fearing eavesdroppers, Madam Xu led Su Xin into her own room and whispered, “Are you feeling wronged on Su Yue’s behalf?”

Su Xin bit her lip and finally nodded.

Madam Xu shook her head. She thought Su Xin was a promising girl with rare loyalty to the Third Miss, but now it seemed her wits were a bit dull. She felt compelled to enlighten her: “Why does Su Yue work so hard for Lady Ye? And why does she leave her position as a second-rank maid in the main residence to come to Pear Blossom Courtyard?”

“Isn’t it because Lady Ye promised her the position of a dowry maid? Among those dowry maids, some are being prepared as concubines!” Madam Xu spoke frankly. Seeing that the Third Miss was already twelve, at the age for arranging engagements, if the maids around her remained naïve, it would be easy for others to take advantage.

Su Xin was shocked but quickly waved her hands, “Don’t worry, Madam Xu. I have no such intentions. I only wish to serve the Third Miss well!”

“That I know well. As for the Third Miss now…” Madam Xu glanced toward Dan Tai Jing’s main chamber and sighed, “Since the Third Miss lost her voice, it’s unlikely she’ll find a good family to marry into. Su Yue’s intentions are understandable—one is the concubine of a fifth-rank prefect, the other is a future uncertain maid. Which would she choose?”

Su Xin bit her lip, unsure what to do, and murmured, “My sister-in-law said that marrying a steward or a servant is better—at least you become the head lady. If you degrade yourself, even if you get into Master’s bed, you’re at most a concubine, ultimately still a servant. How many ladies like our mistress have been formally recognized?”

Madam Xu suddenly covered Su Xin’s mouth and scolded in a low voice, “Such words are not for you to utter. If Lady Ye hears this, you wouldn’t have enough lives to bury yourself. Don’t cause trouble for the Third Miss!”

Page 2/3

Su Xin quickly sealed her lips and whispered, “I know my mistake. These words are only spoken to you. I would not dare reveal them to anyone else!”

“That’s the right sense of discretion!” Madam Xu glanced at Su Xin and admonished, “Your sister-in-law’s reasoning isn’t wrong. If you keep this in mind, your future won’t be poor. Our Third Miss is kind-hearted and will surely find you a good match!”

Su Xin nodded, glanced outside, and asked, “Then Su Yue? Why did the Third Miss want Madam Xu to say those things in front of her?”

Madam Xu recalled what she overheard at the main courtyard gate that day. She thought the Third Miss must have heard it all and felt it deeply. She whispered, “The Third Miss is only thinking of herself.”

Without a mother and with a father who paid little attention to the inner quarters, if she didn’t develop some schemes herself, she would be devoured alive. If the late madam were still alive, she would never have let Fifth Miss Dan Tai Xuan push her into the water and treat the matter so lightly.

At this moment, Dan Tai Jing was also contemplating how she had fallen into the water. She had not forgotten it was Fifth Miss Dan Tai Xuan who pushed her. Ultimately, it was all over a certain Wang Ziyu.

Wang Ziyu!

Dan Tai Jing whispered the name softly to herself.

If not for Wang Ziyu, she would not have had to pretend to be deaf and mute here. If not for Wang Ziyu, her previous life would not have ended so tragically, culminating in her taking her own life with a bowl of arsenic.

All of this traced back to Su Yue taking Ye Shi’s orders to administer a silencing poison on her wedding night.

Dan Tai Jing’s fair, delicate hand clenched into a fist. Since heaven had given her the chance to live again, she would not squander it.

Ye Shi—she would never let her off so easily.

In her previous life, she had been blind to the truth. Now, living again, recalling the past, all her attention to Wang Ziyu had stemmed from Su Yue’s intentional or inadvertent mentions and the mad ramblings of the old servants. Otherwise, how could she have noticed Wang Ziyu?

Wang Ziyu was indeed a scholar, but that was his only way out of poverty. Ever since entering the household school, he harbored ulterior motives—to ingratiate himself with her, marry her, and then have his father promoted by hers.

Dan Tai Jing still remembered that in her previous life, Wang Ziyu never passed the imperial examination before she died. It was only through her maternal family’s influence that he barely passed the provincial exam.

Page 3/3

Memories of her past life were something Dan Tai Jing did not wish to recall or touch upon, as if sealed within a tightly wrapped jar—opening even a crack would release the stench of decay.

She touched her forehead; the fever had subsided. She could no longer sit idly by, or she would surely suffer the same fate as before.

Rising, she found her clothes and dressed neatly, silently lifting the bamboo curtain streaked by rain and banana leaves.

At that moment, Madam Xu and Su Xin passed by along the corridor, anxiously exclaiming, “Third Miss, why didn’t you call for help? How can you dress and groom yourself alone?”

Madam Xu worried about Dan Tai Jing’s still-recovering health. For a legitimate daughter of the house to groom herself was unheard of. Yet she failed to notice that Dan Tai Jing was no longer able to call anyone.

Dan Tai Jing smiled faintly. Having been mute for over ten years in her past life, she had grown accustomed to doing things herself and refrained from speaking, forgetting some of the etiquette of a young lady.

She lifted her head slightly. The sky was a clear blue with a few wisps of clouds, sunlight bright. Thankfully, she was reborn at twelve—there was still time.

Dan Tai Jing resolved to always remember that she was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Dan Tai household, a position that even Ye Shi could not undermine.

Biting her lip, Su Xin reached out her hand before Dan Tai Jing. Only then did Madam Xu realize the Third Miss could not call out for anyone.

Dan Tai Jing wrote in Su Xin’s palm, “Go to the Hundred Gardens to enjoy the view.”

Su Xin was startled, staring blankly at Dan Tai Jing. The Hundred Gardens were adjacent to Fifth Miss Dan Tai Xuan’s fragrant courtyard. Fifth Miss had always despised the Third Miss—what would happen if she encountered her again and acted against her?

Yet Su Xin did not know that Dan Tai Jing went to the Hundred Gardens precisely to meet Fifth Miss Dan Tai Xuan.