Chapter 3

    Everyone who heard the punishment reacted differently, most of them were surprised. Gao Jinlu, who had been sentenced, wore a confused expression. She opened her mouth again to explain her intentions for the day, but the sound of coughing from the large bed caused the group of masters who were all worried to lose interest in the little girl’s presence.

    “When will the medicine take effect? Yan'er seems to be suffering so much.” The wife of the secondary household was anxious. It was because she allowed her daughter to do as she wished, allowing her to run and play in the garden amid the cold wind, leading to her coming back with a fever.

    “Don’t worry too much. The physician had examined her and gave her medicine. Yan'er will soon be back to her lively self.” Gao Qingchao held his wife’s shoulder, consoling her. Both the First Master and First Furen also offered words of comfort.

    The little girl looked up at the harmonious family atmosphere, then glanced down at her own feet, thinking back on everything she had experienced since she could remember. She had never been part of that space. Her innocent, clear, round eyes then sparkled with determination. Perhaps, if Father and Mother saw her effort in the scroll, they might share even a small, gentle smile with her.

    “Father, Mother…”

    “Did I tell you to speak? Why haven’t you gone to stand and reflect on your actions yet?” Gao Ximing immediately cut off his eldest daughter’s unfinished sentence. Moreover, he repeated the punishment he had given earlier. The butler, worried that the first master might grow even more enraged and impulsively commit violence, stepped forward and bowed.

    “I will escort the Eldest Young Miss to receive her punishment now, Master.” He swiftly finished his words, using his gaze to signal to the maidservants to help support the stiff little girl outside. No one noticed the tears welling in the Eldest Young Miss’s eyes.

    With the annoying presence now out of sight, the masters returned their attention to the condition of the apple of their eyes, praying for their daughter and their niece swift recovery. Otherwise, the three young masters would soon be clamoring to see and play with her, ending up catching the cold themselves.

    The butler led them to the middle of the front courtyard of the main residence, instructing the maids to have the eldest young miss stand facing the residence. She clutched the scroll tightly in both arms till it was crumpled, her small lips tightly pressed together, unwilling to let out a single word. Her once clear, round eyes had dimmed till they were dark. The heart of a child who was just three years old had broken, unable to comprehend what was happening.

    “Eldest Young Miss, you only need to stand here for two hours. In the future, if you have anything to say, please tell me, and I will report it to the First Master without missing a single word,” the butler said politely. However, Gao Jinlu remained unresponsive as if the small body was without its soul. Seeing this, the butler nodded to the maids, signaling them to follow him as he walked away.

    “The little girl’s father is truly heartless. He could even punish a child so small like this,” the spirit of the former general gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his hand trembled, trying to use his power to shield the little girl from the cold wind, not letting it harm her.

    “At first, I thought it was only because of that priest’s nonsense words. But now, it’s clear some people can abandon their own flesh and blood under the excuse that they might suffer misfortune because of their daughter’s destiny,” sighed the elderly woman spirit, though she no longer had breath to spare.

    “The little girl has an extraordinary destiny but is unfortunate when it comes to her family,” the spirit of an old man with the white beard slowly shook his head, his eyes peacefully closed as if he had resigned himself to the ways of the world. The young maid spirit looked up at the cloudy sky as the air grew colder by the minute.

    “And she has to stand out in this cold for two hours? Let’s hope the first snow doesn’t fall today.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than flakes of white snow began to slowly drift down, causing the other spirits to quickly turn to the one who said that sentence. They were glaring at her in unison till the spirit quickly hid behind Gao Jinlu.

    One of the little hands loosened, reaching out to catch the white flakes. The icy touch on her palm made her small, stiff body shiver. “Are two hours long? I’m already cold.” The small lips said with a trembling voice. She then pulled her hand back, hugging the scroll of paper once more.

    “Lu’er, you don’t have to stand here for the whole time. Those people do not care anyway,” the young scholar spirit seemed to be frustrated, clearly unhappy.

    “Lulu was punished by Father because Lulu’s voice is annoying, isn’t that right?” Gao Jinlu asked, her voice trembling with sobs, as her small hands clutched the scroll even tighter.

    “Lu’er,” the spirits called her name in unison, their voices tense. The winter weather was no joke, and now with the first snow falling, even some adults had fallen ill. How could this small frame who was even weaker withstand it?

    The large group of spirits tried to coax the little child to return to the small residence, but as the snow continued to fall more heavily, the former humans grew increasingly anxious, almost losing their ability to maintain their translucent forms. Gao Jinlu, however, stood with her head bowed, so calm and still, different from other children of her age. Small piles of white snow had already begun to collect on her little head and shoulders, it was evident. Passing servants couldn’t help but glance at her. However, no one dared to come forward and help the eldest young miss who was being punished by the first master.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

    As for the four masters of the manor, they were still worried, so they gathered, keeping watch over the condition of the second young miss. They had set up a room nearby for the young masters to play and rest close to them, but they were not allowed to enter the room where the one who was sick was resting. They had completely forgotten about Gao Ximing's punishment for his young daughter. Only the butler, standing restlessly, glanced outside from time to time.

    Nearly two hours had passed, and the small figure standing still according to the punishment ordered by her father was now pale, with faint purple coloring appearing on her fingertips. Almost every part of her body was covered in snowflakes. Those big round eyes seemed to have lost focus, lacking the usual lively sparks. The spirits, whose cultivation powers were strong enough, combined their efforts to make the air around the girl warmer, though it wasn’t much.

    “Lu’er, the time is almost up. Let’s return to the small residence, please, consider this an old woman’s request.” The spirit of a middle-aged woman wished she could brush the snow off the child’s body using her hands. However, her translucent form prevented her from doing as she wished.

    “That’s right. Stop torturing yourself like this, Lu’er,” added the spirit of the young maid, but Gao Jinlu, whose body was trembling, still didn’t move. It was unclear whether it was due to her determination to follow through with the punishment or because the cold had already taken its toll on the frail body.

    At that moment, the butler, having found a chance to slip away from the masters, was walking hurriedly toward the front courtyard of the main residence, hoping that he wouldn’t find the eldest young miss still standing in the bitter cold, among the snow that became thicker.

    The butler’s eyes almost popped out. He walked toward her, bringing along a big cloak. His thoughts were racing, but he dared not show too much emotion, no more than this. “I will take Eldest Young Miss back to the residence.” The eyes on the little face blinked slowly, and she turned her head toward the sound of the one talking to her before nodding once.

    “Mm,” Gao Jinlu made a faint sound in her throat, not even moving her lips. The butler’s arrival eased the worry of the spirits.

    “Then, may I carry you, Eldest Young Miss,” he lifted the small frame after he finished the sentence. He shuddered at the touch of the ice-cold skin and hurriedly wrapped her tightly in the cloak to warm the body in his arms. He almost wanted to fly to the destination. Behind him, invisible to ordinary people, spirits transformed into glowing orbs of light followed closely.

    The small residence in the back had become unusually chaotic. Two servants hurried to boil several basins of water to wipe the unconscious eldest young miss, who had fainted from exposure to the cold, which was more than her body could handle. The butler had sent someone to secretly summon the physician, instructing him to enter through the side gate of the manor to avoid alerting the masters. Before leaving, he left behind several taels to cover the physician’s fees and medicine.

    “The First Master is so cruel. The weather is freezing cold, and he could even order such a punishment.” The same maidservant wrung out a cloth soaked in warm water and handed it to her companion.

    The other maid was equally frustrated, but she was more careful with her words, hence, she said nothing in response. However, her expression and eyes conveyed the same sentiment. Both looked on in pity at the young girl, who lay unconscious on the bed. They thought of the second young miss who was also ill, the difference was that one only had two servants taking care of, when the other was surrounded by her parents and older relatives.

    “I’ll continue wiping down the Eldest Young Miss to help ease the cold. You should go and wait for the physician outside,” the maid assigned tasks to her frustrated companion, giving her something to do other than sit and grumble.

    “Alright, alright,” the slender woman stood up and then eagerly left the room. After a long while, she returned with an elderly physician and his assistant, who had braved the snow to come. Seeing this, the young servant put down the wiping cloth and then stepped aside to wait at the other corner. They hurriedly entered to examine the ill, taking her pulse with a serious expression.

    “Sigh. How could anyone leave such a small child out in the cold, allowing her to become this ill?” The elderly physician turned to scold the two maids, but they offered no defense. The old physician let out a deep sigh and continued his examination, finding that her condition wasn’t as severe as it appeared. He then prescribed medicine and advised them to keep the room as warm as possible. He also warned them not to spoil her by letting her play outside and get the fewer again.

    After the physician left, the two maidservants tried to follow the elderly physician’s instructions. They brought in more charcoal stoves, swapped out the blankets for thicker ones they had, being careful not to make it so heavy that it would cause the eldest young miss to feel uncomfortable, and tightly closed the windows, leaving only the ventilation open. They took turns observing her symptoms so closely, worried that the eldest young miss’s condition might worsen in the middle of the night.

    The mistress of the small residence was sick, but those in the main residence were unaware. They continued to pamper the second young miss, whose mild fever had subsided within a day. Despite this, the four masters ordered the servants to keep a close watch on her, and the young masters all played in the warm room with Gao Yanyan, keeping her company.

    Meanwhile, Gao Jinlu remained bedridden, only managing to sit up and eat porridge on the third day. She had to continue drinking bitter boiled medicine with a strong smell to fully recover. Since waking up, the little girl had not spoken a single word, and the atmosphere around her was dark and somber, unlike the usual bright. The two servants could sense a chilling cold in the room, unlike any other part of the residence.

    “Does your throat still hurt, Eldest Young Miss?” One of the maids asked carefully, suspecting that the girl’s silence was due to the effects of her fever. Gao Jinlu swallowed a bland porridge and shook her head slowly, then opened her mouth to accept the next spoonful from the maid feeding her. The two maids exchanged glances, asking for each other’s thoughts in silence.

    “If it doesn’t hurt, perhaps you could try speaking, Eldest Young Miss? That way, we can be sure you’re fully healed.” The little girl pressed her lips tightly together and turned her head away, refusing even to accept another spoonful of porridge.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

    "Eldest Young Miss." Two young women started to worry that something was wrong. The little body trembled, her hands clenched tightly before she lay down and turned away, pulling the blanket over her head to signal that she didn’t want to be disturbed.

    One of the maids was about to speak, but her companion nudged her and gestured for them to leave the room together. Together, they cleared the food tray and left, closing the door behind them. The spirits, who had been observing for some time, surrounded the little girl in concern, each speculating about the cause of her behavior. Ultimately, they decided it was best to ask her directly.

    "Lu’er, is your throat still sore? Why won’t you speak to them?" The old man spirit, known as the miracle physician, floated over to the bedside. His voice and expression were filled with kindness.

    The small body trembled even more as she curled up tightly, instinctively trying to protect herself. Because of this, the spirit of the former general could no longer contain his frustration and prepared to march to the main residence to make those people pay for this. However, the other spirits quickly stopped him with their words, not wanting him to waste his already dwindling energy.

    "Lu’er is like this because of them! I’m going to take revenge for her right now." Before he could get far, the strategist spirit grabbed hold of his cloak, pulling him back firmly. The owner of that cloak quickly looked back with his eyes almost as red as blood, but the one who had acted remained unfazed.

    "Calm down. Don’t be rash. Let’s wait and see how Lu’er’s condition develops before acting. That wouldn’t be too late." The spirit of the former general raised an eyebrow, surprised that the other did not oppose him. It seemed the strategist who was always calm and resolute in every situation also had his limits.

    "Physician, what do you think?" The elderly female spirit asked, her voice tired from using her energy to sustain the girl’s life force. Without her, the girl’s condition wouldn’t have improved so quickly that she could sit up and eat the soft diet like that.

    The miracle physician’s face became thoughtful before he slowly voiced his theory.

    "Lu’er may be suffering mentally. Her father punished her because of her voice. Perhaps this is the reason why she does not want to speak, or maybe… speaking has become something terrifying for her."

    "!" One who had never seen the spirits that were stunned, so much so that their soul nearly floated off the ground, could see one this time. Once they regained their composure, they turned to look at the small figure curled up under the blanket, feeling a pain that they shouldn’t be able to feel as incorporeal beings themselves.

    "Will Lu’er really never be able to speak again?" This was the question that even the miracle physician couldn’t answer. Physical ailments could be treated with herbal medicines according to symptoms, but a wounded heart had no medicine to heal. Only time could heal it—though how long it would take, no one could say.