Chapter 4

    Gao Ximing gradually rose through the ranks, catching the attention of senior officials, and was promoted to the rank of a fifth-rank official within just two years. He was tasked with overseeing the city alongside the mayor of Sanmai, with their duties resembling a system of checking the other party. The city court acted as a neutral party, balancing the power of those two. Three reports were sent to the central government to compare whether their contents were similar, identifying any discrepancies and investigating why they occurred. These would be immediately sent for another inspection.

The official announcement of promotion coincided with Gao Jinlu and Gao Yanyan’s month of birth. The masters’ faces glow with happiness throughout the day, even the usually stern first master of the Gao family.

    With this, the Gao family hosted a banquet, both to celebrate the promotion and the second young miss’s birthday. The entire city of Sanmai shared in the joy, though only a select few received invitations to the event. The lively atmosphere of preparation for the banquet began early in the morning.

    However, those in the small residence seemed to distance themselves from all the auspicious energy. After the eldest young miss fell ill at the age of three, she had been unable to speak since she regained her consciousness. The physician who came to examine said that the cold had damaged her throat. The two servants had to suppress their feelings of injustice, and they avoided interacting with others unless necessary. The kitchen was the only place where they were regularly seen, and they avoided discussing anything from the small residence with others. The only thing known to those in the manor was that the eldest young miss had fallen so ill that she could no longer speak, and the physician could offer no cure. The masters turned a blind eye and left everything in the hands of the butler.

    At five years old, although Gao Jinlu never spoke to anyone, she could still communicate telepathically with the spirits who cared for her. She was also taught various subjects by these spirits, as much as her small body could handle. The thing her guardians, in form of translucent figure, noticed from the girl was her talent for drawing, even though the small hands couldn’t yet control the weight and movement of brush strokes as good as it should be. The art supplies she used were modestly provided by the main residence, and the butler, who had been ordered to care for the mistress of the small residence, did not think of neglecting his duties or doing thing carelessly.

    "This little girl has real talent—her handwriting has improved a lot." The spirit of the instructor who taught her reading and writing stroked his chin with a proud expression, clearly pleased with his final student.

    "Mmm," the little girl placed her small brush down and flexing her fingers, a wide smile spreading across her face.

    "But you must continue to practice consistently and not be lazy, understood?" A translucent hand gently patted Gao Jinlu’s head.

    "The main residence is busy preparing for the birthday celebration of the girl who was born after Lu’er, along with the promotion of that person," the young female spirit scoffed, not wanting to acknowledge them as family to her little kid.

    "That's right, today is also Lu’er’s fifth birthday. Shouldn’t we have a celebration for her as well?" A middle-aged male spirit felt especially enthusiastic. The other spirits all nodded in agreement, though they knew that as spirits, they couldn’t organize a party, cook, or buy gifts. They should think of another way to do it.

    "Lulu doesn’t want anything. All this time, all of you are already the best things Lulu could ever have," the little girl communicated fluently through telepathy. Her small frame, even smaller than other children her age, slowly stood up. She wore a simple outfit, not made from expensive fabric, but it was comfortable to wear and suitable for the price.

    “You adorable child. Come, come. Enough with writing characters for now. Let’s take a walk in the garden instead.” The young adviser spirit summoned a feathered fan and waved it while gesturing toward the door leading to the balcony, past the thin, flowing curtains embroidered by the two maidservants who had plenty of free time.

    Gao Jinlu smiled and followed the translucent figures out to the garden, where the variety of flowers grew in scattered manner as same as before, though now they were neatly arranged and not overrun by weeds or fallen leaves that were covering them. The small feet stepped on the ground. She walked leisurely, taking in the serene scenery as she gazed toward the tall walls that separated her from the outside world.

    “Don’t tell me Lu’er wants to climb that wall?” The young girl spirit looked at the same direction as the other before she quickly turned to inform the other spirits of this matter. The one who was being misunderstood quickly shook her head and waved her hands in denial, her expression serious.

    "Lulu just wants to know what it’s like outside—what the market looks like, and the shops." Communicating by telepathy was relatively easier than speaking out loud.

    The little girl, with the trauma of using her voice, still had no desire to speak. The miracle physician spirit didn’t want to push her into treatment either. Emotional wounds weren’t minor issue that could be treated just as one wished, and part of the process required the patient’s cooperation. Given her young age, no matter how much goodwill they had for her, they had to wait for the girl to grow up. Just for her to become mentally stronger, strong enough to handle possible effects.

    "That's right. When Lu’er grows up a bit more, perhaps we can find a way for you to go out and see the world." The elderly male spirit stroked his long white beard, his deep eyes gazing into the distance, beyond the boundaries of the walls.

    "Lulu has to wait until she grows up, but why can Big Brother and the other younger siblings go out and play?" Gao Jinlu still didn’t understand why she was the only one separated from the rest, living alone here. Why did her parents keep their distance, unlike with her siblings? Even her voice was considered annoying. Upon hearing her question, the spirits fell silent.

    "Lu’er," the elderly female spirit knelt to bring herself to eye level with the girl. Though her body was translucent, she still willingly embraced the little girl, born during the eclipse five years prior.

    The banquet of the Gao family of Sanmai began in the early evening. Guests arrived steadily, reflecting the growing prominence of Gao Ximing and the master’s new position. The venue was illuminated by lanterns, with tables and soft cushions arranged according to number of guests. Tea, sweets, and snacks were set out once the guests took their seats.

    Some guests approached to greet familiar faces, it was an interaction to form connections among the upper class. For many young men and women, it was an opportunity for matchmaking, with their parents making arrangements. The wife of the main and secondary household of the Gao family, dressed elegantly, welcomed the female guests, while the second master entertained the male guests. The first master was the last to appear, accompanied by his two sons, niece, and nephew.

    The expression of the family’s first master was stern, but it softened whenever Gao Ximing responded to the calls of the children around him. Despite their young age, the children were well-educated. They knew the manner and how to behave in order to make the onlookers adore them. Once all the hosts had been introduced, the guests returned to their seats to watch the opening performance. Appetizers were served to the guests. They timed between the each serving appropriately.

    In a corner outside the banquet venue, there was a small figure in a simple outfit. Her hair was styled in two buns tied with brightly colored ribbons, but she lacked the jewelry or embroidered silk worn by the other young misses and young masters. Her sad eyes looked toward the host’s table, prominently displayed, as if there was no room for anyone else—though there was the Eldest Young Miss, forgotten by everyone.

    Gao Jinlu sat on the ground, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, watching the lively scene, so different from the small residence where she had grown up. In all her memories, her parents had never once come to visit her. Sometimes, she had tried walking on her short legs to sneak a glimpse of people in the main residence. Even after falling ill and losing the courage to speak, she still occasionally snuck peeks at the situation in that residence.

    "These banquets have become quite interesting lately, especially the performances... The movements are graceful. Well done, well done.” The spirit of the master of arts was just an old man in plain robes. His hair was tied in a messy bun secured with a hand-carved wooden hairpin.

    “There’s no need to sneak around and watch the banquet of these people. Let’s return to the small residence, and we’ll create something better than this for you,” the former general spirit turned his face away from the ongoing celebration. The more he saw the smiles and the insincere interactions of those people, the more a sneer spread across his stern face.

    “Lulu knows there will be lots of sweets at this banquet, but there are no sweets in the small residence,” the little girl protested innocently, her moving lips revealing her strong desire for the sweets. Though she never went without food at the residence, sweets, which were expensive, were the exception. As the Eldest Young Miss, she didn’t have the right to share the snacks or sweets from the kitchen.

    “Lu’er, even if you stay here, there’s no way those people would give any to you.” The strategist lightly tapped his feather fan against his palm then let out a sigh. If they were still alive, such trivial things as sweets wouldn’t be something they’d stand around fretting about.

    “Lulu knows, but maybe I’ll get lucky… Didn’t you all once say that Lulu has good fortune?” Gao Jinlu pouted, glancing back at the banquet area again. As the music shifted to a more lively tune, plates of pastries and meat, the main course, were served to the guests. Everyone's faces were bright with joy.

    By the third performance, dessert was served for the guests to taste them after the meal, and it was a time for everyone to relax, allowing them to stretch and walk to converse with acquaintances or those they wanted to form a connection. Young men and women took the opportunity to walk in groups through the nearby garden, and the children of about the same age, accompanied by servants, gathered in a large pavilion set up for them in advance by the hosts.

    Gao Yanyan smiled faintly as she watched her younger brother playing happily with friends, led by their big brother, who joyfully directed the games. The banquet, which had started after sunset, was set to end before Si houri[1] for the convenience of the guests, since it was a banquet to celebrate many things. The little girl, who was full of grace in both appearance and demeanor, didn’t join in the fun with her siblings. Instead, she led a group of many other girls to stroll near the flower garden, not far from the pavilion.

    “This garden is lovely. It must be even more beautiful during the day,” one of the girls in the group complimented after seeing the flower garden under the light from torches.

    “Any flower garden is equally beautiful. But having only this is too boring.” Another girl did not really care for the flower garden. Though still children under ten years old, they had been raised to think like adults, learning to socialize from a young age like this.

    “The garden only has this, what do you want to do to kill the boredom?” Another girl asked, glancing toward the pavilion where laughter could be heard intermittently. However, joining the boys seemed out of the question.

    The second young miss of the Gao family continued to smile sweetly, showing no signs of annoyance. She tried to look around the garden, finding something to entertain her friends.

    “How about we play a game of blindfold tag? No need to hide, just stay within a designated area,” Gao Yanyan suggested after a brief moment of thought.

    “Oh, just talking about it won’t tell us if it’s fun or not. Let’s try it out!” The previously bored young miss now had a spark of excitement in her eyes. The others didn’t object, so they instructed the servants to mark the play area. Then, they began selecting who would be blindfolded first.

    Soon, there were not only the boys playing happily in the pavilion, but also a group of girls enjoying a game of blindfold tag near the flower garden. Gao Jinlu, driven by curiosity, secretly followed them to watch the fun. Her eyes widened as she saw the large group of children playing together. Having grown up in isolation, she had never experienced such scenes. Even though she was surrounded by many spirits who cared for and taught her, they could never play with her like this. The idea of playing with friends fascinated the eldest young miss.

    “Lu’er... don’t you want to see the gifts we’ve prepared for you?” The elderly female spirit lost count of how many times she had sighed today—probably more than she ever did while alive.

    The little girl remained still, her eyes fixed on the area that was lively because of a large group of children. After watching till she was satisfied, she finally nodded, then began to crawl out from her hiding place, intending to return to the small residence where she stayed. However, whether it was bad luck or something else, her movement this time caused the bushes to shake, catching the attention of the nearby servants. A male servant, standing at a distance, approached with a long staff and parted the thick bushes with it. Instantly, the small figure of a girl, no older than five, was revealed, caught just as she was about to flee.

    “Who is this child? Why is she sneaking around here?” The group of girls abandoned their blindfold tag game to gather around the scene, since there was something more interesting before them. Gao Yanyan looked carefully at the small frame dressed simply, with leaves stuck in her hair from hiding among the bushes for a long while. At the same time, Gao Zhengwu led his two younger brothers to the gathering, and upon seeing the familiar little face, he unconsciously furrowed his brows.

    “Maybe she’s the child of a servant. Perhaps she saw us having fun and came to watch secretly,” another young miss who seemed older than those friends around her speculated, judging by the other’s clothing. Yet from the start, the one causing the scene remained silent, not saying a word.

    “What’s your name? Are you afraid of us that you don’t dare to answer?” one of the young masters tried to ask, his tone not arrogant but rather friendly.

    Upon hearing the question, Gao Jinlu, who had been silently lamenting to herself, merely looked up at the one who asked the question, her expression showing hesitation.

    “I must apologize on behalf of Big Sister Jinlu. She cannot speak,” explained Gao Yanyan, the daughter of the secondary household of the Gao family, stepping in to clarify before anyone could become upset.

[1] Si hour refers to the time between 09:00 and 10:59 A.M.