Chapter 2

    A year passed as if the events of the past had never occurred. Initially, the entire Zhou Region was watching out for disasters that might come. However, as months went by without any sign of danger, people became relaxed and resumed their normal lives. The mid-ranking city of Sanmai remained bustling with the flow of trade routes that passed through on the way to the capital, including a famous tourist attraction—the dense mist that shrouded the valleys in early spring.

    The little one in the past had now grown into a one-year-old girl. The difference was that the young child was now living in a small residence, without her parents around to care for her. She only had servants who looked after her according to their duties, and a hired wet nurse who came during the day and left in the evening.

    No matter how much the pity in the looks from others, the young Eldest Young Miss was unaware of such things. She just lived her life simply within the small residence, far from other residences, and a small garden near the manor’s walls.

    "Eldest Young Miss, I have to leave now." Zhu Chunli crouched down to be almost the same height as the young kid before her. She had a son just a few months older than the eldest young miss. When this official family’s manor opened positions for wet nurses, she didn’t hesitate to take the job, earning a little money to help her husband, who was starting a small fabric shop. Moreover, her son alone could not finish all the milk she produced.

    Gao Jinlu tilted her head slightly before she was willing to nod. The way she understood things easily and didn’t fuss, making her wet nurse couldn’t help but adore her. Although Zhu Chunli did not dare to meddle in the household matters of others, she could still help her with small things.

    “I’ll come early tomorrow. Eat till full and sleep tight, so you’ll stay strong, Young Miss.” Her thin hand that was a bit rough stroked the little body. The cute face smiled adorably.

    Zhu Chunli didn’t understand why the Eldest Young Miss’s parents neglected her so. Fortunately, at least they hadn’t entirely neglected her. The girl always had lodging, clothes, food, and servants attending to her needs. However, the important thing—love and warmth from her parents—had never come near.

    "Ah... Mmm… Okayyyy..." Zhu Chunli was always surprised by the advanced development of the Eldest Young Miss of the Gao family’s. Despite not receiving the deserving amount of attention, she didn’t seem inferior to anyone. Her fine, ink-black hair was tied into two buns, one on each side, enhancing her already endearing appearance.

    “Well then, I’ll take my leave, Young Miss,” Zhu Chunli bid her final farewell for the day, leaving a concerned glance behind as she rose and walked out through the moon gate, exiting the manor through the side door.

    The one-year-old girl watched her leave until she was out of sight, her small legs swinging back and forth on the wide bed. She glanced around the room, now devoid of any living presence other than herself. As the last light of day began to fade, a servant quickly brought in a tray of baby food, setting it down on a low table before hastily leaving. The reason was they sensed an inexplicable chill in the air, and the servant of this residence only came into the room for meals, daily duties, and cleaning. They would not come to this place to do anything more than their duties.

    In her wide, round eyes, the young girl didn’t see the world as others did. She saw several translucent figures surrounding her, chatting non-stop. The one that was the center of the conversation, nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice. Gao Jinlu blinked and looked at it while remaining silent, not calling for help. The little girl pursed her lips tightly and sat on the soft cushion, reaching for the spoon. She used her force to slowly scoop up a small bite of porridge mixed with boiled egg and vegetables, trying not to spill.

    "At this pace, when will you be full, young girl? Wouldn’t it be faster if I fed you like before?" A middle-aged translucent woman sat with her chin resting on her hand, watching the girl’s efforts. Other spirits began sitting as well, though it did not have any effect on their translucent and intangible body.

    "Mm, if Lulu is good, I can show off to Father and Mother." Though the sweet voice couldn’t speak clearly yet, her determined expression caused the caretakers in translucent body to secretly express their sympathy toward her. The child this little thought of finding a thing to draw attention to herself, hoping to get a fraction of love and mercy from that party. Upon seeing this, the spirits, who were all about to walk on a path of asceticism, wanted to support her. But she had to grow a little more. Right now, they were still too weak.

    "Lu’er is the best, of course. Once your body is ready, we’ll teach you many things so you can show them to your parents, alright?" The oldest man stroked the Eldest Young Miss head. Although it wasn’t an apparent warmth like that of a living person, the one who received it still felt the warmth reaching her little heart till she had the energy to lift the spoon and feed herself several more bites before letting the spirits help her.

    "Mm, I’m doing well." The little face beamed, her clear, round eyes narrowing. Her clear cheeks puffed out, making people want to pinch them.

    Another year passed, and the Gao Manor had a joyous occasion—the first master’s wife was pregnant with their third child. The entire household was in an exciting atmosphere. The young girl also heard the good news, and although she was still young, she understood from the translucent caretakers that she would soon have either a little brother or a little sister, in addition to her elder brother and a cousin who were close to her in age. Thus, Gao Jinlu’s goal for this day was to use her little legs to sneak a peek at the main residence from afar. When the opportunity arose, the little girl took advantage of her small frame to slip past the servants till she reached the destination, though the action caused her clothes to become disheveled, her face smudged, and her hair a tangled mess.

    The young girl peered at the people in the large residence, far from her own residence. Her round, clear eyes sparkled as she saw a young man and woman supporting each other, walking to the veranda to admire the garden. They spoke with smiles, and beside them stood a boy of nearly six, listening to them with the same expression. Soon after, a younger girl joined them, followed by another couple, creating the image of a warm and harmonious family.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

    “When everyone says Father and Mother are going to have a baby, does that mean there will be another person there?” The clear voice asked, her eyes still fixed on the scene under the roof of the large residence. The spirits who had been following her to keep watch and cover for her as she spied quieted down.

    “Lu’er, wouldn’t it be best if you returned to your residence? By now, your wet nurse is probably searching for you frantically,” another translucent woman drifted in, replacing her companions, who had all seemed to be mute. The girl jolted at the reminder, tearing her gaze away from the family scene. Her little feet stomped the ground repeatedly, anxiously.

    "Y-Yes, Lulu should go back to find Wet Nurse Chunli. Thank you for reminding me." Gao Jinlu nodded awkwardly, causing the heart of the one… once a human to soften significantly. The girl glanced one more time at the main residence before making her way back the same way she had come. By the time she reached her wet nurse, Chunli had almost gone to report to the master of the manor. Part of her was relieved when she saw what kind of state the Eldest Young Miss, who was under her care, was in, while another part wanted to scold her a sentence or two. But when she saw the downcast look, she could only swallow her words, opting instead to take the child to bathe, change her clothes, and redo her hair.

    As time continued to pass, Gao Ximing’s third child was born. It was a boy named Gao Zizhuang. Soon after, the secondary household also had good news. Qingyan Furen was in the early stages of pregnancy, further brightening the atmosphere of the manor. The servants were rewarded, and with the joyful events happening at the same time, the masters decided to hold a celebration, gradually forgetting the existence of a certain little someone.

    The small residence near the walls remained silent and desolate. The wind blew, causing the top of the trees to sway. The scattered flowers gave off a pleasant fragrance. Under a tree with thick leaves in the garden, which lacked the pavilions found in the gardens of other residences, a small figure diligently remembering the characters. The tiny hand controlled a twig, writing characters onto the ground, though her handwriting was crooked. Gao Jinlu, however, refused to give up. She hoped that once she succeeded, she could show her work to her parents.

    “It’s good that the young girl is so determined, but her hands and arms may not be strong enough for such practice,” an elderly woman spirit with the brightest, most translucent figure couldn’t help but caution. She watched the tiny hand, which had turned red from gripping the twig to write.

    “Wouldn’t it be better to just forget about parents like that? Ouch… Why did you do that?” The spirit of a grown man dressed in warrior attire rubbed his shoulder while turning to a spirit dressed in military strategist uniform standing beside him, addressing the other’s wrongdoing. The spirit responded with a stern look, unafraid of the growl.

    “What nonsense are you saying? Lu’er is too young. How could she understand such complex things? And you even told her to do so.”

    “Is it not true? Just the words from a stranger, and they dare to treat their daughter this bad.” The former general, once a mighty figure in some unknown dynasty, waved his hand in frustration.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

    “No matter the era, people continue to believe in fate, and such things aren’t entirely baseless.” The spirit of an old man in white was calm and mysterious. He slowly stroked his white beard. Several other spirits nodded in agreement.

    “How could that priest at the time compare to you?” The former general breathed out loudly. Look at the little child they were protecting—she should have been cared for according to her status, but now she had no one by her side except a wet nurse, whom they could only trust to some extent, but she was still an outsider, only temporarily here.

    "Everyone, Lulu... Lulu can do it." The two-year-old girl tried to speak in full sentences as clearly as her body would allow, then placed the twig down to rest her hand after practicing writing for a long time.

    "Lu’er, take it slow, and don’t overexert yourself are the best thing to do." The spirit of a young maid, using her energy to brush off the dirt and grass from the small hand till it was clean.

    "Mm, Lulu is resting now," Gao Jinlu said, then sat down on the ground, not caring if her clothes got dirty. Her innocent eyes gazed up at the clear sky. There was no destination in her eyes, as if she were staring at a place far, far away.

    "Where are you looking at, little girl?" The old man spirit, the eldest one, tried to follow the girl’s gaze but saw nothing of interest. Hearing the question, Gao Jinlu tilted her head, appearing confused, before shaking her head firmly as a no.

“I don’t know.”

    The spirits exchanged glances, consulting each other telepathically, then encouraged the child under their care to return to her residence for an hour nap during the day. By the time they arrived, the eldest young miss’s disheveled appearance made the maidservant of the back residence secretly sigh in exasperation. She then carried the small figure inside, cleaned her up, and prepared lunch on a low table near the window, where one could see the overgrown garden in the residence’s small area.

    “I haven’t seen Wet Nurse Zhu today,” whispered one servant at the door, asking her companion who had just exited the eldest young miss’s room.

    “Wet Nurse Zhu took a day off—her son is ill.” She said while glancing at the little frame, who sat still, seemingly pondering the food in the small bowl but not yet lifting her spoon to eat, unlike her usual behavior. It was unusual for such a young child.

    "Oh, between a son and a child who pays for her milk, of course she’d choose her own child, isn’t it? Some children are just unlucky..." The gossip continued as the two slowly walked away from the room of the residence’s mistress, not daring to be with her in the girl’s private room.

    “You must not say those nonsense, otherwise, you will get whipped or sold off. Either way, it won’t end well.” She warned in a low voice, pinching the speaker’s waist to stop her from making sarcastic remarks on sensitive matters.

    “Ow! You’re too rough. I wouldn’t dare say such things in front of anyone else or at any other place and risk having my tongue cut out.” The servant expressed her remorse before a look of pity crossed her face. “I just feel sorry for the Eldest Young Miss. She’s so little and was born into a life of luxury. But why did it turn upside down, having to move into the small residence near the wall at the back of the manor?”

    “I feel sorry for her too. That’s why I didn’t protest when I was assigned to this place. Even though this residence is far, it’s not like we’re lacking anything. It’s quiet and peaceful, so we don’t have to constantly be on edge, stressed both physically and mentally.” At first, when there was a selection of servants to care for the eldest young miss and this residence, many avoided eye contact and kept their mouths shut, not wanting to be selected. Only them, who were close to the wife, had been selected to take care of this place for the past two years.

    “Too quiet, to the point of feeling eerie sometimes. And it gets strangely cold.” The other servant rubbed her arms and shivered. Both of her eyes were looking around even though it was broad daylight.

    “Two years and you still aren’t used to it?” The two friends arrived at the side garden, where they intended to clear as many weeds as possible, at least to keep the garden from becoming more overgrown.

    The other servant shook her head vigorously, and the two stopped chatting, turning their focus to finishing the task at hand.

    Another year passed, and at the beginning of winter, Gao Jinlu, who had diligently practiced writing for some time, had made progress. While her handwriting was still not as elegant as it should be, it was very good for a three-year-old. Today, the little girl held a scroll of paper with auspicious characters in her arms and walked directly to the main residence, without informing the two servants. Wet Nurse Zhu had resigned earlier in the year to help her husband with his business and had not returned to the manor since.

    When she arrived, she noticed that the servants looked uneasy, and the tense atmosphere caused the girl to stop walking. She blinked innocently while looking at them. She then resumed walking toward the main residence to find her parents, as she often did when she secretly observed them. However, she couldn’t find anyone until she reached a room where the door was slightly ajar, leaving enough space for a small hand to open it herself. Once there was a space for her to slip in, Gao Jinlu took the opportunity to walk toward the adults surrounding a large bed.

    “Father, Mother.” The voice was bright though the pronunciation was slightly unclear. But in the silence, her voice effectively drew the attention of the four adults. Gao Ximing, seeing his daughter, who should have been in the small residence, frowned deeply, and his tone was harsh as he spoke.

    “How did you get here?” The little frame flinched slightly. The two arms hugged the scroll tighter. Her small mouth moved as if to say something, but the father lowered his voice, saying another sentence. “Go back at once. Yan’er is ill and needs to rest.”

    “I-I... I just wanted to give this…” Gao Jinlu gathered her courage to explain her intention, but the sound of the sick person’s groaning interrupted her, drawing everyone’s gaze back to the sick in concern and worry. The four then tried to hide their displeasure.

    “Why are you still making such an irritating noise? Keep your mouth shut and stand outside the residence in reflection for two hours,” the first master commanded in a decisive tone.