Dousha, now in the bloom of youth, had been bought into the mansion at seven or eight years old and assigned to Concubine Ruan. Having been treated with kindness, she grew up lively and spirited.
She tapped Huaishan’s round little head teasingly.
“Oh, you greedy little thing! You’re practically drooling—but don’t worry, with our young master, your good days are just beginning…”
Huaishan, with his chubby cheeks and crescent-moon eyes, grinned ingratiatingly. “Sister Dousha is right! This servant must’ve cultivated blessings for three lifetimes to have the fortune of serving such a wonderful young master…”
His sweet-talking and flattery sent everyone into laughter.
Even the two old servant women from the outer courtyard—usually lazy and uncooperative—came forward with ingratiating smiles, spouting auspicious phrases about Concubine Ruan’s good fortune, Fourth Young Master’s bright future, and how he was destined to pass the imperial exams with flying colors.
Concubine Ruan didn’t engage with them much, merely smiling faintly and instructing Dousha to give each of them a plate of store-bought pastries and a packet of dried meat.
Dousha pouted slightly but complied.
“Thank you, Concubine Ruan! Thank you, Fourth Young Master! This old servant will work diligently from now on…”
The two women left, bowing profusely.
Next, Concubine Ruan rewarded Huaishan with a string of coins and a large bag of milk candies, sending the boy into such delight that his eyes disappeared into happy slits—earning another giggle from Dousha.
Once the rewards were distributed, Concubine Ruan turned to Sheng Mingshu with a gentle smile.
“The madam has given you such fine gifts. When you achieve success in your studies, you must repay her kindness and show her filial piety.”
Sheng Mingshu nodded obediently, eyes brimming with gratitude. “I will remember, Mother.”
“Good. You’ve always been a child who knows how to repay kindness. Dousha, fetch my jewelry box. I believe I have a pearl necklace inside.”
“The madam favors pearls for decorating shoes. If I can finish a pair before the New Year, it’ll be a small token of my thanks…”
…..
Meanwhile, Sheng Mingli had also returned to his concubine mother’s courtyard with his gifts.
Concubine Shui’s Bodhi Courtyard was tucked away in a remote corner of the estate, its buildings worn and dilapidated.
The yard was barren, devoid of flowers or trees—save for a few vegetable plots Concubine Shui had cultivated along the walls, now lush with greenery.
Concubine Shui had originally been a respectable concubine (liangqie, purchased from a common family) bought by Huang Yaning.
Back when Huang Yaning was pregnant with her first child, her maids had grown restless with ambition, infuriating her to the point where she sold off a batch of servants.
But soon, rumors spread that the Sheng family’s matriarch was jealous and domineering. To quell the gossip, Huang Yaning had no choice but to purchase a well-behaved commoner girl as Sheng Yong’s concubine.
Concubine Shui had been that carefully selected candidate—pretty but illiterate, docile and easy to control.
For the first two months, Sheng Yong had visited her courtyard out of novelty, and soon enough, Concubine Shui became pregnant with Sheng Mingli.
But then Concubine Ruan entered the household, followed by Concubine Hong and Concubine Bai…
Before long, Sheng Yong forgot about Concubine Shui entirely.
She was exiled to the most neglected corner of the estate, with only one maid and no servants for rough labor.
Like an invisible woman, she lived quietly with her son and the little maid.
When her attendant later bought her freedom and left, no replacement was sent.
It wasn’t until three years ago—when her cousin Lianhua nearly got rented out by her gambling-addicted husband—that Concubine Shui stepped out of Bodhi Courtyard for the first time.
She pleaded with Huang Yaning to buy Lianhua into the household as her new maid.
That incident also made Huang Yaning realize that Sheng Mingli and Sheng Mingshu, now four or five years old, couldn’t be ignored any longer.
She arranged separate courtyards for them in the outer residence, assigned each two maids and two nannies, and bought them personal attendants their own age.
Only then did Sheng Mingli and Sheng Mingshu begin to resemble actual young masters.
In a way, Sheng Mingshu owed this improvement to Concubine Shui’s initiative—which was why Concubine Ruan had always been grateful to her.
Not only did she frequently send daily necessities, but when teaching her son to read, she often invited Sheng Mingli to join.
In return, Concubine Shui would have Sheng Mingli secretly deliver fresh vegetables and herbs from her garden.
Though Concubine Shui appeared reclusive, she and Concubine Ruan had a quiet friendship—and the bond between their sons grew stronger over the years.
…..
Lianhua was around twenty, with a square face, slightly dark skin, and a thin frame.
Her cotton-padded jacket was neither new nor thick, and the biting wind at the gate had turned her nose red. She hunched her shoulders, rubbing her hands together, occasionally stomping her feet and blowing warm air onto her chapped fingers—each exhale forming a white cloud.
“Lianhua, you don’t need to wait out here with me. Go inside and put on my new padded jacket—you’ll catch a chill!”
Seeing her cousin’s worried expression, Lianhua shook her head.
“It’s fine, Cousin. Moving around keeps me warm.”
As a maid, she was entitled to two sets of winter clothing—just as her cousin was supposed to have two sets of thick, good-quality garments.
But greedy hands had pilfered their rightful allowances.
All Lianhua had received was a threadbare coat, and her cousin’s new jacket was barely warm enough.
That jacket was reserved for the New Year’s banquet—how could Lianhua possibly take it?
If only the madam had purged the household of those thieving parasites sooner, she thought bitterly. We wouldn’t be shortchanged like this.
But it was too late now. The earliest they could expect proper winter gear was after Lichun (the start of spring).
At least her nephew could now attend school. There was hope for her cousin yet.
And if her cousin’s situation improved, so would hers.
“Don’t push yourself. I’m thinking of secretly selling that bolt of fabric the madam gave us last time. We can buy some good cotton and make new clothes—don’t worry about it.”
Lianhua was deeply touched but still refused.
“Mingli will need money for his studies. I can endure this—it’s just a little cold…”
Seeing her stubbornness, Concubine Shui sighed. Her own warmest coat was already on her back; the rest were no better than Lianhua’s.
She took Lianhua’s hand and pulled her toward the house. “Let’s wait for them inside.”
The inner room had no brazier—just a small stove with a boiling kettle. Though not exactly warm, at least the knife-sharp wind couldn’t reach them here.
Lianhua deftly took out two teacups, dropping a few dried rosebuds into each. Just as she was about to pour hot water, Concubine Shui spoke again.
“Get the brown sugar from the cabinet. Let’s sweeten the tea a little.”
