The next day, after lunch:

  “Sister Huiqin, has the miss’s medicine been prepared? It’s time for her to take it,” Luye asked anxiously from the doorway. Despite her worry, she forced a smile, her demeanor humble and ingratiating.

  “Can’t you see I’m brewing it?” Huiqin leaned against the doorway, cracking sunflower seeds as she snapped irritably. If not for Madam Xu’s strict instructions that the medicine must be brewed by her, she wouldn’t even endure the unpleasant smell. Even now, she often delegated the task to a junior maid.

  Luye fished out a copper coin and handed it to Huiqin with a fttering smile. “Sister Huiqin, you know I’m slow-witted and not good with words. Please don’t take offense at me. The Seventh Miss relies on this medicine to keep her alive, so I came quickly. Please don’t be angry. This little offering is for you to buy some snacks. It’s just a token of appreciation; I hope you don’t mind its smallness.”

  Huiqin tucked the coin into her sleeve, snorted disdainfully, and said, “Take it.”

  Luye carefully carried the medicine, beaming with joy as she headed to Qin Shuying’s room. Behind her, Huiqin sneered coldly, “Rushing to death, faster this way!”

  For three consecutive days, no one came to disturb Qin Shuying. The maids in Spring Garden continued their habitual idleness, and the intermittent sound of coughing persisted in Qin Shuying’s chamber.

  Nanny Fu wore a constant look of worry, frequently wandering near Yin Garden, hoping to persuade the Sixth Miss to visit Qin Shuying. However, the Sixth Miss was busy with her studies and copying scriptures to pray for Qin Shuying’s recovery, leaving no time to visit.

  Even Luye, the homely maid who cared for the Seventh Miss, began handling tasks in her room—originally the responsibility of the senior maids. Huiqin was more than happy to let Luye take over, even relinquishing the duty of ensuring the medicine was consumed, as ordered by Madam Xu. Twice, Qin Shuying had spilled the medicine, which Huiqin considered an ill omen. Why risk being infected by a frail, sickly person without any benefit? Only a fool would do that.

  And sure enough, after just two days of attending to the Seventh Miss, Luye herself began coughing.

  At noon, when the sun was bright, Qin Shuying would sit under the eaves, basking in the sunlight with a listless demeanor. The maids were unbothered; she had always been this way.

  Members of the main household came to see her, noting her red face and violent coughing.

  Madam Zou from the second branch and Fifth Miss Qin Lulu also visited, but they could only sigh and offer a few words of comfort before leaving.

  Three days ter, Qin Yunyun finally found time to visit Qin Shuying. Delighted, Qin Shuying clung to her eagerly, pestering her to share news of the outside world.

  Qin Yunyun, impatient, used her studies as an excuse and barely sat before attempting to leave.

  Tugging at Qin Yunyun’s sleeve, Qin Shuying wept, “Sixth Sister, please have mercy on your little sister! Stay with me a little longer!”

  As she spoke, the strong smell of medicine wafted from her mouth, nauseating and unpleasant.

  Suppressing her disgust and irritation, Qin Yunyun left in tears, earning praise from the household for her deep sisterly affection.

  The Old Madam also sent her senior maid to deliver items and inquire about her condition.

  In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since Qin Shuying’s rebirth.

  Standing by the window, Qin Shuying repeatedly bent at the waist. From initial dizziness, she had progressed to completing fifty repetitions. Her body was nearly recovered.

  Exercise was a concept she had learned from merchants in her past life, but she had previously dismissed it as crude and beneath her.

  After experiencing death, she shed many prejudices. Anything beneficial to her, regardless of its nature, was now worth embracing.

  Madam Xu’s control over Qin Shuying stemmed from her frail health. Restoring her strength was paramount.

  Now, her appetite had increased significantly. To avoid suspicion, she secretly ate food that Nanny Fu brought from outside. Previously, Madam Xu had preached that young dies should prioritize being slender and graceful. Now, Qin Shuying only cared about having a healthy body.

  Luye sat by the door, sewing and occasionally calling inside, “Miss, does this look nice? Cough, cough...”

  From the room came Qin Shuying’s feeble voice, “It’s lovely. Cough, cough...”

  In the courtyard, maids sighed, “When will the Seventh Miss recover? Or perhaps... when will she finally pass? This life is unbearable.” Those who couldn’t endure it anymore found excuses to leave and seek opportunities elsewhere.

  The only ones still diligently working in the courtyard were Hongjuan and Luye.

  Hongjuan, besides her assigned tasks, spent her time sewing in her room. Coming from a poor family, she sent her handiwork home to be sold and supplement her parents’ income.

  After finishing her exercises, Qin Shuying stood by the window, gazing at the increasingly crimson maple leaves in Spring Garden. From afar, they resembled bzing fmes.

  A cold smile pyed on Qin Shuying’s lips. She had nothing left to burn—only destruction remained.

  In her past life, her kindness and patience had led to a tragic end. In this life, her docility and obedience had brought the same result.

  If the road always ended in death, why not fight to the bitter end?

  She had to take control of her own destiny.

  A memory suddenly surfaced in her mind.

  In her previous life, Qin Yaoyao was diligent in managing the household, composed and meticulous. She excelled in business and was highly skilled in needlework. Yet, Lu Changxuan thought she was a woman whose eyes were only on money, cking charm, elegance, or any appreciation for the arts. In his eyes, she was completely ignorant of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—vulgar and crude, with no shared interests between them.

  Lu Changxuan was wrong!

  Before her marriage, Madam Xu, eager to showcase her virtuousness and kindness, had hired the same tutors for both her legitimate daughter and her stepdaughters. To avoid outshining the legitimate daughter, Qin Yaoyao had chosen to stay humble, emphasizing only her needlework while deliberately downpying her skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In truth, she had studied diligently, particurly in chess and painting, putting in significant effort behind the scenes. While she might not have been as exceptional as the legitimate daughter, she was far from crude.

  After marrying into the Lu family, all her time and energy were devoted to managing the household business. How could she have found the time to continue her studies? And where would she have had the leisure to compose poetry, py music, or py chess with Lu Changxuan?

  She had been wrong as well!

  She had thought that by building a prosperous family business for the Lu household and proving herself to be virtuous and submissive, Lu Changxuan would treat her with the basic respect a proper wife deserved. Like countless other officials, he would protect her position, ensuring peace in the household. And she, as the mother of his legitimate son, would have an unshakable status in the Lu family.

  She believed it didn’t matter how many concubines he had or whether they were her own sisters or other women.

  What a ridiculous mistake that had been!

  “Miss, it’s time,” Luye’s entrance interrupted Qin Shuying’s thoughts.

  Today was Old Madam Qin’s sixty-first birthday. In this era of peace and prosperity, the Qin family had its own pride: Consort Lian in the pace, capable men in the family, and an exceptionally promising younger generation. Qin Yongtao’s lineage had all achieved success, and Qin Kaile’s generation was equally intelligent and ambitious. The family’s flourishing future was already in sight.

  As a legitimate granddaughter of the main branch, Qin Shuying was required to attend the birthday banquet today.