Chu Gen was beside himself with excitement. He hurried back into the house, fumbling as he wrote a deed selling his daughter. At Rongyao’s insistence, he also wrote a document severing all ties, then eagerly pressed his thumbprint onto both papers and forced Chu Mingyi to do the same. Only then did he respectfully hand Chu Mingyi’s deed of servitude to Rongyao.
Rongyao examined it carefully. It was no different from the ones she had seen before. After confirming that everything was in order, she told Chenxiang to pay.
Chenxiang was clearly rather bewildered. It was only after Rongyao urged her several times that she finally took out the money.
What had Young Miss done? Had she come all this way just to buy a servant girl? And she had even spent a hundred taels!
Ordinarily, a maid would cost no more than twenty taels. Their young lady had just spent a hundred taels in one go!
With Young Miss being so decisive, Chenxiang did not even know how to advise her.
Once he had Chu Mingyi’s deed of servitude, Chu Gen was delighted beyond measure.
He had truly struck it rich. He had originally planned to marry his daughter off to that old widower, who had been willing to pay only fifty taels. But now he had sold her to a wealthy young lady who clearly had no idea what money was worth—and had doubled his profit!
Now he had enough money to repay his debts, as well as the capital to win back the shop and property he had once gambled away. His luck had returned. This time, he certainly would not lose again.
“Head of the household, how could you sell our daughter? Once you sell her, she’ll be registered as a bondservant for the rest of her life! You’re ruining her entire future!” Chu Mingyi’s mother, Madam Huang, cried, tears streaking her face.
Chu Gen shoved his wife aside and scolded her, “Womanly foolishness! We’re exchanging one person for a good life for the whole family. Our two sons will now have money to attend school. Or would you rather I return the money we set aside for their education and buy our daughter back?”
“Don’t!” Madam Huang grabbed Chu Gen’s arm. She glanced guiltily at her daughter, who stood off to the side without crying or making a sound, as though she had lost all feeling. “Mingyi has always been the most filial, and she loves her younger brothers dearly. She must be willing in her heart. We can’t let her sacrifice go to waste.”
Every word the couple said reached Chu Mingyi’s ears. Her thin, haggard face held neither sorrow nor joy. Struggling to rise, she made her way to Rongyao and knelt before her.
“This servant pays her respects to Young Miss.”
Rongyao looked down at the kneeling Chu Mingyi. She resisted the urge to help her up and glanced at Chu Gen and Madam Huang, who looked as though they had gotten an excellent bargain. Her voice turned cold.
“Your parents have sold you to me. From this day forward, you have no connection to this family or to your parents and brothers. You must not have anything more to do with them, and you may never return here. Can you do that?”
Chu Mingyi did not raise her head. She merely replied, “This servant can.”
Rongyao pointed at Chu Mingyi and said to Chu Gen and Madam Huang, “She is now my person. From this day forward, you are not to come looking for her. If you violate our agreement, you will have to return every tael of silver.”
Chu Gen hurriedly clutched the banknotes to his chest and answered anxiously, “Of course, Young Miss. Whatever you say goes. We will certainly honor the agreement. From now on, I’ll consider it as though I never had this daughter.”
Rongyao said nothing more. She turned and left the Chu residence.
Chu Mingyi rose and followed her. Before leaving, she turned back for one last look at the home she had once known. There was not the slightest trace of longing in her eyes.
She immediately followed in her little mistress’s footsteps, hiding the desolation in her lowered gaze. What difference was there between entering the bondservant registry and becoming a maid, and marrying an old widower who beat his wife? In either case, her life and death would no longer be hers to decide, let alone her hope of treating the sick and saving lives.
As expected, for a woman born into this world, every dream and desire was nothing more than an illusion.
……
Chu Mingyi stood respectfully behind the carriage with her head bowed, intending to follow it on foot.
With her status, she had no right to ride in the carriage.
Unexpectedly, the carriage did not move for a long while. The window curtain was lifted, and the honored Young Miss poked her head out. In her childish voice, she asked, “Why aren’t you getting in?”
Chu Mingyi was stunned for quite some time. Clutching the hem of her clothes, she replied nervously, “This servant is filthy. I’m afraid I’ll dirty the carriage.”
Rongyao smiled and beckoned to her. “It’s all right. I don’t mind you being dirty. Hurry and get in. Don’t delay us.”
It took Chu Mingyi a long while to recover before she climbed into the carriage. The interior was lined with thick fur and warmed by burning charcoal. It was so much warmer than outside that Chu Mingyi nearly thought she had entered a fairyland.
She sat stiffly in one corner, not daring to move an inch.
Her little mistress did not speak to her again, and Chu Mingyi did not dare raise her head. She only vaguely sensed that the little mistress had been studying her for quite some time.
What surprised her even more was that, not long after they set out, the little mistress suddenly ordered the carriage to stop and told her to get out.
Only after stepping down did Chu Mingyi realize that the carriage had stopped in front of a medical clinic.
The little mistress did not even mind her filth. She took Chu Mingyi by the hand and led her into the clinic, where she had a physician examine her pulse.
Then came the application of medicine, the prescription, and the return to the carriage…
Throughout it all, Chu Mingyi remained dazed.
She was only a servant girl. Why would she need medicine or ointment?
Was this little mistress not far too kindhearted?
Afterward, she arrived at the Cui residence, where she learned that Young Miss was the young lady of the Cui family. Although she was only a young lady of the Cui family by marriage, she was the sole girl among the grandchildren of the Cui clan and was even more cherished than the several legitimate young masters.
Everyone in the Cui family treasured her.
Her mother had been granted the title of Jieyu by His Majesty and would soon be entering the palace. A family such as theirs had no shortage of servants or cooks. The little mistress must have bought Chu Mingyi simply because she had taken pity on her.
Nor was that all. After coming to the Cui residence, Chu Mingyi was given a sturdy, windproof room, fresh bedding, and new clothes. The little mistress even said that she was injured and could not work, so she should rest until she recovered before being assigned any duties.
When the little mistress learned that she could read and understood medicine, she gave her many medical texts, saying they would help pass the time.
Those were the medical books she had yearned for over so many years. She had thought she would never be able to read them in this lifetime, yet she had been fortunate enough to encounter such a kind and compassionate little mistress.
She knelt before the little mistress, wishing she could swear to serve her for the rest of her life and offer her very life in return. But the little mistress only said it was a small matter. She promised to buy Chu Mingyi even more medical books in the future and told her that her days would grow better and better.
At that moment, looking at the six-year-old child before her, Chu Mingyi felt as though she were gazing upon a light.
After several days of nourishing care, her body soon recovered. The little mistress finally assigned her a task: she was to begin by working as an assistant in the residence kitchen. Besides keeping an eye on Cao Kuan each day, she was also to inspect the food sent to the various courtyards and watch for anything amiss.
The little mistress said it was a matter of great importance and that she was asking Chu Mingyi to undertake it. If Chu Mingyi was unwilling, she would not force her.
At the time, Chu Mingyi was so flattered and delighted that she hardly knew what to do. She was happy, first, because the little mistress had finally found her a task, and second, because entrusting her with such a private matter meant that the little mistress must trust her deeply.
Moreover, the task was related to medicine. She accepted at once and did not dare show the slightest negligence.
Just as the little mistress had promised, her life truly grew better and better…
……
Rongyao let out a sigh of relief. Her mother had not been angry when she learned that Rongyao had spent a hundred taels to buy Mingyi. She had merely asked about Mingyi’s background and character, without scolding Rongyao even once.
Everyone in the courtyard could see that, as the date of her entry into the palace drew nearer, Madam’s indulgence toward Young Miss only grew.
That day, Cui Huaiyin even said to Rongyao with a trace of guilt, “In a little while, Mother will have to be separated from you for some time. But don’t worry, Yaoyao. Mother will certainly come and bring you to reunite with me as soon as possible.”
Rongyao wrapped her arms around her mother’s slender waist and nestled into her embrace. “Mm-hmm. Yaoyao will wait for you…”
The moment Rongyao finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Daoxiang pushed open the door and rushed in, saying anxiously to Cui Huaiyin, “This is bad! A man has come to our residence, claiming to be the Young Miss’s biological father!”
