Chapter 18

Editor:- Mim

The Duhu Mansion was imposing and grand, with dark pavilions and towers arranged in dense clusters. Compared to the opulent splendor of the Li family residence in the capital, it had a rugged beauty, like a sunset over a desert.

Li Zhi was led to the back courtyard by a man who appeared to be the head steward. He showed her to a narrow, damp side room.

“This will be your living quarters from now on. Most of the other servants share rooms, two or three in each. Our master is benevolent, so you’ve been granted your own room,” the steward said.

Li Zhi put on an innocent smile, one that flattered him enough to lift his mood. She soon learned that his surname was Tang, confirming he was indeed the mansion’s steward.

“Alright, listen up. There aren’t too many rules in this mansion. As long as you behave yourself, your days won’t be too hard. Your duties will be assigned later. Until then, stay in this courtyard, wash your face, and change into clean clothes.”

Steward Tang waved his hand dismissively, and Li Zhi sent him off with a polite nod.

The room Li Zhi had been assigned was in an old, dilapidated courtyard. The courtyard had a dozen side rooms like hers, a decrepit well in the center, and a half-dead jujube tree.

She drew a bucket of water from the well and, despite the freezing cold, used it to clean herself thoroughly. Then she changed into a new coarse cotton outfit provided by the mansion.

The clothes were far too loose for her, but fortunately, while cleaning under the bed, she found a dusty sewing kit left behind by someone else. Using thread as thin and uneven as earthworms, she tightened the waist and sleeves of the outfit. Looking at her reflection in a blurred copper mirror, she made herself as presentable as possible.

Just as she finished, there was a knock on her door.

The creaky wooden door rattled as Li Zhi pulled it open. Standing outside was an unfamiliar older woman.

“Are you the new servant assigned to the Duhu Mansion named Li Zhi?” the woman asked, sizing her up.

“That’s me. What can I do for you, Auntie?”

“I’m the manager of the laundry room in this mansion. My surname is Zhang. Someone sent me to fetch you to the back gate. Come with me,” the woman said.

“But Steward Tang told me to stay in the courtyard and not wander around…” Li Zhi replied hesitantly.

“It’s fine. It won’t take long.”

Still, Li Zhi stood her ground, cautious. “Can Auntie tell me who wants to see me?”

The older woman seemed to remember something suddenly and smacked her forehead.

“Oh, right! She told me to tell you her name is Jia Sui. She said you’d understand once you heard it—”

“Let’s go,” Li Zhi interrupted.

The next moment, she was already stepping out of the room, her hesitation gone.

Jia Sui shouldn’t have been here. But if it weren’t her, how could this manager have known the name?

Li Zhi’s mind raced with possibilities as she followed the woman to the back gate. Part of her didn’t want Jia Sui to suffer here, but after losing both Li Xiang and Shendan, she desperately longed for someone she could trust.

When they reached the back gate, Manager Zhang slipped a small bribe to the gatekeeper, who lazily opened the door.

A familiar figure burst through the gate. The moment she saw Li Zhi, she dropped to her knees.

“Miss!” Jia Sui’s eyes brimmed with tears.

Li Zhi doubted her own eyes for a moment. She had been filled with worry only a short while ago, but now, all she felt was the overwhelming joy of their reunion.

“Jia Sui, why are you here?” Li Zhi quickly stepped forward to help the girl up.

“Wherever Miss goes, this servant will follow,” Jia Sui said through her tears. “Even if it means death, I will die by your side.”

Manager Zhang, having accepted Jia Sui’s bribe, tactfully pulled the gatekeeper away to give the two some space.

“You’re still so young—don’t talk about dying,” Li Zhi said, her voice choking with emotion. “How did you get here? Did you suffer on the way?”

“After the Ministry of Justice sealed the Li family estate, all the servants were dismissed. This servant and Jia He returned to our family home and stayed in the capital until you began your exile journey,” Jia Sui explained. “I learned that Miss was being sent to Mingyue Tower, so I gathered some money, joined a merchant caravan, and set out. Jia He had to stay in the capital to take care of our parents. It took me nearly six months of traveling with the caravan to reach Mingyue Tower.”

“Once I arrived, I rented a small tea stall near the city gates, hoping to catch a glimpse of you when you entered the city. I waited for over half a year. Just today, I was delayed for a moment and missed seeing you arrive. Luckily, I inquired at the county office and found out you were sent to the Duhu Mansion. I rushed here immediately,” Jia Sui said, clutching Li Zhi’s hands tightly as tears streamed down her face.

“This servant has not suffered much—I’m used to hard work. But you… Miss, you’ve lost so much weight. You must have endured so much hardship on the journey. It’s all my fault. I was useless and couldn’t help you.”

“Don’t say that.” Li Zhi grasped Jia Sui’s hands, her eyes wet with tears but a smile on her face. “It’s my fault for dragging you down.”

The two clung to each other, laughing and crying through their tears.

“At least you’re safe—that’s the most important thing,” Jia Sui said solemnly as she wiped her tears. “From now on, this servant will always be by your side.”

“Enough chit-chat. Time’s up,” Manager Zhang called out as she approached.

“Miss, you’d better go back,” Jia Sui said, handing over a colorful bundle she had been carrying on her back. “This has a few sets of clothes and some daily necessities. If there’s anything else you need, let me know, and I’ll bring it next time.”

One was now free, while the other had become a servant. Though they were in the same place, who knew how long it would be before they could meet again?

Suppressing her sadness, Li Zhi lowered her head to wipe her tears. When she looked up again, she was smiling brightly.

“You must take care of yourself—don’t worry about me.”

After parting reluctantly, Manager Zhang escorted Li Zhi back to the damp, dim courtyard.

“You’ve got a loyal servant there,” Manager Zhang remarked. “I’ve seen plenty who pack up and run the moment their master’s family falls from grace. But someone willing to travel thousands of miles to share in the suffering—that’s a first.”

Li Zhi’s emotions were in turmoil, but she forced a smile. “Jia Sui and I grew up together. Our bond is different.”

Manager Zhang left after escorting Li Zhi back. Alone in her room, Li Zhi opened the bundle. Inside were several well-made autumn and winter outfits, a toothbrush, few soft hand towels, a box of bath beans, and a simple wooden box containing a dozen familiar pastries from the capital.

Looking at all the care Jia Sui had poured into these preparations, Li Zhi’s eyes welled up again.

Jia Sui and Jia He were twin servants born into the Li household. They were five years older than Li Zhi and Li Xia, and because they were the same age and twins, the steward had assigned them as personal maids to the sisters.

Jia Sui had been Li Zhi’s personal maid, while Jia He served Li Xia.

Although they were technically mistress and servants, the loss of their birth mother, the neglect of their father, and the indifference of the main wife had made the four girls grow up more like sisters.

Li Zhi had hoped to spare Jia Sui and Jia He from being implicated in her misfortune. But had their roles been reversed, if Jia Sui and Jia He were the ones in trouble, she and her sister would never have stood idly by.

Sometimes, she thought her fate was cruel. Other times, she felt the heavens had been kind, blessing her with such sisters.

—-

An hour after Li Zhi returned to her room, Steward Tang reappeared in the courtyard.

“From now on, you’ll be working in the Xuan Zhi Courtyard. Ask the others in the courtyard where it is. Report there tomorrow early morning. The manager of Xuan Zhi Courtyard is Momo Li. As long as you’re diligent and don’t slack off, she’s easy to get along with. If you have any questions in the future, ask her.” Steward Tang instructed.

“I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Steward Tang.” Li Zhi bowed respectfully.

“From now on, while you’re at the Duhu Mansion—especially in front of the masters—you must refer to yourself as this servant,” Steward Tang reminded Li Zhi. “I don’t mind so much, but offending an important person would be trouble.”

Li Zhi nodded compliantly. “This servant understands.”

Satisfied, Steward Tang gave her an approving look before strolling out of the courtyard.

—-

As evening fell, the other maids returned one by one from their daily work. Seeing the newly arrived, Li Zhi, they couldn’t help but show some curiosity.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Zhi approached them to make small talk. Before long, she had blended in with the group of maids, especially those around her own age. One of them took out a small bag of sunflower seeds, and they each took a handful, gathering under the withering jujube tree for a chat.

“There’s not much to worry about in this mansion. The master and madam are both kindhearted people,” said a maid in blue.

The maid in green, busy cracking sunflower seeds, added, “The young master and young miss are also good to us. They never scold or beat us.”

Li Zhi leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “How many children does the master have?”

“Two,” the maid in blue said, holding up two fingers. “One young master and one young miss.”

Perhaps noticing Li Zhi’s confusion, the blue-clad maid explained further, “Our master is a deeply devoted man. He and the madam grew up as childhood sweethearts. The madam gave birth to only two children—the young master and the young miss. I’ve heard that nobles in the capital take three or four wives at a time. Is that true?”

Li Zhi saw through the maid’s intent to show off her master’s virtue. She followed the conversation with agreeable comments, successfully encouraging the maid to talk more.

By the time the small gathering under the jujube tree finished, Li Zhi had gained a fairly clear understanding of the personalities and characteristics of the mansion’s masters.

Fortunately, it seemed none of them were particularly difficult or unreasonable people. Most of the Duhu Mansion’s servants lived relatively peaceful lives.

As for Xie Lanxu, Li Zhi didn’t dwell too much on his situation. She believed that with his identity and intelligence, he would fare better than she would.

Her priority now was to establish herself within the Duhu Mansion.

The next morning, before dawn, Li Zhi rose in the dark to report to Xuan Zhi Courtyard, as instructed.

The manager of Xuan Zhi Courtyard, Momo Li, was a stern woman in her forties with gray streaks in her hair. Her square face and broad, masculine build gave her an intimidating presence, and her perpetually pursed lips suggested that little in life brought her joy.

Momo Li sternly outlined the rules of Xuan Zhi Courtyard and assigned Li Zhi the role of a general labor maid, responsible for tasks like sweeping and washing clothes. Li Zhi listened attentively, mentally memorizing everything.

Perhaps impressed by her serious demeanor, Momo Li’s tone softened slightly. She called over another general labor maid named Jusheng to introduce her to Li Zhi.

Jusheng was a girl of similar age to Li Zhi. When their eyes met, they exchanged friendly smiles, quickly forming an initial bond.

After sunrise, Momo Li led a few personal maids to the young miss’s room to help her get ready for the day. Meanwhile, Li Zhi and Jusheng carried large basins of clothes to the riverside to wash.

In the grand households of the capital, it was common for water carriers to fetch water for washing, and the laundry maids would handle the cleaning in designated laundry rooms. But the Duhu Mansion lacked such arrangements. Laundry work in Xuan Zhi Courtyard required the general labor maids to haul clothes to the river outside the mansion for washing.

Jusheng, who was kind-hearted, kept glancing at Li Zhi along the way, worried whether she could manage the heavy basin filled with clothes or endure the two-mile journey to the river.

Li Zhi couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ve walked three thousand miles to get here. What’s two miles compared to that?”

Jusheng thought for a moment, then stuck out her tongue playfully and made a funny face.

Just as Li Zhi was about to subtly steer the conversation to Xie Lanxu’s whereabouts, a familiar figure appeared in her line of sight.

It was Madam Zhu—the woman who had extorted her rations during the exile journey. She was being shoved into a shadowy alley by three rough-looking young men, their manner clearly hostile.