Chapter 3: In the Dark Tide

  The sky was just bright, and the maids in the mansion had already started sweeping. The servants were careful not to make a sound, busily but neatly doing their daily chores. The house was originally the dowry of the old Madame Qin, slightly smaller, located in a remote area, so only a few servants were left to guard and clean it. Although the workload was light, there were no rewards or benefits to be gained because it was far from the master's residence. However, compared to living in fear of others' facial expressions at the mansion gate, this place had the advantage of having no one to control them, and they could live a carefree life.

  But that was in the past. Since Miss San of the Qin Manor arrived, these servants have not had a peaceful day. This Miss San is actually quite considerate and won't make things difficult for them. In comparison, the two mothers who came with the manor are not so easy to serve. These two women are people in front of Madame and Madam, their vision is very high, they look down on everything, and have caused a lot of trouble for everyone in this villa.

  Ruyi got up earlier than usual, first went to Qindai Xin's courtyard, saw two little maids who had fetched water and were waiting outside, so she knew that the young lady was not yet awake. After thinking for a moment, she decided to go to the kitchen to take a look at breakfast. As soon as she left the courtyard, she saw Ding Mama standing not far away scolding someone. Her heart tightened, and she quickly calmed herself down, changed her mind and walked towards Ding Mama.

  The one being scolded was a little girl with a new haircut, crying so hard she could barely breathe. Ding Mama wore a lake blue short-sleeved shirt with a subtle pattern, over which she wore a half-new, half-old apron with a moon-white and purple flower design, and on her head, she had a pomegranate-red gemstone hairpin inserted at an angle, with a pair of gold earrings that were quite heavy, making her look even more spirited than when she was in the mansion. Thinking about Ding Mama's past, Yu Yi felt a sense of doubt, wondering if this fabric wasn't newly made, could it be something given by one of the masters in the mansion? Although the unease in her heart grew bigger and bigger, Yu Yi's footsteps didn't stop. Ding Mama also saw her from afar and said a few words to the little girl, who thanked her profusely and quickly left.

  "Mom, what's wrong?" Ruyi made an effort to put on a few points of pleasing expression and came forward with concern to ask.

  Ding's mother looked natural and didn't seem out of place.

  "It's not a big deal, the little girls don't understand the rules, just teach them a few lessons." Ding Mama smiled and looked at Ruyi, asking: "Today seems to have gotten up earlier than usual, but does sister have something on her mind?"

  Ru Yi said: "Third Miss has been getting up later than usual lately." Then, as if remembering something, she hastily added: "Mom is worried about her, she hasn't fully recovered yet!"

  Ding's mother saw that her words and actions were all respectful, and she was very pleased in her heart, feeling more relaxed than she had in many years, like drinking honey water on a hot summer day. In fact, she didn't care at all, but she pretended to be concerned: "It's not that I don't understand the situation, it's just that it would be hard to explain to Old Lady. You also know that this time Old Lady is really angry, or else she wouldn't have let the young lady come to the villa to recuperate."

  Ru Yi hastily nodded, indicating understanding, which made Ding's mother feel more at ease. She thought back to when she was also a capable person by the old lady's side, but somehow lost her position. This time coming to the countryside to take care of her punished sister-in-law, on the surface it seemed like she had fallen out of favor, but in reality it was much better than being stuck in the courtyard chasing chickens and scolding ducks. Moreover, there were also important people's entrusted matters, as long as they were handled well, she wasn't afraid that she would have no one to rely on for the rest of her life...

  "Alright, alright, look at you, suffering like that. Your sister's body is just fine, take good care of her and she'll be okay, sleeping in a bit won't hurt anything. I'll turn a blind eye, but as for Zheng Mama, you'd better be careful around her, she's notorious for being fierce."

  Ru Yi nodded in agreement, thinking that the rumors of discord between the two mothers were indeed true. After seeing off Ding's mother, Ru Yi quickened her pace and headed towards Qin Dai Xin's courtyard.

  When Ruyi arrived at Qin Daihe's inner chamber, the two maids were attending to her hair and makeup. After everything was properly arranged, the two maids left one after another, leaving only the mistress and servant in the room.

  Qin Dai Xin took over the fragrant tea from Ruyi, took a light sip, saw that Ruyi was preoccupied with thoughts, and softly asked: "Is there something on your mind?"

  Ru Yi hastily knelt beside Qin Dai Xin, her manner as if she was begging for forgiveness. Although she lowered her head, Qin Dai Xin still saw the anxious look on her face.

  "Miss, now... now you can blame me or scold me. There are some things that I must say." Ruyi had made up her mind and didn't care if Miss would get angry or not, she just wanted to speak out what was in her heart.

  Qin Dai Xin probably knew what she was going to say, and lightly spat out a single word, "Speak."

  "Miss, since the incident, you've been distant from me. I don't dare to speak my mind or make any guesses about what you're thinking. However, Miss can't continue like this. The affairs of the mansion are complex and ever-changing; even if you've given up on your thoughts and plan to spend the rest of your life in this countryside, others may not think the same way. They might stir up more trouble, and when that happens, it will be too late for Miss to regret it." Ruyi then recounted her encounter with Ding Mama earlier that morning, emphasizing her attire and demeanor.

  Qin Dai's face was as calm as still water, not a ripple to be seen, like listening to someone tell a story in silence. The more she was like this, the more uneasy Ruo Xi felt inside, kneeling on the ground without even daring to take a deep breath, bowing her head and waiting for her master's reaction. But after half a day of waiting, all she got was an order to go down and prepare breakfast.

  At this point, Yu Yi didn't dare to speak rashly anymore and hastily stood up to bid farewell and leave. Only Qin Dai's heart remained, staring at the copper mirror as if lost in thought.

  How could she not understand?! The person in the mirror clearly hadn't applied any powder, but somehow looked like they had a light dusting of powder on their face, with skin as smooth as jade. On her small, delicate face, her eyebrows were shaped like new moons without needing to be painted, and her lips were red without needing to be rouged. Her eyes shone like autumn water, or like glittering stars, dazzlingly bright and impossible to look away from. Her slender, fragile figure was paired with skin as tender as a petal, shoulders as delicate as if carved, waist as slim as a willow branch. Truly, she was petite and refined, delicate and charming. A daughter born of a concubine, with such good looks, couldn't help but make the people in the main house feel uneasy. In big families like this one, there were rules for survival - if nothing else, they would naturally be as close as one family, harmonious and peaceful. But when it came time for the daughters of the household to marry, who was close or far, near or distant, became clear at a glance. The mothers-in-law in charge of the household were all from big families themselves - how could they not know the ins and outs of these relationships?! They had to marry off their daughters with great fanfare, while also securing the greatest benefits for their own family. Those young masters from noble families, those sons of officials, were just a piece of fat meat in their eyes - if there was only one piece of fat meat, naturally it could only go to the eldest daughter. I suppose those younger sisters born of concubines had some idea of this themselves, so they wouldn't cause any trouble.

  It just so happened that the "fat meat" that the Qin family had set their sights on was none other than the illegitimate daughter of the Fu family. The mistress couldn't possibly let this matter slide, and she would never allow such a thing to happen. And so, there was the incident where the horse got spooked and overturned the carriage on the way back from worshiping at the temple. Even if Ruo Yi didn't say anything, Qin Dai Xin understood that this was just an internal struggle within the manor. Although she had been frightened half to death and fallen ill, she was still alive and well in this world. As long as the opposing party didn't change their mind, the mistress of the Qin family would never be at peace. Thinking about that beautiful woman who was full of kindness but couldn't express her emotions openly, Qin Dai Xin let out a soft sigh in her heart. If it weren't for her rebirth, the real Third Miss would probably have disappeared from this world long ago.

  Qin Dai's heart thought of Ruyi's worried look, and suddenly remembered the wind. It was just a thought, but she forced herself to suppress it again. Now she is Qin Dai's heart, no longer that Mo Li, past events, what's the use of thinking about them? But what Ruyi said earlier made her uneasy, an unfavored mother who has not been serving in front of the master for years, originally lost favor, how could there be any money to buy clothes? Listening to Ruyi's description, those clothes seemed to be given by some master, this matter has changed its flavor. Ruyi was probably also thinking of this point, so she worried and lost her composure, saying such words.

  Thinking of this, Qin Dai's mouth corners involuntarily curled up into a sly smile.

  When she first woke up, her body was still weak, and many things could only be remembered in her heart, but couldn't be put into action. But she wasn't the Qin Dai Xin of the past, living a muddled life, unable to distinguish right from wrong. Although she had been worried for a while, after all, ancient people's lives were dull, with many rules and etiquette, and with her status being insignificant, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to live a smooth life. If she really got married at the age of 14 or 15 and spent her days giving birth to children, it would be even more unbearable than death itself.

  But who is she? A young lady born out of wedlock in the Qin Manor? A pawn to be manipulated by others? None of that, since she has been given a second chance at life and has acknowledged her own identity, she naturally wants to live a more carefree life, so as not to disappoint Heaven's kindness. If the environment is not good, then adapt to it, this is the strongest instinct of all mammals.

  As for those who want to put her to death, Qin Dai couldn't help but sneer coldly in her heart. All of this originally had nothing to do with her; she mistakenly obtained this body and didn't want to get involved in their struggles either. She wanted peace, she wanted freedom. Those things the women in the manor calculated, she didn't want. She had tried every means to escape to the countryside, if there were still people who wouldn't let her be, then don't blame her for being ruthless and merciless.

  Qin Dai'er was lost in thought when she heard a few faint noises coming from outside. She understood and called out to Ruyi.

  The expression was not quite right, and she lowered her head to whisper: "Miss, Zheng Mama has arrived."