On the bed, Shen Hua suddenly opened her eyes.
Her heart was beating like a drum, beating faster and faster.
She had experienced it in the past, but when the scene appeared in front of her eyes, it was as if she was haunted by a nightmare.
Shen Hua looked at the top of the bed in a daze. The disgust of being offended spread throughout her body, causing her to sweat profusely.
"Mistress, are you having a nightmare?"
Yi Cui helped her sit up and thoughtfully placed a soft pillow behind her waist.
Perhaps she was afraid of scaring Shen Hua; her words were extremely gentle.
"The doctor says you're overworked."
She took the medicine bowl that was placed on the coffee table. "It's still warm. It's best to take it now."
Shen Hua accepted the bowl.
Wafts of medicinal fragrance coiled into the air. It was a smell she was most familiar with, but for some reason, her stomach churned, making her retch.
"Mistress." Yi Cui panicked.
Shen Hua lowered her eyes.
"Yi Cui."
"Do you still remember when Brother passed away?" she suddenly asked dryly.
Yi Cui was stunned for a moment before her eyes darkened.
"Young Master and Madam passed away two years ago."
'Two years.'
Shen Hua thought to herself.
Life passed by so quickly.
"I remember that Brother had a woman he liked. Back then, he was extremely hardworking in his studies and wanted to marry her."
Life, however, was unpredictable.
Half a year ago, that woman married someone else.
There was a long line of bridal escorts on the street, and the sound of suonas resounded through the clouds.
The bride dressed in wedding attire was prettier than a flower. That was the first time Shen Hua had seen her, but she stared blankly at Shen Hua for a long time, as if she was seeing an old friend through her.
"Are you the younger sister of the Shen family?"
That beautiful woman's eyes turned red the moment Shen Hua nodded awkwardly.
Later on, Shen Hua could not help but go to Shen Zhi's grave. She plucked the grass beside the grave and kept talking.
"Sister Xiao is already married."
"I've helped you take a look, Brother. The groom's appearance is not inferior to yours. As for his character, I haven't had the time to find out."
Naturally, she received no response.
On the other hand, Shen Hua lost control of her emotions.
In the empty mountain forest, she asked in a choked voice.
"Why are you so annoying?! Don't you like her anymore? Then go and stop her yourself? Don't even think about asking me to help you. I won't."
Shen Hua did not dare to think about the past anymore.
She perked up and heard from Yi Cui that Zhao Lu had left.
Yi Cui gritted her teeth in anger.
"I see," Shen Hua replied calmly.
Yi Cui, "?"
She felt even worse now.
Her mistress could not afford to make enemies now. She could only suffer in silence.
When would these days end?
The more Yi Cui thought about it, the more depressed she felt. At this moment, she saw Shen Hua smile. Her voice was cold and lonely.
"I want to know how impressive she can be."
Instead of being a good person, she insisted on being Shen Xue's lapdog.
"Take this medicine away. It doesn't smell good."
The medicine was bitter, and even the tip of her tongue went numb. After drinking it for so many years, she was getting more and more listless every day. The medicine did not matter to her.
She sneezed and whispered, "It's cold. Prepare another pot of charcoal."
Yi Cui stammered.
Shen Hua could already guess. "Did they cut off the supply of carbon fire?"
When she saw Shen Hua looking at her suspiciously, Yi Cui could only sob and tell the truth.
"Mrs. Wang came and showed off her authority. She said that the funeral had cost a lot of money, so she said you have to endure it, Mistress. However, her room is as warm as spring and she was burning the best silver bone carbon."
Shen Xue's methods were as ugly as ever. As soon as Shen Wei left, she could not wait to torment Shen Hua.
"I'm a delicate person and I don't want to suffer. Today, the charcoal fire is cut off. Since my stepmother intends to treat me harshly, she might also cut off the medicine tomorrow. Take that pearl and pawn it."
Yi Cui, …
Her eyes widened. "So, you'll accept the greeting gift just to pawn it?"
Shen Hua did not think much of it. "Shen Qu isn't a good person, but who can say no to silver? Remember to exchange for as much money as possible."
Seeing the odd look in Yi Cui's eyes, Shen Hua sighed softly and explained.
"It's been hard on you to make this trip. Go to Tong An Pawnshop. There are people guarding there at night."
Yi Cui understood Shen Hua's intentions and her eyes lit up.
"Yes."
After Yi Cui left, Shen Hua was in a daze for a while.
In her previous life, she had always been in pain from losing her father and had never quarreled with Madam Shen Xue. It was rare for her to behave; she would usually hide in the house, feeling sorry for herself.
It was also because of this that Madam Shen Xue did not have the chance to take her down a notch.
Apart from having someone on duty at night, the shopkeeper of Tong An Pawnshop was also a chivalrous person with a loose tongue.
If Yi Cui made their plight sound more miserable, the entire Fengzhou would know that the stepmother of the Shen family's embroidery workshop was unkind and that her stepbrother was sinister.
Shen Hua tightened her grip on the blanket. Her body was clearly warm, but she couldn't help but shiver.
The tip of her nose was red, and her eyes were blank. She looked like a pitiful child that no one wanted.
…
Early the next morning, a few more people left the courtyard through their connections. The ones who stayed were restless. They were glib-tongued and sneaky. They were not working very hard.
When Yi Cui woke up, she was furious.
"The snow outside is blocking the road. Do I have to ask you to sweep it?"
"Why didn't anyone send the mistress's breakfast?"
"If you don't want to stay, then get lost. Do you all think you're the master around here?"
The servants looked at each other.
Mrs. Xu, who was surrounded by everyone, had always been eccentric. Now, she was even more arrogant.
"Yi Cui, what are you talking about? The mistress's health isn't good, so don't disturb her. If anything happens to her, we'll have to beg Young Master to allow her to move to the residence again."
She glanced at her surroundings.
"In the past, Chao Lu personally went to pick up her breakfast. If she was late, someone from the chef's side would send it over. It seems that the main residence won't care much for our courtyard in the future."
Some of the servants were more timid and afraid of trouble. They hurriedly went to get shovels and cleared a small path.
Mrs. Xu sneered when she saw this.
"What's there to be afraid of?! Now that the guests have dispersed and the elders are gone, the mistress is all bark and no bite! How can she dare to speak out against Madam? Just watch."
Shen Hua rubbed her sleepy eyes. When she heard the commotion outside, she fell silent for a moment before getting up and putting on her mourning clothes.
In the courtyard, Yi Cui was about to scold someone when she heard a creaking sound. The door behind her was pushed open.
Shen Hua's gaze landed lightly on the branches outside that could not withstand the force of gravity and snapped.
She smiled gently. Her voice was very soft, but it made everyone's backs turn cold.
Her elder brother and mother had left so suddenly that they did not have time to leave her a trusted aide. The servants in her residence had been changed again and again by Madam Shen Xue.
Was Mrs. Xu being so impudent because she was pulled over by Madam Shen Xue?
After losing her power, even drinking water would be beyond her control, let alone these servants who were holding her up.
However, no matter how down and out Shen Hua was, she still resolved to disrupt the peace in this mansion. How could she let herself be bullied by these people?
"Find the slave broker."
When Yi Cui met Shen Hua's indifferent expression, her heart suddenly beat faster.
As soon as the words were dropped, everyone's expression changed drastically.
Shen Hua's expression was cold.
"I'm not a forgiving person. After I deal with you guys, I'll find an opportunity to settle the score."