The bamboo outside the courtyard varied in thickness and length, but each stem was slender and straight. A gentle breeze blew through, causing the bamboo leaves to tremble slightly, as if a beautiful woman was whispering softly.
Seeing that Yuxi had been staring at the bamboo in the backyard for a long time, Fang Mama was puzzled, not understanding what was so fascinating about the bamboo. "Miss, the wind is so strong, please come inside!"
Yuxi turned her head and said, "I won't go inside. It feels stuffy in there. Mama, isn't it almost time to cook?"
Fang Mama sighed helplessly. Ever since Miss recovered from her illness, she would always stay by her side and watch her cook, claiming that she was learning culinary skills. Fang Mama was both amused and helpless. A four-year-old child learning to cook? She couldn't oppose Yuxi, and figured learning how to cook wasn't a bad thing, so she didn't say anything.
After lunch, Fang Mama said to Yuxi, "Miss, the old woman who delivers vegetables, Cao Pozi, told me that we'll probably be able to return to the Rose Courtyard in the next couple of days." The Rose Courtyard was where Yuxi lived.
Yuxi nodded. In her previous life, she had stayed in Qingzhu Cottage for over a month. She only returned to the Rose Courtyard after Yucheng recovered from his illness.
Yuxi hesitated for a moment and asked, "Fang Mama, there's something I want to ask. How did I catch the smallpox?"
Fang Mama looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Yuxi said, "Third Brother caught smallpox from someone outside, but I've been inside all along and haven't had any contact with him. How could I have caught it?" Although smallpox was terrifying, as long as you didn't come into contact with the infected, it shouldn't happen. Yuxi had been thinking about this for some time and felt there was something suspicious about how she got sick.
Fang Mama hadn't thought of this possibility. Her face changed drastically as she asked, "Miss, are you saying that someone meant to harm you?" She remembered the previous incident in the kitchen where things had been taken away, and her heart grew heavy.
Yuxi wasn't sure either. "I don't know if someone truly intended to harm me, but this situation feels too strange."
A flash of anger passed through Fang Mama's eyes, and she said, "Miss, don't worry. If someone really has malicious intentions towards you, I'll make sure she suffers more than death."
The next morning, three people arrived at Qingzhu Cottage. The leader was a beautiful woman dressed in indigo, with an egg-shaped face, followed by two large, burly maids.
Yuxi felt the leader looked familiar, but couldn't remember her name. Fang Mama was delighted and called out, "Mojv, are you here to take the miss back to the Rose Courtyard?"
Yuxi suddenly remembered that Mojv was indeed her senior maid, but she had not seen her in over ten years and had forgotten her completely.
Mojv's eyes were filled with tears as she greeted Yuxi and said, "Yes, Madam sent me to take you back to the Rose Courtyard. You've survived this calamity, truly a blessing from the Bodhisattva."
Yuxi replied indifferently, "I survived because my mother in heaven is protecting me."
Mojv nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, it must be your mother in heaven watching over you." Many people had died from smallpox, and their bodies were burned to avoid any further risk. For Yuxi to survive this calamity, it truly seemed like divine intervention.
Yuxi felt relieved. She was finally leaving this place. There was nothing to pack as everything here would be burned.
Qingzhu Cottage was quite far from the Rose Courtyard. Yuxi didn't hurry, taking her time to enjoy the scenery along the way. Since her marriage to the Jiang family, she had only returned here a few times. Everything now seemed unfamiliar.
When Mojv saw Yuxi, tears started falling from her eyes, saying, "Miss, you're back." Yuxi had four senior maids: Mojv, Motao, Moyun, and Moxiang.
Fang Mama said, "Let's talk inside. It's too hot out here; you can't stand the sun." After walking such a long way, Miss was already sweating on her forehead.
Motao lit the brazier at the door and said, "Miss, if you step over this brazier, all the bad luck will be gone."
Yuxi didn't hesitate for a moment. She stepped over the brazier and walked into the Rose Courtyard.
The Rose Courtyard wasn't very big. Facing it were two main rooms, with ear rooms on either side, and wing rooms on both the east and west sides. Compared to the other courtyards in the Duke's residence, the Rose Courtyard was quite small.
The name "Rose Courtyard" came from the rose vine climbing on the wall on the right side of the courtyard. It was the season for roses to bloom, and the flowers on the wall were either purple-red or ivory-white, extremely beautiful. Below the windows, there were several banana plants, with their large fan-like leaves unfolding, as green as silk, casting a cool shade.
After entering the room, Yuxi glanced around her bedroom. The room was very simply decorated. The bed was a six-post frame, with green curtains hanging and autumn-colored bedding. Opposite the bed were two rosewood chairs, with a screen beside them. Behind the screen was a small clean room. Aside from the essential furniture, there were no jade, gold, or porcelain decorations. The outside of others' rooms was simple but elegant, while hers was the opposite.
Fang Mama walked over and said, "Miss, you should bathe now!" After bathing and changing clothes, the clothes she had worn were burned to prevent spreading the infection.
Mojv dried Yuxi's hair with a towel and softly said, "Miss, you've had a hard time these past days."
Yuxi glanced at Mojv. Over the past month, she had been eating well and gaining weight, and her complexion was very healthy. The comment about her suffering seemed somewhat insincere. Yuxi replied淡淡地, "Surviving this calamity will surely bring future blessings." Because of some doubts, she didn't fully trust the four maids. In her previous life, she had failed completely and had no one she could rely on by the time she died.
Mojv smiled and said, "Yes, Miss, you will definitely be rich and noble in the future."
Yuxi asked, "What about Moyun and Moxiang?" Of her four senior maids, only two remained, and she didn't know where the other two had gone.
Mojv didn't think much about it and said, "Moyun's mother got sick a few days ago. She didn't know you were coming back today, so she asked for leave to take care of her mother. As for Moxiang..." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Miss, Moxiang... is gone."
Yuxi froze and asked, "What do you mean gone?"
Mojv's hand paused, and she quietly said, "Moxiang also caught smallpox... and died." In other words, Moxiang had also been infected with smallpox and passed away.
Yuxi's face darkened.
After her hair was dried, Yuxi sat at the dressing table. The dressing table was made of chicken wing wood, and as far as Yuxi knew, even the more respected stewards of the Duke's residence used furniture made of this wood. In the past, she felt uneasy about such humble furnishings, but now she didn't care about these things anymore. "Find me a simple-colored dress."
Motao parted Yuxi's hair into two sections, tying them into two large buns on either side of her head, and letting a small lock of hair naturally fall down.
Yuxi looked at herself in the bronze mirror. In her previous life, she was so thin she looked like a bamboo stick, but now her face was rosy, giving her a much healthier appearance.
Motao brought over two small boxes of jewelry. Yuxi noticed that half of the jewelry was silver, while the rest was either gold or pearls, but there were no precious stones or diamonds. Yuxi said, "No need to wear jewelry."
Motao disagreed, saying, "Miss, you should wear at least a couple of pieces. Not wearing anything would seem too plain, and the old lady might not like it. The old lady already doesn't like you very much, and if you dress too plainly, she'll definitely scold you."
Yuxi wanted to say she didn't care, but she could only think this in her heart. "What do you think would be good to wear?"
Motao selected two blue pearl flowers from the jewelry box and asked, "Miss, how about these?"
Yuxi wasn't very interested. Although she had gained some weight after a month of rest, her body was still very weak, and it would take a while to fully recover. No matter how she dressed, she wouldn't look extraordinary. "That's fine."
After her hair was styled, Mojv brought over a light blue dress. Yuxi shook her head and said, "Find me something else. I'm getting tired of blue."
After getting dressed, Yuxi went with Mojv to the main house.
The main house was a little far from the Rose Courtyard, but Yuxi still walked slowly to familiarize herself with the path.
When they entered the Hanging Flowers Gate, passed the peony screen in the front yard, and walked through the corridor, a spacious, well-organized courtyard came into view. In front was a five-room main building, with intricate beams, painted rafters, and flying eaves, radiating wealth and grandeur, while the side corridors and wing rooms stood in neat rows.
A beautiful woman dressed in purple lifted the curtain and walked out. Upon seeing Yuxi, she smiled and said, "Fourth Miss, the old lady is resting right now. When she wakes up, I will let you know."
Yuxi didn't show any dissatisfaction and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Cuiyu."
Cuiyu was a little surprised. In the past, Fourth Miss always seemed gloomy, but after her illness, she seemed much more lively. "You flatter me, Miss. This is what I should do."
As Yuxi turned to leave, she saw Yucheng walking out from the room.
Yucheng wore a white silk garment with a crescent white half-sleeve over it, and a snow-white skirt with moonlight sheen. Her skin was fair and delicate, her small oval face was exquisite, and her big, watery eyes seemed like they could drip water. Though her complexion was pale and she looked a bit weak, her every gesture still exuded an elegant, rare aura.
Seeing Yucheng, a complicated expression flashed in Yuxi's eyes. Even after living a second life, she still felt that heaven had been too kind to Yucheng. Not only had she been given unmatched beauty, but she also had remarkable talent. Because of this brilliant, radiant sister, Yuxi's own pressures were immense. Though she wasn't lacking in appearance or other aspects, she would always be overshadowed by Yucheng, which made her feel insecure and self-conscious.
Yuxi suppressed the strange feelings within her and smiled at Yucheng, calling, "Third Sister." After living a second life, Yuxi had come to accept some things. Some things were destined, and there was no point in envy or jealousy, especially not in self-pity. Envy, jealousy, and self-pity would only cause harm to oneself, and wouldn't hurt the other person in the slightest.
Yucheng looked at Yuxi and thought of her deceased older brother, feeling a bit sad. But seeing Yuxi wearing the crescent-white dress, she felt some warmth toward her. "Grandmother didn't sleep well last night and is taking a nap now. Fourth Sister, come to my room for a while."
Yuxi was a bit surprised, as she hadn't received such treatment in her previous life. But she was happy and agreed readily, "Okay." The old lady had always favored Yucheng, and since Yucheng's birth, she had always been by her side.