Chapter 1: The Lady is Confused Due to Illness

17th year of Jiayou.

The biting cold wind swept through the end of the corridor, causing the white lamps and mourning banners to sway on the floor, the window frames following suit with a loud noise.

Shen Hua, dressed in white mourning clothes, knelt before the altar.

A sharp voice echoed in her ears.

"Your daddy was cruel, gone just like that. Shen Hua, behave yourself in front of me, and you'll have something to eat."

The stepmother, Shen Xue-shi, stood aloof beside her with a covert smirk, feigning a few shrill cries, without a trace of grief for her departed husband.

When Shen Wei was alive, she pretended to be the benevolent mother every day to appear virtuous, yet Shen Hua never warmed up to her. Nor could she receive a single word of praise from Shen Wei.

Now she had the control of the household, becoming the head of the family. This was indeed a great fortune.

Shen Hua's eyes flickered, yet she continued burning the paper money, watching it unblinkingly as the flames consumed it, turning it into ashes.

Receiving no response, Shen Xue-shi became irritated, jabbing fiercely at Shen Hua's frail spine with a fingertip.

"Did you not hear me speaking to you? Are you deaf?"

Shen Hua's frail body almost collapsed to the ground. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her lips, pale, were tightly pressed.

Seeing this, Shen Xue-shi felt a delightful satisfaction rising from her chest.

"Just a sickly child kept alive with the best medicine, yet your daddy treated you like a treasure."

Now, wasn't she at her mercy?

Shen Hua struggled to stand, looking directly into Shen Xue-shi's eyes. A faint, serene, and cold smile graced her pale lips.

"Since the second madam entered the door, never once did she earn a bit of daddy's affection, nor has she borne any children to this day, naturally harboring resentment."

This was Shen Xue-shi's sore spot!

"You!"

"Daddy left in such haste. It's just a pity that our main family has no male heirs. I heard that the second madam plans to adopt the son from the second house?"

Her tone was calm, without a hint of fluctuation. Her pitch-black eyes seemed to conceal a sorrow that others couldn't comprehend.

Shen Xue-shi was startled, her hair standing on end from being stared at by this girl who hadn't even come of age.

Shen Hua understood Shen Xue-shi's scheme all too well.

After Shen Wei's departure, Shen Xue-shi, as a married woman, needed a son to secure her position.

But she couldn't understand why the choice was the son from the second house, Shen Qu, who was older than her by a year.

Shen Xue-shi cast a sidelong glance at her, growing increasingly impatient: "If not adopted, who's going to carry out your daddy's funeral rites? Could it be that the main family will become extinct with no descendants?"

Shen Hua took out a scented handkerchief from her sleeve, with the pattern of Yulan flowers sewn on it. Indeed, it was a design she would have liked three years ago.

She was stunned for a few seconds before finally wiping the cold sweat from her forehead. Her thin lips parted slightly, and she uttered three words with a firm resolve.

"I forbid it."

Truly, the world had turned upside down.

"What did you say?"

Shen Xue-shi was so furious her eyes rolled back.

"This is set by the Shen clan elders and me! The second house has agreed, yet you presume to interfere here?"

"What a shame that your daddy cherished you so, but he never expected you to be so ungrateful!"

"Shen Hua, you're already promised to someone. In a few years, you'll be a wife of the He Family. What of the Shen Family? What's it to you?"

Shen Hua felt exhausted both physically and mentally, yet she patiently listened as the other raised her voice in rebuke.

Her attitude was genuinely strange. Yet, upon hearing about the He Family, a flicker of disdain and repulsion swept through her eyes.

Despite her sickly demeanor, her spine was straight and unwavering.

"After grandma passed away, the second uncle married the State Judge Mansion's daughter. Determined against father's advice, he insisted on dividing the family, fearing us of the main house would benefit from his fortune."

Thereafter, Shen Wei proved capable, relying on his business acumen to amass wealth through embroidery trades, becoming the richest merchant in Fengzhou.

"But what about the second uncle? Without any official title, he prided himself on being morally superior, looking down upon merchants and despising father for reeking of money. Yet, for years, whenever in need of silver, he sought father out, never repaying. Such despicable rogue, who knows what schemes he conjures!"

Now Shen Qu, aged fifteen, had reached an age of understanding. Should he enter our household, it's uncertain when the main family's estate might fall into the second house's hands.

Shen Hua sincerely added, "If we can't find a boy of suitable age and memory within closer branches, it doesn't matter — even if he's outside the fifth degree of kinship, he would still bear the same bloodline, anyone would be more suitable than Shen Qu."

She hoped Shen Xue-shi would change her mind. Since the matter wasn't finalized and the family genealogy not altered, it wasn't too late.

After all, despite their differences, on this matter, the women of the main house and Shen Xue-shi should be in concord.

Shen Xue-shi paused, uncertain if from guilt or reluctant to take an extra step.

Then, nameless fury flared up.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

"I merely wish the stepmother would think thrice."

Shen Hua watched her quietly. Yet, even if she wanted to accuse her of harm, being an unmarried girl not yet of age, she truly lacked power and influence.

Sure enough, Shen Xue-shi swept her hand mightily: "I reckon the young lady is ill-confused, suppress her for me."

Shen Wei was not yet laid to rest, yet Shen Xue-shi couldn't wait to bring over all her natal family's people.

The Xue Family nephew, with his bloated face, repeatedly endeavored to ingratiate himself with Shen Hua, revealing his intentions.

The servants in the mansion, seeing the shift in power, immediately changed their demeanor, following Shen Xue-shi's commands and swaying with the wind.

Clearly, the entire Shen Family was about to become the Xue Family!

At her command, four or five old women moved toward Shen Hua, unceremoniously lifting the once most esteemed young lady.

Shen Hua's health was too frail to struggle, and she could only be dragged along. Soon, she was thrown out of the mourning hall.

"Young lady!"

The maid Yicui, anxious and unable to enter the hall, cried out in alarm, hurriedly rushing forward to help her.

Yicui's face flushed with anger, and seeing the marks on Shen Hua's wrist, she was ready to curse those heavy-handed old women straight to their graves.

Shen Hua leaned weakly on Yicui's shoulder: "Let's go back first."

Her head ached as if it would explode.

Her thoughts were like a tangled web, binding her mercilessly.

Scenes flashed before her eyes, one by one, depicting second uncle Shen He Wen's smugness, Shen Qu's ambitious plotting, and the cold indifference of He Family's Eldest Young Master He Chu, to whom she was betrothed.

Then there was her being sent by Shen He Wen to serve the State Judge father-in-law, leading to her coughing up blood and dying in agony.

But she had returned to three years ago. None of this had happened yet but seemed doomed to repeat.

Yicui helped Shen Hua back to her courtyard and attended to her resting on the couch.

Through the hanging drapes, Shen Hua's thin figure was barely discernible within the bed. On the couch, Shen Hua looked as if a touch would shatter her, and her situation seemed to be growing increasingly perilous.

With a blurred gaze, she remembered vividly Yicui's tragic end in her past life.

Yicui, attempting to protect her, was violated by the Prefect Zhu Zheng.

Yet at that time, Yicui was about to be married.

Shen Hua propped herself up, her throat dry and itchy, causing her to cough softly.

Noticing, Yicui immediately fetched a cup of warm water.

Shen Hua sipped a bit of the water, drawing in some warmth, then tucked the quilt tightly around herself, looking around with a somber expression, not seeing any of the other servants in the courtyard.

Yicui, noticing Shen Hua's movements, was furious, stamping her feet in frustration.

"Those fair-weather grasses have all rushed to the second madam's courtyard to fawn over her."