Chapter 2: Rebirth in March (1)
...
Rumble——
The spring thunder of March rang late at night, and Shen Baiyu was awakened.
She stared blankly at the bed, her heart beating like a drum, and the bone-chilling chill remaining on her skin didn't seem to dissipate.
The maid Feicui who was guarding the bedside rubbed her eyes and shouted in surprise: "Miss, miss is awake! Sister Manchun, bring the medicine quickly!"
After a while, the maid Manchun hurried into the house carrying a bowl of warm Chinese medicine.
Manchun's eyes were red, and she opened the bed curtain: "Miss, you drank the medicine and kept it warm on the stove. I'm looking forward to your waking up."
The warm Chinese medicinal juice enters the throat, and the bitter taste spreads instantly. The disgusting bitter taste rushed straight into his mind. Looking at the two young and immature maids in front of him, Shen Baiyu knew that he was not dreaming.
She was reborn.
Her right foot has not been broken by her eldest brother, her face has not been scalded with boiling water by her younger sister, and she has not yet been cast aside by her family. She is now just the hard-working and uncared-for third lady of the General's Mansion... Shen Baiyu's eyes gradually dimmed. , heart throbs.
"Young lady suddenly had a high fever. My wife didn't even come to see you. She just played leaf games with a few officials' wives." Jade took back the empty medicine bowl and felt indignant.
Shen Baiyu lowered his eyes and remembered.
She went back to the early spring when she was fifteen years old. She jumped into a pool to help her little sister pick up paper kites. The weather was cold and the water was cold, and she developed a high fever overnight.
Her mother, Tantai, thought she was pretending to be ill, so she rushed into the house early the next morning and scolded her. In her previous life, Shen Baiyu, in order not to disappoint her mother, continued to take care of the family despite her illness. She suffered from chills at a young age and was always chilly at night all year round.
After Shen Baiyu drank the medicine, she felt dizzy, hot and sleepy: "You go back and rest first, and leave a light in the room."
The maid retreated.
Chen Baiyu lay back on the embroidered quilt, with the bright yellow candlelight dimly visible across the yellowed bed curtain. Shen Baiyu stared at the candlelight and fell into a groggy dream.
Flashes of light flashed through the dream, sometimes it was my grandmother's instructions from ear to ear, sometimes it was my mother's angry slap, sometimes it was the iron rod in the eldest brother's hand, sometimes it was the cold pool on the road to the wedding, which made people unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, and it was extremely painful.
...
She didn't know how long she had slept, but Shen Baiyu was woken up by the sound of an argument outside the house.
Two women came to Baimeiyuan with a box of account books.
Mrs. Shen died of illness five years ago, and Shen Baiyu became the housekeeper of the back house of the General's Mansion. Housekeeping is a complicated job. She takes care of everything from masters and slaves to guests, property and shops, and everything in the inner house. Shen Baiyu needs to go through the account books and monthly money books sent by the two mothers-in-law one by one and make accounting arrangements.
Jade angrily stopped the two women and said displeasedly: "Mother Zhang, Mother Wang, my lady is still sick, how can I have time to take care of Lao Shizi's account book? Go and tell Madam, my lady is sick and can't get out of bed."
Manchun pulled Jade and motioned for her to keep a lower voice.
Zhang's mother and Shen Baiyu had a holiday. Last year, Zhang's mother stole one hundred taels of silver from the General's Mansion, but was caught out by Shen Baiyu and prepared to send it to the government. Mother Zhang was one of the dowry servants of the Tantai family. She kowtowed and confessed, and was forgiven by the Tantai family. In the end, she only got a dozen slaps and a reduced monthly salary.
From then on, Zhang's mother began to target Shen Baiyu intentionally or unintentionally. At this moment, Zhang's mother deliberately shouted loudly: "Jade girl, don't fool me. The third lady has always been diligent, even if she is sick, she doesn't want to miss work, not to mention these account books were sent to me by my wife."
Mother Zhang's voice was so loud that she moved Shen Baiyu's mother, Tantai clan.
Jade's cheeks turned red with anxiety: "Don't make any noise, my lady is still sleeping."
As soon as he finished speaking, a creaking sound was heard under the eaves, the curtain was slightly raised, and Shen Baiyu appeared in thin pajamas. The sky was bright and there was a faint light. Shen Baiyu's little face was extremely pale, so thin that only the bones could be seen.
Man Chun was startled and hurriedly walked to the eaves and held Shen Baiyu's hand: "Miss, it's cold outside today. You haven't recovered yet. Go back to the house and rest."
Mrs. Zhang took advantage of the opportunity and carried the box containing the account books over.
But Shen Baiyu didn't answer. She covered her mouth with a white embroidered handkerchief and coughed twice: "You go back and tell your mother that I am sick and I have to rely on my mother to take care of the housekeeping work."
Jade and Manchun were overjoyed.
The two women were stunned.
Shen Baiyu coughed a few more times, with an indifferent expression: "Jade, see you off."
Jade was afraid that Shen Baiyu would regret it, so she dragged the two women out of Baimei Courtyard and sent the box of account books away with them.
Shen Baiyu returned to the house. She had always been afraid of the cold. Although it was spring, the biting cold air still echoed over the capital, so she had to wrap herself in a fox fur when going out.
Manchun put a few pieces of new charcoal into the stove, and the room was warm. Over there, Jade's hands and feet were nimble, and she had already brought steaming rice porridge from the small kitchen, along with two plates of pickles and pastries.
Shen Baiyu took a sip of the hot porridge, and the warmth reached her stomach. She squinted her eyes comfortably.
Jade boldly advised: "Miss, please don't manage household affairs anymore. It's a thankless task. There are countless famous families in the capital, but I have never heard of any of them letting their daughter who has not left the palace to be the housekeeper for a long time."
Shen Baiyu nodded casually: "Well, I won't care about it from now on."
Don't care anymore.
In her previous life, Shen Baiyu sympathized with her mother's hard work. When she was five years old, she followed her grandmother into housekeeping. Her grandmother constantly instilled in her the concepts of "dedication to the family" and "respecting parents and caring for brothers and sisters", which Shen Baiyu regarded as a golden rule.
But her grandmother did not tell her that her efforts may not be rewarded, and her efforts will only be taken for granted.
After a bowl of steaming rice porridge, Shen Baiyu couldn't eat anymore. She gave Manchun two taels of silver and asked her to go to Tongrentang to buy two pairs of cold medicines, and then go to Qingtaifang to buy some hot-selling conversation books.
Shen Baiyu made up her mind, she was going to start messing up.
Don't worry about housework at home.
Brothers and sisters, forget it.
Parents and family, don't care.
Anyway, he will be sent to get married in the end, so he might as well just lie flat and die. The most important thing now is to take good care of your body. Loving others is too tiring, she must learn to love herself.
After Shen Baiyu finished breakfast, he lay back on the bed to catch up on his sleep.
Unfortunately, he didn't sleep for half an hour. Jade happily ran into the house: "Miss, madam is here! She must know that you are seriously ill and have not recovered, so she came to visit you specially."