Chapter 1 Detention

In the morning at Plum Flower Pavilion.

After tossing about in bed for a whole night and just having entered the land of dreams, Shu Huan was awakened by someone’s push.

She opened her eyes in confusion and saw maid Qiaoyun standing in front of the bed. Maid Qiaoyun said to her, “Second young mistress, forgive my offense!”

Before she could react, two servants came forward. With one at the right and one at the left, she was taken out of the room.

She couldn’t help but panic, “What are you doing?”

Qiaoyun led the way in the front. She didn’t turn, “Old mistress said to change to a more suitable place for second young mistress, lest to avoid you committing suicide every other day.”

The so-called suitable place was a small room inside Plum Flower Pavilion. There were only four walls. There wasn’t even one piece of furniture inside the room. It was so empty that there wasn’t even a bed. There was only a pile of dry straws on the ground. It seemed like a place where people used to sit on.

How was this a place where people resided in? This was obviously detention.

Shu Huan was pushed to the pile of straws. Before she could get up, she heard the door being slammed. Not only was the door closed, but she could hear the sound of it being locked.

It seemed that they were bent on locking her up. Then, it wouldn’t be of any use to scream or beat the door and she wouldn’t waste her energy. She sat while hugging her knees and placed her chin on her knees. Suddenly, she felt her eyes stung and wanted to cry.

She was already unhappy that she’d inexplicably time-traveled.

And, the original owner of this body had to commit suicide by hanging herself, making her stay in bed for two days and was forced to drink very bitter medicine from the moment she time-traveled to here. She didn’t even have the time to think about what to do next before she’d fallen to the point of being detained at this place. It seemed that this mess left behind by the original owner was more troublesome than she’d thought.

An abnormal experience, physical pain, and mental torture…

Under such heavy pressure, Shu Huan wasn’t able to take it anymore and fell asleep again.

Even in her sleep, her heart was still tangled. So, she woke up again and then slept again. She didn’t know how many times she slept and woke up. She also didn’t know how much time had passed. When she truly woke up, she’d completely figured it out and she’d calmed down.

Cherish life and stay safe.

Anyway, a scorpion wasn’t afraid of being bitten. If one was already so unlucky, one would be unruffled.

She stood up and sorted out the pile of straws so that she could sit and sleep more comfortably. Suddenly, she heard the door being unlocked. She turned and saw maid Huiyun come in while holding a red tray. Behind her was the sunset.

It was nearly night; no wonder the room was so dark.

When Huiyun squatted down and put the red tray on the ground, she saw the food that was sent in the morning and at noon. They weren’t touched. She couldn’t help but frown with worry, “Second young mistress, no matter how much grievances and how sad you’re feeling, you should eat.”

“Eat! Of course, I will eat!”

Before, the room was too dark, so Shu Huan didn’t notice those meals. Now, she was already very hungry. She reached out and grabbed a Chinese steamed twisted bread roll from the tray, put it in her mouth and began to chew.

After Huiyun saw that she was willing to eat, she felt relieved. She comforted her (SH), “Second young mistress, first succumb to these grievances for a few days. Old madam said that after second young master gets well, she will let you out.”

One mouthful of Chinese steamed twisted bread roll stuck in her throat and couldn’t go down.

Shu Huan took over the tea Huiyun quickly poured. After a few gulps, she showed a bitter smile.

While she was in bed for two days, although she was in a lot of pain to the point of not wanting to live anymore and didn’t have the mind to pay attention to other things, she heard some rumors. She vaguely grasped that the original owner of this body was a girl from a poor family who married with the hope that the ’event of great joy’ would drive away his bad luck and hasten his recovery. In the end, she committed suicide by hanging herself on the wedding night and caused the already very ill second young master Gu to faint. Four or five doctors were invited and took turns to take care of him.

The event didn’t bring great joy, but had, instead, brought bad luck. In all fairness, the Gu family detaining her here was pardonable. She was gloomy but wasn’t angry. She was thinking that after their anger subdued, they would let her out. She didn’t expect that Huiyun would deliver her a thunder from the clear sky. How was this comfort? This was worse than comfort!

Shu Huan was afraid that she understood wrongly and asked, “I can go out after his illness got well?”

Huiyun nodded a bit awkwardly, “Old madam said so…”

She really wanted to smash the table!

Shu Huan lost appetite and put the Chinese steamed twisted bread roll on the tray, “When do you think he will get better?”

Huiyun hesitated and didn’t answer.

It was the same as she had guessed!

He was already so ill that he needed a marriage so that the event of great joy would drive away his bad luck and hasten his recovery. Presumably, it was some chronic disease that couldn’t be cured. It was a terminal illness! She had to wait till second young master Gu get well, then didn’t she have to wait until the end of time?

Shu Huan said resentfully, “If he doesn’t recover from his illness and if he….”

Huiyun panicked, “Second young mistress, don’t say this. Second young master is a good person. Heaven will help those worthy so he will get better.”

Who was she deceiving?!

Shu Huan picked up a straw and kept tying it in knots, “I didn’t mean to curse him. I only wanted to understand the matter well. How long had he been ill?”

Huiyun also knew those words were a lie. She lowered her head, “Ever since young, second young master’s body hasn’t been well. This illness had been lingering since he was four or five years old. Last year, he got seriously ill. Later, he got slightly better and was able to eat, but he wasn’t able to get out of bed. Old madam had been looking forward to seeing him get better, but she didn’t expect that at the spring of this year, his illness got worse again…”

After hearing this, Shu Huan couldn’t sit still any longer. She stood up and said, “I want you to bring me to the old madam.”

In any case, she had to find a way of survival for herself. Whether it was possible or not, it was better to try rather than sit and do nothing.

She didn’t expect for Huiyun to quickly stop her, “Old madam was in a bad mood these past two days. People wanted to hide from her, why would second young mistress want to bump into her? It was better to stay here for a few days and then see what to do after.”

“I can’t stay any longer!” Shu Huan raised her eyes, swept over the room and smiled bitterly, “Are you afraid that I would commit suicide? You didn’t even give me a bed! I don’t mind sleeping on the ground but letting me sit and lie for a whole long day, this will really make me go crazy from boredom! Your old madam should be a reasonable person. I only want to tell her that I won’t commit suicide. She didn’t have to guard against me like this. Instead of locking me up like this and waste your food, it’s better to let me out and serve second young master to atone for my crimes by meritorious acts.”

The words were reasonable, but how could it be so simple?!

Locking her in here, aside from fearing that she would commit suicide, the old madam considered that she was unlucky. She just married in and almost caused the death of second young master. This was why old madam ordered her to be isolated.

It was just that because of her status, although Huiyun understood this in her heart, she couldn’t say it openly. When she saw Shu Huan’s persistence, she said, “Second young mistress, this slave can’t decide on this. If you truly want to see old madam, you have to ask concubine Yun.”

“Concubine Yun?” Shu Huan was surprised.

“Mm.” Huiyun didn’t dare to look at her reaction. She said with lowered head, “Concubine Yun was taken in by second young master last year. It was also because he was seriously ill that old madam wanted him to take a wife to let the event of great joy drive away his bad luck and hasten his recovery. It was just, at that time eldest young master hadn’t taken a wife yet. It was not good to take one before him, so she was made a concubine instead of a wife. When concubine Yun married over, she didn’t sleep for three days and three nights and served second young master without resting. Second young master got slightly better and she fainted from tiredness. Because of this, old madam often praised her and said that this affection was rare. She also praised her in everything. Now, second young mistress, you…”

She paused and didn’t continue, but Shu Huan understood. “Now, I am detained. She is in charge of everything in this courtyard.”

Huiyun nodded and didn’t say anything.

Shu Huan smiled bitterly. Don’t worry about not knowing the goods but worry about comparing them.

• • Don’t worry about not knowing the goods but worry about comparing them: a person’s true value could only be determined through comparison.

Compared to the original owner, the actions of concubine Yun was like high the sky and her (SH) actions low like the ground!

The moment the other party married in, her whole heart was on the patient. The moment the original owner married, she rushed to commit suicide by hanging.

No wonder even if she took up the identity of wife, she was still not accepted!

It was just, she didn’t know whether there was a hidden secret behind all of these. Besides, everyone had their own aspirations. She also couldn’t say who was wrong or right. She only knew that the mess she had to clean up because of the original owner was big! But no matter what, she first had to think of a way to get out. This was the most important thing at the moment.

After thinking it through, Shu Huan insisted, “I trouble you to please bring concubine Yun here for me.”

Huiyun hesitated for a moment and then nodded.