Volume 1 Chapter 1

  The scorching summer days, the cicadas on the trees are calling out tirelessly.

  In a house in Yixing City, a little maid wearing a green dress seemed to have just returned from outside and was hurrying to the west wing of the house.

  Xiao Yatou pushed open the door with a "creak" and quickly walked to the woman sitting on the couch, holding an embroidery needle. Her face was flushed red from hurrying along the way, but she couldn't hide her excitement. "Miss, I just came back from Jin Duanting. Guess what?"

  The little girl didn't wait for the woman on the couch to respond, and continued with a flirtatious expression, "That shopkeeper, as soon as he saw me, was like a wolf seeing a sheep, and directly asked if I had brought the sachet and purse. He said that those young masters and misses all liked them very much, and they were sold out early in the day. In the past few days, many young masters and misses have sent people to ask if new goods have arrived. The slave girl did as the missus said, and had him sign the contract you drafted, and also settled the silver, look."

  The little girl spoke as she pulled out a stack of silver tickets from her pocket, the whole stack of white and shiny silver tickets made her extremely excited. The sachets and purses that the young lady had made were worth several hundred taels. Including the few pieces of embroidery that the young lady had asked her to take away for sale earlier, they added up to nearly two thousand taels of silver. She had been holding them tightly all the way back, afraid that someone would snatch them away from her.

  Xia Ting raised her eyes and looked at the little girl who was talking with great enthusiasm, her face shining brightly as she stared at the silver ticket.

  His eyes swept over the silver notes on the table, nearly two thousand taels, and he nodded inwardly. "Those embroidered pieces were also sold."

  The little girl named Wan Yu nodded like a garlic pounder, "Sold, sold! The owner of the You Ran Ju said that two thousand taels were sold. I gave him a 10% commission as previously agreed, and he also asked me when there would be new embroidery products."

  Xia Ting nodded in response, those sachets and pouches were exquisite and beautiful, and were not available in this dynasty, so they were naturally favored by the young masters and misses of wealthy families. She also specially embroidered a few large-scale double-sided embroidery, which was not only novel in pattern but also unprecedented in technique. Buying them as gifts or congratulatory gifts would be most suitable. However, these double-sided embroidery were extremely labor-intensive, and those few pieces took her several years to complete. But being able to exchange them for thousands of taels of silver was worth it.

  Xia Ting picked up the silver ticket and counted it, then handed it back to Wan Yu "Put it away, Hui'er should also be out of class now, let's clean up and have lunch."

  Xia Zi Yun is Xia Ting Ning's younger brother. He is ten years old, four years younger than Xia Ting Ning. Normally, he would go to school for classes.

  "Yes, miss." Late Yu happily put the silver ticket into a small locked box and hurried to the kitchen to prepare food.

  Xia Ting put down the embroidery in her hand and walked slowly to the window, looking at the few white orchids outside the window, her thoughts fluttering.

  It's been eight years since I came to this world. I still remember that I was clearly in a car accident, but when I woke up, I had become a six-year-old girl.

  This is a dynasty without historical records, but it is very similar to ancient China. What ancient China has, most of them are also here, but some are not. For example, sachets and handbags, surprisingly, they don't exist here.

  Xia Ting smiled lightly, which was good for herself. Those things had brought her a considerable amount of silver. It's worth noting that in ancient times, women had no status to speak of, and only with money could they avoid being manipulated by others.

  Xia Ting was lost in her own thoughts, but Wan Yu had already pushed open the door from outside and came in "Miss, dinner is ready. The madam and young master are waiting for you in the hall."

  Upon hearing this, Xia Ting gathered her thoughts and replied with a simple "En, let's go". She reached out to close the window, then walked out of the room towards the hall.

  In the hall, Mrs. Shui was sitting beside a round table listening to her youngest son talk about his school day, when she saw her daughter from afar and beckoned her to come over and sit down, "Jing'er, come here to Mom"

  Xia Ting Cong smiled and walked into the hall, sitting down beside her mother. Shui Shi took her daughter's hand, smiling as she gazed at Xia Ting Cong's increasingly beautiful and delicate little face.

  A surge of tender feelings arose in her heart, and she sighed silently: "Ning'er has been intelligent since childhood, steady and wise beyond compare. If only she were a boy, her future prospects would be boundless. Alas, born as a girl, she'll have to marry well to have a secure life. But Ning'er's status... sigh."

  Fortunately, Yun'er is now being taught by Ning'er and her homework is also very good. I'm sure she won't fall behind in the future either. When Yun'er grows up, she will be able to take care of herself just like her older sisters.

  The Water Clan couldn't help but feel a little relieved at this thought.

  Sitting on Mr. Shui's right side was Xia Ziyun, the four-year-old younger brother of Xia Tingcong, whose eyebrows and eyes looked about 60-70% like those of Xia Tingcong.

  Xia Zi Yun as soon as she saw her own sister came, immediately jumped to Xia Ting's side and sat down, a pair of black shiny beautiful eyes flashing with excitement "Sister, yesterday the teacher asked questions, I answered according to what you taught me, the teacher was very satisfied, and praised me for speaking well."

  Xia Ting looked at her little brother's excited and adorable face, smiled and patted his head "En, although the teacher praised you, but you're not allowed to be proud and complacent"

  Yun'er nodded obediently and responded in a crisp tone.

  Shui watched his children being so close and loving, and he was also very pleased in his heart. He hurriedly called the maids to serve the meal, and said with a smile, "Come, Ning'er, Yun'er. Hurry up and eat, you two should have more."

  Xia Lian looked at her mother, who was smiling and lovingly serving food to her and her brother, and then glanced at the dinner table where only the three of them sat. She couldn't help but think of that cheap father of hers in this life.

  Alas, she let out a sigh in her heart. Her mother was indeed as her name suggested - warm and gentle, with a soft temperament. To put it nicely, she was kind; to put it bluntly, she was foolish.

  It is said that my maternal grandfather's family declined and he passed away early, leaving behind only my mother and some property. My mother, a lady from an ancient boudoir who never went out of the gate or stepped over the threshold, guarded the house and property left by her father, and it can be imagined how frightened she was in her heart.

  It just so happened that at that time, he met his father who came to Yixing City on business. The two were delighted with each other and followed him from then on. Later, however, Father brought Mother back to the mansion in Kyoto to give her a formal name, but because the legitimate wife had some reservations about her husband's private concubine, and for some reason, Father's elderly mother also disagreed with him taking Mother back to the mansion. Having no choice, he could only return to Yixing City and set up this house to settle Mother.

  At the beginning, it was okay. My father worked in Yixing City and would return to Kyoto only twice a year. As the saying goes, "The sky is high and the emperor is far away," my mother and he spent several happy years together.

  But as father was transferred back to Kyoto a few years ago, mother had not seen him for many years, and only received letters and some silver sent by him every month.

  Mother said that cheap father's career has been quite smooth, and he was promoted to the fourth rank not long ago. The silver sent this time is also more than before.

  Xia Ting listened quietly and only hummed coldly in her heart, that little bit of silver was barely enough to keep such a big family warm and full. What a useless man.

  After lunch, Xia Ting bid farewell to her mother and instructed her younger brother to go back to his room for a nap. Then she took the maid and walked towards her own room, instructing Wan Yu on the way "Go find Guan Bo"

  Wan Yu responded and left, turning around and walking towards the old mansion.