Chapter Four: Establishing the Rules

“Madam is kind-hearted. Considering that the concubine has added a child to the Jia family, she is excused from the usual greetings. Now that the concubine has passed the confinement period, she should come every day to pay her respects,” Zhou Ruijia said, then hurriedly left with several maids, as if afraid of catching something unclean, her face full of disdain.

Qin Mingyue could hardly contain her laughter at this—a mere servant acting more pretentious than she, a half-master of the household. The competence of Lady Wang’s steward was truly worrying!

She understood perfectly well the intention behind the daily greetings. Recently, to help the Zhao family escape their servitude, Jia Zheng inevitably had to visit more often, which naturally earned Lady Wang’s resentment. As long as her life wasn’t at stake, with her supernatural abilities in hand, she could endure the hardship.

That said, waking up at dawn was truly painful. Thankfully, she could activate her powers to invigorate herself.

When Qin Mingyue arrived at Lady Wang’s courtyard, only two young maids were guarding the entrance.

“The madam hasn’t risen yet. Please wait a moment,” one maid said, then ignored Qin Mingyue, leaving her standing in the yard.

Having risen early, without breakfast or even a cup of tea, the intimidation was clear and deliberate. Qin Mingyue saw no reason to stand here foolishly and endure this.

“Since the madam is not awake, I’m in no hurry. I’ll wait inside,” Qin Mingyue said, stepping toward the house.

“Madam, please wait! Without the madam’s orders, we cannot act on our own. Please wait obediently in the yard!” The maid hurried to block her path.

“You impudent girl! Madam is so kind; she wouldn’t cruelly make a woman just out of confinement stand outside in this cold. It must be your own doing, trying to tarnish the madam’s reputation. Watch yourselves!” Qin Mingyue scolded sharply.

The two maids found themselves in a dilemma—whether to stop her or not.

“Who is causing such a ruckus so early?” Lady Wang, unable to sit still, called out from inside, reluctantly ordering them to let her in.

“Greetings, Madam!” Qin Mingyue bowed respectfully.

Lady Wang noticed that after giving birth, Qin Mingyue’s figure was not only intact but more radiant than before. Anger welled up inside her, yet her expression remained neutral as she contemplated how to torment her.

“You may rise. Since you have contributed to the Jia household by bearing a child, you have earned some merit. But now that you are a mother, you must think more of the young masters and misses of the household. Consider your actions carefully to honor the master’s favor. From now on, come daily to copy Buddhist scriptures for two hours, to curb pride and impatience,” Lady Wang said coldly. Though Jia Zheng had just come to help the Zhao family free themselves from servitude, which angered her, she had to feign generosity and let them leave. Today, she would exact her revenge through Zhao’s concubine.

Copying scriptures for two hours meant four hours in the biting cold; hands would surely freeze. This punishment was nothing new—Jia Huan had been made to copy scriptures before, inheriting his mother’s fate. Lady Wang was truly ruthless, but since the Zhao family had been freed, it was somewhat worth it.

Qin Mingyue, having achieved her goal, no longer bothered Jia Zheng. Aside from occasionally teasing Jia Huan, she spent her days copying sutras in Lady Wang’s courtyard. Unfamiliar with the script of this era, she took it as an opportunity to learn characters, secretly activating her abilities to keep warm and avoid fatigue. Lady Wang’s tactic was ineffective, though it wasted her time.

Meanwhile, Jia Zheng felt refreshed after several visits to Qin Mingyue’s courtyard. His steps grew lighter, no longer burdened by the usual dizziness and heaviness after leaving his study. The guests around him praised his youthful vigor, boosting his pride and appetite.

When he stopped visiting for many days, his old sluggishness returned, and he found it hard to adjust.

Day after day, Qin Mingyue dutifully copied scriptures in Lady Wang’s courtyard. Lady Wang herself grew uneasy. Knowing Zhao concubine’s nature, she expected trouble and had planned to find a pretext to punish her, but surprisingly, Zhao had caused no incidents.

Concerned about her reputation, Lady Wang could not target Qin Mingyue too blatantly. Yet, seeing Qin Mingyue feign weakness and leave after copying scriptures, she felt somewhat relieved.

After finishing her sutra copying, Qin Mingyue returned to the yard to play with the infant, while the nanny used the excuse of running errands to contact the Zhao family.

By then, the Zhao family had used their savings to build a home in the countryside. Though rural, they lived without want and had completely escaped servitude—a joyous occasion indeed.

“The concubine sent me to check on your settlement. Now we can rest assured. This silver is for your uncle to buy suitable mountain land in the countryside. If there are difficulties, he is to contact her,” the nanny said before returning to report.

“Please relay our deepest thanks to the concubine. We will do our utmost to handle this matter!” Zhao Guoji’s family expressed sincere gratitude.

Knowing the Zhao family was settled, Qin Mingyue breathed easier. This was her backup plan—once free from the Jia household, she would farm medicinal herbs or rare flowers in the countryside. With her powers, success was guaranteed. Besides, quality medicinal herbs were rare and precious, life-saving and easy to sell.

Though the Jia household appeared orderly, as a concubine, Qin Mingyue’s monthly allowance was meager except for occasional rewards for childbirth. She planned to secretly cultivate valuable flowers to sell.

Winter blanketed the land in snow, dulling the scenery. Flowers blooming now would be a rare delight, highly sought after by wealthy families. She decided to test the waters with the few barren plants in her courtyard.

Zhao concubine, herself a former servant unfamiliar with exotic flowers, grew bright but common blooms in her yard. Lady Wang, maintaining a facade of leniency, did not want Zhao to gain advantage. The maids secretly mocked the gaudy yet ordinary flowers.

Qin Mingyue chose a few plants with the most vivid blossoms, thinking that even if common, bright flowers were rare in snowy winter and thus popular. After careful selection, she took two withered orchids and two camellias back to her room.

The orchid leaves were yellow and dry; the camellia had barely any leaves left. Without proper care, they wouldn’t survive the winter. She quickly used her powers to nurture them. These plants were her treasured assets—she must tend them well. After all, what haven’t the capital’s nobles seen?

If the flowers were ordinary or unattractive, they wouldn’t fetch a good price. But Qin Mingyue had run a flower shop for eight years before the apocalypse; she knew their nature well. With her abilities, growing exquisite flowers was not difficult—only time-consuming.