Chapter 1

Cheng Qing has always had light sleep, especially when her parents are away on business and she is home alone. Her hearing becomes astonishingly acute; when a mouse climbs into the kitchen to rummage through the trash can, as soon as its paw touches the lid, Cheng Qing has already jumped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen, wielding a tennis racket. The old mouse, which has long made the kitchen its territory, is startled and scurries away. As it squeezes out through the vent, it pauses for a moment, twisting its body and casting a disdainful glance at Cheng Qing with its small beady eyes, as if to say, "It's just picking up trash, is it really that serious?" It's not like I can't open the refrigerator door!

The woman's voice was already tinged with anger: "Miss has always been afraid to sleep alone, do you all look down on the two of us? Is this how you treat us with such neglect?"

Cheng Qing steadied herself, knowing she had not done anything to feel guilty about. She was a well-liked student at school, having formed friendships with both the top students and those at the bottom of the class. Furthermore, she had never owed anyone anything, whether it be borrowing rice and returning husks or owing money and favors. Then there were her parents; the thought of them made Cheng Qing's heart skip a beat. Could it be that her parents, who held official positions, had gotten into trouble with someone? With this thought, Cheng Qing began to feel increasingly anxious.

Madam Qi looked at the sky, her face showing a sense of urgency: "San'er, it's getting late. If you don't get ready soon, it will be too late. If you are late, your father, sigh, what shall we do!"

Madam Qi took Cheng Qing's hand and walked outside. Upon stepping out of the door, Cheng Qing saw that it was a courtyard, with a central atrium featuring two large stone fish tanks. In the middle stood a crabapple tree in full bloom. It seemed it had rained in the morning, as the atrium was damp, making the crabapple flowers appear even more vibrant. However, this was not the time for her to appreciate the scenery. Madam Qi walked with a sense of urgency, likely worried about being late.

At this moment, Cheng Qing was seen obediently sitting in front of the mirror, while the Seventh Lady, Zhang Ma, and Xiao Yu intensified their efforts to adorn her. In a short while, a light beauty with large eyes, a delicate heart-shaped face, and twin hair buns appeared in the mirror. The Seventh Lady, satisfied, pinned a flower hairpin into Cheng Qing's bun, tilting her head to admire her face, revealing a smile.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a woman in her twenties hurried in and said: "San'er, mother is here, are you having a nightmare?"

This was the first time in the morning that Lady Qi heard Cheng Qing ask a question related to the examination. She couldn't help but stop in her tracks and affectionately stroked her head: "San'er, your mother knows you have tried your best, striving to learn the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as composing poetry and couplets. However, since you do not enjoy those, it is only natural that you have not mastered them well. But, San'er, promise your mother that regardless of whether your answers are good or bad, you must not cry, and you must not lose face!" At this point, a hint of resentment appeared in Lady Qi's eyes: "Let them stir up trouble as they wish; we will not shed a single tear! Remember that, San'er?"

Cheng Qing looked at the eager glimmer in the Seventh Lady's eyes and nodded. As long as she doesn't cry, it's fine! She sighed, what kind of environment is this? What kind of temperament does this body possess? What is a father who has married at least seven wives like?

Two people rushed in from outside, one dressed as a maid and the other as an old woman, anxiously asking: "Madam Qi, what has happened to the young lady?"

She moved her hands and feet; her limbs were intact and unharmed. She sat up and thought, who could have quietly moved her from her home to this place in the middle of the night? Not even waking her up.

Then a man's voice was heard: "Everyone take a seat, today is the monthly examination. Are Alei, Afei, and Aluo ready? I wonder if there has been any progress in this quarterly examination!"

The room is not large, with powder pink walls adorned by a landscape painting. The ceiling is made of wooden panels, and in front of the window stands a carved side table, on which rests a pot of orchids. The arrangement is simple yet elegant. She suddenly feels a bit sore, and upon touching it, realizes it is the hard bed; naturally, someone accustomed to a soft bed would find such a bed painful.

Zhang Ma and Xiao Yu looked gratefully at Lady Qi after listening, bowed their heads, and hurriedly walked out.

The two knelt down with a thud, their faces turning pale. The older one, bolder, spoke up: "Seventh Madam, the old servant noticed that it was already bright outside and the time was getting late, so I went to fetch the young lady's clothes before the trial, but I did not expect that the young lady would have another nightmare!" The younger maid, already in tears, said: "Today the young lady has slept in late. Xiaoyu called her twice, and she responded, then hurried to prepare hot water. I thought the young lady had already woken up. Madam, please forgive Xiaoyu; if the young lady does not get up again, she will not dare to leave!"

At this moment, Zhang Ma was holding a stack of clothes, while Xiao Yu entered carrying a copper basin

Cheng Qing angrily chased away the mouse, then went back to bed to continue sleeping. After that, no sound disturbed her sleep quality, so she didn't even have a single dream. When she woke up and opened her eyes, she found herself in this place

The woman walked over and gently embraced Cheng Qing, saying: "San'er, good girl, with your mother here, there's nothing to fear. Did you have a nightmare? Look at you, all sweaty!" As she spoke, she gently wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. A faint fragrance wafted through the air. Cheng Qing trembled in fear, realizing that this was not a dream! The woman seemed to sense her fear, gently holding her and sitting her on her lap, comforting her by patting her back and saying: "Mother is here, San'er, good girl, there's nothing to fear!"

Cheng Qing looked to the left, and those three women were likely the three wives of that father, standing beside them were two girls, the older one about ten years old, and the younger one around seven or eight. Cheng Qing thought, the seventh wife calls me San'er, so it seems these two must be my older sisters. On the right side, at the upper end, there were also two women, without any children.

The seventh lady gently lifted Cheng Qing's face, her voice still so tender: "San'er, your mother knows that you are extremely afraid of today's exam, but you are my only daughter. If you throw another tantrum and ruin the exam, it will bring shame upon us. In the future, our lives in the Li family will not be easy." After saying this, she furrowed her brows.

Cheng Qing suddenly thought that she was to take herself to participate in some important trial, as it seemed very significant. Just now, she seemed to mention that this was related to their lives in the Li family. Mother and daughter? Cheng Qing felt a pang of anxiety. The Seventh Madam appeared to be at most twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and she called her, mother?

Zhang Ma unfolded a blue dress and tied it around Cheng Qing's waist, then draped a purple-red short jacket over her, fastening the straps here and there. Cheng Qing had completely become a puppet, at her mercy.

She stretched out her foot to put on her shoes, but as soon as she extended her foot, she was stunned. Then she brought her hand to her eyes to look, and was once again taken aback. When she glanced at her body and hurriedly touched it, Cheng Qing was overwhelmed with anxiety, her mind going blank in an instant. All she could hear was her heart beating wildly, and tears began to well up. This, this body is not hers! The clothes she is wearing are not modern attire.

The bed is antique in style, resembling furniture from the Ming Dynasty, featuring a canopy and bed curtains. It is constructed using mortise and tenon joints with a design of intertwined auspicious patterns and cross patterns, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. Surrounding it are light yellow sheer curtains. Cheng Qing thought to herself that this bed is very beautiful; such exquisite imitation must be quite valuable. The pillow is elongated and adorned with flowers. When she touched it and felt the small grains inside, she smiled, realizing that the embroidered pillow was filled with husks, just as she suspected.

As Cheng Qing was looking around with her eyes, she noticed the two girls across from her sneering at her, then disdainfully turning their heads away, their demeanor exceedingly arrogant. She couldn't help but feel amused. Little brats! Suddenly, she remembered how she had become even smaller than them, and her heart ached terribly, causing her to lower her head.

Cheng Qing secretly compared each of the wives with the Seventh Lady. She felt that they all had their own charm, each with their own unique beauty. The Seventh Lady also had a heart-shaped face, a pointed chin, a pair of sparkling eyes, and her petite figure further accentuated a sense of fragility. Cheng Qing thought that when she grew up, she would likely resemble the Seventh Lady in appearance.

Zhang Ma cheerfully remarked: "The young lady resembles a madam so much; she will surely grow up to be a beauty."

Cheng Qing's teeth were still chattering, and she had yet to comprehend what had happened, involuntarily nodding her head. A sound akin to that of a mosquito or fly escaped her lips: "Mm."

Cheng Qing made an effort to calm herself, as she wanted to know what the upcoming Xunshi would entail, and then think about this strange change. Cheng Qing tugged at Lady Qi's hand and raised her face to ask her: "What should I pay attention to for the Xunshi?"

Upon opening her eyes, Cheng Qing immediately closed them again, then opened them once more, and closed them again. After repeating this process twice, Cheng Qing concluded that she was not lying in her bed at home, but had instead arrived in an unfamiliar place

Lady Qi softly coaxed Cheng Qing: "San'er, both Zhang Ma and Xiao Yu are people that Mother has chosen for a long time; they all have good intentions towards you."

The seventh lady set down Cheng Qing, who was in her arms, and took her small hand, saying: "Come, today mother will do your hair."

What is going on? Who am I? Cheng Qing slowly took her hand down, gradually opened her eyes, and a layer of mist appeared in her eyes. Who is this? How did I become so small? How did I end up looking like this? She could hardly believe it, staring blankly at the reflection in the mirror of a child with red eyes, pale and weak, no more than six years old.

Cheng Qing gasped heavily, instinctively opening her mouth to shout: "Mom! ... ..."

Dressed appropriately, Lady Qi led Cheng Qing to sit down in front of the dressing table. She suddenly saw a strange face in the bronze mirror, covering her face with her hands and letting out a gasp: "Ah!"

At this moment, Cheng Qing was in a state of extreme shock, her whole body stiffened, unable to utter a word. The woman then realized something was wrong and began to shake her: "San'er, what’s wrong? San'er? Someone come!"

The surroundings were unusually quiet. Cheng Qing had already woken up and did not intend to lie down any longer. She wanted to see where this place was and who had brought her here

Madam Qi entered a grand hall holding Cheng Qing's hand, and the hall immediately fell silent. In the hall, five women adorned with pearls and jewels were seated on two rows of comb-back chairs, with two chairs in the center left empty. It seemed those were the seats for the father and the legitimate wife. Madam Qi smiled slightly and, facing the women on the left, said, "Sisters, I apologize for my tardiness." She then performed the same gesture towards the women on the right. The seated women nodded noncommittally; Madam Qi appeared accustomed to their indifference and did not expect a return greeting. She led Cheng Qing to the last seat on the right and sat down. Cheng Qing stood beside her, and only then did Madam Qi release her hold on Cheng Qing's hand.

Cheng Qing was startled again: "Mother?"

The seventh lady sighed and said, "Hurry up and prepare, it won't do to be careless today"

At this moment, upon hearing a series of jingling sounds from the hairpins, all the ladies stood up and said in crisp and clear voices: "Greetings to the master, sister sends her regards."