"Beimo, in the thirty-sixth year, autumn.
In the capital city, the front courtyard of the residence of Xiao, an official of the Imperial Secretariat.
The expressions of the masters in the hall were all extremely gloomy. The old lady was the first to break the silence, her voice carrying an unquestionable authority: 'Given the situation, overthinking won't help. What's important now is to figure out how to persuade Ru'er to completely give up the idea of the marriage with the Huo family.'This passage describes a tense atmosphere where the family is discussing how to convince Ru'er to abandon her engagement to the Huo family. The old lady's decisive tone indicates her authority and the seriousness of the situation. For more context or similar narratives, you might want to explore classical Chinese literature or family drama scripts that focus on familial decisions and marriages.
Madam He, the eldest wife, clutched a handkerchief, her eyes red: "Mother is right... But why must our Ru'er suffer such a bitter fate? If only our second brother and his wife had met with misfortune earlier or later, but it had to be at this critical juncture... It has dragged Ru'er down!" Her words were filled with resentment and heartache.This passage highlights the emotional turmoil within the family, particularly the eldest wife's distress over the timing of the misfortune affecting their daughter Ru'er's marriage prospects. The use of "critical juncture" underscores the sensitivity of the situation. For more insights into such family dynamics and emotional expressions, you might find classical Chinese dramas or literature on family conflicts helpful.
"Hush!" The old lady slapped the table abruptly and scolded sternly, "If these words reach the ears of the Prince of Jin, do you wish to drag the entire Xiao family down with you in death?"Mrs. He was startled by the angry reprimand and realized her slip of the tongue, hurriedly apologizing, "Mother, calm your anger! It's my foolishness, speaking without thinking... but... but since the Huo family has already broken off the engagement, what is to become of Ru'er in the future?" Her voice choked up with despair.The old grandfather, who had been silent, now spoke coldly, disdainful of the woman's shortsightedness, "Humph, truly a woman's view! With the life-saving grace of Renjin (Second Master Xiao) towards the Prince of Jin, what is there to worry about not finding a better marriage?"Mrs. He felt even more oppressed upon hearing her father-in-law's words: even with the relationship with the Prince of Jin, the reputation of a girl who has been engaged and then rejected is damaged, so who would truly want to marry her? But since her father-in-law had spoken, she dared not confront him directly despite her unwillingness and had to suppress the surging hatred in her heart, standing up and giving a slight bow, "Father-in-law's teachings are correct." Her resentment towards the second branch of the family deepened even more.In the Bamboo Grove GardenUnder the corridor, two young maids paced anxiously, occasionally glancing towards the tightly closed door."Has the third young mistress... woken up yet?" a voice asked with a crying tone.The older maid beside her sighed with worry, "Ah, who can withstand such continuous blows? Heaven bless that the third young mistress can pull through, otherwise what will become of the young masters and mistresses of the second branch in the future..." Her words were full of concern.Inside the room, the girl on the bed seemed to be trapped in an endless nightmare, her forehead covered with fine beads of sweat, her body restless and struggling. The chaotic dreams were like shattered glass, with bizarre and fantastical scenes flashing by rapidly, finally coming to a halt.After an unknown amount of time, those tightly closed eyelashes finally trembled and slowly opened. The confusion was only momentary before it was replaced by a deep fatigue and understanding. She knew—she had once again traveled through time.Integrating the fragmented memories from her dream, she couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Born three times as a human, all under the name "Yun Yi." The difference is, in this life, she had returned to the surname of her modern self. The original owner, Xiao Yun Yi, was only fourteen years old, the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Xiao family.Memories surged like a tide: the original's father, Xiao Renjin, was a fifth-rank deputy military officer of the Prince of Jin's mansion, who died several months ago while saving Prince Mo Yuxuan; her mother, who gave birth to a young brother at an advanced age, passed away shortly after her confinement, unable to bear the pain of losing her husband. After her mother's funeral, the original owner was already devastated, and upon hearing the rumors spreading in the mansion, which claimed that the infant brother in swaddling clothes was a jinx who caused the death of both parents! She also heard that the lady of the first branch, Mrs. He, intended to take charge and have the less-than-a-hundred-day-old brother adopted by a distant cousin who had been married for many years and had no children.The consecutive blows caused the original owner to be filled with rage and fall ill. Mrs. He of the first branch had long seen the second branch as a thorn in her side—the younger brother-in-law's official rank surpassed her own husband's, and in the past, the second branch was always given priority in the mansion. Now that the second branch's husband and wife were both gone, the first branch finally held power. If the children of the second branch were also gone... wouldn't the life-saving grace owed to the Prince of Jin only fall on the first branch?It was this calculation that led Mrs. He to secretly instruct the mansion's doctor to tamper with the medicine in the original owner's soup. In the end, the shell of Xiao Yun Yi, who had died, was replaced by her soul, which had experienced two lives and traveled through time.Just as she was sorting out the tangled thoughts and deep-seated hatred, the voice of a maid greeting came from outside the courtyard:"The servant pays respects to the third young master."A young male voice, anxious and tired, asked softly, "Has my sister... woken up?"The maid replied in a low voice, "Replying to the third young master, the third young mistress... has not yet woken up."