Chapter 001: The Reborn Little Girl

In the early spring of the twenty-eighth year of Tianshun, the weather was still chilly despite the occasional warmth.

On the back street of Ningguo Mansion, Zhao Ruyi, with a large twisted braid, was wearing a slightly worn apricot-colored plain silk jacket, following her mother, Zhao Qinshi, with an awkward gait.

The plain silk jacket she wore was a reward given to her mother when she served in the Duke's mansion, so her mother treasured it and kept it hidden away, only bringing it out on special occasions. As a result, the jacket was creased and carried a lingering scent of camphor.

"Remember to bow and mind your words when you meet people later! Don't speak out of turn!" Zhao Qinshi, carrying a four-color box, walked ahead and reminded Zhao Ruyi. "This year, the mansion is recruiting maids, and it's a crucial time. If you can't secure a good position, you'll only end up being bullied!"

"Okay," Zhao Ruyi obediently replied, but she already had a plan in mind.

Although she appeared to be a fifteen-year-old girl, her heart housed a soul that had been reborn.

Yes, Zhao Ruyi had been reborn.

In her previous life, she was a scheming girl who was determined to climb the social ladder by any means necessary.

She thought that as long as she climbed into the beds of young masters, she would live a good life. But later, she realized how wrong she was, and it was a grave mistake.

After climbing into those beds, her days of suffering began.

The second young master she served seemed gentle and refined on the surface, but only those close to him knew that he was cruel and violent, often shouting and beating the servants, causing severe harm to those closest to him.

The maids were also constantly scheming against each other, fearing that others would surpass them, living in constant exhaustion.

Since she had been reborn, she was determined not to tread the same path as in her previous life.

Moreover, the strict nanny was not someone easy to get along with. In her previous life, her mother, Zhao Qinshi, had scraped together forty taels of silver before the nanny agreed to help. With only the four-color gift boxes they brought today, they were unlikely to achieve anything.

As expected, the nanny, dressed in a dark green embroidered jacket, was sitting by the window on a large heated brick bed, leisurely playing with a delicate white porcelain teacup. The golden bracelets on her wrist clinked together, producing a crisp sound.

"In theory, since we once worked together in the same house, your visit to me should be a sign of respect," the nanny said to Zhao Qinshi in an official tone. "But this matter is difficult for me to handle. If I agree to help you, I'll have to refuse others. There are only so many good positions in the mansion, and many are vying for them. How can I justify favoring you over others?"

Zhao Qinshi's face turned embarrassed as she struggled to find the right words.

Zhao Ruyi, on the other hand, quietly surveyed the furnishings in the room.

The black lacquered furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the carved huanghuali floor screen... The grandeur and magnificence of this room were no different from those of a wealthy lady's.

On the low cabinet against the wall in the inner room, there were various gift boxes that had not been put away. Their presence made the four-color gift boxes they brought seem even more shabby.

"What do you suggest we do?" Zhao Qinshi finally mustered the courage to ask the nanny.

"This matter isn't solely up to me," the nanny replied, casually twirling the golden ring on her finger. "I have to deal with many people, inside and out. Without thirty to forty taels of silver, I can't handle this."

Zhao Qinshi's expression immediately became troubled.

Thirty to forty taels of silver? That was almost three to four years' worth of living expenses for her family, and she couldn't come up with that much silver all at once!

"Could you give me a few days to gather the silver?" Zhao Qinshi tentatively asked the nanny.

"I can't promise that," the nanny said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There are only so many good positions in the mansion, and many are vying for them. Why should I favor you over others? I have to give everyone a fair chance."

Listening to this, Zhao Ruyi couldn't help but smile.

It was the first time she had heard someone justify bribery in such a grandiose manner. What was the point of dealing with so many people if the money ultimately ended up in her own pocket? How could the nanny afford such luxurious furniture and jewelry with her position as a steward?

Her laughter naturally displeased the nanny.

"Do you think there's something wrong with what I said?" the nanny glared at Zhao Ruyi with a sharp look.

Since Zhao Ruyi had no intention of seeking a so-called good position through the nanny, she replied with a cold smile, "You've made a fortune through your position, and everyone in the Duke's mansion knows it."

"Nonsense!" The nanny's face turned red and white in turns, clearly not used to such impertinence.

"Well, if you want fairness, I'll give you fairness," the nanny said, her expression darkening, as she set down the teacup.

Having served closely by the master's side in the past, Zhao Ruyi naturally understood that the nanny was dismissing them. So she took her mother, Zhao Qinshi, and left the nanny's courtyard.

"Oh my, how can you speak to people like that?" Zhao Qinshi, who had deliberately brought her daughter to ask for a favor, was now as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. "You quickly come in with me and apologize to Yan Momo. Just say that you are young and don't understand the rules, and let the adult have a big heart, different from your understanding..."

"Mother! Why do we have to beg her?" Zhao Ruyi also showed her stubbornness. "If our family has that money, why not use it to treat father's leg? I've already entered the mansion as a servant, anyway, it's the same everywhere. Why do we have to spend this unjust money?"

"You are still young, you don't understand, there are big implications in this." Feeling sorry for her daughter's understanding, Zhao Qinshi insisted, "If you can stay by the master's side, there will naturally be many benefits. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people breaking their heads to get close to the master."

"But even someone like you, who had already become the concubine of the Duke, was still given to father with just a word from the Duke?" Zhao Ruyi looked at Zhao Qinshi's once beautiful face, now aged by time, and hugged her with pity, saying, "So do we really need to get involved in these messy matters?"