Upon entering her room, Lin Cui’e immediately sensed something amiss. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the books on her desk had been moved and their order disrupted. The bookshelf, once neatly arranged, now held volumes haphazardly, some even dangling precariously. The scrolls were in similar disarray—loosened, scattered, and some even torn. Furious, Lin Cui’e raised her voice sharply, “Nanny Liu, come here at once!”
Never before had the young mistress lost her temper like this. Startled, Nanny Liu hurried over and asked, “Young Mistress, what do you need of this old servant?”
“Investigate! Find out who dared to ransack my room and damage my calligraphy and paintings. Once identified, punish them severely!”
The masters of the house were all book lovers and would never commit such an act. Thus, the culprit had to be among the servants. Under her watch, such an incident was unthinkable. The elder master and his wife doted on the young mistress no less than they did on Sixth Miss. The calligraphy and paintings gifted to her were of immense value—selling all the servants wouldn’t suffice to purchase even one piece. Nanny Liu, too, was incensed and set out to investigate.
The two maids, Shuqin and Shuqi, had just returned and were informed upon entering the courtyard that someone had tampered with the young mistress’s belongings, causing damage, and that the young mistress was in a rage. They rushed to the inner courtyard. Normally, no one was allowed to touch the young mistress’s possessions; only these two maids were permitted to tidy her room. Some items, like the scrolls and ancient books, even they couldn’t touch—the young mistress handled those herself.
Upon entering the inner courtyard, Lin Cui’e instructed, “You’ve returned just in time. Help me check if anything else is out of place.” The two maids felt relieved—the young mistress didn’t suspect them.
Such a commotion couldn’t escape the notice of Li Cuimei and her husband, the elder master. They arrived together, and Li Cuimei asked, “Cui’e, is anything missing?”
Still seething, Lin Cui’e shook her head. “I don’t know yet. We’re still checking.”
At that moment, Shuqi exclaimed, “Young Mistress, the ‘Colorful Stars’ embroidery you were making for Sixth Miss!”
Before Lin Cui’e could respond, Li Cuimei said, “Bring it here.”
Shuqi retrieved a small emerald-green pouch from the windowsill flowerpot. It was soiled, and the unfinished embroidery was crumpled beyond recognition. The pouch, no larger than an adult’s fist, was clearly intended as a decorative accessory for Lin Fang.
Li Cuimei recognized the flower pattern on the pouch. During a visit to her elder sister’s home, her daughter had spotted tiny wildflowers by the roadside—some as large as soybeans, others no bigger than rice grains, in hues of white, pink, yellow, red, and purple, densely covering the ground with slender leaves. Her daughter, who adored intricate and delicate things, was overjoyed and picked a handful. Unable to name the flowers, she christened them “Colorful Stars.”
Li Cuimei asked Lin Cui’e, “Did Fang’er ask you to embroider this pouch?”
Lin Cui’e, flushed with anger, replied, “Fang’er merely mentioned how much she loved these flowers. Thinking the intricate pattern would be challenging to embroider, I decided to make her a small pouch with the design—both to practice my needlework and to delight her. It was nearly finished, but some vile person ruined it!”
The elder master asked, “Where did you leave the pouch when you went out today?”
“In the wardrobe, inside the sewing basket, since it wasn’t finished.”
“Open the wardrobe and check.”
Lin Cui’e approached the wardrobe, only to find Shuqin gripping the doors, staring blankly inside. Peering in, Lin Cui’e nearly exploded with rage—her clothes had been tossed into chaos, the sewing basket buried under the mess.
“This is beyond insulting!” Lin Cui’e was at a loss for words to express her fury.
“Cui’e, calm down,” the elder master advised. “Losing your temper won’t help. It’ll only cloud your judgment.”
Lin Cui’e protested tearfully, “Elder Brother, how can I stay calm when someone has treated me like this?”
Li Cuimei embraced her, patting her back gently, and instructed the maids, “Shuqi, check the bedroom. Shuqin, inspect the study next door. Be thorough—look for missing or extra items. Report anything unusual.” She then led Lin Cui’e away.
Before they could enter the main house, Nanny Liu approached and reported, “Eldest Master, Madam, Young Mistress, Zhou Erxiao claims she saw Miss Zhong in your room today.”
Li Cuimei ordered, “Bring her here to explain.”
Zhou Erxiao shrank back at the sight of Li Cuimei, who knew the girl feared her due to past discipline. Softening her tone, Li Cuimei said, “Don’t be afraid. If you’ve done well today, I’ll reward you with a bowl of braised pork and two days off at the fishery to play with the dogs. But if you’ve lied, you’ll get nothing.”
“No lies, no lies!” The promise of food and play dispelled Zhou Erxiao’s fear, and she recounted what she’d seen:
“After delivering firewood to the inner courtyard today, I saw two maids I’d never seen before—too pretty to be servants—standing at the young mistress’s door. Curious, I approached and heard strange noises inside. The young mistress is like a fairy—she’d never make such sounds! When I got closer, the two pretty maids tried to shove me aside, but I pushed them away. I didn’t dare enter the young mistress’s room, but from the doorway, I saw that nosy Miss Zhong rummaging through things. I asked what she was looking for, and she asked if I knew where the young mistress kept her competition piece or what it looked like. I said no, and she waved me off. I told her she wasn’t part of the Lin family and had no right to snoop like a thief when the mistress wasn’t home. Then she left.”
After Zhou Erxiao’s rambling account, it was clear Zhong Meizhen had ransacked Lin Cui’e’s room in search of her competition submission. True to her word, Li Cuimei had Nanny Liu send Zhou Erxiao to the fishery with Granny Zhou.
Zhou Erxiao, nearly twenty, had the intellect of a child and adored animals. Strangely, every animal she encountered took to her instantly. Lin Fang’s rudimentary psychological analysis suggested it was because Zhou Erxiao’s pure, harmless nature made animals feel safe around her.
The Lin household, masters and servants alike, treated Zhou Erxiao as a child, overlooking minor missteps unless they were serious.
Li Cuimei instructed Nanny Liu, “Take a few people to the Zhong family and fetch Seventh Aunt. If her mother-in-law asks, say the young mistress is tied up with urgent matters and needs her sister’s help. Say no more.”
After retrieving Lin Cuiping, she stayed at her brother’s home for days without sending word to the Zhongs. When Zhong Meizhen came to inquire, she was barred from entering. The Zhong matriarch had to visit in person but was likewise turned away. The gatekeeper relayed the master’s message: if she wanted answers, she should ask her own daughter.
Though treated with warmth and respect in her brother’s home—her comforts matching those of Eleventh Miss—Lin Cuiping remained anxious, unsure why they’d brought her back. Finally, the elder master explained: Li Cuimei could no longer tolerate the Zhongs’ behavior. If Zhong Meizhen could brazenly damage Lin Cui’e’s belongings today, who knew what she might do tomorrow? Continued indulgence would only lead to disaster. If they’d confronted the Zhongs without retrieving Lin Cuiping first, her life there would’ve become unbearable.
The elder master asked Lin Cuiping about her plans. If she wished to join her husband, Zhong Dakui, at the military camp, Li Cuimei would arrange her escort to the capital, where her sister-in-law Guo Jiayi would handle the rest. If she chose to return to the Zhongs and endure their mistreatment, the family would wash their hands of her.
Lin Cuiping was stunned. After a moment’s thought, she smiled bitterly. “Join the military? Zhong Dakui has no affection for me—he treats me like a brothel girl, taking his pleasure while tormenting me. If possible, I’d prefer a divorce.”
This response surprised the elder master. “Are you certain? You’re no longer young, nor a maiden. Finding another suitable match won’t be easy.”
Lin Cuiping laughed bleakly. “A good man? I was young and untouched when I married Zhong Dakui. Have these two years been happy? When Cui’e scolded me that day, saying Madam taught us women must learn to manage our affairs—so even if we marry poorly, we can live independently—I scoffed. Now I see the truth. I relied on my beauty, dreaming of a perfect marriage, dismissing practical skills as useless. Now I’m a useless fool. I suppose I should thank my mother-in-law for her harshness—at least I can now dress and feed myself. If I learn more, I can support myself.”
The elder master was deeply moved. “Think carefully about what skills or work you’d like to pursue. I’ll discuss arrangements with your sister-in-law.”
That night, the elder master clung to his wife, refusing to let go. Puzzled, Li Cuimei asked what was wrong. He murmured, “Did you really teach Cui’e that women must learn to manage their affairs, so they can live independently even in unhappy marriages?” Amused, Li Cuimei replied, “Should young girls rely solely on future husbands? Cuiping is proof otherwise. Was I wrong? But you and I have weathered storms and understand each other now. There’s no need for jealousy.”
“Understand each other?” The elder master was overjoyed and showered his wife with affection.
The Zhong matriarch arrived with Zhong Meizhen to apologize. Zhong Meizhen admitted to ransacking Lin Cui’e’s room and ruining the embroidery. She’d mistaken the pouch for Lin Cui’e’s competition piece, envying its intricate design compared to her own shoddy work, and acted out of jealousy.
Despite the Zhong matriarch’s pleas and even slapping her daughter in front of the Lins, Lin Cuiping was resolute: she wanted a divorce. If the Zhongs refused, she’d take the matter to court. Knowing they were in the wrong—and fearing a public scandal would harm Zhong Dakui’s career—the Zhong matriarch reluctantly agreed.
Regardless of Zhong Dakui’s reaction upon receiving the news, Lin Cuiping obtained his signed and thumbprinted divorce papers, officially severing ties. Under her brother and sister-in-law’s guidance, she began assisting in the rental district, trying her hand at various trades as the elder master arranged.
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