As servants, the most important skill is reading people’s expressions. When running errands outside or accompanying their masters on social visits, servants would interact with each other and share stories about their masters’ households and how they were treated.
In Liangping Town, the Lin family was known for being the most lenient toward their servants. Unless a servant truly made a mistake, they were rarely beaten or scolded, and even when punishment was necessary, someone would always step in to teach them properly. Moreover, the Sixth Young Miss personally taught the servants to read and write, using charcoal pencils made by the Fifth Young Master specifically for her. It was unheard of in other households for a master to teach servants or for servants to use their master’s belongings.
Now, the Young Mistress had acted decisively—beating and then selling off the offending servant without hesitation—showing just how furious she was. The gossiper, ungrateful as they were, deserved their fate. With such a stain on their record, they would never find a good household again. Thinking of this, who would dare confront Lin Cui’e? Everyone quietly returned to their duties.
Li Cuimei truly slept for three days. When she awoke, the first thing she saw was the haggard face of her husband. Fearing she would worry about their daughter, he first reassured her with Huìyuán’s words. Even so, Li Cuimei, ignoring her own exhaustion from days without food or water, rushed to her daughter’s room. Seeing the child still asleep but with a healthy flush on her cheeks, she finally allowed herself to be persuaded by her husband to eat before addressing anything else.
When Li Cuimei heard how Lin Cui’e had dealt with the servants, she praised her for handling the matter appropriately and decisively. She then entrusted all household affairs to Lin Cui’e, declaring that until her marriage, Lin Cui’e would have full authority over domestic matters, only consulting her in truly difficult situations. From then on, Lin Cui’e emerged from her emotional slump and devoted herself to managing the household, while Li Cuimei, assisted by Xiaoqin’s wife, focused on overseeing the cloth shops, tailor shops, garment workshops, and knitting mills.
The Lin family’s cloth and tailor shops had expanded not only within their own town but also to neighboring towns. The grain shop in Jile Town had only slightly expanded, with no new branches opened. Most of the grain used in the Lin family’s Cuiji Restaurant came from their own shop.
Lin Fang once curiously asked why they didn’t open more grain shops. Her father replied, “Grain is a necessity—having enough is sufficient; there’s no need for excessive scale.” Lin Fang wondered if the emperor was a suspicious man, fearing that too much private grain storage might lead to rebellion. *Hah, being an emperor must be exhausting.*
Granny Liu spent all her time hovering around Lin Fang, even at night, afraid she might miss the moment the Sixth Young Miss woke up. Finally, one day, she heard the sweet, melodious voice she had been longing for.
“Granny Liu, Fang’er is so hungry. Is there anything to eat?” The soft, sugary voice could belong to no one but her beloved Sixth Young Miss.
Granny Liu gasped in delight. “Oh, Sixth Young Miss! You’re finally awake! Yes, yes—just now, the Fifth Young Master brought back a serving of vegetarian wontons for you after school. This old servant will cook them right away. Just wait a moment, they’ll be ready soon.”
Lin Fang pouted. “Vegetarian wontons? Fang’er likes meat-filled ones. Doesn’t Fifth Brother know that?”
Granny Liu chuckled. “How could the Fifth Young Master not know? But Master Huìyuán instructed that when the Sixth Young Miss wakes, she must not eat meat right away—she needs a few days of light meals first. I’ll bring them now.” She turned to leave.
Lin Fang’s next words stopped her in her tracks.
“Master Huìyuán? Who’s that?”
Granny Liu laughed. “Sixth Young Miss, you must be joking. Master Huìyuán loves playing with you the most—how could you not know him?” She found her young mistress’s teasing amusing.
“But Fang’er really doesn’t know Master Huìyuán. Why would I like playing with him?”
Seeing the genuine confusion on her young mistress’s face, Granny Liu grew uneasy. It didn’t seem like the child was playing a trick. Could the rumors be true? Had some evil spirit possessed her, stealing her wits and memories? She had woken up not recognizing people and acting more willful than before. Panic set in.
Lin Fang, oblivious to Granny Liu’s turmoil, kept insisting she was hungry. Suppressing her unease, Granny Liu cooked the wontons and served them to Lin Fang. She considered reporting her concerns to the Young Mistress but hesitated—though in charge, the girl was still just a child. She decided to wait until the master and mistress returned.
“Madam, what should we do about this?”
Li Cuimei smiled. “You’re overthinking out of concern. Does Fang’er recognize you?”
“Yes, she called for me as soon as she woke, asking for food. Oh, and she didn’t react strangely when I mentioned the Fifth Young Master.”
“What about Qian’er and Xian’er?”
“They’re playing with the Sixth Young Miss now.”
“Did Fang’er say she didn’t know them?”
“No, she even praised Xian’er for improving her handwriting.”
“There you go. Fang’er was just teasing you, and you, at your age, fell for it.”
Granny Liu exhaled in relief. “Amitabha! This old servant was too flustered.”
As Li Cuimei stepped down from the carriage at the courtyard gate, Granny Liu, who had been anxiously waiting, quickly took Xiaoqin’s place to assist her. She immediately recounted Lin Fang’s awakening, emphasizing how the child claimed not to know Huìyuán. Hearing her daughter was awake, Li Cuimei was overjoyed, though she couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of her daughter teasing the old servant.
The moment she entered the inner courtyard, a small figure came flying toward her, chirping in that sweet voice, “Mother, did you find Auntie a husband?”
“Ah, slow down! Don’t fall!” Li Cuimei scooped her daughter up, remarking, “Fang’er has lost some weight after this long sleep. You’re lighter in my arms now.”
Lin Fang preened. “Isn’t that better? Fang’er woke up even prettier!”
Lin Cui’e, standing behind her, snorted. “I don’t know about prettier, but your skin’s certainly thicker now—spouting nonsense without a care.”
Earlier, Granny Liu, too anxious to wait, had left Qian’er and Xian’er to watch over Lin Fang while she went to the gate. After playing with her maids for a while, Lin Fang, recalling the recent bustle in the household, had run to her aunt’s room to tease her about it.
Now reminded, Lin Fang pressed again, “Mother, did you find Auntie a husband?”
Setting her down, Li Cuimei took her small hand. “You little imp! Your aunt is your elder—how can you speak so freely?”
Lin Fang retorted without hesitation, “As the saying goes, ‘A grown daughter can’t be kept—keeping her only breeds resentment.'”
Lin Cui’e, torn between laughter and irritation, reached to pinch her niece’s mouth. “You little devil! I ought to lock your lips shut!”
The two chased each other around Li Cuimei, laughing and dodging.
“Slow down, slow down! Fang’er, don’t trip! Granny Liu?”
Li Cuimei’s habitual warning trailed off as she noticed something unusual. Though her daughter had always tried to walk carefully, her steps were usually unsteady, and running often ended in a fall. Today, however, she seemed steadier, not swaying or stumbling as before. Li Cuimei called for Granny Liu to see if she had noticed the change.
Having spent every moment with Lin Fang, Granny Liu had already observed the difference. She turned away, discreetly wiping her tears. If her young mistress could truly become like other children, she would suffer far less in life.
While the household rejoiced at Lin Fang’s awakening, Li Cuimei remained uneasy. After discussing it with her husband, the couple set off early the next morning to seek out Huìyuán, only to find his courtyard locked. On the gate, a cheerful, chubby face was drawn in charcoal, with the words below: *Gone wandering.*
Unlike other elders who rigidly adhered to parental authority in matchmaking, the couple involved Lin Cui’e in every step of selecting her future husband, considering her preferences. After careful deliberation, they narrowed the choices to four families, planning further evaluations before making a final decision.
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