Three days after transmigrating, and three days into starving, Jian Ruonan finally learned from the trash system what the book had in store for her-
Back then, Madam Zhou and the mistress of the household, Min, had given birth to daughters at the same time. After Min delivered, four senior maids and four junior maids attended her during her confinement, while three wet nurses tended her daughter.
Madam Zhou had only one young maid whose face had yet to lose its childish roundness, and she had to breastfeed her daughter herself.
The difference in their treatment was as vast as heaven and earth.
Craving something tasty, Madam Zhou had the little maid secretly bring over the chicken soup Min could not finish. When they were discovered, Min's maids and older serving women thoroughly humiliated her.
Resentment took root in Madam Zhou's heart. One day, when a fire broke out at the Marquis's Estate, she took the opportunity to switch the two baby girls.
After switching the babies, Madam Zhou bribed a wandering monk to claim that the infant Jian Ruonan brought misfortune upon her family. As the old madam happened to fall seriously ill around that time, Jian Ruonan was sent to be raised at the Farm Estate.
Less than two years later, Madam Zhou was also sent to the Farm Estate for some offense.
Though Jian Ruonan was a concubine-born daughter, she still counted as half a mistress at the Farm Estate.
After Madam Zhou arrived, Jian Ruonan's life became a nightmare. Using her status as a concubine mother, Madam Zhou took Jian Ruonan's allowance and made her do some of the work that should have been hers.
Seeing that the Marquis's Estate paid no attention, the servants at the Farm Estate joined in bullying the original girl. That was why her life had been so miserable.
Three years later, Min happened to discover the truth and sent people to find Jian Ruonan. By then, Jian Ruonan had already spent three years as a concubine.
After returning to the Marquis's Estate, Jian Ruonan could not read a single word and knew nothing of music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. Even when it came to marriage prospects, she could only pick through the leftovers of Madam Zhou's daughter, Jian Chuxue.
Meanwhile, Jian Chuxue had been raised to be dignified and virtuous, and her reputation for goodness spread throughout the Capital City.
Jian Ruonan resented this and tried to suppress Jian Chuxue at every turn, only to end up as a stepping stone on Jian Chuxue's road to success.
That was right. Jian Chuxue was the original novel's heroine.
After learning the plot, Jian Ruonan thought the system was even more useless than before.
[Why did it take three whole days after I transmigrated to learn something this important? Aren't you supposed to be the legendary combat system?]
System: [Host, please have faith in my professionalism. This is not an information delay. Relevant plotlines can only be triggered once key characters appear.]
Jian Ruonan had no time to waste arguing with the system. She had no intention of being sold and needed to find a way to save herself.
Ever since entering the room, the matchmaker had been staring at Jian Ruonan's face. She had seen Jian Ruonan before, so how had she never noticed how lovely this little girl was?
Those large, obsidian-black eyes in particular were extraordinarily lively, as though stars had fallen into them.
One glance was enough for the matchmaker to decide that Landowner Zhang would definitely be pleased.
The matchmaker shot Madam Zhou a look. Taking the hint, Madam Zhou said, "Nan Nan, sit here for a bit. Mother will go arrange a carriage. If we ride there, we can buy more of the treats you like."
With that, Madam Zhou linked arms with the matchmaker and went outside.
The moment they stepped out, Madam Zhou's expression changed. "You've seen her yourself. Such a lovely girl simply won't do for ten taels. Fifteen at the very least."
The matchmaker clicked her tongue and lowered her voice. "She's a young lady of the Marquis's Estate. You think you can just sell her? If they come after me later, I won't be able to bear the consequences. I think we'd better forget it."
The matchmaker flicked her handkerchief and turned to leave. Madam Zhou snorted and cursed, "You crafty old woman! Twelve taels, and not a coin less."
Sure enough, the matchmaker stopped.
Swaying her hips, Madam Zhou stepped forward and took the matchmaker's arm. "Don't worry. That girl brings misfortune upon her family. The Marquis's Estate wouldn't dare take her back. They left her here to live or die on her own ages ago. They haven't asked after her in all these years, so what are you worried about? Even if something happens, I'll take responsibility."
Thinking of her five-tael commission, the matchmaker flicked her handkerchief at Madam Zhou. "Then let's be clear. If anything happens, don't pin it on me."
"What could possibly happen? Hurry up and get the carriage." Madam Zhou added, "And the carriage fare comes out of your pocket."
The two agreed to take Jian Ruonan shopping in town before delivering her straight to Landowner Zhang's house. Perhaps, pleased at the sight of her, Landowner Zhang might even give them a reward.
While Madam Zhou and the matchmaker talked, Jian Ruonan crawled through a hole at the back of her leaky room and slipped into Madam Zhou's room.
Madam Zhou's room was clean and tidy, furnished entirely with solid wood furniture. Though the wood was not expensive, it was still far better than Jian Ruonan's room, which was riddled with holes.
Jian Ruonan found a rosewood box beneath the bed. It was locked, so she lifted a stool and smashed the lock with a crack.
System: [Nan Nan, what are you doing?]
Inside were quite a few pieces of silver and several banknotes, all squeezed out of Jian Ruonan by Madam Zhou over the years.
[I'm going to find my family. I need some travel money.] It was a long way from the Farm Estate to the Marquis's Estate in the Capital City. Of course she would hire a carriage. Was she supposed to walk?
She certainly would not make herself suffer.
System: [Host, according to the plot, you can't reunite with your family for another three years!]
Jian Ruonan: [Oh, shut up.] five.
Jian Ruonan took the loose silver and spotted a sheet of paper at the bottom of the box. Picking it up, she discovered that it was Madam Zhou's indenture contract.
Jian Ruonan was delighted. Who would be selling whom was still up in the air.
She tucked Madam Zhou's indenture contract safely against her body and sneaked back into the leaky room. Madam Zhou knew nothing and was still standing guard outside the door.
When the matchmaker returned with a carriage and called for her, Jian Ruonan lay down on the bed. "My stomach hurts. I can't walk."
Madam Zhou's eyes widened, and she grabbed the rattan cane from the floor, ready to strike. But then she remembered that if she damaged the girl and could not sell her, she would take a terrible loss.
With the matchmaker present, Madam Zhou did not dare go too far. She coaxed, "We'll have a physician take a look at you in town."
Jian Ruonan looked at Madam Zhou. "Carry me on your back."
For the sake of the silver about to fall into her hands, Madam Zhou swallowed her anger.
Madam Zhou carried her to the carriage and settled her inside, then shot her a vicious glare. You're about to become some filthy old man's concubine. Just wait till then!
The three first went to a pastry shop and bought plenty of mung bean cakes, butterfly pastries, peach blossom pastries, and hibiscus cakes. Then Madam Zhou insisted on going to a silk shop to buy fabric.
After shopping all morning, the three went to a restaurant for a meal.
While they were ordering, Jian Ruonan pretended her stomach hurt and said she needed the privy. She left the restaurant and slipped into the brokerage next door.
Seeing a little girl enter, the human broker asked, "What do you want?"
Jian Ruonan took out Madam Zhou's indenture contract. "A twenty-eight-year-old woman who's given birth and still has some looks. Interested?"
It was the first time the broker had seen a little girl selling someone. Puzzled, he asked, "What's your relationship to her?"
Jian Ruonan said, "I'm her mistress. If you don't believe me, ask the coachman outside."
The coachman had seen Madam Zhou carry Jian Ruonan into the carriage with his own eyes. Usually, only a household maid would carry a young lady into a carriage. When the broker came to ask, the coachman nodded in confirmation.
Jian Ruonan tossed the coachman two mace of silver. "Take the broker to the restaurant to inspect her."
The coachman earned only five hundred copper coins for a trip. Receiving the silver, he was beside himself with joy.
She really was a young lady, so generous with her money.
The coachman hurriedly led the broker to the restaurant.
After returning from his inspection, the broker began bargaining with Jian Ruonan. She could not be bothered to haggle. Any money would do, so she sold Madam Zhou dirt cheap for one tael of silver.
Once the paperwork was signed, the broker took his men to the restaurant and bound Madam Zhou.
Madam Zhou was eating meat when she was suddenly tied up, utterly bewildered. Upon learning why, she began cursing before she had even swallowed. "You heartless, rotten little wretch! I'm your mother! You'll die a horrible death for selling me!"
Jian Ruonan spat at her. "You're a servant. Since when did you become my mother?"
A household's concubine-born sons and daughters could only address the principal wife as Mother. A concubine mother was half a servant.
Madam Zhou had only dared call herself Jian Ruonan's mother because heaven was high and the emperor far away, and no one supervised the Farm Estate. Had she done that at the Marquis's Estate, she would have been beaten to death long ago.
Jian Ruonan held Madam Zhou's indenture contract. If she wanted to sell her, there was nothing the matchmaker could do.
After the broker took Madam Zhou away in bonds, Jian Ruonan sat down to eat.
On the table sat a plate of crispy chicken, a plate of cold dressed pig ears, two side dishes, and two taels of wine.
Jian Ruonan looked at the matchmaker. "Pay for the meal, or I'll go to the county office and report you."
The silver that had been practically in her hands had flown away, and she even had to pay the carriage fare out of her own pocket. Thoroughly disgruntled, the matchmaker spat, "Go on, then! If you're going to report me, go right now. I run an honest business. You think I'm afraid of you?!"
Perhaps once they reached the county office, she could accuse the girl of slander instead. If the officials detained her, the matchmaker could deliver her to the wealthy gentleman's residence without spending a single coin.
Jian Ruonan said, "I'm not reporting you to the officials. I'm going to tell the county constable's wife that you're having an affair with him."
Only because the system fed her juicy gossip every day did she know that the matchmaker was sleeping with the county constable.
The county constable had married the magistrate's daughter, and his wife was a lioness of the east, infamous far and wide. If she learned of their affair, the constable would be flayed alive, and the matchmaker would not escape unscathed either.
That county constable adored the mole at the corner of the matchmaker's mouth. Every time they met for a tryst, he had to suck on that mole a few times first.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a fetish.
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