[Before the sky had fully brightened, a jumble of footsteps sounded outside.]
[You kept your eyes closed and your breathing steady, as though you were still fast asleep. In truth, every nerve in your body was stretched taut.]
[Bang-]
[The door was kicked open.]
[The nanny's shrill voice was particularly piercing in the early morning silence: "Get up, all of you! Lazy little wretches, every last one of you! The sun's shining on your backsides, and you're still sleeping!"]
[Bichun's snores stopped abruptly, replaced by a muffled, "Huh, who?!"]
[Then came the sounds of frantic scrambling, mixed with Cui'er and Xiaochan's startled cries. You opened your eyes, showing just the right hint of confusion and alarm, and climbed out of bed with the others. You stood beside your bed with your head bowed, looking as though you had just woken up and had no idea what was happening.]
[Two older women stood behind the nanny: Zhou Pozi and Li Pozi. With her hands behind her back, the nanny paced around the room, her gaze sweeping over each of your faces before finally settling on your beds.]
["Search!"]
[Two young, sturdy serving women walked in and began rummaging through your bedding without another word. Pillows were tossed onto the floor, mattresses pulled apart, and the straw padding scattered everywhere.]
[Bichun's face went white, and her lips trembled, but she dared not make a sound. Cui'er and Xiaochan huddled into themselves, shaking like fallen leaves in the wind. You lowered your head, your heart pounding like a drum, while your face remained blank with confusion and a little fear.]
["Nothing." One serving woman finished searching Bichun's bed and shook her head. "Nothing here either." The other rose from beside Cui'er's bed.]
[Zhou Pozi's smile froze for a moment. Li Pozi could not help speaking up. "How is that possible? Search more carefully! Under the pillows, between the layers of the mattresses-look through everything!"]
[The nanny gave her a sidelong glance, and that look immediately shut Li Pozi's mouth.]
[The two serving women searched the beds again, even opening the battered wooden chest in the corner. They shook out the few patched garments inside, but still found nothing.]
[Zhou Pozi's expression changed. The nanny stared at her and said slowly, "Zhou Pozi, you came rushing to me last night, saying you'd seen these little wretches steal something from our masters and hide it in this room. Now we've searched and turned everything over. Where is it?"]
[Sweat beaded on Zhou Pozi's forehead as she forced a smile. "W-well... perhaps they moved it somewhere else? This old servant clearly saw it..."]
[She tried to keep defending herself, but the nanny had lost patience. "Drag them away and deal with them as they deserve!"]
[You watched with your own eyes as Li Pozi and Zhou Pozi were dragged away. Your hands trembled slightly at your sides, but your resolve only grew firmer. However hard it was, you would survive!]
[Several days passed after the incident. You had thought it was over, but that day, the nanny suddenly gathered all of you together. Her gaze swept back and forth over you maids several times before she finally cleared her throat and spoke:]
["Zhou Pozi and Li Pozi had sticky fingers. Following the vine to the melon led us to Nanny Zhou, who managed the kitchen. Now that her position is vacant, the manor has given the job to me."]
[Oh, she got promoted.]
[Why did good things like this never fall into your lap?]
[As you thought this to yourself, the nanny kept talking.]
[Then you heard something that made you suddenly raise your head, your eyes shining as you looked at the nanny.]
["The kitchen needs a maid for odd jobs. One of you will be chosen to come with me."]
[You might all have been maids at the very bottom, but could kitchen maids really be compared to those of you doing miscellaneous chores? At least kitchen maids had enough to eat. Besides, if you went with the nanny, you would be one of her people. As long as she remained there, the other maids would have to show you some respect. You could almost see the good days beckoning to you.]
[The nanny first looked at Xiaochan, but unfortunately, Xiaochan kept her head down and gave no response. Next was Bichun. Bichun was lively in her sleep, but awake, she had no such nerve.]
[The nanny's gaze moved over the maids before finally meeting your eyes.]
[She seemed to think little of you and immediately looked away again. In truth, you thought little of her either, but there was nothing for it. This choice was far too tempting.]
[In the end, the nanny's gaze still settled on you. There was no other reason: none of the others wanted to follow her, and only you were willing.]
[And so the matter was settled. From then on, you were the kitchen's odd-job maid!]
[Back in your room, Bichun and the others brought out things they had saved over the years as farewell gifts. They were all little trinkets of no real use, but they were tokens of their goodwill.]
[You knew perfectly well why they were unwilling to go with the nanny. She was far too fond of slapping people. Every day, they came back with swollen cheeks. They would rather endure some hardship than be slapped again.]
[In the still of the night, you sat up and concealed the pieces of jade you had hidden on your person. Once you reached your new quarters, you would have to find another good place to hide them. Though these things could not be brought to light in the Marquis's Household, if you could leave one day, they would be worth a great deal.]
[After you began working in the kitchen, your days grew better and better...]
[In the third year, the marchioness of Dingbei Marquis Manor gave birth to a young heir. Delighted, the marquis bestowed rewards like flowing water. Even a little maid like you received ten taels of silver for delivering soup.]
[In the fourth year, you were nineteen. While chopping down a tree, you obtained a white trait: high-quality sleep.]
[Several years passed in succession, and you had only gained a few more white traits.]
[That day, the nanny sought you out and spoke to you from the bottom of her heart.]
[The kitchen was indeed a good posting, but it was extremely dangerous. Though you had only witnessed a few of the schemes and plots in the manor, you had watched plenty of household intrigue dramas and read plenty of such novels in your previous life. Didn't those people all strike through food?]
[As the person in charge of the kitchen, the nanny truly spent every day with her heart in her mouth.]
[By the end, perhaps because she had become emotional, or perhaps because she had planned it all along, the nanny suddenly looked at you and took your hand, her eyes slightly reddened. She said she had never married and had no children. Seeing how hardworking and considerate you were, she wanted to take you as her goddaughter.]
[It was time to choose your fate again!]
[1. Agree to the nanny's proposal and accept her as your godmother! Wipe the slate clean and dutifully honor your godmother from now on!]
[2. Screw you! Slapping me every day was bad enough, and now you want to take advantage of me? How could there be such a sweet deal in this world?!]
What was this?
Jiang Mi was dumbfounded.
The nanny in reality had only just slapped her, and the nanny in the simulation already wanted to be her godmother?
"Thanks for asking. My feelings right now are complicated."
Though she said that, her choice was very honest.
[There really was such a sweet deal in this world.]
["Godmother."]
[You said it with very little sincerity, but the nanny was delighted.]
Before you continue