Anna found it strange.
And she had a vague sense that something was wrong.
But she could not put her finger on what...
The young lady from a distant branch of the family, who was staying with the Vance Family, seemed to have become an entirely different person overnight.
Her formerly lifeless face was now brimming with energy as she bustled around the little kitchen, humming a tune Anna had never heard.
"Without the Communist Party, there would be no new China, without the Communist Party, there would be no new China~"
Almost every line was off-key.
Split firewood lay piled in a corner of the kitchen, and several iron kettles hung by the fireplace to keep warm, ready to supply hot water to the masters of the house at any time.
A bronze skillet rested on a low stove rack. Flames licked its bottom, coaxing fragrance from the simmering vegetables and bean soup, while thick smoke poured out through the vent in the roof.
Li Jia dipped a finger into the spices stored in iron tins, identifying the seasonings by taste.
Fortunately, she had lived alone in the modern world and honed her life skills to perfection. Otherwise, preparing a meal for an entire household would have exposed her.
After all, her identity now was Lijia Vance. She had no desire to be treated as some strange creature and burned on a holy pyre.
The aroma of roasted lamb chops filled the kitchen. Li Jia wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and set a plate of vegetables on the wooden worktop.
Conditions here could not compare with modern society. There was not even a refrigerator, and meat could only be kept fresh by being submerged in the well.
To flaunt their extravagance, the Vance Family usually roasted an entire rack of lamb. But only those seated at the main table got to eat meat, so whatever went uneaten was dumped into the dog bowl.
They would feed it to dogs rather than people.
Her uncle had seized the considerable fortune the original owner's parents had left behind. Who would have thought she would not even qualify to eat at the table? Her dining spot was that tiny patch by the stove.
Li Jia's personality was completely different from the original female lead's. Li Jia had received twelve years of compulsory education and was a staunch materialist. She did not believe men were superior to women, much less that people were born into different ranks.
The original female lead, however, was an orphan who had moved into her uncle's home after losing both parents. Raised under this era's feudal education, the greatest act of rebellion she could manage was killing herself.
While inwardly lamenting the original female lead's fate, Li Jia casually used a small knife to cut off the tenderest piece of lamb, placed it in a small bowl, and hid it in the cupboard. At the same time, she stuffed a piece of sheep-tail fat into the gap, put it back on the grill for a few more minutes, and brushed it with dark, greasy sauce.
She was not about to deprive her own taste buds. After all the hard work she had put into this meal, barring her from the table was one thing, but they were not even going to spare her a bite of lamb?
Only when the sheep-tail fat and lamb had roasted together into one seamless piece did her furrowed brow relax. She examined it closely for a while, found no visible difference, and handed this final dish to Anna, the housekeeper, outside the door.
After closing the door, Li Jia eagerly took out the food she had set aside, ready to feast.
"Lijia."
Conrad Vance's voice suddenly came from outside, making her heart jolt.
His voice held a rare gentleness, unlike his usual sharp, cutting tone. "Come eat in the dining room tonight."
Li Jia froze briefly before quickly pulling her thoughts out of the original owner's memories. She had only just inherited the original female lead's body, and they had yet to fully integrate. She would involuntarily slip into the original female lead's emotions.
For instance, the original female lead had been terrified of this uncle. Hearing his voice made her back start sweating uncontrollably.
"All right, Uncle. I'll be right there." Li Jia forcibly suppressed her delight and answered mildly.
Li Jia called softly, "System? System, are you there?"
A female voice accompanied by crackling static soon sounded beside her.
"Yes, my master."
Li Jia asked, "According to the romance setup, it's time for me to follow the plot. What should I do?"
"As expected of the master I chose! You've already realized the plot is getting on track." It then fawned over Li Jia with a round of praise.
It seemed this was a system that guided her growth. Li Jia thought that was pretty good, certainly better than the sort that forced the female lead to complete missions. Most of the time, this system stayed quiet and let her do whatever she wanted.
"Conrad invited you to dinner to persuade you to attend the Night Banquet willingly, Master. To ensure the obedience and safety of the attendant candidates, the Divine Mountain requires everyone entering the Night Banquet to take an Oath Ice Crystal sent by the Divine Lord. Unless they enter the Divine Mountain of their own free will, they cannot pass through its entrance hall, much less attend the Night Banquet."
Li Jia raised an eyebrow. So he wanted something from her after all. Otherwise, why would her lofty uncle, who had never deigned to look her in the eye, humble himself enough to invite her to dinner?
Still, even without him saying anything, she was perfectly willing to enter the Divine Mountain.
Then when can I meet the romance target?
Seeing how driven its master was, the system nearly burst into tears and snot. Of course, it feared soaking itself and breaking down, so there were only a few happily tangled electrical waves.
Of all the romance users it had guided, this was the first time it had met one as motivated as Li Jia. How could it not be moved?
"You'll be able to meet the romance target at tomorrow evening's Night Banquet, Master."
Then will she definitely choose me as her disciple-attendant?
Li Jia raised the question.
"Not necessarily. Five chief gods will be selecting disciple-attendants this time, and there are ten names on the candidate list, making the probability one-half. The probability of being chosen specifically by the romance target is one-fifth. Overall, your luck value is one-tenth, Master."
The system calculated the figures for her in a thoroughly mechanical manner.
If the romance target doesn't choose me, how the hell am I supposed to romance her?
But she was not someone who gave up so easily. Whatever happened, she still had a one-in-ten chance. How could she not give it a try?
You'll help me, won't you?
"Other than being unable to predict future developments for you, Master, providing you with assistance is what I'm supposed to do."
Good.
Facing the unknown, Li Jia experienced a trembling, exhilarating pleasure for the first time.
She liked challenges.
Deep down, the system cursed, What a freak.
She pushed open the dining room's oak door with a creak.
The candlelight illuminated the gilded silverware on the carved dining table. A soft velvet carpet covered the wooden floor, and when Li Jia's rough, patched cloth shoes stepped onto it, she felt as though she were floating unsteadily among the clouds.
Conrad sat at the head of the long dining table, with his wife Fleur to his left. Her luxurious purple robe was embroidered with gold thread, and she was an exceedingly well-preserved noblewoman.
Melina lounged against the carved back of her chair. As she watched Li Jia enter, her ruby necklace trembled with her sneer. Her younger brother Dayouan was just like her, full of disdain for Li Jia.
She stood in the doorway, not daring to make a rash move.
"Sit."
Conrad gestured for her to take the seat at the very end, as though granting her some tremendous favor.
The hem of Li Jia's maid's dress brushed the carpet as she sat properly in the farthest corner.
Fleur beckoned, and Anna, the housekeeper, tactfully placed a brand-new silver plate before her. Fleur put on black rubber gloves and personally cut a piece of roasted lamb for Li Jia.
The sound of the blade slicing through the meat made Li Jia's hair stand on end.
I'm just like that meat on the chopping block.
After cutting a piece of lamb that was neither too big nor too small and placing it on the plate, Fleur glanced toward the corner. Anna swiftly carried it over to Li Jia.
Li Jia pretended to swallow, her eyes filled with longing for the food, and acted overwhelmed by the favor. "Madam, how could I trouble you to cut my meat yourself?"
Her lowly manner, so unfit for polite company, greatly satisfied Melina's vanity. Melina poured half a bottle of red wine into a stemmed glass and held it in her hand, swirling it gently.
Tch. A country bumpkin. Does she even know how to use a knife and fork?
"It's all right. My poor younger brother and his wife entrusted you to us. It's only right that we look after you." As Fleur spoke, she rubbed at the nonexistent tears at the corners of her eyes.
Ha. What an act.
Li Jia inwardly rolled her eyes.
"The Night Banquet at which the Divine Mountain selects disciple-attendants for the Divine Lords is tomorrow." Conrad chewed his lamb, the grease at the corners of his mouth making him look like a greedy vulture.
"It's inconvenient for Melina to attend. You'll go in her place."
The knife and fork slipped from Li Jia's hands. The splashing beetroot and vegetable soup spilled onto the hem of her skirt, scalding a dark red mark into it.
Melina's red hair looked dazzlingly beautiful in the candlelight. She stared at Li Jia and sneered. "You're nothing but a bastard who brought death upon her own parents. With the world's lowliest blood running through your veins, there's nothing more fitting than for you to do this most degrading thing."
With that, Melina raised her glass and drained it. Eating with a lowborn wretch really was revolting, leaving her with little appetite.
As she swept away, her sumptuous skirts brushed across Li Jia's face, leaving a humiliating chill that burned worse than the soup stains.
Conrad maintained his false benevolence. "How rare an opportunity it is to become a Divine Lord's disciple-attendant. Serving at a Divine Lord's side is an honor for our Vance Family."
Just as she had thought, it was nothing more than a "last supper."
In the flickering candlelight, she caught sight of her own shadow on the wall: small, thin, and lowly.
Li Jia quietly clenched her fists beneath the table, her nails digging deep into her palms. The pain cleared her head, and she smiled sweetly. "You're right, Uncle. Becoming a Divine Lord's disciple-attendant is a blessing for the Vance Family. I'll go to the Divine Mountain and attend the Night Banquet of my own free will. It's just..."
Li Jia placed particular emphasis on "of my own free will." She knew that this mattered to Conrad and his wife.
"Just what?"
Fleur hastily asked. She had thought it would take some effort and maneuvering to make her enter the Divine Mountain willingly. She had never expected it to be so easy. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong now.
"I don't have a formal dress, and the new clothes I had made the year before last are too small now. They don't fit anymore... I'm afraid... I'm afraid I'll disgrace the Vance Family."
Li Jia lowered her head, her nose twitching slightly, her voice hoarse and helpless, like a child who had done something wrong.
Act like a green tea? Who couldn't?
Those two skinflints swallowed so much of the original female lead's fortune. Surely it's reasonable to make them spit a little back out.
Conrad's face immediately darkened. Li Jia made it sound as though he had terribly mistreated his own niece. He cleared his throat. "Naturally. Your aunt has always been in charge of you girls' dresses..."
"It's my fault for being so busy that I forgot to get you more clothes. There's no time to have anything custom-made now. I'll send for a tailor in a little while. Go to Melina's room and choose something you like, then have it altered to your size. You won't disgrace the Vance Family."
Fleur hurriedly interrupted Conrad to preserve her husband's dignity.
In truth, Fleur had grievances she could not voice. Conrad controlled every penny that entered or left the household. Where was she supposed to find spare money to buy clothes for a money-losing burden?
Only after hearing his wife's words did Conrad's expression return to normal.
After dinner, Conrad tossed her a bag of gold coins. "Once you're at the Divine Mountain, there'll be plenty of occasions that require money for favors and socializing. Don't disgrace the family."
The gold coins were cold, pressing painfully into her palm.
After closing the door, Li Jia counted the coins over and over, even biting them a few times.
This really is 999 pure gold. I've hit the jackpot!
I just don't know whether I can hold on until I return to the modern world and pawn it.