Suddenly, as if something had occurred to her, Qin Yunyun spoke up, “There’s no need to trouble yourself like that. I know of a craftsman with excellent skill—perhaps he could repair it. If he can, wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”

  Xu Peiwei’s face lit up with surprise. “Truly?”

  “It’s true,” Qin Yunyun replied. “I once overheard my mother mention that just outside Dongyin Temple, in the southern part of the city, there’s a small woodworking shop. The craftsman there is quite skilled and even makes mechanical curiosities. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that I recall, it may very well be simir to how these birds and cats work. Cousin, why don’t you send someone to ask Aunt?”

  Without hesitation, Xu Peiwei summoned a maid. “Did you hear what the young dy said? Go ask my mother. If it’s possible, prepare the carriage—I want to go myself.”

  Once the maid had left, Qin Yunyun smiled. “Cousin, you want to go in person?”

  Xu Peiwei nodded. “Naturally. I want to oversee the repair myself. If the craftsman isn’t skilled enough and ruins it, there’s nowhere else to buy another. These things are rare; I doubt many people have even seen one.”

  Qin Yunyun cpped her hands, delighted. “Good! If Cousin is going, I’ll go too. I’m always cooped up at home—it’s such a fine day, perfect for getting out and clearing one’s head. Who knew coming to Uncle’s house today would bring me such a treat?”

  She began counting on her fingers. “Today is the second day of the fourth month—an auspicious day! We missed the first yesterday, so there won’t be many people at Dongyin Temple. A few of Aunt’s maids and guards will be enough to accompany us. Fifth Sister, Seventh Sister—you’ve never been, have you? There’s everything you could want down there. Trinkets, snacks… more than you can count.”

  Qin Shuying continued to toy with the wooden bird, her heart stirring.

  Dongyin Temple sat on the southern hills, halfway up the slope. At the base of the hill, many shops clustered together—selling incense and candles, small toys, trinkets, food, and all kinds of curiosities. On the first and fifteenth of each month, there was even a lively temple fair.

  It wasn’t far from the city either, so the area beneath the hill was bustling with merchants selling every sort of good.

  Everything Qin Yunyun said was true.

  Qin Lulu’s face lit up as well. This was indeed a rare opportunity.

  Though she usually went out two or three times a month, it was always with a horde of maids and attendants, and only within the areas her mother had approved. At most, she could buy some rouge, powder, and snacks.

  When the prospect of an outing arose, even the maids in the inner and outer rooms became excited, chattering away with anticipation.

  Ziteng and Luye exchanged a gnce, and in that silent look was a shared vigince.

  Luye seized the moment and murmured quietly to Ziteng, “Stay close to Miss. I’ll act accordingly.”

  Ziteng nodded. “Just so. You should do this and this…”

  Luye listened carefully.

  Cailuan, who had been lingering nearby, cut in, “What are you two whispering about?”

  Ziteng smiled. “We were just wondering what good food might be sold around the temple.”

  Cailuan was quite pretty, only fourteen years old this year. After Caiyan left, her mother pulled some strings to get her this enviable position. The young dy favored her, and compared to Caiying, she had become the most favored maid by her side.

  Her meteoric rise made her smug.

  Today, the young dy had specifically instructed her to watch Ziteng and Luye closely, especially Ziteng—she was not to leave her side and was to report anything she heard.

  Cailuan pursed her lips and said nothing more. She had only been momentarily distracted earlier, and Ziteng and Luye had immediately started whispering. Though she knew they hadn’t been speaking the truth, she was also sure that in such a brief moment, they couldn’t have exchanged anything truly meaningful.

  “Cailuan, your knotted sash is really quite pretty,” Luye suddenly complimented, pointing at the ornament hanging from Cailuan’s waist.

  A trace of disdain fshed across Cailuan’s face, and she took a step back. The scar on Luye’s face made her uneasy and repulsed.

  Other young dies chose pretty maids to accompany them when they went out, so they could hold their heads high. She couldn’t understand why Seventh Miss insisted on taking along such an ugly maid.

  Thinking this, Cailuan said outright, “Stand over there. Don’t come closer.”

  Luye, who had been reaching to touch Cailuan’s sash, withdrew her hand and casually adjusted her sleeve. A fsh of green glimmered at her wrist—a bright, translucent jade bracelet, clearly worth hundreds of taels.

  The shine nearly dazzled Cailuan’s eyes.

  Luye subtly shifted her other sleeve, revealing another identical bracelet on her other wrist—a perfect pair.

  “Our young dy always has good taste. She gave me this pair herself. Look at the shine, the luster… I shouldn’t even be wearing them both at once; the young dy would surely say I have no sense of decorum. But since she gave them to me, I couldn’t resist wearing them today. Don’t you think so, Cailuan?”

  Cailuan, who had already been annoyed by the jade hairpins Ziteng and Luye wore, now found herself utterly disgusted by Luye’s vulgar funting. She wanted nothing more than to sp her.

  But Luye paid no mind to Cailuan’s expression, speaking on blithely. “Back when Huiqin was sent to the undry house, she envied me so much, seeing all the fine things I had. Later, Caiyan envied me too. Every time she saw me, she looked like she wanted to snatch my things away. Oh, Cailuan, you’re probably the one who repced Caiyan, aren’t you?”

  A chill ran down Cailuan’s spine at the mention of Huiqin and Caiyan…

  Huiqin, she’d heard, had been sold off—not to any good pce. Caiyan’s legs were broken, as good as dead.

  She looked at Luye with growing unease, who simply smiled as she admired her bracelets. Then she gnced at Ziteng—Ziteng was smiling as well, but her gaze was cold and distant, like ice.

  They rarely spoke with Ziteng—truthfully, Ziteng rarely spoke at all. Every time they met, she wore a soft smile, but the closer you got, the colder she seemed.

  Caiying, standing quietly at the side, listened to their conversation, her heart churning.

  Huiqin, Caiyan… Both had been ruined because they schemed against the Seventh Miss.

  Even Eighth Miss had ended up in misery because of her—married off to that sort of family as a concubine, unable to return home even a few times in her life…

  It was said that once her novelty wore off, Young Master Sun left Eighth Miss in the cold. Word had come recently—before the legitimate wife had entered the household, Eighth Miss had gotten pregnant, which was considered improper. She had been made to take a decoction to abort the child.

  Everyone knew Eighth Miss was pregnant back then. Now they used “rules” as an excuse. That Zhuangmu Marquis Residence… what could one say about such people?

  After that ordeal, Eighth Miss’s health had declined, and she was left with only one maid to care for her. As a concubine, she could only bring two maids; one of them had already been cimed by Young Master Sun and couldn’t serve her anymore.

  Concubine Li had begged the Master to send two more maids, but one was taken by Young Master Sun the very night she arrived.

  That kind of man, that kind of household… Even as an honored concubine, what of it?

  Was it really retribution for Eighth Miss for having harmed Seventh Miss?

  The more Caiying thought, the colder her heart grew, a chill spreading down her spine.