Chapter 16

Chapter 16

For several days in a row, Cui Shao left early and returned late, nowhere to be seen.

He even took Qingshan with him, yet every morning when I got up, the firewood was already stacked neatly and the water vat was full.

Like the Snail Girl from the legends, he had everything prepared ahead of time.

But the feeling was… off.

Even my younger brother sensed something wasn’t right. He said that one night, when he got up to use the latrine, he saw Cui Shao standing at the bedroom door without going in, turning a jade pendant over and over in his hand.

“Sister, do you think he’s gone stupid? He doesn’t sleep-he just stares at that pendant. Can that pendant be more comfortable than a bed?”

My brother cocked his head. Cui Zishu happened to pass by and snorted. “He’s avoiding your sister. You can’t even see that?”

“Liar! Why would he avoid my sister? My sister is amazing-there’s nobody better under heaven. If Brother-in-law doesn’t like her, then he’s a fool-even more of a fool than me!”

On anything else, my brother could be negotiated with. The moment it involved me, he gave no ground.

“You’re spouting nonsense! How can you put yourself on the same level as my brother? My Chen Clan of Qinghe is-”

“So what if it’s the Chen Clan of Qinghe? Isn’t my sister the one running the household now!”

My brother had learned well from me. His talent for speaking sweetly to those above while stepping on those below was downright refined, especially paired with that maddening expression-chin lifted, eyelids half-lowered. Only, he could never quite imitate it perfectly; no matter what, there was still a child’s innocence in him.

Which somehow made it even more infuriating.

Cui Zishu shook with anger, pointing at my brother and me. “Petty nobodies drunk on a little success! That’s what you are-petty nobodies!”

“Being a petty nobody drunk on success is a good thing. If anything, we should be thanking the Cui Family for giving me and my brother this chance.”

Ever since my brother and I arrived at the Cui Family, Cui Zishu-a young lady of the Noble Families who usually kept perfect decorum-had been losing her composure again and again. If the last shred of reason hadn’t been holding her back, she would have exploded long ago.

But the way she looked now wasn’t much better than an outright explosion.

She bit her lip, twisting her handkerchief so hard it was practically about to tear. I almost wanted to call her a “warrior,” but I knew better than to pull a rope too tight-if it snapped, that would be trouble.

The Cui Clan had a long scholarly tradition, but that vast learning never taught her how to deal with street-smart “nobodies” like us. After all, when it came to people like us, they had always relied on power to press us down.

I learned that lesson back in the Chen Family too: if you have power, I’ll bow my head. But once the power is gone, all those lofty principles don’t work on people like us.