My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 537 - 353: My name is Qian’er, a delicate figure, born in Zhao Mansion

Chapter 537: Chapter 353: My name is Qian’er, a delicate figure, born in Zhao Mansion

Even after a very long time had passed, even though the deserted hall of the orphanage, located in the southwest corner of Duke Mansion—a place too neglected for the occupants to bother hanging a plaque—had long been covered in a thick layer of dust.

Even though the orphans who once stood in that hall, waiting for fate to cast its die, had since each found their own destinies, settling the dust.

Some remained in Duke Mansion, serving as low-class servants, fetching tea and water; some, clever and attentive, became high-class maids caring for the master; others, fortunate in their luck, were taken as concubines by Zhao family sons and transformed into masters.

Some redeemed themselves quietly, leaving the mansion, marrying into ordinary families, living lives filled with the mundane necessities of firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

But there were others who were destined to be different; seeming like phoenixes with clipped wings, they did not belong with the sparrows and ants; pain and suffering, cold and hunger were not their graves but the flames of Nirvana from which they were reborn.

Rising from the ashes, they were destined to soar high, reaching upwards spiritedly, overturning the heavens, their calls filling Nine Heavens, leaving all mundane birds beneath them, never looking back.

Despite that, everything above had changed beyond recognition.

These memories too were swept into dusty corners by everyone.

But for one little girl, it still felt like just yesterday...

The orphanage had been closed down long ago.

Everyone, including various stewards and the chosen orphan maids, had almost forgotten that sunny morning; the small, dirty-faced girl tucked in the back of the crowd, her identity unknown as she beamed brilliantly.

They had also forgotten the series of events that took place that spring morning.

Until many years later, the acts she and the second-young miss from the fourth household committed while Cultivating outside repeatedly reached back to Duke Mansion.

The mansion erupted in joy like during festivals, the Emperor of Chu’s imperial decrees rewarded them time and again, and high dignitaries from Great Chu entered the side gates of Duke Mansion with laughter and light steps.

That cool and proud second-young miss, accompanied by a similarly legendary slender maid, soon became a personage only second to the young miss, eagerly fussed over by the Zhao family descendants, who enthusiastically inquired and looked up to her in admiration.

Meanwhile, the little maid known for her love of swings became an envied figure for the other lowly maids in Duke Mansion, a secret role model, imagined every night before sleep.

Swings became much more common throughout the mansion.

It was only then that those who had personally experienced the selection of maids that morning in the orphanage had their delayed realizations, astonished to discover such intersections; afterward, many couldn’t help but shake their heads at the humble beginnings of such a character.

If nothing else went wrong, this had also become a piece of proud conversational material they shared among others while looking up.

However, among them were some, like seven orphan maids, who trembled in fear upon recalling some ominous matters; when they returned to their senses and listened again, all they heard were their masters’ excited discussions, filled with a respectful and careful tone towards that ’little maid’.

In the midst of the bustling welcome for the pair of lady and maid throughout Duke Mansion, including these seven orphan maids, some slaves trembled in fear, struggling to sleep or eat.

Aside from a few who overreacted, scared of retaliation and attempted to crazily flee Duke Mansion, only to be caught by the mansion guards and have their limbs broken.

That day, the others who had once participated in bullying the weak knelt proactively on the corridor where Zhao Qian’er was about to pass.

In front of these loudly kowtowing, prostrate bodies trembling in terror, their speech unclear,

Zhao Qian’er, whose laughter was still brimming delightfully, passed by as if they were mere bystanders, her gaze not pausing for an instant.

Her steps on the corridor were light and joyful.

As she happily ran off to the kitchen behind her, the expressions of those left behind were of stupefied amazement. Zhao Qian’er cheerfully brought food that suited the taste of a seemingly increasingly bookish fellow.

With her happiness, her beautiful brows could not help but furrow.

"Rong’er is such a fool, a big fool. Even if he is in mourning for our mother, he shouldn’t skip meals! Every day, apart from going out to clean Aunt Liu’s tomb, he just locks himself in his room reading. His health is most important!"

Zhao Qian’er carried the food container, not avoiding anyone, and returned the same way.

Just like before, she passed by those strangers still kneeling on the ground, continuing on her way without a care.

She carefully carried the food container, returning to a certain someone’s courtyard, arriving at the door of his house.

Yet the little girl hesitated outside the door for a long time, her lips slightly opening and closing, as if rehearsing the right words to say upon entering.

At this moment, Rong’er had already become engaged to the young miss, and Aunt Liu had also passed away six months ago.

Rong’er was mourning and studying, and she and the young miss dressed in plain white went out to Cultivate. They had briefly returned to the mansion, claiming to visit the dowager, but the person she truly wished to see was in this very house.

When Zhao Qian’er first returned, the first sight of Rong’er’s haggard appearance turned her face deathly pale.

Since the engagement with the young miss meant he was meeting her often, he was slightly nicer to her and would speak to her, only that it annoyed Zhao Qian’er that she was disturbing his studies.