“I brought you someone you might like” said Ling Shan while dragging Mei-er outside her manor. He passed by a slave trader earlier and bought her three slaves to gift to her. Mei-er’s manor only has her wet nurse and a few maidservants for heavy labor since she didn’t like being served upon. Ling Shan thought since she is turning 11 this year, she has to have some maids to serve her. The boy he bought however looks like he has some potential in using martial arts. He could be her bodyguard in the future.
Mei-er was dragged to Ling Shan’s manor, and there she saw three slaves bowing down.
“Is this the thing I’m supposed to like? You know I don’t like being waited on cousin.”
“You have to have them, you’ll be reaching the age of marriage soon and I don’t want you to be alone in another’s family with no way to fend for yourself.”
“You act as if you would let some bastard marry me.”
“I won’t, but it’s necessary for you to have them.”
Mei-er had no choice but to accept them. The first maid she saw looks timid and easily scared. She has a tanned complexion but it didn’t affect her timid nature. She looks so ordinary that you won’t be able to spot her in a crowd. The next maid looked the same but with a lighter complexion. She looked tough because her eyebrows are bushy and pointed in the end, making her look like someone who would beat someone up. The last one was a boy who looked cold and indifferent, she was a bit intimidated but she wasn’t scared of him. His complexion was sickly pale but his physique says otherwise. He stands tall as if he was from a military background. His looks cute right now but she bets he will be handsome in the future. Mei-er unconsciously blushed.
“So did you like them? I bought the boy since I imagine him being your bodyguard in the future.” With his fingers on his chin while looking at the slaves he bought, he asked Mei-er.
“I guess I do. Thank you for the gift cousin Ling Shan. I would like to take them to my courtyard so I can name them.” And so, Mei-er left to her courtyard with her newly assigned servants.
Upon returning, she named her new servants. Xiao Yi for the timid girl, Xiao Er for the tough looking girl and Xiao Qi for the boy. She called her wetnurse so she could assign the work for Yi and Er, while Xiao Qi was sent to his cousin for training.
After being with her new servants almost everyday, save for Xiao Qi, she felt like it wasn’t half bad having them around. She could talk to them carelessly and share her art without criticism. She also found out that Yi is actually the tough one while Er is the timid one. They were sisters and their personality is different from their looks. She was so shocked when she once saw Er crying while Yi scolding her for dropping the vase.
Xiao Qi on the other hand, is not cold and intimidating at all! He was like a lost little puppy that needed her guidance all the way. One time, Xiao Qi wanted to wash his whole bed after he accidentally spilled dirt from a potted plant on it. Later Mei-er saw her wetnurse scolding Xiao Qi about it. She didn’t have the heart to keep on seeing him like that so she intervened. He also kept on calling her “my lady” which ultimately made her blush whenever he calls her.
It took Mei-er some time to adjust and just stayed inside the manor glumly cause of her misreading their looks.
—-
One night, Mei-er was restless and could not fall asleep so she went out her room and lied down on the grass in front of her manor while staring at the moon. It has been a while since she arrived in this place, she didn’t know why she was reborn in this place as an infant. In her past life, she was a webtoon artist. She liked drawing and painting from a young age and it didn’t change in her rebirth. Sure her works of art lacks mastery but she likes making art all the same. While contemplating, Xiao Qi sat beside her.
“What are you doing this late my lady?”
She looked at him, then back at the moon. “Have you ever felt like you just wanted to stare at the sky, admire the moon, admire the stars and praise the gods who created them?”
Xiao Qi just looked at her and stared up at the sky as well. “I didn’t have time to look at the sky my lady, but now that you mention it, it looks beautiful and bright. The stars look like the moon’s tears.”
She didn’t know why, but Xiao Qi looked so lonely after saying that. So she sat up and held Xiao Qi’s hand. Xiao Qi froze and tried to take his hand away but Mei-er just held it tighter.
“Xiao Qi, would you like to see the sky with me again?” Xiao Qi tried to shake off her hand but when he heard her words, he just stared at her. “My lady, please observe etiquette between men and women.” he said while lowering his head, blushing.
“So it’s a no?” Mei-er looked down pitifully, but she still didn’t let go of Xiao Qi’s hand. Xiao Qi on the other hand is being flustered about his hand and his lady’s expression. She looks like she’s going to cry! Ah! What to do?!
“O-okay, I agree my lady! I will see the sky with you again!” Mei-er’s face perked up after hearing that. She straightened her pose and acted refined and poised. She lets go of Xiao Qi’s hand and smiled brightly at him.
“I like you Xiao Qi. You’re really kind, but sometimes there’s isolation and sadness behind your eyes. I hope I can enter your world as well and be able to make it livelier. I hope you don’t mind your lady being like this”
Xiao Qi became flustered and lowered his head. “I am but your servant my lady. I dare not pull you in my world, my world is only dull. I dare not covet the sun while wishing the moon freedom.”
Mei-er smiled thoughtfully at him and patted his head. “You are now part of my world. I want to do everything that can make the people in my world happy. You, Xiao Yi, Xiao Er, cousin Ling Shan, even wet nurse who only nags at me. I want every one of you to be happy.” Her smile brings life to his unmentionable emotions. His heart feels warm and bright, like the sun. Ah. Xiao Qi wishes that he can protect her smile from everything that can harm it.
—-
One sunny day, Mei-er suddenly had the urge to paint again, so she asked his cousin Ling Shan to allow her to go outside. Ling Shan agreed, but on the basis that Xiao Qi and his trusted guard Xiao Yan to go with her. Once outside the manor, she asked the carriage driver to go to the lake on the outskirts of town. Ling Shan’s influence reached up to the next town so she wasn’t worried about troubles coming her way.
She sat down under the tree and started painting. Meanwhile Xiao Qi asked Xiao Yan to train him some more. Mei-er just kept painting but she suddenly gasped out loud. When both Xiao Qi and Xiao Yan came over, she just said a bug slid down her canvas and was surprised. After that, the two guards continued training not far from her.
“That was a surprise.” Mei-er murmured. On her right hand, she was holding a rose bloom, and on her left hand is a wound that looks eerily like a rose. “I didn’t know I could…”
After spending some more time painting, Xiao Qi appreached Mei-er and asked what she was painting.
“Look and see, I tried to paint the river scene.”
Xiao Qi saw in her canvas a person playing the flute on top of a tree while overlooking the exact river scene before them, the only difference is the fields are covered in red flower blooms. The flutist himself is just wearing a plain white and pink robe while his hair sways in the wind. The sky is clear with some birds flying in the background. Some flower petals fly around the canvas that the painting looks lifelike.
“It’s beautiful my lady. I like how the flower petals blend beautifully in the canvas, giving the flutist a sense of awe. But, what are these flowers called? I don’t think I have seen them before.”
“Hm? Oh, they are called roses. Roses have different colors, and different colors mean other things.”
“What does the red rose mean my lady?”
Mei-er blushes as she tries to keep her calm. After a brief moment of silence, she smiles and opens her mouth.
“Love”
—-
Day passed quickly and who would have thought, a year had gone by. Today is the day Ling Shan brought in Xiao Yi, Xiao Er and Xiao Qi so Mei-er wanted to do something for this day. She didn’t tell her servants what the occasion today is so they were all confused as to what their mistress ordered them to do. She asked them to prepare a feast, some poppers, some fireworks! The servants were excited for the event, albeit clueless about what it is for.
Xiao Qi saw Mei-er holding up a potted plant and hurriedly asked her to put it down and scolded her for doing it by herself. She on the other hand, scolded back and asked who the lady was and who the servant was, so Xiao Qi had no choice but to assist her as she would not fall down.
After a year in the manor, Xiao Qi learned a lot of things that he never thought he needed. Like washing the covers instead of the bed itself, sunning the books to prevent molds, insulating the room using cotton instead of just shivering in the cold with a blanket on and so on. Thinking about it, Xiao Qi was indeed a clueless brat, but now, he could match the wet nurse when it comes to chiding and serving her lady.
“My lady, where would you want to hang this painting? Xiao Qi held out a painting containing a swhite swallow flying over a rice field while farmers look up to the sky.
“I’ll do it myself later, just leave it there for now.” Mei-er said while holding cups and plates while making her way to the prepared table. Various dishes and pastries are lined up, colorful candies and snacks paint the dinner table a sense of playfulness and childlike fun. After setting everything up, she called for Ling Shan and the whole manor’s servants. She asked them to sit down at the table, but others looked at each other and hesitantly did not sit down.
“This manor does not discriminate between servants and masters, you all know that. As long as you do no harm to us, as long as you do not betray us, as long as you know the manor’s bottom line, we will treat you like family.” Ling Shan stood up and smiled at the servants. Hearing his words, the servants teared up and thanked him wholeheartedly. They all sat down and waited for Mei-er.
Mei-er stood up and held out a cup. “I thank everyone for coming today. Thank you everyone for tirelessly serving us cousins. For treating us like family. My cousin and I do not discriminate between servants and masters. Because if there are no servants around, me and my cousin would probably end up destroying the whole manor.” the servants remembered the time when their young master Lin Shang accidentally burned the kitchen for trying to cook porridge when Mei-er was sick, and everybody laughed.
“Today, I would like to thank everyone for their hard work. In addition to that, I would like to thank Xiao Yi, Xiao Er and Xiao Qi for coming to our manor and being a part of our family. It’s been a year since and Xiao Yi no longer bickers with the outsiders because of bumping into her.” Everyone was surprised. So it has been a year already huh?
Xiao Yi Blushes when she hears that and Xiao Er laughs at her, in turn she is glared at back.
“Xiao Er no longer flees whenever she breaks a vase nor does she even break them anymore!” Xiao Yi blushes and laughs awkwardly, but smiles gratefully towards Mei-er.
“And…” Mei-er blushes as she looks at Xiao Qi. “Xiao Qi no longer looks lonely and solitary.” She smiles warmly as Xiao Qi stiffens, but soon laughs at her sincerely. After her speech, everyone ate happily and forgot their status for a while, as they mingle with each other without care. Ah, if only everyday is like this, then life would be so wonderful to live in.
Potato chips 