The third year of Yuanjing.
On the winter solstice, it snows heavily.
In a small courtyard in the northwest corner of Chengguo Mansion, thick smoke was billowing.
Luo Qingzhou was wearing thin clothes and squatting beside the brazier at the door. He held a moon-white girl's bellyband embroidered with peonies in one hand and fanned the burning dry firewood in the brazier with a cattail leaf fan in the other.
These pieces of dry firewood were picked up from the snow, and the outside had already been soaked by rain and snow.
The wood will only burn after the flame has burned away the moisture inside.
Luo Qingzhou coughed a few times in the smoke, waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand to fan away some of the smoke, and then sat down next to the brazier, roasting the girl's bellyband in his hand while staring at the flames in the brazier in a daze.
Three days ago.
When I woke up, I traveled to this place.
Great Yan Empire, Mo City.
Cheng Guofu, the third son of the Luo family, and a concubine's son.
A weak scholar.
In ancient times, the status of a concubine's son and a legitimate son was very different.
If the child was born out of wedlock to a woman of no status, he would be even more humble.
And from the memories in this body, we know that he is not even the illegitimate son of the master of Chengguo Mansion.
Three years ago.
His mother brought him to Chengguo Mansion and settled down there.
Luo Yannian, the master of Chengguo Mansion, acknowledged his status as a bastard's son, but did not acknowledge his mother's status.
Until his mother passed away suddenly last year, she was not even given the title of concubine.
In private, the servants in the mansion were discussing his life experience.
"A child brought by a country woman, I don't know if it's the master's child or not. He doesn't look like the master at all."
"Master is kindhearted. In my opinion, they should be chased away as swindlers."
All my memories are of bad images.
Luo Qingzhou sighed and turned over the girl's bellyband in his hand.
What a bullshit young master of the state palace. No one in the Cheng state palace even regards him as the young master of the Luo family.
Even the maids and servants were dressed better than him, and they even had charcoal to burn when it was cold in winter.
And him.
In this cold winter with heavy snow, I sat in this dilapidated courtyard, wearing a thin coarse cloth gown and burning damp wood, with no one paying attention to me.
How pitiful and lamentable!
Although they came from another world, their body memories have merged together and they can empathize with each other's emotions.
Frustrated, repressed, depressed, confused, angry, and hateful.
Yes, there is still hatred.
His mother was only in her thirties and was originally in very good health, but she suddenly fell seriously ill and died last year without any warning.
It took only two days from the time he fell ill to the time he died.
Obviously there is something else going on.
And "he" also inexplicably lost his soul three days ago, and his body was occupied by his current self.
There must be something weird.
He knew that members of large families would defraud each other, scheme against each other, and even kill each other for various interests.
I just didn't expect to encounter such a thing as soon as I came here.
It is obviously not possible to be a rich young man who lives a quiet life, indifferent to worldly affairs, focusing on eating, drinking, having fun, lying down and waiting to die.
But now he is alone, without any support and power. How can he break the impasse
"My lord, my lord! I have good news to tell you!"
Following a clear voice like that of an oriole, a thin maid in emerald green clothes ran into the courtyard covered in snow, her pretty and tender face full of excitement.
Xiaodie, his only maid.
Because he did something wrong, he was almost thrown into a well by the first lady Wang, and was rescued by his mother.
From then on, she became the maid of the mother and son and was loyal to them.
However, because of their relationship, they were often bullied by other maids and servants in the mansion, and often had bruises on their bodies.
"What good news?"
Luo Qingzhou asked as he observed the poor, frail girl.
What good news could there be for him in the palace
At most, when the New Year is approaching, the housekeeper will give him a few more coins or make him a new set of clothes.
After all, they will be celebrating the New Year together. Wearing these tattered clothes will not only bring shame to the Chengguo Mansion, but will also make the eldest lady look bad.
As the mistress of Chengguo Mansion, Wang was extremely averse to outsiders discussing her personal morality behind her back.
But this was not the news Xiaodie brought.
The little girl said excitedly, "Sir, I just overheard the master talking to a guest outside the living room. The eldest lady was also there. The eldest lady mentioned you, and it seemed to be about your marriage. Sir, you have come of age this year and are going to get married."
Luo Qingzhou was stunned for a moment: "Get married?"
In this era, people get married very early.
And if he gets married, he can get his own property, and he can even move out and have his own house and all kinds of freedoms.
But would the eldest lady be so kind as to let him get married and then smoothly share the Luo family's assets
Although he was a bastard's son and could not inherit too much property, and had nothing to do with the title, he was after all the son of the Luo family. The Chengguo family was wealthy and powerful, so giving him a house and some property was just a drop in the bucket.
However, based on my memory of the past three years, there may be something else going on.
Even if the eldest lady was generous to the maids and servants, she would never be generous to him.
"Sir, when you get married, we will move out. Xiaodie can serve as three people and will take good care of you and your wife."
"I wonder which girl the young master is going to marry. Considering your status, she must be a daughter of some rich family. She must be very beautiful."
Xiaodie has already begun to fantasize about the wonderful life in the future with great anticipation.
At this moment, the voice of Butler Wang suddenly came from outside the door: "Is the Third Young Master here? The Master and the Madam are calling you over."
Luo Qingzhou suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.
But he did not dare to hesitate. He stood up, handed the girl's bellyband in his hand to Xiaodie, and then walked out of the yard.
Xiaodie opened her eyes wide and looked at the bellyband in her hand. She was stunned for a moment, and her little face suddenly turned red with embarrassment.
How could a young man steal her bellyband? This is a girl's thing, she washed it and hung it in her room...
Luo Qingzhou walked out of the courtyard.
Standing outside the door was a plump middle-aged man wearing a gray brocade robe.
It was Wang Cheng, the second steward of Chengguo Mansion.
It is said that he is a relative of the first lady Wang.
This butler Wang is different from others. He is very polite to everyone, even to himself, the illegitimate son who has long become a invisible and dispensable person in the mansion.
"Third Master, let's go and change your clothes first. We have an important guest to meet later."
Butler Wang had a smile on his face, his body slightly bent, and his attitude was respectful and impeccable.
"Butler Wang, which guest do you want to see?"
Luo Qingzhou followed behind with his head down, deliberately acting humble and timid, and his tone was cautious.
He was like this before.
Steward Wang smiled and said, "When the Third Young Master goes there, you will know."
Luo Qingzhou's eyes flashed, but he didn't ask any more questions.
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