Chapter 3 I'm here, Mother

Two days passed and Li Meixiu found herself slowly getting used to her new body. She stopped stuttering and could finally speak full words and sentences. Her body grew stronger until she didn't need to be supported anymore.

Physician Sun had been baffled after examining her. The fever had been completely gone, like it never existed.

Only a day before he had been sure that she would die!

If only he knew that the original Li Meixiu did indeed die and a different soul inhabited her body now. But Physician Sun hadn't known the old Second Miss good enough to notice the difference. Not even her maidservant Lu Dongmei and Nanny Han noticed any difference in her behavior - or at least until she asked them to bring her thread and needle.

Li Meixiu had grown bored in her chamber. Although she seemed to have completely recovered, Physician Sun still advised her to stay indoors for a few more days, just to make sure.

The snow had already melted but it was still quite cold outside. The risk of her catching a cold was too high.

On the second day, once her legs were strong enough to carry her without support, Li Meixiu found herself examining her wardrobe. It seemed the original Li Meixiu preferred simple clothing. Her hanfus were all plain and - apart from a few fancier silk ones- made out of simple cotton fabric. Definitely not what one would expect from a Marquis' daughter. As she slit her hands across the soft fabrics, the Fashion Designer in her came to life. She didn't have all the resources she had in the twenty-first century but she was sure that she still could upgrade her wardrobe to her personal taste while still adhering to this time's fashion standards. She took a bland, white colored hanfu out of her wardrobe and asked Lu Dongmei to bring her needle and threat.

Lu Dongmei frowned at her Mistress' request. She had served the Second Miss for five years now and never once during that time had she seen her doing embroidery. She had never seen the Second Miss doing any activities socially acceptable for a Lady of her rank. While the Third Miss could be seen in the parlor doing embroidery, playing the Guzheng , painting, preparing tea and dancing, the Second Miss usually kept to herself and studied ancient scriptures.

Whenever the Second Miss had locked herself in her study all day Lu Dongmei would sigh. In a world, where a woman's worth depended on her ability to attract a husband from a prestigious family and bear him a male heir, studying ancient scriptures wouldn't bring her far.

If her Mistress continued being this ignorant, she would end up as a disgrace to her family.

When she heard her asking for embroidery utensils Lu Dongmei's eyes lit up.

Could it be that her Mistress finally came to her senses?

It was about time, for it already was six months past her Ji Li .

She needed to marry soon or the Third Miss would beat her to it, which would be embarrassing since the Second Miss was the older one of them and the daughter of the main wife while the Third Miss was concubine-born.

Li Meixiu was busy embroidering a delicate flower pattern into her plain white hanfu, as Nanny Han stormed into the room. Li Meixiu looked up from her work, annoyed at the disturbance. But when she looked at Nanny Han's face, she saw bloodshot, watery eyes and wet cheeks.

"What happened?", she asked.

Instead of answering the question, Nanny Han sobbed. Li Meixiu placed her work on the table and asked Lu Dongmei to bring the older woman a cloth to dry her tears with. She then pointed to the chair beside her.

"Please, sit down and tell me what happened."

But Nanny Han shook her head.

"No! A lowly servant like me can't possibly sit on the Second Miss' furniture!"

Li Meixiu could have slapped herself.

Of course.

How could she have forgotten that this was a different time period?

Lu Dongmei awkwardly handed Nanny Han the cloth and then positioned herself behind her Mistress.

It took some minutes for Nanny Han to calm down.

"Your mother... Second Miss, she locked herself in her chamber and refuses to eat. She...she...Second Miss, she wants to kill herself! This servant was unable to convince her that you are well."

Li Meixiu's eyes grew wide. Although this Lady Wei wasn't really her mother she couldn't let her die. She took over the original Li Meixiu's body so she owed it to her to take good care of her loved ones.

She jumped on her feet and rushed out of her room. Just then she realized that she didn't know the way to Lady Wei's chamber.

Luckily she didn't need to ask; as it turned out, word of Lady Wei's misery already reached the rest of the manor. Further down the hallway she could hear voices and people banging on a door.

"Please open the door, Lady Wei!"

"Someone has to call for the Second Miss! She won't listen to anyone else."

Li Meixiu rushed towards the voices, Lu Dongmei and Nanny Han close behind her.

When she arrived, she saw a crowd of maidservants gathering in front of a big door. They were too busy banging on the door to notice the new arrivals.

Just as Li Meixiu wanted to speak up, she heard another voice behind her.

"Why are you causing such a ruckus?"

The voice was deep and full of authority. She turned around and saw a middle aged man standing behind her, arms crossed and glaring angrily at the paling maidservants.

"M...Master!", one of the maidservants spoke and bowed to him. The others followed her.

He kept glaring at them.

"Who do you think you are to cause such a noise? You're disturbing Xia'er's peace!"

"Master, please talk to Lad..", one of the maidservants started but the Marquis interrupted her.

"I did not allow you to speak! Go back to work, every one of you! If any of you disturb my daughter again, I'll have you all beaten to death!"

With this he turned around and left.

The crowd of maidservants dissipated as everyone went back to their work.

Li Meixiu blinked.

Was this man really her father?

He didn't even look at her.

She was sure that he hadn't meant her when he talked about disturbing his daughter.

Behind her she heard Nanny Han mumbling, "Of course it's about the Third Miss. Our Second Miss just escaped death and Lady Wei is feeling miserable but it's only ever about the Third Miss!"

Li Meixiu frowned.

Indeed. It seemed like her father didn't care one bit about her mother - or his second daughter.

It didn't matter to her, though. One was better off not relying on one's parents.

She had already learned that lesson in her past life.

Li Meixiu stepped to the door and knocked.

"Please open the door, niang . I'm here."

For a few seconds it was quiet on the other side of the door but then she heard a woman's voice.

"Xiu'er? No, it can't be my Xiu'er! I felt her dying!"

She heard the woman crying.

Li Meixiu sighed. She didn't want to lie to Lady Wei but she had to.

"No, I didn't. I'm here, niang."

A few seconds later the door opened and a woman stood in front of her. Li Meixiu hold her breath.

It was almost as if she stared at her mirror reflection; the same eyes, and almost the same facial features.

This woman once must have been very beautiful but the bloodshot eyes and her severely malnourished body took away some of that beauty. Her complexion was too pale and sickly. Li Meixiu felt a heat flaring up inside her. It wasn't just a small flame.

It was a raging, all-consuming fire.

She clenched her fist.

What did they do to this poor woman?

This couldn't only be about her fever.

Lady Wei looked like she was starving for years.

Wei Ruolan eyed the girl in front of her suspiciously. She indeed looked like her daughter but she couldn't fool her.

This was not her daughter.

Her Xiu'er had a hard life from the day she was born. But no matter how much she suffered, she never lost her optimism. A stranger, someone who didn't know that she was the Marquis' second daughter, would never know how hard her life truly was if they met her on the street.

This girl, however, was different. Her eyes, though friendly, were hollow and missed that familiar sparkle. The corners of her mouth were slightly sunken, her shoulder were bent, as if they carried a heavy burden.

"Who are you?"

The girl frowned and Wei Ruolan saw her flinching slightly .

"What do you mean, niang? I'm Xiu'er."

Wei Ruolan shook her head.

"No, you are not. My Xiu'er died two days ago. I felt it. So I ask you again: Who are you?"