Chapter 1

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Qi Surong slowly opened her eyes, looking at the red silk tent above her head, dotted with flowers and embroidered butterflies, and the bead curtain was half-draped, everything is hazy as if she was in a dream.

Turning her head, her eyes swept across the room one by one, the rhombus window, the mirror with branches, the gold-inlaid red sandalwood tables and chairs, the cicada-patterned jade screen... everything in front of her seemed familiar.

Qi Surong sat up and touched the soft quilt on her body, her slender fingers looked exceptionally clear against the red silk. She stretched out her hands, it was her white jade-like skin as she was before the age of sixteen. But this shouldn't be the hand she should have now, her hands should have been toiled and scarred for decades.

Legend has it that the soul of a person will return to the place where she wants to go most after death. Is she still nostalgic for the wealth and glory of the past?

Qi Surong reached out and touched her face, which was smooth and delicate without any wrinkles. The temperature she felt at her fingertips made her slightly stunned. Strange, does it still feel like this after death?

She rolled over and got out of bed, stroking everything in the room with her fingers one by one. The touch under her fingertips was so real, so real that she almost had the urge to cry.

Unconsciously, she walked to the bronze mirror, and the mirror reflected her sixteen or seventeen-year-old appearance, with picturesque eyebrows, eyes, red lips, and flowery face. A flowery appearance, paired with noble birth, and extraordinary talents. It was the capital Qi Surong was once proud of, but it was also the reason for her arrogance.

Qi Surong smiled at herself. After 30 years of hardships, she could already see through it all. Life is all about self-knowledge. Poverty and wealth are like fleeting moments.

She is very grateful to her master, who let her spend the most leisurely two years of her life before her death, it was with no disputes, no hatred, no insults, no nobles, no conspiracies, she only live for happiness.

Those short two years are more meaningful than her forty years of life. Qi Surong has done too many wrongs and owed too many people. Her life is like a ridiculous tragedy. If she hadn't met her master, she would probably have died, instead of being as indifferent as she is now.

While thinking about it, there was a sudden noise outside the door.

Qi Surong was stunned for a moment, opened the door, and her eyes were filled with purple and bright red. It's the season of blooming flowers, and the courtyard is picturesque, but the rush of people in the courtyard ruins the beauty of the scenery.

"Miss, it's not good!" A familiar voice came from afar, Qi Surong looked at the source, and saw a maid in yellow rushing over, panting, "Miss, it's not good. The mansion was surrounded by many officers and soldiers."

"What?" Qi Surong was stunned, didn't this happen back then when she was sixteen?

Her father was a general of Weiguo, a second-rank official, but he was too upright and lofty, and he offended a lot of powerful people. As a result, he was framed by others, arousing the anger of the emperor. In the end, the emperor issued a decree to investigate and deal with him. 

All their property was confiscated. At this time, although there was no official decree, troops and horses were sent to block the Qi Mansion. The Qi family's situation has been decided then, they fell from the cloud to the quagmire and have been unable to recover since then.

This is also the beginning of Qi Surong's tragic fate.

Is this... a dream? Qi Surong's expression was a little dazed.

"My lady, what the hell is going on? What do those officers and soldiers want to do?" The maid looked anxious.

"...Ping'er?" Qi Surong stared blankly at the little girl in front of her and called out her name with a trembling voice.

"Yes, what are your orders, Miss?" Ping'er looked at Qi Surong with hope.

Ping'er is still alive, standing in front of her alive!

Qi Surong grabbed Ping'er's arm tightly, suppressed the excitement in her heart, and walked out of the room slowly, her eyes swept over everything around her.

It's not a dream, it's not a dream!

Qi Surong only felt her eyes sore, and an indescribable emotion flooded into her heart. She went back to 30 years ago?

Is this a new life given to her by God?

"Young miss, don't be sad, things may not be as bad as you imagined." Seeing Qi Surong's tears in her eyes, Ping'er thought she was frightened, so she quickly comforted her.

"No, I'm not sad, I'm happy, very happy!" Yes, how can she not be happy? God gave her a chance to live again, how lucky! In this life, she will never make the mistakes she once made, and she will never again owe the people she once owed. She wants to live her life with no regrets and no guilt!

Ping'er looked at Qi Surong who was crying and laughing strangely, wondering if she had lost her mind.

"Miss?"

"Well, it's alright. Ping'er, go and pack your things, we will be kicked out of Qi's residence by the officers and soldiers soon, there's not much time left." Qi Surong cleaned up her expression and told Ping'er what to do and walk towards her room.

"Kick out of the Qi Mansion?" Ping'er still didn't believe it. "How is that possible? Miss, shouldn't we wait for the master to return to the mansion?"

Father Qi is now being imprisoned by the emperor in the palace, and when he returns, the Qi Mansion will have been looted long ago.

"Don't say more, just do as I say, go!" Qi Surong's voice was a little stern.

"Okay, okay." Ping'er no longer hesitated, and quickly turned around and ran away.

Qi Surong walked into her room and neatly pulled out a few banknotes from the dressing cabinet. This amount is just her usual half-month expenses, but now it will become the capital for her and her family to stand on.

In her last life, she couldn't accept the reality that Qi's family was sealed up. She was given a huge blow, and she never thought about the issue of money. Since she was a child, she had always thought that money was a common thing and wasn't worth mentioning.

Now that Qi Surong thinks about it, she's really stupid and naive.

Glancing across the jewelry box, Qi Surong could only shake her head regretfully. The person who seized the Qi family's property this time was his father's nemesis. He seize everything in the Qi family and they weren't allowed to take any valuables, including her mother's dowry.

Qi Surong could only pick out a few pieces of jewelry and hid them in her arms along with the banknotes. Afterward, she picked up some clothes, brought a set of embroidery needles that were specially made for someone, picked up her guqin, walked out of the room, and walked quickly towards the courtyard where her mother lived.

Eight or nine people were standing in her mother's room, talking about something, while her mother was sitting beside the bed, crying to herself.

"The eldest lady is here, what are you doing?!" A beautiful woman said.

Qi Surong ignored her and went straight to her mother.

"Rong'er, your father..." Mother Qi took Qi Surong's hand with a sad face.

"I know, mother, the Qi family is going to be ruined, we must prepare early." Qi Surong tried to keep herself calm, but her eyes lingered on her mother's face.

Mom, I can finally see you again!

"What? The Qi's mansion is going to be ruined?" Before Mother Qi could speak, a woman in Chinese clothes next to her interrupted and shouted.

The other people in the room were also shocked.

Qi Surong stared at them and said indifferently, "If I were you, I wouldn't waste time here. Pack up some valuables as soon as possible and prepare to leave the Qi's residence."

"Why are you so sure?" The gorgeous woman asked. The Qi family has been an official from generation to generation, and it's a famous noble family that has been passed down for several generations. With the Qi family's influence in the imperial court, how could they end up like this?

"It's up to you whether you believe it or not. I've said it all. Please leave. I want to be alone with my mother." Qi Surong had no good feelings for them. They are the concubines of her father. After the Qi family was investigated in their previous life, they abandoned her father one after another because they couldn't bear the hard life. Some concubines even owed a lot of money and placed the debt in the name of her father, and the money was swept away by them. 

Of course, not everyone is ruthless, at least two people are willing to share the weal and woe with her father, but they are driven away by her father in the end. As they might be better off without the Qi family who was charged with a crime.

Qi Surong reminded them(concubines) to pack up valuable things this time, not for their sake but for hoping that they could leave her and her parents early when they still had money.

She remembered that in her past life, most people didn't have the time to pack up their belongings. Because of this, these concubines will continue to follow her father's side until his last value is drained.

Qi Surong sent them away, looked around, and asked, "Mother, where is Su Bao?"

Su Bao is Surong's younger brother birthed by the same mother. Although Father Qi had many wives and concubines, he was very strict in the matter of having children and didn't allow women other than his legal wife to bear his children. So far, he has only two children, Surong and Su Bao.

"Su Bao is still ill, resting in his room, the nurse is taking care of him." Mother Qi replied sobbing.

Qi Surong knelt beside Mother Qi's leg and said softly: "Mother, listen to me, the emperor will not spare the Qi family this time, we must find another way out."

"But your father hasn't come back yet. Are we not going to wait for your father to come back before making plans?"

"Mother, trust me, Dad will be fine." Qi Surong said cautiously, "What we need to do now is to prepare as many silver taels as possible to prepare for our future life."

Mother Qi glanced at Qi Surong with a hesitant look on her face. She has lived in the inner compound all her life and has never traveled far, but now she's suddenly leaving the Qi Mansion.

Qi Surong is very aware of  Mother Qi's temperament, she is more than virtuous, but lacks courage, and is indecisive when it comes to things. Because of her mother's character, she used to look down on her all the time, feeling that she didn't have the prestige of being a mistress of the house. 

Although Qi Surong's lips are rarely disrespectful, her eyes and expressions often betray her true thoughts. When Mother Qi faced her, she was always trembling and didn't dare to say a heavy word. Mother Qi was afraid of her, afraid of her own daughter.

Thinking of this, Qi Surong felt sad. How could she look down on her mother who raised her through hard work?

"Mother, now that the Qi family has suddenly changed, our family should be more united. No matter what difficulties we face, we must never give up. As long as our relatives are still there, everything can be done all over again. Isn't that right?" Qi Surong persuaded.

Mother Qi looked at her blankly, this was still her daughter's familiar pretty face, but she felt completely different as if she had grown and matured overnight.

Qi Surong stood up and said to Mother Qi, "Mother, I'll help you clean up, and then let's go find Su Bao together."

Mother Qi hesitated but finally gave in silently.

Qi Surong first helped Mother Qi tidy up her clothes, and then took out a stack of silver bills from the dark pavilion. Mother Qi's private stack doesn't have much money, but her dowry is very rich, but unfortunately, they can't take it with them. 

Qi Surong touched the pieces of jewelry in the jewelry box and then neatly stored silk and satin in the box and made up her mind that one day, she must help her mother to reclaim these items.

T/N: Another novel again, coz I'm generous in making myself work hard.

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