Days passed one after another.
After suffering such humiliation, the Second Young Lady's temper worsened considerably. Zheng Qian heard that she had been beating and punishing the maids harshly.
Perhaps the Second Young Lady spent all her time watching Zheng Qian, but Zheng Qian herself had little interest in her.
At the moment, Zheng Qian was in her own courtyard, trying on newly made summer clothes.
"The fabric is quite good," Zheng Qian said with a sigh as she stroked a light pink robe embroidered with intertwined butterfly patterns.
This style of clothing resembled the chanyu garments worn during the Han dynasty.
The material of this one was thin, smooth, and cool—perfect for summer wear.
Zheng Qian knew that weaving techniques in this era were not very advanced. Producing such fine cloth required skilled craftsmanship and high-quality materials. This fabric must be extremely expensive.
"Yes, they are all from Jinxiu Workshop," Mama Dai said with a smile. "The noble ladies of the capital all wear fabrics from Jinxiu Workshop. One year the young ladies of our household wore cloth from another shop, and the Old Madam scolded Third Madam terribly for it…"
At that point, she stopped speaking.
As Zheng Qian stroked the fabric, she thought about her third aunt.
It was obvious that Third Aunt did not like her. Even so, Zheng Qian could not help but feel a little sorry for her.
Because Zheng Qian had not grown up immersed in the rigid hierarchy of this ancient world, she could not fully understand why Third Madam had to live so humbly.
Third Madam basically supported the entire marquis household with her money. In Zheng Qian's view, that made her the real boss.
If you paid for everything, you should have the right to decide everything. Why should some old lady scold you about what clothes to buy?
But Third Madam belonged to this era.
At this time, the imperial examination system did not yet exist. Officials were selected through recommendations by aristocratic clans, and merchants had no chance of being recommended. Without protection from officials, the richer a merchant family became, the more dangerous their position was.
Third Madam's sisters had all married into various noble families. Of course, families willing to marry merchant daughters were usually declining noble houses.
Even so, those marriages provided protection, ensuring that local officials would not easily bully their family.
Thus, although Third Madam paid for everything, she still had to smile politely, flatter her mother-in-law, and cover all the household expenses.
"Third Aunt really is a good person," Zheng Qian said with a smile. If it had been her, she would probably have walked away long ago.
Did Third Aunt ever feel suffocated late at night, when no one was watching?
"Sigh." Mama Dai actually felt quite sympathetic toward Third Madam.
Zheng Qian suddenly realized that everyone around her—Mama Dai and the maids—were kindhearted.
Perhaps the unkind ones had already left long ago, seeking better prospects elsewhere. Only those truly kind would remain beside a useless eldest daughter with no future.
"I don't like this color," Zheng Qian said as she examined the light pink robe. She set it aside and picked up a pale purple one. "I like this color better."
The cat lay on the windowsill nearby, watching them sort through the newly delivered summer clothes.
When Zheng Qian said she "liked" something, Xiao Zhan immediately stood up and looked over.
He saw the pale purple robe.
"Miss, this one looks good?" a maid asked.
Zheng Qian nodded. "Yes, this one is prettier."
"Eldest Miss, you're mistaken. This one isn't nice. The pink one is much better," Hongluan said with a laugh.
Zheng Qian did not get angry.
Xiao Zhan glanced coldly at Hongluan, thinking the maid had vulgar taste. Only someone with poor taste would think pink was better. The pale purple that Zheng Qian liked looked far more elegant to him.
If she thought it was good, then it must be good.
He let out a soft meow.
Zheng Qian immediately turned and saw him. She smiled at him.
"Ah Chou, do you like this one too?"
Xiao Zhan meowed again.
Mama Dai and the others burst into laughter.
Xiuzhu said, "After staying with the eldest miss for so long, Ah Chou doesn't act like a cat anymore. He's more like a little child."
Xiao Zhan's heart skipped a beat. He worried that his behavior might be too human and frighten Zheng Qian.
But Zheng Qian showed no fear at all. She smiled and said, "Smart cats can have the intelligence of three- or four-year-old children. Think about it—children that age already understand quite a lot."
Everyone began discussing it curiously.
Xiao Zhan felt that in Zheng Qian's eyes, everything about him was good.
His whiskers twitched slightly, unable to hide his inner pride.
His luck this year seemed quite good. If he could return to his original body smoothly, perhaps his lifelong marriage problem would finally be solved.
Empress Dowager Qi had always urged him to marry and produce heirs. Xiao Zhan used to find her nagging extremely annoying, because he had never met a woman he truly liked.
The women his mother praised as excellent only made him feel resistant after meeting them.
But the first time he saw Zheng Qian, he did not dislike her.
Perhaps it was because of the beauty mark between her brows—it made her look like a celestial attendant beside Guanyin, gentle and pleasing.
"Ah Chou, I'll change into this outfit and let you see," Zheng Qian said.
Her voice pulled Xiao Zhan back to reality.
He meowed again in agreement.
The maids were already used to Zheng Qian treating the cat as her "son," so they did not bother persuading her anymore.
Soon Zheng Qian came out wearing the new clothes.
Dressed in pale purple, she looked like a blooming perilla flower—light and charming. The red beauty mark between her brows seemed like the finishing touch, making her eyes sparkle.
Her features were originally plain, but the outfit gave her an unexpected elegance.
Xiao Zhan stared at her.
"Beautiful," he thought.
Mama Dai and the maids were also pleasantly surprised.
They had not expected that this color would suit the eldest miss better than pink.
Because Zheng Qian's skin was so fair, the purple fabric created a strong contrast that made her features appear brighter.
"Eldest Miss, you should wear this outfit to the Wen family banquet," Mama Dai said.
Zheng Qian nodded.
She planned to visit the Wen family.
If nothing changed, her wedding with Wen Zhao, the eldest young master of the Wen family, would take place next spring.
There was not much time left.
She needed to carefully consider how to break off the engagement.
First, breaking an engagement required official documentation from the government office. In this era, however, women had no right to cancel their own engagements. Even if she signed the document herself, the authorities would not recognize it.
It was absurd. Whether arranging a marriage or canceling one, the woman herself had no say.
She was merely property. Her father or brothers were her legal guardians.
Second, the betrothal gifts given by the Wen family had to be returned.
Her father, the Marquis of Jing'an, would never help her cancel the engagement. The Zheng family would also never return the money they had received.
But Zheng Qian still had a plan.
To cancel the engagement, she could bypass her father and have her elder brother Zheng Chi handle the matter.
As for the betrothal gifts, she could simply repay them herself.
Therefore, she needed to visit the Wen family first—to test how much money they had already given the Zheng family.
"I'll wear this one," Zheng Qian said with a smile.
Hongluan suddenly remembered something and excitedly said, "Eldest Miss, the Second Young Lady definitely won't dare attend this banquet."
That meant no one would compete with her mistress for attention.
Without the Second Young Lady beside her for comparison, their eldest miss was not actually ugly or dull.
Sometimes the Second Young Lady deliberately misled people and set traps that made Zheng Qian appear awkward.
Zheng Qian laughed softly. "She certainly won't go."
"Eldest Miss, you'll also get to see your future husband," Hongluan said. "Our young master will definitely like this outfit on you."
Zheng Qian smiled again.
Her smile actually carried a hint of mischief, but in Xiao Zhan's eyes it looked like shy excitement.
Xiao Zhan had been planning to marry her as his princess. Only at this moment did he suddenly remember—she already had a fiancé.
If he could not return to his original body, what would he do?
"If she marries, then so be it," Xiao Zhan thought.
"As long as I regain my body someday, you will still belong to me."
After all, you care about me so deeply. I cannot let your devotion go to waste.
And besides—you saved my life.