Chapter 29: Origins

Chi Nan Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Father, Grandmother just woke up, she's probably still a bit confused—she even called me 'Miss' just now!"

Hearing this, Chi Ting Song's fingers curled slightly, though his expression didn't change much. He only smiled and said, "Yi'er, what remedy did you use? How did your grandmother wake up?"

"Earlier I heard you and Eldest Brother discuss Grandmother's symptoms, and it sounded like consumption. When we were in town, I went to the apothecary, and the physician there gave me two pills. I just had Grandmother take them, and to my surprise, she woke up."

"So that's how it is. Wonderful, truly wonderful."

Hearing them say this, Lady Shen finally came to her senses. She stared blankly at Chi Nan Yi, her eyes full of disbelief: "You… you are…"

Chi Ting Song walked to the bedside and briefly recounted how Chi Nan Yi and Meng Qinghe had been switched at birth.

"Now He'er has returned to her own home and found her biological parents. Yi'er, we've finally brought you back."

Hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed through Lady Shen's clouded eyes, like a single ember. She wanted to take Chi Nan Yi's hand but feared her own dry, rough skin might scratch her, so she pulled her hand back.

Chi Nan Yi noticed her gesture and reached out to hold Lady Shen's hand: "Grandmother."

"Ah! Good! Good child, Grandmother can finally see you again."

"Mother, rest well. I'll have Zhilan bring you some porridge in a bit. Yi'er has traveled a long way, so she should go back and rest first."

"Yes, good, good, off you go, off you go—don't let this old woman's illness pass to her." Lady Shen watched Chi Nan Yi's figure disappear at the doorway, then lay back on the bed and smiled with relief: "Miss, this old servant has not failed your charge. Little Miss has grown up safe and sound, and looks exactly as you did as a child. If only you were still here…" As she spoke, Lady Shen's tears fell.

Chi Nan Yi followed Wen Zhilan to a separate room, which had been kept very clean.

"Yi'er, this room was originally where Qinghe lived. I clean it every day—does it look all right to you?"

Chi Nan Yi nodded: "Mother, you don't need to go out of your way to look after me. I've grown up and can take care of myself."

"Yi'er, your father and I are not capable, and our family is poor. You were meant to be a young lady of a noble house, yet now you must suffer hardship with us here. Mother has wronged you." As she spoke, Lady Wen's eyes grew red.

"Mother, what are you saying? I was born to live with you, yet through some twist of fate I lived over ten years of wealth and privilege. I'm already content. Besides, a life is what you make of it—how can you be certain we'll always live in hardship? Perhaps things will get better and better for us, and we might even live more comfortably than we did at the Minister's Residence!"

Hearing her say this, Lady Wen broke into a smile through her tears: "Good, as long as our Yi'er doesn't find it bitter, Mother feels comforted."

"Mother, Second Brother and Third Brother said they were going to catch wild rabbits—did they go to the back mountain?"

"That's right, but the harvests have been poor these past two years, and every household is short of grain. The grass on the back mountain has been nearly dug bare—how could there still be rabbits?" Wen Zhilan smiled and said, "Those two fools are just happy you're back, but they had nothing decent to offer. Yi'er, you don't eat chicken, but do you like eggs?"

"Mm, I like them."

"Good, Mother will boil some eggs for you tonight."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Hurry and rest, Mother will go make them for you."

"Mother." Chi Nan Yi took out the remaining silver—less than ten taels—from her bosom and placed it in her hands: "This is the silver left over from buying the horse carriage. Mother, please take it."

"No, no, I can't take this silver. This is your own private money—keep it for yourself, and use it to buy whatever you like."

"Mother, we're family now—why be so particular? I'm at home right now and have no use for silver. Just keep this silver with you."

Hearing this, Lady Wen nodded: "All right, Mother will keep this silver for you, to use as your dowry in the future."

Seeing her accept the silver, Chi Nan Yi then went back to rest.

In her previous life, the original owner had dragged this family down. Since she was living this life over again in her place, she ought to make some amends!

Chi Nan Yi looked around the room and, seeing the bedding on the bed that was clearly much thicker, couldn't help but murmur: "Meng Qinghe really was an ungrateful wretch!" The Chi Family wasn't wealthy, yet they had given her the best of everything.

Even knowing she wasn't their biological daughter, they still treated her as the apple of their eye. It was truly a bit strange—could it be that the Chi Family valued daughters over sons?

And that sentence her grandmother had said upon waking—what exactly did it mean?

Chi Nan Yi was full of doubts, yet without knowing when, she fell asleep.

It wasn't until dark that she was woken by her stomach growling.

The aroma of food drifted through the air.

"Is that the smell of meat?"

Chi Nan Yi hurried out of the room.

"Little Sister, you're awake?" Chi Huai Qian smiled and said, "Perfect timing—this wild rabbit is freshly roasted."

Chi Nan Yi stared at the wild rabbit on the table, momentarily stunned: "Didn't Mother say the back mountain has been nearly picked bare? Where did this wild rabbit come from?"

"We got lucky. As soon as we went up the mountain, we saw a wild rabbit that had crashed into a tree stump and died, so we brought it back." Chi Huaijin's eyes flickered—one look and you could tell he was no good at lying.

"So, Second Brother, are you telling me the tale of waiting by a stump for a hare?"

Chi Huaijin looked at her bright, shining eyes and lowered his head without a word.

Seeing him say nothing, Chi Nan Yi turned to Chi Huai Qian: "Third Brother, so this is how you and Second Brother fool people on ordinary days!"

"Not me! This was Second Brother's idea." Chi Huai Qian moved his lips and said in a low voice, "We didn't find anything on the mountain, and it just so happened a hunter was carrying a wild rabbit, so Second Brother just… just…"

"Just what!" Wen Zhilan asked, somewhat anxious.

"Used the money Mother had given to buy rice paper for Second Brother, and bought this rabbit."

Fearing Lady Wen would be angry, Chi Huaijin hurriedly said, "Mother, it's fine. I can practice my calligraphy on the ground these next few days—I don't need rice paper."

Lady Wen looked helplessly at her two sons, then turned to Chi Nan Yi and said, "Yi'er, spend less time with your Second Brother and Third Brother in the future. With your Second Brother's brains, Mother had hoped he could pass the county exam, but now I think a bare scholar is already his limit."

Hearing his mother say this about him in front of his little sister, Chi Huaijin grew anxious and nudged Chi Huai Qian, who was trying hard not to laugh beside him: "This is all your fault—you came up with this rotten idea!"

The Chi Family's second and third sons were twins. Though born of the same mother, they were entirely different in both appearance and temperament. The only thing they had in common was that neither was one to be trifled with.

At dinner, Wen Zhilan suggested using the horse carriage to haul goods and earn some silver, but was met with fierce opposition from the three Chi brothers.