Spring had arrived in Wu County with the passing of the year.

In a deep alley, the spring rain fell like threads upon a bluestone block. Small pools of water covered the slippery moss.

A sudden rush of footsteps was followed by a crash. A young girl in traditional clothing fell onto the floor. In spite of her pain, she hurriedly crawled up and rushed to knock on a small door on the side of the alley.

“Coming! Coming!” An old servant opened the door and saw a little girl covered in mud. “Lu Xiu, what happened to you? Hey, hey. Slow down, slow down.”

Lu Xiu ran past the old servant and hurried to the inner yard.

“Girl.”

Ling Qingyu heard Lu Xiu’s voice and put down her medicine bowl. As she rose from her bed, she fixed the quilt covering her inhumanly thin mother. Hissing lightly at the running girl, Ling Qingyu opened the door and led Lu Xiu to the room on the left. 

Her mother here and her mother in her previous life looked the same. Before she had time to get used to this new identity, changes occurred one after another. In one day, she had awoken in this brand-new body, only to learn that both her father and brother had died. Because of her misfortunes, her fiance canceled their marriage and following this, she was expelled from the family. Then, her mother spewed blood and fainted. If it were not for an uncle who came to retrieve them, the two of them would have died in that house. Upon leaving the Ling estate, the only servants who came with them were the family of Zheng-mama and this little girl, Lu Xiu. After following her uncle to this small estate in the city, her mother had recovered somewhat. Following the recovery, Ling Qingyu begged her uncle to file a lawsuit. Today was the day of the trial.

“Lu Xiu has come back.” Zheng-mama pushed open the door, brushed her hands and asked hopefully, “How are you? Did the county judge punish those heartless dogs?”

“It was probably those men who won,” Ling Qingyu quietly said. “What is left for my mother and me?”

“Girl!” Lu Xiu couldn’t help but start crying. “They said that your father used the family’s money to do business, so all the money he made would belong to the family and be managed by the Lin family head. All the mansions, shops, and estates must be returned to Master Lin.”

Ling Qingyu gently closed her eyes and asked, “Then what about my mother’s dowry?”

“The family head said that since the third master is heir to the second master, your dowry would of course belong to the third master.”

“A bunch of animals without principles!” cried Zheng-mama. “This is forcing the lady and young lady to die!”

“They have always wanted for us to die.” Ling Qingyu pushed open the door. She looked at the plants soaking under the spring rain. Even though no one had maintained them, the plants were still full of life now with the return of spring.

Father and brother had earned an enormous fortune from maritime trade. That fortune also brought them a fatal disaster. Her own uncle was actually so cruel. To even commit murder to obtain her father’s fortune. Lin Jiacheng! Ling Qingyu gripped her hand in a fist so hard that her nails dug deep into the flesh.

“Hui-niang…” a weak call came from the main house.

“Zheng-mama, please call uncle over,” said Ling Qingyu as she walked toward the main house.

“Girl, today during the trial, your uncle didn’t say a word,” said Lu Xiu as she wiped her tears. “He just let the judge decide everything.”

Ling Qingyu paused, then laughed bitterly. In this short time, she had started to receive the original girl’s memories. In her memories, the uncle’s wife was not a likable character. Her aunt had always hated her sister-in-law. After her grandparents died, her aunt would only visit when she needed money. It was difficult for her uncle to resist the pressure from his wife and bring them here.

“Zheng-mama, please help convey a message to my uncle and Lin Jiacheng. According to the law, if my mother does not agree to continue being a part of their household, then my mother’s dowry must be returned to my uncle after she dies. He better not even think about my mother’s estate. If he wants the land, I have a proposal.”