Spring, the fifth year of the Republic of China, March 14th— a day auspicious for marriage.
Today is Miss Shen’s wedding day. Jiang Mingxi supported her as she entered the bridal chamber.
Miss Shen is fifteen this year, petite and thin. She sat on the wedding bed, the hem of her red wedding dress trailing in a pool of crimson.
Even her sobs were soft and frail, trembling like the chirp of a newborn chick just breaking its shell.
Jiang Mingxi, sixteen, had already served as a maid for eight years, and was the only “Dowry” Miss Shen had brought from her maiden home.
“…Mingming, I’m so scared.”
Miss Shen lowered her head, her hands twisted together, the bright red bridal veil quivering. Silent tears fell, staining the fabric with dark red blotches.
Jiang Mingxi dryly repeated the words Madam had used to comfort her, “Young Master may be a widower, and he’s a bit older, but older men know how to cherish people. Besides, the family is wealthy. For the rest of your life, you’ll have all the delicacies you want.”
“He, he’s already forty-five! He’s even older than my father!” Miss Shen started sobbing again, one trembling hand covering her lower belly. “It… it was him who forced me. I don’t want this child, I don’t want to get married, I want to go to school!”
Jiang Mingxi sighed silently, her gaze dropping to Miss Shen’s belly.
Right now it wasn’t obvious, but in two or three months, it would start to show.
Miss Shen was so thin and small, a child herself, yet she’d have to bear a big belly.
For more than half a year, Jiang Mingxi had lived in constant fear that she’d fall, that her thin belly would burst open and spill out her insides and the undeveloped child.
She also knew that Miss Shen would never get to attend school again.
Three years later, Miss Shen “accidentally drowned.”
Jiang Mingxi, as her only “inheritance,” was sold by the Young Master to a Human Trader, who then resold her to a Qinglou.
That had been her life in her previous lifetime.
The noise outside the door was getting closer.
The groom was about to enter.
Jiang Mingxi should leave.
To avoid repeating her previous fate, she should have left long ago.
She had just taken half a step when Miss Shen clung tightly to her hand, refusing to let go, her voice full of fear, “Mingming, don’t go, I’m scared.”
Jiang Mingxi looked down at Miss Shen’s hand— pale and delicate, fingers slender as spring onions, untouched by a drop of spring water.
In stark contrast to her own hands, rough and dark from years of hard labor.
But after giving birth, Miss Shen’s hands would grow rough too.
Because Miss Shen would give birth to a daughter.
Miss Shen’s strength was feeble. Even using all her might, her grip was as soft as a kitten’s. Jiang Mingxi could easily break free with a gentle shake.
Yet with such little strength, she still tried to shield Jiang Mingxi from the Young Master’s blows.
“…” Remembering her past life, Jiang Mingxi sighed.
The sigh was so heavy that Miss Shen’s body stiffened. She withdrew her hand, clutching the bridal veil tightly, and whispered, “I’m sorry, Mingming. I made things hard for you. Go quickly.”
The footsteps outside the window grew even closer, about to ascend the steps.
Miss Shen’s body was trembling harder and harder.
Jiang Mingxi, long used to being a maid, had sharp ears and instantly recognized the heavy, stumbling footsteps dragging across the floor. The Young Master was already dead drunk.
He was always a terrible drunk, prone to violence.
But since Miss Shen was carrying the family’s only heir, he dared not hit her, so he vented his anger on Jiang Mingxi instead.
She was beaten black and blue, not a patch of unbruised skin on her body.
To save her life, Miss Shen had once held a knife to her own neck, threatening him with her life.
For the sake of his future son, the Young Master had finally sent for a Veterinarian to treat her— just like treating cattle or horses.
“Miss.” Jiang Mingxi’s voice was soft. “Do you want to go to school?”
Without hesitation, Miss Shen blurted out, “Yes!”
The footsteps stopped. The door creaked open.
Jiang Mingxi said, “Alright, I understand.”
She turned and looked at her Young Master in this life.
The Young Master, Zhang Nan, was short and fat, with a kindly face, large earlobes, and a smile like a Maitreya Buddha. Unfortunately, he was a beast in human clothing.
His face was flushed from drinking, eyes narrowed, and he glanced lazily at Jiang Mingxi.
Jiang Mingxi met his gaze calmly.
Suddenly, a vase flew at her. She dodged swiftly.
The vase smashed against the screen, shards scattering at Miss Shen’s feet. Only able to hear, Miss Shen let out a sharp scream, followed by Zhang Nan’s drunken roar.
“Get the hell out!!!”
Miss Shen lifted her bridal veil, her beautiful face drained of color as she looked Jiang Mingxi up and down.
Jiang Mingxi reassured her, “Miss, I’m fine.”
Only then did Miss Shen breathe a sigh of relief.
She looked at her future husband, her face as white as snow, her voice trembling like a newborn lamb. “Don’t bully Mingming. Mingming grew up with me…”
Jiang Mingxi saw the veins bulge at Zhang Nan’s temples— a clear sign of his impending rage.
In her previous life, he loved to grab their hair and smash their heads against the wall, leaving the white walls stained with blood, their cries hoarse and desperate.
In this life, Miss Shen had yet to fully grasp his cruelty, still naively trying to reason with him.
Jiang Mingxi interrupted her quietly, “Miss, put down the veil.”
Miss Shen, bewildered, still obediently did as told.
Then, Jiang Mingxi drew a dagger from her breast and aimed it at Zhang Nan’s throat. With a flash of cold light, the blade pierced flesh, gouging out a bloody chunk.
The Young Master collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a sound, clutching his neck as blood gushed out.
Blood splattered on Jiang Mingxi’s eyelashes. She didn’t blink.
Her second strike landed at his heart, driving the blade deeper with her left hand, twisting hard with her right, as easily as slaughtering a pig.
She had, in fact, slaughtered pigs in her previous life.
The Young Master coughed up blood silently, his body convulsing.
Jiang Mingxi wiped the blood from her lashes with her finger and told Miss Shen, “Miss, don’t peek.”
Miss Shen pouted softly. “I wouldn’t peek.”
Blood gushed out.
Zhang Nan looked down with difficulty at the knife in his chest, his eyes wide, the viciousness not yet faded from his gaze, but he would never hurt anyone again.
He opened his mouth, as if to leave some last words.
Jiang Mingxi gave him no chance.
She covered his mouth, pulled out her hairpin, and drove it into the soft artery in his neck.
This time, blood sprayed all over her face.
The stench was no different from pig’s blood.
She quickly hefted the man’s bulky corpse and quietly laid it by the door.
Jiang Mingxi turned to look at Miss Shen, who sat obediently on the bed, bridal veil still in place.
She had said not to look.
Miss Shen really didn’t look.
“Mingming, what are you doing?” Miss Shen asked uneasily. “Why isn’t he saying anything?”
“The Young Master is drunk. I’m taking him to another room to rest,” Jiang Mingxi said. “Tonight, you’ll sleep alone.”
“Alright, alright.” The voice under the veil instantly grew cheerful. “Come back when you’re done. Let’s sleep together.”
Looking at the innocent and lively Miss Shen, Jiang Mingxi wanted to sigh again.
Too honest— how could she ever feel at ease about leaving her?
Jiang Mingxi carefully instructed, “Miss, you’re pregnant. That’s the Zhang Family’s only heir. They’ll treat you well. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
“But I heard the Zhangs beat their wives,” Miss Shen said timidly. “He beat his previous wives to death.”
Jiang Mingxi smiled, her gaze falling on the screen lit by red candles. “Don’t worry. He’ll never beat his wife again.”
She added, “Miss, after you give birth, no matter what anyone says, you must go to school. You’re smart— you’ll definitely get into University.”
“You’re a hundred times smarter than me! You should go to University.”
At the mention of school, Miss Shen’s voice immediately brightened. “I used to teach you, but now that I’m married to a rich man, I can pay for your schooling too.”
She said joyfully, “So marrying this Zhang scoundrel turned out to be a good thing after all.”
University…
Jiang Mingxi’s eyes grew wistful.
She hadn’t been able to go to school in her last life.
And probably never would in this one, either.
Looking at her Miss Shen, Jiang Mingxi had a thousand things she wanted to say.
She wanted to say, When I’m gone, don’t be afraid. Take care of yourself and the baby.
She wanted to say, I’ve changed my name. I’m no longer Shen Mingming—I’m Jiang Mingxi now.
Given another life, I want to live differently. I want to see every river, every mountain, every sunrise and moonlight in this world.
She also wanted to say, I’ll live well, so you must live well, too.
All her countless words and reluctance finally condensed into a single sentence. “Shen Mangge,” she said, “even if I die, you must live on.”
Shen Mangge froze.
She seemed to sense something ominous, and grew visibly uneasy.
“Mingming, what are you saying?” She reached for the bridal veil, only to be stopped by a cold, “If you dare peek, I’ll never speak to you again.”
Shen Mangge withdrew her hand, pouting in protest. “The Zhang fellow is already asleep, why do I still have to wear the veil?”
“It matters.” From behind the veil, Shen Mangge seemed to hear Mingming’s muffled laugh, teasing her, “When I come back, I’ll lift your veil, just like when we were little.”
Shen Mangge instantly recalled the childhood game where she played the bride and Shen Mingming played the groom.
“Alright, alright,” she said happily. “I’ll wait for you to come back.”
“Shen Mangge, did you remember what I just said?”
“I remembered.”
“Good. Be good.”
“Okay, I’ll be good.”
Obediently, Shen Mangge sat for a whole hour, finally unable to resist lifting the veil, only to see the floor soaked in blood.
The one who had promised to lift her veil never returned.
Her loyal and heroic friend became a notorious murderer.
The Zhang Family offered Ten Thousand Silver Dollars for Shen Mingming’s life.