Part 1: A Dream Within A Dream / Rebirth of Ill Fated Concubine

Chapter 002 Rebirth

Three green-tiled and red-walled houses, in a spacious farmhouse, with a thick layer of snow on the ground. The big black dog that guards the house walks to the door and lazily eats a bone in a broken bowl. It seems to be frozen by the cold air and shrinks back into the nest.

It is New Year's Eve. There are colourful New Year pictures of bumper harvests on the door. Three big red lanterns hang under the eaves. The sound of firecrackers comes from outside. People in the house are talking and laughing. It is the time of the New Year's Eve dinner. 

Although it is farmhouse cuisine, the eight dishes are also made with great care, with a combination of meat and vegetables, spicy steamed sea bass with black beans, Lao Foye braised pork, tea smoked chicken, colourful eggplant shreds, lamb and green onion dumplings, blessing shrimp, four-joy meatballs, and a house full of gold and jade. Next to it is a pot of very mellow sorghum wine.

While the party was going on here, the atmosphere was very lively. Meanwhile, the most remote courtyard in the farmhouse was deserted. In the dilapidated house, the candlelight was dim and seemed to be about to go out.

A tall young girl with a maid's bun sat in front of the house and carefully added firewood to the brazier. The house was small, and the brazier started burning after adding firewood, and immediately emitted a pungent smoke.
Another petite maid ran over and picked up the worn-out palm-leaf fan on the ground and fanned carefully, scolding: "Lian Qiao, be careful, the girl is not well yet, what if she chokes?"

Lian Qiao curled her lips, looking angry, but still lowered her voice and said: "I hope there is no smoke at all. Today I went to find Zhang Lan's family. Not to mention silver charcoal, it's just ordinary charcoal blocks. She said that she had a lot of expenses in the past few days and there was no charcoal in the warehouse. Bah! Who are you trying to fool? It's the end of the year now, how could there be no charcoal at home? It's nothing but bullying. If the girl was not still sick, I dare not make her worry. I must slap her twice!"

"You..." The maid who fanned the fire sighed: "You should stop being stubborn. Even if this family is too bullying, we have to bow our heads under the eaves. If you really quarrel, the girl will suffer."

Lian Qiao looked at her with contempt: "Zi Su, I really didn't know you were so timid. What is the status of this family, and what is the status of our girl? No matter what happens to the girl, according to her status, she must not let these inferior people bully her!"

Zi Su shook her head: "You and I are both the girl's maids. Don't I want the girl to be well? But there is no news from the capital. I don't know how long the girl will stay here. It's okay if the days are short, but you see, it's been six years now. Has the master sent someone to ask? If you want to stay for a long time, you quarrel with them, and the girl will suffer in the end."

Lian Qiao was silent for a long time, and then she whispered: "Are we going to be bullied in vain?"

Zi Su just sighed softly.

The room fell into silence again, with only the sporadic crackling of firewood in the fire. The two maids were still moving their fans, and no one noticed that the person on the bed had woken up.

Jiang Ruan had been awake for a while and had naturally heard every word of Zi Su and Lian Qiao conversation. Three days ago, when she woke up from the couch, she found that she had returned to the age of twelve. 

Everything in her previous life was like an afternoon nightmare. Only she knew that the blood feud could not be dissipated by a dream. Since God gave her a chance to start over, she would accept it without hesitation and make good use of it.

Three days ago, she woke up from the couch, and Zi Su and Lian Qiao were greatly relieved. Jiang Ruan had been in a coma for more than ten days since she fell into the water. The doctors came and said that they were powerless to save her. Zhang Lan's family even went out to inquire about the coffin and funeral affairs. Who knew that she woke up again. Lian Qiao held her hand and cried, saying that God bless her, but Jiang Ruan narrowed her eyes.

After dying once, everything in her previous life not only did not disappear, but she remembered it very clearly. 

Six years ago, her mother passed away, and the Taoist priest who wandered to the mansion calculated at a glance that her horoscope was extremely hard, and she would kill her husband and mother, and was a lonely star. Jiang Quan originally wanted to send her to the family temple, where there were green lamps and ancient Buddhas. It was Jiang Susu who knelt down and begged for mercy, and Jiang Quan changed his mind and sent her to the village in the countryside. Because of this, Jiang Ruan has always been grateful to Jiang Susu. Now that she thinks about it, it is all thanks to Jiang Quan and her daughter that she was bullied here.

The village was handed over to Zhang Lan's family. Zhang Lan was greedy and stingy, and extremely fierce. She often insulted Jiang Ruan. Zhang Lan's husband Chen Fu was even more lazy and drunk. The two had a son and a daughter. The son Chen Zhao was extremely lustful, and the daughter Chen Fang was sarcastic. 

When Jiang Ruan came, many of the jewellery she brought with her either fell into Zhang Lan's hands or were cheated away by Chen Fang. A dozen days ago, Jiang Ruan accidentally fell into the water because Chen Zhao touched her by the pond. Jiang Ruan couldn't bear the humiliation and jumped into the water herself. Chen Zhao fled in haste when he saw that he had caused trouble. When Lian Qiao and Zi Su called for someone to rescue Jiang Ruan, Jiang Ruan was already unconscious.

It was the coldest time of the year, and the water in the pool was icy cold. In addition, Jiang Ruan's body had become weaker and weaker under Zhang Lan's harshness in the past few years. The cold was like adding insult to injury, and she immediately became seriously ill.

Jiang Ruan remembered very clearly that she had not woken up so early at the beginning, and she had fallen ill after waking up. More importantly, rumours soon came from outside, saying that she could seduce men at a young age, and that she was a rich woman but did not love herself. 

She took the initiative to seduce Chen Zhao and fell into the water. She thinks it was Zhang Lan's handiwork, but she pushed all the dirty water onto her. Thanks to this basin of dirty water, Jiang Ruan was given the name of a witch after her appearance improved in the future.

Now she woke up early, and the rumours have not yet spread. She guessed Zhang Lan has not thought of this yet, so she can take this opportunity to give her a New Year's gift. There is no future for her to continue living in this manor where people bully her. She cannot stand being sent to the palace as a chess piece in a few years. She will never be taken advantage of for nothing. She has to pay a price for everything. Chen Zhao is the first one to be cut.

Jiang Ruan looked out the window. The sound of firecrackers outside the house was faint, and the house with only three people seemed even more deserted.

She sat up slowly. Zi Su heard her getting up and hurriedly got up to greet her, saying, "Miss, you are awake. Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Jiang Ruan shook her head: "What time is it now?"

"It's about the time of the dog." Zi Su said.

Lian Qiao put down the fan: "Miss, are you hungry? I'll go to the kitchen to bring some food."

Most of the ladies who were raised in the manor were guilty, but they were masters after all. Unless they were specially cared for, they would not live so poorly that they were not even as good as a servant. The New Year's Eve meal was not delivered early, which was really thought-provoking.

Before Jiang Ruan answered, there was a knock on the door, and a crisp voice said outside: "Miss, I'm here to deliver the New Year's Eve dinner."

Lian Qiao was stunned, and Jiang Ruan said: "Come in." The door creaked, and a maid dressed very festively came in from outside, holding a food basket in her hand, and said with a smile: "Aunt Lan asked me to deliver food, Miss, please eat some too."

Zi Su saw that Jiang Ruan hadn't moved for a long time, and looked down in confusion. Just then, she saw a certain emotion flashing in Jiang Ruan's eyes, and then she raised her head and smiled slightly.

(End of this chapter)

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