Cursed Blessing

1. Second miss of Xue Manor

Xia Shi, the Xue main manor's second daughter's maidservant, silently sat on watch outside when she heard a muffling noise from the second miss's room. She worries for her young miss's well being and hurriedly came to her aid and find her twisting and turning in her sleep while trails of tears trickles in the corners of her eyes and while she frowns. On the side of the bed is Chun Shi, another maid servant that serves the second miss, is crying, "Young miss... please wake up... cry no more."

It's been two days ever since the second wife of the main household, Juan Lin, was put on isolation by the main household's Master Shui Tao for her misdeeds. The second miss, Xing Xiao, faced verbal abuse from her own birth mother, Lady Juan Lin, when she finds something lacking in second miss' ability. Though the young miss possesses an unrivaled beauty in the manor, she did not have the talent to match Master Shui Tao's first daughter, Xing Zing, from his first wife. Lady Juan Lin would hit their miss' calf using a bamboo stick as punishment which unable her to walk. If it is not the second miss that is suffering it is them that are suffering for her. The two of them, the only servants of the second miss, looks thin and hagard. They couldn't run to the master for help since they were always locked up with their mistress. Chun Shi, the second miss's longest maid, finally risked it and tried to reach for the master by tricking the other maids on watch into drinking a sleeping pill but she was still caught by the servants of Lady Lin. The young miss' close servants were to face punishment by being beaten to death but before that their young miss gathered all that's left of her strength running, crawling and mostly dragging to get to the Master and begged him to save their lives. The Master did not even recognize her at first and thought that a sickly vagrant child unknowingly entered the manor and tried to impersonate his daughter. Master Shui Tao was about to call on the servants to drag the child out but was halted by his second wife wanting to drag her back. Master Shui Tao was shocked and searched the child carefully and sure enough, recognized the same limpid eyes as his wife. That night Master Shui Tao gathered his servants to barge into the mother and child's quarters to find two stick-thin servants gagged and almost beaten to death. As soon as they were untied  their rationality flew out the window. They howled throughout the night asking the master to save them and their lady from suffering and find justice. Master Shui Tao was so furious that he dragged Lady Juan Lin, himself, away.

"Second Miss?" Xia Shi was the one who calls this time. Her hoarse voice did not hide her sadness. It was then that their young miss's butterfly-like lashes fluttered open revealing her moist eyes that can sway the heart of millions.

"Water" Lady Xing Xiao spoke like a birds whistle, music to their ears. Chun Shi hurried to the table to fill up a cup from a pitcher while Xia Shi supported their miss to sit up so she can drink. When the Lady Xing Xiao was done she handed the cup back to Chun Shi then stared directly at her, confused. Xing Xiao blinked twice to brush off her daze and then simply muttered: "Who are you?".

Chun Shi muster a smile and summon all her strength to speak but was only able to ask in a tiniest and trembling voice, "Miss it is your servant... Chun Shi."

"Who are you?" the young miss asks again..

"... Chun Shi" Chun Shi's voice grew stale.

Chun Shi was an orphan. At the age of twelve, while her miss was nine, she was bought personally by the master's personal assistant to serve the manor. As she worked diligently she was looked down upon by most servant for being bought with only one copper, no different from buying one street meal. One day she was framed for stealing food and was locked up, she met the sickly miss who lost her way to a shed, where Chun Chi was locked up. The young miss unlocked the hinge and found her a step close to death's door from dehydration. Lady Xing Xiao gave her water and some snacks and as thanks Chun Shi led her back to her room. Chun Shi then decided to sneak back to the shed to end her miserable life but was stopped by the young miss who refused to let go of her sleeve. The wet nurse arrives just in time, who was anxiously looking for the miss. She was rewarded a jade hairpin and a position beside the young miss. The culprit who stole the food was also found and punished. The young miss also deliberately picked her name Chun Shi, meaning Spring Season because it was during spring when flowers bloomed that they met. She was even given a tasked to picking maids to serve her mistress, which was regarded highly. Chun Shi is very sensitive of her name that other servants avoid mentioning it and she prefers to be called second miss' personal maid even in private. For Xing Xiao to forget her name is the most painful to her.