Chapter Two: Origins

The maid, Plum Blossom, stood at the doorway as still as a longing stone, and when she caught sight of Wei Ruo from afar, she hurried over, her face filled with both concern and a hint of reproach as she saw the bamboo basket of herbs on Wei Ruo’s back.

“Miss, why did you go up the mountain alone again? It’s so dangerous!” she scolded gently, already deftly taking the bamboo basket and slinging it onto her own back.

“Dear Plum, I didn’t go near any dangerous cliffs, truly! There are so many rare herbs in the mountains, worth a fortune. If I don’t pick them, it’s such a waste!” Wei Ruo replied playfully.

“That’s not the point! You’re not as strong as I am! Even if you must go, you should take me with you. Your master taught me all those skills for a reason!” Plum Blossom insisted.

“But if I bring you along, who’ll cook for me? My dear Plum, my poor little stomach depends on you!” Wei Ruo pouted, feigning helplessness.

Today’s trip had exhausted her; after trekking so far for herbs and then assisting with a childbirth, she was utterly spent.

“I could have cooked as soon as I got back! When you run off alone to the mountains, I worry so much I can’t even cook properly—can’t tell salt from sugar anymore!” Plum Blossom stamped her foot in frustration.

“I’m hungry,” Wei Ruo tilted her head, gazing at Plum Blossom with pleading eyes.

“Miss, you’re changing the subject again!” Plum Blossom sighed.

“Don’t starve me, look how thin I’ve become,” Wei Ruo said, rubbing her belly, leaving her meaning perfectly clear.

She could face the gravest emergencies without so much as a frown, yet now she was acting cute and coy for the sake of a meal—it was like she was a completely different person.

“All right, all right, the meal’s been ready for ages, kept warm in the stove! I’ll fetch it for you right away,” Plum Blossom grumbled, but her tough words belied her tender heart as she turned to the kitchen.

There was nothing to be done—how could she resist her mistress’s yearning gaze?

The courtyard where Wei Ruo lived was lush with all manner of plants—ornamental flowers, medicinal herbs, and crops. The only open space was for a stone table, where, on fair days, Wei Ruo liked to sit and eat, sip tea, and bask in the sun.

This was a separate estate belonging to the He family, with only two residents: Wei Ruo and her maid, Plum Blossom.

Wei Ruo was a transmigrant, born into this world as a supporting character in a novel. In the original story, she was the daughter of the official Wei family, but was switched at birth with the daughter of the merchant He family.

When she was three, a fortune teller declared she would bring misfortune to her parents, so she was sent to this secluded estate. Her only companions were her nursemaid and Plum Blossom.

From then on, the He family sent five taels of silver each month and never inquired further. Wei Ruo hadn’t seen them, even during festivals.

Now thirteen, Wei Ruo had lived in this estate for ten years. She relished life here, enjoyed mingling with the villagers, and had no desire to return to either the He family or her birth family. In the original novel, hardship awaited her in both homes.

The next morning, after breakfast, Wei Ruo and Plum Blossom set out together. Behind their estate were rolling hills, and just outside lay vast stretches of farmland.

It was the busy planting season, and villagers were hard at work in the fields. As Wei Ruo passed, they greeted her warmly.

“Ruo Ruo, my husband caught a rabbit on the mountain today. I saved a leg for you—don’t forget to have Plum Blossom fetch it later!”

“Miss Ruo, I picked some water celery today. Take some home with you.”

“The medicine you gave us worked wonders—my boy Tiger is all better!”

Wei Ruo returned their greetings and made her way to her own plot. Like the others, she took off her shoes and stepped barefoot into the muddy paddy to transplant rice seedlings.

Plum Blossom tried several times to persuade her to rest and let her do the work, but Wei Ruo insisted on doing it herself—for she had a reason.

Wei Ruo possessed a magical space, which had appeared when she transmigrated. The entrance was a tiny red dot, like a cinnabar mole, in the center of her left palm.

Inside was a simple thatched hut. At first, it was empty, surrounded by a white, misty void. Over the years, Wei Ruo furnished and decorated the hut, and gradually, the mist outside receded, revealing a square plot of land about two meters by two meters, already planted with rice.

Wei Ruo began to cultivate this rice. When it ripened and she harvested it, she gained experience points. After several cycles, she reached a threshold, the space upgraded, the mist retreated further, and a new plot of land appeared, also two by two meters, this time planted with sweet potatoes.

That was when Wei Ruo realized her space could be upgraded through farming, much like the online game “Happy Farm” she’d played years ago: planting crops gained experience, and leveling up unlocked new land and seeds.

When she planted the space’s rice seeds in the real fields and harvested them herself, she also gained experience—but only if she did it personally. If she let villagers plant them, there was no gain.

So, whether inside her space or outside, she had to do the work herself.

While the two were busily working, two elderly women appeared on the field’s ridge with a retinue in tow. Seeing Wei Ruo barefoot in the mud, her face smudged with dirt, both matrons couldn’t help but reveal looks of distaste.

What a sight! Even the maids in the great house looked more presentable than she did.

“We are servants from the Commandant’s Manor, sent by the master and mistress to escort the young miss back home,” one of them announced.

“The Commandant’s Manor?” Plum Blossom exclaimed in surprise. “You must be mistaken. My mistress’s family does business in the county—she knows no commandants.”

“That was true before, but not anymore,” said the other matron. “My master has already investigated everything. Years ago in Haining, the He family and our lady gave birth at the same time in Guanyin Temple. When bandits attacked, the babies were switched in the chaos.”

The first added, “Your foster family—the Hes who run a business in town—has agreed to let us take you.”

Plum Blossom’s mouth fell open, rendered speechless by shock.