Chapter 1

Azure sky, yellow leaves on the ground, autumn wind whistling, beneath a long pavilion.

“Cha’er, this time I go to Yan City, I don’t know when I can return. If I can pass the provincial examination and become a Juren, I’ll come back and marry you. Are you willing to wait for me?” The young woman in brown clothes had tears in her eyes, looking at the man in green clothes in front of her with great reluctance.

The man had skin like ice and bones like jade, with eyes as beautiful as a painting and delicate features. A small teardrop mole at the corner of his eye made him even more charming and alluring. He lowered his head and spoke with a sorrowful expression: “Lu Cha is certainly willing to wait for you, but marriage is a major affair, subject to parents’ orders and matchmakers’ words. Even if I marry someone else, Lu Cha dares not disobey. I only hope you can return early, and not let me marry another.”

The woman’s expression became even more sad: “If only I were born into a wealthy family, then we could be of equal status, and no one could stop us from being together.”

The woman said a few more words of love, and the man responded with sorrow. Soon, the woman shouldered her bundle and left, looking back every few steps.

After the woman walked far away, the man’s melancholic expression instantly turned into contempt.

He raised his fair white fingers to gently wipe away the tears on his face, then turned to sit on a stone bench, picked up a teacup, and took a light sip of tea.

“Such a weeping woman is truly annoying,” he sneered.

The purple-clad servant who had been standing nearby was somewhat puzzled: “Young master, why do you go to such lengths to please her? She has neither money nor looks, only knows a few sour poems. Yet you refuse Miss Qian’s favor for her sake. Zi Yi truly doesn’t understand.”

The green-clad man put down his teacup, his red lips curling slightly: “I just want to take a gamble. If she can pass the provincial examination, I’ll marry her. If she’s useless, I’ll go accept Miss Qian’s favor.”

Zi Yi was slightly stunned and sighed: “Young master…”

Zhang Meng crouched in the dense grass, hearing these words with her own ears, feeling quite emotional.

Since she had transmigrated to this female-dominant world, she had been living in the mountains. She never knew that not all men here were as gentle and kind as her adoptive father Yang Qing, but could also play tricks like the vicious female supporting characters in TV dramas.

But love and affection are matters of mutual willingness. She didn’t want to interfere, nor was she willing to interfere. Even lying on the grass to sleep, awake for a long time, she didn’t come out to disturb the couple. She just silently observed.

After the handsome man named Xu Lu Cha left with the purple-clad servant, she finally stood up straight and walked out.

Zhang Meng originally lived on a small mountain in the west of the city, where trees were lush, flowers bloomed, and the scenery was very beautiful.

Eleven years ago, her soul transmigrated into a seven-year-old girl who had been abducted. While escaping, she fell off a cliff. A young lame man saved her.

That man was named Yang Qing, originally a servant in a wealthy household. Because he made a mistake, he was disfigured by his master, beaten nearly to death, and thrown onto the mountain to fend for himself.

When Zhang Meng first saw Yang Qing’s face, she was startled, because his features were indistinguishable, just a bloody mess.

Although Yang Qing’s appearance was terrifying, he had an extremely good heart. Whenever he found something good to eat, he would give it to Zhang Meng. He himself would just eat some sour and astringent fruits to stave off hunger.

Zhang Meng was deeply moved. When her injuries were somewhat better, she took charge of all the housework and farm work at home, and sometimes went hunting with Yang Qing.

Originally frail and delicate, she gradually became strong and robust. Although she couldn’t achieve the muscular physique of a female athlete because of her small frame, she was the type that looked slim in clothes but had meat when undressed. Moreover, she knew a bit of martial arts, more than enough to fight off a few ruffians.

Yang Qing’s face also slowly healed, scarred over and recovered. Although his face was pitted and covered with scars, his skin was fair. Combined with his well-proportioned features, red lips, white teeth, and eyes like autumn waters, he could indeed be considered a handsome man.

If Yang Qing’s face had remained a bloody mess like when they first met, perhaps, despite his gentleness and kindness, Zhang Meng might not have developed romantic feelings for him. She might have just regarded him as her closest relative.

But as his face gradually recovered, Zhang Meng felt he became more beautiful day by day, so beautiful that she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Zhang Meng’s heart could no longer be guarded.

She fell in love with her adoptive father, Yang Qing.

But when Zhang Meng turned seventeen, Yang Qing said he wanted to arrange a marriage for Zhang Meng. Yang Qing, who had never left the mountain, took his life savings down the mountain to find a matchmaker, saying he wanted to find a good husband for Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng was touched, angry, and a bit heartbroken.

She stood in front of Yang Qing, and for some reason, she blurted out the words she had kept in her heart for a long time: “I don’t want to marry anyone else, I only want you, I only like you, I only want to marry you.”

Yang Qing was shocked and for the first time, he picked up the rattan cane on the table and beat her.

He hit her hard and viciously, leaving Zhang Meng covered in blood, but Zhang Meng didn’t cry. Yang Qing cried until his eyes were swollen.

That night, Yang Qing applied medicine to her wounds and said, “Tomorrow you will go down the mountain. If you can’t find a man you love, don’t come back to see me.”

The next day, Zhang Meng was driven down the mountain by Yang Qing.

Although Zhang Meng often returned to the mountain afterwards, she could no longer find Yang Qing. He had left.

Zhang Meng couldn’t understand why Yang Qing was so averse to her feelings, to the point of abandoning the home where he had lived for ten years just to avoid her.

“Zhang Meng, you’re finally back. Although you had a day off today, you know how harsh our superiors are towards you. Seeing you weren’t here today, they got angry and said they would dock your salary,” Jin Yue exclaimed as soon as Zhang Meng returned to the yamen.

“Did the superior really get angry?” Zhang Meng was stunned.

“Isn’t that so? Usually she can’t wait for you to leave the yamen, but once you’re gone, she starts to get angry. I really don’t know what the superior is thinking.” Zhang Meng was also very helpless about this.

A year ago, she was driven down the mountain by her adoptive father with nowhere to go, so she had to make a living by carrying goods at the dock. Fortunately, she was used to hard work since childhood, so she didn’t find it very difficult.

At that time, the public security in Yun City was not very good. Street thugs, thieves, and robbers often appeared, making people’s lives miserable. Some bold robbers even dared to steal things from the yamen.

Later, the county magistrate of Yun City was old and frail, unable to deal with those robbers, so she resigned and returned to her hometown. The higher-ups then sent a young woman named Zhong Huo to take over Yun City.

As the saying goes, a new official makes three fires. As soon as the new county magistrate arrived in Yun City, she issued various orders and reformed many old rules. She also often went out in disguise to inspect people’s lives.

At first, those robbers were still very rampant, and once they even kidnapped Zhong Huo in broad daylight.

Zhang Meng knew a bit of martial arts and drove away those robbers. Zhong Huo admired her very much and kept her by her side as a guard.

At first, Zhong Huo treated Zhang Meng very well, giving her good food, good accommodation, and a high salary.

But gradually, for some reason, Zhong Huo seemed to dislike her more and more. She no longer talked heart-to-heart with her, no longer smiled at her, and ordered Zhang Meng to do all kinds of dirty and tiring work all day long. Zhang Meng said that she cleaned the toilets in the yamen, prepared the meals, and even took care of the landscaping.

Zhang Meng thought that although Zhong Huo was a bit strange, she was quite down-to-earth and had no sense of hierarchy. She could talk to everyone in the yamen, and get along with everyone, whether rich or poor. She had no official airs at all.

The people of Yun City all said she was a good official, and Zhang Meng agreed.

Since Zhong Huo came to Yun City, the public security and economy of Yun City had improved a lot.

But what Zhang Meng didn’t understand was why Zhong Huo, who could get along with everyone, disliked her so much.

“Zhang Meng, you’d better go show your face to the superior quickly. She’s been frowning all day, it’s scary.” Zhang Meng had to agree.

Zhong Huo’s study was on the west side of the yamen, where many green bamboos were planted. Zhang Meng would occasionally go there to dig bamboo shoots to use as cooking ingredients.

The door of the study was tightly closed. Zhang Meng knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” An impatient voice came from inside the study.

Zhang Meng paused for a moment: “It’s Zhang Meng.”

Soon, the door opened from the inside. Zhong Huo, dressed in white casual clothes, stepped aside to make way for Zhang Meng.

“Come in,” Zhong Huo said.

Zhang Meng hurriedly walked in.

“Where did you go today?” Zhong Huo sat on a wooden chair, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

In front of Zhong Huo, Zhang Meng was always very frank.

“I went to the mountain for a while.”

Zhong Huo frowned: “Because you left your post without permission, a hundred people in the yamen went hungry today. Do you have any sense of responsibility?” Zhang Meng hurriedly explained: “I was on leave today. Didn’t Madam Zhang and the others prepare the meals?” Zhong Huo slapped the table: “Madam Zhang’s job is not to be a cook. Don’t always let others do your work.” Zhang Meng was about to argue that Madam Zhang was indeed a cook, but Zhong Huo was already about to dismiss her.

“You can go now. If this happens again, don’t blame me for docking your salary.” Zhang Meng felt a bit wronged, always inexplicably being picked on for offending her superior.

Before leaving, Zhang Meng still couldn’t help but ask one more question: “Superior, can I still take leave in the future?” Zhong Huo glared at her: “As a member of the yamen, don’t you feel ashamed to have no sense of dedication?” Zhang Meng’s face fell, and she walked out dejectedly, closing the door.

Late night, round moon, cool breeze.

Zhang Meng squatted on the ground washing dishes, while Jin Yue stood beside her scooping water.

In this world, besides Yang Qing, Jin Yue was the person she had the best relationship with. It could be said that Jin Yue was her best friend.

However, Jin Yue had revealed to her early on that she would soon resign from her job as a constable and return to her hometown to marry a husband and have children.

This made Zhang Meng very reluctant to part.

Jin Yue squatted beside her, helping Zhang Meng rinse the bowls and chopsticks.

“What did the superior say to you again when she saw you today?”

Zhang Meng sighed: “She said I have no sense of dedication.”

Jin Yue said: “Why don’t you stop being a constable and come do business with me?” Zhang Meng refused, she didn’t want to leave Yun City.

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She wanted to stay in Yun City and wait for Yang Qing to return.

Long ago, she had asked all the constable sisters in Yun City to help find Yang Qing, but after posting missing person notices for nearly a year, they still couldn’t find Yang Qing. Perhaps Yang Qing had already left Yun City.

However, she believed that Yang Qing would come back.

“If he has no intention towards you, why don’t you just forget about him?” Jin Yue said.

Zhang Meng shook her head. She wanted to forget, but how could she? They had lived together for ten years. Even if romantic love was hopeless, familial love remained.

She had thought about it seriously. If Yang Qing really couldn’t accept her, she wouldn’t force him. After all, feelings can’t be forced. Now she just wanted to find Yang Qing, get an answer, whether to become lovers or father and daughter, she would treat him well and give him all her best things.

In this world, he was her only family.