Jiang Fu had an elder brother, Jiang Yongnian, and a younger sister, Jiang Feng.
The Jiang family pinned all their hopes on their eldest son, Jiang Yongnian, sending him to private school in the hope of a fresh start.
Jiang Yongnian was intelligent and quick-witted, earning the favor of his private tutor. Unfortunately, education was an expensive affair. Even with the entire family's frugal living, they could not afford to support him, let alone cover the tens of taels of silver required for imperial examinations, a sum astronomical for a farming family.
After barely managing for five years, they could no longer afford it and arranged for him to find work as an accountant in the city to help subsidize the household.
How could Jiang Yongnian be content? Many in the private school with worse grades worked less diligently than him, yet they had the means to participate in the imperial examinations. It was solely due to his family's poverty that he had to abandon this opportunity to change his destiny.
Despite his immense dissatisfaction, he had to make a living. He found a job as an accountant at a wine house.
Jiang Feng grew up in the countryside. Her exceptional beauty made her quite the attention-grabber. By the time she reached marriageable age, matchmakers were practically treading down their doorstep.
Her second brother was going to the city to deliver something to their elder brother. Having not visited the city for many years, and thinking it would be even more inconvenient to travel after marriage, she pestered him relentlessly until he agreed to take her along.
As the two entered the sumptuously decorated and grand wine house, they felt awkward, unsure of where to place their hands, and felt utterly out of place, a deep sense of inferiority washing over them.
Coincidentally, the young master of the Lin family descended the stairs and saw her, like a startled white rabbit, her panic-stricken state instantly captivated him. He yearned to embrace her and protect her.
Observing their attire, he knew their social standing was worlds apart from his. With reluctance, he departed.
Jiang Yongnian, who was rushing to see his younger siblings, witnessed his every move clearly. Looking at his beautiful sister, a bold idea sparked in his mind.
After working at the wine house for a few years, and learning of Young Master Liu's habits, he would always find excuses to have his sister visit, arranging for her to "accidentally" encounter Young Master Liu.
As their meetings increased, Jiang Feng also noticed Young Master Liu's affections. After all, people in the village often looked at her with similar gazes, and she had long grown accustomed to it.
This time, however, the suitor was a young master from the city, which left her overwhelmed with flattered surprise.
The siblings' flawless coordination quickly led Young Master Liu to fall in love. With their encouragement, Young Master Liu gathered his courage and confessed to his parents.
As expected, they were met with fierce opposition from Master Liu and Madam Liu. Madam Liu's family had fallen on hard times, and to elevate her maternal family, she had previously expressed a desire for her nephew to become her daughter-in-law. Master Liu, on the other hand, was intent on finding his son a powerful in-law family and refused to agree.
Now their son wanted to marry a peasant girl. She might have sacrificed her son's marriage for her own family, but she would not gamble with her son's marriage for a stranger she barely knew.
Indeed, in their eyes, marrying a peasant girl was a joke. Their social standings were mismatched. If he truly liked her, he could take her as a concubine, but he could not marry her with a grand sedan chair procession.
However, the Young Master Liu of that time, experiencing love for the first time, how could he easily let go? He insisted on giving his beloved the best, resorting to tantrums, emotional appeals, and even threats of self-harm, including hunger strikes, throwing the Liu household into chaos.
Master Liu and Madam Liu deeply cherished each other. After having many daughters, they were blessed with a son in their middle age. They doted on him like a precious gem. Seeing their son's seriousness, the couple had no choice but to compromise, fearing that their son might genuinely harm himself.
Madam Liu, unwilling to concede, made one demand of her son: her nephew was to be brought in as a noble concubine.
Young Master Liu pondered and agreed. He had met his cousin many times and remembered her as a very well-behaved and pretty young girl.
Young Master Liu had a good impression of her and knew his mother always wanted him to marry her. Enjoying the pleasures of both women seemed like a good arrangement.
Jiang Feng could not have imagined her luck would be so good as to become a young mistress of the Liu household.
The entire Yunshui Village was abuzz. They learned of it when the young master of the Liu family personally arrived with over a dozen sets of betrothal gifts to propose.
That spectacle remained a topic of admiration for many years, with people believing the Liu family had struck gold.
The Jiang family pooled all their resources to prepare some dowry. While these items were considerable in the countryside, they appeared meager and rather shabby when brought to the city.
Madam Liu felt no joy upon seeing the newly wed daughter-in-law. Aside from her decent looks, what else did she possess? She had no idea what her son found appealing about her.
During their early days of marriage, although Master and Madam Liu looked down on her, her husband treated her well, and they spent a period of blissful days together.
Soon, the month's end arrived, and Bai Xiangshan was brought into the household in a pink sedan chair.
The next day, seeing the harmonious couple, the handsome man and beautiful woman, and the enthusiastic and satisfied attitude of the in-laws, a stark contrast to her own initial reception, she felt a pang of jealousy mingled with a hint of unease.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yongnian, having received his sister's betrothal gifts, quit his job and devoted himself to studying at home, hoping to qualify as a Xiucai in the following year.
Jiang Feng's premonition was correct. Young Master Liu, initially drawn to her delicate and pitiful demeanor, eventually found her to be just ordinary. He found more common ground with his cousin, with whom he had grown up in a similar environment. He frequently visited her courtyard, neglecting Jiang Feng.
From the masters to the servants of the Liu household, everyone was pleased with this development. Jiang Feng swallowed her bitterness.
Because of her rural upbringing, she had not learned proper etiquette, and some of her actions were not considered refined. Consequently, many old women and maids gossiped about her behind her back, looking down on her. She was aware of this but powerless to change it.
Fortunately, not long after, she was found to be pregnant. While overjoyed, she was also deeply worried. If this child were a son, it would be fine, but what if it were a daughter? She desperately needed a son to secure her position.
Coincidentally, shortly after, she heard that her second sister-in-law was also pregnant, around the same stage as her.
After discussing with her elder brother, they devised a plan. This marked the beginning of the original owner's tragic fate.
With a son and Jiang Yongnian successfully passing the Xiucai examination the following year, people's attitudes towards her finally began to change, and she felt she could finally hold her head high.
However, her joy was short-lived. She soon learned that her husband had gleefully gone to Consort Bai's courtyard because she was pregnant. Even her mother-in-law had sent many nourishing items. Jiang Feng's hands clenched her handkerchief until it was almost torn.
Jiang Feng initially intended to teach Consort Bai a lesson. However, the moment she made her move, she was discovered by her mother-in-law, who severely reprimanded her, causing her to lose all face within the manor.
Jiang Feng secretly vowed that fortune favors the brave, and the tables could still turn. She decided to let Consort Bai off for now, waiting until the in-laws passed away, then they would see who could control whom.