Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

After the meal, Madam Wang held Jiu'er's hand and said to her with great affection...

"Jiu'er, you see, my family's situation is really not good. Granny Mei is my old friend. She needs a daughter and wants to adopt you as her goddaughter. What do you think?"

"But I still need to go home to find my sister..." Jiu'er said timidly with her head down, and when she looked up again, her eyes were already filled with tears.

"Oh dear, my darling, stop crying. Come home with me and be my daughter. I promise you'll live a life of luxury." Granny Mei promised, holding Jiu'er's other hand.

"Grandma, will I still be able to go home and see my sister in the future?"

"Yes, why not? We'll bring your sister over too, and I'll recognize her as my daughter. We'll live together then." Grandma Mei wasn't angry at all when she heard Jiu'er's words; instead, she happily agreed.

“Alright then, I’ll recognize Grandma Mei as my godmother from now on,” Jiu’er said, looking down at Grandma Mei’s soft, delicate hands.

“Good girl, you go out and wait for your godmother first. I’ll say a few more words to your Aunt Wang, and then we’ll leave in a bit,” Granny Mei said, patting Jiu’er’s hand.

"Hmm," Jiu'er obediently walked out of the main room, stood at the door for a while, and then headed towards the kitchen.

Wang's daughter-in-law was sitting in the kitchen, head down, seemingly lost in thought. She only looked up when she sensed someone entering.

"You've agreed to go with Granny Mei?"

"Yes, Grandma Mei doesn't have a daughter, and she said she wants to adopt me as her daughter."

"You'd better leave quickly. If you really go with Granny Mei, your life will be ruined." Hearing her words, Wang's daughter-in-law suddenly grabbed Jiu'er's hand. "Go quickly, run now."

There were tears in her eyes as she said this.

Jiu'er looked at her seriously for a few moments before smiling brightly, "Auntie, if I leave, will your man sell you off too?"

Upon hearing Jiu'er's words, the woman suddenly released her grip on Jiu'er's hand, her eyes filled with shock.

Ignoring the shock in her eyes, Jiu'er continued to ask with a smile, "Auntie, I just want to know, were all the girls sold from here sold to this Granny Mei?"

"..."

"Jiu'er, are you leaving? Come with your godmother!" Just as Wang's daughter-in-law was silent, Granny Mei's voice suddenly came from outside.

"Hey, godmother, I'm coming right away." He called out to the outside world, then turned back to look at Wang's daughter-in-law.

Just as Jiu'er thought she wouldn't get an answer and was about to stand up and leave, she heard a soft "Yes" from the other side.

With a simple "thank you," Jiu'er left the house and boarded the donkey cart that Granny Mei had used to come.

On the donkey cart, Granny Mei asked Jiu'er about her family situation again. Jiu'er then repeated what she had told Wang Shi before. Hearing Jiu'er's words, Granny Mei felt relieved. She liked this kind of orphan girl without relatives.

Watching the donkey cart slowly drive away, Wang's second son couldn't wait to ask his mother...

"Mother, how much did you get for this?"

"Twelve taels"

"so much?"

"This girl is pretty and young. She can make money after two or three years of training. Of course, she'll be more expensive than the younger ones."

"Mother, how about that? I'm quick-witted, aren't I? You almost chased away the god of wealth who came to our door," Wang's second son said, trying to take credit.

"Yeah, you're so smart."

"So how much will you give me?" the second brother asked with a grin.

"Hmph, how many do you want?"

Hearing Wang speak like that, he knew his mother was unhappy again, but thinking about the money still made his heart flutter, so he steeled himself and slapped her.

"Five taels"

"Alright, I'll give you five taels."

Unexpectedly, his mother agreed so readily, and the second son rubbed his hands together with joy. He ran to the kitchen and instructed his wife...

"I'll cook two fancy dishes tonight. We're rich today, and I'm going to have a good drink with Mom."

The donkey cart traveled slowly for an hour before the driver outside said in a muffled voice, "Madam, we have arrived."

Grandma Mei in the carriage—oh no, I should call her Madam Mei. Grandma Mei is what outsiders call her. Once we get to the Red Pavilion, she is the esteemed Madam Mei.

"She's asleep, carry her inside."

Madam Mei told the coachman outside that not long after leaving the Wang family, she handed Jiu'er a cup of tea laced with something. Jiu'er was completely unsuspecting and fell into a deep sleep shortly after drinking it, and had not woken up since.

"Yes." Then a pair of large hands lifted the carriage curtain and dragged Jiu'er, who was half-leaning against the carriage, out.

In a fairly well-decorated room, looking at the unconscious girl on the bed, Madam Mei gestured to the two old women beside her to wake her up.

A damp cloth was placed over Jiu'er's face, and with a soft moan, she slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing the two unfamiliar old women standing in front of the bed, Jiu'er shrank back into the bed in fear, screaming in panic.

"Godmother, godmother"

"Jiu'er, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, your godmother is here." Madam Mei, who was sitting at the table drinking tea, heard Jiu'er's cries and pretended to be very concerned as she stepped forward to hug the frightened girl and comfort her. After Jiu'er calmed down, Madam Mei spoke again, "Jiu'er, from now on you will live in this room, is that alright?"

Jiu'er lifted her head from Madam Mei's arms, looked at the furnishings in the room, and her face immediately lit up with surprise. "Godmother, this room is so beautiful, I love it."

"If you like it, that's good. From now on, this is your home. Settle down here and be at ease, okay?"

"Yes, godmother, I understand." Jiu'er nodded obediently, then looked around the room with a look of surprise.

Seeing how obedient Jiu'er was, and her seemingly naive demeanor, Madam Mei was quite pleased. She gave the two old women a meaningful look. The two old women immediately knelt down before Jiu'er, saying, "Greetings, Miss."

Their actions filled Jiu'er with both surprise and panic. She looked at Granny Mei, unsure what to do. Madam Mei gestured for the two old women to rise.

"From now on, Jiu'er will be the thirteenth young lady of our courtyard, and she's my goddaughter. You must treat her with respect, understand?"

"Yes, Madam, I have noted it down."

"You may leave now. Go and prepare clothes and toiletries for Miss. I will host a welcome banquet tonight so that Miss can meet the other ladies," Madam Mei ordered authoritatively.

"Yes"

Jiu'er looked on with envy at everything that was happening before her eyes, but Madam Mei saw every detail of her expression.

"Jiu'er, you must be tired. Rest in the room for a while. You can meet up with the other sisters tonight. You'll be living and studying together from now on."

"Study?" Jiu'er asked, puzzled.

"Yes, that's right. To be my daughter, you not only have to learn all the arts, such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but you also have to be able to dance and sing. Study hard, and the better you do, the more your godmother will like you."

"But I'm not very smart, what if I can't learn it?" Jiu'er asked timidly.

"Then you have to study even harder. If you can't learn it, your godmother won't like you anymore, understand?" Although the words were spoken gently, there was already a threat in them.

"Yes, godmother, I will definitely study hard. Please don't dislike me."

"Good daughter, that's right. Your godmother loves you the most." Madam Mei's hand stroked Jiu'er's back, just like petting a puppy or kitten.