Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

As evening fell and the courtyard quieted down, all that could be heard was the sound of calm breathing. Jiu'er put her beggar's clothes back on; although not black, they were much better than the brightly colored clothes in the closet. Carefully avoiding several patrolling guards, she successfully left the Red Pavilion.

After leaving the courtyard, Jiu'er stood in a small alley, looking left and right, before heading towards the main road to find her way. She then channeled her inner energy and ran swiftly in one direction. After running for a quarter of an hour, she arrived at an inconspicuous courtyard. Without knocking, she leaped over the wall and entered the courtyard. However, before she even landed, she was met with a large sword. She quickly drew the soft sword from her waist and blocked the attack.

"It's me, Nineteen."

"..." Upon hearing Nineteen's voice, the man quickly stopped his attack.

"Nineteen, what brings you here so late at night?" As the man with the knife asked, an oil lamp was lit in another room.

"Master Zhao, is Captain Ding here?" Nineteen asked the owner of the knife.

"Yes, it's inside. Come in with me," Zhao Dawei said, nodding towards the lit room.

When they entered the room, the former butler, now Captain Ding, was already dressed and sitting by the bed.

"Nineteen, what brings you here? Has something happened to the Zhang family?" Captain Ding asked nervously.

“It’s nothing. It’s just that Madam’s younger sister was sold. Madam sent me out to investigate this matter. But now we’ve found a restaurant called ‘Red Pavilion,’ and the person in charge is known as Madam Mei. I would like to ask Captain Ding to help investigate what the background of this Red Pavilion is. Also, I need to send a message to Zhangjia Village that I am safe and sound and that Madam and her family should not worry.”

Because of time constraints, Nineteen quickly and briefly explained the whole story to Captain Ding. However, before she could finish, Butler Ding said...

“I know about this Red Pavilion. It has a considerable and complex power structure behind it. Madam Mei is always very measured in her actions and has never forced anyone to do anything. I’ve even heard that some families with poor financial situations send their daughters there voluntarily. Are you sure Madam Zhang’s sister is inside?”

"Yes, it's basically confirmed. The age matches, and the appearance is about 60% similar to Madam's," Nineteen said with certainty.

"Since that's the case, then rescue the person, just don't cause any further trouble. Don't let this small matter drag our master into it," Captain Ding instructed Nineteen after a moment's thought.

"Yes, the 19th will definitely handle this matter properly."

"Just say so if you need any help."

"I need to bring the people here tomorrow night, and then leave the city gate early the day after tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll send someone to Zhangjia Village tomorrow." After saying that, he added...

"Your sister is fine and safe now."

Upon hearing Captain Ding's words, Nineteen blinked her big eyes, suppressing the bitterness in them, and thanked Captain Ding with a smile.

Having finished speaking, Nineteen didn't linger. Just as he had come, he used his inner strength to run quickly back to the Red Pavilion. He evaded the night patrol guards and safely returned to his room. He took off his beggar's clothes, wrapped them in a bundle, and then lay down on the soft bed to sleep peacefully.

The next day, Jiu'er was woken up by Xiao Hong and Xiao Lü.

"Thirteenth Miss, it's time to get up. You have to go to the academy later," Xiao Hong said to Jiu'er, who was still sleepy on the bed, as she hung up the bed curtains.

"Okay, I'll get up right away."

With the help of two maids, Jiu'er got dressed and then had her face washed and mouth rinsed.

Then Xiao Hong pressed her down in front of the dressing table, her fingers deftly manipulating Jiu'er's hair. Soon, a delicate single bun was styled.

Xiao Lü helped Jiu'er choose accessories, browsing through a small box on the table for a while before finally selecting a pearl hairpin with a small tassel and inserting it into her hair. Then she applied makeup to Jiu'er's face, and when Jiu'er looked in the bronze mirror again, she couldn't even recognize the charming and lovely person in it. She looked exactly like a young lady from a wealthy family, and she never thought she could be so beautiful.

At this moment, she finally understood why Madam Mei had never had any trouble all these years. Many women, even those initially unwilling, would likely have been dazzled by Madam Mei's wealth after a few days. She just wondered if the person she was looking for was still willingly staying here.

Breakfast was eaten in her room; it was exquisite and beautiful, with a variety of dishes. There was almond porridge, millet porridge, sweet tofu pudding, steamed dumplings, fried dough sticks, and small steamed buns—each item in small portions. Jiu'er assumed all of this was for her, but just as she brought the sweet tofu pudding to herself, Xiao Lü moved the almond and millet porridge aside. Seeing Jiu'er's puzzled look, Xiao Hong smiled and explained...

“Thirteenth Miss, the ladies of our Red Pavilion must maintain a slender figure and cannot eat too much at each meal; six-tenths full is enough. Therefore, these foods are for you to choose from, but you can only choose one of each. Now you can also choose one staple food.”

Jiu'er's eyes fell on the several small dishes of staple food on the table, trying to choose the one with the largest portion, but they all seemed about the same, so she had no choice but to choose the fried dough. At least this one was made of plain flour, which was more affordable than the two filled ones. After she made her choice, Xiao Lü took away the steamed dumplings and xiaolongbao.

Jiu'er sighed inwardly. It was delicious, but there wasn't enough. She wasn't even full; if Daniu were here, she'd probably be crying from hunger.

After breakfast, Jiu'er was surrounded by Xiao Hong and Xiao Lü as she went to the Danqing Hall to study. Her first lesson today was painting.