After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Madam Wang patted Fang Xiaoran's hand, "You're still young and don't understand many things. Fang Xiaoqi is just an adopted daughter and has no blood relation to the Fang family. Why are you getting angry with her? If it really comes to a crisis, do you think the Fang family would abandon their own daughter?"

Her inexplicable mention of Fang Xiaoqi again seemed like she was there to mediate, but in reality, she wanted to escalate their conflict.

Fang Xiaoran sneered: "My own daughter? Auntie, do you still remember how my mother left the Fang family?"

"She deserved to be punished for murdering her mother-in-law!" Wang Shi, Fang Xiaoran's mother, lost control of her emotions whenever she mentioned her, and even her usual facade was torn away.

Realizing she had gotten a little agitated, Mrs. Wang calmed down and said with a smile, "You must never follow her example, and you must never mention her name to your father. Your father hasn't completely forgiven your mother yet, but I will definitely try to persuade him when I find an opportunity."

"By the way, let me keep the key you got from your mother for now. How can a child keep such a valuable thing safe? Be careful not to lose it."

As expected, the real intention was not what it seemed. Madam Wang had long coveted Bai Qiqi's family fortune, and her eldest son, Fang Huaihong, was about to marry the legitimate daughter of the Zhou family in Lin'an. It should be noted that the Zhou family was a prominent family, with both father and son serving as officials in the court, and their grandmother being a distant relative of the Empress Dowager. Marrying the daughter of such a family was something that could not be done in a disgraceful manner.

As the son of a concubine, it was already unbelievable that the Zhou family would choose him. There were also rumors that the eldest daughter of the Zhou family was notorious for her improper behavior and was notorious in the Lin'an area. Originally, Fang Zhengyong strongly opposed the marriage, but Madam Wang was determined to let her son get in touch with the Zhou family and begged him until Fang Zhengyong finally agreed.

In her past life, the key was taken away by the Wang family through various means, leading to the decline of the Bai family. This time, Fang Xiaoran will definitely not let her succeed again.

Fang Xiaoran said coldly, "My mother said that the key was given to her by my maternal grandfather. It concerns the entire Bai family and must not be given to anyone else."

Upon hearing this, Wang became angry. "How can it be a stranger? We are family. We should discuss things together. I'm just keeping the key for you, not keeping it for myself. Why are you so naive?"

Fang Xiaoran said calmly, "I can keep a key safe, so there's no need for you to worry about it, Aunt."

Unexpectedly, Fang Xiaoran became so stubborn. Knowing that she couldn't push her too hard, Madam Wang angrily said, "Then you should take good care of yourself and don't go out unless necessary, so you don't run into Xiao Qi and cause trouble for your father."

After saying that, Wang turned and left.

An hour later, Ziju returned with the medicine and told Fang Xiaoran, "Miss, the pharmacy owner is very interested in your prescription and wants to buy it. He asked if you are interested."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaoran put down the jar she was fiddling with, "Did they explain my identity?"

Ziju shook her head, "No, I only said that I was helping someone get medicine, and I don't know anything else."

Fang Xiaoqi was satisfied with Ziju's answer, and her expression softened slightly. "Next time you go to get the medicine, tell him that you can give him the prescription, but he can't charge me for using this prescription to get medicine in the future."

"This..." Ziju hesitated. "Miss, isn't this prescription a folk remedy from our hometown? It would be a huge loss to just hand it over to someone else like this. Besides, I don't think the boss would agree to it. It's fine if he doesn't charge for one or two doses, but if it's for a long time..."

However, Fang Xiaoran said with certainty, "He will agree."

Her prescription wasn't anything special; it simply replaced a few herbs that weren't commonly found in the market with those that were readily available and cheaper. By using the prescription to avoid the cost of getting the medicine later, she wasn't losing out, but the shopkeeper could make a hefty profit.

Fang Xiaoran's goal is for the boss to make money so that their cooperation can go from nothing to something.

It snowed for several more days, and the yard was covered with a thick layer of snow, so thick that even the tree roots were not visible.

Early in the morning, Ziju and Qinglan cleared the snow from the steps and under the eaves, afraid that Fang Xiaoran might slip and fall when she came out for some fresh air.

But the project in the courtyard was too large, and without servants to clean it, the two maids alone certainly couldn't manage it.

Despite the large size of the North Residence, it was actually only the three of them who lived there. On the surface, Wang said she would provide more staff for her, but in reality, she made various excuses to refuse.

Originally, Beiju was the residence of Fang Xiaoran's mother, Bai Qiqi. Although she was the principal wife, Beiju was far inferior to Manchun Garden, where Wang Shi lived. Later, Bai Qiqi left the mansion, and Beiju fell into disrepair. Even Fang Zhengyong's adopted daughter, Fang Xiaoqi, did not live here, but lived in the old lady's Ci'an Hall.

Fang Xiaoran had only been to Ci'an Hall once, and was even punished by the old lady.

Recalling this past event, Fang Xiaoran, who was sitting by the window fiddling with a jar, had a sharp look in her eyes.

In the backyard, under the side room, Qinglan walked over from the corridor and sat down next to Ziju, who was decocting medicine. She rested her chin on her hands and asked mysteriously, "What do you think the young lady is doing carrying that jar all day? Is there some treasure inside?"

Ziju gently fanned the fire in the stove and said calmly, "The young lady left home at a young age and suffered a lot before returning. The master doesn't care about her, and the concubine is not her birth mother. She has no one to rely on in the Fang family. We must take good care of her."

"I'm talking about the east, you're talking about the west, are we even talking about the same thing?" Qinglan stood up irritably, snatched the fan from Ziju's hand, and started fanning herself vigorously.

Seeing her huffing and puffing, Ziju sighed helplessly and said softly, "I know you're upset. You were supposed to be with Fifth Miss, but because of our Miss's return, the concubine sent you here to take care of her. But you should know that our Miss is the legitimate daughter born to the principal wife."

Qinglan angrily threw down her fan. "What's the difference between an unloved legitimate daughter and a concubine's daughter? Even an adopted daughter can trample on her. We'll just have to waste our lives with her in this huge, desolate courtyard."

Ziju slapped her head in anger and said with a hint of irritation, "What nonsense are you talking about? A girl will get married in the future too."

"Ziju, is the medicine ready?" Fang Xiaoran's voice came from that moment, startling Ziju and Qinglan, who quickly looked up. They saw Fang Xiaoran standing under the eaves in a single garment, calmly watching them.

His eyes, though seemingly calm, sent chills down one's spine.

"It'll be ready soon," Ziju replied quickly. Qinglan, who was standing next to her, panicked and immediately stepped forward to support her. "Why didn't you wear a warm coat when you came out? You should go inside quickly and be careful not to catch a cold."

Fang Xiaoran said nothing, letting Qinglan help her walk into the house. But as she stepped inside, she gripped Qinglan's hand tightly, her cold eyes falling on Qinglan, which startled Qinglan.

"Qinglan." She opened her mouth, "Have I been bad to you?"

That question was less directed at the present Qinglan and more at the past life. How was it possible for this girl, who couldn't keep a secret at all, to remain hidden by her side for so many years without being discovered? Did she intend to betray her from the beginning, or did she gradually develop wicked intentions later?

"Good, Miss is very kind to me..." Qinglan had never seen anything like this before, and her legs were already weak with fright. Her icy eyes and the terrifying aura emanating from her body were not like the weak, straightforward, and innocent girl she used to be.

Fang Xiaoran nodded in satisfaction, but her eyes remained icy cold, and her voice was even colder than the winter snow in the courtyard, "That's good, remember what you said."

It wasn't until Fang Xiaoran and Qinglan had been gone for quite a while that Ziju came back to her senses. She stared blankly into the distance, unable to calm down for a long time.

Is that still the girl she knew? Something seems to have changed, yet nothing seems to have changed.

"Ziju, where is your daughter? The old lady wants to see her."