When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 2

“Mother, my sister’s parents died early, and she came all the way from the northwest to the capital to live with my father. She must have endured so much hardship. She finally found a family, but we treat her this way. She must feel terrible, and over time, she’ll surely become distant from us. Father has always hoped that we would live in harmony, like a happy family. So, can you please let go of your hostility towards her and love her like your own daughter?”

Jiang Yan’s voice grows softer with each word, until she’s barely audible, speaking as if in a daze.

Yuan Feng looks at her daughter with a complex expression, a hint of confusion in her eyes. This morning, before she left, her daughter was excitedly talking about going to the ancestral hall to “supervise” Jiang Zhen, not at all worried about her.

How could she have changed so much in just a few hours? What on earth happened?

After mulling it over, Yuan Feng decides to find someone to ask for a clear explanation.

She rises, but Jiang Yan grabs her hand, mumbling something she can’t quite make out. Yuan Feng leans in, bringing her ear closer.

“Yan’er, what are you saying?”

“Mother, please, don’t punish my sister…”

Yuan Feng sighs, patting her hand. “Alright, alright, I understand. Go to sleep. I’ll stay here with you.”

Only then does Jiang Yan relax and fall into a deep sleep.

Once she’s sure her daughter is asleep, Yuan Feng waves her hand, summoning her personal maid, Xi Liu, who was waiting outside. She whispers a few instructions into her ear.

Xi Liu nods, quietly backing out of the room and heading west.

The General’s Residence has only one daughter, Jiang Yan, so her Lotus Courtyard is the most extravagant. Next to it is the Sheng Yue Courtyard, but the smallest and most rundown is the Ning Bo Courtyard in the west. When Jiang Chengsha brought Jiang Zhen back, he originally planned for her to stay in the Sheng Yue Courtyard, but Yuan Feng and the original Jiang Yan’s strong opposition forced him to move her to the Ning Bo Courtyard.

Now, with Xi Liu heading west, the purpose is clear.

Jiang Zhen’s knees are badly swollen from kneeling for hours. Xia He, her maid, is carefully applying medicine, her eyes filled with sorrow.

“Miss, why didn’t you explain? You didn’t break that vase.”

Jiang Zhen smiles faintly, her eyes containing a mix of emotions. “There’s nothing to explain. If Mother believes I did it, what good would an explanation do? People who trust you don’t need explanations, and for those who don’t, no amount of explanation will matter.”

Xia He feels even more pity for her mistress and becomes gentler with her movements.

The room falls silent. Jiang Zhen looks at the peach blossoms outside the window, pondering Jiang Yan’s strange behavior today.

“Miss, I’m done. I’ll wrap the bandage for you. Don’t walk around for a couple of days, and the swelling should go down soon.”

Jiang Zhen nods. “Thank you, Xia He.”

People in this residence are snobbish. She’s used to their taunts and disdain. Xia He is one of the few who genuinely cares for her.

Xia He tidies up the medicine box and the extra bandages. She looks up at Jiang Zhen. “Miss, don’t say that. If it weren’t for you, I would have been kicked out of the residence. My life belongs to you. This is the least I can do.”

Jiang Zhen smiles but doesn’t speak. She tries to stand, but Xia He presses her back into the chair.

“Miss, I just told you not to walk around. You’re not listening.”

Jiang Zhen obediently sits, watching her busy herself.

“Eldest Miss, Madam would like to see you at the Lotus Courtyard.”

Xi Liu’s voice comes from outside the door. The smile on Jiang Zhen’s face disappears. Xia He looks at her worriedly and respectfully says to the door, “Aunt Xi Liu, please wait a moment. Eldest Miss will change her clothes and be right there.”

Then she looks at Jiang Zhen and whispers, “Miss, is Madam going to punish you for the Second Miss?”

A coldness fills Jiang Zhen’s eyes, and her hand clenches. I knew Jiang Yan had ill intentions. This is a scheme from both mother and daughter.

I’ll see what kind of trick they’re trying to pull.

“Let’s go. Don’t keep Aunt Xi Liu waiting too long.”

Jiang Zhen calmly stands up and walks out, her face expressionless.

Though Xi Liu is trusted by Yuan Feng, she always remembers her place. She doesn’t neglect Jiang Zhen just because she’s out of favor. She’s always polite. Seeing Jiang Zhen, she bows slightly. “Eldest Miss.”

Jiang Zhen nods lightly and walks straight to the Lotus Courtyard.

Xia He worries about her mistress, occasionally glancing at her. Filled with anxiety, they arrive at the Lotus Courtyard.

Xi Liu asks them to wait and goes inside to report to Yuan Feng. Yuan Feng, afraid of waking Jiang Yan, places her daughter’s hand under the blanket and moves to a side room, gesturing for Xi Liu to bring Jiang Zhen in.

As Jiang Zhen enters and is about to curtsy, Yuan Feng yells, “Kneel!”

Jiang Zhen slowly kneels, her back straight.

Yuan Feng hates this about her the most. Even when living under someone else’s roof, she’s arrogant and condescending, as if she looks down on everyone. I wonder what kind of spell she cast on Yan’er, making her act so strange and defend her.

I must find out what happened. If this despicable girl is behind it, I’ll use this chance to kick her out. Kill two birds with one stone.

“What did you say to your sister after I left this morning?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Jiang Zhen replies, her words as sparse as gold. She only answers what is asked and nothing more.

Yuan Feng obviously doesn’t believe her. She gets up from her seat and walks in front of Jiang Zhen, looking down at her.

“If you didn’t trick her, why would she kneel with you for two hours? Now, she’s sick and unconscious. If something bad happens to her, how will you explain it to your father?”

Jiang Zhen stares at the ground, her eyes cold. “My sister insisted on kneeling with me and said things I didn’t understand. Mother, instead of wasting your time on me, you should let the doctor thoroughly examine my sister.”

The daughter plays the white face, and the mother plays the black face. How hard they must have worked to scheme against me.

Jiang Zhen gives a self-deprecating smile, which quickly disappears.

Yuan Feng’s face darkens completely. If she weren’t afraid of her husband’s anger, she’d kick this ungrateful wretch out to fend for herself. I’m the wife of a General, and I can’t even deal with a young girl. This is utterly frustrating!

“So you won’t tell the truth, will you? Fine! I’ll see how long you can be stubborn!”

Xia He, seeing that her mistress is about to be punished again, speaks up despite her low status. Her voice trembles. “Madam, the Second Miss really insisted on kneeling. She apologized to the Eldest Miss and admitted to breaking the vase. She also told the Eldest Miss not to kneel, but when the Eldest Miss refused, she knelt with her. She stayed there until you returned. Sisters Dong Xue and Qiu Yue can also testify to this.”

Yuan Feng’s expression freezes, her eyes turning cold. How dare a lowly maid talk back to me? This is insubordination!

“You are loyal, aren’t you? Since you care for her so much, you can go to the laundry room with your mistress.”

Xia He’s eyes well up with tears. She looks at Jiang Zhen, who shakes her head, signaling her not to say anything more.

If you want to frame someone, you’ll always find a reason.

This kind of punishment happens periodically; it’s just a matter of how long it lasts. The only thing she can do now is stay silent.

“Xi Liu, keep an eye on them. They will eat and live with the laundry servants. They can return to the Ning Bo Courtyard in a month. If they return a day sooner, you will be held responsible!”

Xi Liu bows. “Yes.” She turns to Jiang Zhen. “Eldest Miss, please.”

Jiang Zhen stands and bows. “Daughter will take her leave.”

Her manners are still impeccable and beyond reproach.

Outside the Lotus Courtyard, Jiang Zhen says softly to Xi Liu, “Thank you, Aunt Xi Liu.” If Xi Liu hadn’t brought her out in time, her mother would have said many more unpleasant things to her.

Xi Liu remains expressionless. “It’s what I should do.”

She has never married and sees both young mistresses as her own daughters, with no favoritism. However, she serves the Madam and must obey her orders. She has limited power and can’t do much to help.

Jiang Zhen doesn’t need her to do much, for she is well aware of her place in the General’s Residence. However, she prefers this stable life over her previous one wandering on the border. As long as she has a place to live, going to the laundry room to wash clothes is nothing.

The two quickly pack up some clothes and daily necessities and head to the living quarters assigned to them. When they see the dilapidated, tiny room filled with cobwebs and dust, Xia He bursts into tears.

“Miss, I’m so sorry! This is all my fault! If I hadn’t spoken up, Madam wouldn’t have punished you like this!”

Jiang Zhen sighs and pats her head. “No matter what you said, we would have been sent here anyway. This isn’t your fault.”

Xia He sniffles, half-believing her. “Really?”

“Really, really. So don’t take the blame. Let’s think about how to live here for a month.”

Xia He’s emotions come and go quickly. She rolls up her sleeves and starts cleaning.

Jiang Zhen also gets to work, helping Xia He. Together, the two of them make the room look brand new in just an hour. Although the furnishings are still simple, it’s clean and tidy.

Before they can catch their breath, the door is kicked open. A woman with an imposing attitude sees Jiang Zhen and becomes even more arrogant.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Eldest Miss. Have you been punished to come and experience our servant life again?”

Xia He’s teeth ache with anger. She’s about to speak but is stopped by a look from Jiang Zhen.

“Aunt Chun, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We’ll be relying on you to take care of us from now on,” Jiang Zhen says, her voice polite despite her blank expression.

“I wouldn’t dare to ‘take care’ of you. But since the Eldest Miss is in my charge, I must fulfill my duty and treat everyone equally,” Chun Niang says, looking down on Jiang Zhen and Xia He. “Don’t just stand there. There’s a mountain of clothes to be washed. Are you going to be lazy, or should I invite you to get started?”

“We wouldn’t dare trouble you, Aunt Chun. We’ll get to it now.” Jiang Zhen puts the rag she’s holding on the table without changing her clothes and walks out.

Xia He hurries after her, her heart filled with anger towards Chun Niang. She wasn’t allowed to follow her mistress the last time she was sent here, so she had no idea the person in charge was so cruel.

The memory of her mistress’s humility makes her eyes sting. Why must such a kind mistress suffer so much? Life is so unfair.