Now that these tasks were complete, the yard looked much more welcoming, at least it felt like a home; before, the ground was littered with fallen leaves, and it hardly resembled a house at all.

Then, she called for San Yatou to help her comb her hair properly. San Yatou took two hair ties from her pocket, explaining they were bought for her by her brother from town. Lin He styled the little girl’s hair into the tight little buns worn by maidservants. The small girl looked instantly more spirited and quite pretty.

Lin He noticed that all