In the midst of the scorching summer, the sun was just hanging low in the sky, yet the heat wave was so intense that even the slightest movement would result in sweat trickling down one's body.

The Hua Residence, occupying half of Hualin Lane, was as tranquil as ever. The maids and servants moved around quietly, their skirts swishing gently, no one daring to make a noise while the young servants were busy with their duties, hurrying around but never daring to run.

The Hua family, a distinguished household of a hundred years, was renowned for its strict rules and high demands on its servants. However, due to the good reputation of the Hua family, there were still countless people hoping to be accepted into the household every year. Compared to other affluent families with countless unspeakable secrets, the strict rules of the Hua family were nothing much, especially considering that the servants in the Hua family had the opportunity to learn how to read. Unfortunately, the Hua family did not recruit new servants regularly.

As the sun rose higher, the cicadas' singing intensified, adding a few more degrees to the summer's oppressive heat.

In a courtyard to the south, Miss Hua Zhi, the eldest daughter of the Hua family, was growing a bit tired from reading. She put down her book, rubbed her eyes gently, then turned to her maid who was fanning her, "It's not that hot if you just sit still. Take a break.”

The maid responded with a small smile, “This servant isn't tired."

The maid who was doing some needlework on the side quickly washed her hands, brought over the chilled mung bean soup, and began to massage Miss Hua Zhi's neck after watching her slowly sip the soup.

The door curtain moved slightly and a peach-dressed maid lifted the curtain while another one, dressed in green, carrying a tray of water came in. Together, they cleaned Hua Zhi's hands and brought out bottles and jars for her hand care.

Her fingers were delicate, the joints almost non-existent, and her skin was fair and tender. Just from these hands, one could tell she was a pampered lady from a wealthy family who never needed to do any manual labor.

A slight smile curled up the corners of Hua Zhi’s mouth, and she asked in the silence, “So, have any of you four found someone you like?”

The four maids were all busy with their tasks, none of them responded.

“Yingchun, you go first.”

The maid doing the massage paused for a moment, then continued with her moderate rhythm, “This servant will abide by Miss's wish. Whomever you say I should marry, I will.”

This response was as Hua Zhi expected. She then asked another maid, “Ba-xia, what about you?”

The maid massaging her fingers looked up briefly, lowered her head, and continued her task, “This servant has mentioned before. I do not want to marry, I will serve you for the rest of my life.”

Nian Qiu, who was massaging her other hand, nodded in agreement without needing Hua Zhi's inquiry, "My thoughts align with Bao Xia's."

No more queries were needed for the last one, Fu Dong. Being timid and obedient, she always followed her three older sisters' lead.

Hua Zhi seemed helpless, "Whether you two can make your marriage last or not is up to you to decide. Just because I think well of someone doesn't mean you'll have a smooth married life. It's always better to observe first than to go blindly into a future that you might regret.”

“You are still an unmarried woman yourself, yet you talk as if you are speaking from experience,” Bao Xia mumbled under her breath. “Regardless, I will never marry. You can't expect us to stay in the Hua family forever. Wherever you go, we will follow.”

“What’s so good about getting married to someone else? Could the Shen family ever compare to the familiar Hua family? If I had a choice, I would rather stay an old maid in the Hua family.”

Nian Qiu applied a chunk of perfume paste to Hua Zhi's hand, laughing lightly, "Your mother would surely cry a river if she heard this."

Indeed, her mother was the epitome of the saying "women are as weak as water". Teardrops would roll down her cheeks at the drop of a hat. Even while delicately addressing her mother, Hua Zhi always had to tread lightly, careful not to upset her mother and consequently having to mollify her.

This was why she never objected, not even once, about the arranged marriage. She couldn't possibly break her mother's heart.

"If you want to come with me to the Shen family, it's fine. However, whoever finds their own partner, I will bring them along with me. How would you handle it if my future husband favored any of you? Would you accept his advances and become my sister-in-law?"

All four immediately dropped what they were doing and kneeled in front of Hua Zhi. Ying Chun, the most composed among them, spoke on their behalf, "We would never harbor such desires. Over the years, you have only relied on us for companionship. If we all marry and have our own families, you won't even have anyone to talk to in the Shen family. We all have decided that, during your wedding, we will dress up as married women, announcing to the Shen family our lack of intentions of forming romantic entanglements, given that the family would not lack our presence. We beg for your approval, miss."

"Regardless of whether you agree, we will follow through with our decision,” Bao Xia declared with a hint of redness in her eyes. They were merely four or five years old when they first joined the house and were inexperienced in the world. They could only converse in their own dialect. The young miss brought them close, named them, educated them in reading and arithmetic, and taught them about social conduct. No maiden was as fortunate as they were. They would happily offer their lives to the young miss and leaving was out of the question.

"The Shen family isn't a den of monsters..." Hua Zhi suddenly stopped her words, before instantly ordering, "Bao Xia, go and find out what's happening outside,"

Bao Xia rose to leave, but Hua Zhi called out again before she made it too far. "Don't let anyone see you."

"Understood."

The discordant sounds coming from the outside made Hua Zhi uneasy. The Hua family ordinarily lived in tranquillity. For such a large family, any deviation from their normal peaceful routine could signify trouble.

Seeing the three of them still kneeling, Hua Zhi gestured for them to rise, and walked towards the doorway herself.

Before she had even reached the door, Bao Xia ran in, literally running. Her panting condition stopped Ying Chun from scolding her.

"Miss, there are constables coming, so many of them..."

Hua Zhi felt a sinking feeling, considering her grandfather's second-rank position, just any constable wouldn't dare to come to her house, unless...

Hearing the commotion from outside, Hua Zhi made a quick decision, "Bao Xia, watch the door and don't show your face. Ying Chun, grab all of my gold bars and half of my banknotes. Don't touch anything else visible. Nian Qiu, Fu Dong, both of you move that box, lift up the bricks and hide everything under them. Be quick."

"Yes," the three maids were initially frightened, but upon seeing their lady's calm demeanour, they regained their composure and got to work.

Hua Zhi felt immensely relieved that she hadn’t lost her sense of crisis even in another life. She had prepared a secret compartment at the least conspicuous location. The space was not big, just enough to hide some gold and silver. But as soon as the brick was put back, no one could see that the brick was movable.

They quickly tidied up the mess they had made, then turned their eyes to Hua Zhi, waiting for her next instruction.

Hua Zhi, walked back to the soft couch and stretched out her hand, "Continue."

The three of them returned to their original places, but their hands were trembling slightly - they had never experienced such a thing.