The beloved daughter of the Houfu is seven years old

Chapter One – Reincarnation
2022-12-01

“Qiu’er, Qiu’er!”

Shen Qingqiu was groggy, vaguely aware of someone constantly calling her. As she slowly opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was an antique-looking ceiling, followed by the sight of a woman who was clearly unfamiliar to her.

“Qiu’er, you’re awake, you’re finally awake! Were you trying to scare your mother to death?!”

The woman choked out a sob and suddenly pulled Shen Qingqiu into her arms.

Mother? Shen Qingqiu had spent over a decade as a soul collector in the mortal world—who would dare call themselves her mother? Who was this woman anyway?! She instinctively tried to push her away, but the moment she raised her hand, Shen Qingqiu was utterly stunned—

What the hell?! How could this possibly be her hand?!

Her arm looked like a stalk of lotus root—was it even three inches long?!

Madam Liu looked at her dazed daughter with a mix of joy and heartache. She quickly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and gave instructions, “Hurry, bring Dr. Lin over again in a bit, and ask the kitchen for a bowl of rice porridge with honey dates… Heaven help us, she hasn’t eaten anything all day.”

Shen Qingqiu felt the woman’s soft, boneless hands gently stroking her forehead. “Qiu’er, tell Mama if anything still hurts. I’ll blow on it for you.”

Blow on it? Shen Qingqiu shivered. What kind of baby talk was this?!

“My head hurts so much.” As soon as she spoke, she was taken aback—it was supposed to be a cold, stern tone, but what came out was a childish, nasal little voice.

Madam Liu’s heart ached even more. “Qiu’er hit her head. Just go to sleep for a bit, and when you wake up Mama will feed you some sweet porridge.”

Shen Qingqiu was irritated—she had just gone through something supernatural, how could she possibly fall asleep right now?!

“Little gourd, round and plump, squeeze it once, roll it again…” Madam Liu began singing a nursery rhyme, a local lullaby commonly used to coax children to sleep. Shen Qingqiu’s round little eyes gradually closed, unable to resist the growing drowsiness. Her tiny hand rested on Madam Liu’s chest as she slowly drifted into slumber.

“Auntie, Dr. Lin is here.” A soft, rustling voice came through in her dreams.

Shen Qingqiu felt someone lifting her arm. A moment later, an elderly voice said, “It’s not serious. The head injury looks bad, but it’s starting to scab. Don’t overdo the medicine—medicine is still poison, even for a seven- or eight-year-old.”

The maid, Madam Chen, quickly responded respectfully and escorted the doctor out.

“Auntie, I really think that maid Yue Mei is getting out of hand. Even if the young miss isn’t favored, she’s still a master. With this kind of indulgence, who’s the servant and who’s the mistress?”

Madam Liu’s naturally soft voice carried the gentle tone of a woman from a watery southern region. She bit her lip and said, “I still have two pairs of bangles. Have someone sell them and speak to the steward. We must get Yue Mei out of here.”

Even the kindest mother becomes fierce when her child is harmed. If Yue Mei had been doing her job, how could Qiu’er have injured her head and ended up with such a huge scar? She nearly lost her life!

Madam Chen agreed, “It should’ve been done long ago. She needs to be taught a lesson!”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t sleep well. One part of her mind processed Madam Liu and Madam Chen’s conversation, while another part reviewed the original girl’s short four-to-five-year memory.

The original girl had the same name—Shen Qingqiu. She was the daughter of Madam Liu, a concubine in the household of local official Lord Shen. She was the seventh daughter, often referred to as “Seventh Miss.” Naturally, with so many children in the family, she received little affection. Especially considering that Madam Liu’s background was, in the eyes of traditional society, a low-status profession—a performer.

Otherwise, how could a mere maid dare bully her?

This time, Yue Mei had stolen the girl’s precious jeweled hairpin and later lied, saying she lost it.

She had done similar things before, but that jeweled pin was the only birthday gift the girl had ever received from her father. The original girl cherished it deeply. After pestering Yue Mei for several days, Yue Mei lost her patience and shoved her—causing the child to hit her head on the floor.

That fatal blow ended the original Shen Qingqiu’s life. Poor Madam Liu and Madam Chen still thought Yue Mei had merely been careless.

In her dream, Shen Qingqiu saw it all clearly. She immediately understood—her soul had taken over this little girl’s body.

To get a second chance at life—who wouldn’t be thrilled? But thinking about how she had taken over this poor little girl’s body, she murmured in her heart: You were pitiful, and your mother even more so. Since I’ve used your body, I swear I’ll ensure your mother lives a life of wealth and honor.

Just as she finished that thought, Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt her body lighten. Her eyes slowly opened again, and she spoke her very first words in this new life:

“I’m hungry!”