[Slow-paced, character-driven heroine. If that's not your thing, proceed with caution.]
Can you believe it? I wake up as the five-year-old legitimate daughter of a marquis, and from the start I'm thrown into a pond by a rockery and clobbered over the head. The medicine bowl my stepmother brings me reeks of bitter almonds.
How is this supposed to save me? It's a one-way ticket to the afterlife!
My birth mother died early, my stepmother holds power, the maids think I'm filthy, and the housekeeper skimps on my soup. But inside, I'm a seasoned workplace veteran!
I audit the books and catch my stepmother stealing my dowry. I make ice with saltpeter and achieve unlimited cool refreshment. Even a cold-faced little brat helps me save a sparrow. My kid-sister charm is off the charts!
I thought I'd gotten the household struggles under control, but then Father is sent off to war, and my stepmother tries to silence me again?!
Shen Nianqing laughs with her hands on her hips. "You want me written out? Not a chance!"
