1.
For twenty taels of silver, Zhang Chan'er sold herself.
It wasn't because she was greedy, or because she was heartless.
But in a home with nothing but bare walls, if she didn't sell herself,
her sick father couldn't get treatment, her young brother would go hungry, and her mother, exhausted from working until she could barely straighten her back, would only be bullied by others.
Besides, the bitter winter was almost here. If no money came into the household soon, her father might not survive it.
2.
After entering the Su household, Zhang Chan'er never forgot the kindness of a single drop of water, repaid with a gushing spring.
So when the court fell into turmoil and a struggle for the throne dragged the Su household into its wake, she sent the young lady of the Su family to her parents' home in the middle of the night, then went to prison in her place.
Winter passed and spring came. Once the dust had settled, Su Wenyi, the young master of the Su family, summoned her in private.
By an ancient bridge in Jiangnan, morning mist swirling around them, Su Wenyi hesitated, unable to finish his words.
