When I was seven, my father stuck a piece of straw in my hair and sold me to a human trafficker. Later, like a piece of cargo, I was resold by the trafficker to a nanny working for the Sterling family. The nanny twisted my ear and dragged me in front of the young miss. "This stray bone from the outside needs to be taught a lesson." I shrank back, daring not to speak. The young miss frowned, but said nothing to her. Instead, she started talking to me about independent personalities, women's liberation, and "Mr. Democracy and Mr. Science." I didn't understand a word. But for the first time, I felt like a real person, standing tall and upright. 1 I was born strong, ate a lot, and wasn't much to look at. My parents never liked me. When I was seven, a drought hit. The harvest failed, and the village was starving. My father stuck a piece of straw in my hair—a sign that I was for sale—and led me to the trafficker. He traded me for two measly pieces of silver. Clutching the money, he smiled so wide his eyes disappeared. He turned and left without a single glance back. I stood next to the trafficker. I didn't chase him, didn't cry. I didn't even ask why he didn't want me anymore. The trafficker wasn't a bad person. She didn't mistreat me or let me starve. She kept me for a few days, taught me some basic manners, and then sold me to the Sterling family, a high-ranking political household. The woman who came to buy me was a thin, stern-faced woman the trafficker called Nanny Wen. She looked a bit fierce. "From now on, you're a maid in the Sterling household. Behave yourself." 2 I got lucky. The Madam heard I was strong and looked honest, so she assigned me to be the young miss's maid. I was taken to the miss's courtyard. Nanny Wen lectured me on rules the whole way. This time, she wasn't so fierce. "The Third Miss has been weak since birth. You need to be extra attentive." "Everyone knows the Third Miss has a kind heart. Don't you dare take advantage of her kindness and act out." "The Sterling family never lacks for food or clothing. Follow the miss properly, and you'll live a more decent life than even the daughters of wealthy merchants outside." Back then, I was ignorant. I only remembered "work hard" and "no shortage of food or clothes." "What is your name?" The young miss held my hand warmly. I nervously clutched the corner of my shirt. "I... this servant is called Weed." The miss frowned slightly. "That's not a good name." She thought for a moment. "Do you have a wish?" "This... this servant just wants to work hard for Miss and not worry about food or clothes," I stammered, accidentally repeating what Nanny Wen told me. The miss chuckled softly. "Let's call you Hope then." "In this chaotic world, hoping for peace and safety is a good life." From then on, Weed, whose life was as cheap as grass in the village, was gone. There was only Hope, the maid by the side of the Sterling family's Third Miss, Evelyn. Evelyn treated me well. She didn't make me kneel or bow constantly, didn't let me call myself "servant," and even taught me to read and write. I waved my hands in panic. "The teacher said ignorance is a virtue for women. Reading is for men. Isn't it an insult for me to learn?" Evelyn spat in disgust. "Listen to their ghosts talk. Men and women are no different in this world. High status or low, it doesn't stop us from improving ourselves. Maid or miss, we are all just people. Never belittle yourself." Under Evelyn's insistence, I became the only maid in the Sterling household who could read and write. Everyone envied me. Occasionally, they'd ask me to write letters home for them. But I never wrote home. My parents didn't want me, so I didn't want them either. Evelyn always shared her delicious food with me. Soon, I grew as tall as her. Evelyn never disliked my strength or big appetite. She told me, "Being able to eat is a blessing. Strength is your talent." Nanny Wen was right. Being with Evelyn was my blessing. I grinned foolishly at her. Evelyn suddenly asked me, "What do you want to do in the future?" Future? It seemed like a distant word. I had never thought about it. "I want to serve Miss forever." Thinking of my past and my current good life, this seemed like a good plan. Evelyn lightly knocked my head. "I'm asking what your dream is?" I insisted, "I just want to serve Miss." Evelyn still looked disapproving. I didn't want to make her unhappy, so I started thinking about "dreams" and "future." It seemed so far away from me. At home, I hoped my parents would treat me just a little better. Not much, just half as well as they treated my sister and brother. But when the famine came, they abandoned me without hesitation. From then on, their future would not include me. And my future would no longer have their shadows. Evelyn treated me well. She fed me, clothed me, didn't mock me, and always encouraged and supported me. I wanted to protect Evelyn forever. Couldn't that count as a dream? I suddenly remembered reading in a book that generals could protect their families and defend the country. Defending the country should include protecting Evelyn. I told her, "I want to be a general." But could a woman really be a general? Evelyn didn't think I was delusional. Hearing my words, she hired a master to teach me martial arts. She said, "Since you have such ambition, you cannot bury your talent." Wearing the training clothes Evelyn had the tailor make specially for me, I felt a bit awkward. But Evelyn held my hands, looking me over with satisfaction. "Not bad, you look the part. I really look forward to seeing our Hope in full armor." To live up to her expectations, I trained even harder. Even the master praised me as a natural martial artist. In her spare time, Evelyn would personally teach me military strategy. 3 When I was nine, I accidentally bumped into the Second Miss in the Sterling mansion. Upon learning I was from Evelyn's courtyard, the Second Miss wanted to punish me with ten lashes. Her mother, Concubine Chu, was the childhood sweetheart and favorite concubine of the Master. She always disliked the Madam. Influenced by this, the Second Miss, Victoria, had been at odds with Evelyn since childhood. I knelt at Victoria's feet, head buried in the ground, apologizing repeatedly. Victoria rolled her eyes and told me, "As long as you say Evelyn always scolds and beats you, I won't punish you." I was young, but not stupid. I knew ladies of noble families cared most about their reputation. A ruined reputation would affect future marriage prospects. Even if Evelyn didn't care about these things, I couldn't let her get a reputation for being arrogant and domineering over something so small. I pressed my lips tight and said nothing. I was dragged away and beaten with ten heavy boards. When Nanny Wen found me, I had already fainted from the pain. When I woke up, Evelyn was sitting by my bed with a dark face. Nanny Wen shouted happily, "She's awake! She's awake!" Later I learned that the beating almost killed me. Evelyn and Nanny Wen guarded me for three days. Evelyn looked at me solemnly. "I will get justice for you." I shook my head and refused. I was just a servant. How could I let two young misses fight and cause family discord over me? If they really fought because of this, the Madam would beat me to death. Evelyn was truly a noble lady. Her heart was good, but she was a bit naive. I lay in bed for three months before I could walk. Not long after I recovered, Evelyn asked me to go for a walk in the garden with her. Victoria happened to be chasing butterflies in the garden. She seemed to be having fun and had left her maids behind. There was no one around. Evelyn smirked at me, put a finger to her lips, and said "Shh." The next second, she charged straight at Victoria's back. Both of them fell into the water. I never thought Evelyn would take revenge for me this way. But seeing Evelyn struggling in the water, I couldn't think too much. I screamed in horror, "Miss has fallen into the water!" While shouting, I jumped in to save her. Evelyn choked on a lot of water. The maids and I knelt in the courtyard, waiting for the Madam's questioning. After the doctor said Evelyn was fine, the Madam began investigating the cause. Her face was dark. "What happened?" I cried out before anyone else, crawling to the Madam's feet. "It was the Second Miss who pushed Miss Evelyn." Just then, the Master and Concubine Chu walked in. Hearing this, Concubine Chu immediately retorted, "My Victoria is quiet and polite. She would never do such a thing as harming her sibling." Victoria's maid also crawled out to clarify for her mistress. "It wasn't the Second Miss, it was... it was the Third Miss who bumped into the Second Miss." "You weren't even there, how can you slander our Miss?" I bit my lip, pointing at Victoria's maid, face full of disbelief. "Our Miss has always been weak. Why would she frame the Second Miss and make herself suffer so much? The Second Miss has always hated our Miss. A while ago, this servant offended the Second Miss, and she was going to punish me. But then, she told me that as long as..." I covered my face and sobbed. The Madam, hearing this, got anxious. "As long as what?" "As long as this servant said that Miss Evelyn frequently beat, scolded, and abused me, she wouldn't punish me." I took the opportunity to tell the whole story from three months ago. Concubine Chu wanted to argue, but was silenced by the Madam's glare. "Is what you said true?" I kowtowed heavily. "This servant swears on her life, every word is true." The Madam sneered and looked at the Master. "You heard it. It was Victoria who harmed my Evelyn." Concubine Chu tugged at the Master's sleeve. The Master frowned. "Madam, it's just children fighting..." The Madam interrupted him. "Fighting? Victoria wanted to ruin my daughter's reputation, and now she wants to take her life. Is this fighting?" "You can't fully trust a servant's words." The Madam slammed the table, making me tremble. "She's only nine. Can she lie? It's true that Victoria privately punished my daughter's maid, and it's true my daughter fell into the water. Such a vicious heart at such a young age. I think she's been raised crooked by Concubine Chu. If we don't discipline her, she'll shame the Sterling family in the future." The Madam was the daughter of a Marquis. She married down to the Master. He respected her, but didn't love her. The Master coughed lightly. "Then what do you suggest, Madam?" The Madam snorted coldly. "Kneel in the ancestral hall for three days. I will hire someone to teach her rules properly!" Victoria knelt in the ancestral hall for three days as soon as she recovered. Her legs were swollen. She then studied under the Madam's supervision for three months before being taken back by a wailing Concubine Chu. Evelyn had a fever for a whole day. Her first sentence upon waking up was: "Hope, I got revenge for you." My eyes filled with tears. I just felt that since Evelyn treated me so well, I must protect her well in the future and never let her get hurt again. 4 Evelyn was in poor health, but she was lively and bold. When she first took me out dressed as men to jump the wall, I was terrified. But by the tenth time, I could jump over and catch Evelyn as she came down. "Hope is awesome. Sending you to learn martial arts wasn't in vain." I was helpless. I learned martial arts to protect her, not to help her jump walls. But Evelyn liked it, so it seemed okay. The capital was prosperous. It felt novel no matter how many times we visited. When we wandered to the entrance of a brothel, Evelyn excitedly wanted to go in. I desperately pulled her sleeve, looking like I was about to cry. "Miss, we really can't go in there." Evelyn was high-spirited. "This is a must-have element for time travel. If I don't go once, I've come for nothing." I was used to new vocabulary popping out of her mouth. Looking at her shining, expectant eyes, I couldn't refuse. Fine. My kung fu was decent after these years. If something really happened, protecting Evelyn as we escaped shouldn't be too hard. "Are you two waiting for someone?" A man walked towards us, blocking the probing gazes of others. "How did you know I'm a girl?" Evelyn was shocked. The man chuckled low. Evelyn looked suspiciously at her outfit. Turns out Evelyn could be silly too. Her male disguise wasn't convincing at all. Even I could tell. But I didn't say it. I didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm. The man walked closer and whispered, "Miss Sterling should leave early. There are many people here, mixed company. If word gets out, it will be bad for your reputation." After we left, Evelyn muttered, "I dressed as a man, how could he still tell I'm a woman? That's not how it happens on TV." Fortunately, Evelyn didn't propose going to the brothel again.
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