Since that little mutt arrived, Jiang Yuchao's courtyard had indeed become much livelier. Those servant girls who were previously anxious due to their master's sudden change in personality were now all smiling like flowers, happily playing with the puppy every day.

Perhaps it was because they discovered that although their master was not as gentle as before, she also didn't like to harshly criticize the servants, so they finally put their minds at ease.

In any case, every day one could hear the crisp laughter of the young girls in the courtyard, along with the barking of the little puppy. Even the Taoist nuns from Mingyue Monastery who occasionally came to deliver things liked to tease the frolicking puppy.

Jiang Yuchao felt it was a bit noisy, but was too lazy to say anything to manage them. They were all a group of young girls in their teens and early twenties, with even a twelve-year-old among them.

As the true owner of the little mutt, Jiang Yuchao rarely played with the dog. But that puppy was indeed smart, as if it could recognize its master. It liked to follow Jiang Yuchao around most of the day.

When Jiang Yuchao read books, it would circle around her feet, amusing itself. The little servant girls watched with longing eyes, feeling the puppy was too pitiful, and couldn't help saying to Jiang Yuchao in a low voice: "Master, you see how much the little darling likes you, can't you pay a bit of attention to it?"

Jiang Yuchao: "..." Little darling? What a disgusting name.

She had completely forgotten how she used to chase after her idol Xi Shaoyuan calling him baby. Not only baby, but brother, younger brother, hubby, daddy... What names had she not called him.

"Master, it's been many days since the puppy arrived, but you still haven't given it a name." Lan Qiao said boldly.

Naming it and such was too troublesome. Jiang Yuchao glanced at the plate of osmanthus cakes Gui Ying had just brought to the table and said very casually: "Then just call it Gui Huagao*."

*T/N: Mandarin for Osmanthus Cake.

Lan Qiao immediately looked at Gui Ying with jealousy. "How come the little darling has your surname! If I had known, I would have brought the master a plate of orchid* slices."

*T/N: Orchids are 'Lan' in Mandarin.

Gui Ying covered her mouth and laughed, glaring at her coquettishly.

The little mutt Gui Huagao still didn't know it had a name. It raised its sturdy front paws and put them on Jiang Yuchao's embroidered shoes, kicking its little legs. Jiang Yuchao felt she could step on it just by putting her foot down. She waved the book in her hand. "Go, go, you all take Gui Huagao out to play."

A world without internet was dull, but spending two months like this was still alright. Jiang Yuchao was not only strong in tearing people apart online, but also had a strong adaptability. She had already gotten used to the diet and daily routines of this world. The only thing she couldn't get used to was that there was no Xi Shaoyuan here.

At night she dreamed that she was still in modern times, scrolling through Weibo, when she suddenly saw her idol post saying he was getting married and retiring. In the photo he posted, the face of the woman was a blank, impossible to see clearly no matter what.

It was really the biggest nightmare.

Jiang Yuchao woke up in a cold sweat, still a bit shaken. Suddenly, she heard two barks coming from beside the bed. She lifted the bed curtains and saw Gui Huagao lying on her shoes. The puppy's eyes were dark, its mouth slightly curled upwards as if smiling, looking silly and cute, its barks also tender.

Jiang Yuchao reached out her hand in front of Gui Huagao. "How did you sneak in here?"

The puppy wagged its tail playing with her fingers, and even stuck out its tongue licking her fingers foolishly.

"Master, are you awake?" Lan Qiao's voice came from outside the door. Jiang Yuchao instantly withdrew her hand that was playing with the dog back into the bed curtains and responded.

Lan Qiao brought in hot water. With one glance, she saw the puppy running around on the footstool. "Haha, how did Gui Huagao sneak in here, it comes to see Master as soon as it wakes up."

Jiang Yuchao washed up and had breakfast, then as usual picked up a book to read. After reading the classic books, she also had to read the leisurely books about local customs and market gossip. Their courtyard had a door that directly led outside the Taoist monastery. They just needed to pass through a corridor. Basically, they lived their own lives here. The Taoist nuns from inside the monastery occasionally came over. On this day, another nun came carrying a basket.

They would regularly send the believers and lay practitioners some incense threads they made themselves, as well as some small items that were said to have undergone rituals and blessings.

"This time I came to send Lady Xiao some vegetables, all grown by the people in the monastery on the back mountain," the nun said after exchanging a few pleasantries. "In the next few days, there will be several ritual ceremonies in the monastery. Some outside guests may come. If Lady Xiao doesn't like the bustle, just close the small front door. It's just to avoid being disturbed or offended by people. Anyway, it's only for these few days."

"I understand. Many thanks for informing me." Jiang Yuchao had someone see the nun off, then instructed Lan Qiao: "The monastery will be conducting rituals in the next few days. You all also shouldn't run around inside the monastery."

After all, it was the largest female Taoist monastery in Luodu. Incense offerings were still abundant and the monastery grounds were very large. Ancient trees were lush inside the monastery, and the sound of bells resonated. The few servant girls who were bored would occasionally also go to the front to pray.

"But Master, in a couple days is the holy birthday ritual for the Earthly Official. We can go watch that. Because quite a few people come to watch, the Zhenren were worried you might be disturbed," Lan Qiao counted on her fingers. "After the Ghost Festival ends, there is also the holy birthday of the Queen Mother. Many ladies from the city will come. The Zhenren* will conduct rituals to pray for blessings for them. Those kinds are not allowed to have many spectators."

*T/N: Daoist spiritual master

Jiang Yuchao: "..." What what rituals?

She sensed the cultural differences and rarely showed an interested attitude. All the servant girls in the courtyard gathered around to explain to her. For the women of this era, there were not many interesting and relaxing days. They remembered all kinds of festivals clearly. Jiang Yuchao greatly expanded her knowledge and also wanted to go experience these rituals she had never seen before.

"Let's go, let's go. Anyway, it's not far. We just need to open the courtyard door and pass through a corridor to go directly. Now that we live here, no one manages Master. Isn't it just whatever Master wants to do. Anyway, it's all inside the temple, nothing will happen," Lan Qiao urged.

The servant girls had now tasted the benefits of living here. Not to mention anything else, at least there was freedom. Whether in the Prime Minister's manor or later in the Prince's manor, where did they have this kind of freedom and ease.

Jiang Yuchao decided to go watch the religious ceremony, but she didn't make it that day because early in the morning, someone from the Prime Minister's manor came and said she needed to go home for ancestral worship.

Jiang Yuchao knew about the custom of ancestral worship during the Ghost Festival, it's just that in her previous life she never had this experience. Her own father was just shy of worshipping her, how could he dare let her worship their ancestors.

Lan Qiao and Gui Ying had forgotten about this matter, because last year at Prince Yu's manor, she didn't need to return to the Xiao family for ancestral worship. Now it was different, she had been sent back, and still counted as a Xiao family member, so of course she had to go back.

Returning to the Prime Minister's manor, everyone was busy and no one paid attention to her. Jiang Yuchao saw Xiao Jinxiang and thought she was coming to deliver food again, but unexpectedly this time the other party had learned to be smart and didn't come to humiliate herself.

Actually, Xiao Jinxiang also wanted to seize the time to argue with Xiao Jinyue, but Madam Xiao wouldn't allow her to go over. Last time at Old Madam's birthday banquet, there were already rumors among the ladies from various families saying that Xiao Jinxiang's heart was set on Prince Yu. This absolutely could not happen, how would her daughter be betrothed in the future!

Madam Xiao cursed Xiao Jinyue in her heart, and also feared this seemingly crazy person. She kept Xiao Jinxiang by her side to prevent her from acting recklessly again and ruining her own reputation for no reason.

With Xiao Jinxiang not going, the other illegitimate siblings also didn't dare approach her, only pointing at her from a distance. Jiang Yuchao smiled in their direction, and those few felt uncomfortable all over and left, looking like they disdained to associate with her.

Today was the ancestral worship day, Prime Minister Xiao and the eldest son Xiao Yunqi were both very busy. Jiang Yuchao was also isolated, and felt extremely bored for a while.

"Hey, ugly! Why did you come to my house again?" A little boy who looked seven or eight years old suddenly ran over and stood in front of her, saying in an arrogant and domineering manner, "They all say you stole someone, losing face to the point that all of Luodu knows. Our Xiao family has lost all face, why don't you go die?"

This little boy was Madam Xiao's son, Prime Minister Xiao's youngest son Xiao Yunduan, who was very favored. At a young age, he had been spoiled into a little demon king. He had been staying with his maternal grandparents before, and this was the first time Jiang Yuchao met him.

In the original story, Jiang Yuchao had also witnessed the tyranny of this little thing. Now meeting him, he was indeed an ill-bred little brat, with a motor mouth.

Jiang Yuchao sat on the chair and first reached out to tightly grasp the brat's two hands, then showed him a vicious and sinister grin. "Little thing, do you know what I steal people for? I steal them to eat. I eat human flesh raw, first using a knife to chop off the head with one slice, sucking the blood dry, then cutting open the chest to dig out the heart. Do you know what a heart looks like? It's just a piece of bright red, bleeding flesh..."

She extended her slender fingers, tracing the child's heart area, her tone floating, eyes fixed on his. "The fresh heart tastes the best. Then I chop off the hands and feet. The fingers crunch when bitten, so delicious. What I love eating most is little children."

"Yunduan, look how tender your little hands are. Big sister really likes you. Will you come back with big sister?" Jiang Yuchao held the brat's hands, and under his horrified gaze, revealed her snow-white teeth, pretending she was going to bite his hand.

"Ah--" Just as he opened his mouth to cry, Jiang Yuchao stuffed a pastry into it, and said sinisterly yet gently, "Yunduan, let's play a game now. You run and I chase. If I catch you, big sister will eat one of your hands."

As soon as she let go, the brat retracted his hand in fright and ran. With a mouthful of pastry, he couldn't cry out. Tears and snot on his face, he ran out and bumped into his nanny, rolling on the ground and becoming a little mud monkey.

Lan Qiao, who had been waiting on the side, swallowed. "Master, what, what are you saying? Those words, they're too scary. The little young master is still young, what if something bad happens from the fright..."

Jiang Yuchao took a sip of tea to moisten her throat. "If you don't teach a little beast well when they're young, they'll grow up to be a big beast. Could it be that because he's still young, I should let him off? Impossible."

Lan Qiao shrank her neck, looking at her vengeful master with awe.

That Xiao Yunduan had never been scared like this before. Frightened badly, after returning he hugged Madam Xiao and cried continuously. When asked what happened, he didn't dare say. At night, he also had nightmares and cried restlessly, truly making a fuss for a period of time.

Of course Jiang Yuchao didn't care about this. She went through the motions again this day and returned to Mingyue Monastery.

The three of master and servants walked through the path, and heard the sound of chanting coming from the main hall in the distance. Lan Qiao listened carefully and said, "Master, the religious ceremony isn't over yet. Shall we go take a look?"

Jiang Yuchao shook her head. Just as she entered the courtyard, she saw a few servant girls searching everywhere with red eyes, softly calling for Gui Huagao.

"What's going on?"

"Master, Gui Huagao is missing... It was still here in the afternoon, but in the blink of an eye it disappeared. We thought it had hidden somewhere, but, but now we've searched the entire courtyard and can't find it..."

The servant girls started crying, afraid that something had really happened to the puppy, and also afraid of being punished by their master.

Jiang Yuchao frowned, but didn't scold anyone, only saying, "Perhaps it ran out. Everyone go out and search."

They passed through an archway and entered the area of Mingyue Monastery where worshippers offered incense. Jiang Yuchao picked up a lantern. "Split up and search. It won't have run far, probably just in this vicinity."

Everyone agreed and split up to look. Jiang Yuchao held the lantern and descended the steps. Suddenly, she saw a fire ahead at the bottom of some low steps. She walked forward, vaguely hearing a dog bark, and raised her voice to call out, "Gui Huagao?"

"Woof!" A clear dog bark came from that direction. Jiang Yuchao quickly stepped forward and saw clearly that a person was also squatting there, throwing paper talismans into the burning brazier. He also heard her voice. Hugging the little mutt in his arms, he stood up and turned his head to look at Jiang Yuchao.

In the jumping firelight from the brazier, Jiang Yuchao clearly saw that person's face. She was stunned for a moment and couldn't help exclaiming, "Shaoyuan Hubby?!"

The man holding the dog was also startled. After hearing clearly what she called out, his eyes widened slightly. His foot twisted and he stepped off the low steps, falling down.

"Ah!"

"Woof!"