"Thank you, old sir." Nathan Ye thanked the elderly passerby and took a long, reflective look at the Ministry of Supervision before turning away.
He hadn't expected the Ministry to have fallen into such a pitiful state. Even though he wasn't from this world and didn't feel deeply connected to the Da Zhou dynasty, he couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. How could things have come to this?
When even the Ministry of Supervision had forgotten its honor and duties, what could one expect of the other government offices? Da Zhou's downfall seemed inevitable.
Then again, he thought, maybe it wasn't so bad for him. The more corrupt and rotten Da Zhou became, the more opportunities there were to take bold risks. He already had some ideas in mind.
As night fell, the weather turned. By morning, the season's first snow blanketed the city, having fallen steadily through the night. Nathan woke to see a world covered in a thick layer of snow, his breath clouding in the cold air. Yet, thanks to his inner fortitude, he felt no chill despite wearing only light clothing.
"Well, seems freezing to death is out," he muttered, disappointed that one potential demise was off the table.
Old Huang was outside clearing a path through the snow. After a quick breakfast, Nathan headed to the Ministry of Supervision—only to find the doors shut tight once again.
"Are these lazy fools ever going to work?" he grumbled. He found it absurd that they could just skip work whenever they pleased. "I'd love to see them survive a proper nine-to-five," he muttered before heading home.
Back at his residence, Nathan noticed something unusual in the courtyard. Old Huang and the cook were with a young girl, trying to speak with her.
"Young master's back!" Old Huang brightened upon seeing him and came over immediately.
"What's going on here?" Nathan glanced at the girl. She was grimy, emitting a faint unpleasant odor, her face tinged with the purple of cold exposure, and looked very weak.
"This girl here collapsed right outside our gate," Old Huang explained. "If we hadn't found her when we did, she might have frozen to death... Such a world we live in, where a young girl can hardly survive."
The cook wiped her eyes, clearly moved. "Young master, perhaps you could take her in as a maidservant. Give her a chance to live."
Old Huang nodded in agreement, his heart set on helping the poor girl. He'd been thinking for a while that it was time to find a maid for Nathan anyway.
"A maidservant?" Nathan hesitated. Having grown up in a modern society, he was used to handling his own affairs. The thought of having a maid felt strange, especially given that in this era, it meant the girl would become a servant bound by law.
"Kid, where are you from? Do you have any family?" Nathan crouched down, speaking gently.
The girl shook her head, sorrow evident on her dirty face, and made inarticulate sounds, "Ah... ah..."
"She's mute?" Nathan was taken aback.
"Yes, she can't speak," Old Huang confirmed, quickly adding, "It's actually a good thing; young master won't have to worry about any household secrets being leaked."
Nathan frowned, thoughtful. Seeing his hesitation, the young girl's eyes filled with tears. She dropped to her knees and wrote in the snow: "Please take me in, or I'll starve."
Surprised, Nathan asked, "You can write?"
The girl nodded.
"What's your name?"
She wrote two characters in the snow: "Serena ."
After a few more questions, Nathan pieced together her story. Serena had been born into a scholarly family in a northern province. But her family had fallen into hard times, worsened by a severe drought, and she'd ended up fleeing to the capital as a refugee. Those who had traveled with her had either perished or scattered along the way. If Old Huang hadn't found her, she would likely have succumbed to the cold.
"These are tough times when even a young girl like you has no safe place," Nathan said, feeling a pang of compassion. He had no particular attachment to Da Zhou, but he couldn't ignore the plight of ordinary people. After all, he was human, and so were they.
"Alright," he said gently. "You can stay here with us. But you don't need to be a maid, and you won't have to be bound as a servant. Just focus on getting well. When your family finds you, you can reunite with them."
He patted her head, his gesture both reassuring and kind. Overjoyed, the cook and Old Huang hurried to get her settled. After giving her some food, they bathed her and found her fresh clothes.
A couple of hours later, Old Huang knocked on Nathan's door.
"Young master, I've brought Miss Xuan for you."
Old Huang opened the door, and a girl in a green dress stepped in. She looked around thirteen or fourteen, her thin frame making the gown seem oversized. But her delicate features shone through—a smooth complexion, long lashes, and pale lips.
There was something unspoiled and natural about her beauty, and Nathan could only think of one phrase: "Pure as lotus newly emerged."
Wow.
Nathan looked at Old Huang in disbelief.
"What's going on?" he thought. "You go out to fetch a girl and come back with a little beauty?"
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