Jiang Wanmu brushed off the snow on her hair with her hand, wearing a small servant's clothes that had been bleached white and could no longer be seen in its original color. She stepped lightly through the back door. The gatehouse was slightly ajar, and the little servant standing at the entrance was a companion who usually got along well with Fang Zheng. He glanced at Jiang Wanmu and said to her in an unceremonious tone: "Third Miss, you should come back earlier next time. It's snowing so heavily, and First Miss and Second Miss are worried about you, they've already sent someone to the gatehouse to ask about you several times."

  Jiang Wan saw him making an effort to rub his hands together, not lifting his head or responding, and walking inside. Since Yu Xi left, Jiang Wan had not liked staying in the Jiang family home. Every few days, she would avoid people and wear old clothes made of rough wood fibers, then slip out through the back door. After doing this several times, one early morning, the doorman stopped her at the back door, saying: "Third Miss, you're giving us little ones a way to survive, if Madam finds out you often leave through our gate, we'll all be done for."

  Jiang Wanru heard his words and turned her head back, she was farther away from the rear door, so she sat down directly on the ground. As soon as she sat down, people passing by saw her and reported to Madam Jiang. By the time Xiaojian's family arrived, many servants had already gathered, near and far, staring at Jiang Wanru, while she just stared quietly at the rear door without blinking.

  The maid from the Xiao family rushed over, and with one glance, she spotted Jiang Wan sitting on the ground, wearing a worn-out servant's uniform, staring blankly into the distance. Her face changed drastically as she rushed over, grabbing Jiang Wan's hand to pull her up, saying: "Third Miss, you're dressed like this, sitting here, you've lost all dignity for Master! Third Miss, if you have anything to say or any business, you can tell Madame, how could you be so reckless and disregard your status?" Jiang Wan stood up following the maid's hand, her body unwilling to budge, she kept her mouth shut, her eyes fixed firmly on the distance.

  No matter how much the Xiaojiang family coaxed her, she refused to speak. If the woman behind Xiaojiang's back tried to pull her away, she would plop herself down on the ground. The Xiaojiang family was at a loss, and seeing the curious glances of the servants, asked in exasperation: "Where is Jiyuan?" Some of the servants who had arrived replied: "I saw Jiyuan carrying something towards the main kitchen."

  When Ji Yan rushed over and saw Jiang Wanru like this, she stretched out her hand to pull Jiang Wanru, and said in surprise: "Miss, when did you put on the old clothes that Mu Gen aunt asked me to make shoe soles with? Let's go back and change into new clothes, these clothes don't look good." As soon as Ji Yan's words came out, the servants looked at Jiang Wanru with a different gaze. But Jiang Wanru pushed Ji Yan towards Xiao Jiang's body, and glared at her, saying: "This is my brother Mu Gen's clothes."

  "Miss, let's go back. It was all my fault yesterday, I talked too much and said some things about the people around Fourth Miss. The flowers I bought on the street look good. Just now, I heard that it wasn't true. Let's go back." Jiang Wanru covered her ears with her hands, Jiyuan stood in front of Xiao Jiang's house, shook his head slightly and said: "Auntie Xiao Jiang, sorry, my mouth is too loose and caused trouble. Miss listens to Mugen's words, if she has anything to say, she'll tell Mugen."

  Xiao Jiang's family looked down at the people around them, then looked at the figures swaying in the distance, and finally looked at Jiang Wanru, who was standing firmly in place. She said to the person behind her: "Quickly go find Mu Gen and have him persuade Third Miss." The person behind her hurriedly ran off. When Mu Gen arrived, Xiao Jiang's family had already squatted down on the ground again. Mu Gen rushed over, but at first glance, he didn't notice Jiang Wanru, who was squatting on the ground with a small servant's hairstyle and wearing a small servant's clothes.

  He glanced around and smiled at Mrs. Xiaojiang, saying: "Auntie, you've already persuaded the young lady to go back." Mrs. Xiaojiang's eyes swept down to the ground, and Mu Gen carefully examined the person on the ground, pointing at their clothes in surprise and saying to Jiyuan: "Isn't this the old clothes your mother gave you to practice making shoe soles? You've given them away?" Jiyuan said in a small voice: "Brother Mugen, I went to the main kitchen today, and when I came back, I didn't see the young lady. I heard she was here, so I came to take a look. The young lady is wearing your old clothes that are too short for you. I couldn't call out to her."

  Mugun raised his eyes to glance at Xiao Jiang's house, rubbed his hands together and said with a slightly red face: "Auntie, I'll go persuade her." He squatted down, helped up Jiang Wanru and asked: "Third Miss, what are you doing here?" Jiang Wanru gave him a cold look, Mugun saw her expression, let go of her hand and leaned in close to Xiao Jiang's side, whispering: "Auntie, she doesn't like me calling her 'Miss'. Can I not call her anything at all when asking her questions? Will that be considered breaking the rules later?"

  The Xiaojiang family had already lost interest in Jiang Wanru, and said to Mugen: "As long as you can persuade her, it's up to you." Mugen listened and looked at Jiang Wanru, saying: "What do you want to do? Tell Auntie Xiaojiang, and she will agree with you." Just as the Xiaojiang family was about to object, Jiang Wanru turned around and said: "Brother Mugen takes me out to play every day. I want to be like them, wear this kind of clothes, and go out that door." As she spoke, she casually pointed over there, where many people wearing servant clothes were standing in the distance, watching the commotion.

  Jiang Wanmu pointed, and they didn't dare to watch the commotion, so they quickly walked towards the back door. Xiao Jiang's family followed her gaze, looking at Mugen with a very bad expression, and said in a low voice: "Mugen, she's an idiot, what are you talking nonsense in front of her every day?"

  Mugen turned back with an unhappy face and said to Xiao Jiang's family, "She is not a fool, she just doesn't like to talk. Miss is very clever. I've only talked to her once about going out from the back door, you see, she knows to go out from the back door and even wears my old clothes." Xiao Jiang's family had heard about Mugen before and knew that this child was extremely protective of Jiang Wanru. The young servants in Jiang's household no longer dared to call Jiang Wanru a fool in front of Mugen. Mugen, at a young age, already knew how to desperately defend Jiang Wanru.

  Jiang Wanru came over at this time, stretched out her hand to pull Mu Gen's clothes and said: "Mu Gen brother, let's go, we'll go out and have some fun. Yesterday when I was playing outside, they said that the fourth young lady had someone to accompany her on the street. Look, I've changed my clothes too, you can accompany me to play on the street." Mu Gen turned his head to look at Xiaojiang's house, with a difficult expression on his face: "Auntie, why don't I take her out for a walk? We can talk when we get back. You see, if she doesn't go out today, she might just stand here and not move."

  Xiao Jiang's family looked at the scene in front of them with a weak gaze and said to Mu Gen: "Don't talk nonsense outside." Mu Gen nodded happily and said to Jiang Wanru: "Let's go, little brother, big brother will take you out for a walk." Ji Yan took a step forward, wanting to follow them out, when Jiang Wanru pulled on Mu Gen's clothes and said: "Mu Gen brother, she hid your clothes, don't bring her out." Ji Yan lowered his head, Mu Gen looked at Xiao Jiang's family, nodded at Jiang Wanru and said: "Okay." Then he said to Ji Yan: "Ji Yan, you go back. She is angry with you."