Bai Suihe woke to the voices of maidservants and the dim light of candles, instantly realizing she had transmigrated. She was no longer in her modern apartment but had become the pregnant third young madam of the Gu family, the Minister of War's household. The original owner was a merchant's daughter who had married into a noble family, but her fate was sealed: the Gu family would soon be stripped of their property and exiled, and both she and her unborn child would die during the journey, as written in the novel she had read. The female lead of that story was Gu Antong, the daughter of the eldest branch, whose actions would directly lead to the original owner's death. Bai Suihe’s husband, Gu Kaichuan, the third young master, was portrayed as the villain who, after losing his wife and child, would turn evil and seek revenge, only to be destroyed by the female lead and her lover.Determined to avoid this tragic end, Bai Suihe carefully hid her transmigration from her dowry maids, Dongmei and Chunxiang. She recalled that the confiscation of the family property would occur in about half a month, after her husband returned from inspecting the family’s property. In the original story, the family was scapegoated by the Third Prince for political reasons, and the emperor chose to exile them rather than execute them. The Third Prince later sent help, but only for Gu Antong, leaving the rest to fend for themselves. Bai Suihe realized she had no obvious cheat skills—no space, system, or other supernatural aids—only her knowledge of the plot.She immediately began to deal with the oppressive family rules. Her mother-in-law, Old Madam Xu, demanded strict morning and evening greetings from all daughters-in-law, but only the third branch was subjected to this hardship. After fainting from exhaustion, Bai Suihe was still expected to attend the next morning. At the main courtyard, she found the entire female family gathered, including the eldest branch’s Liu Yun and her daughter Gu Antong, and the second branch’s Xu Yulan. Old Madam straightforwardly asked Bai Suihe for her dowry jewelry, a set of Flame Glass head ornaments, claiming Gu Antong needed them for an upcoming banquet at the Princess’s mansion. This was a pivotal plot point in the original novel, where Gu Antong would use the jewelry to shine and attract the attention of princes. Bai Suihe refused outright, invoking her maiden family and the dowry’s status as a family heirloom, and subtly accused them of coveting her possessions. She also pointed out that such public display of her jewelry could bring shame to the family. Liu Yun caught on and immediately backed down, but Old Madam and Xu Yulan were displeased. Xu Yulan, the aunt of Old Madam, had wanted to use the borrowed jewelry as leverage to extract money from Old Madam for her own family’s expenses, but the plan failed.After this confrontation, Bai Suihe returned to her courtyard, realizing that her only advantage was her knowledge of the future and her pregnancy. She felt the fetal movements and spoke to her unborn child, vowing to protect it. Then she heard a voice calling her "Mother"—her daughter in the womb could communicate with her telepathically. The child’s voice was soft and sweet, and Bai Suihe accepted this strange phenomenon as a possible cheat. The daughter explained that she had been trying to speak before, but only now did her mother respond. This discovery gave Bai Suihe hope; perhaps she could use her daughter’s unusual abilities to survive the exile.Meanwhile, the household continued its machinations. Xu Yulan tried to pressure Old Madam for money but was fobbed off. Old Madam noted Bai Suihe’s change in demeanor and suspected it was due to illness. Bai Suihe’s maids also noticed her shift, attributing it to the harsh treatment from Old Madam. The days passed with Bai Suihe trying to eat well, rest, and plan. She sent her maids to buy food from outside to supplement the bland meals, and she exercised in the small garden of her courtyard to maintain health. She anticipated that her husband, Gu Kaichuan, would return in five or six days. In the original story, he was a capable but dark man who loved his wife deeply and would eventually commit crimes to avenge her. Bai Suihe worried he might not support her, but she hoped he would be reasonable.The key conflicts in the family were clear: Old Madam favored Gu Antong and hoarded family resources, the eldest branch schemed for advantages, and the second branch tried to exploit with Xu Yulan as Old Madam’s niece. Bai Suihe, as the youngest daughter-in-law from a merchant background, had little status, but her dowry was substantial and targeted by everyone. She now stood firm against their demands, knowing that in a few days, the entire family would face arrest and exile. Her ultimate goal was to protect herself and her child during the arduous journey and after, perhaps by staying clear of the female lead’s path. She knew Gu Kaichuan would later seek revenge, but she wanted to avoid that fate. For the moment, she focused on her pregnancy and her newly discovered ability to communicate with her daughter, who she believed might be her ticket to survival. As her husband’s return approached, Bai Suihe steeled herself for the coming upheaval, determined to rewrite her story and save both herself and her unborn child from the doom that the original novel had decreed. She resolved to find a way, even without obvious supernatural aid, using her wits and the bond with her extraordinary daughter.
