Green Tea Stepdaughter: Daily Survival in the Mansion

Chu Yufu, a modern doctor, transmigrates into the body of a cannon-fodder supporting character in a historical romance novel titled Madam Hou. In the original story, the second Miss Chu was a beautiful but foolish girl raised by a cruel stepmother, Madam Wu. She was used as a political tool to secure a marriage for the stepmother’s biological son, Chu Junze, who lacked academic talent. The engagement was to Third Young Master Li, a libertine who eventually took a female Taoist as a concubine. The original Chu Yufu died in exile after siding with the wrong faction and offending the novel’s protagonists. Upon waking, Chu Yufu resolves to survive by avoiding the protagonists and escaping her doomed marriage.

The story begins at a chrysanthemum-viewing banquet hosted by the Li family. Chu Yufu deliberately dresses in garish, flashy pink attire to appear vulgar and deter the Li family, hoping to sabotage the matchmaking. However, her plan backfires; Madam Li finds her straightforwardness appealing and agrees to the marriage, seeing it as a suitable match for her simple-minded son. Meanwhile, Chu Yufu encounters the novel’s protagonists, Lu Jia’an and Zhao Chunheng, and resolves to stay away from them. She also accidentally bumps into Zhao Hanyun, the male lead’s sister, who is gossiping about her. Chu Yufu uses her skills in emotional manipulation, feigning fragility and tears to turn the situation to her advantage, earning a token of apology and avoiding enmity with the protagonist’s family.

After the banquet, Chu Yufu spots Third Young Master Li leaving a Taoist temple with a female Taoist, confirming his libertine nature. She gathers information from a local stall owner, learning the Taoist’s name is Wang Xuanjing. Realizing she cannot simply cancel the engagement without cause, she decides to prepare for the future. She befriends her cousin Lu Jia’an by giving her scented sachets and apologizing for past avoidance, thereby gaining access to her grandmother, Lady Wei, who holds influence in the household. This relationship becomes a strategic asset as she navigates the complex family dynamics.

When the engagement is formally confirmed, Chu Yufu’s stepmother sends a maid, Yun Sui, to monitor her under the guise of assistance. Chu Yufu accepts this surveillance calmly, using the time to study medical texts left by her late birth mother and prepare for the harsh winter ahead. She anticipates an epidemic due to the early snowfall, a key plot point that weakens her grandmother in the original story. Chu Yufu prepares medicinal masks, fumigants, and preventive herbs, aiming to protect herself and her grandmother. She also learns of Pei Yue, a talented military officer and nephew of Secretary Pei, who is known for employing talented women. Viewing him as a potential escape route from the inner household, she begins to formulate a plan to connect with the Pei family.

As winter approaches, the Chu family discusses marriage prospects for their other children. Madam Wu considers matching her fourth daughter with Pei Yue, but Chu Jinhe reveals she has feelings for Crown Prince Zhao, the male lead. Chu Yufu remains focused on her own survival, continuing to build her medical reputation and maintain her facade of simplicity. The narrative sets the stage for her to use her medical knowledge to alter her fate, potentially saving her grandmother from illness and positioning herself to escape the doomed marriage to the Li family.