Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn - Chapter 2
“Aunt, if one day we are able to support ourselves, would you be willing to leave here?” I asked, looking up.
"Huh?" Madam Jing was clearly not in a hurry to react.
"Are you willing to leave here?" I asked again.
"Huai'en, how could you have such thoughts? Did what I just said frighten you? I'm sorry, I was so excited that I forgot to think it through." Madam Jing looked at me with concern.
"Auntie, I want to study and learn to read, is that alright?" I did not answer her.
"You're still young," she said, puzzled.
"I want to grow up quickly, become strong, and take good care of my aunt and younger brother," I said, stating my purpose.
Madam Jing looked at me for a long time before smiling slightly, and then said helplessly, "Huai'en is so sensible, your mother in heaven will be very happy to see this. It's just that your aunt knows very few characters, and it was your mother who taught her. No one else in the courtyard can read."
"Weren't there any teachers?" In ancient times, wealthy families all had private schools, right?
“We have no status in the manor. Only the eldest young master has just hired a tutor. The second young lady and you are still young, not to mention Zinuo,” Madam Jing said with a mocking laugh. “Even when you reach a certain age, he might not remember you.”
"Does he only dote on the eldest son?"
“The eldest young master is the first madam’s child, of course he dotes on him. Madam Wen looks somewhat like the first madam, and the second young lady is treated better than you. Huai’en, don’t worry about it, we’ll live well on our own.” Madam Jing comforted me while explaining the situation.
"He loves the first wife so much, why did he marry someone else? And he doesn't cherish her after marrying her, isn't that just wasting her life?" I said indignantly.
"Pfft!" Madam Jing was amused by my expression. "Huai'en, you're unusually sensible today. You seem to have grown up a lot all of a sudden."
“With Mother gone and Father not caring for me, Huai En has to grow up.” I said with a frown.
Madam Jing fell silent again.
“Of course, I also have an aunt and a younger brother, so Huai'en needs to be more sensible so that everyone suffers less. Aunt, I will call you Mother from now on.” I reached out and hugged her waist, and saw her eyes well up with tears again.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 002
Chapter word count: 3617 Update time: 09-07-25 11:00
After a period of investigation, I finally gained a general understanding of my environment, which helped me prepare for future plans. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."
Legend has it that Qin Shi Huang sent several expeditions to sea in search of the elixir of immortality. One group encountered a storm at sea and drifted to this "Kunpeng Continent." Of course, this continent was newly discovered, much like Columbus's discovery of the New World, only seemingly separated by time and space. The continent's name was naturally given by the first settlers, originating from Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering": "In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun is so large that no one knows how many thousands of miles it is. It transforms into a bird, its name is Peng. The Peng's back is so large that no one knows how many thousands of miles it is." This signifies the vastness and richness of the new continent, its true size unknown. Over a thousand years of development, the Kunpeng Continent has witnessed several dynasties, its territory now fragmented. Today, my Youjing Dynasty is located in the eastern part of the continent, occupying one-third of its area; to the southwest lies the Jinque Kingdom; to the northwest is the Xuanying Kingdom; and to the west, not bordering it, lies the Xia Kingdom, known as "Western Xia" due to its location. The Youjing Dynasty has only been around for a little over a hundred years, while the Jinque Kingdom, which has been around for over three hundred years, can be considered an ancient kingdom.
Based on this development, the economy and culture of the Kunpeng Continent could probably rival those of the Tang and Song dynasties. I saw all this in my mother's collection of books; the older the book, the less I recognized it, and I didn't know what script it was in. However, with the foundation in Small Seal script, I can roughly guess some of it. Looks like I'll have to relearn how to write characters from now on.
What puzzles me is whether there is a difference in time between this continent and the original continent. Why is it that more than two thousand years have passed from the Qin Dynasty to the 21st century, while here it has only been a little over a thousand years? Is it a parallel universe or did I travel back in time after passing through it?
After getting a general understanding of the situation, I started gossiping and inquiring about current affairs. Although my father, the Marquis, didn't care much about us, he didn't restrict our freedom either. Once we left our own courtyard, we could go anywhere except the South and North courtyards, as long as we didn't bother anyone. So the maids, servants, and boys in each courtyard became my mentors, constantly filling my head with all sorts of knowledge they knew.
The west courtyard of the Marquis's mansion housed a dozen or so less favored ladies of lower status, including my mother, Lady Ru, and my aunt, Lady Jing. The east courtyard housed four currently favored ladies, including Lady Wen. The north courtyard was naturally reserved for the eldest wife, while the south courtyard was where my father, the Marquis, resided. The main hall and reception area for guests were located in the south courtyard, while gatherings within the mansion took place in the north courtyard. This Marquis's mansion, though small, resembled a miniature palace, complete with all the necessary functions and a clear division of labor.
My father, Marquis Qiyun, was the emperor's childhood companion. He contributed a lot when the emperor was still a prince vying for the throne, so he was granted the prestigious title of Marquis. After achieving fame and success, he began to live a dissolute life. The number of women in his household was no less than that of the emperor's concubines. But he didn't seem to be very fond of women, so why did he marry so many wives? I can't quite figure it out.
That day, after paying my respects to my aunt, I left our "Red Sleeve Residence." Red Sleeve Residence was originally allocated to my mother, with my aunt serving her personally, along with Li Momo and two maids, Yu Jie and Yu Rong, and Zhang Momo from the kitchen. When I was one year old, the Marquis favored my aunt, who was originally a maid, and she became the mistress. Then Zi Nuo was born, but the number of servants never increased, showing how neglected she had become. It seems I won't be so fortunate as to live the luxurious life of a Marquis's daughter; at best, I'll be just a modest young lady from a modest family who doesn't worry about food and clothing.
There are eighteen small courtyards in the West Courtyard, similar to Hongxiu Residence. Several of them are currently uninhabited, and each lady has her own courtyard (except for my mother and concubines; of course, now that my mother is gone, only my concubine remains). As I walked, I greeted everyone I met along the way warmly. Over the past few days, I've grown quite friendly with those in the West Courtyard who share my plight. The Marquis may dislike us, but we must live our lives to the fullest, authentically, without being swayed by his joy or sorrow.
Humming a cheerful tune, I arrived at my usual spot by the lake. Half the lake was planted with lotus flowers, but since it wasn't the right season, only dense lotus leaves covered the surface. I dug out a simple fishing rod from under a willow tree; it had been made for me by Xiao Chun, the maid of Madam Lan in the "Fool's Abode" in the west courtyard. She came from the fertile Jiangnan region and had learned to cast nets and row boats from a young age. After baiting the hook and casting, I plopped down on a rock. Actually, I don't like fishing, but it was so boring here; I didn't know what to do. Another important reason was that I hoped to bump into someone here, from the south or north courtyard; I needed a change.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, someone woke me up at the right time.
"Which college are you from? What are you doing here?" A boy of about ten years old squatted down next to me and asked. Behind him stood a boy dressed in fine clothes, slightly younger than him. Further away, under a willow tree, stood a refined man in his twenties or thirties, smiling at us.
"Fishing, didn't you see?" I replied lazily. I figured the boy behind him must be the young master, Mu Shaoting. I'd really been waiting for this for days; I had to seize the opportunity.
"You know how to fish?" Mu Shaoting seemed somewhat interested.
"Aren't they fishing right here? Do you want to come? It's a lot of fun," I said to him in a rather enticing tone.
"Yes," he replied somewhat vaguely. I stuck the fishing rod in my hand into the ground, turned around and dug out another one from the grass under the willow tree—I was prepared. I taught him how to bait the fish, how to cast the line, until the hook slowly sank to the bottom. Then I had him sit down in the same manner, ready to begin a childlike self-introduction and emotional exchange.
"Brother, my name is Mu Huaien, and I'll be four years old in August." I spoke to him in a sweet voice. "What's your name, brother?"
"Mu Shaoting will be nine years old in June." Mu Shaoting didn't seem particularly interested in talking to me; perhaps he thought I was too young.
So I will continue to use gentle and sweet tactics to deal with this little boy.
"Brother, do you come here often? I'm almost always alone, it's so lonely. Can we play together sometime?" I blinked my eyes at him hopefully, and he turned his face away a little awkwardly.
"Well, I don't have time to come out and play every day, I have to study. My husband only takes me out occasionally." Mu Shaoting found an excuse. He doesn't like little girls, what should I do? I looked at him with a pitiful expression, thinking about topics he might be interested in.
“Young Master, her name sounds familiar,” the lackey I had been ignoring spoke up.
"Have you heard of this before?" Mu Shaoting looked uncertainly at his little follower. It was truly pathetic that even siblings living in the same family didn't know.
"Let me think," the little follower said with difficulty, trying to remember something. After a while, he smiled and said, "I finally remember. This is the Third Miss, your sister."
Mu Shaoting looked me up and down with a questioning gaze, then turned to his little follower: "If she's a younger sister, how come I've never seen her before?"
"Trust me, Tianqi is right. The second young lady is Hanyan, the third young lady is Huaien, and the fourth young master is Zinuo. That's how it is." Tianqi said with certainty. "However, it seems that the third young lady and the fourth young master have never really met. Maybe it's because their mothers have a low status."
Mu Shaoting then believed Tian Qi's words and turned to ask me, "Are you my sister? I've met Han Yan once."
“I know I have older brothers and sisters, but I’ve never met them. I’ve only met my father a few times, and I don’t even know what he looks like.” I didn’t answer him directly. “But I have an aunt and a younger brother. They treat me very well, but it’s a pity that my brother is too young to play with me.” I saw a hint of emotion and reluctance in Mu Shaoting’s eyes.
"From now on, whenever I'm not studying, I'll come here to find you," Mu Shaoting said.
"Really?" I was delighted that I had achieved half of my goal. It turned out that I had tried to move him with family affection, or perhaps he was just being compassionate.