Author: sunshinesarah

Chapter Three

Female Supervisor Li looked at the hot burning embers of the charcoal, her mouth open and speechless – she began to feel that this was the rude and uncouth Fourth Young Lady she was familiar with. When she lost her temper last time, she would scold and beat the servants in this manner. But she had never dared do this to her. Could it be that she has become braver after her illness?

After looking at her for a moment, Yu Cailing sneered, put the hand warmer down and stuck the hairpin back into her hair. She said coldly, “If you’re rude to me again, I’ll jump off the carriage and refuse to return with you, dead or alive.” If she hadn’t been so fierce, little lady who lived with her grandmother without her parents would have been bullied to death by the town folk, and having an uncle wouldn’t have made any difference.

“You, you…..!” Female Supervisor Li was dumbfounded for a good while. Actually, it’s normal for masters to scold their servants, but this Fourth Lady had always tried to curry her favour.

Just as she was about to return the scolding, she recalled the current situation and unconsciously bit her tongue.

In fact, when she heard her say “serious ill and almost died”, she began to feel guilty. It was all her fault. Actually the mistress didn’t ask her to take the Fourth Lady’s life. The mistress had merely meant to let her undergo a few months of rehabilitation, to first let her experience some hardship, then slowly and tenderly coax her for a few months after so that the Fourth Lady would be completely docile and obedient by the time her parents came back. Who would have thought the other party would be so cunning. They had sent a letter to say that they would only be able to return in a few months time, but a messenger suddenly arrived yesterday to say they would arrive in a few days’ time. They had been completely caught off-guard. How should they handle this now? Female Supervisor Li was also a little at a loss.

Looking at Yu Cailing’s obstinate face, Female Supervisor Li could only swallow her words and tell herself that she would let the mistress take care of her when she got back and other such thoughts.

Yu Cailing ignored her and looked for a pillow to take a nap while thinking of a story she heard the other day in the countryside: It was said that someone in the previous dynasty was murdered by a tyrant. Knowing that the man had no children or nephews, and his daughter had already been wedded out and had their own children, the enemy rejoiced inwardly. Who would have thought the married woman would pick up a knife to take revenge, finally hacking him to death in a pavilion in the capital city, after which she went to confess her guilt before the authorities and ask to be punished. As a result, the prefectural and provincial governors came together to submit a petition to court to plead for amnesty for the woman, in view of her righteous and heroic deed. Not only was she pardoned, they even set up a monument to display this to the world.

This was completely different from her impression of ancient times.

Based on her impression, feudal customs and etiquette were restrictive for women, and they often had to give more than they had*. A woman had to be virtuous and carry herself well, her every step should be exactly that few centimeters in stride, when speaking she could only raise her head that much higher. As if every measurement was used to create strict and definite rules and regulations to control and restrict women and squeeze the life out of them, like wooden figurines.
*The term she used here was literally”if someone wanted a spoon, they had to give a bowl; if someone wanted a dustpan, they had to give a basket”, but it wasn’t any idiom I could find an explanation for.

But over here, the people’s thinking and desires seemed to be so vital and natural, with a type of “this can be done, that can be done” kind of outlook; with the world so big, nothing was impossible. Of course, everyone would praise the virtuous and chaste daughter, but they would also brag about the daring and upright one.

For example the Qiu family. The Qiu’s daughter may have gotten married a few times over, but because she was brave, fierce and resolute – whether it was during the time her brothers went to war, or when they returned handicapped and her entire family was bullied as a result – she was the one who scolded the masses and defended them. No wonder both Qiu and his wife especially loved this daughter, and all the children obeyed their remarkable aunt. All those taunting and nasty things the villagers said at the wedding about how a good horse was not worthy of a second saddle and so on, all fell on deaf ears as far as they were concerned.

In conclusion, even though a submissive and gentle woman would make a good marriage, women who were fierce and bold were not condemned like women of later generations….

…………..

As if to prove that that Yu Cailing had truly been ill, she developed a low-grade fever again midway. During the bumpy ride, she threw up the lunch she had eaten not long ago, and everything else, until there was nothing left to throw up except bile. The frightened Female Supervisor Li asked the driver to hurry up, and when they finally arrived at the family manor, Yu Cailing’s fever worsened. She had a splitting headache, and in her grogginess, she did not see the manor clearly, having only a vague impression of the carriage entering a courtyard.

Female Supervisor Li couldn’t wait to get rid of this burden. Without ceremony, she leapt off the carriage and with the help of a servant, she hurriedly pulled and dragged Yu Cailing out of the carriage and into the house. Fortunately, the girl was not fully grown, so it wasn’t too difficult for the servant to carry her on his back.

Yu Cailing’s cheeks burnt red with fever, but in her heard, she laughed grimly: Every time she wanted to go out in the countryside, Ning would wait for the morning cold to disperse before agreeing, and even so, she would make sure that she was well-wrapped up before allowing her out. These people, however, simply dragged a sick child out of a warm carriage into the cold, wearing only her normal clothing, in their eagerness to report that they had fulfilled their orders. As for the so-called love this person’s aunt bore for her, that’s something Yu Cailing will never believe. When there’s an opportunity in future, she’ll give each and every one of these scoundrels a taste of her anger.

After half dragging, half supporting her through the door with some great difficulty, they saw a dozen or so well-dressed women standing on the steps ahead. Yu Cailing’s vision was a little blurry so she couldn’t see very clearly. She guessed that the one with the big white face right in the centre, dressed in purple and wearing a fur coat, was her good aunt. As soon as she saw this “good aunt”, Yu Cailing almost burst out in laughter. If Female Supervisor Li was as thin as a chopstick, then this “good aunt” would be the other chopstick, and if they stood together, you could use both mistress and servant to pick up food.

Seeing the scene before her, Madam Ge quickly asked what happened. Female Supervisor Li replied in a rush, “Mistress, there’s trouble. The Fourth Lady is very ill. I rushed here, exhausted and anxious, afraid that I might delay carrying out your orders!”

Madam Ge looked at Yu Cailing, at the face that was round from being so carefully tended by Ning that was now flushed with fever, yet she still continued to speak slowly and leisurely, in an imperious manner, “Stop pretending. How can a child be ill for so long?” Everyone standing in the courtyard found this lady’s words very strange – the younger the child, the easier it is for them to fall ill.

At that moment, a calloused hand suddenly felt Yu Cailing’s forehead, and an elderly woman could be heard saying, “This is not good. She’s burning up. Madam, this is going create trouble.” Then, raising her voice, she said, “Hurry! Someone quickly send for the doctor!…..Get the one named Zhang from the southern part of the town!”

“Nanny.” Madam Shi seemed to be dissatisfied with what the old woman said, and reached out herself to feel Yu Cailing’s forehead. The heat coiled around her hand, and she immediately said in fright, “Oh, it’s very hot! Quickly, go and get someone!”

Yu Cailing used the last of her strength to look up. She saw an old woman with white hair standing beside Madam Ge before her world turned black.

What followed was the familiar process of boiling soup and steeping medicine. Yu Cailing didn’t know how long she slept, nor did she keep track of how much medicine she took. She only felt that she was being treated very well now that she was back. The beddings she slept on were far softer and more fragrant than those in the small courtyard, and the heat in this room was better distributed and there was better air circulation. There were also more hands helping her undress and wipe her down. It’s just too bad they were not as gentle as Ning.

Since she had no strength, they propped her up again to take the medicine. Yu Cailing detested its bitter and nauseating flavour. To think that she had actually almost recovered, and it was only these crazy idiots who made her fall ill again, forcing her to take medicine and continue suffering for her wrongdoings. She couldn’t help the feelings of resentment that rose within her, and raised her arm to knock over the bowls and cups by her side. They clattered onto the floor, and the brown-coloured medicinal soup spilt all over. This sent Madam Ge into a rage. She wanted to berate Yu Cailing but knew that she needed her to recover as soon as possible, and so, with great difficulty, she bit back her anger.

Unexpectedly, although the doctors came and went, and Yu Cailing consumed the medicine for several days, her fever never went down. She saw with her own eyes as the girl’s face quickly lost its plumpness, and her anger immediately turned into worry. From time to time, Madam Ge would send everyone away and sit by Yu Cailing’s bed, worried that if this suddenly became an emergency, what excuse would she have to evade responsibility. By lucky coincidence, Yu Cailing was semi-conscious after taking her medicine that day and overheard the conversation between the “good aunt” and the old woman she saw that day.

“…..Madam, why do you have to torment such a small child? It’s Madam Xiao whom you can’t stand,” said the old woman.

Madam Ge said resentfully, “Yes, I can’t stand her! Her family’s in decline, she’s married twice and she dares to put on airs in front of me! My Ge family is more reputable and wealthier than hers, and our lineage is more pure than hers, so why should I tolerate her?”

The old woman seemed to sigh as she said, “The Xiao family used to be so illustrious. Who could have foreseen they would face such a big disaster that left their house in ruins, leaving them either refugees or bandits. At the time, she was also a prominent lady in our village, her status far exceeding even that of the Cheng family. When all’s said and done, must you conspire against the First Madam, when there’s no cause for grievance or enmity?”

Yu Cailing was actually about to fall asleep, but when she heard that, she suddenly became wide awake. Amitabha. She knew that not everyone was as astute as that tight-lipped Ning, and that there would be blabbermouths who would tell her stories about the past. She pretended to sleep while pricking up her ears to listen closely. Even her fever seemed a little better.

“No cause for grievance or enmity?!” Madam Ge unconsciously raised her voice, and immediately heard someone shushing her, probably the old woman signaling her to lower her voice. Lowering her voice, she said, “I was supposed to have married elder brother-in-law, to have the higher status and title!”

“That’s beside the point. I’ve seen you grow up. You’ve never looked up to the Cheng family. But it was different for Madam Xiao. The Master had already started wooing her even after she first got married. The whole village knows this. A few years later, when Madam Xiao had a great falling out with her first husband’s family, before they had even annulled the marriage, the Master had stood by her throughout. You may not like hearing this, but even if the Ge family had actually wanted to propose marriage to him, the Master wouldn’t have agreed.”
*Cheng head of family.

This made Madam Ge even more angry. “It’s all ah fu and ah mu‘s fault for forcing me to marry into the Cheng family!”

Yu Cailing began quickly deduced: Hmm, this family’s surname is Cheng, and there are a few brothers. The heads of the family were this person’s parents, and they weren’t divorced but, rather, seemed to get along well.

Yu Cailing heard what sounded like the old woman patting Madam Ge’s shoulder. “You’re talking nonsense again. Everyone knows how the Xiao family fell. After all, it happened in the next county. First Madam’s father and brothers died at the hands of bandits. At the time, the Xiao family was rich and wealthy. Old Grandfather Xiao was even one of the three elders in their town. He led his family members to resist the bandits who were looting the town, and injured many of them. The head of the bandits greatly resented them for this. They pretended to be defeated and withdrew, then when everyone relaxed their guards, they launched a sneak attack at night and killed all the young and old of the Xiao family. Fortunately, the bandits didn’t know that the rich families at the time had underground cellars. In this way, a few women and children managed to escape, but unfortunately, all the grown men and property didn’t survive.”

The old woman took a sip of water before continuing: “In those riotous times, any ruffian who had enough men could terrorise others as they will. As long as a family was wealthy, they’d kill everyone and plunder the home. The women suffered an even worse fate. Our Ge family was like a pig awaiting slaughter. Though the Cheng family was poor, the head of the family was well-respected in the village. Not only was he good at fighting, he also led a group of men who could fight and kill. At the time, Old Master Ge felt that it was more important to avoid being another Xiao family than to follow in Old Master Lu’s footsteps to marry his daughter to the emperor*. By that time, the Master had already proposed to First Madam, and the third Cheng son was still a child. If you didn’t marry your current husband, who else could you have married?”
*Old Master Lu refers to Empress Lu Zhi’s father, who married her to Liu Bang, the first Emperor and founder of the Han Dynasty before he established the dynasty. You can find an article here: the google translate version isn’t too bad if you’re inclined to read it.

“You’re saying all this only to persuade me to submit to her!” Madam Ge sounded annoyed. “Think about it. I married into the family at about the same time as her. Whether it’s wealth or talent, I far surpass her, yet look at how things have turned out for me! All my dowry has been used to support the Cheng family, while she uses the Cheng’s family to support her maiden family! And yet she still behaves so arrogantly. How can I not be angry!”

“Then let me ask Madam. Has your dowry remained the same over the years?”

Madam Ge did not respond.

The old woman took advantage of this and said, “When Madam first got married, Madam did indeed use your dowry to support the family, but after a few years, when the General started to rise in ranks, he would send back chest after chest of money, valuable cloth and items. Today, there’s no deficit where Madam’s dowry is concerned, rather it has already exceeded what Madam brought with her. Compared to that, the amount of money Madam Xiao used to support her maiden family is nothing.”

Madam Ge laughed coldly, “As long as both parents are alive, there’s no such thing as private property. As the family is still living under one roof, elder brother’s money should be managed by the parents (in-laws). There are three brothers and three families, and each are entitled to equal share!”

The old woman sighed again. “Based on principle, that’s not wrong. But Lord Cheng earned this money because he fought in the wars, and through it all, Madam Xiao has been by his side, so the money would go through her hands first. With all that mess out there and war everywhere, who still cares about these rules? Right now, everywhere, apart from the states and counties that our Emperor rules, is still in total chaos.”

At that moment, quiet descended on the room. It sounded like the both of them were speechless. Yu Cailing waited patiently. She was aware there was a war out there, but didn’t know what the situation was. In her heart, she was urging them to continue with the gossip, don’t stop.

Then the old woman said, “So does Madam intend to take Fourth Young Lady’s little life to provoke Madam Xiao?”

Madam Ge said, “Actually, I had intended to spare that bitch, but I never expected her to be so cruel as to leave her daughter behind in order to follow her husband! Of course, he took her side though her methods were despicable. She invited a powerful shaman to conduct a divination, making the cold decision to leave her daughter behind, bringing only her sons along with her. You’re right. I intentionally neglected Fourth Young Lady’s upbringing, because I wanted her mother to lose face, but I never intended to take her life!”

Hearing this, Yu Cailing felt grim laughter welling within her. Looks like she had no parental affinity. In her previous life, her parents divorced. In her current life, though her parents didn’t divorce, they still cast her aside.

When her Yu mother was young, she was a young female intellectual in one of the Cultural Revolution countryside brigades. She didn’t lack for suitors who were strong, rich or powerful, but she had her eyes set only on her Yu father. She knew full well that how one live was more important than outer appearances. Those men spent their days gambling, and had nothing saved up for the family, unlike her Yu father, who was shrewd and cunning, while his old mother was kind and warm.

Her Yu mother was not satisfied with being just a bookkeeper in a small town. After completing the college entrance exams, she immediately applied to the university, and after a few years, found a job with high prospects in the city. It was then that she ‘happened to meet’ her childhood sweetheart who was ‘coincidentally’ newly divorced. What happened next was only a matter of course, the only miscalculation being her own birth.

On one side, Yu Cailing’s train of thought were far away, while on the other side, the more Madam Ge thought about the matter, the more wronged she felt, and she said bitterly, “….apart from neglecting her upbringing, there’s nothing much else I can do. Nanny, do you know, everytime they hear sounds of activity here, that old Wan from next door will send servants to see if I’m beating the Fourth Young Lady or punishing her by withholding her meals.”

The old woman sighed. “Madam, listen to me. The Cheng family is no longer what it used to be, but our Ge family is still the same Ge family from before. Times have changed, so don’t stick to your stubborn ways. I’m here to visit you before the new year. In a few days, I will be going to Qingzhou with my children and grandchildren. After His Majesty established the country, he had more or less purged the bandits and rebels from the land. There’s now a lot of empty land that can be cultivated. It’s already been announced that as long as the people are willing, the tax will be low, and the land will belong to the family after a few years of cultivation…..”

Madam Ge was surprised and said, “So early? The winter solstice just ended. Why don’t you leave after the new year?” Although she knew that her nanny’s family was planning to buy property in Qingzhou, but when the time came, she was still reluctant for her nanny to leave.

The old woman smiled as she said, “Your Bao xiong* set up small business a few years ago and has saved up quite a substantial amount since. He was so enthusiastic, he invited a shaman over for a divination. When he the shaman that he would be moving to a distant part of the country to buy some property, the shaman told him that he needed to invite all the ancestors along with him in order to bless the entire family. So, all of us plan to go to Qingzhou for the new year, so that we can offer sacrifices to the ancestors and seek their blessings for prosperous future for the family.”
*xiong = brother, a term loosely used for males unrelated to one’s self. Bao should be the nanny’s son, but probably grew up with Madam Ge

Madam Ge was silent for a moment, then sobbing silently, she said, “Nanny, although you’ve lived in the next county for the past two years, I’ve always been able to meet with you whenever I wanted to. If you go to Qingzhou now, what will I do? Didn’t I say I would ensure a good future for your son?”

The old woman smiled and said, “Going to Qingzhou is a good move. A few of my nephews also want to bring their families along. With so many of us, we’re not afraid of being bullied. What’s more….” She paused awhile, then continued, “Madam, think about it. Though the younger Ge generation had been working hard for a good future, they hadn’t been able to enter the Imperial College. What more someone from my family?”

Madam Ge said bitterly, “It’s all that Xiao bitch’s fault. Brother-in-law does everything according to her wishes.”

The old woman smiled and stopped talking.

Although Yu Cailing was in a daze as a result of her fever, it didn’t affect her ability to reason. The old woman didn’t need to say more – she could already fill in the gaps: this stupid aunt who only knew how to spend her days finding ways to compete with Madam Xiao expected the woman’s husband to help her own family?!

Yu Cailing felt that at the age of ten, she was already way smarter than this woman. To hit someone on their cheek and expect someone to ask if your hand is ok. It’s not like Madam Xiao is someone who would allow herself to be abused. You really should drink two bottles of toilet cleaners to calm yourself down. Now, the only clear-headed person around you is intending to leave, probably because she despairs for your IQ.
*Actually, the literal translation was: to hit someone on their left cheek, and expect someone else to lick your finger. Too weird. Rephrased to try to keep the meaning.

“How are Madam’s preparations coming along? Looking at the Fourth Young Lady’s illness, it doesn’t look like it has been well taken care of these past couple of days,” said the old woman.

Madam Ge pleaded with her, “Nanny, please help me think of an excuse. The Fourth Young Lady is indeed ill-behaved, but unfortunately it’s mainly due to trivial offences. Picking a quarrel with the young ladies of other families, or getting into a fight with them at a party…..if only she had committed such big offences, that would have been alright. But I was careless too. When she was younger, nothing this serious happened. Now that it has happened, I thought we’d still have a few months to slowly fix it. But instead of the few months that she had communicated earlier, that Xiao bitch is going to arrive in a few days!”

The old woman sighed again. “Let me think. Hmm, how about this. Then let’s redirect it. Didn’t Second Young Lady come back crying the other day, complaining about her mother-in-law? Then you told the girls that they are now all grown up, and will soon have husbands, therefore they should be more dignified and virtuous. But Fourth Young Lady refused to learn and persisted in her unruly manner, so you hardened your heart and punished her. Who expected the servant to be so negligent in disciplining her. If necessary, just blame it on that greedy old servant Li Zhui…..”

Madam Ge responded happily, “That’s a good idea, Nanny. Let’s do it this way. If that Xiao bitch nags at me, I will list all the absurd things that the Fourth Young Lady has done over the years. Let’s see if she agrees her child needs a good teaching.” But her happiness was soon replaced with annoyance. “What’s there to fear. She can’t eat me up!”

Before her words faded away, there was a commotion outside, and a young maidservant ran in screaming, “Mistress, bad news. The Master and his entourage are back! Their carriage is already at the main gate! There are more than a dozen large carriages. Old Madam is asking us to hurry over.” The sounds of panicked footsteps and shouting could be heard from the outside.

These words shocked Madam Ge. “How did they get here so fast?” Then, she paused awhile. “That’s not right. I’ve had someone keep watch over General Wan’s house next door, and there hasn’t been any activity. Isn’t Elder Brother always with General Wan?” Then, raising her voice, she shouted, “Someone, go and fetch my husband!”

The old woman helped Madam Ge up while saying anxiously, “Mistress, you’re confused. How can your husband be at home now? Forget all this for now. Go out and greet them first. Don’t forget your etiquette…..no, no, perhaps you should go to your mother-in-law first, and then go with her!”

Madam Ge stamped her foot and said furiously, “Look at this ‘good marriage’ my father had arranged for me. My husband reads those classics all day long, but what’s the use. My Uncle Ji who’s years younger than him has already attained a few official ranks, but what does my husband have to show for it! Mother-in-law only acts ignorant, and cares only for her own comfort and well-being….”

The sound of conversation gradually faded away. Yu Cailing stretched her arm and changed her sleeping position with difficulty. She felt her scalding forehead. Her body was hot and aching, and she was perspiring profusely. She couldn’t think of anything else, other than that sleeping seemed like a very good idea, otherwise she really couldn’t do justice to all the DDVP* she had been consuming all these past days.
*modern day insecticide she alluded to in Ch.1

All these damned old women with the Ge surname who dared not confront their enemies directly and instead take it out on unlucky children, they deserve useless husbands. Seeing how her cheeks are sunken and her complexion as green as cauliflower, she must be full of anger at night and irritable in the day*. Couldn’t she find a few obedient lovers, three pretty boys, one to feed her grapes, another to massage her feet, and another to dance to some happy, bouncy music, then her days would be so much happier. Will finding trouble with your sister-in-law and niece improve your endocrine system and make you glow with health?! Really, she must come from thirteen generations of nitwits who didn’t accumulate any merits!
*actually here, the author also adds on “if she has gas, she probably can’t let it go” (like the worse thing you can do when you want to fart is not fart)

Chapter Two

At the same time that Yu Cailing was thinking about Ning, Fu Yi and his wife were also talking about her.

“The young mistress seems more energetic today. The state she was in when I first came nearly scared me to death.” After washing himself, Fu Yi lay down to rest in the comfortably warm west room as his wife combed his hair.

Hearing this, Ning’s combing paused, and she pursed her lips as she said, “When you first came, she was already a lot better. The young mistress almost died that day. But it’s also partly my own carelessness. I was delayed for a few days. I had thought A-Yue…..” At the mention of this name, her face darkened.

Seeing his wife’s expression, Fu Yi said, “People change. Ten years have passed. When Mistress* and the general left, the little mistress had just turned three. I remember, the general couldn’t stop turning back to look even after he got on his horse to ride away, his eyes red. Don’t mention A-Yue anymore. Her previous husband died under the general’s command and her current husband has connections to the Ge family. How can she serve Mistress wholeheartedly?”
*To avoid confusion, Yu Cailing = “Young Mistress”, while her mother = “Mistress”. I’ll try to correct the terms retrospectively but may miss some, so please excuse inconsistencies.

Ning slapped the comb down on the table, raising her voice as she said, “The sword has no eyes. The future of those in the military has always been uncertain. Mistress has always been generous to their soldiers’ widows and children and didn’t even stop her from remarrying! That time, when the rumor arrived that you had died in Nanding City, I made the children dress in mourning clothes. Even if I had wanted to remarry, how could I neglect the job entrusted me?! Afraid of death, humph! If she’s so afraid of death, then she should just do what A-Xiao did, ask her man to stay back in the village. Even if he doesn’t have any career prospects, at least they’ll live in peace. But they want both career prospects and to live in peace – such a good thing doesn’t exist!”

Fu Yi tightened the corners of his mouth. Actually, after the battle at Nanding City, he had immediately sent someone home post haste to report on the situation and it didn’t take more than a few months. Therefore, he really wanted to discuss this matter of his wife remarrying – wouldn’t it be more appropriate to consider remarrying after a year had passed?

In the end, however, Fu Yi decided to change the subject and said, “Don’t be angry anymore. Oh right, the last few times I came back, I kept hearing that she had been growing more and more stubborn and ill-tempered as she grew older, scolding and beating the servants, her behavior totally unbearable. But now, the young mistress seems to be conducting herself very well. The kids seem to really like her.”

Ning snorted coldly before picking up the comb to continue combing her husband’s hair. “I’ve never been in the main house, so I had never seen the young mistress then. I just thought it was those despicable women who did not teach her well. Anyway, she’s still young. When Mistress returns, she can teach her. Hmm, but who would have thought that she would be such a good girl. When she woke up, she spoke to us and was very friendly. I was afraid she would be depressed, so I told A-Mei to bring her out to play. That day, when the Qiu family’s da niang zi* got married, I got two guards to accompany them to enjoy the festivities. When they came back, she was feeling much better and was laughing and joking.”

Fu Yi nodded with satisfaction, then paused and suddenly said, “Old Man Qiu has married off another daughter?” Every time he came back, he seemed to hear about this old farm supervisor marrying off a daughter. “How many daughters does he actually have?”

Ning smiled as she said, “I already said, it’s the family’s da niang zi. The Qiu household has two sons and only one daughter whom he had in his old age. The last time you came back, it was da niang zi‘s remarriage. This time, it’s her third marriage.”

Fu Yi shook his head. “Old Qiu indulges his daughter too much. It’s okay for a widow to remarry, but she had a good husband, and now she broke off that marriage only because she wanted to marry another man who caught her fancy. This will just be fodder for gossip.”

Ning laughed and said, “Her new husband is really of good character and has a gentle temperament.”
*”da niang zi” here refers to Qiu’s one and only daughter.

Fu Yi looked at his wife, who met his gaze calmly, without saying a word, and he suddenly relented, comforting himself. Servants usually followed in their masters’ footsteps, but compared to the general, he was still in a better position when it came to his wife recognising his authority within a marriage.* That day, when the general’s wife was at General Wan’s mansion to watch a performance, she had praised one of their performers for his strong and beautiful body. Not only did the general not rebuke her, he even raised a glass of wine to toast, saying, “My lady has a good eye. Although he’s not as good as me, but he’s the best looking performer.” This had immediately caused General Wan to choke on his drink, whether out of disapproval or annoyance, it was hard to tell.
*Post-post translation note: The author uses the term “fu gang” (夫纲) which I had great difficulty finding a meaning / translation for. After seeking another opinion, it appears that unlike what I first deduced, it simply refers to the husband’s authority within a marriage, or rather, “wife following her husband’s lead”. Thus, my interpretation of the paragraph was that Fu Yi felt he was lucky that his wife still recognised his husbandly authority somewhat and was not as dominating as his master’s wife (i.e. the general’s wife)! If anyone can shed some further light on this, that’d be great.

Fu Yi looked at the small wooden letter on the table, which he had brought back with him post haste, and asked his wife, “What did Mistress say?” He was illiterate.

Ning looked at the letter and slowly said, “All preparations have been made. We’re now just waiting for Mistress to return.”

Fu Yi nodded. “When?”

“In another three to five days.”

……….

At about midday, the children playing by the stream gradually dispersed as they each went home. A country boy who had come to pick up his younger brother and sister looked at Yu Cailing for a long time. Then, blushing, he handed A-Mei three fat fishes before running away in a panic. A-Mei said to Yu Cailing delightedly, “Young mistress, someone has taken a fancy to me.”

Yu Cailing clenched her jaw and turned to look at Fu Deng with a blank face. “A-Deng, have you found a good mirror grinder? I can’t see anything clearly in that copper mirror in my room.” She really wanted to see what she looked like now, and at the same time, let Ah Mei have a look at herself. That young country boy kept stealing glances in their direction. There were only herself and Fu Deng on the boulder. He couldn’t be looking at Fu Deng right….eh, probably not.

Fu Deng smiled and said, “It’ll soon be the new year. Presumably all the craftsmen everywhere would have gone back home.” Then, turning to his sister, he said, “What nonsense are you saying? That fish is for the young mistress.” From the start, he had observed the young country boy stealing glances at the young lady.

Yu Cailing walked sullenly down the small country path, not saying a word. In this barren wasteland of the ancient times, it’s so difficult to obtain anything. Looking into the bronze mirror was like looking into a distorting mirror or at her reflection in a stream. She couldn’t see her eyes and mouth clearly, and could only discern that her skin was clear and fair. She didn’t know if the boy who had given them the fish had a normal appreciation of beauty, or an abnormal one.

For example, her father, when he was young, he liked her mother who was learned and wise, and married her despite their large intellectual gap. After he became rich, her father’s preferences tended towards sexy but brainless women, and lived this sort of promiscuous life, until he was almost made bankrupt by a business partner. After that, he attained some enlightenment and finally settled down with a widow who was a hard worker. Although she wasn’t very educated, she was determined, and both husband and wife were of one mind in building their wealth together.

Although Yu Cailing hated that cold hearted old man, she recognised that she had inherited his quick mind. Ever since she got here, she had not stopped making plans for herself. Carrying the fish, she looked around her and sighed. She really hoped she was good looking. The modern woman, even if ugly, could rely on their education and careers, but how any options did the woman born in ancient times have? Perhaps she could be a scholar, or a martial arts expert leading a bunch of outlaws? Then again, at least she’s not dressed as a servant or a concubine, and she had someone serving her, so she could at least count herself lucky.

Yu Cailing frowned as she realised she had recently become increasingly fond of reminiscing about her past life. Why did she have to be a woman? It’s better to have been a man. A man could study and become a civil servant to avoid being a merchant or farmer. She didn’t mind being gay either. There must be many good-looking men who were poor and facing difficulties who were waiting for her to rescue them.

The cold wind at winter’s end was very refreshing. Upon returning home, Yu Cailing handed the fish to Ning and smiled as she said, “There’s still lard leftover from a few days ago. Use it to fry the fish to a crisp, then add some fresh mushrooms to make a fish soup. A-Mei’s father and brother have just traveled from afar. The soup will be nourish them.” The craftsmen of the time didn’t have the skill to make the perfect iron pot, so although stir frying was not possible, they could simmer the food in water or oil.

As soon as they heard this, though Fu Yi and Fu Deng stayed silent, A-Mei and A-Liang stood up to cheer. A-Mei clapped her hands and said, “This will be the best fish soup. Like last time, let’s grill the fish tails with ginger, pepper and soybean paste too!”

Ning smiled. In those times, the methods of cooking were limited to steaming, roasting and simmering. A few days ago, the young mistress had accompanied A-Mei to watch the villagers slaughter the pigs and brought back a piece of fat from the pig’s belly which she had then instructed Ning to cook in a a hot iron pot and render the lard. The fragrance of the lard and fried bits of pork fat filled the entire house, almost attracting the neighbours from miles away. There were so many uses for the lard – adding it with fried fat to rice or to cold vegetables, mixing it with soybean paste and rice, or directly using it to cook vegetables or seafood – the flavour was simply indescribable.

She had asked the young mistress who came up with this method, and A-Mei quickly replied, “When they were carving the pig, a piece of fat happened to fall onto the edge of a brazier. The moment the fat hit the brazier, the air was filled with the aroma of fried fat. That’s how young mistress came up with the idea.” Actually, at the time, A-Mei was busy playing with the children and didn’t see the piece of fat drop onto the brazier. It was only later that Yu Cailing told her about it.

Ning smiled and said, “We’ve used it all up already. But I killed a few chickens yesterday, and rendered some chicken fat and it tasted very good.” Actually, it wasn’t such an unusual method. There are people who keep the drippings when grilling meat, and then cook with it or add it to rice for flavour. It’s just that it never occurred to her that frying fish meat in lard before boiling it in soup would taste so good, without any fishiness. This method was good, but it consumed too much firewood and fat, so unless one came from a wealthy family, one couldn’t afford to cook like this.

The more she thought about this, the more she felt that the young mistress had an intelligence that surpassed others. When she gets married in future, she would definitely be very adept at managing the household. All those nasty rumours about her must have been started by that spiteful woman who wanted to ruin the Mistress’s reputation. Actually, Ning was a very astute woman. If not for her excessive loyalty, if she had considered things from her own point of view, she would have realised something was not quite right about Yu Cailing.

Upon hearing Ning’s words, Yu Cailing froze. One shouldn’t think that people from ancient times were stupid. In fact, other than her modern knowledge, she wasn’t much better than them. She only taught Ning how to render pork fat once, and she immediately translated that knowledge into rendering cow, chicken and duck fat. She even experimented with adding sliced ginger, peppercorns, dogwood and others to add flavour, making sesame oil and chilli oil, which was stored well. If Ning hadn’t been such a smart woman, Yu Cailing would have cross-examined A-Mei about the current year, dynasty, the identities of her parents, family and ancestors for the past eight generations.

“I’ve just steamed the rice and added soy paste and meat stew to accompany the fish soup. Young Mistress, please have more.” Ning looked at Yu Cailing with such affected she almost melted.

In that region, meals were usually made up of mixed rice or rice cooked together with meat and vegetables, with a meat or vegetable stew poured over. The wealthier families will also serve some grilled fish or appetizers on the side. Yu Cailing actually very much enjoyed A-Ning’s cooking, so with a shy expression, she went into the house to wash her hands and wait for dinner.

The mid-day meal was fragrant and delicious. The smell of the soybean paste and meat stew mixed with rice assailed the nostrils. The fish and mushroom soup was tasty and refreshing. Not just the younger ones, but both father and son, Fu Yi and Fu Deng, had great appetites. Actually, people of those times only had two meals a day, but when Yu Cailing was recovering from her illness, Ning couldn’t very well prepare five meals a day just for her nourishment, so she just made more. Naturally, both A-Mei and her brother benefited from it, and for those few days, their little faces were smooth and shiny like oil.

After the meal, sitting by the warm fire with a sweet citrus in her hand, listening to A-Mei chatter on about countryside gossip, Yu Cailing suddenly felt that passing the days in this way wasn’t so bad, and she didn’t mind if her punishment continued.

But unexpectedly, Ning suddenly said, “Tomorrow, the manor will send someone to bring Young Mistress home.” Yu Cailing felt like someone had just poured cold water over her, and she sat there, stunned, not knowing where to start with her questions.

The difference between those who were reserved and those who were talkative was this: if Yu Cailing were to weep and cry and say something like “I miss my father and mother!”, a talkative person would grab this opportunity to tell her everything about this person’s* parents, from the time they met, fell in love and got married all the way to when they had her, while a reserved person like A-Ning would either only nod her head silently, or sigh deeply and say “Yes.”.
*this person = the person whose body Yu Cailing was inhabiting

If Yu Cailing faked parental attachment and asked, “Ning, do you know what my father and mother are like?”, Ning would probably most definitely say “We servants are not in a position to talk about the master’s family.” and not a word more, to the extent that Yu Cailing wasn’t even sure if this person’s parents were dead or alive.

In the past few days, Yu Cailing had tried several times to make similarly indirect inquiries. She dared not ask any direct questions – who was the one holding power in this person’s family, who was in charge of her daily living, how her parents were doing. Hearing these questions, an intelligent person would immediately know something wasn’t right, what more someone as astute as Ning.

Seeing Yu Cailing’s dejected expression, Ning couldn’t bear it. She longed to tell her, but remembering Mistress’s instruction, she dared not, and instead, said softly, “Young Mistress, don’t be afraid. Calm yourself down. Whatever is meant to happen will happen.”

Yu Cailing gazed at Ning, longing to ask her questions directly, but put on a pitiful expression and said sorrowfully, “Ning, was what I did really so greatly wrong?” This was an “antelopes sleeping while hanging their horns on trees” type of question – it would leave no trace for suspicion. Yu Cailing couldn’t help but give herself a pat on the back.
*羚羊挂角 – idiom; antelopes hanging on trees will leave no marks on the ground. It may not read well in English, but I figured some idioms were better left as they are.

Ning said indignantly, “What did you do that was so wrong? You didn’t kill or set something on fire, nor did you steal or take something by force.”

As long as it wasn’t a criminal offence. After all, what kind of civil actions can they bring against minors? Yu Cailing breathed a sigh of relief and said piteously, “Then….why are they still punishing me?”

Ning replied angrily, “They’re bad people! To bully Young Mistress, they have no……” then stopped mid-sentence. Exhaling, she continued, “Young Mistress, don’t worry. They won’t dare to behave so high-handedly with you.”

Could this person’s parents truly be dead?! Yu Cailing was confused. She could tell that Ning was holding back things she was longing to say. She wrung her hands in frustration, and after racking her brains for a long while, she finally whispered, “I’m afraid I may die if I go back.”

Thinking of the girl who almost died more than ten days ago, Ning sighed. Holding Yu Cailing’s hand, she said, “This servant vows with her very last breath that nobody will dare to take Young Mistress’s life.” She was still unwilling to reveal the meaning behind her words.

In her heart, Yu Cailing was already prepared for what was to come.

That afternoon, she heard the sounds of Ning’s family busily moving things around outside for the better part of the day. After a full night’s sleep, she had woken up to find the entire small courtyard looking entirely different from before. All the familiar household items were gone, other than a few jars of sauces and salt. The entire courtyard looked empty and deserted. Most notably, both father and son, Fu Yi and Fu Deng, had left before dawn.

They hadn’t expected the people from the main house to arrive so late. It was only after Yu Cailing had her afternoon nap that they saw two carriages making their way slowly over. Ning felt contempt in her heart. It was only half a day’s journey from the main house. If they had set out before sunrise, they would have arrived in the morning. Obviously that spiteful woman’s servants have long been allowed to to get lazy and left only after the sun rose.

Yu Cailing was dragged into the carriage while still in her post-nap daze. Ning actually wanted to say a few words, but gave up because everyone’s eyes were downcast. A-Mei and A-Liang were reluctant to leave. The carriage’s interior was beautifully embroidered, and had no shortage of cushions and incense. It was too bad that ancient carriages did not have anti-shock mechanisms, and Yu Cailing was jolted awake after the period of time it took to burn through two joss sticks. She heard a shrill voice a woman who hadn’t stopped talking ever since she boarded the carriage – she was complaining about how the young mistress was not lady like, how she was headstrong and unteachable, and how much effort her mistress had put into educating her, and so on and so forth.

Yu Cailing raised her head and squinted up at the thin woman in front of her. Just awhile ago, she heard Ning call her Female Supervisor Li (Li guanfu). She didn’t like this woman very much. Female Supervisor Li looked at Yu Cailing, clearly disliking her too.

Female Supervisor Li was dressed in a dark blue robe, with a scarlet brocade belt around her waist, and a lot of gold and silver adorning her head. Unlike Ning whose hair was always tied into a simple bun behind her neck, her thick hair was coiled into three large buns, two of them hung down from the side of her temples to her ears, and the third a triangular bun towering high on her head, fastened with three sturdy golden hairpins, like three joss sticks. The powder on her face, even if it didn’t weigh 1 catty, should at least weigh half a catty*. Yu Cailing despaired over this era’s standards of beauty, and began to worry about her looks again.
*an old measure of weight of approximately 500 to 600g

“…..did Fourth Lady* hear what I just said?” Female Supervisor Li’s voice became increasingly shrill.
*the author refers to the person whose body Yu Cailing inhabits using a few terms,, which is why her “titles” keep changing depending on who is using them:
– nu gong zi: literally, female master, which I translate to “young mistress”
– si niang zi: literally 4th lady

This annoyed Yu Cailing. She wasn’t a good-natured person. When she was a child, after her parents divorced, she wanted to be Sister 13 in “Young and Dangerous”.* Who knew why she made the wrong move and went to the university to learn how to be a good person.
*a HK film series about a group of young triad members

“I didn’t hear clearly.” She straightened the wide sleeves of her robe expressionlessly.

Female Supervisor Li was filled with anger. After so many days of suffering in the countryside, she had expected Yu Cailing to be well-behaved, and not still so difficult. Suppressing her anger, she hurriedly said, “Mistress has forgiven Fourth Lady for her wrongdoings. This time, when Fourth Lady goes back, Fourth Lady be obedient and listen to Mistress.”

Yu Cailing narrowed her eyes. She was a reasonable person. If someone treated her well, she would be accommodating and obedient. However, if someone treated her badly, she wouldn’t hold back. She didn’t come here to this lousy place to suffer in silence. At the very worst, if she dies, she’ll just be reincarnated!

“So many mistresses. Which mistress?” Fu your father’s 18-generations of people!* Why don’t you just call her a mama-san?
*fu ren = wife of the master, hence “mistress”. People = ren. So essentially, she’s breaking up “fu ren” into its individual parts and using it to scold very vulgarly….like “F your father, go call her your mama-san (a female pimp / owner of brothel)” – something along those lines.

“The mistress who is your aunt!”* Female Supervisor Li raised her voice. “Don’t tell me you don’t even know who your aunt is?!”
*aunt here is “shu mu” = father’s younger brother’s wife

“Of course I know,” said Yu Cailing with a fake smile, “My uncle’s old mother!”

“You, you…….” Female Supervisor Li almost passed out. Her finger trembled as she pointed it at Yu Cailing. “Do you know what is filial piety? Do you know what it means to be temperate, kind, courteous and restrained?! How rude! Are you looking for more punishment?”

She found it very strange. One could say that she had seen the girl grow up. She had always bullied the weak and feared the strong, rude to all those of beneath her, timid when around those better than her. Every time her mistress punished her, as long as she consoled the girl after she returned, she would be a little more obedient.

Yu Cailing raised her eyebrows and said, “I was seriously ill and almost died, so I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I am like this by nature. If you want to step on me, don’t even think about it! So if you have any sense, don’t come near me. I’m going to alight now and go back.”

Her experiences for the past ten days weren’t in vain. Observing the countryside practices and customs on her daily excursions, and the domestic interactions between parents and their children, she noticed that those of so-called “lower status” would imitate those of so-called “higher status”, so the customs of the nobility and the ordinary folk weren’t too different. This countryside was where the private farms belonging to a few noble families were collectively located. In just these few days, she had heard the villagers tell stories about the three divorces and four remarriages in their masters’ households. There was even a newlywed couple who fought each other. She secretly felt that the folk customs here were bold and unrestrained, and the etiquette far less strict than what she knew of ancient society.

Seeing how fierce the girl was, Female Supervisor Li hurriedly took out her “respect your elders” trump card, saying loudly, “Your ah fu and ah mu don’t care about you. Your aunt worked hard to raise you all these years, day and night, and yet you are so disrespectful!”

Hearing this, Yu Cailing’s first reaction was ‘So, this person’s parents are not dead’, and her second reaction was ‘Could it be that this person suffered the same fate of having her parents divorce when she was a child?’.

Yu Cailing’s parents were the first couple to divorce in her hometown after the (Chinese economic) reform. Although there were many divorces after that, at the time, this topic was unprecedented in the small town, resulting in many conversations about it, to the extent that Yu Cailing, who was still in kindergarten then, had people pointing fingers at her everyday. However, she did not allow herself to be suppressed into timidity by public opinion, but instead evolved in the opposite direction, cultivating a thick skin and a tough personality for herself.

Yu Cailing removed her hairpin, opened the cover of the handwarmer and slammed it onto the small desk. Then, she folded her sleeves, picked up the handwarmer and let loose her internal tomboy, saying fiercely, “You bitch! Don’t think I won’t throw this in your face!”

Chapter One

The building was made of mud bricks. Long and rectangular in shape, it was divided into three equal parts. The middle section housed the main hall and dining area where people would gather, while both ends housed bedrooms. Yu Cailing stayed in the east wing in a very simple room whose yellow plastered walls were polished till they were bright and clean. A large square stove that looked like it was made from clay was built into the floor, and though its design was simple, it kept one warm enough. Although Yu Cailing was usually calm by nature, what followed had almost made her nearly faint with fright…..

There was neither bedframe nor chairs in the room, just a flat varnished wooden board laid on the floor, taking up one-third of the room. Spread over it on one side was what looked like a layer of bedding, and beside it, a few round seat cushions and a very small square table for meals. Yu Cailing had seen a few old movies by Akira Kurosawa before, and felt like she was in a similarly barren, ancient Japanese interior. When she first woke up more than ten days ago, besides having a splitting headache, this very thought so terrified her that she lost consciousness again, wishing she was dead.

Actually, she came from a very small, 1800-tiered town* in Jiangnan. It was situated in a valley, surrounded by mountains, and had its own dialect and customs. It was once so remote they had never seen foreigners, other than the two who had somehow braved the mountains and the rivers. It was only when the young people working in the big cities outside returned home and described them that they learnt that those were foreign invaders. This filled the old chairman of the village committee with righteous indignation, and he told the villagers to give them sweet potatoes, yams and radish filled with rat poison the next time they encountered them. Unfortunately, no foreign devils came again, and the rat poison never got used.
*There’s actually no 1800 tiered town in China so author seems to be exaggerating how small her hometown was.

It was only after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, when the government cut through the mountains, laid roads and built bridges and tunnels, that her village slowly emerged as a little mountain town.

“Young mistress, it’s time to take your medicine.” A middle-aged woman came into the room bearing a coarse wooden tray. Turning towards the small girl holding a thick pile of cloth in her hands, she said, “A-Mei*, put the curtain down. It’s cold outside.”
*A-Mei is pronounced “Ah Mei”; likewise, her brother later on A-Liang, is pronounced “Ah Liang”

Yu Cailing hurriedly regained her senses and sat upright (in actual fact, knelt properly). The woman placed the tray on the table. On the tray were two bowls, one large, the other small. In the larger bowl was filled with hot medicinal soup, while the small bowl held three small pieces of candied fruit. Yu Cailing raised the clay bowl in silence and drank it all in one go, the soup’s bitterness filling her mouth. It was even more difficult to drink than DDVP*. Of course, she had never drunk DDVP before.
*An insecticide.

After that, she picked up the candied fruit, put it in her mouth and slowly sucked on it as she scrutinised the woman kneeling across from her. This woman asked Yu Cailing to call her Ning, but Yu Cailing wasn’t used to calling others using just one word – it reminded her of the term the hairdresser back in her town’s multicomplex used to call her, in a coquettish manner, as if she was calling one of her lovers – but since she was unfamiliar with the local customs, she dared not call her anyhow. Two days ago, she heard A-Mei talk about how a neighbour’s child who was raving due to a nightmare was forced by a shaman to drink a burnt talisman dissolved in hot water and barely escaped with its life. Therefore, she could only swallow her words in fear and call the woman Ning.

The woman, Ning, had a strong squarish face with a solemn and respectful demeanor. Unlike her own thick cotton skirts which fell all the way down to the top of her feet, Ning was dressed in a grey linen short jacket which exposed her trousers from knee downwards, perhaps because it made it easier for her to work. As for the ten-year-old girl next to her, A-Mei, her clothes were even simpler. She wore a short cotton coat and ran around the yard with her thick cotton trousers completely exposed.

More than ten days ago, Yu Cailing was lying semi-conscious on the mattress, her eyelids seeming to weigh thousands of pounds, when she heard a shrill female voice scolding, “You foolish and incompetent old woman! You’ve altogether neglected the task our mistress gave you. If something happens to the young mistress, feeding you to the dogs won’t be enough!” Then, a girl whispered, “At the time, it was you who told me to ignore her, no matter how she shouted, scolded or threw a temper because she’s here as punishment for her wrongdoings, to stamp out her temper. Who would have known she would come down with fever…..” The shrill-voiced woman said, “Outrageous! Even if she committed wrongdoings, she’s still the Master’s daughter. How can you neglect her?”

…..Yu Cailing felt dizzy and lay down again, only to be conscious of someone feeding her the medicinal soup. At the time, her will to live was very strong, so she did her best to swallow it down. In her daze, she heard the shrill-voiced woman laugh as she said, “….I won’t hide it from you, but this has become a hot potato and won’t be taken lightly. You’re very smart. Now that she’s this ill, nobody wants to take responsibility so you come running to me…..”

Then came the slow and gentle voice of the woman, Ning, who smiled as she said, “If the young mistress hadn’t become so ill, I wouldn’t have had this job. I just hope the master’s household will remember me and ensure a good future for my A-Mei and A-Liang.” After that the sound of copper coins clinking against each other could be heard, and the shrill-voiced woman said with satisfaction, “Alright, since you acknowledge this job as yours, then do it well.” With that, she left.

Despite her fever, Yu Cailing, who had an almost perfect score in logical thinking, could deduce that she was the daughter of an ancient noble family who was being punished in the village for some wrongdoing. The previous person responsible for taking care of the young lady didn’t do her job well. The young lady had fallen deathly ill, with a high fever, and so Ning had taken over the job.

When she first met the woman Ning, Yu Cailing tried using her extremely shallow knowledge of ancient times to figure things out. She hoped she had the braids of the Manchu dynasty, or wore the bosom revealing costume from the Tang period – she completely wouldn’t have minded being married to a half-shaven-head (Manchurian) man or braving a cold winter’s day (because ancient clothes were so thick and warm)! – but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out which period the clothes were from. As a result, Yu Cailing was despondent for three days. It was only on the fourth day, after she recovered from her illness and followed A Mei to watch a wedding procession that she suddenly felt her spirits lift. Naturally, A Mei couldn’t figure out why the ordinarily despondent young mistress seemed inexplicably cheerful then.

The woman Ning was also appraising Yu Cailing. In order to help her recover from her illness, they had prepared a lot of medicinal soup, which Ning herself found difficult to drink. But the young mistress, other than involuntarily spitting it out the first time, always drank the medicinal soup without complaint, her jaw firm and her lips pursed in a resolute and strong-willed manner. As it was, Ning was reserved by nature, but she didn’t expect this young mistress to be even more so. Other than exchanging a few words with A Mei, she was silent most of the day. This was completely different from how the others described her. This left Ning a little perplexed.

After Yu Cailing had her medicinal soup, the round-faced A-Mei snuggled up to her and said coyly, “Young mistress, it’s nice and warm outside. Let’s go out and play.” Yu Cailing was also tired of tired of kneeling and nodded in agreement. The woman, Ning, smiled and said, “It’ll be good to soak in the sun, but today, the guards are not here, so don’t go far. Ask A-Liang to follow you.”

Yu Cailing gave Ning a strange look. This woman was usually reserved, but today, not only did she say more than a few words, she actually allowed her to go out to play in the company of a boy not full-grown.

A-Mei made a face at her mother before immediately helped Yu Cailing put on a pair of thick-soled cotton shoes with raised tips and wrapping her in a thick cloak, then holding hands happily, both girls went out to play.

As she walked outside the house, Yu Cailing took a deep breath, and cold icy air hit her face. The burning heat within her dissipated, and she was filled with pure, fresh, cold air. Raising her head towards the sky in this northern countryside, she realised that the blue skies and white clouds she learnt about in school weren’t lies. Looking at the sky high and wide above head, as clean and clear as iced water, Yu Cailing felt completely happy and carefree.

She turned back to look at the small courtyard. A wide bamboo fence wound expansively around it. Although it was a small country house, it had a high roof, and its three rooms stood tall and wide, without the slightest air of timidity. Such a tall and spacious house was nothing at all like those in a Japanese countryside.

Yu Cailing nodded with satisfaction. With little A-Mei on one side, and a bouncing seven- or eight-year-old boy on the other, they were just about to leave the courtyard when she saw two horsemen approaching from a distance, cloaked in snow and dust. The sharp-eyed A-Mei suddenly said, “It’s Father,…..and Brother!” Then, pulling her hand loose, she raised her voice and shouted, “Father! Brother!”

When the two horsemen arrived at the courtyard entrance, they neatly reined in their horses and dismounted. Seeing Yu Cailing, the leader, a middle-aged man, bowed his head, clasping his fists before him, and smiled as he said, “Young mistress.” The youth of seventeen or eighteen standing behind him followed suit in a similar manner.

Yu Cailing nodded, then raised her head, smiling as she said, “Fu Yi, you’re back.” The middle-aged man raised his bearded face, smiling broadly as he said, “Young mistress, are you going out to play? I just passed by a shrine dedicated to the river god. You should go and have a look.” Then, turning to his son, he said, “Deng, don’t go back to the house first. Go with them.” After replying softly, “All right”, the young man passed his horse’s bridle to his father, then followed Yu Cailing and her group out, the snow crunching under their footsteps.

Fu Yi was Ning’s husband. Previously, Yu Cailing had heard two guards referring to him as Leader Fu, so she had followed suit and called him Leader Fu, but that had frightened the man half to death, and he insisted that she can never call him that, no matter what. The first time she saw him, he had seemed intimate with Ning, and she thought he was her lover. It was only after some gossiping that she learnt that he was her legal husband.

After leaving the courtyard, they headed west for about ten minutes before hearing the sound of running water from the stream and a gathering of people. Ahead of them was a small stream about ten meters wide. At its shallowest, it was about half a meter and so clear you could see the bottom. At its deepest, it was about three to four meters deep. Although it was a small stream, it was bountiful, with an unending supply of fish and shrimp throughout the year, supplying the villagers’ livelihood. On the shore not far upstream, the three elders of this small countryside village had urged the villagers to build a small shrine to worship the gods of the mountains, forests and streams, to seek their protection and pray for abundance.

As soon as she saw the shrine ahead, A-Mei pulled Yu Cailing forward impatiently. Taking out two bunches of coins, A-Mei bought a bamboo tube of joss sticks from the old shaman at the entrance, then bought some fruit Yu Cailing could not identify from a lady peddling out of a basket. Seeing Fu Deng’s handsome face, the lady peddler tossed a tangerine at him, flashing him a smile, and Fu Deng’s face immediately turned redder than the orange. However, Ah Mei smiled and said, “My brother is going to get married!” Yu Cailing said teasingly, “Since you like him, why do you still charge us for the fruit?” The girl replied cheerfully, “Although he’s handsome, I still need to put food on the table.” This made the villagers and Yu Cailing’s group laugh.

The so-called shrine was essentially a building with two rooms, one facing front, the other facing the back. The villagers had seen Yu Cailing and her group several times. All they knew was that she was the daughter of a great family nearby, so they made way, asking them to enter. The front room was filled with smoke from the incense. Laid out on a high platform were a few grotesque and ferocious looking statues. Guanyin didn’t look like Guanyin, Jesus didn’t look like Jesus. There were even a few bloodstains at the feet of the statues. Beside it was a large wooden basin that held three to five chickens and ducks still in the throes of death, their legs still moving. Yu Cailing shook her head for the hundredth time. At the time, with the statue of gods so frightening, and methods of worship so primitive and crude, how did believers get into the spirit of worship and have an emotional connection? She wished she could teach these shamans to make several statues of kind-looking gods, to put some flowers and goldfish on the altar, and put on a show of singing hymns and reciting scriptures. This would have ensured a prosperous business with money that kept flowing*.
*translation of a Chinese couplet that literally translates to “prosperous business across all four seas, with money flowing through all three rivers”

But this was obviously just her own opinion. The women, children and old folk around here were obviously very comfortable. They were either kneeling or standing solemnly, their hands clasped before them as their lips moved in silent prayer. A-Mei quickly handed her a few sticks of incense and pulled her down to kneel beside her on the straw mat.

Yu Cailing sighed with some emotion. The last time she worshipped in her previous life was when she went to climb a mountain with three roommates. The four young ladies had bowed devoutly before the statue of the Sanqing Buddha. Text message sister prayed for a full scholarship at the end of the term. Blogger sister prayed for the guy next door on whom she had a crush to break up with his girlfriend and get together with her. QQ sister hoped for an internship opportunity at NZND company. As for herself, she prayed that her 11-paged application to the Party* for membership would be successful. Her uncle said that if she managed to join the Party, he will give her a (computer) notebook.
*Presumably China’s communist party – members will have good job prospects.

After a few repetitive prayers, the four of them stood up, recited Amitabha in unison and happily went out to play, none of them paying attention to the old woman kneeling beside them whose face bore a strange expression.

After her prayer, Yu Cailing stuck her joss sticks into the pot and sighed softly. From her point of view, it’s not clear if her prayer from her previous life had been realised. Her righteous and courageous life then had been cut short. If it hadn’t ended, would she have been admitted into the Party?! She also wondered if her three roommates realised their wishes. She really hated her bad luck. Well, the cooked ducks had already flown away*, so she was stern in her refusal when Ah Mei asked her to go into the main room to listen to the shaman explain the latest omens.
*Chinese phrase that’s similar to “missed the boat”, i.e. lost opportunity

The last time she encountered that shaman, he tricked her into conducting some witchcraft to get rid of demons and spirits. He probably heard that she was the daughter of a great family who had been driven out by her elders. Bah! He must have thought her a fool. Even if she was rich, she would rather learn from her cold hearted nouveau-rich father to “save the wind and dust”* rather than relying on the gods. After all, “saving the wind and dust” can contribute to a harmonious society.
*救风尘, literally translated to “saving the wind and dust” is a comedy centred around a prostitute and her brothel. Loosely translated, it means “bringing laughter to those in the brothels”, which I guess in this context, author alludes to paying for the services of prostitutes.

“Everyone says that the shaman inside is powerful,” said Ah Mei while tugging on Yu Cailing’s sleeve. Yu Cailing’s expression was serious as she replied, “If he was really so powerful, then all the important people would have invited him. Why would he still need to remain in this small place?” Actually, after her frivolous father’s business started picking up, he began to believe in such supernatural matters, but the key is in finding the real McCoy in order not to end up putting your money on the wrong god.

“It’s hard to say. My mother told us that the Immortal Yan who once told His Majesty’s fortune, refused to be an official. He now lives in seclusion in the countryside, fishing every day, dressed in furs.” A-Mei seemed to be quite knowledgeable about such things.

Fu Deng was not satisfied with this explanation and said, “That Immortal Yan was actually a Confucian master who was a first-class scholar several decades ago. Fortune telling was just his pastime and he wasn’t a shaman.”

In response, A-Mei pulled a long face and said she was going to the stream to play. This made A-Liang very happy, and both brother and sister dragged Yu Cailing out of the temple with them, making their way toward the stream.

The stream was full of children and teenagers, laughing and joking noisily. At the time, folk customs were simple, and their playing was limited to either skipping stones across the water, or braving the bone-chilling water to touch a few little crabs and shrimps. At the very most, they would step into the stream to play using homemade tall clogs. Seeing A-Mei and A-Liang playing by the shore, Yu Cailing took a few steps back, looked around, then spotting a large and dry boulder sitting in the sun, she went to sit on it with Fu Deng accompanying her, both in silence.

Yu Cailing glanced at him. The woman, Ning, was reserved and never said a word unless it was necessary. Of the three children, only Fu Deng was most like her – in other words, it will be as difficult for her to enquire about her own current situation. A-Mei and A-Liang were still too young to be discrete, but if she asked too much, it might alarm their mother.

It hadn’t taken Yu Cailing many days to discover that this society was a very superstitious one.

After she recovered from her illness, Ning had invited two shamans to sing and dance to praise the gods. She had also set up a new kitchen in the courtyard, sacrificed a lamb, and offered several plates of fruit to the kitchen god. Two days ago, when it was snowing heavily, Ning had solemnly offered up two jars of winter wine; Yu Cailing didn’t know whether it was for the snow to stop or for it to fall more heavily. The day before, the thick snow gradually melted revealing mushrooms and plants, Ning happily sacrificed a pair of chicken and duck. Although Yu Cailing had not seen anyone sacrifice humans before, she dared not simply ask questions here and there, except that the most pitiful thing is that she didn’t even know the name of the person whose body she inhabited.

From ahead, the sound of laughter and A-Mei’s shouting carried over. It sounded like a boy was bullying A-Liang. To avenge her brother, A-Mei picked up a piece of unmelted ice from among the grass and stuffed it into the back of the boy’s neck, causing him to leap around like a shrimp as the surrounding children laughed at him.

Yu Cailing smiled as well. Actually, she was very grateful to Ning’s family.

More than ten days ago, although she was groggy, she could tell that the surrounding environment wasn’t very good. She was lying on a very hard board, with very thin cotton wadding for padding. The entire room was cold and damp, and the air was filled with a very unpleasant smell. However, since Ning’s arrival, all her clothing and bedding were replaced with warm and thick quality materials. She had also found some village women and, with their help, carried a large stove over with great difficulty, so the room was now warm and cosy. After cleaning the room several times, Ning even fumigated the room, inch by inch, with mugwort, inspecting it after to make sure there were no bugs left behind. After that, she piled it high with wood and used it to boil medicinal soup to nurture Yu Cailing back to health. As Yu Cailing got better day by day, Ning herself got thinner and more tired.

But such a life-threatening illness was not so easy to cure, especially in ancient times, when the level of medical care was so low. Although Yu Cailing was in good spirits that day, she would still feel occasionally breathless, and she couldn’t walk fast, managing only a slow stroll. In order to keep her spirits up, Ning found an ox cart, and got two guards to use it to bring her and A-Mei around for walks in the countryside.

Although Yu Cailing didn’t understand ancient customs very well, she knew that the servants of great families were of higher rank. For such an extraordinarily upright and careful woman like Ning to serve here in the countryside, there must have been a problem somewhere.

Well, since she was already there, she might as well make the best of it. One has to stay alive before one can begin thinking about how to live well. And it’s only when one is forced to leave one’s home that they feel cold and alone. Yu Cailing was self-centred and practical by nature. She couldn’t afford to be sentimental, not when she couldn’t even understand how to survive at that very moment.