Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

My eldest sister had a miscarriage. The old lady was exhausted and listless, so she left the matter to Liulian. The old lady said, "Do whatever you want, it's up to you."

Liu Lian didn't even know who this eldest sister was. For example, she'd met the second, third, fourth, and fifth sisters of the Huo family once, though she couldn't quite place their names or birth order. But she'd never even met this eldest sister. The only people she could recognize were Manager Feng of the money exchange. She'd only met him once, but she knew him inside and out. When Manager Feng heard about Liu Ye'er's troubles, he'd rushed over with two bags of pastries and a roast chicken to visit her. Thus, Liu Lian knew that Liu Ye'er's entire fortune was in the hands of this dark-skinned, thin boss. This eldest sister…

With Aunt Liu not around, Liu Lian slipped into Aunt Jiang's room to ask her for advice. Aunt Jiang covered her mouth and chuckled, explaining in detail the relationship between the eldest sister and the madam. Liu Lian suddenly understood why the madam had pushed this matter onto her.

It turned out that this eldest sister was the daughter of the first wife. When the Huo family fell on hard times, she was only a few months old. Old Master Huo sent her and her mother back to her in-laws' home temporarily. However, the in-laws harbored malicious intentions and forced Old Master Huo to divorce her, intending to find a new husband for his first wife. They even changed the birth charts. But then Old Master Huo's father—the imperial physician—overturned his case and received all his wealth back. The new "husband" refused to remarry and sent the matchmaker to retrieve the birth charts. The first wife was too ashamed to return. Her brothers, fearing repercussions, spoke ill of her. The first wife, finding life unbearable, sent someone to deliver a message. Old Master Huo, young and hot-blooded, said some harsh words. However, the Jiang family refused to give up their marriage alliance with the Huo family and chose another girl from their clan to marry into the family. The first wife then committed suicide. The eldest daughter, without her mother's protection, suffered greatly and vowed to never let go of the Huo family, even wishing she could devour her aunt alive. Therefore, the current Mrs. Huo felt very awkward in front of the eldest daughter and could only barely maintain appearances.

Oh, I see!

After pondering for a while, she went to the front yard to find Old Man Huo and asked, "Godfather, what are the taboos for women in their postpartum period? Could you write down a list for my eldest sister? I heard that donkey-hide gelatin is very nourishing, but I don't know if my eldest sister can take it. Please teach me, Godfather!"

The old man paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Okay, okay! Go back and pack some red beans, millet, eggs, brown sugar, dates, and white fungus. You don't need too much, just five catties of each. When you go with your godmother, be more careful when you go out and learn some manners."

Liu hurriedly went back to prepare the things the old man had mentioned and piled them on the kang (a heated brick bed). Soon, the old man coughed outside, and Liu quickly lifted the curtain. Xiao He followed behind Old Man Huo in, placing several wrapped medicinal herbs on the kang, her eyes darting around Liu Ye'er's boudoir. Old Man Huo pointed to the medicine package and said, "Here are goji berries, red ginseng, donkey-hide gelatin, and angelica. The prescription is inside; you must personally deliver it to your eldest sister."

Seemingly a little embarrassed, he lowered his voice and said, "Don't be so blunt. While your godmother and Mrs. Liu are exchanging pleasantries, tell them you're going to teach your eldest sister how to use these medicines. Be tactful, so people don't laugh at us for being ill-mannered. Got it?" Liu Lian nodded. The old man nodded in satisfaction and added, "When you meet your in-laws, you have to call them 'Auntie,' not 'Auntie' just because they're young. That would be a laughing stock!" Liu Lian really didn't know these things and was grateful for the old man's thoughtfulness.

Shiqiao Town wasn't far from the county seat; they arrived in less than an hour. A thin, worried-looking young man helped Mrs. Huo out of the carriage. Several servants came forward to take their belongings and carried them into the inner courtyard. The young man accompanied the two of them slowly—Mrs. Huo had bound feet—and Liu Lian quickly stepped forward to support her arm. They passed through several courtyards and side gates leading to other courtyards; it was clearly a wealthy family! This was quite unexpected for Liu Lian; she only knew that her eldest sister had an unhappy childhood, and no one had mentioned that she had married well!

The woman who was the in-laws turned out to be a beautiful woman in her thirties. She was standing under the hanging flower gate with a little girl of about twelve or thirteen years old. When she saw them coming, she hurriedly stepped forward and took the arm that the young man was supporting, and said with a smile, "Sister, you've gone to trouble yourself again. Why did you bring so many things?" Then she instructed the young man, "I'm afraid your eldest sister and third sister will arrive soon. Go to the gate to greet them."

After the guests and hostess took their seats, the woman chatted idly with Mrs. Huo about trivial matters like the weather. A maidservant came in to announce the arrival of the old lady. Mrs. Huo rose and, with Liu Ye'er in tow, went to greet her. The old lady smiled and repeatedly offered her a seat. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Mrs. Huo, she said, "Let the children go out for a walk; don't keep them cooped up!" She then called to the little girl behind the woman, "Xiu Luan, accompany your sister out for a stroll. The lotus flowers over at the pavilion should be blooming soon, and the red fish are also worth seeing." Turning to Mrs. Huo, she said, "You're always calling her 'sister' and 'younger sister.' How old is your seventh young lady? My Xiu Luan is thirteen, born on the twelfth day of the second month, on the Flower Festival." Mrs. Huo laughed, "What a coincidence! Seventh Seven is a hundred days older than Xiu Luan. I'm afraid Xiu Luan will have to call me 'sister'!"

Seeing Xiu Luan's reluctant expression, Liu Lian knew she disliked him and was too lazy to go for a stroll with her. Having visited so many parks and even palaces in his previous life, why would he care about a back garden? He stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Grandma. However, I still need to tell my elder sister how to use these medicines. Let's go to the garden another time. Please trouble Grandma to call a maid to take me to deliver the medicine first." This "Grandma" touched the old lady's heart. The old lady glanced at her reluctant granddaughter and her daughter-in-law's forced smile, then called her personal maid.

Liulian, carrying the medicine, followed the old woman through a winding path to a large courtyard. The courtyard was very large, with five main rooms, three side rooms, and two side gates on the west side, presumably connecting to another courtyard. To the north, one could see the rear building of the backyard, and to the south was a passageway with an overhanging hall. This courtyard was even larger than the Huo family's! The old woman handed her over to a maid and then turned and left.

A thin, sallow-looking young woman was half-reclining on the kang (a heated brick bed) inside the room. She looked cold and distant. Liu Lian could only make small talk and exchange a few pleasantries with her. A servant woman came forward and tucked her in with a bright red quilt embroidered with phoenixes and birds, then turned around and said with a smile, "Your eldest sister isn't feeling well and really doesn't have the strength to talk. Please forgive her, Seventh Miss!"

"Mother, you're joking. A sick person naturally has limited energy; how could I not know that!" The patient reluctantly offered her a seat. Liu Lian sat awkwardly on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), explaining the medication's usage. She really wanted to get up and leave, but thinking of Old Man Huo's expectant eyes, she forced herself to offer the woman a few more words of comfort about taking care of her health. Seeing the woman's impatience, she thought that since she was uncomfortable on both ends, she should just leave as soon as possible. The ice between the father and daughter had been building for a long time, and it wasn't something she could resolve. So she suppressed her barely overflowing compassion, got up, and took her leave. The woman felt slightly guilty and tried to persuade her to stay a few more times, then had her mother bring her a lapis lazuli bead bracelet, which she personally handed to her, saying, "Little sister, I'll pick you up to play again when I'm better. It'll probably be time for dinner soon, so I won't keep you any longer."

The mother escorted Liulian to the courtyard, took her hand, and added a few words to praise her mistress. Then, a maidservant hurriedly came to invite Liulian to dinner.