Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

After a heavy rain, the weather was much cooler. Old Mrs. Huo, perhaps having caught a chill, had aggravated her leg pain; she had lost a lot of weight, and her legs were swollen, leaving a small dent when pressed. She was too lazy to even get off the kang (heated brick bed), and naturally, she relaxed her control over Liu Ye'er. Liu Lian stayed indoors all day, spending her time in the kitchen making soups like winter melon and lean pork soup, red bean soup, or barley water to reduce swelling and promote urination, and frying broad beans and other small snacks to help relieve her constipation. Liu Lian didn't dare show off her culinary skills too much—besides, she didn't have any ingredients to boast about—she simply carefully made small snacks like mung bean cakes, pea cakes, and walnut paste, which only required a little care, begging the old lady to eat a few more bites. Liulian was closest to the headmistress of the welfare home. After retiring, she was rehired and they were almost like mother and daughter. Liulian was named by her. Liulian slept by her bedside during her infancy. She died of cervical cancer, and Liulian took care of her in her final days. The symptoms of the old lady Huo were so similar to those of the old lady. Sometimes, she would vaguely see the shadow of the old headmistress.

Peach jam was simmering on a small charcoal stove. Liulian, unperturbed by the heat, sat nearby stirring it. Sixth Sister lifted the curtain and entered, embracing Liulian tightly and sobbing uncontrollably. Liulian could no longer hold back her tears. Watching helplessly as the two people who had been so kind to her in both her past and present lives departed, she was overwhelmed with grief. Neither dared to cry out loud. Sixth Sister choked out, "Seventh Sister, I'm afraid I'm dying soon. I'll soon be like you!" Although Sixth Sister was a mother of two, she was only in her early twenties. After marriage, she had mostly lived with her parents. She was actually quite inexperienced, having been inseparable from her mother since childhood. The devastating news from her closest confidante left her bewildered. She didn't even know how to go on without her mother—how to handle everything, big and small. She had become accustomed to seeking advice from her mother, from small things like matching clothing colors to big things like choosing a husband. Suddenly, she felt a lot of pity for Liu Ye'er and began to understand her parents' reasons for favoring Xiao Qi. The little bit of jealousy that had been buried deep in her heart had long since vanished and turned into sympathy for each other.

"We're going to see the coffin this afternoon, and Dad said I might not even get to eat mooncakes! Will you come with me? I can't go by myself..."

"Isn't your brother-in-law here? He can stay with you, isn't that enough? We'll both leave..."

"Second and third sisters will be here soon; they'll keep Mother company. Little Seven, where's Aunt Li? Tell her to prepare the meal early. I'm going to wash my face; Mother will wake up soon. Do you think it's better to find another caregiver, or to have the servants look after the children and free up Aunt Jiang?"

"Won't it arouse my godmother's suspicion if we suddenly have someone to serve us? Buddy... how about we let the two brothers stay at the Qian family's house for a few days?"

Sixth Sister's eyes lit up. "That's fine. Tell your brother-in-law to send a message home."

Old Mrs. Huo deteriorated rapidly. Within a few days, she developed a fever, fell into a coma, and began to talk nonsense. People came to visit her in an endless stream—Old Mrs. Huo had practiced medicine all her life, was a public-spirited person, and had earned many good relationships by administering acupuncture and medicine.

With all six daughters present, Old Man Huo's face softened, revealing a hint of affection. Fengxian, quite distant from his sisters, stayed in Liuye'er's room, while the others each stayed in their own groups in the backyard.

Fengxian was in high spirits. After the wheat harvest, her father-in-law returned home and thoroughly tidied up the household affairs. He first interrogated Xu Shi about when the old lady and the young mistress had expressed any intention to marry the seventh young lady, then scolded her, stripped her of her power to manage affairs, and ordered her to worry about her daughter's dowry and the items needed for Ruiqian's future wedding. He also ordered Fengxian and Liang'er to take over the household affairs and not to slack off or shirk responsibility. He also hired craftsmen to paint and renovate the main courtyard—the place where Ruihong's biological mother had lived, where the old lady of the Liu family had vehemently opposed young Xu Shi living. The construction period was tight, and Ruihong and his wife were to move in on the second day of the eighth lunar month, so that the current courtyard could be renovated for Ruiqian's new house. This move was tantamount to acknowledging Ruihong and his wife's status as the head of the household. The main house was a large five-room house with three small side courtyards. Ruiqian's marriage was also progressing smoothly: the county magistrate had a concubine's daughter who witnessed his righteous act towards Xiangxiang and fell in love at first sight. She was so determined to marry him that she was practically suicidal. The magistrate looked down on the Liu family's social standing, but he couldn't resist his daughter's insistence. A father's heart also told him that it wouldn't be bad for his daughter to enjoy wealth and status, after all, being an official's wife wasn't easy—he only had this one precious daughter and couldn't bear to see her suffer even a little bit—so he gave in to her and had someone leak the news. The Liu family patriarch was overjoyed and immediately asked a matchmaker to propose marriage.

Fengxian spoke these words in a detached tone, seemingly unable to defend himself and too lazy to argue, secretly sympathizing with Ruiqian, whose first love had ended before it even began. Unable to continue the conversation, fearing Fengxian's attempt to comfort him, he changed the subject, prompting Fengxian to sigh inwardly.

Fengxian's position in the Huo family was awkward, so Liulian found her some small, miscellaneous tasks to keep her occupied. Old Mrs. Huo was in good spirits today and wanted to eat a bowl of cold bean sprout noodles that Liulian had made. Several girls watched over her, while Fengxian and Liuye consciously withdrew and sat in the doorway picking bean sprouts.

After her marriage, Fengxian learned the harsh realities of human relationships and no longer believed her uncle's lies. She also realized that it wasn't that Xiao Jiang had usurped her place, but rather that the Jiang family refused to relinquish their kinship with the Huo family, practically forcing Xiao Jiang into the Huo household. When Xiao Jiang was twelve or thirteen, the man she was betrothed to died. Later, before the marriage could be finalized, her father also died, and the clan pressured her mother to adopt. Her family was the wealthiest in the clan, and her mother was unwilling to give away such a large fortune. She insisted on finding a husband, leading to a stalemate with the clan. By the time she was nineteen, her marriage was still undecided. Just then, the Huo family was exonerated, and Da Jiang committed suicide. The Jiang family, unwilling to lose this good relationship, forced Xiao Jiang to marry into the Huo family. Xiao Jiang's mother, fearing she would delay her daughter's future and finding the marriage quite acceptable, reluctantly agreed, preparing a large dowry for her marriage. With the Huo family backing her up, the old lady became much more confident and adopted a poor orphan child from the clan. The clan members were so angry that they almost broke off all ties with her.

“Actually, after my mother died, my aunt and her daughter took good care of me. But I was young at the time and listened to my uncle’s slander. I often picked fights with them and embarrassed them. After my father got married, he wanted to take me home, but I refused to do so. My aunt tried to hug me and I almost scratched her blind. The scar on her forehead is from when I scratched her.” Fengxian lowered his head, and tears fell in large drops.

"Elder sister, godmother's days are numbered..."

“You were ignorant when you were little. Your godmother isn’t petty. Why don’t you serve the noodles to your godmother later? If you’re willing to admit your mistake and humble yourself, your godmother will be happy.”

Fengxian simply nodded, but could not utter another word.