Baozhu - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“I am very easy to keep. I can fold blankets and wash clothes, and I eat very little…”

I furrowed my brow and crossed out “very little.”

After thinking it over, I carefully wrote “not much” after it instead.

I felt terribly dejected.

Cui Heng always said I was greedy.

Three meals a day, I cleaned every plate and bowl until nothing was left.

Not like a noble young lady at all. More like a dock porter unloading cargo.

No one would ever like a girl like that.

I lifted the letter and looked it over.

There were ink spots on it, blacked-out circles, and crooked words scattered all over the page.

It was ugly.

All of a sudden, I didn’t want to send it anymore.

Someone was laughing outside the window.

It was Cui Heng and Miss Xie, passing by beneath the corridor.

“I apologize for what happened today, my lady.”

“That fool has been raised in my household since childhood. She never could learn proper manners.”

Miss Xie sighed.

“Who does the Heir Apparent plan to marry her to?”

On the window screen, Cui Heng’s shadow turned back and glanced at me.

His answer was careless.

“Since she is so disobedient, I’ll marry her to… Butcher Wang, the pork seller in the east of the city.”

Miss Xie sounded very surprised.

“A household like Butcher Wang’s-how could they be worthy of a girl from the marquis’s estate?”

He gave a soft laugh.

“Whether they are worthy or not is not for her to choose. It all depends on a single word from me. If she behaves, I will naturally grant her a good marriage. If she does not-”

He drew out the last word.

Like a cat playing with a mouse.

“At least Butcher Wang has meat to eat. She won’t go hungry.”

Chapter 2

When Nanny came to find me, she jumped in fright at the sight of me.

“My dear girl, why are your eyes redder than a rabbit’s?”

She brought me a bowl of brown sugar water.

It was sweet, and it warmed me as I drank it.

“Nanny.”

I sniffled.

My tears fell into the bowl again.

“I truly didn’t mean to embarrass the Heir Apparent today.”

“I’m sorry.”

I had thought I was going to die.

Only today did I learn that girls bled every month.

No one had ever taught me such things.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

Nanny stroked my head.

“If your mother were still alive, even if you dirtied your skirt, no one would have dared laugh at you.”

I blinked curiously.

“Why?”

Nanny fell silent for a while.

After a long time, she said softly, “Because your mother was a mighty, awe-inspiring great general.”

The rest of her words never made it out.

-But your mother is already dead.

-They only dare bully you because your whole family were loyal martyrs, and you are alone with no one to rely on.

Was that true?

I tried hard to think.

But no matter what, I could not remember what Mother looked like.

Ever since that incident seven years ago, my mind had not been quite right.

It had been a very long time since I thought of Father and Mother.

If they were still here, perhaps I would not have to live like this, dependent on another family’s charity.

I gave the letter to Nanny.

I begged her to help me send it to the frontier.

She glanced at the envelope and sighed.

The recipient’s name had only one word written on it: Pei.

I only remembered that his surname was Pei.

“My dear girl, Changyang Pass is so far away. How can anyone send a letter without even a full name?”

I insisted, “He remembers me.”

Did he really?

In truth, I was terribly anxious too.

I was only pretending to be certain,

to cover up my embarrassment.

Heavens above, please, please.

He had to remember.