Full Courtyard of Fragrance - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

For Grandmother’s birthday, my wet nurse and I worked through the night to embroider a Hundred Longevity Chart.

By comparison, the painting and calligraphy my elder sister presented seemed a little lackluster.

Grandmother was so delighted she couldn’t stop smiling, while Mother’s face turned livid.

With a sweet smile and all the coy charm of a little girl, I revealed the mangled wounds on my hands as I poured tea for Grandmother.

Grandmother’s heart ached. She pulled me into her arms and had someone bring ointment to apply to my wounds.

It was a picture of harmony between grandmother and granddaughter.

Mother was furious. In front of everyone, she scolded me for being so calculating at such a young age.

She should not have berated me at Grandmother’s birthday banquet.

No matter what, I was still her daughter.

All the guests coming and going that day were visitors, and quite a few were relatives from Grandmother’s maiden family.

Mother had made Grandmother lose face, yet she did not even realize it.

Grandmother spared her dignity and did not reprimand her in public.

Instead, she told my father that she intended to raise me by her side.

No matter how foolish Mother was, even she knew there was a world of difference between a daughter raised beside the legitimate daughter of Marquis Manor and a daughter raised beside her.

Mother cried and made a scene in front of Father, demanding that Grandmother raise my elder sister as well.

Naturally, Grandmother refused.

Mother had no idea what I had done to win Grandmother’s favor.

Every day before dawn, I rose and went to the garden to gather morning dew for Grandmother’s tea.

At noon, I followed my wet nurse to learn how to make Grandmother’s favorite pastries.

In addition to my heavy schoolwork, I had to read medical texts cover to cover and master recipes for dietary nourishment.

Even my handwriting was modeled after the grand master Grandmother liked.

My attempts to survive had been so fawning, so humble, so difficult!

How could Mother ever understand my suffering?

Ever since Grandmother refused to raise my elder sister by her side, Mother poured all her energy into grooming my sister.

The amount of silver she spent on my sister’s face each year was beyond counting.

She gave up on teaching my sister policy essays and had her focus only on poetry, songs, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

She told my sister these were the pleasures of the women’s quarters, the means by which a wife cultivated affection with her husband.

She said that only a man’s official career could become a woman’s future.

Day after day, she burned incense, praying only that my sister might marry into a powerful family.

When those words reached Grandmother’s ears, Grandmother was so angry she smashed several cups.

Grandmother trained me with strict discipline.

She made me learn riding and archery. She required me to be well-versed in history, and she had me study commerce.

“Wuxiao, beauty will fade in the end. Only when you can stand on your own can you truly stand firm.

“No one else can be your support.

“If you serve others with beauty, how long can their favor last? In this world, how many men are as devoted as your father?

“Your mother met one, so she thinks all men under heaven are the same.

“She will ruin your sister.”

My sister and I were not close. She hated me and looked down on me.

She was certain I had betrayed Mother and taken Grandmother’s side.

After my coming-of-age ceremony, Grandmother began looking into a marriage for me.

The young man was Lin Ye, the only son of the Left Martial Grand Master.

Although his father was only a sixth-rank official, his household was simple, and his mother had died young. If I married into the family, there would be no mother-in-law to trouble me.

His uncle was a merchant, and the family had considerable wealth.

Grandmother and Father personally tested Lin Ye’s learning, and both said that once he sat for the imperial examination this year, he would surely take first place.

The young men in our family who had studied with him repeatedly vouched for his character.

They praised him as the son of a military family who nevertheless possessed brilliant literary talent, surpassing many sons of refined civil-official households.

In my heart, I was satisfied with him.

I also knew Grandmother must have spent a great deal of effort to find such a good match for me.

My sister looked down on Lin Ye because his father was only a sixth-rank official. Out of nowhere, she said to me, “If you marry him, don’t associate with me in the future. A shabby household like that is too embarrassing for me to be connected to.”

I could not be bothered with her.

“No one wants to associate with you.”

She had her own reason to be proud.

At the garden parties and banquets in the capital these days, Mother never missed a single chance to take her out and assess prospects.

All the young men she met were the children of officials third rank and above.

Although Grandmother disliked Mother’s frivolity, she still hoped my sister might truly marry into a good family and pave the way for the sons of our household.

Therefore, when Mother went to the accounts office to withdraw money to prepare outfits for my sister, Grandmother did not stop her.

She even had a momo bring out two sets of bridal jewelry from her own dowry for my sister.

I knew perfectly well that in great clans, one person’s glory was shared by all. Grandmother was doing it for the honor of the entire family.

Even so, my heart still felt unwell.