Heng Manager’s husband is famous in the mansion. I heard she learned midwifery and personally delivered the baby when Hua Yan painted a beautiful woman. I looked at the dirty Heng Xiao beside me and thought, no wonder he’s dirty—he was delivered by that scary Heng Manager.
Hengguan treated Uncle Xu well, knowing it would make Huayan Meiren happy. When she was happy, she often embraced her husband and closed the door to do private matters. I decided to bribe Huayan Meiren with some treasured items from my father, hoping it would make Hengguan less strict with me.
Huayan Meiren had a daughter slightly younger than me. She always had a runny nose and followed me around. When I ran, she chased me; when I stopped, she sat down and cried. When I went to comfort her, she would smile and say, “Yuer is the prettiest. When I grow up, I will marry Yuer.”
I told myself that I did not want to marry her. Although I liked Huayan Meiren, Hengguan was intimidating, constantly making me learn qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I didn’t want to be her daughter-in-law but couldn’t express this out loud, not out of fear of Hengguan, but because I worried Xiaomo would cry, and I would have to comfort her.
Seeing a familiar embroidered handkerchief in Xiaomo’s hand, I snatched it away and angrily asked, “How did this end up with you? Did you steal this from your father?”
Xiaomo’s eyes were teary and scared, and she shrank her shoulders. “Father said you gave this to me.”
“En,” she nodded. “There are many more in the room.”
I was furious. These were things I had given to Huayan Meiren, not her. I glared, realizing that Hengguan was still strict with me, and the bribery had failed because of Xiaomo.
Seeing me silent, Xiaomo suddenly lay on top of me and licked my face. I pushed her away, “What are you doing? It’s disgusting.”
She replied, “If Yuer has my mark, then you belong to me, and no one can take you from me…”
I straightened my clothes, which my little father had made for me and which I had worn for the first time today. I didn’t want her to ruin them again. I gave her a dissatisfied look.
“I am not.”
