Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Perhaps it truly was a blessing from the heavens, for at the very start of the new year, news arrived. They had likely found her; she was in Xuzhou. The household was in an uproar of excitement all night. At the first light of dawn the next day, my third cousin from my uncle’s house and my elder brother set off to fetch her.

Mother desperately wanted to go along, but her health had been poor ever since she gave birth, and it took a great deal of effort for us to persuade her to stay behind.

From the moment my two brothers left, Mother spent every day counting the hours. Fearing that she might end up disappointed, my aunt kept her busy by dragging her off to decorate the courtyard-the courtyard that belonged to Mother’s biological daughter.

I went over often as well. Sometimes they would ask for my opinion. In their eyes, we were girls of a similar age, so our tastes would likely be the same.

However, I couldn’t help but think of my own biological parents, whom I had never met. I wondered if they were doing well. The previous reports said the girl was alone, with no other living relatives.

Did that mean they had abandoned her? Or was there another possibility-that they had perished in some natural disaster or conflict? I hoped for neither. If it were the former, I feared Mother and the others would look down on me; after all, the blood of that couple ran through my veins. If it were the latter, it was equally cruel. It would mean I was truly alone. No matter how vast the world, there would be no one left who shared my blood.

Two months later, my brothers returned, travel-worn and weary. They had sent word ahead saying it was definitely her, as she looked exactly like Mother. Once I saw her for myself, I realized just how striking the resemblance was. They had the same almond-shaped eyes and identical dimples. If she hadn’t been so thin and tanned, she would have looked even more like Mother.

The moment they met, Mother pulled her into a tight embrace as if afraid she might vanish, weeping with suppressed emotion. Even Father’s eyes grew red at the corners. My aunt whispered that it was enough just to have her home.

I was the only one standing there, lonely as an outsider. But then, I was an outsider to begin with.

Mother took her around to introduce everyone one by one. When she reached me, she paused, looking a bit awkward. But the girl reacted quickly and called me “Sister.”

“Good girl,” Mother said.

She was clearly as perceptive and understanding as Mother. That was good; I should have been happy. Yet, for some reason, I felt a knot of unease in my heart.

During lunch, the whole family fussed over her, showering her with warmth and concern. I felt a twinge of envy and fought to blink back my tears. I had spent so long preparing myself mentally for this; I shouldn’t have been feeling this way.

After lunch, we took her to see her courtyard. Mother pointed everything out bit by bit, telling her how much effort everyone had put into it. But it was a single sentence from her that finally made me break down in tears.

She said, “I never imagined I could live in such a beautiful place. It’s like a fairyland.”

I wasn’t the only one; everyone present must have felt a lump in their throat. She should have been enjoying all of this from the moment she was born. No matter how grand the courtyard was, she shouldn’t have spoken of it with such awe-it was her birthright.