Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The day that decided the rest of my life was bright and sunny, the sun hanging high and dazzling the eyes.

Madam Tao said to us warmly, “This is a lifelong matter. Old Madam is benevolent and lets you decide for yourselves. Think it over well tonight and tell me your answers tomorrow.”

We were, after all, still young girls; all four of us blushed.

As the eldest sister, Pochuan waited until Madam Tao left before speaking: “This isn’t the time to be reserved. The four of us grew up together; our bond is thicker than that of blood sisters. Let’s be frank with each other, so we don’t accidentally become enemies down the road.”

Her eyes shone brightly as she fixed each of us with a look-because she already had a place to go.

The four of us were the senior maids of Old Madam’s courtyard in this cohort. Old Madam was the highest elder of Lin Manor, so our prospects would not be poor. According to the example of the previous few sisters, we ought to be married to a steward of the front courtyard, then return to the inner quarters as a steward-mama.

But that would be after the age of twenty.

It also happened that timing pressed us. Old Madam had three sons-two by birth and one concubine-born. In every household, the eldest son bears the family’s affairs. The Old Marquis was stationed on the frontier, and the First Young Master, the heir, was the pillar of the manor.

Yet the First Young Master was twenty-seven and still had no son.

The First Madam was jealous by nature and from a good family. She had borne a daughter before, and Old Madam had tolerated it, tolerated it for six years. When the First Madam never conceived again, the mother could no longer sit still and wanted to place women in the First Young Master’s rooms.

But stuffing women only into the First Young Master’s rooms would be a slap in the First Madam’s face-tantamount to pointing at her and calling her barren. So Old Madam decided to assign one to each son’s household, and the first to come to mind were the four of us.

She was a soft-hearted elder; she allowed us to choose between becoming concubines or being matched to a steward. There were plenty of maids in the courtyards; if we were unwilling, there would still be enough to make up three willing concubines.

As for Pochuan, she was the one the First Young Master had already taken a liking to, and she feared adding another person to compete with her.

Bichuan was the first to smile and say, “I think the Third Master is quite good. Old Madam dotes on her youngest son; I could enjoy some of that favor too.”

Yuchuan curled her lip. “I don’t want to be a concubine. Even if I bear a child, it can’t call me Mother-what’s the point? I’ll choose a steward.”

I, on the other hand, muttered, “I find the Second Madam kind. I want to enter the Second Master’s quarters.”

The Second Master was the only concubine-born son in the manor. Pochuan, uneasy, confirmed, “Sister Yaochuan, do you truly mean it?”

I nodded. Of course I meant it. My mother had taught me long ago: for a concubine, what kind of lady the mistress is matters more than what kind of man the husband is.