Chapter 7

In the days that followed, I was forced to drink several large bowls of medicinal decoction every day.

The medicine was pitch black, its bitterness beyond words.

Pinching my nose and swallowing it all in one go, the bitterness sent tremors straight to my heart.

The astringency lingered for a long time.

After enduring this for several days, the Lantern Festival arrived.

I heard that the Lantern Festival in the Capital City is lively every year, and this year, Elder Sister insisted on going out as well.

Father and Eldest Aunt could not dissuade her, so they had no choice but to summon a few Maids and Servant Boys to accompany her, worried her health would not hold up.

“I want Jinshu to accompany me.”

She held my hand, smiling at me. “Let Jinshu and Ah Heng come with me, that’s enough. Too many people would only be inconvenient.”

Father could not refuse her, so in the end, he agreed.

Elder Sister’s health grew even weaker; she could no longer walk and thus sat in the carriage.

Inside, feather bedding was laid everywhere, making it warm and comfortable.

I sat inside the carriage with Elder Sister.

She leaned her body against my shoulder, but she was so thin, so light, it was as if she had no weight at all.

The carriage was very quiet.

I couldn’t help but think of the past.

When I was ten, Mother was driven out of the Marquis Mansion by Madam and sent to a remote village near the Imperial City.

As for me, I was sent to Elder Sister’s chambers to serve as a Maid.

Mother lived a bitter life.

Fortunately, the family of Jiang Songjing, our neighbor, treated her well.

Elder Sister would often slip me some money and allow me to leave the mansion to visit Mother.

Because of these frequent visits, I gradually became acquainted with Jiang Songjing.

Later on, feelings blossomed between us.

Two years ago, Mother passed away from illness in the village, and it was Jiang Songjing who helped me fulfill my filial duties.

All these years, I have always been an inconspicuous Maid in the Marquis Mansion.

Eldest Aunt saw me as a thorn in her side, but because Elder Sister protected me, life in the mansion wasn’t too unbearable.

But.

That gentle deity, half a year ago, fell ill with the most troublesome illness in the world.

“Jinshu…”

While I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard Elder Sister call me.

“Yes?”

My thoughts were instantly pulled back.

Elder Sister held my hand, her fingertips very cold. “Has anything happened lately? I always feel like you have a lot on your mind.”

“No.”

“Has my mother been making things difficult for you lately?”

I fell silent for a moment, my voice very soft. “No.”

Elder Sister sighed. “You answer so quickly-that means there is.”

“You know, Father has never taken a concubine in his life. My mother is too certain of his love for her, so after all these years, she still can’t accept what happened back then.”

“Don’t worry, I will persuade her.”

The coldness in her palm gradually spread to my hand.

“Father has few children. After Eldest Brother died on the battlefield, Father was left with only the two of us daughters. If, in the future, I…”

She paused, a trace of barely perceptible loneliness in her smile.

“You will be Father’s only daughter.”