Chapter 1

My tone was not particularly stern.

My youngest sister relaxed a little.

But my other sister looked worried. She knew I was angry, and not the sort of angry anyone could soothe away.

Like me, she had never been a favorite of our parents.

As their firstborn daughter, I had at least once enjoyed their undivided love.

She, however, had been a disappointment from the moment she was born, simply because she was not a boy.

As she grew old enough to understand that our parents did not like her, she began following me everywhere, my little shadow.

She was plain, but kind, clever, and quietly gifted. A truly wonderful girl.

She had sensed that I was drawing our youngest sister out.

And knew there could be no easy end to this.

She shrank back a little, not daring to look at me again.

I kept my eyes fixed on our youngest sister, giving her no room to lie.

Our parents wanted to hear it, too.

They encouraged her to tell us everything she had done.

She cleared her throat and began her account with obvious pride, looking prettier by the moment.

None of them felt ashamed. They were delighted.

Sadness washed over me.

With parents like ours, was it any wonder she behaved so frivolously?

She said she had met the first young man at a temple fair.

Someone had stolen her purse. It contained only a few copper coins, but they mattered a great deal to her: she had wanted to buy the hair flowers and ribbons she had been longing for.

A young man named Gu Nianzhang had recovered it for her.

Blushing, she had treated him to a sweet drink.

Gu Nianzhang had given her a wooden puppet in return.

That was how they met.

Later, they had arranged outings together: climbing hills, riding in boats, praying to the bodhisattva at the temple. They had hung a prayer plaque on the lovers’ tree and written both their names on it.

She told it sweetly, savoring the memories.

I interrupted at once.

“Whose name did you write on the plaque?”

A faint disappointment crossed her face.

“Mine.”

I narrowed my eyes, then felt a little relief.

She had not yet conceived her nasty scheme. She had used her real name with Gu Nianzhang.

She was probably disappointed because she had met someone better afterward and regretted giving Gu Nianzhang her true name.

But she could simply have told him and ended things cleanly. Instead, she had wanted to keep them both. It was despicable.

She had met the second young man on a rainy day.

His name was Song Qingyuan. Seeing her struggle through the rain, he had given her an umbrella.

She had returned it the following day.

One meeting led to another, and feelings grew.

But she and Gu Nianzhang had already been in love. She could not give up his tenderness and attentiveness, nor could she let go of her budding feelings for Song Qingyuan.

Somewhere inside, she must have known that courting two men at once was wrong.

So when Song Qingyuan asked her name, mine had slipped from her mouth.

She pouted a little.

“Eldest Sister, I didn’t mean to. I was just frightened.”

“You have no idea how lovely he is, or how rich his family is.”

“That oiled-paper umbrella he gave me was absolutely beautiful.”

“I’ve found you a wonderful husband.”

“You’ll have to thank me someday. Give me a nice fat red envelope.”

Our parents nodded.

“He does sound good.”

They pressed her for details about Song Qingyuan’s family without a single word of reproach.

Fury rose in my chest. I drew a deep breath, forced it down, and asked, “And the third? How did you meet him?”

Her expression changed to panic.

A dread I could not explain surged through me. I slammed my right palm on the table and snapped, “Speak!”

She suddenly dropped to her knees at our parents’ feet and burst into sobs.

“Father, Mother, I can’t marry him.”

“Make Second Sister marry him. I gave him her name anyway.”

“He doesn’t know it was me. Just let her marry him. Once they’ve bowed together and the wedding is over, he can’t take it back.”

“Father, Mother, I won’t marry him.”

She wept pitifully, but her guilt was plain.

Our parents hurried to pull her up, their eyes drifting toward my other sister despite themselves.

They had probably guessed that this man was trouble.

Their beloved youngest daughter must never marry him.

Someone else would have to be sacrificed.

I had always been forceful. My other sister was gentle and weak.

She was the obvious choice.

Her face went blank for a moment. Then her eyes reddened.

She bit her lip and held her head rigidly upright, afraid the smallest movement might be taken as agreement to marry the third man.

“Enough!”

I snatched up a teacup and hurled it at our youngest sister.

It struck her. With a cry, she clutched her forehead and stared at me in terror. Her mouth opened, her lips trembling, but not a word came out.

Our parents glared at me.

“What are you doing?”

I rose, staring at the girl kneeling on the floor and making a show of her misery. I could see her selfishness and hypocrisy clearly now.

Coldly, I said each word with care.

“Tell me exactly what you’ve done.”

“Or I’ll have all three men brought back here this instant and tell them the truth.”

“Our parents may protect you. Not everyone in the world is your parent.”

“Speak!”