Chapter Three

  I sit at my desk, copying from a model, alas! My brushwork is not worth mentioning, now it's a heartache for me. For several days, I have been ridiculed by the tenth brother, I don't know how many times. I also went from blushing at first to being calm and taking it now.

  That day, I had a great time riding horses. The tenth brother didn't need to be said, he made a live demonstration of "Manchu people getting the world on horseback". Even the slightly thin eighth brother was agile and skilled. I sat on the horse for a while, but felt that sitting on the grass was better than sitting on the horse, so I simply sat on the grass and watched them from afar. On the way back, the tenth brother even teased me, saying I was like a Han lady. I thought to myself, I am indeed a Han lady. However, after returning home, although the eighth brother had sent someone to inform my sister in advance, she didn't say anything but her expression wasn't very good. Nevertheless, because I had so much fun, I felt it was still worth it.

  From that day on, Tenth Brother would come to see me every three to five days. One day I asked him how to write the word "旮旯" and he couldn't answer either. We teased each other a few times and had to give up. During this period, if I say I made a big gain, it was that my quarrelsome friendship with Tenth Brother developed rapidly. Borrowing Cui Hui's words, "Tenth Master is not being teased by Miss every few days, his heart feels anxious." I secretly laughed, can a little kid like him fight with me? However, after going back and forth like this, I feel that he is no longer the silly boy in my mind. Maybe he has no city, is illiterate, is reckless and impulsive, and sometimes doesn't talk about reason, but I think he is more like my friends in modern times. I don't need to guess what's on his mind, I can directly show my joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

  I wrote a few more words, but found it hard to concentrate again, so I simply put down my pen. Through the beaded curtain, I vaguely saw my sister listening to a small eunuch say something, then waved her hand, and the small eunuch went down. I walked out and let the maid bring me tea, and my sister said to me, "Tonight, Beile Ye will come over for dinner together." I took a sip of tea and asked, "Will the tenth brother also come?" My sister said, "I don't know, it's hard to say." She suddenly stopped for a moment, ordered the maids to go down, and sat beside me.

  I think the tone is off, but I couldn't guess what she wanted to say, so I just kept silent. My sister looked at me with a desire to speak but hesitated, and I really couldn't bear it, so I asked: "Sister, are there still things that can't be said between us sisters?"

  Sister nodded, as if making up her mind, and asked: "Do you have a crush on the tenth brother?" "Ah!" I was a bit surprised and quickly said: "What's this got to do with anything? We're just getting along." Sister saw that my expression wasn't fake, let out a sigh of relief and said: "Good thing there isn't!" Then she seriously said: "We Manchu people may not have as many rules as the Han people, but you, as a girl, need to grasp some boundaries." I felt a bit angry and also a bit amused. Angry because after just a few conversations and playtime, all under other people's noses, it seemed like I was going to do something shameful; amused because sister and my high school teacher who talked to me about puppy love back then were really alike.

  When Eighth Brother arrived, I was kicking a shuttlecock in the courtyard with Cuihua. I had already kicked it forty times, which was my highest record at that time. I wanted to break this record, so when I saw him, I pretended not to have seen him and continued kicking. Cuihua and other maidservants were about to pay their respects, but Eighth Brother made a gesture for them to be quiet, so they all stood there stupidly watching me kick the shuttlecock. 45, 46, 47... Alas, I couldn't bear this strange atmosphere any longer, so I stopped myself. Pretending to have just discovered Eighth Brother's presence, I hastily paid my respects, and then all the maidservants in the courtyard followed suit.

  Eighth Brother smiled and praised me, saying: "You kick well!" I smiled slightly, not speaking. In my heart, I thought, hypocrite! The maidservants here who kick well are like they can kick a shuttlecock all over their bodies, while I only know how to use my right foot to kick, is this good?

  The women lifted the curtain, and Eighth Brother led the way in. I followed him in, not forgetting to turn my head and remind Qiao Hui, "Remember, 47 down!" After standing still for a moment, I found myself facing Eighth Brother, who was having his sleeves rolled up by my sister, her head bowed. Looking around, I didn't know what to do, so I just watched my sister and him.

  Sister rolled up her sleeves, looked up at me staring at them, and blushed: "What are you standing there for?" I only felt that something was not quite right, my face burning, and turned my head to say awkwardly: "I just didn't know what to do, so I stood here." Eighth Brother smiled and said: "With so many chairs, don't you know what to do?" I thought to myself, this is an invitation to sit down, and quickly found a chair to sit in. Sister said: "You should also wash up, get ready for dinner."

  After dinner, after rinsing my mouth and clearing the table, the maids brought tea again. I thought that last time Eighth Brother came to use his meal, but he left quickly. Looking at this time's unhurried appearance, tonight is probably going to stay here. While thinking wildly, I heard Eighth Brother say: "In a few more days it will be Tenth Brother's 17th birthday, because it's not a big birthday, the palace will probably just casually celebrate. We brothers want to take this opportunity to privately have a good time. Tenth Brother doesn't yet have his own estate, so I'm thinking of doing it here."

  Sister thought for a moment and said, "I don't have experience with this, why not ask the Empress's opinion?" Eighth Brother drank a sip of tea and said, "She is currently indisposed, besides, this is also Tenth Brother's own idea." Sister looked at me and said, "Then I'll take care of it."

  Eighth Brother said slowly, "Since it's private, you don't have to be too stressed out. We're just looking for a lively place." "Is the Crown Prince coming?" my sister asked. "The invitation must have been sent, but whether he comes or not is uncertain." My sister nodded and didn't say anything else.

  Sister lowered her eyes and didn't speak, Eighth Brother looked ahead and also didn't speak. I picked up the tea cup to drink, but found that it was already empty, so I had to put it down again. The maid came over to refill the water, I waved my hand, she retreated again. I felt the atmosphere getting stranger and stranger, so I stood up and dryly said: "If the Beile has no other instructions, Ruo Xi will take her leave first."

  Ba Ge had just raised his hand, and my sister hastily said: "Going to bed so early?" I smiled back: "Not sleeping, going to practice calligraphy." My sister said again: "You've only just eaten, how can you practice calligraphy? You'll get a stomachache!" I thought to myself, anyway I couldn't leave now, so I could only force out two laughs and sit down again. I beckoned to the maid to add more water. Ba Ge's mouth was curved into a smile as he looked at us. I couldn't figure out if he was displeased or not, so I had no choice but to give up.

  Silence, silence, always silence. My cultivation of moral character cannot compare to theirs, and I really can't bear it. I stood up and said: "Get the Go board!" I hastily called out: "I don't know how to play Go, let's play Xiangqi instead!" But Eighth Brother shook his head and said: "Won't do!" I let out an "ah" of surprise, not knowing what to do, so I sat back down in my chair.

  It's silence, and more silence. Jumping chess, military chess, poker, catching thieves... I found that what I was thinking about is of no help in solving the current situation, so I quickly pulled my thoughts back.

  "Let's play Go!" Eighth Brother asked, "You don't know how to play, do you?" I asked, "Can't I learn?" He thought for a moment, and the faint smile at the corner of his mouth finally turned into a full smile, saying, "Alright then!" I felt a bit dazed, remembering that time on the horse carriage when he smiled with his eyes. Then suddenly I understood, it was because of his eyes that I had felt different back then, his eyes were smiling too. Usually, his smiles never reached his eyes.

  The eighth brother roughly explained the rules and said to learn while playing. He let me play with black first. When I was young, I used to admire vanity and played Go, but after entering high school, I got busier and lost interest, so I abandoned this brain-consuming game and switched to playing simpler poker. After thinking for a moment, I remembered the phrase "golden corner, silver edge, grass belly skin" and found a corner to start with. My sister sat beside me. I originally wanted my sister to learn more, but seeing that she wasn't very interested, I had to give up. In a short while, the chessboard was already half white. I felt a bit depressed in my heart, "Not even letting me win?" The eighth brother said: "How do you know I didn't let you?" I said with a sad face: "If I were allowed to... it would be like this, if not..." He asked: "Do you want to continue playing?" I said: "Play!" Since I had already lost, I could only try my best to lose less. In the end, I could only give up and let the white pieces eat. Guarding two corners, I racked my brains and desperately tried to recall some remaining impressions from back then. Finally, I didn't know if the method I thought of really worked or if he let me win, but in any case, my two corners were saved.

  Eighth Brother looked at the chessboard and asked, "Have you learned to play Go?" I said, "I've watched others play, I know a little bit! How about it?" He teased me with a look, saying, "Not great! But knowing 'a strong man cuts off his wrist', not getting entangled in unnecessary things, is not bad either." I smiled and didn't say anything else.

  Feeling that the time was about right, I thought to myself that Eighth Brother would definitely be staying here tonight. So I stood up and said: "Yu Xi bids farewell!" Eighth Brother nodded, and my sister stood up and ordered the maidservants to prepare the bath water. I made a bow, then retreated out of the room.