Inner Residence arc ー Chapter 10 (Part 2): There is a female in the Xie Family who is going to come of age
On the eighteenth of the fourth month, the rays of spring were radiant and beautiful. I was already dragged out from my quilt early in the morning and Madam Xie personally supervised the process of freshening up and dressing up.
I was again forced to wear a piece of peach red formal dress. After that, I sat down and had Madam Xie personally trim my eyebrows.
Grasping the tweezers, she pressed close to my eyebrows and then she suddenly pulled fiercely. I let out a blood-curdling shriek that shook heaven and earth.
Xie Zhaoying knocked the door from outside. "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
I said, "I'm dead!"
Madam Xie patted me a little and said, "Nothing. Go greet the guests."
I cried. "Mother, it's extremely painful, don’t trim anymore. Being natural is beautiful."
Madam Xie gave a poker face. "Don’t make trouble." Then, she called two old maidservants to each hold me down at both sides while Xie Zhaoke personally supported my head. I was simply like a living fish on the chopping board which scales were peeled off. I simply let go of my voice to anyhow roar and shout, uttering cries of anguish by lamenting to heaven and knock my head on earth. It was so painful that my tears rolled down profusely. I really couldn’t understand. How much willpower did those ancient females in the bedroom need to have in order to endure having their eyebrows trimmed every now and then?
Madam Xie was ultimately like a ginger which got spicier as it got older*. No matter how much I wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves, her actions did not become softer in the slightest.
*T/n: The older one becomes, the wiser one becomes. You can also think of the proverb 'you cannot catch old birds with chaff'.
After the trimming was finally done with much difficulty, it felt as if I had died once and was fully covered in sweat.
It was now Xie Zhaoke's turn to personally apply red face powder on me and adorn ornaments for me. Lastly, a whole group of them hurriedly lent a hand in straightening my clothes before it barely reached a conclusion.
I had yet to look at the mirror when I was swarmed and pushed out by everyone.
Looking outside through the curtains, I saw that the main hall was already stood full with numerous people and most were relatives which I didn't know. Grand Tutor Xie was clad in a vermillion and black court attire while sitting in the main hall. Madam Xie had also changed into a purple and bronze red noblewoman* court dress and sat beside him with a dignified bearing. On a conspicuous seat, there was also a dowager who was sitting upright and donned a phoenix coronet and purple gown, and still retained her charm despite her age. She was my Third Grandaunt, Princess Consort Shou(Shòu). She was the main guest of this ceremony.
*T/n: The mothers and wives of court officials usually have a title conferred to them
Grand Tutor Xie stood up to address the audience and said a few polite words for the occasion. Then, the ceremony began.
I was accompanied by Xie Zhaoke as I walked in and began a long series of salutations, kneeling, loosening my hair and combing my hair.
After Xie Zhaoke finished combing my hair, she put the comb aside on a mat. I thought it had ended and excitedly raised my head. Xie Zhaoke pushed back down again with one hand.
Princess Consort Shou stood up at this moment and walked to one side to wash her hands. Then, she exchanged polite remarks with my parents. I thought that it should now be tying my hair and inserting the hairpin into my hairbun but in the end, those three old fellows returned to their seats again.
Xie Zhaoke directed me to turn to a certain direction. There was an attendant who offered a silk handkerchief and hairpin. Princess Consort Shou stood up, loudly recited an ode of congratulatory speech. "An auspicious month and day have been chosen and you have just put on your imposing adult attire. Abandon the ideals of your youth and accept the virtues of adult behavior. I wish you longevity and a fulfilling life and the immortal world bestows you great fortune*."
*T/n: These sentences are usually said during the hairpin ceremony. It was expressed in Classical Chinese, so please forgive the poor translation. ><
I couldn’t understand a single sentence. While I was still befuddled, Princess Consort Shou had already knelt beside me and started to comb my hair.
This aunt was no longer young so she probably had cataract and presbyopia and poor eyesight. After working for half a day and pulling my scalp until it was throbbingly pain, she was finally done. After that, when she inserted the hairpin, as she thrusted she thrusted onto my scalp, causing me my tears to immediately flow out in pain.
Thankfully, the hairpin was made of jade and not of reinforced steel, otherwise, I was going to lose my life here.
Xie Zhaoke helped me up and silently stuffed a handkerchief to me. I gratefully wiped the sweat that covered my whole face. The ceremony temporarily came to a closure and I returned to my room to change into an informal clothes. As I had not eaten anything since early morning, I was starving until my stomach was drumming. I saw pastries arranged on the table and simply stretched out my hand to grab them.
Xie Zhaoke stopped me. "Wait, next is the Three Bows."
I wailed in my heart in anguish, 'I utterly detest the feudalistic society!'
Just like this, after I had completed all the formalities, it was already afternoon. I returning to the courtyard and plopped onto my bed, practically losing conscious.
I guessed I had finally experienced how the ancient ceremonies were tediously long, complicated, cumbersome and was finding trouble to purely torment oneself. I almost broke out in miliaria from being covered those thick clothes.
Yunxiang was instead still very happy. "Fourth Miss, I heard from the other maidservants among so many young ladies in the Xie family, only our hairpin ceremony was the most, most grand one. Even the Third Miss can't compare."
I feebly said, "That's of course. They wanted to let the others know that the Xie family's fourth daughter is no longer crazy. This way, I will have the qualifications to be selected as an imperial consort. Damn it, why don't just directly take gongs and drum to the streets and strike the gongs while yelling?"
Yunxiang carried an appetising bowl of Wonton noodles. I wolfed it down and swept everything clean like the whirlwind sweeping the clouds away. After I finished eating, I went to sleep.
Now that I have come of age, it was no longer appropriate to study with Song Zijing so the days in the future would actually be more relaxed. I should usually diligently study the medical arts as I was still terrible at medicinal herbs. Recently, I was working hard in attempting to make fruit pie and how cream was processed….
I suddenly opened my eyes.
It was dusky in front of me. There was only the faint candlelight from the outer room and the sky was already dark. I had subconsciously slept for so long.
My heart was unusually restless, as if there was something scratching it nonstop, making me fidgety. Yunxiang was sleeping outside. She had also been tired for the whole day, and wouldn't be shaken even if there was thunder now. I silently walked over and opened the door.
The cicadas in the cold hung high up and the whole area was bathed in moonlight. The night winds happened to be gentle, not bearing to rouse people from their lover dreams. At the corner of the wall, a keteleeri flower was blooming in a lively fashion, its gigantic lustrous white petals gracefully swaying towards the moonlight, like pairs of jade-like hands clasping a piece of moonlight.
I too spread out both my hands and watching my whole hands become bright and clear like the moonlight, as if it held with snow frost. I couldn't help but murmured, "Although the moonlight is beautiful, I am unable to hold in both hands and offer it to you. I might as well return to my bedroom and blissfully reunite with my relatives in my dreams*."
*T/n: A poem from Zhang Jiuling. As it is another poem again, I'm sorry that it compromised the quality of translation.
"Who are you offering a handful of moonlight?"
I lifted my head. At the corner of the wall stood a familiar figure. His hair was dishevelled and his clothes were in a sorry state but they were unable to conceal the chilly and elite radiance in his eyes. That corner was very dark, so I couldn’t see his expression clearly but I could clearly hear his erratic breathing.
Among the moon's shadow and flower fragrance, I acutely smelled a wisp of the metallic smell of blood.
"Second Elder Brother?!"
That tall and large figure fell down softly and I went to catch him in a flurry. He heavily landed on my shoulders. A strong metallic smell of blood mixed with a strange sweet smell wafted into my nose.
"Yunxiang! Yunxiang!" I shouted loudly.
Yunxiang rushed out with her clothes still in a mess and was flabbergasted. "This, this, this…. Second Young Master?"
"Quickly help me, assist him inside," I ordered, "then go boil some water and bring out my set of scissors and small knives over. Remember, don’t alarm the others!"
We put Xie Zhaoying down on the bed. Under the candlelight, his handsome face was ashen pale, his lips were turning black, his body was burning hot and his breathing was faint.
An intense feeling gushed out and I grasped his hand tightly.
"Second Elder Brother, with me here, nothing will happen to you."
Translated and Edited by: HaruOngy and LalaKurouds