Chapter 6 — A Wrongful Match in Crimson

My misfortune had long since become the gossip of the afternoon tea circles. The next time I crossed paths with my younger sister was at my own child’s first-birthday banquet. She looked emaciated and haggard, with bruised, dark hollows beneath her eyes. Even the necklace she brought as a gift was taken from her own bridal dowry. When our mother caught sight of that piece of jewelry, her eyes instantly turned red. In our dynasty, only a married woman driven to utter desperation by her wretched life would ever dare to pawn her dowry pieces. While the surrounding crowd was distracted, my sister suddenly let out a bitter, hollow laugh.

Elder sister, do you even know what Gu Xiuyuan named his newborn daughter?

I had no idea she had given birth as well. Noticing my genuine surprise, she offered a bleak explanation.

That child was not born of my womb. His mother grew impatient waiting for me to conceive, so she forced a concubine upon him.

I casually twirled the small rattle drum in my hand, feeling entirely devoid of interest. Is that so.

Yet my sister wept as she ground her teeth in helpless fury. He named the child Ning'er.

Gu Xiuyuan truly remained as utterly revolting as he had always been.

Elder sister, if you had been the one to marry him all those years ago, how would things have turned out? At the very least... you certainly would not have ended up in this pathetic state like me.

The rattle drum in my hand abruptly ceased its motion. My sister stared at me in blank bewilderment. Elder sister?

The only response she received was a sharp, resounding slap across the face. A thin streak of crimson blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she looked up, entirely unable to comprehend. You stole my marriage away with your own hands, yet you still managed to live a life this utterly ruined. Ever since we were young, you always—

Another sharp slap cut her short. I considered it a small measure of retribution for the grievances of my past life. From the time we were children, I always outshone you in every conceivable way—now that you have finally tried it for yourself, how does the feeling taste?

Those gentle words that felt like needles hidden within soft cotton, every single prick must be borne entirely by oneself. Those concealed smiles laden with mockery, even when witnessed, could only be met with feigned ignorance. My sister’s eyes widened in profound shock. Could it be that you...

The man you were willing to die to possess is yours now. I took out a handkerchief to wipe my hands, leaving behind only a final sentence. Live out the rest of the days that you traded your very life to secure.

After the birthday banquet, I never saw my sister again. Word had it that Madame Gu considered her an absolute disgrace in public and forbade her from ever attending social gatherings again. Only when Xie Yanzhu learned that Gu Xiuyuan had named his concubine’s daughter Ning'er did he grow so incandescent with rage that he nearly hauled his sword directly to their doorstep. I have truly never laid eyes on someone so utterly shameless and devoid of skin.

Yet, bound by marriage ties, it was inconvenient for him to exact a ruthless vengeance. Does he not desperately desire a promotion? As his elder sister's husband, I shall graciously assist him.

Gu Xiuyuan was subsequently elevated to the rank of prefect and banished to Luzhou, a place far more remote and desolate than Changzhou. Should he prove himself a competent official, perhaps in ten or twenty years he might find a way back. Or perhaps, he would never set foot in the capital again for the remainder of his days. On the very day my sister departed the capital in the company of Gu Xiuyuan, both our parents went to see them off. Unable to bear the parting, they subsequently came to plead with me. We are getting old now; how can you bear the thought of us yearning for your sister with no hope of ever seeing her again?

It was not as though there were no alternatives available. There happens to be a vacant magistrate post in Yongzhou, not far from Luzhou.

Should our father relocate his household there, they would have ample opportunity to visit my sister frequently. Father was struck speechless on the spot, while mother could only manage an awkward, forced smile. Children grown up must forge their own paths; if we miss her, a few more letters will suffice.

From that day onward, neither of our parents ever brought up my sister again. The journey to Luzhou was perilous and distant, making postal delivery agonizingly slow. As time passed, the letters from our parents grew increasingly sparse. In the fifth year of the new era, grim news finally drifted back from Luzhou.

The wife of the esteemed official Gu has passed away from illness in Luzhou. That same official Gu is truly a heartless man; by the very next day, he had already elevated a secondary wife to the position of primary mistress.

When the young servant finished delivering the obituary report, I casually asked a single question. My lord, is the madam holding up well?

He assured me there was no need for worry. The madam shed a few tears, but as the old saying goes—such is simply her destined fate.

A sudden warmth settled upon my shoulders as Xie Yanzhu draped an extra cloak over me. Although the depths of winter were bitterly cold, the gaze he fixed upon me radiated a gentle, comforting heat. Adjusting my collar, he chuckled softly and spoke. That being said, I suppose my own destiny is rather fortunate.

I reached out to clasp his hand, guiding it gently down to rest upon my abdomen. Xie Yanzhu, I share that exact sentiment.