Chapter 1 — Green Light Saying Goodbye to the Old Man

Before the drawing of the card to marry a man on the steppe began, the fiance leaned closer, lowered his voice and said to me: "I cheated for you. Later, you will draw the card marked in red, which is the long card." The long card symbolizes the opportunity to marry him. I was so happy, I kept nodding my head, thinking that after missing my long card four times, I could finally pull it out this time. But before changing clothes, I heard a conversation between him and his friend. "The card you marked in red is clearly a short card. Lac Sanh has already drawn the short card four times, aren't you afraid that she will make a fuss with you?" Tieu Sach Da stroked the jade pendant on his waist, calmly said: "If you want to make a fuss, then do it. She has been waiting for five years, is there one more year left?" "As long as she draws five long cards in a row, Khan will allow that person to leave. I promised Tieu Duyet that I would definitely help her leave this place, now it's just the last time." "As for Lac Sanh, next year I'll move a little more, so she can draw a long card." My whole body stiffened in place, the joy I had just immediately disappeared. Four times I drew a card, each time I drew a short card, and endured all kinds of ridicule. Meanwhile, my sister Lac Duyet is sure to draw a long card every time. It turned out that everything was done by him, just to help his sister leave the steppe. He did not know that drawing five short cards could also leave the steppe. The only thing is, that person will be taken by Khan to the Central Plains to be close to the emperor. And I only have one short card left before I will be taken away. 1The card dispenser is offered. Tieu Sach Da sat next to the campfire, gently moving his lips to remind me: "Draw the card marked red." My fingertip stopped on the red card for a moment. Seeing his relieved expression, I moved my hand to grab a card marked green. "I want to draw this card." Before I could pull it out, my hand was tightly held by Tieu Sach Da. "Tieu Sanh, listen, draw the red card." "This is an opportunity for us to get married, don't be childish." His face was full of tension, as if he was really worried that we would lose the opportunity to get married this time. But my heart feels heavy like a rock pressing down on me. Four years of organizing campfires on the prairie, four times drawing cards. There have been many unlucky women over the years who have been able to draw long cards and get married. Only I drew four short cards in a row, enduring everyone's ridicule. Just because every time he draws a card, Tieu Sach Da tells me: "Tomorrow when I draw a card, I have already negotiated with Khan. Please remember to draw the card marked in red." I believe you value our marriage as much as I do, so you draw a red card every time. I never thought that those four short cards were all arranged by you to take my sister out of the steppe. I tried to hold back my tears, determined not to let go. "What if I absolutely have to draw this card?" "Tieu Sach Da, I have already drawn four short cards. I can't wait any longer." Tieu Sach Da's face immediately turned cold. "You refuse to believe me?" "This time, you can only draw a red card." "If you refuse, then I can only help you." His fingers tightly holding my green card were broken into pieces by him. one. He used so much force that his arm bones made scary sounds, but he still didn't stop. Tears of pain flowed out of the corners of my eyes, I bit my lower lip and shouted: "If this time the long card is still reserved for my sister, I will be taken to the Emperor of the Central Plains..." I didn't finish my sentence yet. Tieu Sach Da grabbed the card tube, intending to dump all the cards on the ground. Kha Han and A Mau immediately blushed and stopped: "No! Throwing out the card will ruin the fate of the person who drew it! From now on that woman will be considered a bad omen."

of the steppe, must suffer the penalty of crucifixion!" Fence... More than half of the cards were spilled out. Tieu Sach Da, as if he didn't hear those words, handed the card tube to me again. "Elder and younger, the order cannot be reversed." "Withdraw. This card is hers. If she draws the short card, then Tieu Duyet will receive the long card. "What choice do I have left? In the entire tube of cards, there is only one card left marked in red. I tremblingly reached out to take out the card. "Short, short card again..." "It's already the fifth shortest card. Sure enough, Lac Sanh still couldn't escape the fate of being taken to the Emperor of the Central Plains!" A broken mother hugged me, bursting into tears. I looked at the short card on my fingertip, but couldn't shed a single tear. "Is this the fraud you said you would do to me? Do you know that what you are cutting off is not only my marriage with you, but also the fate of the rest of my life?" Tieu Sach Da frowned. "Why do you need to say something so serious? The card marked green is the long card, I just remembered wrongly." "Draw the card again next year, I can still marry you." "It's been five years, waiting another year is not too late." My sister saw I pulled the short card, excitedly threw herself into his arms. "Short card! Sister Ah drew the short card again! I have a long pass!” “I can leave the steppe and pursue a free life!” Tieu Sach Da patted her head and smiled fondly. “I promised you, have I ever failed to keep my word?” “Three days later, when Khan gives you the order to leave the steppe, I will personally escort you out.” He didn't seem to see that I had cried all my tears, only busy discussing with my sister about leaving the steppe for three days. Later, Mother A looked at Tieu Sach Da's leaving back and cried until she lost her voice because of me. "At first, Mother A shouldn't have agreed to let me draw the card for her. Tieu Sanh, the goddess's prediction is true. In the end, your fate is still to get along." I helped A-mother up, smiling even more unsightly than crying. "If this is your fate, then I will accept it." "Let's go, A-mother. Someone help me pack my luggage, three days later I will go to Trung Nguyen to reunite."2 Drawing five short cards is considered a bad omen, one must roll over a bed of nails to ward off bad luck. When I got down from the bed of nails, covered in blood, I just saw Tieu Sach Da holding a flower of Thien Son snow lotus, entering Lac Duyet's tent. "Thien Son snow lotus! Did you really find it for me?" "Just because I casually said I wanted it, you ran and killed two horses to find it! But A Da, Thien Son snow lotus has only been given to people in his heart. Will sister A be angry?" Tieu Sach Da smiled softly. "You're the only one who's kind and thinks about her sister A." "Sister A, after drawing the short card, she's still angry with me, not even saying a word to congratulate her on leaving the steppe." "Besides, she doesn't like white flowers. I picked a bunch of funeral flowers for her." My fingertips dug deep into the palm of my hand. On the steppe, there is no one who doesn't like Thien Son snow lotus. It's hard to find a single snow lotus throughout thousands of mountains, it's only given to the person you love. The day Tieu Sach Da and I decided to spend our lives together, he personally promised to find me a Thien Son snow lotus. But five years have passed, that promise has never been fulfilled. When others point to my spine, but mocked, saying he was not sincere with me. I once asked him to find me a snow lotus flower. What I received was just a small white chrysanthemum, just to get it over with. "Lately, Trung Nguyen has been constantly fighting, I go to the battlefield every day, where can I find the time to find flowers for you?" "Don't be ignorant. This flower is similar to snow lotus, even

white." Gradually, I myself changed my words, saying that I didn't like white flowers. Actually, it was never because I didn't like them. Just because I knew I couldn't have them. I was about to leave, when Tieu Sach Da suddenly saw me. "Who bullied you? Why is my whole body covered in blood?" I pushed away the hand that was trying to check my injuries, smiling coldly. "General Tieu, don't tell me that you don't know that the person who draws five short cards must roll over a bed of nails to ward off bad luck." His face stiffened, his eyes showing some pain. "I don't know..." "You should have told me earlier. I can go and beg Kha Han, maybe I will be spared." "The wound is too serious, I will take her to see the doctor!" He pulled me to leave. Behind me, Lac Duyet's joyful call was heard. "A Da, can you install this brooch for me?" Tieu Sach Da immediately let go of my hand, leaving only one sentence: "Wait for me a moment." On my wrist there is still warmth from the hand I just held. I teased myself and pulled the corner of my lips. It turned out that in his heart, my injury was not as important as wearing the brooch on my head and walking out, looking at me proudly. "Sister, do you think I wore this brooch? My pupils shrank. That brooch was a token of love that Tieu Sach Da gave me. I raised my hand to snatch the brooch from her head "Who gave you permission to touch my things?" But before I even touched the brooch, someone pushed me out. Tieu Sach Da stood in front of her, frowning at me. "What are you doing with your sister? It's just a brooch." "Anyway, I've never seen you wear one in all these years. If you don't like it, give it to Tieu Duyet." I staggered and fell to the ground, the wounds on my body were stabbed by the sharp blade of grass, and blood flowed again. The two words "don't like" hit my ears heavily. That brooch was one of the few things he ever gave me. For four years now, I've been carefully keeping it in a wooden box. I can't bear to wear it, every day I have to take it out and look at it twice. I'm just waiting for the day I get married to him, and will put it on my head when I go out. He forgot that my whole body was still covered in wounds, just because of Lac Duyet, he attacked me. He also forgot that when he gave that brooch, he said that the Trung Nguyen man only made the brooch for the person he loved. Looking at his cold eyes, I laughed mockingly. "Okay, then give it to her." "You, too, I will give it to you." 3The farewell party. A mother was still not willing to let me go to Trung Nguyen to get along, so went to ask Kha Han. Kha Khan agreed to help me one last time. Before the banquet, Khan had someone carry a large basket. "The goddess once said that as long as her future husband sincerely copies ninety-nine Buddhist scriptures, she will have the opportunity to draw the card for the sixth time." "General Tieu, I heard that every month you copy ninety-nine Buddhist scriptures for Lac Sanh. Today I just thought I could give it to her in front of everyone." Hearing that, my eyes heated up. After drawing five short cards, I couldn't continue to draw anymore cards. But Kha Han had watched me grow up, but he broke the rules for me. His subordinates carried in a pile of Buddhist scriptures. Everyone looked at Tieu Sach Da expectantly. Tieu Sach Da placed the scriptures in front of Kha Khan and smiled calmly. "Ha Khan drank too much? Whether these ninety-nine Buddhist scriptures are given to her or not, I will still marry Tieu Sanh." "I believe that next year she will definitely draw a long card." "So, give these ninety-nine Buddhist scriptures to Tieu Duyet, I hope that after she leaves the steppe, she will be safe and smooth." He turned to look at me, his voice low.