Chapter 3 — Hong Trang Chess Game

"Miss, Marquis brought someone to seal the embroidery room, and said he would transfer all the embroidery in there to Miss Bui's palace!" When I ran to the embroidery room, the sign on the door had been taken down. Tham Hac Chau stood in the yard, commanding the Marquis palace guards to move the embroidery frames out. Bui Chieu Ninh sat on the rattan chair her mother used when she was alive, flipping through her mother's collection of embroidery patterns in her hand. I walked over, intending to grab the embroidery sample book. "Who gave you permission to touch it?" Her finger was cut by the edge of the paper, making a soft sound. Tham Hac Chau immediately grabbed her hand. Bui Chieu Ninh bit her lip and stood up. "Brother, I just want to help sister Wen arrange things. If she doesn't want to, I can leave." Tham Hac Chau bandaged her finger and then turned to look at me. "Today the palace sent someone to check the tribute, Chieu Ninh must take out enough embroidery. She temporarily let him borrow the embroidery workshop for three days." "No lending." "There is already a child on the contract." mark of the On family." "That's what my father sold, not me." "The On family hasn't yet been your turn to own it." I looked at the embroidery frames being cleared in the yard. "Shen Hac Chau, you know very well that this embroidery is what my mother left me." "Once Chieu Ninh passes the selection, I will redeem it for you." "Using my things to pave the way for her, then taking it back and rewarding me?" He frowned. "Do you have to say something so harsh?" Bui Chieu Ninh suddenly pulled out a yellowed piece of paper from the embroidery sample book. "Brother, what is this?" My face immediately changed and I raised my hand to take it back. But she moved behind Tham Hac Chau and opened the paper. It was a medical drawing that my mother had not completed before her death. Behind the drawing are the words my mother wrote to me. I pray that my daughter Thanh Tu will meet all good people in this life. Bui Chieu Ninh finished reading, his smile stopped a bit. "It turns out that Mrs. Wen also wanted her sister to marry her brother." My voice trembled. "Give it back to me." Tham Hac Chau took the drawing and looked it over. "Just found out that Chieu Ninh is missing an embroidery sample to use as the final piece, so she can use this one." "No." I stepped forward to take it back, he leaned away. During the struggle, the drawing was torn from the middle. The sentence my mother wrote was torn into two halves. I looked bewildered at the pieces of paper flying down. Tham Hac Chau also stiffened for a moment. "Thanh Tu, I didn't mean it." I squatted down, picked up the torn pieces of paper and held them in my arms. Bui Chieu Ninh sighed. "It's just an old drawing. Sister Wen, don't get angry because someone died, brother." I raised my hand and slapped her. The sound of slapping rang out and the whole yard immediately became quiet. Tham Hac Chau grabbed my wrist and pulled me aside. "On Thanh Tu, are you crazy?" "She insulted my mother." "She just said one wrong sentence and she took action in front of everyone. Apologize to her." "I'm not sorry." "Then kneel until you think it through." His voice was very calm, like before telling me to wear an extra shirt. Two ghosts stepped up and pressed my shoulders down. My knees hit the blue stone floor heavily. Tham Hac Chau turned away, checking the red mark on Bui Chieu Ninh's face. "Does it hurt?" Bui Chieu Ninh held back tears and shook his head. "Brother, don't punish sister, she's about to become your wife." "Just because I'm about to enter the Marquis Palace, I can't be so impulsive."Spring rain fell, soaking my skirt. Tham Hac Chau stood in the hallway, from beginning to end, not looking at me once more. Half an hour later, the Marquis's guards quickly ran over and whispered a few words into his ear. His expression changed slightly. "The military reported that the northern border has arrived, I must immediately enter the palace." Before leaving, he threw his cloak down next to me. "If you admit your mistake, stand up, don't let

got sick from being exposed to the rain." After the courtyard door closed, Bui Chieu Ninh held an umbrella and walked in front of me. The warm and resentful look on her face had completely disappeared. "Sister Wen, do you know why brother must marry you?" I didn't raise my head. She took out a black chess piece from her sleeve and placed it on the torn drawing of the price. "Three years ago, I bet with you, saying you looked arrogant and pure, but in my heart is the one who lacks the most love. As long as he treats me well for a few days, I will give him my whole heart." My fingertips grew cold. Bui Chieu Ninh smiled. "He didn't believe me so he came to try." "After that he proposed to me, I asked him if he was really moved or not. He said that a bet must have a result anyway, it's okay to get married and then slowly observe. "It turned out that it wasn't just about the bride price. Even the fact that he brought me money in the snowy night, watched the flower lights with me, knelt down in front of my father to ask to marry me, all were just moves on the chess board. The three years that I didn't want to doubt the most, turned out to be just a bet. Bui Chieu Ninh bent down and looked at me. "Sister. Sister, do you think that on the big wedding day, he will come to pick you up first, or will he come with me outside the city to release the lights first?" She gently pressed the black chess piece into the puddle of rainwater.