Chapter 4 — Red Rope Binds Fortune

"Put down your sleeves!" The maquis took two steps closer: "Madam Shen, what are these wounds?" Mother immediately said: "When he was young, he was naughty and liked to play with needles and thread, so he injured himself." "Mother." I looked at her: "At five years old, you also know how to put blood on your brother's primer?" Her lips pursed tightly. "At seven years old, you also know how to sew your own peace scarf. What about my sister's price?” The hall became even quieter. I took Phuc Luc out of my sleeve and placed it on the table. The notebook was pressed against the red robe, like a block of cold iron at the wrong time. The mother's face suddenly changed and she reached out to take it. I took a step faster, pressing my hand on top. "Mother, don't be in a hurry." I opened the last page and pushed it in front of the Marquis's mother: "How this ceremony must be carried out today, it's written very clearly in the book." Mother bowed her head and looked. The aunt in the clan craned her neck and saw the same words. "Take the blood from the eldest daughter's palm and dab it on the second lady's robe." Someone softly read it out loud. Tham Lenh Nghi suddenly cried: "Mother, I don't need it anymore, I really don't need it anymore." Mother still wanted to maintain the situation: "This is an old custom in the palace, outsiders don't understand. Tri Dan has blessings on her body, giving her a little bit is a good idea." "Old custom?" The maquis closed the Phuc Luc: "The maquis have gone through many generations, and have never heard of any family having the old custom of taking the blood from the eldest daughter's palm and dipping it. put on the second lady's robe." Mother's face turned pale. Tham Hoai Canh quickly walked in from outside, saw Phuc Luc on the table, his steps stopped. "Mother." Mother didn't pay attention to him, just stared at me: "Tham Tri Dan, what benefit will it have for you if I ruin your sister's marriage today?" "No benefit." I said: "But I don't want to continue adding blessings to you." Tham Lenh Nghi cried and shook his head: "Sister Sister, I don't want to rob you of your things. I'm just afraid, I'm afraid that the Marquis will not need you. Mother said that in the future you will also have a good marriage, that's why I..." "So you wear my long life lock, tie my silver bell, and take my blessing to accept this relationship." I interrupted her: "Shen Lenh Nghi, you are afraid that the Marquis will not need you, have you ever been afraid that I will be hurt?" I open my mouth. Ma Ma Marquis opened the long box in his hand. Inside was an old postcard. "Yesterday, the old lady heard a few words, so she sent her maid to Thanh Dan Pagoda to get the original postcard from that year." Ma Ma put the postcard on the table: "Mrs. Shen, whose name is written on it, you must know better than the maid." The blood on the mother's face completely disappeared. The blessing card is opened. Above was written: "Eldest daughter Tham Thi, Tri Dan." The hall was dead silent. The mother's voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "The servant who wants to get married is the girl from the Tham family who saved the old lady at Thanh Dan pagoda that year. It's not the bell, it's not the lock, and it's not even the lucky mole pasted with flower fields." She looked at the corner of Tham Lenh Nghi's forehead. Tham Lenh Nghi instinctively raised his hand to cover it. The flower field was wet with tears, a small corner curled up. Mom looked at her mother again: "Lady Shen, who is the princess that the Marquis wants to marry?" 6 Mother leaned on the corner of the table, unable to answer. I bowed my head and looked at that blessing card. The so-called blessing is just that when I was six years old, in the back yard of Thanh Dan Pagoda, I accidentally saw the old lady of the house choking on incense ashes, so I ran out to call someone. The old lady held my hand and said one sentence: "This child is blessed." A sentence that loved children but my mother served me as a cage to imprison me. The palace servant did not immediately give up the kiss on the spot. Mom put the blessing card away, only saying that she had to go back to the palace to report to the old man

core. After she left, the people in the lobby looked like their bones had been drained. The relatives looked at each other, no one continued to talk about the deep love between sisters. The mother sat back in her chair, her face pale but still trying to maintain her dignity: "Today's matter ends here. Whoever dares to pass a word out, don't blame the Tham family for not saying gratitude." Tham Lenh Nghi cried so much that he couldn't stand, and was helped back to the room by the maid. Tham Hoai Canh tried to follow but I called him back. "Brother." He stopped at the door. I opened the Phuc Luc to the page where I copied the sutra and gave it to him. "Are these seven volumes of sutra still in your study?" His face was unsightly. Mother's voice was cold: "Tri Dan, do you have to force yourself to ask each person in the family?" I didn't look at her, just waiting for Tham Hoai Canh to answer. A long time later he said: "Yes." "Give them back to me." "Those sutras are old, why did you take them back?" "Burn them." He suddenly raised his head. "When I copied the sutras, I only thought that I was praying for blessings for my brother. Now I know that I was recorded in the book, becoming a lucky thing on your path to becoming an official." Tham Hoai Canh's lips moved slightly: "I never thought like that." "It doesn't matter what you think." "You accepted it."