Chapter 3 — Three Years in the Institute of Succeeding

Just finding the original can prove that Thua Chi Institute arbitrarily changed the old regime. Ta Kinh Xuyen asked: "Where?" The grandmother raised her eyes, a little unhappy. "If I knew, I would have taken it out a long time ago." When he reached the door, he suddenly turned his head. "Co Minh Lan." "What?" "What you said on the stage today was very good." Before I could speak, the grandmother used a wooden staff to knock on the ground. "Praise a word and then go, I don't even know how to bring a box of breakfast." Ta Kinh Xuyen was momentarily stunned. The next day, he brought six boxes. The grandmother only kept one box, the remaining boxes were returned. The reason was that it was too sweet. 7 After seven days of receiving the precepts, she fell ill. The officials still refused to let her return to the palace, only allowing the Co family to take two maids in to take care of her. Mothers choose people themselves. But my sister asked me to come in. Father called me to the study room. "Your older sister took the initiative to make peace with you, this is a good thing." I asked: "Did she say she wanted to make peace with you?" Father lost patience. "There's no need for sisters to stay overnight with each other. You go in there and stay with her for a few days, wait for her to get better and then come back." "I'm not going." Father slammed the table. "It's not your turn to decide!" I raised my eyes and looked at him. "The regulations of the Thua Chi Institute are that Ky Tue Nu must be temporary." break off the relationship. Father, do you want to ruin the ritual ceremony for your sister? "He was speechless. That night, a small maid from Thua Chi Institute sneaked into the West Institute. She carries a message from her sister. My sister wants to see me. The great-grandmother asked: "Are you going?" "Go." I don't want to save you. But I want to know what she plans to do. At the back door of Thua Chi Institute, there is a small slot used to bring water in. Sister stands inside, separated from me by a wooden fence. She had lost a lot of weight, but her eyes were still bright. "Has Ta Kinh Xuyen come to find you?" "Has arrived." Her nails dug into the wood. "What did you two say?" "It has nothing to do with me." Sister lowered her voice. "Co Minh Lan, don't think you've won. In my previous life, after I completed the final blessing ceremony, you appeared. Now he only asked you a few more questions, do you think he likes you?" I didn't speak. The sister continued to say: "Next year is the Vong Tue great ceremony. I told the priest to give me the last will." "In the previous life, you wore a white shirt and stood on the Vong Tue stage. After reading the testament, people from all over the city paid respects to you. Ta Kinh Xuyen was the one who walked to your side that day." She tightened her grip on the wooden fence. "In this life, the person standing there will be me." Finally, I understood. In my previous life, my sister did not see everything. On the day of the Vong Tue great ceremony, she arrived very late. She only saw me standing on the high platform, Ta Kinh Xuyen holding my hand. She didn't hear what I read. I asked her: "Do you still remember how many people cried on stage that day?" "They were touched by your wishes, of course they would cry." "Sister, please read all the wishes first." She smiled coldly. "You're scared." This sentence, she said many times. I don't advise anymore. Before turning around, I told her: "The white clothes on Vong Tue stage are not glorious." She laughed behind the door. "Wait until next year you stand in the crowd looking at me, I hope you can still say the same." 8 That winter, my great-grandmother took me to the Co family's ancestral home. The ancestral home is located in the west of the city and has been uninhabited for many years. Behind the street there is an old sealed room. The great-grandmother ordered someone to remove the door panels. Dust fell all over the ground. The room is filled with objects left by the patriarchs of the Ancient Family. We searched for two days but found nothing. On Tuesday afternoon, I planned to move an old bookshelf to another place. At the bottom of the bookshelf was a shaky green brick. Below the brick laid

an iron box. There was no holy decree in the box, only a letter written by the grandmother's father. The letter mentioned that in the past, the court established Ky Tue Nu just to reassure the people after the flood. The girl will read an agricultural promotion article during the spring worship ceremony, then be welcomed home by her family. Later, the Thua Chi Institute was expanded, and the sacrificial officials began to receive offerings. The families also discovered that by simply bringing a female child into it, they could receive fame and rewards. So one day turned into three days. Three days turned into three months. During her great-grandmother's lifetime, Ky Tue Nu had to live there for twelve months. In the letter, she discovered a sentence: The original decree is sealed in the old government warehouse, and cannot be changed forever. The great-grandmother stared at that line of words, not speaking for a long time. I asked: "Why did people destroy the altar in the past?" She sat down on a chair covered in dust. "My sister died in there." I had never heard that my great-grandmother had a sister. "The one who was originally chosen was me. She felt that being Ky Tue Nu was very glorious, crying and begging her father to change her name." My heart sank. "What happened after that?" "After going in for half a year, the first time. Meeting his family, he still says he lives very well."