Chapter 8 — Three Years in the Institute of Succeeding

"You are hungry in there because other people are harming you. If you go out and still refuse to eat, you are harming yourself." From then on, my sister did not dare to leave any leftover food. 16 Ta Kinh Xuyen often went to the West Court. The first time he came, he brought six boxes of breakfast. The second time, it was changed to a savory dish. The nanny kept two boxes. The third time, he brought a new wooden chest, specifically used to store the arranged notebooks about Ky Tue Nu. Finally, his grandmother gave him a pleasant expression. My sister has met him several times. She no longer intentionally wears makeup, nor does she mention her past life anymore. One time, Ta Kinh Xuyen and I brought old notebooks to the palace. When she returned, she was sitting in the yard basking in the sun. The sister suddenly asked him: "Have you never liked the identity of Ky Tue Nu?" Ta Kinh Xuyen stopped walking. "My eldest sister died there." Her face turned pale. "Sorry." Ta Kinh Xuyen nodded. He did not say forgiveness, nor did he blame. Sister watched him walk side by side into the main room, finally completely letting go of the last bit of attachment. That night, she said to me: "In my past life by the ice lake, I asked you where you were based." "Now I know." I was arranging papers, but did not answer. She continued: "You dare to do things I don't dare to do." "Today you took off your jade card on the high platform, and it's considered that you've done something." She smiled bitterly. "It's too late." "For those who have died, it's really late." I placed a blank sheet of paper in front of her. "For yourself, there's still time." She looked at the paper. "Write what?" "As you like." "I don't know." "Then first." First write down your name.” Sister picked up the pen. She wrote three words: Co Minh Chau. After writing, she looked at it for a long time. In Thua Chi Institute, others just called her Ky Tue Nu. Her father called her the glory of the Co-family. People call her a blessing. For three years, very few people called her Co Minh Chau. She put down her pen and said softly: "It turns out my name is not difficult to write." 17 Half a year later, my father came to the West Court to ask for someone. The Gu family's fortune had seriously declined, and he quickly wanted to reconnect with a few noble families. My sister used to be Ky Tue Nu, and many people are still curious about her. Her father wanted to take her to the banquet. Sister sat next to her great-grandmother eating pomegranates, not getting up. Father suppressed his anger. "Chau Nhi, the past has passed. You are still the eldest daughter of the Co family, you cannot live forever in the West Court." The older sister asked: "Who does father want to take you to meet?" "The old lady of the Ministry of Rites' House." "How many sons does she have?" Father's expression changed slightly. "Why do you ask these things?" The older sister smiled. "It seems that you want to use me in exchange for something." Father got angry. "You learn the rules. After three years in the Thua Chi Institute, did you only learn how to talk to your elders like that? "The sister put down the pomegranate. "The Thua Chi Institute taught me to eat less, talk less, and step out the door less." She looked at her father. "Now I've forgotten everything." Father raised his hand. Sister does not avoid. Before he could lower his hand, his great-grandmother's wooden staff was already pressed against his chest. "Go away." Father was so angry that he was shaking. "Auntie, you should stop protecting Minh Lan. Now, does she even protect her?" The great-grandmother said: "He has eaten rice from the West Court." Father did not understand. But I laughed again. The person who ate at her great-grandmother's place was the one she protected. In the end, his father still did not attack. Not long after leaving the Co Palace, his family members stripped him of his right to manage the family because the books were in disarray. People who previously worked for him left one by one. Only then did he realize that the Co family was able to maintain its dignity not thanks to Ky Tue Nu's reputation. Ancestral karma needs someone to look after it, and people's hearts also need it

be treated kindly. Before, he despised those things. Now that he wants to learn, no one is willing to teach him. Mother still lives in the main house. Sometimes she comes to the West Institute to visit us, sits for a while and then leaves. She still didn't have the courage to leave her father. The great-grandmother did not advise. My sister doesn't advise anymore. Each person must be responsible for their own choices.18The following spring, Thuong Kinh still held the spring sacrifice ceremony. There is no more Ky Tue Nu. The government invited farmers in the city to come to the stage and explain how to plant and irrigate. At first, people were not used to it. Later they discovered that even though none of the girls were hungry, the rice in the fields still grew as usual. Thua Chi Institute was renovated into a normal small institute. Lady Ta placed the eldest daughter's wooden deer on the stone table in the yard. The great-grandmother also brought the red string left by her younger sister. No one burned incense, no one knelt and bowed. They just stood there for a moment. When leaving, the great-grandmother walked very slowly. Lady Ta supported her. Two women who both lost loved ones talk to each other for the first time in a long time. Sister did not come. She said she still didn't dare enter that door. I don't force you. Now she eats on time every day and her body gradually recovers.