Chapter 2 Growing Up as The First Daughter

Ever since Zhao Shuyu came to the Zhao family, a delicate and pretty fourth young lady was added to the Zhao residence in Jinzhou. She was also the first daughter of the Zhao family.

The large Zhao residence was thus fully renovated once more.

Inviting countless artisans to create lotus ponds, rock gardens, and winding corridors inside the pavilion.

Inside the Hanyu Pavillion, the fourth young lady couldn’t wait to fill the lotus pond with liquid jade(1) and walk on thin silk fabric.

1. Eite or qióng jiāng yù yè means a slurry made of beautiful jade. In ancient Chinese myths and

legends, drinking it can transform one into a fairy. It is also a metaphor for wine or sweet sauce.

The subordinates all have some ambitions of their own, but seeing the eldest son’s attitude, they immediately became prudent. So much so that they carefully served upon the fourth young lady, putting their hearts and souls in attending to her in fear of making the slightest slip.

Moreover, since the fourth young lady had moved into the Zhao family, the Zhao family gained a somewhat homey feel.

In the past, the eldest young master would seldom come home, and when he did, he was cold and aloof, not even showing any pretense towards his two younger brothers.

But now, the eldest son was always staying in the residence, and once he came back, he mostly stayed inside the Hanyu Pavilion.

The third young master, Zhao Xifan, as well, would frequently visit the Hanyu Pavilion to see the Little Yu’er(2). Sometimes, he would even drag Zhao Muqing with him, and under the influence of his younger brother, Zhao Muqing could no longer act indifferently and ignore his younger sister.

2. AKA Little Jade

Although he was eventually lukewarm, he still couldn’t help but look at her.

The two-year-old Little Yu’er was already learning to babble. Her je-black grape-shaped eyes were glinting brighter and brighter, her eyelashes kept growing longer. With her eyes constantly fluttering plus her small pink mouth slightly curving up, her countenance looked just like a doll, appearing extremely

cute.

In the past few days when Zhao Xifan wasn’t in the residence and Zhao Muqing was in the pavilion reading a book, without Zhao Xifan making a ruckus in the Hanyu Pavilion, Zhao Muqing always felt that something was missing.

‘If you couldn’t read the book, then don’t read it.’

In a blink of an eye, he headed to the Hanyu Pavilion to look for the pink doll.

That pink doll was just biting her fingers with saliva dripping down her hands as she still bit enthusiastically.

Zhao Muqing slapped her little hand, evoking a warning.

But, he didn’t expect the pink doll to just stare at him for a while, still gnawing on her hands. Zhao Muqing immediately creased his brows, his attractive face turning rigid, “Zhao Shuyu!”

The pink doll just stared distractedly, not fully comprehending what was happening as she gazed at Zhao Muqing. After hesitating for a short while, she extended her soft pink hand, “Bro…ther, eat?”

Zhao Muqing also just looked at her, an involuntary smile immediately creeping up.

Seeing the pink doll’s constantly moving grape-shaped eyes, he took a mouthful of the pink doll’s white fingers.

The plump fingers still had sticky fluid on them, but the jade doll permeated the unique smell of milk. Moreover, there was another faint flowery scent, most likely jasmine. Zhao Muqing narrowed his eyes, and for the first time, he felt that this younger sister was pleasing to the eye.

Her teeth moved, the milk doll’s nipping felt ticklish. Gurgling out a laugh, the itching feeling in the eightyear-old Zhao Muqing’s heart became more obvious. He loosened his lip, pursing them around Little Yu’er’s finger.

“Little Yu’er is quite naughty. Later, you can’t touch people as you please.”

Time flew by, and in a flash, twelve years had passed.

From a pink doll, the fourth young lady of the Zhao family, Zhao Shuyu, transformed into a slender and elegant young woman.

She was doted on by her brothers and was whole-heartedly tended to by the wet nurses. Although the fourth young lady didn’t have a father nor mother, she was infinitely times happier compared to any daughter of an ordinary merchant family.

Living a life of luxury and having no difficulties, she, Zhao Shuyu, was the only daughter of the Zhao residence, not following any strict rules placed by the elders above her and not having to fight and scheme against the concubines below her.

The eldest son Zhao Xingyuan, who managed the household, was her older brother and always spoiled her to an extreme.

It’s just that her eldest brother didn’t like her to often go out and play. He also gave her a lot of books that she should read, like Female Commandments(3) and Confucian moral injunctions for women.

3. It’s an actual book. Please see link for more information.

https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A5%B3%E8%AA%A1

But Zhao Shuyu couldn’t stand this treatment, and after several rounds of back and forth, she figured out a way to get her eldest brother to relent.