Unexpected Journey

I am the fourth daughter and the only child that my mother gave birth to. She passed away after giving birth to me. My mother was the third wife of my father and even on her death bed, my father never came to see my mother because she bore a daughter and she was his least favorite wife. Instead, he went to accompany fourth mother.

I was never a favorite of my father, he treated me differently from all of my sisters. He was proud of them. He only needs me when he wants me to sew outfits for my sisters or embroider peony flowers for fourth mother or for them. Everyone treats me like a slave. Even though my family's well off, I still had to do many chores around the house and comb Siping's hair every morning and night.

"Pingping!! where are you!" said fourth mother. I guess I dozed off too long while washing clothes at the well. "Come here right now you lazy fool!"

"Coming fourth mother!" She was the only wife that my father had left because the other two also passed away. First mother past away five years ago and second mother not long after that. That leads fourth mother the right to be the head woman of the household. 

"Yes fourth mother." I watched as she stared at me in silence. She lift her cup of tea from the table beside her, dranked it and set it down before opening her mouth to speak.

"Hum! You get cockier by the day Pingping. Once Siping is chosen by the court, im going to marry you off to Lord Dongyang." Siping is older than me by an hour. We were born on the same day and year. My other two elder sisters were twins and were married off to noblemen about a year ago. They married at the age of twenty-two

"But mother, I heard that he's not a good person, and he already has five wifes." I said in a stern but calm voice. I wasn't a weakling. Just because I grew up without love and a mother, I had Nanny May that taught me how to read, write, and she always told me to stand up for myself, because I too have every right as Siping.

"You dare defy me? I already talked to your father about it and Lord Dongyang is willing to pay a handsome price for your filthy self...Of course he is well.. sixty years old without an heir." she giggled to herself.

"He'll come and fetch you tomorrow, now go away and see if there's any news about Siping. Unlike you, I know that she would be picked by the court to marry the fifth prince tod--."

Just as she said that Siping came running towards her crying with her hair all nappy. Her makeup was also smeared. Oh boy can that girl scream.

"Ma, maaaaaaaaaaa..huuummmmmmmmmm..Ma.. Ma" she was crying so hard that she had to pause in between to gasp for air.

"Seeping dont cry, you're already 19 years old. What happen are you so happy that you got picked?"as she was running towards fourth mother, Siping purposely bumped into me and pushed me to the ground. "Get out of my way, when I become the wife of the fifth prince, i'll make you my slave."

"Ma...I qualify for the next round!!!!!" said Siping. 

"OO, I knew my daughter was going to make it. Look at you you're so pretty unlike Piping."

"Congradualtions Siping." "I don't need your praise. Oh yea, aren't you being sold off to Lord Dongyang tomorrow!..hahahaa..serves you right. Who will marry you! you're mother was just a whore with no status in life unlike my mother, she's a noble."

It makes me mad when they talk about my mother and her status, they can talk about me all they want, but not my mother. Nanny May told me that my mother was one of the most beautiful and respected lady even though she wasn't a noble. I tried to hold my tears back, and my anger.

"May I dismiss myself?"

" Go clean yourself and get ready, Lord Dongyang is going to be here early tomorrow morning to pick you up."

Just as I turned around to leave, I can hear Fourth mother and Siping talking about how much money Lord Donyang gave them and how they were going to spend it. Thinking about them and Lord Dongyang made me sick to my stomatch. I had to do something. I can't just marry someone that I don't love.