Three Joys

Chapter 5

I don't remember how I was taken downstairs. My memory solely clung to that red bead. It resembled a pomegranate seed and bore a striking resemblance to the crimson agate stones that adorned the concubines' hairpins in the mansion.

The color was genuinely enchanting.

I was taken back to my room, guarded by servants, not allowed to leave for two whole days. During these two days, I felt dazed and disoriented. Even though they provided me with delicious food and drink, I couldn't eat, and I had nightmares at night. Every time I woke up, I wondered if everything that had happened was just a dream. I had always thought of myself as an ordinary and innocent person, and everyone else had believed the same.

Who could have fathomed such bizarre occurrences in this world?

However, no matter how much I tried to make sense of it, everything that was happening or about to happen left me with no choice.

On this particular day, the servants woke me up, led me to a nearby room. There, I saw Aunt and two elderly women. Aunt was still wearing the heavily make up today, with a white fox fur around her neck and displaying her slender legs. She smiled at me with a leisurely demeanor. When I saw her, I couldn't help but recall the torment from the previous day, and my body shivered slightly.

Aunt laughed, her red lips vibrant, and said, "What's this? Afraid of me? Do you think I'd eat you? Can you read and write? Have you ever been to a school?"

I lowered my head and cautiously replied, "I... I can recognize and write characters." Although I had never been to school, we had hired a teacher in the mansion, and I had read the Four Books and Five Classics like most others.

Aunt listened and said, "That will do. We don't need to trouble a teacher to instruct you. I'm not hoping for you to become highly educated; just recognizing a few characters will suffice. After all, even if you study well, it's just adding a little something extra. Whether you can make it through these days depends on your belly."

Her words seemed to carry hidden meanings in each sentence, and I kept my head low, unsure of how to respond.

Perhaps because I remained silent, she found it uninteresting and waved her hand, saying,
"Never mind, I won't tease you further today. I came here with a purpose. From today, Zhao and Chen, will pay careful attention to educating our Fourth Brother. Otherwise, when he marry into his husband's family in the future, he might bring shame to the Shen family."

The two maids nodded in agreement, and Aunt didn't say much more before she let me go.

From that day onwards, every morning, I had to rise early and rinse my mouth with saltwater. Following a change of attire, the two maids embarked on their "instruction." However, this didn't involve teaching me to read or write; instead, they concentrated on instilling the etiquette and conduct befitting wealthy wives. This encompassed a wide array of topics, ranging from how to maintain an upright posture while walking, to the appropriate portion to consume during a meal, and how to interact with various individuals.
If I erred in any of these aspects, they didn't hold back in their punishments, resorting to penalties like spankings or even the deprivation of a meal. These were regarded as minor transgressions.

"There are four Commandments for the "kao". The first is 'No offspring,' which means that during the heating cycle, if you sleep with your husband for three years and still don't conceive, you break this Commandment. The second is 'Disobedience,' which means not obeying your husband's parents. The third is 'Promiscuity,' engaging in extramarital affairs. The fourth is 'Illness,' having a disease that prevents you from sharing a meal..."

What I was currently studying was the "Four Commandments." Their rules were similar to those for women, and each "kao" had to abide by all of them. If you broke one of them, the consequences would be determined by the husband's family. Aunt said that I should engrain each of these rules in my bones, and the most severe punishment, even before promiscuity and disobedience, was infertility.