Part 2

The morning sun rose up greeting all life on mother earth. The birds came out of their nests, stretching their feathers in the warm morning light. Other animals too started waking up from their sleep.

At the edge of a sparkling lake, stood a beautiful house. The interior of the house were pearl white and scented with the smell of flowers from a peach tree. Every room was built and carved from the most exquisite nanmu wood and in a particular room the scenery of the lake stretches out into a splendid scenery reflecting the heaven above; the lake was covered by a thin mist floating on top of the lake, filled with blossoms of many lotus flowers floating on top of the serene waters of the lakes as fishes swam between them. 

Every inch of the room was decorated with hundreds paper cranes hanging and wavering slightly from the breeze flowing into the room. At the centre of the room, a four-poster bed stood, hiding behind cream-coloured curtains, cradling its important occupant from waking up.

The occupant was a maiden, her features were divine; her lips were a rosy red, a little curved at the edge with a slight of playfulness. Long eyelashes splayed across her sleeping face. Her silky jet-black hair was tousled from the night, making a backdrop which focused and contrasted her fair, pearly skin.

The girl was none other than Mistress Zhen. She was already a beautiful lady in spite of her illness but now colours have returned to her cheeks as she recuperated from her almost near-death experience and the woman looked even more alluring than before. Her health has improved and her body felt stronger than she was in her whole lifetime.

However, the lovely features were beginning to change as her brows furrowed and her face tightened, and her comfortable sleep was being disturbed and with a cry she woke up.

Just as she cried out, an old maid came in through the door on the left, carrying a bucket of warm water for Mistress Zhen to wash her face. She placed it on the bedside table and hugged her. "Did you have that dream again?" she asked. 

The lady nodded.

"It was the happiest day of my life. And then my surroundings changed. There were corpses everywhere and they were staring at me with their white eyes. Everything was burning. It made me felt sick the sight, the smell, the noise everything seems so real. And... and there was a woman and a man who kept calling me their daughter, but they died too, killed by a single man. And-" there was a long pause before she continued. "I died too. Someone stabbed me. The pain felt so real. I felt that if I looked behind, I could see a scar at the back of body."

"But there is no scar," comforted the old maid. "You can see it yourself every day in the morning. There isn't any scar. You skin is as smooth as a baby."

Gently she separated herself from the lady. Madam Wong walked over towards the bucket of water on the table. She wet a cloth in the water, wrung it dry and handed it to the lady. 

Mistress Zhen took the damp cloth and began wiping her face.

"There is nothing to be worried about. It is just a dream," said the old maid confidently as she stood beside her. "Things that happened in dreams can only be dreams."

"They seem so real," replied the lady as she handed the towel back to the old maid. The old maid placed the towel on the table next to the bucket and went towards the drawer.

"But they cannot hurt us," said the old maid while searching for matching clothing for the mistress.

The lady only nodded. She still felt the recurring dreams were bothering her, not physically but mentally, at the back of her mind, something important, kept tugging at her. But there was nothing she could do about it as there are only dreams as advised by Madam Wong. She pushed away her thoughts like her blanket and got out of bed. She tidied up her bed and opened all the windows in her room.

The warm morning sun shone brightly, lighting the room with its radiance. Mistress Zhen was appreciating the warm light on her face, when a blue bird suddenly flown into the room, disturbing the peaceful paper swans in the room and also the old maid. "Shoo, shoo," she said to the bird while using her hands to drive out the bird.

"Wait. Let me do it," said Mistress Zhen. The girl who was still standing beside the window, spread her hand towards the bird, and started singing. It was a simple song which sang about the beauty of spring. The bird stood there quietly watching her, staring at her; its head moved from side to side before it slowly inched closer to her until the bird was perched on top of her far stretched hand. She cupped the bird in her hand and then she let it fly out across the open sky through the opened windows.

Mistress Zhen stared at it until it can no longer be seen. "I never knew that she had just a talent in you. You used to be so afraid of animals," said the old maid where Mistress Zhen only smiled in reply. She can't understand herself, but she seems to understand the bird. It was just worried about her. And she sang in reply. It knew that she was fine, and it knew that she would lead it away, so it gently rested on her hand.

Suddenly, from the corners of the Mistress's eyes, she saw a carriage moving towards the house. It looked fairly familiar.

Madam Wong also saw the carriage and she inched out from the window to have a better view and almost tumbled out from the window.

The young mistress's quick reflexes saved the old woman as she was able to hold onto her sash just before she fell out. "It's dangerous leaning out like that," scolded Mistress Zhen when she pulled her back into the room.

However, the moment her feet landed back firmly onto the floor, Madam Wong said, "The Master of the house is coming home. I just saw his carriage past through the bamboo forest."

Her deathly escape had already been forgotten and gone from her mind. "Quickly, we must get ready to meet him. Or else he will get mad at you again," she continued as she placed her attention on the Mistress. "Sit at the dressing table quickly."

The Master had three strict rules that the Mistress must follow; every time he came home, she must greet him. They must have every meal together and that she must never enter his room or his study unless she is being called for.

"You haven't even brushed your hair yet," said Madam Wong as she looked into the mirror which was reflecting the Mistress's lovely features in it. Madam Wong gathered all of Mistress's locks and took the wooden comb on the table and began furiously combing her hair, trying to untangle any knots that had formed during the night.

It was hurting her scalp and Mistress Zhen stopped Madam Wong and took over the comb. "I can do it myself," said Mistress Zhen and she began combing her hair slowly and carefully, untangling any knots that had formed during the night before and from Madam Wong's rough handling.

"We do not have time. The Master is coming home," said Madam Wong anxiously.

"It will be done in no time. Just relax."

But Madam Wong was restless, and she can't keep calm. She went towards the drawer again and was searching for another set of clothes. But they weren't any flamboyant or exquisite clothes. They were only simple and plain which had little patterns on them. "You are a cloth merchant's daughter, but your clothes are all of inferior quality," thought Madam Wong. "It's entirely your stepmother's fault; that wicked woman always scheming against my miss. If I had known, I should have stolen some of her daughter's clothes."

"Nanny, the ones on the table are good enough," said Mistress Zhen. "Do not search anymore. I am not meeting a very important person anyway," said Mistress Zhen casually. In truth, she doesn't even want to meet him.

Madam Wong closed the drawer as she can't seem to find anything suitable. When she looked at the girl, she has already tied her hair up in a simple hairstyle which Madam Wong thought was too plain. "Let me add more flavour to it," said Madam Wong as she got closer to the Mistress.

"But this is comfortable."

"No, it is too simple," insisted Madam Wong.

Seeing that she had no way out of it, Mistress Zhen let her redo her hair. But to put on a more elegant hairstyle she needed help, but the mistress's personal maid hadn't arrived yet.

And then suddenly, the door opened with a bang, a girl who was puffing and huffing was standing in front of the doorway.

"Xiao Tao," they both cried out, although in Mistress Zhen's case she was glad to see the girl who was her only friend in the whole household while Madam Wong was angry at her. "You are late again Xiao Tao," said Madam Wong trying to hide her anger in front of the Mistress while holding onto some of the lady's hair in her hand.

"Sorry, Madam Wong. I am really sorry. I...will try...to wake up...early next time," said Xiao Tao whose breath hasn't returned to normal yet. She did it again, waking up late, and being tardy again.

"Never mind that, come quickly," said Mistress Zhen. "Help nanny, comb my hair."

Xiao Tao came over and helped Madam Wong. She held those strands of hair in place as Madam Wong comb and inserted pins to the mistress's hair to style them.

"Put in the pearl flowers hairpins as well," added Mistress Zhen.

Xiao Tao was puzzled. "There aren't any pearl hairpins, my lady."

"There should be. I had a pair of beautiful pearl hairpins given to me by my mother."

"There aren't any, Mistress Zhen."

"Did you misplace them? There are very important to me," said Mistress Zhen anxiously.

"No there aren't any hairpins, miss," said Xiao Tao pleadingly.

Sensing the rise of an argument Madam Wong interceded, "You don't have any pearl accessories. Your mother didn't give you any either."

"Oh. Sorry Xiao Tao," apologized the Mistress.

"It's okay," said Xiao Tao. 

Later when the hair was done, Madam Wong rushed Mistress Zhen into wearing the clothes on the table. She took a one-piece garment called Quju Shenyi, an outer robe with a long sleeve, from the table and held them up so that the Mistress can wear it quickly. One by one Mistress Zhen placed her hands along the sleeves. After that, Madam Wong wrapped it around her slender body.

"Nanny, help me with the sash, it's hard to tie it up properly," said Mistress Zhen to Madam Wong as she had a hard time fumbling with the sash.

Madam Wong walked closer to her and help position it around her, but it was hard for her as well. Her old hands are not as it used to be, and she lost against it as well. Xiao Tao came over instinctively and with her agile hands, using a piece of string tied them securely into place with three knots securing the sash beneath.

"You are always pretty good with the tying knots," complimented Mistress Zhen as she inspected herself. Xiao Tao looked pleased that the Mistress was glad about her work and was smiling by herself, the argument they had before was quickly forgotten but Madam Wong looked at the lady and felt dissatisfied, "She seem more like a commoner than a daughter in law of the city lord. I need to ask permission from the master to buy more clothes for the lady," thought Madam Wong.

"Thanks," said Mistress Zhen as she poured her a cup of water from the teapot and handed it to Xiao Tao who took it gladly as she was very thirsty from all the running.

The maid gulped down the water; it only invited more anger from Madam Wong.

She knew what Madam Wong was thinking, "A maid should act like a maid. She is our master, and we are here to serve her." But during these three months she had become fast friends with the Mistress. She was unlike what she had thought at first, she was straightforward, easy to talk to unlike the time when she had first arrived. Although there were times that she would accuse her of something, but it was due to her illness before, so she understood.

"Hurry, the both of you," said Madam Wong rushing them out of the room. "You are going to be late."

"I won't," said Mistress Zhen as she gathered all her skirt in her hand and ran, "Come on," she called back to Xiao Tao. "Be careful," called out Madam Wong who was half angry, half amused by her. "She never would have run like that, no matter, how rush she was," thought Madam Wong as she saw Xiao Tao chasing after her and they disappeared around the corner. She closed the door behind her and followed them. 

Unfamiliar

Walking along the corridor, she was thinking about various things.

Ever since, waking up from her coma, the lady's personalities had changed dramatically; she used to be so quiet and shy, now she opens up to everyone and energetic, like she was another person. That was not the only thing, even her memories are jumbled up, she had forgotten her own name, her age, her parents and even Madam Wong and she often remembered things that aren't there. 

Just like earlier of how she was asking for the pearl hairpin that she said was given to her by her mother. Her mother died when their family weren't doing very well so she would never have had anything so expensive to pass to her.

And there was another time that she told her that she did not know how to play the zither which was her favourite instrument. She was just playing it before her coma, every day. How can someone just forget things like that?

"But, just maybe, losing her memories like that is a blessing. She can start a new life here, without being bound by those unhappy memories."

Three months ago

A few swallows were singing outside the windowsill. One of them, flown over to the bedside, maybe it was worried; it began chirping loudly at the lady. Moments later, the lady's eyelids started to move, shortly her eyes began to flutter, and she was awake.

She looked around before turning her head towards the little bird and gave it a smile. The bird took flight and went back to the windowsill, joining its partner.

When the lady rose from her bed, seeing the lady was fine, the little birds took their leave, side by side flying over the lake.

The lady tried sitting up, however her body was sore from the sleeping, thus when she attempted to climb out of the bed. Her hands slipped as they were unable to support her, and the lady tumbled out of bed with a crash.

In the process, the water basin next to her was toppled as she fell and the water splashed on her body and she was drenched in the cold water, luckily it was still early spring, and the weather was warm, but it still causes the girl to shiver and managed a sneeze.

The maid who was sweeping the floor outside the room was startled and she flung open the door; the maid was none other than Lady Bai's nanny, Madam Wong. She was always waiting outside the room, guarding her master, praying, and believing she will wake up. The maid looked at the water-soaked girl on the floor. "Miss," cried Madam Wong. She moved and hugged the wet girl. The girl was dumbfounded and did not respond to her at all. 

"This must be a dream. Oh, how many times have I dream about this day. Say something, anything," as she looked at the girl's face and moving it to the left and then right with her hands before hugging her again.

"Who are you?" the girl asked Madam Wong.

Madam Wong detached herself from her, "What are you talking about Miss? It is me Madam Wong. I am your nanny."

"Who are you?" the girl repeated. "I am Madam Wong, Miss Bai."

"I do not know you," said the girl, who was looking at the woman in front of her. Her eyes were blank as if she were staring at a stranger. There was not a hint of recognition from her eyes.

Madam Wong sensing the seriousness of the situation hurriedly left Mistress Zhen and went to call for the maids.

Madam Wong later returned with a bowl of warm congee when she was done instructing one of the maids to call for the doctor and alerting the Master. When she entered the room, she was very surprised to find that the lady was missing. She placed the warm congee on the table, started searching high and low in the room. She was not under the bed or inside the chests or the closet.

She scolded the other maid for not looking after the Mistress.

"How could you leave her," blamed the old woman, whose heart was quite shaken.

"I did not know that she would leave. I was going to get her some warm tea. I just left for a while," said Xiao Tao.

"We must hurry and find her," said Madam Wong as she grabbed the maid's hand and went searching everywhere. They went first to the lady's favourite places. It was not until she reached the Lotus pavilion outside her room that she was able to find her. The lady was sitting at the edge looking out and humming a song at the fishes in the pond while still drenched. Madam Wong immediately moved her back into the room and helped the lady changed while at the same time scolded her. The lady only looked confused, but she did not speak a word the whole while.

Husband

Seconds later, she was eating the now cold congee fed to her by Madam Wong in her bed. Her body was so weak that holding the spoon for too long tires her out. It was a miracle that she was even able to get out of bed and went outside to the pavilion. The maid came later rushing in through the main door, pushing it opened loudly but it did not startle her at all. She was unfazed and was still eating even when the doctor came and examined her.

"I found nothing wrong with her. She is just weak and needed rest," he finally said. Here a medication list for a regenerative tonic, get the herbs written here. And boil them together for two hours and fed it to her," he told Madam Wong. "Ah yes, before I forget. Let her get plenty of rest and do not distress her any further," the doctor added. The other maid accompanied the doctor and went to fetch the herbs in the recipe.

"Miss how are you doing?" asked Madam Wong as she looked worriedly at her miss.

"My head still hurts. By the way who are you? Where am I?" asked the girl.

And slowly, Madam Wong told her who she is.

"Your name is Bai LiQin. You are a daughter of a wealthy merchant. You are now married to the Zhen family and are the lady of the house."

"Then where is my husband? I do not see him anywhere."

"Your husband is a heartle-"

"Shush," warned Madam Wong at Xiao Tao.

Before the old maid could explain to her, a knock came from the door and the maid opened the door for the person. A man, who stood haughtily, stepped into the room. He took one look at the lady and said, "I see that you haven't died."

And then he turned to Madam Wong, "Take care of the mistress. Whatever you need, just tell them to the Old Man Kang." With that said he left the room and left the lady bewildered.

"Who does he think he is? Acting so arrogantly."

"He is your husband," said Madam Wong.

The lady was surprised. "That man who just left, is my husband?" exclaimed the lady.

"Yes," she assured her.

However, the lady was quite puzzled. "What happened to me? Who is he? I don't understand."

The old woman held her hand and said, "Let me tell you," as she sat down on a chair and slowly explained to her everything that had happened to her since the day she was born.

The lady's mother, Mistress Bai, died shortly giving birth to you, before she died; she named you after her dead sister, LiQin. Your father remarried later and had another three daughters and a son. Your stepmother hated you because you were more beautiful than her daughters and she was jealous of you.

At first, because you were the only child. Thus, your father loved you very much but due to your stepmother badmouthing you, to your father everyday behind your back; you grew apart from your father. And with the birth of your other siblings your father was even less concerned with you.

However, thanks to your stepmother family support, your father's business grew, and he became a wealthy merchant. Later, your father listened to your stepmother's 'advice' and agreed to your marriage with the adopted son of the present city lord, Lord Zhen.

Even though, he knew that you already had a lover; he broke apart your relationship and sent him away. If that was not bad enough, he was unfortunate and met with a band of bandits and was killed. You had always blamed your father for his death, but being a filial child, you still went through with the wedding. You are now married to the current Master of the house, ZhenYu.

Since that day, the lady entered into the household. You had never met your husband, not even on your wedding night because he left you sitting there the whole night.

Other than that, because of your sickness due to the grief of losing someone you loved, you spend most of your time in your room nursing yourself and never came out except every morning where you routinely went to the bamboo forest.

Although for dinner, he set the rules to eat with you every day and since your illness worsen those meetings stopped too. You have never spoken to the master as well, maybe you were too shy, and the old woman sighed and shook her head.

The lady listened quietly to the old maid's story.

What do you think of YuQiao (Now LiQin)'s Husband - heartless, cruel? 

Please leave a vote or comments since those are appreciated too ~