Entering the Spring Tent

Zhou Huaizhi, the sixth daughter of the Marquis Dingyuan’s household, was radiant and beautiful, with a gentle, graceful charm. But her two eldest sisters were simply too outstanding, and compared with them, she and her fifth sister seemed much less remarkable. Everyone, including their family, favored the two exceptional sisters.

Zhou Huaizhi took it all in stride. She was already a noble young lady, after all. The world was full of countless people suffering hardship, while she had been blessed with a complete, happy, and wealthy family. And because she was young, she could rightly enjoy her elders’ care. It was as if the gods favored her, so Zhou Huaizhi was perfectly content to take life easy. Her fifth sister, however, felt differently. She threw herself into studying music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, vowing to make a name for herself and ensure no one would ever look down on her again.

That winter, when Zhou Huaizhi was fifteen, the capital was unusually cold. It was only after her fifth sister’s marriage was settled that the worry finally began to fade from the family’s faces. Her fifth sister had at last won the attention she had always wanted, but she showed no joy. Instead, she grew more troubled by the day, and Zhou Huaizhi could not understand why.

On New Year’s Day, the sisters set off fireworks as they did every year. Her fifth sister gave all of hers to Zhou Huaizhi, who was overjoyed. That had never happened before! A few days later, Zhou Huaizhi was curled up in bed, sleeping in, when her maid shook her awake. After hearing what the maid had to say, Zhou Huaizhi’s deer-like eyes widened until they were as big as bells. She stared in disbelief. “What?! My fifth sister ran away from her wedding?!”