The Concubine

A Republican-era story about a young stepmother, a short story: a young lady returned from studying abroad x a proper little concubine from the old days

“The eldest Miss Zhu is back from studying in France!”

Zhu Lingyao walks into the Zhu family's old mansion in a Western-style dress and comes face-to-face with Liu Qingyuan, the new concubine her father has taken.

The little concubine is even younger than her. Her old-fashioned hair is pinned up, and she wears a bulky, old-style qipao. Her small, delicate face is heartbreakingly lovely.

The light divides them in two. Zhu Lingyao stands in the sunshine, like the new world she has seen. Liu Qingyuan stands in the shadows, like the old world she lives in.

“Little Auntie, I'll take you out to have some fun.” Zhu Lingyao smiles brightly and holds out her hand to Liu Qingyuan.

Liu Qingyuan looks at her unfamiliar clothes, curiosity in her dewy doe eyes. Trembling, she extends her little hand and places it in Zhu Lingyao's, lowering her head as she softly replies, “Okay.”

The tall woman in Western dress takes her little aunt by the hand, leading her beyond the towering courtyard walls to see the new world outside.

P.S.

1. Writing whatever I like, just for fun.

2. The little aunt and the father aren't in love. She was forced to marry him.

Theme: Women should be independent and strong.