Concubine - TRUE STORY [English Version]

7) a blessed marriage?

-236 B.C.-

Li Yu and Yan Tao were standing next to each other, smiling a little awkwardly at their parents.

"I'm very happy to see that they like each other. This is a good sign for a blessed marriage."
"Certainty madam Ling. And you already have our permission. My wife and me are very thankful that you thought of our daughter as a good match.

Master Ling joined the conversation.
"Of course the marriage has to wait for a short while. The day after tomorrow, Yan Tao will have to go back to court with me. And we will stay for at least a month. But don't worry Master Chen. After this month, Li Yu is more than welcome in our family."

Papa bowed for them.
"Thank you Master. Thank you."
Li Yu gave her smile a last time to Yan Tao. She bowed as wel.
"I'm very honored."

It wasn't really in her nature to be a very "humble" person. But it would be a disgrace to act like a child after such a warm welcome.

Yan Tao waved at her when they turned around and left. Papa carefully took her hand.
"You see? Getting married isn't the worst thing."
"No. Apparently it isn't."
"I'm happy you acted like a grown up."
That sounded humiliating. But he was right. Li Yu was never before so well behaved.

They went home together. She was almost exited to tell mama what it was like. And that was a bizarre feeling. She didn't know this feeling. And it felt a little strange.

Walking with the huge amount of fabric around her body was a challenge on its own, but she ran into the house shouting for mama.

Mama looked up from her sewing task with tears in her eyes.
"Mama?"
She took a deep breath.
"My little girl is a woman now."

She wanted to believe that her mother was truly emotional. The expression on her face however didn't say the same thing. She didn't look like a happy mom. Rather one in pain.

Her mother's eyes now they'll her that Li knows. But both of them don't say a thing. Li feels that this is not the moment to talk about it.

Papa now enters too.
"Our daughter will be a bride! What a great news!"

He tried to be happy but he saw his wife's pain en her silence on this exiting news. She managed to have a cramped laugh on her face.
"That's very good news" her voice was merely gone at this point.

Li Yu's happiness was about gone. This very morning, mama had lovingly done her hair and dressed her. And now she was a wreck. Close to the fire with layers of blankets, like the worst winter ever was about to begin. While the sun was shining and the temperature was nice.

"Papa."
He looked up.
"I will work with the Wang family. Mama needs money for a doctor. Or at least some kind of medicine."

He looked at his daughter with a thankful expression but he was shaking his head at the same time.
"Mama knows what she is doing."

But that didn't sound very convincing.
But she agreed with him anyway.
"I will work myself. And maybe master Ling knows a good doctor."
"We won't bother your future husband's family. That's very impolite."

He sounded desperate. Like he knew that more was going on. Li looked at papa and then at mama. En then back at papa.

She had a very sad face that told her she didn't have to give another argument. It wouldn't help.

With a heavy weight on her shoulders she left the room for bed. Carefully she took out the hair pin and left it on her improvised night stand.

It probably wasn't the right way to loosen the bun and clothes, but she managed to get them out her way.

She made a quick long loose braid and left it hanging on her back.

She threw herself onto her bed. What did she have to say. What did she have to do not very much so it seems. But she wanted to. Something useful, something soothing. Something from a grown up.

Something that will have her father admit that there's more going on than he admits. A childlike worrying came upon her. She doesn't know anything about sicknesses. Maybe she is just exaggerating and is that the reason papa doesn't do anything.

That will be the case. Nothing to worry about.