Chapter 009 sisters

The Qi family has been lacking in male descendants for generations, and has been struggling to thrive.

Madam Qi has been eagerly hoping for a grandson to carry on the family line, so she values Aunt Cui greatly. When Aunt Cui became pregnant, Madam Qi became even more attentive and kind to her. However, shortly after, Aunt Cui's mother, Madam Jiang, also became pregnant. Madam Qi believed that this good fortune was brought by Aunt Cui, and treated her even more kindly.

However, to everyone's disappointment, although everyone thought Aunt Cui was carrying a boy, she gave birth to a girl.

Madam Qi was disappointed and turned her hopes to Madam Jiang's unborn child. But when Madam Jiang gave birth, it was also a girl.

Madam Qi was disappointed with the first one and became angry when she saw Madam Jiang again. She had never liked Madam Jiang and now didn't even want to look at her daughter. Later, when Madam Jiang became mentally ill, Madam Qi immediately demanded her son to divorce her.

She repeatedly said, more and more fiercely, that even if the insane woman could give birth to a boy for the Qi family, what use would it be? She wanted to force her son to divorce Madam Jiang. However, her son, Lord Jingning, who had always been filial, did not listen to her. He firmly stated that he would never divorce his wife, even if Madam Jiang remained insane for the rest of her life.

Seeing this, Madam Qi, full of dissatisfaction and nowhere to vent, had to find someone else to blame.

The wet nurse, Liu Mama, who took care of Aunt Cui, was sent away to the countryside. After that, Aunt Cui had no mother or wet nurse by her side, and she often cried alone at night.

Sometimes she cried so hard that her eyes were swollen and unsightly in the morning.

Her grandmother would scold her in front of everyone, saying that crying all the time would bring bad luck. Aunt Cui, being so young, couldn't bear the scolding and would burst into tears.

Her grandmother would then pinch her waist and say, "No crying!" Aunt Cui, feeling both physical pain and emotional distress, felt like she might as well be dead.

There were many people present, and only Aunt Bai timidly tried to intercede, but the old maid, Shen Mama, glared at her, and Aunt Bai shrank back.

Aunt Bai was originally a maid by Aunt Cui's mother's side, timid and even more so after losing her support. She couldn't even protect herself, let alone Aunt Cui.

Fortunately, not long after, Madam Qi lost interest in scolding Aunt Cui.

The world was getting more chaotic, and the Xia King's army was getting closer to the capital. Madam Qi even lacked interest in talking to her son's aunts, let alone remembering Aunt Cui.

Thinking back to her childhood, Aunt Cui lowered her eyes and smiled silently.

Her grandmother didn't even care about her, let alone her second sister.

Just then, someone came in and reported that her second sister had arrived. Then, with a light rustle, the newly replaced pearl curtain was lifted. Aunt Cui looked up and saw her second sister, Qi Ying, walking in slowly from behind the curtain.

Qi family's girls in this generation all had names with flowers, such as Qi Ying, Qi Jin, Qi Mo, Qi Zhi, Qi Tang... a string of flowers, colorful and beautiful, each one prettier than the last, each one looking like a member of the Qi family.

The Qi family was known for their good looks, and Aunt Cui was no exception.

But she was the only one without a flower in her name.

It was said that when she was born, her father, Lord Jingning, was observing the stars at night and suddenly decided to name her "Taiwei" (太微). Aunt Cui didn't know if this story was true, but she couldn't help feeling lucky. If her father had been observing something else that night, she might have been named something else entirely.

Aunt Cui sat by the window, looking at her second sister, feeling that the face in front of her was becoming more and more unfamiliar.

Now that she thought about it, she and Qi Ying didn't look alike at all.

The blood they inherited from their father didn't make them look like sisters at all.

Aunt Cui's mother, Madam Jiang, was a concubine.

Qi Ying was the legitimate daughter of Madam Lu, and she and her sister lost their mother at birth. Her sister was weak and died before she was a month old.

So although Qi Ying was the second daughter in the family, in everyone's eyes, she was the eldest.

But in terms of favor, she was far from the fourth sister, Qi Mo.

In Madam Qi's eyes, only the fourth daughter mattered.

Aunt Cui's stubbornness annoyed her.

Qi Ying's coldness also annoyed her.

Only the fourth daughter, Qi Mo, was always affectionate and obedient, always smiling and doing everything to please her.

Aunt Cui squinted and thought, then smiled silently.

Her grandmother didn't even care about her second sister, let alone her.

Just then, someone came in and reported that her second sister had arrived. Then, with a light rustle, the newly replaced pearl curtain was lifted. Aunt Cui looked up and saw her second sister, Qi Ying, walking in slowly from behind the curtain.