ZuoMeng: To Dream

Prologue

"Miss Sun, wake up. It's your big day today. You are so lucky to be able to marry someone you love," said Xiao Hua as the girl placed a tub of water on the table for her miss to wash her face with.

The girl on the bed woke up. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. She stretched and yawned, finally awake. With long ebony hair, and a small peach like lips, she was a beauty, well-known around town.

The young woman was none other than YuQiao, the daughter of General Sun who protected the city and the Lord.

YuQiao was all smiles and butterflies, as she remembered the fact that she was getting married to YongSan today. The boy whom she met and fell in love when she was just still a child and had grown together. He was not from a noble or equal status house, but due to his hard work he climbed up the ranks and showed his talents in the army and was soon promoted. YongSan later proposed to her family and her father finally agreed. It was a joyous occasion.

Meanwhile, as YuQiao was getting ready, her mother and her nanny, Madam Pang were walking towards her room with a tray of breakfast, containing all YuQiao's favourite food.

"How many years has it been since she joined our little family?" asked Mistress Sun.

"It's been twelve years already Mistress," replied Madam Pang.

"It seems like fate when I looked upon her face and I felt such a deep bond and love towards the little girl and adopted her as my child. It is all thanks to you for bringing her to me," said the mistress as she held the old maid's hands.

"It is not me, but fate. I too was led there by chance, meeting her and bringing her here," replied Madam Pang with a smile. "I am glad it all turned out well."

"We took turns taking care of her despite the high fever that might have robbed her of her life. I do not have any more I wish from this world, but the hope that all my children will lead a happy life, especially YuQiao. She has bought me so much joy. I hope for the rest of her life, she will lead it happily as well," sighed Mistress Sun.

"We all hope she does, especially the Master who did not wish the miss to marry, saying that his baby is going to be married. He loves the miss the most out of all his children," said the old maid.

And they both let out a little laughter.

Mistress Sun could still recall the fond memories of how the little girl had charmed her way into her father's heart. The girl was interested in studying, writing, and reading so the family hired a tutor for her. She attended the lessons, but at night she would still look for her father.

It was the only free time he had—being the general and the lord, he was busy patrolling and training the soldiers in the daytime. Usually everyone was already asleep when he came home except for his wife and now his little girl.

Mistress Sun could remember how the little girl would climb onto his lap and sit on it, telling him stories and events that happened during the time when he was away.

And sometimes, he would also read to her or teach her how to write using the brush, slowly guiding her small hands as Mistress Sun stood next to them adding oil to the burning lamp illuminating quietly from the corner of the table.

But that was not the only reason he loved her. She was unlike other little girls. She spoke like a boy and acted like a boy, and it made her father very happy. The man could do everything with her which he could not do with his son as he had a weak constitution since birth.

The little girl was like a son he never had. So, whenever he was free, he often bought her out with him on trips to the outskirts of the city where he taught her how to shoot arrows and ride horses in the vast field. They would spend hours and hours on end outside, hunting rabbits and birds, secretly against her mother wishes. "Girls should always act like girls," said Mistress Sun when they came home, but she was never serious about it. She knew how enjoyable the time was that they spent together.