Fú Huò Pǒ Cè (福祸叵测) Book 1: Minghua

Chapter 2

  I was jarred awake by an unknown sound. I listened for another sound, but there wasn't one. It must have been a servant leaving the room, perhaps Shaomai. I groaned, not sure how long I had been sleeping. The scarlet silk sheet slipped to my waist as I gingerly sat up with my elbows.

  Opening my eyes, and rubbing them lazily as they adjusted to the dim light. Squinting through the sheer curtains attached to the bed frame, I expected to see someone, but there was no one there. Brushing aside the curtain, I peered into the room. The room was faintly illuminated by candles, with the windows closed. What time was it? Did I miss breakfast again?

  Before getting married, Mother had given me instructions on how to be a good wife. I sighed as I remembered the lectures: a good wife should get up early every morning, a good wife should take care of her husband, a good wife should- the list went on and on. Since moving into the Hua Manor, getting out of bed had become exceedingly difficult. Because previously I have not woken up early enough, I have not been able to greet her in the morning or share breakfast with Madam. She has brushed off my impoliteness, but I couldn't help but feel like a bad wife.

  Removing the sheets, I carefully slipped my legs off the bed. I drew the curtains further apart before getting up. When I tried to stand up, a wave of dizziness forced me to sit back down. Every morning, I'd wake up to an unidentified noise, followed by a struggle to begin my day. It took me anything between five and twenty minutes to stand up without feeling dizzy.

  After nearly falling on my face on my first morning here, a doctor checked on me. He concluded that there was nothing wrong with me and blamed my morning imbalance on my ailment and the change in my surroundings. After speaking with Madam, he suggested that I take a tonic, which I have been doing every night since. Though my dizziness wasn't gone after taking it, it helped minimize. I also learned that slowly getting out of bed helps.

  I tucked my legs under me, looking around my room. This was my room, and I still couldn't believe it.. I had been here for a week and the room's magnificence never ceased to amaze me. In comparison to the size of the room, my parents' house was modest. The red of the bedsheets was a shade deeper than the red of the walls. The dark wooden frame of the bed, which was on the right side of the room, matched the rest of the furniture.

  As I moved my braid across my shoulder, I fiddled with it. I paused, realizing that the ribbon was missing from my hair. The ribbon was nowhere to be found, despite tugging on sheets and moving pillows. Where did the ribbon disappear to? Peering down at the floor was futile because still I couldn't find it.

  A knock on the door interrupted my search. When the door didn't open, I muttered absently, "I am awake, enter."

  After a brief wait, the door slowly opened, and someone entered with a tray in her hands; however, it was difficult to tell who it was because all of the young maids wore pink dresses. "Is that you, Shaomai?" I enquired.

  As she entered and closed the door behind her, she responded tentatively, "Yes, My Lady." With the tray balanced in her hands, she walked to the table in the center of the room. The tablecloth's crimson cloth had golden flowers embroidered on it. The four seats surrounding the table were all covered in the same pattern as the table. Shaomai approached the sheer gauzy curtains that separated the room into two parts. I sat there watching her tie the curtains back with a long ribbon. When she finished, she walked up to the windows and opened them one by one, starting with the one closest to me. At this point, I was able to see her face more clearly. Last night she called me beautiful. But, in her own way, Shaomai was beautiful as well. Her delicate brows were perfectly symmetrical, and the sharp curve of her jawline conveyed elegenace. The high bridge of her nose and the little bow on her lips gave her the appearance of being younger than she was. I was reminded of someone once more, but as soon as I dug deeper into my memory, I felt the familiar throb in my temple and pushed the notion away. I shook my head, my gaze fixed on the maid standing in front of me.