Chapter 23: Zhu Qiao’s First Time
Zhu Qiao’s world was very small, just a long corridor, a main hall called Zhengyuan Hall, and plum blossoms in the courtyard that bloomed only in late winter and early spring. If she measured her world in steps, its diameter was only one hundred and seventy-five steps. When she was still too young to distinguish between boys and girls, Zhu Qiao retained a curiosity about the outside world. But whenever she tried to sneak out, Grandma Zhu would pull her ear and sternly lecture her about the ancestral rules she had heard hundreds of times. As she grew older and realized she was a young lady, she never caused Grandma Zhu any more trouble.
Zhu Qiao admired her older sister, Zhu Xi. She also envied her, even felt a twinge of jealousy. Sister Xi always traveled all over the world, as if she had endless things to do and people to meet. She had seen the vast ocean, the towering mountains, the snow in the north, and the beaches in the south. And Sister Xi would always recount her adventures to her in detail on peaceful and warm afternoons.
If only I could see the outside world too… She would occasionally think this, but then she would feel guilty, remembering the lonely Grandma Zhu. If she left, who would accompany her grandmother? Who would inherit this ancestral hall? Old Mute? But he couldn’t even speak… Grandma Zhu also said that Old Mute was the last eunuch in China. She said that eunuchs usually lived longer than ordinary people. Old Mute had been sweeping the courtyard outside the ancestral hall since Grandma Zhu was young. He would arrive at 7 a.m. every morning and leave at 6 p.m. Grandma Zhu said he lived in a rented room a few li away, receiving a monthly subsistence allowance of 600 yuan.
What was a subsistence allowance? What was a rented room?
These terms were too complicated for Zhu Qiao. Although she would secretly browse the internet, she didn’t dare to create an account. She could only timidly watch netizens interact, trying to understand the unfamiliar terms they used. If she couldn’t figure something out, she would ask Sister Xi when she came to visit.
Zhu Qiao finally stepped out of the ancestral hall, crossing the threshold that had confined her for seventeen years. Old Mute glanced at her and then continued sweeping the floor, his head lowered. She looked back at the ancestral hall with some trepidation, feeling a strange fear towards this new life.
“Xiaoqiao.” Zhu Xi took her sister’s hand, her heart aching. “Nothing can hold you back anymore.”
“Sister Xi, I’m a little scared.” Zhu Qiao’s face was pale. “Where will I live? How will I eat? Will Grandma be lonely? What if, what if the police arrest me? They say on the internet that unemployed people will be arrested…”
Grandma, don’t you have a conscience? Zhu Xi sighed inwardly and started explaining some basic social common sense to the sheltered Zhu Qiao. She hated rigid traditions and stubborn rules. She had long decided to take Zhu Qiao out of the ancestral hall, but Grandma Zhu said that Zhu Qiao could only leave after they found the Colored Stones. The women of the Zhu family were born for a mysterious mission. Until all the Colored Stones were found, the Zhu family’s shaman had to stay in the Zhengyuan ancestral hall until they died.
Shaman? Mission? These words only made Zhu Xi laugh.
After getting into the car, Zhu Qiao looked around curiously. “Is this a car? It’s my first time riding in one…”
The female bodyguard who was driving chuckled, earning a cold glare from Zhu Xi. “Mind your own business. If I hear you mocking Xiaoqiao again, you can go back to your hometown.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The female bodyguard straightened up, not daring to make another sound.
Sister Xi is so scary… This was the first time Zhu Qiao had seen such a cold and indifferent side of her sister. She shrank back in her seat like a frightened stray cat. The outside world was truly terrifying… Maybe she should just go back to the ancestral hall with Grandma… What if there was no one to massage Grandma’s shoulders while she burned incense at night?
The two sisters, sitting in the back seat, looked alike, but their personalities and behaviors were completely different.
“Xiaoqiao, do you want to have barbecue tonight? I’ll take you…” When facing Zhu Qiao, Zhu Xi’s expression softened again, the sharpness in her fox-like eyes disappearing.
“I… I don’t want to go to crowded places.” Zhu Qiao whispered.
“Then… have you ever played video games?”
“Yes, I’ve watched videos online.”
“Do you want to play?”
Zhu Qiao’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”
“Then you can stay at my place and play games for the next few days. I’ll take you out and show you around after I’m done with some things.” Zhu Xi knew that it wouldn’t be easy for her sister, who had been isolated from society for over a decade, to reintegrate. She would start with something relaxing like video games, letting Zhu Qiao gradually reconnect with society. And she had to find a school for her. But Xiaoqiao had never been to school before. Would she have to attend first grade with five- or six-year-old children?
Seeing Sister Xi lost in thought, Zhu Qiao obediently remained silent and looked out the window at the passing scenery. The small window revealed a colorful world: red shop signs, gray pavement, pedestrians in colorful clothes. New and exciting things flashed past her eyes, one after another, too fast for her to take it all in.
Zhu Qiao wondered, how should she greet strangers? She didn’t know their names. Would it be impolite to just say “hello”?
Her world used to be only one hundred and seventy-five steps wide. She didn’t have to think about complicated things. She just lived with her grandmother, occasionally pruning the plum trees and learning to cook on a wood-burning stove. No one had taught her how to greet strangers.
Sister Xi’s home was a large villa. Before entering, they passed through a garden. Female gardeners in white hats bowed to them neatly. Zhu Qiao awkwardly imitated their movements and curtsied back, which surprised the gardeners.
“Xiaoqiao, they’re just the gardeners. They should be the ones greeting you, you don’t have to bow back.” Zhu Xi said with a smile.
“But… wouldn’t that be impolite?” Zhu Qiao asked timidly.
Zhu Xi was taken aback for a moment, opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything.
She took Zhu Qiao to the guest room and taught her how to use a computer. It wasn’t difficult – she had secretly let Zhu Qiao use the internet before. She still remembered how Zhu Qiao had been startled by the computer’s startup sound and cried, ignoring her for a long time afterwards.
“You can play online here. I’ll call you for dinner later. If you need anything, you can message me online or just call my name.” Zhu Xi stroked her sister’s soft hair. Unlike her own straight hair, Zhu Qiao’s hair was long and slightly wavy, the ends tinged with a faint orange-red.
After Zhu Xi left, Zhu Qiao carefully started using the computer. She held the mouse and fumbled around on the desktop for a while, finally managing to open a program called “Valve Platform.” A series of game covers appeared on the screen. Zhu Qiao’s jaw dropped, and she stared at them in awe.
So these are games?
Zhu Qiao was a little excited. She carefully clicked on a ranking list and saw a game at the top.
“Eternal Joy Studio?” Zhu Qiao liked the name and clicked on her first ever video game…
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