Chapter 1

Chapter 1: To Become a Concubine “Master, Madam, Young Master, Young Madam, take a look～～ This girl has a full chest, a slender waist, and wide hips. Just look at her—you can tell she’ll be a good breeder!” “If she enters your esteemed household, I guarantee she’ll bear you sons and daughters, carry on the family line, and bring prosperity to your family and business!” Sold to the Duan Residence for twenty taels of silver to become a concubine, Xia Ning listened as the matchmaker praised and hawked her with such spittle-flecked eloquence and earthy enthusiasm. People stood or sat all around the room, dozens of eyes fixed unabashedly on her as though they could strip away all three layers of her clothing. Embarrassed, she tightly interlocked her fingers, wanting to cover herself somehow, yet not knowing where to begin. In the end, all she could do was flush scarlet and lower her head, her eyes on her nose and her nose on her heart. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the refined and aloof Young Master Duan on her left. His thin lips parted slightly, and his phoenix-shaped eyes suddenly froze. His gaze instinctively flicked toward her chest and hips, only to dart away as though shocked by electricity. A flush unexpectedly spread across his white jade-like face. The sickly-looking Young Madam sitting beside him instinctively lowered her head and raised a thin hand to lightly brush over her own flat chest. Her already bloodless face turned two shades paler. Master Duan gave a dry cough, lifted his teacup, and took sip after sip without raising his head. Only Madam Duan smiled brightly as she looked Xia Ning up and down. She beckoned Xia Ning closer, took her hand, and examined her carefully from every angle before patting the back of her hand and letting go. “Good girl, what’s your name? How old are you?” Her expression was so kind that Xia Ning felt a little flattered. She looked up and blinked her round, almond-shaped eyes, striving to appear clear-eyed and foolish. “My name’s Xia Ning. I’m eighteen this year.” Her voice carried an innate boldness, making the matchmaker behind her click her tongue anxiously. That dead girl! After teaching her proper etiquette for so many years, she had forgotten it all the moment she turned around! “I’m” this and “I’m” that—who did she think she was talking to? And her voice was so coarse, utterly lacking the demure gentleness a woman ought to have. This sale had nearly gone through. If the girl ruined it, the matchmaker would have to beat her to death when they got back! Fortunately, Madam Duan remained cheerful, her satisfied gaze lingering over Xia Ning without showing the slightest displeasure. Thus, the transaction went smoothly. The matchmaker left in a cloud of dust, beaming as she clutched the gleaming silver. Her posture and expression were exactly like someone abandoning a hot potato. Xia Ning appeared anxious on the outside, but inwardly she was delighted to have been allowed to stay. Ever since she entered the gates, she had seen that the household who bought her was extremely wealthy. The residence had carved beams and painted rafters, with servants everywhere. Moreover, the madam was kind, the master did not meddle in affairs, the Young Master seemed easy to handle, and the Young Madam was a sickly woman. Though a concubine could be bought and sold like merchandise and her living conditions were naturally poor, it was still better than being sold into some filthy place. Recalling the rules the matchmaker had taught her, Xia Ning bent slightly at the waist and stood respectfully with both hands folded before her. With her eyes lowered and her expression docile, she waited for her new master to speak. Now that the outsider had left, everyone in the Duan Residence was looking at Xia Ning, and many wore complicated expressions. They had not bought an object. They had bought a concubine who would rise to the heavens the moment she entered the household. The Young Master was as gentle and polished as jade, with a noble and spotless bearing. Who knew how many lovestruck maids secretly dreamed of him? Yet Madam had set her heart on this outsider and had not given a thought to the household’s own servants. It was one thing to feel indignant. But when they looked at Xia Ning’s curvaceous, voluptuous figure, so full of vitality and health, she seemed like a ray of sunlight shining into the deathly silent residence and tearing open its gloom. In terms of appearance, there truly was no one who could compare. Madam Duan took Xia Ning’s hand again and looked her up and down. The more she looked, the more pleased she became. “This child has a sturdy build. She looks like the sort who can bear children. Don’t you agree, Master?” Master Duan looked at his son and daughter-in-law, at the teacup in his hands, and at the servants to either side of him. He simply would not look Xia Ning in the eye, responding with vague hums. “As long as Madam likes her.” Madam Duan shot him a glance, then looked past him toward the silent Young Madam. A hint of guilt and heartache appeared on her face. After a pause, she still asked, “Wanqing, what do you think of her? If you don’t like her… Mother can send her back to Madam Wang.” Xia Ning was startled. She raised her head and looked pleadingly toward the person seated before her who could decide her destination and fate. She did not want to return to Madam Wang. She was already a dead-stock item about to be stuck in Madam Wang’s hands! Wealthy families considered her insufficiently refined, while poorer families thought her price too high. If the Duan Residence changed its mind too, Madam Wang might send her to a brothel the next time. After all, she had heard that her figure was rather popular in places like that. She watched the Young Madam’s reaction closely, preparing to throw herself at the woman’s legs and sob the moment she voiced her opposition. As for the Young Master beside her, who kept sneaking glances at her and blushing, he clearly was not the one in charge. Pleading with him would be useless, and she also had to maintain a proper distance in front of others. Young Madam Si Wanqing raised the corners of her lips, pulling out a strained smile. “It’s fine as long as Mother and my husband approve. Wanqing has no objections.” “You child…” Madam Duan sighed reproachfully, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself. Si Wanqing gave Xia Ning a light wave. Covering her mouth with a handkerchief, she coughed several times. Xia Ning’s heart jolted. She hurriedly bent and scraped her way over. “Um… this servant kowtows to Young Madam. Thank you, Young Madam, for showing mercy and allowing this servant to stay.” At last, she remembered the everyday instructions the matchmaker had given her and changed her habitual way of speaking. From her blunt tone and awkward movements, it was obvious that the matchmaker had not trained her very well. Everyone in the Duan Residence secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Duan Residence was not some high-ranking aristocratic household, merely a merchant family. They did not need a concubine whose etiquette was flawless. As long as she was obedient and capable of bearing children, she would suffice as a reproductive tool. Si Wanqing carefully examined Xia Ning. Emotions Xia Ning could not understand dwelled in those dreamy eyes, hazy as water mist. They did not seem like sorrow or anger. They looked more like some combination of envy and relief. Xia Ning was utterly bewildered. She felt that this Young Madam’s schemes ran incredibly deep! Who knew what vicious move she was secretly holding in reserve against her? She would have to be cautious—extremely cautious. There had been no shortage of women under Madam Wang’s hand who had been sold several times over. They had been concubines in influential households and maids in wealthy ones. The struggles in those inner courtyards were deep and ferocious; there were no poisonous tricks one could imagine that they had not used, no ruthless methods they could not employ. Xia Ning had been taught enough to have an abundance of experience. The Young Madam might look delicate and scholarly, as though a gust of wind could blow her over, but she was Xia Ning’s ultimate obstacle to surviving in the Duan Residence. Her very existence directly threatened the other woman’s interests. Si Wanqing took a moment to ease the discomfort in her throat, then reached out to help Xia Ning up. Turning toward Madam Duan, she smiled gently. “Mother, this younger sister looks blessed. She’s the sort of person one can’t help but like. It’s better to act today than wait for a chosen date. Why not have her consummate her marriage with my husband tonight? Then Mother can hold the grandson you’ve been longing for sooner.” Everyone in the Duan Residence, Xia Ning included, stared at her in shock. None of them understood how willing she truly was to say such a thing. Madam Duan looked over Xia Ning’s coarse cloth dress, rough hands, and large feet, and frowned slightly. “There’s no need to rush. Let her learn the rules of our Duan Residence first. Once she’s been properly trained, we’ll send her to the courtyard you and your husband share. Wanqing, your health is poor. For now, let her stay by Mother’s side.” Si Wanqing had no objections. Master Duan and Young Master Duan remained background decorations and lucky charms throughout, not uttering a word. As Xia Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief, she could not help quietly studying the words and actions of the people in the Duan Residence once more. Becoming a concubine was naturally the best destination available to her at present. But entering the Duan Residence—was that not merely another den of dragons and tigers waiting for her? Her past experiences had taught her that in this world, human lives were as cheap as grass, especially the lives of women like her who had already been entered into slave registries. Reader’s Notes: 1. Concubine / Young Madam: In the traditional household structure depicted here, a concubine was a secondary partner who ranked below the principal wife. Si Wanqing is the Young Master’s principal wife (“Young Madam”), while Xia Ning is being brought into the household as a concubine. 2. Twenty taels of silver: A tael (liang) was a traditional measure of weight used for silver payments. Its monetary value varied by time and place and cannot be converted to a single fixed modern amount. 3. Broker Wang: A yapo was a female intermediary who could broker the sale or placement of servants and women entering concubinage. Here, Broker Wang sells Xia Ning to the Duan household; she is not simply arranging a conventional marriage. 4. “Me” / “this servant”: Xia Ning first speaks using the rustic Chinese pronoun an (俺), but then switches to nubi (奴婢), rendered as “this servant.” This deferential self-reference signals her subordinate status when addressing the Young Madam. 5. Kowtow: A kowtow is a formal act of kneeling and bowing deeply to show deference or submission. Xia Ning offers this gesture of respect to the Young Madam. 6. “Younger sister”: A principal wife could address a concubine as “younger sister” as a familiar but rank-conscious household form of address. Si Wanqing and Xia Ning are not biological sisters. 7. Slave registries: The term here describes Xia Ning’s registered enslaved or servile status, which makes her vulnerable to being sold. It should not be confused with the modern Chinese household-registration (hukou) system.