It was a clear summer's night: the sky was shining bright with stars and moonlight lit the whole of the garden, spilling onto the pavilion. A light breeze travelled through the garden, and carried with it the magical smell of lilacs, with a whiff of the jasmine tea brewing in the kitchen opened to the garden. Under the pavilion sat a girl with elegant composure, her light robes floating up and down in time with the wind and petals. The picturesque of her was romantic and touching, but she was sad. Her body was slender, her long glossy black hair braided and tied up into a bun, held in place with a gold hair pin with butterflies hanging down from it. Her face was translucently pale, her cheeks coloured only with the help of the blusher her maid had put on for her. Her wide hazel eyes looking into space, deep in thought, and her lips were quivering, could not help but give her a solemn expression, as if in mourning. Indeed, it was little better than mourning. She sighed, and tears flowed silently down her cheeks and onto her lap, moisting her robe. Her body was trembling with an effort to keep calm, drunk with the fragranced air. Her father and mother, Niang, had opted for a divorce; her father had already left with his new wife, and mother will be soon going back to her maiden home. But she, Pearl, she will go elsewhere. She will go and stay with her father's brother, her dear Uncle and Aunt Cheung. Even before she was born, her parents' marriage had been in broken pieces. They had endless arguments everyday, and after Pearl's birth, disappointment and more arguments followed. She was a girl, a daughter. Although she is their only child, they did not want her; she binds them from freedom. Her father would sometimes give her gifts, but that's only when he notices she is there. Her mother was worse; she had never cast her eyes on Pearl since the moment when the midwife told her that her baby was a girl. She was simply disgusted; she hated children, and it's worse when it's not a boy. So instead, Pearl was looked after by Lotus, Pearl's second mother, or rather, her father's concubine. Lotus had no children, she could not have children. Lotus looked after Pearl as her own daughter, they live together in the same courts and keep each other company. Even tough Lotus was a wife of Pearl's father, she never had any priviledges. She was treated as a servant; she was a maid before she was married. Nobody cares for her; Pearl's mother was jealous and simply could not allow it. They lived together in their quiet world, until one day, the death of Lotus changes everything.


P.S Please read it and say if it's ok; I cannot type Chinese and I find writing in English easier, so if anyone want to translate it into Chinese please do but tell me first, and where are you going to put it. Thank you~

[ 本帖最後由 joycepoyce 於 2009-2-23 12:18 AM 編輯 ]