Extra 2-1: Nian Sheng (Part 1)

My name is Luo Niansheng. I am from Qin County, and I have a twin brother, Luo Yusheng.

My parents were quite old when I was born. Some couples of the same age who got married early are already grandparents.

When I grew up, I learned that my parents had great difficulty in having children. They couldn’t have children of their own when they were young, so they adopted a daughter from the orphanage. Her name is Luo Taosheng, and she’s my older sister.

Although I’m from Qin County of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I didn’t see the land of the Great Zhou Dynasty until I was a few years old.

When my parents were traveling, their carriage had an accident and fell off a cliff. Luckily, no one was hurt. When they recovered and tried to go home, they were forced to work as corvée laborers in Dai State and went to Wangcheng to build the city wall.

Now my parents had lost their household registration, their identity, and the ability to escape. They could only temporarily follow the other party’s orders, waiting for a chance to return to Great Zhou.

My father quietly endured and worked with other soldiers to repair the city in Dai every day, while my mother did needlework to help support the family.

My mother had once been famous in our area for her skill. The patterns and embroidery she made were popular in Great Zhou in recent years. They were rare in Dai, so she could sell them at higher prices than usual.

Although the families around us were forced into labor, we lived better than the others. We could eat fish and meat anytime, and had skirts and new clothes for birthdays or when the seasons changed.

But even so, life was still tough in Dai.

The “suffering” was more emotional than material. Missing home made the festive seasons unbearable.

At that time, Yu Sheng and I were too young to fully understand. While we missed Great Zhou, our parents missed my sister, who was far away.

My father had passed the autumn imperial exam and was a juren but since he wasn’t a jinshi, he couldn’t serve as an official. Instead, he worked as a local eighth-rank teacher.

My mother had stayed at home to care for her family, and her life was not easy.

Although we had more than most, my father felt he was wasting his potential. He believed he hadn’t achieved anything and never found anyone who recognized his talents. He felt his life was just surviving, not living.

Both parents felt unaccomplished and proud only of my sister, who stayed in Great Zhou.

When my mother worked on her needlework, she would talk about my sister, saying how beautiful Xiao Sheng would look in certain clothes or how she loved a specific kind of pearl flowers. When she saw my father teaching Yu Sheng, she would sigh, saying how difficult it was to study and how proud they would be if we were half as smart as our sister.

Even though the three of us had the character “Sheng” in our names, they called me Nian Nian, my elder brother Ah Yu, and only my elder sister Xiao Sheng.

Whenever my parents thought of my sister, the house would fill with a happy energy, easing their homesickness.

This is probably why Yu Sheng and I liked my sister so much.

Not long later, a Mr. Wei came to the royal city. He was said to be the best music master in the world and was treated as an honored guest there.

I first heard about him from the daughter of a local abbot. I thought it was interesting but didn’t think it was related to me. When I mentioned it at home, my mother suddenly became excited. She thought Mr. Wei might be an old friend and even her daughter’s husband.

At that time, a palace maid asked my mother to make a cloak. After completing it, my mother went to meet the maid outside the palace gate, gave her some money, and asked her to pass a letter to Mr. Wei.

This was the first time my family had hope of escaping our suffering. My mother used almost all of her savings for this, hoping her guess was right, and that Mr. Wei was an old friend who could help us return to our homeland.

Several days passed without any news. We lost hope, but ten days later, the maid returned and said Mr. Wei had been busy with the king. She had already delivered the letter.

Later, Mr. Wei came to our home. When my parents talked about their past, he was shocked. He decided to help us, saying he owed a favor to the ruler and could use his influence to bring us back to Great Zhou. 

My parents thanked Mr. Wei profusely, praising his generosity.

Mr. Wei waved it off, saying, “I’m not being charitable. The main reason I’m willing to help is because you’re Tao Sheng’s parents. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be helping.”

I looked at Mr. Wei with admiration. He had such a prestigious status but was so clear and sincere.

Mr. Wei should be my sister’s husband. If my sister hadn’t married him, he would never have helped us.

I have to say, my sister is our lucky star.

In the past, I had only heard about her. I admired her from afar, but now I realized how much she had impacted our lives.

My parents threw a banquet to thank Mr. Wei, with food and wine we usually only had during the New Year.

Mr. Wei enjoyed drinking, but his tolerance was not as good as my father’s, and he passed out early.

My father was only 70% drunk and kept talking about the past with us.

When my sister had met Mr. Wei years ago in Qin County, she had admired him and later became his apprentice. My parents had doubted whether she had really become his apprentice, as they thought he was just a liar.

After meeting Mr. Wei in person and hearing him play music, their doubts disappeared completely.

Such a person, with such a demeanor, would never commit fraud. If someone wanted to deceive others, they would target a prosperous place like the capital, not try to deceive this family. Perhaps the family’s entire fortune couldn’t even match the value of the jade pendant he wore.

As they got to know Mr. Wei better, the family learned more about his past. It turned out that Mr. Wei was a famous musician in the Imperial Music Bureau in the capital and one of the best music masters there.

The fact that such a distinguished gentleman took a liking to my sister after just one meeting and accepted her as his disciple showed how talented she truly is.

The entire family was proud of her.

After Mr. Wei arrived in Qin County to accept my sister as a disciple, his parents invited him to stay at their home, offering him good food and hospitality for several years.

Mr. Wei liked my sister as a student, and after teaching her all he knew, he left Qin County to continue his travels.

My mother said my sister was skilled in playing the zither but even better at composing music. Her compositions were like nature’s sounds, shifting with her mood and the seasons. Her music could make sad people happy, tired people energetic, downtrodden people inspired, and troubled people calm. They were rare, beautiful notes.

Perhaps because he drank a lot today and reunited with old friends, my usually serious father suddenly burst into tears.

“I don’t know how Xiao Sheng is doing now. She’s a young girl without her parents. Her life must be very difficult.”

My father, usually the one comforting my mother, now found himself being comforted by her.

“Before I left, I felt uneasy, so I specifically told Xiao Sheng that if she faced any difficulties, she should come to Beijing and find Su Jia.”

My father began to worry again. Tao Sheng had not been in touch with the Ji family for years. Even if she went to Beijing to see Su Jia, he wasn’t sure if she could adapt to life with her aunt or get along with her cousin.

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What Mr. Wei said turned out to be true. As soon as he intervened, he convinced the king to exempt us from future corvée labor ^[1]refers to the forced public labor. and take us back to the Great Zhou.

Excited by the thought of soon meeting my sister, Yu Sheng and I imagined it on our way.

I thought I would only meet my sister upon reaching the capital, but I soon heard about her deeds as we entered the territory of the Great Zhou.

My sister has become the Emperor’s favorite. She is the imperial zither player of the Xuan Zheng Hall, a rare female official in the court in hundreds of years. Her zither playing is like heavenly music, with magical effects.

I had expected my parents to exaggerate my sister’s skills, but the people I met in the capital spoke of her in even grander terms. They practically worshipped her as a god.

The closer we got to the capital, the more we heard about her, and the more she was deified.

The capital is no small place, and the checks for people coming and going are strict. My parents needed a pass to enter.

Mother worried that our sudden appearance might inconvenience my sister or scare her. So, she asked Mr. Wei to find her and explain the situation before arranging for the pass later.

Mr. Wei returned after two days and praised my mother, saying that my sister was far more capable than he was. So many people in the capital rushed to help her that he didn’t want to take the limelight. He asked her to help us get the pass.

My mother had visited the capital before to see relatives and always talked about how prosperous it was. Yu Sheng and I both longed to see it.

Thanks to my sister, we finally arrived in Beijing.

Yu Sheng and I’s feelings for my sister have grown even more.

Though young, Yu Sheng and I have experienced much in Dai Kingdom and understand more than most children our age. We also realize how hard it must have been for my sister, who had no one to rely on in the capital, to work so hard to reach her current status.

At first, my mother was overjoyed when she learned my sister had found her biological parents, who were a rare wealthy family in Beijing. But she soon realized that they were nothing but trouble. They initially despised and disliked my sister, and later began using and scheming against her.

My sister is so exceptional. She has never benefited from them, but has grown and succeeded on her own efforts. Now, they want to take advantage of it. Anyone would be angry.

My sister is not just an upright official but also a noble and principled person. Naturally, she wouldn’t fall for their tricks.

At my cousin Ji Yanming’s invitation, my sister and I lived in the Ji family’s home.

My sister is very good to me. Even though she is busy with work, she always finds time for us, even if she has to cancel other appointments.

A few days later, the Emperor suddenly issued an edict, asking my father to take up a post in the Ministry of War.

Though my sister always said it was because the Emperor was wise in appointing the right people, we knew that if she hadn’t been there, the Emperor wouldn’t have noticed my father.

My sister is the kindest person I know. She treats everyone equally, brings happiness and luck to others, but never takes credit for it. When people praise her, she always explains that it’s not her fault and hopes they don’t give her credit.

Most people in the capital are perceptive and realize that my sister is too modest, so they don’t believe her refusal.

My cousin tried his best to keep us there, though he was so busy with work that we often didn’t see him for days or even weeks. It seemed like he didn’t care about our staying, but we were still grateful.

My mother once told us that this cousin from the Ji family didn’t seem like an easy person to get along with.

Yu Sheng asked, how could his mother know this when She had only met him a few times as a child?

The mother said she had met her cousin a few times, but he seemed focused on studying and didn’t talk much. She thought he would be fine as he grew up. 

Later, based on my aunt’s letter, I realized my cousin was difficult to get along with.

At that time, my mother had been trapped in Dai State for several years and hadn’t been in touch with my aunt for a long time. I wondered if my cousin would become friendlier as he got older.

Turns out, the saying “a child’s character shows from a young age” is true. My cousin didn’t suddenly become approachable as an adult.

After arriving at the Ji family, I still wasn’t familiar with him. He seemed too high-class. Sometimes, even my father and the King of Chu couldn’t keep up with his conversations.

My mother worried about how my sister and cousin would get along. From what I’ve seen, this wasn’t a problem at all.

Yu Sheng and I are twins, and our bond was stronger because we had both been trapped in Dai Kingdom. However, my cousin’s relationship with my sister was even closer.

Whenever my cousin looked at her, his gaze was full of care, like she was the only one in his world. He cared about her more than I did.

He only takes her out on holidays, ordering her favorite dishes at restaurants. He barely speaks to anyone else, but he always has something to say to her.

Who wouldn’t like someone like my sister?

My mother’s concerns were unnecessary.

One day, I sighed to my sister, saying, “Cousin is really good to you, unlike how he treats others.”

My sister, always treating me like a child, was surprised. “Can Nian Nian tell that cousin treats me well?”

I nodded seriously. “He’s very good to you. I may never be that good to Yu Sheng in my life.”

She laughed, her joy shining brighter than the stars.

She squatted down, gently scratched my cheek, and said softly, “Maybe he really sees me as his own sister.”