Xiqiu, Tong Xiyan, and Tong Xiyu sat with Madam Xia inside the room, their eyes filled with emotion as they listened to the sound of firecrackers outside.
Images flashed through her mind, from when the siblings studied and wrote in the alley behind the East Cross Courtyard, to his move to the outer courtyard, and their secret meetings each time. He would pat his thin chest and say to her, "Sister, you must wait for me to grow up. Once I am grown, I will give you and Auntie the best life!"
When he said those words, he was still a carefree child tumbling on the ground, raised recklessly by Lady.
Later, she could see the changes in him day by day, becoming more sensible, understanding the nuances of social propriety, painfully aware of his different status.
Gradually, without her noticing, he had grown up, reached the age of marriage.
Starting today, there would be another woman who would replace Auntie and her, occupying a more important position in his life.
