Warrior

2

I hate etiquette classes...

I must admit, they have never been my favorite. Don't get me wrong; I actually find them important and consider myself good at following basic etiquette, but to be honest, I don't think it's necessary to learn this every day.

Soon, my sister will start the marriage preparation classes. Basically, these are classes where, when you reach the age of marriage, you are taught how to properly maintain your family and everything a wife should know to take care of her family.

Not to brag, but I have to admit that my family has always been quite intelligent. My brother was extremely wise, and my sister is considered a prodigy in the art of tea and ancestral culture. She is one of the best marriage candidates around, and that's even before she has taken the marital course or been classified. Everyone believes she will get a very good husband, and I am sure of it too. After the death of my brother, my sister Xiaolyn was the strongest and defended our family by all means. It is no secret that our father is already quite old, and it is very unlikely he will have another male child.

To be honest, I must admit that I believe I am the only one in the family who hasn't been able to move on after what happened.Even today, I haven't been able to enter my brother's room. Today is the long-awaited day when my sister Xiaolyn will leave the house and start her classes.Normally, on this day, the man of the family should accompany her and pay homage to our ancestors. However, my father has been very ill since my brother's death and cannot accompany Xiaolyn to her class.

So, I will go. I know I shouldn't, but I won't let my sister go alone on such an important day. Besides, with the number of people there, who will notice if I am a student or not?My plan is simple: my sister will leave in a carriage in broad daylight, and I will ask Ling Xiang, who is a good friend and neighbor, to let me sneak into his carriage disguised as a maid.I am sure he will say yes. He has always helped me in all my crazy adventures. When we were little, my brother's fencing tutor was very mean to him and always mistreated him unnecessarily. Ling and I decided we were going to get rid of the teacher, and we spent two months scaring him into thinking his ancestors were angry with him. In the end, it didn't work as we expected because the teacher decided to leave after receiving a call from other senior bureaucrats elsewhere, but the point is that what we wanted to happen, happened.

I sent a letter to Ling in a secret code we had invented as children, which still works for us to communicate. A day before my sister's departure, everything was very hectic. There were colorful fabrics and seamstresses everywhere, the best food we had had since New Year's, and several trunks full of things all around. I know that after she leaves, there will be no turning back. It's hard to see time pass, and it becomes increasingly difficult to remember those times when the three of us siblings lived together as a big family. In a way, I must admit I never wanted this day to come.

I know that once my sister leaves home, I must be the one to protect our home with my father, and the truth is, I must admit I have never been good at taking on big responsibilities. I only hope our ancestors can help me in this upcoming time. My sister was more nervous than usual; I know she has been like this lately. I must admit we all feel the pressure of her leaving. However, I know she will do very well wherever she is. She has studied hard for this, and I know she is more prepared than anyone. She will be a proud bride.

Once my sister was ready, we prepared to leave. My friend Lin had helped me get the maid outfit so I could accompany her on her journey. When my sister emerged, she looked beautiful. She wore a traditional green dress with beautiful golden flower embroidery that highlighted her honey-colored eyes, inherited from our mother. Unlike mine, which are quite dark like our father's strong eyes that grow grayer with age.

Before leaving, we decided to pray to our ancestors for good luck on the journey. Lin stayed behind to help my father with the chores I would have done while accompanying my sister. Lin has always been a very good friend; I don't know what I would do without him. The meeting point for the new marriage students was not far from our home; it took about a day and a half to get there, which was quite short, to be honest. Time flew by. It had been a long time since I had been able to talk to my sister, as she was always busy. Since our brother's death, our relationship had become a bit more distant. However, during the entire trip, we talked a lot, reminiscing about those happy times.

One of the memories we shared was from when we were little. My sister loved to read under a tree while my brother and I climbed it in search of citrus fruits. I remember that day well because I climbed a branch that was dry and fell from a great height. My siblings were terrified, both by my fall and the scolding we would get from our parents, as a young lady should not be doing such extreme outdoor activities.

However, to everyone's surprise, that day our father did not scold us. I learned then that for him, our well-being was more important than the family's honor and tradition, something that could have cost us quite a lot.