A Fish Longing for the Old Pond

Part 1

1

Yesterday was the day my childhood friend came to my house to propose.

I had coveted his handsome appearance for a long time, and finally, my wish was fulfilled yesterday.

As I saw him off at the mansion gate, he gave me a gentle smile, and his elegant demeanor captivated me so much that I spent most of the night reading romantic storybooks, wishing we could get married the next day.

My maid, Li Zhi, jokingly called this "dream girl literature." [1]

Thinking about today's outing, when Chi Yan Chi and I would go on a spring excursion, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of holding his hand.

Even before I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but curl up the corners of my mouth.

At that moment, a soft little hand gently poked my cheek.

A tender child's voice said, "Big Sister, be gentle, don't wake her up. Father told us not to visit her."

What was going on? Why were there children in my room?

Before I could react, another child's voice nearby responded, "Got it, got it. Did you see? She smiled just now, such a gentle smile. If only she could smile at us like that."

"Big Brother, you touch her too."

I was a bit confused as I listened. Who is whose big brother, and who is whose big sister?

I didn't open my eyes, intending to listen and figure out whose children had the audacity to sneak into my boudoir.

Then, another small hand touched my cheek and softly whispered, "Mother!"

Mother!

I couldn't pretend any longer.

Who was trying to ruin my reputation? Chi Yan Chi and I weren't even married yet.

Frightened, I sat up straight.

Only then did I see two children, about five or six years old, standing by the bedside, looking like delicate porcelain dolls.

My sudden movement startled the little boy, causing him to fall on his bottom.

He pouted and looked at me with wide, terrified eyes.

Before I could ask anything, he got up and pulled the little girl away.

As they left, they glanced back at me longingly.

What on earth was going on?

2

I instinctively called for Li Zhi a few times, but another maid came in instead.

She lowered her head, her eyes hidden with disdain. "What can I do for you, madam?"

Madam?

I quickly looked around. This was clearly my room.

Had I really gotten married?

I bit my tongue to confirm I wasn't dreaming, then asked with a trembling voice, "Who are you? Where is Li Zhi?"

"I am Shan Zhu, as for the Li Zhi you mentioned, there is no maid named Li Zhi in our household."

Feeling a bit panicked, I tentatively asked, "What year of Pinghe is it now?"

"Pinghe? It seems the madam's madness has worsened. It is now the sixth year of Chengjing, and the Fourth Prince was exiled from the capital long ago."

I didn't understand why she mentioned the Fourth Prince.

But from her words, I realized that at least six years had passed since the time I knew.

Seeing that although this maid disdained me, she answered all my questions, I decided to get more information.

......

As it turned out, six years ago "I" had married my current husband, the Marquis of Xuancheng, and had given birth to a pair of twins.

However, the Marquis of Xuancheng didn't seem to like me. He didn't allow the children to see me or let me leave the house.

Even the number of people sent to serve me was pitifully small.

I opened my mouth, wanting to ask who the Marquis of Xuancheng was and what had happened to Chi Yan Chi.

But these were not questions a maid could answer.

So, I put my hand to my forehead, feigning weakness. "Go and summon the Marquis. Tell him I am unwell and have forgotten some important matters that I must confirm with him personally."

Shan Zhu gave me a suspicious look, as if unsure of what to do.

At that moment, a nanny carrying a food box came in.

She naturally took over the conversation. "The Marquis is busy with official duties and probably doesn't have time to see you. Madam, you should rest and recuperate."

She placed the food box on the table and pulled Shan Zhu away, saying as she walked, "You are new and don't know. She used this trick before and nearly got the Marquis killed. Why bother with her? The Marquis said to take good care of her, make sure she doesn't die, and ignore everything else. And don't talk to her too much. There was once a maid who talked to her and got brainwashed, thinking everyone was equal. She ended up delivering messages for her and offended a noble, getting beaten to death."

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Footnote:

[1] "Dream girl literature" (梦女文学) refers to a genre where female fans fantasize about interacting with male characters from literary works or games, creating stories where they envision themselves involved in various scenarios with the male leads.