Eight Treasures Trousseau

Chapter 1 "The House of Hua has a Daughter"

Glossary

[1]府 fu: compound, estate or mansion; usually the residence of a noble or powerful family

义安侯府 Yi'an Hou Fu: Yi'an is the name associated with the title. Hou means that the rank of the title is a marquisate. Hou Fu (侯府) is therefore the marquisal compound, the Marquis Fu.

[2]夫人 furen: mistress or madam/lady. This appellation is used for both married women and titled women.

[3]氏 shi: clan/maiden name. A married woman is known by her maiden name of __ with a shi (氏) after it to show she is married.

[4]太太 taitai: married woman, madam. In the novel, this is used to signal that either the person is very old or that she is untitled.

[5]郡王 junwang: literally County-King. In this story, junwang (prince of the second rank) is a rank below qinwang (or wang ye, prince of the first rank).

[6]嫡 di: child born of the wife, not of a concubine

[7]王妃 wang fei: the wife of a wang or prince; equivalent to the position of princess consort in Western culture

[8]大嫂 dasao: older brother's wife, usually of the eldest brother.

[9]弟妹 dimei: younger brother's wife

Chapter One: The House of Hua has a Daughter

府 fu: compound, estate or mansion; usually the residence of a noble or powerful family

Winter had left and spring had arrived. The first-ranked servant girls of Yi'an Marquis Fu took off their thick cotton jackets and put on their tender green girdled dresses. This caused the entire marquis fu to look alive and filled with the presence of spring.

Inside the green silk curtains, the cotton blanket was raised. The person inside seemed to have gone through a long conflict before a pale white arm came out of the blanket. The servant girls waiting outside the silk canopy were joyful and assumed that the person on the bed was going to come out of bed. Then they saw the arm pat around the border of the bed and then retreat again.

夫人 furen: mistress or madam/lady. This appellation is used for both married women and titled women.

"Miss, it is three quarters after seven." Bai Xia confirmed that the person on the bed did not have any intentions of coming up and bowed slightly, her voice holding mirth. "Furen has ordered that you need to rise early today. She said that the dressmakers of the Fragrant Spiral Pavilion are going to measure you for spring attire."

"Didn't the people of the Cloth-making Room in the fu make a few sets for me already a fortnight ago?" The person on the bed sat up with the blanket wrapped around her, her hair spilling down following her actions. Even though it had not been combed, it was still as smooth as silk.

Hong Ying who stood next to Bai Xia raised her silk curtain for her and explained with a smile, "Furen has said that the cloth of Fragrant Spiral Pavilion is not the best, but their handiwork is exquisite, so it is not important if some clothing is made."

Hua Xi Wan rose up from the bed and allowed the servant girls to serve her in washing her face and rinsing her mouth. She sat in front of the mirror and covered her mouth as she yawned. She put her chin in her right hand and said lazily, "They say spring sleep is 'til the morning, do not let down sleep. Bai Xia, you are disturbing my dreams."