Chapter 27: The Sisters Read the Letter

Tan Chun's small courtyard.

"Xiao Jiaoer, hurry up and take it out, hurry up and take it out!"

Tan Chun, Daiyu, Xiang Yun and a few others faced Xiao Jiaoer, anxiously waiting for her to produce the letter.

After Jia Jing went to Liaodong, besides sending things back to the mansion during festivals, he also wrote a letter home every two months.

Besides containing official matters to inform Jia Zheng, the letters were basically for the several young ladies of the Jia mansion.

Tan Chun, Yingchun, Daiyu, Xiang Yun and others also frequently wrote back to Jia Jing,

Through this bimonthly letter exchange, Jia Jing became increasingly familiar with them, and truly felt a hint of sibling warmth.

This time, Feng Ziying returned to the capital to report victory, and also brought back Jia Jing's letter.

Today Feng Ziying came to the mansion to pay a visit, and was speaking with Jia Zheng in the front courtyard.

Tan Chun and the others, unwilling to meet an outsider male yet eager to see the letter, had Xiao Jiaoer go fetch it from the front.

Xiao Jiaoer was surrounded by several people, her chubby little face covered in sweat, showing she had run all the way.

"Here! Ladies, quickly look and see if Third Uncle mentioned when he's coming back!" Xiao Jiaoer produced a letter and handed it to the nearest Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu hadn't even opened it when Shi Xiangyun snatched it away with a reach.

"Elder sister Lin, you're too slow; let me do it!"

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips, gave Shi Xiangyun a hostile glance, let out a soft hum, and said:

"Xiangyun girl, are you crazy? If you don't give it back, you'll regret it..."

"I won't give it, I won't give it, I won't give it..." Shi Xiangyun laughed while tearing open the letter herself, completely unafraid of Lin Daiyu's threat.

Seeing the two about to start a verbal fight, Tan Chun hurriedly smoothed things over, saying:

"Let's read the letter first; we can talk about the rest later."

"Third sister (older sister) is right!" Others chimed in agreement, and finally decided that Shi Xiangyun would read the letter.

Jia Baoyu stood to the side watching the sisters rejoice over Jia Jing's letter, feeling a slight sense of loss in his heart.

Especially Lin sister's keen interest in Jia Jing's letter made him feel a faint ache, as if his own happiness had been snatched away.

In the past, Lin sister had never shown such an expression……

Jia Jing is merely a petty official seeking rank; what's so impressive about being brave and fierce on the battlefield?

Meanwhile, Xue Baichai, too, was curious about what kind of person Jia Jing, whom the Jia mansion's sisters admired, really was, and what the letter would say.

I imagine a military officer would be rather coarse!

The sisters all took their seats, almond eyes fixed on Shi Xiangyun's direction, waiting for her to read the letter.

Meanwhile Shi Xiangyun stood in the middle of the side room, slowly opened the envelope, and began to read aloud in a clear voice:

"Dear virtuous younger sister, greetings: upon opening this letter, peace."

"As your elder brother, I am safe and sound on the frontier; do not worry. At this moment the initial battle has ended, we have routed the enemy, and I sit in the campaign tent, writing to you by lamplight. Outside the tent the wind howls, and the soldiers are cleaning up the battlefield."

After Shi Xiangyun finished reading this passage, the sisters' eyes seemed to conjure an image:

Jia Jing, clad in a blood‑stained uniform, sat in the campaign tent wielding brush and ink.

Outside the tent, the sunset was like blood; in the scorched earth lay broken spears and shattered swords, crows circled above the piles of corpses, and warhorses collapsed beside their masters.

Those objects buried by the wind—whether garments sewn by a mother for her son, or fragmented peace talismans sought by a wife for her husband—became silent witnesses to the battlefield.

"Alas! The battlefield is merciless; I only wish Third Brother safety!" Tan Chun sighed, expressing her feeling.

Shi Xiangyun continued reading:

"The winter clothes, shoes, knee guards, clear tea, and peace talismans you entrusted someone to send have all been received."

"The shoes and clothing are stitched tightly and very warm."

"Xiangyun younger sister and Second younger sister, your needlework is improving, but do not overstrain your eyes; do not do too much."

"Day after day, threading needles and drawing thread, whether embroidering profuse flowers or weaving patterned satin, there is hardly any rest. The eyes are the aperture of the liver; prolonged viewing injures the blood, blood not nourishing the liver, then the eyes lose their nourishment. As your elder brother I would rather you wear one less garment than have you harm your spirit even a bit."

Upon reaching this point, Shi Xiangyun bit the corner of her lip, her heart warming.

The Shi family's finances are poor, so she often has to do needlework until midnight.

Her aunt and uncle have never cared whether it would harm her body and eyes, yet now Jia Jing says he does not wish her to damage her spirit any further.

Yingchun, meanwhile, smiled faintly, thinking to herself: "Third Brother does not wish me to hurt my spirit, yet this is the only thing I can do for him—only joy, where is the toil?"

"Having heard that Fourth Sister enjoys reading Buddhist sutras, I send a rare solitary copy of the Heart Sutra for you to recite at leisure."

"However, a word of caution! Though the Buddhist teachings of emptiness, form, and compassion are excellent for transcending the world, they may cause one to lose the innate nature of the boudoir. A woman's cultivation should be to moistening the heart with virtue, not solely in the scriptures; the key is not to damage one's disposition."

"Second and Third younger sisters, you should properly guide her."

Jia Xichun is still young, a little girl under ten, wearing a light‑red jacket, her hair in two small braids, bright eyes and white teeth, somewhat adorable.

Last time she wrote to Jia Jing mentioning Buddhist sutras, she never expected that this time he would not only send her a rare solitary copy of the Heart Sutra,

but also admonish her that reading Buddhist sutras must not be excessive, filling her heart with a sense of being valued.

She is originally the daughter of Jia Jing of Ning Guo Fu, but because her father Jia Jing went off to cultivate the Dao and paid no heed to her,

her elder brother also neglected her; raised since childhood at Jia Mu's side, she had no father or mother, no one cared for her, so her disposition inevitably grew somewhat aloof—this also later became a motive for her to become a nun.

"What Third Brother said is reasonable; a woman reading scriptures should be like tasting tea—moderate to refresh, excess harms the stomach." Tan Chun mused and said.

Usually she had thought Xichun was merely aloof in temperament, without pondering the deeper cause.

Now thinking about it, Fourth Sister is helpless and alone, her heart anguished, which is why she turns to Buddhist sutras for solace.

As her elder sister, I never noticed this despite being beside her every day, yet the Third Brother a thousand miles away perceived the subtlety and pointed it out—truly I am at fault.

From now on I ought to pay more attention to Fourth Sister.

"Fourth Sister, in your free time come more often to my chambers to chat and dispel boredom; I'll have the attendant maids keep you company." Tan Chun said gently to Xichun.

The others also repeatedly invited Xichun to come to their rooms often to play.

Seeing everyone looking at her with concern, Xichun tilted her head, thought a moment, and spoke in a clear voice:

"I understand!"

Xiang Yun then read the letter:

"The paper is short but the feelings are long; I hope you will take good care. When spring arrives next year and the flowers bloom, I, as your elder brother, will certainly return triumphant and reunite with you all."

"Also sent are seven gilded hairpins, ten bolts of brocade, to be shared among all the sisters! Though not precious, they are novel. As winter approaches, do not forget to add clothing."

Upon reading this, Xiang Yun paused.

Beside Xiang Yun, Xiao Jiaoer, whose sweat was being wiped by Si Qi with an embroidered silk kerchief, stamped their foot and asked:

"All gone, all gone? Did Third Uncle not mention me? Could it be that Third Uncle doesn't miss me?"