011 Telling Fellow Group Members That I’m Going Back to School

It was precisely because of these words that Mama Xie ultimately did not burn the comic books. However, this time, she felt she needed to give her daughters a stern warning, lest the two sisters learn to spend money recklessly before even knowing how to earn it.

Fortunately, Xie Yihuang was unaware of her mother’s thoughts. Otherwise, she would have cried out in protest—three months ago, she hadn’t even arrived yet, and now she was being blamed for everything!

Children naturally have a sense for seeking good fortune and avoiding harm. Without Xie Yihuang needing to say anything, Xie Yuanfeng quickly nodded and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Mom. We won’t make the same mistake again.”

Suddenly, Xie Yunfeng chimed in, “Why don’t I go with them tomorrow? I can supervise.”

Xie Yuanfeng scoffed, “You run off to the seaside every day. Are you really willing to skip it tomorrow?”

Xie Yunfeng truly loved combing the shore for seafood—if it were the future, he’d be a prime candidate for a livestreaming star in that niche.

Meanwhile, Xie Yihuang delved into her memories to recall the incident three months ago when they bought the comic books. After piecing it together, she could only sigh inwardly. As it turned out, this child, too, had been an unwitting scapegoat. Back then, the two sisters had sold some old newspapers together and, after finishing, passed by the entrance of a department store, where a sale of secondhand books was taking place. Unable to resist, Xie Yuanfeng went over to take a look.

Xie Yuanfeng had always loved reading comic books, and seeing so many nearly-new issues, some of which she hadn’t read before, she couldn’t help but want to buy them. But her pockets were empty. In the end, she turned to the then eight-year-old Xie Yihuang and pleaded, “Ah Huang, these comic books are really good. Let’s buy one.”

What did an eight-year-old know? She simply followed her big sister’s lead and agreed, “Okay.”

And so, Xie Yuanfeng got what she wanted, buying a comic book she liked. To share the spoils, they spent their last two cents on a couple of fruit candies, which the sisters happily shared between them.

But because of that single piece of candy, Xie Yihuang ended up getting a thorough whipping with a bamboo switch.

The fright afterwards led her to fall ill with a fever that lingered and recurred, her health never quite recovering. And that, ultimately, was how she became the current Xie Yihuang.

Though, according to White Impermanence, the original Xie Yihuang only had so much time left anyway, this was still a grievous injustice—she had been thoroughly set up by her own elder sister.

Xie Yihuang did not think the worst of people, but she couldn’t ignore that Xie Yuanfeng was five years her senior, now a thirteen-year-old girl. Surely she understood the consequences of spending money without parental consent. Clearly, she’d thought that with her little sister sharing the blame, things would go over more smoothly.

In the end, except for the original Xie Yihuang, the matter blew over, and the one who truly suffered was still her.

With a faint sigh, Xie Yihuang realized that Xie Yuanfeng was not so innocent after all. As the old saying goes, “the child is father of the man.” Perhaps at thirteen, Xie Yuanfeng hadn’t given it much thought and was only looking out for her own interests, but her selfishness was clear. With a sister like this, Xie Yihuang decided it was best to maintain only surface harmony from now on.

After consulting with his wife, Father Xie submitted an application for a homestead the next day. He worked his regular job by day and, come evening, would shoulder his little wonton cart and head out. Surprisingly, apart from the first couple of days when business was slow, after a week, things stabilized, and he was bringing home forty or fifty yuan a day.

Seeing this, Mama Xie abandoned her previous plans to ask at Uncle Biao’s house about part-time work with the punch press. Instead, she began making steamed buns, which she sold in the evenings, working alongside her husband so that together, they were earning eighty or ninety yuan a night.

This unexpected windfall showed them a clear path to prosperity.

They had originally worried about how they’d scrape together the money to build a house once the homestead was approved, but now it seemed unnecessary to worry.

While the Xie couple worked hard to earn money, Xie Yihuang was about to embark on her own journey as a student.

Before school started, Xie Yihuang decided to notify her online friends: “Tomorrow is September first—I’m off to register for school.”

Every night, while lying in bed, she would chat in their seven-person group. After all, neither Xie Yuanfeng nor Xie Yunfeng could see any of it.

Yan Qingqing was also lying in her embroidery room’s recliner at that moment. “Congratulations, you’re about to become an elementary school student.”

Xie Yihuang did a quick calculation and guessed it must be time for Yan Qingqing’s selection. “Qingqing, did your selection go through?”

Yan Qingqing sighed, feeling a bit uncertain about her own future, though now she was somewhat prepared, and her confidence had grown. “I passed. My father is a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue, and I am a secondary daughter—my status isn’t high. But since my father is aligned with the emperor’s favored faction, I was exceptionally given a sixth-rank noble lady’s title.”

Xie Yihuang was curious. “Isn’t that just like the ‘Attendant’ or ‘Constant Companion’ ranks? How come there’s a ‘Beauty’ title?”

Yan Qingqing, from the Grand Yan Dynasty, replied, “Do you think you’re watching a Qing palace drama? There are no ‘Attendants’ or ‘Constant Companions’ here. This is the Grand Yan Dynasty. The hierarchy is more complicated but also very clear. The highest rank is the Empress, followed by four first-rank consorts, titled Noble Consort, Virtuous Consort, Worthy Consort, and Kind Consort. Next are the six second-rank consorts—these are the usual concubines. If favored by the emperor, they get additional titles.

“Then come the nine third-rank concubines, followed by twelve fourth-rank court ladies and twelve fifth-rank gentlewomen. After that, it’s sixth-rank noble ladies, seventh-rank talented women, eighth-rank beauties, and ninth-rank imperial women—these lower ranks aren’t limited in number.

“The Grand Yan Dynasty’s harem has nine ranks in total. I’m currently at the sixth rank. Entering the palace as a sixth-rank noble lady is already quite good. This was only possible because my father is a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue, and my legitimate elder brother was the emperor’s study companion. Otherwise, with my status, I’d have only made it to eighth-rank beauty at most.”

Liu Xiang’er finished her own business and joined the chat. “I log on and immediately see you all talking. So Qingqing, you’re about to start leveling up in the harem now?”

Yan Qingqing sighed again. “Level up? Hardly. My family knows me well. My father and the rest don’t expect me to accomplish much—they just want me to keep my head down and live quietly. In the palace now, there’s the Empress’s faction and the Virtuous Consort’s faction. I’m not taking sides. At least for now, I can still survive by keeping a low profile.

“There’s a rule in the Grand Yan Dynasty’s harem: only consorts of fifth rank and above have to attend morning greetings. And our Empress is quite benevolent, not requiring daily attendance. We just paid our respects when entering the palace, and I haven’t seen her since. You only have to greet her the morning after spending a night with the emperor; otherwise, if you’re not fifth rank or above, you don’t have to. I figure staying quiet like this is just fine.”

Liu Xiang’er did not approve of Yan Qingqing’s passive strategy. “Qingqing, you’re being too optimistic. According to you, your father’s not highly ranked, but he’s a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue, which has always been important and influential. Plus, your brother was the emperor’s childhood companion and trusted confidant. The emperor won’t neglect you. If he favors you, your rank will inevitably rise. You won’t get to keep your head down for long. Also, I remember that during the Qing Dynasty, only principal consorts could raise children in the palace. Do you have the same rule in your dynasty?”