Chapter 32: The Sixth Daughter, Li Cha

"Cha has always been timid since childhood, an orphaned girl. I still remember, the first time I saw her, her long hair was all tangled, it made my heart ache..." Lady Zhangsun walked under the covered corridor, her voice gentle, tinged with sorrow.

Soon, with Lady Zhangsun leading the way, Fu Zihou entered the inner quarters of the Li household. Since this was where the womenfolk resided, the courtyard was filled with the sight of garments hung out to dry—dresses, sashes, and even some corsets and undergarments belonging to the young ladies.

Fu Zihou was well aware that, at least in this era, it was not considered a serious offense for a man to inadvertently see these things. In later dynasties, such a sight would have been strictly forbidden.

“Nephew!”

Lady Zhangsun suddenly stopped and turned to look at Fu Zihou.

“Aunt!” Fu Zihou noticed his young aunt seemed to have something to say, so he halted and bowed respectfully.

“I must ask you to promise me one thing,” Lady Zhangsun said, glancing around to make sure they were alone, her expression pleading.

“Aunt, you speak too formally. You are my elder—how could there be talk of requests? Please, go ahead.”

She studied the young man before her. Though she didn’t know him well, his demeanor at this moment left a good impression.

So, after a moment’s thought, Lady Zhangsun continued, “You must have spoken with Qiong just now. I know she must have said something, and you took the initiative to break off the engagement. Qiong has always been beautiful and talented; it is inevitable that today’s events will wound her pride…”

She paused, looking into Fu Zihou’s eyes with a desperate sincerity. “But I beg you, Qiong is Qiong. If she harbors resentment, do not blame Cha. Please, do not strike her.”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

In the Li family, she had married Li Liyan as his second wife, and as the fifth son, Li Liyan carried little weight in family matters. She was young, her words carried little influence. Otherwise, she would never have spoken to Fu Zihou privately.

When it came to the marriage contract with the Fu family, anyone could refuse—even Qiong dared to speak to Fu Zihou in private. But she, of all people, could not. No one would speak on behalf of Cha.

“Aunt, how could I ever strike another? As for Miss Qiong—” Fu Zihou had braced himself for much worse, but upon hearing his aunt’s request, he was taken aback, caught between laughter and disbelief.

Just then, two servant girls appeared in the distance. Seeing Lady Zhangsun, they hurriedly bowed. She nodded, waiting for them to pass before turning back to Fu Zihou.

“So long as you do not harm Cha, I can be at ease,” she said, signaling for Fu Zihou to wait there.

Watching her retreat toward a room not far away, Fu Zihou sighed, gazing around the rear court.

“At least Grandfather’s misunderstanding is resolved, and the engagement with Qiong is broken… but as for myself…”

He felt helpless. If not for the misunderstanding, the engagement with Qiong could have ended cleanly. But now that Grandfather knew the truth, and seeing the rapport with the old lady of the Lis, it was clear that neither she nor Grandfather would let the engagement fall through.

His cousin was already married. Among all the men of the Fu family, only he remained unwed.

“Cha! Cha…” His aunt’s voice echoed from afar.

Fu Zihou glanced toward a door and window nearby, as if sensing something.

He gazed at the empty doorway, frowning slightly, waiting patiently.

After a long moment, he saw a young girl timidly peeking out from the doorway, her eyes cautious and wary.

The sight startled him.

The girl, seeing his gaze, shrank back in fear, ready to flee—until she saw her stepmother watching her.

“Cha, why are you in the kitchen again? It’s so dirty in there,” Lady Zhangsun chided gently, walking past Fu Zihou toward the girl’s room.

“Cha?” Fu Zihou watched his aunt’s retreating figure, then looked back at the doorway, his mind still busy with thoughts of how to persuade his grandfather and the old madam. But now, remembering the girl he’d seen just moments ago, he realized—

“She is Li Cha.”

In his memory, Li Cha—the sixth daughter of the Li family—was mute, her mother having died young. From his aunt’s earlier words, he had pictured a disheveled, odd-looking child.

Yet recalling the girl he’d just seen, though her beauty did not match Qiong’s stunning grace, Fu Zihou could honestly say: in a few more years, she might not surpass Qiong, but she would certainly be her equal.

Is the Li family’s lineage so remarkable?

“Come here!” Lady Zhangsun called from the doorway.

She took Li Cha by the hand and led her out into the courtyard, stopping before Fu Zihou.

“Cha, this is your cousin Fu Zihou—the one you have been betrothed to these many years.”

Lady Zhangsun glanced at Fu Zihou, then turned to the timid girl behind her.

She spoke plainly, for after the engagement was changed, it was no longer Qiong but Cha who was promised to Fu Zihou. The old lady had only tried to change it back, but fate had gone otherwise.

Qiong had braved punishment to let Fu Zihou break the engagement himself.

Thus, the betrothal remained with Cha.

“Fu Zihou greets Miss Cha,” he said, bowing politely.

Li Cha met his gaze for a fleeting moment, then quickly lowered her head, nervously shifting her feet. Fu Zihou saw Lady Zhangsun glance at him.

“Cha cannot speak, so this is her way of greeting,” Lady Zhangsun explained with a wry smile, asking Fu Zihou not to mind the girl’s natural defect.

How unfortunate, she thought—if only Cha could speak, she would never have worried about her marriage prospects, nor been shunned by others.

“I know of this, Aunt. There’s no need for concern. But why was she not in the front court earlier?” Fu Zihou inquired, curious.

“All say that since she cannot speak, learning is useless,” Lady Zhangsun replied, hesitating before finally glancing at Cha with pity.

At first, she had worried Fu Zihou would despise Cha for her flaw—after all, the other children of the Li family, if not as outstanding as Qiong, were at least literate and educated.

But then Lady Zhangsun thought it better to be direct. If Fu Zihou were to withdraw again, let it be now, before Cha suffered greater hurt later on.

“Why? Precisely because she cannot speak, she all the more needs to learn to read. Otherwise, who will understand her if she goes out into the world?” Fu Zihou was incredulous.

He received no answer. Instead, Lady Zhangsun stared at him in surprise.

“You do not mind her?” she asked, sensing not only did the young man not care about Cha’s defect, he even seemed indignant on her behalf.

Even Li Cha, usually anxious, dared to sneak a glance at him.

Seeing the young man gesturing ‘I don’t mind, how could I mind?’ Li Cha’s beautiful eyes, for the first time when facing a stranger, seemed to lose a little of their fear.

“Why don’t you two sit here for a while? I’ll return soon,” Lady Zhangsun said with a smile, relieved that someone finally did not look down on Cha.

“Be good—keep Fu Zihou company. It’s his first time here, you must learn how to receive a guest. You’ve never done so before! I’ll be right back,” she reassured Li Cha, then left for the main hall to inform the old madam and Fu family elders, and to give the young pair a chance to interact.

In the rear courtyard, Fu Zihou watched his aunt’s figure recede, then turned to the girl beside him.

When Li Cha glanced back and saw him watching, she shrank away, nearly in tears, wanting to run but too afraid to leave.

Just as she was about to break down, she heard a gentle voice.

“I can teach you to read, if you don’t mind.”

At that moment, Li Cha froze.

Not her uncle, nor her father, nor even her grandmother, had ever offered to teach her letters. In all her years, this was the first time someone had said such a thing.

Moved, she slowly raised her head, peeking at the youth before her.

He stood there, keeping a respectful distance, his face warm with a gentle smile, his eyes sincere.

Just one look, and Li Cha hurriedly lowered her head, wringing her hands together.