"Did you think I would not notice?"
Both Lan Na and Lan Mi jumped up in fright when they heard a frigid voice behind them. They turned around and saw a lady standing behind them with a stern expression on her face. With long flowing locks of black hair and large phoenix eyes just like Lan Mi, it was not hard to imagine who she was.
Lady Lan frowned at the slightly disheveled appearance of the two sisters and was not pleased. "How many times do I have to tell you Na'er not to play during festivals? Do you know how many people are here? You are going to make a fool of yourself if you don't control your urges. It's unbecoming of a lady of the Lan Clan."
Lan Na recovered quickly from the sudden ambush of her mother and rolled her eyes at her. "Oh, come on, mother. Those relatives are nothing but freeloaders. They are lucky that I am not hounding them for rent. Hmph!"
Lady Lan could only sigh at the stubborness of her elder daughter before turning towards her younger daughter, Lan Mi but not with the stern tone but with a gently voice that was filled with love. "Don't follow in your sister's steps, okay Mi'er. Oh, were you scared?"
"No, mom!" Lan Mi replied, her eyes bright as the initial fear disappeared. She dashed towards her and hugged her tightly and as she hugged her, Lan Mi felt all her worries disappear, forgetting everything that usually bothered her, from her previous life to getting married and enjoyed the glow and warmth of her mother. This made Lan Na extremely jealous as she pouted cutely and protested at the blatant favoritism that both her mother showed to her younger sister and vice versa. "Wha—this is unfair! Why does Mi'er get all the love and not me? Why did you shout at me only?! Lan Mi! How could you forget everything about me and jump at her like that? Where's my hugs?"
Lady Lan did not deem it necessary to refute Lan Na's claims and simply pulled Lan Mi closer towards her and made her way back into the manor. Lan Na groaned at the blatant favoritism but still followed behind her.
"Today is the first day of the twelve days of the Divine Moon Festival. This is a once-a-decade festival and is extremely important to the prosperity and longevity of the village. I hope this is extremely clear to both of you." Lady Lan said sternly at her two daughters, of which only Lan Mi nodded seriously while Lan Na was still in her denial phase.
"Good. This will be your first Moon Festival, Mi'er, so I'm sure it would be full of surprises for you. As for you… you better prepare yourself for all the chores. And if I find you skipping chores…" Lady Lan did not need to finish her sentence for Lan Na to understand that her mom was not joking. As such, she bobbed her head like a mini youtuz toy and went along. 'She will whoop my ass if I do anything rebellious…' Lan Na got the memo quickly as she straightened her back and erased the bored look from her face. Something that instantly made Lady Lan happy.
"Good, good. Now, the Divine Moon Festival is a 12-day festival and the village will lit up within that time. There will be many fun things to do during that time but as the Village Chief's daughter and the Village Princess, you cannot show anything unbecoming of your standing, is that clear? And that includes running off on your own adventures." She said, specifically forgetting Lan Na who hid her face behind her long sleeves.
"Hmph! I will detail both of you what is required of you but for now, know that as the elder of the two, Lan Na, you will be assisting me with greeting and welcoming all the dignitaries from afar while Lan Mi, you would be accompanying your father to the priests and shamans who would be coming to bless our village. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Oh, I and Lan Na will also be preparing for the Annual Village Competition. Now, before you jump into conclusions, remember that as members of the Lan Clan, we are not allowed to participate. Is that clear?" She said in a forceful tone, again emphasizing on Lan Na more but Lan Mi's smile also dimmed when she understood that she was also prohibited.
"That being said… I will permit both of you to attend only… and I mean, only if both of you do your job diligently. If even one of you skip your job or neglects your duty, both of you will be grounded."
"Why?!" The shout of indignation was common amongst both of them but their mother only gave a sweet smile and replied, "because I said so."
…
"You better not mess up, sis, or I will not go easy on ya!"
"Same bruv, same."
Both sisters eyed each other suspiciously before finally dropping the act. "Mom sure is sneaky. Pitting us against each other."
"Sneaky, very sneaky." Lan Mi replied with a defeated cat's face. "But I wanted to see the Annual Village Competition. Father always bans me from seeing it because, apparently 'it's too violent for little girls'. Urgh… I finally thought at the age of 11 I could participate in it but it seems like I wont even be able to see it."
"Participate? Pfft! Forget about that, father wont ever allow us to participate. And it's not because 'its too violent for us girls', no, it's more because these village folks are of lower class than us and father, or rather the old folks of the clan does not want us to mingle with them. Heck, even touching them or having too much of a conversation irks the old bones of the clan and father does not want them rattling too much. He is … tensed for some time, it seems."
"Not touch them… like… are they… untouchable?" Lan Mi asked hesitantly, after all it has only been a few months since she transmigrated from a completely different and modern world and concepts like untouchability seems quite foreign to her. "Is there some kind of law against them?"
"Law? No, our words are law." Her sister spoke with a tone of finality and oozed a sense of confidence that she had previously seen in CXOs back in her modern times. "What the Lan Clan says is the law in Bright Moon Village and since the old folks of the clan had declared them untouchables and unworthy of our time and effort we, and by we I mean father, cannot disrespect these old bones, we choose to carry on these blasted traditions."
Lan Mi took some time to digest those words and when she did, she turned and asked, "you don't seem to like these 'laws' very much. Do you have some friends in the village whom you cannot meet anymore?"
The words caught Lan Na off guard and she turned a little melancholy, "Yes…" She spoke with a bit of difficulty, "I had a friend. She is gone now."
"But now, I have many friend. Come, let me introduce you to one, if he comes by that is." Lan Na's melancholy atmosphere turned bright at a moment's notice as she took Lan Mi by her hand and darted towards the front gate. Unfortunately, when they arrived, there was no new faces there.
The same old house servants were there, along with an older member of the Lan Clan who sat under a shaded corner where she smoked opium while another servant fanned her with a large swan feathered fan. Her eyes were droopy, her limbs were frail as the skin sagged from her bones and she quivered when a gust of wind blew against her but that did not stop her from taking puff after puff of opium.
"Tsk! I think he did not—wait a minute! Those flowers!" Lan Na shouted as she pointed at a heap of Begunias and Red Damsels which the house servants were sorting through. Her shout immediately caught their attention as they hurriedly stood up and gave a short but fearful bow.
"You! Yes, you, stop quivering and answer my question. Who brought these flowers? Was it our Flower Boy or someone else?"
"I-it was, flower boy Yue, my lady."
"What! He was here then! Where is he? Answer!"
"That—"
"There is no need to answer her." Lan Na's rapid fire interrogation stopped suddenly when the old and frail lady opened her droopy eyes and spoke calmly. "What matters you, o young lady of the house? Why must you seek the whereabouts of a mere flower boy, someone of lower caste?"
Lan Na frowned, hesitation abound in her brows and that was something that Lan Mi had not seen in the entirety of her 3 months here. Not to mention, who was this old woman? And why has she not seen her even once in her 3 months time?
"Old Lady Wang… I did not think you would be here so soon. With how frail you are, I almost mistook you for someone else."
"It seems your sights are worse than mine and I'm more than 250 years old, young lady."
"Hmph. I may be blind but I definitely recognize a beggar when I see one." Lan Na sneered as she spat the ground in front of the old lady, an act that garnered a lot of astonished gasp from the onlookers and servants. The old lady, on the other hand, did not have a clear reaction but Lan Mi did notice that her demeanor changed slightly as her eyes brightened and the effect of opium subsided.
"You dare, young lass?"
"What if I do, Old Beggar of the Defiled Branch?"
Crackle!
Everyone took a step back as the air between the two ladies crackled with lightning. Fear rose within the hearts of the servants and that was evident to Lan Mi from their expression but she, unaware of who the old lady was or what was even happening, seemed a little too unfazed. Fortunately, nothing drastic happened as the pressure slowly subsided until only sparks remained.
"Hmph. Irrational youth. Disrespectful, uncourteous and vile-mouthed. No wonder, you are still unmarried at the age of 18. I wouldn't be surprised if you remained unmarried and dying a cold and unloving death."
"Far better than being passed around like a common whore. Mothering sons whose father you know not. Thank you but I wish to have no part in your 'ideal family.'"
"Mothering is a sacred duty. What would you know, you poison-tongued brat? Hmph, I have no need to argue with youngsters anymore. Begone and leave me in peace. I have had too many fights for a single. Begone!"
Lan Na's facial expression contorted but she stopped herself from spewing curses that would defile her name and status instead she turned towards the previous servant with fiery eyes. "Speak. Where is Flower Boy Yue?"
"He—but—the lady—"
The servant suddenly felt her throat chocked as Lan Na swooped in like a hawk and grabbed her throat. Now, she was merely a few centimeters away from her and her eyes blazed like magma, "Who is your lady?" She asked slowly and clearly, making the servant gulp several mouthful of saliva before answering in a quivering tone, "y-you, milady."
"Good." She replied, releasing her but not letting the aura off, "now, tell me. Where. Is. He?"
"L-Lord Lan took him, milady. To the Sacred Orchid Garden, mi-milady."
"What?"
…