Qian Mandie and Qian Manxia went to the cottage to whisper, and Qian Yixiu considerately did not follow them. Instead, she took Qian Yiduo by the hand to the old locust tree in the courtyard.
The two little girls sat facing each other on small stools, frowning with pouty lips.
When the wind blew, the leaves above their heads rustled, and Yixiu was reminded of the scene from last autumn.
Three beautiful young ladies sat embroidering under the tree, whispering into each other's ears—they must have been gossiping about some amusing matters, giggling non-stop. Back then, they were like three freshly bloomed flowers, dazzling and radiant, and Mandie, being older and fuller, appeared even more vibrant.
Their joyful laughter seemed to have just drifted by with the wind when Mandie became a lean, divorced woman filled with resentment.
