The Chronicle of the Oriole Island 5

Chapter 5 Murong Wei

I said I wanted to leave. If you don’t let me leave, I will die for it.

I took out a knife.

Of course I didn’t want to die for real. I was just making a scene.

I stabbed myself lightly, very lightly. There wasn’t any wound.

But my sister was shocked and scared. She was afraid that I would hurt myself. Then she said: Just go, as long as you are happy.

Since my childhood, I knew that I hated my sister very much.

When I was young, my sister said that I shouldn’t call her sister, because that was how oriole islanders called her. How could a lady from Murong’s family be as ordinary as a normal civilian? It was such an shame of Murong family.

I was angry because I hated what she looked like when she gave me a lesson, not because the conversation we had.

In fact, her voice was very low, soft and weak, but I just didn’t dare to disobey her.

Aunt Zhong always said: Our younger lady’s temperament can only be restrained by elder lady.

Whenever I heard this, I was even more angry.

So this time, I didn’t want to listen to her.

I kept calling her “sister” all the time.

At last my sister sighed and said, forget it, it’s up to you.

It was just a trivial matter, but it made me proud for a long time, and I finally resisted her once!

But most of the time, I will never be able to defeat my sister.

The people on the island liked me. As long as I smiled, everyone was going to rush to deliver the best things to me. As long as I made a noise, I can do what I couldn’t do.

But if my sister said, sister, you can’t do that. Everyone immediately stopped and looked at me with regret.

And aunt Zhong, who loved me the most said, the elder lady said that you can’t do it, please bear with it, my lady.

My mother watched me cry and make noises, always smiling to say, since Qiang’er said no, then she’s got her reasons, Wei’er, don’t be too capricious!

Why? She was just a few years older than me. How could everyone listen to her? Was she more important than me?

Really annoying!

Outsiders said that Miss Murong was really nice to her younger sister, so long as the younger lady wanted it, she must bring it to her.

I heard it!

So I said: Sister, I want the best gentleman to teach me calligraphy. Teachers on the island are all too bad!

She said: OK. So the best teacher from the Guangyang Academy was invited, and aunt Zhong said that the Prime Minister was this teachers’ disciple.

I said: Sister, there are so many foreigners coming and going on this island. I want to learn something from foreigners.

My sister said: Sure. So she invited a few foreigners with big beards and blue eyes. My mom said that they were western scholars who came to visit our country.

I said: Sister, I want Western clothes, Western piano, Western furniture, Western …

My sister said: Sure. So all my rooms were changed to Western style, and even the windows were changed to Western style.

I said: I want this! I want that!

Sister said: OK. Then put it in front of me.

My sister laughed: Little girl, what else do you want?

I was speechless, but I was even more angry.

The teacher from the capital city always praised me for being smart, but there was once when he read my sister’s article, he was amazed and called my sister a genius.

When those foreigners taught me, my sister was always listening quietly, inconspicuously. But once I heard her discuss foreign trade issues with those foreigners in foreign languages, and I was shocked that my foreign language wasn’t as fluent as her.

At that time, I almost hated my sister.

But one day, I found that I was no longer angry.

Because I suddenly realized that I was beautiful.

When I was young, aunt Zhong always hugged me and said, “Our younger lady, the natural beauty is bound to be a peerless beauty in the future!”

I didn’t know what she meant then, but later I understood.

There were more people coming to the island. The men looked at me, their eyes were completely different from the way how they looked at my sister.

They will be obsessed for me, not for my sister.

I was proud. I looked at my sister’s pain face, and I didn’t feel annoyed too much.

My mother always said with anxiety that Qiang’er fluttered on the island with all her heart. Now she is growing older, I’m afraid that she won’t find a good husband in the future.

Oh! It turned out she’s going to be alone forever? I looked at my sister with some pity.

Mother said that she wanted to take me to the capital city for a visit. But my sister didn’t go.

The capital city and Oriole Island were completely different places, so hustle and bustle, the foreign cars could only be seen from the paintings were running all over the street, and people’s clothes were much more fashionable than oriole Island. Noble ladies, countless dances … Ah, I really liked the capital city.

I’ve received the highest level of education. The elder sister gave me the best daily use, so when I came to the capital city, no one laughed at me that I was a wild girl from a desert island. I soon mingled with the noble ladies in the city.

One day, I followed my cousin to a tea party for the Miss of the Ministry of regulation, and saw an oil painting in the living room.

“This painting is so beautiful!” I pointed at the painting. The picture was taken by the shore, and a seagull was flying alone. I looked at it quietly, and suddenly I felt like I was missing the Oriole Island.

No one answered me, I turned my face and saw everyone covering their mouths and smiling. The Miss who invited us couldn’t hide her pride.

“Who painted it?” I asked, thinking it must be one of the famous western artist.

“Xu Zihui … well, prodigal Xu Tong.” My cousin stepped forward and whispered to me.

“Prodigal Xu Tong? Who is he?” I asked. The ladies in the room looked at me in surprise first, and then they all laughed, and later they seemed to be overjoyed.

I looked at them with confusion. Their expressions were so weird, as if they were laughing that I don’t know who the emperor is.

It was cousin who stopped laughing first, and wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes, and said to everyone, “Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, my cousin came from outside, it’s good she doesn’t know that bastard!”

“Who is Xu Zihui?” I was angry and felt like I’m a fool.

“This painter, the best Western artist in the capital city, I heard that he was also a disciple of the court artist Dou Lide,” my cousin said.

“I heard that he can speak five languages, and from time to time he will go to the foreign countries to bring back many interesting things! Unfortunately, you are late, and he went out a few days ago.” The prime ministry’s lady covered her mouth and laughed.

“He is such a playboy! Wei’er, don’t get in touch with him, or you will regret it.” The host lady shook her fan lightly, making fun of it.

“Yo, then who hit Naaping princess’s face for him?” Someone whispered quietly.

The tea party started a conversation around Xu Zihui. I stopped talking anymore, I listened to them quietly, and became more curious about this person.

After one month, I returned to Oriole Island.

My sister, as always, was gentle and humble, and asked me intriguingly about the capital city.

I looked at her sympathetically, and found that her world was so small, there was only one small Oriole Island.

She hadn’t seen the cars coming and going from the capital city, she hadn’t attended those rich evenings, she hadn’t seen the giant ships in the port …

She had never heard of Xu Zihui.

Too poor.

So I talked about all kinds of interesting things in capital city except Xu Zihui.

Later, I went to the capital city many times and wanted to see the legendary Xu Zihui with my own eyes. Unfortunately, I always missed it.

The more I heard his legend. The more curious I am to this man.

I told my sister that I wanted to learn oil painting.

My sister said: OK. Then she found one teacher for me.

I said: Sister, this teacher is too bad, I don’t want him to teach me.

Sister said: OK, then change to another one.

I said: Sister, this teacher is even worse than last one, he can’t even sketch!

Sister said: It was my fault. And she went to find another one again.

One day, my sister came to me with great interest. She said, “Little sister, I have found a good teacher for you, you must be satisfied this time!”

I lazily looked up: “Oh~ what kind of teacher?” I would not be satisfied with anyone except Xu Zihui.

“This gentleman’s surname is Xu. The ship he boarded accidentally docked on the island, and he was bumped into by me while painting. This gentleman can only stay for three days. You have to study seriously.”  My sister looked at me differently this time. It was like there are some brightness in her eyes.

What kind of teacher could make my sister so excited? I was curious.

“This is his painting. You can see it that he is a good teacher.” Sister  handed me a roll of painting.

I opened it, rolled it up again, and said, “I see.”

Sister left with the painting, I leaned on the chair and laughed quietly.

Xu Zihui, Xu Zihui, I couldn’t find you, but you came to me by yourself.

Xu Zihui came, he was just like what they said about him, young and  handsome.

But he was a bit different from what they said.

He was wearing a blue cardigan.

They said that he was a new-style person, who could speak five languages, travel around the country, and master foreign gadgets.

But he was standing in front of me now, full of spirits and long sleeves, like the old-time nobleman in that book.

He looked at me, and it was difficult to hide his appreciation, but he probably only appreciated my appearance.

I’m a little dissatisfied.

My sister didn’t know his identity, he probably thought I didn’t know it neither.

I stepped back from my maid and walked to him.

Hey, how should I call you? Mr. Xu Zihui, or… well, prodigal Xu Tong?

He listened to me and jumped up from his chair in shock, his face horrified.

I couldn’t help laughing, this guy was so funny, why did he look so dumb? It was way different than what they said.

Then … then does your sister know who I am? He suddenly asked me.

I was about to answer that my sister knows, but I stopped talking.

I saw his hands.

His hands were shaking.

Why was he shaking? What were you afraid of?

I felt something faintly, but I couldn’t catch it.

I had to tell the truth.

His hands were no longer shaking and he smiled.

I see. He lied to my sister. He didn’t want my sister know who he truly was. He was afraid that my sister would get angry.

In fact, he only stayed for three days, why was he afraid of that?

He likes my elder sister.

I started to hate my elder sister again.

Anyone could like my elder sister, but you couldn’t.

because I like you.

But as long as you were with me, you was going to like me anyway.

Everyone is the same, and you are no exception.

Later he stayed because of my botched threat.

He stayed, but I regretted for that.

I should’ve tell him that my sister knew who he was, my sister had been lying to him.

Then he will leave sadly and I will be able to find him in the capital city.

But I didn’t do it. He taught me to paint, but he always looked at my sister.

Every day, my sister will come to see him teach me lessons. She sat silently, saying nothing, and doing nothing.

But the man kept looking at her, and even a dull person like my sister found his gaze.

Fortunately, she was so inactive that she only knew that he looked at her, but didn’t know that he loved her.

I started to learn painting very hard, and I hoped that he was going to look at me.

But he didn’t.

I worked harder to learn painting, and when I made some achievements, I could let him go.

But he still didn’t leave.

He loved my sister even more.

I loved him more.

Why did a man like him fall in love with a woman like my sister?

He was so smart and so talented that he walked all over the world.

But my sister was so ordinary and so tasteless, she had not even walked out of the island.

I did not understand.

One day I went into his room.

He was drawing.

He was painting my sister and her bird cage.

They said that Xu Zihui would not paint for anyone, he would only paint for himself.

But now he was painting for my sister.

If I had a knife in my hand now, I would tear the painting apart.

And I was going to rip my sister’s face.

I was going to tear his heart, and my heart.

I didn’t have a knife, but I could also tear his heart.

I said, my sister’s heart was caught, she was trapped in this island all her life, locked in Murong’s house!

The pen in his hand fell down.

I almost wanted to laugh.

I said, I want to fly out of this island, no matter how sister loved me, how I loved her. This is not my world.

But my sister, she couldn’t fly out.

No matter how much you loved her, whether she loves you or not, she won’t fly out with you.

But I could.

I could!

He picked up his pen and smiled sadly at me.

He no longer cared about me and continued to paint his paintings.

He painted for my sister.

A man named Ren Shiqiong came to the island.

I knew him. He was as famous as Xu Zihui.

Handsome, young and wealthy.

He liked me.

Everyone said that.

I didn’t know if I liked him because I couldn’t see through his eyes.

He had eagle eyes.

Looking at you seemed to be able to see you through.

I couldn’t look at him, I was afraid  that he knew what I was thinking.

But I liked to be with him.

Because he didn’t like my sister.

He was always so rude and so sharp to my sister.

Everyone liked my sister except him.

His words were always tit-for-tat, sneer and sarcastic.

On one occasion, he said something that made my sister cried.

I never saw my sister cry.

They always talked about my sister.

But he didn’t.

He will never mention my sister in front of me.

Hey, I really liked him!

If I didn’t know Xu Zihui, I would marry him.

Unfortunately, I loved Xu Zihui so much.

Xu Zihui was going to leave.

I thought so.

He drew the picture day and night.

I liked to be around him even more.

Someone said to my sister, I like Xu Zihui.

My sister worried, she came to see Xu Zihui every day and came to watch us both.

Xu Zihui, did you see it?

In my sister’s eyes, you were just a poor painter.

In her eyes, you didn’t deserve me, or any of us.

Sometimes, I said to my sister, sister, play me a piano song.

Sister said, I can’t play it well.

I acted like a spoiled child, play one, I want to listen.

Of course I wanted to hear that how horrible you are.

The piano was to be practiced, you never had time to practice.

Even if you are a genius, you could play as bad as it sounds without any practice.

My sister played, bumped, intermittently.

I almost laughed.

But Xu Zihui said, it sounded good, this was his favorite song.

Was he deaf?

At this time, I missed Ren Shiqiang.

If he were here, he would say mercilessly, it was awful.

It was a pity that he was not here. He hated Xu Zihui.

Ah, men’s jealousy was really troublesome.

The wet nurse told me that my mother and elder sister proposed for me.

With Ren Shiqiang.

I should have run into a fight the first time.

While the matchmaker was still on the island.

but I didn’t.

I found this to be a good opportunity.

I heard the conversation between my sister and my mother.

Sister said, if you want me to marry first, I will become a nun.

Actually this was a joke.

But she did say it.

What a perfect lie.

I said to Xu Zihui, take me away.

He refused because he didn’t love me.

I said, I don’t love you either, but if you don’t take me away, sister will become a nun.

He nodded because he loved my sister.

He thought if he would take me away, my sister would not be a monk.

In fact, even if he didn’t take me away, my sister would not be a monk.

My sister never minded these elders in the family.

But if he took me away, my sister was going to marry Ren Shiqiong.

Because the honor of the Murong family can’t be defiled, someone must replace me.

The only person who could replace me was my elder sister.

Thinking of the miserable days after my sister married to Ren Shiqiong, I laughed again.

I told my sister that I loved Xu Zihui and I wanted to go with him.

My sister was stunned, it was really fun.

She said to Xu Zihui, take good care of my little sister.

Xu Zihui agreed, he loved her and he was going to do it.

But he didn’t hold back in the end, he hugged her.

He gave her the painting.

I saw it and my heart hurt.

But later I was happy again.

He was finally going to leave my sister. He couldn’t only be with me now.

I was going to have all my life to spend with him. Why should I be afraid that he won’t love me in the future?