Chapter 24: Getting Under Their Skin

Chuntao saw Shen Miao and leaned in to whisper. The curtain lifted.
Inside sat Shen Yue, Shen Qing, Ren Wanyun, and Chen Ruoqiu. All four stalled at the sight of her. Chen's eyes flickered. Ren Wanyun frowned. "Little Five, why so plain?"
"Truly," Shen Qing jumped in, jealousy pressed down under care. "It looks wrong. Bright colors suit you. I have a new yellow coat—Chuntao, take Fifth Sister to change, and jewelry—nothing on her head? People will think the general's house starves her."
Shen Qing was pretty and trained to look open and proper—a true noble daughter—except her skin ran wheat-brown when she wanted snow. Shen Yue was fair; she could not attack that. Shen Miao was fair, and lotus-blue made her fairer. Of the three Shen girls at the gate, Qing was dullest today. The thought burned.
Shen Yue studied her slowly. The *falling-cloud* bun was neat; lotus-blue sat straight and grave on her. No gold—plain, yet not cheap. Noble, almost.
"Fifth Sister, clothes aside—you must wear jewels. It's the family's face. Grandmother will be displeased. And that hair— you're still young. The double loops suited you."
Guyu went white with rage. A servant could not talk back to masters. She bit her teeth until they ached. Second and third branch wanted their niece in mud.
Shen Miao laughed inside. Yue had dragged Old Madam out—knowing she once feared the old woman's stick. *Too young for that bun?* Yue was barely older, hair in fairy-immortal style, pink gauze like a immortal painting—she wanted to be the poem on stage. Why should Shen Miao be the footnote?
They finished. Shen Miao only smiled, saying nothing, until Shen Qing squirmed under the gaze.
"Chuntao—standing there? Take her to change!"
"Don't trouble yourselves." Shen Miao's face turned sorrow, timed perfect. "There is a reason for today. I love the jewels Second Aunt gave. I am not refusing them."
Blank looks. Guyu and Jingzhe exchanged glances, lost.
"Father is on the northwest border. Soldiers in cold iron while I eat silk and write poems about flowers—I am ashamed." Her voice dropped. "Last night a bodhisattva came in dream and asked devotion. I vowed plain dress and no jewels until he returns victorious."
No one expected grammar from her. Shen Yue and Shen Qing went mute. Chen touched her temple, thinking. Ren Wanyun flushed—one girl praying for her father made the rest of the Shen house look dead of heart. She could not dress Qing plain for the feast. She could not deny a child's prayer in public.
Shen Miao dropped a full bow to Ren Wanyun.
They stood at the manor gate. Passersby stared.
Ren Wanyun could force bright cloth for "family face." Ren Wanyun could not refuse filial prayer on the street—not while her own brother fought Huns and another man's daughter knelt for him.
Her face went green. She had not seen this answer coming. Worse—she could not say no. "Chuntao—help her up. Second Aunt grants your vow. Such feeling in a little girl—fine, stay plain."
Shen Qing wanted to argue and swallowed it. Shen Yue and Chen looked again at Shen Miao—new caution in the look.
Ren Wanyun smiled fast. "Our carriage is full. Steward prepared a second cart for Little Five—roomy. Follow behind us to the hall."
Every year Shen Miao had squeezed in with them. One more body did not fill a carriage. Today was theater.
Ren Wanyun calculated: Qing was marriage age. Shen Xin's rank topped Shen Gui's. High gates might look at the main-line daughter first. Shen Miao was slow—leave her alone and she would stumble; Qing would look brighter beside the stumble. Hence two carts. Chen wanted the same split and agreed.
"As Second Aunt says." Shen Miao smiled.
Ren Wanyun blinked. The mouse always clung to Yue and Qing. She had braced for a fight over riding alone. The girl agreed at once—made her prepared speech useless.
"Then board yours." Shen Miao bowed to the four and climbed the second carriage.
Wide enough—less fine than Ren Wanyun's.
Guyu hissed, "Alone is one thing—making her trail behind. What heart is that?"
Jingzhe glanced at her mistress and sighed.
Shen Miao stared at the sweetmeats on the low table. Her hand closed slow.
Want to smear the main line, distance her from kin, make her the joke and Shen Xin the name people curse?
We'll see who chokes on it.