She walks quietly out alone from the back lane. Without anyone knowing where she is walking to, she silently walks with her cloth bag on her back. This girl, she is dress in a man's outfit. Her hair is tie up in a bun with a cloth strap across her forehead. She looks like a youth who is studying for the imperial examinations. She keep walking till she reach a big wooden door. She knock in a particular style. After awhile, a man comes to open the door. He smile and greet her.
"Painter Hong, Madame Feng is waiting for you in the usual room." She smile and nod her head. She walk upstairs quietly into a long corridor and into a room. A lady who is smoking looks up and smile.
"Finally you are here. Lady Zhang is waiting impatiently for your painting! She keep sending her servant to enquire. Well did you complete it?"
"Yes of course madame Feng. Please have a look."
She take out a scroll from her cloth bag and unroll it on the table. Madame Feng look at it with delight and touch the painting.
"Good good… I will have my men dispatch it to her mansion. We will receive the money! Here is the rest of the money for the painting."
Painter Hong look at the taels on the table, she smile and pocket them all into her bag.
"Are there anymore… subjects to paint?"
"Yes. Today i have two new arrivals. Do you have the time to paint them?"
"Yes of course!"
"I will pay you the usual five taels per person."
"That will be good… so they will be properly dress."
"Yes. They will be. I will get the servants to dress them up. We will do the painting in this room."
"Yes madame Feng. That will be more convenient! I will set up my brush and paper."
Madame Feng watch painter Hong get her tools out of the bag. She fan herself and look at the young girl. Painter Hong have a very sweet face and when she smile, there is a deep dimples on the side of your mouth. Her almond shape eyes are pretty along with long eyelashes. There is a mole at the corner of her eye which makes her even more enchanting.
"Painter Hong, have you thought of doing something else?"
"Hmm… what? No i like to paint so…"
"You are pretty enough to … i am not trying to get you …"
"I know madame Feng. We have been good business partner for a long time. So … you know that i have … a family."
"Hmm, i won't push you to do what we do here. Let me check where are my girls…"
She got up and walk outside of the room. Painter Hong look outside of the window. The bamboo is swaying with the wind. She knows she have no talents in other areas except drawing and painting. The only way to earn taels is through her brushes. Many years ago, her family is one of the riches merchants around. After her parents are swindle in a scam, they pass away and left her elder sister and younger brother. The two elder sisters take care of the little brother who is now a student in Hang Yang Academy of Imperial studies. They sold away their mansion and live in a small courtyard. Her elder sister is working with her future-in-law's appeal shop. She is soon to marry the eldest son of the Zhang family. Thus Painter Hong is working to save taels for herself and her little brother. She cannot depend on her eldest sister when she will have her own family soon.
After she finish with the painting, she pack up her tools and hand over the paintings after the servant hand her ten taels. She walk out the place from the back door and walk towards the main street. She looks up the building and feels pity for the girls who are working inside. Meeting endless men who who brings their money and their anger. Sometimes she hear stories of those poor girl who got beaten for no reason. She silently walk the evening streets. Painter Hong sit at an open stall and order a bowl of plain noodles and a plate of steam dumplings. She eat quietly and later order take away steam buns. By the time she got home, it's already dark. She push the door and walk in to see her brother writing on the table with a candle.
"Second sister you are back."
"Here i bought some steam buns."
"Thank you. Have you eaten? Big sister did not leave any food for you…"
"Hmm… I have eaten awhile ago. Here eat them while they are still warm. I will go in to clean up and get ready to go to bed."
She walk into the house and see her older sister siting by the vanity table and combing her hair. They look at each other through the mirror. They give a small smile to each other.
"Good evening big sister."
She bow to her sister and walk near to the wardrobe to hang up her bag. Her sister continue to comb her hair. The sister remain quiet in the room till their little brother comes in announcing that he have finish his homework. Painter Hong help to clean his face, hands and feet before he lay down on the bed. After that she clean herself before she goes to bed. The older sister is already asleep on her bed. The night ends quietly without anyone talking.
"Song Ning, are you coming home for lunch today?"
"Eldest sister, i am … i have a job today. So i will be eating outside."
"Hmm, Song Qin. Have you pack your books for school. I will walk you to school. "
"Eldest sister, I have put everything inside my bag last night."
Painter Hong look at her eldest sister who is eating her breakfast. She remember years ago, the siblings lived in a big mansion with their parents. The sisters are close with each other. Holding hands whenever they go but after their parents pass away, everything change.
The sister are engaged to marry into two boys of the Zhang family. Eldest sister is already preparing to marry the eldest son Zhang Nan Yu. However that period of time, Nan Yu who likes Song Ning openly show his affections for her. Even though Song Ning did nothing nor respond to his advances, her eldest sister Song Bing is angry with her. in her fit of anger she call her younger sister a slut who seduce other men. Song Ning who never think of making her eldest sister angry is upset and stay away from the Zhang family. Old lady Zhang reminded the eldest sister that her younger sister will have to marry the second son of the family soon and ask her not to stop her sister from coming to the Zhang mansion for meet up. Song Ning spend her time avoid her future brother-in-law and all Zhang family members including her betrothed. Sometimes they will happen to see each other on the street, they greet and that's about it. Song Ning did not want to cause anymore misunderstanding with her sister thus she talks carefully and think before she says anything to her eldest sister. She will try to stay away from men in any situation except her little brother. Her family is more important to her than any other people in this world thus she live in dark quietly and invisible as much as possible. There cannot be other issues to destroy the only blood ties that she have for live for this life.