The second day of the second month was shaved

Firecrackers crackled outside. Yao Jing yawned and surveyed the room. Sitting at the head of the table was her stepmother, flanked by maids, servants, and concubines. Below her stepmother stood two little boys, one on each side. The one on the left was older, about ten years old (her stepmother called him Fu Dali), while the one on the right was two or three years younger (called Qingde). She had seen these two in her stepmother's room many times; they were both her brothers.

Today was New Year's Eve, and Yao Jing finally saw her older sister, whom she had never met before—a beautiful little girl who looked like she was in kindergarten. A nanny led them to a seat. Yao Jing took a second look at her. She was a beauty, her eyes sparkling, though perhaps because she had just recovered from a serious illness, she looked a little frail. Because she was still a child, Yao Jing was held by a nanny. Upon entering the house, she performed her greetings, also in a nanny's arms. Then, her stepmother introduced them, saying, "This is Big Girl, this is Little Girl," letting them get to know each other. Then, she was carried to her stepmother's side.

None of that was a problem. The problem was—her two brothers had been wearing melon-shaped caps, but when they got inside, they felt hot and took them off with permission. Yao Jing then realized their heads were completely bald. That wasn't a big deal, but the problem was that they didn't have half-monk hair, but rather, they had a hairstyle they couldn't quite describe. Only a small tuft of hair, about the size of a teacup, remained on their scalps, braided into a small braid that hung down, a bit like the hairstyle of Liao and Jin men, except that Liao and Jin men's braids seemed to be on the side of their heads, while these two men's hair was still on the top of their heads.

Did men or boys wear hair like this during the Qing Dynasty? When they first started wearing hats, Yao Jing wondered if the braids were thin because the children had less hair, but it was clear the tiny braids were shaved. As a child, Yao Jing had seen a TV series about the handsome monk Li Shutong. It happened to show the handsome man studying in Japan, where a local girl called him "half a monk's" hairstyle and demanded a cut. It was so vivid, I remember it so clearly... Was she fooled by the TV show?

Then something even more shocking happened—her older sister actually had the same hairstyle! Holy crap! Didn't the history textbook say that those who kept their hair were men?! Yao Jing couldn't help but struggle with her arms and tried to touch her head—she wasn't old enough to dress herself, hadn't even looked in the mirror, and didn't even know if she was bald!

Even this small wish went unfulfilled. The nanny held her tightly, fearing she would spoil the fun during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Yao Jing turned away in agony, only to see a row of bald-headed girls standing against the wall. This only made her more certain that her hair was doomed. Fortunately... her mother's hair was still intact, as were Chunxi, Xiaxi, and the nannies. Perhaps she could assume she would be allowed to keep her hair in the future?

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After my mother announced the start of the annual banquet, she turned around to tease Yao Jing, asking her to call her "E Niang" [1]. Yes, Yao Jing had learned to call her "E Niang" (luckily, she knew what the word meant) when she didn't even know how old she was. Since her teeth hadn't fully grown in, she must be very young, right? Otherwise, everyone she met wouldn't have called her "smart." It's possible that she was deliberately saying this to please my mother.

Yao Jing wasn't keen on getting too close to these people; she still hadn't adjusted. As a child, with no pressing need to integrate into society, she could retreat into her shell and reminisce about the past. But she couldn't handle the adults' chatter. Her stepmother had called her "mother" countless times, followed by the nanny and maidservants. If she didn't speak, they would nag her to death.

Asking her to call someone "mama" or "niang" was relatively easy, but her vocal cords struggled to pronounce two distinct syllables in a row. It took several days of repetitive practice before she could pronounce the syllables correctly. Asking her to suddenly call a stranger "mama" was difficult for her. "Mama" isn't something you can just say casually; the word carries too much weight. Instead, it's the psychological connection of "e niang" that makes it easier for her to pronounce.

Yao Jing called out "Mom" and was only let go after her happy stepmother kissed her on the cheek.

Young and with only a few teeth, the baby, less than a year old, couldn't eat much. After being breastfed, she sat at the table, watching and smelling the delicious food. Yao Jing missed the days of making dumplings together as a family on New Year's Eve. At the sparsely attended reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, Yao Jing once again silently thought of her home, of the real mother she had called "Mom" for over twenty years. She closed her eyes; crying in public would be too humiliating, even if she shrank.

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Too young to do anything, the room was warm, and the heat made her feel sweltering. Yao Jing's first Qing Dynasty New Year passed in a blur. The next day, she donned a bright red dress, a dazzling necklace, bracelets, and anklets, a heavy outfit. Her wet nurse used rouge to mark a small red mole between her eyebrows. The child was as cute as a ball of white, yet few people looked at her. The house was empty.

Another major problem—in all her time, Yao Jing hadn't even met the male owner of this house, let alone any male relatives. She could explain her lack of experience with male relatives by citing her young age and strict social upbringing, but she hadn't even met her own father, who was so busy he wasn't even home for Chinese New Year... The Three Feudatories were bound to fall in the end, but unfortunately, she had no interest in Qing history and was completely unaware of the events that unfolded. And even if she knew, she still didn't know her father's surname or name, so it wouldn't make sense. These days, no one would call the male owner of their own house by his full name.

Yao Jing had a new worry. This was her first time traveling through time, and she had no idea what to do. When would she find out the name and surname of her current 'father'?

And strangely enough, she had never even seen a grandmother, an aunt, or a paternal uncle in this house. How bizarre! Didn't people live together in clans back then? Yao Jing bit her finger. Her knowledge of daily life in the Qing Dynasty was pitifully limited. She had only been able to read "Dream of the Red Chamber" because it was one of the Four Great Classics. Comparing it with this "fossilized book," she found that her environment was completely unrelated to the masterpiece.

Others have old ladies, but she doesn't; other people have many relatives, but she doesn't; other people have many sisters, but she only has one; other people's servants quarrel and argue when they're away from their masters, but she doesn't; other people have troublesome concubines, but she has, uh, maybe two or three, but they're all very honest, at least from Yao Jing's perspective now; other people don't have to learn Manchu or Mongolian, but she does... Yao Jing racked her brains, but couldn't figure it out. —What kind of situation is this?! !

At this moment, the previously silent mansion suddenly became active. The housekeeper came over hurriedly and said, "The Madam has returned from the palace. Hurry and prepare."

In the palace? Yao Jing was stunned.

Of course, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the first day of the lunar year, one must enter the palace to pay respects. Yao Jing was slow to realize this, figuring the rules had been similar throughout the dynasties. She was carried to the main room, where she saw her mother changing her clothes. She was adorned with gold, her hat held by a maid. It had a ruby ​​​​top, two large pearls below, and a gold base with carved patterns below. It was magnificent. Around her neck hung three long strings of beads of different colors. Her clothes were also made of azurite with a gold border and ornate patterns embroidered on them. There were all kinds of pendants and patterns. It was dazzling and hurtful.

The elder sister arrived soon after. The two lived in the same courtyard with their mother, and the nanny brought them over quickly. A little later, after the wife had removed the court beads from her neck and changed into a cheongsam, the two little boys arrived. After changing her clothes, the wife unexpectedly led the four children to another courtyard. In the main room, they were just as solemn and respectful. They kowtowed to two empty chairs with prayer mats placed on them. Then, they went back to the courtyard and kowtowed again, facing south.

Yao Jing was held by her maternal mother, who was kneeling. She looked around curiously and found that the furnishings here were no worse than those in the mistress's main room, and even better. She began to wonder. After finally finishing the worship, she learned from everyone's conversation that it was her adoptive grandfather who lived here. Fu Dali asked her adoptive mother, "Mother, Mafa and Ama didn't come back this year. When can I see them?" "Soon."

"It's almost time again." The one who was whispering was the second brother Qingde. Yao Jing laughed secretly for this 'second' brother for a long time. She looked at Qingde with a look full of sympathy. Even if he was the brother, it didn't sound good to be called a second brother. Yao Jing laughed secretly.

Back in the main room, it was the wife's turn to sit. She took the right of the two chairs at the head, leaving the left empty. The children kowtowed and said auspicious words. Yao Jing also said the long-rehearsed "Congratulations" and was awarded a pair of purses filled with gold ingots, beautifully embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns. The rest of the New Year's celebrations were largely irrelevant to her; after all, she was still young.

There were a few people visiting for New Year's greetings, and my mother would go out to do some New Year's greetings, but Yao Jing saw almost no one, not even her siblings. Her two brothers were probably of school age, so they rarely saw each other during the week. During the New Year holidays, they didn't even entertain their toothless sister. They did occasionally come to pinch her cheeks. The older sister had just recovered from a serious illness and was restricted in her activities, continuing to recuperate.

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The New Year passed, and the two brothers continued to go to school. Yao Jing saw fewer people, but she became busy. What could a baby be busy with?

The answer is: learning.

Learning to walk, learning to talk. Fortunately, Yao Jing is still "learning" Chinese now, occasionally mixing in some Manchu and Mongolian words. Wuya Mama insisted that she should learn Manchu, while He Mama thought that she should learn Chinese first. In the end, it was Madam who spoke: "They all have to learn, but our family is in the Han army banner, and there are many people who speak Chinese now. Let's learn some Chinese first, and then learn Mandarin and Mongolian when they are older. Otherwise, they will get mixed up and it will be difficult to learn." She also comforted Wuya Mama, "Little Niuniu speaks quickly. After the New Year, let her learn Mandarin with Mama [2]. You can also talk to her a little bit on weekdays. Children learn things quickly, Mama, don't worry."

Nanny Uya thought that she was a respectable old servant, and still insisted: "Although she is from the Han army flag, she is also Manchu." Until the lady said: "I thought so too, but her brothers and sisters all went through this. Fu Dali learned together at that time, and the child's tongue was tied. The master said it himself that they should come one by one, and now we should follow the example of that time. Little Niuniu will need Nanny's more care." Nanny Uya reluctantly agreed.

From then on, Yao Jing's study life began. There were no teaching materials. She was taught to recognize some small toys. Nanny Yin took an apple and repeated "Apple - Fruit" more than 20 times, asking Yao Jing to learn from her.

Yao Jing: …

After all, she's a pseudo-baby, so as long as her physical condition allows, she's currently "learning" quickly. Yao Jing quickly "learned" quite a few Chinese words, earning her much praise from her mother and family. Aunt Wuya even secretly taught her a few Manchu words, and her mother would occasionally mention a couple of Mongolian words for her to memorize. Fortunately, they were just a few simple words she hadn't written down yet, and since they were few in number, learning wasn't too difficult.

Yao Jing's inner assessment was this: There's no system at all! You're just letting things run wild! Let them run wild!

The days passed very fulfillingly. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed. It was the second day of the second lunar month, when spring was in full bloom and the dragon was raising its head. It was said to be a good day, and because it was a good day, it was also suitable for doing many things, such as getting a haircut. Yao Jing finally knew what hairstyle she had. On this day, she had her hair shaved... No matter what it was like before, at least from this day on, her forehead was bald! [3]

[1] I've looked up a lot of information and it's said that wealthy Manchu families call their mothers "Nan Nai" and their grandmothers "Tai Tai". A concubine's son calls his biological mother "E Niang". If the biological mother is the principal wife, she is at least called "E Nie". I really can't make sense of it, so I just follow the crowd and call her "E Niang". After all, it's a transliteration, and it sounds pretty similar. I always feel that "Nan Nai Tai Tai" seems... a job title?

[2] That is Manchu.

[3] Manchus, both boys and girls, have their hair cut into a coin-shaped rat-tail style when they are young. Girls only start growing their hair out when they are older. I have not found any information on whether they shave their hair at birth or later, so I will just write this as an estimate.