ENG
The path home is covered in green moss,
Peach blossoms begin to bloom across.
How tender and gentle, her caring affection,
Among sisters, a loving connection.
The eldest sister of the Zhu family was gentle and serene, caring for her younger sisters like a mother. She meticulously managed every aspect of their daily lives. Even the straightforward second sister and the independent fourth sister behaved obediently and showed a touch of girlish charm in her presence. Each day, she oversaw the cave's catering, everyone's clothing, and was the go-to for disputes, illnesses, joys, and sorrows, keeping her busy from dawn till dusk.
There was always a steady stream of courier lesser yaoguais coming to her with messages: "My lady, the second and fourth ladies are arguing." "My lady, the fifth lady scolded a weaver, and now they need an extra hand. Can someone be sent?" "My lady, the sixth lady injured herself while practicing and asks for you to come and have a look."
One day, the lady of the house, her mother, called her to her side. As soon as she stepped into the hut, the tranquil scene of her mother admiring the flowers under a tree caught her eyes. Her mother waved her over, saying, "The flowers in our abode are more beautiful than those in the upper realm." Meanwhile, outside the hut, the lesser yaoguai in charge of catering was waiting for her to decide the menu, and the steward overseeing the cocoons was waiting to report matters...
The eldest sister asked, "Mother, is there something you wish to instruct me on?"
Her mother gently took her hand and said, "I just want you to accompany me in admiring these flowers." She smiled warmly, adding, "I worry they will wear you out." The eldest sister looked at her mother and was suddenly transported back to many years ago, when her mother had held her hand in the same way as they admired the peach blossoms together. The flowers were beautiful then, and so was her mother.
This scene is about the eldest sister of the Zhu family and her life in a household of sisters who are also yaoguai. She is the main caregiver and manager for the family. Her role is maternal: she looks after food, clothing, health, disputes, and daily needs for the other sisters. The text emphasizes that she is gentle and serene, and the other sisters behave differently around her — even the blunt second sister and the independent fourth sister act obediently and show a softer side in her presence.
The household runs through her. Couriers — called lesser yaoguai — constantly bring her reports and requests: quarrels between sisters, someone needing extra hands at work, injuries from practice, and other routine problems. Those messengers treat her as the decision-maker and problem-solver, so she is busy from dawn until dusk handling all the small crises and daily management tasks.
One day her mother, who is the head of the house, asks her to come to the hut. When she arrives she finds her mother quietly admiring peach blossoms. The setting contrasts the ordinary busyness outside — the catering assistant waiting for menu orders and the steward waiting to report on the cocoons — with the slow, intimate moment inside the hut between mother and daughter.
Her mother does not give orders. Instead she takes the eldest sister’s hand and says she only wants her to stay and admire the flowers together. She also says she worries that her daughter will wear herself out. The eldest sister is moved by this and is suddenly taken back to a memory of when her mother once held her hand in the same way while they admired the same blossoms years before.
The ending shows a clear, tender relationship and a pause in the ongoing duties. The mother’s request and her worry about the eldest being overworked reveal concern and closeness; the eldest sister’s memory shows how deep their bond is. The scene leaves the household’s many practical needs still waiting, but it foregrounds the emotional priority the mother places on time together and the elder sister’s role as both caregiver and child in that family.