ENG
With powdered face and hair in a twist,
A slender waist adorned with jade amidst.
As charming as a maiden from the skies,
Yet most formidable when she vies.
The second daughter of the Zhu family was raised as a boy from a young age. She managed the finances and trades for the cave. Due to her straightforward and generous nature, she had the most interactions with the stewards outside the mountain and the lesser yaoguais in the Village of Lanxi.
Because she was busy with numerous affairs, the lesser yaoguais had fixed times to report and offer tributes to her. Most of these yaoguais, who were on good terms with her, both respected and feared her. They believed that their capable and strong-willed lady might one day become the lady of the cave. If that happened, anyone fortunate enough to marry into the family could become a lord by association. This caused much distress for the four scorpion princes residing in the cave, who were often the subject of idle gossip.
The second sister paid no mind to such rumors. Among the four sons of the Scorpionlord, she favored only those who were the most helpful to her.
A few days ago, she had acquired a celestial vine seed from somewhere and planted it in her private courtyard within the cave, assigning the eldest scorpion prince to guard it.
The eldest scorpion prince, delighted, assumed this meant the second sister had feelings for him. One day, he approached the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master, asking for help in matchmaking. The master laughed and shook his head, saying that a woman with such a strong will would only look down on him more if he sought someone else's help in proposing. He advised the prince to come up with a plan on his own.
After returning to the cave, the eldest scorpion prince circled the celestial vine repeatedly, but he still hadn't figured out a way to win her heart.
The story is about the second daughter of the Zhu family. Although biologically female, she was raised as a boy and runs the household business inside the family's cave. She handles the cave’s finances and trade and has a lot of contact with the stewards and the lesser yaoguais — small demon-spirits — who live in the nearby Village of Lanxi. Her straightforward and generous nature makes her the main point of contact between the cave and those outsiders.
Because she controls many of the cave’s affairs, the lesser yaoguais report to her on fixed schedules and bring tributes. They both respect and fear her competence. Many of them expect that she might one day become the official lady of the cave, and they imagine that whoever marries into her family would gain power and status as a result. That expectation has made her a subject of gossip and worry, especially for the four scorpion princes who live in the cave under the Scorpionlord.
The second sister ignores the rumors. She does not seek to play to gossip or to court flattery. Instead, she judges people by how useful and helpful they are. Among the Scorpionlord’s four sons, she favors only those who actually assist her in her work, not those who flatter or spread gossip.
A few days before the scene ends, she obtained a celestial vine seed and planted it in a private courtyard inside the cave. She assigned the eldest scorpion prince the duty of guarding the seed. The eldest prince took this guarding role as a sign that she cared for him personally and went to the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master asking for help with matchmaking and a formal proposal.
The Daoist Master laughed at him and said that a woman as strong-willed as the second sister would look down on him if he relied on someone else to arrange his courtship; the master told him to come up with his own plan. The eldest prince returned to the courtyard, watching the celestial vine and trying to think of a way to win her, but so far he has not found a plan. The situation is unresolved: the sister remains practical and independent, the prince is uncertain, and the potential for rivalry or change in the cave’s leadership hangs in the air.