Home / No Golden Thread, No Mother's Blessing / Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

All Chapters of No Golden Thread, No Mother's Blessing: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Once everyone had left after trying on the wedding gowns, Mother thrust the roughly stitched wedding gown into my arms. "Stop looking so miserable. If anyone sees you, they'll think we've mistreated you." The rough yellow threads scratched against my fingertips as I held the dress. In a quiet voice, I asked, "Mother, do you still remember the twin lotuses you sketched for me?" Three years ago, my sister chose a phoenix among peonies, while I chose a pair of twin lotuses. Mother had once said their quiet elegance suited my gentle nature best. She'd even promised to embroider the two flowers side by side to bless me with a harmonious marriage.Mother paused at the reminder of her promise, then furrowed her brows. "Your sister's bridal veil is still missing its cloud-patterned border. Don't bother me with old matters." With that, she turned and disappeared into the embroidery room. Through the half-open door, I caught sight of two twin lotuses embroidered beside the clouds on

Chapter 2

The next day, Julian arrived at my family's residence. He wore a faded blue outfit, washed so many times that its color had nearly worn away. In his hands, he carried two packages of biscuits and a small wooden box. Everyone in the front courtyard was busy taking inventory of the gifts being added to my sister's bridal gift, and no one bothered to greet him.Father was drinking tea with the Sinclair family's steward, while Mother fussed over the pearl hairpins Clara was trying on. In the end, I was the only one who went to the kitchen to fetch a wooden stool for Julian. He didn't sit down. Instead, his gaze settled on the purplish bruises around my wrist. "How did that happen?" he asked.I slipped my hand into my sleeve. "I bumped it by accident." He didn't press me for an explanation. He simply handed me a bottle of medicinal ointment. Clara walked over and glanced at the wooden box in his hands. "What's inside?" Julian opened the box, revealing a silver hairpin shaped

Chapter 3

Seven days before my sister's wedding, the phoenix's tail on her wedding gown came undone.The gold thread holding one of the feathers had come loose, revealing a dense cluster of tiny needle holes beneath. Mother's eyes reddened with panic. "Mrs. Sinclair Sr. is coming tomorrow to inspect the gifts we've prepared for Clara, including her wedding gown. What are we going to do?"She had spent three years embroidering that gown, and the strain had long since ruined her eyesight. The room fell silent for a moment. Then, as though on cue, everyone turned to look at me. Mother pushed the wedding gown toward me. "Evelyn, your embroidery skills are the best in the family. Stay up tonight and repair your sister's gown." I refused. Julian and I were supposed to go to the county courthouse early the next morning to register our marriage. Arthur immediately frowned. "Can't you register your marriage another day? If Mrs. Sinclair Sr. sees the damage to the wedding gown, how will our

Chapter 4

Three days before my wedding, I went to the embroidery shop to pick up the bridal veil I'd commissioned.The shopkeeper searched through his account books for a long time before finally looking up at me with an apologetic expression. "Ms. Ellwood, Mrs. Ellwood collected the money you'd paid for the veil two days ago." I trembled with anger. I'd designed the embroidery pattern myself, hoping to preserve at least a little dignity on my wedding day. Now, even that small measure of dignity had been taken from me.When I returned home, the courtyard was bustling with guests who had gathered for my sister's bridal gift celebration, a family occasion where gifts were presented to the bride.Clara sat among a group of female relatives. In addition to the gold bangle our maternal grandmother had left me, she now wore a pair of solid gold armlets adorned with intertwining floral branches.My aunt took her hand and admired the jewelry. "These must have cost a fortune!" Mother beamed w

Chapter 5

By the time the bridal sedan reached the county seat, I noticed the Caldwell residence was already decorated for the wedding. Julian's parents had passed away years ago, leaving only his elderly paternal aunt, Florence Caldwell, as his family at home. Florence had been waiting at the entrance for some time. The moment I stepped out of the sedan, she hurried over and pressed a hand warmer into my arms. "Why are your hands so cold? Come inside quickly before you catch a chill." I froze for a moment. Back at the Ellwood residence, whenever Clara and I fell ill at the same time, Mother always stayed by Clara's bedside. One winter, I came down with a high fever and went to the kitchen for water, only to find Mother feeding my sister a bowl of hot stew. When she saw me, all she said was, "You've always been strong and healthy. Just bundle yourself up in bed and sleep it off." So this was what it felt like to have someone care whether I was cold.During the wedding ceremony, no

Chapter 6

When Mother rushed into my bedroom, she found nothing but an empty bed. A few old clothes were missing from the wardrobe, and the sewing box that had been sitting on the table was gone as well. The rough wedding gown, however, lay neatly folded at the head of the bed, with a note on top. With trembling hands, Mother unfolded the note. It contained only one sentence—"Since you believe I'm not worthy of wearing it, I'll leave it with this family." All the color drained from her face, and she stumbled back a step. Father hurried over when he heard the commotion, but he didn't seem particularly concerned. "What's with all the fuss that she's gone? Let her be. The Caldwell family was supposed to come for their bride today anyway. Isn't it better that she's married off to them?""But she left from an inn," Mother replied, her voice trembling. "She had no family to see her off, no bridal gifts, not even a decent veil to cover her face." Father frowned. "She brought this on hersel

Chapter 7

On the third day after our wedding, Julian and I visited an embroidery shop in the county seat. The moment the owner saw me, she pulled out a contract she'd prepared ahead of time. "Ms. Ellwood… Oh, no, I should be calling you Mrs. Caldwell now." She spread an embroidery pattern across the table and pointed to it. "You're the one who embroidered these twin lotus flowers, aren't you? Your stitches are exquisite, and the colors complement each other beautifully. If you're willing to work here, you'll receive a monthly salary, plus a commission on every piece you sell." I didn't accept right away. Instead, I turned to look at Julian. In the past, whenever I wanted to do anything, I'd always waited for my family to give me permission first. Julian simply smiled. "She's asking you, not me. You should make your own decision." I picked up the pen and carefully signed my name on the contract. Evelyn Ellwood… This time, no one would cover it with decorative paper. …Once I st

Chapter 8

When Mother received the bundle I returned, she was helping Clara put away the gifts she had brought home. The moment she saw the words "I have a home of my own now", the teacup slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.Arthur, his face livid with anger, recounted everything that had happened at the embroidery shop. Father flew into a rage as soon as he heard the story. "She's gotten too big for her britches! We went out of our way to send her those quilts, and she actually had the nerve to send them back?" Mother, however, didn't join in his anger. Instead, she lowered her eyes to the old quilts, their fabric still stained yellow, and suddenly pulled open the cover. The cotton stuffing inside had hardened into lumps and was mixed with bits of straw that rats had chewed apart. A quilt like this wouldn't keep anyone warm in winter. Staring at it blankly, she asked, "Who picked out these two quilts for her in the first place?" The servant answered nervously, "You did,

Chapter 9

After the entire family returned home, Mother fell seriously ill. Day after day, she clutched the tattered satin, running her fingers over the tiny needle holes where the twin lotus flowers had once been embroidered. At first, Father kept cursing me for being heartless. But soon, the Sinclair family sent over a ledger demanding the Ellwood family repay the 300 coins Clara had misappropriated. It turned out that, desperate to maintain appearances in the Sinclair household, Clara had spent lavishly on gifts and rewards in less than a month of marriage. She had even secretly pawned the deeds to the shops she'd received as part of her bridal gifts. Father was so furious that his entire body trembled. "How could you be so irresponsible?" he demanded. Clara burst into tears, desperately trying to defend herself. "You've always told me that I must never let anyone look down on me! All my sisters-in-law in the Sinclair family have nice things, so of course I need them, too!" He

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