The group sought an open area to fly kites, eventually settling on a spacious green near Mingong Garden. Soon, the maids brought nine kites. The Shen sisters had their own, while Shen Qian lent her three old kites to Su Yun and the Wang sisters. The remaining kites, all exquisite, came from the storeroom.
Shen Qian’s bat kite was the most refined. Though it initially seemed unremarkable, its lightweight frame and superior construction allowed it to soar highest with ease. But its true marvel emerged once airborne: from its belly unfurled five adorable baby bats, forming a “Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity” design. Everyone applauded the ingenuity.
Shen Qian boasted, “Of course! Old Master Zhang of Xiao’er Zhang made it himself.”
Xiao’er Zhang’s kites were legendary. Old Master Zhang began as a waiter with a passion for kite-making. After losing his job, he devoted himself to the craft, eventually founding his school rivaling the southern “Pailou” and northwestern “Yansha” styles.
Since turning sixty, Old Master Zhang rarely made kites himself. This “Five Blessings” kite was truly rare – even money might not secure one. No wonder Shen Qian was proud.
Shen Cui was consumed with jealousy, deeply regretting not being Shen Che’s blood sister. The Wang sisters looked on with longing.
Yet pride often precedes misfortune. With several kites aloft, careful maneuvering was needed to avoid tangling lines. Losing an ordinary kite was acceptable, but the “Five Blessings” kite was irreplaceable.
Despite Shen Qian’s caution, fate intervened. Though it avoided other kites, a gust of wind caught the “Five Blessings” kite as she reeled it in, lodging it in a nearby century-old tree.
This wasn’t just any tree, but Qing Garden’s guardian tree. Shen Qian couldn’t simply have it cut down.
“What do we do?” Shen Qian was on the verge of tears.
The kite hung from the treetop, five or six zhang from the ground. The trunk was bare, making climbing difficult.
“Don’t worry,” Shen Yuan comforted. “We’ll get servants to bring a ladder, or they can form a human pyramid if needed.”
But the trunk was too tall for ladders, and a human pyramid became unstable after five or six people, were unable to reach high enough.
Shen Qian stomped her feet anxiously as the sky darkened, threatening rain. “What do we do? If Second Brother finds out, he’ll never let me have nice things again.” Only she knew the truth – she had stolen the kite while her brother was away.
“Let me try,” Ji Cheng stepped forward.
Shen Qian looked at her tearfully. “Can you climb trees?”
This wasn’t a problem climbing could solve. The kite hung from fragile branches that couldn’t support a person’s weight. A servant had already fallen trying.
“I can only try,” Ji Cheng said, unwilling to make promises. She sent a maid to fetch her slingshot and iron pellets from her room.
While the young ladies spent their days composing poetry and admiring flowers, Ji Cheng had mostly been riding horses, practicing archery, and playing with her slingshot.
When the slingshot arrived, Shen Qian looked at Ji Cheng as if she were a lifesaving Bodhisattva. Ji Cheng’s hands trembled slightly under the pressure. Her first shot with an iron pellet fell short of the branch.
Shen Qian’s hope turned to deep disappointment.
Ji Cheng didn’t give up. She paced beneath the tree, closed her eyes in thought, then opened them with determination. Tying the pellet pouch to her waist, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing dazzlingly white arms. With a “twang,” the iron pellet shot out like a meteor. Almost simultaneously, everyone heard another “twang,” then another, and finally a fourth.
Before anyone could see clearly, the pellet struck the small branch holding the kite. The branch snapped, and the kite fell.
Waiting servants rushed to catch it.
Just as the branch broke with a crack, a voice behind Ji Cheng called out in admiration.
Ji Cheng and the others turned to see an unfamiliar man standing nearby.
Shen Yuan exclaimed, “Big Brother!”
The man wearing a blue robe with scrolling grass patterns and dark green bamboo-patterned borders was indeed the Shen family’s eldest son, Shen Yu, from the second branch.
Ji Cheng had heard of him. At thirteen or fourteen, he had followed his father, Old Master Shen Er, to build a career in the northwest. Now a fourth-rank Zhongwu General serving in the capital’s garrison, he exuded an imposing aura despite his youth. People looked up to him as they would a lofty mountain.
The Shen family was known for their good looks, and Shen Yu was undeniably handsome. However, his cold demeanor often overshadowed his refined features.
At first glance, Ji Cheng felt the second branch of the Shen family might become the most promising. Shen Yu, only twenty-five, had been married to Lady Zhou, who died in childbirth two years ago, leaving behind a son now raised by his stepmother, Second Madam Huang.
A fleeting, unrealistic thought crossed Ji Cheng’s mind but quickly vanished. Even as a replacement wife, she likely stood no chance.
Shen Yu nodded in response, his gaze returning to Ji Cheng. “This young lady has a remarkable aim.” Three shots were fired in rapid succession – the second striking the first to add force, the third hitting the second to propel it upward and strike the first again. This feat required more than skill; it demanded precise mental calculations, with each shot requiring different force for the third to catch up to the second and lend power to the first, ultimately breaking the branch.
Even Shen Yu had to admit he might not be capable of such a feat. This was why he approached Ji Cheng to speak.
The three Shen sisters stared at Ji Cheng in astonishment. While they had been impressed by her skill before, as laypeople, they hadn’t grasped its true difficulty. Now that Ji Cheng had prompted Shen Yu to initiate conversation, the Shen sisters were internally exclaiming, “Heavens!”
Shen Yu was known for his icy demeanor, rarely speaking even to his mother, Second Madam. He certainly didn’t address other women this way, not even his sister Shen Yuan.
Ji Cheng’s face flushed, and she lowered her gaze without responding.
Watching her eyelashes flutter like butterfly wings, Shen Yu realized his impropriety. His attention had been entirely captivated by Ji Cheng’s exceptional skill and slingshot. Now looking again, he could no longer see her features, only noticing her dazzlingly white skin. He quickly averted his gaze.
Shen Yuan stepped forward. “Big Brother, this is Third Aunt’s niece from her maiden family, Sister Cheng.”
“So it’s Cousin Cheng,” Shen Yu nodded slightly. His earlier directness wasn’t too inappropriate for a family member.
“Ah Cheng, this is my eldest brother. You’ve been here for some time but haven’t met him yet, right?” Shen Yuan introduced Shen Yu to Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng curtsied to Shen Yu. “Elder Cousin.”
Her voice, clear as ice-cooled spring water tinkling over pearls and soft as a spring breeze caressing flowers, made Shen Yu’s heart sink. He disliked such affected tones, preferring straightforward speech.
However, Shen Yu’s perpetually icy expression revealed nothing of his displeasure to the others. He was about to leave but couldn’t resist asking, “Cousin, may I examine your slingshot?”
Ji Cheng naturally couldn’t refuse and handed it over.
Shen Yu inspected the slingshot, finding nothing extraordinary. It was made of high-quality wood, both hard and flexible, with a sling of cow tendon long-soaked in medicinal water. Though rare, it wasn’t particularly special.
Initially, Shen Yu had thought Ji Cheng’s ability to shoot iron pellets so high might be due to some mechanism in the slingshot. Now he realized it was the result of her precise calculations and skillful use of wrist and arm strength. Such skill was truly remarkable; if she were a man in the military camp, she would surely make a name for herself.
After examining it, Shen Yu returned the slingshot, nodded without a word, and left.
As soon as Shen Yu departed, the young ladies gathered around Ji Cheng.
Su Yun asked, “Sister Cheng, you’re truly amazing! Where did you learn such a skill? Even Elder Cousin praised you.”
Ji Cheng smiled. “I learned from my brothers when I was young.” Back then, the Ji family wasn’t as wealthy. Her father was often away on business, and her mother was too timid to manage affairs. Ji Cheng spent her time outdoors with her second brother, like a boy.
Later, as Ji Cheng grew older and couldn’t go out with her second brother, she socialized with other girls from Jin, playing with kites and slingshots. Her father had brought her a butterfly kite from the south, which she adored. Once, when it got caught in a treetop, she was as anxious as Shen Qian today.
She honed her slingshot skills during those kite-flying days, gradually mastering the technique.
The Wang sisters were slowly reeling in their kite lines when Wang Yue Niang spoke in a measured tone, “What’s so praiseworthy about learning the crude skills of commoners?”
Shen Qian, originally close to the Wang sisters, now felt displeased. After all, Ji Cheng had just helped her. “What do you mean by crude skills? Any skill that can help others is good.”
Wang Yue Niang, wary of Shen Qian’s status as Shen Che’s sister, became sheepish and said no more.
Fourth Miss Wang smiled. “Sister Qian, now that we’ve retrieved the kite, shall we take a stroll in the garden? Let’s not waste this beautiful spring day.”
As hosts, the Shen sisters naturally wanted to ensure their guests’ enjoyment, so they began arranging for a garden tour.