You can tell a child’s character at three, and their destiny at seven.
When Ding Weiguo turned seven, every time his grandfather Ding Rukui saw his grandson, one question would pop into his mind – what to do when your grandson looks exactly like your mortal enemy?
Lu Ying and Ding Wu were busy with their careers at the frontier. When their son Ding Weiguo was barely one month old, he was carried by a wet nurse to the capital and handed over to the elderly Ding Rukui to raise, becoming a left-behind child.
His grandson was Ding Rukui’s greatest comfort in his twilight years, and he raised him with devoted care. When his grandson turned one, Ding Rukui pondered over basketfuls of draft papers and finally chose an elegant name with profound meaning, planning to announce it at the first birthday feast.
But his son Ding Wu sent a birthday gift along with a letter saying he had already named his son Ding Weiguo.
“Protecting family and defending country” – so simple and direct. One look revealed this was a name chosen by his daughter-in-law Lu Ying. His son had been well-educated in poetry and literature since childhood and would never choose such a superficial name.
While secretly lamenting that his son would probably never be the master of his household in this lifetime, Ding Rukui grudgingly accepted it.
Raising a grandchild across generations naturally involved some spoiling. Ding Weiguo grew plump and round like a glutinous rice ball. Ding Rukui personally taught his grandson to read. By age five, he could recognize over two thousand characters. Ding Rukui hoped his grandson would pursue the imperial examinations in the future, not needing to constantly travel like his parents, drinking sand and wind in the northwest.
However, his son and daughter-in-law sent people to bring Ding Weiguo to the frontier. According to the grandson’s letters, his mother personally taught him martial arts. Training was exhausting, and he missed his grandfather.
But after complaining for a while, Ding Weiguo accepted the reality of eventually inheriting his mother’s profession. The content of his letters to his grandfather began to change, describing how his mother took him to grasslands and deserts, annually inspecting the trading posts between various frontier passes. Only after going to the frontier did he realize how vast the world was – too large to fit in any study room.
Now Ding Weiguo was too happy to think of his grandfather.
Two years later, when Ding Weiguo was seven, he returned to the capital with his parents to celebrate Ding Rukui’s seventieth birthday.
When Ding Rukui saw his precious grandson, he was startled – the boy looked exactly like his maternal grandfather Lu Bing, as if cast from the same mold! Reddish skin, a pair of long, slender legs, walking like a crane – completely different from the round, chubby child of before.
“Grandfather!” Ding Weiguo still remembered Ding Rukui. Like an arrow, he ran over and threw himself into his grandfather’s arms.
Ding Weiguo dove in headfirst, nearly knocking the wind out of Ding Rukui’s old lungs!
Seeing this familiar face, Ding Rukui immediately recalled his ten years in prison. His legs trembled involuntarily, and he almost couldn’t help calling out “Lord Lu.”
The couple hadn’t returned to the capital in ten years. They entered the palace to meet Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Wanli, providing detailed reports on changes at the northwest frontier over the past decade.
Rukui stayed home watching his grandson. As the grandson practiced with swords and spears, he could only watch with his old bones, feeling heartbroken seeing his grandson drenched in sweat. “Stop practicing. Your mother isn’t home anyway – I’ll take you out to play.”
Ding Weiguo was, after all, a seven-year-old child with a playful nature. Hearing this, he nodded: “Good, but Grandfather must tell others never to tell my mother.”
Look what they’ve driven this child to. Even though his grandson bore Lu Bing’s face, blood ties prevailed. Ding Rukui took his grandson’s hand and went out for a stroll.
They watched street performances at the market – fire swallowing, fire breathing, tightrope walking, monkey shows, magic tricks. Ding Weiguo stretched on his tiptoes trying to see the excitement.
Beside them was a girl his age, dressed in red, acting coquettishly with her father: “Father, people in front are blocking the view. I want to sit on your shoulders to watch!”
The man beside her immediately crouched down and patted his neck: “Good daughter, climb up.”
“Stand up this instant!” A woman beside the man actually grabbed his ear and pulled him up. “Qiwu is already eight years old and still riding on your shoulders – what kind of behavior is this! Don’t spoil the child.”
“Oh.” The man rubbed his ear tip. “Can I hold her instead?”
“Mother.” The little girl grabbed the woman’s hand and shook it back and forth. “Please agree to Father’s request.”
The woman sighed: “This is the last time.” She said this phrase with practiced ease – clearly she’d said “last time” countless times before.
The little girl wrapped her arms around the man’s bent neck, and her body swooped up into the air as her father lifted her.
Ding Weiguo felt envious and also wanted to be held. The red-dressed girl sensed someone watching her. Turning to look, she saw a little boy and said to her father: “Father, this little brother looks so pitiful. Can you hold one on each side?”
Both husband and wife looked in the direction their daughter indicated. Ding Weiguo felt embarrassed and hid behind his grandfather.
Seeing Ding Rukui, the couple both called out together: “Uncle Ding?”
It was Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei. Ten years ago, they had made a ten-year pact with Ding Wu and Lu Ying, left the capital to travel everywhere. A year later, when Wei Caiwei became pregnant and travel became inconvenient, they settled in Nanjing.
Wang Daxia opened a rouge shop by the Qinhuai River. Eight months later, their daughter was born. Wang Daxia had originally wanted to have two children with Wei Caiwei, but one daughter kept them both frantically busy, so they gave up that idea and honestly continued using fish bladders or sheep intestines.
Since their daughter was born in the rouge shop, her pet name was Yanzhi (rouge). For her formal name, the couple thought for a long time and finally decided to use both their names as the surname – Xia. One was Daxia (Great Summer), the other Banxia (Pinellia) – so their daughter simply took the surname Xia. Both had enemies and political opponents, so to protect their daughter, they didn’t use either of their original surnames.
Her given name was Qiwu. This came from one Daxia plus 0.5 Xia (Banxia) divided by two, equaling 0.75. Qiwu was a homophone for “seven-five,” so their daughter was called Xia Qiwu.
The days of raising a child flew by. In the blink of an eye, the ten-year pact had arrived. The couple had just returned to the capital with their daughter and unexpectedly encountered Ding Rukui and Ding Weiguo at the market.
Ding Rukui invited the family of three to visit the Ding estate. Wang Daxia seated his daughter on his left shoulder, used his right hand to lift the slender, long-legged Ding Weiguo onto his right shoulder – one on each side, maintaining balance.
Both children laughed happily watching the market excitement, one speaking soft Nanjing official dialect, the other authentic Beijing official dialect, chattering non-stop.
Wei Caiwei looked at Ding Weiguo riding on Wang Daxia’s shoulder: My heavens, could this child be Lord Lu reincarnated? He looks so similar!
The family of three went to the Ding estate to celebrate the old master’s birthday. Empress Dowager Li had kept Ding Wu and Lu Ying in the palace for a banquet and they hadn’t returned home. In the afternoon, the family of three went to the Wang estate in Tianshui Alley to see relatives.
Wang Daxia had earned the hereditary title of Embroidered Uniform Guard Pacification Commissioner through his own efforts, passing the family’s five-generation-old Chiliarch title to his younger brother Wang Daqiu. Wang Daqiu had already inherited the Chiliarch title and served in the Northern Metropolitan Police, having married and had children the previous year, establishing his own household.
Commander Mu had already retired. This year, Commander Mu and Wang Daqiu’s birth mother Wu Shi had successfully found love in their twilight years and married.
After their marriage, the elderly couple moved to a country estate to spend their remaining years together. Wang Daqiu treated him like his own father with great filial piety. Commander Mu was mentally and physically robust and looked likely to live to one hundred.
The family of three went to the countryside to see Commander Mu. He gave Xia Qiwu a golden qilin he had prepared long ago as a meeting gift, saying:
“They say daughters resemble their fathers. Daxia, your daughter looks almost exactly like you did as a child. Back then on Drum Tower West Slanted Street, you were the most beautiful, androgynously beautiful of course, and also the most mischievous. You’d go out clean and white, but always come home covered in mud like a little monkey. I’d drag you inside to wash you clean before letting you see your father, otherwise you’d definitely get a beating.”
Having become a father, Wang Daxia had grown much more composed. Commander Mu still saw him as a child, bringing up mischievous childhood memories. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he changed the subject: “Uncle Mu, we couldn’t make it in time for your remarriage celebration to drink your and Aunt Wu’s wedding wine. Tonight we must drink until we’re thoroughly drunk.”
Wang Daxia openly mentioned Wu Shi, signaling that he had reconciled with his former stepmother and didn’t hold grudges about past conflicts, hoping for Commander Mu and Wu Shi’s happiness in their twilight years.
Time had unknowingly changed many things. Commander Mu and Wu Shi had developed feelings over the years caring for the traumatized Wang Daqiu – not necessarily romantic love, but more a sense of trust and companionship.
Commander Mu understood that Wang Daxia was letting go of past grievances and offering blessings. Deeply moved, he patted his hand: “I always knew you were a good child.”
At the evening banquet, Wang Daxia and Wu Shi clinked glasses, letting bygones be bygones.
The family of three stayed overnight at the estate. Early the next morning, they came to a cemetery – the He family cemetery. Wei Caiwei arranged sacrificial offerings and burned incense in worship.
Wei Caiwei had Xia Qiwu kneel and kowtow: “They are your maternal grandfather and aunt, and… your cousin. They were unlucky and encountered bad people, all leaving us too early. I was luckier than them – I met good people who helped me, giving me the chance to study medicine, meet your father, and give birth to you. In the future, you must be a kind person and offer goodwill to this world within your capabilities.”
Xia Qiwu was still naive and said: “So not taking our parents’ surnames is a family tradition! My maternal grandfather’s family was surnamed ‘He,’ Mother is surnamed ‘Wei,’ and I’m surnamed ‘Xia.'”
Hmm… this ability to completely miss the point is exactly like your father!
After completing the tomb sweeping, the family of three returned to the city and came to the Ding estate. Ding Wu and Lu Ying had cancelled all social engagements and were waiting at home for their return.
The ten-year pact – when they parted there were four people, when they met again there were already six.
Lu Ying looked at the adorable Xia Qiwu with shining eyes, unable to let go: “Daxia, Qiwu looks so much like you. She’ll surely be exceptional talent in the future. You must cultivate her well—”
Wang Daxia feared Lu Ying would lead his precious daughter “astray.” The Embroidered Uniform Guard was a bottomless abyss with endless work. He had finally climbed out of that abyss to live in seclusion and couldn’t be dragged back in. He quickly changed the subject: “Your Weiguo is cast from the same mold as Earl Zhongcheng – he’s destined for greatness.”
Lu Ying was completely confident about her son, not even bothering with modest disclaimers: “Of course.”
The two complimented each other’s children with ulterior motives. Ding Wu and Wei Caiwei spoke intimately in low voices nearby. Ding Weiguo assumed the role of host, inviting Xia Qiwu to play in the Ding estate gardens.
Xia Qiwu stood on the swing while Ding Weiguo pushed hard from behind. Xia Qiwu was bold, swinging high like a red bird in flight.
Ten years ago was heart-stopping; ten years later brought peaceful times. All their efforts were for this moment of tranquility.
The tranquility lasted three days. Just as the two families were about to bid farewell and arrange their next ten-year meeting, urgent messages arrived by carrier pigeon from the frontier. It was Third Madam desperately seeking help: An Da Khan was critically ill, his stepsons were eyeing the khanate throne, internal strife was about to erupt, and she needed the Great Ming’s assistance to control the situation.
Wang Daxia immediately stood to take his leave: “You’re busy – we won’t disturb you. See you again in ten years.”
“Wait.” Lu Ying blocked their path. “This concerns frontier peace – no mistakes can be tolerated. Ding Wu and I need your help. The children will stay in the capital – my father-in-law will care for them.”