When Master Qiu heard that Sanniang wanted to pray for his peace and perform a seven-day fasting and purification ritual, how could he not agree to let her go? Not only that, Bai He also told Mo Zi that tears appeared in the master’s eyes, and holding Sanniang’s hand, he kept saying he hadn’t loved her in vain.
“All the way back, Miss’s face didn’t look good. She sighed saying that if Madam hadn’t interfered, the father-daughter relationship wouldn’t have grown distant.” Bai He also sighed.
“I think in this whole mansion, only our miss still treats the master well, going to pay respects once every day. I don’t see Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss being that diligent—instead they spend all day circling around Madam.” Lu Ju lay on her bed, hands pillowing her head, turning on her side to look at Bai He and Mo Zi. “I heard from Jin Shu that every time Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss go to see the master, they don’t dare sit, don’t dare drink tea, as if afraid the master’s illness would infect them. The master flew into a rage and told them not to come anymore, and they really stopped coming.”
Jin Shu was Master Qiu’s young book attendant.
“And it’s not just Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss. Even when Madam brings Ninth Miss, she doesn’t stay long—after a brief visit, she has the wet nurse lead her out. The master is truly pitiful. One principal wife plus three concubines, seven children, yet now by his side only our miss regularly brings tea and medicine to his sickbed.” Thinking of what she’d seen at Master Qiu’s courtyard during the day, Bai He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
“So your godmother has better luck than the master. The master has seven children, but only one fulfills filial duty. Your godmother only has you as a goddaughter, yet you’re closer than a birth daughter.” Mo Zi’s bed was by the window, with moonlight illuminating the cotton paper snow-white.
“Truly so.” Lu Ju also sighed with emotion. “Those of us without fathers or mothers who can recognize godparents and have another elder to care for us—we’d practically give our hearts and lungs to treat them well. Yet those young ladies and young masters from families who don’t worry about food or clothing and don’t need to lift a finger despise their parents for being old and sickly.”
“Stop talking. At least our miss isn’t that kind of person.” Bai He heard the night watch drum. “Hurry and sleep. We’ll be busy early tomorrow morning.”
In ancient times, a young lady going out, especially staying overnight away from home, was a very troublesome and tedious affair. The usual procedures—from obtaining parental permission, sending someone to the hermitage to deliver a card and set a date, arranging accompanying maids, servant women, old women, young servants, and guards, also needing to order new clothes, equip daily necessities, even toiletries had to be brought along, plus regular reading materials, musical instruments and board games, the four treasures of the study—all this required at least a month’s time before one could go out for this kind of seven-day-and-night trip away from home.
However, this trip was decided hastily, and they needed to catch Madam Wei’s time at Cinian Hermitage, so once the master approved, tomorrow they’d have a young servant go to the hermitage to deliver the card, and the day after they’d depart.
“I wonder if Madam finds out, will she make another scene?” Lu Ju muttered, turned over, and fell asleep.
Mo Zi closed her eyes, not worried at all. If Zhang Shi made a scene, couldn’t Qiu Sanniang make a scene too? Each had their own methods—they’d see how it went.
The next day, Qiu Sanniang sent a young servant to Cinian Hermitage to deliver the card, telling him to return quickly once he received word. Mo Zi and the others managed packing the luggage themselves, busy as could be.
Now, Qiu Sanniang’s courtyard made no special effort to conceal the news, but by the time Zhang Shi learned of it, breakfast had already been finished.
“What did you say?” In her anger, Zhang Shi smashed the tea saucer.
Ai Xing was so frightened she dodged the fragments to the side.
Old Woman An was an old hand after all—what expression of Zhang Shi’s hadn’t she seen? With both hands hanging at her sides, she respectfully answered, “Third Miss wants to go to Cinian Hermitage to perform a seven-day prayer and fasting purification ritual. Early this morning, she sent someone to the hermitage to deliver a card.”
“What is she trying to do?” Zhang Shi didn’t know her good sister was staying at the hermitage. “These past two days I haven’t accepted her greetings, and she’s grown bold, thinking I don’t manage anything anymore, is that it?”
“Madam, my subordinate maid saw Third Miss went to the master’s courtyard yesterday. I imagine the master agreed.” Old Woman An, as an observer, saw more clearly. “Otherwise, Third Miss wouldn’t have acted on her own without your agreement.”
“What use is the master’s agreement! This is the inner quarters. Inner quarter matters, big or small, are under my management. Even if she’s the eldest miss, she must listen to me, her mother.” Zhang Shi’s petty household mentality finally showed. “Ai Xing, go invite our eldest miss here for me. I want to see how she can step out of the Qiu Mansion gates without my agreement!” The anger from that night still hadn’t dissipated.
Hearing this, Ai Xing happily responded and walked toward the door.
Unexpectedly, when the curtain lifted, Fourth Madam entered and pulled Ai Xing back.
“Madam, I just heard outside. May I say a few words?” Fourth Madam gently sat beside Zhang Shi. “Madam, please don’t be angry over such a small matter. I heard Sanniang wants to go to the hermitage for purification, but I also heard it’s to pray for blessings and peace for the master. To display sincere filial piety, she chose the seven-day ritual.”
Zhang Shi was startled, then scolded Old Woman An. “You old leather-mouthed thing, why didn’t you explain clearly earlier?”
“Don’t blame Mama An—I’m afraid Mama An didn’t know either.” Fourth Madam saw Old Woman An indeed hurriedly nodding. “Now that you know, if you don’t let Sanniang go, I’m afraid when word reaches the master’s ears, he’ll say Madam was in the wrong.”
“Even so, if I say nothing, will I still be able to manage this household in the future or not?” Cunning dead girl, actually using filial ritual to oppose her.
Zhang Shi was resentful, her heart uneasy. She had thought that although she hadn’t managed to beat Sanniang’s maid to death that night, at least in front of so many people, she’d slapped Sanniang’s face. She pretended to faint afterward, wanting Sanniang to bear the name of being unreasonably domineering.
“No matter how formidable Sanniang is, she’ll eventually marry out.” Fourth Madam had never had direct conflict with Qiu Sanniang, because she had a “very capable” mother-in-law, sparing her from having to scheme herself.
“That’s true, but as long as she’s the Qiu Mansion’s eldest miss for one day, I can’t eat or sleep in peace.” She had reached such a degree of loathing.
“Madam should first establish the marriage alliance with the prince’s mansion, then finding a family for Sanniang won’t be too late. The master’s health is poor, so marriage matters will naturally be decided by Madam.” Though Fourth Madam had no heart to harm others, she had vigilance against them. “But if Madam doesn’t let Sanniang go to Cinian Hermitage now, those who don’t know the inside story will likely gossip. Moreover, it was the master who agreed.”
Filial piety was the root of all virtues. If word spread that she prevented Sanniang from performing filial duty, the Qiu family would be scolded, laughed at, despised, and looked down upon.
“But letting her go out so easily makes me feel stifled.” Zhang Shi’s brow peaked, and wicked ideas bubbled up in her mind. “Suxin, you must keep tight hold of those storehouse keys. Since she wants to play at being filial and didn’t inform me, for all the items needed for the seven-day fasting purification, she can pay for them herself with her own silver.”
Fourth Madam Jiang Suxin understood her mother-in-law very well. With things said to this extent, if she advised further, sparks might jump onto herself, so she said nothing and slightly nodded.
“I don’t count on Fifth Son and his wife.” Zhang Shi took her eldest daughter-in-law’s hand. “I only hope Fourth Son and you two can support the family business and take care of Fifth Son’s family in the future. Fifth Daughter-in-law thinks I don’t know anything, using the back quarters purchasing as a way to send money to her natal family, passing off inferior goods as quality, or buying things from her family’s shops at prices twice what they cost outside. I’m not saying anything now—I’m waiting for the end of the month when the accounts are tallied to see how she explains it to me. It’s also Fifth Son who’s useless, making me unable to straighten my back in front of his wife, having to put on a smiling face for him.”
“Madam, please be at ease. Not to mention Fifth Brother is still young with an unsettled temperament—he’s my husband’s only full brother from the same mother. If we don’t look after him, who else can?” Fourth Madam’s smile was gentle.
The matter of Qiu Sanniang going to Cinian Hermitage was thus resolved. Whether Zhang Shi’s internal fire was too strong or Mo Zi’s strategy of using filial piety as cover was too effective, no one investigated its deeper meaning—they only made some self-righteous deductions and withholdings.