Shi Ting told Luo Huaimeng the full story — how he had gone through Yuan Hang to find Mr. Yuan, and how Mr. Yuan had transcribed a fresh copy of the gift registry.

Luo Huaimeng found it remarkable. “I’ve seen Mr. Yuan at banquets many times. They say every prominent household in Shun Cheng engages him to record their gift accounts. I never imagined he was such an extraordinary person.”

After marveling for a while, Luo Huaimeng could not help but feel grateful. “We owe Mr. Yuan a great debt of thanks for his help this time. I will have the servants prepare a gift of gratitude — you needn’t concern yourself with that. By the way, the Marshal didn’t blame you, did he?”

Shi Ting shook his head.

“Good.” Luo Huaimeng let out a long, slow breath. She turned to look out the window, her gaze gradually dimming. “And the Marshal didn’t blame the First Madam either, I suppose.”

Without waiting for Shi Ting to answer, she had already guessed.

In this courtyard, she was little more than a presence that could be there or not. Even if the Marshal knew that Madam Shi had been deliberately targeting her, he would not step in on her behalf. Whatever injustices she suffered, she could only swallow in silence. This was her sorrow, and her powerlessness.

And Luo Huaimeng knew that the First Madam had harbored a grudge against her over the matter of the marriage arrangement. What had just happened was only the beginning — her life in this inner household was likely to grow even more difficult from here on.

But for Shi Ting’s sake, she had to endure. As long as Shi Ting was able to forge his own path forward in the future, she would give everything — even her life.

“Xingzhi, what formula is in this medicine? I feel considerably more energy than before.” Luo Huaimeng set aside the troubling thoughts and resolved to face whatever came with resilience.

Shi Ting glanced at her, but said nothing about the prescription having come from Yan Qing.

Luo Huaimeng’s prejudice against Yan Qing was still deep. If she knew the prescription had come from her, she would likely refuse the medicine out of spite.

He hoped to gradually mend the relationship between the two of them — but not yet. At the very least, the medicine needed to take genuine effect first, so that Luo Huaimeng could feel its benefits for herself.

“A physician friend of mine who just returned from abroad. This is a new prescription of his.”

“We must thank your friend properly.” Luo Huaimeng said warmly.

“Some time when she visits the house, Mother may thank her in person.”

“A good idea — invite him over for a meal some day.”

Shi Ting nodded in agreement.

—

From Shi Ting’s letter, Yan Qing learned that the matter of the gift registry had been resolved.

Shi Ting was already burdened with official duties and should not have had to trouble himself with these inner household affairs. She felt a pang of tenderness for him all over again.

“Roarr!” Er Dan’s two little pudgy paws gripped Yan Qing’s leg as it tried to scale its way up, but no matter how much effort it put in, it could only make it halfway. Not one to give up, it slid back down and tried again — until at last it exhausted itself, flopped onto its back with all four paws in the air, eyes rolled back and tongue lolling to one side.

Yan Qing laughed and picked it up, letting it sprawl comfortably in her lap.

She thought to herself: Er Dan looked utterly adorable now, still small enough to cradle in her arms. But when it grew up one day…

She truly did not dare imagine it.

The new year was approaching, and she reflected that when May came, Er Dan could be brought along to the Shi Family as part of her dowry. By then, it would not yet be too large, and would not be too frightening to look at. As for what to do when it eventually grew into something enormous — well, that would be Shi Ting’s problem to worry about.

While Yan Qing and Shi Ting’s letters passed back and forth frequently, the Spring Festival arrived.

The holidays of this era were not so different from those she had known before, though there were a few minor festivals she could not name. Among all the varied celebrations, Spring Festival remained the most important of them all.

The Yan Family had long since laid in all manner of New Year provisions. Every lady of the household had new festive clothes made, and even the servants received cloth for new garments.

On New Year’s Eve, red lanterns were hung at the gates of the Yan Mansion, and servants carried fireworks and firecrackers into the center of the courtyard.

After Master Yan led the men of the household in paying respects to their ancestors, everyone gathered together in the courtyard.

When the firecrackers were lit, their crackling bursts marked the beginning of a new year.

Yan Qing watched the fireworks bloom across the sky and said softly, “Happy New Year” — it was the first Spring Festival she had celebrated in this world.

In the days that followed, a steady stream of relatives and friends came to call at the Yan Mansion. Yan Qing had no choice but to appear alongside the others to receive them. By nature not a talkative person, she found that this New Year had thoroughly disrupted her quiet life.

These relatives, upon learning that she was to be married into the Shi Family as the wife of the Seventh Young Master, suddenly warmed to her — people who had never been close before now fell over themselves to ingratiate themselves with her. Having a crowd of relatives she could barely name, whose faces she could not even recognize, descending upon her with expressions of warm concern was, in itself, quite a headache.

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Wen Xu and Wen Yan arrived in Shun Cheng with Nian Nian in tow.

Mo Yunhua had not yet emerged from the shadow of grief over her brother’s death, and so she remained in Tai Shan without coming out.

Since Wen Wan’s passing, Wen Xu had not set foot in the Yan Mansion for several years. His reason for coming to Shun Cheng this time was partly business and partly a wish to see Yan Qing.

Master Yan had always felt a quiet guilt toward this brother-in-law of his. The moment he heard of his arrival, he went out in full ceremony to welcome him personally, and had the Yan Mansion’s finest guest courtyard prepared, insisting they stay for several days.

As it happened, Wen Xu needed to call on several important business partners in Shun Cheng, and seeing how warmly Master Yan pressed the invitation, he did not decline. He settled in with his daughter and son for the time being.

With Wen Yan and Nian Nian for company, Yan Qing finally let out a breath of relief.

Nian Nian had taken a liking to Yan Qing from the start and asked to be held the moment he arrived, calling out to her in a soft, babyish voice: “Sister!” Yan Qing had Jing Zhi bring out cakes and fruit for him, and he, showing a precocious thoughtfulness, offered them to Wen Yan first.

Wen Yan laughed. “This little one is quite the clever schemer — already knows how to win people over at this age.”

Though she disliked her stepmother Mo Yunhua, Nian Nian was her own little brother, and she was naturally fond of him.

Nian Nian played near the two sisters for a while before growing bored, his eyes darting around until they landed on Er Dan, who was napping nearby. He trotted over on his short legs, intent on playing with it. Yan Qing, worried Er Dan might hurt him, had Murong stay close and watch — Er Dan might look like a small cat, but it was, after all, a tiger.

“What fun things are there to do in Shun Cheng?” Wen Yan asked, bright-eyed and eager.

Yan Qing was not well acquainted with the local amusements, but Jing Zhi interjected helpfully. “You’ve come at just the right time, Young Miss. Tomorrow is the fifteenth of the first lunar month — Shun Cheng is holding a lantern festival along the Liao He, with a fireworks display as well.”

Wen Yan’s eyes lit up. “I wonder how Shun Cheng’s lantern festival compares to Tai Shan’s?”

“It can only be larger, not smaller.”

Shun Cheng was a major city after all, and its lantern festival was bound to be grander than Tai Shan’s — the New Year’s Eve celebrations there had been less than half the scale of what the fifteenth would bring.

“Qing Qing, let’s invite Director Shi too — we can all go to the lantern festival together!”

Yan Qing shook her head. “He probably won’t have the time. If you’d like to go, I’ll take you.”

Since the start of the year-end period, Yan Qing had not seen Shi Ting once. Their exchanges were confined entirely to paper, and though they could not meet in person, receiving a letter from him every other day was its own small pleasure.

Seeing that Yan Qing had agreed, Wen Yan was delighted — and then Nian Nian, overhearing everything, came running over and grabbed Wen Yan’s leg, chiming in insistently, “Sister, Nian Nian wants to go too! Nian Nian loves looking at lanterns!”

“All right, all right — we’ll bring you along too.”

Yan Qing said, “The lantern festival draws big crowds. We should bring plenty of servants with us, so we won’t be short-handed when it matters.”

—

On the day of the lantern festival, the banks of the Liao He were packed with people. Paper lanterns of every shape and color hung along both sides of the road, their long strings of light winding into the distance like two great serpents.

The festival had food as well as entertainment, and Nian Nian was bouncing with excitement.

Yan Qing had Dihuai carry him the whole time to make sure he wouldn’t be swept away by the crowd.

After what had happened at the lantern festival in Tai Shan, Yan Qing was twice as cautious this time around. And with her care, the whole group had a thoroughly enjoyable outing.

“I’m exhausted.” Wen Yan rotated her ankle. “Shun Cheng’s lantern festival really is enormous — you can’t see where it ends. Walking the whole thing from start to finish would probably take the entire night.”

Yan Qing said with a smile, “There’s a tea stall up ahead. Let’s sit down, have a cup of hot tea, and rest our feet for a bit.”

Wen Yan was more than willing — she was afraid that if she walked any farther, blisters would form on her feet.

A few tables inside the tea stall were already occupied, but two remained empty. The group settled at one of them.

Murong went to order tea. Nian Nian, no longer content to be carried by Dihuai, wriggled his way down and insisted on being held by Yan Qing instead.

Yan Qing laughed and took him, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his little hands clean.

“I need to use the privy.” Wen Yan suddenly leaned close to Yan Qing’s ear and murmured.

Yan Qing laughed. “I told you not to drink so much longan and red date tea, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you know the trouble, don’t you?”

Wen Yan grinned. “Next time I’ll definitely listen to you.”

“There’s a privy in the alley over there. I’ll have Murong go with you.”

“Do I really need an escort just to use the privy?” Wen Yan muttered.

“Better to be careful. You shouldn’t go off alone — otherwise I’ll have no way to explain myself to Uncle.” Yan Qing gave Murong a look, and Murong went along with Wen Yan.

The alley was nothing like the bustle outside — only a dim sliver of yellowish light, and a chill that crept along the skin.

Wen Yan gripped Murong’s arm, glancing around with a nervous start. “Your Miss was right. It’s a good thing you came with me. I wouldn’t dare come to a place this dark on my own.”

Murong was accustomed to the dark and unafraid, and she spoke reassuringly, “Young Miss, don’t worry. Tonight is the lantern festival — there are crowds of people everywhere out there. No one would choose a moment like this to do something wicked.”

“That’s true. With all those lanterns burning bright, it’s practically broad daylight.” Wen Yan reasoned herself into a calmer state of mind.

“Young Miss, the privy is just over there. I’ll wait for you here.”

Wen Yan made a sound of agreement, took two steps, then turned back to add, “Murong, don’t go anywhere.”

Murong smiled. “I won’t. Go on.”

With that reassurance, Wen Yan steeled herself and went in. She was still a little frightened, but she could hardly ask someone to stand beside her at a moment like that.

Murong fixed her eyes on the entrance the moment Wen Yan disappeared inside.

After a short while, a figure came rushing toward her in a panic, grabbing her by the wrist and breaking into a run.

Murong noticed that the hand gripping hers was drenched in cold sweat. She could not help asking, “Young Miss, what’s happened?”

—