Minglan watched with a cool eye and observed that Nanny You, for all her faults, at least knew which side her bread was buttered. These past few days she had attended diligently to Minglan’s food, drink, and daily needs, and had not once reached into the trunks or tried to lay hands on any valuables. However… whether from long years on the outer estate where discipline had been lax, or simply from Wei Yiniang’s own failure to keep order in her time, Nanny You had a rather overbearing manner. She was loud and heavy-handed, and every few days she would be hitting someone and railing at a servant — the moment she found fault, she would be cursing and bellowing. With the exception of Cuiwei — who had been trained by Grandmother Sheng herself, and whom she did not dare touch — everyone from Danju downward had been subjected to her scolding. Ruomei and Luzhi both had fiery tempers, and on several occasions things had nearly come to blows.

Minglan said nothing, only made quiet note of it. One day, a junior maid in the courtyard had been negligent and failed to keep her post as required, and Nanny You grabbed her by the ear and berated her loudly in the middle of the courtyard for half an hour — scolding and hitting at the same time, chasing the poor girl around until the whole courtyard was in chaotic uproar. Minglan sat inside reading a book and said nothing. Cuiwei could not bear to watch and moved to intervene. One look from Minglan stopped her where she stood.

Minglan turned the page and waited until Nanny You had finished venting her frustration before calling Xiaotao to summon her. Nanny You pushed through the curtain into the room. Minglan was sitting properly on the kang. Cuiwei sat in the corner of the kang doing embroidery; Danju was organizing things at the writing table. Nanny You could see that Minglan’s expression was neutral, and felt some disquiet — these past days of service had taught her that this sixth young miss had a mind of her own and was not easily managed. She smiled first. Before she could speak, Minglan turned her head: “Xiaotao — pour Nanny a cup of warm tea. Nanny, please sit.”

Nanny You pulled a footstool over for herself and sat on the edge of it. She smiled and asked: “What does Young Miss want with me?”

Minglan smiled pleasantly back: “Nanny has been here a few days now, and has been diligent and thorough in managing and instructing the household. There is just one point where I think something is amiss. I consider Nanny part of my own inner circle, so I’ll say it directly — Nanny, please don’t take offense.”

Nanny You felt a sinking in her stomach, but pulled the corners of her mouth upward: “Young Miss, please speak.”

Minglan set down her book. Her ten slender, pale fingers interlaced in her lap. Her tone was gentle and her manner entirely at ease: “When Nanny sees a junior maid behaving badly and gives her a word of instruction and correction — that is perfectly right. But every time Nanny acts, she raises such a commotion that the whole courtyard goes into an uproar and everyone knows what happened. That is not ideal.”

Nanny You bridled, sat up straighter, and pushed back: “Young Miss is young and soft-hearted — you don’t understand the trouble these little creatures can cause. Their intentions are poor — forever shirking and slipping away. Gentle words don’t work with them — they need to be shown what’s what!”

Minglan raised one eyebrow. A flash crossed her eyes. She returned the thrust directly: “Nanny is mistaken in that. I may be young, but I do know the six words of the saying ‘family troubles should not be aired outside.’ Even though we are all one household, each person has their own patch to tend. What courtyard doesn’t have junior maids who take liberties? But others manage to bring the girl inside and deal with the matter quietly. Nanny is the only one who seems eager to let the whole world know — as if ringing a gong and making sure the news travels everywhere. Those who know Nanny will say she is capable and thorough; those who don’t know may well think my little courtyard is full of disorder and discord!”

Nanny You felt a jolt — she knew Minglan had said nothing wrong. But being corrected by Minglan in front of the senior maids was a blow to her dignity, and she muttered sulkily: “I’ve only ever heard of a nanny speaking to a young mistress — whoever heard of a young mistress turning around and lecturing the nanny? I suppose this old woman has done wrong by coming in — she’s been here barely a few days and already earned the young miss’s dislike.”

Minglan’s sharp ears caught every word. She gave a light laugh: “Quite right — I really ought not to have said anything to Nanny. Well then — I’ll go directly to Grandmother and Nanny Fang and have them speak with Nanny properly.”

So saying, she made as if to rise. Nanny You immediately set down her teacup and pressed Minglan back down in alarm, forcing a strained smile: “Young Miss, please — this old woman was confused. Young Miss, please say whatever you wish — there’s no need to disturb Grandmother and interrupt her peace and quiet.” On the outer estate, Nanny You had long known that this sixth young miss was a favorite of Grandmother Sheng’s, raised practically in the old woman’s arms. She also knew that she herself had come through Wang Shi’s connections — not necessarily with Grandmother’s full approval from the start. To go and cause a scene before Grandmother within days of arriving would not look well at all. She immediately backed down.

Seeing that Nanny You was willing to yield, Minglan did not press the advantage. She settled back comfortably into the padded kang cushions, took up the cloisonné copper handwarmer, and said in a mild voice: “Nanny’s intentions in managing the junior staff are good — but it is possible to do good things in bad ways. When the junior maids make a mistake, Nanny can certainly take note of it and settle the matter afterward — scold them if they should be scolded, use the disciplinary ruler if punishment is warranted, or have Jiu’er inform Nanny Liu to dock their monthly wages if fines are called for. Nanny is getting on in years — why get yourself flushed in the face arguing with children? That is beneath your dignity. Today I am speaking to Nanny — and yet I have not raised my voice so the whole courtyard can hear.”

In truth, in most situations, a wet nurse was loyal to the child she had nursed. Such women were selected by the household: their family members’ futures were bound up in the household’s hands — sons might become the young master’s attendants, daughters might become the young mistress’s maids. Their interests were tied together. Molan’s wet nurse, for instance, was Lin Yiniang’s personal attendant, and Rulan’s wet nurse was Wang Shi’s personal maidservant. Only for Minglan herself… this Nanny You had come in halfway through. Her family background and loyalties were known only in rough outline. Her devotion, accordingly, was diminished. Ah well — Changdong’s wet nurse had been let go as soon as the nursing was done. Thinking of that, Minglan supposed her own situation was not too bad after all.

Nanny You’s face went through several shades. She thought to herself: this sixth young mistress is something formidable — she takes one small misstep and turns it into a rebuke delivered with perfect logic and order, all in a manner so calm and composed that there isn’t a word to say against it. Nanny You forced a smile and said: “Young Miss is right — I understand. I’ll change my ways.”

She then said a few things to save face and smooth over the moment. Minglan smiled pleasantly and said a few accommodating words in return, giving Nanny You a graceful way to back down from the situation. Then she said, as if in passing: “I heard that Nanny welcomed a first grandchild yesterday. What happy news.”

Nanny You paused, then broke into a smile: “Oh, it’s nothing to speak of — just another mouth to feed.”

Minglan glanced at Nanny You with a smile and turned her head: “Danju — take five taels of silver and wrap it in a red envelope for Nanny. A little something to mark the occasion. After all, it is Nanny’s first grandchild.”

Nanny You accepted the red envelope with profuse expressions of thanks, but her heart was fluttering. Not because she was unfamiliar with money — but because she had finally understood: Minglan was nothing like Wei Yiniang had been. She was not soft clay that anyone could knead into whatever shape they wished.

After Xiaotao escorted Nanny You to the door, Danju finally lifted her head from her pretense of being busy and smiled: “Young Miss spoke so well — Nanny You is finally put in her proper place.” Minglan gave her a sideways look and raised the tea bowl for a sip: “She is, after all, a wet nurse — and for all her faults, those she is aware of she will handle more carefully than most. You should still show her proper respect. Besides — she wasn’t wrong in everything she scolded.”

Danju knew what Minglan meant and lowered her head, quiet with embarrassment. Minglan thought of her own courtyard and felt a headache coming on. She set down the tea bowl with a sigh and looked at Danju: “Speaking of which — you also have your shortcomings. You are too mild and accommodating — and now they’ve all climbed over your head. I know you grew up with Yancao and the others, and you don’t like to say harsh things. It was easier when Nanny Cui was here. But over these two months while I was away, their laziness has gotten worse. The other day the room had candles burning and a charcoal brazier going, and they had all slipped away — not a single one left. A mistake that serious, and you just smiled and let it pass. It was Cuiwei who came out and gave them a fright. But think about it — how many more days can Cuiwei be here? After the new year, she’ll be getting married.”

Cuiwei, sitting on the kang with her embroidery, couldn’t help but speak up in mild protest: “If you have something to say, say it — what do you have to drag me into it for?”

Minglan turned to her with a perfectly serious expression: “Don’t worry — Grandmother has long since set aside a trousseau for you. These years you’ve been with me — I won’t let you leave empty-handed. I’ve also prepared a separate gift for you myself. But my memory is poor — when the time comes for you to go, you’ll need to remind me, in case I forget.” Cuiwei had long since been teased past the point of blushing easily. She didn’t bother to be embarrassed, just wrinkled her nose at Minglan and went back to stabbing her embroidery frame.

Danju was the one who looked uncomfortable, head bowed, speaking hesitantly: “I’ve said things to them before — and they said I was putting on airs, thinking myself above the rest of the sisters.”

Minglan turned back to continue: “In this room, leaving Xiaotao aside, you are the one who has been with me the longest, after Cuiwei. Never mind Cuiwei’s double stipend — among the others, whose monthly wages and standing with Grandmother surpasses yours? If you don’t want the others to be punished by Nanny You, you need to keep order among them. If nothing goes wrong, all is well. But if something should go missing, or if there should be a fire — would you want Grandmother to come and sort it out herself, or would you want the household matrons to discipline your fellow maids? That would truly damage the bonds between you. Now we also have a difficult Nanny You to deal with — we must be more careful than ever. This room has its own order and rules. You follow the system, stick to the principles, address matters as they arise — and who can say a word against you?”

Minglan’s thinking was actually quite simple: work should correspond to rank and compensation. As a senior maid, Danju’s duties extended beyond personal service to the young mistress — a large part of her responsibility was managing the other maids. She fulfilled the first part very well. The second she was clearly failing in.

Danju went pale and stood still, looking dazed. Cuiwei sighed quietly. She was also a bond-maid and knew Danju’s story well — her own mother had died young, her father had remarried and had many more children, and her stepfather did not care for her while her own mother did not protect her. Before the age of five or six she had been almost entirely without supervision, practically a wild child. It was only her aunt’s compassion that had arranged for her to be brought from the estate into the inner household, giving her a stable life.

Cuiwei set down her embroidery frame and drew Danju over to the side of the kang, speaking to her gently: “Sister — I know you are soft-hearted. But think of Young Miss too. Young Miss is growing older — she can’t keep running to Grandmother every time something goes wrong. If she does that repeatedly, won’t people laugh at her? Right now, those two —” Cuiwei gestured in the direction of the Shanyue Residence and the Tao’ran Pavilion and lowered her voice, “— are living nearby, and all of them are watching. When Young Miss first came back, she had gifts distributed for the junior maids — all labeled and divided up properly — and yet they had no manners about it, pushing and grabbing and making a mess. That alone was bad enough. But in the future — if something goes missing, or if there’s a fire — would you have Young Miss come to judge the matter herself, or have a household matron come and handle things among you sisters? That would truly break the peace between you. And now we have this difficult Nanny You on top of everything — we need to be even more careful. Sister, you must show some authority and presence. If you can’t — Grandmother might just replace you, and Young Miss doesn’t absolutely need you. The only reason you are still here, these years, is because Young Miss has a liking for you. Otherwise, Grandmother would have long since chosen someone from those Cui-named maids and given Young Miss someone more capable.”

Minglan looked at Cuiwei with something close to reverence, feeling that Nanny Fang truly had a gift for training people. That speech had covered everything — laid out the stakes, mapped the consequences — and sure enough, Danju’s expression shifted gradually from blankness to resolve. She nodded with unusual seriousness, listening attentively to Cuiwei’s guidance, her expression so grave and solemn that if someone had planted a hammer and sickle behind her she could have sworn an oath of membership on the spot.

Minglan had never worked in the corporate world, but she understood the fundamental principle of management: layered delegation, with accountability at each level. There was no reason for a chief executive to be personally tracking a clerk’s tardiness. On several occasions Minglan had wanted to stride out and administer a sharp scolding herself — but each time she had restrained the impulse. Raising her voice was not her function. Her role was to make the final judgment and deliver the ruling when one was needed.

“Young Miss, Young Miss.” Xiaotao came running in from outside, breathless, and stopped before Minglan: “Elder Young Miss — oh no, Elder Aunt-in-law — is here! Grandmother asks that all the young misses come over!”

Minglan took a moment to register this. Her face lit up with delight: “Elder Sister is here — how wonderful. Grandmother has been looking forward to this.”

Danju’s hands were faster than her mouth. She immediately retrieved a pair of crimson gold-trimmed lambskin ankle boots lined for snow and knelt to help Minglan put them on. Cuiwei hurried off the kang and found a pale red feathered gauze and silver-gray fur-lined crane-coat from the large mother-of-pearl lacquered cabinet in the inner room. Xiaotao opened the handwarmer and added a little fresh charcoal, coaxing up the flame. The three maids busied themselves dressing and preparing Minglan from head to toe. Finally Cuiwei hesitated for a moment between a snow cap and a large gold hairpin, and settled on the snow cap. Cuiwei stayed behind to keep the room, while Minglan took Xiaotao and Danju and went directly to the Shou’an Hall.

As a matter of fact, Hualan had planned to come the very day after Grandmother Sheng returned to the residence — but as luck would have it, her mother-in-law, the Zhongqin Earl’s wife, had fallen ill. A daughter-in-law could not hurry off to her own family’s home under those circumstances, so the visit had been delayed until today.

Minglan moved quickly, and the moment she stepped into the main hall she saw a beautifully dressed young woman draped across Grandmother Sheng’s lap, weeping softly. Grandmother Sheng’s expression was full of tender love, lightly patting the young woman’s back. Grandmother and granddaughter had not seen each other in six or seven years. The moment they met, they fell into each other’s arms in tears. Wang Shi pressed her handkerchief to her face, joining the general mood — though inwardly she felt a faint sourness. When mother and daughter had been reunited just two months prior after their long separation, Hualan had not cried anywhere near as hard as this.

Molan and Rulan stood to one side, chatting and cooing over a girl of four or five.

Hearing the announcement from the maid who held the curtain, the people in the room all looked over. The young woman’s cheeks still bore the dampness of tears, but she stood and smiled: “Isn’t this Sixth Younger Sister? Come, come here — let me look at you.”

Danju helped Minglan remove her snow cap and crane-coat. Minglan stepped forward promptly. Hualan reached out and linked her arm through Minglan’s. Minglan called out in a bright, clear voice: “Elder Sister.”

Hualan looked Minglan over carefully. A flash of genuine surprise crossed her eyes — delight, even. Then she saw how composed and poised Minglan’s bearing was, and remembering how well-behaved she had been as a child, she felt a new surge of fondness. She turned and smiled: “Our grandmother truly knows how to raise a person. When I left, Little Ming was a skinny little thing, barely more than a bundle of bones. Now she’s grown into quite a beauty.”

Minglan discreetly took stock of the elder sister she hadn’t seen in years. Hualan was dressed in a gold-thread Shu brocade jacket with a peony pattern and matching buttons, with pale straight-striped long skirts beneath — altogether elegant and richly appointed. Her looks remained as lovely as ever, now carrying the mature grace of a married woman. But there was a shadow between her brows that did not entirely lift.

Hualan took an embroidered bag from the maid at her side and pressed it into Minglan’s hand, then unpinned a gold floral hairpin from her own temple and slid it into Minglan’s plain coiled hair. She smiled as she did it: “So many years apart — this is a little something from your Elder Sister. I hope Younger Sister won’t think it too modest.”

Minglan’s eyes momentarily dazzled — she hadn’t even gotten a good look at the hairpin before the weight of it settled on her head. It was evidently solid gold and quite heavy. She hefted the brocade bag in her hand as well — felt like a jade pendant inside. She curtsied gracefully in thanks, then raised her head with a smile: “Thank you, Elder Sister. No wonder Fourth and Fifth Elder Sisters have been hoping so much for Elder Sister to come.”

Everyone laughed. Wang Shi pulled Minglan forward and gestured to the little girl: “This is your niece — her name is Zhuang Jie’er.”

Minglan looked at the child: round-faced and chubby, her features clearly resembling Hualan’s, yet her manner and bearing entirely different — timid and shy, hiding behind her wet nurse and unwilling to come out. At Wang Shi’s prompting she finally peeked out half her face and said in the thinnest, softest voice: “Sixth Auntie.”

The voice was so delicately soft that it was like a newly weaned kitten. Minglan was instantly charmed. She crouched down to meet Zhuang Jie’er at eye level and smiled: “Zhuang Jie’er is so sweet. Sixth Auntie has something for you.”

She took a flat box from Danju’s hands and placed it in Zhuang Jie’er’s arms. The child held the box in both hands, her big eyes blinking curiously. Hualan walked over and crouched to open the box for her daughter.

Inside, arranged in neat order, were several items: a bright brass nine-ring puzzle, a brocade drum printed with red zhuyu berries, a chubby white jade rabbit the size of a palm strung on a red cord, and a pair of plum-blossom shaped jade peace pendants in warm, luminous green — clearly of considerable value. Zhuang Jie’er grabbed the drum in one hand and shook it — thump thump thump — and snatched up the white jade rabbit with the other, her soft round face breaking into a beaming smile. Her eyes, when they looked back at Minglan, had warmed considerably.

Hualan, seeing her daughter’s happiness, was genuinely pleased. She smiled at Minglan: “Younger Sister went to all this trouble — you must have prepared these well in advance. Your niece has real luck. Only I’ve let you go to unnecessary expense.”

Minglan held up the brocade bag in one hand and touched the hairpin on her head with the other, composing her face into mock seriousness: “Actually I think I came out ahead. Elder Sister should go ahead and have another big plump little nephew for us sisters to be aunts to — then we’ll really make our money back.”

Hualan’s bright almond-shaped eyes filled with laughter. She pinched Minglan’s ear firmly: “You cheeky little brat — daring to tease your elder sister. Tired of living?” Minglan yelped with pain and immediately ducked behind Grandmother Sheng for cover. The whole room burst into laughter. Wang Shi, laughing especially hard, pointed at Minglan: “Pinch her mouth too!”

Hualan did pinch her twice. Then she glanced over and noticed Xiaotao, and teased: “Aren’t you the one who used to follow Minglan around? Does your young miss still kick the shuttlecock these days?”

Xiaotao bounced forward eagerly and dropped a curtsy — back in the day she had been assigned to supervise Minglan’s shuttlecock practice and had earned quite a few rewards from this elder young miss. She had always been fond of her: “Elder Aunt-in-law, good health. I’m Xiaotao… Since you left, Sixth Young Miss hasn’t been willing to practice properly. Always putting it off — two days become three, three days become four!”

Everyone who knew Minglan’s temperament burst into laughter. Rulan, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately called out: “Elder Sister, you don’t know the half of it! Our Sixth Younger Sister basically never leaves her room except for morning greetings — she won’t go out in the rain, she won’t go out in the snow, she won’t even go out when it’s too sunny!”

The room erupted in laughter at Minglan’s expense. Minglan put on the expression of a small creature humbly accepting its fate, thinking privately: if only there were a thermometer here — she wouldn’t go out in anything above 28 degrees or below 15 either.

Everyone settled comfortably around Grandmother Sheng, chatting merrily. Hualan seemed much more talkative than before — she told stories of the capital with animated expressions, keeping everyone laughing. She was perfectly courteous to Molan as well, not neglecting her in any way. Yet Minglan had a quiet, vague sense that Hualan was overdoing it — as if she were covering something up. But as a younger half-sister, it was not Minglan’s place to say anything. She simply chimed in lightly from the sidelines.

As they talked and laughed, Hualan quietly observed each of her younger sisters. Molan had the refined clarity of a winter bamboo — but with a faint self-admiring air. Minglan had features like a painting — particularly striking — and young though she was, there was a warmth and grace about her. She spoke and moved with measured care, both naturally close and respectful toward the elder sister’s company, and yet never once encroaching on Rulan’s position — all of it very likeable. Hualan gave a quiet inward nod of approval.

Finally she turned her eyes to her own blood sister. Hualan suppressed a private sigh. Rulan looked much like Wang Shi — her looks merely ordinary. But her complexion was fair, her eyes bright, and she carried herself with the air of a comfortable and prosperous family’s legitimate daughter. Yet — Hualan could not fool herself — Rulan was still rather too bold and showy. Not quite steady or dignified enough.

After quite a while of talking, Grandmother Sheng gave Wang Shi a quiet signal and glanced at Hualan. Wang Shi understood at once, and rose with a smile, asking the young girls to take Zhuang Jie’er out for a walk in the garden. Minglan saw immediately that Grandmother had something private to say to Hualan, and stood up to have Danju and Xiaotao help her put on the snow cap and the crane-coat again. Molan and Rulan did the same. Wang Shi went first, taking Zhuang Jie’er — who was bundled up tightly — out the door, and the three sisters followed. The accompanying maids and matrons withdrew from the Shou’an Hall one after another in orderly procession, like a tide going out.

When everyone had gone, Nanny Fang and Cuiping closed the doors and windows carefully and stood watch outside. Hualan, seeing Grandmother Sheng take such precautions, felt a trace of unease, and still smiled: “Grandmother, if you have something to say to me, no need for all of this.”

Grandmother Sheng did not answer right away. She drew Hualan close and looked carefully at her color and expression, studying her until Hualan began to feel quite unsettled. At last she said slowly: “My eldest girl — these past years, all your letters have said that everything is going smoothly. Today your grandmother asks you one question. You must not conceal anything from me: how are your days, truly?”

The smile on Hualan’s face began to slip. She forced it: “Grandmother — what is there to say? Naturally everything is good.”

Grandmother Sheng closed her eyes, let out a long sigh, and drew Hualan close to her side. Her voice was low: “Would you even hide the truth from your own grandmother?”

Hualan could no longer hold back the confusion and uncertainty she had been carrying. She lowered her head, her voice trembling: “I don’t know myself — whether my days are good or not.”