With that one sentence alone, there was the warmth of family. Yun Pan understood that this elder cousin Mei was fond of her.

The maternal family seemed far more caring than the paternal one. Jiang’s household also had two aunts, but the men those two aunts had married were not particularly prominent officials. They exchanged visits only on important occasions, and whenever they came to the marquis’s residence, they left with carriages packed full of things. They were not warm toward their niece either — just a few idle words exchanged the way ordinary relatives do. So Yun Pan had never thought much of them.

As for Mei Fen — Yun Pan had heard her aunt mention her to A’Niang before. As a child Mei Fen had fallen into the water and nearly drowned, and after she was rescued, she had been timid ever since. In all these years she had never been fond of making friends, and her temperament was docile. In her aunt’s own words: “She has none of my decisiveness whatsoever.”

A great family’s daughter, raised too sheltered, with a life that had always gone smoothly — even if she was a little simple-natured and timid, it was all forgivable.

Madam Ming took Yun Pan’s and Mei Fen’s hands and placed them together. “If only Baba had come sooner — now that you’re here, your A’Jie has company. Two sisters together, studying music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and the years in the inner chambers won’t feel so dull.”

Mei Fen was full of curiosity about Yun Pan. She studied her carefully and felt that this younger cousin had a steady light in her eyes — those dark pupils were so clear and lovely. She herself was sometimes too timid to look people squarely in the face, but this younger cousin was different from her. The courage she lacked, this cousin had. Now that she had come, Mei Fen felt as though she had recovered half a measure of her own daring.

She rubbed Yun Pan’s hand. Her cousin’s hands were slender and soft. It put her at ease. “Baba has not suffered too much hardship at home.”

Madam Ming smiled. “Whatever happens, she is the legitimate daughter of a noble household. That creature would not dare harm her openly.”

Mei Fen was a very kind-natured person, and having grown a little more familiar with Yun Pan, she considerately urged her: “Now that you are here, treat it as your own home. Whatever you like to eat or play, just tell me — don’t hold back.”

Yun Pan felt her heart ease, and taking Mei Fen’s hand, said: “I’m afraid I’ll cause A’Jie trouble by coming this time.”

Mei Fen said, not at all. “Your coming makes me happy. The household is full of maidservants, and there are plenty of them — how much trouble could one person be?” She sought her mother’s instruction: “Mother, I would like Baba to stay in a courtyard close to mine.”

Madam Ming said: “Certainly. The courtyard ‘A Handful of Snow’ is closest to your Zilanyard — let’s put your cousin there. That way it’s convenient for you to go and visit her.”

Mei Fen had no full sister, and Yun Pan was not close to Xue Pan and Yu Pan either. Both could be said to have grown up in their own solitude. The sudden arrival of a cousin on the maternal side felt like gaining a blood sister.

Madam Ming was pleased to see them getting on so well, and understanding that Yun Pan had been traveling all night to reach the capital, she instructed the servants to prepare the courtyard A Handful of Snow. She also reminded Yun Pan: “Have your A’Jie take you to get acquainted with the courtyard, eat something proper, and rest. Once you’ve rested fully, I’ll assign some servants to help the maid you brought look after you. Your uncle and your elder cousin should be home in the evening — the household will dine together tonight, and you can meet your uncle then.”

Yun Pan answered yes, but immediately began to fret about the matters she had left behind. “My father…”

Madam Ming pressed her hand in a reassuring gesture. “You don’t need to concern yourself with that. Once your uncle and I have discussed it, we will know what to do.”

Yun Pan let out a soft breath of relief. Since A’Niang had passed the previous year, she had always felt without support or shelter. Now that she was here, at last she was no longer alone.

Mei Fen tugged at her sleeve. “Baba, let’s go.”

Yun Pan bowed respectfully to her aunt, took Qin Dan along, and followed Mei Fen.

Madam Ming watched their retreating figures and let out a long sigh.

Beside her, Nanny Yao brought tea and, fanning gently, said: “Madam has always worried about the young lady, fearing she would suffer hardship under that muddled father. Now it is well — keeping her close, you can rest easy.”

“Quite so.” Madam Ming suddenly brimmed over with tears. “When I see her, I think of Yuyin. Before her A’Niang passed, she still entreated me to look after her, never imagining that at such a young age, she would go before seeing her daughter married. Baba, poor dear — aside from this aunt of hers, who else can she rely on? Youzhou suffered such a terrible disaster — they say a thousand thousand houses collapsed, yet the Yong’an Marquis’s residence still stands, and she herself ends up with no home to go back to. She traveled through the night and only arrived this morning… What young lady of good family has ever endured such hardship!”

Nanny Yao had been a wet nurse sent from the Grand Princess’s household as part of the wedding accompaniment, and knew every detail of those old events. She offered comfort: “The young lady at least has you to turn to — compared to those with no one to appeal to, she is already far more fortunate.”

Madam Ming wiped her tears. “The child trusts me — I can only do all I can.” She turned to add: “Go there yourself to keep watch over her — others won’t be as careful.”

Nanny Yao answered yes. No sooner had they finished speaking than a maidservant called in from outside the corridor to say that the Master had returned.

Madam Ming rose and went to the front courtyard to receive him. A carriage was already stopped at the gate. Duke Shuguo’s back pain had flared up again today. He came through the main gate lurching sideways, kneading his lower back as he went.

“Go heat some water.” Madam Ming turned to instruct the waiting concubine standing nearby, then went forward herself to support the Duke and said: “Lie down first and press a hot cloth against it — send for food a little later.”

Duke Shuguo’s back injury was a root ailment left from the battlefield. Standing for too long caused sharp pain, and even walking was somewhat difficult. He managed with great effort to shuffle into the inner chamber and lie face down on the couch. Only after the hot cloth was pressed to his lower back did he begin to feel some relief. He closed his eyes and said: “Youzhou’s earthquake — the court is dispatching relief funds and grain, and everything is in chaos. His Majesty knows I cannot stand for long and specially granted me a seat, but how could I dare sit — I stood rigidly for two full hours.”

Madam Ming pressed the hot cloth and rubbed his back for him, shaking her head and sighing: “The court is in an uproar, and home is no different…”

Duke Shuguo sensed something unusual and looked back over his shoulder. “What’s happened?”

Madam Ming explained everything from start to finish, and ended by cursing Jiang Heng. “A daughter can only stay at home for a year or two at most before she must eventually be married off. If I were in his place, I would only be wishing I could give her more love for the time being. As it is — allowing his concubine to torment her — how does he call himself a father!”

Duke Shuguo was also taken aback. “To think things went so far? That wicked woman — she’s got the marquis’s residence in the palm of her hand?”

The thought of it was infuriating. In those days, to win the hand of Yuyin, Jiang Heng had sworn every oath imaginable — that he would treat her well for the rest of his life. Yet the moment she was through the door and his status rose with his wife’s, he turned around and took in Liu Shi. A man’s word — ultimately not to be trusted. No matter how dear his own daughter, how could she compare to the woman who warmed his bed at night!

“I intend to see justice done for Baba — we cannot let Liu Shi off easily.” Madam Ming said through gritted teeth. “I’ll send word to Jiang Heng shortly, to ask what he plans to do about this.”

But Duke Shuguo said there was no need to rush. “The moment you send word, Jiang Heng will find out and come to collect her. And then Baba and that creature will end up in the same compound again — what future will there be for Baba?”

Madam Ming said: “Does he have the nerve to come and take her back?”

“How not? They are father and daughter by blood — can you forcibly keep her?”

That put the matter firmly to rest. Madam Ming sank into her seat and could only heave one breath after another. “Then what do you propose? I am not willing to let the child go back. If she is to be married in the future, let her father bring a generous dowry and send her off from our ducal household.”

Duke Shuguo, seeing that there was no chance of comfort, struggled upright. “My thought is this — best not to make a sound. Let that concubine keep playing her game, and then I will go to Jiang Heng myself to see how they intend to settle it. If Jiang Heng offers no explanation, let him treat his daughter as if she no longer exists — and everything that follows will be none of his concern.”

Hearing her husband say this, Madam Ming finally felt a settled certainty. She calmed down and thought it through carefully — yes, this was indeed the right way to proceed. Without letting them hold a funeral and arrange the burial, she could turn around and point the finger at Baba for having run away from home on her own — and then she would have a mouth but no means to defend herself.

Since that was decided, they would wait to see what moves the marquis’s household made. If Jiang Heng proved capable of discovering that it was not his legitimate daughter who had died, then there was still some humanity left in him as a father. But if he simply listened to whatever Liu Shi told him, then a muddled man was unfit to be called a father, and Baba would simply stay on in the ducal household from this day forward — they would treat her as their own daughter.

In any case, close kin were never too many. Madam Ming was very glad of it, and that afternoon she began making preparations for the evening banquet. In the middle of it all she went to visit the courtyard A Handful of Snow.

When she arrived, the two young women were resting together in the same room. She looked at one, then the other, lingered for a moment, and quietly withdrew from the inner chamber.

“The young mistress is sleeping here without complaint?” she asked the maidservants waiting outside the door.

Since her fright as a child, Mei Fen had developed a stubborn habit — she was particular about her room and her bed, and had never been willing to sleep anywhere beyond her own courtyard. This had been a source of worry for Madam Ming as a mother — Mei Fen was growing older by the day, and a betrothal, once made, must eventually lead to a wedding. The family to which she was engaged was most distinguished. Though they were in no hurry to rush things, one could not keep a daughter at home forever.

The maidservant bent her knees in a half-curtsey and said: “In reply to Madam — the young mistress stayed of her own accord. She seemed restless at first and couldn’t settle, but the cloud young mistress stayed and talked with her for a good while, and gradually there was no more movement from inside.”

Madam Ming was comforted to hear it. It seemed that with Baba’s arrival, everything had taken a turn for the better. With her as company, Mei Fen would be less withdrawn — and perhaps in time, even that fearful habit of hers might improve. She gave another quiet instruction to take good care of them and to send someone to fetch them when it was time to come for the meal.

The sun crept slowly westward and cast its light on the eastern courtyard wall.

Under the eaves, the bamboo blind rattled softly in the wind. The light drapery on either side of the balustrade billowed and swelled like a drawn breath. Two orioles perched on a crabapple tree and chattered away, chattering so enthusiastically that they woke the young women sleeping inside the embroidery chamber.

Yun Pan stirred and opened her eyes, and for a moment could not remember where she was. After she gathered her wits and turned her head to see Mei Fen lying on the daybed, she remembered that she had arrived at her aunt’s home.

Mei Fen must have woken long ago, though she had not made a sound, and lay there quietly staring up at the ceiling. When she caught the corner of her eye on Yun Pan propping herself up, she turned her face and smiled. “You’re awake?”

Yun Pan gave a soft sound of assent, and said a little sheepishly, rubbing her forehead: “I traveled all night — I was truly exhausted.”

Mei Fen said no matter. “At home, sleep however you like. Besides, you didn’t sleep that long — I thought you would sleep until sundown.”

But this was another family’s home, after all — how could she sleep so shamelessly? She sat up and reached for her shoes. Qin Dan came in from outside, knelt on the footstool, and helped her put them on. Yun Pan looked down at her face. “Did you manage to close your eyes for a little while?”

Qin Dan smiled. “Once the young misses were asleep, I settled myself against the painting table in the outer room. I slept very well — a full hour and more.”

Mei Fen’s maidservant also came to help her out of bed. She moved over and sat beside Yun Pan, saying softly and gently: “It’s about time — let’s tidy ourselves up and go to the front flower hall. Father and Elder Brother should both be back by now.”

Yun Pan agreed. Qin Dan arranged her hair in a bun for her, and the maidservant in attendance brought in several sets of clothes, saying they were all prepared by the Madam for the young lady, and asked which she would like to wear today.

Yun Pan still preferred lighter colors. She chose a pine-frost green collarless short jacket, secured with a sandalwood-colored embroidered sash. Mei Fen looked her up and down with a smile and said: “What a striking appearance.” This made Yun Pan blush.

Knowing she was embarrassed, and that it was also the first time she would formally meet her uncle and elder cousin, Mei Fen took her hand and led her together to the flower hall at the front.

The Duke’s residence was more imposing than the Yong’an Marquis’s household — different noble ranks, different standards of dwelling. Just the wooden corridor alone ran long and connected straight through, and the walls of the nearby courtyards were set with intricately carved lattice windows in one elaborate pattern after another. Through the openwork holes one could glimpse the scenery on the other side.

Mei Fen was at ease in her own home. Seeing Yun Pan looking around curiously, she said: “That side is the small garden — there are a few courtyards there where the concubines and the two illegitimate younger siblings live. When we have time tomorrow, I’ll take you for a stroll.”

Yun Pan gave an acknowledging sound and followed, holding Mei Fen’s sleeve. After they had walked a stretch, she suddenly heard Mei Fen call out: “Elder Brother!”

Yun Pan stopped and looked over. Standing before the moon gate was a young man in a rain-washed sky-blue gown. He was tall, with a fine, handsome bearing. Hearing Mei Fen call out, he turned his head — in that clear and pristine garment, his fair and calm face and pair of gentle eyes came into view. The impression he gave was like slender willows reflected in rippling water — with a quality that could thaw winter ice and herald the coming of spring.