Yun Pan finally let out a sigh of relief. Madam Ming was overjoyed — eleven years had passed, and this was the first time Mei Fen had relented and agreed to go out. If she told her father, he would most likely be beside himself with happiness too.
“Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful — I want to go along and see for myself.” Madam Ming laughed and gestured with her hand. “Now hurry inside — move to the rear corridor, it’s cooler there.” She turned and instructed the maidservants, “The young ladies love iced sweet drinks — prepare the water chestnut shaved ice at once, quickly!”
The maidservants accepted their orders and hurried off to prepare. Madam Ming led them up onto the covered walkway, and after rounding the artificial rockery and stone path, there stretched a long row of goose-neck chairs beyond. With the bamboo blinds lowered and a table brought over, it became the finest spot for leisurely conversation.
Yun Pan recounted everything that had happened over the past few days. When she reached the part about Liu Shi being put in her place, even Mei Fen clapped her hands in delight. “Someone has finally come along to deal with her properly. She thought everyone in the world was as good-natured as Auntie — now that she’s met someone with real methods, she’ll know what it means to face a formidable opponent.”
Hearing her say this, Yun Pan realized that perhaps the Mei Fen from before the age of six was truly beginning to return.
She had heard that once upon a time, Mei Fen had been a lively girl — fond of play, fond of laughter, fond of making mischief — not at all like the dispirited person she had become. Perhaps the weight accumulating in her heart had never found release, causing her to grow more and more sunken into melancholy. Now, however, matters had been settled with her parents, and that He Xiao would presumably not come calling again, so her spirits had opened up considerably, and she was gradually coming back to life.
Yun Pan cast a glance of quiet joy at Madam Ming. The two exchanged a tacit look — both had seen the change in Mei Fen. Yun Pan said indeed, “It’s fortunate she encountered Jin Er Niang. If it had been someone more timid in her place, they would likely have been so frightened they wouldn’t dare discuss a betrothal at all.” She then turned to Madam Ming. “Auntie, it seems I cannot avoid involving myself in Father’s affairs. Given Liu Shi’s current frame of mind, it would already be a blessing if she simply refrained from causing trouble — letting her manage the betrothal gifts is out of the question. My plan is this: the betrothal money will come from me first. This matter is pressing and cannot be delayed. Once the marriage contract is established, Jin Er Niang can rightfully take charge of the Marquis’s household, with all the family assets firmly in the hands of the true mistress of the house — and then Liu Shi will have no room to maneuver.”
Madam Ming listened and stroked her knee, saying, “I’m afraid that before Jin Shi takes over, the Marquis household’s assets will inevitably be stripped away by that little creature.”
This was unavoidable. Liu Shi had controlled the Marquis household for over a year and had already taken what she could. Not to mention that now, with a new mistress soon to arrive, she would not part with a single coin.
Yun Pan sighed. “If that is the case, then we shall sell the Youzhou residence. She might dare to liquidate the estates and shops, but she would never dare touch the house they currently live in. If she takes only small sums, we will not pursue her for it — but if her greed goes too far, then there is no longer any question of saving face. We shall have her and her two brothers seized and handed over to the authorities. By that point she would not even qualify as a concubine — she would likely be prosecuted for theft.”
Mei Fen had been listening quietly for some time, but now she found the interest to add a word. “The way you put it, it would actually be better if her greed were greater.”
Madam Ming heard this and felt a secret delight, though she dared not voice it, fearing the words would jinx things. She smiled and replied that indeed it would, then shifted her thoughts and said, “Still, this is hard on you — just newly married, and already having to make up for your maternal family’s shortfalls.”
Yun Pan said, “I have the private savings my mother left me — there is no need to draw on the Duke’s household money. No matter how considerate one’s in-laws may be, entangling them in money matters is never a good idea. I will put out one thousand taels from my own funds and ask Auntie to manage the arrangements on my behalf. If that is not enough, I can add more.”
Madam Ming said, “It’s a second marriage after all — where would it require so much? The going rate in the capital at present is at most six hundred taels; eight hundred would already be the amount for a first-time bride of legitimate birth from a good family.” She sighed at length. “What fortune did Jiang Heng cultivate in some past life, that in this one his daughter pays the betrothal gifts and his elder sister-in-law arranges the engagement on his behalf? Truly, even a hopeless wretch can have his lucky moments — he simply does nothing and lets others toil and manage everything for him. The only pitiable one is your mother: she kept a great dream alive all her life, and in the end, what was left? She worked so hard for half her lifetime, only to ultimately hand the rewards to those who came after.”
Hearing this, both fell silent. Yun Pan lowered her head and wiped away tears, her voice choked as she spoke. “If I had any other choice, I would not have resorted to this. Who would willingly invite another person to take their mother’s place? Before making this decision, I consulted the divination tablet before Mother’s spirit tablet. The hexagram gave its approval, and only then did I dare let go. In truth, the way Mother must see things now — she has likely found peace. Rather than letting Liu Yanqiao dominate the Marquis household, it is surely better to hand it over to someone of distinguished birth and solid background. Whatever comes, good or ill, is fate. At worst, the Marquis household will scatter — and so what of it.”
Madam Ming looked on with an aching heart, reached out, and patted her gently on the shoulder. “You are a good child. Your mother can see what is in your heart. She suffered so much in this life — if she still clung to some so-called claim to status after all that, it would mean she had learned nothing.” Seeing that everyone’s spirits had grown low, she quickly changed the subject and said with a smile, “First, let us prepare for your father. Then, the eighteenth of next month will be the day for your elder brother to present the betrothal gifts.”
Yun Pan lifted her head in surprise. “Is it settled that it will be Sister Nian Zi?”
Madam Ming nodded. “Nian Zi is quite fond of your brother, and she went home and told her mother straightaway. Your cousin-aunt is also a straightforward person — she said that since the young ones have already made up their minds, there is nothing to be delayed about. They had the Grand Astrologer select an auspicious date: the eighteenth of next month is a supremely propitious day. Once the gifts are exchanged, my heart will be at ease. Then we need only wait for the later rites, see the wedding through, and I can look forward to drinking the daughter-in-law’s tea and hearing someone call me Mother-in-law.”
Madam Ming was a cheerful soul. Even as a girl in her family home, she had kept a broad outlook on things. After marrying Duke Shuguo, she had found — to her pleasant surprise — that he was an even broader-minded person than herself. The longer a couple lived together, the more alike their temperaments grew: whatever worries settled on her heart would linger only for the time it took a stick of incense to burn, and once they passed, she did not brood over them but looked ahead toward new horizons.
In any case, with Auntie in charge and the matter settled, the arrangements would proceed without difficulty. The betrothal gifts were to be given as if for a first marriage — eight hundred taels wrapped in red silk, stacked in neat rows inside the gift carriers, ready to be sent with great ceremony to the other family’s residence.
Auntie was busy making preparations and took her leave first. Yun Pan and Mei Fen remained sitting on the corridor, enjoying the scenery and drinking tea. Yun Pan asked Mei Fen, “Is A’Jie at ease now? That person will certainly never be allowed into the inner quarters again — Uncle and Auntie are both on guard against him, and if he finds himself unwelcome, he will gradually stop coming of his own accord.”
Mei Fen gave a soft sound of assent. “That day, Father came and had a long talk with me. He said that if I ever did not wish to marry, he would support me for the rest of my life. And if Elder Brother and his future wife should find me a burden, he would set up a new residence elsewhere and have Elder Brother and his wife move out — I would remain in Zilan Garden, and no one would be allowed to make me leave.”
Yun Pan was genuinely happy for her. “Uncle truly dotes on A’Jie. Though Elder Brother and Sister Nian Zi are not that sort of people, with Uncle’s words to stand on, A’Jie can put her heart at ease.”
Mei Fen nodded. “Thinking back now, I should never have shut myself away in a corner and tormented myself. He Xiao and I don’t even live under the same roof — what was there for me to be so wary of?”
Yun Pan agreed entirely. “It is best of all that A’Jie worked through it herself — no amount of words from others would have been of any use. I asked Auntie, and she said he has not come by since that day. He must know that what was said then would have reached Uncle and Auntie’s ears. He exposed his weakness and no longer dares to show his face.”
Mei Fen allowed a small smile to surface. “That is the best outcome. As long as he does not come to pester me, I have no desire to pursue what happened in the past.” As she spoke, she took Yun Pan’s hand and rose. “I soaked some almonds earlier — it is time to grind the milk. Stay a little longer, and we can make almond tea together.”
So they moved indoors. Yun Pan watched as Mei Fen deftly scooped out the almonds, and the two sat together at the table to peel and trim them, working through the entire plate.
With their sleeves bound back in work ties, it felt almost like the days before either of them had married. Yun Pan took up the mortar and pestle and ground the almonds into a coarse paste, then mixed them together with the soaked round-grain rice. The inner chamber had a small grinding stone kept specially for making tea beverages — as the millstone turned, there came the soft, steady sound of grit against grit, and the milky liquid streamed out in a slow, continuous flow, pooling in the porcelain dish below.
They strained it, added milk and sugar, and set it over a small brazier to simmer gently, then scattered in a little dried osmanthus — and so they sat, sipping tea together.
Their cups met with a light chime. Yun Pan looked at the smile gathering at the corners of Mei Fen’s eyes and felt a quiet stirring in her heart: trust, she realized, was something of immense power — it could shape a person, and it could destroy one.
Thinking of Yun Pan’s imminent departure, Mei Fen felt reluctant. “Can you not go back tonight? It has been so long since we spent time together.”
Yun Pan declined gently. “Though the Duke is away from home, the elders are all expecting me back. And there are the morning and evening greetings to observe — I cannot neglect the proprieties.”
Mei Fen heard this and was a little disappointed. “Marriage really is troublesome.”
Yun Pan smiled. “These next few days, I still need to prepare Jin Family’s betrothal gifts and go check on how the renovations at the shop are coming along — I may not have a free moment for two days. Once this busy stretch is behind me, I will come see you again without fail.” She paused in thought and then asked, “Would A’Jie like to come with me first and take a look? However you would like the refined room arranged — it can be done entirely according to your wishes, and from then on, that room will be reserved just for you. What do you say?”
But going out immediately was something Mei Fen still was not quite ready for. After hesitating several times, she said, “Next time. When you come next time, I will definitely go with you.”
Yun Pan smiled brightly and said very well. “Then that is a promise — you must not go back on your word.”
The light in Mei Fen’s eyes was resolute as she said she would not. This time it was genuine. She had truly begun to soften, and had started to look forward to the world outside.
Yun Pan sat a while longer, and before she knew it, the afternoon hours had turned, so she took her leave from Zilan Garden and went to bid farewell to her aunt, with the matter of sending the betrothal gifts to the Jin Family settled for five days hence.
Madam Ming was a decisive and energetic woman by nature, and though she was inwardly quite unwilling to go through the effort of arranging a remarriage for this foolish brother-in-law, when she reflected that the whole thing was ultimately for the sake of relieving her niece’s burden, she knew that if she did not take it on, Yun Pan would have to manage it herself — and what did the girl know about such things, young as she was!
During this time Mei Fen also came to help, and gazing at those bright red and vivid green ceremonial carriers, she let out a sigh of rue. “I would never have imagined — to think these betrothal gifts were being readied for Uncle.”
Madam Ming, brow furrowed, sleeves folded back, surveyed the roomful of things and murmured, “Women — they must take care of their health. Once you are gone, a husband will still don his wedding finery and welcome a new bride. Men these days have no lasting feeling. Among those with any standing at all, who would ever remain a widower for life!”
By the fifth day, everything was loaded into carts and prepared for transport to the General’s Residence. Mei Fen came to see them off at the gate and asked, “Is A’Niang personally overseeing the delivery of the betrothal gifts?”
Madam Ming said no. “It would not be proper for me to appear in person. If I were to run into the Chancellor’s wife along the way, I would have her take the ceremonial attendant inside while I waited outside for her to come out.”
When everything was in order, Madam Ming climbed into her carriage and waved to her. “Dreadfully hot out — go inside now.”
Mei Fen called out her assent and watched as her mother led the procession of gifts ahead toward the Imperial Avenue.
She looked around. The sky was clear, the earth was bright, and the long-standing ailment in her heart had been healed at its root — the outside world somehow seemed to have become a more interesting place.
The Duke’s residence sat deep within East Yulin Lane, and from time to time a passerby would cross her path. She still felt a trace of shyness at the sight of strangers and instinctively raised her sleeve to shield her face — but when she saw that the passersby did not so much as glance at her, she laughed quietly at her own timidity.
She walked down the front steps and made a slow turn around outside. Even the blazing sun felt fresh and new, warming her through to her core. With her painting silk tucked under her arm, she tilted her face upward, feeling as though she had suddenly come alive again. All those eleven years behind her had truly been wasted, and looking back on them now, she felt they had not been worth it.
But it was not too late. She smiled and said to Ba Bao, “The air outside smells different from the air in the garden.”
Ba Bao replied, “Well, naturally — our garden has flowers, and the street outside has none, so of course it is not as fragrant as the garden.”
Mei Fen narrowed her eyes and smiled, then sniffed the air again, finding that the dry, dusty smell of earth had its own particular appeal. Like a child, she made another slow, meandering circuit before finally gathering her skirts and turning back.
She had just stepped up onto the threshold when she heard someone call out behind her — “Young lady.” Mei Fen startled and immediately darted inside, leaving Ba Bao standing at the entrance to deal with whoever it was. Ba Bao planted her hands on her hips and demanded, “And where did you come from, barging up so recklessly — do you even know what kind of place this is!”
The person was dressed as a serving runner, with the emblem of the Liang household’s garden embroidered on his work vest. He stopped at the foot of the steps and gave a respectful bow. “Your servant has come to make a delivery. The Madam of Duke Weiguo’s household has ordered abalone spiral drizzle pastries and gold-and-silver crisped peony cakes, and has sent me to deliver them personally into the hands of the young lady of Duke Shuguo’s residence.”
So it was just an errand runner. Ba Bao said ah, and reached out to take the food box. “Hand it over then.”
“The drizzle pastries are packed in ice — it would be best for the young lady to eat them soon.” The errand runner gave another polite bow, then turned and trotted off briskly.
Ba Bao carried the food box inside and said with a smile, “Cloud Lady truly thinks of you at every moment. She must be supervising the renovations at the new shop in the market — and when she came across a fine treat, she thought to send it over for you to try.”
Mei Fen’s brow smoothed with pleasure. “She treats me just like a real elder sister. It is a pity she was in Youzhou before — had she come to the capital earlier, I would have had a companion growing up.”
But even now it was quite good. They thought of each other, helped each other, and she often sent over fruits and pastries — that alone was enough to make her heart feel warm.
She lifted the lid of the food box to look inside. Every restaurant that delivered chilled foods used a specially made vessel — something like a double-tiered boat, with the delicacies on the upper level and shaved ice spread across the lower one. In the depths of winter, when delivering hot dishes, hot water was poured into the bottom instead, ensuring that the food above stayed warm.
The abalone spiral drizzle pastries were beautifully crafted — five-colored glazes coiling upward in rings, truly resembling plump, fleshy snails.
Precisely because of their artistry, they could not be made in large quantities. There were only four of them, nestled on a bed of trimmed bamboo leaves, giving them a charming elegance — and what is rare is precious.
Mei Fen, like Yun Pan, had a fondness for sweet, delicate confections. And since drizzle pastries melted easily, they naturally had to be eaten first. So she gently lifted one, placed it whole in her mouth — the craft of the Liang household’s kitchen was unlike anyone else’s: the cream filling was infused with tangerine juice, and the rich, heady fragrance filled her mouth and nose. She ate all four without finding them the least bit cloying.
Once she had finished, she called for a cup of plain tea to rinse her palate. As for the peony cakes, she gave several to the maidservants, telling them to take them and enjoy.
The tranquil hours of the afternoon passed in leisured ease within the deep inner quarters of the residence. The bamboo blinds were lowered and the door left half-open; the mistress rested through the midday heat, and the maidservants had time to spare, free to retreat to the rear corridor for cool air and a few fruits.
Mei Fen drew a thin coverlet over herself and drifted off to sleep to the sound of cicadas. At first she slept soundly, but gradually she began to feel hotter and hotter — as though a basin of fire had been smoldering in her chest. She threw the blanket aside and tossed it to one corner, yet felt not the slightest relief.
The heat was unbearable, and yet she remained in a hazy fog, unable to pry her eyes open. It was not merely heat — there was intertwined with it some unfamiliar, nameless longing, which rose from the depths of her heart like creeping vines climbing upward, higher and higher, piercing through her consciousness and flooding straight into her mind. A mist gathered around her. Gradually the mist turned red, as though an inferno blazed before her, dyeing the very air a deep crimson.
She was still struggling in the murk when her hand suddenly found purchase on an arm — a person. She clung to it as though grasping a lifeline, both arms straining to hold on. That person was cool — cool enough to soothe the burning inside her. She breathed a long, deep sigh and felt an inexplicable, overwhelming sense of contentment. The fire within her burned without end, and the figure in the mist stroked her hair while she yielded without resistance, docile as a cat.
Long ago she had kept a cat — a snow-white creature with a striped tail. But the little creature had eventually run away, and to this day she still felt a pang of regret when she thought of it.
***
Madam Ming, for her part, had finally concluded the matter of Jiang Heng’s betrothal. The Chancellor’s wife came out to inform her of the outcome. “Everything went smoothly. The bride’s family said there is no need for elaborate fanfare — after all, it is not a first marriage, and too great a display would reflect poorly on everyone’s dignity. They will simply choose an auspicious date, exchange the marriage contracts, and have her carried by palanquin into the household. At that time, close friends and colleagues will be invited to a few tables of wine so that people know of the match, and that will suffice.”
Madam Ming agreed readily and exchanged many pleasantries with Chief Madam Gao, thanking her for her trouble.
Madam Gao waved her hand. “We’ve been friends for so many years — there is no need for this! What a great deal of effort it has taken, for both you and Si Si. If it had not come to such a pass, neither of you would have needed to go to these lengths to seek out this match.”
Madam Ming had never liked leaving things for others to talk about, so she kept her tone light and understated. “Yue Yin is gone now, and Marquis Jiang has been very much alone. Such a large household must have a suitable person to uphold its standing — this was done not only for the Marquis’s sake but for Si Si’s as well.”
Madam Gao agreed wholeheartedly. “With a concubine running the household, that was certainly no solution. Next year the whole family will be relocating to the capital, and there will be many watchful eyes. If something goes wrong through carelessness and a censor brings it before the Emperor, the reputation their family has built over several generations would be utterly destroyed.”
Madam Ming said just so, and after another round of courteous exchanges, she bid the Chancellor’s wife farewell and made her way home.
Upon arriving, she went first to check on Mei Fen. It was a good thing that Mei Fen now showed interest in what went on in the outside world — this was a healthy development, and she would need to be introduced gradually to the elaborate customs and social dealings of society, so that when the day came for her to step beyond the inner quarters, she would not be left entirely at a loss.
She followed the wooden corridor forward, passing through to the rear walkway of Zilan Garden, where two maidservants were seated on the corridor taking advantage of the breeze. Seeing her approach, they rose quickly and offered their greetings.
Madam Ming asked, “Has the young lady gone to sleep?”
Ba Bao said yes. “She has been asleep for a while now.”
Madam Ming gave a sound of acknowledgment, took the fruit platter from the attendant’s hands, and entered the main room.
She passed around a decorative screen — beyond it lay Mei Fen’s inner bedchamber. She had barely raised her eyes when the sight before her struck her like a thunderbolt from a clear sky: a figure dressed as a young male servant was kneeling before Mei Fen’s bed, the two of them locked in an embrace.
Madam Ming’s hands released the fruit platter, and it hit the ground with a resounding crash. She let out a scream that shook the room. “What is the meaning of this!”