After her mother’s departure, every day, once Xi’er had finished his calligraphy practice, he would add one stroke to a sheet of practice paper.

When more and more strokes filled the page, his mother would come back.

He gripped the brush and drew today’s stroke with care. When he finished, he counted them.

Fifteen strokes in total.

He counted again.

Still fifteen.

He was still a long way from the sixty strokes his mother had spoken of.

He put down a paperweight to hold the sheet in place, turned his head, and asked the maidservant who was closing the window, “Who is making that commotion outside?”

Earlier, while still at his calligraphy, he had heard a clamorous sound drifting in intermittently from outside the courtyard on the wind — it sounded like an elderly woman.

At the horse farm, aside from the neighing of horses and the sound of the wind sweeping across the pastures, it was generally quiet. None of the servants working here would dare shout and carry on like this.

The maidservant closed the door and windows tightly, doing her best to block out the noise from outside, turned around with a smile, and said, “Young little lord need not pay it any mind. The person will be gone shortly.”

But the clamoring sounds continued on and off, never fully ceasing.

Xi’er listened carefully for a while, then suddenly headed outside.

In the open ground outside the courtyard gate, Liang Tuan — stationed there on guard duty as ordered — had blocked the entrance to prevent Xie Changgeng’s mother from forcing her way in.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the horse farm workers, who gathered in twos and threes, watching from a distance and whispering among themselves.

The steward, having heard the disturbance, came hurrying over. Seeing the situation, he quickly dispersed the onlookers, forbidding them from lingering.

Xie Changgeng’s mother grew increasingly indignant, her voice louder and louder.

“…I am the birth mother of your Military Commissioner! I know there is a child inside! I have only come to take one look at that child. How dare you block me and refuse to let me enter?”

Her finger was nearly poking Liang Tuan in the forehead.

Liang Tuan commanded the guards behind him to form a barrier while he himself knelt down.

“Old Madam, please do not be angry. How would I dare show disrespect to the Old Madam? However, my lord previously gave me an order — without my lord’s permission, no one, regardless of who they are, is to be admitted. I beg the Old Madam’s forgiveness.”

Xie Changgeng’s mother shook with fury, her voice trembling as she demanded, “Am I an outsider? Would my own son give you orders to bar me? How dare you be so insolent! I refuse to believe that on this day, a small place like this can keep me out!”

Xie Changgeng’s mother had been an ordinary woman in her earlier years, with little worldly knowledge but not, at that time, a particularly terrible person. However, over the past few years, as her son rose to prominence, she herself had been granted a title of honor, and from the local officials to the neighbors on either side in Xie County, everyone flattered and fawned upon her without exception. She had gradually grown more and more contemptuous of those around her.

Having harbored suspicions about the child Mu Shi had taken in, how could she simply set them aside? In front of her son, she no longer dared say more — but in her heart she had been unsettled for days, as though a cat were scratching at her insides. She had happened to hear that Mu Shi had apparently gotten involved in the tribal matter and gone away on some errand. With this opportunity, she could not simply let it pass without taking one look herself. She was only vexed that she did not know where her son had hidden the child.

Then, a couple of days prior, the Commissioner’s residence had received tribute gifts sent from the capital by order of Empress Dowager Liu. Among them were some fresh fruits rarely seen in Hexi at this time of year. On the day the fruits arrived, aside from the portion sent to Xie Changgeng’s mother, Qiuju had made all manner of inquiries and came back to report that the steward had also arranged to send some to the horse farm. Xie Changgeng’s mother suspected the child was hidden at the horse farm, and so taking advantage of her son’s absence from the city that day, she used the pretext of going out for a stroll, had a carriage prepared, and found her way here.

The journey had been no small effort, jouncing along the road the whole way. She had finally arrived, only to find herself barred at the entrance — and her fury burned.

“Get out of my way!”

She shouted, raised the walking stick in her hand, and struck out directly at the person before her.

Liang Tuan dared not dodge and endured the blow stoically.

The horse farm steward had been trying all along to persuade the Old Madam from the side, inviting her to come rest at his office first.

But with so many eyes watching, suffering this humiliation in public — how could the Old Madam relent? She struck again and again.

Liang Tuan held his ground without yielding a single step, saying, “Old Madam, even if you beat me to death, without my lord’s orders, I cannot grant entry.”

The Old Madam was furious to the point of trembling, and said through clenched teeth, “Very well, very well — today I will beat you, you insolent wretch, to death! And let us see what my son can do to me for it!” With that, she raised her walking stick high once more.

Just as she was about to strike again, the door of the courtyard opposite suddenly swung open, and a child walked out, saying, “Old Madam, are you looking for me?”

The Old Madam followed the voice and looked over, her hand freezing in midair.

The maidservant came chasing out after him, anxiously calling, “Young little lord, do not go out!”

Xi’er seemed not to have heard, and walked briskly to Liang Tuan’s side, asking with concern, “Are you all right?”

Liang Tuan, not wanting to alarm him, said, “I am fine! Young little lord, please go back inside quickly!”

The child shook his head, turned, and looked at Xie Changgeng’s mother.

“Old Madam, are you Sir Xie’s mother? They are all good people and did not mean to anger you. Please do not hit them.”

“Young little lord!” Liang Tuan and the guards were deeply moved.

The Old Madam came back to herself, glanced around, saw everyone watching her and this child in front of her, and felt at once awkward and irritated, with a trace of bewildered suspicion stirring in her as well.

With so many people watching, she could not very well continue throwing a tantrum in front of a child as she had been doing just moments before. She slowly lowered her walking stick, and her eyes simply fixed on the child without a word.

“The Old Madam heard that the young little lord was here and came out of concern to see how he was doing!” Qiuju, who had followed behind, quickly interjected.

“Thank you for coming to see me, Old Madam. Xi’er is very well.” The child made a respectful bow toward the elderly woman before him.

“Please come inside and sit, Old Madam.”

He turned his head and looked toward his own maidservant.

Such composure and poise in one so young.

The maidservant hesitated a moment, then came forward, greeted the Old Madam with a bow, and said, “Old Madam, please come in.”

The Old Madam’s face cycled through red and then white. She stood rigid for a moment, then muttered, “Never mind, never mind — I still have things to do, I will be going first…”

She took one last long look at the child, then turned and left with her people, departing in haste.

That very night, upon receiving word of what had happened, Xie Changgeng did not return to the city but came here first.

He rushed into the room and saw that small figure sitting at the table by candlelight, writing. He abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Xi’er looked back, saw him arrive, and his face broke into a smile. He immediately put down his brush and climbed down from the stool, calling out, “Sir Xie!”

Xie Changgeng strode forward and scooped him up with one arm, feeling his small arms, and asked, “That Old Madam who came this afternoon — did anything happen to you?”

Xi’er shook his head. “Nothing happened to me.”

“Truly nothing?”

Xi’er nodded, thought for a moment, then asked quietly, “Sir Xie, is that Old Madam truly your mother?”

Xie Changgeng gave a low sound of confirmation.

Xi’er hesitated, then said, “When the Old Madam came and they would not let her in, she grew very angry. Sir Xie, please do not blame them — the Old Madam has already struck them.”

Xie Changgeng said, “I will not blame them.”

Xi’er seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his face broke into a smile. “Sir Xie, you are so good.”

Xie Changgeng gazed at the lovely brows and eyes of the child in his arms, and slowly felt a thread of warmth and satisfaction welling up in his chest.

From that woman, he knew, he would never hear such words or receive such closeness. He knew this.

He lowered his gaze to the sheet of paper on the table, held down by the paperweight, covered in one stroke after another. He asked, “What is this?”

“After Mother left, each day that passes, I draw one stroke. When I have filled the page, she will come back,” the child said.

Without counting, Xie Changgeng already knew there were fifteen strokes on it.

He carried the child to the bed and said, “Go to sleep.” His voice had become increasingly gentle.

Xi’er closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The moment Xie Changgeng stepped out of the room, the warmth vanished from his expression. Liang Tuan and the horse farm steward were waiting outside. Seeing his face dark and grim, they immediately knelt down, seeking his pardon for the offense they had committed against the Old Madam that afternoon.

Xie Changgeng commanded them to give a truthful account of what had happened.

The steward recounted the whole sequence of events in full: how the Old Madam had been stopped, how she had struck Liang Tuan in anger with her walking stick, how the young little lord had heard the commotion and come outside to stop her and receive her with courtesy, and how the Old Madam had ultimately departed on her own. When he finished, he did not dare raise his head.

Liang Tuan said in a low voice, “It was not disrespect toward the Old Madam. It was simply that my lord previously instructed that without my lord’s permission, no one was to be admitted. My lord had not mentioned the Old Madam at the time, so your subordinate did not dare grant entry. I beg my lord’s pardon!”

Xie Changgeng said coldly, “Do you know where your fault lies?”

Neither man dared respond.

“I had already given orders that no one was to be admitted — and yet you allowed my mother into the horse farm, letting her force her way through to here!”

The two men started, exchanged a glance, and quickly said, “We have been derelict in our duty! We will not let it happen again!”

Xie Changgeng turned, mounted his horse, and rode away.

He galloped the whole way back to the city, entered the Commissioner’s residence, and came to the door of his mother’s room, where he knocked several times.

His mother had returned from the horse farm more indignant the more she thought about it, with no sleep to be had. Though it was already very late, she was still sitting up in bed, talking with Qi Lingfeng who was keeping her company, when she suddenly heard a knocking at the door. From outside came a servant woman’s announcement that the Military Commissioner had arrived. She exchanged a glance with Qi Lingfeng and lowered her voice to say, “Do not be afraid, I am here.” Then she lay down, closed her eyes, and began moaning and groaning with an “oh my, oh my” sound.

Qi Lingfeng went to open the door and stood to one side with her head lowered.

Xie Changgeng came in.

“Changgeng! You have finally come to see your mother!”

His mother pressed her hand to her chest and sat up tremulously.

“Today Mother went to the horse farm with good intentions — having heard that child was there, I only wanted to take one look at him and bring him back. Who would have thought that the people there would block me and not even let me through the door! Do they still have any regard for you? You must stand up for Mother! Mother was so angry that her heart was aching — it felt as though my whole person would be done for!”

“A’Mao, go tell the steward to fetch a physician at once!”

Xie Changgeng paused in the middle of the room and gave instructions to A’Mao, who was peering in anxiously from outside the door.

A’Mao gave a sound of acknowledgment and sprinted off.

“Oh, there is no need, no need! Earlier I was so angry my heart and liver felt like they were in agony, but fortunately Feng’er was here and massaged me for a long while — it is already much better.” His mother said quickly.

“Mother is truly better?” Xie Changgeng asked.

His mother saw her son looking at her, hesitated a moment, and nodded.

“Then that is good. As it happens, your son has nothing pressing tomorrow — I will escort Mother out of the city, and we shall send you home.” Xie Changgeng said.

His mother was taken aback. “Go home?”

“Yes.” Xie Changgeng’s expression was composed.

“This is frontier land. The deep of winter is hard to endure, and it is not at all suited for Mother to stay here long — besides, things have not been peaceful of late. I have long meant to speak of this with Mother, but have been unable to find the time before. Now that I have a moment, I am saying it to you: pack your things, and head back tomorrow.”

His mother was some time before she came to herself. She glanced at Qi Lingfeng, then pressed her hand to her chest again. “Changgeng, what are you saying! The people there bullied your mother, and you do nothing — and now that Mother has come all this way, you want to send her home after so little time! My heart is aching again — I cannot leave…”

Qi Lingfeng hurried over to support the Old Madam where she sat on the bed, massaging her chest. She turned her head and said, “My lord, the Old Madam’s heart truly does pain her — she has had this old ailment for years, and an upset is all it takes for it to flare. She refrained from telling my lord before out of fear of worrying you.”

“Qiuju! Qiuju! Quickly get the Old Madam a warm compress!” Qi Lingfeng called out.

Xie Changgeng’s expression remained unmoved. He looked at his mother, eyes closed and moaning repeatedly, and said, “Have A’Mao fetch it. As for a maidservant who neglects her proper duties of serving her household and spends her days stirring up trouble, spying on her superiors — what use is there in keeping her?”

From outside, there came a faint sound — mixed with a crackling noise as if a board were striking flesh — of agonized screaming.

Qi Lingfeng’s face changed slightly. Even Xie Changgeng’s mother stopped her moaning and opened her eyes.

“Changgeng, what are you saying?”

She sat bolt upright.

“The steward has ordered people to cane Qiuju!” A’Mao, white-faced, came running in through the door, shouting.

His mother scrambled hurriedly off the bed, and with Qi Lingfeng ran out the door, to see Qiuju being pinned down on the open ground of the courtyard by two male servants, while a third raised a thick board and brought it down on her backside again and again.

Qiuju let out shrieks like a slaughtered pig. Seeing the Old Madam and Qi Lingfeng come out, she screamed, “Lady Qi, Old Madam, save me!”

His mother went pale with shock and looked back frantically for her son, shouting, “Changgeng, what is going on? Let her go quickly!”

Xie Changgeng walked out, without so much as a glance at the scene, and said only to the steward, “Ask her who gave her the nerve to spy and pry into the matter of you having fruits sent over. If she cannot give a satisfactory answer, beat her to death on the spot.”

Having said this, he turned and walked away.