Madame Jiang was startled, looking around in alarm. “Fourth Miss, what are you doing here!”
Qingyuan languidly waved her round fan and said, “I just soiled my clothes and went back to change. I was heading to the front hall when I happened to meet Aunt here. Why isn’t Aunt at the banquet? What brings you out here?”
Madame Jiang’s heart was pounding. Though just a young girl, if she were to report this to Madame Hu, it would be embarrassing for everyone.
“Our lady dropped her handkerchief and was going back to retrieve it,” the maidservant beside Madame Jiang quickly answered for her mistress.
Madame Jiang was typically a straightforward person – a true hero who owned up to their actions. With eight ears listening, there was no point in creating a confrontational scene that would harm everyone’s dignity. She looked at Qingyuan and asked, “How much did Fourth Miss hear of the earlier conversation?”
Qingyuan smiled slightly, “I only heard something about men becoming slaves and women becoming prostitutes… I was about to ask Second Aunt who had been so tactless as to offend you.”
Madame Jiang felt increasingly guilty, hardly believing those words had come from her mouth. In the past, she wouldn’t have been afraid – even though Madame Hu was formidable, with the Master away, she had no man to back her up and wouldn’t dare do much. Now it was different – the Master had returned as a second-rank military officer who had spent years bloodying battlefields, treating severed heads like playthings. When enraged, he would be an unstoppable force.
These thoughts made her increasingly wary. She glared at Qingyuan with annoyance and said, “Fourth Miss is just a child, such words shouldn’t be carelessly repeated. You’ve only recently returned to the Xie family and don’t know how strict the rules are here. One misstep could bring disaster upon yourself. Better to let it go in one ear and out the other.”
Qingyuan remained silent, only smiling as she looked at her. Madame Jiang felt her tongue grow numb under that gaze and said sternly, “What are you smiling at? Those who smile the most often have the most schemes in their belly.”
At these words, Qingyuan stopped smiling and said helplessly, “Should I cry when seeing my elders instead? Don’t be angry, Aunt. I won’t tell anyone else about this.”
But even with her promise, Madame Jiang remained uneasy. Though she had meant to leave, her feet hesitated. She glanced sideways at Qingyuan and said, “If you’re not going to tell anyone, let it rot in your belly. Why come show your face to me?”
“Because I understand Second Aunt’s heart,” Qingyuan couldn’t help smiling again. “Second Aunt is straightforward and can’t stand those veiled barbs. It’s only because Second Uncle suffered from his birth order – if he had been the one recommended for office, Second Aunt’s temperament would be more fitting for a General’s wife. To be honest, I admire Second Aunt’s personality. Unlike me, always being careful and wearing a smile.”
Madame Jiang was usually disliked by everyone, with not a single younger person willing to show her respect. Hearing Qingyuan speak this way, she suddenly felt this child was quite pitiful – despite having legitimate birth status, she ended up dependent on others. Moreover, Qingyuan had touched upon her deepest grievance – she had always felt that if Second Master had filled the vacancy, they wouldn’t be in such a sorry state now. So she spoke frankly, snorting, “Your stepmother is truly inhuman. Though you’re not her birth child, you still call her mother – she shouldn’t mistreat you so.”
Baoxian seized the opportunity to add in a low voice, “Second Madame speaks truly. But there’s no help for it – the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children is like heaven and earth… The other day I heard that the Old Madame and Madame were arranging a match between the Second Miss and the legitimate son of the Marquis of Danyang. Some die of drought while others drown in plenty – if this succeeds, our Lady will be even more prestigious.”
“The legitimate son of the Marquis of Danyang?” Madame Jiang exclaimed in surprise. “How dare she dream so high! I suppose she’s still bitter that the founding Earl’s family would rather take an illegitimate daughter than their legitimate young lady. Now she’s nursing that grudge determined that Second Miss must marry even higher to be satisfied.” Thinking of her own two daughters who had married such lowly husbands, and now with Madame Hu potentially securing an even better marriage alliance, she would look down on others even more. She sneered, “That Second Miss is quite shrewd, never showing mercy with her words. With her unlucky face, she still dreams of entering the Marquis of Danyang’s family. We’ll see if she has such good fortune!” With that, she left with her maid, swaying as she walked to the end of the corridor.
Qingyuan turned to smile at Baoxian, “Let’s go.”
Baoxian supported her as they slowly walked in the opposite direction. Though they didn’t speak, they understood each other perfectly. Young ladies in the inner quarters couldn’t easily leave the mansion, unlike the mistresses who could come and go freely. Someone like Madame Jiang, who had always envied the main branch, would certainly cause trouble once she knew the situation.
The mistress and servant acted as if nothing had happened and went to join the gathering in the front hall. With the Master rarely home, outside guests had been invited, with men and women separated by a small courtyard – men to the east, women to the west. When Qingyuan entered, the ladies in the hall were gathered in small groups chatting. Qinghe had just stepped away from the group of married women, and seeing her, came over and subtly glanced eastward, saying, “The young Marquis is here too.”
Hearing her words, Qingyuan unconsciously glanced east. Qinghe smiled and said, “It’s like a vase on display – pleasant to look at, but you never thought of having it in your room. Then suddenly someone barges in, crying and making a fuss about claiming it. Doesn’t the vase seem even more appealing now?”
Qingyuan turned back, thinking this was quite reasonable – it wasn’t that the vase was better, just that she didn’t want to let that crying person have it.
But she still responded vaguely, “What is Big Sister saying!”
Qinghe just smiled without answering.
When there were outsiders present, Qingru was skilled at concealing her sharp edges. She sat quietly beside her mother like an otherworldly beauty. The female guests were all ladies of status – having a good reputation in this circle was crucial, showing that being a legitimate daughter wasn’t easy either. Qingyuan and Qinghe were more relaxed, finding a corner to sit and chat idly, occasionally looking through the window frame at the sky outside, which was gray and cloudy, seeming about to rain.
Sure enough, in the afternoon it began drizzling, the spring rain turning the garden’s banana leaves green. At this time, the relatives and friends were all at leisure, gathering to discuss how to pass the time. The maids in the inner room set up card tables, and after some polite declining, the ladies gracefully took their seats. Qingyuan watched her sisters play two rounds of shuanglu before growing drowsy. She quickly withdrew to the next room, covering her mouth to carefully stifle a yawn.
When she raised her tear-filled eyes again, she saw someone standing outside the flower window, looking at her with an ambiguous smile. Qingyuan was startled, feeling somewhat dazed, and regretted not noticing someone outside the window. He politely called out “Fourth Sister.”
This “Fourth Sister” was particularly melodious, worth savoring repeatedly on the tongue. In the past, she would have just smiled and let it pass. This time, after some consideration, she still stood up and curtseyed to him, “Third Young Master is here too.”
Her willingness to speak made Li Congxin very happy. He smiled through the window, “Fourth Sister needn’t be so formal. In the future, just call me Third Brother… or Chunzhi is fine too.”
He was a gentle person, his smile full of tender feelings. Qingyuan looked at him, secretly thinking that he wasn’t disagreeable. Perhaps it was as Qinghe said – when no one was competing for something, it was treated ordinarily, but once someone fought for it, it instantly became precious.
In fact, in interactions between men and women, it was easy to tell if someone had feelings for you. Though Qingyuan was naive, she vaguely sensed something. He had come twice in succession, both times making time to greet her. She understood, but was still somewhat startled – where had it all begun? Surely it couldn’t be love at first sight!
She hesitated, smiling shyly, “I’d better still call you Third Young Master… Why aren’t you with the others? What brings you here?”
He made a sound of acknowledgment, “They’re playing polo. I left the game and was just wandering around, and ended up here… I didn’t expect Fourth Sister to be here too.”
Qingyuan looked at the corridor – there was only one passage from the east court, and during the banquet, they had deliberately placed screens in the middle to prevent male guests from mixing in. In this weather, with rain falling outside, he would have had to brave the rain to come this way. This was hardly “just wandering around.”
Those clear beautiful eyes moved to rest on his shoulder. Seeing his lie exposed, Li Congxin brushed off his rain-dampened clothes, smiling somewhat awkwardly.
“Did Fourth Sister drink at noon?”
Qingyuan shook her head, “Why do you ask?”
He said half-jokingly, “Your face is a bit red.”
Qingyuan was startled, annoyed at his teasing. She put her hand on the window prop, indicating she was about to close it.
He quickly said “Don’t” and passed over a small red lacquered box with carved designs. “These are egg-yellow pastries made in our kitchen. I’ve been wanting to give them to you since I arrived but couldn’t find the chance.”
Qingyuan looked down at the box, hesitating whether to accept it. She stammered, “Our kitchen makes pastries too, there’s no need to specially bring them for me.”
“Each household has its flavor, please take them,” he pushed it forward again. Just then a drop of rain from the eaves that had taken so long to travel down finally reached his temple, and that creeping sensation caused a string of tickles. He raised his hand to wipe it away, and just that simple movement carried a youthful sincerity.
Qingyuan finally accepted it, smiling as she said, “Thank you. My sisters are all here, I’ll share them.”
Li Congxin said that was good, and was about to speak again when suddenly someone from the east called out “Chunzhi.” He had no choice but to tell Qingyuan, “I’m going back now, I’ll come see you again in a few days.” With that, he turned and went back to the east court in the rain. Those last words about coming to see her in a few days were like raindrops falling on water, creating ripples.
Qingyuan looked down – the box still held warmth, as if he had been keeping it close to his body. Opening the small drawer inside were exquisitely made egg yellow pastries, each only the size of a fingertip, neatly arranged. Counting roughly, there were twenty or thirty pieces.
“My, Fourth Sister is blessed,” Qingrong’s “my” was drawn out long and sharp.
Qingyuan silently exclaimed “Not good,” and when she turned to look, sure enough, those two sisters had arrived at the door.
Qingru very much had the bearing of meeting a love rival. Constrained by the presence of outside guests, she couldn’t spit at her, but her eyes were like knives, nearly drawing blood. Qingrong fanned the flames, delighting in chaos, looking out at the corridor through the window, “Who was that? Wasn’t it the young Marquis Li? He must have come to give Fourth Sister a love token!”
Hearing this provocation, Qingru finally couldn’t hold back and said through gritted teeth, “Fourth Sister truly has skill. Fortunately, your mother died early – if it had been a few years later, I fear the Xie family’s face would have been completely lost by you.”
When they spoke to her with such hostility, Qingyuan had initially been at a loss, but now suddenly became calm. She smiled and said, “Sisters misunderstand – it’s just a box of snacks…” Before she could finish speaking, she saw over their shoulders that Madame Hu was accompanying the Old Madame and the Prefect’s wife coming through the partition door. So she opened the box and held it out to Qingru, saying softly, “These are egg yellow pastries the young Marquis brought, asking sisters to try them.”
Qingru’s anger grew even more intense, seeing that Qingyuan was showing off to her. Though the pastries in the box were exquisitely made, they were truly an eyesore. She spat, “Who wants your false generosity!” With a sweep of her sleeve, she knocked the box to the ground. The chess piece-like pastries instantly scattered across the floor.