“Ah!” The young lady shielded her face from the light reflected off the mirror’s back.
Her maid, not having seen the flash of light, grew anxious when she saw her covering her eyes: “What’s wrong, Young Miss?”
Miss Ji, startled, quickly lowered the mirror and stepped forward to apologize: “I was admiring the translucent mirror in the light and didn’t expect it to reflect into Young Miss’s eyes. I’m sorry.”
Madam Ji, noting the young lady’s blue satin wide-collared Hu-style dress, her maids in plain silk skirts, and two attendants in warrior’s attire with swords at their waists, knew she must be from a powerful family and grew nervous.
“Mother, I’ll go check,” said Ji Yaoting, stepping quickly to the door.
The young lady was cheerful in temperament and, rubbing her eyes, said, “It was just temporarily blinding, but I’m fine now. Is that a translucent mirror in your hands, Sister? Let me see it.”
Such a precious mirror must be worth more than the dressing-case itself. If it were damaged while passing through her hands, even if Young Master Sheng didn’t ask for compensation, she would still be indebted. This young lady came from an important family – if she insisted on buying it, they would all be implicated. Miss Ji smiled and said, “With people coming and going on the street, perhaps Young Miss would like to come inside to look?”
Seeing the young lady follow her in, Miss Ji sighed in relief and carefully placed the mirror back in its box: “I’m not very knowledgeable about these – perhaps Young Miss could ask the shopkeeper to explain?”
She retreated to Madam Ji’s side. Receiving approving looks from her mother and brother, Miss Ji smiled demurely.
Without waiting for the shopkeeper to speak, Niu Seven took out both mirrors and held them up to the light. One had a peony engraved on the back, the other a pair of mandarin ducks. Both were exquisitely crafted. She couldn’t put them down and exclaimed, “These truly are Mirror Master Liang’s translucent mirrors! I’ll take them!”
Young Master Sheng had recognized the young lady at first glance. He thought to himself that these two translucent mirrors had been brought out to please Madam Ji – they couldn’t all be bought away. He quickly spoke up: “Miss Niu Seven, these two mirrors have already been reserved by Madam Ji.”
A cloud immediately darkened Niu Seven’s pretty face as she held the mirrors, reluctant to put them down.
A maid stepped forward beside her: “Madam, our Young Miss likes these two translucent mirrors. Would you consider letting her have them?”
Though phrased as a question, the overwhelming sense of superiority was unmistakable.
Her manner suggested she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Young Master Sheng inwardly groaned, worried the Ji family might not know the other party’s identity and cause offense. He tactfully introduced: “Madam Ji, this is the seventh young miss from Deputy Commander Niu’s mansion of the Western Sichuan Circuit.”
Madam Ji sighed inwardly. They could buy translucent mirrors for Yingying another time – they truly couldn’t afford to offend Miss Niu Seven. A military family’s young miss, with sword-wearing attendants – if angered, she could wreck Sheng’s woodcraft shop, and even the prefecture office couldn’t reasonably intervene. She pressed Miss Ji’s hand and stood up: “Since Miss Niu likes them, we’ll let Young Miss have these two translucent mirrors.”
The maid pursed her lips and cast a triumphant glance at Madam Ji, thinking she knew her place.
Niu Seven also brightened up. She put the mirrors in their box, and seeing the dressing case on the table, smiled: “Thank you, Madam, for your consideration. Shopkeeper put this dressing-case on my account too.”
“That won’t do!” Madam Ji declined helplessly, “Thank you for your kind intentions, Young Miss. To be honest, I was looking to prepare my daughter’s dowry.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to buy it as a gift then.” Niu Seven was forthright and warm, stepping forward to take Miss Ji’s hand apologetically, “So Sister is also preparing for marriage… To be honest, my elder sister is to be married this year, and I’ll be married next year. I was thinking of adding two translucent mirrors to the dressing-case. How about this – Sheng’s shop makes excellent combs too. Let me gift you a set for your dowry.”
Miss Ji smiled: “You’re too kind. I’m not even engaged yet. You have your marriage arranged – these should rightfully go to you.”
Madam Ji had given up the translucent mirrors without a word, and now Miss Ji was declining her gift – this endeared her to Niu Seven: “I don’t yet know how to address Sister properly.”
“Second Miss Ji from Huanhua Dye House in Three Sluices.”
Niu Seven gave a small cry: “So Sister lives in Three Sluices!” She tilted her head thoughtfully and asked: “Second Miss Ji, do you know the Zhao family in Locust Tree Lane in Three Sluices?”
Miss Ji nodded: “The Zhao family’s memorial arch is just a street away from our home.”
Niu Seven grew excited: “Then do you know the Zhao family’s second son?”
Didn’t she just say she and her sister would be married this year and next… Miss Ji’s heart began to race: “Which second son? Do you mean Zhao Xiuyuan, the second young master of the Zhao main household?”
“Yes, that’s him. The second young master of the Zhao main household.” Niu Seven cheerfully confirmed: “My elder sister will marry the second young master of the Zhao family at year’s end.” She added bashfully, “My sister and I are very close. I’ve heard that Second Young Master Zhao is handsome as jade and accomplished in many arts. I wonder what kind of person he is. Pardon my prying, Second Miss Ji.”
Wasn’t Zhao Xiuyuan confined at home weaving brocade? How could he be engaged to Miss Niu of the Deputy Commander’s family, and even marrying the Niu daughter at year’s end? She must have heard wrong. Miss Ji began to laugh.
Seeing her strange laughter, Niu Seven frowned: “Is there something wrong with that Second Young Master Zhao?”
Madam Ji and Ji Yaoting were so shocked their hearts nearly stopped. Fearing Miss Ji would lose composure and embarrass herself in public, Madam Ji gripped her daughter’s hand tightly.
Ji Yaoting stepped forward, shielding his sister, and cupped his hands in greeting: “Miss Niu, we are neighbors with the Zhao family. The Ji family runs just a small dye house – though we know Young Master Zhao, we’re not close. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to discuss others behind their backs. Please understand.”
With this response, Niu Seven couldn’t well continue asking. She had only been curious and asked on impulse. They were just strangers who had met by chance, and they had graciously given up the translucent mirrors. She shouldn’t press them to speak. Niu Seven glanced at Miss Ji’s dazed, smiling face, suppressed her doubts, graciously thanked Madam Ji again for her consideration, and led her people to browse the shelves.
Seeing Niu Seven walk away, Madam Ji and Ji Yaoting both looked at Miss Ji. Madam Ji whispered: “Your hands are so cold – could it be that you caught a chill from seeing off your aunt early this morning?”
Niu Seven’s group hadn’t left yet, and Young Master Sheng was still standing nearby. Fearing Miss Ji might cry out something, Ji Yaoting placed his hand on her forehead: “Oh my, you’re burning up! Mother, let’s take Sister to the physician first.”
He apologetically said to Young Master Sheng: “My younger sister is unwell. We’ll discuss the dressing-case another day.”
Seeing Miss Ji’s pale face, Young Master Sheng felt even more apologetic and bowed to Madam Ji: “I’ll certainly try to find two more translucent mirrors later.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Young Master,” Madam Ji forced a smile as she and Xiang’er helped Miss Ji onto the mule cart. “Ji Fu, hurry home!”
As the cart drove away and traveled some distance, a sharp cry suddenly emerged from within. It seemed choked off, becoming muffled and unclear, like a wounded young beast whimpering.