Ji Yaoting and Ji Yingying leaped up simultaneously as A-Ning drew her sword, positioning themselves in front of Madam Ji. Neither had expected their visitor to turn hostile so suddenly and resort to weapons. Ji Yaoting hastily grabbed his round-backed chair, while Ji Yingying pulled a feather duster from a nearby plum vase.
Ji Yingying shouted angrily, “You and your master are nothing but bandits! Failed to force our family to hand over the secret formula, and now you want to silence us? Old Nurse Ji, call for help! Let’s trap this dog inside!”
She refused to believe that a teenage A-Ning could handle more than a dozen of the Ji family’s sturdy maidservants.
A-Ning placed her fingers to her lips and whistled.
Suddenly, two men in fitted clothes jumped down from the roof, blocking the main hall’s entrance just as Old Nurse Ji was about to run out. Seeing their reinforcements, Old Nurse Ji, relying on her robust build, rolled up her sleeves and tried to push past them, shouting as she ran: “Help! Someone come quickly!”
She managed only one cry before a sharp pain struck her chest, her substantial frame sent flying by a kick.
“Nurse!” Ji Yingying cried out in alarm, rushing to help her up. “Old Nurse Ji, are you alright?”
The kick had nearly knocked the wind out of Old Nurse Ji, leaving her gasping wordlessly. As Ji Yingying massaged her chest, she shouted in fury, “If you’re so capable, why don’t you just kill our entire family? We’d rather die than give you the secret formula!”
A-Ning cast her a contemptuous glance, sheathing her sword with a backward motion. “It’s only because my master is merciful that your family still lives. Don’t think you can act so superior just because you’ve aligned with the Yang family!”
She pulled two promissory notes from her dress and placed them on the table, sneering, “Before I came, my master gave instructions. If the Ji family hadn’t gone back on their word and had passed on the dyeing secret formula, we could have remained friends. Since the Ji family has reneged, our previous agreement is void. My master will no longer show mercy! Here are the two contracts, Madam Ji. Keep them well. Farewell!”
The two men entered, lifted the money box, and escorted A-Ning as she strode away.
Madam Ji watched them leave with furrowed brows, feeling no relief. Using the Yang family’s influence to drive Young Master Sheng away—how could he possibly let this end here? Would tomorrow’s court session bring new troubles?
Old Nurse Ji had finally caught her breath, still rubbing her chest angrily: “Bandits! Nothing but bandits!”
“If you knew they were bandits, why did you rush at them!” Ji Yingying, seeing the nurse’s strong voice and noting she hadn’t suffered internal injuries, secretly sighed in relief as she helped her up.
Soon after, Nurse Li returned to report: “Madam, that group has left Sandaoyan and headed toward the city.”
She called out twice, but Madam Ji didn’t respond. Ji Yaoting finally noticed something wrong with his mother: “Mother, what’s wrong?”
Madam Ji came to her senses. Her worries weighing heavily, she began to feel tired again: “It’s nothing. Let them go.”
Nurse Li muttered prayers to Buddha: “May they never return.”
Madam Ji sent Old Nurse Ji to rest, then looked worriedly at her son: “Tomorrow in court, Advisor Jin won’t appear. Our family can only rely on the Yang family’s mediation. Are you afraid, son?”
Ji Yaoting smiled: “Justice will prevail. Even if that servant makes baseless accusations, there’s no evidence. Don’t worry, Mother.”
At this point, having completely fallen out with Young Master Sheng, Madam Ji had nothing left to worry about.
They had replied to the Yang family yesterday. Madam Yang had been generous, immediately sending one thousand taels of gold to the Ji family as Ji Yingying’s bride price. Madam Ji kept telling herself that the Yang family was a great tree that could provide shelter and that Third Young Master Yang was a good man. Still, looking at the gold filled her with bitterness. She beckoned to Ji Yingying: “Yingying, come here.”
Ji Yingying helped her mother back to her room and tucked her into bed: “Mother, I know what you want to say. You’ve made your decision, and I’m not unwilling at all.”
“But we still needed the Yang family’s help to repay those debts. I worry you won’t be able to hold your head high in the Yang family.” As a mother, she always thought further ahead.
Last night when Madam Yang’s trusted Old Nurse Chen came, she had brought Yang Jingyuan’s birth details. With the exchange of birth details, the marriage was settled. After the engagement, they would still need to wait for Yang Jingyuan’s return to complete all the proper ceremonies. Then both families would discuss the wedding date.
Seeing her daughter so calm, showing neither joy nor sorrow, Madam Ji felt even more guilty.
“Yingying, the Yang family says this thousand taels is your bride price. What we’ve spent now, your brother and I will make it up to you in the future. Using eighty percent of the bride price will invite mockery.”
Ji Yingying didn’t care at all.
The Huanhua Dye House earned only a few hundred guan of silver a year—how could they handle her sister-in-law entering the family with such a large debt? Seeing her mother’s insistence, she pouted and reminded her: “Mother, the Yang family isn’t simply taking in a daughter-in-law. I’ll be working for them making brocade. If you pay me back in the future, wouldn’t that mean losing both your daughter and money? Is it worth it? Never mind using eighty percent. Even five hundred guan would be a generous dowry.”
Madam Ji said no more and let her go. Unable to sleep soundly, she called for Nurse Li to begin calculating the dowry items stored in the warehouse for Ji Yingying.
The Chinese tallow tree’s leaves were half-withered and yellow, not yet fully fallen. Looking through the branches toward the distant vine garden, Ji Yingying stopped in her tracks.
In just a few short months, she felt as though she had lived an entire lifetime. It was as if those months had been spent in a dream. Those memories of arranging flowers, sending letters, and understanding someone through lantern riddles seemed so unreal. When she thought of Zhao Xiuyuan now, all she could remember was the horrifying disgust she had felt that night at the Zhao residence.
“This time I’m getting married, and it’s not to you.”
As the dust settled, Yang Jingyuan’s face became clearer in her mind.
Ji Yingying had never seriously thought about Yang Jingyuan before. Now, without deliberately trying to think about him, all the things she had unconsciously overlooked before surfaced. She couldn’t describe her feelings. Getting engaged under these circumstances, she felt no joy. But she wasn’t averse to it either. Or rather, when she recalled the moments spent with Yang Jingyuan, she felt anticipation.
What was she anticipating? She couldn’t quite say.
Ji Yingying took one last look at the vine garden. The weather was cold and gloomy. Snow particles fell with a rustling sound, melting into water when they hit the ground. The windows of the vine garden were tightly shut. She suddenly remembered she still hadn’t read the letter Yang Jingyuan had written. With the truth now before her, she grew curious about what he had written.
Last night after exchanging birth details, Ling’er and Xiang’er had been excited. Reportedly, they had spent the entire night in the side room looking at patterns, discussing how many pouches to embroider and how many handkerchiefs to make for her. This morning, both had dark circles under their eyes, frightening her. She had quickly sent them back to sleep.
The two maids were probably still sleeping, leaving the courtyard very quiet. Ji Yingying didn’t call for them, entering her bedroom alone.
She took the letter from her dressing-case. The message was simple: “Beware of the Zhao family.” Ji Yingying smiled slightly, her finger tracing over the four characters. His calligraphy was excellent, with graceful hooks and strong strokes.
She removed her shoes and lay down on the bed. The letterpressed against her chest as she unwittingly dozed off.
She dreamed again of that night at the Zhao residence. She couldn’t move. Zhao Xiuyuan brought his face close to hers, his alcohol-laden breath surrounding her. Suddenly he grabbed her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Ji Yingying struggled reflexively, then suddenly awoke. This wasn’t a nightmare! She opened her eyes to find Young Master Sheng’s face looming over her.
One hand pinned her wrist while the other gripped her throat: “Awake now? I’m very tempted to apply more pressure and snap your delicate neck!”
Ji Yingying twisted her body, trying to struggle free.
“Still want to kick me? I’ll break your legs!”
She shuddered and forced herself to stay still.