Within the Earl’s residence.
The wind stirred gentle ripples across the small pond, as overlapping layers of lotus leaves lay folded atop one another. The fragrance of the lotus drifted over, adding a few notes of freshness to the courtyard.
It was evening, and Pei Shaohuai was walking slowly alongside his wife in the courtyard. Coming upon this scene of the lotuses, he thought of the days in his youth when he, Shaojin, and Yancheng had played the flower-verse game and drunk wine by the lotus pond. Moved by a sudden whim, he could not help but recite a few lines: “In those years, green leaves first broke the water’s surface — tender lotus tips, still half-furled — all competing to grow through morning and evening.”
Yang Shiyue did not know to whom her husband compared the tender lotus tips, but she heard within the leisurely lines an undertone of quiet longing, and so she replied: “Today they layer like green coins, welcoming the evening breeze, sheltering from cloud and rain — standing together beside the clear pond.”
Pei Shaohuai was surprised and laughed, asking his wife: “Did you know I was speaking of Shaojin and Yancheng?”
This had truly been a coincidence — Yang Shiyue shook her head and smiled in reply: “I only put into words the lotus pond scene before my eyes. If it happened to match so aptly, it can only mean that your bond with them is as clear and pure as water and lotus — whatever words are used to describe it, whatever way it is expressed, all of it is fitting.”
Yang Shiyue then asked: “By the reckoning of the days, they should be arriving soon?”
Pei Shaohuai nodded and said: “It should be within the next few days.” He gently steadied Shiyue by the waist and said: “Shall we walk a little more?”
Yang Shiyue did not move, and said: “We cannot — you must recite a line for me as well.”
“Hmm, let me think — that is actually a bit difficult…” Pei Shaohuai feigned a troubled frown, then turned to playfully tease his wife before finally composing: “A round green parasol reflects red dress — together with the lotus flowers, high and low in harmony — flower and leaf forever in each other’s sight.”
Husband and wife bantered and laughed together.
In the last days of summer as autumn drew near, riding the final few southerly winds, the vessels carrying Pei Shaojin, Xu Yancheng, and Lin Shi finally neared the capital’s wharf. Lin Shi’s three cargo ships arrived a day ahead — packed full to the brim with carefully selected goods. Steward Zhang led men to the wharf and spent half the day unloading before everything was brought ashore.
Pei Shaohuai thought to himself, somewhat ruefully, that his salary and his father’s combined likely did not match the earnings from a single shop on his mother’s wharf. In this household, the one who was most comfortable was undoubtedly his mother.
The following day, Pei Shaohuai made a special request for half a day’s leave and went to the wharf together with his elder sisters and brothers-in-law to wait for the vessel and welcome Shaojin and the others back from Taicang Prefecture.
Reeds lined the shore, startling egrets into flight. The tiger-head figurehead at the prow of the official vessel appeared first around the river bend. As the ship slowly drew closer and the thin mist over the river dispersed, everyone could see Shaojin and Yancheng standing at the bow, waving eagerly before they had even arrived.
A journey full of exhaustion, yet their spirits were brimming.
The vessel docked and the boarding plank was set in place.
“Elder Brother, Elder Sister, Third Sister, Fourth Sister… and the brothers-in-law!” Shaojin called out in a single breath, striding forward quickly to embrace Shaohuai.
Though the same age as his elder brother, Shaojin had not yet completed his examinations or entered officialdom, and clearly retained several more degrees of the unpolished youthfulness of a young scholar.
Xu Yancheng also stepped forward to embrace Pei Shaohuai, and with some awkwardness addressed him by his courtesy name: “Boyuan.”
“Eldest nephew!” A single phrase from Pei Shaohuai immediately restored to Yancheng the feeling of the old days.
Pei Shaohuai saw Lin Shi emerging from the cabin and quickly went up the boarding plank to support his mother as she disembarked.
“Mother, go slowly.”
Reunited in the capital, the family members were filled with joy, yet could not help but shed tears as well, sharing from the heart all that had been on their minds. Afterward, the whole family got into their respective carriages and made their way to the Pei and Xu residences.
Back in the Earl’s residence, Lin Shi, though longing to see Shiyue, restrained herself, and also declined to let Shiyue come to Zhaolu Courtyard to pay her respects. She said to Shaohuai: “She is with child — that takes priority. She must not take on the fatigue of our long journey. Wait until I have rested a few days before I go to see her.”
She added: “There is nothing more your mother needs — go quickly and keep Shiyue company.” She urged Shaohuai back to his own courtyard.
Pei Shaohuai had only just stepped out of Zhaolu Courtyard when he encountered Shaojin, who was walking with quick, purposeful steps — apparently about to go out.
Shaojin had already bathed and changed into a round-collar robe in a water-ripple pattern, with cloud brocade embroidered on the left shoulder, and in his right hand he carried an eight-treasure food box, polished to a bright shine.
A graceful and refined young gentleman.
Pei Shaohuai had been about to tease his younger brother, but remembering that the young couple had not seen each other for the better part of two years, he let it pass. He only watched the figure of his brother stepping briskly out the gate, then got into his carriage and departed.
A few days later, Lin Shi went to see Yang Shiyue. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted leisurely and at great ease. Lin Shi, seeing that her daughter-in-law’s belly had grown quite large, asked after her at length with great concern.
It was only after returning to Zhaolu Courtyard that Lin Shi let some of her worry show. She said to Nanny Shen: “Childbirth is perilous for any woman. Shiyue carrying twins makes it all the more arduous — one cannot help but feel apprehensive.” She rested her chin in her hand, thinking for a moment, then added: “Delivering two children at once must differ in many ways from delivering one. We must make wider inquiries and find several reliable midwives.”
Nanny Shen offered Lin Shi a word of reassurance: “Madam, do not worry yet. I see that the Yang residence seems already to have made preparations — it may be that Madam Yang will come to discuss matters with you within the next couple of days.”
“What do you mean?” Lin Shi asked.
Only then did Nanny Shen recount the story in full. As it turned out, ever since it was confirmed that Yang Shiyue was carrying twins, the Yang residence had been sending two finely dressed women over every few days — to examine the condition and position of the baby, to inquire about her daily diet, and to record everything in a ledger. They always came and went through the side gate, never staying overnight and never disturbing the Pei household.
Now that the pregnancy was further along, these two women came even more frequently — once every other day.
Lin Shi was further reassured upon hearing that both women were literate.
Sure enough, three days later, Madam Yang came to visit, bringing gifts.
Knowing the Pei household to be straightforward in its ways, Madam Yang saw no need for excessive formalities. After a few brief pleasantries, she turned to the matter at hand, and said with studied modesty: “Since Yue’er married into the Earl’s residence, you have treated her well in every regard and thought of everything on her behalf. However, Yue’er takes after me — her constitution differs somewhat from that of ordinary women, and on her first pregnancy she is already carrying twins. I have taken certain initiatives in some matters without first seeking your approval — I hope you will forgive the presumption.”
“You are being too formal,” Lin Shi replied, making her own position clear: all that mattered was that Shiyue safely deliver the two children — nothing else was of any consequence.
Madam Yang explained everything fully and openly: “The two women who have been coming by in the past days are not ordinary midwives — nor are they servants or nurses. In terms of seniority, Yue’er ought to address them as Great-Aunts.”
They were all women of Madam Yang’s own clan.
Lin Shi was mildly surprised.
As it turned out, the women of Madam Yang’s clan had constitutions that predisposed them to carrying twins. Their ancestors had suffered greatly because of this — a moment’s carelessness and it often meant a life lost. Through long familiarity with the condition, the women of the clan had accumulated their experience over generations, each hoping to help those who came after safely pass through the gate of mortal peril. Generation after generation of elder women delivered children for those who followed, and so the role of “midwife” had been passed down within the clan.
These were matters known only within the clan.
Madam Yang said: “Now that Yue’er’s pregnancy is far along — and twins tend to come on quickly — I would like the two elder women to move into the Pei residence, so they may be close at hand to look after Yue’er. They will place certain restrictions on Yue’er’s intake of tonics and supplements; please, whatever you do, do not feel they are being harsh with her. As the two little ones are active inside and prone to shifting position, the women will also examine and feel the positions each day.”
Lin Shi gave her promise without hesitation: “The Earl’s residence will treat them as honored guests of the highest regard and will not interfere with any of their arrangements for Shiyue.”
She was the mother-in-law — however dearly she loved Shiyue, how could she compare to Madam Yang?
With Lin Shi’s words given, the Yang residence then sent the two women over.
Regarding the five maritime trade ports, Pei Shaohuai made his final decision and submitted the report to the Emperor. From south to north, they were: Guangzhou in Guangdong, Jiahe Island in Fujian, Mingzhou in Zhejiang, Dengzhou in Shandong, and Tianjin in Hejian Prefecture.
As Shiyue’s belly grew larger day by day, Pei Shaohuai eased somewhat on official duties. Each day he made sure to be in his carriage heading home before the hour of You, and his shifts at the Hanlin Academy and the Six Censors were covered temporarily by colleagues.
Childbirth was not easy for any woman, and Shiyue was carrying twins — Pei Shaohuai carried a weight of worry within him, all the more so when he thought that these were his own wife and children.
Pei Shaohuai never allowed this worry to show before his wife, fearing it would affect Shiyue’s state of mind.
His fourth elder sister, Pei Ruoying, had also been coming home more frequently these days — partly to take Shiyue’s pulse and confirm all was well, and partly to bring Pei Shaohuai the highly distilled spirits she had repeatedly refined.
Ying Jie’er said: “Just as you suspected, when the cloths and bedding used during childbirth have been sprinkled in advance with distilled spirits, the mother is far less likely to suffer from fever and toxic infection.”
For those of ancient times, childbirth was like passing through the gates of the underworld — the first fear was malpresentation of the baby leading to difficult labor, the second fear was fever and toxic infection after delivery, particularly for those who gave birth in spring or summer.
If Ying Jie’er could speak with such confidence, it meant she had already used the distilled spirits to save a good number of lives, and was gradually discovering the principles underlying it.
“Thank you, Elder Sister.” Pei Shaohuai received the distilled spirits, his heart settling further with this in hand.
Pei Shaohuai then personally prepared the birthing chamber. When other households prepared a birthing chamber, it was to ward off impurity and uncleanness — but Pei Shaohuai approached its preparation with great care and thoroughness, ensuring cleanliness and tidiness at every point.
He first swept the chamber from top to bottom, then each day had it sprayed with distilled spirits and aired out thoroughly. All cloths and bedding were first boiled in a pot, then sprayed with distilled spirits and left to dry before being set aside for use.
All implements to be used during the birth were likewise wiped down with distilled spirits.
The autumn winds of the eighth month came, and what should have been a gradual cooling turned this year into an abrupt chill.
The capital was full of students who had come to sit for the Autumn Provincial Examinations. The osmanthus fragrance had risen — it was once again the season of the autumn examinations, when a single test could determine one’s future.
Pei Shaohuai paid no attention to this year’s examinations, for Yang Shiyue’s belly was estimated to be nearing the time of delivery.
As was his habit, each evening before sleep he would speak a few words to the two little ones. Each time he finished, he would place his palm on the belly — and could always feel them kicking mischievously within. That small force, transmitted through the belly and into the center of Pei Shaohuai’s palm, seemed like a response to every word he had spoken that evening, as though offering him encouragement.
Tender love welled up within him, unbidden.
Late one night, the young couple lay side by side beneath the covers. Yang Shiyue was not sleepy and sought out Pei Shaohuai for quiet whispers. She asked: “Have you decided on names for them yet?”
“The formal names are not urgent — but I have thought of small names for them, which can be used whether they are boys or girls,” Pei Shaohuai replied.
It was not that he had not thought about formal names — he simply had not yet settled on any.
People of noble families generally did not give their children pet names, but Pei Shaohuai wished to give his children pet names — and there was nothing wrong with that.
“What are they?” Yang Shiyue asked.
“There is a poem by the Qian’an Hermit of the Song dynasty, composed in praise of the start of spring — spring being a symbol of new life. It reads: ‘I venture to ask of the winds and moonlight of Huai in the south — for whom do the new year’s peach and plum blossoms open?’ You see, between ‘Huai’ and ‘Yue’ lies the ‘south wind’ — taking those two characters, the elder shall be called Xiao Nan, and the younger Xiao Feng. What do you think?” Pei Shaohuai said.
In truth, this had come to him on the spur of the moment — he had thought of a line of poetry and simply improvised two pet names from it.
“Xiao Nan, Xiao Feng — if the younger one is a girl, should she still be called Xiao Feng?” Yang Shiyue asked.
“Why could she not be?” Pei Shaohuai countered, then added in a playful, spirited tone: “Are you afraid that a girl called Xiao Feng might sweep about like a great gust of wind, too lively and restless, not quiet enough? Not to worry, not to worry — our residence is large enough for her to sweep to and fro as much as she likes…”
Yang Shiyue burst into laughter and agreed: “Then let us go by your idea — Xiao Nan and Xiao Feng it is.”
Whether because the laughter had moved the baby, or simply by chance — the words had barely been spoken when a sudden “Ouch!” escaped her.
Pei Shaohuai was instantly alert, turning to face her with concern: “Are they being mischievous again, kicking you?”
“It does not feel like that.” Yang Shiyue replied, and then another “ouch” escaped her. She herself grew alert, saying: “I fear it may be time…”
Twins tend to come on quickly, and never by the expected date.
Pei Shaohuai recalled the reminder the two Great-Aunts had given him: even when it truly began, do not panic — for if he panicked, his wife would follow suit.
Pei Shaohuai rose calmly, wrapped himself in his outer garments, lit the lamp, and helped Yang Shiyue sit up. He said: “The two Aunts said that once it begins, you may eat something good — there are no more restrictions. Think first of what you would like to eat, and I will go call someone.” Only then did he go out the door.
In short order, the entire courtyard lit up. Everyone moved with orderly efficiency — busy, yet without confusion.
The two Great-Aunts came to look, and said with calm composure: “It has indeed begun.”
They supported Shiyue and walked with her toward the birthing chamber, offering words of reassurance along the way: “Both babies are positioned correctly, and neither is too large. Put your mind at ease — everything will go smoothly.”
Seeing that everyone around her was calm and unruffled, Yang Shiyue endured the waves of pain washing over her — yet felt an inexplicable sense of peace.