Once the morning visit was concluded, Lin Shi walked back with her two children.
Ying Jie’er held her mother’s hand, tilted her small head back, and asked with curious eyes: “Mama, I am usually very well-behaved at meals — I sit up straight and proper. Why did Mama tell Grandmother I was like a muddy little monkey? Ying’er does not want to be a muddy monkey.”
“Ying’er, do not be cross with Mama — what Mama said just now was only a joke, something lighthearted to say to Grandmother.” Lin Shi was momentarily caught off guard; she had not thought that a three-year-old girl like Ying Jie’er would be so perceptive. She added: “Everyone in the household says our Ying Jie’er is the most well-behaved of children — Mama will not say Ying’er is like a muddy monkey anymore…… Will Mama’s apology do?”
“Mm, mm.” Ying Jie’er gave a satisfied nod. “Ying’er is not cross with Mama.”
This little round bundle dressed in a pale yellow jacket and a dark blue pleated skirt was Pei Shaohuai’s full sister — Pei Ruoying.
When Pei Shaohuai first heard this name, his instinct — shaped by a later generation’s sensibilities — was to think of it as a name suggesting valor and gallantry. It was only one day, hearing his father recite in his scholarly manner: “A maiden walks alongside him, her face like the bloom of the mallow, soaring and gliding, jade pendants chiming” — that Pei Shaohuai understood he had been mistaken.
His sister’s name had come from this verse.
The “Ying” of mallow, the flower of the hibiscus.
As the name suggested, this little round bundle’s looks were quite extraordinary. Lin Shi’s own appearance was already beautiful; the little bundle had inherited her mother’s beauty — and managed to be even more delicate and refined. From her father she had inherited those long, smooth brows — brows that on a man’s face might seem to lack spirit, but on a small girl lent her a soft, touchingly gentle air.
Combined with her quiet, composed nature, she appeared all the more dignified and graceful, lovely in both form and mind.
And yet — in the original novel, it was her ne’er-do-well brother who brought about the family’s steady decline, and the entire Jingchuan Earl’s residence sank into ruin and debt. Such striking beauty as hers, without the shelter of family, brought her not a single blessing; on the contrary, it drew the covetous gaze of a man of base character, inviting calamity after calamity.
Against such a man, she alone, in this world, was utterly helpless.
That villain, in order to seize her, had schemed and laid his trap with painstaking cunning — deceiving Pei Shaohuai into incurring a debt of tens of thousands of taels of silver, and when he could not repay it, compelling him to offer his sister as payment.
Pei Ruoying might appear gentle and delicate in her daily manner, but at her core she was a woman of fierce integrity. Faced with threats and enticements, she was caught between two irreconcilable imperatives — the debt of her parents’ upbringing, which told her she could not say no, and her own dignity and chastity, which told her she could not say yes.
“Even in death, I will not let you profit by a single breath.” In the end, inside the bridal sedan chair, a length of red silk cord ended her life.
The hibiscus flower falls in the eighth month.
……
Pei Shaohuai drew his mind back from those memories of the novel. Looking at this bright and lovely little “round bundle,” how could he bear to let Ying Jie’er repeat the same path, to suffer the misfortunes written in that book?
Such a carefree and guileless person ought to live her days in happiness. As for a husband — she should be allowed to choose one she herself liked.
This, too, was one of the reasons Pei Shaohuai had resolved to study earnestly and sit the imperial examinations. Having come into this existence, it was not enough merely to settle into it — since he had taken on this identity, he could not allow those senseless tragedies to come to pass. He had to rise to the duty, and not waste this life.
Perhaps it was the bond of blood, or perhaps it was because the end written for Pei Ruoying was too fierce and too desolate — but from somewhere deep within himself, Pei Shaohuai found he had developed a particular tenderness toward this elder sister.
He intended to learn to be a worthy younger brother.
……
……
While Pei Shaohuai was still young, his range of movement was entirely dependent on wherever others chose to carry him — and so, despite having been clear-headed for quite some time, he had never yet had an opportunity for a proper close encounter with his younger half-brother Pei Shaojin. On the many occasions they had crossed paths, it had always been a brief glimpse before one was taken away.
On this day, Pei Shaohuai was kept at his grandmother’s quarters a little longer than usual, and as it happened, Concubine Shen came to pay her respects, bringing Pei Shaojin with her — and at last Pei Shaohuai was given his opportunity.
“Has Jin Ge’er’s appetite improved at all recently?” the Old Madam asked with concern.
“Thank you for thinking of him, Old Ancestress — Jin Ge’er has been eating more in recent days, and has gained a little weight as well.” Concubine Shen replied. “The soft foods that Old Ancestress sends over each day — Jin Ge’er likes them all very much.”
The Old Madam continued: “Are there enough servants in your courtyard? If you are ever short, just say the word — we cannot have the servants neglecting the young master.”
“In reply to Old Ancestress — the courtyard is well-staffed, nothing is lacking.”
No matter what difficulty the Old Madam asked about, Concubine Shen would answer with a smile, saying there were no difficulties.
Pei Shaohuai looked Concubine Shen over from head to foot. Her appearance was ordinary, but what she possessed was a head of rich, jet-black hair and a fair, luminous complexion. Her bearing was composed, her expression warm with a constant soft smile — a person seeing her for the first time would hardly guess she had once been a maidservant elevated to the position of concubine.
Concubine Shen had originally been a personal maidservant of Ning Shi — the one named Yu Yi.
As has been mentioned before, Pei Bingyuan was a man of temperate character, not given to indulging in matters of the heart. After Ning Shi passed away, Pei Bingyuan accepted Yu Yi as his concubine: on one hand, this fulfilled a wish Ning Shi had left behind, for the mistress and maid had been deeply bonded; on the other hand, the Old Madam felt that Pei Bingyuan’s rooms could not go without someone to attend closely to him, and so she had made the decision herself.
In other words, Pei Bingyuan had taken her in without any particular feeling at all.
Concubine Shen was dressed in a muted lotus-color garment, keeping herself deliberately understated — her naturally fair complexion deliberately subdued by a few shades. Pei Shaohuai had once overheard the servants discussing among themselves that in earlier days, Concubine Shen had been very fond of colors like honey-pink and indigo — subtle, refined shades. But from the day Lin Shi married into the household, she had never worn those colors again, switching instead to lotus and willow-yellow.
What this bespoke of how carefully and cautiously she tread through life.
In the original novel, Concubine Shen emerged in the end as the one who prevailed — primarily because of how well she had raised her son.
She lived in this Earl’s residence with utmost care, never once contending for any name or benefit within the household. Instead, her gaze was directed elsewhere entirely — toward spurring her son in his studies and examination preparations.
She would often say to Pei Shaojin: “Jin’er, though you were born in this Earl’s residence, do not set your heart on so much as a single thread from this household. Rather than competing and scheming here, it is far better to settle your mind and apply yourself earnestly to your studies. The examination path — that is your true future.”
That a woman who could not read a single character could possess such clear-sightedness was entirely fitting for the ending she received — decades of cautious, measured living, until at last the day arrived: she had raised a Zhuangyuan Lang.
……
In Pei Shaohuai’s estimation, Concubine Shen certainly had her own calculations — only these were calculations of the highest order, and worthy of admiration.
Pei Shaohuai turned to look at his younger half-brother Pei Shaojin — still an infant at this point, a little thinner than Pei Shaohuai, having inherited Concubine Shen’s fair complexion and Pei Bingyuan’s features, and quite handsome in his own right. His eyes were bright and focused, taking in everything and everyone around him with careful attention.
Truly a child blessed with the spirit of a great scholar — even in infancy, more focused than other children.
Pei Shaohuai had considered this: his own presence as a transmigrator would inevitably alter many things. With countless small changes accumulating over time, would it affect his younger half-brother Pei Shaojin’s destiny and future?
He could not guarantee there would be no effect at all — but he could say with certainty that he would never do anything to hinder this excellent younger brother of his.
Consider: someone who endures in obscurity, who does not yield in adversity, who remains measured in success — how could such a person fail to achieve great things? And how could anyone truly stand in the way of such a person’s success?
What Pei Shaohuai intended was simply to take his younger brother as his example: to apply himself with diligence and resolve — nothing more.
……
At this moment, Pei Shaohuai was seated on the soft couch, amusing himself on his own.
The Old Madam, pleased to see the brothers in the same room for once, said: “Quickly, bring Jin Ge’er up onto the soft couch as well — let the two of them play together and get to know each other.”
Concubine Shen hesitated slightly and said with concern: “Jin’er is quite lively, and small children don’t know their own strength — I worry he might accidentally bump into Huai Ge’er……”
The Old Madam waved the objection aside: “With adults here keeping watch, what is there to worry about?”
Pei Shaohuai, hearing his grandmother’s words, took the initiative to wave his small hands toward Jin Ge’er, squinting his eyes and laughing in delight — as if eagerly anticipating the chance to play with his little brother.
Concubine Shen picked Jin Ge’er up and brought him over, placing him on the soft couch beside Huai Ge’er.
The two infants were both remarkably well-featured, each handsome in his own distinct way. The Old Madam, looking at two such fine grandsons of hers, could not stop smiling.
Jin Ge’er was still carefully looking over this unfamiliar elder brother before him, when Pei Shaohuai had already taken the initiative to stretch out his small hand and gently grasp Jin Ge’er’s little fist, shaking it up and down. Pei Shaohuai thought to himself: Little brother, this is our very first handshake — I hope we get along well from here on.
The infants could not yet speak — they could only babble and call out in wordless sounds. Jin Ge’er gave Pei Shaohuai an “oh” sound; Pei Shaohuai replied with an “ah”; Jin Ge’er returned with another sound — and so it went, back and forth between “oh” and “ah,” as though they were having a real conversation.
Nanny Zhou, seizing on the moment, inserted herself with a smile: “Truly, brothers are brothers — they have found their way into play together so quickly. Is that not so, Old Madam?”
“It is indeed.” The Old Madam beamed, then added: “Look at them — it’s just as though they are comparing notes on their studies. When they are a little older, I will send them to their grandfather, and let the old man teach the two of them to read and write; after that, they can attend school together, the brothers looking out for each other.”
Nanny Zhou joined in with a playful quip: “Why, this Earl’s residence may well produce not one, but two Zhuangyuan Langs — and the heralds bringing the good news will have barely left when the next one arrives. We servants will have just pocketed one gift of lucky money and then another comes along. What a joy that would be!”
The Old Madam laughed all the merrier; Concubine Shen stood to one side and smiled along with the rest.
……
……
In the blink of an eye, several more months had passed. The year’s end was drawing near, and at last there was some movement regarding Pei Ruolian’s marriage prospects.
On this day, Pei Bingyuan came to the Old Madam’s courtyard to discuss the matter with her: “Your son has found a promising family, and would ask Mother to offer her considered opinion.”
“Commissioner Xu was formerly the Prefect of Taicang — a sixth-rank official. Last month, he was summoned back to the capital by His Majesty and granted the post of Deputy Superintendent of the Imperial Academy. I have learned that Commissioner Xu has already purchased a residence in the southern part of the capital city, and his entire household will be relocating to the capital before long — as it happens, his second son, Xu Zhannian, is seventeen and has not yet been betrothed. Through the introduction of a colleague, I met with Commissioner Xu, and he too expressed a willingness to arrange a match.” Pei Bingyuan gave a brief account of the situation.
In just a few sentences, there was a great deal to take in. The Old Madam did not fully grasp it all at once, and asked: “From a prefect to a deputy superintendent — is that not without any advancement in rank?” She feared this might mean the Emperor did not hold this man in particular regard.
“Mother need not worry on that account.” Pei Bingyuan explained. “His Majesty is careful in his use of men, naturally. Commissioner Xu has only just returned to the capital — sitting out a year or half a year in a quieter post, allowing those above to observe him at their leisure, is an entirely common arrangement.”
The Old Madam considered this, then said: “Only just purchased a residence last month — that would mean he has no foothold whatsoever in the capital yet, and everything must be built from nothing. Will Lian Jie’er not suffer hardship if she marries into such a family?” At this thought, the Old Madam was already inclining toward abandoning the idea entirely.
For all that it sounded as though the Emperor intended to put Commissioner Xu to good use — what if that use never materialized? A family like that, with no roots in the capital, might any day be sent back to whatever prefecture or county they had come from — and if Pei Ruolian were to marry in, she would naturally have to follow them wherever they went.