Early the next morning, Seventh Cousin Sister walked into the hall, rubbing her temples.

Fu Tingyun and Fifth Cousin Sister were already waiting at the table for her to have breakfast. The two were discussing the gathering: “…For Third Sister, my maid will deliver the invitation card. As for Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister, and Eighth Sister, I’ll have to trouble Fifth Sister to send her maid with invitation cards—they live closer to each other and visit frequently, so their servants are familiar with each other…” Hearing movement and seeing Seventh Cousin Sister enter, Seventh Cousin Sister smiled mischievously and said, “We thought you wouldn’t get up until the sun was high in the sky!”

Fifth Cousin Sister sat down listlessly on the embroidered stool at their lower end. She first asked Yi Tong to brew her a strong cup of tea, then said weakly: “After becoming someone’s daughter-in-law, I’ve grown accustomed to rising early. Who can sleep soundly until the sun is high?”

“That’s true,” Seventh Cousin Sister said with a hint of emotion. “Even as a mother-in-law, one can hardly sleep until mid-morning—sometimes you need to set an example for the younger generation!”

“In short, once married, forget about peace!” Fifth Cousin Sister took the tea offered by Yu Wei, drank several sips, and then asked, “Has everything been arranged for the invitation cards?”

Seventh Cousin Sister nodded and said: “Ninth Sister has returned to Xi’an temporarily and is staying at her aunt’s home with insufficient staff, so we’ve deployed attendants from both our households.”

Fu Tingyun felt that past matters should not be mentioned again, so she did not explain Old Master Lü’s identity to her two sisters. Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister still thought that Madam Lü was Zhao Ling’s proper aunt.

“Naturally,” Fifth Cousin Sister said as a matter of course, then asked, “It’s a good chance to send word back home too.”

Seventh Cousin Sister pointedly said: “I’ve already instructed my maid to inform my husband that I’ve found Ninth Sister and will spend a few days with her. As for other matters, I’ll explain when I return.”

“We need a story to tell when we go back home!” Fifth Cousin Sister smiled. “Huayin is our natal home after all. If it’s too disgraceful, we lose face too! It’s easy for me to explain, as my husband is the only son, but you have sisters-in-law. You can’t let them laugh at you, can you?”

Seventh Cousin Sister laughed: “What’s so difficult about that? We’ll just say that when refugees entered the city, there was chaos. Ninth Sister fled with the refugees to avoid disaster and lost contact with her family. The family thought Ninth Sister had met with harm and, fearing damage to their reputation, said she died of illness. Ninth Sister was inadvertently rescued by the Emperor… Wouldn’t that work?”

“Your mind works quickly.” Fifth Cousin Sister found this explanation good and nodded with a smile. “Then when the sisters gather, that’s what we’ll say.”

Fu Tingyun also thought this was better.

Say less to avoid mistakes. Simplify complexity to prevent malicious speculation.

So Seventh Cousin Sister ground the ink, Fu Tingyun wrote the invitation cards, and Fifth Cousin Sister assigned people. In one morning, they had sent out all the invitations.

Little Xige was fine, but Youyou, seeing two new aunts suddenly appear in the house with cheerful laughter and bustling activity, also joined in the fun, running back and forth. One moment she was bringing teacups under Nanny Tong’s supervision: “Aunt, have some tea!” The next moment, she was getting fruits from Zheng San Niang to present: “Aunt, have some fruit!” This made Seventh Cousin Sister envious: “Our Ranran was raised in my mother-in-law’s room. Being a daughter, she’s been spoiled beyond control. She’s only afraid of me—when she sees me, she runs away.” Then she hugged Youyou and joked, “Ninth Sister, give Youyou to me as a daughter-in-law! You can choose either of my two sons!”

Fu Tingyun was startled, then laughed: “Both your sons are younger than Youyou, that wouldn’t work!”

Fifth Cousin Sister laughed heartily and said: “Our eldest son is the same age as Youyou, but I’m afraid Ninth Sister’s husband wouldn’t be willing to part with her.”

“You two are aunts,” Fu Tingyun reproached. “Is this how you joke in front of children?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on the well-behaved Youyou nestled in Seventh Cousin Sister’s arms.

Youyou was looking curiously at the adults in the room with wide eyes. Seeing everyone looking at her and hearing her mother’s ambiguous tone, she anxiously said: “Mother, don’t give me to Seventh Aunt…”

Her childish words made everyone laugh.

Fu Tingyun took her daughter in her arms and comforted Youyou with a gentle smile: “Seventh Aunt likes you and is just joking! You’re our family’s daughter, how could we give you to someone else?”

Youyou let out a long sigh of relief, looking reassured.

This amused Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister into another round of laughter.

Seventh Cousin Sister then suggested visiting Guangren Temple: “It’s rare to get out, and without children following, we should tour Xi’an Prefecture!”

Fifth Cousin Sister agreed: “There are still more than ten days until the second day of the tenth month. We might as well do something with our free time.”

Fu Tingyun thought of going to the temple to burn incense with her grandmother when she was young—her sisters preparing clothes and jewelry days in advance, too excited to sleep the night before, then rushing to worship the Buddha at the temple, chattering so much that they drew the attention of the young novice monks… Her lips curled up involuntarily, and she also felt like sightseeing: “Great! I’ll ask Uncle Lü to help make arrangements.”

Fifth Cousin Sister said: “You’d better have Uncle Lü help buy some famous Xi’an pastries. When the sisters gather, they can serve as local gifts!”

Fu Tingyun nodded and gave instructions.

In the afternoon, she accompanied Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister to nearby Guangren Temple to offer incense, listened to the master’s sermon, and then returned.

Manager Lü came to discuss with them: “Daci’en Temple, Daxingshan Temple, Qingliang Temple… are all worth visiting, and the silver shops on Baoqing Street are also worth browsing.” His arrangements were very thoughtful.

Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister became excited upon hearing about the visit to Baoqing Street. But after their excitement, they began to worry about Fu Tingyun’s health: “Or perhaps we should just visit the temples and skip Baoqing Street. It’s too crowded there.”

“It’s fine,” Fu Tingyun smiled. “We’ll be walking when visiting the temples anyway. If I feel tired, I’ll rest on the side.”

“That works too!” Fifth Cousin Sister smiled. “You know your own body best. Just don’t push yourself.”

Fu Tingyun smiled in agreement and accompanied her two sisters on outings.

Meanwhile, Manager Lü quickly prepared some local Xi’an products.

Within a few days, the people who had been sent out returned one after another.

The person sent to give a message to Eldest Cousin Sister said: “The eldest madam said she’s feeling unwell these days and needs to take medicine daily, so she won’t come. When she feels better someday, she’ll visit Ninth Madam. Second Madam was quite troubled when she heard this and pondered for a long time. She asked me to bring a silver necklace for a child and a silver bracelet for a child, saying they are greeting gifts for the eldest miss and eldest young master. As a widow with a daughter of marriageable age at home, she won’t come. If the Ninth Madam has free time, please visit her home.”

Fifth Cousin Sister’s eyebrows shot up when she heard this: “I knew it. She’s wholeheartedly loyal to Elder Aunt and fears that coming might be detrimental to Elder Aunt.” She complained, “Second Sister has grown accustomed to serving Eldest Sister, but doesn’t she think about how Third Sister has treated her all these years?”

“You can’t say that.” Fu Tingyun was quite understanding of Second Cousin Sister. “She’s a widow with children, so she doesn’t want to get involved in disputes. If she merely followed Eldest Sister blindly, she wouldn’t have specially sent greeting gifts for Youyou and Xige.” As she spoke, she took the necklace and bracelet from Yu Wei’s hands, but continued, “Just like me, I didn’t want to seek out my sisters for fear of putting you in difficult positions.”

Opening the red velvet cloth revealed a necklace and bracelet of simple yet dignified craftsmanship. However, some patterns on the necklace and bracelet had turned black, showing they were old items.

She couldn’t help but sigh, showing the items to her two sisters: “These might have been sent from Huayin for her niece’s first birthday! Second Sister isn’t living well either.”

The two remained silent, feeling somewhat sad.

“We just need to find an opportunity to talk properly with Second Sister,” Seventh Cousin Sister murmured.

Fu Tingyun and Fifth Cousin Sister nodded.

The person who went to give a message to Sixth Sister returned: “…Sixth Madam said she’ll come once she’s arranged her household affairs properly. Then she sent her maid to the Tenth Madam’s place. Hearing that Tenth Madam will come in a couple of days, she kept the messenger who came to deliver the letter to Tenth Madam, saying she’ll guide her when the time comes, and sent me back to report to the madams.”

Fifth Cousin Sister smiled broadly upon hearing this: “Sixth Sister is indeed straightforward!”

Fu Tingyun and Seventh Cousin Sister pressed their lips together in smiles.

Later, Fourth Cousin Sister said her mother-in-law was ill and, like Second Cousin Sister, sent longevity locks as greeting gifts for Youyou and Xige. Eighth Cousin Sister sent word that her sister-in-law was about to give birth, so she couldn’t make it on the second day of the tenth month. She asked Fu Tingyun to wait for her two days, promising to arrive before the fifth day of the tenth month. Eleventh Cousin Sister said she would come with Sixth Cousin Sister and Tenth Cousin Sister.

Manager Lü and Madam Lü were busy—one arranging banquets and inviting female storytellers, the other cleaning and decorating the rooms, both extremely busy.

Fifth Cousin Sister was somewhat anxious: “Why haven’t we heard from Third Sister?”

Seventh Cousin Sister also began to feel uncertain: “Perhaps something has delayed her.”

Fu Tingyun smiled bitterly, half reassuring herself and half comforting her two cousin sisters: “What’s the hurry? It’s not yet the second day of the tenth month. Knowing Third Sister’s personality, she’ll let us know whether she’s coming or not.”

The two nodded.

Yu Wei came running in: “Madam, Madam,” her face was flushed red with excitement, “Third Madam has arrived. And she’s brought two young masters.”

“Ah!” The three sisters looked at each other in surprise, then stood up simultaneously.

“Quick, invite her in,” Fu Tingyun said, adjusting her clothing.

Fifth Cousin Sister was already smiling: “I said, how could Third Sister not come?” Then she grabbed Fu Tingyun’s hand, “Come, I’ll go with you to welcome Third Sister.”

Fu Tingyun nodded and walked outside with Fifth Cousin Sister and Seventh Cousin Sister.

Coming toward them was a tall woman wearing a plain lake-colored jacket. Her black hair was meticulously coiled into a round bun at the back of her head. She wore no ornaments, yet her every movement exuded grace and elegance, making her unforgettable at first glance.

“Third Sister…” Fu Tingyun called hesitantly, her eyes moistening.

Third Cousin Sister had already taken three steps in two strides and embraced Fu Tingyun.

“Quanhui, how could you be so foolish! Why didn’t you come find me?” Before she could finish speaking, she had already begun to cry loudly.