So indeed, Jiang Heng was a man who could never settle on anything himself. He had gone to all the trouble of arranging this meeting, and what he wanted to discuss was this — which Jin Shengyu found genuinely amusing.

But establishing the residence was an urgent matter, and she knew very well the circumstances behind it. “The household accounts were entirely in Liu Shi’s hands before. Now that she knows the Marquis is remarrying, of course she has left a mess for me to clean up.”

She had already made up her mind: this was a grudge that ran deep, and there would come a time to settle accounts with Liu Shi. But as for priorities, a whole family crowded into that tiny secondary residence was no way to live.

As for his idea of borrowing money from his daughter, Jin Shengyu did not agree. “Cloud Lady has not been married long. Last time the Marquis exchanged betrothal gifts, it was originally her money that was used — she may have said nothing, but I know. Now her own father wants money for a residence, and the moment he opens his mouth, she has no good way to refuse. But she has her own difficulties. Can it be that every time there is a shortfall, she is the one to fill it? She only has so much to her name — it would not be enough to keep subsidizing the family indefinitely.”

Jiang Heng knew all of this perfectly well — it was just that a single coin can bring a hero to his knees, and he had run straight into a difficult stretch.

He hung his head and sighed. “I truly never imagined it — that Liu Shi would be that sort of person. To hand over such a great household to her, and in just one year, she has emptied out the family savings to this point.”

Jin Shengyu smiled. “The Marquis has an honest heart — you would not know the thinking of a concubine like her. When she can hold onto the person, she holds onto the person — because as long as the person stays, so does the money, and life doesn’t get too hard. When she can no longer hold onto the person, she holds onto the money instead. Money is a person’s foundation — and besides, she has three children. She has calculated that I will certainly mistreat the children, so she wants to provide for all three herself.”

Jiang Heng was deeply unconvinced. “But her appetite is far too large — she’s taken at least two or three thousand taels by my reckoning.”

Jin Shengyu gave a slight, dry smile. “I suspect it’s more than that. But there’s no time to settle that now — the immediate matter must be dealt with first. You have six thousand taels on hand, and there is a shortfall of two thousand…” She lowered her head and thought for a moment. “The betrothal money was eight hundred taels, and I have some private savings of my own I can add to it. If that is still not enough, I can temporarily borrow a few hundred taels from my brother’s wife. Residences in the capital are scarce right now — every official from Youzhou is looking for a property, and if we delay any longer, we may well lose it to someone else. That would be a disaster.”

When she had finished saying all of this, she looked up and found Jiang Heng staring at her fixedly. She was startled, and then, slightly flustered, said, “Why is the Marquis looking at me like that? Have I said something wrong?”

Jiang Heng said quickly that she had not. A look of complicated feeling crossed his face. “I feel terrible — you are not even through the door yet, and already I am making you fill this gap for me, even letting the betrothal money disappear back into the cause.”

Jin Shengyu was not a small-minded woman. She had the lesson of the Countess before her eyes — the first thing to do was to pry control of household management out of Liu Shi’s hands, and after that she could naturally repair the shortfall. And Jiang Heng — at the end of his rope though he was, he still knew good from bad. Helping him through this moment would sever him from Liu Shi’s hold for good. He was not irredeemably hopeless — just in need of discipline. Once he was close at hand and properly managed, with a firm hand when gentleness did not work, he would naturally become quite tractable.

And so she softened her voice. “Since I have agreed to this marriage, I will be living in your Kaiguo Marquis household in due time. If there isn’t even a household, what manner of person am I marrying? I and my former husband parted ways through mutual agreement — I will not conceal this from you. Life was not comfortable back at my parents’ home, and in the end a person must have a home of their own. I have looked far and wide, and having chosen the Marquis, the Marquis must now hold himself up properly — head high, back straight — so that from this day on the world sees a good household, and Cloud Lady can stop worrying herself over her father.”

Her words were said with such quiet dignity that Jiang Heng felt his blood rise to hear them.

Yes — this was what his life needed. Something to make him feel the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, to make him understand that the family enterprise required him to carry it, and that he could no longer drift as he had in the Countess’s time, when she managed everything and he had leisure to idle away his days whispering tender things with Liu Shi.

Now that he was older and knew the hardships of having nothing, there was no other path — and it was this woman, who was soon to be his wife, who showed him true sincerity. He held her in the highest regard, and he found in her something of the Countess’s bearing and character: at the very least, she had flatly rejected the suggestion that they go to Si Si for money — and in this, she was wholly unlike Liu Shi.

A person who has been steeped in mud and mire for too long — let just a sliver of sunlight break through, and it is enough to illuminate the whole path ahead.

He reached out and took Jin Shengyu’s hand in both of his. “Second Lady, I am being forward — yet still I must thank you. Rest assured: from this day forward, I will live well with you — properly, earnestly — and I will restore the Kaiguo Marquis household to its glory and be a man that stands upright and stands tall.”

She was a little flustered, but she did not withdraw her hand. This was exactly what she had been waiting to hear. So long as he expressed himself this clearly, Liu Shi had no foothold left in his heart — and she would find her own means, in time, to make Liu Shi give back everything she had swallowed.

***

With Jin Shengyu managing things, the residence on the main lane was successfully secured. The day they took possession, she went with Jiang Heng to look it over: a four-courtyard compound with one large and one small garden attached — even grander in appearance than the General’s Residence by a fair degree.

The household servants from the old Youzhou property, who had been lodged on Small Goods Lane, could now be summoned to sweep and clean. This was the first time the servants saw their new mistress properly. Standing on the steps was a woman of commanding presence — quite unlike the mild, delicate refinement of the late Countess. This one was vigorous and imposing, radiating an authority that was not to be trifled with. Their hearts immediately filled with a healthy wariness.

With wariness came diligence — no one dared to idle or shirk. Each person attended to their proper duties, and by the end of a single day, a string of firecrackers went off in a noisy burst at the gate, and the plaque of the Kaiguo Marquis’s residence was hung above the entrance.

Nanny Yao passed the news to Yun Pan’s ears, saying the Marquis household was now established, and she had also gathered certain details from friends and acquaintances.

“A few days ago, when the residence was being purchased, the Youzhou old house had to be sold to raise funds. Liu Shi had left only two thousand taels on the public account, and then sat back and watched, arms folded, as the Marquis scrambled about in desperation. In the end, after some difficulty, six thousand taels were scraped together — but the new residence asked eight thousand, leaving a shortfall of two thousand. The Marquis originally said he would come to the Young Lady for help, but Jin Er Niang would not allow it. In the end, it was Jin Er Niang who used her own private savings to fill the gap… My Lady, look at this — you truly did not see wrong. This Jin Er Niang has a spine — she will not lean on the fact that the Young Lady married into the Duke of Wei’s household and come running here whenever there is difficulty. Having someone like this to manage the house, how can the Marquis household fail to stand up?”

Yun Pan listened and felt great satisfaction. After several rounds of observation, she was increasingly certain that this Jin Er Niang was the best possible choice.

Her own mother, though bitterly disappointed in Father, had still carried years of feeling for him, and that feeling had weakened her position from the outset — she inevitably ended up tirelessly managing and arranging everything on his behalf, and he would never know how much it cost her. Now that Jin Er Niang had come — she owed Father nothing and was simply making a practical partnership. A stranger’s assistance would earn Father’s gratitude for a lifetime, and by this reckoning Jin Er Niang held the upper hand in this marriage. The more this was so, the easier it would be for her to manage Father.

“Liu Shi fancies herself clever — not realizing that in the end she has done this other person a favor instead.” Yun Pan fanned herself with her round fan and said, “I imagine her original intention was also to force Jin Er Niang to come asking me for money — once there was ill-feeling between us, she could sit back and watch the tigers fight each other from a safe distance. Give her credit for thinking of such a scheme that worked on two fronts at once.”

Nanny Yao disagreed. “If Liu Shi were truly clever, right now she ought to be working to win back the Marquis’s heart. As I see it, she just wanted to hold onto some ready money. Think about it — a great household, and in the end only two thousand taels left on the public account. Who would believe it when told?”

Yun Pan gave a dry laugh. “The sum she has concealed must be considerable.”

Nanny Yao folded her hands in her sleeves and said yes. “Jin Er Niang resents her with a tooth-grinding hatred, but she has no proof in hand, and there is no easy way to deal with her.”

Yun Pan heard this, let out a long sigh, and said, “Nanny, I have been watching all of this from a distance for quite some time now — from Liu Shi’s great scene at the General’s Residence to Jin Er Niang taking charge and purchasing the new house. Before, I was not sure things would hold together, afraid there might be unexpected complications before the wedding. It seems I was worrying unnecessarily. I have a gift prepared — I had originally planned to give it to her after she officially entered the household, but on reflection, it would be better to give it to her now.” She then gave an instruction: “Have the carriage readied. I wish to pay a visit to this Jin Er Niang.”

Nanny Yao acknowledged this and signaled the maidservants to help her change her clothing and dress her hair. When all was ready, they went out, boarded the carriage, and drove directly to the General’s Residence.

The two households were not too far apart, and they arrived before the gate in no time. The young manservant was sent to present a calling card, and the gatekeeper, seeing who it was, dared not delay and hurried inside to announce the visit. Very shortly, the General’s wife and Jin Shengyu came out, all smiles, to welcome her. “What has brought the Duchess here!”

Yun Pan was helped down from the carriage by her maidservant, smiled, and exchanged courteous greetings with both of them. “I ought to have come to call earlier — only there were some matters at home to see to, and it was delayed until today.” She turned her head toward Jin Shengyu and said warmly, “Auntie, I have been remiss — please forgive me.”

She called her Auntie. This was a mode of address that left Jin Shengyu moved and overwhelmed — it was placing her on equal footing with the late Countess as sisters, and doing so before the wedding ceremony. For that purpose it could not be bettered, and it was the most appropriate and thoughtful way of building goodwill.

Jin Shengyu looked her over — young as she was, she had the steady and dignified bearing of a great lady. And having married the Duke of Wei, she was naturally to be looked upon with three additional measures of esteem beyond the three she already warranted.

Jin Shengyu was not herself a person who smiled easily, but seeing Yun Pan, she found herself genuinely pleased, and said with a warm smile, “Duchess, you are too courteous. We were not closely acquainted before, but your name I have long known. Hereafter we are all one family — where is the question of any remissness?”

Yun Pan said, “Since we are one family, Auntie should simply call me by my given name — addressing me as Duchess all the time would only put distance between us.”

The two of them linked arms, warm and easy, and made their way into the front hall, where the General’s wife personally served tea. Yun Pan, sitting in her chair, leaned forward slightly and demurred, making the General’s wife inwardly admire — she was truly the Countess’s daughter, with all that gracious dignity and poise. Hard to believe she was Jiang Heng’s child.

After the customary pleasantries had been exchanged, Yun Pan said, “Just the other day I was wondering when the new house would be ready, and now I hear the plaque has already been hung — all thanks to Auntie’s efforts.”

Jin Shengyu said it was nothing. “I am someone who can never sit idle — if I can be of help, I will be. After all, the Marquis is a man, and the particulars of managing a household are not his strength. To expect him to plan every detail would be expecting too much of him.”

Yun Pan nodded. “Having Auntie manage the household is the great good fortune of everyone in the Marquis household.”

The General’s wife, being a frank and forthright person, said what her sister-in-law could not conveniently say for herself. “It is only that concubine in the Marquis household who is truly not a decent person. Lord Xiang had occasion to rebuke her himself, saying she had been scheming against the Duchess — and now she has gone and scheemed against the Marquis as well. She spent a year managing the household and left the family’s savings reduced to only two thousand taels — if one had not heard it with one’s own ears, who would believe it.”

Yun Pan could only sigh at this. “She has always been that sort of person. The last time she came to the General’s Residence and gained nothing from it, she naturally looked for another way to make up for it. As for the shortfall in the money for the new residence — Auntie, why did you not have Father come to me? We are flesh and blood — how could I not lend a hand?”

Jin Shengyu said, “You would certainly have helped — but in the end, you have come to live in someone else’s household. Such a small matter — how could we go and trouble you? As it happens, I had some savings of my own, and for the part that wasn’t enough, I borrowed a little from my sister-in-law. When the rent from the estates and shops comes in at year’s end, I can pay it back.”

Yun Pan listened and took her hand. “Auntie has had such trouble — not yet through the door and already managing all of this for Father. In the future, if there is any inconvenience, please come to me without hesitation. Our Lord also says that between close kin, there is no such thing as standing on the sidelines. As for Liu Shi — please do not let her trouble you, Auntie. She came of her own free will as a servant girl — it was only because my mother agreed to it that she was allowed into the Marquis household. In my mother’s time, she was fairly well-behaved. It was only after my mother passed, and she tasted the pleasures of running the household, that she gradually began to make more and more trouble.”

At this she paused, and gave Qin Dan a glance.

Qin Dan stepped forward with an envelope and presented it to Jin Shengyu. Jin Shengyu drew out the paper inside and looked — it was Liu Shi’s bond of servitude. She looked up at Yun Pan in surprise.

Yun Pan smiled. “From here on, Auntie will be the mistress of the Marquis household. This document in my hands has less use than it would have in yours. If the concubine is well-behaved, I trust Auntie will not go out of her way to make things difficult for her. If she is not, Auntie may freely exercise the authority of the Mistress of the House and compel her to behave.”

Jin Shengyu’s estimation of Yun Pan rose dramatically at that moment.

She had known, in truth, that Jiang Heng’s remarriage had been this eldest daughter’s idea. The family had been failing, and once Yun Pan herself had left to marry, she could no longer intervene directly — so naturally she had sought out a person capable of setting everything right with one decisive hand. All of this had already been evident as a measure of Yun Pan’s foresight. But now, to have the bond of servitude placed in her hands — it was old wisdom coupled with the decisiveness to act. Had she not been constrained by her station and their relative positions, she likely would have settled matters with Liu Shi herself long ago.

Fortunately, she stood on Yun Pan’s side. Jin Shengyu held the document tightly, feeling deeply reassured. “Thank you for trusting me. I have always been cautious about this — after all, she has three children, and one cannot simply deal with her as one pleases. Now that I have this document, I can finally have a real conversation with her — on what grounds she dared to come to the General’s Residence in the first place, and on what grounds she dared to quietly pocket money that belonged to the Marquis household.”

Yun Pan smiled. “Then I leave her disposal entirely to Auntie. I was shut out at the entrance that day — my own courtyard had probably been turned upside down and searched from top to bottom. Fortunately I had lodged this bond at the Audit Office — otherwise Liu Shi would have been even more unbridled. I was also afraid that Auntie, being of distinguished birth, might find it hard to contend with her underhanded methods — by giving this document to Auntie, I give you grounds to keep her in check in the future as well.” She stood, said warmly, “My visit today was entirely for this purpose, and now that it is accomplished, I will not impose on your time any further. I am very grateful for the hospitality of both the General’s wife and Auntie today. When there is a free moment, do come and sit at my household — it would be good for all of us to have a little family conversation.”

She was leaving, so it would not do to insist too hard on keeping her — the two women walked her all the way to the main gate, said many pleasant things, and watched the carriage drive away before going back inside.

The General’s wife had no choice but to admit, at this point, that her sister-in-law had indeed found herself a fine household to marry into. She murmured, “Even if the husband turns out to be no good, with a stepdaughter like this one, there is enough to make life livable.”

Jin Shengyu lowered her head and gripped the bond of servitude tightly. She had still been thinking about how to fight a hard battle against Liu Shi — and now, unexpectedly, things had taken a turn so soon. With this document in hand, what came next would be considerably simpler.

***

The carriage made its unhurried way, passing through the market district and heading all the way back toward the Duke’s residence. Yun Pan had been busy for half the day and was a little tired, and leaned sideways against Qin Dan’s shoulder, half-dozing.

The shade along the roads of the capital was very well done — trees lined both sides, and the cries of cicadas could be heard near and far, rising and falling in waves, droning on until it was truly soporific.

Qin Dan thought she had fallen asleep, but then she heard her murmur, as if in a dream: “Nanny Pan and Nanny Wei — I wonder where they are now.”

Nanny Pan had been the Countess’s own attendant who had come with her into the household. Nanny Wei was her own wet nurse. That day, when the earthquake struck and the Fanhua Banquet was in session, they had not gone out with her — and after she herself had been blocked at the main gate, the two nannies had likewise vanished without trace. She had asked Father about it, but at that time Father was so thoroughly bamboozled by Liu Shi he scarcely knew his own name, and could only say that many servants had taken advantage of the chaos to flee and could not be found. He could not say anything more. She had been staying at her aunt’s residence then and had not been in a position to organize a search. Now that she could stand on her own two feet, she ought to make a start on finding those loyal old retainers.

She was still turning this over in her mind when the carriage drew to a stop at the residence gate. She shifted herself to climb out, and then she suddenly saw a figure in a purple brocade wide-collar robe standing before the carriage, looking at her with a smile.

She startled at first, then focused and saw who it was — and cried out softly with delight: “My Lord — you are back!”

He reached out his hand to her and said with a smile, “I just arrived. I heard you had been out for a while, so I waited here for you.”

She felt a faint warmth rise to her cheeks. “What is the point of waiting in this heat, after traveling such a distance…” She took his hand and stepped down from the carriage, her face full of a gentle, glowing smile. She looked at him briefly. “Come inside quickly… Have you already paid your respects to Grandmother and Mother?”

He gave a sound of assent. “I had someone go in and report. I wanted to wait until you came back and we could go together.”

Newlyweds — they carried a hint of shyness between them, not quite wanting to show their fondness in front of others. Once they had returned to the inner chamber, he turned and gathered her in his arms, asking softly, “These past few days — have you been well?”

This, somehow, drew all the tenderness out of her. Yun Pan nestled against him and said, “Of course everything has been fine at home. But My Lord — you must have worn yourself out, traveling so far a distance.”

He said nothing, resting against the fragrant warmth of her hair, as though this closeness could ease the weariness of his heart.

Outside the window the sun blazed brilliantly; before the window birds sang. Beneath the lowered blinds, fine motes of dust drifted and floated in the light. His robe hem moved through that beam of light, casting a revolving haze of purple. He held her gently, rocking very slightly, and said, lazily and quietly, close to her ear: “Long journeys have always been common. They never used to feel difficult. But now — it is different. I only want to come home sooner.”

Was it because home now had her in it?

He did not say it plainly; she did not ask it plainly either. Sometimes beauty lives precisely in that which is half-said and half-concealed — say it outright, and it loses its power to move.

These quiet, tender moments — they were savored by both of them. But it was not possible to draw them out too long. After so many days away from home, one could not think only of this sweet closeness between husband and wife and forget the proprieties owed to elders.

She laid her palm gently against his back and rubbed it softly. “My Lord should change your clothes first. Grandmother and Mother are both looking forward to your return.”

He said yes — but made no move, and lingered quite a while longer before he finally released her, and then he did not forget to remind her: “Wait for me a moment — once I have washed up, let us go to Mao Garden together.”