Since Luo Zhensheng’s wedding date was set for the twenty-second of October, departing as late as the twentieth of September risked arriving too late. With household affairs in Luo Zhensheng’s capable hands and external matters managed by Qian Ming, Master Luo decided to return to Yuhang on the twentieth despite Madam Luo being confined to bed with illness. Luo Zhenda of the Third Branch accompanied him along the way.

Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang went to see Master Luo off.

As this was a trip to preside over a wedding, the Xu Family sent Master Luo a travel gift of one hundred taels of silver in addition to three hundred taels as a wedding gift. Xu Lingyi himself contributed another hundred taels as a gift for the bride upon first meeting, while Xu Lingning and Xu Lingkuan each gave sixty taels as their own meeting gifts. The Grand Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam, and Fifth Madam gave jewelry. Shiyiniang sent several pieces of jewelry beyond what the Grand Madam and the others had given.

Upon returning home, Hupo could not help but smile ruefully as she held the money chest: “Miss, there are only fifty taels left! And in a few days we’ll still need to contribute to Seventh Miss’s trousseau.”

Shiyiniang was also quite troubled.

Madam Luo had not given her so much as a single coin as a dowry chest allowance. On the day of the formal introductions, she had indeed received many precious ornaments, but these were things that could only be looked at and never touched.

This reminded her of how Fifth Yiniang had twisted her solid gold bracelet out of shape to pawn it… She said, half-jokingly and half-seriously: “If it comes to it, we’ll just pawn the jewelry?”

Hupo’s face went pale: “If anyone found out, the consequences would be terrible.”

Shiyiniang then inquired about Yang Huizu and Wei Lu’s wife.

Hupo quickly said: “…The one called Yang Huizu is now getting by on bringing handkerchiefs and kingfisher hairpins to the maids and nannies in the compound. Word is that Gan Laoquan from Third Madam’s household approached him, wanting him to help oversee the kitchen. He refused. His wife quarreled with him over it, and he went and slapped her across the face twice. His wife has been wailing every day since, threatening to end her life. Everyone in the outer servants’ quarters is watching for the drama to unfold!”

Shiyiniang was momentarily taken aback: “Does anyone know why he refused to go?”

“No one knows,” Hupo replied. “I tried asking around, and everyone in the servants’ quarters says that Yang Huizu is a man of very few words, yet remarkably dependable in everything he does, and so people love to ask him for help.”

Shiyiniang then asked about Wei Lu’s wife: “And how is she getting on?”

Hupo quickly said: “Word is she has grown very close to the wet nurse of the eldest young master. There’s talk going around that she’ll be put in charge of the laundry room in the next couple of days. Nanny Cai, who used to run the laundry room, is jumping out of her skin with anxiety.”

“Just keep a close watch on things!” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “It’s a good chance to see what each person is made of. Then we’ll know going forward who is suited for what!”

Hupo nodded repeatedly, and at that moment Nanny Tao arrived.

“…The menu sent from Fifth Madam’s household to Third Madam includes both ordinary everyday dishes and several expensive grand ones. Cycling through them, it comes to roughly one hundred and twenty taels of silver.” She handed Shiyiniang a list. “I drafted one accordingly. Please see if it will do.”

Shiyiniang did not take it, and instead asked: “Approximately how much silver would it require?”

Nanny Tao said: “Around one hundred taels — after all, Fifth Branch is currently eating for two!”

Shiyiniang nodded: “Then draw up a list based on eighty taels and submit it to Third Madam.”

Nanny Tao’s expression became awkward: “That really is too low. In this household, apart from the Grand Madam and the Marquis, you rank highest!”

Shiyiniang felt that Nanny Tao’s fierce sense of pride was sometimes an advantage and sometimes a liability: “Does anyone eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall every single day?”

Nanny Tao understood she was deliberately keeping a low profile, and thinking it over, found the reasoning sound. She smiled, curtsied, withdrew, and drew up a revised list to submit to Third Madam.

Then Wan Yizong came to report back to her: “…The five-hundred-mu estate is on sloping terrain, and the three-hundred-mu estate is sandy soil. The two estates are no more than ten or so zhang apart.”

“Sloping terrain? Sandy soil?” Shiyiniang was quite surprised. “And only ten or so zhang between them?”

Wan Yizong nodded: “Between them is the farmland of a family surnamed Liu. I also inquired with the original steward of the estates. The sandy land was formerly used for growing peanuts, while the sloping land has dates growing on it.” He looked a little uncomfortable as he spoke. “Back home we grow paddy rice. This is the first time I’ve ever come across peanuts or date trees.”

Shiyiniang smiled wryly.

Never mind him — even Liu Yuanrui and Chang Jiuhe had likely never encountered them either.

After a long silence, Shiyiniang said: “If I were to put you in charge of managing it, how confident would you be that you could manage it well?”

Wan Yizong made no commitment, saying only: “I will do my best.”

Shiyiniang had never had any dealings with farmwork herself, and was now equally at a loss. She summoned Nanny Tao to consult with her: “Does the household have anyone skilled in farming matters?”

“The affairs of the farm estates fall under the outer courtyard’s management.”

“How many studies does the household have?”

“The outer courtyard has a large study, the Half-Moon Pavilion in the rear garden, the small study in your rooms, and the Third and Fifth Masters each have one in their chambers. The eldest and second young masters each have one as well.”

“Help me look through them and see if there are any books about agriculture.” She added: “Something along the lines of the Exploitation of the Works of Nature.”

Nanny Tao nodded and went to ask several of the pages who managed the studies, but none of them could find anything. One of the pages even said: “Who would bother writing a book about farming!”

Shiyiniang could only instruct Wan Yizong: “Go around the area and have a look at what crops the neighbors are growing and how the harvests have been.”

Wan Yizong’s expression became somewhat hesitant.

Shiyiniang smiled: “Say whatever is on your mind. Three cobblers together are worth a Zhuge Liang!”

Wan Yizong watched Shiyiniang’s expression carefully and said: “I have heard that the sandy land and the sloping land originally also belonged to the Liu Family. The Liu Family’s old master once held office and was exempt from land taxes. But last year the old master passed away, and what the sandy land and sloping land yielded was not enough to cover the land taxes. That is why the Liu Family sold both parcels.”

Shiyiniang had long suspected that the harvests from her two estates would not be good, but to this extent… Fortunately she was not the sort of person who took the long way around when faced with difficulty.

“You used to grow paddy rice. Given the same piece of land, one person might get eighty jin of rice out of it, while another gets a hundred,” she said, looking steadily at Wan Yizong.

Wan Yizong’s expression sharpened. He lowered his head: “I will go at once to find out what I can from the surrounding area.”

Shiyiniang let her satisfaction show.

Wan Yizong’s face flushed red, and he departed hurriedly.

Shiyiniang spent that whole day turning the matter over in her mind, and at times grew somewhat distracted.

On the walk back from taking their evening meal at the Grand Madam’s, Xu Lingyi suddenly asked her: “Has there been any change in your mother-in-law’s condition?”

Shiyiniang did not know why he was bringing this up, and said with a smile: “No. I sent Hupo to check on her today. Word is she can eat porridge now.”

Xu Lingyi said nothing.

That night, after Shiyiniang had blown out the lamp and lain down, Xu Lingyi suddenly said: “I can see you have been preoccupied. Has something happened?”

This was not the sort of matter that could be solved by pushing through on her own.

She told Xu Lingyi about the estate situation.

Xu Lingyi let out a quiet sound of acknowledgment, then lay down and went to sleep.

Having shared what was on her mind, Shiyiniang felt considerably better and fell asleep quickly as well.

Who would have known that the following day, not long after Xu Lingyi had left, Steward Bai suddenly requested an audience.

Shiyiniang was startled.

What business could Steward Bai have that required him to see her?

She had a vague sense, with considerable certainty, that Xu Lingyi must have said something to him.

She invited Steward Bai to sit in the main hall.

As expected, Steward Bai had come on Xu Lingyi’s instructions to help her resolve the estate matter: “…The steward in our household who specifically oversees the farm estates is Steward Jia. He has gone to Tianjin to collect rents and will be back in a couple of days. At that time I will send him personally to take a look at your estates, and then discuss with you what would be best to plant.”

Shiyiniang politely offered tea to see the guest out, and her spirits soared at once.

These estates might not be promising, but they were hers. If she could achieve a good harvest, she would not only be able to support the households of her accompanying servants — she would no longer have to scrape by herself.

She was in great need of money right now.

Hupo was also very pleased, and said excitedly: “Madam, it is quarter to the hour of Chen.”

It was time to pay her respects to the Grand Madam.

During this period, Shiyiniang had always arrived at the Grand Madam’s quarters a quarter of an hour before the hour of Chen. She also had with her the name registers of those servants who had remained in the late Madam’s courtyard and those who had been transferred into her own.

When she arrived at the Grand Madam’s, Third Madam and Fifth Madam had yet to come.

Nanny Du came out to invite her inside.

Shiyiniang declined politely: “I will wait here.”

Who would want to be seen with hair still disheveled?

Nanny Du could not help but silently nod her approval, feeling that Shiyiniang was a woman of proper conduct. She smiled and said: “The Grand Madam is getting on in years and sleeps little — she has been awake for quite some time. She specifically asked me to come and invite you in.”

Only upon hearing this did Shiyiniang follow Nanny Du inside.

The Grand Madam was reclining against a large bolster pillow, drinking tea. When she saw Shiyiniang, she called out to Wei Zi: “Bring Fourth Madam a bowl of sheep’s milk.”

Wei Zi acknowledged the instruction and went off to bring the sheep’s milk.

Shiyiniang thanked her and forced herself to drink it down, suppressing the gamy smell.

The Grand Madam watched her and laughed warmly: “You southerners aren’t accustomed to this, but it is nourishing.” She then instructed Nanny Du: “From now on, send her a bowl every morning.”

Nanny Du smiled and assented.

Shiyiniang took out the name register and presented it to the Grand Madam: “Please look this over and see if it is all proper.”

The Grand Madam looked at the characters on the page with some surprise and smiled: “The handwriting is quite fine!”

Shiyiniang smiled: “My teacher always said it was not elegant enough — I didn’t expect to receive Mother’s praise.”

“You wrote this yourself!” The Grand Madam was even more surprised.

Shiyiniang smiled: “It is not very good. I will find time to practice more in future.”

The Grand Madam was quiet for a good while, and then suddenly said: “Make me an undergarment.”

Shiyiniang was now the surprised one — but it was also a pleasant surprise.

An undergarment, of all things…

Did this mean her mother-in-law had begun to accept her as a daughter-in-law?

She agreed with a smile, then measured the Grand Madam’s dimensions by hand, asked what fabric she generally preferred to wear, sent Hupo to the storeroom to fetch the material, returned to her own rooms, dusted the pattern onto the cloth, cut the fabric, and heated and pressed the pieces.

When Xu Lingyi returned home he looked on with some surprise: “What are you doing?”

Shiyiniang smiled and called Chun Wei in to help him change out of his official robes: “Making some small things for Mother.”

Xu Lingyi’s gaze passed over her face several times. He let out a quiet “Oh” and went into the washroom.

Over at the Grand Madam’s quarters, she instructed Nanny Du: “Find those shoes with the embroidered longevity characters.”

Nanny Du and Wei Zi and Yao Huang searched the ear room where the trunks were stored for a full quarter of an hour before finding them.

The Grand Madam put them on and walked a circle around the floor: “They still fit rather well!”

Nanny Du could not help covering her mouth and laughing: “Didn’t you say they were too gaudy?”

The Grand Madam said with a note of mild indifference: “At my age, changing my mind every now and then is perfectly normal.”

Nanny Du burst out laughing.

—