After Shiyiniang finished washing up, Xu Lingyi had already gotten into bed, and the two of them leaned against the headboard talking.

“Fifth Brother’s wife has moved to live in the garden, and Second Sister-in-law has gone to the villa in the Western Hills. I’ve called back the servants from each household. Otherwise, the house would surely have fallen into chaos…” Xu Lingyi told Shiyiniang everything that had happened at home over the past few days. “Mother is getting on in years, and Second Sister-in-law is no longer by her side — you must help look after her more!”

Shiyiniang hastened to agree. Thinking of how the Grand Madam and Xu Lingyi had always treated Second Madam with great courtesy, she consulted with Xu Lingyi: “Should we send someone to inquire after her? To see if Second Sister-in-law needs anything, so we can send it along.”

Seeing how thoughtful she was, Xu Lingyi smiled and nodded, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “It’s good that you think this way. She is alone in the world — we younger brothers and sisters-in-law ought to look after her more. When you have nothing pressing, go visit her from time to time.” Then he brought up the matter of Shiyiniang’s land. “There is a registrar in the Ministry of Works by the name of Chen Ping. Though he came up through the imperial examinations, he is quite accomplished in water management. I once heard he had been cultivating some kind of fruit trees in Daxing. I had him come and speak with me. I originally intended to have him go take a look at your farm, but when he heard I had five hundred mu of hillside land, he became very interested. He wants to lease it at one hundred taels of silver per year. I think the price is acceptable — what do you think?”

Shiyiniang had not expected Xu Lingyi to act so quickly. Her mind spun rapidly: “My lord is well-informed and experienced; if you say the price is acceptable, I’m sure it won’t be wrong. However, if I lease the land to this Master Chen, my household’s attendants who came with my dowry will have nothing to do. Idle hands every day — I’m afraid trouble will arise. I heard Steward Jia say the hillside land is best suited for fruit trees. I don’t know whether he has discussed the details of the lease arrangement with my lord? Fruit trees don’t yield returns in just one or two years, so a lease like this would surely run for many years. Could my lord help me ask — how many years does this Master Chen wish to lease? And is the rent to be fixed as is, or will it be adjusted up or down according to the surrounding land prices?”

Her voice rang out clear as a silver bell. Though she had said a great deal, every word was coherent and to the point.

Xu Lingyi listened and could not help but brighten — he sat up straighter, looking at her with considerable new respect. “Chen Ping wishes to lease for ten years, at one hundred taels of silver per year, fixed — and to pay three years’ rent upfront all at once. If he wishes to renew after ten years, he is to have the first right of refusal.”

Shiyiniang detected something more in this.

That land was five taels of silver per mu. Five hundred mu came to two thousand five hundred taels of silver — yet Chen Ping was paying three hundred taels all at once…

She mused aloud: “Around Yanjing, there can’t be many plots of five hundred mu of contiguous hillside land like mine, can there?”

Xu Lingyi could not help but laugh. “Quite right. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put up three years’ rent at one go.”

Shiyiniang felt even more certain in her heart.

Though there was a somewhat desperate quality to it — drinking poison to quench one’s thirst — with those three hundred taels, she could set other things in motion. Including developing that three hundred mu of sandy land. It was fortunate that Xu Lingyi had wide connections and had found her a way out so quickly.

“Could my lord send someone to speak with Master Chen?” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “The lease itself is easy to settle — only, my people must be the ones to help manage the orchard for him.”

Xu Lingyi smiled. “You want to learn his methods — but ten years is rather a long time, isn’t it? Why not pull your people out and put them to other uses?”

“It’s not exactly about learning his methods,” Shiyiniang smiled. “It’s simply that opportunities like this are rare. Let them learn a proper skill — they’ll have a livelihood afterward. Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

A flicker of admiration crossed Xu Lingyi’s gaze.

“Tomorrow I’ll have Steward Bai go,” he said with a smile. “But don’t be in a rush — it’s nearly the Beginning of Winter now; even if the lease goes through, it won’t start until next year.”

“Let’s settle it within the next few days,” Shiyiniang said, thinking of those three hundred taels. “I’d like to make arrangements for the dowry households early. The Beginning of Winter is almost upon us.”

“Understood.” With that, Xu Lingyi lay down.

Knowing he was ready to sleep, Shiyiniang blew out the lamp.

In the darkness, she listened to the rustle of him turning over, and very much wanted to ask whether things would continue by the old rules — each concubine taking five days — or whether he would set a new arrangement. But listening to his breathing gradually settle into calm, she decided to find another occasion to raise the matter.

—

Early the next morning, after seeing Xu Lingyi off to morning court, Hupo and the others stayed home to sort through the trunks and boxes, while Shiyiniang brought two second-tier maids — Lvyun and Hongxiu — to pay her respects to the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam was giving instructions to Nanny Du: “…Send more charcoal over. Send Ding Mama from our small kitchen — her hotpot is the best. The weather is getting colder and colder; hotpot will warm things up. And that moon-white plum-orchid-bamboo brocaded satin that was bestowed from the palace last year — send that along too…”

Shiyiniang knew at once this concerned Second Madam.

Seeing her arrive, the Grand Madam beckoned. “We’ll go visit Yizhen together in a little while!”

Shiyiniang was quite surprised.

The night before, the Grand Madam had not mentioned anything about going to the Western Hills villa — this seemed to be a sudden impulse. Xu Lingyi had gone directly to morning court that very morning and certainly did not know the Grand Madam intended to go to the Western Hills villa.

She smiled and paid her respects to the Grand Madam, then said, “Mother, should we not inform my lord? He could arrange for more attendants to accompany us…”

“Don’t worry!” the Grand Madam laughed. “This is Yanjing, not the Miao borderlands. Surely no one would dare abduct me?”

Shiyiniang naturally assented with a smile, then used the excuse of needing to change her clothes to hurry and send Hupo to the outer courtyard to find Steward Bai, to have him inform Xu Lingyi that the Grand Madam was going to the Western Hills villa. She then quickly changed into a scallion-green robe embroidered with the four-happiness pattern and went to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

At the entrance, she ran into Third Madam.

Third Madam held an account ledger in her hand and had just come out of the Grand Madam’s room.

“How fortunate Fourth Sister-in-law is — free to go out and enjoy herself for a day. Unlike me, without a single free moment.” Her tone carried a distinct note of disdain.

Matters that don’t concern one needn’t be contested.

Shiyiniang smiled: “Those with ability bear more burden. Without Third Sister-in-law, we couldn’t be this carefree.”

Third Madam heard this with great pleasure, a look of quiet satisfaction flashing in her eyes. She chatted idly with Shiyiniang for a few moments, then excused herself on the pretext of being busy and took her leave.

Shiyiniang had just stepped into the Grand Madam’s room when Fifth Madam arrived.

Hearing that they were going to the Western Hills villa, she immediately clamored to come along: “I want to go visit Second Sister-in-law.”

The Grand Madam laughingly scolded her: “We’re going to bring things to Yizhen, not to go out and play. You stay home like a good girl — no running about.”

Fifth Madam tugged at the Grand Madam’s sleeve and wheedled.

But this time the Grand Madam was resolute and would not let her go. “The road past Yanjing is rough…” — evidently concerned that Fifth Madam, being with child, might be jostled and suffer harm to the baby.

Seeing this, Fifth Madam’s expression shifted to one of sweet compliance, her voice turning very gentle: “Then I’ll have the maids accompany me to Lijing Pavilion to pick flowers.” She had all the air of an indulged child.

“Very well, very well, very well.” Satisfied with this compromise, the Grand Madam agreed readily. “Only be careful — don’t let any insects sting you.”

Fifth Madam broke into a beaming smile. “I won’t, I won’t.”

The Grand Madam shook her head. “How can you be so mischievous?” — yet her eyes and expression were full of warmth.

—

Though the party traveled light, with more than a dozen black-lacquered flat-topped carriages drawn up in a row, and layer upon layer of guards surrounding them, the procession was already quite an impressive sight.

Passersby along the road stepped back to make way.

The whole party set off in grand fashion for the Western Hills villa.

Shiyiniang and the Grand Madam rode in the same carriage, her mind still feeling somewhat dazed.

She had not imagined she would leave the Xu Mansion in such an unprepared state…

She waited on the Grand Madam with careful attentiveness, afraid the Grand Madam might feel unwell — after all, she was getting on in years, and the carriage had no suspension to speak of; the jolting might not be easy to bear.

The Grand Madam only laughed at her anxiety. “It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” Yet Shiyiniang’s filial care still warmed her heart considerably.

After about an hour and a half’s travel, the Western Hills villa came into sight.

Servants had already reported ahead to the steward managing the villa. Passing through the ornamental gate, maids and matrons were kneeling in rows along the ground.

Second Madam came forward to greet them with a look of shame. “Mother, this is all my fault!” Then she turned to Shiyiniang: “I’ve put Fourth Sister-in-law to the trouble of coming all this way.”

Shiyiniang quickly stepped forward to exchange greetings with Second Madam.

The Grand Madam meanwhile chuckled warmly: “I’ve come to see whether you’ve settled in comfortably!” and took in her surroundings.

The Western Hills villa was deep with ancient trees, pale walls and dark bricks set among them, like an ink-wash painting — serene and far removed from the world. The blue-stone path through the courtyard was clean and neat, the black columns gleaming, and fresh chrysanthemums in bloom were arranged along the stone balustrades.

The Grand Madam nodded with satisfaction and, supported by Second Madam, went inside.

Ink sticks, vermilion, and ochre were scattered across the painting table, along with brush, ink, paper, and ink stone — evidently Second Madam had been painting when they arrived.

The Grand Madam walked over to the painting table.

It was a painting of the red autumn leaves of the Western Hills, just about to receive its final color.

Second Madam smiled. “Mother, please don’t worry about me. I’m doing perfectly well here.”

The Grand Madam glanced at the white curtains in the room — pale as moonlight — the cloisonné three-legged elephant-trunk incense burner, and the lotus flower in the blue-and-white porcelain vase on the tall stand, and smiled. “As long as you are content.”

“The scenery here is beautiful and distinctive.” Second Madam helped the Grand Madam to the large heated platform bed by the window in the east anteroom. The maid Jiexiang served Laojunmei tea to everyone. “Every morning I walk through the grove, then come back to paint or read — it is most leisurely and peaceful.”

The Grand Madam’s smile deepened.

Second Madam chatted with Shiyiniang: “You just returned yesterday, didn’t you? Is the First Madam well?”

“All is well.” She exchanged a few pleasantries with Second Madam.

The Grand Madam had Nanny Du bring in the things they had brought for Second Madam.

Maids filed in and out in a steady stream. Soft, plump large bolster pillows; crystal-clear glass platters; cloisonné hand warmers; lustrous horn palace lanterns glowing like jade; silver-gilt hair-pin warmers with floral inlay… Item after item was piled up until they covered nearly half the platform bed.

Second Madam was quite unsettled. “Mother, I couldn’t possibly use so many things.”

“This is not like home — it’s inconvenient to obtain anything here,” the Grand Madam said matter-of-factly. “If you are lacking anything at all, you must not keep it to yourself. Just tell me.”

Second Madam immediately curtseyed and thanked the Grand Madam, then had Jiexiang put everything away, and stayed by the Grand Madam’s side to drink tea, asking after her health. A matron came in to inquire: “Where shall lunch be served?” Second Madam looked to the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam smiled. “Right here will do.”

The matron withdrew with a smiling curtsey, and people were sent to bring in the table. Second Madam set out the chopsticks herself.

Shiyiniang of course did not remain idle, helping with the preparations.

Just as everything was nearly arranged, a manservant came running in to announce: “My lord the Marquis has arrived!”

So quickly?

Shiyiniang was mildly astonished.

Then she saw Xu Lingyi stride in with great, sweeping steps.

He wore his scarlet official robes, the lion on his rank badge standing proud and magnificent, commanding in every way.

—