Managing the farm estate in their home county in Henan… then she must be a most trusted household servant!

Eleventh Miss smiled and nodded to Xiangyi.

Xiangyi immediately stepped forward to pay her respects to Eleventh Miss: “This servant Xiangyi pays her respects to Fourth Madam!”

Eleventh Miss had not expected to receive an outside guest at this moment, but fortunately she had two gold hairpins in her hair. She pulled one out and gave it to Xiangyi as a gift for their first meeting.

Xiangyi thanked her again and again.

The Dowager smiled and said: “All right, all right — Xiangyi is practically one of our own. There is no need for such formality.” Then, turning to Eleventh Miss with a smile, she said: “Today we have a preserved duck hot pot.”

Xiangyi promptly chimed in with a warm smile: “Ducks raised on our own estate, prepared according to the old recipes passed down from our ancestors.”

So these were regional specialties from the family’s home place!

Eleventh Miss smiled: “Wonderful! We are in for a treat today.”

…

In a small side room adjacent to the kitchen used for storing food supplies, Wanxiang set down her celadon blue porcelain bowl — from which she had been drinking Eight Treasure hen soup — and said: “So Xiangyi is back.”

“Indeed!” Liu Wu’s wife smiled ingratiatingly. “An entire cartload of preserved ducks!”

Wanxiang gave a dismissive snort: “She knows what she’s doing — she knows just what to bring to please the Dowager. Though beyond that one trick of hers, she’s not much good at making the Dowager happy.”

“Exactly so.” Liu Wu’s wife laughed. “How could she compare with you — the entire inner kitchen relies on you. Without you, things simply couldn’t run.”

“All right, all right.” Wanxiang’s expression soured somewhat. “Stop feeding me these useless pleasantries. Let me ask you — what’s the status of the ginseng I wanted?”

Liu Wu’s wife’s expression showed difficulty, and her voice dropped: “You know how it is. These days every branch of the household prepares meals according to the set menu, and seasonings are apportioned by measure. Where would there be any ginseng to spare?”

Wanxiang’s face darkened, and the porcelain bowl in her hand hit the table with a sharp clack.

Liu Wu’s wife quickly steadied it: “Sister Wanxiang, keep it down. Old Gan’s foster daughter-in-law is out there checking off the dishes!”

“Pah!” Wanxiang’s face was full of resentment. “When I was managing the kitchen, that woman didn’t even know where she was. Now she dares to put on airs in front of me — I could slap her into silence with two smacks.” But her voice had dropped a few notches.

Liu Wu’s wife understood perfectly.

This was indeed a case of new masters, new order. The days when Wanxiang — dowry maid to the previous Marchioness — could strut through the household however she pleased were over.

She murmured to herself: “It’s not as though it’s for herself that she wants it… What’s more, with the current situation being so tightly watched… that Huang woman is only easy to deal with because she looks well upon you. Why must you be such a fool and take the bait!”

“What are you muttering about?” Wanxiang had faintly caught something about “fool” but not clearly, and with some irritation she said: “If you have something to say, say it plainly. What is all this creeping about?”

Cowed by Wanxiang’s authority, Liu Wu’s wife did not dare to speak. From outside a woman called to Wanxiang: “Sister Chen, the dishes are all laid out — will you come check?”

Wanxiang rose, straightened her jacket, walked to the door, and cast a sidelong glance at Old Gan’s foster daughter-in-law, her expression a half-smile. “I need to use the privy — wait for me!” And with that, she departed with great self-possession.

The other woman stomped her foot in fury — when dishes were delivered, a receipt had to be signed and stamped; once the receipt was stamped, the slip had to be sent to the kitchen’s provisions office before the task was complete. This was not the first time Wanxiang had dropped everything and walked off.

Everyone else in the kitchen went on doing exactly what they had been doing, as though they had seen nothing at all.

A woman cast a meaningful glance at the other woman.

The other woman made an excuse and stepped outside.

The first woman followed her out: “…What are you afraid of? Just wait right here. If no one comes to receive the dishes, what does that have to do with you?”

The other woman’s eyes lit up. She asked the woman: “What is your name? I’ll mention you to my foster father-in-law so he can put you to good use!”

Meanwhile, Wanxiang had gone back to her own room.

Her husband Chen Xu was enjoying himself with a plate of peanuts, a jug of aged spirits, and a humming rendition of “Si Lang Visits His Mother.” Seeing Wanxiang return, he was startled: “Why have you come back? Aren’t you supposed to be at the kitchen receiving the dishes?”

Wanxiang gave Chen Xu a cold look, turned, and went into the inner room, where she began rummaging through chests and boxes.

Chen Xu had lost his position by now and was entirely dependent on Wanxiang’s monthly wages, so he quickly got up and tried to take her arm: “All right, all right, don’t be in a temper — go receive the dishes first, we can talk afterward.”

Wanxiang shook off Chen Xu’s hand, kept a stern face, and continued searching through the chest.

“Wanxiang, stop quarreling with Third Madam’s people.” He had long been accustomed to yielding to his wife, and spoke to her in low, gentle tones. “What good can come of it? If you don’t go receive the dishes, everyone is stuck there waiting. When each branch of the household gets their meals late, the blame will still come back to you.”

Wanxiang looked up and shot her husband a glare: “She just wants an excuse to strip me of my position, doesn’t she? So I’m just giving her the chance.”

“Then why bother!” Chen Xu smiled along with her soothingly. “You are still a person of standing and dignity — you needn’t lower yourself to her level.”

Hearing this, Wanxiang felt an even greater surge of anger inside: “Chen Xu, stop trying to smooth this over for me. I’ll tell you plainly — as long as Fourth Madam isn’t running the household, this position of mine is finished sooner or later. Better this clean break now than to wait for her to pin some charge on me later.”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, everything you say is right.” Chen Xu smiled along with her.

That husband of hers was capable enough at getting things done, but had no head for scheming.

Wanxiang didn’t bother with him, and went on rummaging on her own until she produced a clean, plain wooden box: “Found it!”

Chen Xu looked up in alarm: “What are you planning to do with that?”

“Send it to Old Huang’s woman.” Wanxiang opened the box — inside lay seven or eight ginseng roots, each as long as a pair of chopsticks.

“You’ve lost your mind.” Chen Xu snatched the box away. “Before, when you were managing the kitchen, you had the means to get ginseng for her. But now that’s all out of your hands… Surely we can’t be giving away things from our own household for others to use!”

“Give it back.” Wanxiang snatched the box back. “What do you know about it? You’ve lost your position, I’ve been trampled on by others, and if we can’t even keep up this old friendship in times like these, what standing will we have to move about in this household going forward? One of these is enough to last their family a full year. Who knows — by then things may have turned around. Don’t involve yourself in this. I have my own plan.” With that, she took one ginseng root from the box, wrapped it in a handkerchief, tucked it into her breast, and left.

Chen Xu watched his wife’s retreating figure and couldn’t help murmuring under his breath: “Old Huang’s woman really is something else… her son is sick and needs ginseng, so just go buy it yourself… all that flattering and fawning is just so she can squeeze things out of you — and you’ve actually started treating her like a sister…”

On the other side, Wanxiang made her way quickly with the ginseng toward the outer kitchen.

Just as she reached the edge of the eaves, she heard Old Huang’s woman shouting loudly: “I can barely keep up with things here — and now you want me to send more people out to help with the porridge distribution? Whose idea was this? I can’t spare a single person!”

Hearing this, Wanxiang was pleased. She slipped to one side out of sight.

“It is Third Madam’s wish.” A woman said with a smile. “I have delivered the message — whether you go or not is entirely up to you.” With that, she walked out.

Wanxiang saw that the woman was wearing an official green Luzhou silk jacket and had a red silk flower in her hair. She recognized her as Old Gan’s niece. After waiting for her to leave, Wanxiang entered the kitchen.

Old Huang’s woman had just had her face splashed, and was still seething with anger. Seeing Wanxiang come in, she quickly changed her expression and went to welcome her with a smile: “Sister Wanxiang, how did you find the time to come?” She immediately called on the serving women at the stove to make tea.

Wanxiang let out a sigh and took the ginseng from her breast, holding it out to Old Huang’s woman: “Good Sister, I am afraid I no longer have the means to help. This is a root we had set aside at home — take it first for the young master’s use!”

Old Huang’s woman’s expression shifted slightly at hearing this. “What’s happened?”

Wanxiang then explained how strictly Third Madam was running things: “…Never mind ginseng — even ordinary wolfberry is impossible to get hold of now. It’s the poor young master who suffers — he’s been taking ginseng for two years, just one more breath of it and he would have recovered.”

Old Huang’s woman couldn’t help but show a look of bitterness on her face. She took Wanxiang’s hand. “Dear sister, if it weren’t for you these past years, the young master would have lost his life long ago. Please say no more!”

Wanxiang dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief: “I had hoped to see the young master through his illness… but who could have foreseen that Third Madam would appear halfway through — as long as she is running the household for a single day, this matter will be difficult for a single day…”

“This has nothing to do with you, sister…”

The two of them exchanged sorrowful commiserations for a good while.

Wanxiang rose: “I still have dishes to receive over there — I’ll come visit you again when there’s time.”

From outside, someone called to Old Huang’s woman: “Why haven’t the people for the porridge distribution arrived yet? Third Master is about to set out for the porridge stall.”

Old Huang’s woman called back loudly in acknowledgment, arranged for people to go to the porridge stall, and Wanxiang made her unhurried way back to the inner kitchen.

…

“…In those years when I was in mourning back at the family home in Henan, it was the two of them who looked after me.” Xu Lingyi spoke with considerable feeling. “In the blink of an eye, it’s been nearly ten years!”

Eleventh Miss walked slowly back with Xu Lingyi. The swirling snowflakes were all kept out beyond the covered walkway.

“How old were you at the time, my lord?”

Xu Lingyi glanced at Eleventh Miss and smiled: “Not much older than you.”

Eleventh Miss said in a teasing tone: “Were you frightened?”

Xu Lingyi was silent for a long while. “I don’t remember.”

Eleventh Miss felt that his mood had become somewhat low, and smiled to change the subject: “The snow really is coming down heavily this year!”

Xu Lingyi listened, and then stopped walking. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the snow beyond the covered walkway, his expression tinged with wistfulness.

Eleventh Miss groaned inwardly.

If he was going to stand here lost in memories, did she have to stand here too and freeze?

Just as she was weighing what to do, two bright red lanterns came toward them.

Eleventh Miss looked more carefully and saw that it was Consort Qin, leading two maidservants carrying lanterns.

“My lord, Madam.” She curtsied to them both, but her gaze rested on Xu Lingyi with a look of quiet concern. “Seeing that you both hadn’t returned, I came out to meet you part of the way.”

Eleventh Miss looked again at Xu Lingyi — he had already returned to his habitual cool composure.

“I see.” He said calmly. “Everyone go back quickly.”

Consort Qin murmured her acknowledgment and followed behind the two of them as they entered the courtyard.

Eleventh Miss smiled and parted ways with Xu Lingyi at the eastern corner gate, and returned to her room.

The maidservants in the room busied themselves helping her remove her cape and pouring hot tea.

Hupo couldn’t help but say in a low voice: “Consort Qin is rather bold… to come out so eagerly and in such haste to meet the Marquis!”

Eleventh Miss held her hot tea and thought of Xu Lingyi’s detached expression as he had stood on the covered walkway watching the snow. She gave a gentle shake of her head: “Not necessarily.”

“What?” Hupo asked, puzzled.

“Oh.” Eleventh Miss smiled. “I was saying — Consort Qin truly knows the Marquis very well.” Then she put on an air of having just remembered something. “By the way — I asked you to look into the Jinyu Lane residence. Was there any news?”

Hupo quickly replied: “They say, thanks to Wan Da’xian and Wan Er’xian climbing up onto the roof in the middle of the night to sweep off the snow, only one side room had collapsed. Everything else was fine.”

“This Wan Da’xian — he really is a capable one!” Eleventh Miss couldn’t help giving a slight nod of approval.

But Hupo was worried: “This place needs repairs, that place needs putting in order — by the time spring comes, how much money will we have spent?”

Eleventh Miss couldn’t help but laugh.

—