The wind and snow grew heavier and heavier, burying rooftops and treetops beneath a vast expanse of white. Only the great red lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed in the wind, casting a bright red glow over the snow-covered ground — carrying the same cheerful spirit as the laughter and merry voices drifting from within.

“…He was waving the teacher’s ruler around like a sword while reciting ‘with heroic bearing, charging into glorious battle’ — then the teacher walked in. Third Brother got such a fright that the ruler dropped right out of his hands.”

The Grand Matriarch pointed at Xu Sijian, laughing heartily. “This child, truly incorrigible.”

“Grandmother, don’t listen to Elder Brother.” Xu Sijian scrambled up onto the kang and burrowed into the Grand Matriarch’s arms. “The ruler didn’t drop — I saw the teacher coming and set it down myself. I set it down, I didn’t drop it…” He refused to let go of the distinction between “dropped” and “set down.”

The three brothers had come to pay their respects to the Grand Matriarch and the senior members of the household. Only Eleventh Young Mistress was there attending to them. Without the usual formality, they teased one another and joked around to make the Grand Matriarch happy. Seeing the lively atmosphere, the Grand Matriarch naturally let them carry on. And Zhun Ge’er, finding his usual place at her side now occupied by Xu Sijian, pouted and threw himself against the Grand Matriarch’s back, nuzzling his little face against her neck in a show of playful affection.

Xu Siyu, sitting properly at the edge of the kang, gave only a faint smile at the sight. Xu Siqin reached over to pull his younger brother Xu Sijian: “How old are you now, still crawling into Grandmother’s arms? Be careful, you’ll tire her out!”

The Grand Matriarch held Xu Sijian close. “Never mind, never mind. Grandmother loves it!”

Xu Sijian, having grown a little more sensible, knew when to stop. After nestling in the Grand Matriarch’s arms for a while, he grinned and settled down beside her, then turned to Zhen Jie’er: “Sister, what did you do today?”

Zhun Ge snatched the answer before Zhen Jie’er could speak: “We jumped rope today!”

“Why are you always playing girls’ games?” Xu Sijian pinched Zhun Ge’er’s little cheek. “Come with me one day — we’ll go riding real horses.”

Zhun Ge’s ink-dark eyes filled with delight. “Really? Is Third Brother really going to take me horse riding?”

Xu Siqin burst out laughing and tousled Zhun Ge’s hair. “He himself only rides a stick between his legs as a horse…”

“Elder Brother!” Xu Sijian, mortified and furious, glared at Xu Siqin.

Xu Siqin quickly stifled his laughter. “All right, all right, all right. I won’t say another word.”

The Grand Matriarch chuckled and asked Weizi: “Why haven’t Third Master and Third Mistress arrived at this hour?”

It was already the beginning of the you hour. At this time on an ordinary day, everyone would have gathered.

Weizi quickly smiled and said, “Someone has already been sent to urge them along!” Then she added, “Let me go and check again!”

Zhun Ge, meanwhile, trailed after Xu Sijian: “Third Brother, when are we going riding?”

Zhen Jie’er pressed her lips together, smiling quietly.

Xu Sijian’s face turned red as silk, and he muttered vaguely, “I’ll come and fetch you when the time comes!”

Eleventh Young Mistress stood to one side, watching the children with a smile, yet her thoughts had drifted to the matter of the porridge stall.

She wondered whether Xu Lingyi had reached Fucheng Gate by now. With snow this heavy, she wondered how the disaster victims were faring. Since the people below already knew about the switch to mouldy rice, she hoped the news hadn’t spread too far. It would be best if this matter could be resolved quickly and quietly, without alarming others — at least to preserve appearances. As for the rest, those were internal affairs of the Xu household; behind closed doors, everything could be managed.

While she was lost in thought, she saw Weizi come in with a cheerful smile, accompanying Third Mistress.

Eleventh Young Mistress was momentarily startled.

On any ordinary day, Third Master and Third Mistress always arrived together.

The Grand Matriarch was also surprised. “Where is Old Third? Why didn’t he come with you?”

Third Mistress stepped forward with a smile and bowed to the Grand Matriarch. “These past few days, Third Master has been worried that something might go wrong at the porridge stall, so he has kept watch at Fucheng Gate. With the snow so heavy today, he’s likely been delayed on the way back. I’ve already sent someone to check on him.” She added, “Please don’t worry — seeing that the weather looked poor, I specifically had Third Master travel in a sedan chair today.”

The Grand Matriarch nodded. “That’s good.”

Eleventh Young Mistress stepped forward with a smile and exchanged greetings with Third Mistress. The children all came forward one after another to pay their respects to Third Mistress. When Xu Sijian saw his mother, he chattered away about happenings at the schoolroom, and the atmosphere was warm and tender.

Then a manservant came in to report: “Third Master says the Grand Matriarch and the mistresses should go ahead and eat — there is no need to wait. He has encountered the Marquis, and the two brothers are doing their rounds together.”

What a coincidence?

Eleventh Young Mistress was momentarily dazed.

The Grand Matriarch laughed when she heard this. “In that case, we will not wait!”

The maidservants and matrons, receiving the cue, began busily arranging chopsticks and setting out bowls.

Third Mistress helped the Grand Matriarch to the seat of honour.

“Who knows when this snow will stop!” The Grand Matriarch looked worried. “I wonder if it will affect next year’s farming?”

“Heavy snow foretells a good harvest,” Third Mistress said with a smile. “I should think it won’t!” As she spoke, she wrapped the chopsticks in her handkerchief and presented them to the Grand Matriarch.

The Grand Matriarch took the chopsticks. “Tonight we’re having hotpot — never mind whether you’re young or old, let’s all sit together around it.”

When one grows old, one longs for a lively table. Everyone knew this, and moreover, without the Xu brothers present, they all laughed and sat together around the Grand Matriarch.

A fine lamb hotpot — besides chicken, duck, fish, and meat, there was also a dish of golden-yellow bean sprouts, a dish of glistening, vibrant red radishes, a dish of lush green baby cabbage, and a dish of crisp cucumber slices.

In weather like this, having such dishes on the table required no small effort.

The children were all delighted at the sight — even Xu Siyu, who always seemed a little too composed for his age, broke into a smile.

The Grand Matriarch looked at Third Mistress, and a look of satisfaction spread across her face. “You’ve gone to such trouble.”

Third Mistress smiled with an air of effortless ease, though a flicker of quiet pride crossed the depths of her eyes. “It is nothing more than seeing to your meals and clothing — such a small matter is well within my means.” As she spoke, she cast a glance at Eleventh Young Mistress.

Eleventh Young Mistress met her gaze with a faint smile, privately unmoved.

She understood what Third Mistress was doing — striving to do everything as perfectly as possible, so that even when Eleventh Young Mistress one day took over the household, there would be a comparison between predecessor and successor. If Eleventh Young Mistress managed well, that was only as expected; if she managed poorly, it would reflect a lack of ability. Even Nanny Tao had specifically brought this up with her. She had said that in the months Third Mistress had been running the household, she had reduced the staff considerably, and spending was somewhat lower than when First Mistress had been in charge. At first, several of the managing matrons had only gone along with things out of deference to the Grand Matriarch, but now they were all singing the praises of Third Mistress’s cleverness and virtue — and some had even remarked that “Third Mistress’s only misfortune is that she was not born of the principal wife.”

Eleventh Young Mistress was not particularly troubled by this.

All this talk of reducing staff and cutting expenses amounted to what one might call doing away with the old and ushering in the new. And wherever there is change, there are those who are displeased — much like Wang Anshi’s reforms. Even when everyone acknowledged that something was beneficial, the moment it encroached upon their own interests, it was doubtful whether that word “beneficial” would be spoken quite so readily.

The Grand Matriarch was directing the young maidservants to serve the children their food and had not noticed what had passed between the two women. She only asked, “Has it been sent over to Danyang’s place?”

Third Mistress immediately replied with a smile, “The water radishes and small cucumbers are cold in nature — I was afraid they might upset her stomach, so I only sent a small portion of each.”

The Grand Matriarch nodded with satisfaction once again.

Xu Siyu, Zhun Ge’er, and Zhen Jie’er were all in mourning and so sat apart to eat their dishes separately.

After the meal, the Grand Matriarch personally walked Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu to the doorway, repeatedly instructing the maidservants: “Be careful — mind no one slips!”

Not one of the maidservants dared be careless; they all answered “yes” with a degree of nervous apprehension. Xu Siqin, however, laughed and said, “Grandmother, don’t worry — we’re big enough now, even if we did fall into the snow it wouldn’t matter.”

“What nonsense are you talking?” Third Mistress immediately scolded from beside him. “If you were to knock into something, it would be no laughing matter!”

Xu Siqin seemed to dread his mother’s nagging, and tugged Xu Siyu as they hurried away. “Grandmother, we’re off. We’ll come again first thing tomorrow morning to pay our respects!”

“That boy…” Third Mistress stamped her foot in exasperation.

“Half-grown boys are all like this!” The Grand Matriarch watched the two brothers grow smaller and smaller in the company of the red lanterns, and smiled. “Old Fourth used to run as far from my scolding as he could too. I think Qin Ge’er takes after Old Fourth, not Old Third!”

Eleventh Young Mistress’s heart stirred. She raised her head and observed Third Mistress — and indeed, delight flashed unmistakably in her eyes.

“Taking after the Marquis is wonderful!” Her face bloomed into a radiant smile. “Taking after the Marquis, who is accomplished in both letters and arms — there will always be a full rice bowl!”

The Grand Matriarch laughed warmly, and was helped back inside by the maidservants.

Third Mistress leaned close to the Grand Matriarch and said quietly, “There is something I would like to discuss with you.” As she said this, she glanced at Eleventh Young Mistress.

Eleventh Young Mistress understood the hint at once, and said with a smile, “Mother, I will go and brew you a cup of tea.” With that, she and Weizi stepped aside into the adjoining side room.

Weizi would never actually allow Eleventh Young Mistress to brew tea herself. She had Eleventh Young Mistress sit down in a grand armchair to the side, and the young maidservants hurried to bring a brazier over. Weizi first brewed a cup of tea for Eleventh Young Mistress, then began preparing the Grand Matriarch’s tea.

Just then, a young maidservant hovered at the doorway of the side room, peering in and out.

Weizi noticed this and her brow furrowed slightly, but she carried on with her tea-brewing as though nothing were amiss.

Even maidservants had their own circles of acquaintance.

Eleventh Young Mistress pretended not to have noticed, took her teacup, and went into the Grand Matriarch’s room.

All those attending had withdrawn. Third Mistress appeared to have already finished what she had to say, and was using a small beauty-hammer to massage the Grand Matriarch’s legs.

Seeing Eleventh Young Mistress enter, the Grand Matriarch said, “Discuss this matter with Eleventh Young Mistress — after all, she is the child’s mother.”

Eleventh Young Mistress was startled.

Third Mistress’s smile had already grown a touch strained. She said, “It is like this. I’ve noticed that the maidservants in Qin Ge’s and Yu Ge’s quarters are all getting on in years — I worry they might give rise to impropriety, so I thought it best to release them sooner rather than later…”

Whatever is she playing at now?

Eleventh Young Mistress brought the tea to the Grand Matriarch and said with a smile, “Yu Ge ordinarily lives in the outer courtyard with Qin Ge — I’ve paid somewhat less attention to his affairs and never thought about this matter. How thoughtful of Third Sister-in-law to have noticed.” She first made clear where her own responsibility lay, then added, “Since Third Sister-in-law feels there is a need, it must be an important matter — our Yu Ge will simply follow Qin Ge’s lead.” She then shifted the burden of initiating the change onto Third Mistress’s own son, Xu Siqin.

With that, she looked toward the Grand Matriarch and said, “Now that this has been decided, shall I begin tomorrow helping to select a few well-behaved maidservants for Yu Ge?” Whatever Third Mistress’s intentions might be, she could not allow the maidservants and matrons around him to lead Yu Ge astray — after all, he was Xu Lingyi’s son, the eldest son of the fourth household, and must be a good example to his brothers. “They can be sent to you first for training, then placed in Yu Ge’s service when ready.” By putting the Grand Matriarch in charge of selecting maidservants for Yu Ge, even if there were any unforeseen angles Third Mistress might exploit, Eleventh Young Mistress’s own accountability would be greatly reduced.

Third Mistress’s expression shifted between light and shadow as she listened.

The Grand Matriarch, however, nodded approvingly. “Since Eleventh Young Mistress agrees, then that is settled. Let us have this arranged before the new year.”

Both women replied respectfully, “Yes.”

—