Shiyiniang watched the servant women bustling about inside the room without saying a word, and Hupo said nothing either. Once the flower vase had been properly arranged and examined from all sides, and after the two servant women finished their work, curtsied to Shiyiniang, and withdrew, Hupo’s face finally broke into undisguised excitement.
“The First Young Master has a maid named Baodié beside him — she is the full sister of Baolan, a first-rank maid who served our eldest young mistress. Not only is she strikingly pretty, she is also exceedingly quick-witted and is the most indispensable person in the First Young Master’s quarters.” Hupo said in a low voice. “Nanny Xiang said that a few days ago, when Baolan got married, we gave the customary ten taels of silver as a wedding gift according to the household’s old practice, but the First Young Master’s side sent twenty taels. Baolan’s mother was so delighted she could not stop praising how capable her daughter Baodié had become. These past few days with all the snow, Baolan’s younger brother has been in poor health and has been eating lotus root powder. People in the same courtyard also mentioned seeing the lotus root powder — it was packed in a paper box, and faintly bore the seal of the Imperial Household Department. When prepared, it gave off a sweet, fragrant aroma, apparently identical to the lotus root powder the Grand Dowager eats. Now the whole household is whispering that the First Young Master is fourteen this year, and Baodié has come of age as well — it seems she is about to be taken as a chamber consort.”
Shiyiniang listened and understood: “So the Third Madam has heard this rumor too, but has no intention of taking Baodié as a chamber consort. She wants to replace all the maids around the First Young Master, yet fears gossip will spread, so she has simply decided to drag the Second Young Master into it as well. Both brothers change their maids at the same time.”
“That is most likely exactly what Madam has said.” Hupo said with a soft laugh. “Nanny Xiang also mentioned that when Baodié was first placed in the First Young Master’s service, it was at the eldest young mistress’s suggestion. At the time, the Third Madam already disliked Baodié for being too pretty and was not entirely pleased. But Baodié proved to be extremely diligent, sweet-tongued, and devoted in her service to the First Young Master. The Third Madam gradually came to appreciate her. She even rewarded Baodié with two gold rings, a hairpin set with a ruby, and a southern pearl flower — the finest gifts given to any of the maids in the First Young Master’s quarters.”
Shiyiniang could not help shaking her head: “One can only hope she does not end up with the same fate as Dijin!”
At those words, Hupo’s gaze darkened, and her mood grew somber.
From outside came the sound of laughter like silver bells, drawing nearer.
For reasons she could not quite explain, a voice that normally sounded perfectly pleasant now struck her as shrill. Hupo suddenly lost her composure and said with a reproachful edge: “That Binju — so careless and boisterous. You are gracious enough to overlook it, but if she were with anyone else, the nannies’ slaps would have already landed on her cheeks long ago.”
Shiyiniang smiled: “Everyone is in good spirits, and the mood in the room is cheerful. Since the Marquis is not home, and she does know her limits — it is no great matter.”
Hupo silently regretted her words and was about to add something by way of explanation, when Binju had already lifted the curtain and entered, holding a pair of shoes.
“Madam, look!”
A shoe upper of crimson kesi brocade, adorned with gold thread coins set with jade, shaped into a pair of butterflies with wings outstretched — gorgeous and dazzling to the eye.
Shiyiniang was momentarily startled.
Binju was already smiling: “Dongqing made these for you, are they not beautiful!” As she spoke, she settled onto a small stool beside Shiyiniang, ready to help her put the shoes on. “Now that Dongqing cannot go anywhere, she stays home every day doing needlework. Even we have benefited. Dongqing made me a pair of apricot-yellow socks with treasure-flower patterns — they are absolutely lovely. I am saving them to wear for the New Year.”
Her words had barely fallen when Dongqing walked in, her cheeks flushed, looking rather self-conscious: “They are not quite finished yet — the heel still needs a smaller butterfly attached!”
In the meantime, Binju had already slipped the shoes onto Shiyiniang’s feet: “Do they fit, Madam?”
Shiyiniang looked down at the shoes on her feet, then looked up at Binju’s and Dongqing’s eyes filled with eager anticipation — and her voice grew cool: “With the Grand Dowager above us, how could I wear such elaborate shoes?”
Dongqing froze: “I — I — I thought since the New Year was approaching, so I…”
Binju, seeing this, wiped the smile from her face and stood up without daring to make a sound.
For a moment, the room fell silent as still water.
A young maid announced from outside: “Madam, Nanny Tao has come!”
Hupo quickly nudged Binju: “Hurry and put those shoes away!”
Binju, hearing this, hastily pulled the shoes off Shiyiniang’s feet in a flurry. Tucking them under her arm did not feel right; stuffing them in her bosom made them bulge out; forcing them into her sleeve proved the shoes were a bit too large.
Hupo, seeing this, snatched one shoe and stuffed it into her own sleeve.
Watching them in such a panic, Shiyiniang felt that she herself had been wrong to show displeasure — whatever needed to be said could simply be said plainly. She smiled: “All right, everyone just be more mindful from now on.” Then she turned to Dongqing, who stood with her head bowed: “The rules in this household are stricter than at the Luo Mansion. It is precisely because the Grand Dowager is kind and does not press every matter that we ourselves must be all the more self-examining, self-disciplined, and rule-abiding. We must not give anyone a handle against us.”
Dongqing listened and nodded at once, promising: “Madam, I will never do this again!”
Since she had already apologized in front of so many maids of the same rank, Shiyiniang naturally had to give her some face — and after all, Dongqing was the first maid she had had when she came into this world.
Shiyiniang smiled: “Since the New Year is approaching, it is only right to have a new pair of shoes. Make me a pair with a dark cerulean ground embroidered all over with pink plum blossoms, would you?”
Dongqing immediately smiled: “Do not worry, I will have them done in three to five days!”
Shiyiniang heard this and felt a headache coming on.
Since Dongqing had come to the Xu household, the whole person had grown slack, no longer as sensitive to people and affairs as she once was.
It seemed it was time to arrange her matter with Wan Daxian sooner rather than later.
Shiyiniang nodded: “Everyone may go now.”
The three of them respectfully murmured their assent.
The young maid showed Nanny Tao in.
The three filed out, passing Nanny Tao in the doorway.
Nanny Tao looked puzzled: “What has happened here?”
Shiyiniang smiled: “They were helping me arrange the room.”
Nanny Tao raised her eyes and caught sight of the cotton rosemallow behind Shiyiniang, and smiled: “It is truly lovely. From the hothouse?”
Shiyiniang nodded, and had a young maid bring a small stool to set before the kang for Nanny Tao, then had a maid serve her hot tea.
“Judging by how radiant Nanny looks, it seems a suitable maid has been found for the Second Young Master?”
Nanny Tao’s face was full of smiles. She drew a folded slip of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Shiyiniang: “Have a look, Madam!”
Shiyiniang unfolded the slip — four names were written on it: “Wenzhu, Qinxiang, Taoliu, Lianjiao!”
“This Wenzhu is Zhuxiu’s younger sister.” Nanny Tao explained. “This Qinxiang is Meiqin’s cousin, Taoliu is Taorui’s cousin, and Lianjiao is Wenlian’s younger sister.”
Meiqin and Zhuxiu had originally been second-rank maids in Yuan Niang’s quarters; Taorui had been a third-rank maid; and Wenlian — she thought for a moment before recalling — was the young maid whom Yuan Niang had sent to fetch Nanny Tao that day in the small courtyard when Yuan Niang had blocked Qiao Lianfang and Xu Lingyi. They were all people who had once served Yuan Niang.
Their loyalty was certainly beyond question — but whether their loyalty lay with Nanny Tao or with herself remained an ambiguous matter.
She smiled and casually set the slip on the kang table. Thinking of the sharp-witted Wenlian, she asked: “How is Wenlian? I did not see her when the maids were released last time.”
Nanny Tao looked at Shiyiniang with a smile that said “you should understand”: “That child was ill-fated. She caught a chill and died in the third month of last year.”
Shiyiniang felt a chill to the core of her heart and said nothing for a long moment.
“…So when her mother came to ask me to find a post for her younger sister, I truly could not refuse.” Nanny Tao, unaware of Shiyiniang’s unsettled feelings, explained. “I have met the child myself — she looks honest and steady at first glance. Placing her in the Second Young Master’s quarters should not cause any trouble.”
Shiyiniang nodded, smiling: “Then bring them over this afternoon for me to see.”
Nanny Tao hesitated: “There is one more matter.”
Shiyiniang inclined her head to listen.
“Weizi came to find me yesterday, wanting to put in a word for her younger sister Taohua for this post.” Nanny Tao said carefully. “But I am worried that once Taohua is in the Second Young Master’s quarters, she will grow close to Qin Yiniang… What does Madam think?”
No wonder there had been a young maid repeatedly looking for Weizi that day!
“Bring her along to be seen as well.” Shiyiniang smiled. “In any case, it is ultimately for the Grand Dowager to decide.”
Nanny Tao smiled and said her assent, then moved on to another matter: “…The Third Madam wishes to change the maids for both young masters this time, and the reason behind it traces back to the First Young Master.”
This matter, Hupo had already told her about. But on the one hand, she did not want Nanny Tao to know she had another source of information; on the other hand, she also wanted to hear what Nanny Tao’s account differed from Hupo’s in, to see if there was anything she had overlooked.
“How so?” She put on an air of curiosity.
Nanny Tao smiled: “You still remember Baolan from the eldest young mistress’s quarters?”
Shiyiniang nodded.
“Her younger sister Baodié was placed in the First Young Master’s service by the eldest young mistress back then. Several years have passed, and her features have grown fully into her beauty — she is strikingly lovely. The First Young Master thinks very highly of her. Our Third Madam has grown uneasy and wants to send her away, but fears that gossip might reach the Grand Dowager’s ears. So she has used the excuse that two of the Second Young Master’s senior maids are getting on in age to engineer Baodié’s transfer out.”
The information was largely the same as what Hupo had gathered, though there were differences…
She asked tactfully: “The two sisters, Baolan and Baodié, are very close, I take it?”
Nanny Tao replied with a meaningful look: “But of course. Why else would the Third Madam be so anxious?”
Shiyiniang could not help giving an inward shake of her head.
Yuan Niang’s way of treating other people’s children was truly cut from the same cloth as the First Madam’s.
The two exchanged a few more words, and seeing that the hour was growing late, Shiyiniang dismissed Nanny Tao to go arrange for Wenzhu and the others to appear that afternoon. She then called Lvyun and Hongxiu in to help her change her clothes before heading to the Grand Dowager’s.
Hupo came hurrying in.
“Madam, I have something to tell you!”
Shiyiniang always made a point of going to the Grand Dowager’s at the precise time.
“Tell me on the way.”
Hupo nodded and followed Shiyiniang out the door.
Lvyun and Hongxiu tactfully stayed a good distance behind.
“Qiao Yiniang has been crying from the time the Marquis left this morning until now.”
Shiyiniang was genuinely surprised.
Could it be because Xu Lingyi had breakfasted in her quarters that very morning?
She thought for a moment, then asked: “Did Xiu Yuan send you to find me?”
“No.” Hupo said. “Did you not reassign Qiuyu to my service two days ago? She has been on very good terms with a young maid over in Qiao Yiniang’s side. It was that maid who mentioned it.”
“In that case, we shall simply pretend we know nothing.”
The tender business of consoling a beauty — that was best left to Xu Lingyi.
Shiyiniang smiled faintly. She told Hupo about Weizi’s younger sister wishing to serve in the Second Young Master’s quarters, then instructed her: “Get ahead of me to the Grand Dowager’s and find Weizi — tell her that I already know about her sister’s matter, and that this afternoon I will be bringing the girls to the Grand Dowager for her inspection. Get ahead of Nanny Tao and win Weizi’s goodwill first!”
“Madam, leave it to me.” Hupo said at once. Then, with a look of concern: “But if Weizi’s sister truly does go to the Second Young Master’s quarters, would Weizi not lean a little more toward Qin Yiniang…”
It was exactly what Nanny Tao had said.
Shiyiniang gave a slight nod of her chin.
Hupo was growing quickly.
“Is the Grand Dowager not still there?” Shiyiniang said with a meaningful air. “Weizi must be eighteen years old or so by now. If it were Nanny Du, then careful plotting would be needed.”
Hupo nodded repeatedly.
—