The carriage came to a stop beneath the ornamental gate of Zhongshan Marquis Manor. A household management matron had already gone ahead to inform the Fourth Young Mistress of the Tang family, who was in charge of receiving guests, and she came hurrying out to meet them — resplendent in a bright red ten-pattern brocade long-sleeved gown, attended by a cluster of maids and matrons. She called out her greeting from a distance. “Grand Madam, we’ve been looking out for you!”

The Grand Madam smiled. “I knew the one to greet me would be you!”

The Tang family’s Fourth Young Mistress curtsied and said with a playful pout, “You’re teasing me for talking too much!” Her gaze had already moved to the Eleventh Young Miss. “What a rare guest — I didn’t expect Fourth Madam to come as well.”

The last time they had met was at a theatrical gathering at the Xu household; the Tang Madam had brought her along then. They had been introduced before — only at that time, she had still been the Eleventh Young Miss of the Luo family; now she was the Fourth Madam of Marquis Yongping’s household.

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled and curtsied. “Fourth Young Mistress.”

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress returned the curtsy, then looked at the Eleventh Young Miss with open admiration. “So young and lovely — what hope does that leave for the rest of us weathered creatures?”

The Eleventh Young Miss only smiled.

The Grand Madam tapped the Tang Fourth Young Mistress on the forehead. “You and your ways!”

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress laughed. “Who are you, after all? I could be Sun Wukong himself — I still couldn’t flip out of your palm!”

This made the Grand Madam laugh outright.

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress came forward and guided the Grand Madam toward the covered walkway. “Our Madam has been waiting for you. She was just saying how you hadn’t arrived yet!” She turned to beckon the Eleventh Young Miss. “Our Madam’s rooms are not far from here — just a moment’s walk.”

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled and nodded, following behind them, listening to the Tang Fourth Young Mistress chatter merrily along the way. They turned two corners along the covered walkway and entered a courtyard. The Tang Fourth Young Mistress instructed a young maid, “Quick, go tell Madam — the Grand Madam and Fourth Madam of Marquis Yongping’s household have arrived!”

The young maid darted off like a flash to deliver the message.

As the Tang Fourth Young Mistress continued to escort the Grand Madam inside, she said with a smile, “Madam Zheng of the Duke of Dingguo’s household, Madam Huang of Yongchang Marquis Manor, Madam Lin of Weibei Marquis Manor, and Madam Gan of Zhongqin Earl’s household arrived well before you. Our Madam is entertaining them over tea as we speak.”

The Grand Madam nodded.

The tall and slender Tang Madam came hurrying out to receive them, wrapped in a bright red five-color gold-edged gourd-and-phoenix pattern long-sleeved gown, a retinue of maids and matrons in her wake. “Forgive me for not coming to meet you sooner, forgive me!” She dipped into a half-curtsy before the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam returned a nod of acknowledgment, then gestured toward the Eleventh Young Miss. “You’ve met before — my fourth daughter-in-law, née Luo.”

The Eleventh Young Miss curtsied.

The Tang Madam’s gaze rested briefly on the Eleventh Young Miss before she smiled. “What an unexpected pleasure — the Fourth Madam of the Xu household has come as well!”

The Eleventh Young Miss, following her principle of speaking as little as possible, smiled and stood quietly at the Grand Madam’s side.

The Tang Madam took the Grand Madam’s hand and led her inside. “All dear old friends — I asked them especially to come and sit with me in my rooms.”

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress held back the curtain herself. The Eleventh Young Miss followed the Grand Madam inside.

The room was handsomely decorated in festive style — great red curtains hung from the beams, a bright red carpet covered the floor, the black-lacquered grand chairs were draped with red five-color cloud-and-dragon pattern seat cushions and back pillows, and at the center of the room sat a large three-legged gilt cloisonné brazier. In the corner, a winter green tree stood almost as tall as a person, its foliage a fresh and vivid green.

As the Grand Madam entered, those seated in the room rose and came forward to pay their respects.

Madam Lin, Madam Gan, Madam Huang, Madam Zheng — and then the Elder Madam Lin and Third Young Mistress Huang whom she had met at the theatrical gathering at the Xu household. All familiar faces.

Only the occasion was different now.

The Grand Madam introduced the Eleventh Young Miss to the assembled guests. “This is my fourth daughter-in-law.”

The Eleventh Young Miss stepped forward and paid her respects all around.

Madam Huang had attended the official presentation, so the bond between them was naturally closer. She immediately took the Eleventh Young Miss’s hand. “Your mother-in-law is terribly relaxed about these things — you mustn’t take after her. You must make a point of visiting often.”

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled and answered respectfully, “Yes, of course.”

Madam Gan — likely because they were both second wives and also related by marriage — was also warm and kind toward her. Madam Lin and Madam Zheng only offered a polite nod.

The two young mistresses returned her greeting with evident warmth, calling out “Fourth Madam” with friendly familiarity.

A young maid came to announce: “Madam Qiao of Duke Chengguo’s household has arrived!”

Every eye in the room turned toward the Eleventh Young Miss with a faintly knowing look.

Since she had come with the Grand Madam, she would inevitably encounter all manner of situations. The Eleventh Young Miss had prepared herself for this. She stood composed and poised behind the Grand Madam, allowing them to look.

“Grand Madam!” Madam Qiao greeted her, her earlier fire from the time at the Xu household quite deflated — she seemed rather listless.

The Grand Madam nodded and smiled, then introduced the Eleventh Young Miss. “This is my fourth daughter-in-law.”

Madam Qiao managed a strained smile at the Eleventh Young Miss and exchanged a greeting with her.

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress, sensing the tension, smiled brightly and invited everyone to be seated. Then a young maid came to announce: “The wedding trousseau procession has arrived.”

The Tang Madam smiled at the Eleventh Young Miss. “You young people love a bit of excitement — you needn’t stay cooped up in here. Let Fourth Young Mistress take you out to have a look.”

The Tang Fourth Young Mistress eagerly came to invite the Eleventh Young Miss.

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled and said, “Tomorrow Tang Miss sets off for her new home — I’d go to watch the bridegroom scatter red packets then. As for today’s trousseau — I’m not sure whether I should feel sorry for Tang Madam, or happy on behalf of Tang Miss. I think I’d better not go.”

Everyone broke into laughter at this.

Madam Huang, being close to the Xu Grand Madam, had brought her Third Young Mistress Huang along — and a woman who keeps company with Madam Huang was naturally no ordinary figure. She immediately played along, drawing the Eleventh Young Miss into conversation. “Last time I saw your trousseau, there was a double-sided embroidery piece — a landscape in miniature on a standing screen. I heard you made it yourself. Is that true?”

The Eleventh Young Miss knew at once what Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress intended, and smiled. “I made it in my spare hours. It looked passable enough, so I brought it along.”

Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress exclaimed with admiration. “Truly miraculous skill. I dare say even the ladies of the palace needlework bureau couldn’t produce anything like it. It looked to me like the secret technique of the Xianlinge embroidery house. And yet I’ve heard that the Xianlinge technique is never passed on to outsiders, so I wasn’t quite certain.”

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled. “What I learned is indeed the Xianlinge technique — known for its impressionistic, understated elegance. It’s quite unlike the ladies of the palace, who favor a richness and grandeur of style. You are far too generous, Third Young Mistress.” She first deflected the excessive compliment, so no one could use it against her later, then went on to explain: “The Xianlinge technique is indeed not passed to outsiders. But the one who taught me was Master Jian — and it was she who originated this embroidery method for Xianlinge. In her younger years she suffered misfortune in love and was left without means of livelihood; it was the people of Xianlinge who looked after her. With nothing to offer in return, she gave them this embroidery technique. Since I studied under her directly, I naturally fall outside that restriction. Even so, given Xianlinge’s great kindness to Master Jian, it would not be fitting for me to pass this technique on to others.”

She thus headed off any attempt by someone to acquire the technique.

At first, no one had paid the matter particular attention — but hearing the secrets behind Xianlinge, every ear pricked up at once. Even the Grand Madam, hearing it for the first time, could not help a flash of surprise in her eyes.

“What a pity, what a pity!” Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress sighed with genuine regret. “Otherwise, we could pool together and open our own embroidery house — we’d likely put Xianlinge right out of business.”

The Eleventh Young Miss could not help but smile. “When you think on it, this method was created by Master Jian herself — yet it only came to flourish once she brought it to Xianlinge. Whatever success Xianlinge has today, it surely rests on more than a single embroidery technique.”

Elder Madam Lin had been sitting quietly to one side, taking no part in the exchange. But hearing the lively back-and-forth between Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress and the Eleventh Young Miss, she could not resist joining in. “Fourth Madam is quite right. Beyond this double-sided embroidery, Xianlinge is also renowned for its silk embroidery threads. The colors hold beautifully over time — I’ve yet to see anything finer anywhere else.”

The Eleventh Young Miss asked with a smile, “Elder Madam Lin is from the north, yes?”

Elder Madam Lin nodded, puzzled. “I am from the north!”

“Northerners tend to favor Xianlinge’s silk threads, while in our parts — the Hangzhou area — people prefer the silk threads from Caixiufang.” The Eleventh Young Miss smiled. “Their colored threads are sorted into extremely fine gradations; for white alone, there are seven varieties…”

She went on at length with relaxed authority — covering the qualities of various embroidery threads to the nuances of color application — as though she were a master of the craft in every sense. By the end, Madam Lin herself had been drawn in, and she said, “…Fourth Madam, I have a somewhat presumptuous request.” Without waiting for the Eleventh Young Miss to respond, she went straight to the point. “My Hui Jie’er is twelve this year. I’ve engaged several needlework instructors, but none have suited her. I’d like to send her to your household. You needn’t do much — just speak with her a little, let her get a sense of things. That’s all I ask.”

The turn of events was so sudden it left the Eleventh Young Miss astonished.

She could not help but glance at the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam was watching her with a serene smile, as if to say: this is your call.

A thought stirred in the Eleventh Young Miss’s mind.

She thought of Zhen Jie’er…

If she had a companion her own age, perhaps she would not feel so alone.

And if it came to it — she could always invite Master Jian to come, and the tuition fee would certainly be higher than what she received from the Luo family.

This was a gain for both sides.

The Eleventh Young Miss decided to teach Madam Lin’s Hui Jie’er. But she could not appear too eager. What comes too easily is rarely prized.

She arranged her face into a look of reluctance. “I have never taken a student before… and my skill comes from Xianlinge…”

Madam Lin heard this and grew only more pressing.

To study under a Xianlinge technique — even to learn even a fraction of it — would be something to speak of with pride in one’s husband’s family!

“Fourth Madam, why not write to Master Jian and ask? We’re not about to compete with Xianlinge for business. And if Xianlinge knew — a family like ours would not diminish them; if anything, it would be to their advantage.”

The mind of this Elder Madam Lin worked remarkably quickly.

The Eleventh Young Miss bit her lip. “Then I’ll write home and inquire.” She added with a wry smile, “It’s just my luck that Elder Madam Lin has taken an interest in my embroidery. If only she’d taken an interest in that western crabapple tree in my courtyard instead!”

Madam Huang’s Third Young Mistress pretended not to understand. “What would be the point of wanting your western crabapple?”

The Eleventh Young Miss smiled. “Then I’d have it sent straight to Elder Madam Lin’s household, and save myself all this trouble.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Elder Madam Lin countered at once: “I have a magnolia tree in my courtyard — if you don’t mind, I’ll have it sent to you tomorrow.”

Madam Huang, smiling, pointed at the Eleventh Young Miss and Elder Madam Lin and turned to the Grand Madam and Madam Lin. “See that? These two — completely incorrigible. They can’t even hold on to a tree. Only you two still treat yours like precious treasures.”

At this, all pretense of composure was abandoned — everyone dissolved into laughter.

The young maid who came in to announce dinner arrived to find the room in complete merriment. She stood at the threshold, thoroughly bewildered. “…Cook says — dinner may be served!”

—