Hupo felt her head throb. She simply said, “Dongqing, this is your own matter — you need to make up your own mind. I’ll follow your lead. Whatever you tell me to say to Madam, that’s what I’ll say.”

*If I knew what to do myself, would I have been dragging this out for so long…*

Hupo’s words sounded pleasant, but in truth amounted to nothing. After all, she had come over from the First Madam’s household — her bond with Dongqing was different from Binju’s, which had been forged through hardship shared side by side.

Thinking of this, Dongqing’s feelings cooled somewhat. She said, “Let me think it over a little more — I’ll go report to Madam tomorrow. Does that seem alright?”

These past few days, the Marquis had been resting in Madam’s chambers, so the maids hadn’t been called for night duty. Anyone would know how to ride a wave of good fortune like that.

“Of course!” Hupo said with a smile. “I’ll follow whatever Dongqing says.”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, then Hupo rose and returned to her own room.

Dongqing thought it over, then went to find Binju and told her the whole matter.

Binju listened, then scolded her: “You’re picking bones out of an egg. In this household, aside from the few masters who can walk through the inner courtyard with their heads held high, even Chief Steward Bai has to tread carefully and read Madam’s expression when he encounters her. I think Wan Daxian is quite good — and Madam has arranged for him to work in the accounts room, so there’ll be plenty of uses for him in the future. Once you’ve married him, you can help Madam on one hand, and the Wan family, seeing that you move freely in Madam’s presence, won’t dare look down on you. And you’d be the eldest daughter-in-law to the eldest son, at that. What exactly is there to be dissatisfied about?” Her tone carried no small measure of contempt for Dongqing’s attitude.

Dongqing felt as though her heart was full of thoughts with nowhere to put them. She sat in Binju’s room for a while, then returned to her own quarters in low spirits.

She ran into Zhuxiang coming the other way.

Zhuxiang was busy every day with the courtyard’s three meals, laundry and starching — out early and back late — so they rarely crossed paths.

“Done for the day,” Dongqing smiled and greeted her.

Zhuxiang curtsied to her: “Dongqing, it’s so late — why haven’t you turned in yet?”

Dongqing was deeply troubled, and her smile was somewhat forced — in the sweep of the night wind, she looked a little forlorn.

Zhuxiang saw it plainly. Remembering how Dongqing had looked after her before, she smiled and said, “The kitchen made pea cake tonight as a late-night snack for the Grand Madam — they wrapped a few pieces for me. Would you like some?”

Dongqing thought of the long night ahead, knowing she’d only be doing needlework alone in her room anyway. She smiled and accepted, and went with Zhuxiang to her quarters.

Zhuxiang also lived alone, though a few junior maids were housed next door. She knocked and instructed one of them to fetch a pot of hot water. Then Dongqing sat on the kang as Zhuxiang unwrapped the oiled paper parcel of pea cake and transferred the pieces onto a blue-and-white porcelain dish. She turned and rummaged out a packet of Da Hong Pao tea: “…This was given to me by Nanny Du at the Winter Solstice. Try some, Dongqing.”

Dongqing observed her — young as she was, Zhuxiang was steady and composed, and prompt about carrying out instructions. She clearly moved in wide circles and carried herself with the manner of a senior maid of standing. Unlike Dongqing herself, who had run afoul of the Fifth Madam’s sensitivities and could only spend her days shut up in her room doing needlework. Dongqing couldn’t help but feel a pang of distraction.

Zhuxiang, seeing how preoccupied she looked, knew she was too young and hadn’t come into service alongside Dongqing, so Dongqing wouldn’t confide her innermost thoughts to her. She said nothing, and as usual, changed her clothes behind the screen, simply waiting for the hot water to arrive so she could brew tea and exchange a few words.

But by the time she had changed, the hot water still hadn’t come — and she noticed that Dongqing was sitting there with a slightly vacant look. Not wanting to ask anything too bluntly, she smiled and said, “Why hasn’t that hot water arrived yet? Let me go check!” With that, she slipped out the door and called another junior maid to go hurry it along. She had barely sat back down when there was a knock at the door.

In came Lvyun, carrying a kettle of hot water: “I heard you had a guest… Madam didn’t finish this, so I brought it over on my way.”

Zhuxiang quickly rose to offer her a seat and invite her to join them for tea.

Lvyun and Hongxiu were quite different from Zhuxiang — the two of them had originally served Yuan Niang, and were exceedingly careful in the presence of the Eleventh Young Madam, not daring to put a foot wrong. In front of Dongqing, Zhuxiang, and the others, they were also quite flattering, often making shoes and socks for them as gifts. But Dongqing’s needlework was already excellent, and she had ample free time besides — they hadn’t been able to curry much favor with her. Binju, on the other hand, accepted whatever she was given, dismissed them with a single “thank you for your trouble,” and thought nothing more of it. Hupo received their gifts, but punished them for any mistakes all the same. Only Zhuxiang would greet them with a sweet smile and sometimes return the courtesy — they were all rather fond of her. Seeing that Zhuxiang was keeping her for tea, Lvyun eagerly went to brew a pot.

“The Marquis has retired for the night in Madam’s chambers,” Dongqing remarked offhandedly, seeing how leisurely Lvyun appeared.

Lvyun brought over three cups of tea on a small red-lacquer tray gilded with begonia blossoms. “No, he hasn’t. He went to Qiao Yiniang’s.”

Dongqing was startled. “Why did he go to Qiao Yiniang’s?”

Zhuxiang went to help arrange the teacups, shifting to make room for Lvyun to climb onto the kang.

“It’s Qiao Yiniang’s assigned night.” Lvyun climbed up without a second thought, unbothered.

“But the past few days, the Marquis has been resting in Madam’s chambers…”

“Who can fathom the Marquis’s mind.” Lvyun laughed. “He came back from dinner just fine, then saw the newly changed bed curtains and his face darkened — then he got up and went to Qiao Yiniang’s quarters. I could see that Madam seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then she went to the east wing — the First Young Miss is setting off for the Western Hills tomorrow to spend the New Year with the Second Madam.”

Zhuxiang pointed to the plate of pea cake. “Try some. How does it taste?”

Lvyun immediately picked one up. “Delicious… If only it were a little sweeter!”

Zhuxiang nudged the plate toward Dongqing with a smile. “It was made for the Grand Madam.”

Dongqing picked one up distractedly and said, “But what does any of this have to do with the newly changed bed curtains?”

Lvyun quickly swallowed the pea cake in her mouth. “That’s exactly why you can’t make sense of the Marquis’s mind! As it happens, those curtains were changed on the Marquis’s own orders — in the afternoon he saw them and even said Madam had changed them at just the right time. But that evening, he looked at those curtains as if they’d reminded him of something unpleasant…” She added, “Well, the Marquis has always been moody. Back before, he had a perfectly fine room to sleep in but would spend every day at Banyue Pond. At least now he sleeps indoors every night.”

Zhuxiang, amused by her telling, smiled and said, “Surely Banyue Pond isn’t outdoors?”

“Banyue Pond truly isn’t like a proper room.” Lvyun sipped her tea, feeling warmth spread through her entire body. “When I was a junior maid, I was once sent to Banyue Pond to deliver a message to the Marquis… It’s three thatched-roof cottages, surrounded by water on all sides. There’s only a red-lacquered plank bridge leading in.”

“You’re not mistaken?” Lvyun laughed. “The walls outside are plastered with yellow mud, the roof is covered in thatch, and there’s a well with a windlass too. Just like a rural thatched cottage.” She laughed again. “I was puzzled at the time — why would the Marquis live in such a place? I even asked Baolan, the senior maid back then, but she said she had no idea either…”

Zhuxiang, seeing the topic drifting further and further off course, smiled and said, “This is the Marquis’s estate — he lives wherever he pleases. Those of us who are maids just need to serve well.” Then she steered the conversation elsewhere. “Lvyun, what do you think of this tea? To me it seems both fragrant and mellow.”

“This is from Nanny Du, isn’t it?” Lvyun nodded. “Nanny Du loves Da Hong Pao the most — the Grand Madam gives her two catties every year.”

The two of them chatted idly, drifting away from the topic of the Eleventh Young Madam’s rooms.

After tea and a couple of cakes, Lvyun noticed that Dongqing hadn’t said a word the whole time, and felt she had been intrusive — Dongqing must have come to find Zhuxiang at this hour because she had something to discuss. Zhuxiang had casually invited her to stay for tea, and she, without giving it a second thought, had simply sat right down.

She said a few more words, then rose to take her leave: “I’m on duty first thing tomorrow morning.”

Zhuxiang could not well press her to stay. She saw her to the door, then returned to sit with Dongqing and said with a smile, “Lvyun is the livelier sort. Hongxiu is more reserved. But both have very gentle natures.”

Dongqing nodded perfunctorily. She wanted to go back to her own room, yet she didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts. After a moment’s deliberation, she finally told Zhuxiang about Madam acting as matchmaker for her.

Zhuxiang listened and looked at her with some surprise: “Dongqing, I’ll say what I think. Please don’t take it the wrong way if it’s not what you were hoping to hear.”

Hearing Zhuxiang’s candor, Dongqing felt her spirit lift. She looked at her with hopeful eyes: “You’re like a little sister to me — how could I possibly be upset with you?”

Zhuxiang still chose her words carefully before speaking: “I’ve also heard it said: a woman who marries a husband, marries someone to keep her clothed and fed. Dongqing wants to marry someone who can keep her clothed and fed. I think Wan Daxian seems quite good.”

The very same thing Binju had said!

Dongqing stared at Zhuxiang in surprise, unable to hide her disappointment.

“Think carefully, Dongqing.” Zhuxiang’s tone held a note of gentle coaxing. “Take me for example. At home, my stepmother watched me with cold eyes every day. I always felt that whatever I did was wrong. The more I thought that way, the more afraid of making mistakes I became, the more I shrank back — and then I made more mistakes. My stepmother would frown at me, and the more frightened I got. Then I came to the household and became a junior maid. I discovered that as long as I put my heart into my work, I did it faster and better than those around me. Later, when I moved into Madam’s rooms, Dongqing, you were always telling me what should be done and what shouldn’t — and you even made me clothes, and taught me to sew shoes and socks. I went home dressed neatly and cleanly; the shoes I made fit Father’s feet just right. He was pleased to see me more and more often. My courage gradually grew. I dared to make decisions on my own. Then later, when I followed Madam here to the household after her marriage, she put me in charge of all the affairs of this quarter. I was careful and cautious and didn’t make any great mistakes. I can walk with my head up now. I can speak in a full voice — a person speaks and acts according to where they stand in life. Wan Daxian is only a junior attendant in the accounts room right now. But he’s clever and eager to learn — the day he rises to be a steward, things will naturally be different. Every senior maid, every nanny, every steward in this household who commands respect — haven’t they all walked this path, step by step?”

Dongqing lowered her head in thought.

Seeing this, Zhuxiang left her to it and quietly refilled her teacup, then called a junior maid to bring hot water for a bath.

The junior maid’s face fell with a look of difficulty.

“What is it?” Zhuxiang was never the sort to be harsh with people.

The junior maid murmured: “Earlier, when you asked for hot water, we went to the small kitchen, but Xiu Yuan was standing guard there… She said the Marquis was resting in Qiao Yiniang’s room and might need hot water at any time, so she told us to wait.”

The Eleventh Young Madam had her own kitchen, but the small kitchen in the east courtyard was shared by the several Yiniangs and the maids and nannies of the courtyard. Zhuxiang smiled and said: “Go have a look. If there’s any, bring some. If not, come back and tell me.”

The junior maid went off with a murmur of assent.

Inside, Dongqing had overheard. Her brow creased: “That Xiu Yuan is far too arrogant.”

Zhuxiang was unbothered: “Her heart isn’t really in the hot water — she’s scheming to give people gossip to take to Madam’s ears. The more worked up we get, the more pleased they are; the less we care, the more pointless it becomes for them.”

“Still, it’s an unpleasant sight.” Dongqing felt Zhuxiang had a point.

Zhuxiang smiled: “The more you do, the more mistakes you make. I’m only afraid she won’t do enough.”

Dongqing didn’t quite understand and let puzzlement show on her face, wanting to ask Zhuxiang to elaborate. But Zhuxiang had already changed the subject: “Dongqing, if you don’t want to accept this match with Wan Daxian — do you have any better prospect in mind?”

—