Eleventh Miss had always envied Second Madam her quiet New Year’s celebration in the peaceful solitude of West Mountain. Hearing Xu Lingyi speak, she of course would not press further, and personally accompanied Second Madam to the ornamental gate to board her carriage.

Along the way, Second Madam said: “Fourth Sister-in-law, there is actually something I wished to speak with you about privately.”

So that was why she had suddenly come to say farewell in person.

Eleventh Miss understood at once. Thinking that she had gone to this trouble specifically to have a private word, Second Madam was unlikely to leave without seeing it through. She smiled and said: “Whatever Second Sister-in-law wishes to say, please speak directly.”

“It is nothing so formal.” Second Madam smiled faintly. “There is no need to be so polite.”

Eleventh Miss saw that her manner was distant and cool, and offered her a smile in return.

“In proposing that the Marquis acknowledge the child, you must have been displeased inside.” Second Madam stopped walking, her dark eyes resting on Eleventh Miss with an unwavering stillness — calm and distant.

“Not at all!” Eleventh Miss smiled. “I felt Second Sister-in-law made a great deal of sense. Better to acknowledge the child than to give people something to make a story out of. It is certainly preferable to having even worse things said.”

“I am glad you see it that way.” Second Madam heard this and paused slightly, then smiled and nodded. She began walking again, continuing to speak quietly beside her: “After all, if the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Only when this household flourishes can our own lives be good…”

And so she gave Eleventh Miss a lesson in what one might call “the spirit of a household standing as one.”

Eleventh Miss knew that everyone considered her young and uninformed. So whenever something arose, they always treated her like a child. Sometimes this came from genuine goodwill; sometimes it was gloating. Second Madam’s tone was detached, but carried no ill intent, and so Eleventh Miss simply walked and listened and nodded along the whole way, accompanying Second Madam all the way to the ornamental gate.

The carriage was already waiting there. A serving woman had set out the mounting stool. But Second Madam did not board at once. Instead she turned to Eleventh Miss and said: “…As for the matter of that child in the future — you may rest assured. Since it was I who proposed this, I will not put you in a difficult position, nor will I ask a single coin from the Marquis. I will see to it myself.”

Eleventh Miss was stunned.

Second Madam was already smiling, inclining her head as she boarded the carriage.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Eleventh Miss could not help but smile.

This Second Madam was really quite something.

And Xu Lingyi, seeing her return with a smiling lightness in her eyes — recalling how it was always that Madam Yuan and Second Sister-in-law had parted on unhappy terms — could not help but wonder: “What is it? You look quite pleased.”

Eleventh Miss relayed Second Madam’s words to him: “…Since she was the one who put forward the idea of raising the child in our quarters, she likely felt somewhat uneasy about it.”

Xu Lingyi frowned: “This is not a matter of any one branch of the household.” He also reminded Eleventh Miss: “Second Sister-in-law does have a few profitable enterprises and is not short of money, but she is a widowed sister-in-law after all — this silver we cannot accept.”

“I know.” Eleventh Miss nodded repeatedly. “If it were to get out, people would think we were taking a widowed sister-in-law’s property. We could never wash ourselves clean of that, even if we threw ourselves into the Yellow River.”

Xu Lingyi, seeing that she understood matters well, could not help patting her head and said: “I will add fifty taels of silver to your monthly allowance going forward.” He paused, then added: “Drawn from the outer household funds.”

Eleventh Miss was taken aback.

Was Xu Lingyi going to use his own personal funds to supplement her allowance?

Because Fengqing would be raised in her quarters?

She hesitated for a moment. But Xu Lingyi had already said: “The hour grows late. After Bowstring Alley, we still need to call on Red Lamp Lane.”

Eleventh Miss replied in obedience, and wrapped her cloak around herself as she accompanied Xu Lingyi to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

Hearing that the two were going to speak with the Luo First Master, the Grand Madam let out a long sigh, patted Eleventh Miss’s hand, and said nothing.

When they arrived at Bowstring Alley, things turned out quite beyond what Eleventh Miss had expected.

It seemed the Luo family had already heard the rumors. As for the matter of Xu Lingyi formally acknowledging a child born outside of wedlock and bringing him into the family registry, First Master not only had no objections — he actually counseled Eleventh Miss to “honor and defer to her husband, follow and comply with his wishes,” and not let this matter cause any rift between her and her husband. He also exhorted her to treat the son by the concubine with kindness, to be a virtuous and dutiful woman, and thus honor the teaching her mother had given her.

Eleventh Miss listened with cold sweat forming quietly on her back, wondering inwardly whether First Master had perhaps a particularly sympathetic understanding of such situations…

Luo Zhensheng, seeing his father’s speech growing longer and longer, caught Eleventh Miss’s eye: “Have you not yet gone to pay your respects to Mother?”

Eleventh Miss used this as her cue to excuse herself and withdraw, leaving Xu Lingyi in the study to speak with First Master and Luo Zhensheng.

First Madam’s wife was waiting for her beneath the eaves.

The moment she saw Eleventh Miss come out, she hurried over and asked in a low voice: “Under whose name is the child to be raised?”

Though she knew Xu Lingyi had once given his word, she had still been very worried.

“Under Tong Yiniang’s name.”

First Brother’s wife let out a long breath of relief: “That is well. That is well.” Then she added: “Mother still does not know about this. Mind you don’t let it slip.”

Eleventh Miss nodded. But as she looked up, she saw Fourth Sister-in-law walking toward them.

Her jet-black hair was coiled into a round bun, adorned with only a single gilt ruyi hairpin. She wore a pale green damask padded jacket and a blue-green woven skirt, her eyes bright and clear, full of spirit.

Eleventh Miss quickly stepped forward to greet her with a bow.

Fourth Sister-in-law returned the bow with a smile, and without asking why Eleventh Miss had come back, simply invited her to go and sit in her room in the rear wing: “…The cold is bitter — inside is much warmer.”

Eleventh Miss thanked her: “I have not yet gone to pay my respects to Mother.”

Fourth Sister-in-law helped her and First Brother’s wife lift the curtain, and accompanied them to First Madam’s room.

First Madam’s condition had shown no improvement. Seeing Eleventh Miss, she gave a start of alarm, her face filled with anxious worry as she looked toward Nanny Xu, who was attending at her side. Eleventh Miss knew she must be wondering why she had returned so suddenly. Before Nanny Xu could speak, she said: “The Marquis is a little better today, so I came specially to see Father.”

First Brother’s wife also added a word in support: “You are unwell — the Marquis did not think it right to come and see you himself. Father kept him in the study to talk.”

First Madam gave a nod.

Eleventh Miss asked after First Madam’s health and exchanged a few words with her. Then First Madam had an accident with the bed linens, and Nanny Xu and Fourth Sister-in-law attended to wiping her down and changing her clothing, while First Brother’s wife accompanied Eleventh Miss to her own room.

The moment they were outside, she said immediately: “Fifth Yiniang has been a little unwell these past couple of days — would you like to go see her?”

Eleventh Miss was startled: “Thank you, Elder Sister-in-law. Please do take me.”

First Brother’s wife smiled and led her to the east wing where Fifth Yiniang lived.

As it was winter, all the windows of the side wing were shut. With its old-fashioned latticed window frames, the room inside was very dark in the daytime. The deep blue gauze curtains hung half-lowered, and in the dim light everything was shadowy and indistinct.

“Fifth Yiniang — Eleventh Young Madam has come to see you!”

At First Brother’s wife’s words, a face emerged from behind the curtains — a face with a look caught between irritation and pleasure.

“Elev— Eleventh Young Madam.” Fifth Yiniang stumbled over the words. Seeing Eleventh Miss, she did not look pleased — rather, her face flushed a deep red, as though Eleventh Miss’s arrival had disturbed her in some way.

Eleventh Miss found this odd and looked at First Brother’s wife with a questioning glance.

First Brother’s wife was equally puzzled and gave a slight shake of her head, saying quietly: “It is the affairs of Father’s room — I am not in a position to ask too much.” Then, smiling toward Fifth Yiniang, she said: “We heard you were unwell, so Eleventh Young Madam has come specially to see you.”

Fifth Yiniang had already slipped on her shoes and gotten out of bed. Hearing this, her head shook like a rattle: “I am not ill, I am not ill. Eleventh Young Madam need not have troubled herself to come.” There was even a trace of agitation in her expression.

Could it be that First Madam had said something, causing Fifth Yiniang to be frightened?

Looking further, she also noticed a certain despondency in Fifth Yiniang’s manner. Though she wore a brand-new white silk padded jacket, the peach-pink brocade short coat hanging on the clothes rack was an old garment from several years past, and there was not a single maidservant in attendance. Asking her what was the matter, she could not say anything definite. A degree of certainty settled in Eleventh Miss’s heart.

Since First Brother’s wife was present and Fifth Yiniang was in such a flustered and uneasy state, it was not convenient for Eleventh Miss to ask anything. She sat for a short while and then rose to take her leave, following First Brother’s wife back to her quarters.

The two of them sat facing one another on the large heated bed by the window. A junior maidservant brought tea. First Brother’s wife reassured Eleventh Miss: “Do not worry. I will keep a close eye on things for you. If anything comes up, I will send word.”

“Thank you, Elder Sister-in-law!” Eleventh Miss smiled and took a sip of tea. “After all, it is a matter of Father’s household, and it would not be right for Elder Sister-in-law to interfere too directly. I only ask that you keep an eye on the Yiniang — she has no one to attend to her, so I must trouble you to look in on her a little more.”

First Brother’s wife’s face reddened with a hint of awkwardness. She replied somewhat evasively and shifted the topic: “I went to see Tenth Miss the other day.” She sighed. “That child ultimately didn’t hold on.”

Eleventh Miss turned it over in her mind before it came back to her — on her previous visit home, it had been mentioned that Jinmei, the maid beside Tenth Miss, had become pregnant.

“What happened — did Wang Lang come and make a scene?”

“No.” First Brother’s wife said. “They say she was lying on the estate recovering with nothing to do, and went to help the estate women fetch a couple of eggs, and then the child was gone.”

“Perhaps the Wang family simply wasn’t meant to have this blessing.” Eleventh Miss had no fondness for Wang Lang, and by extension had little interest in hearing about his affairs. She asked about Twelfth Miss: “Why haven’t I seen her?”

“Sixth Yiniang keeps her shut up in her room every day — she can’t leave until she has written two full pages of characters.”

Eleventh Miss thought of Fifth Miss, then of Fifth Miss’s request that she help track down Fan Weigang: “…She hasn’t been back these days?”

“Still with child — it would be inconvenient. She hasn’t come back.”

First Brother’s wife replied, then turned to speaking of Seventh Miss: “…She sent over so many things all at once. I wore out my wits thinking of what to return in kind. If this goes on year after year, it will truly be exhausting.”

“This is her first year after marrying out — of course she would put great care into what she sends.” Eleventh Miss replied to First Brother’s wife while her thoughts turned to Fifth Miss.

It seemed she had not come back to say anything about the matter to the family.

She herself had declined, though in a roundabout way — Fifth Miss would likely not give up so quickly…

The two women chatted idly, and then someone came over from the study: “The Marquis is ready to leave!”

First Brother’s wife accompanied Eleventh Miss to bid farewell to First Madam, then saw her to the ornamental gate.

Husband and wife set off together for Red Lamp Lane and the residence of Marquis Dingnan of the Sun family.

The Sun family’s compound was somewhat smaller than the Xu household, but built to the specifications befitting a marquis — the main gate, walls, courtyards, and halls all followed much the same pattern.

The old Marquis had gained his daughter Danyang County Princess only when he was already past forty. In his younger days, he had served under the late Emperor in suppressing the Songzhou rebellion. Though he was of the same generation as the Grand Madam, he stood at the very head of the nobility in both age and seniority, and Xu Lingyi held him in the deepest respect. Without any attempt at avoidance, he brought Eleventh Miss with him to meet the old Marquis directly.

The old Marquis was not tall, but was powerfully built, with a head of white hair. In his large hands — broad as a fan — he twirled three jade balls the size of an infant’s fist, clattering as they rolled.

He studied Eleventh Miss carefully: “So this is your little wife.”

His gaze was warm and his smile open and easy — the sort of man who gave one the feeling he would be pleasant to deal with.

Xu Lingyi replied with respectful deference: “Yes.”

He broke into a grin: “Slender as a spring onion.”

Eleventh Miss could not help feeling faintly abashed.

Was he saying she was too thin, or too young…

Xu Lingyi simply smiled at that.

The old Marquis called a maid to take Eleventh Miss to meet his wife, and went with Xu Lingyi to the study.

Xu Lingyi did not stand on ceremony with the old Marquis and stated his purpose plainly.

The old Marquis listened and sighed repeatedly: “You two make the decision.”

Seeing that he had said what he came to say, Xu Lingyi exchanged a few more pleasantries with the old Marquis and then rose to take his leave.