Shiyiniang saw Shiniang’s face twisted with fury, her dark pupils like two burning flames, and recalled how she had once shoved this body to the ground and caused its death — her heart gave an involuntary shudder. Yet this was no moment to retreat. The more you retreated, the more others would think you weak.

She smiled warmly at Shiniang: “Mother did mention something like that. Though I’m not sure when exactly we’re leaving. Is there anything you’d like me to bring back for you, Elder Sister?” As she spoke, Shiyiniang’s spine straightened like a pine tree, and she took on an air of composed dignity.

Shiniang was momentarily taken aback.

Yet Shiyiniang dared not press her too hard. If the two of them truly came to blows, regardless of who was right or wrong, it would give others the impression of pettiness and a sharp, bitter tongue. After all, it takes two hands to clap — if two sisters could not manage a single step back from each other, people would say so. Even if First Madam learned of it and might blame Shiniang for her volatile temper, she would blame Shiyiniang even more for failing to handle such conflict gracefully. It might even severely damage the image Shiyiniang had built up in First Madam’s eyes.

She yielded, stepping back a few paces with a smile: “Elder Sister rarely comes downstairs. I’m afraid I have nothing particularly fine to offer you. Last time at the banquet, Fifth Sister gave me two packets of excellent Xinyang Maojian tea. Elder Sister knows I have no appreciation for tea — to me, drinking it is like pearls cast before swine. Why not let Elder Sister taste it and see if it suits your palate? If you find it agreeable, I’ll have Dongqing send it over to Baizhi.”

Shiniang could not help a cold laugh: “Well, it’s not the same for everyone — so you even have Xinyang Maojian!” The fury in her eyes dimmed considerably.

A person’s temper is like a flame: fierce at first, fading on the second breath, and spent on the third. If you withstand the first strike and are willing to humble yourself, their anger will naturally subside.

Shiyiniang beamed at her with warm familiarity, then undid her cape and handed it to Hupo — making it clear she had no intention of going out and was sincerely receiving her guest. She also instructed Dongqing to brew tea, and told Binju to fetch her usual gray squirrel-skin cushion to pad the stool so Shiniang could sit comfortably.

The expression on Shiniang’s face softened slightly.

But then, Hupo, who had taken the cape, let her eyes dart about and said with a smile: “Eleventh Miss, First Madam sent someone to summon you… Shall I go tell Shanhu to let her know you’ll be right there, so she can cover for you before First Madam in the meantime?”

Shiyiniang’s heart silently cried out in dismay.

Shiniang, on ordinary days, could not bear to have First Madam’s name used to pressure her.

The words to reprimand Hupo had not yet left Shiyiniang’s lips when Shiniang’s expression changed abruptly. She stepped forward, intent on flipping over the black-lacquered round table in the room — it was made of rosewood and quite heavy, and even after two forceful attempts she could not overturn it. So instead she swept her sleeve across the tabletop, sending the tea wares and utensils crashing to the floor in a shattering clatter.

Shiniang moved with startling speed, leaving Hupo and the others frozen as though carved from wood.

Shiyiniang let out an involuntary groan.

Every item in each room was catalogued in inventories and rotated according to the seasons. The set of polychrome brocade-pattern tea wares on the table was worth at least ten taels of silver — and she would have to compensate for them.

As that thought flashed through her mind, Shiniang had already rolled up her sleeves and was charging toward her.

Shiyiniang understood that if Shiniang’s fist actually landed, unless it left her half-dead as before, the label of “lacking in sisterly affection” would fall squarely on Shiniang — yet Shiyiniang would not escape it either. She was just about to raise her arms to shield her head when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught the terrified expression on Dongqing’s face, and a thought stirred within her.

If she were truly struck… would that not give her grounds to avoid going to Yanjing?

In that instant, she forcibly suppressed the instinct to protect her head.

“Tenth Miss, if you don’t care about yourself, at least think of Fourth Yiniang!”

Amid Hupo’s anxious cry, Dongqing had already yanked Shiyiniang behind her. The door curtain swayed, and Baizhi and Jiuxiang burst in, flanking Shiniang on both sides to restrain her.

“You wretched creatures — do your eyes still see me as your mistress?!” Shiniang’s temples were visibly throbbing with bulging veins, her eyes blazing red, like a wild beast trapped in a cage — a frightening sight.

Baizhi’s expression was grimmer still. She gave Shiyiniang a small nod: “Eleventh Miss, our young mistress has been discourteous. We will come to offer our apologies shortly.”

Jiuxiang also dipped her head apologetically toward Shiyiniang, and then the two of them hauled Shiniang away.

Shiniang cursed and struggled as she was dragged along, her flailing foot kicking over a nearby small stool. Baizhi and Jiuxiang said not a word, simply straining with all their might to haul Shiniang toward the door.

Both were tall and strapping women, and Shiniang was quickly forced out.

“…You two little harlots — what has that little wretch given you, that you side with outsiders over your own mistress…”

“Tenth Miss,” Baizhi’s voice held a note of dejection, “there’s no use cursing us. We simply don’t wish to end up like Bitao and Hongtao.”

Shiniang’s voice cut off abruptly.

According to the older servants in the household, Bitao and Hongtao had been beaten half to death and then sold to a brothel… and they had both served Shiniang since childhood…

“Tenth Miss, please just let it go!” There was exhaustion in Baizhi’s voice. “What good does all this accomplishes? Will First Madam look upon you with new eyes, or will Fourth Yiniang be able to move out of that miserable side room? And you’re already fourteen this year — girls who marry early are already mothers by this age. How have you not grown up even a little…”

The voices faded into the distance. After a long moment, those who remained in Shiyiniang’s room finally came back to their senses.

“Miss, are you all right!” Dongqing took Shiyiniang’s hand, her face flushed with agitation as she looked her up and down. “Why didn’t you even try to move aside? If that slap had landed, it would have left a mark on your face…”

Her words had barely fallen when the door curtain was unexpectedly pushed aside, and a round, smiling face appeared in everyone’s line of sight: “My goodness, what has happened here? Eleventh Miss seems to have quite the temper today!”

“Nanny Xu!”

Everyone in the room went slightly pale. Dongqing had already opened her mouth to offer an explanation, but Shiyiniang had already pinched her hand sharply and stepped forward with a smile: “Nanny is quite the rare visitor!”

Nanny Xu’s eyes swept swiftly around the room taking in the state of things, before smiling and dipping into a curtsy toward Shiyiniang: “First Madam asked me to look in on Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss and see whether anything needs to be added or changed. As it turns out, Fifth Miss is short two brushes of good wolf-hair, and as for you, it seems you’re missing a set of polychrome tea cups.” With that, she pressed her lips together in a small smile.

Shiyiniang smiled in return: “Then please be so kind as to note that down for us, Nanny, and add them when the time comes.” She then led Nanny Xu around the shards on the floor and into her bedchamber. “Won’t you come in for some tea, Nanny?”

Nanny Xu did not so much as glance at the overturned stool on the floor, and followed Shiyiniang into the bedchamber with perfect composure.

Hupo quickly directed Zhuxiang to bring tea and refreshments, while Dongqing led Binju and Qiuju to clean up the disarray in the sitting room.

Nanny Xu lifted her teacup and took a sip, tilting her ear to listen to the sounds from the sitting room — only the faintest rustling reached her.

She gave an inward nod of approval.

No doubt Dongqing and Binju, seeing that there was a guest, had dropped to their knees and were picking up the ceramic fragments by wrapping them in their handkerchiefs.

Nanny Xu set down her teacup. Hupo promptly handed her the account ledger she had already prepared: “Please take a look, Nanny.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Nanny Xu smiled, spread the ledger open on the nearby tea table, then reached into her sleeve and produced a small case. She opened it, drew out a pair of spectacles, and began to read carefully.

Hupo was inwardly astonished.

Those spectacles had been brought in from Guangdong by First Madam’s own brother, who served as a councillor there — not only was there nothing like them in the Luo Mansion, there was nothing like them in all of Yuhang. And yet First Madam had actually bestowed them upon Nanny Xu… The thought filled Hupo with envy. To live as Nanny Xu lived — that was a life well spent!

Shiyiniang’s thoughts, meanwhile, had turned to Shiniang.

It was said that when Fourth Yiniang returned from Fujian all those years ago, she had immediately handed over all the household account books in her charge and thereafter conducted herself with perfect propriety before First Madam, never overstepping a single boundary. Had Shiniang not attacked her, First Madam would have had no pretext to deal with her… How could a woman so meticulous have raised a daughter as reckless and heedless as Shiniang…

The two of them were each lost in their own thoughts, neither speaking. The soft rustling of pages as Nanny Xu turned through the account ledger made the room feel all the more still.

After a long while, Nanny Xu raised her head, smiled, tucked her spectacles back into their case, and returned it to her sleeve: “Just as you said, Miss — with First Madam’s generous gifts over the years, you have no lack of everyday necessities. However, this journey to the capital is to visit the elder young mistress and offer birthday congratulations to the Xu family’s Dowager Lady. The occasion will be filled with distinguished guests, and while we cannot compare with imperial and noble houses, neither can we appear too modest in our presentation. First Madam has already placed an order at Old Jixiang for Eleventh Miss — one set of coral and tortoiseshell shell hair ornaments, and one set of pearl and red silver hair ornaments. I also looked over the spring garments Eleventh Miss had made recently, and they are perfectly suitable — nothing more needs to be ordered. Is there anything else Eleventh Miss wishes to add?”

Shiyiniang smiled: “There is nothing more I wish to add.”

Nanny Xu smiled and rose to her feet: “In that case, I will go and report back to First Madam!”

Shiyiniang stood to see her out: “Thank you for making the trip, Nanny.”

“Eleventh Miss is always so gracious.” Nanny Xu returned the smile, took her leave of Shiyiniang, and went to First Madam’s quarters.

“Well?” First Madam was reclining on the chaise longue in her bedchamber, her expression blank as she watched the maids moving quietly about, tidying the trunks and cases.

Nanny Xu hesitated for a moment.

First Madam rose: “Come with me.”

Nanny Xu murmured her assent, and followed First Madam down to the sitting room on the lower floor.

“What is it? Did both girls make requests?” First Madam’s gaze was faintly cold.

Nanny Xu quickly poured a cup of tea for First Madam and said with a smile: “I looked over both young misses’ things. With your regular gifts over the years, and the new spring garments just made, there is nothing that really needs to be added or removed. In private, Fifth Miss mentioned she would like two good wolf-hair brushes — a matter of no more than fifty taels. As for Eleventh Miss, she asked for nothing… However, when I arrived, I came upon a rather interesting matter!”

A matter she had been unwilling to speak of in front of the maids was plainly no ordinary matter!

First Madam gave a soft “oh,” straightened in her seat, and turned to listen attentively.

Nanny Xu moved two steps closer and lowered her voice: “Tenth Miss came to Eleventh Miss’s room to make trouble and smashed everything in the room. When I walked in, I pretended not to know a thing and said to Eleventh Miss, ‘Eleventh Miss, quite the temper today.’ Yet Eleventh Miss made no reply and deflected the matter entirely… Madam, when you first chose Eleventh Miss, I had my reservations. I felt she was not as suitable as Fifth Miss, who has a brother in the household to back her up… But now, looking at her, she truly is a person of magnanimous character.”

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