Xu Lingyi laughed.

From yesterday until now, Shiyiniang had been faintly ill at ease.

His composed, assured wife reduced to flustered disarray before him — this he found enormously entertaining.

He very much wanted to tease her a little more, but recalling how she had looked yesterday — flushed and mortified, wavering between exasperation and embarrassment — he knew she was thin-skinned, and feared that if he truly provoked her she would lose her temper. So he called in Chunmo and Xiayi to help him dress.

Shiyiniang let out a quiet breath of relief.

She had not expected Xu Lingyi to be so shameless. The things he said — that sort of careless, brazen talk — came to him without the slightest blush.

She was genuinely unaccustomed to it. In two lifetimes she had never met a man who spoke to her quite like that.

And she herself had been even more outrageous. What had possessed her, driven by some inexplicable restlessness, to slip her hand into his robes…

It bore thinking about — in matters of passion, Xu Lingyi would never be wanting. Never mind that he had three Yiniangss; even among this entire household of maids, if he set his eye on any one of them, could she really stop him? He observed his seemingly rigid but carefully considered rotation of sleeping arrangements out of respect for his wife. Otherwise, how could Qiao Lian Fang not care in the slightest about Qin Yiniang and Wen Yiniang, paying no heed to their attitudes at all? Even historians evaluating an emperor’s relationship with his consorts had used the frequency of imperial visits as their measure — let alone Qiao Lian Fang. In truth, that was itself a sideways reflection of how things stood between two people.

The fault lay entirely in her own agitation yesterday. Without realizing it, that part of her which belonged to Moyan had surfaced again from somewhere deep within.

Shiyiniang turned the boxwood comb in her hands, its carved plum blossom pattern smooth beneath her fingers, and laughed at herself.

When it came to it — she really did have a streak of stubbornness in her. She had never managed to become Shiyiniang whole and entire.

In the midst of her thoughts, a young maidservant came in to announce: “Madam, Fifth Young Master is here!”

She gathered herself, and the soft curve of a smile settled at the corners of her lips — she became once more that Shiyiniang with the gentle, warm smile. “Please show Fifth Young Master in.”

The maidservant withdrew.

Dongqing and Binju came in together, one on either side of Xu Sijie.

He was dressed today in a brand-new sapphire-blue brocade padded jacket, his hair done up in small twin buns, which set off his luminous complexion and made his features look even more delicately lovely.

Seeing Shiyiniang study Xu Sijie, Dongqing quickly explained, “We worked through the night to finish the New Year clothes for Fifth Young Master.”

“The color suits him very well.” Shiyiniang nodded with a smile. She sent Dongqing ahead with the messenger woman to Bowstring Lane — today was the second day of the New Year; everyone would be returning to their maiden homes, and she wanted to avoid running into Fifth Madam at the ceremonial gate.

Dongqing had no particular eagerness to return to the Luo household, but since Shiyiniang had presented it as a chance for them all to visit with old friends, she could not very well refuse. She agreed with a smile and left the Xu mansion through the side gate.

Seeing that Xu Lingyi had not yet emerged, Shiyiniang sat with Xu Sijie and chatted idly with him — asking whether he had eaten breakfast, what he had had, what he liked best. Xu Sijie was astonishingly quick of tongue for a child of three, bearing no resemblance at all to someone that age, and answered each of Shiyiniang’s questions in turn.

While they were talking, Xu Lingyi finished washing up and came out.

Xu Sijie immediately lost the thread of conversation; his eyes began to follow Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi himself had not noticed. All he saw was Shiyiniang holding a child who looked like a little jade carving — her gaze tender, her smile luminous — the picture of it strikingly pleasant to look at, filling him with a quiet, settled calm.

“Has Siyu not come yet?” He adjusted his sleeve with a smile and gestured to Chunmo to drape his cloak over his shoulders.

Shiyiniang understood this as a sign that they were ready to depart. She handed Xu Sijie to Binju, rose, and said, “He is probably with Zhun Ge.”

Xu Lingyi nodded and led Shiyiniang and Xu Sijie to the Grand Dowager’s quarters.

Third Household had already come to take their leave of the Grand Dowager before departing for the Zhong Qin Earl’s residence. Xu Sijian was standing before the Grand Dowager’s heated platform, watching as the Grand Dowager straightened Zhun Ge’s clothes while carefully instructing him on a few points of etiquette. When he saw his father and mother come in, he immediately stepped forward to pay his respects. Zhun Ge, for his part, called out “Jie Ge’er!” with undisguised delight, and Xu Sijie, hearing Zhun Ge call to him, looked back at Zhun Ge with a small, contained smile.

The Grand Dowager, seeing the two of them so warmly close, chuckled with pleasure.

Xu Lingyi, however, spoiled the mood — his expression went stern as he reprimanded Zhun Ge: “Is ‘Jie Ge’er’ a thing you call him? You are to say Fifth Younger Brother!”

The atmosphere at once grew stiff.

Zhun Ge wilted like a plant struck by frost, and called out a subdued “Fifth Younger Brother” toward Xu Sijie. Xu Sijie, seeing Xu Lingyi’s stern face, was so frightened he scrambled to press himself against Shiyiniang.

The Grand Dowager shook her head and stepped in to smooth things over: “On such an auspicious New Year’s Day, how can you open your mouth and scold the child? Can you not say something pleasant for once?”

Xu Lingyi opened his mouth, then closed it, wearing the expression of a man resigned to his inability to do anything about the Grand Dowager’s interference.

Shiyiniang, seeing this, smiled and lifted Zhun Ge down from the heated platform. “It is getting late. We should set off.”

Xu Lingyi took the opportunity to extricate himself, and departed with Shiyiniang and the children.

They had barely stepped out of the courtyard when they encountered Xu Lingkuan and the Fifth Madam coming from the opposite direction.

Everyone exchanged brief greetings, then Xu Lingkuan and the Fifth Madam went to pay their respects to the Grand Dowager, while Xu Lingyi’s party set out for Bowstring Lane.

The Luo residence was festooned with crimson lanterns, couplets hung on the doors, large red characters for “Blessings” affixed across them, and red ribbons tied around the flowering trees in the courtyard — a scene full of jubilant New Year’s cheer.

The woman Xu sent ahead as messenger had arrived before them. Luo Zhensheng and First Madam stood waiting to receive them at the ceremonial gate. When they caught sight of Xu Sijie, both of them could not help but study him.

Shiyiniang gave nothing away. Following the order of seniority, she had all three children pay their respects to Luo Zhensheng and First Madam, who in turn gave each child a New Year’s gift of money.

Luo Zhensheng then led them to pay their respects to First Master and First Madam.

First Madam leaned close to Shiyiniang’s ear and murmured, “I knew the children would need to visit the maternal family sooner or later, so I spoke to Mother about it in a roundabout way. Mother knows the child is being raised in Tong Yiniang’s name — and she is satisfied with that.”

First Madam was concerned with Zhun Ge’s interests. As long as his interests were not harmed, she had no objections.

Shiyiniang nodded and went with the others to the main hall to pay their respects to First Master and First Madam.

First Master kept Xu Lingyi to speak with him privately, while First Madam had Shiyiniang and the children remain in her room.

Nanny Xu distributed New Year’s money on First Madam’s behalf.

When it was Xu Sijie’s turn, Nanny Xu fixed her gaze on the child, her eyes wide and unblinking — until the child, thoroughly alarmed, would not go forward no matter what.

Shiyiniang’s brow furrowed slightly. She stepped forward, took Xu Sijie by the hand, and accepted the money on his behalf.

Fourth Madam, watching from the side, burst into laughter and pulled out a red envelope to press into Xu Sijie’s hands: “This is from Fourth Maternal Aunt.” She turned to Xu Sijian as well. “Is this the Second Young Master? What a handsome boy.” And gave both Xu Sijian and Zhun Ge a red envelope each.

Her lively interruption revived the atmosphere in the room.

It seems this Fourth Sister-in-law of mine is also a perceptive person.

Shiyiniang looked on and gave a silent nod of approval, then pressed the New Year’s money she had prepared into little Mu Ge’s hands.

Mu Ge accepted it with a beaming smile, and had just bowed to Shiyiniang with a “Happy New Year” when Zhun Ge grabbed him by the arm and pointed at Xu Sijie. “This is my Fifth Younger Brother!”

Mu Ge looked Xu Sijie up and down with curiosity. “He looks like a little girl.”

Zhun Ge immediately corrected him: “He is a younger brother, not a younger sister.” Then pointing at Mu Ge, he told Xu Sijie, “This is your First Younger Cousin. Call him First Younger Cousin.”

His solemnity — for all the world like a little adult — sent the room full of women into laughter.

Fourth Madam laughed the most heartily of all. “Fourth Young Master, Mu Ge is not Fifth Young Master’s younger cousin — he is an older cousin!”

Only then did Zhun Ge realize his mistake, and he smiled in sheepish embarrassment.

Xu Sijie, meanwhile, looked out at the roomful of unfamiliar smiling faces with something close to panic. Not knowing what to do, his gaze swept about until it landed on Shiyiniang — and then he was calm.

Shiyiniang felt his unease. She stepped forward, stroked his head, and said with a smile, pointing at Mu Ge, “This is your First Older Cousin.”

Only then did he call out softly, “First Older Cousin.”

“Fifth Younger Cousin’s voice is so nice!” Mu Ge stared at him, eyes wide with wonder.

“Of course.” Zhun Ge looked immensely proud. “He is my Fifth Younger Brother, after all.” Then he added, “Do you have any pine cakes in your room? He likes pine cakes best.”

“We do not!” Mu Ge looked a little embarrassed. “But we have walnut crisps, chestnut cakes, and silken sugar candy. They are all very good. Especially the chestnut cakes — those are made here at home.” He straightened up with pride. “Eleventh Auntie liked them too when she lived here!”

He looked at Shiyiniang with wide, expectant eyes, clearly hoping she would back him up.

Shiyiniang could not bear to wound the child’s pride. She nodded at once. “That is right — our chestnut cakes are soft and sweet, very good.”

Mu Ge’s small head bobbed vigorously, like a chick pecking at grain. “Did I not tell you? Even Eleventh Auntie says they are good.”

First Madam burst out laughing. Noticing that First Madam was ill and that it was not ideal for the children to stay too long, she called out to Nanny Hang. “Take the young masters to the eastern side chamber for some refreshments.”

Nanny Hang curtsied and agreed. But Mu Ge cried out at once, “No, no — Fifth Auntie has not come yet! We have not received Fifth Auntie’s New Year’s money!”

Everyone was overcome with laughter.

And then a young maidservant came in to announce: “Fifth Master-in-law and Fifth Young Madam have arrived!”

This sent the room into even greater laughter, leaving Qian Ming and Fifth Niang standing at the threshold utterly bemused.

Fourth Madam stood by and explained: “Our Mu Ge was afraid he would miss Fifth Uncle and Fifth Auntie’s New Year’s money!”

Qian Ming laughed at that, and immediately fished inside his sleeve for red envelopes. “One for each person!”

Mu Ge stepped forward with great delight to receive his.

Zhun Ge, however, was a little shy and reserved.

Mu Ge leaned in close to his ear: “Fifth Uncle is the best. Do not be afraid.”

Only then did Zhun Ge accept his, and quietly thanked Qian Ming.

Qian Ming looked at him with a very gentle expression, then asked, “Where is the Marquis?”

Zhun Ge stood attentively with his arms at his sides. “Father is in the study talking with Grandfather.”

Qian Ming nodded with a smile, then handed red envelopes to Xu Sijian and Xu Sijie.

Xu Sijian thanked him with a composed expression; Xu Sijie ran straight to Shiyiniang and placed his envelope in her hands.

Fifth Niang gave a little cry of delight. “This child has a real affinity with Eleventh Sister.”

Qian Ming responded with a few heavy coughs, then took a seat on the small stool by First Madam’s bed and began to ask, in a gentle, unhurried voice, about her daily life and health.

First Madam had grown considerably thinner, and still struggled to speak. But seeing Qian Ming speak to her with such quiet, tender solicitude, her eyes grew moist at the corners. She nodded repeatedly. And Nanny Xu, who stood nearby answering on First Madam’s behalf, also had a shimmer of moisture in her own eyes — her deference toward Qian Ming was, in this moment, even greater than it had been toward Xu Lingyi.

Mu Ge then led Zhun Ge over to Fifth Niang to request his New Year’s money.

Fifth Niang had come prepared. She smiled as she handed out the envelopes, and while she did so, teased First Madam: “When you were carrying Mu Ge, did you have the God of Wealth enshrined in your room?”

First Madam’s face went pink. “That child — I have completely spoiled him.”

Fifth Niang covered her mouth with her sleeve, laughing.

A young maidservant came in to announce: “Twelfth Young Miss, Fifth Yiniang, and Sixth Yiniang have arrived!”

At that, Qian Ming quickly rose to excuse himself.

First Madam looked toward him and spoke a labored “come visit” and signaled to Nanny Xu to see him out.

Qian Ming bent down and exchanged a few murmured words with First Madam, then was escorted out by Nanny Xu.

—