“Madam! Fifth Young Master!” Lvyun and Hongxiu, who had been attending nearby, rushed over in alarm.

Zhun Ge started, then ran to Shiyiniang’s side as well. “Mother, are you alright?”

Shiyiniang felt no pain, but when she lifted her eyes, she saw the frightened expressions on everyone’s faces.

Games inevitably involved the occasional tumble. Besides, Lvyun and Hongxiu’s duty was to attend to her, and even the smallest incident would be magnified beyond measure — which would only cause Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie to feel frightened as well.

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” She made no hurry to get up, and instead smiled and gathered Xu Sijie, who had fallen into her arms. “Sijie, are you alright?”

Xu Sijie was uninjured, and in his mind there was still no understanding of rank or hierarchy. Seeing Shiyiniang’s smiling face, he took it all as part of another game, and giggled as he burrowed further into her embrace.

Shiyiniang smiled and ruffled his hair.

Everyone around them let out a breath of relief.

Zhun Ge’s eyes flickered with a few traces of envy, though his mouth said: “Mother, please get up quickly — the floor is dirty!”

The scene before her suddenly reminded Shiyiniang of the first time she had met Yuan Niang.

Zhun Ge had once laughed and played like this in his mother’s arms too.

She reached out and pulled Zhun Ge, who had been crouching nearby, into her arms as well, laughing as she said: “We have all fallen down together — how can you be the only one still standing!”

Zhun Ge had not expected it. Shiyiniang gave him a gentle tug, and he tumbled into her embrace.

He propped himself up on his elbows, leaning against her arm, his expression stunned, his body stiff.

Only Xu Sijie laughed without a care in the world: “All fallen down! All fallen down!”

The corners of Zhun Ge’s mouth curved into a smile, his face gradually brightening like moonlight: “All fallen down.” His body slowly relaxed, and he leaned against Shiyiniang’s shoulder.

“Oh dear, Madam, the floor is cold!” Lvyun fretted anxiously beside them, yet dared not go and pull them up. Hongxiu simply went and fetched a felt blanket: “Madam, why don’t you all lie on the blanket instead?”

Shiyiniang burst out laughing. She kissed Xu Sijie’s cheek and patted Zhun Ge’s hair. “Look at how frightened they are — let us get up then…”

Before she had finished speaking, the little maidservant who had been posted to keep watch at the outer courtyard came rushing in breathlessly: “Madam! Something’s wrong, something’s wrong — the Marquis has returned!”

All five of them startled at once. Zhun Ge scrambled to his feet immediately. He turned and saw Shiyiniang still holding Xu Sijie and struggling to sit up, so he hurried over to help her: “Father — Father is back!”

Only then did Lvyun and Hongxiu come to their senses. One moved to take Xu Sijie, the other to help Shiyiniang up — but Xu Sijie had both arms wrapped tightly around Shiyiniang’s neck and she could not rise. Zhun Ge then helped Hongxiu pull Shiyiniang up… In the midst of all this commotion, a commanding voice rang out from the doorway: “What is going on here!”

That familiar voice — there was no need to turn around to know who it was.

Everyone inwardly cried out in dismay.

Shiyiniang quickly said: “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. I was skipping rope and took a tumble…”

As she spoke, she had already gotten to her feet.

Lvyun and Hongxiu hurried forward to pay their respects to Xu Lingyi. Shiyiniang took the opportunity to straighten her disheveled clothing. Zhun Ge had already stepped forward and positioned himself in front of her, bowing respectfully to Xu Lingyi and calling out “Father” with deference.

“The Marquis has returned!” Shiyiniang hurried forward with Xu Sijie to offer her greeting, but seeing that Zhun Ge was standing in front of her, she worried that if Xu Lingyi flew into a temper, it might frighten the child. She first drew Zhun Ge behind her, then curtsied properly to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi had walked through the door to find Shiyiniang in a state of dishevelment, tangled up in a heap with the children and the maidservants. His brow furrowed slightly. But then he saw that her cheeks were flushed and rosy, her gaze bright and lively, with a spirited animation about her that was more vivid than usual. Both children had smiles lingering at the corners of their eyes. His expression eased. He watched Zhun Ge step forward and position himself in front of Shiyiniang. He watched Shiyiniang draw Zhun Ge behind her. He watched as the eyes of everyone looking at him revealed a wariness… The rebuke that had risen to his lips became lodged in his throat.

Xu Lingyi said nothing.

Was he deliberating on what to say? Or was he too angry to speak?

Shiyiniang could not be bothered with any of that — seizing the moment was what mattered.

She immediately instructed Lvyun and Hongxiu: “What are you standing there in a daze for? Go and take the two young masters to wash their hands and faces. Hongxiu — call for Chunmo and Xiayi to come and help the Marquis change his clothes.” She then smiled warmly at Xu Lingyi: “The Marquis has come back quite early today! Please allow me to brew a cup of tieguanyin for you.” As she spoke, she personally lifted the curtain to the inner chamber, her eyes glancing toward Zhun Ge all the while.

Lvyun and Hongxiu, who had not yet recovered from the enormous pressure of Xu Lingyi’s sudden arrival, snapped awake at that moment as if waking from a dream, all their quick-wittedness flooding back.

One of them went to take Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie by the hand: “Young masters, please come with me to change.”

The other dashed off to call for Xiamo and Chunyi.

Both Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie hesitated. The former felt it would be too discourteous to simply retreat without Father having said a word. The latter did not want to leave Shiyiniang, and blinked his large eyes at her.

Xu Lingyi was not unaware of Shiyiniang’s protective gestures.

He let out a cold “hmph.”

Indulgent mothers spoil their sons indeed!

The thought flashed through his mind, and then he paused.

So in his own heart, he regarded Shiyiniang as a mother…

His gaze fell upon Shiyiniang without his realizing it.

He saw her looking toward Zhun Ge with a trace of anxiety in her eyes.

Perhaps it was the difference in upbringing. Shiyiniang felt that a more democratic approach to raising children — giving them some space to develop on their own terms — was more conducive to their mental and physical wellbeing. She therefore felt she had done nothing wrong in leading the children to skip rope. Yet in her heart she also knew that in this ancient era, the expectation for a gentleman’s son was one of composure and gravity; scenes of boisterous play like this one were something Xu Lingyi would absolutely not welcome.

She only hoped that Xu Lingyi would not place the blame on the children.

If there was any fault to be found, it was her own. She had not been mindful of the differences in time and circumstance and had gone a little too far.

Zhun Ge, seeing his stepmother signal him with her eyes, and seeing that his father’s expression was displeased yet he had said nothing, thought about the laughter and joy of moments before. He did not know why, but something in his heart felt a quiet dimness. He took Xu Sijie’s hand and followed Lvyun out.

Shiyiniang’s heart eased. The smile on her face became all the more serene.

Xu Lingyi, seeing her expression, knew that Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie had retreated with the maidservants.

She must have been worried he would reprimand them.

Then recalling the cheerful atmosphere that had filled the room when he entered, and the brightness in Shiyiniang’s brow, he hesitated for a moment — to say nothing felt wrong, for a proper Marchioness of Yongping to be wearing a plain jacket and skipping rope with the children was truly beneath her station; yet to say something also felt wrong, for she had simply wanted to play with the children and had meant well… While he was still deliberating, the sound of the curtain being lifted came from behind him.

“Marquis! Madam!” That respectful voice was one he recognized well — it was Chunmo and Xiayi.

Xu Lingyi let out a quiet breath of relief.

How could he possibly reproach Shiyiniang in front of the maidservants? If he did, what face would she have left before the household servants in the future?

With this thought in mind, he at once felt that his decision not to reproach Shiyiniang was the correct one.

He walked with an unhurried stride into the inner chamber.

This matter could be considered put aside for now.

Shiyiniang quickly called Hupo in, and before Xu Lingyi had emerged from the washroom, she had already changed into a pale green embroidered jacket and dutifully served Xu Lingyi his tea.

Then a little maidservant came in to report: “Madam, Nanny Hang from Bowstring Lane has come!”

At this hour? It was nearly time for dinner… Could something have happened?

“I will go and see!” Without time to explain the rope-skipping incident to Xu Lingyi, Shiyiniang instructed a maidservant to “invite Nanny Hang in” and went to the main hall.

“Eleventh Young Mistress.” Nanny Hang paid her respects according to proper etiquette, then smiled and said: “The eldest young master asked me to come and inform you. The Tenth Young Master’s husband has recovered from his illness. This very afternoon he took the Tenth Young Mistress to pay their New Year respects to the Old Master. He wanted you not to worry.”

Shiyiniang was quite surprised. Not knowing exactly how much Nanny Hang was aware of, and not wanting to ask too many questions, she suppressed her curiosity, smiled, and said simply: “Understood.”

Nanny Hang rose and took her leave.

Shiyiniang turned and shared the news with Xu Lingyi: “…I wonder what happened. I don’t know whether it was the Wang Family who brought him back, or whether the Princess brought him back herself. Or perhaps the two of them simply went off to clear their heads, saw everything they wanted to see, and came back on their own.”

Xu Lingyi heard this without any great surprise. He smiled and said: “Both of them still have official duties — they couldn’t simply abandon those and stay away. Besides, this sort of thing is common enough. As long as an heir is produced and the family obligation fulfilled, neither the Wang Family nor the Princess would do anything but turn a blind eye. Most likely they went off to clear their heads for a while.”

That was true enough. It wasn’t as though they could live on air alone. Every need of daily life costs money. And as members of a privileged class, when reality fell short of their ideals, returning would be met not with reproach but with praise for coming to their senses — so naturally they would return without any sense of guilt.

Even so, the Tenth Young Mistress would likely be in for another stretch of unease.

The thought made her quietly sigh to herself.

While they were still speaking, a maidservant came from the Old Dowager’s quarters to summon them for dinner.

The two of them set the subject aside, and with Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie in tow, went to the Old Dowager’s quarters.

That evening upon returning, Shiyiniang took the initiative to explain to Xu Lingyi: “…Zhun Ge’s health is not robust. Skipping rope gets his muscles and joints moving. If the Marquis finds it improper, I will be more mindful in the future.”

The light from the ram’s horn palace lantern fell into the room, tracing Shiyiniang’s silhouette in gold. The warm glow added a gentleness to her appearance, while making the youthfulness in her brow all the more apparent.

Xu Lingyi sighed quietly to himself, then smiled and tucked the corner of her quilt in for her: “In the future, just don’t let it become such a disorderly tumult.”

“Mm!” Shiyiniang’s response was bright and lively.

He had only said don’t let it become a disorderly tumult — he had not said they couldn’t skip rope at all.

She smiled and rolled over to sleep.

The next day Zhun Ge came by: “Father didn’t say anything, did he?” He had a worried look about him.

“He said we shouldn’t make such a disorderly tumult.” Shiyiniang smiled and suggested: “How about we tell stories instead?”

This was something she had spent a good part of the previous evening deciding upon.

After all, the finest early education for children comes through storytelling. What was more, Zhun Ge was somewhat older and Xu Sijie somewhat younger — one could tell the stories while the other listened. The one telling would study harder in order to tell them well, and the one listening would benefit from hearing them.

Zhun Ge responded immediately.

Surely Father couldn’t object to storytelling?

Shiyiniang settled herself on the kang with Xu Sijie, while Zhun Ge sat across from her.

When the maidservants brought up the refreshments, she asked Zhun Ge: “Do you know the story of Mencius’s mother and the three moves?”

Zhun Ge nodded: “It is said that Mencius lost his father in early childhood, and that his mother…” He recounted the tale eloquently, his diction clear, his expressions animated, his narrative well-organized.

Xu Sijie forgot about his sweets entirely, and stared straight at Zhun Ge, listening with great attentiveness.

Shiyiniang gave a slight nod of approval.

The tale of Mencius’s mother’s three moves comes from the Three Character Classic. That Zhun Ge knew it so thoroughly showed he had received a sound early education.

When he finished, Shiyiniang smiled warmly and praised him at once: “So Zhun Ge knows so much already!”

Zhun Ge smiled with a trace of bashfulness.

Shiyiniang invited him to help himself to some refreshments.

But Xu Sijie, who had been sitting in Shiyiniang’s lap, suddenly said: “Older brother tell more! Older brother tell more!”

Everyone froze.

Xu Sijie rarely spoke of his own accord, let alone take such an initiative in expressing warmth toward Zhun Ge.

—