“Older brother tell more!” Xu Sijie’s voice, sweet and melodious as an oriole, carried just a touch of coaxing.

“Tell what?” Zhun Ge’s voice was gentle and accommodating.

“Tell the moving story!”

That was the tale of Mencius’s mother’s three moves.

“Tell the pear story!”

That was the tale of Kong Rong and the pear.

“Tell the sleeping story!”

That was the tale of Huang Xiang warming his parents’ bed.

Shiyiniang sat nearby, needle flying through cloth, listening to the children’s young voices with a peace and serenity she had never felt before.

“Sijie,” she looked up and smiled warmly at Xu Sijie, “your brother is tired. Go and pour him a cup of tea.”

“Mm.” Xu Sijie scrambled up from the kang at once.

“No need, no need.” Zhun Ge waved his hands repeatedly, his face flushing slightly.

Binju, who was seated on a small stool by the kang sewing Xu Sijie’s spring garments, quickly set down her needlework and moved to take Xu Sijie in her arms. “I’ll go pour a cup of tea,” she said with a smile.

“Let Sijie go!” Shiyiniang laughed. “He’s the one who talked his brother’s throat dry. What would be wrong with letting him go and fetch a cup of water?” She then instructed Binju: “You go along too, and mind he doesn’t get scalded. Just warm water, no need to brew tea. Too much tea isn’t good for children.”

Her only intention was to teach Xu Sijie the meaning of gratitude.

Binju had only ever heard of households saving tea leaves to serve guests because they couldn’t afford to offer it freely — she had never heard of tea being bad for children. But even if she found Shiyiniang’s words puzzling, she would not defy them, and smilingly led Xu Sijie off to fetch the water.

Shiyiniang then lowered her voice and asked Zhun Ge: “Do you know what Siqin and the others have been getting up to?”

Zhun Ge shook his head, his expression carrying a trace of bitterness: “I don’t know. Whenever I go over, they stop talking…”

Which was why he had been spending his afternoons here with Shiyiniang these past few days.

Shiyiniang thought for a moment, then smiled: “Why don’t you go and take a quiet look later?”

“Take a quiet look…” Zhun Ge stared at Shiyiniang wide-eyed, clearly quite startled by her suggestion.

“Yes!” Shiyiniang smiled. “Rather than guessing and getting it all wrong in your head, it’s better to find a way to get to the bottom of things. Who knows — it may not be at all what you imagine.”

There was no fear of conflict between people; what was to be feared was the lack of communication, with both sides speculating behind each other’s backs.

Zhun Ge hesitated, yet a trace of eager anticipation flickered in his eyes. When he returned to telling Xu Sijie stories, his mind was somewhat elsewhere, which made Xu Sijie quite dissatisfied: “…Wrong, wrong. Huang Xiang warms the bed.”

He was saying it was Huang Xiang who warmed his parents’ bedding, not Kong Rong, which Zhun Ge had mixed up.

Shiyiniang laughed and gathered Xu Sijie in her arms: “Your brother has grown tired from telling stories. Let Sijie tell us one!”

Xu Sijie was a little fidgety: “I can’t!”

“Tell the moving story.” He had heard this one the most times. Shiyiniang smiled and said: “We all want to hear Sijie tell the moving story.”

Xu Sijie’s small face flushed slightly, looking somewhat excited, and in his childish voice he began: “There was a Mencius, he wouldn’t behave, so his mother had to move house. He still wouldn’t behave, so his mother had to move house again…” The longer sentences came out garbled and unclear, but his voice was sweet and melodious, and he told it in his own interpretation, full of childlike charm. Everyone who heard it could not help but laugh.

Shiyiniang glanced at the self-striking clock, then said to Zhun Ge: “It is now the first quarter of the shen hour. We will leave for the Old Dowager’s at the third quarter of the shen hour…”

The meaning was clear — if he wished to go to Xu Sijin’s quarters to look around, he had an hour and a half.

Zhun Ge hesitated.

He looked up and met the encouragement brimming in Shiyiniang’s smiling eyes. Then he thought of the way Xu Sijin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian had been whispering together. He thought it over, and at last gave a nod.

Shiyiniang called Hupo in and explained the situation in brief: “…You will accompany the Fourth Young Master on a visit to the First Young Master’s quarters. Be careful he doesn’t bump into anything. Look after the Fourth Young Master and make sure he doesn’t suffer any slights — we wouldn’t want people to have something to laugh about.” She then instructed Binju: “You go along too. That way you can help Hupo if anything comes up.”

She placed a particular emphasis on the word “accompany.”

During the New Year season, with people coming and going and rumors flying everywhere, the Old Dowager had been worried about Xu Sijin and Xu Siyu living in the outer courtyard, and had had them move to the Lijing Pavilion. Since they did not want Zhun Ge to know what they were doing, their maidservants would certainly take their masters’ lead and try to block him. What was more, Zhun Ge was young, and they would likely feel no particular qualms about it.

What Shiyiniang was actually conveying to Hupo was twofold: first, that she should exercise her judgment and help Zhun Ge get to the bottom of things; and second, that she should keep Zhun Ge safe. If the other maidservants came out to block them, it would be best to avoid a confrontation. After all, Zhun Ge was the young master and they were servants. If things escalated, it would only be Zhun Ge’s dignity that suffered — people would think he couldn’t manage his own household.

Shiyiniang had her own deeper purpose in this as well.

Zhun Ge’s nature was gentle, meek, and compliant — partly his own disposition, partly the product of his environment. This temperament was perfectly suited to a carefree life of comfortable idleness. But as future Marquis of Yongping, it left something to be desired in terms of authority and commanding presence. What was most pressing now was to cultivate his confidence. Since he genuinely wanted to know why Xu Sijin and the others were avoiding him, why not let Hupo accompany him to find out? For one thing, it would train his nerve. For another, Hupo was her own personal attendant — quick-witted and resourceful — and those servants, if not out of regard for the monk then at least for the sake of Buddha, would give her some measure of respect. This would help ensure the matter went smoothly. If things did not go well, Hupo could also find a way to smooth things over and preserve Zhun Ge’s dignity. The ideal outcome, naturally, was that everything went smoothly and Zhun Ge came away with his confidence bolstered.

As for Binju — she was sent along as a helping hand for Hupo.

Hupo was clever and sharp, and had such a well-matched understanding with Shiyiniang that she grasped her meaning at once. She smiled and curtsied her assent: “Madam, please rest easy. Since the Fourth Young Master wishes to go and find out, naturally it must be done — and in a manner that is both thorough and gracious.”

Satisfied that Hupo understood, Shiyiniang smiled and nodded, then personally helped Zhun Ge put on his cloak: “Go quietly. And if anyone dares not to listen, let them see the manner of a young master.”

There were times in life when dealings between people came down to whose bearing was the stronger.

But the education Zhun Ge had received was one of benevolence and gentle courtesy. Hearing this, he could not help but feel somewhat at a loss.

Everything has its first time — one learns only through experience.

Shiyiniang said nothing more, only smiled and fastened his cloak for him.

Seeing this, Xu Sijie clamored to go along too.

Zhun Ge was quite pleased.

With company, he would be a little bolder too.

He looked hopefully at Shiyiniang: “Let Fifth Brother come with me!”

That would defeat the purpose of making him face it on his own.

Shiyiniang put on a look of gentle sorrow and glanced at Xu Sijie: “If you go, won’t I be left all alone?”

Xu Sijie looked at Zhun Ge, then looked at Shiyiniang, and lightly took her hand. “Older brother come back quickly — tell stories.”

Zhun Ge was a little disappointed, but then he thought about going to secretly find out what Xu Sijin and the others were up to, and the thrill of adventure stirred in him again, sweeping away that small unhappiness in an instant. He went off with Hupo to Xu Sijin’s quarters.

Shiyiniang stayed and told stories to Xu Sijie.

He listened with rapt delight, and for the time being forgot the loneliness of Zhun Ge’s absence.

…

The self-striking clock chimed the third quarter of the shen hour, and Zhun Ge’s footsteps came bounding in.

His expression was radiant, his face full of delight: “I know, I know what they’re going to do!” He called out, not stopping to remove his cloak, and ran up to Shiyiniang: “Mother, I know what Eldest Brother and Second Brother are planning!”

“Is that so?” Shiyiniang smiled warmly at Zhun Ge, but her eyes glanced over at Hupo and Binju, who had come in right behind him.

Both gave a slight nod.

“Brother, brother!” Xu Sijie called out happily to Zhun Ge.

Zhun Ge took his small hand, his face bright and animated, and said to Shiyiniang: “They’re planning to go Walking Away Illness.”

On the Lantern Festival, there was a custom of going out after dusk to touch the door bolts of gates and to walk away illness. On such occasions, men and women mingled freely in dense crowds, with all manner of people about — incidents of young ladies being abducted or children going missing were not uncommon. Let alone a family like the Xu household — even the Luo Family, on grounds of safety alone, could not possibly allow unmarried young ladies or the married women of the household to participate in Walking Away Illness. Of course, the restriction for boys was somewhat less strict. If they wished to go, bringing along their personal attendants and household guards would suffice.

But was there any need for them to be hiding this from Zhun Ge?

Only if they intended to slip away without their attendants and guards and act on their own.

Shiyiniang was quite puzzled as she helped Zhun Ge remove his cloak. She also saw that his face was flushed, and felt his back — finding it dry, she was relieved.

“Hupo and Binju are both so formidable,” Zhun Ge said, his spirits clearly still soaring from having uncovered Xu Sijin and the others’ secret. He allowed himself to be managed without resistance, his eyes sparkling as he spoke. “We went in quietly through the back gate. The little maidservant on watch ran off to report, but Hupo stopped her, saying she was rushing about in a panic, that it was unseemly, and gave her a stern dressing-down. Binju took the opportunity to bring me straight to the main room. The maidservant standing guard at the door was so startled when she suddenly saw us that she stood frozen for quite some time before she went in to announce us. By the time Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother came out to receive us, we were already inside the main hall. I directly asked Eldest Brother: What are you all discussing that you didn’t even tell me? Eldest Brother hemmed and hawed and said nothing. Then Binju said it was cold in the main hall and suggested we go and sit in the inner chamber. Eldest Brother hesitated, but Second Brother smiled and led us inside.” At this point Zhun Ge laughed gleefully. “Once Binju stepped into the inner chamber, she immediately asked Eldest Brother whether they were planning to dress up as common attendants and sneak out to have fun. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother were all absolutely dumbstruck.”

Shiyiniang was somewhat dumbstruck herself.

How had Binju known?

“I spotted several servants’ plain dark blue robes hanging on the clothes rack in the inner chamber at a glance,” Binju said, covering her mouth as she laughed. “Don’t you remember, Madam? That year you once had me find you a robe like that.”

The memories came flooding back like a tide.

Shiyiniang couldn’t help but smile with a touch of embarrassment.

Back then she had thought she would be able to get out and have a look around — only to find she hadn’t even gotten close to the inner gate. If she hadn’t been quick-thinking, she likely would have been caught on the spot.

“And what happened next?” There was no glory in old stories; she had no wish to bring them up. She quickly changed the subject.

“Eldest Brother was still hemming and hawing,” Zhun Ge said with a smile in his eyes, “but Second Brother admitted it outright — he said they wanted to go Walking Away Illness during the Lantern Festival, without a long string of people trailing behind them. They wanted to go on their own.”

Hupo smiled and lifted Zhun Ge onto the kang to help him off with his shoes.

“No wonder they were keeping it from you,” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “You’re young — they were certainly afraid they wouldn’t be able to look after you properly.”

If they were genuinely planning to go out and have a free-roaming adventure, then Zhun Ge, who was cradled in the Old Dowager’s hands like a treasure, truly could not go — if anything went wrong, who would bear that responsibility?

“Second Brother said the same thing,” Zhun Ge said, pouting, his expression disgruntled. “He even said last year some family lost a child… and yet he’s taking Third Brother along!” There was still unmistakable resentment in it.

“It’s better not to go at all!” Binju said with a smile. “When I was little I heard about people who went Walking Away Illness and never came back.”

Zhun Ge looked as though he wanted to say something more, then swallowed it back. He allowed Hupo to help him onto the kang without another word, the high spirits of moments earlier entirely gone.

—