Nanny Tao stepped out the door, hesitated for a moment, then made her way to Eleventh Miss’s quarters.

The young maid at the door stopped her: “Nanny, the Madam is speaking with Hupo. Shall I announce you?” Though her expression betrayed nervousness, her tone was firm — she had no intention of asking for Nanny Tao’s opinion on the matter.

Nanny Tao understood perfectly. Hupo had killed the chicken to frighten the monkeys, and had them all well in hand.

She gave a cold smile and swept away.

The young maid, who had worked up considerable courage to block her, could not help letting out a great sigh of relief once Nanny Tao had gone, her face breaking into a bright smile.

Nanny Tao changed course and headed toward the rear annexe rooms.

She had only just stepped onto the covered corridor when she heard a soft ripple of laughter coming from Binju’s room.

A thoughtful smile crossed her face. She knocked on Binju’s door.

It was Xiulan who came to answer — a young maid with rosy cheeks still flushed with laughter.

Seeing that it was Nanny Tao, she startled, the smile on her face dimming somewhat, and she murmured uncertainly: “Nanny Tao!”

How quickly things change.

Not even half a day had passed, and already these young maids had lost the fear they once showed her.

Truly, as the saying goes — the wheel of fortune turns, and who will come out on top in the end remains to be seen.

She swallowed the reprimand that had risen to her lips and said instead: “Why is everyone so merry? What is going on in there?”

Xiulan came back to herself and put her smile back in place: “Nanny Tao, do come in and sit down. Binju is showing us the hairpins the Madam gave Dongqing as trousseau additions.” As she spoke, she stepped aside to let Nanny Tao through, then called out loudly behind her: “Nanny Tao is here!”

Inside, those who had heard had already quieted by half, and by the time Nanny Tao stepped in, the room had fallen completely silent.

Besides Binju, the room held Shuangyu, Fangxi, Yanrong, Lanxuan, and six or seven other young maids. They had all gathered around the round table at the center of the room, some seated and some standing, admiring the solid silver hairpins laid out in a row across the surface.

“Nanny Tao, you’ve come!” Binju stood up at once, while the other maids shrank back somewhat to the sides, leaving the round table clear. “What a rare visit. Please, do sit down!”

Only when Binju said “please sit down” did the others recover their wits. Lanxuan, with some boldness, brought an embroidered drum stool and placed it before Nanny Tao.

Nanny Tao sat without ceremony, smiling as she surveyed the jewelry on the table, and asked Binju: “These are trousseau additions from the Madam for Dongqing?”

As she spoke, she casually picked up a silver hairpin decorated with a full-pond beauty pattern.

The moment it was in her hand, she was inwardly startled.

It was solid.

At this weight, these pieces could not have cost less than twenty taels of silver to cast. Add the craftsman’s fee on top of that…

She had not expected Eleventh Miss to be quite so generous with those in her service. No wonder these maids worked so hard for her.

Binju, seeing Nanny Tao handle the hairpin with such a careless, almost dismissive air, felt a flicker of displeasure — these were things meant for Dongqing’s dowry. Without betraying her feelings, she began placing the pieces one by one into a red lacquered box with gold detailing: “The Madam has also added some silks and satins, porcelain, and sewing baskets…” She spoke up to bring credit to Eleventh Miss, though in truth the additions were not quite as numerous as she made them sound.

Just then Yanrong brought over a cup of tea. Nanny Tao set the hairpin back on the table, and Fangxi hurriedly moved the red lacquered box to the tall cabinet nearby.

Nanny Tao’s lips curled faintly.

Such petty little creatures — as if she would steal it!

She lifted the teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip, then said unhurriedly: “Where has Dongqing gone? I’ve come on the Madam’s orders to find her…”

Shuangyu had slipped over without permission, and had been at a loss since the moment she laid eyes on Nanny Tao. Hearing the question, she immediately said: “Let me go and look for her!” and darted off like she was being chased by ghosts. She tapped lightly on the door of Hupo’s room next to Dongqing’s: “Qiuyu, Qiuyu — have you seen Dongqing?”

Qiuyu was pressing Hupo’s clothes with a flat iron and came to answer the door still holding it: “She’s been shut in her room doing needlework these past few days — surely she’s home?”

As they were speaking, Dongqing opened her own door: “What is it?”

Shuangyu felt a wave of relief: “Dongqing, Nanny Tao says she’s come on orders to find you. You weren’t in. She’s sitting in Binju’s room now.”

Dongqing acknowledged this quickly and said: “Tell Nanny Tao I’ll be right there — just let me change.” She went back inside, quickly freshened up, changed into a pale apricot-colored jacket, and made her way to Binju’s room.

Of the maids who had been gathered there earlier, only Lanxuan — who attended on Binju — remained.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Nanny,” Dongqing said politely. “Shall we go?”

Nanny Tao did not rise. She looked at her and chuckled: “That Shuangyu — she ran off without hearing me out. She must have slipped away from Fifth Young Master’s room without permission.”

Dongqing and Binju both startled at that.

Nanny Tao explained: “The Madam asked me to bring you to see her. I thought I’d first collect the trousseau list that had already been discussed with the Madam so you could look it over…”

Dongqing’s face flushed.

In private, the Madam had a rather lively and unconventional nature — this was exactly the sort of thing she might do.

“…But when I got to the door, I couldn’t find it anywhere, which gave me such a fright I broke out in a cold sweat. I retraced my steps to look for it, and then the maids said Hupo had gone in to speak with the Madam and no one was being allowed inside. I waited at the door for a good while, then worried the list might have dropped somewhere on the path, so I searched the whole way back again…” She furrowed her brow. “I still haven’t found it. It’s enough to drive one to distraction.”

Binju, hearing this, felt obliged to respond despite her reluctance: “Nanny, would you like us to help look?”

“That would be wonderful! Just wonderful!” Nanny Tao seized the opening, smiled, and rose to her feet.

But Dongqing asked with a smile: “What does Hupo need to speak to the Madam about? And shutting everyone out — all very mysterious!”

Nanny Tao’s smile took on a knowing quality: “Dongqing, you’re a sensible girl. When a door is shut like that…” She drew out the words, “…do I even need to say more?” Then she smiled and pointed toward the east courtyard where Qiao Lianfang resided.

Word of Qiao Lianfang’s pregnancy had swept through the entire Xu household with the swiftness of lightning and thunder — Dongqing knew of it too. She gave a strained smile: “Hupo was originally a gift from the First Madam.”

“Dongqing, shutting yourself up in your room doing needlework these past days — there are things you may not know yet,” Nanny Tao said. “Yesterday, the First Madam summoned the Madam back to Bowstring Lane and asked her to choose from among Hupo, Shanhu, and the others to attend the Marquis. But the Madam politely refused, which made the First Madam rather displeased.” Then she muttered under her breath, “Hupo’s parents are still serving at the estate down in Jiangnan…” and immediately followed it with a startled “Oh my” and an expression of catching herself: “Why am I saying any of this? The Madam will handle these matters herself.”

Binju disliked the frivolous way Nanny Tao discussed Eleventh Miss’s affairs, and said loudly at once: “Quite right — why say any of this? The Madam will handle it herself.” Then she pressed: “And if that trousseau list has fallen somewhere along the path, with the wind blowing and snow on the ground, it’s probably ruined by now. We had better go and look quickly.” As she spoke, she started toward the door.

Nanny Tao agreed readily, following Binju toward the exit.

After a few steps, she faltered, stopped, paused for a moment, then turned to look back at Dongqing: “…What a pity.”

Then, shaking her head with a sigh, she walked away.

What a pity? What was a pity?

Dongqing stared after Nanny Tao’s retreating figure in bewilderment… and then suddenly clapped her hand over her mouth.

Her heart hammered wildly, and a look of inner struggle passed across her face.

—

Eleventh Miss looked at Hupo with an expression caught between amusement and seriousness: “I, I, I — you’ve been ‘I’-ing for quite some time without managing a word. That’s not like you at all, Hupo.”

Hupo’s face flushed even deeper. Thinking of how well Eleventh Miss had always treated her, she finally summoned her courage and said haltingly: “I want to become your head managing nanny…”

Eleventh Miss nodded, and with an entirely straight face said: “So that’s what it is. I thought you needed money and wanted to exchange some silver.”

Hupo, whose heart had been pounding like a drum, was caught completely off guard.

Eleventh Miss was already looking her up and down: “Though a head managing nanny must be a married woman. As for you…” Her eyes sparkled, her tone teasing.

Only then did Hupo realize she had misspoken. Overcome with embarrassment, she called out in a petulant tone, “Madam!” and turned to leave.

“Hupo!” Eleventh Miss called her back.

Hupo turned around with a pout.

“Hupo,” Eleventh Miss’s expression remained serious, but the playfulness in her eyes had been replaced by something grave and sincere, “Hupo, I am entrusting everything in my household to you.”

Hupo was struck still. Her eyes, beyond her control, grew moist.

“I…” She had only uttered that one word when a startled cry from a young maid outside reached them.

The two women’s faces shifted slightly, and they both looked toward the door.

The curtain was swept aside and Dongqing came rushing in.

“Madam!” Her face was pale, yet a strange flush blazed high on her cheeks, giving her a feverish, disoriented look.

The young maid who had followed her in was drenched in sweat, her expression desperate: “Madam, it wasn’t me — I tried to stop her…”

“You may go,” Eleventh Miss said in a low, steady voice. Then she rose and looked at Dongqing: “What has happened?”

“Madam!” Dongqing walked toward Eleventh Miss.

Her steps were slow at first, a little unsteady, but they grew more and more resolute with each one.

Eleventh Miss stared at Dongqing, disbelief written plainly across her face. She watched Dongqing approach step by step, come to a slow stop before her, and then sink gradually to her knees, calling out “Madam” in a low voice.

Memories of the past flickered through Eleventh Miss’s mind one by one, like frames of a moving picture.

She closed her eyes in pain.

At the corners of her eyes, a glimmer of moisture shone.

A strange tension filled the room, spreading to every corner.

Hupo stared at Eleventh Miss in shock.

She noticed the hand hanging at the side of Eleventh Miss’s skirt — it was clenched tightly into a fist.

Then she heard Eleventh Miss’s voice, bleak and low as an autumn wind’s sigh: “Dongqing, I am very tired today. Whatever you have to say — let us speak tomorrow.”

“Madam…” Dongqing shook her head. She pressed herself to the ground at Eleventh Miss’s feet and said: “Madam, your kindness to me is as deep as a mountain. I have no way to repay it. Nor can I abandon you in a moment like this.” She raised her head, lifting her pale face, eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at Eleventh Miss: “I wish to ease your burden, Madam. I will serve the Marquis.”

“Ah…” Hupo gasped, staring at Dongqing in disbelief. “You… you…” She no longer knew what to say.

As though jolted awake by the sound, Eleventh Miss slowly opened her eyes.

Her pupils were as black as midnight.

She looked down at Dongqing at her feet.

Dongqing met her gaze through her tears: “Hupo is the First Madam’s person — her parents are still at the estate in Yuhang. Binju is only of middling appearance. Zhuxiang is too young…”

“So you think you are the most suitable.” Eleventh Miss’s voice was flat.

Yet for some reason Hupo could clearly hear the edge of mockery beneath it.

A flicker of hesitation passed over Dongqing’s face.

—