Xu Lingning felt the Third Madam was being far too anxious. He laughed. “The house is full of guests, but he’s not a child of seven or eight anymore. Besides, Xu Siyu is with him. He’s probably slipped off somewhere to play.”
Just as he was speaking, Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu emerged. “Father, were you looking for me?”
“The two of us saw so many people and hid in the warm pavilion in the rear garden reading books!” Xu Siyu smiled as he explained.
Xu Lingning glanced at the Third Madam, laughing. “Didn’t I say so?”
The Third Madam, seeing that Xu Siyu was present, could not ask directly. She gave Xu Siqin a few scolding words and sent him on his way.
“You see it yourself now, don’t you? If we don’t take Qin Ge with us, and he and Siyu keep tangling together like this — who knows what trouble they’ll stir up.” The Third Madam could not help but complain. “No matter what, we have to take the child with us. A golden nest or a silver nest is nothing compared to your own humble home.”
Hearing his wife mention Xu Siyu, the Third Master was displeased. “What are you saying? They are brothers near in age. It’s a good thing that they get along and enjoy each other’s company…”
The Third Madam knew she had overstepped and quickly smiled. “That’s not what I meant at all. I mean, the two of them being together like this will inevitably hinder their studies. The Marquis is all-powerful, so Siyu naturally has nothing to worry about. But we’re different. If we don’t take the path of scholarly study, which path can we take?”
These words hit the Third Master right in the heart. He considered for a long time, then said, “I’ll speak with Fourth Brother tomorrow — it’s better for him to go to Mother. He’s more suited to make that visit.”
The child was the Third Madam’s precious heart’s blood. Even after hearing what she wanted to hear, she pressed the Third Master: “Why not go say something now?”
“Let it be tomorrow,” the Third Master yawned. “Fourth Brother has been away from visitors for several days. Several men from the Ministry of War who had once served under him took this occasion to pour a fair amount of liquor into him. When I saw him leave, his step was a little unsteady.”
Xu Lingyi had indeed drunk a little too much. Nothing showed on his face — it was only that his eyes looked somewhat brighter than usual. He came through the door and asked Shiyiniang to prepare a sobering broth. “…I’ll go lie down in the eastern side room. No need to let the fumes bother you.” Without waiting for Shiyiniang’s reply, he lurched slightly toward the eastern side room.
Shiyiniang, along with Lvyun, Yanrong, and the others, helped him change clothes, made the bed, and attended to him as he drank the sobering broth.
Fortunately, Xu Lingyi did not make a scene when drunk — he simply slept peacefully and quietly.
Shiyiniang had been a little worried at first, but when she saw that he seemed fine, she left a young maid to attend to him and called for Hupo, Zhuxiang, and Lvyun and the others to come to the main hall to discuss the handover with the Third Madam over the past few days.
Lvyun went off to carry out the errand. But Yanrong stepped forward a few paces and said in a low voice, “Madam, I saw Xiuyuan — the one from Qiao Yiniang’s side — peering around at the eastern side gate.”
Shiyiniang thought for a moment, then said, “Go take a look. If she’s still there, ask her what she wants. If she’s evasive, don’t be too polite with her — use whatever rule applies and use it. You are my second-tier maid; Xiuyuan is Qiao Yiniang’s third-tier maid.” She reminded the newly promoted Yanrong. “If she’s come to check whether the Marquis has returned, tell her directly that the Marquis has been drinking and has retired for the night. Tell her to come speak with me.”
Yanrong thought it over and withdrew with an acknowledgment.
Hupo, Zhuxiang, and Lvyun came in.
Lvyun was now jointly managing with Hupo and handling Shiyiniang’s personal household affairs. Hongxiu and Yanrong jointly managed with Zhuxiang — Hongxiu overseeing the laundry and food, Yanrong overseeing Shiyiniang’s clothing and the storeroom. Not seeing Yanrong, Hongxiu made a sound of surprise. “Where did she run off to?”
Just then, Yanrong came in.
Shiyiniang gave her a slight nod.
Yanrong immediately reported: “Xiuyuan said she had just settled Qiao Yiniang for the night and heard noise and commotion from this side, so she came over to take a look.”
Shiyiniang raised an eyebrow. “And what did you do?”
Yanrong said, “By the rules, the eastern side gate is latched shut at the first quarter past the hour of xu, and it is now past the hour of hai. I docked the gatekeeper wives half a month’s allowance. I made it clear — if it happens again, they’ll be turned out.”
“Very good, very good.” Shiyiniang smiled. That she had always thought Yanrong carried herself well, she had not expected her to also be so capable.
Only then did everyone understand what had happened. Hongxiu opened her mouth to ask, but Shiyiniang had already invited everyone to sit. “For tomorrow’s handover of the storeroom accounts with the Third Madam, all of you must remember — it is better to take more time and trouble than to be careless. Know this: it is easy to guard against enemies outside, but hard to guard against those within. The greatest fear is that someone will take advantage of the confusion to slip something through. Yet there are also things you must watch for on your end. You are to check the items against the account books as they are. If there are any discrepancies, hand them directly to the Third Madam’s people to deal with. Do not say a word more or get involved in asking about what is behind it. Bear this in mind — the Third Madam’s account books came down from the First Madam’s hands. If you dig up a radish and mud comes with it, it may end up reflecting poorly on us. We need only verify that the accounts tally with what is physically there, and have the Third Madam’s people sign off and present everything to the Grand Madam for her review.” She pointed to Hupo. “You are responsible for this matter.” She then instructed the other maids: “If anything comes up, speak to Hupo first. Do not let anyone open their mouth and start making noise on their own.”
Everyone responded in respectful unison. She gave a few more instructions, then lifted her tea.
But the following afternoon, Yanrong came rushing in. “Madam, the First Young Madam of the Gan Family of Zhongqin Earldom has arrived. The Third Madam has called both Nanny Gan and Qiuling back. Today’s account checking will probably not be possible.”
There had been many guests at the Third Household these past few days.
Shiyiniang nodded and asked, “Were there any problems with the accounts?”
“None!” Yanrong said. “There are thirty-six account books in total. We’ve checked through to the twelfth, and all of them match perfectly.”
“And what did the Third Madam say? Should we continue later today, or come back tomorrow?”
“She gave no instructions at all before calling everyone away!” Yanrong was somewhat deflated. “At this rate, it could drag on for a few more days.”
“Let it drag,” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “The Third Master has a deadline to report for duty. Even if we can wait, the Third Madam can’t.” She gave a few more words of caution — “be careful,” “be thorough” — then returned to the inner chamber, where Zhen Jie’er had been spending these past few days working on embroidery with her.
Seeing Shiyiniang come in, she held up her half-finished embroidered orchid. “Mother, take a look — is this right?”
Zhen Jie’er was very meticulous, and worked with great care and seriousness. She was improving quickly.
Shiyiniang examined it carefully for a moment, then smiled. “You’ve come along much faster than I did at your age.”
It was the plain truth.
Back then, her heart had been full of resentment, and embroidering was only a means to quiet the anger within. Later, when she had settled down and embroidered more, she gradually came to feel the pleasure in it.
Zhen Jie’er gave a faint blush. “Mother is teasing me again.”
With a child as gentle and sensible as Zhen Jie’er, encouragement should be the primary approach — yet praise could not be given carelessly.
Shiyiniang pointed to the orchids she had embroidered earlier. “Compare for yourself — isn’t it much improved?”
Zhen Jie’er looked carefully, and sure enough, the stitchwork was far more even than before.
A faint brightness came into her eyes, and she pressed her lips together in a smile.
Shiyiniang smiled too.
The two of them worked at their needlework for a while longer. Seeing that the hour was growing late, they went to the Grand Madam’s quarters.
Zhun Ge was making Xu Sijie recite the Three Character Classic. Seeing Shiyiniang, he immediately ran over. “Mother, Mother!”
Shiyiniang bent down and patted his head. “Walk properly. Running like that, you’ll trip and fall — and it doesn’t look well either.”
Xu Sijie smiled pleasantly and nodded.
Zhun Ge came forward and paid his respects to Shiyiniang.
All of them went into the inner chamber together.
Nanny Shi was telling the Grand Madam about Xu Lingkuan’s eldest daughter: “…Her eyes are like little black grapes. The Fifth Master holds her and can’t bear to put her down — he’d carry her day and night if he could.” As her gaze swept past Xu Sijie standing at Shiyiniang’s side, the smile on her face dimmed slightly. She came forward to greet Shiyiniang with a bow.
Nanny Du brought a cushioned stool for Shiyiniang. “The Grand Madam has been thinking of her little granddaughter and specially called Nanny Shi over to ask.”
Shiyiniang followed Nanny Du’s lead and asked after the child. For a time, conversation and laughter filled the room.
But when the first quarter past the hour of the rooster arrived, the Third Madam, Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, and Xu Sijian had still not appeared. Not only that, not a single maid or manservant had come to send word.
Nanny Du smiled. “They must have many guests over there, and couldn’t get away for the moment.”
The Grand Madam was calm. “Then let us not wait for them. Bring out the meal.”
Shiyiniang supported the Grand Madam, and the children followed as they went to the eastern side room.
They had barely sat down when Qiuling came from the Third Madam’s side to say that the Third Madam had many guests and the atmosphere was very lively — she and her three children would not be coming over.
The Grand Madam raised an eyebrow and lifted her chopsticks.
Shiyiniang noticed that Qiuling’s color was ashen, found it privately peculiar, yet with the Grand Madam present could not ask further. She attended to the Grand Madam through the evening meal, then sat with the Grand Madam talking for a while before departing with Zhen Jie’er and Xu Sijie.
But they had barely stepped out of the Grand Madam’s courtyard gate when someone slipped out from the side. “Fourth Madam, our Third Madam invites you to come for a cup of tea!”
Shiyiniang looked up — it was Qiuling, who had just delivered the message.
She thought of the afternoon’s interrupted account-checking, the sudden visit from the First Young Madam of the Gan Family, the three brothers Xu Siqin and the others who had not come to dinner at the Grand Madam’s… Then she looked again at Qiuling waiting at the gate. Something in her intuition said this was no simple matter, yet no matter how she turned it over, she could not connect these things to one another.
She gave Qiuling a calm smile and said, “Let me get the children settled first.”
Qiuling hesitated for a moment, forced out a smile, curtsied, and went on ahead.
Shiyiniang quickly called to Lvyun: “Go, find out what the Marquis and the Third Master are doing right now. Where is the Second Young Master? When did the First Young Madam of Zhongqin Earldom leave?”
Lvyun hurried off.
By the time Shiyiniang had settled both children, Lvyun had returned with the news. “An official from the Bureau of Accompaniers, Master Ma from the Bureau of Retinue — a Master Ma Zuowen — has arrived. The Marquis and the Third Master are both entertaining Master Ma at the flower hall in the outer compound. The Second Young Master is not in his room. Wenzhu, who attends him, said he was accompanied by Qinxiang and went over to the First Young Master’s quarters first thing this morning. I also went and asked at the First Young Master’s quarters — the young maids there said the First and Second Young Masters were playing at the Third Madam’s side. The First Young Madam of Zhongqin Earldom had just left less than a cup of tea’s time ago. And according to the wives serving at the crapemyrtle gate, the First Young Madam of the Gan Family came and went in an angry state both times. Nanny Gan, who saw her out, was all the while smiling in apology.”
Shiyiniang still could not make sense of it all, but she brought Hupo with her and went to the Third Madam’s quarters.
The front of the Third Madam’s courtyard was bright with red lanterns. The maids were all smiling warmly, the whole scene festive and harmonious, with not the slightest sign of anything amiss.
Qiuling was waiting on the front steps. She came forward and paid her respects, then led Shiyiniang toward the Third Madam’s main room. All along the way, maids and wives respectfully half-curtsied in greeting. But the further they went toward the Third Madam’s main room, the fewer people there were, and the heavier the atmosphere grew. When Qiuling finally lifted the curtain to the eastern side room that the Third Madam ordinarily used as a place of rest, Shiyiniang let out an involuntary cry of surprise: “Siyu Ge!”
—