The voice carried grievance and timidity, and beneath it, a faint undercurrent of resentment.
Xu Lingyi was taken aback. He looked up — it was Qiao Lianfang.
“What is all this commotion about?” A note of displeasure had entered his tone.
Yan Rong, who had followed close behind Qiao Lianfang, quickly dropped into a curtsy. “Yiniang came in rather suddenly and was moving very quickly. We servants were truly frightened and could not help but make some noise. Please forgive us, my Lord.”
Just now when Qiao Lianfang entered, Xiu Yuan had charged ahead first — the maids had tried to stop Xiu Yuan, not Qiao Lianfang.
Qiao Lianfang had no wish to get into disputes with Eleventh Lady’s maids over such things. Smiling, she paid her respects to Xu Lingyi: “It has been some days since I have seen the Marquis. The Marquis seems to have grown a little thinner?” As she spoke, her hand rested lightly on her abdomen.
Xu Lingyi followed her hand with his gaze, and had a small stool brought for her.
Qiao Lianfang sat down, angled to one side.
“Is there something you need?” Xu Lingyi asked.
“Nothing in particular!” Qiao Lianfang said pleasantly. “Lying in bed every day — I’ve been so terribly bored. I came out for a little walk. When I heard the Marquis had returned, I thought I would come and pay my respects.” She then asked, “What has the Marquis been so busy with lately?”
“Nothing in particular,” Xu Lingyi said briefly. “Just various small matters from the outer courtyard.”
“The Marquis has commanded armies of thousands — the affairs of this household are rather beneath you. Unlike me — all thumbs and clumsy-tongued. I wanted to sew a small garment for the baby, and after seven or eight days I’ve only managed to finish one sleeve.” Qiao Lianfang smiled prettily as she said this.
Xu Lingyi said nothing and lifted his teacup for another sip.
“It’s not that I’m incapable, mind you. When I was at home, I often helped the elders and sisters in the household with their sewing. It’s just that these past few days my health hasn’t been good, and I haven’t had the energy.” Qiao Lianfang’s expression took on a faint air of discontent. “Though the nannies say it will ease up once the first three months have passed, the sensation truly is dreadful.” She pouted slightly. “For some reason — I have the most intense craving for the pickled garlic my mother makes at home. A couple of days ago I even dreamed about it. I woke to find my pillow wet from drooling. The result is that these past few days nothing has tasted right.” She covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed. “I can’t stop thinking about that sour, sweet taste of the pickled garlic.”
The hand holding Xu Lingyi’s teacup stiffened slightly. Then, slowly, he sat up straighter and looked at her with a faint, steady gaze.
“We should have such things at home as well. If you want them, just tell the two nannies.” He watched her with a composed expression.
Qiao Lianfang smiled. “We do have them at home. But the taste is a little different. When they pickle garlic here, they seem to use plain sugar directly. My mother told me that when she makes her pickled garlic, she uses rock sugar instead…”
Xu Lingyi gazed at her in silence, the corners of his mouth slowly pressing into a thin line.
For a moment, the room held nothing but Qiao Lianfang’s slightly coy voice.
But soon, she sensed something was off. Her peripheral vision slid involuntarily toward Xu Lingyi.
He sat upright as a pine tree on the kang, his gaze slightly lowered, resting on the thumb that was slowly turning the teacup — his expression had gone cold and still.
Unease stirred in Qiao Lianfang’s heart. Quickly she added, “…I had originally thought to ask Mother to bring some over so everyone could try them. But Lady of the House feared it might agitate my pregnancy and absolutely insisted I stay home and rest quietly.” She let out a wistful sigh. “My Lord, I asked the two nannies about this myself. Both nannies say I am in perfectly good health. It should be fine to receive a visitor or two…”
“You wish for your mother, Qiao Third Madam, to come and see you?” Xu Lingyi suddenly looked up and cut her off.
Qiao Lianfang froze.
Xu Lingyi’s expression was perfectly calm, but the words that came out of his mouth were somehow unsettling — they made her uneasy in a way she couldn’t quite place.
“Yes.” She continued to smile sweetly, watching his expression carefully and trying to phrase things as tactfully as she could. “That way, Mother could bring me some of her homemade pickled garlic. The Marquis and the Lady of the House could taste them too, and I could satisfy my craving as well…”
“The Lady of the House has instructed you to rest quietly. Yet you wish to receive your mother.” Xu Lingyi looked at her directly and cut her off a second time. “Could it be that you mean to defy the Lady of the House’s instructions?”
Qiao Lianfang was struck speechless.
Xu Lingyi’s expression suddenly turned sharp and austere: “Could it be that you mean to defy the Lady of the House’s instructions?”
This time, his voice rang out like the clash of metal — with the force of thunder, striking Qiao Lianfang straight to the heart.
“No, I didn’t — I don’t have that intention at all.” She scrambled to her feet, instinctively defending herself, “My Lord, I absolutely did not mean that.” Her face had gone slightly pale. “I was only feeling a craving… I wasn’t thinking that far ahead…”
“You weren’t?” Xu Lingyi’s gaze was cold and sharp. “Yet knowing full well the Lady of the House asked you to rest, you are here making noise about wanting to see your mother?”
The faintly mocking edge in his tone startled Qiao Lianfang, and for a moment she could find no words to answer.
Xu Lingyi’s expression took on a trace of weariness. He called out to Yan Rong: “Go and invite the two nannies here.”
Yan Rong complied and hurried out.
Qiao Lianfang sensed that things were going badly.
“My Lord…” Tears streamed down her face. She stepped forward and caught hold of Xu Lingyi’s sleeve. “My Lord… it was I who spoke wrongly. I promise to correct myself from now on…” She raised her face to look at him, her expression as forlorn as rain-battered pear blossoms. “My Lord, please don’t be angry. Please don’t let yourself fall ill on my account…”
Xu Lingyi did not move. The weariness in his expression deepened, and he lifted his hand in a dismissive gesture, indicating she should say no more.
Qiao Lianfang stared at him in blank astonishment, speechless for a long moment.
Nanny Tian and Nanny Wan came in.
Xu Lingyi did not spare Qiao Lianfang another glance. He instructed the two nannies: “Take good care of Qiao Yiniang and see that she rests properly in her rooms. From now on, without the Lady of the House’s permission, Qiao Yiniang is not to set foot outside that courtyard.”
“My Lord!” Qiao Lianfang was thunderstruck. She gripped Xu Lingyi’s sleeve tightly. “I was foolish — will you not forgive me this once? For the sake of the child I carry — your own flesh and blood — will you not forgive me this once…”
At these words, Xu Lingyi’s gaze turned even colder.
The two nannies, seeing clearly, quickly stepped forward and took hold of Qiao Lianfang…
—
The moment Eleventh Lady came through the door, Yan Rong drew close and told her everything from beginning to end.
“Where is the Marquis?”
“In the inner chamber reading,” Yan Rong murmured softly. “Lv Yun is attending him.”
Eleventh Lady considered for a moment, then turned right around in the main hall: “Come, let us go and look in on Qiao Yiniang.”
Rather than checking on the Marquis, she was going first to see Qiao Yiniang…
Yan Rong was a little surprised, but dared not ask questions, and accompanied Eleventh Lady to Qiao Lianfang’s quarters.
Zhurui was crouching beneath the eaves fanning the coal for the medicine being decocted. Catching sight of Eleventh Lady, she stood up at once, called out “My Lady has come!” into the room, and came forward to greet her.
Eleventh Lady gestured toward the medicine. “Is that being decocted for Qiao Yiniang?”
“Yes!” Zhurui nodded quickly. “Yiniang is feeling a little unwell.”
As they spoke, Xiu Yuan lifted the curtain and came out. “My Lady, you’re here!” Her expression held a trace of wariness. She turned to hold the curtain aside for Eleventh Lady, attending her as she went inside.
Nanny Tian came out from the inner chamber.
“Nanny Tian,” Eleventh Lady greeted her first. “Is Yiniang all right?”
“She’s all right!” Nanny Tian’s smile was a little strained. “She cried for a while. She just settled down and rested! She’ll be fine after a bit of rest.”
“I’m relieved to hear that.” Eleventh Lady spoke and turned to sit down in the rosewood armchair in the main room.
Nanny Tian visibly relaxed at the sight.
Eleventh Lady noticed, but pretended not to. In a gentle tone she said, “I had only just come home when I heard about this — I came straight here without even changing my clothes. The Marquis has a quick temper, and Yiniang is at a delicate time. You two nannies have had to bear the brunt of all this.”
Nanny Tian had not expected Eleventh Lady to say such a thing. Surprise crossed her face, followed at once by a quiet warmth in her heart. She said quickly, “My Lady is too kind. It was we who failed in our duties and caused the Marquis to become angry. It is not for us to speak of grievances.”
“You are both far too modest.” Eleventh Lady replied graciously. “You are both longtime attendants of Mother’s, and I personally requested you to come and care for Qiao Yiniang. You ought to be treated as honored guests. I feel quite troubled that something like this has occurred.”
“Please say no more, My Lady.” Nanny Tian spoke earnestly. “We would truly be overwhelmed by such words!”
As they talked, Xiu Yuan brought in tea.
Eleventh Lady did not reach for the cup. Instead, she rose with an air of mild helplessness: “I won’t have the tea then. I still need to go and look in on the Marquis. I will leave things here to the two nannies.”
Nanny Tian quickly bowed in assent.
Eleventh Lady swept out with Hupo and Yan Rong.
Nanny Tian stood contemplating the swaying curtain for a moment, then went into the inner chamber.
Qiao Lianfang was propped against the large bolster pillow on the bed, her eyes red as cherries. Seeing Nanny Tian come in, she sniffled, “She’s gone!” and dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief.
Nanny Tian nodded.
Qiao Lianfang burrowed into the pillow again and wept.
Nanny Wan, standing to one side, tried to comfort her: “Yiniang, grief harms the liver. Please try to settle your heart. If not for yourself, then think of the little young master in your belly…”
Nanny Tian, meanwhile, caught Nanny Wan’s eye with a meaningful look.
Nanny Wan understood and gave a slight nod in return. After a few more words of comfort, she excused herself to check whether the medicine was ready, and left the inner chamber with Nanny Tian.
Nanny Tian then relayed to Nanny Wan exactly what Eleventh Lady had just said.
“…Treat others with a foot, they’ll return it with ten.” Nanny Tian said quietly to Nanny Wan. “I think we ought to report this matter to the Grand Madam.”
“I have long thought the same.” Nanny Wan nodded. “To speak plainly — Qiao Yiniang is, after all, half a mistress of this house. Though we are attendants to the Grand Madam, we cannot go over her head. But she is the sort who goes her own way and will not be swayed. That truly does put us in a difficult position. And there are still seven or eight months before she gives birth. At the rate this Yiniang is making trouble, in nine cases out of ten there will be more disturbances to come. By then, it may be our own reputations that suffer in the end. I think we not only need to report this to the Grand Madam — we may also need to make some noise about how hard our situation here is.”
Nanny Tian was in full agreement. “Let’s put our heads together and figure out the best way to say this.”
The two women leaned their heads together in the corner of the main room, speaking in low voices.
In the front courtyard where Qiao Lianfang resided, Wen Yiniang was at that very moment also speaking in whispers with her personal maid, Qiu Hong.
“…They had to carry her back with the two nannies holding her up,” Qiu Hong said softly. “She’s been crying ever since she got back.”
“So she took a scolding from the Marquis?” Wen Yiniang murmured thoughtfully.
“Nine times out of ten.” Qiu Hong nodded. “Otherwise she wouldn’t be crying so hard.”
“And she’s carrying a child too… and the Marquis still lost his temper with her…” Wen Yiniang mused. “I’ll have to think carefully about this…”
Qiu Hong did not dare interrupt her, and quietly pulled the door shut as she went out.
Dong Hong came over. “Qiu Hong jie — I just saw the maid Cui’er, who serves Qin Yiniang, poking her head around outside our room.”
Qiu Hong snorted with a wry smile when she heard this. “That Qin Yiniang — call her clever and she can’t quite manage to shift her thinking. Call her foolish and she knows to follow our Yiniang’s lead in everything.”
—