Though young, Chang Xuezhi was diligent and capable. By the afternoon of the following day he returned with a report for Shiyiniang.

“…He is working as the second-in-charge at a silk and cloth shop called Longsheng. According to the shop assistants, Steward Jiang claims to be Madam’s personal retainer and says he previously served as the head manager at the Luo family’s silk and cloth shop in Yuhang.” At this point, Chang Xuezhi’s expression became slightly hesitant and his voice dropped a little. “He says Madam brought him to Yanjing with the original intention of drawing on his expertise to open a shop. But not wanting to be in competition with the people left behind by the First Young Madam, he went to find his own footing elsewhere.”

Shiyiniang reflected on this for a moment, then asked Chang Xuezhi gently, “Is that shop large? Does it have any branches in Yanjing?”

“In Yanjing it would be considered average,” Chang Xuezhi said. “No branches. The proprietor is a merchant from the Changzhou area who has three shop fronts near the East Gate. They deal exclusively in plain cotton textiles. I arrived at the hour of mid-morning and the assistants completed seven or eight transactions. It appears business is decent.”

Shiyiniang nodded, had Lvyun scoop out a handful of copper coins to tip him, and told him to keep looking into it. “…When you’re not occupied, go and take a look around.”

Chang Xuezhi acknowledged the instruction and left.

Hupo stepped in. “Madam, the Second Madam’s carriage has arrived.”

Tomorrow was the full-month celebration for the Second Young Miss, Xu Sijin. The Fifth Master, Xu Lingkuan, had personally called on her several days ago, and it had been agreed that she would return to the household today.

Shiyiniang brought Zhen Jie’er along to wait and receive her at the inner gate.

The Second Madam wore her hair in a high knot adorned with three clove-blossom silver hairpins, dressed in a black sable fur jacket and a white cloud-patterned crepe skirt — an appearance both understated and elegant.

Zhen Jie’er walked right up to her. “Second Aunt!”

Her cheeks were flushed, and she was visibly excited.

The Second Madam smiled and gave Zhen Jie’er a nod, then stepped forward to exchange greetings with Shiyiniang.

“The Third Sister-in-law has left, and all the household affairs have been left entirely to you. You must be exhausted,” she said politely.

“It is all part of my duties — I would not dare call it exhausting,” Shiyiniang replied with equal courtesy. “It is Second Sister-in-law who has traveled all this way and must be tired from the journey.”

The two exchanged a few measured pleasantries, then boarded a small green-curtained carriage and made their way to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

The Grand Madam had been waiting long, and the moment she saw the Second Madam her face broke into a broad, radiant smile. “What took you so long? Was the journey comfortable?”

“With the household guards, the steward, and Jiexiang attending to everything, the journey was perfectly fine,” the Second Madam replied with a curtsy. “It is just that the weather was lovely today, and I lingered a little over the scenery along the way. I have made Mother worry needlessly.”

“As long as the journey was safe and smooth!” The Grand Madam took her hand and led her inside. “So the trees have begun to show new growth along the road?”

“The third day of the third month is nearly upon us,” the Second Madam said with a smile. “The trees have long since put forth their buds.”

The two sat down together on the large kang beside the window in the inner room.

The Second Madam mentioned the Third Madam. “On those days I happened to be feeling a little unwell, so I didn’t come back. I only sent a steward to bring gifts of writing brushes and several bolts of carved silk fabric as a farewell present…”

None of them had previously heard anything about her being unwell. Shiyiniang and Zhen Jie’er were taken slightly aback. The Grand Madam had already cut her off with urgency. “What was wrong? Did you see an Imperial Physician? How are you now?” She took hold of the Second Madam’s hand and looked her up and down.

“Nothing serious!” the Second Madam said quickly with a smile. “Just a chill. I’m completely better now.”

“This child!” The Grand Madam, seeing the color in her cheeks and hearing the steadiness of her voice, knew she spoke the truth, and shook her head.

“I didn’t say anything precisely because I didn’t want you to worry,” the Second Madam said with a smile. Then she asked after the Fifth Madam. “I heard from the Fifth Brother that Danyang had a smooth delivery. The baby weighed six jin and six liang, and has been named ‘Xin’…”

“Yes, yes!” The Grand Madam grew bright-eyed and pleased at the mention of the child, her whole expression warm with delight. “She is truly lovely — she has taken the best of both of them. The eyes and nose are Danyang’s, but the mouth is Lingkuan’s…”

Just then a young maid brought tea.

The Grand Madam paused and said with a smile, “Look at me — you’ve only just arrived and I’ve been talking your ear off.” Then, as if remembering something, she asked, “You’re not leaving again this time, are you?” Her eyes could not quite hide a glimmer of hope.

A fleeting shadow of hesitation passed through the Second Madam’s eyes, then she smiled. “My whole reason for moving to West Mountain was to take things easy and idle away the days. But once I was really there, I found myself missing Mother. Since it happens to be Xin Jie’er’s full-month celebration, I thought I might as well dig my heels in and not go back.”

“What nonsense about ‘digging your heels in!'” The Grand Madam was all smiles now, her whole face lit up with happiness. “This is your home — stay as long as you like.” She called for Weizi to help the Second Madam freshen up. “…Let’s go and see Xin Jie’er!”

The Second Madam smiled in agreement and went to the washroom.

Zhen Jie’er followed to attend on her.

A trace of something pensive passed over the Grand Madam’s face. She turned to look at Shiyiniang, hesitating on the verge of speech.

Shiyiniang thought of the dispute over the main rooms between Yuan Niang and the Second Madam, and understood that the Grand Madam was worried she and the Second Madam might be at odds. She simply smiled and said directly, “Second Sister-in-law is a widow — naturally her thoughts are more delicate. Mother should gently reassure her. If the two of us sisters-in-law spend more time together, it will work itself out gradually.”

Her words went straight to what the Grand Madam had been thinking.

“Good, good, good,” the Grand Madam said, her face breaking into a warm smile. “Seeing you all get along warmly is better for me than any ginseng or bird’s nest.”

“Mother need not worry,” Shiyiniang said. “I will take good care of Second Sister-in-law.”

Just as she was speaking, the Second Madam finished changing and came back out. The Grand Madam changed the subject, and everyone went off together in good cheer to call on the Fifth Madam.

After the bath-and-naming ceremony, Shiyiniang had come to see Xin Jie’er two or three times. The little one changed a little more each day. She seemed even bigger than on the last visit — all powdered and jade-smooth. The Second Madam was so fond of her she could hardly contain herself. She held Xin Jie’er with the utmost caution, as though she did not quite know what to do with her hands and feet.

The Fifth Madam, sitting up in bed, teased her. “How did you manage to take care of Siyu back then?”

The Second Madam laughed. “There were wet nurses and maids for that, weren’t there?” Her tone carried such a note of detachment that it sounded as though she had never once held Xu Siyu in the way she was now holding Xin Jie’er.

The Grand Madam chuckled at that, while Shiyiniang felt a quiet stir of thought.

A young maid called from behind the curtain, “The Fifth Master has returned!”

A general hush fell over the room.

Xu Lingkuan swept the curtain aside and came in with a broad smile, greeting everyone warmly. He held in his hand a large red sprinkled-gold invitation card, and with visible excitement showed it to the Grand Madam. “…Tomorrow’s menu for the full-month banquet. Please have a look.”

The Grand Madam’s eyes were not as sharp as they used to be. She passed it to Shiyiniang. “Read it to me.”

Four cold dishes for accompanying wine, four cold side plates, four pastries, ten hot dishes, one hotpot with assorted ingredients — chicken, duck, fish, meat, mountain delicacies, seafood, all included… Shiyiniang did a quick rough calculation: not counting wine and tea, each table would cost approximately fifty taels of silver.

“Guests will only be close family and good friends — around sixty tables in all,” Xu Lingkuan explained to the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam smiled and nodded her approval, settling the matter.

On the way back, Xu Sijie came to pay his respects.

The kitchen had sent over some yam and red date paste cake.

Shiyiniang gave a piece to Xu Sijie.

Xu Sijie sat on the small stool nearby and ate it in small, careful bites, thoroughly absorbed and content.

Shiyiniang’s thoughts drifted to Xin Jie’er’s full-month banquet.

For some reason she could not quite name, her heart felt a little heavy.

The uncomprehending child, noticing Shiyiniang staring at him, lifted his smiling face and held out his small plate toward her. “Mother, it’s good!”

Shiyiniang patted Xu Sijie’s head gently. “You eat it — Mother is not hungry.”

Xu Sijie looked at her without understanding.

Shiyiniang pulled him into her arms and let out a long, quiet sigh.

That evening, Hupo told her quietly: “I heard from Pearl Bud that Qiao Yiniang has been very calm these past two days. Not only is she taking her medicine on time, her appetite has also improved. It’s as if she has become a different person.”

Shiyiniang was silent for a long while, then said quietly, “You will need to keep a closer watch on Qiao Yiniang’s side of things.”

Hupo smiled. “Madam, don’t worry. I have been watching Qiao Yiniang’s side all along.”

“You haven’t understood what I mean,” Shiyiniang said, her voice carrying a trace of helplessness. “Losing the child has been a blow to Qiao Yiniang. But what consequences this blow will bring — we don’t know yet. All we can do is take precautions.”

—

The next day was Xin Jie’er’s full-month celebration. A few of the Fifth Madam’s cousins-in-law came to present full-month gifts. The outer courtyard of the Xu household opened forty tables, the inner courtyard twenty, and a troupe from the De Yin troupe was engaged to perform in the courtyard outside. Marquis Yongchang’s Madam Huang and Third Young Madam Huang, Grand Duke Dingguo’s Madam Zheng, Marquis Weibei’s Madam Lin and First Young Madam Lin, Marquis Zhongshan’s Madam Tang, Fourth Madam Tang, Madam Zhou… the hall was full of familiar faces.

The Third Madam had departed for Dangyang, and all the affairs of the inner household were overseen entirely by Shiyiniang.

Shiyiniang received each guest with a soft, unhurried manner.

Third Young Madam Huang pulled First Young Madam Lin aside. “Look at what the Fourth Madam is wearing.”

Shiyiniang wore a pale pink jacket and a purple crepe skirt, with only a small pair of willow-leaf drop earrings at her ears — dignified and lovely, gentle and gracious.

“She is young — of course everything looks well on her!” First Young Madam Lin said with a laugh. “If you or I wore those colors, how could we ever step outside?”

“That’s true!” Third Young Madam Huang said with a somewhat chagrined smile, then asked after Hui Jie’er. “I heard she was going to learn needlework — how is it coming along?”

“Amitabha!” First Young Madam Lin involuntarily gave a prayer of thanks. “It was not for nothing that I humbled myself and begged in front of everyone. She has at least agreed to sit down and pick up needle and thread.”

Third Young Madam Huang was genuinely surprised. “Truly?”

“Truly!” First Young Madam Lin said. “The child went home subdued and low-spirited for several days. I was just starting to worry — wondering whether I ought to come and ask the Fourth Madam what had happened — when she called a nanny herself and asked her to find a simple embroidery pattern.” She shook her head and said with feeling, “Even so, it’s still only three days of fishing and two days of drying the nets — but it’s still better than before, when she wouldn’t touch needlework at all…”

While they were speaking, Gan Madam from the Zhong Qin Earldom walked in.

Both women fell silent at once and watched as Shiyiniang stepped forward with a smile. “You’re here!”

Gan Madam’s smile carried a slight trace of unease.

When the Third Madam had left, none of the Gan family except the Third Madam’s own elder brother had come to see her off.

Never mind that the fault lay with the Xu family — today was Xin Jie’er’s full-month celebration, and Shiyiniang could not allow Gan Madam to be made to feel awkward.

She smiled and led Gan Madam toward where the Grand Madam sat. “…You’ve come a little on the late side! Madam Huang wants to play cards and is just short one person!” Her manner was entirely as if nothing had occurred.

Gan Madam seemed to want to say something but held back, and followed Shiyiniang to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

The Fifth Madam was holding the baby and showing her to several of the ladies. Everyone smiled and exclaimed — some saying “the hair has grown in nicely,” others saying “the mouth looks like Lingkuan’s” — making comments and comparisons in high spirits.

Shiyiniang was just about to speak up and add her voice to the gathering when Gan Madam suddenly caught hold of her sleeve and leaned in close. “Fourth Madam… it was really quite a favorable match to begin with. But your Third Sister-in-law kept refusing to commit, and our First Young Madam has always had a stubborn streak… It was out of sheer frustration that the match was spoken of in such haste…” She gave a faint, bitter smile. “I suppose it was simply not fated to be.” Then she raised her voice and turned away. “This must be our Xin Jie’er!” And with that she merged smoothly into the cheerful bustle of the room.