The lowered gauze curtains blocked the light and the noise of the world, as peaceful and quiet as a corner forgotten by the rolling dust of life.

Xu Lingyi looked at the slight rise of the bedding beside him and could not help but smile. “Still not getting up?” The rich, mellow quality of his voice carried the languid satisfaction of contentment.

The bedding rustled and shifted, and then half of Shiyiniang’s face emerged, red as a blooming lotus blossom. “I am going to fall ill.” The clear ring of her voice held an unguarded willfulness she did not herself notice, and her bright eyes carried a measure of indignation.

Xu Lingyi laughed out loud. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, but she dove back under the covers.

His lips landed instead on the dark, glossy silk of her hair.

Xu Lingyi was momentarily surprised, then gave an even more jubilant laugh.

Laugh, laugh, laugh—all he ever did was laugh.

Since marrying into the Xu Family, she had never risen this late.

Moreover, she now managed the household’s domestic affairs, with seven or eight housekeeper-attendants beneath her, to say nothing of all the maidservants and serving women. There was simply no such thing as privacy in this household. Without reaching noon, everyone would likely know why she had risen so late. Had she known it would come to this, she ought to have simply yielded to him the previous night and let him have his way… it would not have led to that business again this morning… she would not have gone back to sleep, would not have risen so late, would not have gone through all that anxious vexation just now.

Thinking of this, she yanked the bedding with great force, wrapping herself tightly inside it, without the slightest concern for whether Xu Lingyi was left with any covering at all.

In the darkness, the Hangzhou silk of her undergarment glided over her skin like water.

Her slender, delicate fingers could not help but curl into fists.

When all was said and done, the blame lay entirely with Xu Lingyi.

She had been too exhausted then, and in her dazed state had sensed him dressing her. She asked him what time it was and he said it was still early: “…Rest a while longer.”

How could she have trusted that trickster and actually fallen asleep?

Had her hand not chanced upon the pocket watch he had left on the bed, she would have thought the sky had not yet brightened.

He had known perfectly well she needed to rise early, yet let her sleep until this hour.

Xu Lingyi looked at the thin undergarment on his own body, then at Shiyiniang cocooned in the bedding like a silkworm’s chrysalis, and could not suppress a renewed fit of laughter. Still laughing, he gathered both Shiyiniang and the bedding she was wrapped in into his arms.

“All right, all right.” He laughed and soothed her. “I saw that you were sleeping so soundly that I could not bring myself to wake you.” He drew back a corner of the bedding—Shiyiniang’s face was uncovered. “Trust me.” He helped smooth her disheveled hair. “It is only the beginning of the chen hour now. Though we are late in going to pay our respects to Mother, it will not delay your meeting with the housekeeping attendants in the flower hall.” His gaze upon her was very gentle. “We will simply stay a shorter while with Mother—I shall go with you, and Mother, knowing you have me to attend to, will not blame you for being a little late.”

Shiyiniang startled: “It is only the beginning of the chen hour?”

Xu Lingyi looked at her with an expression of perfect gravity, though his eyes could not quite conceal the mischief within: “What hour did you suppose it was?”

Shiyiniang scrambled frantically about under the covers, feeling around on the bed.

The pocket watch suddenly appeared in Xu Lingyi’s palm.

“Is this what you are looking for?”

Shiyiniang shot him a glare, lunged, and snatched the pocket watch into her own hand. She opened it and looked—the hands pointed to the third quarter past the beginning of the si hour.

She stared, slightly dumbfounded.

Xu Lingyi then produced, as if by magic from beneath the pillow, another pocket watch of exactly the same kind and opened the case for her to see.

The hands pointed to just past a quarter after the beginning of the chen hour.

Xu Lingyi wound it with a smile, adjusted the time, then tucked the pocket watch into Shiyiniang’s hand.

“You are in charge of the household affairs now. This will be useful.” He said in a mild tone.

Shiyiniang felt the cold of the silver case and, for a moment, was at a loss for words.

When had he procured this pocket watch for her?

In this time, pocket watches were exceedingly rare objects.

And Xu Lingyi, watching the usually composed and unflappable Shiyiniang transform in an instant into a wide-eyed little fool, felt, for reasons he could not quite name, a happiness he had never known before. When Wang Jiubao came to see him, he had brought several precious small gifts. Xu Lingyi had seen the pocket watch and thought of Shiyiniang, thinking she could put it to use. He was suddenly very glad that on a sudden impulse he had set aside the other gifts and accepted this pocket watch instead. Otherwise, how would he ever have seen such a priceless expression on Shiyiniang’s face?

His playful spirit stirred again.

“Moyan,” Xu Lingyi pressed his cheek against hers and said softly, “how about you fall ill just once more today?” His arm encircled her waist suggestively and drew her a little closer into his embrace.

Shiyiniang was taken aback, and then discovered that she was in fact sitting across his lap in a rather undignified position.

She immediately thought of the pocket watch.

It must have been because she was so eager to check the time that she had not noticed, and so she had ended up like this… Last night it was because he had wanted this and she had refused… and this morning he had been insistent, and so things had gone as he wished. She had both yielded to him and slept in late—and that had led to all the anxious vexation just now.

Thinking of this, she leapt up as if she had touched a live coal.

“I—I need to wash and dress!”

She fled in headlong retreat.

Xu Lingyi laughed until he could not contain himself.

Even by the time he came before the Old Madam, the smile had not fully left his face.

The Old Madam was even more amused than Xu Lingyi.

After days of discord, the moment the two made up, they arrived later than usual. One wore a controlled expression, yet with something unmistakably ill at ease in it; the other appeared perfectly gentle, while every line of his face and brow brimmed with laughter.

“Come, come, come.” The Old Madam beckoned to Shiyiniang. “Sit here with me.”

Shiyiniang complied and sat down.

The Old Madam took her hand and was just about to ask something when a young maidservant came in to report: “Old Madam, two attendants from Red Lantern Hutong have come to pay their respects to you.”

The Old Madam understood perfectly and asked a few questions, then sent Nanny Du with them to the Fifth Madam’s quarters to discuss the matter of building a new courtyard.

Shiyiniang, seeing the hour was growing late, took her leave and went to the western flower hall.

After dismissing the housekeeping attendants who came to report, Nanny Song came in.

“I have inquired. Everything has been ordinary courtesy calls, with two occasions of food gifts and a few handkerchiefs of a new style. Our eldest young miss, for her part, personally sketched several embroidery patterns, and found a few wine-brewing recipes from Second Madam’s books to send back with the servants.”

“Wine-brewing recipes?”

“Apparently the eldest young miss of the Lin Family requested them.”

“In that case, it seems there is nothing improper going on?” Shiyiniang murmured thoughtfully.

Why did the Second Madam not permit Zhen Jie’er to visit the Lin household then?

“I heard from the serving women in Second Madam’s quarters that Second Madam has always been strict about the young masters’ and young misses’ studies.” Nanny Song said tactfully. “The eldest young miss of the Lin Family often sends attendants to pay her respects, and specifically names things she wants the eldest young miss to search out for her. Perhaps Second Madam feels that the Lin young miss makes too many small demands and is interfering with our eldest young miss’s studies. So when the Lin Family’s attendant last came to invite the eldest young miss to visit as a guest, Second Madam’s expression was displeased. She said our eldest young miss’s mourning period was not yet over and that she ought not to be running about. So the eldest young miss did not dare come to you about it.”

Shiyiniang gave a small nod: “Do you know what date Eldest Young Miss of the Lin Family and our eldest young miss have arranged?”

“Apparently the twenty-first of the third month. I am told that is the Lin young miss’s birthday.”

Perhaps that was why Zhen Jie’er absolutely had to go?

Shiyiniang had gone through something similar herself.

She thought for a moment, then said: “Then help me look into it clearly.”

Nanny Song smiled and acknowledged the instruction.

Shiyiniang saw the hour was not early and went to the Old Madam’s quarters.

The Second Madam had already returned from her family’s home.

She wore a white silk lined jacket and a slate-blue Hangzhou silk over-robe, with not a single ornament on her person. She looked clean and understated. She was sitting by the kang speaking with the Old Madam.

The Old Madam quickly beckoned Shiyiniang over: “Master Xiang has decided not to sell the old family house after all. So Madam Xiang will remain to have the old house refurbished. It seems she cannot set out for Wuchang Prefecture until autumn.”

That was quite the convenient excuse.

Shiyiniang smiled and thanked the Second Madam.

The Second Madam replied modestly, then said: “Are we not going to Cisource Temple to offer incense in a few days? Eldest Sister-in-law will be going as well. I thought we might all dine together on the vegetarian meal there at noon.”

The Old Madam gave a small nod and looked toward Shiyiniang.

Shiyiniang naturally had no objection and smiled: “I shall follow Second Sister-in-law’s arrangements entirely.” Then she sought the Old Madam’s counsel: “Does it seem to you I ought to prepare anything?”

The Old Madam laughed: “Just dress yourself up prettily and go meet your future in-laws.”

“Mother!” Shiyiniang said with gentle reproach. “I am speaking in earnest. I have never encountered this sort of occasion before. If I bring no gift, I fear Madam Xiang will think we are lacking in propriety; and if I do bring something, since no formal betrothal discussion has taken place, I am afraid Madam Xiang will think us too presumptuous. You really must give me some guidance.”

“Very well, very well.” The Old Madam laughed. “Just treat it as an ordinary meeting between acquaintances. No need for so much ceremony. Otherwise the young people will feel embarrassed.”

While they were speaking, the Fifth Madam came in carrying Xin Jie’er.

Shiyiniang was somewhat surprised to learn they were to return to the Fifth Madam’s family home for two months.

The Fifth Madam’s explanation was that the household was under construction and she was afraid the noise would disturb Xin Jie’er.

Shiyiniang had after all lived two lifetimes. In her previous world, with so many only children, the boundaries between one’s natal family and one’s husband’s family were no longer so rigid, and she found nothing particularly remarkable about it. But the Old Madam feared she might harbor some resentment. After seeing the Fifth Madam and child off, the Old Madam explained to Shiyiniang: “…She has been somewhat unsettled of late. I am letting her go back to her family for a while.” Then she let out a long sigh. “That child—she has still not experienced enough of life.”

Shiyiniang did not feel it was her place to comment.

The following morning, someone came from the palace to formally convey the joyous news of the Empress’s pregnancy to the Xu Family. That same afternoon, Shiyiniang began to prepare for the trip to Cisource Temple the next day.

They set out at the second quarter of the chou hour, departed at the midpoint of the chou hour, and arrived at Cisource Temple precisely at the midpoint of the yin hour.

Cisource Temple was situated in a bustling district, its mountain gate fronting the renowned Cuihua Street, which dealt exclusively in women’s ornaments. Exiting Cuihua Street brought one to West Avenue, yet once through the mountain gate, green hills receded into the distance and lush verdant foliage spread all around—a scene of an entirely different world.

It was Shiyiniang’s first visit, and she could not help marveling inwardly.

Jining had already brought the temple’s monastics to stand waiting at the mountain gate. As the Xu Family’s womenfolk entered, she had the gate closed.

Cisource Temple was a sacred site of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The main hall stood upon a small hill. Everyone made their way up the gently sloping stone steps into the hall, where Jining led them in offering incense and lighting the long-burning lamps. They were then welcomed to a small courtyard not far from the hall to rest, and the novice monastics brought vegetarian food for them.

The Old Madam instructed Jining: “Open the mountain gate. This visit is for offering prayers on behalf of the Empress. If we cause difficulty for the faithful who wish to come, would that not add to our sins rather than our merit?”

“Old Madam truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva!” Jining answered with a composed smile and went to carry out the instruction.

Everyone sat down and ate their morning meal.

—