Binju quickly pulled out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. “I am foolish to carry on so.”

Eleventh Young Madam’s own eyes were a little moist. She gestured toward Nanny Song. “This is Nanny Song. No doubt you’ve already met. She served beside Grand Madam in her younger years, and Grand Madam herself recommended her to our household to serve as the head nanny. Come and say hello.”

Binju stepped forward and gave Nanny Song a proper, respectful bow.

Nanny Song quickly curtseyed in return, demurring that the courtesy was too much, and smiled warmly. “I’ve heard so much about Madam’s Binju — steadfast and loyal, they always said. Seeing you now, I know there’s more to it than that — you’re also easy-going and gracious.”

“I could never deserve such kind words from Nanny,” Binju said modestly.

Hupo covered her mouth to stifle a laugh from the side. “Even Nanny Song misspoke just now!”

Everyone was puzzled.

Hupo laughed. “We can’t call Binju Elder Sister anymore — she’s ‘Wan Daxian’s wife’ now!”

Everyone burst out laughing.

Binju’s cheeks flushed red, and she gave Hupo a look of mock reproach. “You and your quick tongue!”

A trace of the candid, unguarded girl she had once been flickered through.

Eleventh Young Madam looked on with quiet delight and asked her, “Have you eaten?”

Binju shook her head. “Not yet. I wanted to pay my respects to you first before heading back to Jinyu Lane.”

Eleventh Young Madam considered for a moment and said, “Wait for me a while — let me go and pay my respects to Grand Madam first, and then we’ll have dinner together.”

Binju quickly said, “There’s no need. It’ll be curfew soon.”

There were still two hours until curfew.

She must be saying that to spare her from having to explain things to Grand Madam.

Eleventh Young Madam told Binju, “Come with me.”

Binju answered “yes” and followed Eleventh Young Madam inside.

Eleventh Young Madam had a small stool brought out for her, then went into the inner room herself to wash up. When she came back out she sat on the kang and spoke with her.

“And Wan Daxian?”

“He’s gone to see Head Steward Bai.”

Nanny Song, standing beside them, added, “Steward Wan and his wife arrived early this morning. Since Steward Wan cannot come and go freely in the inner courtyard, he paid his respects to Grand Madam and then went to Head Steward Bai’s quarters. Wan Daxian’s wife has been waiting here for you all this time!” — adopting Hupo’s phrasing, she had switched to that form of address.

“When will Wan Daxian return to his duties here?”

“Head Steward Bai gave them forty days of leave!”

From here to Wan Daxian’s family home was a full day’s journey. Eleventh Young Madam asked, “Where are you two planning to stay tonight?”

Binju was not yet accustomed to discussing such matters with Eleventh Young Madam. Her cheeks reddened and she replied softly, “We planned to stay at Jinyu Lane.”

“And going forward, what are your plans?” Eleventh Young Madam asked gently.

Binju’s face went even redder. She said haltingly, “Da… Daxian has a day off each month. My mother-in-law said it isn’t good for us to be living apart like this. She wants me to rent a room nearby — so that Daxian can have warm meals and someone to look after his washing and mending. We plan to go look for a place tomorrow and get it sorted before he returns to work.”

Eleventh Young Madam was a little surprised by how open-minded Wan Zongyi’s wife had turned out to be.

“We’re near Lotus Flower Lane here — renting a room won’t come cheap,” she said, thinking it over. “Wan Daxian is only a fourth-rank steward at the moment. He’d need to rise to the second rank before qualifying for quarters in the shared residence. We could ask Head Steward Bai to see about making room in one of the side courtyards — though those are occupied by third- and fourth-rank stewards, nannies, and junior maids, so things may be rather crowded…”

Before Eleventh Young Madam could finish, Binju quickly said, “Madam, I’m not asking you to find us a room. Daxian has already looked into it. He says there are two or three empty courtyards just behind our residence — only a gatekeeper and a cleaner have been kept on. The main rooms would of course be off-limits. But the side rooms in the servants’ quarters — the gatekeeper does have the authority to rent those out. Seven or eight taels of silver a year would cover it. The two of us have worked it all out.” She paused here and gave a small, pleased smile. “I only now understand how far ahead of us you always were, Madam. You had us study needlework with Teacher Jian, and I’ve benefited from it. I took a few embroidered door curtains I’d done to a shop that caters to weddings, and where most people would be offered ten taels, they said my needlework was finer and my patterns more original, so they gave me twelve. I worked it all out — each curtain earns three taels of silver, and I can finish one in about three months, which adds up to twelve taels a year. Rice is eight fen a dou right now — enough for the two of us to eat for four or five months. And then there’s the gift you gave me for the bottom of my trousseau chest. Even if there were children, I wouldn’t have to worry.”

Eleventh Young Madam stared at her, stunned. “You… you have a child?”

“No, no!” Binju waved her hands frantically, her face so red it looked ready to bleed. “Not that I have a child — it’s just that my mother-in-law said we’re not getting any younger, and she wants us to… to…”

Eleventh Young Madam could not help but laugh.

No doubt one very important reason Wan Zongyi’s wife had arranged for Binju to follow Wan Daxian into the city was her eagerness to have a grandchild sooner rather than later.

She thought it over.

The two of them were relying on no one but themselves, keeping their feet planted on the ground and their future carefully planned. She ought to respect their own efforts. Besides, as long as Wan Daxian worked hard, a third-rank steward’s yearly wage was fifteen taels, a second-rank’s was twenty, and a first-rank’s was forty taels…

Eleventh Young Madam gave a small, approving nod. “Very well. Go ahead and look for a room. If you run into any difficulties, we can discuss it then.”

Binju breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Wan Daxian had said: if you want others to respect you, you can’t always be leaning on people. When you’ve earned your own hardships, the sweetness you find afterward has real flavor.

She felt those words made good sense. She had been worried beforehand that Eleventh Young Madam might disagree.

Eleventh Young Madam then called out with a smile, “Hupo — send a maid to let Head Steward Bai know I’m keeping Binju for dinner, and ask Wan Daxian to come by for her in about an hour.”

“Madam!” Binju quickly rose to her feet.

Eleventh Young Madam waved her hand. “Do as I say.” She then turned to Nanny Song and instructed her, “Have our own small kitchen pan a few shad fish, and make a mountain yam and chicken soup, a stir-fried dish of sour bamboo shoots, and braised crystal pork knuckle—” She paused here and gave Binju a smile, “—I remember, that one is your favorite.”

Binju smiled a little shyly. “Your memory is truly remarkable, Madam.”

“I’m not that old yet!” Eleventh Young Madam laughed and teased her for a moment, then added, “Also bring out some of the Shaoxing lees-marinated goose feet and duck breast we put up before the new year — slice some of those — and prepare a few seasonal fresh vegetables.”

Nanny Song tallied it up in her mind — this was nearly the same spread as when the other young madams came to visit. No wonder everyone always said Binju was the most favored in Fourth Madam’s eyes. She dared not fall short on her end, and quickly replied, “Do not worry, Madam — I’ll see to it at once!”

Eleventh Young Madam had Zhuxiang sit with Binju to keep her company and went to Grand Madam’s quarters.

Grand Madam already knew that today was the day of Binju’s return-home visit. Before Eleventh Young Madam had even opened her mouth, she said, “You needn’t attend to me this evening. Go and have a chat with Binju, and give her a proper meal — it’s a token of the bond she shared with you all those years.”

Eleventh Young Madam was deeply grateful. “I had just been thinking of how to bring this up with you, and here you’ve already said it yourself.”

Grand Madam smiled and patted her hand.

Eleventh Young Madam returned to her own courtyard, calling Hupo, Zhuxiang, Lvyun, Hongxiu, and Yanrong together to keep Binju company. Nanny Song directed the young maids in setting out the meal. Eleventh Young Madam sat at the kang table. Nanny Song had a small square table placed at the edge of the kang. Binju, Hupo, and the others sat gathered around it, talking and laughing as they shared a pleasant meal.

A few days later, Binju came to give Eleventh Young Madam her report — she had found a place. It was less than a quarter-hour’s walk from the Xu residence. She had sewn the gatekeeping woman a pair of shoes, and the rent had been reduced from eight taels of silver to seven.

Eleventh Young Madam was very pleased to hear it. After a moment’s hesitation, she had Zhuxiang bring Binju a large stack of Korean paper. “…For her to paste on the walls. And while you’re there, take a look and see what the place is actually like.”

She worried that Binju would only report the good and leave out the bad.

Zhuxiang covered her mouth laughing, and was back within the time it takes to finish a meal. “The place is quite nice, actually. It faces south — two main rooms with a small attached passage room behind. At the entrance there’s a pomegranate tree, and behind the door a banana plant. It’s a little out of the way, but step outside and you’re on a private lane — quite peaceful and quiet. Though she says the paper you gave her would be too good to waste on lining walls — she wants to save it for her husband to practice his calligraphy on!”

Eleventh Young Madam let out a helpless laugh, then sighed. “Binju… she really is married now.”

Zhuxiang stood to the side, smiling.

Hongxiu, puzzled, said, “What’s this about ‘really’ being married — as if a marriage could be false?”

Seeing that she did not understand, Eleventh Young Madam changed the subject. “The fourth day of the fourth month is Fifth Elder Sister’s eldest son’s one-month celebration. I asked the needlework staff to make some little infant clothes. Go and see how they’re coming along.”

Zhuxiang went off to do so.

Hongxiu looked a little abashed.

A junior maid came in and announced, “Madam, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xiang family has come to visit!”

Eleventh Young Madam was quite surprised. “Xiang family’s eldest daughter-in-law? Is she here to see me or Second Madam?”

The little maid smiled. “She says she has come to pay her respects to you, Madam.”

Not going to Second Madam first, but coming to her instead?

Aside from the matter of Xu Siyu’s marriage, Eleventh Young Madam could not think of any reason why she would come to see her.

“Please show Madam Xiang in!” she instructed the maid, then changed her clothes and went to the entrance to receive her.

Madam Xiang arrived with a slight shadow of displeasure between her brows. Combined with her tall, imposing stature, she gave rather an air of someone advancing with a grievance.

This made Eleventh Young Madam all the more puzzled.

Even if the marriage arrangement had fallen through between the two families, a simple, clear conversation would suffice. Coming with such a grim expression — could there be some misunderstanding still?

She smiled and guided Madam Xiang to the reception hall. When the junior maids had served tea and refreshments, Madam Xiang picked up her teacup, took a sip, and her expression softened a little.

“Last time, when my eldest sister-in-law fell ill, you were kind enough to arrange for our family’s daughter-in-law to bring things and pay a visit. I am truly sorry for all the trouble.” She said politely. “I have come today specifically to thank Fourth Madam.”

If Madam Gao had genuinely been ill and Madam Xiang was coming to give sincere thanks on behalf of Second Madam’s visit, she ought to have come with at least a touch of warmth, if not outright gratitude — so why this look of coming under duress?

Eleventh Young Madam turned this over quietly in her mind.

The reason Second Madam had been so confident the marriage could be arranged was that Master Xiang had agreed to the match outright. Could it be that Madam Xiang was acting under pressure from Master Xiang, coming here against her will to resume the conversation?

“Please think nothing of it, Madam Xiang.” She replied pleasantly. “I ought to have gone to call on her myself, but those days were so busy with affairs at home. Has Madam Gao recovered?”

Madam Xiang exchanged pleasantries. “Thank you so much for your concern, Fourth Madam. My eldest sister-in-law has long since recovered. It’s just that she has always been so robust, so when she fell suddenly ill, it was naturally a cause for worry — I stayed by her side to look after her for some extra days.”

“I’ve heard that Madam Xiang grew up in Madam Gao’s care. The bond between you must be something far beyond ordinary. It’s only natural to want to attend to her a little longer.”

The two exchanged pleasantries back and forth, half a cup of tea’s worth of polite words spoken before Madam Xiang raised the subject of paying her respects to Grand Madam. “…At the temple last time I was terribly impolite — I really must apologize to her ladyship.”

What had happened that day had indeed been quite rude. Eleventh Young Madam could not make decisions on Grand Madam’s behalf, so she smiled and accompanied Madam Xiang to Grand Madam’s quarters.

—