“A match for Zhen Jie’er?” Eleventh Miss was quite surprised.

“Indeed!” Madam Lin smiled. “It’s a nephew from my own family. Sixteen years old this year. Though we’re not of the same branch, his grandfather also served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Guangxi. Not only is he a fine-looking young man, but he is accomplished in both literary and martial arts. Young as he is, he has already earned the rank of martial licentiate. My Elder Brother often says that among the Shao Family’s generation of ‘Zhong,’ it all depends on him and my youngest brother.”

Madam Lin’s family home was in Cangzhou.

Never mind the Matriarch and Xu Lingyi — even she herself, at the thought of Zhen Jie’er marrying so far away, would likely have reservations.

She smiled: “You know my circumstances. Zhen Jie’er grew up in the Matriarch’s care, and the Marquis has only this one daughter. This matter would have to be discussed with the Marquis and the Matriarch.”

Madam Lin was not unaware of this.

However fine her nephew might be, he was, after all, in distant Cangzhou. Had her younger brother not pleaded with her several times, and had she not seen families like the Zhuo Family coming to seek the match, she would never have been bold enough to speak up. With this in mind, her inclination to play matchmaker faded somewhat.

“When I imagine your Zhen Jie’er and our Zhongryan standing together, I picture them like a perfectly matched golden boy and jade girl.” Madam Lin offered these surface pleasantries, then let the matter drop and changed the subject to ask Eleventh Miss about the Dragon Boat Festival arrangements: “…The Matriarch personally sent my mother-in-law an invitation card, saying that day is your adulthood ceremony, and asking that we come bright and early to celebrate.”

The Matriarch had mentioned long ago that she wanted to hold a grand adulthood ceremony for her. She herself had not set much store by such things. But knowing the Matriarch had this wish made her heart warm at the thought. Yet since then the Matriarch had never mentioned it again, and these past days she had frequently sent Nanny Du here and there, and had gone out visiting as if calling on guests — all very mysterious. Eleventh Miss had simply pretended not to notice.

“To think it falls right on the Dragon Boat Festival,” Eleventh Miss smiled. “Disrupting everyone’s holiday!”

“It’s fortunate that it’s the Dragon Boat Festival,” Madam Lin said in parting conversation. “If it were the Mid-Autumn Festival, that would be a headache.”

The custom of the Dragon Boat Festival was to go out and enjoy oneself; the habit of Mid-Autumn was to gather with family. On the Dragon Boat Festival, people going about and visiting was perfectly natural. But at the Mid-Autumn Festival, when every family reunites, to hold a banquet and invite guests would be an imposition on others.

Eleventh Miss smiled and nodded: “Thinking of it that way, there are indeed some advantages.”

Madam Lin laughed behind her sleeve.

Madam Zhuo arrived.

Madam Lin took the opportunity to bid farewell.

Madam Zhuo had brought some sweet melons this time: “…They were sent by an old subordinate of our Master’s. Not quite the same as the sweet melons from Yanjing. Specially brought over for the Matriarch and Madam to have a taste.”

Eleventh Miss expressed her thanks, chatted with Madam Zhuo for a while, brought her to pay respects to the Matriarch, and saw her out to the ornamental gate.

Returning to the room, she saw Hupo tidying the red lacquer gilded box that Madam Lin had brought.

Eleventh Miss smiled: “Those are the golden-traced Sichuan fans Hui Jie’er made for Zhen Jie’er. Help me send them to her.” Before the words were out of her mouth, she saw Hupo’s hand slip — the box fell to the ground, and five fans clattered out, scattering in all directions.

“Madam!” Hupo’s face went rather pale.

“It’s all right, it’s all right.” Eleventh Miss reassured her and stepped forward to help gather the fans.

Golden lacquer fan ribs, black silk faces, fine-brush paintings of peonies and ring-necked pheasants — exquisitely beautiful.

Eleventh Miss could not help opening one to look.

The colors were brilliant, the imagery enchanting, which rather surprised her.

“I didn’t realize Hui Jie’er had such painting skill.”

Hupo standing nearby also praised: “They’re really beautiful!”

Eleventh Miss smiled and nodded, and together with Hupo she admired and gathered them up.

One fan depicted a moonlit scene with tuberose; another the drowsy beauty of begonia in spring; another lotus flowers reflecting the sunlight; another an orchid growing beside rocks.

The artistry was all of the highest quality — and the moonlit tuberose scene had a particular freshness of conception.

A luminous cluster of pure white tuberose bloomed towards the viewer, their leaves in layered shades of green with occasional patches of white space, like a gentle wash of moonlight — though not a single sliver of moon was visible, it captured perfectly the full bloom of the tuberose in the night.

Eleventh Miss was filled with admiration.

The tuberose is spotlessly white and fragrant, a much-loved and familiar flower. Ordinary painters, when depicting tuberose, typically emphasize its modest, sweet charm. But this tuberose bloomed to meet the moon, carrying within it the refined dignity of narcissus. What made it even more remarkable was that this dignity was not expressed through a proud bearing, but revealed from the very heart of each flower and petal. Like a person whose noble character lies hidden in the bones — all the more worthy of respect — it was utterly different from the tender, voluptuous expression of the peony-and-pheasant scene.

A thought flashed through her mind, and Eleventh Miss paused. Then in a moment she gathered up the fans and hurried to the east room.

Hupo, seeing that her manner held an undertone of agitation, felt a surge of alarm, and quickly followed.

She saw Eleventh Miss lay all five fans open side by side on the large writing desk, her expression grave as she examined them carefully.

“Madam!” Hupo asked softly. “Is something wrong?”

“No!” Eleventh Miss looked up, her expression mild. “I simply thought these fans were so beautiful that I wanted to take a closer look.”

Her manner was still as warm and kind as ever, her gaze still as gentle and temperate — yet somehow, Hupo, who knew her well, felt vaguely that something was not right. Like the harbinger of a storm: outwardly calm, yet oppressive.

Eleventh Miss quietly closed the fans. “What is the Young Miss doing?” she asked, word by deliberate word.

Hupo quickly replied: “She is embroidering with Binju!”

“Invite the Young Miss in,” Eleventh Miss said, placing the fans back in the box. “Say I have something to discuss with her.” She also instructed: “For the rest — no need to say anything more.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Hupo’s eyes. She answered respectfully and went.

Eleventh Miss gazed at the closed gilded red box, and her eyes gradually took on a chill.

“Mother, you were looking for me!” Zhen Jie’er’s voice rang out, clear and bright as a meadowlark.

Eleventh Miss looked up. The chill had already left her eyes, replaced only by tenderness warm as March sunshine.

Twelve-year-old Zhen Jie’er wore a madder-red kudzu-cloth jacket and had grown half a head taller than Eleventh Miss.

Eleventh Miss looked at the red gold tuberose flower earrings she wore and smiled gently: “Hui Jie’er sent you something.”

“Really!” Her dark eyes sparkled brilliantly, like gleaming jewels.

Eleventh Miss smiled and pointed to the gilded red box on the desk.

“How beautiful!” Zhen Jie’er looked at the golden-traced Sichuan fans, her smile like a flower in bloom. “Mother,” she said, opening one and bringing it up to Eleventh Miss’s face. “See here — the begonia-bordered terrace is the very terrace behind Hui Jie’er’s room, with a tiger head carved at one end!”

Eleventh Miss glanced at it, but smiled and opened the fan painted with tuberose: “I think this one is the most beautifully done!”

Zhen Jie’er turned to look, and immediately her eyes went wide. “Tuberose!”

“Do you love tuberose very much?” Eleventh Miss narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Mm!” Zhen Jie’er’s face was radiant with joy. “Tuberose is my favorite flower.” Her eyes shone as she looked at Eleventh Miss. “Hui Jie’er doesn’t like tuberose — she must have painted this specially for me.” She then took the fan from Eleventh Miss’s hand to look more closely. “It’s tuberose by moonlight…” she exclaimed softly in wonder. “Could it be that Hui Jie’er got up in the middle of the night to paint this?” Then a delighted smile spread across her face. “She’s the laziest person — has her maids do even the tiniest things — and yet she’d get up in the middle of the night to paint… I’ll write her a letter and thank her properly.” She began tucking the fan back in the box.

Eleventh Miss suddenly picked up the moonlit tuberose fan: “I like this one very much too!” She looked at Zhen Jie’er with a smile.

Zhen Jie’er was a little surprised, then broke into a pleased smile. “Does Mother like it too? Then Mother should take it!”

“A gentleman does not take what another treasures…” Eleventh Miss looked steadily at Zhen Jie’er.

Zhen Jie’er pointed to the remaining four fans: “I still have so many!”

Eleventh Miss smiled, opened the fan, and gently fanned herself.

Zhen Jie’er smiled and picked up the box to step back.

Eleventh Miss snapped the fan shut with a soft sound and smiled: “Write the letter here — it’s too sunny outside, and it would mean having to go back to Shaohua Courtyard.”

Zhen Jie’er thought for a moment, then smiled and agreed. She sat down and began grinding the ink.

Eleventh Miss called for a small maidservant to attend, and seated herself on a nearby embroidered stool, admiring the fan in her hand.

Zhen Jie’er sat upright at the desk, her expression serene and composed. Her brush moved without hesitation, and she finished the letter quickly. Then she instructed the small maidservant: “Have someone deliver this to the First Young Miss of the Lin Family at the Weibei Marquis Estate.”

The small maidservant softly answered “yes,” and took out fine white sand to sprinkle over the paper — fine sand absorbs ink, allowing it to dry sooner. She made no attempt to conceal anything.

Eleventh Miss silently nodded in approval.

Zhen Jie’er rose, and noticed that Eleventh Miss had been holding the fan all along. She thought for a moment, then lifted the open gilded red box and brought it over, holding it out before Eleventh Miss with a smile: “If Mother likes them, why not choose a few more?”

Eleventh Miss looked up at Zhen Jie’er.

Zhen Jie’er looked back at her with a bright, clear, transparent gaze.

Eleventh Miss suddenly broke into a smile, and pushed the box aside: “No need — just this one!”

Zhen Jie’er, seeing her relax as if some tension had suddenly released, was momentarily puzzled. She urged: “Mother may as well take them. At most I’ll ask Hui Jie’er to make me a few more.”

Eleventh Miss’s gaze shifted slightly. “Why don’t we visit the Weibei Marquis Estate tomorrow? Madam Lin brought us some white peaches today. We could select some embroidery pieces to return the gift, and take the chance to visit Hui Jie’er as well.”

“Oh, let’s! Let’s!” Zhen Jie’er was almost dancing with excitement. “It’s been some time since I’ve seen Hui Jie’er!”

“Didn’t you go boating together on the third day of the third month?” Eleventh Miss smiled. “That’s not even two months ago!”

Zhen Jie’er reddened slightly.

Eleventh Miss asked her quietly: “Do you like Hui Jie’er very much?”

“Mother, don’t you?” Zhen Jie’er asked with concern.

“No, no.” Eleventh Miss smiled. “I only thought you seemed especially happy.”

Zhen Jie’er looked a little embarrassed. “Hui Jie’er knows so many things… not like me, who only knows how to play the zither.”

She was referring to the fact that Hui Jie’er was very lively and great fun to be with, surely?

A girl of such a character would naturally have a special appeal for someone as reserved and somewhat shy as Zhen Jie’er.

Eleventh Miss smiled and patted her hand. That evening she mentioned it briefly to the Matriarch, simply saying she wanted to return the gift, selected a few small embroidered pieces, and the next day took Zhen Jie’er to the Weibei Marquis Estate.

…

The Weibei Marquis Estate was clearly a smaller version of the Yongping Marquis Estate.

Though it was Eleventh Miss’s first visit, she found it strangely familiar and comfortable.

Madam Lin, upon hearing the announcement, brought Hui Jie’er out to the ornamental gate to greet them.

After the exchange of courtesies, the two adults exchanged a few polite pleasantries, while the two young girls linked arms and fell to whispering to each other right away.

—