The Grand Madam glanced over the note and handed it back to Xu Lingyi, then looked at Eleventh Miss and said: “Since you both already have a clear understanding of the matter, use your own judgment in handling it.”
Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Miss smiled and answered “yes,” exchanged a few pleasantries with the Grand Madam, and seeing that it was getting late, rose to take their leave.
Outside, the moonlight was bright and clear, and the air was suffused with a rich, passionate floral fragrance that warmed the heart.
Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Miss walked slowly along the garden path, the occasional chirping of summer insects drifting to their ears. A sense of quiet and serenity settled over them. Though each felt there was much to say, neither wanted to break the stillness of the moment, and so by unspoken agreement they chose silence. Yet the atmosphere was not oppressive — rather, it added several layers of peace.
They entered the garden gate and followed the paved path forward — to the north lay the Half-Moon Pond, and to the east, the Fishing Pavilion.
At the T-junction, Xu Lingyi’s footsteps slowed, and both of them showed a trace of hesitation.
He had brought only a few attendants and ridden hard all the way back to Yanjing. The overnight gallop had worn out several horses, and the post station horses were inferior to his own — so when he spotted, ambling leisurely down the road like a spring outing, a magnificent carriage with a seven-colored glass canopy and jade-green curtains, along with a wagon loaded with trunks, he had suddenly been seized by the idea of the carriage. He immediately ordered his attendants to offer several hundred taels in banknotes to purchase it. But the other party proved impossible to deal with — not only did they respond with mockery and sarcasm, they even produced a pouch of gold nuggets and declared they wanted to buy his horse.
He had never been afraid of people being insolent before him.
He threw down the banknotes and moved to untether the horses and leave.
The other party’s guards stepped forward to stop them — naturally they were no match for his attendants, who dispatched them thoroughly in short order. The driver panicked and cracked the whip to flee, but since his attendants were in the middle of untethering the horses… not only did the carriage overturn, but Seventh Miss’s foot was injured in the chaos. She had to convalesce in the carriage for four or five days before recovering.
Given this history, it was not difficult to understand why Seventh Miss had been making things difficult for him.
For this reason, he had not asked Seventh Miss whether she would be staying the night at the Fishing Pavilion.
He had his pride.
He did not want to retreat to the Half-Moon Pond merely because Seventh Miss was staying at the Fishing Pavilion, nor did he want to stay at the Fishing Pavilion simply because she was at Fragrant Retreat. He refused to let her whereabouts dictate his own.
And yet he was somewhat reluctant to break the warmth of this moment, which felt to him like a gentle spring breeze…
If Xu Lingyi wanted to return to the Fishing Pavilion together with her, he would naturally have walked by her side. But he was lingering here now — which naturally meant he wanted to return to the Half-Moon Pond.
So Eleventh Miss reasoned.
Was he returning to the Half-Moon Pond because he had matters to attend to there? Or was he concerned that Seventh Miss might be spending the night at the Fishing Pavilion again?
To tell Xu Lingyi outright that Seventh Miss was sleeping at Fragrant Retreat tonight… that would be a naked invitation. Even having lived two lifetimes, she could not bring herself to say it.
After a long hesitation, she finally stepped forward and stood at the entrance to the northward path.
“How did the matter in Zhangqiu go for you, my lord?”
In the starlight, her eyes flickered like distant stars — bright one moment, dim the next.
Xu Lingyi looked at Eleventh Miss in surprise, then slowly, the tension at the corners of his eyes and brows began to ease.
“The land was not purchased!” He said quietly, stepping onto the path toward Half-Moon Pond. “A great deal happened — I’m not even sure where to begin telling you.”
Eleventh Miss looked down at the bluestone paving of the path: “Seeing that my lord returned so quickly, I guessed things had either gone very smoothly or run into serious difficulties. But from the way you spoke before you left, I felt it couldn’t be something simple…”
“Simple — not by a long measure.” Xu Lingyi said. “I was already puzzled at the time — why put out word that land was for sale, yet price it so absurdly high that no ordinary household would dare inquire? It was plainly a trap set specifically for our family.”
“And you still went?”
“If they’ve already set their sights on us, avoiding this trap would only mean another one later. Better to resolve it all at once.” Xu Lingyi said calmly. “Fortunately, I went. It turned out someone wanted to insert themselves into overseas trade and was using those few hundred acres as a feeler — hoping I would put in a word with the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Superintendent on their behalf. As I am currently relieved of my post and staying home, I should keep clear of such entanglements. Naturally I could not take that land.”
The two of them talked as they made their way to the Half-Moon Pond.
—
Eleventh Miss rose quietly.
“Is it already the second quarter of the mao hour?” Xu Lingyi’s voice came from behind her, somewhat muffled with sleep.
She had not expected to wake him after all.
“Yes!” Eleventh Miss resumed her usual movements, rustling about as she dressed. “My lord, please sleep a little longer.”
After all, he was idle at home and had no court to attend. But such words were not fitting to say directly to his face.
Xu Lingyi sat up and picked up the white silk inner robe that had been tossed to the corner of the bed, crumpled like dried pickled vegetables, and draped it over his shoulders: “Are you going to Huguo Temple today with Seventh Aunt?” Thinking of Seventh Miss’s grand canopied carriage and her temperament, he added: “Send someone to inform the abbot — have them close the mountain gate when the time comes.”
Eleventh Miss glanced at his inner robe and her face reddened slightly: “Let me fetch a fresh one for my lord.” She turned and opened the tall black lacquered cabinet beside her, found a neatly pressed inner robe, and handed it to Xu Lingyi. “Seventh Sister is going to Huguo Temple for rice sausage. I’m afraid closing the mountain gate won’t do much good.”
Xu Lingyi was momentarily dumbfounded and after a long pause said: “Is she like this at home too?”
Eleventh Miss replied tactfully: “Seventh Sister’s nature is rather lively.”
Xu Lingyi nodded and dropped the subject, instructing her: “In that case, bring more guards with you.”
Eleventh Miss agreed, called for the young maidservants to come and assist with washing and dressing, and then had breakfast together with Xu Lingyi before returning to the Fishing Pavilion.
Nanny Song greeted her with a face full of smiles.
“The young woman Mufu from Seventh Aunt’s side came early this morning asking when you would be setting out.”
But Eleventh Miss answered in a seemingly unrelated manner: “Go and call Hupo in for me.”
Nanny Song did not understand, but respectfully assented and went.
Eleventh Miss reached inside her collar and drew out a red silk ribbon — from which hung an oval jade pendant.
Xu Lingyi had hung it on her the previous night. She had been a little embarrassed at the time and had not looked carefully. Now she saw it was a piece of Hetian jade carved with the motif of three rams heralding spring.
Her own zodiac sign was the ram.
Eleventh Miss held the jade pendant and turned it over in her hands.
Was it a birthday gift?
Yet Xu Lingyi had said nothing when he put it on her. And he had done it when she was drowsy with exhaustion. If the jade hadn’t been somewhat cold and the bed a bit hard — she was unaccustomed to it and sleeping lightly — she might never have noticed.
While she was still musing, Hupo lifted the curtain and came in: “Madam, what are your instructions?”
Eleventh Miss hesitated a moment, then said: “Never mind — I was going to ask you to braid a cord for me, but I’ll do it myself. Just tell the young maidservants to come and help me change.” Then she put the jade pendant back on, re-hanging it around her neck.
Braiding cords was one of Teacher Jian’s greatest skills, and Eleventh Miss had inherited her true mastery. Not even the artisans at Lingxian Pavilion, who made their living by the craft, could match her handiwork. She could not help but smile: “This silk thread is truly too plain — it really should have a fine cord braided for it.” Then she added: “Was this given to you by the Grand Madam? It looks like top-quality Hetian jade — not a trace of any other color. Truly remarkable.”
Eleventh Miss gave a noncommittal murmur, changed her clothes, and went to Seventh Miss’s rooms.
Seventh Miss was already dressed and groomed. She and Eleventh Miss went to pay their respects to the Grand Madam, then set off for Huguo Temple.
Eleventh Miss watched as the guards formed layer upon layer around the several carriages, even more vigilant than usual — she knew it was Xu Lingyi who had specifically given instructions. After offering incense at the Grand Hall of the Great Hero, she and Seventh Miss purchased a large bundle of safety amulets to bring back for the family.
Seventh Miss also brought back several packets of rice sausage for everyone to try.
Eleventh Miss was afraid the food might not be clean and worried the Grand Madam might upset her stomach, so she only let the Grand Madam have a single bite.
The Grand Madam truly only had one bite, then smiled and set down her chopsticks.
Seventh Miss then encouraged the children to try some.
Xu Siyu responded like the Grand Madam — one bite and he set his chopsticks down. Zhen Jie’er looked pained, and after staring at it for quite a while still could not bring herself to take a mouthful. Only Zhun Ge and Xu Sijie ate with obvious relish. The former even remarked: “This isn’t as good as what Teacher Zhao bought back from Baiyun Temple!”
“Really!” Seventh Miss’s enthusiasm, which had been dampened by the Grand Madam, Xu Siyu, and Zhen Jie’er’s reactions, immediately revived. “Baiyun Temple still sells rice sausage? How did I not know?”
The gift Seventh Miss had brought for Xu Siyu was a copy of *Annotations to the Four Books* from the previous dynasty; for Zhun Ge, a complete set of scholar’s implements from a curio shop; for Jie Ge, a gold neck ring. Being naturally lively and warm, she was well-liked by all the children.
“Of course you don’t know,” Zhun Ge said matter-of-factly. “Teacher Zhao says — where to find good food, which theater troupe sings best, where to fish, where to admire plum blossoms — such refined pleasures are known only to men.”
Xu Siyu sat beside him and said nothing.
Seventh Miss leaned over and murmured to him: “Then you tell me — where is the best food? Which troupe sings the best…”
Zhun Ge set down his chopsticks and began enumerating them like treasured possessions.
Seventh Miss listened with wide eyes and asked Eleventh Miss: “Surely he hasn’t actually been to all these places?”
Eleventh Miss was busy urging Xu Sijie: “That’s enough. You should leave some for Father, Fifth Uncle and Fifth Aunt, and Xin Jie’er.” Only then did Xu Sijie reluctantly put his chopsticks down.
As for how Zhun Ge would know all this — of course it was Teacher Zhao who had told him.
She smiled: “He’s planning to visit them all someday.”
Zhun Ge felt that Eleventh Miss’s answer reflected very well on him. He puffed out his small chest: “When the time comes, I’ll bring you rice sausage from Baiyun Temple — guaranteed to taste better than this!”
Xu Sijie, hearing there was food involved, hopped up beside him: “Me too, me too!”
This drew peals of laughter from everyone.
Weiizi came in to report: “Madam, Yanrong says the Marquis is asking where his wooden clogs have been put inside the deer-skin pouch.”
Wooden clogs — in summer?
Eleventh Miss found it baffling. She went out with Weiizi.
Yanrong was standing in the courtyard, waiting.
Seeing Eleventh Miss come out, she curtsied and accompanied her out of the Grand Madam’s courtyard, then lowered her voice: “The Marquis is asking you to come to the outer study. He says Seventh Brother-in-Law has arrived.”
That “Xue Yi Jun” — Zhu Anping!
Eleventh Miss nodded and went with Yanrong through the small hall behind the main reception hall of the Xu household to Xu Lingyi’s outer study.
It was her first time here.
Unlike the Half-Moon Pond with its vast collection of books, the outer study was more like a small reception room — its furnishings understated yet elegant, its arrangement comfortable and dignified.
Xu Lingyi introduced her to a tall man dressed in a sapphire-blue straight-cut robe of Hangzhou silk patterned with sweet flag motifs.
“This is Seventh Brother-in-Law, Zhu Anping.”
He used the form of address from Seventh Miss’s family.
Zhu Anping’s brow shifted almost imperceptibly, and he gave Eleventh Miss a bow with clasped hands.
Xu Lingyi introduced Eleventh Miss to Zhu Anping: “This is my wife.”
Eleventh Miss performed a half-curtsy in return.
Xu Lingyi then instructed Eleventh Miss: “Seventh Brother-in-Law rarely comes to Yanjing. Tell the kitchen to prepare a few dishes so we can share a good drink together.”
Eleventh Miss quietly answered “yes,” withdrew, and thus formally made Zhu Anping’s acquaintance.
—