The news that Qiao Yiniang had been sent to Dajue Temple spread swiftly throughout the entire household.
The junior maids who usually liked to gather in the narrow alley beside the east wing, whispering and gossiping, were nowhere to be seen. Those standing on duty beneath the eaves lowered their eyes and wore a bearing even more deferential than usual. Several nannies who were accustomed to leaning on their seniority and lounging about before the ornamental gate had retreated into their own rooms and did not come out. The Marquis of Yongping’s household suddenly fell quiet, filled with nothing but the sound of cicadas.
“That child — one wrong step, and step after step went wrong,” the Grand Dowager murmured, reclining against the large daybed by the window in the languid summer heat, sighing to Nanny Du, who was fanning her. “And now she has become someone entirely unrecognizable.” There was genuine sorrow in her voice for Qiao Lianfang.
“This is also a matter of one’s own fate,” Nanny Du comforted the Grand Dowager. “Our Marquis is magnanimous and forgiving, and the Fourth Young Madam is kind and accommodating — and yet she could not get on well even with such people. She has no one to blame but herself.”
“Hatred, anger, grievance, and resentment are what bring about karmic obstacles,” the Grand Dowager nodded. “Sending her to Dajue Temple for a period of quiet practice might yet help her find her way back from the wrong path.”
“That is exactly the reasoning you have just given,” Nanny Du said with a smile. She handed the fan to a nearby junior maid, then took a bowl of lotus seed and lily bulb soup from another junior maid and offered it to the Grand Dowager. “Now then — for the wedding of the eldest son of the Nanjing elder branch of Great-Uncle Xu’s family, what gift shall we send?”
Word had come from Nanjing a few days ago that the eldest son of Xu Linghong would be wed on the eighteenth day of the ninth month.
“He is the eldest son and eldest grandson of that branch of the family — naturally we cannot be careless,” the Grand Dowager said with a smile. “But I am no longer the one managing the household. I eat well and am kept well, and simply wait to be called upon.”
Nanny Du laughed at that: “From the sound of you, one would almost think you were planning to take a trip to Nanjing yourself.”
“Oh!” The Grand Dowager sat up, her face lighting up with excitement. “That is not a bad idea at all. When the time comes, I shall mention it to Fourth Son and Shiyiniang — if I really can make a trip to Nanjing, I shall have no regrets. The last time I went was when I was seven or eight years old, in this same season. I only remember that Father and many others were drinking in the riverside pavilion, while I fussed beside them wanting to go home. I cannot recall who it was — some servant boy — who spent five copper coins to buy a package of water chestnuts wrapped in lotus leaves. To this day I can still remember the fragrance of those lotus leaves…”
The subject had been pleasantly diverted, and no one raised the matter of Dajue Temple again.
Yang Yiniang, however, drew in a sharp breath: “She has been sent to Dajue Temple?”
Nanny Yang nodded: “All the servants attending Qiao Yiniang — Xiuyuan included — were left behind, not one was taken along. I heard this directly from Ruizhu. Nanny Song said these words with Ruizhu present — there can be no mistake.”
Yang Yiniang’s delicate brows slowly drew together, and a grave expression settled over her features.
“Yiniang,” said Nanny Yang, who had been watching her carefully, hesitating somewhat, “is it not a good thing for you that Qiao Yiniang has been sent to Dajue Temple?”
“With one fewer person, things will naturally be simpler,” Yang Yiniang replied, her gaze moving westward in the direction of the main rooms where Luo Shiyiniang resided. “Only — there are certain matters that will likely need to be reconsidered.”
Nanny Yang did not understand: “What matters need to be reconsidered?”
Yang Yiniang knew that this nanny of hers was honest and dutiful, steadfastly loyal, a devoted servant rather than a strategist. She turned to give Nanny Yang a smile, and said: “Why, the matter of how best to win the Madam’s favor, of course.”
Nanny Yang felt a pang of sorrow at those words and did not know what to say.
Yang Yiniang had already turned to instruct her brightly: “Take out all the embroidery patterns I brought with me to this household. I want to see if there are any suitable ones for festive occasion decorations.”
Wen Yiniang was puzzling over it: “…Dajue Temple — why does that name sound slightly familiar, and yet when I think harder, I cannot quite place it.”
“Then don’t bother thinking about it!” Qiu Hong said with a laugh. “Whatever it is, it can’t be a pleasant place. Otherwise, why would they send Qiao Yiniang there for defying the Madam?” She was more concerned with something else: “Yiniang, did the Madam say anything about what will be done with Xiuyuan and the others?”
Wen Yiniang waved her fan vigorously a few times: “They have been confined to their room, put to work helping with needlework.”
Qiu Hong burst out laughing: “The Madam is always so fond of setting people to needlework!”
“Needlework is a fine thing,” Wen Yiniang said unconcernedly. “Having people shut up in their room doing needlework keeps them from wandering about causing trouble…” Her voice trailed off, and she fell into a momentary daze.
“What is it?” Qiu Hong looked at her curiously.
“Nothing, nothing!” Wen Yiniang seemed lost in thought. “I was only thinking — the Madam so often has Qin Yiniang do needlework…”
“What is strange about that?” Qiu Hong asked, perplexed. “Is it not a concubine’s duty to help the Madam with needlework?”
Wen Yiniang said nothing, looking somewhat preoccupied.
That evening when she went to pay her respects to Luo Shiyiniang, she was rather quieter than usual. But this drew no particular notice from Qin Yiniang or Yang Yiniang — compared to the two of them, she still spoke considerably more. And Luo Shiyiniang, who did notice, quietly surmised to herself: after what had happened with Qiao Lianfang, everyone would naturally have some feelings to work through.
After a few words of conversation, she lifted her teacup.
The next day, Instructor Jian came to call.
“Prince Shun has recommended another piece of business to us,” she said with a warm smile. “Embroidering the magpie bridge court insignia patches for the Double Seventh Festival.”
“Our shop is turning into a business that does nothing but insignia patches,” Luo Shiyiniang laughed, then asked: “What price is being offered?”
“The same as last time,” Instructor Jian said with a smile, “but the quantity is twice as much. The shop manager sent me to discuss with you the possibility of taking on a few more workers.”
Which meant a modest profit was to be made.
“If business is good, naturally we should bring on more hands.”
Instructor Jian had received her answer and took her leave with a smile.
Just then, it happened that the gardener Ji Ting had coaxed the gardenia plant Luo Shiyiniang had been growing in the heated room to bloom. After distributing flowers to the Grand Dowager, Second Young Madam, Fifth Young Madam, and others, only four or five blooms remained. Luo Shiyiniang had two sent over to Lin Da’nainai and brought the other three with her to Gan Grand Dowager’s residence.
“More fragrant than tuberose and jasmine, and the blossoms are larger too,” Gan Grand Dowager exclaimed in delight. “Only your household could coax such a flower into bloom!” She then instructed a junior maid to fetch a small crimson glazed bowl from the bottom of a trunk to place the flowers in, and called for a maid to slice open a watermelon.
Seeing how pleased she was, Luo Shiyiniang felt a warm happiness herself, and as they ate the fruit together, she spoke of the affairs at the shop.
Gan Grand Dowager was all smiles: “New Year’s Day calls for gourd-and-landscape insignia patches, the Lantern Festival calls for lantern-and-scene insignia patches, the Dragon Boat Festival calls for five-venoms and artemisia tiger insignia patches, the Double Ninth Festival calls for chrysanthemum insignia patches, the winter solstice calls for the Resurgence of the Sun insignia patches… There is no shortage of business throughout the four seasons. You must take care to properly thank Prince Shun.”
“I was thinking the very same thing,” Luo Shiyiniang said with a smile. “I was thinking of asking Instructor Jian to embroider a little padded jacket with the Hundred Boys at Play design for Princess Shun’s consort. What do you think?”
“That is an excellent idea,” Gan Grand Dowager nodded repeatedly. “It is auspicious, and it will show off Instructor Jian’s embroidery to the fullest.”
The two of them chatted away at great length, and Luo Shiyiniang ate dinner at Gan Grand Dowager’s residence before making her way home.
Nanny Song was waiting to receive her at the ornamental gate: “Madam, barely two quarters of an hour after you left, the Old Master Zhu and Seventh Young Madam arrived. The Grand Dowager kept them for dinner, and they are all gathered in the west side room talking.”
Luo Shiyiniang was quite surprised: “The last time she wrote to me, she said nothing about coming to Yanjing…”
Nanny Song helped her onto the blue-curtained small oil carriage: “She said it was a last-minute decision.”
That was rather in keeping with Seventh Young Madam’s character.
Luo Shiyiniang returned to her rooms, where the three concubines were standing beneath the eaves waiting to pay their evening respects. She exchanged a few brief words with them, then dismissed them, changed her clothes, and went to the Grand Dowager’s quarters.
Walking in, she was met with a cheerful clamor of voices. Entering the west side room, she found Seventh Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam seated on either side of the Grand Dowager, talking in high spirits, while Xu Lingyi, Xu Lingkuan, and Zhu Anping sat in the nearby grand chairs, listening with smiles.
Upon seeing Luo Shiyiniang enter, Seventh Young Madam, Fifth Young Madam, Xu Lingkuan, and Zhu Anping all rose to their feet and greeted her warmly.
Luo Shiyiniang smiled and exchanged greetings with everyone, then was promptly pulled by the arm by Seventh Young Madam.
“We have been waiting for you to come back,” she said, quick and bright as ever. “We were just discussing plans for the Double Seventh Festival Qiqiao celebration.” She then said: “I have already worked it out with Danyang — we are going to invite Seventh Sister that day. Fifth Younger Brother has agreed to go to the Imperial Armory to obtain some Qiqiao needles for us.”
The Double Seventh Festival was by tradition a women’s celebration, and the Xu household would mark it each year with considerable ceremony, playing games such as floating needles on water and capturing good-luck spiders.
“Rest easy, rest easy,” Luo Shiyiniang laughed. “I will be sure to have melons, fruit, tea, sweets, fresh flowers, and incense burners all prepared in time — I will not delay your celebration.”
Seventh Young Madam laughed and said to Fifth Young Madam: “Anything my Eleventh Younger Sister promises to do, she will most certainly do. You need have no worries.”
Fifth Young Madam then turned to Luo Shiyiniang with a warm smile of thanks: “Then we shall impose on Fourth Sister-in-Law.”
Managing the household was her proper duty.
“Fifth Young Sister-in-Law, why stand on ceremony with me!” Luo Shiyiniang laughed and said a few words, then steered the conversation toward the question of where they should hold the celebration for the Seventh Fairy.
Seventh Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam launched into an animated discussion.
Xu Lingyi, seeing the hour growing late, rose to his feet: “The Double Seventh is still a few days off. It is now past the curfew hour. You had better stay the night here and continue tomorrow morning.”
Fifth Young Madam and Seventh Young Madam had truly taken to each other, and upon hearing this, Fifth Young Madam urged her to stay: “Spend the night in my rooms. Let Fifth Brother accompany Old Master Zhu in the west wing chambers.”
Xu Lingkuan quickly said to Zhu Anping: “Yes, yes — you and I shall stay in the west wing chambers. We are close enough in build — you can borrow a set of my clothes.” And behind Fifth Young Madam’s back, he winked at Zhu Anping.
Zhu Anping remained impassive, considered for a moment, then said: “Since you are so kind, I shall trouble Fifth Brother and Fifth Young Madam.”
Xu Lingkuan was overjoyed: “No trouble at all, no trouble at all.”
The Grand Dowager had always felt that the Xu family’s line of descendants was thin and frail, and Zhu Anping, being both a relation by marriage and a steady, dependable man who had won the old lady’s favor, naturally delighted her in his closeness with the family. The Grand Dowager was happy to encourage their friendship, and said with a contented laugh: “All of you, go and rest now.”
Everyone had stayed on, concerned that the Grand Dowager would grow tired. Hearing this, they smiled, paid their respects to her, and departed together — then separated to return each to their own rooms, as Xu Lingyi and his wife headed back to theirs.
Xu Lingyi immediately summoned Linbo: “Go and keep an eye on what Fifth Brother gets up to this evening.”
Luo Shiyiniang promptly stopped him: “Fifth Brother is a grown man. And besides, Zhu Anping is there keeping him company. He is not the sort of person who does not know the limits.”
Xu Lingyi thought for a moment, then went to wash up and retire.
But his sleep was restless.
The next morning, when they went to pay their respects to the Grand Dowager, he saw that Xu Lingkuan’s face was drawn and weary.
Xu Lingkuan scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed, and said with a sheepish chuckle: “Seventh Sister’s husband and I talked for more than half the night.”
And so Zhu Anping had gone from being referred to as simply “Old Master Zhu” to “Seventh Sister’s husband” in the space of a single night.
Luo Shiyiniang pressed her lips together to hide a smile.
Xu Lingyi gave two slightly awkward coughs.
—