Seventh Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam deliberated and deliberated, and in the end settled on Zhen Jie’er’s Resplendent View Pavilion as the location.

With its abundant flowers and trees, it was neither too remote nor too bustling — truly an ideal spot. Though the two of them were of the older generation, both had lively dispositions, and having Zhen Jie’er join in the fun was just right.

Luo Shiyiniang smiled and helped them prepare the offerings and ritual items for the day.

Zhen Jie’er followed Seventh Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam about everywhere — now going to the heated greenhouse to choose fresh flowers, now going to Second Young Madam’s quarters to select incense — so thoroughly absorbed that Fourth Young Madam had to come in person to the household to fetch Seventh Young Madam.

“…Once she starts playing, there is no reining her in — she showed her face at my place for a brief moment and then vanished,” Fourth Young Madam said, seated upright in the grand chair before the Grand Dowager’s daybed, her smile composed and gracious. “Only when I came here did I understand why.”

“She enjoys being here, and I am delighted,” the Grand Dowager said. She looked at Fourth Young Madam and found her bearing composed and dignified, with the air of a woman of distinction, and felt that all the daughters of the Luo Family were quite admirable. “You need not worry. Let her stay and play here with me for a few days.”

Fourth Young Madam had not truly come to drag Seventh Young Madam back. Even if she did drag her back, Seventh Young Madam would only slip away again. She had come simply because she feared the Grand Dowager might find Seventh Young Madam’s lack of propriety tiresome.

After exchanging a few courteous words, the Grand Dowager lifted her teacup, and the young people were left to enjoy themselves.

Luo Shiyiniang invited Fourth Young Madam to sit in her own rooms, and it was only then that Seventh Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam, who had heard the news, finally came rushing over.

Fourth Young Madam, seeing that the hem of Seventh Young Madam’s skirt was stuck with two blades of grass, hardly knew where to begin.

Seventh Young Madam took her elder sister’s hand and wheedled: “In that great big compound, with only me and Zhu Anping — I would be bored to death.”

Fifth Young Madam also chimed in from the side: “Fourth Sister, we can be companions for each other here.”

Fourth Young Madam was not an unreasonable person. She gave Seventh Young Madam a few words of gentle instruction and let the matter drop.

Seventh Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam both broke into delighted smiles, looking like girls yet to be wed rather than wives and mothers — though that was more in keeping with their age.

Fourth Young Madam stayed for lunch at the Luo Family before making her leave. Luo Shiyiniang knew that she needed to return home to take her medicine, and saw her to the ornamental gate. But Fourth Young Madam did not immediately board her carriage.

“Since Seventh Young Madam is staying here for a few more days, do persuade her to go home,” she said softly. “She and her mother-in-law had a falling out before she came this time.”

Luo Shiyiniang was taken aback.

She had not yet had an opportunity to speak with Seventh Young Madam in private.

Fourth Young Madam gave a slight nod: “Whatever the circumstances, she is still her mother-in-law. She must give the woman a way to step down gracefully.”

“I understand,” Luo Shiyiniang said. “I will persuade her to return after another day or two.”

Fourth Young Madam let out a soft sigh and boarded her carriage.

But Seventh Young Madam had been avoiding Luo Shiyiniang, and Luo Shiyiniang also felt that such matters could not be rushed. Rather than have Seventh Young Madam return home carrying a bellyful of resentment, it would be better to let her unwind a little and settle her mood first. She instructed Nanny Song to arrange for the kitchen to make Qiqiao festival sweets, then had Hupo go to the storeroom to select a black lacquered square table with bulging apron drawers and inlaid plum blossom patterns to use as the altar for the ritual offerings. She also chose blue-and-white dishes with sea-wave patterns to hold the offerings, and a small cloisonné enamel gilded three-legged cauldron for burning incense. On the morning of the sixth day of the seventh month, she had everything moved to the Resplendent View Pavilion. That evening, after dining at the Grand Dowager’s quarters, she returned to find large ceramic bowls filled with water placed all along the eaves of the building — set out for the following day’s Double Seventh Festival, when needles would be floated at noon.

“Which one is yours?” Xu Lingyi had been thinking of the scene in the Grand Dowager’s rooms just now.

The Double Seventh Festival had not yet arrived, yet Xu Lingkuan and Seventh Young Madam were already talking about how to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival. But he had not seen Luo Shiyiniang making any preparations.

“I haven’t prepared one yet!”

In truth, she had little interest in the custom.

Water left to stand overnight in the courtyard, a small embroidery needle dropped into it — by virtue of surface tension, it would usually float on top.

Xu Lingyi asked no more questions, and the two of them went inside.

Early the next morning, after paying their respects to the Grand Dowager, Luo Shiyiniang excused herself from Seventh Young Madam, Fifth Young Madam, Second Young Madam, and the others, who were all chatting merrily with the Grand Dowager, and returned first to the main hall.

The senior nannies who managed the household had already been standing beneath the eaves awaiting her.

She settled the business matters first. Then, smiling, she instructed Hupo to bring out the boxes of festival sweets: “…Two boxes for each person — just a small token. For everyone to enjoy the festival.” She also said: “Two tables of food and drink have been set up behind the Hall of Verdant Spring — let Nanny Song accompany everyone and have some fun.”

The nannies rose one after another to give their thanks, their faces breaking into pleased smiles. The festive spirit was palpable.

Luo Shiyiniang smiled and went to have lunch at the Grand Dowager’s quarters.

All along the way, she passed maids and nannies drying their hair in the sunshine.

When she returned to her rooms, Zhuxiang, Lvyun, Hongxiu, Yanrong, and the others had all gathered around to float their needles — all except Hupo, who had gone to keep the senior nannies company at their meal.

Seeing Luo Shiyiniang come in, everyone quickly dispersed.

“Whose needle sank? Whose is still floating?” Luo Shiyiniang asked with easy good humor.

Everyone relaxed with relief. One junior maid who did not often have much contact with Luo Shiyiniang said with a bright smile: “Zhuxiang’s and Yanrong’s sank to the bottom. Lvyun’s and Hongxiu’s are still floating.”

“Oh!” said Luo Shiyiniang with a smile. “And what shapes did they make?”

The junior maid laughed and said: “Lvyun’s looks like a lotus flower. Hongxiu’s looks like a foxtail grass.”

Hongxiu flushed crimson: “Madam, don’t listen to her nonsense — mine doesn’t look anything like a foxtail grass. It is clearly an impatiens flower. She doesn’t know what she’s looking at and is just making things up.”

Everyone laughed.

A lively, cheerful atmosphere always had a way of lifting the spirits. At this moment, Luo Shiyiniang found herself feeling a slight pang of regret that she had not also set out a bowl of water to try her own needle — to see whether it would float or sink. But then, this was a failing common to people of her generation: they had long since lost their enthusiasm for traditional festivals.

Smiling, she went inside, so that everyone would not feel constrained in her presence.

She woke from her afternoon nap, and the junior maids were still happily absorbed in the needle-floating revelry. The mood in the rooms had grown all the more festive because of it.

Luo Shiyiniang embroidered for a while, then, seeing the hour was not early, freshened up and prepared to go to the Grand Dowager’s quarters.

A servant from the outer courtyard came requesting to see her.

“Madam, the Marquis says that presently he will be going out with Fifth Brother and Old Master Zhu to stroll West Main Street, and asks that we not wait dinner for them.”

Luo Shiyiniang gave a nod, then went to inform the Grand Dowager.

“Let them go and enjoy themselves — we shall enjoy ourselves as well,” the Grand Dowager said carelessly, then began telling of Second Young Madam’s and Zhen Jie’er’s needle-floating that noon: “Yizhen’s sank right away. Zhen Jie’er’s floated — and looked like a hair pendant, very beautiful. What a pity you were not here to see it.”

Just as she was speaking, Fifth Young Madam and Seventh Young Madam came in arm in arm. The subject shifted to the needle-floating in Fifth Young Madam’s rooms, and did not stop until a junior maid came in to announce that the meal was being laid out.

The group ate their evening meal somewhat hastily, then made their way to the Resplendent View Pavilion.

That evening, the night breeze blew gently, a crescent moon hung in the western sky, lanterns blazed brilliantly, glittering like a river of stars — the glow of heaven and earth reflected in each other, a scene of flourishing prosperity in an age of peace.

Everyone ate melon and fruit, exchanged jokes and stories, and at the exact noon hour threaded needles by moonlight — whereupon Luo Shiyiniang came first.

The Grand Dowager slipped the pure gold twisted-wire bracelet from her wrist and put it on Luo Shiyiniang’s: “This is the top prize.”

Fifth Young Madam and Seventh Young Madam set up a clamor of protest, crying “Favoritism!” The Grand Dowager, helpless against their pestering, laughed and unfastened the two gold rings Nanny Du wore on her fingers: “Go to my dressing case later and pick out two pieces.” Then she handed them to Fifth Young Madam and Seventh Young Madam, and peace was restored.

Nanny Du joined in the fun herself: “Then you must let me choose.”

“Choose whatever you like, choose whatever you like!”

Laughter rang through the courtyard as the gathering dispersed only at the first quarter of the hour of the Ox.

Xu Lingyi had just returned home as well.

He handed her a small square red lacquered wooden box with gilded designs.

“What is this?” Luo Shiyiniang moved to open it, but Xu Lingyi stopped her: “Let’s open it together tomorrow.” He then set the box on the low table atop the large daybed by the window.

It was probably some small trinket he had picked up on West Main Street.

Luo Shiyiniang was curious, but she played along obligingly, and it was not until early the next morning that she opened the box.

Inside was a spider — one that had already spun a web.

Luo Shiyiniang was quite startled.

Xu Lingyi was being attended to by a junior maid helping him dress, and asked casually: “Is the web the spider spun dense?”

Spiders were commonly called “luck-children.”

“Dense,” said Luo Shiyiniang. The corners of her mouth curved high into a happy arc. “Abundant good fortune this year.”

Xu Lingyi gave an unconcerned nod and said: “I am going with Zhu Anping to call on Prince Shun’s residence presently — I may be rather late returning. No need to wait up for me.”

Why had he suddenly thought of bringing Zhu Anping to pay a call on Prince Shun?

Luo Shiyiniang was somewhat surprised.

Xu Lingyi said plainly: “The Empress Dowager fainted again last night. I will make an introduction between Zhu Anping and Prince Shun, so that in future if anything arises, they can look out for each other.”

“Were you not averse to members of the household doing business with the Imperial Household Department?” Luo Shiyiniang could not help asking.

“I am averse to eating from one’s bowl while eyeing the pot,” Xu Lingyi said, as if something had occurred to him. “In this life, one eats no more than three meals a day, and sleeps no more than three feet of space. One must remember the principle that a cup filled to the brim will overflow.”

Luo Shiyiniang gave a slight nod, and saw Xu Lingyi out the door.

She was thinking that she ought to find a moment to have a proper talk with Seventh Young Madam.

As it happened, she did not need to seek her out — Seventh Young Madam came to find her on her own initiative.

“Eleventh Younger Sister, you need not worry,” she said with candor. “My mother-in-law has been insinuating digs at me every day at home about my failure to produce children. Having no son is already one count against me. If I then go and commit an act of unfilial defiance, even with Zhu Anping’s protection, the world’s contempt would drown me entirely. I came to Yanjing to visit relatives, and I will be back before the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Luo Shiyiniang laughed wryly: “Then I have been worrying about you for nothing.”

Seventh Young Madam shot her a glare: “Although you have always had the manner of an old woman since you were small, I am still your elder sister — I know no less than you.”

Luo Shiyiniang found herself caught between laughter and exasperation.

Seventh Young Madam then pressed her: “For the Ghost Festival, I want to go with Fifth Young Madam to release river lanterns. When the time comes, put in a good word for us with the Grand Dowager.”

Luo Shiyiniang pretended to be difficult: “And why should I put in a word for you? Why not put in a word for me, and include me in the river lantern release.”

Seventh Young Madam looked sheepish: “If you come, who will help look after Xin Jie’er?”

So she was really hoping to have her help mind the baby.

Luo Shiyiniang was caught between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh. She feigned objection: “Xin Jie’er is Fifth Sister-in-Law’s most precious treasure, the apple of her eye. If anything were to happen, I could not bear the responsibility. Out of the question!”

“Aiyo,” Seventh Young Madam knew her request was a little unreasonable, but thinking she might not have such an opportunity again, she could only shameless beg Luo Shiyiniang: “That is exactly why Danyang would not trust anyone else — she trusts only you!”

Luo Shiyiniang was taken aback: “Danyang asked you to come and say this?”

“No!” Seventh Young Madam looked a little embarrassed, and said haltingly, “It is the Ghost Festival, after all. She worried that Xin Jie’er might be frightened being alone at home. She didn’t want to go out… So I said I would ask you to help look after Xin Jie’er. And that is why she stopped insisting.” Then, half-imploring, half-cajoling, she said: “Can’t you just do it for my sake?”

—