“He went to First Sister’s former residence?” Eleventh Young Lady lay listlessly on the bed platform, feeling somewhat vexed.

Yanrong gave a quiet nod. “Yupan from the Grand Matriarch’s side found Fourth Young Master and brought him back shortly after.”

Eleventh Young Lady gave a small nod. “If Fifth Young Master comes by with Fourth Young Master later, call out to me.”

Yanrong acknowledged the instruction.

Eleventh Young Lady lay down in exhaustion and soon drifted off to sleep.

That evening when Xu Sijie came back, Yanrong smiled and asked him: “Where is Fourth Young Master? How did he not walk Fifth Young Master home?”

Xu Sijie smiled and replied: “Fourth Brother said he was a little tired and only ate half a bowl of plain rice congee for dinner.”

Yanrong smiled and saw Xu Sijie settled in the side room for the night. She thought about going to report to Eleventh Young Lady, but when she looked into the eastern side chamber, there was only a small gourd-shaped palace lantern flickering with a bean-sized flame — Eleventh Young Lady was sound asleep. She considered for a moment, then tiptoed out.

The next morning when Xu Sizhun came to pay his respects to Eleventh Young Lady, the composure of his usual manner had been restored.

Eleventh Young Lady, mindful of what had happened the day before, smiled and asked him: “Since Nanny Tao cannot be here to spend the Dragon Boat Festival with you, what do you say we send someone to deliver some Eight-Treasure rice dumplings to the farm estate? That way your kind intentions would be fulfilled.”

Xu Sizhun’s eyes brightened with a flash of happy delight. “All right!” And without delay he told Bisuo: “Take Yuhua with you and go to the farm estate to deliver rice dumplings to Nanny Tao.”

Bisuo smiled and agreed. Eleventh Young Lady had already said: “Let Chaxiang and Yuhua go instead. Chaxiang is a senior maid — older and more experienced.”

Xu Sizhun had no objection and nodded with a smile. At noon he came back and asked Chaxiang: “Are the dumplings all ready?”

“Fourth Young Master is so thoughtful about Nanny Tao!” Chaxiang laughed. “The Madam has had Chief Steward Cao arrange for us to go tomorrow morning. The kitchen nannies said they will start steaming the dumplings at the third watch of the night. By the time we reach the farm estate, the dumplings will still be warm!”

Xu Sizhun was very satisfied. First he ran to the portrait of the first Madam and chatted before it at length, and only then went off for his afternoon nap.

When the Grand Matriarch learned of this, she sighed: “How thoughtful of Eleventh Young Lady — she thinks of everything!” She then inquired after Eleventh Young Lady’s health. “Is she still vomiting badly?”

Nanny Du smiled and replied: “I hear it is only in the mornings and evenings now. Much better than before.” She added: “It is a credit to Fourth Madam. No matter how unwell she feels, she keeps to her meals without fail. Any other woman would have been worn to nothing by now.”

The Grand Matriarch nodded and had Nanny Du send the remaining few boxes of blood swallow’s nest from the storeroom to Eleventh Young Lady’s quarters.

“You are getting on in years too — keep some for yourself,” Nanny Du smiled as she urged the Grand Matriarch.

“These are things to be taken in small amounts every day — skip even one day and it is as good as not having taken any at all.” The Grand Matriarch shook her head. “Send it all over.” Then she instructed: “Keep an eye on it too. If the supply runs low, come and tell me, and I will do without shame what I must to beg some more from the palace.”

Nanny Du covered her mouth with her sleeve in laughter, but in the end kept back a few taels for the Grand Matriarch’s use in an emergency.

Chaxiang delivered the rice dumplings to the farm estate, and Nanny Tao, astonished and deeply grateful, immediately ordered a young maid to light the fire and with her own hands made Five Poisons cakes for Chaxiang to take back.

Yanrong tasted one even before Eleventh Young Lady had to ask.

“Fragrant and flaky, even better than what they sell outside.”

Eleventh Young Lady had Chaxiang bring them to Xu Sizhun.

Xu Sizhun cheered with delight, had Chaxiang send some to Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, and specifically invited Xu Sijie to come and eat, and distributed some to the maids and manservants in the room. Then, thinking he had not yet reported this to his mother, he took Xu Sijie with him to the portrait of the first Madam and offered the cakes before her.

Eleventh Young Lady quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The whole household celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival in happiness and high spirits.

The Yu family began negotiations for a betrothal with Madam Gan’s maternal family. With Xu Lingyi away from home, Wen Yiniang often found pretexts to sit with Eleventh Young Lady, and Nanny Du had nothing pressing to attend to and would come to keep Eleventh Young Lady company in conversation.

Eleventh Young Lady found a quiet moment to speak privately with Hupo: “…Running a household single-handedly is very demanding for a woman. Think it through carefully.”

“What good am I?” Hupo lowered her head slightly. “Others seek this match so eagerly only because of you, Madam. I have thought it through clearly. As long as the Madam is here, so am I. Rather than making bridal garments for someone else and then having to bow and scrape in service to a man, I would rather take charge of things openly in my own name, stay by the Madam’s side as a managing nanny, free and self-determined, not beholden to any man’s moods.”

Eleventh Young Lady had always respected others’ choices.

“Very well then!” She smiled at Hupo, let out a long, quiet breath, and said: “I will find you someone you can manage as you please.”

Hupo’s cheeks went crimson.

Eleventh Young Lady had Nanny Song go and speak to Nanny Du: “…Hupo I want to keep by my side. Hongxiu has parents and family — in a few days she will be sent out of the household. Qiuhong seems to me a good fit. If they find her acceptable too, let Qiuhong be the one to marry across.”

Nanny Du’s side replied without delay: “Everything shall be as the Madam wishes.” She then put forward another name: “Chief Steward Bai says there is a young man in the storeroom named Guan Qing, twenty-two years old. When he was three, a great flood took his parents and brothers. A childless paternal uncle of his had him adopted into the family and brought him to the household. If the Madam finds him suitable, she might have him brought for a look one day.”

Eleventh Young Lady was a little surprised. She first told Wen Yiniang about the arrangement for Qiuhong.

Wen Yiniang was overjoyed at having her wish granted. She thanked Eleventh Young Lady again and again, and then, fearing the news might get out and cause some unforeseen complication that would unsettle the arrangement, pestered Eleventh Young Lady every day, impatient for the formal engagement to be concluded at once. But quite out of nowhere, Qin Yiniang suddenly became very attentive and began showing up constantly — sometimes bringing infant socks she had made herself, sometimes infant caps or small garments, saying they were for the unborn Sixth Young Master. She would come and go whenever Wen Yiniang had barely taken her seat.

Wen Yiniang could not help but find this puzzling.

To say that Qin Yiniang was competing for the Marquis’s favor seemed unlikely — every time Xu Lingyi returned home, she rose and withdrew. But to say she had no such intention, all this needlework could not have been completed in one or two days. Having made so much, why bring it piece by piece, day after day, rather than presenting it all at once…

Qin Yiniang had no idea what was going through Wen Yiniang’s mind. Each time she came she would ask Eleventh Young Lady: “Madam, how have you been feeling these past few days? Is Sixth Young Master as lively as before?”

She wore a look of great concern.

Any woman close to becoming a mother found such topics appealing.

Wen Yiniang dared not change the subject, and could only sit by in an agony of impatience.

“Fine,” Eleventh Young Lady replied, her expression mild and noncommittal. “With Nanny Tian and Nanny Wan looking after things, I have felt much better.” Then she turned to Wen Yiniang and asked: “How is your needlework coming along?”

Wen Yiniang was glad to have Eleventh Young Lady steer the conversation, and seized the opening at once: “My needlework — well, you have seen it yourself, Madam. It is fit for private amusement, to pass the time. Hardly something to show to anyone.” She leaned slightly forward, her meaning pointed: “Madam, do you think it too soon if I were to go and place orders at the wedding shop these next couple of days?”

Eleventh Young Lady thought to herself that arranging a son’s marriage called for caution, but arranging a daughter’s marriage called for openness — Qiuhong’s situation required a certain degree of propriety and reserve, and it would be more fitting to let things settle until autumn before proceeding. She had not expected Wen Yiniang to be in such a hurry.

But on reflection, she understood.

She smiled. “Not too soon at all. Go and place your orders these next couple of days; the embroiderers will need time to work, and by autumn everything will be ready to collect.”

Wen Yiniang was overjoyed at hearing this. “Then I shall follow the Madam’s instruction!”

And so the word spread.

Everyone said Wen Yiniang knew how to conduct herself well.

Xiuyuan found an opportunity and told Qiao Lianfang.

Qiao Lianfang paused for a long moment, then lowered her head and went on copying her sutras.

Xiuyuan sighed, turned away, and had a gilded filigree hairpin set with carnelian — a gift Qiao Lianfang had previously given her — sent to Qiuhong as a betrothal congratulation.

At the formal engagement, Wen Yiniang was beside herself with happiness and returned eight sets of clothing for the man’s betrothal gifts.

Eleventh Young Lady teased her: “You are deliberately making things awkward for me.”

Hongxiu had already been taken home by her parents, leaving only one of the right age on her side — Hupo.

Wen Yiniang promptly curtseyed to Eleventh Young Lady again and again. “The wedding trousseau for Miss Hupo will be my responsibility!”

Between Zhen Jie’er’s trousseau, which she was already overseeing, and now taking on both Qiuhong’s and Hupo’s on top of that, Eleventh Young Lady burst into laughter: “I see you will simply manage all such matters in our household going forward!”

“If the Madam is willing to trust me, I am not afraid to take it on,” said Wen Yiniang with refreshing directness.

Just as they were speaking, Chief Steward Bai had a detailed list of repairs needed at the house in Jinyu巷 Lane drawn up and sent over with Guan Qing for Eleventh Young Lady to review.

Wen Yiniang, seeing the newcomer was a young man of around twenty, clean-featured and handsome, gentle and scholarly in manner, was taken completely by surprise. Noticing that Eleventh Young Lady was looking the young man over carefully, she understood at once and joined in studying Guan Qing from head to foot — and so thoroughly did they look at him that Guan Qing turned scarlet and did not know what to do with his hands.

“Madam, allow me to make some inquiries for you,” Wen Yiniang said eagerly once Guan Qing had withdrawn. “I will not let Miss Hupo be treated unfairly.”

Eleventh Young Lady, too, was concerned that Hupo might entrust herself to the wrong person. Thinking of how well-connected and well-informed Wen Yiniang tended to be, she gave her careful, detailed instructions on what to look into and how to go about it.

The result was that when Xu Lingyi returned home, he found Eleventh Young Lady and Wen Yiniang with their heads together, deep in whispered conversation, both their expressions full of smiling brightness.

“What is all this happiness about?” That evening, Xu Lingyi propped himself on his elbow and lay on his side, and as was his habit gently rested his hand on her belly with a smile.

The warmth of his palm against her abdomen made her feel languid and drowsy: “It is about Hupo’s matter…” She gave a yawn and told him the whole story.

“There is no hurry,” Xu Lingyi said, smoothing her forehead. “Once you are feeling stronger in a few days, there will be time enough.”

“I will not feel at ease until this is settled.” Eleventh Young Lady replied, then asked about Xu Lingyi’s own affairs. “Has the date for Cheng Ge’er’s small betrothal ceremony been set?”

“It has been set!” Xu Lingyi smiled. “On the fourteenth of the fifth month. Fourth Aunt specifically asked me about you and wanted you to come along and join in the occasion. I did not dare commit on your behalf — you have not set foot outside since the first month. The weather has been fine these past few days, and it might do you good to go out for a while. It is not as though it were a stranger’s household — Yiqing’s home — and Fourth Aunt has two children herself. She would know how to look after you… What do you say?”

From that direction came only silence.

Xu Lingyi looked over in surprise.

He found himself looking at the peacefully sleeping face of Eleventh Young Lady.

He could not help but smile to himself.

He gently tucked the corner of the quilt in around her. After a moment’s hesitation, he pressed a light kiss to her temple, then blew out the lamp and lay down to rest.

Eleventh Young Lady did not know that Xu Lingyi had once suggested they attend the small betrothal ceremony for Fourth Aunt’s son together. Her attention was fixed on investigating the character and temperament of Guan Qing.

Wen Yiniang was completely devoted to the task.

She felt that only when Hupo had a good life ahead of her would Qiuhong’s own marriage be settled and joyful.

The two women, who had previously seldom crossed paths except at the morning and evening greetings, now found themselves meeting several times a day — and this could not help but stir a certain unease in some hearts.