Ever since Xu Sizhun had kicked her, Shiyiniang had formed the habit of keeping a certain distance from others. When Nanny Tao hurled herself at her with the face of a vengeful spirit, she was momentarily stunned — but quickly came to her senses. The few steps between them had bought her time. Aware that a grand armchair stood at her back, she immediately crouched down.

Nanny Tao’s lunge fell wide of its mark.

Shiyiniang instinctively tried to dart away like a cat, but forgot that she was heavy with child and could not move as she once had — she could not rise to her feet.

Nanny Tao pressed her advantage and bent down, seizing her by the shoulders.

Shiyiniang’s heart sank. She raised her leg, preparing to deliver a fierce kick to Nanny Tao.

But then came a crash — a burst of powder and shards of porcelain rained down on Nanny Tao’s head. Nanny Tao’s eyes rolled back, and she slowly crumpled to the ground.

Shiyiniang looked up to see Second Madam standing there, clutching what remained of a vase — its neck still in her hand — her face utterly at a loss.

Shiyiniang stared, speechless.

Second Madam quickly let go of the broken neck, murmuring faintly: “I — I — this is the first time I have ever…”

In ancient times, a well-bred lady from a distinguished family never ventured beyond the inner gates. Having experienced far less of the world, and raised in a household steeped in scholarly virtue — one that prized the rule that a gentleman uses words and not fists — Second Madam had likely never before found herself in such a scene. Just as Shiyiniang herself had not.

Shiyiniang could only echo softly: “Neither have I.”

For a moment, the two looked at each other, and — for reasons neither could quite explain — felt a sudden current of shared understanding pass between them, as though each had glimpsed in the other a rare, unguarded sliver of true nature that was never otherwise seen.

The room fell quiet.

The old dowager came hurrying over in a fluster.

“Shiyiniang, Shiyiniang — are you all right? Is anything the matter?”  The old woman’s face had gone pale. Speaking as she moved, she crouched down to help her up.

Shiyiniang came back to herself, sat still for a moment, and finding no sign of anything amiss, accepted the offered hand and stood: “It seems I am all right.”

“We had better have a physician take a look all the same,” said Second Madam — who had already recovered her usual composed and unruffled manner. She addressed the wet nurse, who stood rooted to the spot like a wooden figure: “What are you still standing there for? Nanny Tao has fainted from excessive grief. Go and call Jiexiang and Zhuxiang in at once — we need someone here to attend.”

The wet nurse jolted back to her senses, called out her acknowledgment over and over, and turned to summon Jiexiang and Zhuxiang. Afraid that the incident might spread and bring trouble upon herself, she did not slow her pace — she entered the inner chamber before Jiexiang and Zhuxiang arrived. She saw Shiyiniang and the old dowager seated side by side in the grand armchair, Second Madam standing at the old dowager’s side, while the old dowager patted her own chest saying “…At my age, this is the first time I have ever had someone dare to raise a hand in front of me” — and hurried to pour a cup of tea for the old dowager.

The old dowager accepted the cup but passed it to Shiyiniang: “Here — drink a sip, and steady yourself.” She added with concern: “Were you frightened just now?”

Shiyiniang nodded, drank the tea, and felt considerably better.

Jiexiang and Zhuxiang entered.

The two looked at the scene before them and could not help but exchange bewildered glances.

Though one was Second Madam’s own personal attendant and the other was Shiyiniang’s, Second Madam chose to explain nothing at all. She instructed Jiexiang to tidy the scene, and told Zhuxiang to go to Shiyiniang’s quarters and summon several capable women to carry Nanny Tao away: “…She has fainted from excessive weeping. Inform the outer courtyard manager, and have a physician sent for. And as for the Fourth Young Master’s side — why has Doctor Liu still not come for his follow-up examination?”

An excuse, and a full account of how matters were to be handled, all arranged in one breath.

Fortunately, Zhuxiang was quick-witted and grasped Second Madam’s meaning at once.

She looked toward Shiyiniang, and only when Shiyiniang told her “Go on then” did she hurry out of the inner chamber.

Second Madam observed this and nodded slightly, thinking to herself that this maid had a fine head on her shoulders.

Jiexiang and the wet nurse busied themselves gathering up the broken shards of porcelain.

Second Madam then told the wet nurse: “Leave the tidying — just keep watch over Nanny Tao.”

The wet nurse did not dare refuse, and went at once to stand by Nanny Tao’s side.

Xu Sizhun stirred restlessly on the couch, letting out a low moan.

The old dowager, Second Madam, and Shiyiniang all immediately gathered around him, and the old dowager drew Xu Sizhun into her arms: “Zhun Ge’er, Zhun Ge’er — Grandmother is right here!”

Xu Sizhun opened his eyes.

His gaze, once clear as glass, was now clouded — slow and distant, as though he were looking at them all through a strange and unfamiliar haze.

The old dowager’s heart sank.

He had plainly not yet fully come back to himself.

The wet nurse, listening anxiously, wanted to go look but did not dare move. She craned her neck and peered over.

Nanny Tao, collapsed on the ground, suddenly let out a faint moan, thin as the hum of a mosquito.

The wet nurse was so startled that she forgot all her hesitations and cried out: “Old Dowager — Nanny Tao has come around!”

Everyone looked over.

Second Madam saw that one had her arms full with Xu Sizhun, and the other was heavy with child — and so steeled herself, saying: “It is all right, leave it to me.” Her gaze swept the room and landed on a square blue-and-white porcelain flower vessel, about a foot tall, standing beside the low table at the couch.

Her mind steadied somewhat. She reached for the vessel with some hesitation.

A dazed Xu Sizhun suddenly cried out “Nanny Tao!” and mumbled: “…Ghost, there’s a ghost!”

The old dowager and Second Madam exchanged a glance. The old dowager quickly soothed him: “It is nothing, it is all fine now!”

Second Madam, without a moment’s hesitation, stepped forward, closed her eyes, and brought the vessel down on Nanny Tao’s head.

Nanny Tao’s fingers twitched, then fell still.

Jiexiang moved at once to collect the remnants.

The sound of shattering porcelain gave Xu Sizhun a start. His body convulsed twice — and then his eyes began to slowly regain their focus.

“Zhun Ge’er…” The old dowager, noticing the change, was overjoyed. She turned to Second Madam and Shiyiniang: “Come quickly, come and look — Zhun Ge’er is waking up.”

The two came over. Seeing this, they could not help but feel a flicker of hope kindle in their hearts as well.

Zhuxiang’s voice carried through the curtain: “Old Dowager, Fourth Madam, Second Madam — Nanny Song has come.”

The joy of Xu Sizhun’s awakening dimmed slightly.

Shiyiniang called out for Nanny Song to enter. Nanny Song and the two rough-work matrons she had brought along helped Nanny Tao to the old dowager’s small side room. The physician summoned by Head Steward Bai arrived as well, took her pulse, and prescribed several doses of medicine to calm the spirit. Nanny Song sent one of the rough-work matrons along to fetch the medicine, and stayed herself to keep watch at Nanny Tao’s side.

On the other side of the room, Xu Sizhun burst into tears with a sob and clutched the old dowager tightly: “Grandmother, Grandmother — I was so frightened. I saw a ghost!”

“Nonsense!” The old dowager, startled and delighted in equal measure, held Xu Sizhun and scolded him fondly. “That was Yi Yiniang, unable to sleep and wandering the courtyard in the middle of the night. Where was there any ghost? The matrons at the gate all saw her!”

Xu Sizhun looked at the old dowager through tear-filled eyes: “Truly — truly?” His expression was confused. “But I — I saw a long tongue…”

“You!” The old dowager’s loving smile carried a trace of exasperation. “You went sneaking out behind Grandmother’s and Nanny Du’s backs, your heart full of fear, and you’ve such a timid nature — you heard a rustle in the wind and your hands and feet went to pieces. Do you know how long you lay unconscious? Two whole days and nights. You gave Grandmother, your father, your mother, your Second Aunt, your Fifth Uncle, and your Fifth Aunt a terrible fright!”

Xu Sizhun’s heart still trembled with lingering dread. He felt certain what he had seen had not been as described, but he could not very well press the matter, and said quietly: “Then — then, Cha Xiang…”

“You still have the heart to worry about Cha Xiang?” The old dowager’s face turned stern. “She took you out wandering about at that hour of the night — I have sent her to the laundry room as punishment.”

In Xu Sizhun’s memory, the old dowager had never punished anyone. Knowing that his grandmother was truly angry this time, he resolved to find a way to plead for Cha Xiang when the opportunity arose. He lowered his head and did not dare raise the subject again.

Second Madam stepped in to smooth things over: “Zhun Ge’er has only just woken — Mother, whatever you wish to say can wait a little while. And Zhun Ge’er — do lie down, and mind you don’t catch a chill. One thing had not yet passed, and now there is another — you will worry the old dowager into going white-haired on your account.”

After all, two days and two nights without food — Xu Sizhun had been holding himself together by sheer will. At Second Madam’s words, he suddenly felt his strength drain away. He lay down obediently.

The old dowager helped tuck the quilt around him and quickly told Jiexiang to go bring a bowl of plain congee.

The wet nurse came forward, looked at Xu Sizhun, and smiled through her tears: “Fourth Young Master!”

Xu Sizhun was taken aback.

In his dream he had seen his mother, seen Nanny Tao, seen his wet nurse — and the little Shao with her twin-looped hair… He had never expected his wet nurse to truly be back at the mansion.

“Wet Nurse,” he said, a trace of excitement crossing his face, “in my dream I saw you holding me — was that not a dream after all? Were you truly holding me?” He craned his neck and peered around her. “And Nanny Tao — did she also come? She must have come to see me when she heard I was ill!”

The wet nurse’s expression grew slightly unnatural. She was still thinking of how best to answer when the old dowager laughed: “You really have slept yourself into a muddle! Daxing is a full day’s journey there and back — you were unconscious for two whole days and nights. How would Nanny Tao have known?”

Xu Sizhun’s expression fell. “So I remembered it wrong,” he said quietly.

Just then, Jiexiang brought in the plain congee.

The old dowager made room for the wet nurse to attend to Xu Sizhun’s meal, and then had a little maid go and inform Xu Lingyi in the outer courtyard.

Before long, Xu Lingyi arrived accompanied by Doctor Liu.

This time, the old dowager, Shiyiniang, and Second Madam withdrew to the warm side chamber.

“Nanny Tao’s behavior was erratic, and Zhun Ge’er’s nature is mild — the two of them were far too close,” said the old dowager the moment she entered the warm chamber. She fixed Shiyiniang with a clear and penetrating gaze. “Zhun Ge’er is to be the one who one day commands Marquis Yongping’s household. How can he be allowed to be held in a matron’s grip?”

Shiyiniang’s heart felt heavy.

The dead are fixed in time, and the dead always seem especially perfect. At the time, she had gone to great lengths to keep Nanny Tao on precisely because she had hoped that once Xu Sizhun was older — once he had the capacity to judge right from wrong — she would let him decide for himself whether Nanny Tao should stay or go. But now…

She quietly suppressed a sigh within herself.

There was no guarantee that someone would not twist matters in Xu Sizhun’s ears for the sake of their own advantage. When he was still too young to know better it was one thing — but once he grew older, there would likely be another round of complications.

This too was the difference between what man plans and what heaven ordains.

Shiyiniang turned this over in her mind, and quietly answered: “Yes.”

The old dowager said no more.

On the other side of the room, the rough-work matron who had fetched the medicine had returned, and was consulting Nanny Song about borrowing a small brazier from the kitchen to decoct it. Nanny Du came by to check on things, and the rough-work matron reported to her. Nanny Du sent one of her little maids along to borrow a small brazier. Nanny Du and Nanny Song chatted idly in the room, and when the medicine had been decocted, Nanny Du helped Nanny Song administer it, then returned to the old dowager’s side.

That evening, Nanny Tao came to and found herself alone — no one at her side, only the faint flame of an oil lamp for company.

Turning over the events of the day, her mind was in turmoil.

She wanted to call someone and ask after Xu Sizhun’s condition. Then, without warning, her stomach seized with violent pain.

She rushed to the chamber pot behind the bed curtain and crouched there for half an hour before the pain eased somewhat. But the moment she lay back down, it came on again. Back and forth this continued through the night — by morning, she was limp as a vegetable that had been blanched and wilted, all the life gone from her.

Nanny Du arrived with a little maid, carrying the morning meal.

“You were once a capable and valued matron in the service of the late Fourth Madam. There is little need for me to say more. Eat this meal, and then go back to the farm estate. Do not come again.” She also handed over the medicine that had been prepared. “This is for invigorating the blood and clearing the channels.”

Nanny Tao stared coldly at Nanny Du. She neither took the medicine nor touched the morning meal. She turned and walked out of the Xu household, hired a cart, and returned to the estate.

Partway there, her stomach seized again several times. By evening, when she arrived home, she had begun to pass blood.

Tao Cheng was alarmed and asked Nanny Tao what had happened. Nanny Tao felt it had something to do with what had occurred at Marquis Yongping’s mansion, yet she could not say exactly what. A physician was called. The diagnosis was dysentery. She took many doses of medicine, changing physicians several times, but showed no improvement. Tao Cheng even went specially to the mansion to ask Head Steward Bai to find an imperial physician to come and examine her — but she improved no more than before. The illness dragged on until the middle of the sixth month, and then she was gone.