Zhen Jie’er watched Xu Siqin’s retreating figure and gave a faint shake of her head before going to Eleventh Madam’s quarters.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie were seated on the large heated platform by the window, drinking lotus seed and lily root porridge and chatting with Eleventh Madam.

“Mother, how about Lv Xue and E Rui — would those names do?” This was Xu Sizhun’s first outing since his illness; he had just received two new little maids and was thinking of what to name them. He spoke, then paused. “They would also go well with Cha Xiang.”

Eleventh Madam felt that a name was given by one’s parents and was a person’s own unique mark in this world; whatever the maids who came to serve her had originally been called, they kept those same names when they came to her side. The Grand Dowager and the Second Madam were different — the maids in their service were all renamed according to their mistresses’ preferences. Xu Sizhun had been influenced by the Grand Dowager in this. But among the wealthy and noble households of Great Zhou, this was common practice. Eleventh Madam smiled and asked him: “A whole room fragrant with green tea.”

Xu Sizhun smiled with pressed lips.

Xu Sijie looked at Eleventh Madam’s bright smile, then at the clearly pleased Xu Sizhun, and called out loudly: “Mother, I want to name maids too!”

Xu Sijie’s own maids had not been changed this time.

Eleventh Madam smiled: “Wait until new little maids are added to your room, and then you may name them.”

Xu Sijie was quite crestfallen; his gaze drifted to Si Xi standing nearby, and his eyes lit up. Eagerly he said: “Mother, let me give Si Xi a new name!”

The thus-named Si Xi stood with her mouth agape.

Eleventh Madam was also somewhat amused: “Si Xi already has a name, and everyone has grown accustomed to calling her by it.”

Si Xi, emboldened, muttered in a small voice: “I am the fourth child in my family, and the only girl. Father was so happy that he chose the character for ‘joy’…”

Xu Sijie was very disappointed: “Then — then what is to be done?”

Xu Sizhun thought for a moment: “How about you choose one from Lv Xue and E Rui?”

“But they already have names?” Xu Sijie still felt this was a problem.

Eleventh Madam laughed out loud and patted Xu Sijie’s head; the little maid raised the curtain to serve Zhen Jie’er inside.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie called out “Elder Sister” together in a rush.

Zhen Jie’er smiled and took Xu Sijie into her arms, asking Xu Sizhun: “Are you feeling better?”

Xu Sizhun smiled: “I am going back to Shuang Fu Yuan for lessons tomorrow.”

“Then you must study diligently!” Zhen Jie’er smiled. “Make up all the lessons you have missed!”

Xu Sizhun nodded again and again.

Zhen Jie’er spoke of Xu Siyu: “…He said he is leaving tomorrow. When I arrived, Elder Brother and Third Brother were there saying their farewells to Second Brother.”

Eleventh Madam considered for a moment and proposed: “Then let us all go together tomorrow to see him off.”

This was what Zhen Jie’er had hoped for, and since Eleventh Madam had said it, Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie — taking it as coming from Eleventh Madam — naturally had no objection.

Everyone then discussed what to give Xu Siyu.

Zhen Jie’er told Eleventh Madam what Xu Siqin had asked her.

Eleventh Madam could not help but sigh.

Strictly speaking, Yuan Jie’er was an illegitimate daughter of the Zhongqin Marquis; for Xu Siqin to marry her would not be beneath him. It was only that the Third Madam and Madam Gan were both too fierce and unyielding in temperament. Thinking also of how both Madam Zhou and Third Lady Huang took a great interest in the marriages of Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, while the Grand Dowager seemed reluctant to involve herself — leaving even Madam Zhou and Third Lady Huang uncertain — and other households seeing the same, saying little, so the matter had simply been set aside. But by Eleventh Madam’s reckoning, the Third Master was nearly due to return to the capital for review of his official post; the Grand Dowager had most likely decided to wait for the Third Master and the Third Madam to come back first.

“When Yuan Jie’er’s date is fixed, I will let you know.”

She had caused such a great commotion back then; knowing that Yuan Jie’er would go on to be safely and happily married would put her mind somewhat at ease.

Zhen Jie’er gave a faint nod.

On that side, Xu Sizhun came over and took her hand: “Elder Sister, Elder Sister — what if Fifth Brother and I make a lantern together to give him?”

“The fifteenth of the first month has long passed, and the fifteenth of the eighth month is still far away.” Eleventh Madam smiled. “What use is a lantern! Think of something else!”

These two, ever since that Mid-Autumn Festival when the river lanterns they made earned universal praise from the whole household, had taken the greatest delight in making flower lanterns and lanterns of all kinds.

Xu Sizhun smiled sheepishly.

Zhen Jie’er then said: “Second Brother loves reading. Let us give him some writing supplies.”

Everyone chimed in one voice after another, and they discussed for quite some time. By the time evening fell, they all went to the Grand Dowager’s for dinner. It was lively and bustling, making the Grand Dowager beam with delight.

The next morning at the break of day, Eleventh Madam with Zhen Jie’er, Xu Sizhun, and Xu Sijie saw Xu Siyu off at the main gate. Eleventh Madam gave two wolf-hair brushes; Zhen Jie’er gave four bundles of Cheng Xin paper; Xu Sizhun gave a lotus-leaf shaped brush washer; Xu Sijie gave a bamboo brush holder. Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian would escort Xu Siyu all the way to the city gate.

Zhen Jie’er, seeing the two blue-curtained carriages stopped at the gate, felt a pang in her heart; she admonished Wen Zhu: “…You must take good care of the Second Young Master. If anything comes up, send word back promptly.”

Xu Siyu, seeing her look so sorrowful, comforted her: “Fallen-Leaf Mountain is no more than half a day’s journey from Yanjing. Besides, the Mid-Autumn Festival will soon be upon us — I will be back in a few days.”

The Mid-Autumn Festival prized family reunion; Xu Siyu would certainly return to the household to celebrate.

Zhen Jie’er then said no more. After Xu Siyu had gone, Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie went to Shuang Fu Yuan; Zhen Jie’er supported Eleventh Madam and they slowly made their way back to the main room.

Steward Bai sent a young manservant to report that Eleventh Madam’s house in Gold Fish Lane had been completed.

Eleventh Madam was very pleased.

That was property in her own name — her own possession. To have it was a sense of security, the feeling that if one step back were needed, there was still a place to stand.

She wished to go and see it.

Xu Lingyi would not permit it: “…The weather is so hot, and it would mean a tiring journey by carriage. Wait until after the birth. I will have them leave the rooms empty, and whenever you are free you can go and arrange the furnishings at your leisure.”

Eleventh Madam remained at home, imagining it to herself; she had someone bring the model of Gold Fish Lane over and spent her idle time discussing with Zhen Jie’er, Hu Po, and the others about what to place where.

Yang Shi, taking advantage of a day she came to pay her respects, sent over a swaddling cloth embroidered with children at play among antiques.

The children were embroidered with striking liveliness, and the color combinations were vivid and eye-catching — clearly a great deal of effort had gone into it.

Eleventh Madam thanked her and had Hu Po put it away: “We will see about it once the child is born.”

Yang Shi answered warmly and sat on a low stool to ask after the child.

“Quite well.” Eleventh Madam was brief and spare with words; Yang Shi had no choice but to speak around her: “That is good — I have been worried, seeing that Madam was not feeling well these past days. I started embroidering the swaddling cloth straightaway. Fortunately Madam is blessed and has good fortune in store.”

Eleventh Madam exchanged a few pleasantries with her, then smilingly raised her tea cup in dismissal.

Yang Shi withdrew with a smile, but the moment she was back in her own room, her whole expression changed.

“This Luo Shi — she truly is an impervious nature, neither oil nor salt will enter.”

Nanny Yang fretted on her behalf: “What on earth is to be done!” Thinking that the Empress Dowager was gone and Yang Shi was still untouched, she set aside all discretion and lowered her voice: “First Madam’s pregnancy was not going well, and then there was the matter of Qin Yiniang; the Marquis has had no desire for anyone all this while — which is understandable enough. But it has been over half a year that he has slept entirely in Madam’s room… Once the Marquis is at leisure again, there is still Wen Yiniang and Qiao Yiniang — and by that time it will be even harder.”

The moon waxes and the moon wanes. The Marquis had held himself in check for over half a year already; it was a time of the waning moon. If she herself could not seize this opportunity now…

Yang Shi sat on the heated platform and squeezed her hands into tight fists.

She became more and more diligent in her visits to Eleventh Madam.

Eleventh Madam, however, remained perpetually cool and detached.

Yang Shi grew anxious, yet could not for the moment think of any other recourse.

Time slipped by, and the Mid-Autumn Festival drew near; the sound of cicadas filled the air before and behind every building.

First came the de-mourning ceremony held by the Zhongqin Marquis Household for the old lord; then Old Man Gan, acting behind the Xu family’s back, arranged for the Third Master to have a three-courtyard, three-bay house in Stone Jetty Lane, not far from Gold Fish Lane; then Lan Ting came running to Eleventh Madam to let off some grievances about Cao E’s dowry.

Eleventh Madam listened and was inwardly alarmed; that evening she said to Xu Lingyi: “…In order to put on a good face for Xian Jie’er, they gave Cao E’s birth mother’s jewelry to Xian Jie’er. Cao E was so furious she took to her bed. Fortunately Lan Ting has a temper and managed to get the things back. The two Jiang family nannies are still by Cao E’s side. Madam Gan is being far too inconsiderate toward this younger half-sister.”

Xu Lingyi looked at her face — fuller than before because of the pregnancy, yet even fairer and more delicately smooth — and somewhat absent-mindedly took her hand, smiling: “So the Third Miss of the Gan family is called Cao E!”

Eleventh Madam was a little flustered.

In ancient times, a young lady’s given name was not lightly revealed; in saying what she did, she herself had seemed a little giddy. Then it occurred to her — how would Xu Lingyi know she had been speaking of the Gan family’s Third Miss if he did not already know Cao E’s name himself? He had obviously known the given name all along. She said with a hint of reproach: “If you did not know the Gan family’s Third Miss’s given name, how would you know I was speaking of Cao E?”

Xu Lingyi looked at her eyes blinking rapidly, bright as morning stars at the edge of the sky, and suddenly felt a deep sense of contentment — if only Eleventh Madam could always be like this, how wonderful it would be.

He smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze: “Let us rest. Tomorrow morning you must still go for your walk in the back garden.”

Ever since she had entered her eighth month, Nannies Tian and Wan accompanied her morning and evening for half an hour’s walk in the back garden — supposedly this helped with an easy birth.

Eleventh Madam smiled and lay down.

Xu Lingyi went to blow out the lamp and, by habit, placed his hand on her belly.

Eleventh Madam drew the thin coverlet up a little, then heard Xu Lingyi give an exclamation and sit up.

“What is it!” Eleventh Madam asked, and felt Xu Lingyi’s two hands begin moving gently over her belly.

“Just now he kicked me!” Xu Lingyi’s voice was very excited. “I felt it clearly — he kicked me.” Then he murmured: “Strange — why has he gone still?” He then rose and lit the lamp, carefully feeling her belly, wanting to experience the child’s movement again.

But this child stirred very little; even Eleventh Madam had not encountered it many times, let alone Xu Lingyi.

She sat up smiling, leaning against the headboard pillow: “He is a little lazy…” Before she could finish speaking, she saw Xu Lingyi full of delighted surprise: “He kicked me again!” He then pointed out the spot for Eleventh Madam to see. “Right here…” As he said this, a puzzled look crossed his eyes. “But just before, it seemed to be here…” His hand shifted to the other side.

Eleventh Madam felt it would be somewhat difficult to explain all this to Xu Lingyi and simply said: “Nanny Tian says it is like this.”

“Is that right?” Xu Lingyi looked at her, bewildered for a moment, then resumed his gentle touching. “Do you think he is uncomfortable? Otherwise, why would he kick?”

“Perhaps he finds it dull, being alone?” Eleventh Madam said without thinking.

Xu Lingyi considered this, then slightly increased the pressure of his hands and began stroking her belly with gentle tenderness.

The child, however, did not stir again.