Several days passed in this manner. The Fourth Young Master’s wife came again: “Seventh Brother-in-law helped find a small farmstead near Jinan Prefecture — only around a hundred acres, but in excellent condition. Had that family’s son not gotten himself into a legal dispute, such land would never have come up for sale.”

How quickly!

Eleventh Young Lady smiled: “This matter really ought to be explained in full to the Sixth Yiniang.”

The Fourth Young Master’s wife gave Eleventh Young Lady a conspiratorial wink: “I was thinking the same thing as the Eleventh Young Lady.”

The two exchanged a smile.

A maidservant brought in a bowl of herbal medicine.

The Fourth Young Master’s wife counted the days in her head and exclaimed in concern: “Eleventh Young Lady, have you not been well?”

There is no point in their knowing — it will only make them worry needlessly.

Eleventh Young Lady drank down the medicine in one go, then smiled: “They say it is postpartum weakness. I need to rest and recuperate properly.”

Such are the many customs and proprieties of a marquis’s household, no doubt.

The Fourth Young Master’s wife, having grown up in a rural setting, did not press further, and smilingly changed the subject: “Now that this farmstead is secured, even if the residence cannot be arranged straight away, there is at least something to show for it all.”

Eleventh Young Lady smiled and said: “Could it be that the Wang family has set a date?”

“The tenth of the twelfth month,” the Fourth Young Master’s wife smiled. “I came specifically to ask your thoughts, Eleventh Young Lady — whether this date is suitable or not.”

Why ask herself whether it is suitable?

In a flash, Eleventh Young Lady understood.

The Fourth Young Master’s wife was hoping that when the Twelfth Young Miss was married off, Eleventh Young Lady would go and lend presence and prestige to the occasion.

She thought of Tenth Young Lady.

Whatever the circumstances, she was still the mother of the Mao Guo Duke.

“Has word been sent to Tenth Young Lady?”

The Fourth Young Master’s wife smiled: “Tenth Young Lady has a retiring, solitary nature — she does not keep close even with her own family. It is hard to say whether she would go or not. So I came to discuss things with you first.”

The eldest madam had been gone for more than two years now. This occasion of sending off the Twelfth Young Miss was an opportunity for Tenth Young Lady to repair her ties with the Luo family… Thinking this, Eleventh Young Lady smiled with a slight helplessness. Knowing Tenth Young Lady’s temperament, she estimated she would know of it and still not do anything.

She sighed inwardly and set aside all those weighty thoughts that grew heavier the more she turned them over. She smiled: “Is this date truly settled? A few days ago I heard the Marquis say that the Zhong Qin Bo family’s Xian Jie’er is to be married on the fourth of the twelfth month. If so, is the Wang family not arranging two weddings within just a few days of each other?”

The Twelfth Young Miss was marrying Wang Ji, a collateral branch of the Zhen Nan Marquis’s Wang family. Xian Jie’er was marrying the eldest son of the Zhen Nan Marquis’s heir. By this reckoning, the Twelfth Young Miss and Xian Jie’er would become sisters-in-law.

“I’d heard about that as well,” the Fourth Young Master’s wife smiled. “But from the way the Zhen Nan Marquis’s heir spoke, he seemed to think of it as one celebration after another, a double blessing. I, on the other hand, am worried that if we let it drag past the new year, something else might change — better to marry her off sooner so I can have peace of mind.”

Eleventh Young Lady gave a slight nod and said: “One is from the main line, one is from a collateral branch, and what is more they are entering the family one after the other — I only worry that later the two sisters-in-law will be constantly compared to each other.”

The Fourth Young Master’s wife was briefly taken aback, but then quickly smiled: “This way works out nicely too. I was afraid that after the Sixth Yiniang had no choice but to back down with you, she might later second-guess herself and complain.”

Everything has its advantages and its drawbacks.

Eleventh Young Lady found herself laughing at her own unnecessary worry.

She was in confinement, and people like Madam Zhou could not conveniently come to call. Her own health was poor and the Grand Lady was worried about too many visitors wearing her out, so they came less frequently as well. All she had around her day in and day out were these few maidservants and nannies. After Imperial Physician Liu came to give her acupuncture, her health had greatly improved. The Fourth Young Master’s wife came, giving her a good chance to pass the time in conversation.

The two of them wandered through talk on every subject until noon, and Eleventh Young Lady kept the Fourth Young Master’s wife for the midday meal before she rose to take her leave.

Qiuyu came in and whispered in her ear: “Fang Ting from the First Young Master’s side has come several times. Seeing that my lady was talking with the Fourth Young Master’s wife, she went away again.”

I wonder what that is about?

With the Third Master and his wife away from home, one needed to keep a closer watch on Xu Siqin’s and Xu Sijian’s sides.

Eleventh Young Lady thought it over: “If she comes again, ask her what the matter is.”

Qiuyu acknowledged the instruction and stepped back — only to return at once: “The First Young Master wishes to see you!”

He comes right after the Fourth Young Master’s wife leaves — this is urgent.

Eleventh Young Lady straightened herself into a proper sitting posture: “Let him come in.”

Xu Siqin came in from behind the screen and asked after Eleventh Young Lady’s health, inquired about Jin Ge’er, mentioned that Xu Sijian had been spending these past few days making paper lanterns together with Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie — and after all this circling, still had not said what he had come for.

Eleventh Young Lady had no choice but to send away the servants from the room.

Xu Siqin then haltingly managed to say: “I heard Maternal Grandfather say that Elder Cousin’s wedding date is set for the fourth day of the twelfth month. So, so — after that will it be Cousin Yuan’s turn?”

So it was for this!

Eleventh Young Lady suddenly realized that the remorse the incident with Yuan Jie’er had brought to Xu Siqin might be far greater than any of them had imagined…

“My health has not been well these days,” she said with some concern. “For Xian Jie’er’s wedding — I may not be able to go…”

“Fourth Aunt,” Xu Siqin broke in with a note of urgency, cutting off Eleventh Young Lady’s words. “I do not mean anything else by it.” He seemed agitated. “I, I just wanted to ask… I did not think things through at the time…” His voice trailed gradually lower, with a trace of despondency. “I thought Mother would back down out of consideration for me… Now that she is to be married off, I would like to ask Fourth Aunt, when adding to her trousseau gifts, to pass this along on my behalf.” So saying, he turned and fled — Eleventh Young Lady called after him but could not stop him. She had no choice but to have Qiuyu bring the item in.

It was a pouch in grass green embroidered with red plum blossoms, containing seven or eight bank drafts — some for ten taels, some for twenty — totaling over two hundred taels.

Eleventh Young Lady could only quietly shake her head.

If only the Third Madam had stepped back at the time — this might not have been a bad match at all.

She called Hupo in.

“Return these bank drafts to the First Young Master. Tell him: sometimes, not knowing is itself a kind of happiness.”

Hupo, with a look of puzzlement, carried the bank drafts to Xu Siqin.

Xu Siqin stood in the middle of the room gripping the bank drafts, head bowed in silence for a long while.

Fang Ting and the others dared not disturb him. It was Xu Sijian who came back and clapped him on the shoulder: “Elder Brother, what is the matter with you?” His eyes caught a glimpse of the bank drafts in Xu Siqin’s hand, and he made a grab for them, snatching them away: “Right then! Last time Elder Cousin told you to buy wine and you said you had no money — turns out you’ve had this whole stash all along.”

Xu Siqin watched Xu Sijian’s ebullient mood with dull eyes and said flatly: “How are the lanterns coming along?”

Xu Sijian, seeing his elder brother’s listless expression, dropped his grin: “What has happened? Just now you were perfectly fine.” His eye snagged on the bank drafts in Xu Siqin’s hand, and another thought crossed his mind. “Is it that Father doesn’t agree to us going to Qian Xi Academy, so you’re in low spirits?”

“No,” Xu Siqin gave a light shake of his head, turned and walked into the inner room, not even reclaiming the bank drafts from Xu Sijian’s hand.

The Third Master had sent word in the early part of the ninth month to both brothers, saying that he would be returning to the capital for the spring review and that the matter of their schooling could be discussed then. Xu Sijian had been dejected over this for some time, and it was Xu Siqin who had talked him out of his low spirits. Seeing his elder brother now unwell in spirit, Xu Sijian had originally wanted to make a little joke to cheer him up — but it was like throwing a punch at soft cotton wadding, with Xu Siqin giving no reaction whatsoever.

Xu Sijian thought it over and followed him into the inner room. There he found Xu Siqin lying on his back on the wide kang by the window, eyes fixed blankly at the ceiling canopy above.

“Elder Brother, I heard something.” Xu Sijian thought about it, then sat down beside Xu Siqin. “Li Ji — the one who used to run around all the time with Tang the Sixth from the Zhong Shan Marquis’s household — do you remember him?”

“I don’t remember.” Xu Siqin’s tone was indifferent.

But Xu Sijian did not give up: “He is the one who is marrying the Tenth Young Miss from Princess An Cheng’s household.”

“Oh,” said Xu Siqin, and his heart felt all the more unsettled. Fourth Aunt had spoken with Lin Da Nainai and Madam Zhou to find him a few suitable matches, but word had been relayed to his mother, who either thought the family’s standing too low or their family background too thin — until now even Fourth Aunt found it awkward to be involved in the matter.

“I heard from Elder Cousin that Li Ji, while in Fujian, distinguished himself greatly and was exceptionally promoted to Quanzhou Military Commissioner, awarded the senior fourth-rank court rank, and even received an imperial audience.” Xu Sijian’s tone was full of admiration. “Though some people also say that he did not truly suppress five thousand pirates — that nearly half of those five thousand were actually retainers from the Jing Hai Marquis’s household.”

“Who told you that!” Xu Siqin sat bolt upright at once.

The Jing Hai Marquis had guarded Fujian since the previous dynasty. What were called “household retainers” were in actual fact the Jing Hai Marquis’s personal house troops. Because Fujian was so distant, as long as the Jing Hai Marquis did not cause any great trouble, every emperor before had turned a blind eye to this.

“Tang the Sixth told us,” said Xu Sijian. “How else would we know?”

“That man — he is narrow-minded and consumed by jealousy of those more worthy than himself,” Xu Siqin said with a touch of contempt. “What he says cannot all be taken as truth.”

“But he gave every detail convincingly,” said Xu Sijian. “How many pirates, how many from that family, how many ordinary civilians… all laid out clearly!”

“This is none of our business,” said Xu Siqin. “Also, you must never repeat this to anyone.” Sensing something was off about how such important matters had leaked out, he said: “Perhaps someone with a grudge is deliberately defaming him. If we pass it along ourselves, are we not just as low as those small-minded people? What is more, Fourth Uncle has said — our family is not like other families; we must be all the more measured and restrained in our conduct. That way we will not be exploited by those with ill intent and bring trouble upon our elders.”

Xu Sijian gave a slight nod and hesitated: “Then, for Li Ji’s wedding — shall we go or not?”

Xu Siqin was puzzled: “Has someone sent you an invitation?”

Xu Sijian nodded: “A couple of days ago I ran into the Nineteenth of the Ding Guo Duke’s household at Elder Cousin’s place. He asked if we were going to Li Ji’s wedding. I said I had no invitation, and the next day he sent three over — with one for Second Elder Brother as well.”

Xu Siqin thought it over and said: “Let us not go, I think. We had no particular acquaintance with him to begin with. And that group of people — their favorite pastime is going to the pleasure houses in Emerald Flower Alley. If we go, it will be awkward whether we join or stay apart.”

“Then, then what do we tell the Nineteenth?” Xu Sijian was a little troubled. “He did mean it kindly…”

Xu Siqin pondered: “How about we go to Fallen Leaves Mountain instead?” The more he considered it, the more viable it seemed. “We can say Fourth Uncle sent us there to study. That way, they will have no grounds to press us. And once we have shut ourselves away, they cannot very well come to our own home to confront us about it, can they?”

That group of people — for all their swagger and bluster in public — were the sort who cowered the instant their own elders so much as coughed.

Xu Sijian’s eyes brightened at the idea: “That is a fine plan, Elder Brother. Then let us say it is settled.”