Xu Lingyi stepped forward and took his son in his arms. He smiled at Eleventh Young Mistress and said, “Our Jin Ge’er really showed himself off today!” His tone was filled with the proud satisfaction of a new father. “With that voice of Old Zhuo’s, he didn’t even startle the boy awake. Jiang Feiyun praised him — said he was someone who could remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him!”

Eleventh Young Mistress laughed. “That was just a polite compliment!”

“I know it was a polite compliment.” Xu Lingyi smiled as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Still, Jin Ge’er does have a bit of courage about him — back in the camp, everyone was most afraid of Old Zhuo’s voice. When his spirits ran high and he started bellowing, it was like thunder; never mind sleeping, just listening to it was enough to make one uncomfortable.” He leaned down and kissed the soundly sleeping Jin Ge’er. “So Jiang Yunyun’s words have some basis after all.”

Eleventh Young Mistress laughed out loud.

When all was said and done, Xu Lingyi still felt that Jiang Yunyun’s compliment of Jin Ge’er had some merit.

Was it not true that once people became parents, they always had a soft spot for their own children?

“My lord, please go and change your clothes. The smell of wine might disturb the child.”

Xu Lingyi made a sound of assent, but still held Jin Ge’er for a long while before going to the wash room.

Eleventh Young Mistress had Nanny Gu bring in a basin of warm water to wipe Jin Ge’er’s face.

Nanny Gu laughed from the side, “Our Marquis — the moment he lays eyes on Jin Ge’er, his eyes light up with a smile. Goodness, how he dotes on him!”

Eleventh Young Mistress paused slightly, the handkerchief in her hand hovering a moment, before she lowered her voice and said, “Don’t say such things in the future — a child who is overly doted on becomes spoiled and willful. We mustn’t raise him into a haughty, imperious temperament.”

Nanny Gu was of country stock and thought nothing of it. She smiled and replied, “Yes, Madam,” then flattered Eleventh Young Mistress, “Madam is so thoughtful — you are quite on par with Mencius’s mother. I’ve heard that she once moved house three times for the sake of her son!”

Eleventh Young Mistress heard this and smiled. “I am nowhere near Mencius’s mother. But she is worth emulating. You must all not pay outward compliance while inwardly disobeying — otherwise, the child will see me be stern and behave one way before me, then see your indulgence and behave entirely differently before you. In the end, he will never amount to anything, and his whole life will be ruined.”

Nanny Gu quickly said, “Madam, rest assured — whatever you instruct, I will never go against it.”

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled and nodded.

Now that she had left her month of confinement, the morning and evening greetings could no longer be skipped.

The very next morning, Eleventh Young Mistress brought Nanny Gu, who was carrying Jin Ge’er, and went to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters.

The Dowager Marchioness saw her and scolded with affectionate exasperation, “You child — why such a rush? Get your body well first before anything else.” She took Eleventh Young Mistress’s hand and sat her down on the heated platform bed.

“It’s only from the main rooms to yours,” Eleventh Young Mistress laughed. “No trouble at all. Besides, lying in bed day after day, one is likely to grow mold — it’s nice to walk about.”

“Even if you want to walk about, there’s no need to come this early.” The Dowager Marchioness gestured for Nanny Gu to bring Jin Ge’er before her. “I know you all are filial. But filial piety comes in a thousand forms. Morning and evening greetings are one form. If you take good care of your body, and tend to the Fourth Young Master, raise the children, and manage the household — allowing me to live out my years in peace and contentment — that is also a form of filial piety.” She took Jin Ge’er into her arms. “Listen to me — rest and recover well for three to five months first. It will not be too late to come and pay your respects once your health has improved.”

Eleventh Young Mistress felt a twinge of shame at this.

She had been ill, and all the household affairs had fallen onto the Dowager Marchioness’s shoulders. Thinking it over carefully, her filial piety had amounted to little more than surface appearances.

Her face reddened slightly, and she said softly, “You are right, Mother.”

The Dowager Marchioness smiled and nodded approvingly, then looked down at Jin Ge’er, who lay with eyes wide open. “Look at those eyes — so black and bright, so full of spirit.”

From the side, Nanny Du saw that Eleventh Young Mistress looked a little embarrassed, and helpfully chimed in, “Indeed. The more I look at him, the more I think he resembles the Marquis as a child.”

Just as they were speaking, a managing matron came to request instructions from the Dowager Marchioness.

Eleventh Young Mistress rose to take her leave.

But the Dowager Marchioness wanted to keep Jin Ge’er behind: “…You go and rest well. Let Jin Ge’er keep me company.” She was clearly very fond of him.

Old people all loved children, and Jin Ge’er was the youngest in the household.

Eleventh Young Mistress thought of Fifth Madam, who was currently with child.

Once Fifth Madam’s baby was born, the Dowager Marchioness’s attention toward Jin Ge’er might diminish a little.

Though she was reluctant in her heart, she could not bear to disappoint the Dowager Marchioness, so she gave repeated and careful instructions to Nanny Gu, Wan San’s wife, Hong Wen, A Jin, and the others to look after Jin Ge’er well, then curtseyed in farewell and withdrew.

Outside the door, the sky was overcast with dense clouds, and a northerly wind swept through, carrying a bone-cutting chill.

“Looking at this sky, it seems snow is coming,” Hupo observed, gazing upward.

Eleventh Young Mistress tucked her cape more snugly around herself and smiled. “Timely snow foretells a good harvest. We can enjoy the snow scenery.” She walked toward the rear courtyard. “Let us go and see Fifth Madam — she is with child. While I was in confinement, it was inconvenient to visit. Now that I have left confinement, I really ought to go and call on her.”

“Yes!” Hupo agreed, and supported Eleventh Young Mistress as they made their way to Fifth Madam’s quarters.

Fifth Madam seemed somewhat surprised to see her, but received her courteously and invited her to sit on the heated platform bed by the window, then had the young maidservants bring tea and refreshments.

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled and said, “Where is Xin Jie’er? How is it I don’t see her?”

Hearing someone mention her precious daughter, Fifth Madam’s expression softened noticeably, and she laughed. “She’s an unsettled one — can’t sit still for a moment. Ding Mama has taken her out to play!”

Eleventh Young Mistress then asked after her health.

“This time is completely different from last time,” Fifth Madam smiled. “Last time I was dreadfully ill with nausea. This time I have no reaction at all. I am perfectly fine.” She added, “Your health is not well — don’t trouble yourself over these matters. Getting your health back is what matters most.”

The two of them exchanged pleasantries for some time. When Xin Jie’er came back, for some reason she was in a petulant mood — she refused to greet anyone when asked, and then fussed to be held by Fifth Madam. Eleventh Young Mistress took her leave and returned to her own rooms.

Zhuxiang came out to meet her: “I was just about to go find you — First Young Madam Lin has come. Knowing you had gone to the Dowager Marchioness’s, she has been waiting — nearly half an incense stick’s worth of time!”

Eleventh Young Mistress was a little surprised and stepped quickly inside.

First Young Madam Lin came forward to meet her, and before Eleventh Young Mistress could even speak, she was already laughing. “I’m too impatient — the moment I heard Zhongren had passed his examinations, I came running straight to you!”

So the Lin Family had also learned the news.

Eleventh Young Mistress smiled. “He is your nephew as much as our eldest son-in-law. We share in the good fortune together.”

First Young Madam Lin covered her smile and laughed. “The two of us are quite like Wang Po, singing our own praises.”

The two smiled at each other and settled onto the heated platform bed by the window in the west side room.

First Young Madam Lin then spoke of how Shao Zhongren was filial, how steady and reliable his conduct was.

Eleventh Young Mistress understood what she had come for, and followed along with what she said.

First Young Madam Lin, seeing that Eleventh Young Mistress spoke sincerely, felt somewhat reassured in her heart.

Li Ji’s wedding had made all of Yanjing talk. Others might not know, but First Young Madam Lin understood clearly in her heart. Had she not intervened at the time, Li Ji would perhaps have become the Xu Family’s son-in-law. Though she felt Shao Zhongren was no worse than Li Ji, now that Li Ji had achieved fame and recognition, Shao Zhongren lacked that same measure of public acclaim. She worried that Eleventh Young Mistress might be unhappy in her heart, so she had come herself to offer congratulations to Eleventh Young Mistress — it was also a way of passing along the news.

Eleventh Young Mistress thought: since there was news coming from Cangzhou about Shao Zhongren, there ought to also be news about Hui Jie’er. Having spoken of Shao Zhongren for a while, she shifted the subject and asked after Hui Jie’er: “…Has she adapted to life in Cangzhou?”

“The Deng Family and the Shao Family have long been close friends.” First Young Madam Lin, thinking of her daughter, could not hide the delight in the corners of her eyes and brows. “She has done us proud. After she arrived, she was respectful to her parents-in-law, deferential to her husband, and got along well with the aunts-by-marriage and sisters-in-law in the clan. Old Dowager Madam Deng adores her. Not just I — even Hui Jie’er’s maternal uncles and aunts were taken aback, never imagining she would turn out this way.”

“In a parent’s eyes, a child is always just a child,” Eleventh Young Mistress said with a smile. “In truth, away from you, she is quite a person of her own mind.”

“That’s exactly right.” First Young Madam Lin nodded vigorously, then spoke of Zhen Jie’er: “…You too should let go a little.” She added, “I’m counting on her to marry over sooner — so that our Hui Jie’er has a companion.”

Eleventh Young Mistress was mainly worried that Zhen Jie’er would give birth too young — she herself had faced exactly that difficulty. But it was not something she could say openly to First Young Madam Lin. The girls around her mostly married at fourteen or fifteen; say too much, and people would inevitably find her peculiar. She smiled and said, “I’m teaching her how to manage a household right now!”

“Look at me advising you, yet here I am doing the same thing myself.”

The two of them burst out laughing.

A young maidservant came in: “Madam, the medicinal broth is ready.”

First Young Madam Lin heard this and stood up. “You drink your medicine first. I’m going to the Dowager Marchioness’s and have a good long chat with her.”

This round of visits had indeed left Eleventh Young Mistress feeling a bit tired. She smiled as she saw First Young Madam Lin to the door, instructed Zhuxiang to escort First Young Madam Lin to the Dowager Marchioness’s quarters, then returned to her room, drank her medicine, changed into different clothes, and fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, the corner of Eleventh Young Mistress’s eye caught a glimpse of Jin Ge’er sleeping on the pillow beside her.

She quickly sat up and said to Qiu Yu, who was attending by the bedside, “The Sixth Young Master has been returned, and you didn’t even let me know.”

Qiu Yu quickly replied, “The Dowager Marchioness saw that you were sleeping soundly and told us not to wake you.” Before the words were fully out, a young maidservant called from beyond the curtain, “Madam — a woman from Gan Laoquan’s household has come to pay her respects!”

Ever since Gan Laoquan had privately purchased a house in Yanli for Third Young Master, Eleventh Young Mistress was never quite sure how much time Gan Laoquan spent in Shanyang versus in Yanjing.

“Show her in,” Eleventh Young Mistress said, resting lazily against the bolster pillow.

The maidservant answered, “Yes,” lifted the curtain, and Gan Laoquan’s wife entered, kowtowing three times to Eleventh Young Mistress. “The New Year is approaching. Third Madam has sent us two — husband and wife — leading a party of people back to Yanjing to deliver the New Year’s gifts to the Dowager Marchioness and the Marquis. I have come to kowtow before Madam and offer my respects.”

Eleventh Young Mistress had a maidservant bring a stool for her to sit on, then asked about Third Madam and her husband’s situation.

“The Master and Third Madam are both well,” Gan Laoquan’s wife smiled. “It is only that when they think of the First Young Master and Second Young Master’s marriages still having no prospects in sight, they sigh with grief whenever it comes up.”

Eleventh Young Mistress could not help but suspect that the reason Gan Laoquan’s wife had entered the inner courtyard to pay her respects was because she was acting on Third Madam’s instructions — to urge them to help arrange marriages for Xu Sijin and his brother quickly.

While she was mulling this over, Gan Laoquan’s wife smiled and said, “Fortunately, a few days ago, Third Young Master’s superior acted as matchmaker and betrothed the eldest legitimate daughter of the neighboring county’s Magistrate Fang to our First Young Master!”

Eleventh Young Mistress was quite taken aback.

Had not Third Madam been single-mindedly set on finding a bride from a prestigious household — so why had she suddenly agreed to let their superior act as matchmaker and arrange for Xu Sijin to marry the daughter of a county magistrate?

* * *