“Jin Ge’er!” Eleventh Sister was both astonished and delighted—it was the first time she had ever heard her son “speak.” She quickly pointed to the toy in Xu Sizhun’s hand. “Do you like it?”

Jin Ge’er clenched his little fists and stared at it with his jet-black eyes, completely absorbed.

“Mother, Mother,” Xu Sizhun also grew excited, “Sixth Brother likes the pecking chicken!”

“He does!” Eleventh Sister smiled and nodded.

Xu Sizhun tugged at the pull-string with great enthusiasm.

The little chicken’s head bobbed up and down, pecking at the grain trough without stopping.

But after only a moment, Jin Ge’er’s attention shifted—his gaze had fallen on Xu Siyu.

Eleventh Sister pointed to Xu Siyu. “That’s Second Brother!” Her voice was soft and affectionate.

Xu Siyu couldn’t help but draw closer.

He looked at Jin Ge’er’s soft, rosy little face and reached out his hand, intending to clasp Jin Ge’er’s chubby little hand—but partway there, he drew it back again.

Such a simple thing, and yet Eleventh Sister couldn’t understand why Xu Siyu was behaving with such hesitation and uncertainty.

Perhaps something had once happened to him.

Eleventh Sister had no wish to take on the bitterness of the past. She wanted all the children to have hearts that would be kind to one another.

She thought for a moment, then held Jin Ge’er out toward Xu Siyu. “Would you like to hold him?”

Xu Siyu looked at Eleventh Sister in surprise, then slowly let his gaze fall to Jin Ge’er, who was staring up at him without blinking. “You want me to hold him?” His eyes went wide, his voice filled with uncertainty, and a trace of childlike vulnerability showed in his expression.

Had she been overcomplicating things?

After all, Xu Siyu was only a thirteen-year-old boy, and this was a society that advocated that a gentleman should keep his distance from the kitchen—to say nothing of holding a baby.

Eleventh Sister smiled at herself. “I imagine you don’t know how to hold him!” As she said so, she supported Jin Ge’er’s head and settled him against her own shoulder. Her expression softened with the movement, becoming as gentle and serene as a spring breeze.

Xu Siyu’s heart gave a small jolt. From deep in his memory, a stern voice laced with several degrees of contempt echoed in his ears: “Don’t let Siyu go near Sizhun. Who knows where that wild boy has been running around? He’ll track in dirt and dust and filth—contaminate the place. Sizhun is the legitimate son, of a thousand-gold-piece standing. He’s not some stray cat or dog to be replaced if something happens to him…”

As if drawn by some inexplicable force, he suddenly reached out his hand. “How do you hold him?”

Eleventh Sister saw the somewhat uncertain expression on Xu Siyu’s face and began to hesitate.

But to Zhen Jie’er’s eyes, Second Brother simply looked a little awkward.

Probably because Mother was asking him to hold Sixth Brother and Second Brother didn’t know how, she thought.

Pondering this, she walked over with a smile. “Second Brother, I’ll show you how to hold Sixth Brother!” With that, she moved to take Jin Ge’er.

Eleventh Sister was right there beside them, and Jin Ge’er was bundled in thick padded jacket and trousers.

Eleventh Sister smiled and handed the child to Zhen Jie’er.

Zhen Jie’er demonstrated for Xu Siyu: “Second Brother, look—you hold him like this. Especially his head—you must support it. Sixth Brother’s neck isn’t strong yet!”

“Oh!” Xu Siyu somewhat clumsily took Jin Ge’er into his arms.

This little brother, adorable as a carved jade figure, lay in his arms dressed in a small scarlet Hangzhou silk jacket—his head heavy, his body soft, shifting his small form to accommodate the position of the arms that held him. He lay quietly in the crook of his elbow, waving his little hands with cheerful abandon—unafraid, unworried—trusting that he would not be harmed. Something inside Xu Siyu suddenly grew raw and aching, and a dampness welled up in the corners of his eyes.

He lowered his head and blinked, trying to make his world clear again. But the Jin Ge’er in his arms let out a sudden wail.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Xu Siyu, forgetting everything else, looked to Eleventh Sister and Zhen Jie’er in a panic, his expression clearly flustered.

Zhen Jie’er saw Xu Siyu’s rather helpless look and recalled her own first time holding Jin Ge’er. She was about to go and help when Eleventh Sister said, “It’s all right, it’s all right!” and stepped forward to take the child. “He doesn’t like being held horizontally like that—he needs to be held upright!”

But Xu Siyu did not hand the child to Eleventh Sister. Instead, he imitated the way Eleventh Sister had held the baby just moments before and shifted Jin Ge’er to an upright position. “Is this how to hold him?”

Eleventh Sister was somewhat surprised. She raised her eyes and studied Xu Siyu carefully. His expression was gentle and composed. Feeling somewhat reassured, she smiled and gave a soft “Mm,” then lightly patted Jin Ge’er on the back.

Jin Ge’er stopped crying immediately.

Xu Siyu let out a long breath, his whole body relaxing.

Eleventh Sister had a little maidservant wring out a warm cloth to wipe Jin Ge’er’s face, and as she applied some oil to his skin, she sighed, “With such a temper, what will become of him when he grows up!”

“Sixth Brother is still so little!” Xu Siyu, carefully supporting Jin Ge’er’s head, said with something like a gentle protest. “When he’s older and has read his books and understands things, he’ll learn.”

“By the time he’s reading books, I’m afraid it will already be too late!” Eleventh Sister said with a light smile. She had no desire to lecture Xu Siyu on the importance of early education—for even if she did, he might not understand, and might even think her quite eccentric.

Zhen Jie’er, seeing that Xu Siyu was standing perfectly still holding Jin Ge’er, quickly stepped forward to advise him: “You have to walk around with him—if you just stand there without moving, he’ll start crying again!”

Xu Siyu gave an “Oh” and began walking around the room with Jin Ge’er in his arms.

Jin Ge’er obediently settled against his shoulder and lay still.

Xu Sizhun saw this and tugged at Eleventh Sister’s sleeve, tilting his head up. “Mother, I want to hold Sixth Brother too!”

Xu Sijie saw him and followed suit. “Mother, I want to hold Sixth Brother too!”

Eleventh Sister looked at the two half-grown children—one with a build like a skinny bean sprout, the other with slender arms and legs—and smiled. “You can hold Sixth Brother when you’re as big as Second Brother!”

Both children lowered their heads in slight disappointment.

A little maidservant announced from beyond the curtain: “The Marquis has returned!”

Everyone in the room stiffened. The curtain was already swept high, and Xu Lingyi strode in.

Eleventh Sister and Zhen Jie’er bent their knees in greeting; Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie bowed with clasped hands, all dipping their heads. Only Xu Siyu, in the middle of holding Jin Ge’er, found himself at a loss—it was neither proper to bow nor proper to remain as he was, making his position particularly conspicuous. And Xu Lingyi, upon seeing that Xu Siyu had returned and was holding Jin Ge’er on top of it all, was genuinely startled. But he quickly reined in his feelings and said with a serious expression, “You’re back.”

Nanny Gu quickly stepped forward to take Jin Ge’er.

Xu Siyu respectfully greeted his father with a bow.

Xu Lingyi gave a nod and, attended by a little maidservant, washed his face, changed his clothes, and settled onto the large kang by the window.

Eleventh Sister took the tea offered by a maidservant and set it before him, then stood to one side. Zhen Jie’er stood close beside her mother; the boys lined up in a row before the kang; Nanny Gu stood beside Zhen Jie’er with Jin Ge’er in her arms.

Xu Lingyi took an unhurried sip of tea before saying in an even, measured tone: “In these past days at Fallen Leaf Mountain, what books have you been reading?” His brow carried an air of complete gravity.

Xu Siyu replied respectfully: “Following Teacher Jiang’s instructions, I re-read the Analects and the Great Learning, and am currently reading the Doctrine of the Mean.”

Xu Lingyi gave a slight nod and turned to Xu Sizhun. “How has the homework Master Zhao assigned been coming along?”

Compared to Xu Siyu, Xu Sizhun was visibly nervous. “Most of it is done. There are still a hundred sheets of calligraphy left to write.” Then, as if afraid Xu Lingyi might scold him, he added quickly, “But, the teacher doesn’t come back until after the Lantern Festival—there’s still more than half a month. I’ll definitely have it all finished by then.” He continued, “And the teacher’s rule about practising the flute for half a shichen every day—Fifth Brother and I have practised every single day and never once slacked off.”

Xu Sijie, hearing his brother mention him, quickly nodded along.

Xu Lingyi was quite dissatisfied with Xu Sizhun’s answer.

Finished was finished; not finished was not finished. Making excuses for what had not been completed was a question of attitude.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Eleventh Sister, who had been watching Xu Lingyi’s expression carefully, gave a gentle, deliberate cough.

Xu Lingyi recalled what Eleventh Sister had once said about Xu Sizhun—”Some people learn at once, others need to be taught several times. If even we as parents cannot give a child more patience and time, who will be willing to show him tolerance?”—and slowly, his furrowed brow smoothed out again.

“As long as you listen to Master Zhao, that is what counts. In the future, take care of your younger brother and don’t let yourselves idle about. Make sure the homework is finished before Master Zhao returns.”

The tension in Xu Sizhun’s chest eased, and his posture was no longer as rigid as it had been a moment ago.

He answered softly in acknowledgment, a hint of quiet happiness in his voice.

Xu Lingyi barely managed to stop himself from frowning again.

It wasn’t as though he had said anything praiseworthy—how could the boy be so easily satisfied?

This thought left him feeling rather exasperated. His gaze shifted to his youngest son.

Jin Ge’er was staring right at him.

Large eyes, clear and pure as a mountain spring.

His expression softened somewhat. “How has Jin Ge’er been today?”

Eleventh Sister smiled. “He slept all the way from morning to midday. Nanny Gu was afraid he’d fall out of the feeding routine, so she carried him around the room for a bit—and then he simply wouldn’t go back to sleep. He’s been awake and playing ever since!”

Xu Lingyi’s expression relaxed a few more degrees upon hearing this.

Nanny Gu quickly brought the child over.

Xu Siyu and Xu Sizhun watched as their usually stern father gently took the little brother into his arms with a soft touch, then extended his index finger and tapped the tightly clenched little fist. Jin Ge’er immediately opened his hand and wrapped his fingers tightly around his father’s.

A faint smile spread across Xu Lingyi’s brow.

“Such good energy,” he said to Eleventh Sister. “Playing all the way from midday until now—what has he been doing all this time, not even taking a nap?”

Eleventh Sister smiled. “His brothers and sister all came to see him, so he joined in the fun!”

Xu Lingyi’s smile deepened. He lowered his head and spoke to Jin Ge’er: “So our little Jin Ge’er knows how to join in the fun!”

Jin Ge’er responded by letting out a yawn.

Xu Lingyi smiled and handed the child to Nanny Gu. “He seems sleepy.”

Nanny Gu quickly carried Jin Ge’er off to the warm side room.

The smile on Xu Lingyi’s face slowly faded.

“The New Year is almost here and there will be constant comings and goings at home, but studies must not be neglected.” He glanced at Xu Siyu, and let his gaze rest for a moment on the dusty boots. Then he said, “Now that you’re home, there’s no need to rush. Go clean up and change first, then go pay your respects to your grandmother.” He then looked at Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie. “It’s getting late. You two should each head back to your rooms. Your Second Brother is back today, and we’ll all go to your grandmother’s for dinner this evening.”

All three sons bowed their assent and tiptoed out.

—