Seeing this, Zhen Jie’er rose to take her leave as well.
Xu Lingyi was gentle with his daughter, and instructed Eleventh Sister, “The north wind has picked up outside—find a cloak to drape over her.”
Zhen Jie’er froze.
Eleventh Sister smiled and agreed, taking Zhen Jie’er by the hand into the inner room.
“How does this cloak look?” Looking at Zhen Jie’er, who seemed somewhat in a daze, she draped a deep red cut-silk cloak trimmed with grey squirrel fur over her shoulders. “It goes perfectly with that plain sapphire-blue Hangzhou silk jacket you’re wearing.”
Feeling the weight of the cloak settle on her shoulders, Zhen Jie’er came back to herself. She took Eleventh Sister’s hand, her lips parting slightly—but even after a long moment, not a single word came out. Yet at the corners of her eyes, a glimmer of moisture began to form.
Eleventh Sister understood what she meant. She gently patted the back of her hand. “You’re a girl—you should be looked after by a mother. Your father loves you deeply, but he simply doesn’t know how to show it!”
Zhen Jie’er nodded vigorously, blinking back tears as a joyful smile bloomed on her face.
Eleventh Sister took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, teasing her gently: “Now, now. If your father sees this, he’ll think I’ve been bullying you. I’d really be in trouble!”
“He wouldn’t!” Zhen Jie’er hugged Eleventh Sister’s arm. “Father respects Mother most of all. He would never think that.”
Eleventh Sister smiled and pressed the handkerchief into her hand. “Then hurry and dry those tears.” Then she added, “Your Second Brother is back today, and your father wants to welcome him properly. Go back and tidy yourself up nicely before dinner at your grandmother’s. Dressing neatly and properly is a way of showing respect to others.”
Zhen Jie’er nodded and, wearing the cloak Eleventh Sister had given her, went to bid farewell to Xu Lingyi before being attended by Xiao Li back to her own room.
Xu Lingyi then said to Eleventh Sister, “Has the Shao Family been pressing again about Zhen Jie’er’s betrothal? If we keep putting them off, won’t they think we’re playing hard to get—and end up treating Zhen Jie’er poorly later?” He looked genuinely concerned.
“It was all agreed upon before the betrothal was announced,” Eleventh Sister said with a smile. “Their pressing like this shows they respect the Xu Family and are giving Zhen Jie’er face—making others feel that this daughter-in-law was not easily won. There’s no need for the Marquis to worry. If there were truly any change of heart, they would send an intermediary to explain clearly—the way the Wang Family did.”
Xu Lingyi felt this was simply turning something straightforward into something unnecessarily complicated. “You women—you always have to make everything so roundabout. Since you understand how these things work, keep a closer eye on Zhen Jie’er’s situation. There’s no need to stir up the in-laws over trifles. Zhen Jie’er is going to live in another family’s household, seeing those very people morning and night every day. No matter how powerful we are, we can’t step in for her in everything.” As he said this, he seemed genuinely wistful.
Eleventh Sister understood very well.
It was much like a mother-in-law treating a son-in-law with great kindness—in the end, it was all just a hope that the son-in-law would treat her own daughter well.
Even so, she couldn’t help but feel that Xu Lingyi seemed rather more melancholy than usual today.
Eleventh Sister refilled Xu Lingyi’s cup with hot tea and sat down across from him, leaning forward slightly and lowering her voice. “My Lord, has something happened?”
Xu Lingyi looked up and met Eleventh Sister’s eyes, filled with concern.
“Nothing’s happened!” he replied out of habit. But the moment the words left his mouth, he felt they sounded dismissive. He paused briefly. “I was thinking of Sizhun.”
“Sizhun?” Eleventh Sister asked in surprise. “What about him? I’ve seen him these past days and he seems perfectly fine. He’s been conscientiously completing every bit of homework Master Zhao assigned, and he’s been looking after Sijie and helping keep an eye on Jin Ge’er… Could there be something I don’t know about?”
Xu Lingyi shook his head. “After the New Year, he’ll be ten years old. By the estate’s custom, he should be living in his own separate courtyard by now. Yet he still spends his days thinking about playing with his brothers, blowing the flute, making lanterns—when will he ever grow up?” His tone took on a somewhat consulting quality. “My thought is, when the school reopens next year, to have a word with Master Zhao—see if he can add some lessons on etiquette, human relations, and the roles of civil and military officials. Otherwise Sizhun will always be like this, like a child who never grows up, only knowing how to play.”
Isn’t Master Zhao’s teaching precisely based on learning through play?
Still, he was Sizhun’s teacher, and certainly knew best about Sizhun’s learning. Moreover, he had the ability to teach according to each student’s nature—he likely had his own plans and thoughts for Sizhun’s future as well. But faced with Xu Lingyi, a man accustomed to issuing commands, a flat refusal was clearly a very unwise course of action.
“The Marquis makes a good point,” Eleventh Sister said with a smile. “This is indeed something to be properly discussed with Master Zhao.” Then she shifted her tone. “However, Master Zhao is a scholar, so the Marquis should choose his words carefully when speaking with him. We are all doing this for Sizhun’s benefit—it would be a shame to create any friction over it.”
Xu Lingyi nodded. “I’ll read the situation when the time comes.”
Seeing that the message had been delivered and the hour was growing late, Eleventh Sister called in a little maidservant to help her freshen up, then changed into a chestnut-brown fur-lined jacket and came out of the inner room.
“The wind outside is too strong. Just leave Jin Ge’er at home.”
Xu Lingyi saw that while she looked slender, her complexion was as fine and smooth as jade, and with the chestnut-brown fur jacket and two diamond hairpins gleaming in her jet-black hair, she appeared not frail at all—rather, she carried an air of dignified elegance.
“All right!” He rose with a smile. “Better for him not to catch a chill.” As he spoke, he walked to her side and gently put his arm around her. “You look lovely.”
Eleventh Sister looked around at the roomful of maidservants with their heads discreetly bowed, and her face flushed. “I’m ready.”
She did not push him away as she usually would have.
Looking out at the roomful of children, the Old Marquise’s entire face was brimming with a smile she couldn’t contain.
“You said by the end of the second month at the latest?”
“Father said he’d set out right after the Lantern Festival.” Xu Siqin had just received his father’s letter and was reporting to the Old Marquise. He smiled. “By my reckoning, that should be just about right.”
Xu Sijian quickly added, “Father also wrote in the letter that he’s bringing everyone all sorts of local specialties!”
The Old Marquise laughed to hear it. “What specialties does Shaanxi have? Just some jujubes, mostly!”
Xu Siqin smiled politely along with her, but Xu Sijian ran over to the Old Marquise’s side. “Grandmother, it’s not just jujubes! There are medicinal herbs too—yellow ginger, schisandra, forsythia, honeysuckle, gastrodia root, eucommia bark—they all grow there.”
The Old Marquise laughed heartily, taking Xu Sijian’s hand. “Well, you’ve taught me something today.” Privately, she thought that whatever specialties there might be, when Third Son’s wife brought her gifts, it would likely amount to nothing more than jujubes. The thought passed in a flash, and her smile grew broader. She nodded slightly and instructed Nanny Du: “Make a note of it—when the time comes, have someone give the courtyard where Third Son will be staying a good cleaning.”
Nanny Du smiled and acknowledged the order.
The Old Marquise’s gaze then moved to Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Sister, who had just entered. “You came without bringing Jin Ge’er along?”
Xu Lingyi said with a smile, “The wind is strong outside—we were afraid he’d catch a chill. So we left him at home.”
Upon hearing this, the Old Marquise turned to the Second Madam seated beside her and made a half-joking remark: “This really is ‘one person missing from the gathering.'” And yet the smile on her face dimmed slightly.
Second Madam pressed her lips together in a smile and glanced meaningfully at Eleventh Sister.
Bring the baby over?
Eleventh Sister was still deliberating when she heard Xu Lingyi say, “…This is something you must decide for yourself. Staying in the Imperial Guard is naturally more leisurely. Going to the Five City Infantry Command means dealing with all manner of people from every walk of life and being responsible for all kinds of matters—and the position won’t carry the same prestige as in the Imperial Guard.”
The Old Marquise and Second Madam, hearing this, both turned their ears toward the Xu Lingyi brothers.
“What’s this about?” The Old Marquise looked visibly anxious.
“Nothing to worry about,” Xu Lingkuan said, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. He had not expected his brother to raise this matter on such an occasion. “A few days ago, the commander of the Five City Infantry Command spoke to our commanding officer and said he wanted to bring a few people over from our unit. I happened to be there at the time. Our commanding officer asked if I was interested.” He glanced at Xu Lingyi. “The position would be Assistant Commander. I came back to discuss it with Fourth Brother, and Fourth Brother told me to decide for myself.”
The Old Marquise said nothing and fell into thought.
This concerned Xu Lingkuan’s future prospects. Everyone in the room held their breath and looked at the Old Marquise.
Second Madam glanced at the Old Marquise, then said quietly, “Mother, I think this matter should be dropped. The situation is so turbulent right now—better not to invite trouble. Besides, the Five City Infantry Command deals with too many complicated people. One careless misstep and you could get swept up in something. If you’re only thinking about the rank of Assistant Commander at the third rank, I say wait a little longer and then go after a Commander position in the capital garrison—it’s the same thing. And just as the Marquis says, it’s more dignified. Not to mention you’d be mixing with people who haul coal and sell cabbages every day.”
The Old Marquise nodded slightly and turned to ask Fifth Madam, who was seated below her. “And what do you think?”
Fifth Madam smiled. “I will naturally follow whatever Mother and Second Sister-in-law say.” Then she turned to Xu Lingkuan. “Our home lacks for nothing, so why should Fifth Master go to a place like that? I’ve heard people say that the Five City Infantry Command officials often extort the common folk who run small stalls. Fifth Master, you are a noble of pedigree—could you really bring yourself to do such a thing? If you can’t, you’d inevitably fall out with your colleagues. I think you’re better off staying in the garrison.”
Xu Lingkuan looked somewhat deflated. “Still, promotion would be faster at the Five City Infantry Command…”
“It only goes up to Commander at the third rank,” Fifth Madam said with a smile, glancing at Xu Lingyi. “Our family hardly needs that!”
Xu Lingkuan saw the point at once and looked at Xu Lingyi with a touch of sheepishness. “I was thinking foolishly. I’ll go back and decline to the commanding officer tomorrow.”
The Old Marquise nodded in satisfaction and cast an approving glance at Fifth Madam, then said earnestly to Xu Lingkuan, “A good wife is half one’s fortune. You are a man blessed with good fortune. You must know how to cherish that blessing.”
Xu Lingkuan gave a somewhat bashful “Mm” and lifted his eyes to look at Danyang, smiling a little foolishly.
The Old Marquise was very pleased. She shifted herself and made to step down from the kang. “All right, all right—it’s getting late, and the night is cold. Once dinner is done, you can all go your separate ways.”
Second Madam quickly rose to help the Old Marquise. Yuban and the others knelt to help her put on her shoes, and sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, maidservants, and serving women all crowded together making their way to the eastern side room.
No one brought up Jin Ge’er again.
Xu Siyu’s expression stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Walking at the very end, Eleventh Sister slid a glance at Xu Lingyi’s grave expression beside her.
Those large almond-shaped eyes—vivid black and white, entrancingly beautiful—swept over him, and Xu Lingyi’s heart gave a sudden leap, taking quite a while to settle back down.
—