Little did the grown-ups know what was on the children’s minds.
After seeing the two children off, Shiyiniang let out a yawn.
“You can go pay your respects to your mother-in-law and then come back for a nap,” said Xu Lingyi, his expression placid, though to Shiyiniang’s ears his words carried a faint, teasing edge.
She acted as though she had not understood, and gave a perfectly composed sound of agreement, then leaned languidly back against the large bolster pillow — not realizing that a flush of red had already risen across her own face.
“Has Elder Brother decided when he will go to the Ministry of Personnel to register his return to the Hanlin Academy?” Shiyiniang asked in what she hoped was a perfectly casual tone. “Does the Marquis have any arrangements with Elder Brother today?”
She needed to know so she could instruct the kitchen on what to prepare.
The smile in Xu Lingyi’s eyes deepened. He did not dare provoke her further, fearing she would flare up in embarrassed fury.
“He said he would go tomorrow,” Xu Lingyi replied mildly. “I had originally planned to go with Zhensheng to visit Wang Li, but it turns out Zhensheng has invited Scholar Jin, hoping to ask about the situation at the Hanlin Academy, so that will have to wait for another day.”
In that case, Luo Zhensheng was not planning to eat the midday meal at the Xu household.
Shiyiniang smiled. “I had specially set aside some new wheat, planning to make lotus-leaf pancakes.”
Scarcely had her words trailed off when Luo Zhensheng arrived.
Shiyiniang rose at once and handed him the small pouch she had prepared beforehand. “I have heard that a new Yiniang has joined Elder Brother’s household. This is a small token of mine.”
Inside were a pair of solid gold drop earrings and a pair of east pearl hair ornaments.
Luo Zhensheng accepted them with a smile. Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang went together to pay their respects to the Grand Madam, and then returned to Bowstring Lane, where Xu Lingyi departed to visit Wang Li while Shiyiniang had just gone back to rest.
She had barely fallen asleep when Third Young Madam Huang arrived.
She had no choice but to dress and get up.
Madam Huang had come from Third Madam’s quarters.
She seemed rather agitated. “Your household’s Third Madam truly… seeing that the Fang family is easygoing and reasonable, when the Fang family sent someone to measure the rooms, she actually had me lead them over to the courtyard in Sanjing Lane.”
Once the woman’s family had measured the dimensions of the new rooms, they would begin commissioning craftsmen to make the wedding furniture. If the person was led to Sanjing Lane to take measurements, the Fang family’s representative would likely assume that the Sanjing Lane courtyard was the new residence — with several courtyards front and back, filling all the rooms would require so much furniture that even First Miss Fang’s ten thousand taels of dowry might not be enough. And if the rooms were left unfilled, it would give the impression that First Miss Fang’s dowry was rather meager.
Shiyiniang also found it somewhat excessive. She thought for a moment. “Then the Madam of Vice Minister Liu…”
Madam Huang shook her head slightly. “I hear that First Miss Fang grew up at the side of the Fang Grand Madam. When the Grand Madam passed, she left behind a substantial sum for First Miss Fang’s dowry. So the Fang family is not particularly calculating about the financial side of things. I am afraid there is no reasoning with this Madam of Vice Minister Liu.”
But this way of handling things was nonetheless improper — word getting out would make people think the Xu family was scheming to extract the daughter-in-law’s dowry.
“I think it best to make it clear to the Fang family directly. The Sanjing Lane courtyard is set aside as a property for Qin Ge’er. The new couple’s rooms will be here at Marquis Yongping’s residence. Let them decide for themselves where they wish to measure.”
Madam Huang sighed. “That is what I thought as well — I could never do such a thing myself.”
Shiyiniang could only smile and offer some comfort. “Otherwise, why would the Grand Madam have thought to ask you to handle this — there is truly no one else who could manage it as well as you, Elder Sister.”
Even knowing it was flattery, Madam Huang’s expression softened somewhat.
“Stop trying to smooth things over with me,” she said, and then the conversation turned to Madam Zhou. “She is well known for matchmaking and for her fondness of it…” Then it shifted to Fang Jie’er’s having given birth to a second daughter. “I heard the Zhou family submitted a memorial requesting the Emperor grant the Crown Prince a consort. The Emperor said nothing, but the Empress Dowager refused, saying the two had only recently wed and the Crown Prince had only just been installed, so state affairs should take precedence — and she dismissed the matter.”
There was not much more Shiyiniang could say on such things. She smiled and made some light conversation with her. “Two children in three years — looking across all of the Great Zhou, that is a rare thing indeed.”
Madam Huang covered her mouth with a smile. “What I see is that devoted couples like that are the rare thing!”
The two chatted at length before Madam Huang took her leave.
Nanny Song came in to attend to Shiyiniang as she rested.
“Never mind!” Shiyiniang looked at how close it was to midday and had Nanny Song bring in a cup of ginseng tea. “I may as well get a proper rest at noon.”
Nanny Song smiled in reply. “How about you go to the Drooping Line Water Pavilion to pass the afternoon?”
The year the rooms had been renovated, Shiyiniang and Xu Lingyi had lived at the Drooping Line Water Pavilion for several months. Though they had since moved back, the furnishings there had not been changed, and maids and matrons still kept the place swept and aired. What Nanny Song was hinting was that Shiyiniang could use the pretext of an outing to go rest at the Water Pavilion. But as she had no responsibilities to manage in the household, if she needed rest, she needn’t make a special trip to the Water Pavilion.
“We’ll see later,” she replied, politely declining Nanny Song’s suggestion.
Xi’er, a maid attending Xu Sijie, came to report: “Madam, Fourth Young Master has pulled Fifth Young Master along with him to the Grand Madam’s quarters.”
Shiyiniang’s brow creased.
Xu Lingyi had requirements for Xu Sizhun’s daily schedule — apart from morning and evening visits to the inner courtyard to pay his respects to the Grand Madam and Shiyiniang, he was not permitted to enter the inner courtyard without being summoned by either of them.
“Wait outside. The moment Fifth Young Master comes out, bring him back here.”
Xi’er answered “yes” and went to the Grand Madam’s quarters. Half an incense stick later, she returned. “Madam, the Grand Madam has kept Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master there for the midday meal and afternoon rest.”
Shiyiniang instructed the little maids to set out the midday meal.
In the Grand Madam’s quarters, the Grand Madam looked at Xu Sizhun’s solemn and earnest little face and laughed. “Your mother occasionally rises late — that does not necessarily mean she is ill. If you were truly worried, you should have asked her directly, face to face. In the future you must not jump to conclusions based on guesswork alone.”
Xu Sizhun agreed with some embarrassment.
The Grand Madam had her maid Ge Jin see Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie off to the warm inner room for their afternoon nap, and then burst out laughing, quite unable to help herself.
Nanny Du, who had heard the whole story from beginning to end, could not hold back her own laughter either.
The Grand Madam had her bring the *Shuowen Jiezi*. “I had better study it well — I need to think about what characters would make a good name if there are more grandchildren to come!”
That afternoon, the Fourth Young Madam of the Luo family brought the new Yiniang Wang Shi to pay her respects to Shiyiniang.
Shiyiniang invited them to sit inside and, while the maids were serving tea and refreshments, took a careful look at Wang Shi.
She was no more than fourteen or fifteen years of age, fair-skinned and pretty, her hair pinned up in a round bun and secured with a peach-flower silver hairpin. She wore a pale pink Hangzhou silk jacket and a blue-green Hangzhou silk moon-splendor skirt, slender and graceful. She sat with her eyes slightly lowered, very quiet and still.
When she noticed a maid bringing her tea, she quickly rose to her feet. Seeing that the Fourth Young Madam sat perfectly at ease and did not stir, Wang Shi blushed and sat back down, looking somewhat ill at ease.
Fourth Young Madam was speaking to Shiyiniang about Ying Niang: “…she caught a chill, so I left her at home.” From the corner of her eye she caught Wang Yiniang’s reaction and smiled as she addressed her: “Eleventh Aunt-in-law is of imperial and noble lineage and is most particular about proper conduct. Though you are a concubine, you are still half a mistress of the house — and besides, you are a guest in Aunt-in-law’s home, not at our own. When a little maid offers you tea, a slight inclination of the head is sufficient. There is no need to stand.” The way she said it was as though she were instructing Wang Yiniang in the rules of conduct.
Wang Yiniang’s face reddened further, and she replied in a low voice: “Yes.”
Fourth Young Madam smiled and explained to Shiyiniang: “Same as me — she grew up in the countryside. She will need a great deal of guidance. Fortunately, Aunt-in-law is not an outsider, so there is no need to stand on ceremony.”
Shiyiniang smiled, then picked up where Fourth Young Madam had left off: “Ying Niang caught a chill? Is it serious? Has a physician been called? What medicines did the physician prescribe?”
The questions came one after another, quick and anxious.
Fourth Young Madam was rather touched and said at once: “Nothing serious. We had Imperial Physician Wu from the Imperial Medical Academy take a careful look. He said two doses of medicine would be sufficient.”
“That is a relief!” Shiyiniang smiled. The two chatted amiably for a while before Fourth Young Madam rose with Wang Yiniang and took their leave.
That evening, when Shiyiniang went to pay her respects to the Grand Madam, the Grand Madam took her hand and looked her up and down from head to toe, then asked whether she was eating her two qian of bird’s nest every day and whether there was enough in the storeroom — if not, she had some on her side, Shiyiniang could take it and eat it and get her health properly restored. She said all this, but behind Shiyiniang’s back reprimanded Xu Lingyi: “She is young and doesn’t know better, but surely you know better. Look at Shiyiniang — the circles under her eyes are dark as bruises… she may be young now and can bear it, but in a few more years her health will be ruined. Do you truly wish to earn the reputation of a man who drives his wife to an early grave?”
Xu Lingyi had not been scolded by his mother so squarely in the face for many years, and was greatly uncomfortable. Upon returning to the room, he braced himself for Shiyiniang to press him with questions — but as it turned out, Nanny Song said Shiyiniang had already gone to bed long since.
He climbed into bed. Shiyiniang slept on without so much as shifting.
Xu Lingyi was astonished.
He studied her carefully.
He could see no dark circles beneath her eyes, yet he had the sense that she had grown a little thinner.
He gathered Shiyiniang into his arms.
Shiyiniang gave a soft murmur, then — eyes still shut, without a word of greeting — sank back into sleep.
So several days passed, and Xu Lingyi could not help but feel regret.
Had he known it would come to this, he should never have been so indulgent with himself back then. It was the same as having eaten up all one’s grain stores at once. It would have been far better to let things flow gently and steadily, to tease and play with Shiyiniang a little each day.
Yet Shiyiniang herself did not feel the matter overly much.
She rested for a few days and gradually felt refreshed and clear-headed again. Every day she listened to Third Young Madam Huang complain about Third Madam, and incidentally kept herself informed on the progress of Xu Siqin’s marriage arrangements. Before long it was the end of the fourth month.
A personal nanny of the Fourth Young Lady came to bring Shiyiniang news: “Our Madam has given birth to another little young master — fair and plump, weighing eight jin.”
Shiyiniang rewarded the bearer of the good news, attended the bathing ceremony, drank the full-month wine, cared for the baby, made Xu Lingyi’s summer socks… in the midst of all this busyness, the Dragon Boat Festival was nearly upon them. After sending out the festival gifts to each household, in the blink of an eye it was the middle of the sixth month, and at the time of the lighting of the lamps, Fifth Madam gave birth to a son for Xu Lingkuan.
The Grand Madam was so delighted she could not stop smiling. She held Jin Ge’er — who in one unguarded moment could flip himself right off the kang — and said: “This is all the good fortune our Jin Ge’er has brought — he himself arrived, and on top of that he brought along a little brother!”
Xu Lingkuan held the child and laughed with great contentment.
Fifth Madam lay in bed with a cloth band around her head, and the look she turned on her husband was full of quiet pride.
“Just right!” said Third Madam, who had stayed in Yanjing for her son’s wedding, smiling pleasantly. “After the child’s full-month celebration is finished, it will be just the time to hold Qin Ge’er’s wedding. And once Qin Ge’er’s wedding is done, it will be just the time for the child’s hundred-day ceremony. This child truly chose his timing well when he came into the world.”
But Shiyiniang’s thoughts were with Xu Sijie — who, small frame held perfectly straight, sat at the low kang table doing his calligraphy with scrupulous care.
—