Xu Lingyi smiled even more broadly.
He flipped over and pinned Shiyiniang beneath him. “You dare complain!”
His gaze grew scorching.
Shiyiniang pressed her lips together and smiled.
Xu Lingyi took her round earlobe between his lips, his breath growing slightly irregular as he suckled for a moment.
Just as Shiyiniang thought he was about to act, he flipped over instead and lay on his back beside her, letting out a long breath.
“Go to sleep.” His tone carried a trace of dejection.
Shiyiniang felt rather at a loss between laughter and tears.
This misunderstanding had to be cleared up. Otherwise, Xu Lingyi would have reservations during the days before and after, she would have reservations during the days in between, and the days when they were truly in accord with each other would be few indeed.
Thinking this, she nestled against him.
Xu Lingyi did not push her away, but he closed his eyes, signaling that he was going to sleep.
Shiyiniang could not help but grit her teeth.
This Xu Lingyi — could he not compromise just once? Yet in her heart she also understood that what she admired most about him was precisely his self-discipline and his principles.
Her face burned scarlet. She lay against his shoulder and murmured in his ear: “When I was carrying Jin Ge’er… it was the middle of the month!”
Before her words had even finished, Xu Lingyi opened his eyes.
His scorching gaze fell upon her face, burning so intensely it stung her a little.
She knew her face must be red enough to bleed right now. In a slight panic, she whispered close to Xu Lingyi’s ear: “Everyone is different…”
Xu Lingyi was silent for a moment, as though weighing whether her words were true or false.
Time seemed to stretch out all at once.
Shiyiniang, who was clinging to his neck entirely on her own initiative, felt acutely uncomfortable.
It was as though she were the one with insatiable desires…
The thought had barely flashed through her mind when Xu Lingyi let out a soft “mm,” then patted her back. “Sleep.”
Had she been refused…?
Shiyiniang stiffened, and raised her head in bewilderment — only to see Xu Lingyi close his eyes again.
She truly had been refused!
Shiyiniang felt both ashamed and indignant. It was as though Xu Lingyi had suddenly grown thorns all over him, making her supremely uncomfortable. Yet she could not very well flip over and go to sleep at this moment — that would only confirm her own dissatisfaction. Nor could she go on lying against him like this; without the embrace of his strong arms, she was missing that sweetness of being cherished and cared for.
After a long while, she carefully slipped out of bed, walked over to the large couch by the window, and poured herself a cup of warm water. Gazing out at the large red lanterns swaying beneath the eaves of the west wing, she sipped a few mouthfuls of tea, and slowly her mood settled.
She would never do anything so embarrassing again…
The thought had barely crossed her mind when her body was suddenly swept off the ground.
She could not help but cry out in surprise.
Someone had already pressed close to her ear and was laughing softly.
From outside came the slightly drowsy voice of Qiuyu, the night-watch maid: “Madam, what is it?”
Those familiar eyes, that warm embrace — who else could it be but Xu Lingyi?
Shiyiniang shot him a glare and said: “Nothing, nothing. Go back to sleep.”
Before the sound of Qiuyu’s retreating footsteps had faded from beyond the curtain, Xu Lingyi was already carrying her around the folding screen into the inner chamber. “Such a temper — I only wanted to rest for a while first… and you couldn’t even wait…” His laughing voice held a touch of teasing mischief.
Xu Lingyi — actually daring to make fun of her like this!
Shiyiniang blushed. “The Marquis speaks so strangely. This concubine was merely thirsty and got up for a cup of tea — and the Marquis could not wait to come after her…” In the end she was unaccustomed to trading such playful banter with him, and toward the last she found herself at a loss for words.
Xu Lingyi tossed her onto the soft bedding and stood at the bedside taking off his clothes. “Was I not afraid you would go to Zhenhao’s place and complain about me?” He bared his broad shoulders, his powerfully built chest.
Shiyiniang felt a tangle of confused emotions inside.
She turned her face away. “What wrong has the Marquis done, that he fears me running back to my maiden home to tell tales?”
Before the words had left her mouth, Xu Lingyi had already pressed her beneath him.
“Did you not say I was making things difficult for your mother’s family?” He gazed at her face and slowly caressed her body with an air of distraction. “What if you run back to your maiden home weeping and complaining, and Zhenhao comes to settle accounts with me — would I not be in trouble then!”
Wherever his hands passed left a tingling, numbing, scorching sensation that was almost unbearable!
“So it turns out the Marquis fears me running back to my maiden home to weep and complain!”
She twisted her body, breathing lightly, her words coming in fragments.
Xu Lingyi laughed softly in her ear: “And so I must keep you here…” He entered her slowly, “lest you go and tell tales against me…”
Shiyiniang’s brows furrowed slightly, and it was a good while before they smoothed out again — by which time she could no longer speak.
Soft, faint moans rose in the room.
Shiyiniang’s monthly period arrived on schedule. Xu Lingyi breathed a sigh of relief, and thereafter did indeed adjust his timing accordingly. Shiyiniang too set her mind at ease, and showed Xu Lingyi two more parts of warmth and affection than she had before. Whenever Xu Lingyi was home for meals, she would always ask about the menu. One day she even called Zhuxiang and the others to sort through Xu Lingyi’s trunks. Only then did she discover that he had a great many clothes, but they were scattered everywhere — not only at the Banyue Pavilion, but several trunks’ worth at the old Madam’s quarters as well. He would often go over there in a new outfit to spend the night, then return the next day in an old one. After staying on this side for several days in a row, he would gradually forget about the new outfit left behind, and when it was taken out again, it was new all over again. Shiyiniang simply went through all his clothes at once, sorting out which garments were to be kept at the Banyue Pavilion, which at the old Madam’s quarters, which in the main chamber, with a few more sets placed at Wen Yiniang’s and Qiao Lianfang’s rooms as well. She assigned the attentive Yumei to be solely in charge of Xu Lingyi’s wardrobe. By the time this bustle of activity was done, it was already the beginning of the eighth month — time to send Mid-Autumn Festival gifts.
The woman who had gone to Dajue Temple to deliver lamp oil money returned to report: “Yang Yiniang is now called Jing Kong. She is in charge of tending the flowers and trees in the head abbess’s courtyard. When I asked about Master Jing Kong, the young nuns were very eager to take me to her. She lives alone with one other young nun in a room that faces south and backs north, with a large spring toon tree as wide as a bowl’s mouth growing by the door. By the looks of it, she is living quite comfortably. Madam need not worry!”
With her abilities and resourcefulness, she could live well wherever she went.
Shiyiniang smiled and had Qiuyu reward the woman with several pieces of silver, then sent her on her way.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, word came from the Gong Xian Hutong — the First Young Mistress of the Luo family had given birth to a son on the eleventh of the seventh month, and both mother and child were safe.
The one who came to deliver the news was Hang Liu’s wife — the milk-brother of the First Young Mistress of the Luo family.
When Luo Zhenhao came to Yanjing, the First Young Mistress of the Luo family had given him the use of her milk-brothers Hang Liu and Hang Jiu. After Luo Zhensheng and his wife, the Sixth Concubine, and Ying Niang returned to Yuhang, Hang Liu had taken over the household affairs of the Gong Xian Hutong.
“Who did Elder Brother send back to Yuhang to carry the news?” Shiyiniang summoned Hang Liu’s wife to question her. “I would like to send along some things for the nephew I have yet to meet!”
Hang Liu’s wife had been half-seated on the small stool before the couch, but upon hearing this she immediately stood. “In reply to Eleventh Auntie: the First Young Mistress wrote to ask the Second Master to choose a name for the young child. The First Master said he will send my young brother-in-law back to Yuhang once he has settled on a name. The exact date has not yet been set. If Eleventh Auntie wishes to send something along, you need only have the items prepared, and I will come to collect them.”
Quite a well-spoken woman.
Shiyiniang had Zhuxiang bring out the prepared gifts — a solid-gold longevity locket and such items — and hand them to Hang Liu’s wife. She had calculated the date beforehand, so everything had been made ready long since.
She wanted to ask about the child, but unfortunately Hang Liu’s wife had only heard secondhand. She thought to ask about how Luo Zhenhao had been getting on these days, but then reflected that he had his concubine to look after him, and asking would seem somewhat unnecessary.
She was just about to dismiss Hang Liu’s wife when the Third Young Mistress Huang arrived.
Shiyiniang hurried to welcome her and invited her inside for chilled mung bean soup.
Madam Huang held the small blue-and-white porcelain bowl with a wry smile. “The wedding boat from the Fang family has already set off — a true ten-li procession of red. Your family’s Third Madam has saved herself quite a sum this time. Still, with everything coming in and out and nothing but the bride’s dowry wherever you look, I honestly don’t know how your Third Sister-in-law can bring herself to contentedly enjoy it all.”
The Fang family had been even more generous than the Third Madam had imagined. All the furniture in the Sanjing Hutong had been measured, and when word came that the new chambers were to be in the Marquis Yongping’s residence, they sent someone to take measurements there as well.
The old Madam had frowned repeatedly upon hearing this, so of course Shiyiniang could say nothing on the matter. She could only say: “Did Elder Sister come to discuss with Third Sister-in-law the matter of receiving the wedding boat?”
Madam Huang knew it was inconvenient for Shiyiniang to comment, and had only wanted to find someone to grumble to — this match had gone through, yes, but if anyone brought it up in future, people might think it was the matchmakers themselves who had demanded the dowry, and her own reputation would be entirely ruined. She had come to Shiyiniang’s quarters simply to vent a little.
“The Fang family’s intention is to have the bride carried directly into the residence,” Madam Huang said, setting aside the subject. “I think that arrangement is perfectly fine as well. With so much dowry, if we follow the original plan of first stopping at Deputy Minister Liu’s villa and sending it over the next morning, the porters’ red envelopes alone would have to be paid twice — not to mention the risk of things being mislaid or quietly pocketed.”
“Elder Sister has experience in these matters,” Shiyiniang smiled. “Following your lead is naturally the right course.”
Madam Huang sighed and smiled. “What a pity you are not the mother-in-law. If you were, my job as matchmaker would be so much easier.”
Shiyiniang smiled along with her for a while.
Madam Huang turned to the subject of Xu Siyu: “Now that the mourning period is over, it must be time to look for a match?”
“Indeed,” Shiyiniang said. “Only Siyu does not yet hold any official title, which makes the matter more difficult to arrange.”
Madam Huang nodded. “That is a real predicament. He is the eldest son, yet the heir apparent is only a few years younger. Families of modest means, you would not accept. Families of substantial means feel his situation is too precarious. If he held some official title, the conversation would be much easier.”
The two chatted for a while, and then Madam Huang went to visit the Third Madam.
The Third Madam disagreed.
A wedding procession cannot retrace its path. She wanted it to stop first at Deputy Minister Liu’s villa, then take a full tour through Yanjing for all to see how substantial her eldest son’s bride’s dowry was — when the time came to arrange a match for her second son, she would be negotiating from a stronger position.
Madam Huang could not help but frown. “You are about to be family — you ought to show some consideration for each other. The Fang family said they were prepared to spend ten thousand taels for this daughter’s dowry, and by now it has likely exceeded twenty thousand…”
Before she could finish, the Third Madam smiled and said: “Having come ninety-nine steps, it is no great matter to take one more.” Her tone carried no small measure of smugness.
Madam Huang, deeply exasperated, made a brief mention of the matter when she went to take her leave of the old Madam.
After seeing Madam Huang off, the old Madam summoned the Third Madam: “Qin Ge’er’s wedding is less than a month away now. How are your preparations coming along?”
The old Madam had never once asked or inquired, and the Third Madam had been wondering about it. Now that the old Madam had finally spoken, she hurriedly smiled and replied: “The walls of the Sanjing Hutong house have been whitewashed, the lacquerwork done, and the bed-hangings and curtains for all four seasons have been prepared in full. I did not expect that in the few years I was away, all the labor costs and materials had gone up — two thousand taels went in without so much as a ripple, and I even had to dip into my own personal spending money and it still was not enough. So now I am waiting for the Third Master to send funds before we can whitewash the new chamber on this side.”