The Third Madam’s face lit up as her mind began to scheme.
Since the gifts had already been brought out in such a setting, surely no one would take them back?
As long as she could find a way to drag things out, these items would belong to her household.
At this thought, her eyes shifted, and she smiled. “Why is Fifth Sister-in-law still acting like a child? Are you not putting our relatives in a difficult position?” With that, she swept a smiling gaze across the ladies in the room.
Madam Gan sat to the side, drinking tea. Her greeting gift today was a string of tourmaline beads. Though they had some impurities, they had been carved into a lotus pattern that made the flaws rather inconspicuous, and the stones were large, so it was hardly an affront.
The Third Madam’s eldest sister-in-law, however, secretly frowned.
It was not that she could not produce something. It was simply that when her son had married, the Third Madam had sent only a set of silver hairpieces weighing barely twenty-some taels. Reciprocity demanded she match that — she could not very well give double. And even if she did double it, greeting gifts were never recorded on the formal gift register. If she ever had a joyous occasion of her own, whether the Third Madam would return the favor was anyone’s guess.
The thought flashed through her mind, and she stepped forward, about to say a word or two on the Third Madam’s behalf, when someone else spoke first.
“A wedding banquet is all about celebration. It is rare that our Fifth Sister-in-law is in such high spirits — I may as well join in the fun!” Everyone’s gaze fell upon the speaker.
The Third Madam’s eldest sister-in-law looked over and was surprised to find it was the Elder Madam Hong, who had come from Nanjing.
She watched as Elder Madam Hong produced a red satin pouch embroidered with double-happiness motifs in Hangzhou silk, poured out a pair of pearl hairpins from it, and then slipped off the lustrous green jade bracelet from her wrist, adding it to the pile. “This is my contribution,” she said, and passed it all toward Madam Fang.
Madam Fang had already noticed the Third Madam’s predicament. To accept seemed improper — her mother-in-law might think her ungrateful. To refuse seemed equally wrong — Fifth Madam and Elder Madam Hong were both honoring her, and to refuse would dampen the spirits of two of her elders. She was truly caught between two difficulties and could not help glancing toward Xu Siqin.
Xu Siqin did not know what to do either.
If he helped his mother, he would ruin the festive mood. If he did not help her, he feared she would be displeased.
Seeing this from where she stood, Shiyiniang smiled and stepped in to extricate them. She turned to Elder Madam Hong with a laugh. “Sister-in-law, please wait a moment — let our Danyang County Princess show off first. She has been looking forward to an opportunity like this for a long time. Please do not steal her thunder and give her cause to resent you!”
Elder Madam Hong burst into laughter at this. “It is entirely my fault, entirely my fault!” With that, she took her things back. “Then I shall wait here.”
Madam Gan, who had been sitting to one side sipping tea with an air of leisurely ease, let out a barely audible “Oh?” and straightened up in her seat, her keen eyes fixing upon Shiyiniang without wavering.
She had just seen Shiyiniang and Fifth Madam exchange a look.
The meaning was crystal clear to her.
No doubt these two sisters-in-law of the Xu family were both dissatisfied with the Third Madam and were seizing this opportunity to embarrass her. She also recalled how, a few days prior, the Marquis of Loyal Diligence had grumbled in her ear: “We have all had our eyes on Fujian, yet Xu Lingyi has quietly made a fortune raising horses over in Baoding without a word. I hear Marquis Yongping’s second wife comes often to visit the Grand Madam — why do you not find a way to get closer to her?”
With that thought, Madam Gan set down her teacup, smoothed a strand of hair at her temple, and in a most intimate tone called out, “Danyang.”
Everyone looked toward Madam Gan.
Only then did Madam Gan speak, unhurriedly. “Do not think we of the Loyal Diligence Marquis household have no one to stand up!” She signaled to the maidservant behind her to bring out her greeting gift, then unpinned the solid gold hairpin adorned with a carved mutton-fat jade peach that she wore in her hair, placed it atop the tourmaline bracelet, and declared proudly, “This is my addition for my nephew’s bride.” She then turned to Shiyiniang with a beaming smile. “Fourth Madam, what will you be adding?”
A faint tension crept through the air of the west hall.
Several of Madam Gan’s relatives quietly retreated to stand by the flower stands along the wall.
Shiyiniang thought for a moment, then removed from her hair a solid gold kingfisher-feather hairpin set with a ruby pomegranate blossom and smiled. “How fitting — a perfect match for Fifth Sister-in-law’s hair ornament!”
Kingfisher-feather inlay work was an exceptionally precious art, and the ruby was the size of a fingernail. Placed alongside Fifth Madam’s ornament, the two pieces complemented each other magnificently — radiant, brilliant, and extraordinarily splendid.
Someone could not help letting out soft sounds of admiration and envy.
Madam Fang grew very uneasy and quickly said, “Fourth Aunt, this is truly too much…”
But her voice was too soft and was drowned out by Madam Gan’s. “My dear, why not add a few more pieces? — In the end, it is not as if these things are going to strangers.” Her gaze swept lazily over the three sisters-in-law of the Xu family who had come from Nanjing. “Besides, there are still others waiting in line,” she said, then settled herself squarely and raised her teacup to take a deliberate sip, looking every bit as though she were competing directly with the Xu family sisters-in-law.
The Third Madam of the Ding household watched this from the side, the corner of her lips curling slightly.
Though their branch was a collateral one, they ran six pawnshops, fourteen rice shops, and three apothecaries in Nanjing. While they were not as wealthy as the main line, they were still a family of standing and reputation in Nanjing. They had come all this way from afar. Never mind that these were mere gold and silver trinkets they could easily produce — even if they could not, at this moment they would stand on their toes and play their part. Were they going to bring shame upon themselves all the way here in Yanjing?
At this thought, she immediately smiled and said, “Madam Gan need not worry — none of us aunts by marriage will shirk our duty.” With a turn of her gaze, she took hold of Madam Gan’s eldest sister-in-law’s sleeve and called out toward the Gan family relatives standing by the flower stands, “Aunts and female relatives of the Gan family, please do not stand so far away! Come quickly — once the greeting gifts have been given, the new bride still needs to pay her respects to the Grand Madam, and then we can all make our way to the main hall for the wedding feast!”
Some pretended not to hear and avoided her gaze; some giggled and said nothing; and one person called out loudly, “Are we not waiting right here?”
The Third Madam of the Ding household laughed and urged the Third Madam, “Third Sister-in-law, we are all watching you!”
The Third Madam looked at Shiyiniang’s box, at Fifth Madam’s box, at Madam Gan’s box and those of the others, then looked back at her own. The Lotus Pool brooch pin of eight taels and eight qian lay there alone — looking worn, lonely, and small. Even she herself found it difficult to look at. But to add more now was something she had not prepared for. Yet not to add anything… her gaze fell on Shiyiniang’s hairpin — that kingfisher-feather piece. This was the first time Shiyiniang had ever worn it; she must have brought it out especially to shine at Siqin’s wedding. If this moment passed, there would likely never be another like it.
She deliberated for a long while, then, steeling herself against the pain, unpinned the solid gold gourd-shaped hairpin she wore and placed it beside the Lotus Pool brooch pin, and laughed. “You aunts and aunts-in-law have all been so generous — what could a mother-in-law possibly begrudge!”
Two pieces of jewelry worth less than ten taels of gold, set against the resplendent treasures in Fifth Madam and Shiyiniang’s boxes, looked decidedly shabby.
Some did not dare speak, for fear of being drawn into a difficult position and losing money for nothing. Others felt the Third Madam was being too stingy but did not know what to say.
The room suddenly fell quiet.
From the east hall, where the male guests had been conversing softly among themselves, someone noticed the unusual stillness on this side and craned their neck to look over.
Fifth Madam smiled and said, “I had originally wanted to win our nephew’s bride a room full of admirers. Since Third Sister-in-law finds us overly intrusive, I shall not press my welcome further.” She turned to look at Shiyiniang and sighed, “Fourth Sister-in-law, you may as well put that hairpin away too. You so rarely wear it on ordinary days, and yet it seems some people still do not appreciate it.” She wore an expression of deflated interest.
Madam Gan frowned and shot the Third Madam a look. “Really, my dear girl — it is your own daughter-in-law. What is there to be so grudging about? We were all lifting her up together, and you go and pull the rug out.” She looked thoroughly displeased.
The atmosphere grew stiff.
Madam Fang stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do with herself.
Shiyiniang quickly smiled and said, “I have been looking forward to Siqin’s wedding for so long. Since I have already given the gift, I would not take it back. Third Sister-in-law,” — she looked at the Third Madam with a sincere expression — “please add just one more piece. It is only for good fortune and a festive occasion!”
The Third Madam herself had no wish for her son’s wedding to end on such a sour note, nor did she wish to lose face in front of her daughter-in-law. At these words, she slipped the gold ring off her finger and placed it in the box.
Fifth Madam let out a stifled laugh.
The mockery in it could not have been more pronounced.
The Third Madam’s face cycled through red and then purple.
The Second Madam of the Fu household, who had always been on good terms with the Third Madam, could no longer stand to watch. She stepped in quickly to rescue the Third Madam, and said with a smile, “Good things come in pairs, Third Sister-in-law. I think you should give that phoenix hairpin you are wearing to your nephew’s bride as a gift! And Fifth Madam should also add a gold ornament — for good luck. What do you all think?”
Fifth Madam had been waiting for just such an opening. She immediately slid the solid gold camellia bracelet off her wrist and placed it next to the gemstone hair ornament. “Second Elder Sister-in-law, do you think this piece is fit to present?”
The bracelet appeared to weigh around three or four taels.
Someone laughed and said, “Our new bride is making a fortune today!”
The Third Madam’s expression grew complicated as she looked toward the Second Madam of the Fu household.
The Second Madam nodded at her, her eyes betraying a flash of urgency, silently urging her not to hesitate any further.
The Third Madam looked at all the ladies in the room watching her, then looked at Madam Fang — who stood with her head bowed and cheeks flushed — and, steeling herself, placed a solid gold phoenix hairpin set with emeralds, rubies, cat’s eye stones, and tiny millet-grain pearls into the box.
The Second Madam of the Fu household said quickly, “There we are — the mother-in-law’s greeting gift has been given! Now it is the turn of the aunts and aunts-in-law!”
Shiyiniang smilingly passed the box to Madam Fang, saying warmly, “Wishing you a hundred years of happiness and many blessings to come.”
Madam Fang accepted it shyly.
Fifth Madam also passed her greeting gift over with a smile. “Quickly now — pour me a cup of tea as your thanks. I have been calling out on your behalf for so long that I not only managed to draw out your Fourth Aunt’s finest pieces, but gave away my own as well, and on top of that coaxed your aunts, aunts-in-law, and female relatives from Nanjing into giving theirs too.” She let out a bright peal of laughter, and the room was filled with a warm, festive cheer.
Madam Fang quickly knelt down and respectfully offered Fifth Madam a cup of tea.
Fifth Madam accepted it graciously, then led Madam Fang over to the Elder Madam of the Fu household. “This is the Elder Madam from Nanjing!”
Madam Fang hastened to offer her a cup of tea.
Fifth Madam then took it upon herself to make introductions all around — going from one person to the next without pause. Some playfully tried to dodge, others cried for mercy, and the whole room erupted in laughter, making the scene exceptionally lively.
The Second Madam of the Fu household seized the moment to draw the Third Madam aside and speak to her in a low voice. “How could you lose your head at a moment like this? You must know that your daughter-in-law came with a dowry of twenty thousand taels of silver. She does not eat your food or drink your drink. If you let her look down on you now, how are you going to be a mother-in-law to her going forward? And do not forget — Jian Ge’er has not yet taken a wife! If Jian Ge’er’s wife comes into the household and follows her example, what kind of life will you have then!”
The Third Madam was startled. She gripped the Second Madam of the Fu household’s hand. “It is a good thing you reminded me. Otherwise, I would have truly been looked down upon by a daughter-in-law who has barely just walked through the door!”
—