Shiyiniang’s heart settled. She hurried forward to meet her: “Fourth Sister, why have you only just arrived?” Then, seeing she had brought only a single young maidservant with her, she asked in surprise: “Why did you not bring Qi Ge’er with you?”
Si Niang’s third son was named Yu Qi.
“The child is still too young,” Si Niang said with a smile. “I was afraid he might disturb everyone. Once the busiest of this period is over for you, I will bring him along for a visit.” Seeing the large table already set up in the hall with the grabbing ceremony items arranged around it, she added: “You’re about to begin the grabbing ceremony, aren’t you? Don’t mind me — go attend to things.”
While they were speaking, the Grand Madam and Madam Huang had already made their way to the table and taken their places, ready to watch Jin Ge’er’s grabbing ceremony.
Shiyiniang had no time to say more to Si Niang. She said a quick “Then I’ll go over first,” and carried Jin Ge’er to the table.
Shier Niang took Si Niang’s arm, called out an affectionate “Fourth Sister,” and said: “The medicine Fourth Sister sent over has done my mother-in-law’s eyes a world of good. She told me that if I ever saw Fourth Sister, I must be sure to thank her properly.”
“We are all sisters — what is there to say about such things.” Si Niang smiled. “I am glad the medicine has worked. It is nothing special — it simply proved to be the right remedy. If you run out, come to me again.”
“How could I trouble Fourth Sister to keep making trips to the pharmacy on my behalf?” Shier Niang said. “Won’t you tell me which pharmacy prepared it? That way Fourth Sister need not go out of her way for this.”
“Of course!” Si Niang agreed readily. “That pharmacy has a family secret remedy passed down through generations for treating eye ailments. It would be even better if you could bring your mother-in-law to have her pulse taken.” Then she told Shier Niang the name and location of the pharmacy.
Shier Niang committed it to memory.
Si Niang looked out across the hall. “How is it I do not see Wu Niang?”
“She was here just a moment ago.” Shier Niang followed Si Niang’s gaze and scanned the hall. “She was in the center room talking with Fourth Mistress Tang — where has she disappeared to now?” Before the words were out of her mouth, a great burst of laughter erupted from the crowd three or four layers deep around the large table, and someone called out: “Our Jin Ge’er has grabbed the general’s helmet!”
Neither of them had any more thought of discussing Wu Niang. They hurried over, stood on their toes, and peered inside.
Jin Ge’er, dressed only in his deep red brocade jacket and wearing a solid gold all-wishes-fulfilled lock around his neck, had already let go of the general’s helmet and, twisting his little body around, was reaching for a wine-game token from the nearby token holder.
“Oh my — he’s grabbed a wine-game token!” someone laughed. And someone else immediately offered their auspicious words: “Graceful in all he does, with friends throughout the world!”
Shier Niang looked on as Jin Ge’er sat contentedly gnawing on the token, as though testing whether it was sturdy enough. She could not help but laugh: “Fourth Sister, whoever would have thought Jin Ge’er would grab a wine-game token.”
Si Niang found the sight of Jin Ge’er amusing as well. She was a perceptive woman and knew that the grabbing ceremony had its share of contrivance — she did not believe that whatever a child grabbed at his first birthday foretold what he would become. She smiled: “That token is simply too beautiful — it is no wonder Jin Ge’er reached for it.”
The Anyadang wine-game token, engraved upon a tile of deep blue cloisonné enamel, was resplendent and extravagant in equal measure. Not just a child — even an adult, upon catching sight of it, would surely be unable to resist picking it up for a closer look.
Shier Niang thought there was something to what Si Niang said: “But the general’s helmet is beautiful too — gleaming gold, and trimmed with those deep red tassels…”
As they spoke, the Grand Madam laughed cheerfully and scooped Jin Ge’er into her arms. “Splendid, splendid, splendid — our Jin Ge’er, you shall be a great host to all the world!”
Everyone offered their congratulations.
Third Madam then announced in a bright voice: “Ladies, please take your seats — come enjoy our little birthday star’s longevity noodles!”
The crowd dispersed with laughter.
The head serving woman quickly began clearing away the grabbing ceremony items.
Third Madam drew herself up even straighter, and said under her breath to Fang Shi: “Jin Ge’er grabbed a wine-game token!” Her tone carried a barely concealed note of gloating.
Fang Shi’s brow furrowed slightly. She did not reply.
Third Madam had always felt that her daughter-in-law was good in every way except for being too quiet — whatever one said, she gave no reaction, like landing a heavy punch on a pile of cotton: always left with a vague sense of dissatisfaction.
With that thought, she decided not to dwell on it further with her daughter-in-law — after all, speaking little had its advantages. At the very least, she would not go chattering about household matters to Shiyiniang or Dan Yang.
The smile returned to her face, even brighter than before. Third Madam instructed her head serving woman: “Tell those maids and servant women to be quick and nimble about it. Once the banquet here is finished, everyone will move to Dianchun Hall to watch opera and take tea.”
The head serving woman replied promptly: “Rest assured, Madam — when the eighth course is served, I will begin sending a portion of the maids and servant women over there to get things ready.”
Third Madam gave an imperious nod. Her gaze landed on Wu Niang, who was seated alongside Fourth Mistress Tang, the two of them with their heads together, whispering — apparently discussing some business in tea leaves.
That Wu Niang — always so eager to please, she had walked right in and latched herself onto Fourth Mistress Tang, now making plans for some tea trade or other…
With that thought, she quickly turned to Fang Shi: “Do you see the woman seated at the eastern table, wearing the deep blue all-over-gold robe embroidered with gourd and vase patterns? That is the Fourth Mistress of the Zhongshan Marquis household. Their family is thoroughly mercenary, and she says one thing to one person and another thing to another — you must be very careful whenever you encounter her in the future. Do you understand?”
Fang Shi answered respectfully with an “understood,” then proceeded to direct the young maids in serving tea and refreshments, help Madam Huang and others find suitable places to play cards, and check on the courses for the evening banquet.
Shiyiniang, afraid the opera might frighten Jin Ge’er when it began, carried him on a brief round through the hall and then brought him back to the main chamber.
Si Niang saw this and followed along. She took out a small box and handed it to Shiyiniang: “This is from Qi Niang, for Jin Ge’er.”
Shiyiniang thanked her, and the two sat together on the large kang by the window. “What has Seventh Sister been busy with lately? I wrote her a letter, and Fifth Sister-in-law sent her three letters, all inviting her to come to Yanjing for a visit. Her replies only said that she was occupied with family matters at home and would set out once she was free — but we waited and waited and she never came.”
Si Niang hesitated for a moment, then said quietly: “Seventh Sister arrived in Yanjing last month!”
Shiyiniang was startled: “Since she is already here, why did she not even stop by to see me?” A moment later it occurred to her that Wu Niang was a lively and spirited person — for her to be in Yanjing this long without coming to visit the Xu household ran entirely contrary to her nature. And then she remembered that she had never had children — before Si Niang could reply, she said urgently: “Fourth Sister, has something happened to Seventh Sister?”
Of all their sisters, Shiyiniang was the most composed in her manner and had married into a prominent household — Si Niang had come to speak with her precisely because she wanted to think through a solution together.
“It is the matter of children, as ever,” she said gravely. “The Zhu family opened the ancestral hall and demanded that Seventh Sister’s husband make a decision — either to divorce her, take a concubine, or adopt an heir.”
“And what did Seventh Brother-in-law say?” Shiyiniang’s heart gave a rapid lurch.
“Seventh Brother-in-law agreed to adopt.”
Shiyiniang let out a long breath.
“But the Zhu family’s Old Madam would not consent.” Si Niang continued. “There was a great scene over it first. Seventh Brother-in-law barely managed to settle things down. Then the Zhu family began making a fuss over who to adopt.”
Zhu Anping, though his family was large and wealthy and counted among the richest in the land, lived in a society that placed great stock in lineage and heirs. Those with respectable family backgrounds might not be willing to give a son away for adoption; those with greedy intentions often had children of questionable character, and there was always the worry that when the child grew older, he might be stirred up by his birth parents and bring turmoil to the household.
“Is the dispute over the choice of heir?” Shiyiniang asked.
Si Niang nodded: “The matter of the Zhu family’s Old Madam is manageable — after all, they are family. But this time the clan as a whole is involved, and Zhu Anping has been driven to the point of complete exhaustion, pulled in every direction and unable to satisfy anyone. Seventh Sister has her own ideas about it too. So she has come to Yanjing. For Jin Ge’er’s first birthday, I was going to persuade her to come along — but she said she is in no state to show her face in public, and refused absolutely. I tried to talk her round for a long while and got nowhere. In the end I left Qi Ge’er in her care and came on my own.”
To the world, they were daughters of the Luo family. Within the family, they were daughters of the first branch and second branch respectively. Otherwise, at a moment so critical to Seventh Sister’s own interests, she would not have turned first to Si Niang — they were, after all, born of the same mother. That Si Niang now chose to speak of Seventh Sister’s predicament so openly to her meant something, and Shiyiniang began to sense dimly what was being asked.
“Seventh Sister has her own ideas?” Shiyiniang said. “What does she want?”
A look of quiet relief passed through Si Niang’s eyes.
Speaking with someone as sharp as Shiyiniang was indeed straightforward.
“Seventh Sister’s wish is this: adoption is acceptable, but the child must be one of her own choosing. Otherwise, she would rather seek a separation.”
Seventh Sister must be afraid that a child not of her own choosing would not truly be hers to raise.
“And Seventh Brother-in-law does not agree?” Shiyiniang asked, already turning it over in her mind.
“Seventh Brother-in-law feels the same way. It is only in the matter of which child…” Si Niang trailed off, hesitating.
Shiyiniang waited, watching her quietly.
After a long moment’s thought, Si Niang said with gravity: “Seventh Sister wants to adopt our Qi Ge’er.”
“The Zhu family will never agree to that.” Shiyiniang said, her voice dropping. “And Fourth Brother-in-law — does he agree?”
“Your Fourth Brother-in-law can be reasoned with,” Si Niang said, her gaze flickering. “If it comes to that, we could ask Father and Mother to come and speak to him. As for Zhu Anping’s agreement — the Zhu clan remains flatly opposed.”
The second master and his wife had shown Yu Qing nothing less than a kindness of rebirth. If those two elders were to speak, then even if Yu Qing were deeply resistant in his heart, he would likely have to weigh things carefully — and it was not beyond the realm of possibility that this matter might succeed. But if the Zhu clan refused to yield… matters decided by the clan were beyond even the courts to overturn. Surely no one expected Xu Lingyi to use the authority of the courts to pressure the Zhu clan into submission? If that were the course of action, Yu Qing himself could manage it — there was no need for Xu Lingyi to step in at all.
The thought flickered and passed. Shiyiniang said: “What is Fourth Sister asking of me?”
Si Niang gave a bitter smile: “If things come to that point — the matter of your Fourth Brother-in-law, I can only tell him it is Seventh Brother-in-law’s wish. I cannot breathe a word about the Zhu clan’s opposition. As for persuading the Zhu clan — I would have to ask the Marquis to step in.”
“This is a matter of the gravest weight,” Shiyiniang said with solemnity. “Let me first sound out the Marquis’s thoughts.”
Si Niang was already deeply grateful that Shiyiniang was willing to speak on her behalf before Xu Lingyi. She thanked her repeatedly. But Shiyiniang’s mind had already moved to another matter.
“Fourth Sister,” she said, “if this goes through — Qi Ge’er…”
Si Niang’s tears fell without warning: “I shall think of this child as one I bore for Seventh Sister!” Yet she could not help but cover her face and weep bitterly.
Shiyiniang watched Si Niang for a long moment, at a loss for words.
That night, as she and Xu Lingyi settled down to sleep, her heart was torn — to tell Xu Lingyi, and this matter might succeed; not to tell him, and it certainly would not. On one side, Seventh Sister’s future happiness; on the other, Xu Lingyi being placed in an awkward position. She understood which weighed more heavily — and yet could not bring herself to open her mouth.
—