Fifth Madam saw it — and her smile grew all the sweeter.

She sat down beside the Grand Madam and tugged at her sleeve. “Mother, you should have seen Jin Ge’er just now — he was absolutely endearing. He takes two steps, then looks back at Fourth Sister-in-law; let someone carry him, and he won’t have it; let him walk on his own, and he’s frightened.”

“All children learning to walk are like that.” The Grand Madam laughed warmly, and beckoned to Jin Ge’er. “Come here, Jin Ge’er — come to Grandmother.” Then she had the kang table cleared and lifted Jin Ge’er up onto the kang.

At first, Jin Ge’er stood there without daring to move, turning his head to look for Shiyiniang. When he spotted her standing at the kang’s edge with a gentle smile, he immediately flung himself into her arms. Shiyiniang held him for a moment, then pointed at the Grand Madam. “Go to Grandmother.”

Jin Ge’er clung to his mother’s side.

The Grand Madam glanced around and picked up a deep-blue cloisonné enamel mirror case from beneath the kang table to tempt Jin Ge’er. “Come here, come to Grandmother.”

Jin Ge’er stared at the mirror case for a long moment, then toddled unsteadily toward her.

Before he even reached her, the Grand Madam had already swooped forward and gathered him into her arms, pressing two kisses to his cheek. Jin Ge’er immediately seized hold of the mirror case in her hand.

The Grand Madam pointed at Shiyiniang. “Go back to your mother.”

Jin Ge’er didn’t hesitate for a second — he lurched and stumbled back into Shiyiniang’s arms, babbling away and waving the mirror case in the air, as though telling his mother, “Look what I got.”

Shiyiniang smiled and patted the top of his head, then pointed at the Grand Madam. “Give the mirror case back to Grandmother.”

Jin Ge’er clutched it tightly at these words, and stood staring at Shiyiniang without budging a step.

“Mother, now do you know who the real tyrant is?” Fifth Madam was laughing so hard she was practically wilting. “Our Xin Jie’er only ever wanted to touch your porcelain and tin pot. But our Jin Ge’er — once something is in his hands, he simply won’t let go.” She said with mock grievance, “You can never again say our Xin Jie’er is ‘untouchable.'”

The Grand Madam roared with laughter. “Never again, never again.” She reached over and gathered Jin Ge’er into her arms. “This one is a proper little thief who plucks feathers from passing geese.”

Jin Ge’er sat in the Grand Madam’s lap, very earnestly fiddling with the mirror case.

Everyone laughed. No one gave Third Madam so much as a glance. She stood there alone, with an expression of wanting to smile but being unable to, which made her look all the more forlorn.

Since the Grand Madam had agreed, Third Branch was going to move out sooner or later. They had managed all these years — why create enemies now, at this of all moments? But with Fifth Madam currently at odds with Third Madam, if Shiyiniang took the initiative to engage Third Madam in conversation, would it not look as though she were stepping on Fifth Madam to appear magnanimous?

She could only make eyes at Fifth Madam, gesturing for her to exchange a word of greeting with Third Madam.

Fifth Madam acted as though she hadn’t seen, and continued delighting the Grand Madam with cheerful chatter. “Mother, the truth is that everything of yours is simply too wonderful to resist. Never mind these grandchildren who light up the moment they come in — even we secretly covet everything in our hearts, which makes all of us look like penniless country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world.” She tucked her arm affectionately through the Grand Madam’s. “Mother, the Start of Winter is just a few days away — it’ll be time to wear ear warmers. Open up the storeroom and give us each a few skins, won’t you?”

“You see this?” The Grand Madam made a show of exasperation and turned to Nanny Du, who stood smiling nearby. “Empty flattery before a request — nothing good is ever about to follow.”

Nanny Du laughed behind her sleeve.

A little maidservant came in to ask where the noon meal should be served.

Everyone gathered around and escorted the Grand Madam to the east side room.

Third Madam trailed after them, looking deflated.

Once the Grand Madam was seated, Fifth Madam made a show of glancing around and said in mock puzzlement, “Strange — where is Eldest Young Mistress?”

Third Madam said nothing, and lowered her head, her expression dark.

The Grand Madam didn’t even look at Third Madam. “She sprained her hand yesterday. The doctor came this morning to look at it. She’s resting at home now.”

“Oh dear!” Fifth Madam exclaimed. “How did she come to sprain her hand? An injury to the tendons takes a hundred days to heal — she won’t be well even by the New Year. And this is Eldest Young Mistress’s first New Year with our family.” Then, turning to Third Madam, she said, “Third Sister-in-law, I’ve heard that notoginseng is the very best thing for injuries. Why not make a chicken broth with notoginseng and build up Eldest Young Mistress’s strength?” Then she turned to Shiyiniang. “Fourth Sister-in-law, after we eat, shall we go and visit Eldest Young Mistress together?”

Northern ginseng, southern notoginseng — both were extremely precious medicines. Yanjing was in the north, and it wasn’t unusual for a wealthy household to have two pieces of ginseng on hand, but few would have notoginseng stored away. Fifth Madam’s suggestion was clearly designed to put Third Madam in an awkward position.

The veins at Third Madam’s temples began to stand out. “She only sprained her hand — it’s not broken. Once the swelling goes down and she rests a few days, she’ll be fine. It certainly won’t take a hundred days.”

Fifth Madam arched an eyebrow and was about to say more, when the Grand Madam quietly glanced over at her.

Fifth Madam’s heart lurched, and she didn’t dare say another word. She quickly lowered her head and helped arrange the Grand Madam’s chopsticks.

Shiyiniang simply smiled and said, “Good — I happen to have a little notoginseng at my place. I’ll bring it when we go and see Eldest Young Mistress.”

The Grand Madam gave a slight nod and took up her chopsticks.

At the table, one does not speak.

Everyone ate the meal in silence. When it was over, the Grand Madam instructed Nanny Du, “Go to the storeroom for a piece of ginseng and a packet of notoginseng. I’ll go and look in on Eldest Young Mistress too.”

Her tone was light and even, but it made Third Madam deeply uncomfortable. She murmured, “You needn’t trouble yourself, Mother…”

The Grand Madam didn’t wait for her to finish and rose, going to the west side room to rest.

Maidservants and wives hurried over to attend her. Fifth Madam, not to be left out, followed with her own attendants. Shiyiniang, feeling that Third Madam had overstepped, didn’t bother sparing her any comfort either, and carried Jin Ge’er over to the Grand Madam’s side.

Third Madam’s face went through alternating flushes of white and red as she stood there alone for a moment, then lowered her head and also made her way to the west side room.

The imperial physician had already been to see Madam Fang. Her sprained hand was supported in a sling of cloth across her chest, and a little maidservant was feeding her her noon meal.

When word came that the Grand Madam had come to see her, Madam Fang was startled, and quickly told the maidservant to help her put on her shoes so she could go out to greet her. But before she could, the Grand Madam had already come briskly inside. Madam Fang immediately curtsied as best she could.

The Grand Madam took hold of her good hand. “How did you manage to be so careless?”

The tenderness in her voice made Madam Fang’s eyes brim with tears.

“It was entirely my own carelessness.” She led the Grand Madam to sit on the large kang by the window while a sharp-eyed maidservant moved to clear the kang table.

“No, no, don’t bother.” The Grand Madam waved her off. “You eat. I’ve only come to look in on you.” She regarded Madam Fang for a moment. “Your color is good — I’m relieved.” Then she had Nanny Du bring out the medicines for Madam Fang. “I’ve brought some ginseng and notoginseng. Do you have a nanny on hand who knows about medicines? If not, go and ask Nanny Du how to use them.”

Madam Fang thanked her again and again.

The Grand Madam nodded with a smile, and patted Madam Fang’s hand affectionately. “Your mother-in-law will be going back to Shanyang in a couple of days. After she’s gone, if you have anything you need, just ask your Fourth Aunt. Don’t hide things the way you did this time, just because you’re a new bride. That’s how you end up suffering.”

Just yesterday, the Grand Madam had pretended not to understand Third Madam’s hints about going back to Shanyang — and yet today, she had come out and said plainly that Third Madam should go.

Third Madam silently cried out in dismay.

She had just given Madam Fang a taste of her temper yesterday, and now today the Grand Madam was sending her back to Shanyang — wouldn’t all the maidservants and wives think the Grand Madam was taking Madam Fang’s side? And yet if she didn’t go, she might not get another chance.

Shiyiniang was mildly surprised.

She hadn’t expected the Grand Madam to think so highly of Madam Fang.

Fifth Madam’s heart settled.

She had stirred up trouble just now, and the Grand Madam had been displeased — she had been wondering how to get back in the Grand Madam’s good graces. But now it seemed the Grand Madam was, in her heart of hearts, quite dissatisfied with Third Madam herself — she simply hadn’t wanted their sisterly rivalry to come to a head in the open. As long as she kept it within certain limits from here on, the Grand Madam would likely be happy enough to watch Third Madam be taken down a peg or two.

With that thought, she exhaled softly with relief.

Madam Fang’s expression, however, was more complicated.

Yesterday, when she sprained her hand, her mother-in-law had spoken words that implied she had done it deliberately, leaving her filled with grievance. She had barely managed half a bowl of porridge in the morning, and had followed along as usual to accompany her mother-in-law to pay respects to the Grand Madam — only for her mother-in-law to say, with a sour edge, “You’re this swollen and you still want to run to the Grand Madam — do you want to make her worry over you?” She had explained and explained, and her mother-in-law had only offered a cold laugh and swept out of the room. A lump had lodged itself in her chest.

Before she married, her mother had told her: this mother-in-law is rather disorganized in her ways, but she wears everything on her face — there’s no smiling while plotting behind your back, so she’s easier to deal with than most. And above your mother-in-law there are her elders; below her, sisters-in-law. She’s stingy with people, and the sisters-in-law are bound to be all smiles on the surface and rivals underneath. Make sure to serve the Grand Madam well, and be filial to Marquis Yongping’s wife and Countess Danyang. When there’s any occasion of joy or mourning on either side, always show generosity. At New Year and on festival days, make shoes and stockings as gifts and find ways to earn their goodwill. If you ever have a problem, they’ll remember your kindnesses and will speak against your mother-in-law rather than against you. And if they do that, you just put on an air of helplessness, and your mother-in-law — since Marquis Yongping is an imperial kinsman and a family of generations of merit, not some little household of no standing — even if she is displeased at heart, she can only find fault with you within the bounds of propriety. As long as you keep yourself within the rules, your mother-in-law cannot touch you.

But once she was actually married, her husband’s gentle and tender attentiveness, and her mother-in-law’s plain-spoken nature — never once asking her for a single item from her dowry, and even letting her keep all the gifts from the day she met the family — had made her think her mother had been making too much of it. And yet she hadn’t expected that she had simply thought things too simple.

Her mother-in-law, on the strength of one word from Fifth Aunt, had come back and showed her a cold face in front of the maidservants, without even asking Madam Fang a single question. If Madam Fang used her dowry to make a gesture of goodwill in the future, her mother-in-law would probably do more than just give her a cold look.

Now her mother-in-law had gone in a huff to the Grand Madam’s rooms and hadn’t come back for half the day — who knew what she had said to the Grand Madam? If the Grand Madam ended up misunderstanding her because of it, how would she manage going forward?

These thoughts had stirred such anxiety in her that she had no appetite left. Her maidservant had coaxed her patiently, and she had only picked up her bowl for fear that if her mother-in-law heard she hadn’t eaten lunch, there would be more unpleasant things said.

She had never imagined that what she would hear instead would be these words from the Grand Madam.

“Grand Madam…” Madam Fang looked at the Grand Madam with some unease, not knowing what to say.

Her mother-in-law was desperate to find a way for the Grand Madam to agree to let her go to Shanyang, and now the Grand Madam had agreed. If she tried to stop it, her mother-in-law would certainly resent her for meddling. But if she didn’t stop it, wouldn’t this fault fall on her? And once her husband found out, what would he think?

In the midst of this dilemma, the Grand Madam smiled and rose, letting Fifth Madam take her arm to steady her. “You eat your meal. I’m old — I need to go and rest for my afternoon nap.”

And with that, she walked straight out the door.

—