“Yes, yes, she is!” Dongqing hurried inside to let Eleventh Miss know.

Eleventh Miss had Hupo stay and keep Tenth Miss company while she chose, while she herself changed into a casual house dress and went to First Madam’s room.

In the courtyard, she ran into Nanny Xu.

Nanny Xu greeted her politely: “You’ve come to see First Madam?”

“That’s right!” Eleventh Miss replied with a smile, exchanging pleasantries. “You look busy!”

It was a commonplace remark meant as nothing more than courtesy — but to her surprise, Nanny Xu held up what she had in her hands. “First Madam has two century-old ginseng roots from the storeroom that she’s asked me to take over to the First Young Madam.”

With everything that had happened yesterday, First Madam must be worried.

Eleventh Miss gave Nanny Xu a smile, then lifted the curtain and went into the main room.

Master was not in. First Madam sat alone having her breakfast — a bowl of plain congee set before her, with four or five small dishes on the table.

“Have you eaten?” she asked Eleventh Miss warmly, and before Eleventh Miss could answer, was already giving instructions to Shanhu at her side: “Bring Eleventh Miss a bowl and chopsticks.”

Eleventh Miss had already eaten — but this sort of closeness from one’s superior was not something to refuse.

She smiled her thanks and sat down. Shanhu brought her a small half-bowl of plain congee.

*A friend at court makes life smoother.* Hupo and Shanhu were on good terms, and so Shanhu showed considerable care toward those in Eleventh Miss’s household. Knowing full well that Eleventh Miss had already breakfasted, she had only filled the bowl halfway — following First Madam’s wishes while sparing Eleventh Miss the embarrassment of leaving a full bowl unfinished.

Eleventh Miss sent Shanhu a grateful smile.

Shanhu, knowing Eleventh Miss had understood her consideration, smiled in return.

The two of them ate their meal in companionable quiet. Then Eleventh Miss followed First Madam to the large daybed by the window in the western side room.

First Madam complained, “This thing is neither bed nor settee — padded cushions are too warm, but without them it’s too stiff to sit on. I much prefer our eight-step beds and Luohan couches at home.”

Eleventh Miss helped First Madam up onto the daybed and pushed one half of the window open. A cool breeze carrying the freshness of spring rain immediately swept over them.

“I’ll make you a few bamboo-surface cushions,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “Those would be much more comfortable.”

First Madam nodded warmly. “You always think of everything.” She then took Eleventh Miss’s hand in hers. “Tenth Miss is in your room choosing clothes, is she not? I’m sorry to put you out.”

“What hardship is that?” Eleventh Miss replied. “It takes a hundred lives of cultivation to share a boat, and a thousand to share a bedchamber as sisters. Tenth Sister and I have this kinship in this lifetime — who knows if we’ll have such good fortune in the next? A few sets of clothes and jewellery — what does that matter?”

First Madam smiled and nodded, then called Feicui and Daimao in to open the trunks, and brought Eleventh Miss over to look through them. “I’d like to give some pieces of clothing to Shanhu and the others. Your eye is good — help me look.”

Eleventh Miss was momentarily taken aback.

This had always been Fifth Miss’s role before.

Yet looking at the warm, contented expression on First Madam’s face, she gave no outward sign of her surprise and simply answered, “Of course.”

The warmth in First Madam’s smile reached her eyes.

And so the small company spent the morning hours going through First Madam’s beautiful and resplendent wardrobe.

At noon, First Madam kept Eleventh Miss for lunch, and Eleventh Miss attended First Madam while she took her afternoon rest. First Madam had only just lain down when First Madam-in-law arrived.

*She had not come during lunch, but she comes now.* And thinking back on how First Madam-in-law had returned home early on Tenth Miss’s account the day before, and had been nowhere to be seen all morning — she must have something to report.

Eleventh Miss made an excuse to go and brew tea for First Madam-in-law, and slipped into the side room nearby.

Once Eleventh Miss had gone, First Madam’s face settled at once. “Do you have any news?”

First Madam-in-law stepped forward and said in a low voice, “We found out. She was delivered here by the Weiyuan Escort Bureau. As for who the client was, they absolutely would not say. When we tried to find out how much was paid for the escort, they were just as tight-lipped. In my humble view, we may need to look into things from within the household. Someone was sent to Yuhang yesterday.”

“Well done.” First Madam’s expression eased slightly. “Something must have happened at home. Let us wait for the people we’ve sent to return before making any decisions. In the meantime, stay close to Tenth Miss and make sure she doesn’t go wandering or speaking out of turn.” She gave a cold little scoff. “Just now, which two maids are attending her?”

“One called Jinlian, one called Yinping — both second-tier maids who used to be in my service.”

“What good fortune that you have been here to help me.” First Madam said with genuine feeling. “Otherwise, things would have been quite out of hand.”

“Mother, you are too kind,” First Madam-in-law replied modestly. “I have only done as you instructed.” She drew several banknotes from her sleeve with a smile. “This is the one thousand two hundred taels of silver you gave me last time. Household expenses only ran high at the very start — after that, each month came to around seventy or eighty taels, and I’ve used a little over six hundred taels to cover the costs. The rest, I return to you.” She held the banknotes out to First Madam.

“Silly girl, what’s mine is yours.” First Madam would not take them back. “Keep it — buy yourself some rouge and powder, some jade hair ornaments. Whatever you like.”

First Madam-in-law moved to protest further, but First Madam said, “There is another matter I need to ask you to attend to.”

“Please tell me what it is.” First Madam-in-law, seeing that First Madam was sincere, tucked the banknotes away.

First Madam considered for a moment. “You young people have sharper eyes for these things. When you have a free moment, take a look at the western market stalls and add to Fifth Miss’s and Tenth Miss’s trousseau — see if there are any new styles worth adding.”

First Madam-in-law was mildly surprised, but answered respectfully, “Yes.”

First Madam hesitated briefly, then added: “Say five hundred taels per person.” She asked First Madam-in-law: “Five hundred taels — is that not too little?”

First Madam-in-law had come into this household with a trousseau that, not counting land and properties, had amounted to nearly five thousand taels. Five hundred was of course not much. But Fifth Miss and Tenth Miss were different — they were daughters born of concubines.

She hurried to say with a smile, “Not at all — five hundred taels is quite adequate. It all depends on how wisely it is spent.”

Satisfied that her daughter-in-law had caught her meaning, First Madam gave a pleased nod. “Let’s sit down together presently and think through what might still be available back in Yuhang — rather than having to lay out cash for more land and property.”

First Madam-in-law nodded her agreement, and then a small maidservant came to report: “First Madam-in-law, the Young Master wishes a dinner party to be arranged. Young Master Qian has arrived.”

First Madam-in-law’s brow furrowed slightly, but she still told the maidservant: “Go and let Nanny Hang know. Just arrange it the same as before.”

The maidservant acknowledged this and withdrew.

First Madam looked thoughtful and asked First Madam-in-law: “Setting up a dinner at this hour — is there someone who comes by often and takes advantage of the household’s hospitality?”

First Madam-in-law smiled. “It’s not quite that bad, but he does come often. Whenever he comes, he examines everything in the house with great attention — this chair made by Li’s workshop, that brush-washer by Song Shoumei, the wolf-hair brushes from Duobao Pavilion — he can identify every single piece. And his conversation is always about which restaurant is most impressive, which teahouse serves the finest tea, what new opera has just arrived in Yanjing, who is performing the lead role, which official’s household he has recently visited and what rare things he has seen there. He does not seem like someone who buries himself in his books.”

First Madam’s expression grew sombre. Her greatest fear was that her son had been dazzled by Yanjing and lost his will to study and improve himself.

“What is this person’s name? How old is he? Where is he from? Is he a scholarship student or a hereditary student?” She asked with great thoroughness.

First Madam-in-law had evidently been paying close attention herself, for she answered readily: “He is called Qian Ming, with the courtesy name Zichun, from Yichun in Sichuan. Two years older than your son. He is a stipend holder. By all accounts his family has some farmland, and from his manner he does not seem like a man of poor means. But that way he has of looking at things — with such an intense, fixed stare — it makes one uncomfortable.”

“A stipend holder?” First Madam was quite surprised. “To have gained a place at the National Academy, he must have some ability. You must not judge him by appearances and treat him with less than his due. One never knows — one day this very man may become a minister or a cabinet official.”

First Madam-in-law hurried to say, “Mother, please don’t worry. Whenever he comes, I see to it that he is well fed and looked after. Last time he mentioned that Chunxi Restaurant’s crystal braised dish was delicious, and I had someone go specially to Chunxi Restaurant to bring some back for him.”

First Madam gave a satisfied nod. She thought for a moment and said, “Since Xingge has a guest, you go and attend to things on your end first. I have Nanny Xu here with me.”

First Madam-in-law smiled her agreement and withdrew. A maidservant brought in a bowl of pan-fried silverfish, a bowl of stir-fried Chinese toon shoots with eggs, and a bowl of white rice.

Eleventh Miss, seeing this, brought in two cups of tea.

“Has First Madam-in-law left already?”

Nanny Xu had been sitting on a low stool eating her meal, but rose quickly at the sight of Eleventh Miss.

It was only then that First Madam remembered Eleventh Miss, and said with a smile, “You go and rest too.”

Eleventh Miss could not have wished for anything more — she smiled, answered readily, and took her leave.

Nanny Xu finished her meal, and she and First Madam set about calculating the matter of the trousseau.

“…The lowlands along the Huai River have flooded several times. The fields are going to waste. But those are your dowry lands…”

First Madam was forthright about it: “Enough of those burdens. Cut them all loose.”

Nanny Xu said “yes” and began working through the figures with First Madam in earnest: “In that case, there is still a tract of woodland in Yuxian County — it can only grow miscellaneous timber. Last year, a section was just cleared, and it sold for a little over sixty taels…”

“Include that as well.”

Nanny Xu nodded and wrote another entry in the ledger.

Just as they were deep in their calculations, Nanny Tao — who served at First Madam Yuan’s side — arrived.

First Madam and Nanny Xu were both startled. First Madam said with undisguised worry, “Can it be that something has gone wrong?”