Xin Jie’er heard this and immediately broke into a radiant smile, calling out “Father!” in delight.

Xu Lingkuan laughed, taking out his handkerchief to wipe Xin Jie’er’s tears. “No crying over small things like this in the future.”

Xin Jie’er nodded repeatedly.

But the Fifth Madam grew anxious. “Fifth Master, you haven’t even asked — she’s asking for the pair of orioles that were given to Jin Ge’er!”

Xu Lingkuan paused.

Small children are quickest to read the expressions of others.

Xin Jie’er immediately wound her arms around her father’s neck.

Xu Lingkuan then spoke softly to his daughter. “That won’t do. Those orioles were given to Jin Ge’er by Grandmother — they are a gift from an elder. A gift from an elder cannot simply be passed on to someone else on a whim. How about this — I’ll find you a pair of Pekingese dogs identical to Jin Ge’er’s. And I’ll have Hexiang make little flower coats for your dogs…”

Jin Ge’er had taken a great liking to those dogs. When he watched the tailors on the estate making spring outfits for the maids, he made a fuss about wanting clothes made for the dogs as well. The tailors, eager to please Jin Ge’er, immediately sewed several dazzling, brightly colored garments in red and green and presented them as gifts. Xin Jie’er saw this and also wanted little coats made for her cats — and soon enough, their cats and dogs were all going about in little outfits, sending Madam Huang and Madam Zhou, who had come to visit, into fits of laughter until they could barely stand. Madam Zhou in particular went home and told Princess Fucheng about it. Princess Fucheng, greatly amused, specifically sent the tailors from the princess’s mansion to come and observe, and had two little coats made for the pair of cats left at her maternal home by the Crown Princess — then had them carried into the palace to be shown to the Empress, the Crown Princess, and all the various Dowager Consorts. The Dowager Consorts, living quiet and secluded lives, each kept a number of cats and dogs around them. When they saw this novelty, they naturally all rushed to imitate it. For a time, the most fashionable thing in all of Yanjing was to carry about a cat or dog dressed in a little coat.

“No!” Xin Jie’er pouted and shook her head firmly. “I don’t like Jin Ge’er’s dogs. They bite my skirts and chase after me. I just want the orioles. They can sing!”

Xu Lingkuan found this amusing and laughed. “Jin Ge’er’s dogs actually dare chase you? They’ve got quite some nerve!”

“Exactly, exactly,” Xin Jie’er said eagerly. “I’m not letting my Baibai and Lvlv play with his One-one, Two-two and the rest of them!”

“One-one, Two-two?” Xu Lingkuan looked at his daughter in puzzlement.

“Jin Ge’er’s dogs!” Xin Jie’er gave him the look of “how silly you are.” “Some are called One-one, some called Two-two… He absolutely cannot come up with names!”

“You’re right,” Xu Lingkuan agreed readily. “Jin Ge’er is indeed not very good at naming things. Our Baibai and Lvlv are much prettier names!”

Xin Jie’er pressed her lips together in a smile, the dimples inherited from the Fifth Madam flickering at the corners of her cheeks.

Xu Lingkuan could not have adored her more. He gave his daughter’s cheek a fond kiss.

The Fifth Madam watched, her heart racing with worry. She feared Xu Lingkuan, soft-hearted for his daughter, would give in without a second thought and encourage the child’s worst impulses — and that in time, this would make Xin Jie’er feel she could demand anything from anyone without restraint. Over time such behavior would very likely breed a domineering, spoilt character. When a child was small, adults would generally be indulgent and find her amusing — they would exchange a smile and let it go. Once a child grew up, expectations rose, and they would only see that this girl lacked cultivation and had none of a great family’s bearing. By the time the parents tried to correct it, the habits would be too deeply set. How could they ever hope to change them? Who knew how many of the great noble houses had fallen apart in just this way!

What was more, Xin Jie’er was a girl — eventually she would be married into a fine family.

In families of rank and distinction, who did not have several generations living under one roof? There would be grandmothers and mothers-in-law, aunts and sisters-in-law, young sisters-in-law and nieces… every one of those women was a drama unto herself. If she followed every whim, she would offend everyone around her in a matter of days — how could she possibly survive?

Indulging her now was harming her in the future.

“Fifth Master!” she quickly spoke up. “Jin Ge’er received those orioles as something dearly precious… Our Xin Jie’er is in the wrong here to begin with — please don’t let the children’s squabble sour things between the two households!”

Xu Lingkuan knew full well how dearly-won Jin Ge’er had been. Never mind his feelings as an uncle — even he himself, when he thought of how the Fourth Elder Brother had gone out alone to fight for the family’s survival and glory while he stayed sheltered beneath the Fourth Elder Brother’s protection at home, enjoying a comfortable and carefree life under their mother’s wing — and then how the Fourth Elder Brother’s good name had smoothed his own path through the Ministry of War’s old hands and the commanders and generals under the various offices, so that his years of service had gone by without so much as a single serious setback — and especially when he thought of the matter of Sijie… the Fourth Elder Brother’s kindness was a debt he could never repay in a lifetime. Toward Jin Ge’er, the one who could bring joy to the Fourth Elder Brother, he naturally felt a certain affection, a certain tenderness and forbearance.

Hearing his wife’s words, Xu Lingkuan immediately coaxed his daughter. “A person of virtue does not covet what another loves. If it is birds you like, we’ll keep a myna instead. The myna’s voice is lovely too. And there is the parrot — it can even talk. Isn’t that far better than Jin Ge’er’s orioles?”

Xin Jie’er had no idea what was in her father’s mind. She only felt that, just like her mother, whenever something involved Jin Ge’er, her father would give way.

She burst into tears of grievance. “I want the orioles, I want the orioles…”

“I said no and that means no!” the Fifth Madam said — knowing how Xu Lingkuan doted on this eldest daughter even more than on their eldest son Shen Ge’er, she raised her voice, “You are the elder sister. How can you ask for your younger brother’s things?” She immediately called Nanny Shi in. “Take the Second Young Miss back to her own room. If she carries on making a scene like this, lock her in the woodshed and don’t let her out.”

Every time Xin Jie’er did something wrong, the Fifth Madam would threaten to lock her in the woodshed. In practice, throughout Xin Jie’er’s entire life, she had never once seen the inside of that woodshed. Yet the more it had never happened, the more she felt it must be a truly terrifying place. Her face went pale, and she tightened her arms around Xu Lingkuan’s neck. “I won’t go, I won’t go… Father, save me! Save me!”

Her voice was sharp and piercing, her small body trembling.

Xu Lingkuan’s brow furrowed, and he turned to scold the Fifth Madam. “How can you frighten the child like that? She is still young — just explain it to her calmly.” Then he patted his daughter’s back. “Xin Jie’er, don’t be afraid. With Father here, your mother won’t lock you in the woodshed.”

Father was often away from home, and what went on in the house was Mother’s word alone.

Xu Lingkuan’s reassurances did nothing to set Xin Jie’er at ease. If anything, she tightened her hold around her father’s neck even more. “I won’t go to the woodshed, but I want the orioles…”

This — a father’s failure to discipline his son was the father’s fault, and a mother’s failure to discipline her daughter was the mother’s fault. She was correcting her daughter, and Xu Lingkuan, the father, had neither removed himself from the situation nor watched quietly from the side — instead he had said such a thing. That being so, when she was disciplining Shen Ge’er in the future, could he casually come and interrupt her in the same manner?

Thinking of this, the Fifth Madam’s anger flared up as well.

“Fifth Master!” A few veins stood out at her temple with barely suppressed fury. “Just look at this temper of hers… If you keep indulging her, what will become of her in the future?”

Xin Jie’er understood: though everyone in the house seemed to defer to Father, whenever Mother spoke to Father with a stern expression, Father listened to Mother in all things.

She immediately began shrieking at the top of her lungs — as though this would prevent her father from hearing what her mother was saying, and somehow bring her desires to fruition faster.

The veins at the Fifth Madam’s temples stood out even more sharply.

Xu Lingkuan looked at his daughter — clinging to him as if he were her last lifeline — and then at his wife, whose expression had gone dark. It was not that he wanted to make his daughter cry, but upsetting his wife was not what he had intended either. Weighing it all up, he reached a swift decision. “All right — Father will get you the orioles.” As he spoke, he ran his hand gently over his daughter’s soft, dark hair.

Xin Jie’er looked up, shocked and delighted. “Father…?” There was something disbelieving in her expression.

Xu Lingkuan, seeing her face like that, felt his heart ease, and he laughed. “So no more crying. Do you promise?”

Xin Jie’er nodded eagerly.

The Fifth Madam could not help but press her brow together. “Fifth Master…”

But Xu Lingkuan waved his hand at her, signaling her not to say more.

The Fifth Madam held back her words.

Xin Jie’er was overjoyed.

Xu Lingkuan handed Xin Jie’er over to Nanny Shi, who stood nearby.

“Go and wash your face and comb your hair,” he said, laughing as he flicked his daughter’s little nose playfully. “Looking like this — you look like one of the serving girls, not the slightest bit like our Xu Family’s Second Young Miss!”

Xin Jie’er flushed shyly and smiled, and obediently followed Nanny Shi back to her own room.

Xu Lingkuan then drew his wife close by the shoulders and led her into the inner chamber.

“The weather is so hot, and you are expecting — you really must take care of yourself.” His voice was tender. “Xin Jie’er doesn’t understand, so don’t match her head-on. She wants orioles? We’ll buy her a pair in due course. Why hold firm on this particular thing?” He continued coaxing her. “All right, all right, don’t be angry. Didn’t you say last night that your legs were cramping a little? Are they better today? If not, let me rub them for you.”

With her husband being so conciliatory, the Fifth Madam could hardly go on wearing a cold expression.

Her brow softened, and she said quietly, “It is all my fault… My temper is too quick…”

Xu Lingkuan had no desire to lay any blame on his wife. Hearing her say this, he quickly replied, “It is this weather that makes everyone irritable.” Then he smoothed it all over. “All right, all right, let’s not talk about it anymore. Come and sit on the platform. Look at you — your forehead is covered in perspiration…”

The Fifth Madam complied and sat down on the platform, but her thoughts lingered on Xin Jie’er.

This would not do.

Even a princess could not have everything she wished for… She had to think of a way to correct that temper of hers!

Not two days later, Xu Lingkuan truly did go out and buy two orioles identical to Jin Ge’er’s.

Xin Jie’er was beside herself with joy. She personally fed the birds, aired them in the morning, and hung them in her own study in the east wing of her room every evening.

Seeing her daughter so happy, the Fifth Madam swallowed back the words of counsel that had risen to her lips.

Let it wait a few days, until the girl has grown tired of them — it will be easier for her to take the lesson in then.

She let out a quiet sigh.

A little maid came running in. “Madam, the Second Young Master has returned from Le’an!”

The Fifth Madam nodded, and let Hexiang help her with her shoes, then said to Nanny Shi at her side, “By the looks of it, Zhun Ge’er is here to sit for this year’s county examinations. If he passes, he will be the second licentiate in the Xu Family.”

Nanny Shi came forward quickly to steady her. “The Second Young Master is quick and bright — he is sure to pass. And once the Second Young Master has a bright future ahead of him, our Shen Ge’er will also benefit from resting in the shade of a great tree!”

“It is a bit soon to say all that!” the Fifth Madam replied without much conviction. “Depending on him — I think it would be better to depend on Shen Ge’er’s own maternal uncle!”

The heir to the Marquis of Dingnan was also a thoroughly dependable and upright man!

Nanny Shi quickly smiled. “One more person, one more path!”

The Fifth Madam gave a small smile and said no more. She went to the Grand Madam’s quarters.