With the decision made, Shi’yiniang prepared to discuss with the Grand Madam who should be sent to make the formal proposal — but before that, she first went to see Second Madam.
“…Madam Gao’s words were rather oblique, and Madam Xiang has still not given any clear indication. I am afraid I may have misunderstood the situation, and so I hoped Second Sister-in-law might go and seek a definitive answer on my behalf. If our Siyu is truly so fortunate as to have an engagement with your niece settled, I would count it a blessing beyond what we could have wished for!”
She was afraid Madam Xiang might go back and forth again, and needed someone to serve as a guarantor.
Second Madam’s face flushed a deep crimson. Thinking of Madam Xiang’s broken faith in the past, and of Madam Gao’s quiet, smooth flattery toward Shi’yiniang the day before at the banquet, her expression took on a somewhat mortified look.
Shi’yiniang was asking her to serve as surety.
She rose to her feet with a look of genuine remorse. “I shall go home to visit at once.”
“Then I am most grateful, Second Sister-in-law!” Shi’yiniang also rose, smiling. “In a few days Siyu will be departing for Le’an. He is not young anymore — if the engagement can be settled early, he will have someone to share life’s warmth with, and the Marquis and I will not need to worry on his behalf.”
Second Madam gave a nod and walked Shi’yiniang out of the Shaohua Courtyard.
Shi’yiniang then went to the Grand Madam’s rooms. “…I have asked Second Sister-in-law to go and bring back a definite answer. When the time comes, I will ask Madam Huang, the Third Lady, to go and formally propose on our behalf. What do you think?”
“You handle it as you see fit,” the Grand Madam said, and asked nothing further.
—
Meanwhile, Madam Xiang, having seen Second Madam off, immediately went to Madam Gao.
“…That sister-in-law of mine — she opens her mouth only to lecture. And she had the nerve to say that if I cause trouble as I did last time, I’ll ruin whatever little reputation my husband has built up. You tell me — is that anything to say? My husband and I have been married over twenty years. Is there anything at home, inside or out, that has not gone through my hands?”
There was an air of considerable indignation about her.
Madam Gao, who by now was thoroughly accustomed to Madam Xiang’s ability to generate no small amount of displeasure whenever Second Madam was involved, cut straight to the heart of it within a few sentences.
“You are saying, then, that the Xu family has agreed to this match?”
Madam Xiang nodded. “They have asked our family’s young lady to go and bring back a firm answer.”
Madam Gao listened and thought it over for a moment, then suddenly stood up. “Come — let us go and see your elder brother. Tell him to find a way to ask the wife of Academician Jin, of the Hanlin Academy, to go to the Xu family and propose the match on their behalf. If I am not mistaken, when the Xu family’s Fourth Madam was married, the Luo family used Academician Jin as the matchmaker. Her maternal family must have an especially close relationship with the Academician’s household.”
This would mean everyone would know the proposal had come from their side!
Madam Xiang felt a sudden roaring in her head, and did not catch a single word of what Madam Gao said after that.
“Pro-pro-pose? We… we are going to propose to them?” She stared at Madam Gao, utterly dumbfounded.
Madam Gao could not help but shoot Madam Xiang a look. “Since the other party has shown such magnanimity, you ought to demonstrate some gesture on your part as well. Otherwise, even if you do form a match with the Xu family, there will still be lingering resentment between you. You can’t simply get your Rouner married off and then wash your hands of whether she lives well or not, can you?”
Madam Xiang set her teeth. “Very well — I shall go myself to ask Madam Jin to propose to the Xu family on our behalf. Academician Jin and my husband are close personal friends — I need not even trouble my elder brother to get involved…”
If she were going to do something this humiliating, was she supposed to drag her elder brother along to bow and scrape alongside her as well?
Madam Gao gave a satisfied “mm” upon hearing this, and in a low voice urged her, “Speak gently, with sincerity — do not let a moment’s temper ruin Rouner’s future for good…”
Madam Xiang nodded again and again, and hurried home. She prepared twelve boxes of gifts, and the next day went to the Jin household.
The Jin family had long been acquainted with the Luo family, and the match had already been settled between the two families. Although it struck Madam Jin as a little curious that the Xiang family was taking the initiative, she reflected that the Xiang and Xu families were, after all, already related by marriage — and thought no more of it. She agreed readily, and it was decided they would go together to the Xu household the very next day.
Madam Xiang let out a breath of relief.
She returned home — only to be greeted by her personal nanny, her face alight with agitation. “Madam! The Xu family has sent the Third Lady of Yongchang Marquis’s household to propose the match.”
Madam Xiang stood rooted to the spot.
When Madam Gao heard of it, she sighed and felt some concern for her sister-in-law — worried she might embarrass herself by falling behind in this. She stationed herself beside Madam Xiang throughout the presentation of the matchmaker, the exchange of the birth details, and the small betrothal ceremony, lending her assistance at every turn.
Shi’yiniang was unaware of Madam Gao’s intentions. She only felt that the marriage arrangements with the Xiang family were proceeding with unexpectedly smooth ease. Whether it came to betrothal gifts, betrothal money, or the presentation of confectionery and tea for the small betrothal, the Xiang family raised not a single additional demand. Even the matter of the wedding date — the thing Shi’yiniang had been most worried about — was met with instant agreement from the Xiang family. Xu Lingyi was concerned that Xu Siyu would be distracted, and wished to hold the wedding after the autumn provincial examinations the following year. But bearing in mind that Xiang Rouner would be nineteen the following year, he worried the Xiang family might object — so he sent Madam Huang, the Third Lady, to discuss it. The Xiang family replied with a single phrase: “It is entirely as it should be,” and Xu Siyu’s wedding date was set for the second day of the tenth month. Master Xiang, moreover, sent a private secretary bearing a personal letter to Xu Lingyi, in which he expressed, in carefully chosen words, his regret for Madam Xiang’s broken promise.
—
As it happened, word arrived from Cangzhou that Zhen Jie’er had given birth to a healthy baby boy weighing six pounds.
The Grand Madam was overjoyed, beaming from ear to ear. She popped a hawthorn berry into Jin Ge’er’s mouth — he was over in the inner chamber playing flip cards with Shen Ge’er. “Before you know it, there will be one more person to celebrate our Jin Ge’er’s birthday.” Then she popped one into Shen Ge’er’s mouth as well, and said to Shi’yiniang, “Since there is to be a wedding, the new rooms must be prepared in advance. I think Old Three’s vacated courtyard is quite good — it is spacious, and near the east side gate, so coming and going is easy. A bit of refurbishing is all it needs.”
Shi’yiniang had been meaning to discuss this very matter with the Grand Madam.
Once married, Siyu naturally could not go on living in the outer courtyard. In the inner courtyard, only the late First Madam’s former residence and Third Master’s old courtyard were vacant. The late First Madam’s residence was arranged exactly as it had been in her lifetime, furnished with the objects she had been accustomed to use, with a few little maidservants assigned to keep it clean. Shi’yiniang intended to leave it for Xu Sizhun to deal with when he was older. As for Third Master’s original courtyard, though Third Master had moved out, he had never explicitly said so — and as a sister-in-law, it would not be proper for her to make use of it without a word. So she had been planning to give Xu Siyu the Lujing Pavilion, where Zhen Jie’er had previously lived, as his new rooms. She had not expected the Grand Madam to favor Third Master’s old courtyard.
Still, this was a fine arrangement. It would be a good opportunity to set things straight with the Third Household, so that in the future each family would live in their own courtyard and keep to their own affairs — fewer entanglements, and the relationship might well be better for it than it was now.
“I also think it is a good choice,” Shi’yiniang said. “I only wonder whether Third Sister-in-law still has any belongings stored there. Perhaps it would be best to give her advance notice!”
Knowing Third Madam’s character — having moved to Sanjing Lane to live long-term — she would never have left anything behind.
The Grand Madam understood her meaning, and smiled. “When she comes to pay her respects tomorrow, I shall ask her.”
—
Just as they were talking, a young manservant came rushing in. “Congratulations to the Grand Madam! Felicitations to the Grand Madam! First Young Madam has just given birth to a young master!”
“Wonderful!” the Grand Madam exclaimed immediately, and called out to Nanny Du, “Gifts! Gifts!” Then she reached out for Shi’yiniang to help her up. “Let us go and see!” The joy on her face was plain for all to see.
Shi’yiniang was glad for Fang Shi as well.
A large group of them went happily to Sanjing Lane.
The baby had only been born a few hours ago. His skin was still red and wrinkled, his eyes shut, and his features not yet fully formed.
Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er jostled each other to crowd up to the bed for a look — one reaching to touch the baby’s head, the other poking at the baby’s face. Shi’yiniang and Fifth Madam each quickly scooped up their own child.
Third Madam lifted her grandson to show the Grand Madam, her expression one of quiet pride. “The child weighed six pounds and eight ounces at birth.”
The Grand Madam nodded, beaming. She cradled the baby and looked him over carefully, then said to Fang Shi, who was resting half-propped up on the bed, “This child looks like Qin Ge’er!”
Fang Shi smiled shyly.
The Grand Madam asked, “Has word been sent to your mother’s side of the family?”
By custom, the maternal family could only come to see the child at the third-day washing ceremony.
Fang Shi quickly replied, “Someone has already been sent to inform them!”
The Grand Madam then spoke with Third Madam about arrangements for the third-day washing ceremony.
Third Madam went on cheerfully, listing all the people she intended to invite.
The Grand Madam smoothly steered the conversation toward the matter of Xu Siyu’s wedding. “…The rooms won’t start being painted until the summer of next year — there is no hurry. Whenever you have a free day, do go over and collect whatever needs collecting.”
The room fell abruptly silent, and every eye turned toward Third Madam.
Third Madam’s smile froze on her face. She shifted her feet in discomfort and gave a low, subdued, “Yes.”
—
By the time they arrived home, the lanterns were already lit.
Xu Lingyi asked her, “What does the baby look like? Does he resemble Qin Ge’er or his mother?”
“The baby is still so small — it is hard to say who he resembles,” Shi’yiniang laughed, letting the maidservants help her change out of her outer clothes. “But he looks very sturdy and strong… Mother thinks he looks like Qin Ge’er!”
The two were chatting cheerfully when Wen Yiniang came in.
She was somewhat surprised to see Xu Lingyi in the room.
“I made a few small garments, as I heard the Second Young Master will be setting off for Cangzhou in a day or two. I wanted to ask the Second Young Master to take them along.”
“Just have your maidservant hand them to Nanny Song,” Shi’yiniang said. “She will be accompanying the Second Young Master to Cangzhou.”
Wen Yiniang smiled and assented, then withdrew.
But Shi’yiniang was quietly puzzled.
She had long since informed Wen Yiniang that Xu Siyu and Xu Sizhun would be going to Cangzhou on behalf of the Xu household to deliver the one-month celebration gift, and had specifically told Wen Yiniang that if she had anything she wished to send, she should hand it directly to Nanny Song. So why had Wen Yiniang come specially to ask again?
She could not help but glance at Xu Lingyi.
Or perhaps Wen Yiniang had something she wished to say, but found it inconvenient to say it in front of Xu Lingyi?
The following day, when Wen Yiniang and Qiao Liánfáng came to pay their morning respects, she kept Wen Yiniang behind after the others had gone.
“Madam,” Wen Yiniang said, her cheeks flushing crimson, clearly ill at ease, “the day after tomorrow is the day I am expected to attend on the Marquis. I… I would like to ask the Marquis to come and visit my rooms.”
Shi’yiniang was stunned.
She had not expected to encounter something like this… she felt rather awkward. She nodded and said, “I will speak with the Marquis,” then picked up her teacup.
Wen Yiniang saw the slightly uncomfortable look on Shi’yiniang’s face and seemed to hesitate over something. Then she lowered her head, curtsied, and withdrew.
After returning from paying her respects to the Grand Madam, Shi’yiniang told Xu Lingyi everything as it was.
Xu Lingyi found it a little curious. He thought it over and said, “I’ll go and see what it is about.” And he went directly to Wen Yiniang’s rooms.
Before long, a maidservant from Wen Yiniang’s side came over. “Madam, the Marquis says to let Madam retire early and not wait up.”
Shi’yiniang acknowledged this, her thoughts in a muddled tangle. She went to Jin Ge’er’s warm chamber.
Jin Ge’er was lying there listening to A’jin tell him a story.
Seeing his mother come in, he leapt up at once. “Mother! Story! Tell me a story!”
Shi’yiniang smiled and gathered her son into her arms. She opened the picture book Xu Lingyi had illustrated for Jin Ge’er, and read it aloud, one word at a time — and gradually, her heart grew calm and still.