Shiyiniang stroked her son’s smooth hair, gently set down the picture book in her hands, tucked the corner of his blanket snugly around him, and shot A Jin a meaningful glance, signaling her to take good care of Jin Ge’er. Only then did she tiptoe quietly out of the warm chamber.
Outside, a north wind had picked up, howling and rattling the windows with sharp, rapid knocks.
Shiyiniang climbed into bed.
The quilts were warm and cozy.
She gazed up at the sachets hanging from the bed canopy and suddenly thought of the time she had first married into this household… it all felt so distant now…
She turned over and heard light, nimble footsteps from outside.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Xu Lingyi sat down on the edge of the bed, a chill still clinging to him. “Winter calls for nurturing the body. The weather changed today — it’s better to sleep early.”
Shiyiniang looked up and studied the man before her carefully.
His gaze was still as bright as ever, his voice still low and mellow, yet the grave, composed expression she had seen between his brows when they first met was entirely gone, replaced by the warmth she had long grown familiar with.
It seemed everyone had changed.
“What is it?” Xu Lingyi asked her with a smile.
“Nothing!” Shiyiniang pressed her lips into a smile and sat up. “What did Wen Yiniang want with you?”
Xu Lingyi rose to go change his clothes. “Something came up with the Wen Family. She wanted to discuss with me what to do.” His tone was somewhat offhand.
Hadn’t he stopped involving himself in the Wen Family’s affairs long ago? Why had he stayed in Wen Yiniang’s quarters to discuss it with her?
Shiyiniang couldn’t help but press further. “What happened with the Wen Family?”
After all, it concerned matters from the time when the Emperor had still been in his princedom.
“I once did the Wen Family a small favor. To show their gratitude, they sent over a sum of money.” Xu Lingyi thought for a moment and, choosing his words carefully, told Shiyiniang what had happened back then. “I refused to take it, but the Wen Family absolutely refused to take it back, and so it was left in Wen Shi’s keeping. A few years ago, the Wen Family wanted to conduct business with the Imperial Household Bureau through Yang Shi’s connections, and spent a considerable sum of money on it, but with little result. Later, when the Yang Family fell into trouble, they spent a good deal more money managing the fallout. The Wen Family’s business doesn’t belong to just one person. Over these past few years, Third Master Wen has been managing the family business — and not only has it fared poorly, he also lost their Jiangnan textile contracts, leaving the family in a far weaker position than before. The elders of the family have been raising considerable objections, and some have even proposed letting Wen Shi’s elder brother take over managing the family business. Third Master Wen, in desperation, ventured into maritime trade. He earned some money and barely managed to salvage the situation. But after the Wang Family fell, some of the people who had followed Wang Jiu took up maritime trade as well, and the Wen Family’s ships were robbed twice in succession, costing them a great deal of money and seriously damaging their vitality. Wen Shi’s elder brother then sent someone to call upon Wen Shi, saying he wished to seize this opportunity to gain the support of the family elders and take charge of the family’s affairs. That way, life would be easier for everyone.”
Shiyiniang thought of how, not long ago, someone from the Wen Family had sent Wen Shi some bolts of silk, and Wen Yiniang had even passed along several bolts of tribute-quality fabric to her — so the Wen Family had had this ulterior motive behind the gesture all along.
“Back then, Wen Shi’s elder brother was considered too cautious in his conduct, and after Wen Shi’s father passed away, the family elders chose Third Master Wen to manage the business. Now that Third Master Wen has been weakened, Wen Shi’s elder brother is trying to reclaim control of the family business. Wen Shi couldn’t make up her mind, so she came to discuss it with me.” Xu Lingyi said. “I thought to myself — that money was the Wen Family’s to begin with. Since Wen Shi wishes to return it to the family to lend her brother a hand, she may as well return it. Consider it a proper settling of the matter from all those years ago.”
If that were the case, wouldn’t it put even more distance between the two families?
Shiyiniang was quite taken aback, and couldn’t help saying: “And what did Wen Yiniang say?”
“She said some grateful words.” Xu Lingyi replied. “Then we settled on a date for the Wen Family’s people to come and collect the money.”
With that sum of money, Wen Yiniang’s elder brother would certainly win the support of the clan elders.
No wonder she had wanted to discuss it with Xu Lingyi in private.
By acting this way, Wen Yiniang was essentially intervening in and influencing the Wen Family’s internal affairs.
Yet when the day arrived for the Wen Family’s representative to come, Wen Yiniang’s conduct caught both Shiyiniang and Xu Lingyi completely off guard.
Xu Lingyi had asked Shiyiniang to go inquire of Wen Yiniang whether she wished to meet her elder brother. But Wen Yiniang simply shook her head gently. “Speaking in terms of propriety, Master Wen is the Marquis’s distinguished guest, while I am a woman of the inner quarters; speaking in terms of personal ties, Master Wen is my elder brother, while I am the Marquis’s concubine. Whether by propriety or by personal ties, I have no standing to go and meet Master Wen. That being the case, it is better not to meet at all.” A faint note of bitter mockery tinged her voice.
Indeed. By the dictates of propriety, men and women were not to exchange things directly, and women of the inner quarters could not receive male guests. By the dictates of personal ties, a concubine’s siblings were not considered kin. By either measure, she truly had no standing to meet the Wen Family’s representative.
Could this be considered a form of protest against the Wen Family sending her to the capital all those years ago?
Only, the protest had come rather late… This change in her seemed to have begun after Qin Yiniang’s death… It was around then that she had learned the origins of that enormous sum of money in her keeping…
Shiyiniang kept her silence.
The Wen Family, however, seemed to have misread Wen Yiniang’s behavior. They sent a silver-tongued nanny to request an audience with Shiyiniang, hoping for a chance to see Wen Yiniang.
Shiyiniang raised no objection, but Wen Yiniang gave the visitor a cold reception and refused to see her.
Dong Hong watched with growing worry. “Yiniang, the Marquis has already taken back our shop, and now you refuse to see Master Wen… With only money coming in and none going out, we’ll soon spend everything we have!”
Wen Yiniang spat at her in derision. “What nonsense are you talking? Even a rotten ship has three catties of nails. I will never let you go without food and clothing, and I certainly won’t shortchange you on your dowry!”
Dong Hong’s face flushed scarlet in an instant.
Qiu Hong had arranged a match for her, and she was to be married after the New Year.
The young maidservant Xia Hong stood nearby, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.
Qiu Hong feigned annoyance and gave her a slap. “Why aren’t you helping Yiniang sort the thread? Standing there like a gormless fool!”
Xia Hong dodged away laughing, chirped out a bright “Yiniang, I’m going to embroider now!” and scurried off in a flash.
Wen Yiniang broke into laughter.
Dong Hong seized the moment to flatter her. “Yiniang’s loquat embroidery is truly beautiful!”
Wen Yiniang looked at the handkerchief she had been embroidering for nearly half a year and couldn’t help but knit her brows. “Madam makes it look so effortless — why does it have to be so difficult when it comes to my hands?” She then muttered to herself, “Now that the eldest young miss is married, the business is gone, the money has been returned to the Wen Family, I have nothing left to tie me down, and I am once again a clean, unburdened person. I can spend my days in leisure, embroidering and keeping birds…” As she spoke, her gaze drifted involuntarily to the sachet hanging at the corner of the bed.
Inside it were hidden the thirty thousand taels in bank drafts her mother had given her when she set off northward all those years ago.
All these years she had eaten and clothed herself at the Xu household’s expense. With interest compounding on interest, it ought to have grown to thirty-three thousand taels by now.
In a few days, she would have to find some way to withdraw the interest. Otherwise, if too much time passed, the bank house might write it off as a dormant account, and that would be troublesome. If she then had to go to the authorities to issue a guarantee letter, would that not expose everything? Knowing Xu Lingyi’s character, he would certainly suspect that she had secretly kept thirty thousand taels in reserve.
She had absolutely no intention of letting her mother’s affection be so grotesquely misinterpreted!
At the thought of this, she couldn’t help but develop something of a headache.
After mulling it over and over, Wen Yiniang sent Xia Hong to find out when Xu Siqin was holding the full-moon celebration for his son. “…When the time comes, the whole family will go to Sanjing Hutong to drink the celebratory wine. At that point, I’ll just say my money ran out and I need to go make a withdrawal…”
Wen Yiniang was making her calculations in her mind.
Shiyiniang, meanwhile, was looking with some surprise at the household manager nanny who stood before her, trembling with trepidation.
“Are you saying that starting from next month, we no longer need to send incense-oil money to Dajue Temple?”
The household manager nanny nodded with some trepidation, stealing glances at Shiyiniang’s expression from the corner of her eye. “They say that Master Jingkong — that is, Yang Yiniang — has formally taken refuge under the abbot of Dajue Temple as a closed-door disciple, and will henceforth belong to Dajue Temple. There is no longer any need for our household to provide for her upkeep!”
Yang Shi — no matter the circumstances, she truly had a tenacious will to survive.
Shiyiniang gave a nod, and instructed Zhuxiang to bring the control tablet so the nanny could go to the accounts office and strike out Yang Shi’s incense-oil money. She then told Xu Lingyi about the matter.
Xu Lingyi simply nodded and moved on to the subject of the full-moon celebration at Sanjing Hutong. “There will be many people and much talk there, and it won’t be like at home. Don’t let Jin Ge’er stray from your sight. It’s always best to be cautious about everything.”
This would be Jin Ge’er’s first outing to a celebratory banquet.
“My lord may rest easy,” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “I will take good care of Jin Ge’er.”
On the day they went to Sanjing Hutong for the celebratory wine, Shiyiniang never once let Jin Ge’er leave her sight. It was Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie, by contrast, who were inseparable — running to the front to watch the guests eating at their tables one moment, then darting into the inner courtyard to the hall where people were playing cards the next.
They still had the nannies and older maidservants following close behind them at all times, which set Shiyiniang’s mind considerably at ease.
By afternoon, the performers of the De Yin Company arrived to put on a private theatrical performance.
Xu Sizhun pulled Xu Sijie along to watch. “…Afterwards, let’s go backstage. There are great swords and long spears back there!”
Xu Sijie looked at Xu Sizhun with admiring eyes. “Fourth Elder Brother, how do you know there are great swords and long spears backstage?”
Xu Sizhun carefully explained to Xu Sijie: “Last time I went with Father to Elder Dou’s house for a celebratory banquet, Han Jian told me. He said that whenever his family hosts private performances, he always runs backstage to play. You can even brandish the great swords!”
“Who is Han Jian?” Xu Sijie asked curiously.
“His father is a vice minister in the Ministry of Works.” The two of them chatted as they made their way toward the main courtyard where the performance was being held. “He’s very close with Dou Jing. Wang Yun knows him too.” At that, Xu Sizhun gave an “oh,” and added, “You still remember Wang Yun, don’t you?”
Xu Sijie nodded. “The son of Official Wang Li of the Wang family.”
“Fifth Younger Brother has such an excellent memory!” Xu Sizhun said with a laugh. “The teacher taught us both to play the flute, and I’m still fumbling with the basics, while Fifth Younger Brother can already play whole melodies!”
Xu Sijie lowered his head shyly.
The distinctive, clanging resonance of the Ge Yang style of opera grew louder and louder as it reached their ears.
The two young boys grew excited, and squeezing themselves into a spot at the balustrade in front of the east side room, they settled in to listen to the opera with great relish.
Fang Shi led Shiyiniang to her own warm chamber. “Fourth Aunt, please take a rest here for now.”
The residence at Sanjing Hutong was too small — a stage had been erected in front of the main courtyard for the performance, and the moment the gongs and drums started up, the sound could be heard throughout every room. Jin Ge’er was accustomed to taking his afternoon nap, and the noise had made him irritable and prevented him from sleeping properly. By afternoon he had grown quite fussy. Fang Shi had therefore found a relatively quiet spot for Shiyiniang.
Shiyiniang settled her son on the heated bed platform.
But Jin Ge’er immediately opened his eyes.
“Mother!” He reached out his arms, wanting Shiyiniang to hold him.
Shiyiniang found it quite strenuous to carry him now.
She thought for a moment, then simply removed her shoes and climbed onto the platform, cradling Jin Ge’er in her arms.
Nestled in his mother’s embrace, Jin Ge’er drifted heavily back to sleep.
Fang Shi let out a quiet breath of relief at the sight.
“You have so many guests today, and you’ve only just passed your full month. Go and rest for a while,” Shiyiniang said in a low voice.
Fang Shi smiled. “It’s all right — the wet nurse is helping with the baby, and there’s nothing urgent for me to attend to.”
As the two of them talked, sounds of commotion drifted in from outside.
Fang Shi hurried to her feet to see what it was, and shortly returned with Wang Shu, the personal attendant boy assigned to Xu Sizhun.
“Madam —” Wang Shu’s face was ashen white, his whole body trembling as if he were being sifted through a sieve. “Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master have both disappeared!”
—