Shiyiniang’s expression changed drastically as well. She immediately instructed Fang Shi: “Go quickly and ask the men on duty at every gate, and the guards we brought with us, whether they have seen Zhun Ge’er or Jie Ge’er go out, and whether anyone has moved large objects out.” She then turned to Wang Shu. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Wang Shu stammered and shook. “Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master were standing at the balustrade in front of the east side room watching the opera. I was standing on the step below, keeping watch over the two Young Masters. A maidservant from the household brought some refreshments over, and I turned my head to say thank you. When I turned back, Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master were nowhere to be seen. I searched everywhere I could find, but I couldn’t find either of the two Young Masters.”

This was, after all, Third Master’s residence, and there would be places Wang Shu was not familiar with. Moreover, Xu Sijie still had Nan Yong’s wife accompanying him.

She immediately said: “When you were searching, did you come across anyone from Fifth Young Master’s attendants?”

“No!” Wang Shu’s spirits lifted slightly. “I was at the steps by the east side room. Fifth Young Master’s attendant was standing behind the two Young Masters.”

In such a loud and chaotic environment, Shiyiniang had arranged for attendants to be beside both of them. Xu Sizhun’s attendant hadn’t seen Xu Sizhun, yet the person attending Xu Sijie had made no commotion, and the two groups hadn’t even managed to find each other…

Shiyiniang’s heart settled somewhat. She stepped down from the platform and slipped on her shoes, while directing Hong Wen to look after Jin Ge’er properly. She then called for Zhuxiang and Qiu Yu. “Zhuxiang, take Yu Mei and the others and search outside. Qiu Yu, come with me to the back courtyard.” She then instructed Wang Shu: “Find that maidservant who handed you the refreshments and bring her to me. I have questions for her.” Lastly, she said: “We’ll all meet at the alleyway beside the main rooms.”

Everyone went off to do as they were told.

Perhaps they had all gone to watch the opera — the back rooms were deserted. The sounds of gongs and drums, laughter, and cheering from the front courtyard drifted over intermittently, making the courtyard feel all the more hushed and still by contrast.

Shiyiniang completed a quick circuit of the area and hurried to the alleyway they had agreed to meet at.

Three people were already standing there in uneasy anticipation — Wang Shu, a woman of about thirty, and a young maidservant of eleven or twelve.

Seeing Shiyiniang approach, all three moved toward her with some agitation. The woman in her thirties and the young maidservant fell to their knees. “Fourth Madam, it was Third Madam’s instructions to send some refreshments to the gentlemen watching the opera.” The woman gestured at the young maidservant. “She was the one assigned to the east side room.”

While they were still speaking, Fang Shi came hurrying over, breathless, with a young maidservant in tow. “Fourth Aunt, I asked carefully — no one saw Fourth Uncle or Fifth Uncle go out. And no one moved any large objects out either.” She then looked at the woman and young maidservant in puzzlement. “Why are you two here?” The words had barely left her mouth when she seemed to understand. She quickly said to Shiyiniang: “Fourth Aunt, both of these women are my personal attendants who came with me as part of my dowry household, and they have served close by my side since childhood…”

So this was a sudden, unforeseen incident.

Shiyiniang reflected on this and took Wang Shu with her. “Come, let’s go outside and have a look.”

Fang Shi dared not fall behind, and hurried to follow with the woman close behind her.

A tall performance stage, facing south with its back to the north, had been erected in front of the main rooms. The stage was draped all around with a layer of coarse bright-red cloth. On stage, the performers were singing “Watching the Lanterns” — a young husband and wife exchanging lines one after another, radiating joyful festivity.

Female guests of higher standing were seated in the east side rooms; male guests in the west side rooms. Some neighbors from the surrounding lanes watched the opera in the courtyard itself, with adults laughing and children darting about — the scene was extremely lively.

Shiyiniang stood at the junction of the main rooms and the east side rooms, looking around, when Zhuxiang happened to emerge from the east side rooms at just that moment. The two nearly walked into each other.

“Any news?” Shiyiniang asked urgently.

“Fifth Young Master’s attendant says Nanny Nan is with Fifth Young Master,” Zhuxiang said. “I’ve sent them to look for Nanny Nan — there’s been no word back yet.”

Shiyiniang lowered her head in thought.

A group of women in fine, colorful dress were standing nearby, and some had already begun glancing their way.

Fang Shi dared not say a word. Zhuxiang was about to call out “Madam” to remind her when Shiyiniang had already pointed toward the red curtain beneath the performance stage. “Have you searched that area yet?”

That was where the performers changed costumes and rested between appearances.

Zhuxiang and Wang Shu both caught on at the same moment. The two of them said in unison “I’ll go look,” lifted the curtain, and ducked inside together.

Shiyiniang followed them in.

She was immediately hit by a piercing scent of powder. Taking a proper look, she saw about ten people inside. One of them — a person with a striking, almost bewitching appearance, dressed in blue-green opera costume — was seated squarely in the only armchair in the tent, being waited upon by two small boys of seven or eight who poured tea and served water. Two or three older men sat silently on low stools to one side, tidying performance costumes and headdresses. The rest of the people had clustered together, laughing and making merry. One of them was calling out loudly to the person in the armchair: “…Seventh Senior Brother, come quickly and see whether this resembles the famous Liu Huifang who was renowned throughout Yanjing in her prime…” — and then caught sight of Shiyiniang, adorned with pearl and jade ornaments, carrying herself with quiet, commanding authority.

That person’s voice cut off abruptly.

The people clustered together immediately sensed that something was amiss. They turned around one by one, and the group dispersed.

Shiyiniang saw Xu Sizhun standing there looking embarrassed and ill at ease, Nan Yong’s wife beside him, and Xu Sijie with a face full of excitement.

Her expression darkened.

But Zhuxiang and Wang Shu had not yet noticed. The joy of finding them after their fright made one call out “Fourth Young Master!” and the other “Fifth Young Master!” and both rushed forward with tears streaming down their faces.

The people who had been surrounding Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie all showed signs of unease, and retreated to one side with nervous expressions.

The atmosphere in the tent grew taut.

The person who had been seated in the armchair rose and bowed toward Shiyiniang. “Madam, may I ask who you are?”

Shiyiniang didn’t even spare him a glance.

“Madam!” Nan Yong’s wife’s face had gone a pale, greenish-white. She looked at Shiyiniang with trembling lips, her whole face suffused with shame.

But Xu Sijie came running toward Shiyiniang.

“Mother, Mother!” His eyes shone brightly as he looked at her, waving the long, flowing water sleeves of the costume. “Do I look good?”

The powdery blue cloud-patterned brocade set against Xu Sijie’s soft, delicate, lovely features — he looked like a white magnolia just beginning to bloom at the start of the fourth month.

Something passed through Shiyiniang’s heart, suddenly making her chest ache sharply, and her vision blurred.

“Mother, Mother!” Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie’s frantic voices reached her ears. Someone steadied her. “Madam, what’s the matter?”

Shiyiniang drew a long, deep breath, and after a moment she composed herself.

Looking at the anxious, frightened faces before her, she smiled and reassured Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie: “Mother is fine — it was simply too stuffy in here.”

“Oh!” She watched as both Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie let out long, audible breaths of relief, and smiles crept back up to the corners of their eyes and brows.

“Mother, let me help you out!” Both of them jostled to be first, pushing Zhuxiang and Nan Yong’s wife aside.

Shiyiniang smiled warmly and patted both boys on the head. Xu Sijie seemed to remember something, and quickly stripped off the opera costume and thrust it at someone nearby, then ran back to Shiyiniang’s side and, with a beaming smile, took her arm and helped her out of the tent.

The weather that day had been somewhat overcast, yet for some reason, as they emerged from beneath the performance stage, Shiyiniang found the light outside dazzlingly, almost blindingly bright.

She took hold of Xu Sizhun’s hand with one hand and Xu Sijie’s with the other.

“Why did you go running off there? You gave us such a fright we broke out in cold sweats searching everywhere for you.” Shiyiniang’s voice was gentle, not carrying the slightest hint of anger. “Don’t do this ever again. Do you understand?” She also said to Xu Sizhun: “If you want to go anywhere, remember to tell the person attending you.”

Xu Sizhun apologized to Shiyiniang with a face full of guilt. “It was all my fault. I should never have taken my younger brother to go backstage!”

Xu Sijie tilted up his small face to look at Shiyiniang. “It wasn’t Elder Brother — it was me who wanted to go!”

Shiyiniang smiled and drew both of them in by the shoulders as they went back into the warm chamber.

Jin Ge’er was still asleep.

Fang Shi, seeing that the storm had passed and the skies had cleared, stood and took her leave.

Shiyiniang dismissed the attendants nearby and asked Xu Sizhun: “Why were those people crowded around you two laughing earlier?”

Xu Sizhun’s face reddened. “Someone said Fifth Younger Brother resembled a person called Liu Huifang or something. Fifth Younger Brother then asked who Liu Huifang was. The person said she was a once-famous opera performer in Yanjing, who had stunned all who heard her with her rendition of the piece ‘Rolling from the Tower.’ While saying so, he even sang a few lines. Fifth Younger Brother listened, and immediately began to imitate them.” He looked at Shiyiniang with an expression of astonishment. “He sounded exactly the same.” Then he continued: “The person heard it and let out a strange cry of surprise, and taught Fifth Younger Brother a few more lines. Fifth Younger Brother learned them on the spot. Those people gathered around, clicking their tongues in amazement.” He lowered his head. “Nanny Nan tried to pull Fifth Younger Brother away, but Fifth Younger Brother wanted that person to teach him a few more lines… It was all my fault for not helping Nanny Nan pull Fifth Younger Brother away…”

Xu Sijie revealed a fearful, timid look, and said quietly: “Mother, I — I learned it on the first try… and I sang even better than that person…”

Shiyiniang smiled and drew Xu Sijie to her side, embracing him before asking Xu Sizhun: “Fifth Younger Brother enjoys singing and sings well. Why would you want to pull Fifth Younger Brother away?”

Xu Sizhun opened his eyes wide, and after a long pause murmured: “Those people were laughing in a way that was very… very…” He seemed unable to find the right words.

“Was it a way that made you deeply uncomfortable?” Shiyiniang asked him.

“Yes!” Xu Sizhun nodded eagerly. “Also, the way those people talked was strange — it was as if, as if they were watching us make fools of ourselves.” A note of indignation crept into his voice.

At a household of Xu Lingning’s standing hosting a private performance, even if the itinerant opera performers didn’t recognize the two of them, one look at Xu Sizhun in his cut-silk gown and Xu Sijie in his Shu-brocade gown would have told them the boys were both wealthy and noble. Not only had they compared Xu Sijie to an opera performer, they had mocked and laughed at the two of them — which said a great deal about the character and quality of such people.

“Then you are both never to go to places like that again, do you hear?” Shiyiniang said. “That sort of place is very complicated, and it is not a place for men of proper character.”

“Understood!” Xu Sizhun declared loudly.

Shiyiniang nodded and asked Xu Sijie, her brow slightly furrowed: “Do you enjoy singing very much?”

Xu Sijie sensed Shiyiniang’s slight displeasure, and quickly said: “I don’t enjoy it!” But the moment the words were out, he felt a pang of regret.

Shiyiniang noticed this, steeled her heart, and took him into her arms with a gentle “good boy.” She said softly: “Anyone can sing a song, but not everyone can play the qin or craft a flute. Look at your Fourth Elder Brother — clever as he is, he didn’t pick up the flute as quickly as you, or as well as you do!”

Xu Sizhun nodded vigorously.

Xu Sijie brightened, and buried his face shyly in Shiyiniang’s embrace.

All three of them laughed.

Jin Ge’er was roused by the sound, and sat up with bleary eyes. Catching sight of Xu Sijie in his mother’s arms, he immediately launched himself over. “Mother, Mother!”

Shiyiniang had no choice but to let go of Xu Sijie and gather Jin Ge’er into her arms.

Jin Ge’er was delighted, and wrapped his arms tightly around his mother’s neck, hollering “Elder Brother!” in a tone that clearly said: “I’ve called for you — now stop competing with me for Mother.”

Xu Sizhun burst out laughing.

Xu Sijie rubbed the back of his head with slight embarrassment.

Shiyiniang laughed and gave her son’s little bottom a pat.

Jin Ge’er only held his mother tighter.

Shiyiniang, Xu Sizhun, and Xu Sijie all burst into laughter.

The atmosphere in the room turned merry and light.

A young maidservant came in to report: “Madam, Zhou Dehui, the troupe master of the De Yin Company, has arrived.”

—