Jin Ge’er heard the laughter and sensed in it a tone of mild dismissal. He widened his eyes and retorted, “My mother really did learn kickball!”

Eleventh Young Madam, seeing Jin Ge’er growing earnest about it, quickly smiled and said to Seventh Young Lady, “Jin Ge’er is very skilled at kickball — Shen Ge’er learned from him. Since Ji Ge’er doesn’t know how to play, why not let Jin Ge’er show him? It’s rare for cousins to meet, and playing together is the best way to become comfortable with one another. Besides, there are serving women and maids around to look after them, so nothing will go wrong.”

Seventh Young Lady smiled and coaxed Ji Ge’er, “Would you like your cousin to show you kickball?”

Ji Ge’er hesitated.

Seventh Young Lady smiled. “Have your wet nurse stay with you!”

Only then did Ji Ge’er give a nod and step out from behind her, reaching for the hand of a heavyset woman nearby.

Jin Ge’er, growing impatient, grabbed hold of him at once. “You’re so slow. Huang Damao and Liu Erwu are waiting outside already!” With that, he dragged Ji Ge’er off.

The heavyset woman hurried after them.

Seventh Young Lady exchanged a few casual words with Xu Siyu, Xu Sizhun, and Xu Sijie, when Bao Ge’er suddenly began to cry.

Xin Jie’er and Cheng Ge’er were both gathered around him, and Fifth Madam said anxiously, “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?” She was worried her daughter and son had frightened Bao Ge’er.

“It’s all right, it’s all right!” Seventh Young Lady laughed. “He’s crying because he’s sleepy.”

Eleventh Young Madam brought Seventh Young Lady to Jin Ge’er’s warm side room.

Seventh Young Lady nursed Bao Ge’er herself, and the child fell asleep quickly.

She handed the baby to the close-attending serving woman, and the two returned to the west side room.

Eleventh Young Madam asked Xu Siyu to take the children to the back garden to play, and only then were the two women free to sit and catch up.

“Bao Ge’er was still so young — originally only Zhu Anping was going to come to Yanjing for Second Young Master’s wedding banquet,” Seventh Young Lady said with a smile. “But my mother-in-law found out and insisted that we bring Bao Ge’er along too. She said she was afraid that when the time comes for them to see each other, none of the cousins would recognize one another. My husband thought she had a point, and I also wanted to see my nephews and nieces, so we came on short notice.”

“Then why did you bring Ji Ge’er as well?” Fifth Madam asked with a meaningful look. “Your mother-in-law couldn’t bear to be apart from him?”

“Things are different from what they used to be,” Seventh Young Lady sighed. “When Ji Ge’er was first brought home, my mother-in-law kept him in her own room and wouldn’t let me near him — as though she feared I might have some ill intention toward the child. I had no desire to be involved in the first place, so I simply stepped back entirely. Then after Bao Ge’er was born, my mother-in-law changed completely. She not only handed Ji Ge’er over to my care, but dismissed all the people who had previously attended to him and replaced them with a few elderly serving women who could barely walk without shuffling…”

“Oh!” Fifth Madam interrupted, “You must not take this on. Your mother-in-law knew full well you had no fondness for Ji Ge’er, yet she still placed the child in your room and dismissed the people who had been carefully selected to care for him — she was clearly intending to use your hand to deal with the child. You mustn’t fall into that trap. Let her do the good deeds, and you bear the blame for the bad? You should have seized the moment — in front of the whole Zhu household — and used the pretext of just having given birth and not having the energy, to hand Ji Ge’er back to your mother-in-law to look after.” She frowned, her delicate brows drawing lightly together.

“I know,” Seventh Young Lady laughed, “which is why I had Zhu Anping take the child back to his mother.” Her smile gradually faded, and she sighed. “But my mother-in-law, as it turned out…” she paused for a moment, “Ji Ge’er actually went hungry to the point of sneaking to the kitchen to steal food, and nearly knocked over the pot on the fire. If it hadn’t been for one of my maids going to the kitchen to fetch hot water for me, the child would likely have been badly scalded.”

Eleventh Young Madam and Fifth Madam were both taken aback.

“My mother-in-law was formally elevated to her status when my father-in-law was on his deathbed, fearing the clan’s elders would take advantage of Zhu Anping’s youth and strip him of his inheritance — she was raised up with the clan head, the county magistrate, and others as witnesses,” Seventh Young Lady continued. “So after my father-in-law passed away, she moved into a small, secluded courtyard on the western side of the house, attended by her own trusted people. What happened to that child in there — never mind outsiders, even I, trying as I might to find out, could not have done so easily. When my maid brought Ji Ge’er to me, the child had wasted away to nothing but bones and was grabbing at anything edible within reach. When I sent him back, my mother-in-law said the child had been spoiled rotten and wouldn’t touch even dragon’s liver or phoenix’s gall, and it was driving her to worry herself to death.”

“I would never have imagined your mother-in-law to be such a…” Eleventh Young Madam murmured, at a loss for how to describe the woman, and finally settled on “such a formidable person.”

Fifth Madam went even further, saying, “Given the way you and Zhu Anping carry on, the fact that you haven’t been cast out is something you should already be grateful for. You ought to treat Zhu Anping better from now on!”

A flush rose on Seventh Young Lady’s face. “I know — all the fault was mine before. I shouldn’t have humiliated Zhu Anping the way I did, making myself look wretched too.”

Her candor left both Eleventh Young Madam and Fifth Madam somewhat startled.

Seventh Young Lady made a face at the two of them. “Knowing one’s mistake and correcting it — there is no greater good. I have found my way back, so stop scolding me.”

Eleventh Young Madam was reminded of the time back in Yuhang when Seventh Young Lady, scolded by Second Madam, would turn away and make exactly this kind of face.

Fifth Madam broke into helpless laughter.

“Perhaps because I had given the child a bowl of thin porridge, one day Ji Ge’er made his way back to me and, catching hold of a maid’s sleeve, kept calling her ‘Sister.’ My heart softened, and I let him stay — found him new maids and serving women to look after him. Now, coming to Yanjing, I was afraid that if I left him behind, my mother-in-law would scheme against him again, so I brought him along.”

“You fool!” Fifth Madam said, scolding Seventh Young Lady gently — though her voice had lost its earlier certainty. “Out of sight, out of mind would have been just fine.”

“That’s what I thought at first too,” Seventh Young Lady said with a smile, her gaze drifting toward the warm side room where Bao Ge’er was sleeping. “But ever since I became a mother, whenever I see another child thin as a skeleton and barely clothed, I feel a pain in my heart that I cannot ignore. Besides — if I hadn’t taken Ji Ge’er in, I would never have had Bao Ge’er. Perhaps Ji Ge’er is the blessing star for both Bao Ge’er and me. It is because of him that Bao Ge’er and I live in peace and contentment.”

Eleventh Young Madam and Fifth Madam were quiet for a long while.

“Enough about me!” Seventh Young Lady smiled, breaking the silence. “Let’s talk about Second Young Master’s wedding. I came all this way to drink his wedding wine — let’s not get things back to front.”

“Just make sure you arrive early that day,” Fifth Madam laughed. “I’m helping Fourth Sister-in-law receive the female guests this time — don’t make me come looking for you three times over.”

Seventh Young Lady laughed. “Should I help receive the guests as well? Actually—” she said, as though a thought had struck her, “could I have Zhu Anping help look after Fourth Elder Brother and the others, while I take care of Fourth Elder Sister?”

The three of them talked and laughed together until Bao Ge’er woke, then went to pay their respects to the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam was delighted by the sight of Bao Ge’er. “What a wonderful name. He truly is your precious treasure!”

“I think it sounds common,” Seventh Young Lady said with a sweet smile, “but my husband insisted on the name, so there it is.”

The Grand Madam chuckled warmly, and invited Seventh Young Lady to stay for dinner. By the time the lamps were lit, Seventh Young Lady finally rose to take her leave.

Eleventh Young Madam saw her out.

Just before boarding the carriage, Seventh Young Lady reached out and squeezed her hand. “You’ve been such a devoted younger sister — worrying so much over my affairs. I feel deeply ashamed.” Then, without waiting for a reply, she ducked into the carriage at once.

She must feel a little embarrassed.

Standing at the decorative gate, watching the carriage gradually recede into the distance, Eleventh Young Madam smiled.

When she returned to her room, Hongwen came forward to meet her. “Fourth Madam, this is the seeing-gift Seventh Young Aunt gave to Sixth Young Master.” She handed Eleventh Young Madam a large red pouch embroidered with a pattern of plum blossoms and magpies.

Earlier, when Seventh Young Lady gave out the seeing-gifts, she had presented them in pouches of various colors. Knowing Seventh Young Lady’s style, Eleventh Young Madam guessed they likely contained small solid-gold ingots or gold beans.

She smiled and took the pouch — but it felt surprisingly light. Opening it, she found it was stuffed with banknotes. Counting them, there were a full five thousand taels.

“Why so much?” Eleventh Young Madam shook her head with a wry smile.

Her own seeing-gifts for Ji Ge’er and Bao Ge’er had each been a pair of solid-gold longevity locks.

Eleventh Young Madam put away the pouch and sent Qiuyu to ask Xu Siyu and the others what seeing-gifts they had received from Seventh Young Lady — this was customary. Unmarried members of the household were still considered children, and though each received their own gift, the contents had to be reported to the parents. The parents would then return a gift of equivalent value.

Qiuyu came back to report that each of them — Xu Siyu and the others — had received a banknote worth one hundred taels.

The amounts were far too generous.

Eleventh Young Madam mentioned the matter to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi thought it over. “I haven’t done anything to help those two either.”

Eleventh Young Madam thought of what Seventh Young Lady had said as she left.

Could it be her way of expressing gratitude for the help given at the time?

Before Eleventh Young Madam could dwell on it further — partly because Seventh Young Lady spent the next several days in Yanjing visiting relatives and did not come by, and partly because the household was growing busier by the day — she was simply too occupied to give it further thought.

On the first day of the tenth month, Eleventh Young Madam rose early, dressed and groomed herself carefully, and went to pay her respects to the Grand Madam.

The Grand Madam was already dressed and ready. After Eleventh Young Madam offered her tea, Fifth Madam swept in, adorned in pearls and jade. The three exchanged a few words, then the two younger women went to the small reception hall behind the main hall of the Xu household — male guests, upon arrival, would be received in the side hall next to the main hall; female guests would rest in this small hall.

The opera stage in the outer courtyard had already been erected. In the morning, after the guests were seated at the banquet, Xu Siqin led Xu Sizhun to accompany the matchmakers, Yu Yiqing and Madam Huang, to the Xiang family to present and receive the bride’s dowry. Eleventh Young Madam had invited First Young Madam Lin and other auspicious women — those with both parents living and sons and daughters of their own — to come and help dress the bridal chamber and paste up the red wedding characters.

Xu Sijie came running in.

“Mother, Mother — tomorrow when the bride is welcomed, may I go along with Fourth Brother?”

“No!” Eleventh Young Madam refused at once. “Along the way there will be firecrackers going off — what if you get hurt? Besides, your Fourth Brother and the others are going to the Xiang family to fetch the bride. There will be crowds and commotion, and your Fourth Brother won’t have time to look after you. Stay home — once the new sister-in-law has been welcomed back, you can go with Zhun Ge’er to collect red packets.”

Xu Sijie was a little disappointed.

He was no longer young, yet whenever anything happened, he was still treated as a child.

Eleventh Young Madam saw this and gently coaxed him, “Without you here helping Fifth Aunt and me keep an eye on Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er, how could we feel at ease tending to Second Brother’s wedding preparations? This way, you are helping Second Brother as well!”

But Xu Sijie wanted to go and see the excitement.

He stood there for a moment, wavering, and seeing the head serving women coming one after another to await Eleventh Young Madam’s instructions, he suppressed the longing in his heart and went to the main room.

Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er were there, lighting firecrackers with incense sticks. Jin Ge’er’s young manservants were all standing around watching and grinning.

Xu Sijie was badly startled. He immediately had someone confiscate everything they had, then scolded the manservants sharply. “Whose idea was this?”

—