“The two of you will now go and write me a letter of pledge to present to your Grandmother — a promise to study diligently under your teacher from this day forward, and never to repeat such conduct.” Shiyiniang regarded Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie with a stern eye.

The two of them obediently said yes and turned to head to the study to write their pledges.

They had barely reached the door when Shiyiniang called them back. “Come here. I have more to ask.”

The two little ones immediately stepped quickly back to stand before her, hands at their sides, composedly awaiting their verdict.

Shiyiniang slowly took several sips of tea before speaking: “Is the gongche score of *Cold Kiln Records* so very rare?”

What needed to be said had been said. What needed to be answered for must also be answered for. One had to put one’s own house in order before addressing matters outside it. Having to explain to Wang Yun why the score could not be returned would be a troublesome affair.

Xu Sizhun looked a little uneasy. “It was a complete edition of *Cold Kiln Records* — I had never seen one before.”

Shiyiniang considered this for a moment, then called Zhuxiang in. “Go to the Gongxian Lane residence right now and tell my elder brother to find a copy of the gongche score of *Cold Kiln Records* by whatever means necessary. Tell him I have urgent need of it.”

There were many devotees of opera among the members of the Hanlin Academy. A copy could surely be found.

“Mother!” Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie looked up at the same time. Their eyes shone with excitement, bright and brilliant as the morning star on the horizon.

Shiyiniang kept a straight face. “Let me make this clear to you — do not think this matter is simply over and done with. Starting today, the two of you are to copy out *Elementary Learning* for me ten times over. Think carefully about everything Master Zhao has taught you from that book…”

Before she even finished speaking, the two boys were already nodding eagerly, their faces unable to conceal their delight.

“Don’t rejoice too soon.” Shiyiniang maintained her stern expression. “Whether the score can even be borrowed is another matter entirely. Now go and write your pledges quickly, so we can get to your Grandmother’s without delay to make our apologies.”

The two said yes in unison, and with barely suppressed smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths, they left the inner chamber.

From behind the curtain, Shiyiniang heard the soft but gleeful laughter of Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie.

The corners of Shiyiniang’s mouth curved upward as well.

She sat in the inner chamber and waited for the two children to finish their pledges.

Bitao and the others, their expressions timid and chastened, crept silently in to serve refreshments.

Jin Ge’er sat there, his eyes spinning in thought. He held himself together long enough to eat a piece of pastry, but then could sit still no longer.

“Mother, I’ll go and see if the elder brothers have finished their pledges!” With that, he slid off the kang and darted away.

Shiyiniang smiled in spite of herself.

Then her smile gradually faded as her thoughts turned to Xu Sijie.

Best to let things stay calm for now.

In another two months it would be the New Year. When Xu Sijie paid his respects before Tong Shi’s memorial tablet, some matters could begin to be addressed gradually and openly.

Thinking of this, she let out a quiet sigh.

In the past she had always shielded him. There were certain things she had pretended not to notice, and because of that, others had followed her lead and turned a blind eye as well. Now that things had come to the point where they needed to be spoken of openly, she found she no longer knew quite how to begin.

Fortunately, Xu Lingyi had helped her think of a way forward.

Her mind settled somewhat, and she drank a few sips of tea.

Jin Ge’er came patter-pattering back in.

“Mother, Mother, Mother.” He climbed up onto the kang and wrapped his arms around Shiyiniang’s neck, whispering into her ear, “I’ll tell you a secret — Fourth Elder Brother and Fifth Elder Brother don’t know how to write pledges.” He had the look of a little informant about him. “They’re sitting there worrying themselves sick!”

A pledge… that was something from her own era. Asking Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie to write one was admittedly a tall order. But let them figure it out themselves. At their age, if grown-ups had to step in for everything, it would only become harder to let go later.

Shiyiniang smiled and patted her son’s little bottom. “Go on — find a book, and we’ll play ‘find the character.'”

Jin Ge’er brightened up at once, declared “All right!” in a loud voice, slid off the kang, fetched a copy of *Elementary Learning*, and nestled himself into his mother’s arms.

Shiyiniang opened to a page at random and pointed to the character “eight” in the line “The brothers of the Xun family earned the fine distinction of eight dragons.” Jin Ge’er immediately pointed to the character “three” in the following line, “The elder and younger brothers on the eastern bank of the river bore the fine reputation of three phoenixes,” and read it aloud. Shiyiniang then pointed to “great” in “Duke of Zhou’s great righteousness in receiving his kin,” and read it aloud, whereupon Jin Ge’er pointed to the character “kin” and read it aloud in turn… The two of them went on through the pages like this, identifying more than thirty characters before Jin Ge’er began to grow restless. “Mother, shall I go see if the elder brothers have finished their pledges?”

He was squirming and shifting in Shiyiniang’s arms.

Recognizing characters this way was dull after a while; the child was still young, and most could not sit still for long.

“All right!” Shiyiniang smiled and set down the book.

Jin Ge’er ran off to Xu Sizhun’s study. He came back shortly to report to Shiyiniang: “Fourth Elder Brother has sent Wang Shu to find Master Zhao — to ask him how a pledge is supposed to be written!”

Pressure breeds ingenuity. Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie had finally begun looking for a way to work around the problem.

Shiyiniang smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss to her son’s little face. “Shall we carry on with ‘find the character’?”

Jin Ge’er nodded.

Mother and son continued recognizing characters together.

It was not until nearly the start of the you hour that Jin Ge’er had grown tired of finding characters, tired of cat’s cradle, tired of tossing sandbags, and tired of jump rope, that Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie finally arrived, fashionably late, and presented two “pledges” whose sentences were just barely coherent.

An apology’s worth lay in sincerity. The Grand Madam likely would not press the matter too hard.

Shiyiniang brought the children to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

The Grand Madam read the pledges and gave a quiet sigh, saying only, “See that it does not happen again,” before instructing the maidservants to bring out the osmanthus candy and walnut pastries the children loved best.

Xu Sizhun heaved a great sigh of relief and began helping Jin Ge’er pick out the walnut pastries with the most sesame.

Xu Sijie sat in the nearby grand armchair with an absentminded air, eating snow flake crisps. He was not his usual self — ordinarily even a plain, ordinary white flour bun appeared, in his eyes, as fine as a mountain delicacy, and he would eat with a blissful, single-minded smile. Today was different.

Shiyiniang quietly sighed to herself.

Growing up always came with a price.

If he could come to understand something from this, it would be worth it.

Remembering there was still a great pile of affairs to attend to in the reception hall, Shiyiniang sat for a little while before rising to take her leave.

The Grand Madam kept the children behind to brighten her company.

By the time Shiyiniang had finished with her duties, it was already the hour of lit lanterns.

Because the instructions had been given so late, the household stewardesses had not even had time to eat, and were rushing to complete the day’s tasks. The inner quarters of the Xu Mansion were ablaze with lights, with maidservants and matrons all moving about at a hasty pace.

Xu Lingyi found it a little strange.

Shiyiniang was always efficient and capable. Why were the inner quarters still so busy at this hour?

His personal attendant Denghuo read his expression and quickly murmured: “The Madam did not begin issuing instructions until after the start of the you hour. The stewardesses are all racing to finish setting things in order for the grand selection tomorrow.”

The news that the Madam had personally disciplined the outer-quarters stewards had long since spread throughout the entire household. It was, after all, something of a transgression. How things would unfold from here, no one could say. The entire household had its eyes fixed on Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang. Accordingly, Denghuo’s voice was not only hushed but carried a hint of careful caution.

Although it had been a fit of temper over Jin Ge’er’s affair, Shiyiniang was not the sort of person to act on impulse and disregard the larger picture for the sake of her own feelings. Knowing full well that there was a great deal to be done today, how could she have waited until the you hour to give the stewardesses their instructions?

Xu Lingyi found it all the stranger.

Upon entering the room, he found Shiyiniang in the middle of her supper. Only four or five small dishes were spread on the low table, and there was no one waiting on her — it looked rather solitary.

“Why has the Marquis come home so early?” She stepped off the kang to help Xu Lingyi change his clothes. “Have you eaten yet? Have the Seventh Brother-in-law and the others already left?”

“I’ve eaten.” Xu Lingyi gestured for her to continue her meal, and called for Qiuyu to summon a small maidservant to help him change. “Old Master Shao turns seventy at the end of the month, and Zhongran must set off for home tomorrow. Zhu Anping and Zhengxing have made plans to visit the home of Academician Jin — one of the Academician’s students has just been appointed as Prefect of Quanzhou. So we parted ways early.” As he spoke, he went to the washing room. When he emerged after washing his face and changing his clothes, he found Shiyiniang sitting with her bowl in hand, staring blankly into space.

Hearing the sound of movement, she raised her head, and a smile crossed her face. “Would the Marquis like a little more to eat?”

“No need.” Xu Lingyi sat on the edge of the kang and picked up the teacup a small maidservant offered him, taking a sip. “Have your meal.”

Shiyiniang said “mm,” offered nothing more, and lowered her head to eat.

A stretch of silence settled over the room.

Xu Lingyi was puzzled.

This morning Shiyiniang had dealt with those outer-quarters stewards with a swift and forceful hand. Though there had been cause for it, it was still not entirely appropriate. Given her nature, he would have expected some explanation upon seeing him — yet she was entirely distracted, as though her mind were elsewhere.

He thought again of what he had seen on his way in… Could there be something he did not yet know about?

Xu Lingyi studied Shiyiniang carefully.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, a few unruly strands falling at her cheeks. Her eyelids were cast down, a faint shadow of fatigue beneath her eyes, giving her an air of weariness.

“Shiyiniang.” He softened his voice instinctively, reached out, and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. “What is the matter?”

Shiyiniang lifted her head, her gaze somewhat dazed. In the warm amber lamplight, she looked fragile and lovely.

“Has something happened?” Xu Lingyi said gently. “You look tired.”

Shiyiniang had been thinking over the events of the day.

It was not as though the boys had been performing opera at home, or sneaking out to watch it in secret. Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie had merely been copying out a gongche score in their room, and Gejin had wasted no time in reporting the matter to the Grand Madam. Not only had the Grand Madam gone at once in person to Danbo Study, she had scolded both Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie outright… How had Gejin known that the Grand Madam was paying such close attention to these matters? It was obvious she had been given specific instructions by the Grand Madam… And while Xu Sizhun was not averse to opera, he could hardly be said to be genuinely fond of it. So the Grand Madam’s vigilance was aimed not at Xu Sizhun, but at Xu Sijie… All these years, the Grand Madam had treated Xu Sijie’s presence as little more than an extra pair of chopsticks at the table — neither liked nor disliked. In the usual distribution of gifts and rewards, his share was never omitted, yet he had never been given any particular attention… At what point had the Grand Madam’s gaze turned toward Xu Sijie? Was it after the full-month banquet for the Third Madam’s eldest grandchild? Or was it after Xu Sijie accompanied the ladies to the opera?

She had brought the children to offer their apologies, and the Grand Madam had glossed over the matter with an easy wave of her hand — but what was she truly thinking? Would she find some other pretext afterward to deal with Xu Sijie?

Shiyiniang could not be certain.

Then she heard Xu Lingyi call her name. She looked up to find a pair of eyes filled with concern.

She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she had forgotten about Xu Lingyi entirely!

Shiyiniang smiled apologetically.

—