Xu Lingyi, admiring the graceful curve of her figure as she leaned forward, smiled and said: “She has only just arrived, after all. You ought to observe a little longer before drawing conclusions.”

A willing heart meant her conduct would not stray too far.

Shiyiniang smiled and agreed, then climbed into bed and raised the subject of the formal banquet the day after tomorrow with Xu Lingyi. “My lord, since when Siyu and his wife paid their return visit to her family, Madam Xiang invited the Xiang family members over to keep him company, should we also invite my elder brother and Fourth Brother-in-law and the others to keep Madam Xiang company when we host her here?”

“Of course,” Xu Lingyi said with a smile. “We are all relatives by marriage, and we all live in Yanjing. Getting to know one another is a fine thing.”

“Then I will have the household affairs office help send out invitations tomorrow.” Shiyiniang said, rustling and settling beneath her quilt.

Xu Lingyi made a sound of assent, fell into thought for a moment, then carefully chose his words as he spoke to her of the morning’s affair: “…I understand. There are no shortage of people with designs on Jin Ge’er, and it is no wonder you lost your temper. But one grain of rice feeds a hundred different kinds of people. Such things will always happen — one can only try to guard against them. So when Chief Steward Bai told me of it, I felt your way of handling it was reasonable enough, and let Chief Steward Bai leave the matter in your hands.” He paused briefly, then continued in an even gentler tone: “But the inner quarters and outer quarters are, after all, different. In the future, should something like this happen again, perhaps you might leave it for me to handle instead. I am just as concerned as you are about people stirring Jin Ge’er up and leading him into a life of idle dissipation. If someone like that were found out, I would not let them off lightly either.” He finished, and the room fell into silence. There was no reply from Shiyiniang.

Had he made her angry?

Shiyiniang was normally a calm and levelheaded person, but whenever anything touched on Jin Ge’er, she became fiercely protective, like a tigress guarding her cub — growling at anyone who drew near, let alone at someone who had directly affronted him as today’s offender had.

The thought flashed through his mind and vanished. Xu Lingyi quickly leaned over and called out “Shiyiniang,” only to be met with the sight of her face — serene and lovely in deep sleep.

He could not help but break into a quiet laugh.

So many things had all converged these past two days. She was simply exhausted.

Thinking this, Xu Lingyi gently tucked in the corner of her quilt, the smile on his face gradually fading.

Since that was how things stood, he would make the decision himself.

The next day, while Shiyiniang was in the reception hall listening to the stewardess in charge of the storeroom report on the wear and loss of household items, Qiuyu came in with a light step.

Shiyiniang did not look up at her even once. Not until she had finished reconciling accounts with the storeroom stewardess and the woman had withdrawn did she take a few sips of tea and let her gaze fall on Qiuyu.

Qiuyu immediately stepped forward and spoke in a low voice: “Madam, I just heard that the Marquis has demoted by one rank all the stewards the Madam disciplined yesterday. He also found the steward who had withheld the firecrackers from the Sixth Young Master, personally commended and rewarded him with fifty taels of silver, and promoted him one rank. The whole household is talking about it.”

Shiyiniang felt a wash of embarrassment.

At the time she had only been venting her anger — she had entirely forgotten about this matter.

Had Xu Lingyi not stepped in to remedy things this way, making it appear as though the disciplining of those stewards had been his intention all along, she would likely have earned herself a reputation for being high-handed and domineering — and it would also have been a blow to Xu Lingyi’s own authority.

But with Qiuyu present, Shiyiniang could only give a light, indifferent “mm” and say “I see,” then called for the stewardess in charge of the kitchens to come give her account of the banquet expenses…

Qiuyu stepped back to one side.

A small maidservant came in: “Madam, the Fourth Young Master is here to bid you farewell on behalf of the First Son-in-law.”

Shiyiniang quickly had them shown in.

Xu Siyu had been married, and Zhen Jie’er’s child was still young — too young for a long journey — so Shao Zhongran had come alone to offer his congratulations.

The small maidservant served tea and refreshments. Shiyiniang said a few words wishing him “a safe and smooth journey,” had Nanny Song help carry the medicinal herbs she had prepared for Shao Zhongran’s mother, and the clothes and jewelry for Zhen Jie’er and the child, over to Shao Zhongran’s horse, and added a few words along the lines of “Zhen Jie’er is young and thoughtless — if she is ever out of line, please be patient with her,” before raising her cup as a farewell gesture and sending him off with Jin Ge’er to see him out.

Shao Zhongran bowed his thanks. The Xu brothers escorted him to the mansion gates. Shao Zhongran invited the Xu brothers to come and visit Cangzhou; the Xu brothers urged Shao Zhongran to come often to Yanjing. Brothers and brothers-in-law made their warm farewells, and only then did Shao Zhongran board his carriage.

The Xu brothers watched until the carriage had rolled out of Lotus Lane, then turned back toward the mansion.

Xu Siyu escorted Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er back to the inner quarters. Xu Sizhun invited Xu Sijie back to Danbo Study: “…Wang Yun gave me a lantern you can spin by hand — it spins so fast the little birds painted on it look like they’re flying, it’s really something to see.”

This was the first time Xu Sijie had ever declined Xu Sizhun’s invitation. “I need to go back and recite my texts. Master Zhao said this afternoon he will test me.”

Reading was the important thing. Xu Sizhun took no offense. “All right then! Come and play when you have time!”

Xu Sijie nodded, and the two parted ways at the T-shaped fork in the path — one heading to Danbo Study, the other back to his own courtyard.

Niuer had just washed her hair and was sitting under the eaves drying it in the sun.

Her mother was Xu Sijie’s wet nurse, and the two of them had grown up together — their bond was of a different order than most. Seeing Xu Sijie come in, she simply rose and dipped in a curtsy, smiled, and greeted him: “Fifth Young Master is back!” Without the slightest fluster or embarrassment over her loose, unbound hair.

Xu Sijie nodded and settled into Niuer’s bamboo chair.

Seeing this, Niuer went inside and brought out another bamboo chair, and the two sat side by side.

The early winter sunlight fell warmly on them, comforting and still.

Xu Sijie sat there with his chin in his hand, his thoughts drifting back to everything that had happened these past few days.

It seemed to have all started from that banquet hosted for Dou Jing and the others… First, Dou Jing ordering him about as though he were a servant; then his mother — who had always supported him in everything, who had even had a workroom fitted out for him because he liked making things by hand — suddenly and inexplicably turning against his learning to sing opera; and after that, his grandmother… Fifth Uncle also liked opera, and by what people said, even kept a troupe outside and went on stage himself. Every time the family held a private performance at home, Fifth Uncle was the one who arranged everything. Why was it all right for Fifth Uncle to do it but not him? Why did both the Grand Madam and his mother seem so wary of him pursuing opera?

The Grand Madam’s scolding voice rang again in his ears.

*”You are sons of noble houses, not performers!”* When she said it, Grandmother’s eyes had been like blades cutting into him… *”Your father went to such great lengths to find teachers to teach you to read and write — surely it wasn’t so you could engage in this sort of conduct”* … At that moment, Grandmother’s gaze was on Fourth Elder Brother, yet her face was full of disappointment…

He and Fourth Elder Brother had been frightened and knelt on the floor. When Grandmother’s anger flared, Fourth Elder Brother stood and went to beg her pardon, and Grandmother shook her head in disappointed resignation… He followed and went forward too, but Grandmother looked at him coldly — not until he knelt again did the severity in her expression ease even slightly…

Like a stone dropped into a still lake, his thoughts began to ripple and spread outward.

When the palace sent sweets, he and Fourth Elder Brother each received a box. But the Grand Madam always opened Fourth Elder Brother’s box and broke off a small piece to feed him with her own hand, smiling and asking whether it was good. The box passed to him was always handed over by a senior maidservant… When New Year’s money was given out, the Grand Madam always smiled and personally hung Fourth Elder Brother’s red packet at his waist. The red packet passed to him was also given by a senior maidservant… Before, it was Weizi; now it was Yuban… Weizi… He hadn’t seen her in a very long time. In his memory she had a round face… He must have been very young then… Three years old, four, or five… He had never thought about it closely before — never realized that from so very young an age, Grandmother had already treated him and Fourth Elder Brother differently…

Xu Sijie raised his head.

In the bright sunlight, the Chinese toon tree at the corner of the courtyard stood lush and full of life. Looking across at it, layer upon layer of reddish-brown leaves, broad and thick.

At the foot of the toon tree sat an old woman in rough cotton clothing, her hair white as snow, spinning thread with one hand and calling out with a smile: *”Fengqing, Fengqing, don’t run off — once Grandmother sells this bolt of cloth, she’ll buy you a sesame bun!”*

He started, and gave his head a small shake.

In the next moment, the scene before him shifted again.

The toon tree stood there quietly, and beneath it was a stone stool, its surface carved with a leaping carp, worn smooth and bright — clearly a favorite seat of someone who spent many hours there.

As if entranced, he walked over to it.

“Who sits here?” Xu Sijie said, running his hand over the cool stone surface.

Niuer thought it a rather silly question and laughed her bright laugh: “Whoever has time comes and sits there!”

Then who was sitting there just now?

Xu Sijie straightened up and stared blankly around the courtyard.

*”Fengqing, my good child, we won’t provoke him,”* that weathered yet warming voice sounded again in his ears. *”He is in pain inside, and that is why he strikes you… If we keep well away from him, he won’t strike you.”*

Strikes? His mother cherished him too much to let anyone hurt him. Who had ever struck him?

Xu Sijie opened his own hand.

The skin was fine and fair, the fingers long and clean. Even more delicate than Niuer’s.

Fengqing. Who was Fengqing?

His heart was like a spring field being turned over by the teeth of a harrow — the earthworms and not-yet-rotted leaves beneath, carrying their strange smell, all churned up at once… making one feel sick to look at, distressed to breathe in.

A thin sheen of sweat broke out across his brow.

“Niuer, where is Nanny Nan?” Xu Sijie grabbed Niuer’s hand.

Niuer’s hand was like Nanny Nan’s — warm and soft. No, not quite like hers. Nanny Nan’s hand was always steady; when she held your hand, it made you feel safe and sure.

“Fifth Young Master is looking for my mother?” Niuer felt that Xu Sijie’s color looked very poor.

Was he unwell somewhere? That would explain why he was so urgently looking for her mother.

“She should be at home cleaning, at this hour?”

Before she even finished speaking, Xu Sijie had already bolted out.

He turned a corner, passed through a narrow passageway, and reached the side gate in the perimeter wall. Through the gate was the east auxiliary courtyard.

Nanny Nan lived in the back-facing room of the third courtyard — though ever since Xu Sijie moved to the outer quarters, Shiyiniang had arranged for her to move to the west side chamber.

Xu Sijie burst in.

Nanny Nan’s daughter-in-law, Nan Yong’s wife, was in the middle of sweeping.

Seeing him drenched in sweat and white as a sheet, she was alarmed: “Fifth Young Master, what has happened to you?”

Xu Sijie seized Nan Yong’s wife’s hands in a tight grip, like a drowning person clutching a plank of wood.

“Nanny, do you — do you still remember things from when I was small?” His throat was parched, his voice hoarse. “When I was little, the things from when I was little!”

A shadow fell over Nan Yong’s wife’s expression.

It had come at last, as she had always known it would.

Once he moved to the outer quarters, even if the Madam wished to protect him, she could not. The gossip and rumors would reach his ears sooner or later. That was why the Madam had placed Niuer at the Fifth Young Master’s side — it gave her a reason to go and see him. And if anything happened to the Fifth Young Master, she could report back to the Madam promptly.

“I remember.” Her lips trembled slightly. “I raised you with my own hands. How could I forget?”

—