Eleven watched her son return to his former liveliness and felt a weight lift from her heart. She turned her attention to the preparations for the New Year.
She had made offerings to the Kitchen God, swept the house, put up new door couplets, brought out the ancestral portraits and set up their shrine. On New Year’s Eve they lit firecrackers and sat down to the reunion dinner. She and Xu Lingyi made the rounds of New Year’s calls from one household to another, attended Spring Banquet after Spring Banquet, and it was not until the twelfth day of the first month that things finally quieted down somewhat.
Ten Niang’s adopted son, Duke of Mao Guo Wang Chengzu, came to visit unexpectedly.
Eleven found this somewhat odd.
The year after the Grand Madam had passed away, the Wang Grand Madam had also died of illness. Ten Niang had engaged a bonded maidservant from the Wang Grand Madam’s household to manage domestic affairs and handle social calls for red and white events. She herself had shut her gates and, together with Wang Chengzu, had withdrawn into a life of virtual seclusion as a widow. Apart from letting the maidservant accompany Wang Chengzu on New Year’s calls to relatives, she generally kept Wang Chengzu confined to the house to study and practice calligraphy. It was said that because of this, Wang Chengzu’s biological parents had come to call on Ten Niang several times to argue with her, saying she had turned a perfectly good child into someone dull and wooden who could no longer recognize his own relatives, let alone understand the ways of the world. They also said Ten Niang was not raising a child but fashioning a puppet.
Ten Niang had not said a single word in reply. She had simply had the footboys and rough-work servants drive them away and had carried on as before, keeping Wang Chengzu shut in at home.
The New Year had not even finished, and here Wang Chengzu was coming to visit. What for? And in past years, Wang Chengzu had only ever paid his respects to Xu Lingyi in the outer hall and then left — he had never once asked to see her.
“Show him in.”
As she said it, the image of Wang Chengzu’s delicate, good-looking young face as a child rose in her mind.
He was the same age as Zhun Ge, and seven years had passed. He ought to have grown into a young man by now. She wondered whether his appearance had changed much.
While she was pondering this, she saw Hupo lead in a tall young man in a reddish-pink robe patterned with “step-by-step advancement” designs in Hangzhou silk.
His quick and lively eyes, his fair complexion — the image of him as a child quickly aligned with the person before her now.
“Duke of Mao Guo?”
“I dare not accept such a formal form of address from Aunt.” Wang Chengzu bowed respectfully to Eleven. “I should have come long ago to pay my respects to Aunt. However, my mother is a widow and it was inconvenient for us to come and go frequently — I hope Aunt will forgive us.”
Was this really the person they called dull and wooden, a stranger to all social conventions?
To Eleven’s eye, this Wang Chengzu was better at speaking and conducting himself than even Xu Sizhun, who had been painstakingly guided and instructed every step of the way.
“How is your mother?” Eleven had Hupo bring over an armchair for Wang Chengzu.
“Mother has been in poor health these past years.” A sadness somewhat at odds with his young age crossed Wang Chengzu’s face, though there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes that robbed his sadness of some of its sincerity. “I am too young to be of much help. I can only burn incense before the Bodhisattva on her behalf on the first and fifteenth of each month, and pray for her to soon find peace and ease.” He then inquired after Jin Ge’er. “It was only last New Year that I saw Sixth Cousin briefly when I came to pay respects to Uncle-in-law in the main hall. Sixth Cousin must have grown taller again. Given that the New Year is approaching, his teacher should have returned home long since — how is it that I don’t see Sixth Cousin anywhere?”
Eleven did not warm to Wang Chengzu. She felt the child had cleverness to spare but sincerity in short supply.
“Your Sixth Cousin is at the martial arts hall training.” She answered briefly, then turned directly to the matter at hand. “Is there something particular that brings you here today?”
“Nothing too important.” Wang Chengzu’s color rose slightly. “Mother has set my wedding date for the twenty-eighth of the first month. I came specifically to deliver a wedding invitation to Aunt.”
Eleven was taken aback, and it took her a moment to collect herself.
Whoever delivers their own wedding invitation in person!
And to deliver it directly to her, no less.
No matter how diminished the Duke of Mao Guo’s household may be, a lean camel is still larger than a horse — the proper formalities ought still to be observed…
“Aunt, I know this is rather presumptuous of me. But I haven’t seen Aunt in so many years, and I feared Aunt might have grown distant from me, so I took the liberty of coming to see you in person.” Wang Chengzu shifted in his seat with some unease. “In truth, Mother had given instructions about this — that the old steward would simply deliver the invitation, and that would be sufficient. But I thought to myself: Mother has had little contact with Aunt over the years, and the wedding date falls in the first month, which is a busy time for every household. If Aunt had something pressing and was unable to come and toast the happy occasion, Mother would not know how deeply grieved she would be.” He paused, his eyes reddening slightly. “I had not originally intended to say this… Mother — she — she began coughing blood when autumn came… If that were not the case, she would not have settled my wedding date so early…”
Eleven was startled. “Your mother is coughing blood? Has a physician been called? What did the physician say? How is she now?”
Seeing her ask one question after another in rapid succession, Wang Chengzu visibly relaxed. “A physician has been seen. The physician says it is an old, chronic ailment that can only be nursed along slowly. It has been going in and out. A few days ago when the weather was cold, she coughed so badly she couldn’t sleep through the night. These last few days the weather has been warmer, and she’s been somewhat better.”
Eleven fell silent for a good while, then had Hupo fetch two bottles of fritillary and loquat syrup to give him. “Take these back for your mother. When the coughing is severe, it will at least soothe her throat.”
Wang Chengzu expressed his deep gratitude, talked with Eleven for a while, then rose and took his leave.
When Xu Lingyi returned, Eleven told him about it. “Did you receive the wedding invitation from Duke of Mao Guo’s household? I thought they were keeping the boy locked up at home studying and practicing calligraphy all day — how is it that this child seems even more worldly-savvy than those managers of ours who have been out making their way in the world?”
“No, I haven’t received it.” Xu Lingyi laughed. “That child has always been quite sharp. I’ve never heard of him causing trouble outside either, so he was probably just born this way.” He then asked, “Do you know whose daughter he’s marrying?”
She had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Ten Niang’s situation that she had entirely forgotten to ask about this.
Or perhaps it was simply because she had never really thought much about it.
“I didn’t ask in any detail.” Eleven smiled. “In a few days Nanny Song will go along to deliver the gift — I’ll have her make some inquiries then.”
Xu Lingyi was probably only asking in passing as well. He said a few more words of idle chat with her, then settled in for the night. There was nothing more to be said.
A few days later, Nanny Song returned from the Duke of Mao Guo’s household.
“The bride is apparently some relative on the side of the Duke of Mao Guo’s birth mother.” Nanny Song reported. “When Tenth Miss indicated she was looking to arrange a match for the Duke of Mao Guo, that side immediately rushed to put this person forward. Tenth Miss did not even stop to think — she agreed at once. I heard that because of this, both the Duke’s birth mother and birth father have been in noticeably better spirits.”
She knew perfectly well that Wang Chengzu’s biological parents intended to take advantage of her, and yet she could not have cared less. Was that the courage of one who ventures into the tiger’s den knowing full well what awaits? Or the fearlessness of one who simply does not know what they are walking into?
Eleven did not know what to say.
“And how is her illness?”
“Your servant couldn’t really tell.” Nanny Song answered honestly. “When I went to pay my respects to Tenth Miss, she was sitting at the large kang by the window, copying out the Earth Store Sutra. Cold and quiet, nothing to suggest anything was amiss.”
Ten Niang had always been proud and strong — even if something were wrong, she would never let it show so easily before others.
“I understand. You may go and rest.” Eleven picked up her teacup.
Nanny Song hesitated for a moment, however, and offered one more sentence: “I heard that the Fourth Miss also received her invitation delivered in person by the Duke of Mao Guo himself.” Only then did she withdraw.
Ten Niang wished to trouble no one, yet Wang Chengzu seemed afraid that no one would come… After all the quiet years that had passed at the Duke of Mao Guo’s household, it suddenly had the feeling of a storm gathering on the wind.
Still, this was Ten Niang’s life to live. It was not for others to comment on.
On the twenty-eighth, Eleven went to toast the wedding.
The Wang family had few guests — besides the various Wang family branches, there were only Ten Niang’s relatives, while Wang Lin’s side had sent gifts but no one attended in person. Ten Niang, on the pretext of being a widow, did not appear. All the inside and outside affairs were handled by Silver Bottle.
When she saw Eleven, Silver Bottle’s eyes turned red. She welcomed Eleven in and seated her in the main hall.
Five Niang had taken her children to Dengzhou for the New Year and had not yet returned. Four Niang and the Third Madam of the Luo family had arrived early. The Third Madam of the Luo family was easier to deal with, but Four Niang felt a little awkward upon seeing her. They exchanged a brief greeting, and then Wang Chengzu, who had been informed of the arrival, came over quickly.
“Eleventh Aunt, you’ve come!” he said, and turned to reproach Silver Bottle: “Why did you seat Eleventh Aunt here? Why haven’t you gone to inform Mother?” And with that, he made to take Eleven’s arm and lead her to see Ten Niang.
Silver Bottle showed a look of difficulty. “Your Grace, Madam said she is not receiving visitors…”
“Is Eleventh Aunt a visitor?” Before Silver Bottle could finish, Wang Chengzu had already said with displeasure, “Mother may not see others, but if Eleventh Aunt comes, she still won’t see her? Go and announce her directly…”
“Your Grace…” Silver Bottle stood there at a complete loss.
“No need.” Eleven had no wish to put anyone in a difficult position. “Your mother prefers peace and quiet. I’ll just sit here for a while.”
Wang Chengzu didn’t press the matter. He sat with Eleven and kept up a cheerful flow of conversation. One moment he asked Eleven when Xu Sizhun would be getting married; the next, he asked Four Niang whether her second son, Yu Li, was planning to sit the licentiate examination this year; the next, he asked the Third Madam of the Luo family how Third Master Luo’s business was getting along — Third Master Luo had sat for the examinations several times and had fainted in the examination hall on his last attempt. The two elders, seeing that things could not go on like this, had no choice but to give up on the idea of a career in officialdom for him and helped him set up a stationery shop dealing in brushes and inksticks. He made sure not to neglect a single person, and was so attentive in his attentions that a Wang family relative seated nearby laughed and said, “Your father’s relatives are your father’s family, and your mother’s relatives are your mother’s family — and here you are, favoring your mother’s side!”
Wang Chengzu was not the least bit offended. He smiled and said, “I was raised by my mother — of course I am closer to her side!”
It seemed he was making every effort to mend the bonds between Ten Niang and the Luo family’s various members. Both Four Niang and Eleven were simpler cases, but the Third Madam of the Luo family understood the situation perfectly well. Once the bride was brought in through the door, she stayed on at the Wang household to play mahjong with the Wang family’s relatives, while Eleven and Four Niang each made their way home and sent a second round of gifts when they met the bride.
Wang Chengzu and Third Master Luo gradually grew closer.
Not many days later, the Third Madam of the Luo family came to call on Eleven, bringing with her a box of Hui inksticks. “These are just things from our own shop — please don’t take it as a slight, Aunt.”
“How could I take it as a slight? These are exactly what I need.” Eleven had Hupo put them away, then welcomed the Third Madam into the sitting room for tea. “Third Sister-in-law, what brings you here to sit with me today? Is business at the shop going well?”
“Quite well!” Third Master Luo had never had much standing to speak up in the household, and so the Third Madam had grown a little dull and slow as well over time. She gave a nod. “I’ve come today on our Third Master’s behalf, as there is something he wishes to discuss with Aunt.”
Eleven settled into a listening posture.
The Third Madam said, “Our Third Master’s thought is this: now that the Duke of Mao Guo has a household of his own, and Tenth Miss being a widow, there are many matters in the household that are inconvenient to handle alone. It might be better to hand the management of the household over to the Duke of Mao Guo altogether. That way, Tenth Miss could also quietly devote herself to prayer and her faith in peace.”