Sui’er was kicked so hard her face went pale. She pressed a hand to her chest, yet dared not cry out. She forced a smile. “This servant deserves to die.”

Fifth Young Master, seeing her admit fault, felt his anger ease somewhat, but still found the whole thing rather dull. He grabbed Eleventh Miss’s arm and cried out, “Eleventh Sister, let’s go to your room! Do you still have any malt candy?”

Eleventh Miss took a dislike to Fifth Young Master’s manner — such a young age, and already quick to strike others.

She smiled and said, “I’ve been afraid of spoiling my teeth, so I stopped eating malt candy long ago.”

Fifth Young Master was very disappointed.

Seventh Miss also found it tiresome, and laughed as she shooed him away. “We sisters have private things to talk about — what are you two boys doing here? Out, out!” She called over the wet nurses and maidservants of the two boys. “Take them outside to play.”

Sixth Young Master had always been somewhat afraid of this sister of his, and mumbled hesitantly. Fifth Young Master, however, was afraid of no one except the Third Master and Third Madam. He sneered at Seventh Miss. “Mind your own business.”

“Oh my — and you call yourself a young master?” Seventh Miss was the youngest in the family. She had barely been born a few days when the Second Master passed the provincial examinations, and the older she grew, the better the Second Master’s career went. Her parents doted on her most of all. She was afraid of nothing. “If you’re a young master, what are you doing kicking women? Out with you — or I’ll go tell Third Aunt to have you kneel in the ancestral hall.”

“Our ancestral hall is in Yuhang!” Fifth Young Master’s mouth refused to yield. “You think I’m a child who doesn’t know any better.” Even so, he led his younger brother and stepped back.

Seventh Miss covered her mouth to laugh, then turned and saw Fifth Miss and Eleventh Miss sitting there in silence.

“What’s the matter?” She went over to Sui’er. “Let me see — is she hurt?”

Sui’er gave quiet thanks, and she and Zhuotao went to the adjoining side room.

“Fifth Sister really is too indulgent with him.” Seventh Miss could not help but reproach. “Someone like that — he only bullies people because they let him get away with it.”

Tenth Miss let out a cold laugh from her seat to the side. “That’s easy for Seventh Sister to say — if it were us, the one kneeling in the ancestral hall would most likely have to be someone else.” This made Seventh Miss’s face flush red and then go pale.

Eleventh Miss quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Since Seventh Sister came back with Second Aunt to Yanjing, we haven’t all been together like this in a long while. Since everyone’s here today, why don’t we play leaf cards?”

Seventh Miss agreed readily. Tenth Miss, however, curled her lip. “Not interested.” She then called her maidservants Jinlian and Yinping back to her room. “I didn’t sleep well last night — I’m going back to sleep.” This infuriated Seventh Miss so thoroughly her face went white. “Gloomy and sullen from morning to night — no wonder First Aunt doesn’t like her.”

Fifth Miss over there gave a contemptuous “hmph.” “She’s about to marry into a high official’s family and become the mistress of the household — naturally, she has no need to make herself agreeable to people like us.” There was no small amount of vinegar in her tone.

Seventh Miss heard the meaning beneath these words and leaned in at once. “What do you mean? Is there another family that’s come to make a match?”

Eleventh Miss gave Fifth Miss a quick glance, then smiled and said, “We haven’t heard anything of the sort. Seventh Sister, have you heard something?”

At this, Fifth Miss pressed down her temper and smiled.

Seventh Miss looked at the two of them. “Even if you don’t tell me, I’ll find out.”

Eleventh Miss brushed it off and called Dongqing to bring the leaf cards. “Last time Seventh Sister won twenty coins off me — you’d better be careful today.”

Seventh Miss laughed out loud. The three of them invited Ziwei to join them, and gathered around the kang table to play leaf cards for most of the afternoon.

After dinner, after the Second Branch and Third Branch households had been seen off, Fifth Miss suddenly came to visit.

“Eleventh Sister, I have something I want to say to you.”

Eleventh Miss sent everyone else from the room.

Fifth Miss could not hold back any longer and began to voice her grievances. “…I honestly believe I have never once done anything to trouble Mother. How is it that she arranged such a match for me? If it were an impoverished gentry family, at least I could come to terms with it. But this young Master Qian is clearly nothing more than a nobody from a common alley. People like that have eyes no bigger than sesame seeds — they think that because the family has produced a successful examination candidate, they’ve risen to the heavens, not knowing that beyond the sky lies another sky, beyond the person lies another person. What seems like wealth and status to you is, compared to others, sheer poverty and shabbiness — yet they don’t know their place… When the time comes, if he doesn’t become an official, he’ll have truly let down all the effort Mother has put into this. But if he does become an official — I fear that before he’s even washed the mud from his boots, every third cousin and distant in-law will already be coming to impose on him…”

Eleventh Miss poured her hot tea and listened to her grumble, refilling her cup two or three times before Fifth Miss’s emotions gradually calmed. “…Whatever it is, this is my lot now. In youth I’ll follow him through hardship, and by the time I’m older, when he’s made his name and risen in the world, I’ll be old and worn, no longer wanted.” As she spoke, she took Eleventh Miss’s hand. “Eleventh Sister, you have always been forgiving and sincere with people. Let me say something — please don’t take offense. Look at today with Fifth Young Master — he kicked my maidservant, and I had to keep smiling. Seventh Sister was able to drive him away. Why? Simply because we’re of concubine-born status — we have no standing to speak in this family. Just think — when Mother originally told me that coming to the capital was to help Elder Sister look after Zhun Ge, and then, just like that, she turned around and betrothed me to young Master Qian.” She looked at Eleventh Miss, the corners of her eyes faintly wet. “We sisters can only look out for one another — that’s the only way to have good days ahead.”

She had likely guessed that she herself would be the one marrying into the Marquis Yongping’s household. Compared to Tenth Miss, the First Madam clearly favored her more. Whatever the reason behind it, the First Madam could not possibly marry Tenth Miss off to the Marquis Yongping’s household. When set side by side, the result was plain. So now she had come to explain herself, to salvage some of her dignity…

Eleventh Miss smiled gently. “I think young Master Qian seems quite good too. Just look at our Fourth Sister — Second Aunt put in so much effort, and Fourth Sister ended up in the same position as Fifth Sister.”

Fifth Miss smiled slightly at this. “Do you truly think so?”

Eleventh Miss nodded, her tone sincere. “Whether a person is good or not can only be seen in time. Take Mother — everyone says she is blessed, and not because Father rose to some great office, but because our eldest brother is filial and has done well in his studies.” She genuinely wanted to set Fifth Miss’s heart at ease. Whatever the case, they had been sisters together — when she had the chance to offer a word of guidance, she ought to. Whether Fifth Miss could take it to heart was entirely up to her.

Fifth Miss was indeed a perceptive person. The expression on her face gradually loosened. She smiled and said, “You’re going to the Loyal and Diligent Marquis’s household for the spring viewing the day after tomorrow, aren’t you? I see that Tenth Sister has been raiding your room for quite a few things. I still have a set of lapis lazuli headpieces — I’ll lend them to you to wear tomorrow. That ought to put her in the shade.” By the last words, there was a clear edge of resentment in her voice.

She would rather see her own situation be better than Tenth Miss’s, it seemed.

Eleventh Miss thanked her, and the two talked a little more before Fifth Miss rose to take her leave. Eleventh Miss walked her all the way to the door before turning back inside.

Binju said in wonder, “The sun must have risen in the west today — Fifth Miss actually came to confide in our young miss.”

Hupo smiled. “What’s so strange about that? Our young miss is gentle-hearted and sincere — everyone wants to talk to her. And besides — in this whole courtyard, who else could Fifth Miss go to with her feelings?”

“Everyone stop talking.” Eleventh Miss had no wish for this to spread — otherwise, Fifth Miss might think she had been showing off to her maidservants, and take offense. That would be far more trouble than it was worth. “Get to bed quickly.”

…

The next day, she went to pay her respects to the First Madam. The First Madam mentioned the outing to the Loyal and Diligent Marquis’s household. “…It’s good to go out and enjoy the fine spring weather!”

Fifth Miss said at once, “Mother, I won’t go. I’ll stay home and do needlework.”

The First Madam was very satisfied with her expression. She smiled and said, “That’s exactly what our Eleventh Miss is always saying — and now here it is, coming from Fifth Miss’s lips. You really have grown up.”

Fifth Miss lowered her head shyly.

Eleventh Miss was genuinely grateful to Seventh Miss of the Gan Family — not only had she remembered them and sent someone with an invitation, but the woman servants she had sent were exceptionally skilled with words, having talked the First Young Mistress nearly into a corner. Although in the end the First Young Mistress had not relented, Eleventh Miss could still feel the warmth of the gesture.

“Eleventh Miss had better stay home as well.” The First Madam smiled and looked at her. “Your Fifth Sister has a great deal of needlework ahead of her. You have a good hand — stay and help her.”

Eleventh Miss did not dare refuse and smiled as she agreed. Inside she felt a faint disappointment, as though she had let down the kind intentions of Seventh Miss of the Gan Family.

The First Madam nodded and said with a smile to Nanny Xu, “Then you go along with Tenth Miss. Consider it a day out.”

For an outing like a spring banquet, the household would have maidservants and women servants in attendance, and the accompanying servants would be received as guests in their own right — treated to wine and the pleasures of the occasion, waited upon properly. It was a most enjoyable affair. However, the First Madam’s decision to send Nanny Xu personally was likely not solely for the sake of letting Nanny Xu enjoy the outing — more likely it was also meant to keep Tenth Miss in check.

Nanny Xu had probably thought the same, for she answered “Yes” with a smile and added a playful remark, “I’ll get to go and see the world too.”

Everyone laughed. After a few more pleasantries, seeing that a woman servant in charge of household affairs had come to report, everyone prepared to take their leave. They had just stood when a young maidservant announced, “First Madam, Madame Wang has come!”

This early… Eleventh Miss was faintly startled. The First Madam had already smiled and said, “Please show her in!” and was rising to go and greet her.

Madame Wang came in with a beaming smile. “Congratulations to the First Madam — I’ve come specially to claim my cup of happy wine.”

The First Madam’s face lit up with delight. She hurried forward and took Madame Wang’s hand. “It’s all thanks to you.” She also instructed Fifth Miss and the others, “You girls go back to your rooms and rest.”

At these words, everyone understood what Madame Wang had come to do.

Fifth Miss hesitated, but Tenth Miss had already turned and walked away. Fifth Miss glanced at her retreating figure, pressed her lips together, and then withdrew together with Eleventh Miss.

And indeed, Madame Wang had come to propose on behalf of the Duke Maoguo’s household — and the person they proposed for was none other than Tenth Miss.

The First Madam agreed without hesitation. That same afternoon, she went in person to the Third Madam’s home and invited a graduate examiner from the Hanlin Academy — a door student of Elder Academician Liu — by the name of Master Jin to serve as principal matchmaker.

In this way, Tenth Miss could no longer attend the spring banquet at the Loyal and Diligent Marquis’s household the following day. The First Madam asked Eleventh Miss to write a letter, explaining the situation tactfully.

Eleventh Miss complied, and not only wrote a letter to Seventh Miss of the Gan Family, but also had the letter carrier bring two embroidered pouches and two handkerchiefs for the Gan sisters, as thanks for their invitation.

Two or three days later, the Wang Family came to the Luo Family to collect the birth date card. The principal matchmaker they had engaged was the full elder brother of an official who had already gone to take up his posting in Fujian — currently serving in the Imperial Guard’s Tiger Might Camp as Commander, a full third-rank official. This was considered quite an honorable arrangement.

The two families exchanged the birth characters and set the twelfth day of the fourth month for the betrothal.

Everyone was very pleased, feeling that the family would soon produce another wife of a high official’s household, and that the Luo Family would go from strength to strength.

Then the First Madam threw herself fully into preparations for Luo Zhensheng’s participation in the Metropolitan Examinations.

Not only were new clothes made for him from top to bottom, but she also sent someone specially to Duobao Pavilion — the finest stationery shop in Yanjing — to purchase two complete sets of the four treasures of the scholar’s studio. One set was given to Luo Zhensheng; the other was sent to young Master Qian.

Young Master Qian received the gift and went so far as to write a letter of thanks, saying that when he one day achieved success and prosperity, he would never forget the First Madam’s kindness.

The First Madam read it with a smile spreading across her face, and sent someone to buy Crystal Braised Pork from Chunxi Restaurant to deliver to him.