Perhaps because this child had come with such difficulty, Ying Ying’s full-month celebration was not only held with great festivity — Xu Siyu even came riding back from Le’an in haste, dusty from the road.

Cradling his daughter, who was as round and soft as a little glutinous rice dumpling, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Lady Shiyi walked over and gently stroked the baby’s dark hair. “She’s very well-tempered too. When she’s full, she sleeps; when she’s hungry or needs changing, she makes small, quiet sounds. Second Sister-in-law says she’s just like you when you were small.”

Xu Sizhun broke into a wide grin, and with great care he handed the sleeping baby to the wet nurse.

“Then what was I like when I was small?” Jin Ge’er tugged at Lady Shiyi’s sleeve.

“When you were small, you cried loudly at the slightest thing,” Lady Shiyi put her arm around her son’s shoulders. “You gave us such terrible headaches. I don’t know how you could have been so naughty.”

Jin Ge’er’s eyes went wide as saucers. “Really?” He turned to Xu Siyu. “Second Brother, you must have seen me when I was small. Was I well-behaved or not?”

“Very well-behaved!” Xu Siyu laughed heartily. Looking at Jin Ge’er, who now stood as tall as Lady Shiyi’s ear, he said: “Sixth Brother is this tall already, and yet here I am, having accomplished nothing.” His tone was full of feeling.

“Has something happened?” Xu Siyu so rarely spoke like this that Lady Shiyi couldn’t help feeling a little concerned.

“Not at all!” Xu Siyu laughed and shook his head, absently rubbing the back of his neck. “I just feel… now that I’m a father, I really need to put everything into the provincial examinations next year.” He spoke to Lady Shiyi with an easy, natural candor — as one would to a friend.

“Haste makes waste,” Lady Shiyi said with a smile. “This isn’t the kind of thing where sheer effort wins the day.”

Xiang Shi came in herself carrying the tea.

Xu Siyu took it with his own hands and presented it to Lady Shiyi.

“You can let the little maids do that,” Lady Shiyi said, accepting the tea and gently instructing Xiang Shi, “You only just completed your confinement month!”

The corners of Xiang Shi’s eyes and the tips of her brows were full of a new mother’s joy. “I’ve been lying in bed for a whole month — I was starting to grow moss!” She felt a deep gratitude that her father-in-law and mother-in-law had chosen a name for her eldest daughter. She turned to bring in a plate of sweets: “I had the kitchen make fresh mung bean cakes and lotus seed cakes. Mother and Sixth Uncle, please taste them and tell me what you think.”

Mung bean cakes were Jin Ge’er’s favorite. Lady Shiyi preferred the lotus seed cakes.

“Mmm, these are good,” Jin Ge’er said after tasting one. “I think they used rock sugar.”

“Sixth Uncle is really something,” Xiang Shi nodded with a smile. “Regular sugar tends to cause heat — I specifically used rock sugar instead.”

Jin Ge’er was clearly delighted by Xiang Shi’s thoughtfulness and ate two more pieces.

Xu Siyu watched Jin Ge’er with a fond, chuckling look, his eyes full of warmth.

“I’ve copied out all the essays I felt were my best and sent them to my father-in-law to review,” he said to Lady Shiyi. “Father-in-law says they are steady but lack sharpness — he has invited me to come see things firsthand at his posting. I’ve discussed it with Headmaster Jiang, and we’ve decided that I’ll spend a few days here in Yanjing and then head straight down to Huguang, returning to Le’an in the autumn.”

Three years ago, Director Xiang had been promoted to Minister of the Huguang region.

The most challenging part of the imperial examinations — the policy essay — required drawing on the Four Books and Five Classics to give one’s views on affairs of the state. Better to travel and observe the world than to shut oneself away and manufacture ideas in isolation.

Lady Shiyi gave a quiet nod.

Jin Ge’er spoke up: “Is Second Brother going to Huguang? I’m going with Father to Datong in a few days.”

Xu Siyu was a little surprised.

Lady Shiyi smiled and said: “Before the New Year, your father made a trip to Baoding. After coming back, he couldn’t seem to stay settled at home. Once the New Year was over, he said that after Ying Ying’s full-month celebration, he wanted to visit Datong. Now that you’ve come back, he certainly won’t be leaving any time soon.”

“Father has been home all these years — it’s good for him to get out and travel a bit.” Xu Siyu understood now, and said with a smile to Jin Ge’er: “Stay by Father’s side and look after his health. Pay close attention to everything you see. When you’re older, you’ll understand just how rare an opportunity like this truly is.”

Whether the opportunity was rare or not, Jin Ge’er didn’t quite know — but looking after Father was something he understood very well.

Jin Ge’er said with a pleased look: “When I was with Father, I also helped him get his basin of hot water for his foot soak and held his horse for him!” He looked quite proud of himself. Then, almost immediately, he broke into a cold sweat.

That was something Father had specifically told him, again and again, not to let Mother know.

“Mama,” he quickly tried to explain, “Father just wanted me to learn how to look after others… No, that’s not right either…” He tried again: “Father meant — a true man must be able to rise and to stoop; even as a servant boy, one must be the very best, one that people cannot do without…” That didn’t sound quite right either. “Mama, I just — I thought it was actually rather fun myself…”

“Alright, alright!” Lady Shiyi watched him sweating all over and felt equal parts amusement and exasperation. “I know your father was tempering your character…”

“Right, right, right,” Jin Ge’er said quickly. “Father said exactly that. He said if I can do small things well, I can do great things.”

Xu Siyu, watching Lady Shiyi’s serene smile, quietly instructed Xiang Shi afterward: “You must take good care of Ying Ying. If you’re ever unsure about anything, go and consult Mother. Mother is kind and broad-minded — look at Elder Sister-in-law, and then at Fifth Brother… The very worst thing in a woman is pettiness.”

Xiang Shi nodded repeatedly.

Xu Siyu spent two full days making the rounds of his elders.

Fang Ji heard the news and arrived in person: “You come back to Yanjing and don’t even bother to come see me!”

He was now serving as a censor at the Censorate.

“I thought you were afraid of being associated with me?” Xu Siyu said with a laugh.

Fang Ji had a somewhat sheepish look on his face.

Not long ago, he had submitted a memorial impeaching the Marquis of Zhongshan, and as a result the Marquis had been stripped of two years’ salary — it had made quite a name for him.

“I was only joking!” Xu Siyu gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “I was about to come find you myself.” He drew Fang Ji into the study. “I’m planning to head down to Huguang in a couple of days…” He told Fang Ji his plans.

“You should have gone out to see the world a long time ago,” Fang Ji said emphatically. “I also have a few colleagues from the same examination who are serving as county magistrates there. You can go and visit them as well.” Being the sort of person who acts as soon as he decides, Fang Ji immediately asked Xu Siyu to call a maid in to grind the ink. “I’ll write you a few letters right now so you can present them when you call on these people.”

Being received as the son-in-law of the regional minister was one thing — being received as the friend of a former fellow-examiner was quite another.

Xu Siyu was delighted.

The days that followed he and Fang Ji went about together. They called on several celebrated literary figures in Yanjing and met with a number of renowned classical scholars — a fruitful and enriching experience. It was not until the fourth month, after celebrating the Grand Madam’s birthday, that Xu Siyu finally set off for Huguang.

Shortly after, Xu Lingyi took Jin Ge’er to Datong.

Lady Shiyi suddenly found herself with time on her hands.

On the days Xu Sijie did not have class, he kept her company.

“…The gold itself is already of excellent quality. With just a little polishing, it will shine brilliantly — adding gemstones is no more than gilding the lily.” Lady Shiyi had called in craftsmen to rework her jewelry, and Xu Sijie was helping her decide. “I think it would be best to hammer it into gold leaf and shape it into a peony — just a single flower, and it would be enough to dazzle every eye.” Then the seamstresses arrived for the autumn wardrobe: “First go to the shops along East Main Street and see what Suzhou-style goods they have. The palace is still wearing rainbow pleated skirts, but outside, people have already started wearing three-inch narrow-trimmed skirts.” He also told the little maids to hang jasmine balls inside the bed curtains: “The fragrance is more subtle than magnolia and more lasting than gardenia.”

Lady Shiyi felt as though she had somehow acquired a daughter.

“How is your schoolwork coming along?”

Xu Sijie curved his lips in a faint smile: “Teacher Chang says I should try sitting the examinations next year.”

Which meant the studies were going rather well!

Lady Shiyi was happy for him and set to work making him an examination curtain with her own hands.

Jiang Shi watched all of this and reminded Xu Sizhun: “Father and Sixth Brother are both away from home. When you have time, go spend more time with Mother.”

Xu Sizhun had been strangely secretive these past few days — forever disappearing, no one knew where to.

“Isn’t Fifth Brother keeping Mother company?” he said with a smile. “Of all the brothers, only Fifth Brother can keep up with Mother when it comes to talking about jewelry and clothes. The rest of us really can’t get a word in.” He looked a little helpless.

Jiang Shi could not help but frown slightly. She thought it over and said: “Have you written to Father? I heard from Second Sister-in-law that Second Uncle sent Second Aunt a letter saying he wants her to make a pair of fur knee pads each for Father and Sixth Brother. He said Father may go directly from Datong to Xuantong and might not return until winter.”

Xu Sizhun looked surprised. “I did write to Father. But Father’s letter back only said that all is well — nothing else.” He hesitated: “Are you sure you didn’t mishear? You’re due to give birth in the autumn — why would Father stay away until winter? If that were the case, Mother would have surely received word long since. I went to pay my respects to Mother just this morning, and she said nothing at all about Father’s plans for returning!”

*That was exactly what worried her — Second Uncle knew, but even Mother didn’t.*

“Husband, you should write Father another letter,” Jiang Shi said. “Asking after his daily meals and rest would be reason enough.” Then she raised the matter of the coming days: “Father is away from home, the Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner, and it’s also Mother’s birthday. Even with Grandmother here and a grand celebration out of the question, we as children should still show that we care and put some thought into it!”

“Don’t worry about that,” Xu Sizhun said with a smile. “I have my own plans.” He reached out and patted Jiang Shi’s belly. “Is our son being naughty?” His eyes and brows were full of warmth and tender concern.

Jiang Shi was momentarily speechless.

After Xu Sizhun left for Shuangfu Courtyard, she immediately instructed Yuan Baozhu’s wife: “Go through my dowry and find those fox pelts. I want to make fur hats for Father-in-law and Sixth Uncle.”

“Fourth Young Mistress,” Yuan Baozhu’s wife hesitated, “Yanjing winters are cold — one cannot manage without a fur coat, and that is one thing. But those fox pelts are snow-white and flawless — the kind of quality money cannot easily buy. You are the first-born son’s legitimate wife; without a few items to anchor your dowry, how would that look? Rather than use those fox pelts, it would be better to quietly go outside and buy several good quality pelts. This is Yanjing — if we’re willing to spend the silver, surely we can find something fine.”

Jiang Shi thought of the time she had been sitting with Lady Shiyi in the main hall dealing with household matters, when Nanny Li from the kitchen had delicately mentioned that the steward in the outer courtyard had been lax with purchases lately. Lady Shiyi had calmly remarked that the steward had been caught by his wife in the matter of keeping a mistress, and while that fire was still raging at home, it was only natural that his oversight of purchases had slipped. At the time, all the household managers and senior servants who moved between the inner and outer courtyards had looked completely taken aback — as though hearing it for the very first time.

“My mother-in-law may live in the inner quarters, but not a breath of wind stirs in the outer courtyard without her knowing — let alone what happens inside the house.” Jiang Shi shook her head slowly. “If I have fine things and won’t use them because they’re from my dowry, and instead go out to buy something lesser as a gift for Father-in-law and his brother, that would be coming up short in the end — and people would look down on me for it. Let’s set that idea aside. I’ll think of another way.”