Jiang Shi read through the account books late into the night.

Xu Sizhun woke in the small hours to find her still busy by lamplight, and urged her, “Come to bed. There’s still more than half a month until the third of the third — plenty of time.” He picked up the fur jacket lying nearby and draped it over her shoulders. “One cannot eat oneself fat in a single bite. Some things take time.”

Jiang Shi gave him a grateful smile, drew her lapels together, and said, “You don’t need to worry about me, Husband — go to sleep first. I’ll come to bed once I’ve finished this last bit.” She had no intention whatsoever of stopping.

Xu Sizhun reached over to close her account book. “Come to bed together!”

Jiang Shi snatched the book back. “Please, Husband, don’t fuss!” Her tone carried a trace of irritation.

Xu Sizhun was taken aback.

Jiang Shi realized she had been too sharp, and hastened to explain with a smile, “Mother-in-law has entrusted this to me, so I must see it done properly. There may still be more than half a month to go, but reviewing last year’s third-of-the-third expenses, the guest ledgers, the invitation lists, how everything was organized… each of those things takes effort.” She let out a rueful smile. “You think there’s still time — I feel like there isn’t enough!”

When Xu Sizhun had first taken over the household’s outer affairs, he’d felt the same way.

He relented at once.

“Shall I call Nanny Song in to ask?”

Back then, he had done the equivalent by calling for Steward Bai.

“Nanny Song is Mother’s own attendant — how could we presume to send for her?” Jiang Shi shook her head. “You don’t need to worry, Husband. I learned account-keeping from Mother at home, and besides, Mother-in-law has given me the account books, and I have Yuan Baozhu’s wife here with me… It’s just that I’ve only just taken this on and I’m not yet familiar with everything. Once I get used to it, it will come more naturally.”

Xu Sizhun knew his wife was sharp and capable, and if she said so, she surely had some confidence. Thinking that he had to meet with Lu Changgui early the next morning, he gave a yawn and went to sleep first.

Jiang Shi ran through the household’s banquet customs in her mind, called Bao Zhu over to grind the ink, and drafted an outline for the third-of-the-third. By the time she set down her brush, the sky had already begun to pale.

She rubbed her somewhat stiff neck, read through what she had written once more, and felt there were no major problems. She called Yuan Baozhu’s wife in. “Help me look it over. If you also think it’ll do, I’ll take it to Mother-in-law.”

The guest list had been drawn up according to precedent, with per-table costs, the menu, and the number of maids, wives, and matrons needed to serve — even the tip money for the opera troupe — all accounted for one by one. Compared to when she had learned household management from Madam Jiang back in her parents’ home, she had put in several times more effort.

“Fourth Young Madam has truly come into her own!” Yuan Baozhu’s wife exclaimed admiringly. “This servant genuinely cannot find a single fault.” She pointed to the line that read “twelve flower-boats” and smiled. “Fourth Young Madam intends to move the opera and the banquet out onto Biyi Lake, I take it? Only — the Grand Madam and Madam Huang are both of age and might not take well to the motion of the boat. Might you wish to reconsider the venue?”

Jiang Shi had indeed had this very idea.

As a child, she had once accompanied her father to Jiangnan. Sitting on a flower-boat, fishing from the deck while the boatwomen cooked the catch and poured a small cup of wine, watching the scenery drift by on the lake — it had felt like something out of a celestial realm, leaving a deep impression on her memory.

“What if we moored the boats in place?” Jiang Shi thought of Zhou Yu at the Battle of Red Cliff. “That way the banquet could be set on the lake, while doing away with any rocking.”

“So Fourth Young Madam had already thought it through.” Yuan Baozhu’s wife privately flattered her. “This servant was worrying over nothing.”

“I only just thought of it!” Jiang Shi talked over the banquet arrangements with her a little longer, then called the small maid in to help her wash and dress, and was about to make her way to Shiyiniang’s quarters.

Yuan Baozhu’s wife tried to stop her. “Fourth Young Madam, you really ought to rest your eyes at least a little — you cannot keep on like this!”

“I’ll be there and back in no time.” Jiang Shi was quietly a little anxious. “If Mother-in-law finds it wanting, the banquet arrangements may need to be reworked entirely…” She gave a rueful smile. “There will be plenty more to keep me busy.”

Only then did she truly feel the gulf between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law.

To be mistress of the house, one must first have the mistress hand it over to you.

Jiang Shi sighed inwardly at the thought, and set off with Bao Zhu for the main courtyard.

In the west side room, seven or eight trunks and boxes were laid out. Shiyiniang and Yingniang stood side by side, smiling as they sorted through fabric for clothing. Jiang Shi stepped forward to pay her respects, and Shiyiniang invited her to sit on the kang by the window.

Upon seeing Jiang Shi, Shiyiniang beckoned her to the large kang by the window, then smiled and told Yingniang, “I recall there are still two bolts of white rough-woven cloth somewhere — find those out as well. We’ll use them to make sleeveless summer jackets.”

Jiang Shi smiled and replied, “Is Mother-in-law selecting fabric for summer clothes?”

“Indeed!” Shiyiniang accepted the tea a little maid brought over and said with a smile, “Summer is almost here, and I have nothing particular to do, so I thought to make a few new-style outfits with your eldest cousin.” She then added, “Have Ting Ge’er’s summer clothes been prepared? I have two bolts of fine ramie here from Guangdong tribute cloth — take them and have the child made a couple of small garments.”

“Thank you, Mother-in-law!” The fine ramie from Guangdong was light and breathable — nothing better for summer clothing. And since it was all tribute goods, it was rarely seen on the open market, making it exceptionally precious. Jiang Shi thanked Shiyiniang, while over to the side, Yingniang had already brought two bolts of ginger-yellow fine ramie with a smile.

Jiang Shi had Bao Zhu put them away, then noticed that Yingniang was wearing a pale bean-green jacket over a pale-pink eight-panel Hunan silk skirt embroidered with plum blossoms, with nothing but small pearl studs at her ears — simple, pretty, and charming. She smiled and said, “You’ve come from Jiangnan, Cousin — are the eight-panel Hunan skirts still fashionable in Suzhou this year?”

Yingniang smiled back. “I don’t know much about that. These are clothes from my own trunks — Aunt saw me wearing a white embroidered skirt and told me to find a pink one instead…” She glanced down at her own skirt and laughed. “So I just found one.”

The two exchanged a few light remarks, and then Jiang Shi produced the plan she had drafted through the night.

Shiyiniang read it carefully for a while, then closed it with a smile. “Excellent, excellent. Moving the banquet out onto Biyi Lake is indeed a wonderful idea. And thinking to chain all the household flower-boats together to use as a setting for the feast — that was no small stroke of creativity.” She kept the document and called for Hupo. “Go and tell the steward matrons to gather in the flower hall first thing tomorrow morning. I have instructions for them.”

Hupo acknowledged and withdrew with a smile.

Jiang Shi’s cheeks flushed faintly, and her expression showed unmistakable emotion.

Shiyiniang had accepted her proposal entirely. This affirmation meant everything to her. At the very least, it showed that even though her mother-in-law had reprimanded her, she bore no ill will toward her because of it.

“In a few days it will be time to have summer garments made for the household servants,” Shiyiniang said to Jiang Shi with a smile. “When the time comes, consult with the head matron of the sewing room and work out what fabric to use and how much it will cost.”

Jiang Shi paused for a moment, then recovered herself quickly and rose to acknowledge the instruction with a smile. “Yes!”

Shiyiniang gave a slight nod and lifted her tea bowl. “Go and rest now. Remember to come to the flower hall early in the morning!”

Jiang Shi curtsied and withdrew.

She couldn’t help but pause at the door.

From inside the room came the sound of Yingniang’s bright laughter: “…I’ve seen lotus pods before, but I’ve never seen one wrapped in solid gold around jade!”

Jiang Shi understood — her mother-in-law and this eldest cousin were discussing jewelry.

She walked briskly away from the main courtyard.

“I’ve always thought it was too heavy myself,” Shiyiniang said with a smile. “But it was a gift from your uncle, so I’ve kept it here all along. Tomorrow a craftsman is coming to the household — I’m thinking of having it remade into a hairpin.” She then chose a rosy quartz flower ornament and presented it to Yingniang. “You’re young — soft, delicate pieces like this suit you well.”

“It’s beautiful!” Yingniang happily offered her thanks and turned it over in her hands for a long while.

Shiyiniang smiled warmly and asked her, “Have you decided what clothes you’d like made?”

Yingniang looked at the rainbow of summer fabrics spread before her, and said with some helplessness, “I… I haven’t decided yet. At home, Mother always picks for me — whatever she makes is what I wear.”

Shiyiniang laughed. “Is there nothing you particularly like for yourself?”

“There is!” Yingniang said, a little bashfully. “It’s just that every time the seamstresses made something following my instructions, everyone said it didn’t look right on me when I wore it.”

Shiyiniang couldn’t suppress her laughter.

The two of them selected fabrics together, discussing what to have made.

Xu Sijie came by after lessons to pay his respects.

“It’s already noon already!” Shiyiniang smiled and brought out a bolt of purple velvet, setting it on the kang, then asked a maid to invite Xu Sijie in. She said to Yingniang, “Cut this and set it aside. When summer comes, give it to the maids and wives to make velvet flowers to wear in their hair.”

Yingniang smiled and had her personal maid Wan Xiang set it to one side.

Xu Sijie came in.

“Mother is selecting fabric for summer clothes?” He smiled and paid Shiyiniang his respects, and the corner of his eye caught sight of the velvet set aside. “Are you already starting to prepare the velvet flowers?”

He even knows about that?

Even I didn’t know?

Yingniang muttered this to herself, and couldn’t help but look at Xu Sijie a moment longer.

“This fabric had been sitting at the bottom of a trunk. If we hadn’t been looking for the white rough-woven cloth today, I’d have forgotten all about it,” Shiyiniang said, noting this as she smiled. “Now that it’s turned up, I’ll have your eldest cousin keep it. That way I won’t forget again.” She then said, “Your rest day is in a couple of days, isn’t it? Yingniang is fond of flowers and plants too — why don’t you take that time to help me transplant a few gardenias to the back courtyard together.”

Xu Sijie cheerfully agreed.

A look of delight came over Yingniang’s face as well.

Back in her own rooms, Jiang Shi promptly made two clean copies of the banquet guest list — before the formal invitations went out, the list had to be reviewed not only by the Grand Madam but by Shiyiniang as well, to ensure no one was overlooked. She also called for Yuan Baozhu’s wife and went over every expense figure together, even instructing Yuan Baozhu’s wife to make inquiries into current market prices for various goods and write them up in a list for her.

“Isn’t that going rather far?” Xu Sizhun muttered upon returning from the outer court. “I watched Mother back in the day, and she simply handed the money over to the head matrons and left it to them…”

Jiang Shi laughed. “This is nothing like trying to take over the money from the head matrons. I simply don’t want to be caught flat-footed when they bring things up to me. I don’t want people to think I’m someone who only talks but can’t actually do anything.”

That made sense.

Back when he had been in the outer court, there had been some stewards who assumed he knew nothing — and when he had asked questions, they had given him rambling, half-baked explanations and left it at that.

Jiang Shi worked all the way through midday until she simply could not keep going any longer, and allowed herself a brief rest. That afternoon she spent reviewing the market price list. The following day she was up before dawn. Knowing this was her first formal meeting with the head matrons, she took great care with her hair and dress, and only then, surrounded by her maids and attendants, made her way to Shiyiniang’s quarters.

—