Shen Ge’er spoke with such conviction that Jin Ge’er couldn’t help looking carefully at his parents. But the moment his eyes flicked over, his mother caught him.

“Jin Ge’er, Shen Ge’er,” Shiyiniang asked them in a gentle tone, “are you both done eating? If so, shall we all go take a look at the Qingyin Residence together? What do you think?”

“Yes, yes!” the two of them answered in unison. One lowered his head and scooped up the last mouthful of congee in his bowl; the other stuffed the last small piece of steamed bun into his mouth.

Shiyiniang did not spare Xu Lingyi a single glance, and led the two children off to the Qingyin Residence.

“What a big courtyard,” Shen Ge’er said, running back and forth across the wide grounds, first peering up at the plaque hanging above the main hall, then squinting at the large character for “fortune” carved into the screen wall in bluestone. Then he turned to Shiyiniang with a solemn expression. “Fourth Auntie, I want to live behind Sixth Brother.”

Behind the Qingyin Residence was the Double Carp Pavilion. The two courtyards were identical in size and layout. The former had two parasol trees planted in the courtyard, hence the name Qingyin Residence — “Residence of Clear Shade.” The latter had a small ornamental pond with a pair of man-sized stone carp standing in it, hence the name Double Carp Pavilion.

Before Shiyiniang could speak, Jin Ge’er happily said, “Yes! Then I can go straight to your place through the back gate, and you can come straight to mine through the back gate!”

Shen Ge’er nodded vigorously. “In the evenings I can come over to your place to play, no matter how late it —”

He hadn’t finished speaking before Jin Ge’er was already in a panic, blinking at Shen Ge’er and covertly pointing at Shiyiniang, who stood nearby.

Shen Ge’er understood at once. Without even blinking, he seamlessly shifted the subject. “— we can review our lessons together and practice martial arts together.” Then he slapped his forehead and said loudly, “Right, didn’t Master Pang say we should spar whenever we have free time? That way, when facing an actual opponent, we won’t panic from lack of experience.”

“Exactly, exactly!” Jin Ge’er quickly agreed. “Chang’an’s martial arts aren’t bad, but the person is too rigid. Asking him to spar with me is like asking him to give up his life. And Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu are too weak — I finish them off in two or three moves. Sparring with brothers is the most interesting.” Then he said to Shiyiniang, “Mother, Seventh Brother and I have both started practicing fists. Would you like us to show you?”

The maids following behind them all wanted to laugh but dared not, and struggled to keep their heads bowed.

Shiyiniang had sulked without speaking to Xu Lingyi the night before, and had woken up this morning feeling hollow and low in spirit. But the two children, with their childlike innocence, were like the first ray of morning sunlight, brightening her gloom and making her smile against her will. She put one arm around Jin Ge’er’s shoulders and the other around Shen Ge’er’s, laughing. “All right, all right, you two — stop standing here telling me barefaced nonsense with your eyes wide open.”

The two little fellows grinned sheepishly, and the group went into the inner chambers.

On the western wall of the inner chamber was a large built-in curio shelf, striking to the eye.

Shiyiniang smiled and pointed at it. “When the time comes, all your little treasures can be arranged on here.”

Jin Ge’er let out a whoop of delight and ran over to examine it, already thinking aloud: “This spot for my peachwood sword, this spot for my clay figurines, this spot for my helmet…” He was clearly thrilled, and ran with Shen Ge’er into the study. To the east was a window facing the moon, covered with a layer of deep red gauze through which the vivid green bamboo outside was visible; beneath the window hung an empty gilded birdcage.

“Beautiful, beautiful!” Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er — one running to look at the bamboo outside the window, the other peering up at the birdcage — exclaimed together. “Sixth Brother, when you move in, you should keep a parrot.”

“What’s so good about parrots?” Jin Ge’er was dismissive. “If you’re going to keep something, keep a pair of golden orioles.”

“Parrots are better,” Shen Ge’er argued. “When you get tired from studying, you look up and teach the parrot to say a few words — much more interesting. Golden orioles just twitter and chatter.”

“Are you saying golden orioles twitter and chatter?” Jin Ge’er curled his lip. “It’s sparrows that twitter and chatter, if you please.”

“I wouldn’t know how sparrows sound,” Shiyiniang said, laughing, “but I do know that Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er together are most definitely twitter-and-chatter.”

“Mother!”

“Fourth Auntie!”

The two children pulled at Shiyiniang’s sleeves and pouted playfully. The group chatted and laughed their way through to the back courtyard.

By the time they had toured the whole place, it was time for the midday meal.

Shiyiniang and the children went to the Senior Madam’s quarters.

The Senior Madam was lying sideways on the kang, talking with Nanny Du, when she spotted Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er and immediately perked up. She called at once for Zhihong to bring out “all the cherries, peaches, and plums rewarded from the palace the other day,” and took the children’s hands. “Where have you been? Why are your foreheads damp with sweat?”

“We went to the Qingyin Residence,” the two of them said all at once, talking over each other. The Senior Madam listened as she took the handkerchief from a maid and wiped the perspiration from Jin Ge’er’s and Shen Ge’er’s backs. When Zhihong brought up a fruit platter, the Senior Madam had the two children climb up onto the kang and handed each of them a peeled peach. Seeing them settle down quietly to eat, she smiled over at Shiyiniang. “Have you picked an auspicious date for the move?”

“Not yet!” Shiyiniang accepted a plum from the Senior Madam and sat down on the armchair below her. “I was actually coming to discuss a lucky date with you, Mother!”

The Senior Madam nodded. “What does the Fourth Master say?”

Whatever he says.

Shiyiniang grumbled inwardly, but smiled at the Senior Madam. “Naturally, this is for you to decide!”

The Senior Madam, who did consider herself experienced in such matters, accepted this without hesitation and had Nanny Du go fetch the almanac. “The twelfth of the fourth month — how does that look? The twenty-fourth of the fourth month is also good. Otherwise we’d have to wait until the fifth month.”

“Then let’s make it the fifth month,” Shiyiniang laughed. “I didn’t expect them to come back so quickly. Small things like shoehorns and bed-sweeping brushes still haven’t been prepared. The twelfth of the fourth month is too rushed. And the twenty-sixth of the fourth month is your birthday, Mother. Let’s choose a date in the fifth month. If there isn’t a suitable one, the sixth month works too.”

The two of them discussed the matter for quite some time, and finally settled on the fourteenth day of the sixth month for the move.

The Senior Madam asked about arrangements for Jin Ge’er’s room. “I see that Hongwen is quite capable. Why not promote her to a second-rank maid to attend to Jin Ge’er?”

“You’ve read my mind exactly.” Shiyiniang smiled, and settled the matter together with the Senior Madam.

After the midday meal, the Fifth Madam came looking for her son. Shiyiniang and the Fifth Madam attended to the Senior Madam while she rested, then got to talking about Xin Jie’er’s wedding, and went together to the Fifth Madam’s rooms.

Jin Ge’er and Shen Ge’er were overjoyed to have the afternoon to play together to their hearts’ content. Shiyiniang chatted with the Fifth Madam for a while, rested at her place for a bit, and in the afternoon the two women went to the Fifth Madam’s storeroom to help select items for Xin Jie’er’s dowry.

The two children played happily all afternoon. As the sun was beginning to set, Shen Ge’er ran up to plead with Shiyiniang: “Fourth Auntie, please stay for dinner! We have fresh shad fish.” In truth, he wanted to keep Jin Ge’er there.

Shiyiniang — who was usually somewhat overly polite — agreed readily this time with a smile. Even the Fifth Madam was a little surprised. Thinking back on the pleasant afternoon they’d had talking about Xin Jie’er’s affairs, she didn’t read too much into it, and had the kitchen prepare a full table of dishes to welcome Shiyiniang and her son. After the meal, they all went together to pay their respects to the Senior Madam, where they ran into Xu Sizhun and his wife along with Madam Xiang, and before long Xu Sijie, Xu Lingkuan, and Xu Lingyi arrived one after another. Everyone talked and laughed warmly, and it was only at the beginning of the hai hour that the gathering broke up.

Jin Ge’er walked ahead holding his father’s hand, chattering about his new courtyard: “…the west wing in the rear courtyard made into a storeroom… the back courtyard has a bamboo grove, and the path is paved with white stones… the Double Carp Pavilion has a small ornamental pond. I want to build a grape trellis at the door of the east wing, and put a big cistern under it to keep lotus flowers and goldfish…”

Shiyiniang followed at a relaxed pace, five steps behind them, and they all returned to their rooms together.

Jin Ge’er paid his respects to both parents and went off with Hongwen to rest.

Xu Lingyi glanced up, only to see that Shiyiniang had already gone into the dressing room.

He had been out since morning and only just seen her now.

He shook his head with a smile — half helpless, half tender.

When Shiyiniang came out, Xu Lingyi was leaning against the large headrest pillow, reading.

He looked up at her and smiled. “Done washing up.”

“Yes.” She answered briefly, her gaze straight ahead, climbed onto the bed, went around Xu Lingyi from the foot of the bed to the inner side, pulled up the covers, and closed her eyes.

“Shiyiniang!” Xu Lingyi sighed.

“If my Lord has something to say, please say it tomorrow,” Shiyiniang said, turning over to face away from him. “There are still arrangements to make tomorrow for the trip to the Medicine King Temple.”

Xu Lingyi looked at his wife, cocooned inside the scarlet quilt like a silkworm in its chrysalis, and could not help but let out a rueful laugh.

The next morning, Jiang Shi came to discuss the itinerary for the trip to the Medicine King Temple with Shiyiniang: “…forty attendants. Fourteen carriages. The Senior Madam and Nanny Du in one, attended by Zhihong and Yuban, along with two additional attendants, four maids, and two rough-work servants. The Second Elder Madam and Jiexiang in one, with two attendants and two maids.” She produced a booklet. “Here are the arrangements for the Sanjing Lane residence…”

Jiang Shi had finished overseeing the household’s summer garments, so Shiyiniang had now passed on to her the task of organizing the fourth day of the fourth month excursion.

Shiyiniang listened carefully to everything and found the arrangements sensible with no apparent gaps, so she nodded. “Let it be as you’ve arranged. Nanny Du in the Senior Madam’s rooms is getting on in years and needs the young maids to look after her. As for matters along the way, discuss it with Hupo and handle it between the two of you.”

Jiang Shi responded respectfully with a “yes,” and seeing Shiyiniang had nothing further to say, rose and took her leave.

Shiyiniang asked Hupo, “Where is Jin Ge’er?”

“Sorting things in his room,” Hupo said with a smile. “He says he’s worried about being in a flurry when moving day comes.”

Shiyiniang was exasperated.

She was reluctant to part with him, while he was constantly thinking about the world outside.

“Please fetch me a reclining pillow,” Shiyiniang said, asking a young maid to take away the low kang table. “I’m a little tired — I’d like to lie down for a bit.”

With the master having returned, it ought to have been a joyful occasion, yet for some reason the Madam did not look at all happy about it — she even seemed to be avoiding the Marquis.

Hupo turned this over in her mind and moved with extra care and delicacy, tiptoeing over to drape a large scarlet brocade reclining pillow over her, and gently pulled the lattice door shut.

Shiyiniang counted little lambs in her head, refusing to think about tomorrow. She didn’t know how many she’d counted before she actually drifted off to sleep.

Half-asleep and half-awake, she seemed to hear someone speaking softly.

“…she may just be tired… it’s nothing… I’ll keep watch here… you go ahead… if anything comes up, I’ll send one of the young maids to fetch you.”

The voice was bright and direct — though deliberately kept low, it was noticeably louder than the voices of the maids who usually attended on Shiyiniang.

It was Ying Niang!

Shiyiniang’s eyes opened of their own accord.

—