The entire household stirred.

The gatekeepers ran to report to Xu Lingyi, the Grand Madam, and Eleventh Lady. Xu Lingyi gave an expressionless nod — then stood up and said to the roomful of stewards who had come to attend the morning consultation: “We’ll leave today’s business here and continue this afternoon. I’ll go and welcome the Uncle.”

It was only a matter of welcoming a guest — who was asking for an explanation? Did he need to explain himself to these people?

The stewards scrambled to their feet and saw Xu Lingyi to the door. Some among them quietly passed word to their counterparts in the inner courtyard to hurry to the Grand Madam’s and Eleventh Lady’s quarters with congratulations.

Zhihong, the Grand Madam’s attendant, furrowed her brow slightly, turning from time to time to urge the rough servants carrying the palanquin: “Matrons, please hurry — the Grand Madam is waiting. Yuban was scolded by the Grand Madam just for being slow with the cloak. Matrons, please do me the favor — let me account for this properly to the Grand Madam.”

“Miss, don’t worry — we won’t hold you up,” the two matrons said. Having heard that even Yuban had been reprimanded, they dared not be careless, and quickened their pace. With puffing and panting they entered the courtyard, only to see Nanny Du hurrying toward them: “What took so long? Quickly — the Grand Madam is already waiting under the eaves!”

The two matrons were startled, and carried the palanquin at a half-trot toward the main room.

Yuban had already brought the grey squirrel-fur padded cushion. Two small maids helped the Grand Madam onto the palanquin; Yuban immediately spread the cushion over her, another small maid handed over a hand warmer, Nanny Du steadied the palanquin, and Yuban and Zhihong walked on either side, with a large retinue of maids, young wives, and matrons crowding behind — a great procession making its way in full pomp to the main building.

Eleventh Lady had drawn Jin Ge’er under the eaves and was examining his face closely.

There was a faint red mark on it. Were it not for his rather fair complexion, such a small mark might not have been so visible.

“Does it still itch?” she asked, already reaching out with gentle affection to touch the mark. “Still keeping things from your mother — if your Second Brother hadn’t sent that medicine in time, it might not have healed this quickly!”

Jin Ge’er grinned: “Mother, if you weren’t always so worried, would I feel I had to hide it from you? I’m grown up now — I know what’s good for me and what isn’t. If I’m truly unwell, I won’t just endure it in silence. The one who’d be suffering would be me — why would I be hard on myself? That would be foolish, wouldn’t it?” He added: “Mother, did you tell the Grand Madam?”

His expression carried a trace of anxiety.

“I’m nothing like you,” Eleventh Lady said, affecting a stern face. “Something this significant — how could I not tell the Grand Madam?”

“Oh no!” Jin Ge’er couldn’t help growing anxious. “She’s getting on in years — if she finds out, won’t she work herself up?” He grabbed Eleventh Lady’s hand and was about to pull her along. “Let’s hurry to the Grand Madam’s — she won’t be at ease until she sees me with her own eyes.”

“You child, you do have a conscience after all.” Eleventh Lady tapped him on the forehead. “If even you understand this, do you think I don’t?” She smiled. “Don’t worry — I haven’t breathed a word to your grandmother. As for you — don’t let it slip when you see her.”

She then ruffled her son’s hair. “It’s you who mustn’t let it slip!”

“Mother, do you think I’m that kind of person?” Jin Ge’er said indignantly, pulling himself up to his full height with a look of towering dignity. Then he made a little pout: “Mother, you can’t keep patting my head anymore. In a few years I’ll be taking a wife — if she sees me looking like I haven’t been weaned yet, she’ll never take me seriously… ” He said it to make his mother laugh.

“What nonsense!” Eleventh Lady tried to suppress her amusement, but stopped patting the boy’s head all the same. “How old are you, going on about getting a wife. Read your books properly — that’s what matters.” Her expression then grew serious. “Have you seen your maternal grandfather? How is the elder’s health? And your grandmother, your uncles, your cousins — are they all well?”

“I did see Grandfather! He’s very fond of me — he not only took me to see the Lone Hill, but also gave me a Longquan sword and told me to come back to visit him in Yuhang in a couple of years.” Jin Ge’er grew excited as he spoke. “Did you know, Grandfather is devoted to Taoist teachings. In his outer study he has a furnace set up for refining elixirs, and he even taught me how to write petitionary prayers. I still remember one I wrote…”

Eleventh Lady felt as though sweat was forming at her temples.

“You said Grandfather wants you to visit him in Yuhang again in a couple of years?” She quickly cut her son off. “What did you say in reply?”

“I naturally agreed.” Jin Ge’er said, and with a somewhat cheeky smile put his arm around Eleventh Lady’s shoulder. “Mother, this was Grandfather’s own wish. Besides, you’ve always taught me since I was small to keep my word and honor my promises — a single word is worth a thousand pieces of gold. When the time comes, you won’t put up obstacles for me, will you?”

Though his expression was casual enough, a flicker of genuine earnestness showed in his eyes. It was plain he truly wished to return to Yuhang.

Eleventh Lady suddenly had the feeling of an unexpected windfall.

She had never naively believed that one trip to Jiangnan would completely erase the impression the northwest had left on her son. She had only hoped that through this journey, he would come to know more of the world. So that when the time came for him to choose, he would know there were other paths before him.

“Do you like Jiangnan?” she asked Jin Ge’er, her voice carrying a thread of careful restraint.

“I do!” Jin Ge’er looked at his mother with mild bewilderment.

He liked Jiangnan, he liked Yuhang, he liked his grandfather… his mother should be pleased. Why did she look slightly worried?

Her answer received, Eleventh Lady exhaled in relief. She tightened her arm around her son’s, wanting to ask him at length about everything he had seen and heard on the journey. A gust of wind swept through — cold, and bone-piercing.

She laughed at herself.

She had been too impatient.

“Let’s go inside!” Eleventh Lady took her son by the hand. “It’s too cold out here.” Before she had finished speaking, a voice called out: “Sixth Brother is back!”

Eleventh Lady and Jin Ge’er both looked toward the gate, and saw Xu Siyu walking in with a smile.

“Second Brother!” Jin Ge’er stepped forward to bow to him. “Congratulations on passing as a provincial graduate. This is a first for our family!”

Xu Siyu was slightly taken aback.

In his memory, this younger brother was hot-tempered, domineering, and stubborn. He hadn’t expected the first words out of his mouth to be congratulations — spoken, at that, with a note of genuine admiration.

“You still remember me!” He suppressed the strangeness he felt, and looked at this unfamiliar yet somehow familiar young man before him. “We haven’t seen each other in two or three years.”

“How could I forget!” Jin Ge’er said with a grin. “Every time you came back, we went rowing together.”

Xu Siyu remembered carrying this little brother in his arms when he was small, and smiled.

A sound came from outside.

A small maid ran in: “Madam, Second Young Master, Sixth Young Master — the Grand Madam is here!”

Everyone immediately went out. In the covered corridor they ran directly into the Grand Madam.

“Jin Ge’er!” From afar, the Grand Madam opened her arms wide. “You’re finally back!”

Jin Ge’er went forward and embraced the Grand Madam: “Are you well? What have you been doing while I was away? Have Nanny Du and Zhihong been keeping you company at cards? With the New Year almost here, has Reverend Jining been showing up with armloads of blessing amulets, asking for incense donations?”

“You child — no sense of propriety,” the Grand Madam chided, though the joy on her face was impossible to conceal. “How dare you make fun of Reverend Jining. Mind the Bodhisattva finds out.” She pressed her palms together and bowed toward the west. “Bodhisattva, forgive him. He’s young and doesn’t know better — I’ll burn incense for you tomorrow.” Then she said to Jin Ge’er: “Now bow to the Bodhisattva!”

Jin Ge’er made a pained face and bowed toward the west: “Bodhisattva, I will never speak recklessly again!”

Everyone laughed.

Jin Ge’er helped the Grand Madam along, and they all made their way into the main room.

They took their seats by rank. Small maids brought tea and refreshments. Eleventh Lady thought of Luo Zhensheng in the outer courtyard — he had taken Jin Ge’er traveling all that way, and then, in order to bring Jin Ge’er back in time for the New Year, had spent only a few days at home before setting out again, likely without even having had much time to talk with his own son.

She left the Grand Madam and Xu Siyu in high spirits talking with Jin Ge’er, and went to the outer study.

Xu Lingyi was there speaking with Luo Zhensheng. Seeing her enter, he immediately asked: “Where’s Jin Ge’er?”

“Keeping Mother company and talking,” Eleventh Lady said with a smile, stepping forward to bow respectfully to Luo Zhensheng. “Brother, thank you for all your trouble.”

“We’re family — no need to stand on ceremony,” Luo Zhensheng said with a smile. “Traveling like this with Jin Ge’er, I myself gained a great deal. If anything, it’s Jin Ge’er who did me a favor.” Then he brought up the sore on Jin Ge’er’s face. “It’s me who failed to look after Jin Ge’er properly…”

“Didn’t you just say ‘we’re family — no need to stand on ceremony,’ yet here you are being polite yourself?” Xu Lingyi said with a laugh, and lifted his teacup. “Have a taste — Junshan Yinzhen.”

Luo Zhensheng said no more, smiled, and took a sip of the tea. He closed his eyes to savor it, then took another sip, and finally said with a smile: “Sweet, rich, and mellow — quite different from Longjing’s fresh clarity. Truly a fine tea.”

“Then take some home with you.” Xu Lingyi called for Denghuo to go and pack up some tea leaves for Luo Zhensheng.

Luo Zhensheng smiled and thanked him, then his expression showed a hint of hesitation.

“If you have something to say, just say it,” Xu Lingyi said with a smile. “There’s no one else in this room.”

Luo Zhensheng visibly relaxed, smiled, yet still paused to reflect before speaking: “On this trip, I took the opportunity to stop and call on Fifth Brother-in-law.”

“Zichun!” Xu Lingyi was mildly surprised.

Eleventh Lady also listened attentively.

Fifth Sister had been living in Yanjing these past two years. When they met at New Year’s or at ceremonies for weddings and funerals, she spoke only of her two children, and almost never mentioned Qian Ming. Even when others brought him up, she responded with nothing more than pleasantries. Eleventh Lady had a vague sense that something might be wrong between them, but since Fifth Sister didn’t speak of it, she naturally couldn’t ask.

“You know what Wendeng is like without me having to say it. If that posting of county magistrate there weren’t ridden with bandits and hard to govern, it would never have fallen to Zichun.” Luo Zhensheng said gravely. “I hadn’t expected it — but in the five or six short years since Zichun arrived in Wendeng, he has governed it so well that people don’t pick up things left on the road, and doors are left unlocked at night. A villager who was giving us directions, on hearing that I was Zichun’s relative, not only personally escorted us to the government office, but insisted on giving us the eggs from his basket…”

Both Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Lady were astonished.

Luo Zhensheng nodded gravely, and his expression took on a trace of bitterness: “He came through the third tier of the metropolitan examination, and yet was given the chance to govern a place well…” He trailed off.

—