The next day was Yuanniang’s formal laying-in. Proper protocol called for the Luo family to send a three-offering sacrificial table to the mourning hall to burn paper money for Yuanniang. But unexpectedly, the First Madam awoke early that morning and vomited profusely all over herself. The First Master turned pale with fright and immediately sent someone to summon a physician. Luo Zhensheng, learning of this, rushed over in alarm to check on her. The First Madam, afraid of delaying the proper timing at Yuanniang’s side, urged her son to hurry along: “…The household has Nanny Xu, your father, and the Sixth Yiniang. What is there to worry about?”

Luo Zhensheng hesitated.

The First Madam then said she wanted to keep Eleventh Miss home as well: “This younger sister of yours has always been steady and composed. That should set your mind at ease.”

Just as they were speaking, the Third Young Master from the Second Branch, Luo Zhenda, and the Fourth Son-in-law Yu Yiqing, along with the Third Young Mistress, Fourth Miss, and Seventh Miss arrived.

“Go quickly!” the First Madam said. “There is nothing wrong with me. I have caught nothing more than a slight chill. Don’t keep everyone waiting.”

Luo Zhensheng thought it over, gave Eleventh Miss a number of instructions, and then set off for the outer servant’s quarters.

Qian Ming and Yu Yiqing were already deep in conversation. Twenty-year-old Luo Zhenda was still only a junior scholar, and Luo Zhensheng had not even attained that much — both of them stood there, murmuring vaguely, naturally not daring to say a word. Seeing Luo Zhensheng arrive, Yu Yiqing smiled and asked about the metropolitan examinations.

Luo Zhensheng felt he had done reasonably well, but with these matters, a mere feeling was not enough to guarantee passing — he dared not make any bold claims and gave a few vague, noncommittal answers. He then had a manservant go to the gate and wait: “Check on why the Fifth Young Master and the Sixth Young Master have still not come.”

“Those two, always just playing around,” Yu Yiqing said. He was short in stature, but refined and elegant in appearance, with small eyes that were bright and keen, radiating a lively energy.

Qian Ming laughed: “They’re still young — it’s only natural they enjoy playing!”

Yu Yiqing smiled and was about to say something when a child’s huffing voice came from outside: “Fifth Sister’s husband is much nicer — not like Fourth Sister’s husband, always trying to act like an adult.”

Everyone looked over. Who else could it be but the Fifth Young Master, Luo Zhenkai?

Yu Yiqing burst out laughing: “I am an adult — what do you mean, ‘acting like one’?”

Luo Zhenkai puffed out his cheeks, about to say more, when Luo Zhenyu pulled him by the sleeve: “Mother said you should listen to Elder Brother once you’re out of the house.” This infuriated him, and he glared at his younger brother.

Seeing this, Luo Zhensheng said: “Since everyone is here, let us make haste.” Everyone collected themselves and set off with Luo Zhensheng to the Xu family estate.

The gates of the Xu estate were a sea of white, with people coming and going. A row of black lacquered flat-topped carriages draped in blue curtains and silver serpentine embroidery — carriages permitted only for officials of the third rank and above — was parked in a line.

Qian Ming clicked his tongue: “Every high official in Yanjing must have come.”

Yu Yiqing was also visibly moved: “The Marquis is only about a year older than me.”

“Indeed,” Luo Zhensheng said with a wry smile. “The Marquis is twenty-six this year.”

As they were speaking, a sharp-eyed steward spotted them and came striding over, leading them inside with great solicitude.

From afar, Luo Zhensheng could already see Xu Lingyi standing before the mourning canopy in white garments, in conversation with two men of around forty.

Catching sight of Luo Zhensheng, Xu Lingyi said a few low words to those two men and then came forward to meet them: “You’ve come!”

Drawing close, Luo Zhensheng saw that Xu Lingyi looked somewhat fatigued.

Everyone hurriedly paid their respects. Qian Ming introduced himself: “Your student, Qian Zichun of Yichun, presents his respects to his brother-in-law.”

Xu Lingyi was momentarily surprised.

Luo Zhensheng quickly explained: “He is Fifth Sister’s betrothed — the engagement was settled just recently.”

Xu Lingyi heard this and gave Qian Ming a slight nod, then turned to exchange words with Yu Yiqing: “You were here only at New Year’s — have you been busy preparing for the metropolitan examinations since then?”

Yu Yiqing nodded: “It only comes once every three years.”

Xu Lingyi gave a small nod of acknowledgment. Qian Ming smiled from the side: “I sat the examinations this year as well, alongside the First Elder Brother-in-law and Fellow Brother-in-law Yu. I am only afraid my scholarship is too shallow — I do not know if I will pass.”

“You won’t know unless you try!” said Xu Lingyi evenly, and then personally led them to the mourning canopy. As for the First Young Mistress, Fourth Miss, and the others, a matron assigned to receive female guests had already guided them to the inner courtyard where Yuanniang’s coffin lay, to burn incense and offer their weeping tribute.

But no sooner had Luo Zhensheng and his party entered the mourning canopy than a steward came to report: “The ritual offerings from Her Majesty the Empress have arrived.”

Xu Lingyi called the steward to attend to Luo Zhensheng and the others, and went himself to the main reception hall.

Left behind at home, Eleventh Miss let out a quiet breath of relief.

She had been genuinely afraid that Zhun Ge might say something in the mourning hall that would create an awkward scene.

She helped the First Madam lie down, then sat on a brocade stool at her bedside, doing needlework.

After a short while, the physician arrived.

Eleventh Miss withdrew to the east room and did not return to the inner chamber until after the physician had left.

“What did the physician say?”

“He said there is heat in the chest and cold in the stomach, causing the stomach to fail to settle its energy downward — hence the vomiting.” Nanny Xu brought the prescription to show Eleventh Miss. “He has prescribed Huanglian Decoction.”

Eleventh Miss smiled: “I do not know much about medicine, but I imagine the physician cannot be mistaken. Has someone been sent to fill the prescription? If not, I will set up a small brazier so that the medicine can be decocted promptly when it comes back.”

Nanny Xu, hearing her speak so pleasingly, laughed: “How could we ask you to set up the brazier — just tell a young maid to do it.”

Eleventh Miss smiled: “This is my duty. Nanny need not stand on ceremony.”

The two chatted idly for a while until the person sent to fill the prescription returned.

Eleventh Miss examined the medicine with Nanny Xu, then took one packet to the side room, set up a small brazier, and decocted a dose for the First Madam.

As she carried it in, the First Madam was talking with Nanny Xu: “…One cannot let her go in completely blind…”

When she saw Eleventh Miss enter, the First Madam stopped mid-sentence.

“One cannot let her go in completely blind” — who was this “her”? And what did “completely blind” mean?

Eleventh Miss did not dare let her confusion show. She served the First Madam her medicine with a smile.

The First Madam finished the medicine and fell asleep. Eleventh Miss sat with Nanny Xu at the bedside, working on needlework. Seeing the hour grow late, she went to the kitchen and used yellow millet mixed with white rice to simmer a bowl of plain porridge for the First Madam, bringing it in just as the First Madam was waking.

“Eleventh Miss is truly thoughtful!” Nanny Xu praised Eleventh Miss in front of the First Madam.

Eleventh Miss smiled: “I have simply watched Nanny serve Mother this way every day and followed along.”

“Oh — so the credit goes to me, does it!” Nanny Xu laughed.

The First Madam looked on and gave a slight nod.

After dinner, Luo Zhensheng and the others returned and came to inquire about the First Madam’s condition.

Learning that nothing was seriously wrong, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, and Seventh Miss gathered around to recount the events of Yuanniang’s memorial ceremony: “…The offering from Her Majesty the Empress was nothing extraordinary — merely the customary offerings of three kinds of sacrificial animals and six ceremonial gifts. But there was a certain Commander Yang Wenxiong, a regional military commissioner, whose offerings were truly lavish: sacrificial pig and sheep, mountains of paper gold and silver, bolts of silk and brocade, and great rolls of funerary paper and incense — over a hundred trays in all!”

But the First Madam asked: “Did you find out what the Wen family sent as offerings?”

Everyone exchanged glances. Only the First Young Mistress replied with composure: “They sent only the customary sacrificial pig and sheep, in nine trays.”

The First Madam nodded.

Now that Yuanniang was gone, the First Madam must certainly harbor wariness toward the Wen family.

Fourth Miss felt she had perhaps glimpsed the First Madam’s thoughts, and smiled as she rose to take her leave: “The hour is late today — I will come again tomorrow to see you, Aunt.” The First Madam did not insist she stay. The First Young Mistress saw her out, then returned and said to Eleventh Miss, who was still in the room: “The Wen family of Yangzhou — in those years, they latched onto the Xu household and used that connection to conduct business for the Imperial Household Bureau. Both the textile mills in the south and the horse ranches in the north had their share of involvement… and yet they still managed to remain so discreet and understated. That is truly remarkable.” She said this with a pensive look at Eleventh Miss. “You must understand: the offerings sent on public display are merely surface show. What is sent directly to the accounts office — that is the true gold and silver.”

Eleventh Miss was taken aback.

Was the First Madam… instructing her in how to conduct herself?

And then she recalled the First Madam’s remark about going in “completely blind”… Was she referring to herself?

From that point on, the First Madam did indeed frequently keep Eleventh Miss at her side. She also spoke of the Xu household from time to time.

Though Eleventh Miss listened attentively, she did not take it as the sole measure of truth. After all, every person perceives things from their own vantage point and understands them in their own way.

From the first seventh-day memorial to the fifth seventh-day, all relatives of varying degrees were expected to come and pay tribute again. So on the twenty-fifth day of the third month, the Luo family made another trip to the Xu estate. Eleventh Miss was once again left behind to look after the First Madam — the First Madam’s vomiting had much improved, but she still seemed perpetually lethargic, likely because, though her body was mending, the grief over Yuanniang’s passing had dealt her spirit too great a blow.

Eleventh Miss was reflecting on this when she received a letter, sent by a messenger from the Seventh Young Miss of the Gan family.

In the letter, the Seventh Young Miss first thanked Eleventh Miss for the handkerchief and pouch she had sent previously. She then spoke of Yuanniang’s passing, offering her condolences and urging her to contain her grief and take care of herself. She said she would find an opportunity to come and visit. She also suggested that Eleventh Miss read Buddhist scriptures in her spare time, saying there was great wisdom to be found in them — and that her own stepmother, Madam Gan, was very fond of reading them.

Eleventh Miss read the letter and could not help but laugh softly — and feel a deep gratitude.

Gratitude for the Seventh Young Miss’s kindness.

The Third Lady was her cousin by marriage, and whatever had transpired in the Xu household, however Zhun Ge had come to say what he said — she likely understood it better than Eleventh Miss herself. Yet she had still found this subtle, oblique way to offer comfort…

And so Eleventh Miss not only wrote her a letter in return, saying that she herself was doing well, but also had the messenger carry back to the Seventh Young Miss of the Gan family two braided five-bat knot ornaments she had made with her own hands.

On the twenty-eighth day of the third month, Luo Zhensheng, Luo Zhensheng, and Wu Xiaoquan went early in the morning to check the examination results. By noon there was still no sign of them, and the First Madam grew anxious — afraid that her son had not passed and was too distressed to come home, and equally afraid that if he had passed, he might be dragged away by others for celebratory drinking… She sent Nanny Hang’s son, Hang Xincai, to look for them. But before Hang Xincai had gone two steps on his errand, he came running back: “…The First Young Master has passed! The First Young Master has passed!”

The First Madam rose at once and hurried outside, running straight into Luo Zhensheng.

“Mother, I passed! I passed,” Luo Zhensheng said, flushed with excitement. “Sixty-sixth place.”

“Quickly, quickly, quickly,” the First Madam said, her face radiant with joy. “Offer prayers to the ancestors.” Then: “Go quickly and tell the First Master.”

The entire household burst into celebration.

Luo Zhensheng then added: “Fourth Brother-in-law also passed — ninth place.”

The First Madam was momentarily startled, and quickly asked: “And Young Master Qian?”

Luo Zhensheng hesitated for a moment, then said: “He will have to wait a few more years.”

The First Madam’s elation dimmed a little, but she still said: “There is nothing to be done about it. Your Third Uncle sat the examinations several times before passing.”

“Indeed!” Luo Zhensheng had been afraid his mother would be disappointed and hurried to add: “He has had too many distractions. If he could devote himself to studying, first or second place on the examination would be as easy as taking something from a bag…”

The First Madam’s mind turned at once: “When you see him later today, invite him to dinner. First, it will be a comfort to him. Second, if he is willing, we will cover all three years of his expenses at the Imperial Academy.”

Luo Zhensheng was surprised.

The First Madam added: “The Fourth Son-in-law is after all from the Second Branch — he is not like Young Master Qian, who will be your own sister’s husband!”

Luo Zhensheng thought it over and did not refuse. He immediately sent someone to invite Qian Ming.

Qian Ming arrived having lost all his former high spirits, but when he heard that the Luo family was willing to sponsor his studies, he rose with deep emotion to give Luo Zhensheng a formal bow with clasped hands: “Elder Brother-in-law, for a great kindness, no words are sufficient.”

Luo Zhensheng, seeing he bore no resentment or sourness, was himself quite pleased. He threw an arm around Qian Ming’s shoulder: “What thanks are needed between the two of us!”

—