The thin, white three-shuttle Songjiang cloth was soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to Jin Ge’er’s body as though he had just been pulled from a river.

Shiyiniang, watching from outside the window, felt a pang in her heart. She turned her face away, wishing that what the eyes didn’t see, the heart wouldn’t grieve over — but found herself looking straight at Xu Lingyi, who stood beside Jin Ge’er holding a bamboo cane, supervising their son.

Xu Lingyi’s expression was blank. He looked away, and the cane came down on Jin Ge’er’s calf. “Stand properly!” A dull, flat sound.

Shiyiniang closed her eyes involuntarily.

“Yes, sir!” Jin Ge’er straightened slightly, his voice calm though carrying traces of exhaustion.

The corners of Shiyiniang’s eyes grew damp. She gathered her skirts and, light-footed and swift, walked quickly out of the Shuangfu Courtyard.

“My Lady, please don’t worry,” Hupo comforted her. “The Marquis is a man of judgment — nothing will happen to the Sixth Young Master.”

“I know.” Shiyiniang took out her handkerchief and dabbed the corners of her eyes. “Since Jin Ge’er has chosen this path, the stricter the Marquis is with him, the greater his chance of surviving…”  Even as she said the words, she couldn’t stop her tears.

Hupo sighed softly. “My Lady, the Sixth Young Master is still young. Who’s to say that after following the Marquis in martial training for a time, he might find it too grueling and give it up — or that when he’s older, he might find something he loves more and decide not to go to the northwest after all.”

“One can only hope.” Shiyiniang let out a long breath. “Let’s go back. Jin Ge’er said today he wants to eat braised lion’s head meatballs.” She paused and began to mutter, “Didn’t he say he doesn’t like the south? Then why does he still want to eat braised lion’s head? That’s a southern dish…”

Not one of the maids and serving women following behind dared make a sound. Every last one of them was suppressing a smile with all their might.

The mood lightened at once, as if a weight had been lifted.

Coming toward them was Zhihong.

“My Lady, the Grand Madam requests your company.”

Since her serious illness earlier that year, the Grand Madam’s health had grown very fragile. Five days out of every ten she spent lying in bed, and she no longer received relatives and friends who came to call. She no longer concerned herself with household affairs, and simply spent her days playing card games with Nanny Du, Zhihong, and Yuban, or passing the time in idle conversation — rarely venturing out. Shiyiniang felt this kind of life was too monotonous for her, and had specially arranged for two literate maids to keep her company, reading miscellaneous books or Buddhist sutras aloud to the Grand Madam each day to ease her boredom.

She had only gone to pay her morning respects a short while ago, and not even an hour had passed. Being summoned so suddenly — what could it be about?

Shiyiniang pondered as she followed Zhihong to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

The Grand Madam’s spirits were tolerably good. She was reclining on the large kang by the window, leaning against the large bright red ink-dotted pillow. Yuban stood beside her, keeping her cool with a fan, while one of the maids Shiyiniang had arranged sat reading a Buddhist sutra aloud to the Grand Madam.

When she saw Shiyiniang come in, the Grand Madam pressed a hand to her forehead and furrowed her brow.

“Are you not feeling well somewhere?” Shiyiniang sat at the edge of the kang and asked the Grand Madam in a gentle voice.

“No, that’s not it!” The Grand Madam frowned even deeper. “I had something I wanted to say to you… but now I can’t remember what it was!”

“Then don’t try to force it.” Shiyiniang smiled. “When it comes back to you, you can tell me then.”

“I knew what it was just a moment ago…” the Grand Madam murmured, not quite willing to let it go. “Let me think carefully!”

One must cherish the elderly as one wishes to be cherished in one’s own old age, and care for children as one would want one’s own children cared for.

Shiyiniang was moved. She took the fan from the young maid and fanned the Grand Madam gently herself.

“Why aren’t you playing cards with Nanny Du today?”

The Grand Madam said absentmindedly, “I sent her to look for my bracelet. I remember having a red agate bracelet, and I haven’t been able to find it for several days now…” As she said this, she opened her eyes, and her expression cleared as though something had suddenly fallen into place. “Ah, yes — I remember now.” Then she took Shiyiniang’s hand. “I was just about to ask you — how are you planning to handle Jie Ge’er’s wedding? Dan Yang said that Xin Jie’er’s wedding date is to be set for the third month of next year. Jie Ge’er is the elder sibling — if he hasn’t yet married, how can Xin Jie’er be the one to wed first? I think you should settle Jie Ge’er’s marriage soon.”

Shiyiniang felt a cold shock run through her.

They weren’t even born of the same mother, and there was certainly no such convention. Even among children born of the same mother, sisters had been known to marry before their older brothers. The trouble was the Grand Madam’s tone — she spoke as though Jie Ge’er and Xin Jie’er were full siblings from the same womb.

What had come over the Grand Madam?

“Ying’er hasn’t yet come of age,” she said with a smile. “And it’s a marriage far from home. When we set the small betrothal, it was agreed that the wedding date would be fixed only after Ying’er has had her coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Ah!” The Grand Madam nodded, with the look of someone who had just had a revelation. “That’s why Jie Ge’er hasn’t taken a wife yet.” Then she said, “Good, good — you may go on then with your affairs. I’ll call Nanny Du to come and play cards with me.”

Shiyiniang smiled and agreed. Over the following days, however, she observed the Grand Madam carefully, and discovered that she was not only constantly forgetting things — sometimes she repeated the same sentence several times in a row, saying the first part only to forget it by the second.

“My Lord,” Shiyiniang said haltingly, “Mother’s memory has, I fear, grown considerably worse…”

Xu Lingyi was puzzled.

Shiyiniang told him what she had noticed. As she was still speaking, a young maid came in to report, “The Second Madam has come.”

The two of them quickly dropped the subject.

“I’ve noticed that Mother these days… is not always able to remember things… and sometimes her speech seems to… ” The Second Madam looked first at Shiyiniang, then at Xu Lingyi, as though uncertain how to put it.

Xu Lingyi and Shiyiniang exchanged an involuntary glance.

The Second Madam only visited the Grand Madam occasionally to pay her respects — and yet even she had noticed.

“Shiyiniang was just telling me the same thing,” Xu Lingyi said, choosing his words with care after a pause. “I’ll ask Imperial Physician Liu to come and examine her tomorrow… If the situation warrants it, we’ll have her move to the main courtyard. That way we’ll be better able to look after her.”

Shiyiniang suspected the Grand Madam was suffering from the kind of age-related decline that came from the deterioration of the body’s organs. This sort of ailment could not be treated with medicine, and would only grow worse as the years advanced — without any set boundary or limit. The Grand Madam living in her own courtyard, attended only by maids and serving women, was certainly not as well-situated as if she lived with them.

“Jin Ge’er has moved out, so I can clear out both the east and west wing rooms,” she calculated. “It would be a tight fit, but manageable.”

“You have too much on your hands, and guests come to call often. It would cause Mother considerable inconvenience if she moved in with you,” the Second Madam said. “I was thinking — perhaps the Grand Madam should move in with me.” But she immediately contradicted herself, “My courtyard has too many steps — it’s difficult for her to go in and out.” She hesitated for a moment. “I’ll move in with Mother.”

“That simply won’t do!” Shiyiniang said quickly. “Second Sister-in-law still has her book to write…”

The Second Madam waved her hand lightly. “That’s a small matter. What matters most is that I take proper care of Mother.” She stood. “This is settled, then.” She looked at Shiyiniang. “Fourth Sister-in-law, tomorrow morning, please send a few manservants to carry my trunks over. As for telling Mother — simply say that I have nothing to occupy me these days and have come to keep her company for a while.” She had arranged everything, and her resolve was clear.

“Let us wait for the physician’s results before making any decisions,” Shiyiniang said. “If Mother truly is suffering from the kind of forgetfulness that comes with age, we must inform Fifth Uncle and Fifth Sister-in-law as well. This will be a matter of the long term — we cannot have Second Sister-in-law bearing all of it alone indefinitely. Let me speak with Fifth Sister-in-law first, and then we’ll work out a proper plan together. What do you think, Second Sister-in-law?”

“There’s no need to go to such trouble,” the Second Madam said. “You have the household to run, she has the children to look after, and then there’s Xin Jie’er’s trousseau to prepare…”

She had not finished her sentence when Xu Lingyi said, “I think we should follow what Shiyiniang suggests — first have the physician come and take a look. If Mother truly is unwell, we can all sit down and work out an arrangement then.”

Having stated his position, he left the Second Madam without room to argue further. She said a few more words about the Grand Madam’s unusual behavior, then rose and took her leave.

The next day, Imperial Physician Liu came and only said the Grand Madam was “getting on in years, and some degree of declining hearing and eyesight is to be expected,” advising that “more attendants be arranged to serve her,” after which he prescribed a warming and tonifying formula and departed.

Xu Lingyi summoned Xu Lingning and Xu Lingkuan to discuss the matter of the Grand Madam. But the Second Madam had already moved in with her.

Shiyiniang and the Fifth Madam, waiting outside for the outcome, looked at each other in dismay, and hastened to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

On the way, the Fifth Madam muttered quietly to Shiyiniang, “She’s already a model widow — and now she wants to be a model daughter-in-law too… Are not one of us daughters-in-law here filial enough?”

Shiyiniang could only smile bitterly.

Entering the Grand Madam’s courtyard, she saw that Jiexiang was already directing several rough-work serving women in carrying trunks and luggage.

Jiexiang quickly came forward to greet Shiyiniang and the Fifth Madam with a bow.

It was hardly worth taking one’s temper out on a maid.

The Fifth Madam swallowed her irritation and, following Shiyiniang’s lead, gave Jiexiang a smiling nod before going into the inner chamber.

The Grand Madam sat contentedly on the large kang by the window. The Second Madam knelt behind her, her expression attentive and earnest as she carefully combed the Grand Madam’s hair.

The golden morning light streamed in through the latticed windows, as if gilding the Second Madam in a layer of gold leaf.

Her expression was tranquil and serene, her voice warm and gentle, her movements tender and unhurried — as careful as though the Grand Madam were delicate porcelain. “…Goodness knows when the book will be finished… Hanyang Courtyard is so cold and quiet — I’ve just come to keep you company!” she was saying.

The Grand Madam’s face was wreathed in joy as she listened. “So long as you’re happy here, so long as you’re happy!” Then she called out loudly to Nanny Du. “Quickly, get the warm chamber ready — the Second Madam will be resting there.” While speaking, the corner of her eye caught sight of Shiyiniang and the Fifth Madam. “Why have you two come?” Then, beaming with delight, she took the Second Madam’s hand. “Your Second Sister-in-law finds her own courtyard too quiet and cold — she’s come to join us here for the company!” The happiness in her face was plain for all to see.

In that moment, Shiyiniang’s eyes grew a little moist.

“How wonderful!” She managed a smile. “Now you’ll have all the liveliness you could want.”

“Indeed!” The Grand Madam was thoroughly pleased.

Shiyiniang couldn’t help but glance at the Fifth Madam, who had been so indignant moments before.

The Fifth Madam stood where she was, looking caught between advance and retreat, like someone who could neither move forward nor back. Clearly, the evident closeness between the Second Madam and the Grand Madam had taken her completely by surprise.

And so the matter was settled. But things were not yet over. The Grand Madam summoned Xu Lingyi and told him plainly that Jie Ge’er’s wedding must be arranged quickly — “before Xin Jie’er’s.”

Xu Lingyi considered for a moment, then said, “Why not send word to Fourth Aunt? See if it’s possible to move things forward — that way Mother won’t keep worrying about it day after day. And if it truly can’t be hurried, we can always bring the bride in now and wait until she’s a bit older for the wedding night.”

Shiyiniang could understand the Grand Madam’s feelings completely, and immediately wrote a letter to send to Yuhang. By mid-July, a reply arrived from Yuhang asking for the exact wedding date.

—