“Mother!” Jin Ge’er, who had been in conversation with Xu Lingyi, dropped everything, flung open his arms, rushed forward several steps, and wrapped Shiyiniang in a tight embrace. “Did you miss me?” Then, just as he used to do when he was small, he rested his head on Shiyiniang’s shoulder — entirely unconcerned that he was now half a head taller than her.
“Of course I missed you!” Shiyiniang kissed her son on the cheek. “Come, let Mother look at you — have you grown plumper or thinner?” She gently pushed him back and looked him over carefully from head to toe.
The twelve-year-old Jin Ge’er was well-proportioned and upright of bearing, his skin fair and fine, his eyes bright and clear, his smile radiant — like autumn sunlight, clean and open.
Shiyiniang’s eyes curved with delight.
“Mother,” Jin Ge’er felt her joy and smiled all the more brilliantly, “I’m perfectly well — now you can stop worrying!”
Shiyiniang nodded and lightly pinched his cheek. “I heard the sun at Jiayuguan is fierce. How are you not tanned at all? You haven’t been shirking your duties at the garrison, have you?”
“How could I!” Jin Ge’er protested loudly with great indignation. “I simply don’t tan — what can I do?” He seemed genuinely aggrieved.
Shiyiniang laughed heartily.
Jin Ge’er wrapped his arms around her again. “Mother, I’ve been craving your braised lion’s head meatballs, and the mung bean cakes from home.”
Shiyiniang’s heart melted completely. “I knew you’d be back these past two days, so I’ve had the household preparing them every day!”
From the side, Xu Lingyi frowned deeply. “You’re this old and you still carry on like this — stand up straight when you speak!”
Jin Ge’er pulled a face at Shiyiniang and straightened up.
Shiyiniang was reluctant to part with her son and took his hand. “Whatever you have to say, say it later. Let him go and wash up first, then go pay his respects to Grandmother.”
Xu Lingyi gave a nod of agreement.
Mother and son walked out of the study shoulder to shoulder, speaking quietly.
“Mother, did His Majesty really bestow upon me a Commander post in the Filial Mausoleum Guard?” After all, he was still a child, and he went straight to the point.
“They’ve summoned you back from a thousand li away — could this be false?” Shiyiniang smiled. “I just returned from the palace. Her Ladyship the Empress asked when you’d be back and told you to come into the palace once you’ve returned — she has additional gifts for you. And the First Princess sent word as well, saying she wants you to come into the palace over the new year to play kickball with her.”
Jin Ge’er clicked his tongue in amazement. “What tremendous face the First Princess commands.” Then he said, “Mother, to think I actually received this Commander post because of a game of kickball. Do you think people might start calling me the Kickball Commander? If that happens, it would truly be a problem.” He looked genuinely worried.
Shiyiniang couldn’t suppress her laughter and teased him: “There’s actually a real possibility of that!”
“Mother!” He stared at her, his large phoenix eyes bright and gleaming. “How could you — laughing at me!”
“Alright, alright, I won’t laugh, I won’t say it again,” Shiyiniang said, draping her arm around his shoulders.
Jin Ge’er refused to let it go.
“It was my fault,” Shiyiniang apologized earnestly. “I won’t say such things again. Is that better?”
Jin Ge’er’s expression shifted from stormy to merely cloudy.
Walking behind them, Xu Lingyi had at first patiently listened to their exchange, but when Jin Ge’er pulled a sulky face and Shiyiniang actually apologized and only then did he brighten up, Xu Lingyi’s expression grew visibly more displeased.
“Is that any way to speak to your mother?” He reprimanded in a stern voice. “You’ve been so indulged you’ve lost all sense of propriety. Stand up straight this instant!”
“Yes!” Jin Ge’er quickly bowed his head. “It was my fault. I won’t do it again.” He took Shiyiniang’s arm obediently and didn’t dare say another word.
Shiyiniang felt both amused and exasperated at once.
The three of them walked in silence for nearly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, before Jin Ge’er could no longer help himself and began whispering to Shiyiniang again: “Mother, can you wear the foreign-style garments I brought back for you? They’re from the Hui people. Over by Jiayuguan there are also Mongolian garments, and Uyghur garments — all quite different. When I first arrived, I didn’t know which was which and just bought the prettiest piece from the shop. This time on the way back, I brought you several sets of foreign garments, and some beautiful head scarves too…”
“You brought beautiful head scarves too!” Shiyiniang whispered. “I’ve heard their hats are quite remarkable — did you think to buy a few hats to bring back?”
“Mother, you’re quite something!” Jin Ge’er said. “I thought the same — their hats were the finest things. I bought a good many to bring back…”
The two of them murmured together the whole way, while Xu Lingyi followed behind, shaking his head repeatedly, an expression of helpless and slightly indulgent resignation on his face.
During the interlude when the Grand Matriarch kept Jin Ge’er to talk, word of his return had spread throughout the entire household. Not only did Fifth Madam, Shen Ge’er, Cheng Ge’er, Xu Sizhun and his wife with little Ting Ge’er, and Xu Sijie and Ying Niang all make their way to the Grand Matriarch’s quarters, but even the senior household stewardesses of standing came to kowtow to Jin Ge’er. The Grand Matriarch was so happy she couldn’t close her mouth, and kept urging Second Madam to distribute gifts. Not wishing to dampen the Grand Matriarch’s spirits, Second Madam had Jiexiang and Yuban bring out the baskets already prepared with reward silver and carry them to the eaves outside.
The silver ingots glittered in the sunlight, and like water dropped into a hot pan of oil, set the mood of everyone present surging higher in an instant.
The sounds of kowtowing, expressions of gratitude, and exclamations of delight rose and fell in waves — more festive than New Year’s Eve itself.
The Grand Matriarch laughed merrily and instructed Xu Lingyi: “We will set off fireworks tonight.”
Xu Lingyi found this a great headache and was thinking of a way to redirect her, when Second Madam already said with a smile: “Mother, Jin Ge’er has only just returned, and the imperial decree has yet to be received. If we set off fireworks now, won’t the main occasion seem rather thin by comparison?”
“True enough.” The Grand Matriarch, as always, took Second Madam’s words to heart, and smiled. “We’ll save it for that day then.”
When that day arrived, Jin Ge’er received the imperial decree early in the morning, and Xu Lingyi accompanied him into the palace to offer thanks. They went to Her Ladyship the Empress, who bestowed a pair of Hetian jade ruyi scepters as gifts. The First Princess had already sent people to inquire after Jin Ge’er’s return — scarcely had the Empress finished speaking when she arrived. Xu Lingyi expressed gratitude to the First Princess: “…it is entirely thanks to Your Highness’s kind words. Were it not for you, Jin Ge’er would never have received such great fortune.”
In contrast to Xu Lingyi’s respectful and solemnly measured words, Jin Ge’er’s expression of gratitude was far more lively and endearing: “I am deeply grateful to Your Highness for your recognition and patronage. From this day forward, should Your Highness require anything of me, you need only command. I will brave fire and water and face ten thousand deaths without regret.” As he spoke, he even thumped his chest, which drew laughter from everyone in the side chamber. The First Princess herself bent over with laughter. “What would I need you to brave fire and water for?” she said, and then her smile softened slightly as she asked, “You’ll come into the palace on the first day of the new year for the court audience, won’t you?”
“Before I was anything at all, I’d secretly sneak into the palace by tagging along behind my father and mother — now I’m at least a proper fourth-rank Commander, am I not?” Jin Ge’er muttered. “With a rightful title to my name, how could I not come to pay court?”
The First Princess laughed again. “Don’t be so smug about it — what does fourth rank amount to? Not every fourth-rank official can come to court, you know.”
The two of them traded remarks back and forth, rambling off in all directions, until both the Empress and Xu Lingyi found their brows lightly furrowing — the Empress thinking that her daughter would soon be married off and that carefree days like these would be rare, and so letting her brow ease and allowing a faint smile to show. Xu Lingyi thinking that they were inside the palace after all, and that while his son’s manner carried a certain rakish quality, the First Princess seemed genuinely delighted by it, so he held his tongue.
By the time they returned home, the stage had already been erected. The performers from all three great opera troupes were in the side chambers making ready. Elder Liang and Elder Dou had each sent their head stewards with congratulatory gifts. Prince Shun, Marquis Weibei, Wang Li, and others came in person to offer their congratulations at the Xu household. Five tables were set up in the outer courtyard, and Xu Lingyi led Jin Ge’er from table to table, toasting and expressing thanks, while Xu Sizhun directed the manservants and maids in serving tea and pouring wine. In the inner courtyard, Madam Lin, Third Lady Huang, Madam Gan, and the other guests were arranged at twelve tables, with Shiyiniang and Fifth Madam and Third Madam hosting. Jiang Shi went to Dianchun Hall to oversee the women servants as they brought out all the lanterns stored for the new year and hung them up. After the feast, everyone gathered in Dianchun Hall in high spirits to watch the opera.
The gongs and drums rang out boldly, the lanterns blazed in splendor, the music of strings and woodwinds filled the ears, and brocades and silks dazzled the eyes — a scene of grand and flourishing prosperity.
The Grand Matriarch’s heart was full of joy, though she kept feeling as though she had forgotten something. Looking at the festivity before her, she quickly put the thought aside, and leaning against the large red Five Blessings and Longevity cushion on the daybed with Second Madam beside her, she spoke a few words with Madam Huang nearby — and just like that, drifted off to sleep where she reclined. When she woke the next morning, she asked Second Madam, “Were the fireworks set off?”
Second Madam smiled. “You gave no instruction, so we did not set them off.”
“I gave no instruction?” The Grand Matriarch was quite puzzled.
On the third day, a congratulatory gift arrived from Xin Jie’er, who had married and gone to Tianjin. On the fourth day, Zhen Jie’er’s congratulatory gift arrived. By the time Xu Siyu’s gift came from Le’an, they had already eaten the Laba porridge and were making preparations for the new year.
Xu Lingyi needed to meet with the head stewards from various localities, Shiyiniang needed to send out new year gifts — some of which could be entrusted to Jiang Shi, but those for Marquis Yongchang, Marquis Weibei, and Elder Liang required her to go in person. And Madam Gan and Cao E’s households needed to be visited while the opportunity presented itself. Xu Sizhun and Jiang Shi were each busy in the outer and inner courtyards respectively with new year purchases, the household’s new year gratuities, new year clothing allocations, the sweeping of soot, the posting of peach-wood charms, and other such sundry matters. Xu Lingkuan and Fifth Madam were taking Shen Ge’er and Cheng Ge’er to call on their elders. Even Xu Sijie had been pressed by Xu Sizhun to help write letters of invitation. Only Ying Niang, who was near full term, and Jin Ge’er had nothing to do — and both of them had a habit of wandering to Shiyiniang’s courtyard — so the two of them were soon thrown together. One would practice his fist forms, copy out characters in large brushstrokes, and then practice kickball in the courtyard, while the other sat on the beauty’s rest beneath the eaves, doing her needlework and occasionally glancing up to call out a word of praise.
Jin Ge’er grew dissatisfied: “Could you not watch more carefully before you cheer — I clearly just missed the kick entirely, and yet you’re over there calling out ‘bravo.’ If you weren’t my cousin-in-law, I’d be sure you were jeering at me!”
Ying Niang smiled sheepishly and quickly set down her needlework. “I’ll watch properly now.”
Jin Ge’er’s expression eased slightly.
Chang’an came running in. “Sixth Young Master! Sixth Young Master! Someone is here to see you!”
“Who’s looking for me?” Jin Ge’er paid it little mind, kicked the ball high into the air, then with a light and nimble twist of his body caught it again — clearly in fine form.
Chang’an grew urgent: “It’s a young eunuch.”
Jin Ge’er let out a sound of surprise, tossed the ball to his attendant Suifeng, and left the inner courtyard.
The next day, he declared he was bored at home and wanted to go out for a walk.
Young men of the Xu household who had moved to the outer quarters were essentially free to come and go as they pleased, and Jin Ge’er had on his own spent several months at Jiayuguan. Naturally neither Xu Lingyi nor Shiyiniang would stop him; they only instructed him that with the new year approaching and the streets crowded, he should bring more guards when he went out, watch that no one picked his purse, and not cause any trouble.
Jin Ge’er agreed to everything, and taking Chang’an and Suifeng with him, escorted by several of the household’s guards, he went out the door.
—