Not many days after the betrothal was formalized, Xu Lingyi returned triumphant to the capital.

The great army halted at the West Mountain Camp, sixty li outside Yanjing, and Xu Lingyi would lead three thousand of his officers and soldiers in a ceremony presenting captured enemies at the Noon Gate at midday on the sixth day of the sixth month.

That day, the whole city emptied to watch Xu Lingyi return…

Yet Eleventh Miss stayed home with Hupo and Dongqing, airing out garments and bedding, and taking the opportunity to sort through her chests and trunks.

Zhuxiang came to bring them mung bean soup to quench their thirst.

“Rest for a while,” Eleventh Miss said, squinting up at the blazing sun, calling to Hupo and Dongqing who were busy in the courtyard.

The two came inside carrying the heat of the sun on their bodies, drank their mung bean soup in one long gulp before setting down the bowls.

“Did you add rock sugar?” Dongqing asked Zhuxiang brightly.

Zhuxiang nodded: “I said Eleventh Miss wanted it, so the kitchen added rock sugar.”

Though she had not yet married into the Xu Family, everyone’s treatment of those in Eleventh Miss’s rooms had already changed considerably.

Zhuxiang hesitated, then said: “Nanny Shen from the kitchen said her niece is very capable — when you leave, Miss, could she be brought along?”

Everyone looked at Eleventh Miss.

Eleventh Miss smiled: “Tell her that such matters are for Mother to decide.”

Zhuxiang nodded, collected the bowls, and went to the kitchen.

Hupo said, in a roundabout way: “Miss, would you like to look at a few people… there is always a way…”

Eleventh Miss said nothing.

Dongqing had already looked up at the sky: “Such a hot day — I wonder if the Marquis can bear it. Let us hope he doesn’t fall ill from the heat.”

Eleventh Miss could not help but smile: “Don’t worry — the Xu Family has already delivered the betrothal gifts. Whatever happens to him now, I will still be marrying over.”

Dongqing immediately turned serious: “Miss, the Marquis has been so good to you — you really must not say such things anymore!”

What she meant by “good” was that the betrothal money the Xu Family had given Eleventh Miss was five thousand taels of silver — compared to the Wang Family’s one thousand taels for Tenth Miss and the Qian Family’s two hundred taels for Fifth Miss, it was truly a great source of pride.

Eleventh Miss decided to remain silent.

On this particular point, she and Dongqing truly could not see eye to eye.

The betrothal money was a public matter — it was both the Luo Family’s face and the Xu Family’s face. Moreover, because the Xu Family’s total betrothal gifts exceeded ten thousand taels of silver, First Madam had been obliged to rise accordingly and prepare a dowry worth ten thousand taels of silver for her. Of course, this was a result Eleventh Miss was very happy to see — who would ever complain that their dowry was too large? Furthermore, the truly valuable pieces among the Xu Family’s betrothal gifts — the gold and silver ornaments, the bolts of fine cloth and fabric — would be given back to her, and would accompany her to the Xu Family as part of her own dowry. When all was tallied, the Xu Family had spent perhaps two or three thousand taels of silver in truth, and yet she was bringing two farmsteads and two residences with her — worth over five thousand taels on their own… The Xu Family had truly won both face and substance.

By comparison, it was the Luo Family that had come out behind.

If she were the one arranging a marriage for her own son, she would probably do the same thing.

But First Madam’s generosity had still surprised her.

After all, when Fifth Miss and Tenth Miss were married off, First Madam had been perfectly even-handed — both received one hundred mu of paddy fields and one residence…

And Dongqing, seeing that Eleventh Miss had said nothing, knew that she disliked hearing these things said — yet she truly could not help herself.

It is the husband’s place to lead the wife. Once married into the Xu Family, whether life would be good or bad, it would all depend on the Marquis. Without serving the Marquis well, how could there be good days ahead? If Miss did not understand this point, she would suffer greatly in the future.

She was moved to counsel Eleventh Miss: “Miss, you have read far more books than I have, and you know far more of the principles of things. Only when the husband leads and the wife follows can the family flourish…”

Then a junior maid came running in: “Eleventh Miss — the sedan chair that went to fetch Fifth Yiniang has returned!”

Eleventh Miss leapt to her feet at once: “Really — where?”

The junior maid laughed: “Just entered the lane. She’s probably already in the courtyard.”

This, too, was one of the benefits of being engaged to Xu Lingyi — whenever something involving her happened at home, everyone was very eager to keep her informed.

Eleventh Miss had Hupo reward the junior maid with a few copper coins.

The junior maid accepted them, gave her thanks profusely, and left.

Eleventh Miss then slowly sat back down.

Dongqing asked, puzzled: “Are you not going to go and welcome Yiniang?”

“Mother will call me when the time comes.” Eleventh Miss’s face held a faint sadness.

Some things were two sides of the same coin. Why else would there be the saying: a mother gains honor through her son’s position, a son gains distinction through his mother’s virtue. Only when she herself was well-placed would others naturally not dare to slight Fifth Yiniang…

But a good while passed, and no one came to call her.

Eleventh Miss began to grow anxious. She sent Qiuju to find out: “Go and see if something has happened.”

Qiuju went and came back quickly: “Miss — Fifth Yiniang has not come!”

Eleventh Miss was greatly startled: “Has not come? Why? Is she unwell? Or has something else happened?”

“I don’t know.” Qiuju shook her head. “But this time Wu Xiaoquan and his wife both came, and Wu Xiaoquan’s wife should know.”

Eleventh Miss was frantic with worry inside, but she forced herself to appear calm. She waited until the afternoon before Wu Xiaoquan’s wife finally came to see her.

She was a straightforward woman, and came directly to the point: “Yiniang says — as long as you have a good home to go to, that is better than anything. She won’t be coming. She doesn’t want to cause difficulty for your husband’s family when you are married. She also asked me to bring you a message: once you are in your husband’s household, you must be respectful to your mother-in-law above and defer to your husband below, and you must not do anything that goes against the proper order of things.”

Eleventh Miss was a little dazed.

Fifth Yiniang — no matter the time, the first thing on her mind was always this daughter of hers…

Wu Xiaoquan’s wife saw that Eleventh Miss’s eyes were growing red at the rims, and quickly smiled: “Does Eleventh Miss not know? Our Fourth Young Master is to be married.”

Eleventh Miss was indeed drawn by this news, and asked in surprise: “Fourth Brother is to be married?”

Wu Xiaoquan’s wife nodded: “To a young lady from the Zhou Family of Linqiao in Yu County — considered a family of scholars for generations. Her grandfather once served as the Prefect of Daming, though her father passed away early, and the family has fallen on somewhat harder times.”

Eleventh Miss nodded.

If the family were any better off, First Madam would certainly never have agreed.

Wu Xiaoquan’s wife, seeing that Eleventh Miss did not seem put off by the subject, stepped a little closer and lowered her voice: “What I have heard, though, is that the young lady’s temperament is quite fierce — the neighbors on all sides are afraid of her. That’s why she reached eighteen without a betrothal arranged.”

“Eighteen and no betrothal arranged?” Hupo said quietly. “Then would she not be older than our Fourth Young Master.”

Wu Xiaoquan’s wife covered a smile behind her sleeve: “She is twenty this year — which fits the saying perfectly: a woman three years older is worth her weight in gold bricks.”

“Who stood as the guarantor for this match?” Eleventh Miss could not help asking. “Does Third Yiniang know?”

“It was arranged through the matchmaking of the wife of Zhou, the Prefect of Hangzhou.” Wu Xiaoquan’s wife smiled. “First Madam personally asked Madam Zhou to help find someone. What Third Yiniang knows or doesn’t know hardly matters. It is said that the Prefect Zhou and the young lady’s grandfather had once served together, and, sharing the same Zhou surname, they even compared seniority. And so — the date has been tentatively set for the tenth day of the ninth month, and I was specifically sent to discuss the wedding arrangements.”

What was meant by “discussing the wedding arrangements” was coming to get money from First Madam, was it not? After all, whether for the formal betrothal or the actual wedding ceremony, nothing could be done without funds. Moreover, at New Year this past year, First Madam had sent someone back to Yuhang to fetch another twenty thousand taels of silver…

While Wu Xiaoquan’s wife was speaking with Eleventh Miss, the eldest master was worrying elsewhere: “I told you that all the girls should be treated equally, but you would not listen. Now look — what are we to do for Zhensheng’s wedding?”

“What is there to be troubled about?” First Madam said coolly. “Give his current quarters a fresh coat of paint, and the furniture is all already there. Just add some gold and silver ornaments and silk fabrics for the betrothal — that won’t cost more than two hundred taels. Add the banquet with its chicken, duck, and fish, and four hundred taels at most should be enough.”

“That won’t do!” the eldest master said. “If you have me marry off a daughter-in-law for four hundred taels, the neighbors will laugh their teeth out. Surely at least one thousand taels.”

“One thousand taels?” First Madam set down her teacup with a cold smile. “Have you looked at what kind of family the Zhou family is? If you send one thousand taels over, how is the Zhou Family to return the gesture? And don’t forget — because the Xu Family’s betrothal gifts totaled twelve thousand taels, we had to spend twenty thousand taels in the end to see Eleventh Miss off in style. The Xu Family is accustomed to grand affairs and has always been generous — but we must at least consider the Zhou Family. For all we know, even these four hundred taels will put them in debt to marry off their daughter.”

The eldest master could only mutter: “But it’s still too little. When it was Xing Ge’s turn, we spent more than five thousand taels…”

First Madam cast an impatient look at her husband: “And the bride’s dowry was also more than three thousand taels!”

The eldest master had never once won an argument against First Madam over accounts. Feeling somewhat aggrieved, he turned away to drink his tea.

“The date of the ninth month, tenth day will also need to be changed.” First Madam mused. “The Xu Family came to ask me two days ago. They said the Board of Astronomy has determined that within the ninth month, only the tenth day is an auspicious date. Otherwise, the next would be the twenty-second of the tenth month. From the Xu Family’s manner, it seems they wish to set the date for the ninth month, tenth day. We’ll wait until the Xu Family has fixed their date before settling on Zhensheng’s.”

Then she called Nanny Xu: “Go and invite the Fifth Son-in-law and Fifth Young Madam over — Zhensheng’s wedding is a major matter, and we must discuss it with those two.”

These days, Fifth Miss deferred to Qian Ming in everything, and Qian Ming — like First Madam — put the Xu Family’s affairs first in all things. The eldest master had no choice but to say nothing. He would simply wait until the Xu Family sent word of the date.

The Xu Family did indeed have their eye on the ninth month, tenth day.

As it had already been discussed with First Madam, the eldest master agreed without hesitation. Luo Zhensheng’s wedding was moved to the twenty-second of the tenth month.

The couple had only just settled this when a letter arrived from Shandong, saying that Seventh Miss’s wedding date had been set for the tenth day of the tenth month.

“Hadn’t they said it would be next spring? Why has it been changed to year’s end?”

The reporting Nanny Yu laughed: “You don’t know how sincere our young master is. Second Madam said it would take time to have the furniture made — the young master rushed the furniture over in a hurry; Second Madam said the needlework couldn’t be finished in time — the young master went to the Xianling Pavilion and engaged ten seamstresses to come and work at our house… Second Madam saw how things stood and couldn’t say a word — was she to let the groom’s family pay for everything to marry Seventh Miss off? So now: first, I’ve come to report the news to the eldest master, First Madam, and Third Madam; and second, I’ve come to Old Jixiang’s shop to have the head ornaments made for Seventh Miss.”

First Madam exchanged a glance with the eldest master: “It seems Zhensheng’s wedding date will need to be changed again.”

For a son’s wedding, the parents must be present.

The eldest master waved his hand decisively: “Let Zhensheng’s wedding be in the spring of next year!”

“Next year, the Zhou girl will be twenty-one!” First Madam objected again.

A nephew’s daughter versus one’s own son — of course, a son was more important.

The eldest master did not hesitate for a single moment: “Then let Xing Ge go and see Seventh Miss off. We will return to Yuhang!”

First Madam’s expression grew somewhat somber.

—