After the ninth month passed, the Master Elder became more leisurely.

Every year during the autumn harvest, landlords and tenant farmers would inevitably erupt into armed conflicts. Last year, tenant farmers in a fit of anger had turned to banditry, causing disturbances across half the province. Though this was a matter in Jiangxi, every year at this time, the Master Elder and various Provincial Administration Commissioners’ hearts hung suspended high until after the ninth month when deep autumn arrived and they could finally breathe easier.

Thinking of how eventful these past few months had been at home, with guests arriving as well.

The Master Elder organized a trip to Lake Tai to appreciate autumn.

Madam Xu was enthusiastically interested.

This was her first time traveling south of the Yangtze. Though during this period she had been escorted by various madams to offer incense at several Buddhist temples inside and outside Suzhou city, she hadn’t yet viewed the scenery of Lake Tai.

The Second Miss was single-mindedly preparing her dowry. Fearing that with both the First Madam and Master Elder away from home, if the Sun family’s people arrived it would be difficult to receive them properly, she didn’t go. The Third Miss also claimed illness and didn’t go… Everyone knew she was afraid of Xu Fenghai. The Fourth Miss was truly ill. Since entering the ninth month, she had continuously had a low fever that wouldn’t break. It seemed she might develop pox, so she didn’t dare expose herself to wind and also didn’t go. The Eighth Miss had also caught a cough, which meant the Second Madam couldn’t come either. In the end, the younger generation going consisted only of several children from the main courtyard, plus the Sixth Miss and Xu Fenghai.

Even so, the entourage was still substantial. Each young miss brought one personal maid and rode in small curtained carriages with clear oil lamps. The First Madam took Ninth Brother in a sedan chair carried by four bearers. Though Madam Xu as a Duke’s wife should use an eight-bearer palanquin, she felt this was too ostentatious and, like the Master Elder and First Madam, switched to a red-topped four-bearer sedan chair. Xu Fenghai refused to ride in a sedan and instead rode one of the Yang family’s well-maintained fine horses, escorting beside his mother’s sedan. There were also serving women, stewards managing affairs, and more—filling three large carts that followed behind. With attendants before and after, they slowly proceeded toward Guangfu Town.

Coincidentally, halfway there, they encountered the sedan chairs of the Li family, the Jiangsu Provincial Administration Commissioner.

Both sides dispatched people to exchange information and learned that Madam Li was going to Copper Guanyin Temple to pray for blessings. The two families happened to be traveling the same route.

The great households of Suzhou mostly had their own regularly frequented Buddhist temples.

It was said that Madam Li’s legitimate son had been obtained through prayers at Copper Guanyin Temple.

Hearing Lichun’s report, the First Madam understood tacitly.

“When we reach Guangfu Town, send someone to ask Madam Li if she’d like to go to Lake Tai together to appreciate autumn.” She instructed with a smile.

With the Master Elder present, Madam Li would likely decline, but courtesy demanded the invitation.

From Madam Li, she thought of Madam Xu.

Earlier, Madam Xu had only attended banquets hosted by various female relatives under her accompaniment.

Recently, though she had claimed to be busy, Madam Xu hadn’t slowed her outings.

She had visited nearly all the Buddhist temples, large and small, around Suzhou…

What matter had Madam Xu so concerned?

The First Madam couldn’t help narrowing her eyes slightly, recalling what she’d witnessed in the capital.

Immediately after, she heard Xu Fenghai’s voice along with the Fifth Miss’s giggling laughter.

She frowned slightly, then in a blink, smiled again.

This child Fenghai had a naturally mischievous nature but got along quite well with Little Fifth. Though he dared to tease even the Second Miss, he had never played tricks on Little Fifth…

Toward evening, the group entered Guangfu Town. Both families rested at Copper Guanyin Temple. For a time, the temple was packed full with maids and matrons, birdsong and swallow voices everywhere.

Nanny Liang entered the courtyard where Madam Li was staying with a beaming smile. Before long, she returned to report to the First Madam, “Madam Li thanks Madam for her kind intention. She says she came this time to stay for a while and devoutly maintain a vegetarian diet, so she won’t disturb Madam and the Aunt-Madam. Tomorrow morning she’ll bring the Twelfth Young Master to pay respects to Madam and Aunt-Madam.”

“How can it be called paying respects? Madam Li is just being polite.” The First Madam quickly said.

Madam Xu only smiled.

She then casually instructed Xu Fenghai beside her, “Outside isn’t like at home. Don’t run around. Stay obediently by my side.”

Xu Fenghai’s face darkened as he responded faintly.

Madam Xu then glanced at the Seventh Miss and smiled at her.

The Seventh Miss’s heart grew somewhat cold.

She had always feared this capable-looking Aunt-Madam Xu, as if nothing could be hidden from her.

It seemed Xu Fenghai’s several conflicts with her truly hadn’t escaped Madam Xu’s notice after all.

Though Madam Xu’s smile contained little malice, the Seventh Miss still couldn’t help becoming more cautious.

Given her status, if she inadvertently offended Madam Xu…

The Seventh Miss didn’t dare think further.

The First Madam, however, didn’t notice these details.

“It would be wonderful if Third Sister could stay in Suzhou for New Year.” She expressed some regret. “Our family has a villa on Dengwei Mountain, surrounded entirely by plum blossoms that bloom from the twelfth month through the second month without fading! Unfortunately, it’s not flowering season now, so staying there would be rather desolate.”

Madam Xu also yearned for it, “Everything is good in the capital, but land is worth its weight in gold. Not only are residences small, but when you want to go out for outings, there aren’t many good places to go.”

The two then spoke of trivial matters from before they came of age.

The children found it dull and arranged in twos and threes to go play. Ninth Brother organized to find the Li family’s Twelfth Young Master to play.

The Seventh Miss couldn’t help quietly asking Bailu, “Is this Twelfth Young Master Li born of the current Madam Li?”

Bailu nodded with a smile, “This remarried wife only gave birth to this one son. She treasures him like her own eyeball and takes him everywhere.”

She then whispered to the Seventh Miss, “The Li family is different from ours. This Madam doesn’t manage affairs much. Several yiniang in the household fight fiercely, but Madam Li acts as if she doesn’t know. When she has leisure, she loves taking the young master out to stay wherever she pleases. Master Li rarely manages her affairs.”

No wonder Master Li and the Master Elder were so close, yet Madam Li rarely visited to speak with the First Madam.

The Seventh Miss was curious, “The previous madams also had sons, didn’t they?”

“They all did. The first wife even had two legitimate sons who are now studying at Shantang Academy and have already achieved licentiate degrees.” Bailu nodded.

The Sixth Miss came over smiling to listen to Bailu’s gossip. Bailu showed no intention of avoiding the topic.

Tomorrow Madam Li would come over. Naturally the Seventh Miss wanted to know more about the Li family situation. “The legitimate son born to the first remarried wife has poor health and survives entirely on medicine. The second remarried wife gave birth to the Eleventh Young Master, who is now thirteen this year. The current Madam treats him quite well too and often takes him along as well.”

Families like the Yang household already had relatively simple populations. Among the frontier officials of that time, each household could field a battalion of women soldiers plus countless children. For the Yang family to have only Ninth Brother as the sole male heir was truly rare.

The Sixth Miss also said with a smile, “Both the Eleventh and Twelfth Young Masters have visited our home. The Eleventh Young Master’s maternal uncle is very close with Second Uncle in the capital, so Father also regards him with particular favor.”

Among great aristocratic families, relationships were often tangled and unclear.

The Seventh Miss nodded.

Then she saw Xu Fenghai exit the room and slowly walk toward them.

Her heart tightened as she grasped the Sixth Miss’s hand.

The Sixth Miss also stiffened.

Bailu couldn’t help finding it somewhat amusing.

The Seventh Miss’s alert and guarded appearance was rarely seen—it had much more human warmth than her usual indifferent expression.

“We’re staying in the east side courtyard. We should go over first to unpack.” She said gently.

The Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss then walked hand in hand into the east side courtyard where the female relatives were lodging.

Xu Fenghai watched them with a half-smile as they turned the wall corner.

It seemed that though she kept up appearances, Yang Qi was still somewhat afraid of him in her heart.

#

The Yang family occupied one large and one small courtyard at Copper Guanyin Temple. The Master Elder and First Madam rested in the main house of the large courtyard. The Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss were arranged in the east side courtyard. The west side courtyard housed Ninth Brother and the Fifth Miss. Madam Xu stayed with Xu Fenghai in the small courtyard. Some servants from both families were lodged together in the rear courtyard.

The Master Elder conversed with the abbot in the temple the whole time. Only at dinner did he return to eat with his family. After the meal, he left again, leaving word for the First Madam not to wait for him.

The First Madam couldn’t help gnashing her teeth in secret.

The Seventh Miss didn’t dare linger long.

That the Master Elder would rather talk through the night with the abbot than rest in the same room as the First Madam showed how estranged the couple had become.

For a married couple to reach this stage, there must be entangled grievances and resentments…

The First Madam surely didn’t wish to have a concubine-born daughter witness her unhappiness now.

The Seventh Miss gave the Sixth Miss a meaningful look.

The Sixth Miss nodded understandingly and pulled the Seventh Miss up to bid the First Madam goodnight.

The two young girls exited the room.

The night at Guangfu Temple was much more desolate than the Yang household.

After all, at the mountain’s foot with no tall buildings nearby, the vast deep blue night sky pressed down unreservedly over the two young girls’ heads. The pale white Milky Way spanned the horizon. Stars clustered densely, bright as wild beasts’ eyes, silently watching them.

The Sixth Miss unconsciously grasped the Seventh Miss’s hand.

“Let me sleep in your bed, Seventh Sister!”

The fear in her voice transmitted unreservedly.

The Seventh Miss smiled slightly, her heart and mind expansive.

She suddenly missed life in Yang Family Village… Though impoverished, it had been much freer than life in Suzhou.

The northwest night sky was also more expansive and open than Jiangnan.

“Silly girl, what are you afraid of?” She smiled and held the Sixth Miss’s hand, pointing toward the night sky. “See that ladle?”

“Mm.” The Sixth Miss’s voice faintly carried more excitement, “That’s the Big Dipper, isn’t it?”

“Yes. When the Big Dipper points east, all under heaven is spring; when the Big Dipper points south, all under heaven is summer…” The Seventh Miss recited for the Sixth Miss to hear.

The Sixth Miss giggled, looking up at the sky and nearly tripping. “Seventh Sister, you can even recognize constellations?”

“A little bit.” The Seventh Miss spoke with her while entering the east side courtyard.

“You know so many things.” The Sixth Miss praised frankly, then grew excited again. “Point out more for me to see. The stars at Guangfu Temple are much brighter than at home.”

Suzhou at night had lights everywhere and naturally couldn’t compare with Guangfu Town’s night sky.

The Seventh Miss and Sixth Miss stood in the center of the courtyard. The Seventh Miss pointed out the Southern Dipper to the Sixth Miss, “The Big Dipper governs death, the Southern Dipper governs life.”

The two young girls laughed and played until Bailu and Daxue urged them several times before they washed up and went to bed.

Buddhist quarters were rather cramped after all. With two young girls sharing a bed, the maids had no place to keep night watch.

The Sixth Miss simply sent Bailu and Daxue to sleep in her own room, “…Let you relax for one night too!”

Bailu and Daxue could only go with the flow.

The Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss lay side by side in bed, both finding it novel.

The Sixth Miss then asked the Seventh Miss, “Is life in the main courtyard good?”

Before the Sixth Miss, the Seventh Miss always felt particularly relaxed.

“Not bad.” She answered with a smile.

The Sixth Miss was somewhat dissatisfied.

“How can it be not bad…” In the darkness, her tone lost its usual innocence and joy, revealing a heaviness incongruous with her age.

The Seventh Miss suddenly couldn’t find words.

“Second Sister and Fifth Sister both have difficult temperaments, and Madam has that temper too…” The Sixth Miss seemed to be speaking to herself, yet also seemed to be defending the Seventh Miss. “Being a concubine-born daughter in the Yang family is particularly difficult.”

The Seventh Miss also sighed.

Infinite troubles surged into her mind.

“At least we have fine clothes and food.” She forced a smile, “Sixth Sister, we can’t only look upward. Sometimes our eyes must also look down. Look—compared to Bailu and Daxue, aren’t we much better off?”

The Sixth Miss fell silent.

After a while, she said softly, “I truly envy you!”

The Seventh Miss laughed despite herself, “What is there about me to envy?”

The Second Miss and Fifth Miss should be the objects of the Sixth Miss’s envy.

“You never seem to commit any breach of etiquette.” The Sixth Miss’s tone rippled with deep bitterness. “Just like Eldest Sister… You naturally know how to conduct affairs and deal with people.”

The Seventh Miss was immediately speechless.

If she hadn’t even achieved this level, wouldn’t her previous life have been lived in vain all those years?

But she could understand the Sixth Miss’s admiration.

Living in a great household, the most important thing was dealing with people… For unsupported concubine-born daughters like them, they simply couldn’t afford to offend anyone or look down on anyone.

She lived in the main courtyard watching the First Madam’s moods. As long as she was careful at every step, she could always manage.

The Sixth Miss, however, had no support on either side. She couldn’t offend the main courtyard, nor could she offend the Fourth House.

Of course life was somewhat harder.

“It will get better later.” She could only vaguely comfort the Sixth Miss. “Someday you’ll also be a household mistress… You won’t need to live watching others’ moods!”

The Sixth Miss laughed softly.

“I think so too.” She said resolutely, “Someday I won’t have to watch others’ moods anymore. I’ll make others watch mine and Seventh Yiniang’s moods… Ah, I only hope that day truly comes.”

“It will.” The Seventh Miss said firmly. “After bitterness comes sweetness. It will definitely come!”

One must never lose hope in one’s heart.

Even if this wish was distant and ethereal, one must strive to pursue it.

The Seventh Miss also comforted the Sixth Miss, “Look at Eldest Sister—she’s also a concubine-born daughter, yet she married into such a good family.”

The Sixth Miss softly acknowledged.

“I also envy Eldest Sister so much!”

The Seventh Miss also sighed.

Didn’t she also envy the First Miss?

Daughters of great households, whether legitimate or concubine-born, had their marriages arranged as their parents’ bargaining chips. Concubine-born daughters like them would mostly marry into families of equal standing, either as legitimate wives to concubine-born sons or as remarried wives to legitimate sons.

A lifetime was merely passing from one door into another. The world behind the doors was actually equally gray. Every day was nothing but struggle after struggle.

If one could marry into a simple, honest family like the First Miss had, even without fine clothes and jade food, it would be fortune cultivated over several lifetimes!

The Seventh Miss gradually grew drowsy.

Just before falling asleep, she heard the Sixth Miss’s soft sigh.

“If only we could transform into stars in the sky, then we wouldn’t have so many troubles…”

The Seventh Miss smiled in her dreams.

The troubles of celestial bodies were probably even greater than mortals’.

Where in the world was there true freedom from care? Even as the First Madam or the Master Elder, they all had their own insoluble knots in their hearts.