Old Madam Luo called the young ladies to greet Madam Liu. The Luo family’s daughters were all fair and delicate, like beautiful flowers in buds. Madam Liu praised them generously and specially gifted Yi Ning, the youngest, a bag of gold beans.
Young Master Liu glanced at Luo Yi Yu, noting her blossoming beauty, and felt a bit shy. Yi Yu, however, kept her gaze fixed on Chen Shi as she spoke, her back ramrod straight.
Naturally, Madam Liu was very pleased with Yi Yu. After some discussion, the two families settled on the marriage arrangement.
The stage was set up in the front courtyard, and everyone moved there to watch the performance.
The young ladies took their seats at the back. Yi Lian gently counseled Yi Yu, speaking highly of Young Master Liu. She told Yi Yu, “The Prefect of Baoding will likely leave his post in a few years. After that, Master Liu will have many opportunities for promotion. Sister, you have good fortune, so things will surely turn out well.”
Yi Yu’s expression softened slightly, and she spoke quietly with Yi Lian for quite some time, holding her hand.
Luo Yi Xiu turned to Yi Ning and said, “This sister of yours is something. Fourth Sister has never spoken to me so kindly.”
Yi Ning thought to herself, “What kind of sisters are you two? You’re like mortal enemies, faces flushed and necks red whenever you meet. How could Yi Yu speak nicely to you?” Aloud, she said mildly, “Sixth Sister has a gentle and accommodating nature. She gets along well with everyone.”
Luo Yi Xiu pondered this thoughtfully.
As the afternoon sun grew fierce, Old Madam Luo invited Madam Liu to rest in the flower hall.
Chen Shi called Yi Yu over to talk. Seeing her about to leave, Yi Xiu begged Yi Yu to take off her peridot bracelet so she could play with it. Yi Yu glared at her before slowly removing it from her wrist. Yi Xiu brought it to Yi Ning, showing it off: “Look, isn’t it beautiful?”
The deep green, jade-like beads rolled between her pale fingers, truly a lovely sight.
Little Xuan, sitting in Yi Lian’s lap, saw the novel beads and reached out with his chubby hands, saying, “Fifth Sister, Xuan wants to play too, wants to play!”
Yi Xiu quickly pulled her hand back, not daring to let a child play with something so precious. She hastily placated him, “Xuan, be good. You can’t play with this.”
As the youngest boy, Xuan usually received treatment similar to Yi Ning’s, with everyone doting on him. Concubine Qiao, in particular, spoiled her only son shamelessly, giving him whatever he wanted. Hearing he couldn’t play with the bracelet, Xuan immediately began to cry.
Hearing her brother cry, Yi Lian quickly crouched down and offered him a rattle, but Xuan pushed away the familiar toy and reached for Yi Xiu. Seeing her brother’s insistence, Yi Lian furrowed her brow and said gently to Yi Xiu, “Why don’t… you let Xuan play with it, Fifth Sister? To keep him from crying.”
Yi Xiu snorted, “What if he breaks it?”
Yi Lian, assuming it was an ordinary gemstone, thought of how many precious jade ornaments Xuan had already broken. It was just a bracelet, how easily could it break? She patiently persuaded, “Fifth Sister, if it’s an ordinary item, it wouldn’t hurt to let Xuan play with it for a bit…”
As Yi Xiu was about to speak, servants arrived with desserts – a summer treat of red bean snow. Small jade-like bowls held finely shaved ice topped with cooked red beans and sweet sugarcane syrup, a sight that stimulated the appetite.
Yi Ning took a dessert from the tray and smiled at Xuan, “Xuan, would you like to eat this instead?”
Distracted by the sweet treat, Xuan stopped fussing about the bracelet.
Yi Xiu, however, was displeased. “What do you mean ‘ordinary item’? If he breaks it, she couldn’t afford to compensate me even if I demanded it! As expected of a concubine’s child…”
Yi Ning made a shushing gesture and said softly, “Xuan doesn’t want to play with it anymore, so why bring this up?”
Still unsatisfied, Yi Xiu grumbled, “Why are you speaking up for her? Let me tell you, even the little maids around me gossip that if it weren’t for Concubine Qiao entering the household, your mother wouldn’t have become depressed and passed away so early…”
Yi Ning inwardly cautioned her, fearing her words might be overheard and used against her, yet this thoughtless girl spoke so carelessly. She sighed, “It’s like the dog biting Lü Dongbin – not recognizing a good person. I won’t bother advising you anymore!”
Seeing Yi Ning’s reaction, Yi Xiu smiled and tried to link arms with her. “Don’t be angry. Tell me, what do you think Yi Yu and the others are talking about outside? Should we go listen?”
Yi Ning, always lazy and averse to heat, naturally declined. But Yi Xiu was curious and darted off the luohan bed to eavesdrop on Chen shi, with her maid hurrying after her, cautioning her not to run.
Yi Ning, having slept late the previous night, was glad for Yi Xiu’s absence so she could nap.
Just as she hugged a pillow, intending to doze off, she suddenly heard a crisp “snap,” like countless beads shattering.
Yi Ning’s heart tightened, and she immediately heard a child wailing. Opening her eyes, she saw peridot beads scattered on the floor near Xuan, whose attending maid was trying to comfort him. Yi Ning pointed at the beads and asked, “Wasn’t he not supposed to play with those? Where did Xuan get them from?”
The maid quickly knelt, “This slave has disturbed the Seventh Young Miss’s rest. These beads… the Sixth Young Miss gave them to the young master to play with. This slave doesn’t know the details.”
Yi Ning hurriedly got off the luohan bed and told Xue Zhi, “Quick, go help her comfort Xuan.” She then called for Song Zhi, “Hurry and find Fifth Young Miss!”
The two maids, seeing their young mistress so serious, felt she truly had the air of a proper young lady. They thought to themselves that blood ties did matter, and quickly ran out to find people.
Yi Ning took a closer look and found that several peridot beads had shattered. Peridot was inherently fragile; how could Yi Lian have given it to Xuan to play with? Moreover, this string of peridots was part of Chen Shi’s dowry and was extremely valuable. If Chen Shi found out, Yi Xiu would likely not escape punishment.
Yi Ning immediately had the little maids bring a tray to collect the unbroken peridot beads.
Xue Zhi had almost calmed Xuan down. She quietly explained the value of the peridot string to Xuan’s maid, who turned pale with fright. She asked Xue Zhi to watch Xuan and hurried off to find Yi Lian.
Yi Ning felt a headache coming on. It seemed her nap was out of the question, and with Xuan still sniffling, she would have to comfort him.
Just then, Chen Shi entered with Yi Yu. Seeing the shattered peridot pieces on the ground and Yi Ning holding the remaining beads, her face darkened. She immediately recognized the gift she had given Yi Yu. Yi Ning had always been mischievous, breaking things more than once or twice. But Chen Shi couldn’t possibly make a fuss over a string of beads with Yi Ning. She controlled herself and asked, “Yi Ning, did you break these beads?”
Fearing a misunderstanding, Yi Ning said softly, “Xuan was playing with them just now and broke a few. The rest are fine.”
At this moment, Lin Hai Ru also arrived, followed by Luo Cheng Zhang, who had just returned from his official duties and was preparing to meet Young Master Liu.
Seeing the shattered peridot on the floor, Yi Ning standing nearby, and Chen Shi’s displeased expression, Luo Cheng Zhang frowned and asked, “Elder Sister-in-law, what happened here? Did Yi Ning misbehave and upset you?”
Chen Shi shook her head, “It’s just children breaking a thing or two. It’s nothing.”
Hearing Chen Shi’s words, Luo Cheng Zhang misunderstood. His gaze toward Yi Ning turned cold as he recalled the numerous times she had broken things in his study. He said sternly, “Quickly apologize to your aunt. This is getting out of hand. These peridots are precious; how could you play with them and break them like this?”
Yi Ning felt a lump in her throat. How wonderful, she thought sarcastically, this adopted father of hers.
He dared to scold his daughter without even clarifying the situation, clearly assuming she was spoiled and mischievous, not allowing any explanation.