Lin Hairu always respected her son, the top scholar. The Lin family had never produced scholars before, until a few years ago when a distant relative became a provincial graduate. This achievement delighted the old master Lin so much that he held a week-long feast and distributed copper coins at the door. From childhood, old master Lin taught Hairu: “All pursuits are inferior; only studying is supreme.”
Whenever her top scholar son came to pay respects, Lin Hairu greeted him with a beaming smile and promptly ordered tea. Though only a stepmother, she felt somewhat deferential in Luo Shenyuan’s presence.
Seated in the armchair, Luo Shenyuan sipped his tea and asked, “Whose idea was it to move Xuan’er to live with Mother?”
Lin Hairu replied, “It was Yining’s idea. I’m just feeding an idle mouth…”
Realizing it was Little Fatty’s idea, Luo Shenyuan calmly continued, “Leaving Xuan’er with his birth mother has indeed hindered his education. I wonder, Mother, do you intend to raise him permanently? He’s Concubine Qiao’s lifeline; she won’t give up easily if you take him away. If you wish to keep him, I’ll speak with Father. But the current arrangement won’t suffice.”
Although Yining and his stepmother were women who only saw the immediate situation, Luo Shenyuan’s nature led him to consider matters more deeply.
He inwardly mocked himself, wondering if his scheming nature was why others disliked him. Old Lady Luo kept her distance, and Luo Yihui was wary of him.
Luo Yihui had last told him, “I’m grateful for your kindness to Yining. But if you ever scheme against her, I’ll forfeit my position as the heir’s wife to deal with you…”
As Luo Shenyuan watched Luo Yihui lead Yining away, he felt the cold night air intensely.
If Yining also learned he was deeply scheming, cold, and cruel… would she distance herself too? She was so young, naive, and fearless.
Perhaps it was better they didn’t know.
Lin Hairu was unsure if she wanted to raise Xuan’er.
“Let me think about it,” she hesitated. “He is, after all, Qiao Yuechan’s child.”
Luo Shenyuan smiled faintly, toying with his teacup. His stepmother’s thoughts were too simple; he understood Qiao Yuechan’s mindset—she would risk everything for Xuan’er. “Don’t ponder too long. I’ll support you in everything.”
Outside the west wing, Luo Yilian entered to find Xuan’er and Yining sitting together, Xuan’er’s smile revealing dimples.
“This one’s pretty! Let’s hang it up! Seventh Sister, I want more hundred-knot decorations,” Xuan’er exclaimed.
Luo Yilian’s expression soured. She forced a smile and called out to her brother. Seeing Luo Yilian, Xuan’er forgot about the decorations and reached out for her to hold him.
Luo Yilian picked up her brother and noticed Yining quietly observing her from her cushion.
Xuan’er asked, “Sixth Sister, do you like my hundred-knot decorations?”
Feeling anxious about losing her brother, Luo Yilian held Xuan’er tightly. She remembered Concubine Qiao’s words that her brother was their future support. Smiling slowly, she said, “Seventh Sister, you’re so young yet already so cunning.”
Yining adjusted her sleeve and replied, “I’m still no match for Sixth Sister.”
After playing with her brother for a while, Luo Yilian reluctantly bid farewell and reported the situation to Concubine Qiao.
Hearing this, Concubine Qiao was so angry her nails dug into her palms.
She regretted letting Xuan’er fake illness to gain favor, only to be outmaneuvered by a little girl. How could she swallow this insult?
Concubine Qiao quickly fell ill, reportedly due to missing her child, refusing food and drink.
Luo Yilian went to cry pitifully before Luo Chengzhang, implying that Xuan’er was being spoiled under Lin Hairu’s care. “Mother only lets Xuan’er play all day, without learning to read. How can this continue? Concubine fell ill worrying about this…”
Luo Chengzhang frowned upon hearing this. His greatest concern was that Lin Hairu might not raise Xuan’er well, hindering his studies. Luo Yilian had hit the mark.
When Yining heard about Luo Yilian’s words from Xuezhi, she thought their mother-daughter tactics were quite limited.
Of course, tactics didn’t need to be numerous, just effective.
Today, Luo Yixiu insisted on bringing Luo Yiyu to play with Yining. Luo Yiyu sat silently eating tangerines, while Luo Yixiu chatted animatedly between bites: “Your family’s concubine is restless. My father has three concubines, all obedient and well-behaved!”
Yining had recently heard that the youngest, Concubine Qing, had initially vied for favor due to her youth, but Chen Shi had quickly subdued her. Now she was completely docile, wishing she had more hands to serve the madam. Chen Shi was indeed capable.
Luo Yiyu stuffed a tangerine slice in her mouth, wishing she could drag Luo Yixiu back home.
She seemed quite eager to discuss the private affairs of the main household with Yining.
Knowing Luo Yiyu disliked her, Yining ignored her sour expression and handed Luo Yixiu another tangerine. “If you like them, eat more! I have half a box left. I’ll pack some for you to take home. I need to visit Mother now, so I can’t keep you company any longer.”
Both sisters loved tangerines, which were hard to find at this time.
Luo Yiyu, unsure what had offended Yining, left with a disgruntled expression, carrying an armful of tangerines with Luo Yixiu.
In the main room, Lin Hairu was upset by Concubine Qiao and her daughter. The maids stood silently, afraid to make a sound.
Seeing Yining arrive, Lin Hairu quickly asked her to sit and relayed Luo Shenyuan’s words: “…Your Third Brother anticipated this. What do you think we should do now?”
“Does Mother want to raise Xuan’er?” Yining asked.
Lin Hairu hesitated, then shook her head. “Yining, my uncle was the only son of a concubine, raised by the main wife. When he grew up and established himself, he brought his birth mother to live in the main house, favoring her over the woman who raised him. Thinking about this makes me uneasy.”
After all, it wasn’t her child, carrying another’s blood. When the child grew up, his heart would likely lean towards his birth mother.
Yining sighed inwardly. If that was the case, they should return Xuan’er.
But they couldn’t let the matter end there.
When Luo Chengzhang returned from his official duties and visited Lin Hairu, Yining explained: “…Mother only let him play to improve his health, which Sixth Sister misunderstood. Since Concubine Qiao misses Xuan’er, and he’s now healthy, let’s return him to her. This will spare Mother the care of Xuan’er and the undeserved criticism.”
Hearing this, Luo Chengzhang found Yining’s words reasonable. Seeing Lin Hairu’s sorrowful expression, he felt even more sympathetic. Lin Hairu had exerted effort without appreciation. Not only were Concubine Qiao and her daughter ungrateful, but they even blamed her. How could this be?
He could see through Concubine Qiao’s feigned “illness” for Xuan’er. While he might have been fooled once or twice, he was now more alert. He had always despised being deceived, and Concubine Qiao had crossed that line.
He summoned Concubine Qiao and her daughter, speaking coldly: “You’ve become quite calculating! Your mother and sister took Xuan’er in with good intentions. Not only are you ungrateful, but you blame Hairu. I wonder what your true motives are!”
Seeing her father’s stern face, Luo Yilian quickly knelt. With tears in her eyes and her delicate chin quivering, she said softly: “Daughter was only concerned for my brother, Father has misunderstood. Now that his illness has passed, I’m grateful. I was just worried about Xuan’er’s studies…”
“Why worry about Xuan’er’s studies? Your Third Brother and I will handle that!” Luo Chengzhang retorted. “If you cause any more trouble and disrupt the household, I won’t let you off easily. Xuan’er has grown plump and healthy under the Madam’s care, proving her excellent care.”
Yining followed up on Luo Chengzhang’s words: “Father, I think since the maids and servants in Concubine’s quarters can’t care for Xuan’er properly, they should all be dismissed. Let Mother assign new people to look after Xuan’er.”
Concubine Qiao’s face darkened further. These were all her confidantes!
If she couldn’t even protect her people, who would serve her loyally in the future?
She immediately knelt and pleaded: “Master, please don’t listen to the Seventh Miss…”
Luo Yilian cried even harder, her frail body trembling: “Father, the nanny who cares for my brother is also my wet nurse. How can I bear to part with her… Seventh Sister, what are you thinking?” Her face grew paler, her vision blurred, and she suddenly lost consciousness, collapsing softly.
Yining had heard that Yilian had a condition that allowed her to faint at opportune moments. The exact nature of the illness was unclear, but it always struck at crucial times.
Concubine Qiao wailed and rushed to embrace her daughter. Luo Chengzhang, concerned about his daughter’s ailment, moved to pick her up.
Yining stopped him, thankful for her preparation.
“Father, don’t worry. I have a maid trained by Mama Zheng who knows some medicine. She told me that for conditions like Sixth Sisters, where one faints suddenly, two acupuncture points need to be stimulated to wake her up.” Yining turned to the maid standing nearby, “Qingqu, did you bring the needles?”
Qingqu marveled at how her young mistress always seemed to anticipate everything.
She immediately opened a cloth bundle, revealing a row of gleaming needles. Qingqu nodded, “Yes, Miss, I brought the needles.”
Concubine Qiao felt like coughing blood. Luo Yining had even prepared for this—she must have planned it all!
“Quickly, give Sixth Sister two needle pricks,” Yining said worriedly. “It’s not good for her to remain unconscious like this.”
As Qingqu approached with the needles, Concubine Qiao frantically tried to stop her: “Master, this cannot be allowed! What if this maid pricks the wrong spot and harms Yilian?”
“Concubine, don’t worry,” Luo Yining was determined to teach her a lesson today to prevent future trouble. She persuaded, “Qingqu has been giving Mother acupuncture treatments, and Mother finds them very effective. Isn’t that right, Mother?”
Lin Hairu immediately played along: “Qingqu’s medical skills are profound, no less than Mama Zheng’s!”
Qingqu’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t contradict them.
Luo Chengzhang, holding his frail daughter with her pale face, immediately said: “Yuechan, say no more. If she’s a maid left by Mama Zheng, her medical skills must be excellent. Come quickly and treat Yilian!”
Mama Zheng had an almost mythical status in the Luo family. Everyone had unwavering faith in her medical skills.
Concubine Qiao took a deep breath. What else could she do but let Qingqu administer the acupuncture?
Qingqu immediately took out a needle and reassured Concubine Qiao: “Don’t worry, Concubine. I’ve treated sick mules and horses on the farm. When Mama Zheng isn’t around, I even treat the tenant farmers. I do have some medical skills…”
Concubine Qiao listened, wanting to strangle Qingqu. What was she implying?
Lin Hairu could barely contain her laughter, her face turning red from the effort.
Luo Yining maintained her worried tone: “Qingqu, stop talking about irrelevant things. Quickly wake up Sixth Sister.”
As Qingqu was about to insert the needle, she accidentally stepped forward, treading on Luo Yilian’s delicate hand.
Qingqu was no ordinary person. Used to farm work and heavy lifting in Yining’s quarters, she moved with considerable force. Her step was like a thunderbolt, causing Luo Yilian to cry out and open her eyes immediately.
She quickly cradled her hand, which was now swollen and red, bearing a shoe print with two specks of mud.
“You clumsy girl, how dare you step on the Sixth Miss!” Luo Yilian’s main maid was distressed. Noticing Qingqu’s simple attire, she immediately started scolding her.
Qingqu smiled apologetically: “This servant wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry, Sixth Miss. But it’s a blessing in disguise—the Sixth Miss woke up from this misstep!”
Luo Yilian’s face fluctuated between red and white.
She had been exposed.
Luo Chengzhang’s expression darkened. This revealed that Luo Yilian had never been ill and had been deceiving him all along.
Luo Chengzhang released his grip and returned to his seat, his face dark with anger.
For the next quarter hour, he berated Luo Yilian and Concubine Qiao. Yining occasionally interceded, urging her father to calm down: “Sixth Sister didn’t mean to deceive you. She’s always been prone to fainting, this must have been an accident.” Or she would say, “Sixth Sister fainted out of concern for Xuan’er. She had good intentions!”
These words only fueled Luo Chengzhang’s anger and disappointment further.
Finally, he reached a decision: all servants in Concubine Qiao’s quarters would be replaced. Luo Yilian was to copy women’s moral teachings twenty times and couldn’t leave her room until finished. Concubine Qiao was to reflect on her poor parenting.
Luo Chengzhang began to ponder: children often emulate their caretakers. Both children raised by Concubine Qiao were problematic. Yilian had disappointed him today; how would Xuan’er turn out?
A wayward daughter was one thing, but a misguided son could be disastrous. At best, it could lead to family discord and shame; at worst, he might grow up incompetent and squander the family’s legacy. The second branch had Luo Shenyuan with a promising future; they couldn’t let Xuan’er ruin that.
Perhaps when the boy was older, he should have been raised by Lin Hairu. As long as his character was sound, Luo Chengzhang could oversee his studies.
This idea began to take root in Luo Chengzhang’s mind.
That night, the main house was abuzz with activity. Near midnight, Concubine Qiao, pale-faced, came to take Xuan’er back. She found Luo Yining waiting at the door, standing taller than her, who said coolly, “Concubine, you must take good care of Xuan’er from now on.”
Concubine Qiao stared at Luo Yining, feeling bewildered. How could the gentle Gu Minlan have given birth to two such troublesome daughters? This young Luo Yining, barely eight years old, was hiding daggers behind her smile—a different kind of terrifying compared to her sister.
“The Seventh Miss is kind-hearted. This concubine has learned her lesson,” Concubine Qiao bowed slightly to the eight-year-old child.
“No need for that,” Yining smiled, speaking softly, “Mother is naive. If you try to hurt her again, I won’t let you off easily. Concubine, do you know what’s most important for a concubine?”
“Knowing your place is most important.” Yining didn’t wait for her response, delivering the final words coldly before stepping into the west wing.
Concubine Qiao held the sleeping Xuan’er, noting his plump, healthy appearance. Her nails dug into her palms as she seethed wordlessly.
Late that night, Luo Shenyuan was writing in his study when Songzhi arrived to report the day’s events in the main house.
Luo Shenyuan was surprised that the soft little fatty ball could show such spirit. He found the scene quite endearing. Fortunately, he had spoken to his father beforehand; otherwise, he wasn’t sure if the little girl could have handled it. Leaning against his desk, he asked Songzhi, “Has Yining discovered that you’re now reporting to me?”
“The Seventh Miss trusts this servant completely, without suspicion,” Songzhi replied softly.
“Good,” Luo Shenyuan turned back, saying coolly, “From now on, report everything that happens around her to me, no matter how small. You may go now.”
Songzhi looked at Luo Shenyuan’s tall, straight figure, suddenly feeling that the Third Young Master was indeed frightening. No one could guess what he was thinking, which gave her a chilling sensation.
She quietly withdrew.
Yining wrote a letter in childish language detailing recent events and sent it to her elder sister in the capital.
Heavy snow fell for several days. Concubine Qiao behaved herself, while Luo Yilian continued copying her moral texts. Apart from Luo Yiyu’s occasional cold visits, everything else was going well.
Yining felt helpless. If Luo Yiyu disliked her, she didn’t have to visit. Yet each time she came with Luo Yixiu, she’d eat a large amount of Yining’s food before leaving.
Could she be trying to eat Yining out of the house and home?
Looking at the new fruits and sweets added to her room for the New Year, Yining suddenly had this thought.
As the New Year approached, Luo Chengzhang finally pardoned Luo Yilian, sparing her from copying the remaining ten repetitions of the moral text.
After the Kitchen God festival and house cleaning, New Year’s Eve arrived. Early on New Year’s Day, as Xuezhi was doing Yining’s hair, she smiled and asked, “Young Miss, would you like to wear the golden cicada hairpin?”
The golden cicada was a festive hairpin made of gold foil, worn for celebrations.
Yining shook her head, declining. Outside, the heavy snow had stopped. Thick snow covered the eaves and branches under a vast blue sky. Though there were no lanterns in the courtyard, the maids and servants were in high spirits. Since the family split, the second branch had become more prosperous. Lin Hairu took the opportunity to increase everyone’s monthly wages for the New Year. Qingqu received her first wages; for her previous service, Lin Hairu gave her triple pay. She secretly hid it in the depths of her wardrobe, unable to sleep soundly at night, constantly watching the closet for fear of losing the money.
Amused and exasperated, Yining had a lock added to Qingqu’s wardrobe, finally allowing her to sleep peacefully.
Yining went to the main house to pay New Year’s respect to Lin Hairu, receiving a large red envelope. Shortly after, Luo Shenyuan arrived. Yining bowed to him for New Year greetings, and he surprisingly produced a red envelope from his sleeve for her. “Your shop did well this year. I took twenty taels from the profits for your red envelope,” he explained calmly.
Yining felt like pinching him—it was her own money being given back to her.
Nevertheless, she accepted Luo Shenyuan’s envelope, reluctantly saying, “Thank you, Third Brother.”
What a miser, she thought. Lin Hairu’s envelope contained a full three hundred taels!
Luo Yilian brought Xuan’er to pay respects. Lin Hairu gave them red envelopes too, though much smaller than Yining’s. When it was Xuan’er’s turn to greet Luo Shenyuan, he didn’t even offer an envelope.
Stingy and tight-fisted, Yining thought silently. It’s not like he doesn’t have money. He now controls half of the second branch’s expenses.
When Luo Chengzhang arrived, the second branch went to the main hall. The Luo family would worship their ancestors together, with the elder sister-in-law hosting a meal. Although there had been some friction during the division of family property, life had to go on. Pretending nothing had happened, Chen Shi gave each child of the second branch a twenty-tael red envelope and exchanged some pleasantries with Lin Hairu.
Chen Shi was anxious about Luo Huaiyuan’s marriage. He was already eighteen, and waiting another three years after the mourning period to marry seemed too late!
But they had to wait until after the mourning period at the earliest. Moreover, he couldn’t participate in this year’s spring imperial examinations, which was truly troublesome. It meant another three years of hard study.
The same applied to Luo Shenyuan.
Luo Chengzhang and the elder Mr. Luo planned to send them to the capital to study under respected teachers. Luo Chengzhang’s former tutor, Mr. Sun, a Hanlin Academy Reader-in-waiting, had long admired Luo Shenyuan and repeatedly written to invite him to the capital.
Luo Chengzhang had decided to send Luo Shenyuan after the New Year.
In the ancestral hall, Yining offered incense to her grandmother, gazing at her tablet.
She couldn’t change a person’s coming and going; she could only face what lay ahead.
If her grandmother knew from the underworld, she would be at peace. Yining had previously endured silently, only because her grandmother and elder sister were present. Now, as the legitimate daughter of the second branch, she wouldn’t easily forgive anyone who dared to use underhanded tactics against her.
Yining wiped a speck of dust from the tablet.
The next day, Yining received a reply from her elder sister, which she read with Lin Hairu. They were overjoyed after reading it.
Her elder sister had given birth to the Marquis of Dingbei’s first legitimate son before the New Year, a plump baby weighing over eight jin. The Marchioness was so pleased that she gifted her sister a complete set of red gold jewelry inlaid with gemstones and more than ten bolts of fine silk. In the letter, her sister also asked about Concubine Qiao’s recent behavior and whether Yining was still well-behaved.
Yining wrote back: “All is well, don’t worry. Does my little nephew resemble you or brother-in-law more?”
After replying to her elder sister, Luo Shenyuan had already found a new teacher for Yining. Before he left, he needed someone to keep the little girl in check. The new teacher was a retired Hanlin Academy scholar with a long white beard, highly respected in the capital. Chen Shi was also intrigued when she heard about it—how could Luo Shenyuan persuade such a person to come? She decided to include her two daughters in the lessons as well. When Concubine Qiao learned of this, she spent half the night sweet-talking Luo Chengzhang, insisting that Luo Yilian shouldn’t be left out.
And so, Mr. Guo’s students increased from one to four.
With her Third Brother going to the capital, Yining’s correspondence grew from one to two.
Her elder sister loved to write about little Lord Yu—Yining’s nephew’s milk name—such as his teething, learning to walk, and babbling “Mama.” He liked to chew on his toes, which took a while to correct. Recently, he had learned to accurately say “Aunt.”
Yining, in turn, wrote to her sister about daily life: “Today, Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister quarreled. The Sixth Sister tried to mediate but was accidentally hurt by the Fourth Sister, bruising her eye. Aunt led the two sisters to apologize to Sixth Sister.”
Yining was quite keen on observing her three sisters’ lives. She continued writing: “…Liu Jing passed the imperial examinations, ranking thirty-third in the second class. Fourth Sister was so proud she could barely contain herself. Aunt praises Grandmother’s foresight to everyone, burns a lot of paper money for Grandmother, and sends me many treats—from dried longan to peanut candy, beef jerky to pickled goose feet, everything you can imagine.”
Yining found this gift-giving perplexing. Later, she realized it might be a form of hush money. After all, beneath Luo Yiyu’s glorious facade lay a festering abscess named Cheng Lang.
She asked her elder sister about Cheng Lang. Her sister only told her that after becoming the third-ranked scholar in the spring examinations, Cheng Lang served a year as a Hanlin Academy Compiler before being promoted to Section Chief in the Ministry of Personnel.
This promotion was unusually fast. Normally, it would take three years. For instance, Liu Jing was still observing in the Ministry of Works and would need to wait another two years before becoming an official.
Somehow, Luo Yiyu learned of this as well. Liu Jing still couldn’t compare to Cheng Lang; just when she thought she was getting close, the gap remained vast. One day, while studying, she quarreled with Luo Yixiu again. Luo Yixiu, upset, ran to Yining’s place instead of going home.
Yining shared all these events with her elder sister.
As for her Third Brother’s letters, he had noticed that Yining’s handwriting had improved significantly since they began corresponding. He wrote back three or four times a month, mostly about trivial matters: “…Don’t go playing in the water at the back mountain with Yixiu anymore. Don’t eat sweets before bed, and don’t sneak food from Mother.” After a long list of “don’ts,” he would finally ask, “Have you grown taller?”
Sometimes he would mention things from Mr. Sun’s place: “…Old Mr. Sun also raises turtles. I’ve gotten some turtle-raising tips for you, they’re in the envelope.”
After two years of Luo Shenyuan’s time in the capital, Yining’s drawer was full of letters from him and her elder sister.
Responding to two people alone left Yining feeling overwhelmed.
She sorted through the past two years’ worth of letters. Looking out through the latticed window of her study, she saw the early spring snow melting and crabapple flowers blooming vibrantly. The wisteria in her courtyard was also thriving. But counting carefully, she realized she hadn’t seen her Third Brother in two years.
Since he began studying in the capital, he had been too busy to return home.
Yining rested her chin on her hand, feeling drowsy. People say spring brings drowsiness and autumn brings lethargy—it seemed to be true.
A few days ago, after the mourning period ended, Chen Shi began bustling about preparing for Luo Huaiyuan’s marriage. Her Third Brother and Luo Huaiyuan were finally returning home—how could Luo Huaiyuan get married without coming back? At last, she wouldn’t have to write letters anymore.
She stood up from her round stool, sighed, and said, “Xuezhi, send out this letter.”
It was finally the last letter.
Yining looked at her shadow on the ground. She had barely begun to take on the shape of a young woman. She had finally shed her slightly chubby figure, entering the realm of standard proportions, and had grown considerably taller. Her resolute refusal of Lin Hairu’s force-feeding over the past two years had indeed shown significant results.