Yu Tang smiled and said: “Although this bolt of fabric is plain, the color is too rare. To be honest, in all my years, this is the first time I’ve seen green fabric this pale. Honestly, I was hesitating in my heart just now—this color is so uncommon, it must be very expensive. If I chose this bolt of fabric, I’d feel undeserving; but if I chose a different bolt, I’d definitely regret it so much I couldn’t sleep after going home. I thought it over and over, and finally decided to be thick-skinned and choose this bolt. At worst, I’ll just make you a few more silk flowers in the future.”
The Old Madam burst out laughing.
The servants in the room also laughed along.
For a moment the room was filled with joyful laughter, becoming lively in a rare way.
But Nanny Chen turned away and quietly wiped tears.
How long had it been?
Since the Old Master passed away, the Old Madam had been melancholy and depressed. Those of them serving at her side had all been cautious and careful, afraid that one careless word would say something that made the Old Madam sad and tearful. The entire atmosphere of Heming Hall had become oppressive and tense.
Today, they finally saw the Old Madam’s smiling face again, and laughter around the Old Madam once more.
Third Master was truly formidable!
He could make the Old Madam gather her spirits and look forward.
She went to the tea room to wash her face again, checked the mirror to make sure she didn’t look like she’d been crying, then emerged from the tea room with a smile.
Who knew that just as she stepped out of the tea room, she encountered several young ladies coming to pay respects to the Old Madam.
She hurried forward to greet them.
Leading them was the eldest daughter of Third Branch’s eldest master of the Pei manor, who had just come of age this spring. Even wearing a tea-colored plain Hangzhou silk vest couldn’t suppress the brightness between her brows. She asked Nanny Chen in a low voice: “The visitor is said to be Miss Yu from Green Bamboo Lane?”
Nanny Chen smiled and nodded, but had no intention of saying more to this second-ranked young lady of the Pei family. Instead, while smiling and lifting the curtain, she said: “It’s cold outside. Young ladies, be careful not to catch a chill. Hurry inside to talk. The Old Madam is waiting!”
The several young ladies let one of them go first—a little girl still of hair-pinning age wearing a white kesi cape with woven immortal grass patterns.
But that little girl modestly stood aside, letting the other young ladies go first.
The young ladies didn’t stand on ceremony and entered the room in order of seniority.
Inside, warm air still rushed at them. Because the young ladies came often, they took off their capes to reveal the lined jackets underneath and no one felt hot. Only the Second Young Lady said “The Old Madam really knows how to enjoy herself,” and everyone entered the open hall to the east.
“Old Madam!” The several young ladies ranged from fourteen or fifteen years old at most to eight or nine at the youngest. Though all dressed plainly, each was born beautiful as flowers and jade, making one’s eyes light up at the sight, finding them most pleasing to behold.
Yu Tang was amazed.
Madam Wang directly praised: “Every time I come to the manor, I feel like I’ve fallen into a pile of flowers. Looking at young ladies from other families, none can compare. All the natural beauty and grace is in your distinguished manor.”
The Old Madam smiled slightly without responding, but called the several young girls over to meet Yu Tang: “This is Miss Yu, older than all of you. You can call her ‘Elder Sister.'” She then introduced her family’s young girls: “This is Second Young Lady, this is Third Young Lady, this is Fourth Young Lady, this is Fifth Young Lady.”
The young ladies all politely greeted Yu Tang.
Yu Tang returned each courtesy, but her mind was rapidly turning, matching the information she’d gathered with the people before her.
The Pei family currently had seven branches. They hadn’t divided the clan though they’d divided the household, all living in Little Plum Creek. There were more males than females. Among them, the eldest young lady was the eldest daughter of Second Branch’s eldest master and had already married; Second Young Lady was the eldest daughter of Third Branch’s eldest master; Third Young Lady was the eldest daughter of Third Branch’s second master; Fourth Young Lady was the eldest daughter of Fifth Branch’s eldest master; the eldest daughter of the main branch, namely Second Master Pei Xuan’s daughter Pei Dan, was actually the youngest in age, ranked fifth, called Fifth Young Lady.
Pei Yan’s biological niece… Yu Tang couldn’t help but look her over a few more times.
This girl probably resembled her mother—she didn’t look much like the Old Madam or Pei Yan. With slender brows and almond eyes, though still young, one could tell she would be a beauty.
She sensed Yu Tang’s gaze and smiled shyly at her.
Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been afraid Fifth Young Lady would be difficult to get along with.
After all, she was the Old Madam’s biological granddaughter. If she gained the Old Madam’s favor but made the biological granddaughter unhappy, wouldn’t that create trouble for the Pei manor?
Now it seemed Fifth Young Lady’s temperament was quite gentle—not the type to stir up trouble or be competitive. They should be able to get along well. On the other hand, that Second Young Lady, with her striking appearance aside, had an air of being spoiled written all over her features. Clearly not easy to deal with—she would need to be careful in her interactions.
Third Young Lady was from the same branch as Second Young Lady but looked nothing like her. With willow-leaf brows and phoenix eyes, about the same age as Second Young Lady, she had a serious little face and conducted herself in a proper, rule-following manner, quite having the bearing of a great family’s young lady.
Fourth Young Lady should be two or three years younger than Third Young Lady. With bright eyes and white teeth, when looking at people her eyes darted about, appearing very clever and lively—probably the most spirited and mischievous of the young ladies.
The Old Madam had them choose fabrics they liked, saying: “Make a few winter outfits together with your Elder Sister Yu.”
Fifth Young Lady and Third Young Lady both respectfully responded “Yes.” Second Young Lady’s expression carried some disdain as she glanced at Yu Tang. Only Fourth Young Lady, while the Pei young ladies were choosing fabrics and the Old Madam was talking with Madam Wang, quietly asked Yu Tang: “Elder Sister, what color fabric did you choose?”
There was no one who didn’t love a lively and adorable little girl.
Yu Tang was no exception.
She said quietly: “That water-green bolt next to us is the fabric I chose.”
Fourth Young Lady quickly glanced over and said: “Elder Sister has good taste. That Clear Blue Water was tribute goods from a few years ago. The Old Madam received several bolts and gifted one to my grandmother. Later when Elder Sister married, Second Branch’s Old Madam asked for another bolt to make clothes for Elder Sister.”
Yu Tang had thought the fabric wasn’t cheap, but hadn’t expected it to be this precious.
Fourth Young Lady, as if seeing through Yu Tang’s thoughts, spoke rapidly in a low voice: “But Elder Sister shouldn’t take it to heart. The Old Madam treats people very well. When we come, she has egg cakes made for us and has the kitchen make tofu soup with rich broth for us.”
Yu Tang smiled with pressed lips.
During mourning, one could only eat vegetarian food.
Adults could manage, but the children were still young and growing. Some families were inflexible—if several mourning periods came one after another, the children would have their health ruined along with them.
She hadn’t expected the Old Madam to be so kind-hearted.
One should know, it was the Old Master who had passed away.
She thought of Pei Yan.
Perhaps this was also why the Old Madam was respected?
Coming out of the Pei manor, Yu Tang not only gained a Clear Blue Water Hangzhou silk jacket lined with silk and trimmed with ink-green cattail pattern borders, but also an ink-green ten-panel horse-face skirt embroidered with plum, orchid, and bamboo, a bright blue and purple vest with golden-gray squirrel fur trim, a white sable fur hand warmer…
Chen Shi worried: “Can we save such fine clothes for your wedding trousseau?”
This was of course a joke.
If one knew proper etiquette, one should wear this outfit to pay New Year respects to Old Madam Pei on the first day of the year.
But the Pei manor’s gate wasn’t so easy to enter. Even if Yu Tang wanted to pay New Year respects to the Old Madam on the first day, she’d have to see if the Old Madam had time to receive her!
Chen Shi thought it over and over, not knowing how to repay Old Madam Pei. Gritting her teeth, she said: “No! A’Tang, you need to practice your needlework properly. If you can’t manage cutting and sewing clothes, you can at least make the Old Madam a pair of socks, right?”
“Please spare me!” Yu Tang held her head. “The Old Madam’s socks are also made by Madam Wang’s Jinlou Building and embroidered with very complex patterns—even better than your handiwork! If you make me make socks for the Old Madam, you’re putting her in a difficult position—if she wears them, she wrongs herself; if she doesn’t wear them, she wrongs Third Master.”
After all, she was Third Master who arranged for her to enter the manor. She could tell—it wasn’t that the Old Madam lacked young girls to joke and chat with at her side. That she could stay by the Old Madam’s side was eighty or ninety percent because the Old Madam didn’t want to dampen her son’s filial intentions, so she turned a blind eye and let her stay.
Chen Shi laughed out loud with a “pfft” and said: “Then what do you say we should do?”
Yu Tang touched her nose and said: “I’ll see if I can help the Old Madam copy Buddhist scriptures.”
In her previous life, she had been forced by Lin Shi to copy many Buddhist scriptures, developing a beautiful small regular script in ornate style.
Since the Old Madam was going to Zhaoming Temple to perform religious services for the Old Master, if she helped copy a few volumes of Buddhist scriptures for the Old Master, the Old Madam should accept them.
Chen Shi thought this made sense. She couldn’t wait for Yu Tang to immediately copy several large volumes. She called Shuang Tao: “Go, bring the best paper from Master’s study for the young lady. For the next few days you don’t need to do anything else—just stay home and copy Buddhist scriptures properly.”
Yu Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The best paper in her father’s study was the Chengxin paper the Pei manor had sent last time—even her father was reluctant to use it himself. However, these past days she’d been busy with Pei manor matters and hadn’t seen much of her father.
“Mother,” she said, “where’s Father?”
Chen Shi said: “He went out with Master Wu, said they were going to buy some land.”
Yu Tang’s heart jumped.
Could it be the Li family’s fifty mu of perpetual tenant land that could grow jade-stalked rice?
She intended to wait for her father to return, but Chen Shi was concerned about the Pei family’s young ladies: “Although they’re all younger than you, they were raised in wealthy families after all. How did you get along with them? If you really can’t get along, just tell Nanny Ji. In the future, watch for when they’re not there and visit the Old Madam then.”
“That might be a bit difficult.” Yu Tang recalled today’s visit to the Old Madam and said, “Afraid the Old Madam would be lonely and isolated, the Pei young ladies should all have received instructions from their elders to visit the Old Madam often. But you don’t need to worry. Though the Pei young ladies’ temperaments are all different, with their family upbringing, they probably aren’t the type who enjoy making things difficult for people. They’re not hard to get along with.”
She was telling the truth.
Even with the Pei manor’s Second Young Lady, she could clearly feel that she didn’t think much of her and might even suspect she’d used some means to curry favor with Old Madam Pei. But she only treated her coldly—she hadn’t spoken rudely or deliberately made things difficult. Fourth Young Lady needn’t even be mentioned—she’d been very curious the whole time. If not for her family upbringing and cultivation, she would have inquired about everything concerning her in great detail.
Hearing her say this, Chen Shi was still worried and said: “As the saying goes, ‘eating someone’s food makes your mouth soft, taking someone’s things makes your hands short.’ Next time you go to the Pei manor, I’ll make some delicious pastries for the Pei manor’s young ladies to try.”
Yu Tang smiled and agreed.
Enjoying good food together could indeed make relationships closer.