The rooster had not yet crowed when Zhù Ying’s fingers stirred. Long years of habit woke her early. She opened her eyes, lay still for a moment, then gently withdrew her hand from Zhang Xiangu’s side, lifted the quilt, stepped down from the bed, and stood barefoot on the floor.

A faint, pale light filtered through the window paper; the lanterns outside had long since burned out.

Zhù Ying stretched a leisurely stretch and looked back at the bed. Zhang Xiangu and Huajie were sleeping soundly. The light was dim and their faces could not be seen clearly, but their long, steady breathing carried, for no particular reason, a sense of deep ease.

She walked to the window and opened it gently. Outside was a little brighter. She could make out most of Fulu County in the faint light. Some households had already risen — a scattering of lights here and there. The lanterns at the bow of the boats moored along the river had also come alive. Gradually, the sound of dogs barking and roosters crowing arose; more and more lights appeared; the sky grew slowly brighter.

Then the lights began to go out one by one, and a thread of daylight pierced through from the east — it was morning.

Zhang Xiangu twitched in her sleep, reached out a hand, and felt around. Her hand found only Huajie. Her heart lurched at once. Huajie also stirred awake, momentarily bewildered, then recalled: “Little Zhù?”

Zhù Ying turned her head at the sound. “You’re awake?”

Zhang Xiangu’s back, which had gone rigid, sank back against the bed. “Couldn’t you have slept a little longer?”

Zhù Ying said, “I wanted to take in the view. It’s been quite a few days, and the house looks a bit better than it did before, I think.”

Zhang Xiangu reached for her clothes and threw them on, dressing as she spoke. “It really has. Life has gotten much better these past few years — a new outfit to wear at New Year’s.”

Huajie had already dressed herself and was smoothing her hair with her hand as she said, “Shall we wash up?” She walked to the table and lit the lamp — one more small thread of warmth added to the room’s light. The orange lamplight softened the features of all three of them.

The sound of talk inside the room also woke the people outside. Zhù Yin tapped on the door and asked with a smile, “Official — are you up? We’ve brought hot water.”

Zhù Ying said, “Come in.” She went and opened the door.

People filed in one by one, lit several more lamps, and the room grew brighter. Very soon Widow Jiang, who had been staying with Zhang Xiangu, also came over, smiling cheerfully. “Let me comb the old mistress’s hair.”

Her own hair was already showing visible threads of white, though she was still younger than Zhang Xiangu by some years. Zhang Xiangu had always disliked asking servants to wait on her, but as she grew older she found she needed a little more help. She sat down before the dressing table and said, “Just put it up neatly — that’s fine. Yesterday was the first day we were seeing Number Three again; we needed to look nice. Now that we’ve seen her, a simple updo will do!”

Huajie gave a small smile, washed her face first, then waited for Zhang Xiangu to finish having her hair done before doing her own. Her style was also simple, with a faintly rustic mountain quality — she wrapped her head with a cloth and pinned several hairpins through it.

Zhù Ying laughed. “The two of you — it seems you only bothered to look nice for me for one day?”

Zhang Xiangu said with a smile, “Exactly! Oh — why are you standing on the bare floor with no socks on? Goodness! When did you become so careless?”

Zhù Ying shook her head, quickly dressed, fastened all her small accessories at her waist, then held out a hand to Huajie for a comb. Huajie took her hand, drew her to the dressing mirror, and sat her down. “Sit still, don’t move.” She gathered Zhù Ying’s hair and wound it up, braided the stray wisps at the nape of her neck into two small plaits and coiled those up as well, bound it all firmly, then set a small gold crown neatly and securely in place on Zhù Ying’s head.

On the other side, Zhang Xiangu came over holding a pair of socks in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, and bent to help. Widow Jiang and Zhù Yin both rushed forward: “We’ll do it, we’ll do it.”

Zhù Wen took the handkerchief. Zhù Ying said, “All this fussing is uncomfortable. Just a moment and I’ll manage on my own.”

Huajie adjusted a hairpin into place and said, “Done.”

Over on the other side, Zhù Yin said, “Official — I can see that they’ve gotten up over there too. I’ll go fetch the meal. Where would you like to eat?”

Zhù Ying said, “Here is fine. Everyone eat on their own; when we’re done we set out. The mountain roads are rough, and it’s another night’s rest before we reach the Asu family — we need an early start.”

“All right, I’ll go tell the others.”

Soon the washing and dressing were done, and the meal was brought in. Fulu County had provided a fine breakfast that would not have been out of place at the Zhù Prime Minister’s residence in the capital. Various small side dishes, meat and smoked fish among them, and pastries, congee, and soup; beside all that, a large basin of fresh fruit waiting to be served after the meal.

It was refined — but the bowls were a full two sizes smaller than those at the late Prime Minister Zhù’s residence. Zhù Ying ran her finger along the rim of a bowl, blew on it, and in one long slurp drained half a bowl of chicken broth, then picked up her chopsticks and with one swoop of her hand raked a large tangle of noodles out of the bowl and into her mouth. Beside her, Zhang Xiangu had only had two spoonfuls of her meat congee, and Huajie had only taken one bite of her rice cake.

By the time Zhù Ying had finished four meat buns, two bowls of chicken broth noodles, and had tucked away an entire plate of sliced boiled lamb, she was reaching for a cluster of fresh lychees to peel and eat one by one. Zhang Xiangu by then had finished two bowls of congee and one salted egg; Huajie swallowed her last spoonful of sweet congee and rinsed her mouth, then wiped her lips.

Only then did Widow Jiang blow out all the lamps — it was now fully bright outside.

Zhang Xiangu said, “Tomorrow we see your sister Su, and the day after and the day after that we head home — we should have a few new outfits cut.”

Zhù Ying glanced down at herself. “I grabbed these at random for traveling. I have new clothes that I’ve just brought — I’ll add more in the autumn when there’s time. What’s here is enough for now.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “We’re all back safe and sound, and you’re still wearing men’s clothes. That doesn’t seem right.”

Zhù Ying said, “Oh, clothes are meant to be worn. Whatever’s comfortable, whatever’s practical — that’s all. What does it matter whether they’re ‘men’s’ or ‘women’s’ clothes? Once I wear them, they’re mine. I say they’re appropriate — then they’re appropriate.”

Zhang Xiangu still looked a little regretful. Zhù Ying gestured along her own figure: “Though I should have my current clothes altered once we’re home. Here — take in the waist. And here, this part — bring it in a bit. It doesn’t sit quite right.”

Zhang Xiangu walked around her, noting each place, then said, “All right, then.”

Huajie said, “Fine — I’ll remember all of it. We can deal with it when we get home. It’s time to get moving now.”

After breakfast, Prefect Xu was still accompanying Zhù Ying’s party; he had slept poorly through the night, and now his head was bobbing like a pecking chicken. The group left Qingfeng Tower and found a crowd of gentry and common folk waiting outside.

Zhù Ying exchanged greetings with them. In her ten years away, some of the old had passed, and some of the children had grown up. She spoke with them as she went, and only as they had walked out of the county seat did she say, “I’m back now; it’ll be easy to see each other going forward. Don’t follow any further — go back and live your lives.”

Some turned back; others continued to follow.

The number following her gradually dwindled. When they passed the Zhao family’s house, Zhù Ying said, “Your family has rarely had the chance to be together. Why not settle in at home first?”

Zhao Su looked back at the convoy and said, “I’ll see you home and come back — that’s soon enough.”

Zhao Niangzi still said what was on her mind: “Don’t mind him, A’Mei — let him come! Go on!” Zhao Su had his own luggage taken off to leave with his parents, and left his wife and children behind, then followed alongside Zhù Ying’s goods and accompanied them onward to the Asu family.

When they finally reached the provincial boundary, Prefect Xu at last let himself breathe: “A thousand li of sending you off, but part we must at last. Safe travels.”

Zhù Ying said with a smile, “Thank you for the good wishes. Once we are settled, I will come and pay you a visit.”

Prefect Xu felt a jolt of anxiety and said with forced composure, “I will be honored to receive you.”

Zhù Ying gave a small smile, and with Su Mingluan and the others, headed into the mountains.

The boundary marker at the entrance to the mountains had been placed there in Zhù Ying’s time; the lower half had grown over with moss. Su Mingluan said with a laugh, “From here on, we can walk without a care!”

Su Zhe laughed out loud with particular glee!

The group rested overnight at a small hamlet midway in, and after the evening meal, Huajie said, “You and your godmother should share a room. Just now a student came to say there’s a patient they’re having trouble treating — I need to go and see. No telling when I’ll be done or what I’ll need to do. I’ll take my own room.”

Huajie was more at home here than Zhù Ying herself; Zhù Ying trusted her entirely and said with a smile, “All right.”

She did not go straight to sleep, but stayed up talking with the sparrow chieftain-father-in-law and the others. The sparrow chieftain-father-in-law and the other two elder chieftains were no longer young; their energy was not what it had been, yet they all wanted a few more words with Zhù Ying. Lu Guo and Xi Jin spoke of the Yigan chieftain’s high-handed conduct: “Every few days someone comes around to pick a fight, and they’ve even sent people to our villages to grab escaped slaves! Hmph! We don’t keep slaves here anymore! I told him straight — anyone who comes to us is my farmhand, not his slave!”

The sparrow chieftain-father-in-law added, “They still remember the score with the Suoning family from back then. We all had a hand in that, and if he wants revenge, we can’t go soft.”

Lang Kunwu said, “This time I’m going to meet him myself, face to face!”

Zhù Ying asked questions about the Yigan family’s current situation. Xi Jin said, “His sons and daughters are close with the Xika and Jima families. Jima has iron, so he married his daughter into them. Xika has gold, so he had his son wed their girl.”

The sparrow chieftain-father-in-law said, “That’s not what any of us are really afraid of, truth be told. They have iron, and the blades they forge aren’t that remarkable — but the court, even though they’ve recognized us as county magistrates and collects our grain and cloth, still won’t give us much iron.”

Zhù Ying listened carefully, then said, “Going to war means people die…”

“We’re not afraid of that!” Lang Kunwu said.

Zhù Ying said, “It’s not a matter of being afraid or not. What I mean is — keep your own losses as small as possible. When a family loses one person in battle, that family’s life becomes hard. And if the enemy has too many dead — that’s a lot of land with no one to hunt or farm it. What a waste that would be. Let me find a way.”

Lu Guo said, “Whatever the case, my daughter is following you.”

Xi Jin said, “My nephew too — he’s yours to command.”

“Good. I’ll arrange everything,” Zhù Ying said.

Night had grown deep; the sparrow chieftain-father-in-law could not stay up late any longer and began to yawn. The group dispersed.

On the second evening, the party arrived at the Asu family’s hamlet. Su Feihu was personally waiting at the village entrance to receive them. Su Sheng called out happily, “Father!”

Su Feihu smiled — then his smile faded quickly. He looked at his sister, then let his gaze settle on Su Zhe with some hesitation: “Is this Little Sister?”

Su Zhe stepped forward obediently and called out, “Uncle.”

Su Feihu suddenly became emotional. “Good — you’re back. You’re just in time to see your grandmother!”

After saying that, he looked at Zhù Ying, more uncertain than before. Su Mingluan introduced her: “Our Grandmother has come back now. She will be our chieftain and lead us.”

Su Feihu, borrowing Su Mingluan’s form of address, paid his respects to Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying asked, “How is your sister-in-law?”

Su Feihu said, “Getting on in years…” He had received a large village of his own; if his mother were not clearly failing, he would not have stayed here.

Huajie said, “Let me go and have another look.”

Su Feihu said quickly, “Your two students have been watching over her all along; I can see they’re young, and it would be better if you took a look.”

Zhù Ying said, “Let us all go.”

The old woman had lost the ability to speak. Su Mingluan said softly, “She is gravely ill; we have not dared to tell her about you, for fear she would worry.”

Zhù Ying nodded. “I understand.”

Su Mingluan first brought Zhù Ying to see the old woman. Zhù Ying came to the bedside and saw at a glance the ashen color and the air of death. She bent down and called gently, “A’嫂.” [“Elder Sister.”]

The old woman’s eyes opened wide. Zhù Ying said, “Look who’s come.”

Su Mingluan then pushed Su Zhe forward. The old woman’s eyes brightened for a moment. She struggled to move her arm. Su Zhe quickly took hold of her hand. Zhù Ying gave Su Sheng a glance, and he stepped forward too. The old woman had one in each hand and could not look long enough. Finally her gaze came to rest on Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying said, “I’ve come back for something. Don’t worry — I’ll take care of them.”

The old woman exhaled gently, and slowly closed her eyes. Su Zhe was startled and stretched out a hand to feel for her breath. The old woman exhaled a puff of warm air against her finger — she had only tired herself out and wanted to rest.

Su Zhe’s expression became extremely expressive.

Huajie said, “Everyone, step back. I’ll see to her; go and rest.”

Su Mingluan also began making arrangements. Her daughter had come home, and she intended to keep her by her side from now on. The rooms had been assigned. The Asu family’s great house had been renovated and expanded and was considerably larger than before, though laid out in the same fashion as always. The guest room for Zhù Ying had also been expanded, but remained in its original position. Everyone else also had somewhere to stay.

Su Mingluan personally walked Zhù Ying and Zhang Xiangu to their guest room, and standing at the door, suddenly felt overcome with awkwardness. The room had changed a little, but the place itself was easy to think of in conjunction with having once wanted to give the person staying there a child.

Zhang Xiangu was still worried that others might blame her daughter for concealing her identity, and asked with a tentative edge, “What’s the matter?”

Su Mingluan quickly said, “I just thought of something from back then — the year our Grandmother came here and told me I should govern my own household.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Yes — that is what your late father said too.”

Su Mingluan shook her head with a smile. “Please rest first.”

Zhù Ying could see she had something to say and walked back out with her. Zhang Xiangu naturally stayed in the room, leaning against the doorframe and looking out.

Su Mingluan said quietly, “So you were a woman too.”

Zhù Ying said, “Of course I am a woman. If I were not, how would I have known that women are also capable of doing all these things? What lies ahead — we will do even more.”

Su Mingluan gave a firm nod. “Little Sister, I need to stay behind. She has been away too long; she cannot let herself grow distant from the village.”

“That’s as it should be. As for the Yigan family — try to wait a few months; after the harvest is the better time for a major engagement. By then she will be somewhat settled at home and can lead troops out. War is the fastest way to establish authority. In the north, I could not let her be at the front. Now that we’re home, she must fight hard to gain her footing, and to carry on what we’ve built.”

Su Mingluan said, “Letting her go too — good! The land — I doubt there’s room for the Asu family to take more. I will contribute soldiers and provisions, and I want a larger share of things the village doesn’t produce on its own.”

“That can be arranged.”

Su Mingluan said, “There is also the matter of salt. I’ve already discussed it with your aunt and Xiang San and the others. Production can still be increased somewhat. It’s just that while you’ve been away, we…”

“Good. I’ll plan it out.”

Su Mingluan finally said, “The old steward at the estate has had some trouble keeping up. You…”

“Which is why we should aim to wait until after the harvest.”

Su Mingluan said with a smile, “As you say.”

The two of them finished their talk quickly, and each retired for the night.

The next day, Zhù Ying set out again. Huajie had examined the old woman — it was an old illness that had simply worn her down. Only rest and time could help; there was nothing else to be done. Su Mingluan stayed on with her daughter; she would walk Su Zhe through her county along the way. Su Feihu stayed to keep watch; Su Sheng went along with his aunt to the estate.

The party was moving when a group of people came from up ahead. A familiar voice called out, “Who goes there?”

Zhao Su said, “Is that Second Xiang? It’s me! I’m accompanying our adoptive parent home!”

Xiang Le heard that Zhù Ying had come and came running over as well. Xiang Yu behind him called out, “Second Uncle.”

Xiang Le greeted Zhù Ying first. One look told him she seemed much the same as in the capital — he truly could not imagine her as a woman. He bowed first. Su Zhe said, “Are you out on a regular patrol, or did you come to meet our Grandmother?”

Xiang Le paused. Xiang Yu leaned in and explained in a low voice that the form of address had changed. Xiang Le said, “I came to meet the Official.” His family kept things uncomplicated; they had no kinship ties with Zhù Ying.

Zhù Ying said, “We’ll talk once we’re back.”

“Yes. Please, after you.”

Xiang Yu drew close and quietly told him the full story. Xiang Le said, “County magistrate?”

“Everyone has already petitioned for our Grandmother to serve as Governor of Wuzhou.”

Xiang Le’s long-wound nerves finally loosened a fraction. “Truly worthy of our Official!”

Zhao Su’s nerves, however, tightened. He had noticed — Xiang Le’s people, without a word, had simply followed Xiang Le’s lead in bowing to Zhù Ying.

They continued forward and came upon Zhù Qingjun, quiver across her back and blade at her side, leading her troops to meet them. Her company had more women than men, every face wearing an expression of curiosity and welcome as they looked toward Zhù Ying. Zhao Su relaxed somewhat. After the salutations, Zhù Qingjun took the lead position.

Arriving at the gates of the estate, Xiao Jiang, Xiang An, and others were there at the head of a crowd to receive them.

Zhang Xiangu took Zhù Ying by the hand and said, “We’re home!”

Zhù Ying stepped forward and said, “I am home!”

Xiao Jiang and the others all looked as though they had started out astonished and bewildered, and somehow ended up smiling without knowing quite how it had happened.

Xiang An said, “Congratulations, Official, on returning safely!”

Zhù Ying said, “You have all worked hard.”

Xiao Jiang asked Huajie, “Is it really true?” Huajie nodded. Xiao Jiang said, “I see now…”

“Hmm?”

Xiao Jiang smiled and whispered to Huajie, “It all makes sense now. I should have seen it long ago. A different person — nine times out of ten, they would have arranged marriages for the likes of you and me by now. I never thought to look at it that way. I was blind for twenty years, and worried for nothing.”

Nearby, a woman in blue helped Huajie support Zhang Xiangu. Zhang Xiangu said, “And this is…”

Zhù Ying said, “Wu Ren. Very good at arithmetic.”

Wu Ren said with surprise, “You remember me, Official?”

“Being remembered by me is no great blessing — it means more work to be done.”

Wu Ren said with a laugh, “Good!”

Behind them were people dressed a bit more finely, and some in plain coarse cloth.

Zhao Su’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The people here were more familiar with Huajie and Zhang Xiangu than with Zhù Ying; they showed Zhù Ying more deference. They called out “Official” — but after one “Official,” they would call twice “Old Mistress” and “Niangzi.” It was not that they did not acknowledge Zhù Ying — yet there was always a trace of unfamiliarity; their smiles for Zhang Xiangu and the others were warmer than for her.

Zhao Su was watchful. He had thrown aside everything in the capital — and he had not done it in order to come back and have Zhù Ying questioned by “her own people.” He was not well acquainted with the estate; he had only learned something of it through conversations with Su Mingluan these past few days. The estate had only been established a little over ten years ago. And Zhù Ying had also been away for ten years. Ten years was enough time for whoever had done the managing to become the one people felt close to.

The Xiang family had managed the estate on Zhù Ying’s behalf for no short stretch of time. Zhao Su felt some concern.

Beyond the Xiang family, if it was truly meant to function as a county — with a population, there would need to be several hundred or even more than a thousand households — he would need to look through the actual household registers of “Zhù County” and take a personal inventory before he could know the true numbers.

With that many people, there were bound to be small factions — like “local gentry” in any county. A county needed six administrative offices, all of them positions with real authority. Court ministers could undermine an emperor; the officials and clerks of a county could do the same. Zhù Ying was nothing like that foolish emperor — but it was still better to take precautions from the start.

Better to be a small-minded person in error than to be taken advantage of by someone else.

This was Zhao Su’s principle. He decided he would ask Zhù Qingjun about it shortly.

Zhù Ying’s party entered the main hall of the estate’s principal residence, and there was another round of lively bustle. Zhù Ying’s father, Zhù Da, had trouble with his legs and was confined to bed; but Hou Wu and others were still there. Hou Wu’s eyes were round as bronze bells — he truly could not believe Zhù Ying was a woman! Zhù Ying said, “This is your home. Be at ease and grow old here — you will not be left without a good end.”

Hou Wu still felt as though the world had turned upside down. “This — this… ah! Fine.”

Zhao Su felt more unsettled than ever. He would need to have a talk with Hou Wu as well.

Huajie assigned accommodations to everyone. Zhù Yin said cheerfully, “At last! We can help the Official get her room in order.”

Xiang An, still holding Hu Shijie’s hand, glanced over and said, “If you don’t want to do it, just say so — I’ll find someone else to go to the Official’s room. Can you bear that?”

Zhù Yin rolled her sleeve up: “What ‘bear’ and ‘can’t bear’ — I don’t understand any of that. I’ve got work to do.”

Zhao Su gave Zhù Qingjun a significant look. Zhù Qingjun understood, and while Zhù Ying and the others went to look in on Zhù Da, she walked up to Zhao Su.

Zhao Su came straight to the point: “I know our Grandmother always has a plan, but I still want to ask — are the people here at the estate trustworthy?”

Zhù Qingjun said with a smile, “You can set your mind at ease on that score. All of them have received the Official’s kindness. It was she who gave them their standing. Starting from Uncle Hou Wu, they have been trained — every day, without fail, repeating: everything we have today was given to us by the Official; our lives were given by the Official; our food was given by the Official; our warmth was given by the Official; our knowledge was given by the Official; our home was given by the Official. Be loyal.”

This was a separate estate; everyone here depended on Zhù Ying to eat. Was there a problem with that?

Zhao Su asked, “Their standing — don’t they take issue with it?” What she meant was like Su Mingluan — even a chieftain’s daughter had to work hard to establish herself as a chieftain in her own right.

Zhù Qingjun said, “Do you remember what books we read when we first studied under the Official? I only know that after learning to read, the very first passage was about Chen She. Here, everyone who has come out of this place looks proper enough on the surface, but the rituals were never complete; the classics were never read in full sequence. You can tell they follow protocol — but as for women holding authority, their attitude is extremely permissive. Not just between men and women, either — between Han and the frontier peoples as well.”

Zhao Su had an epiphany!

He had always felt there was something slightly different, but had thought it was simply that Zhù Ying was not a classical examination scholar and so selected “practical” texts for teaching. Now that he thought about it, she had clearly done this with deliberate intent. Twenty years had passed; the people who had come out of this place could mouth a few of the proper phrases, yet their attitude toward women holding positions of authority was uncommonly accommodating. And not only between men and women — the same was true between the Han and the frontier peoples.

Zhù Qingjun said, “So you see — no need to be overly worried.”

Meanwhile, Zhù Ying had finished visiting her father. Su Mingluan and the others had gone to their guest rooms to settle in. Zhù Ying said to Huajie, “I’ll leave the first meeting to you; I’m going to my room to rest. Oh — could you find me a couple of plain cloth garments?”

In the capital, she had gone through several changes of clothing, all silk and satin.

Huajie said, “Of course.”

Zhù Ying returned to her room. At a glance, it carried that feeling of being at once strange and familiar. Zhù Yin said, “Official, all the luggage has been brought. Dajie is in the study arranging the books. Your clothes are here; those on the other side are the boxes returned from the Zheng and Chen households. How would you like to arrange them? There’s a storeroom at the estate — but once things go in, retrieving them is troublesome. You can pick out what you want to keep to hand; I’ll put the rest in storage.”

Zhù Ying said, “Let me look.”

She set aside some things to distribute as gifts to the chieftain families, and took out some bolts of silk and a set of silver pots and cups — these she intended to send to the Yigan family. She sorted out other items to give to those who had managed the estate in her absence.

She separated what was to go to her parents’ and Huajie’s rooms, and set those aside as well.

Once everything was assigned, quite a lot remained. Zhù Ying had Zhù Yin put away the gold, pearls, and precious stones in the storeroom, though Zhù Yin insisted on leaving some behind in Zhù Ying’s room. Then she pointed to one box and said, “The calligraphy and paintings should only be kept somewhere like your room.”

Zhù Ying said, “Let me see.”

Several works by renowned artists — neither Zheng nor Chen had taken them back, and she could not be bothered to hang them. But calligraphy and paintings needed to be properly stored; she said, “Leave them here with me as well. The storeroom probably has no experience preserving things like this.” She had come up from nothing — she had no expertise in such matters.

She sorted through them one by one, and at last came across a long box with no label on it — it did not seem to be among her own things. She opened the box; inside was a rolled scroll. She unrolled it: four large characters were written upon it — The Hawk Soars in Its Hour. The signature was Yue Miaojun.

Zhù Ying pointed to the center of the north wall: “Hang it there. The calligraphy is better than mine.”

Zhù Yin followed her gaze, and said, “It really is beautiful.”

When the tidying was done, night had also fallen. Dajie came running to call Zhù Ying to dinner, and walked a full circle around her, Zhù Ying said, “I haven’t grown horns.”

Dajie said, “We were so worried about you!”

Zhù Ying said, “I know, I know. There’s nothing to worry about from now on.”

Dajie looked at her with some suspicion, which made Zhù Ying’s throat itch. “What is it?”

“The whole family is together — please don’t let us be separated again. The Old Mistress has been longing for you every day! And our Niangzi — she’s been so busy she hasn’t had a moment’s rest. The Old Mistress’s age, as you well know — and Niangzi is nearly fifty herself this year. In other families, she’d have daughters-in-law serving her and grandchildren already grown. And she’s still at it…”

“All right.”

“Ah, then let’s eat! Today there are guests; there’s a lot to prepare, so the kitchen girls are doing the cooking. You’ve been in the capital ten years, Official, and southern food must seem unfamiliar to you by now. I personally made some capital dishes for you. You’ve been traveling a long way — you need a proper meal to build up your strength!”