The snow fell for four days straight. In places that had not been cleared, a single step sank you in up to the thigh.

Every household’s first order of business each morning was shoveling snow — whatever had accumulated on the rooftops and in the courtyards all had to be cleared away.

Hua Zhi came out the door bundled up like a round ball, took in the lively scene before her, and smiled. Everyone so full of energy in the morning — that was a good thing.

Greetings rang out one after another, and Hua Zhi nodded in return, making her way toward the front courtyard while listening to Ying Chun’s report. “Nanny Lin came back early this morning. She said the snow was heavy and the road difficult, so the Zhu Family has asked our Madam to stay a few more days.”

“Has she come back herself?”

“No, she is waiting at the inner gate.”

Nanny Lin was indeed there at the inner gate. Hua Zhi brought her to the study.

While she had been away, the study had been connected to the room next door and the bookshelves had been installed. The books could finally be properly housed. Stepping inside was stepping into a room full of the fragrance of ink — Hua Zhi’s favorite scent. For a moment it was as though she were back in the Hua Family’s library of old.

She had always spent a great deal of time in this room, and now she had truly rooted herself in this study. Great and small matters alike were dealt with here. Maids and household managers came and went freely — nothing like the studies of other households, where ordinary people did not dare set foot.

“What has happened?” Hua Zhi looked up at Nanny Lin. She knew this capable woman who attended her mother well enough — if there were nothing to report, she would not have been waiting deliberately.

Nanny Lin bowed her head and gave her account. “It began with the matter of the sixth young master’s marriage to the cousin miss. On the day mourning ended, the first Zhu aunt said something careless and let slip the reason behind it all, and ever since the Madam found out, she has been very unhappy. Even after returning to her maternal family’s home, she has not been warm toward the first aunt, and not wanting to stir up discord in her maternal family, she has kept her distance from the first branch altogether and declined to involve herself in their quarrels. But yesterday, the cousin miss somehow avoided the others and sought out the Madam, and said some rather unseemly things to her. The Madam, not wanting to quarrel with someone of the younger generation, said only that this matter was for the eldest young miss to decide. The cousin miss must have assumed the Madam was brushing her off, and said some rather heated things — the whole affair became quite a scene. When the old matriarch found out, she fainted on the spot. The Madam had meant to return today, but must now stay on a few days longer.”

Hua Zhi cradled her tea and did not drink from it. “Those heated things were directed at me, I imagine?”

Nanny Lin was reluctant to carry tales, but her silence was as good as an answer. Hua Zhi smiled, though she was not surprised. Her mother might cry too easily, might be soft and without strong opinions, but she was protective of her children — how could she sit there listening to Zhu Shan speak ill of her?

“How is Maternal Grandmother’s condition?”

“Just a momentary rush of anger — the physician said she needs a few days’ rest and must avoid any further agitation.”

“I will not go over there myself — it would only make things awkward for everyone. Tell Mother to attend to Maternal Grandmother without worry. She need not trouble herself over anything else. In a few days, when I go to deliver the New Year gifts, I will bring her home then.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Seeing that the eldest young miss had no further instructions, Nanny Lin withdrew.

Ying Chun went to the doorway and pulled the curtain more tightly closed, her expression faintly indignant. “The cousin miss is a strange one. This marriage was not something our Hua Family called off to begin with — if she is unhappy, she ought to go to her own mother. What business does she have bullying our Madam?”

“She just blames me for bringing trouble on myself and ruining her marriage prospects. Turning it around — she genuinely did want to marry Bailin, and leaving everything else aside, that much sincerity carries a certain weight. If she did not truly value him, a girl raised by the Zhu Family would never have let her upbringing slip so far.”

“And you’re still speaking up for her — whatever she said to make the Zhu matriarch faint must have been absolutely vicious, and you feel no pity for yourself at all.” Ying Chun came over and helped Hua Zhi out of her cloak, then immediately pulled the lap blanket over her and tugged it firmly up. Hua Zhi felt as though if she leaned back she could simply fall asleep.

“Maternal Grandmother will teach her a lesson.” Every household had its share of difficulties, and its share of people who could not see reason. She had dealt with a few of those herself — a few well-placed blows until they learned to behave and stopped making trouble. As for the Zhu Family…

Hua Zhi shook her head. As long as the first Zhu aunt’s mindset did not change, the Zhu Family would have more drama to come.

The curtain was lifted, then immediately fell back. Nanny Su held out a calling card. “Miss, the Yü Family’s steward has brought a calling card. The man is waiting at the gatehouse.”

The Yü Family? Hua Zhi’s long brows rose slightly. She took the card and read it, then picked up her brush to write a reply.

“Go and fetch the third young miss.”

Hua Ling was in the room next door going over account books and came quickly.

Hua Zhi did not mince words with her. She gestured to Ying Chun to pass the calling card to her.

When Hua Ling read the contents, her face went a little red. Now that the mourning period was over, the Yü Family’s visit — everyone could guess what it was about.

“I have agreed to tomorrow’s meeting. Whether this match comes to anything depends on Yü Xiasheng, and on you. Third Sister, I gave you my word — if you do not wish it, no one can force you.”

Hua Ling’s fingers, holding the calling card, had gone white at the knuckles. She had not thought too deeply about it, but she had thought about it. “Elder Sister, I do not want to leave the capital. I am timid — I fear that if I go far from home I will be mistreated, and I also fear that if I am shut away in the inner quarters far from here, I will not know when something happens at home. Mother has a soft heart. If someone says a few sweet words to her, she forgets herself entirely. I also worry she might do something that harms Baiyu. If I am at home, I can at least keep a closer watch.”

Her voice trembled slightly, but her meaning was perfectly clear.

Hua Zhi nodded. “I understand what you mean. If we can arrange for you not to leave the capital, then everything else can be discussed — is that right?”

A flush of rose spread across Hua Ling’s face. Discussing her own marriage this openly — it was far too mortifying. But she summoned all her courage and nodded. He was a good man. She did not want to let this go.

“All right. I know what to do.”

The following morning, just past the hour of Chen, Yü Furen arrived with Yü Xiasheng accompanying her, as arranged.

Since this was Hua Ling’s marriage to discuss, Hua Zhi had invited Xia Shi to be present as well. The two of them received their guests at the covered walkway, exchanging polite greetings.

Yü Furen was fair-complexioned and fine-featured, with a faint smile on her face. At first glance she did not appear to be a domineering or sharp-edged person — though of course, that could also be silk concealing a blade.

They were shown graciously into the main reception hall, and the maids served tea and silently withdrew to the sides.

Yü Furen’s gaze drifted, as though by accident, over each of them, finally settling on Hua Zhi. She had spent several years in the capital and naturally knew of the Hua Family. When she learned that her son was drawn to a young miss of the Hua household, she had no objections in her heart. Even if the Hua Family was not what it once was, that was only a matter of the past year — the family’s foundation was still there, and a girl raised in such a household could not be lacking.

She had intended to make a few inquiries about the young miss’s disposition, and if all seemed well, to settle the matter. But once she had arrived in the capital, there had been no need to ask anyone at all — sitting in a teahouse for half a day had been enough to hear no small amount of talk about the Hua Family. Though what circulated was mostly about the eldest young miss, she had still worried that the third young miss might be similarly marked by it.

A young miss such as the eldest was, of course, exceptional in every way — yet she was not suited to be a daughter-in-law. If someone like her came into the Yü household, she rather feared she could not manage it. If that turned out to be the case, no matter how much her son liked the girl, she would not give her consent to the match.

Yet seeing in person this eldest young miss whose name was so widely spoken, she found her somewhat at odds with the rumors. She could see clearly that the young miss was a person of great conviction, with a steady and resolute gaze — evidently someone of considerable force of will. But the fierceness and tyranny and willfulness of the rumors had not, thus far, made any appearance.