Pei Shaohuai, that small infant, sat to one side — full of ideas and not one of them able to be spoken aloud. He could only listen, well-behaved, to what was being said.

It was not unfair of the Old Madam to have second thoughts. Betting on whether the Emperor would or would not put Commissioner Xu to great use was, by its very nature, a venture with risk — one wrong step, and the whole board would be lost.

And yet, consider the other side: if the Xu family were already basking in imperial favor with a bright future assured, why would the second son of such a family agree to this match so readily? At its heart, Pei Bingyuan saw potential in the Xu family, while the Xu family — newly arrived in the capital — saw value in the Earl’s residence as a social anchor. Nothing more than that.

“You are truly muddleheaded.” The Old Madam chided Pei Bingyuan, then continued: “On ordinary days, you busy yourself with your reading and take no notice of anything else — that is one matter…… But you are Lian Jie’er’s father, and her betrothal is a matter of the greatest importance. How can you be so careless about it, and find a family with no settled prospects?”

The Old Madam tapped her walking stick against the floor for emphasis: “What we are speaking of is the eldest legitimate granddaughter of this Earl’s residence.”

Pei Bingyuan, gentle by nature, showed no irritation even in the face of his mother’s reproach — only a faint look of helplessness, regretting that he had not explained the situation more carefully. “Mother is mistaken this time,” he said.

Pei Bingyuan began to explain more fully: “Commissioner Xu earned his place as a second-class imperial examination graduate in the fifth year of the Chengshun reign — while his official rank is not yet high, within just a few short years, someone saw fit to recommend him for recall to the capital, which speaks clearly enough to the Xu family’s abilities. Advancement is only a matter of time. Furthermore, Commissioner Xu’s eldest son has already passed the provincial examinations and is a genuine licensed scholar, awaiting only the right opportunity to sit the metropolitan examinations. And the second son we are speaking of for Lian’er also passed his district examinations last year…… The entire family is made up of men of learning. The relations between wife and mother-in-law and between daughters-in-law are straightforward and uncomplicated. If Lian’er were to marry in, it would not be a life of great wealth and luxury — but it would be one of quiet and comfortable dignity.”

A shade of approval crossed the Old Madam’s expression. She had taken it in.

Pei Bingyuan pressed on with his case: “And Mother — think back to those noble households that came seeking a match with the Pei family earlier. Among them were men who spent their days frequenting disreputable establishments, men who had already lost two wives, and men considerably older than I am…… Measured against all of these, is the Xu family not better by a thousandfold?”

By the time he had finished, the Old Madam’s resistance had steadily softened. She sat in quiet thought for a long while before speaking: “Go and make further inquiries. If nothing else comes to light, this Xu family will do.”

To say “go and make further inquiries” was, with an attitude like this, as good as nine chances in ten that the Xu family would be settled upon.

“Your son understands.” Pei Bingyuan said. “I have given Mother cause for concern.”

Even as Pei Shaohuai rejoiced that his eldest sister was to be given a fine match, he felt a moment of rueful reflection — he had assumed the empty shell of the Jingchuan Earl’s residence would still lend the family a measure of dignity for some time. He had not expected that the family’s decline had already begun to show its first signs.

For otherwise, why would so many unseemly characters have had the audacity to present themselves at the Pei family’s door, seeking the hand of the eldest legitimate granddaughter?

……

As the New Year drew near, Commissioner Xu’s family at last moved from Taicang to the capital and settled in. In the meantime, Pei Bingyuan found a pretext to call on the young man who would become Ruolian’s husband — Xu Zhan — and the more he looked, the more satisfied he was. Naturally, the Xu family’s wife also found a pretext to pay a visit to the Jingchuan Earl’s residence — ostensibly a social call, but in truth a chance to look over Pei Ruolian.

Pei Ruolian had, after all, been raised as a daughter of an Earl’s household — well-read and mannerly went without saying, and she had learned composure and propriety in her dealings with people. She had also assisted the Old Madam in managing some of the household’s affairs, and in company she was dignified and at ease, showing no hint of nervousness.

The Xu family’s wife, seeing her, nodded repeatedly, her eyes curving with pleasure.

Since both sides were satisfied, the match was considered agreed upon in all but name — only waiting for Lian Jie’er to complete her coming-of-age ceremony, after which the Xu family would select an auspicious date and proceed with the formal rites of betrothal.

……

……

The breeze blew soft and the willows swayed — it was early spring.

The servants of the Jingchuan Earl’s residence had been kept busy of late. The reason was simple: in just a few more days, it would be Pei Shaohuai’s first birthday celebration — and the Pei family naturally needed to prepare well in advance.

Pei Shaohuai was nearly one year old, the age at which children ordinarily begin to babble their first words and take their first unsteady steps. But he was in no hurry to display his abilities, which far exceeded those of a typical child. He went along with what came naturally, following his instincts.

His thinking was this: he would wait until these short little legs had grown strong enough — then rising to walk would be soon enough…… That way, when he grew up, he would have long, straight legs as a reward.

As for speech — he had not yet been inclined to start talking. And yet every day there was someone determined to teach him.

“Tuantuan, say ‘Mama.'”

“Huai Ge’er, say ‘Grandmother.'” ……

And so it went, day after day — even his usually listless and detached father was no exception.

On this particular day, Pei Bingyuan made the remarkable concession of allowing Lin Shi to bring Huai Ge’er to the study to play.

Pei Bingyuan had only just taken the infant into his arms when he felt the weight and remarked: “He has grown so heavy already.”

Then he brought his face close to the infant’s and, in a rare display of fatherly warmth, began to teach him to speak: “Come now, Huai Ge’er — say ‘Papa.'”

Pei Shaohuai looked at this hands-off father of his from close range, and thought to himself: you have barely held your son in months, and only now you notice he has grown and gotten heavier — and you still have the nerve to ask him to call you “Papa.”

Pei Shaohuai deliberately opened his mouth and made the shape of someone trying to speak — but without producing any sound.

His father, thinking the child was really trying to learn, became genuinely engaged and taught him with greater earnestness: “Pa, Papa, Daddy……”

What no one expected was this: Pei Shaohuai broke into a roguish, bright-eyed smile, and responded with a deliberate, cheerful “mm-mm,” nodding his head vigorously along with it.

He had just taken advantage of his father.

Pei Bingyuan was momentarily dumbfounded — then it dawned on him that he, a grown man, had just been teased by his own infant son. He was torn between exasperation and amusement: “You little rascal — at your age, and you dare to play games with your own father?” Even as the words of mock reproach left his mouth, he was inwardly pleased that Huai Ge’er showed such cleverness.

Lin Shi, watching from the side, burst into laughter herself.

Pei Shaohuai then opened his mouth again and said: “Book, book book.” His voice was soft and childishly pure.

Uncle?

Uncle Uncle?

Pei Bingyuan was baffled again — not calling him Papa, but calling him uncle? What was this little rascal thinking?

Lin Shi quickly stepped forward, took Huai Ge’er into her arms, and explained: “He’s been staring at the scrolls on your writing table.”

Only then did Pei Bingyuan notice that his son was indeed staring fixedly at the scrolls on the table — eyes full of longing. It turned out he was saying “book.” He drew one out and held it up in front of the infant to see his reaction.

Pei Shaohuai, without a moment’s hesitation, wrapped both arms around the scroll with its faint ink fragrance, freed one hand, and pointed toward the door, saying to Lin Shi: “Go, quick, go.” He was afraid that this “borrowed” scroll would be taken back by his father.

A thorough little opportunist who grabs his prize and runs.

From that day on, Pei Shaohuai began to speak — a few words, a few phrases at a time, gradually expanding. Calling “Papa,” “Mama,” “Grandmother,” and the like was, of course, not beyond him; his enunciation was clear and his voice bright, which delighted the Old Madam greatly.

……

……

The day before Pei Shaohuai’s first birthday celebration, the eldest maternal uncle, Lin Shiyun, came to visit with his wife Jiang Shi. They had brought a considerable quantity of gifts — two full cartloads — and yet they conducted themselves with great discretion, choosing to arrive only after dark, when the lamps had been lit.

Pei Bingyuan and his wife, carrying Huai Ge’er, received the eldest brother-in-law in the main hall.

“Did everything go smoothly for my brother-in-law’s trip to Yangzhou last month?” Pei Bingyuan asked by way of conversation.

Lin Shiyun paused briefly — the trip to Yangzhou to purchase goods had been several months ago now — but in an instant he smoothed over his expression, and replied with an easy smile: “Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law — everything went smoothly.”

The two men exchanged pleasantries for a while; then Pei Bingyuan found a pretext to withdraw to his study, leaving the brother and sister to speak freely together.

Lin Shiyun was a few years older than Pei Bingyuan — broad-faced and slightly stout. A merchant’s life necessarily meant exposure to wind and sun, and his complexion was rather dark.

In Pei Shaohuai’s eyes, this maternal uncle’s life was one of considerable legend.

Originally, the Lin family in the capital had been merely a small fixed-store merchant, with a shop on the street dealing in cloth and fabric, living modestly contented. Then came the day when Lin Shiyun’s father suffered a sudden and total business loss — years of building wiped out entirely — and shortly after, an old illness combined with heartbreak proved too much; he let go of the world.

At the time, Lin Shiyun was barely twenty, yet as the eldest son, the burden of the entire family fell onto his shoulders.

Lin Shiyun was bold by nature. He resolved to abandon the fixed shop and become a traveling merchant instead — and with nothing but what little silver the Lin family had left to its name, he dared to join a trading caravan and travel the length and breadth of the country.

He had a sharp eye and a thinking mind; every time he brought goods back to the capital, they found a ready market. Through a decade and more of struggle, he had slowly built up the substantial holdings the Lin family possessed today.

Only — the Lin family’s foundations were shallow, and they had no protectors. Though Lin Shiyun earned much, he also spent much in cultivating connections and buying peace and opportunity, and often what was earned in ten taels saw seven or eight disappear in payments to others…… This was, in any case, not a sustainable arrangement for the long term.

In this kind of world, Lin Shiyun had dared and striven — and even though he was a merchant, Pei Shaohuai found in himself a genuine admiration for this maternal uncle.

……

Huai Ge’er could already speak, and Lin Shi tried teaching her son to address her elder brother, calling out: “Huai’er, call him ‘Uncle.'”

Pei Shaohuai was very cooperative and opened his mouth: “Uncle.”

Lin Shiyun was overjoyed — more so, somehow, than the time his own son had first called him “Papa.” He said: “My dear little nephew — this one will certainly grow up to be a Zhuangyuan Lang.”

With that, he reached into his lapel and drew out a heavy gold locket, and hung it straight onto Pei Shaohuai’s neck — brushing aside Lin Shi’s protests entirely.

Pei Shaohuai thought to himself: Uncle is genuinely generous. But this thing was pressing uncomfortably on his neck — he had no choice but to stretch out his small hand and hold the great gold locket up in front of him.

Lin Shi then said: “Why did Elder Brother come today? Tomorrow is Huai’er’s first birthday celebration.”

Lin Shiyun gave an easy laugh: “Elder Brother has no time tomorrow — I had to make this trip ahead of time.” And he quietly tugged at the hem of Jiang Shi’s sleeve.

Jiang Shi understood and helped smooth things over: “There is some urgent matter at home tomorrow, and your elder brother needs to accompany me back. We are afraid we will miss Huai Ge’er’s birthday celebration.”

Though that was what was said, Lin Shi was no fool — she understood perfectly well the good intentions behind her brother and sister-in-law’s visit.

Huai Ge’er was the eldest legitimate grandson of the Jingchuan Earl’s residence. The guests at the birthday celebration would certainly be the noble and official families of the capital, and Lin Shiyun — a man of commerce — if he had come, would only have put Pei Bingyuan in an awkward position, not knowing where to place him.

The more Lin Shi thought on it, the more tears welled up — they streamed down her face, and she choked out: “Had I known it would be like this, I would never have married into such a family — and made my brother and sister-in-law suffer such indignity.”

“What kind of words are those?” Lin Shiyun glanced around to confirm there were no servants within earshot, then moved to Lin Shi’s side to comfort her. “You know your brother doesn’t care about these things…… From now on, no more of this talk — if your mother-in-law or your husband were to hear it, they would be displeased.”

He then said: “You married into the Earl’s residence, and because of that, Huai Ge’er carries such a dignified standing. You need only raise your children well. So long as even one of our next generation turns out to be a success — turning our Lin family’s status from civilian merchants to official merchants — we will never have to endure this kind of discrimination again.”

Jiang Shi drew out her handkerchief and dabbed at Lin Shi’s tears, offering comfort of her own: “Your elder brother is right — you are the one among us Lin women who has married the most respectably of all. You must hold on to this good fortune…… Those few little rascals in my household will still need to look to their Auntie in the future.”

Only then did Lin Shi check her tears — though the bitterness in her heart was not so easily expressed.

The four of them spoke at some length of matters close to the heart.

“It grows late — your sister-in-law and I should be heading back.” Lin Shiyun said. “Once the birthday celebration has passed and the time seems right, bring Huai Ge’er and come back to see Mother.”

Lin Shi nodded.

……

Pei Shaohuai understood, and had no objection to, why Lin Shiyun had married his younger sister into the Pei family as a second wife. Money alone does not produce scholars; to cultivate a next generation capable of passing the examinations, one also needed to forge a match with a scholarly family — a two-pronged approach, to be more assured of success.

Compared to some impoverished scholar with a mere examination pass to his name, Pei Bingyuan was plainly the superior match.

The Lin family had found their opening and seized it.

Only — in the original novel, Lin Shiyun’s gamble had not paid off. Now that Pei Shaohuai occupied this body with a different soul, how the outcome might change remained to be seen.

……

……

The next day, Pei Shaohuai — sleeping most contentedly — was roused early by Lin Shi and dressed in festive clothing. The small infant, fair and clean, appeared all the more spirited and lively.

The men of the household first went to the ancestral shrine to pay their respects to the forebears, and when that was done — it being already the hour of the Snake — the whole family returned to the main hall to receive their guests.

And so Pei Shaohuai found himself carried about from one place to the next. Having been woken so early, he was drowsy and half-asleep.

Guests arrived one after another —

“Ning Erye of the Anyuan Earl’s residence comes to offer felicitations!”

“Commissioner Shen of the Ministry of Works comes to offer felicitations!”

“You Siye of the Shengchang Marquis residence comes to offer felicitations!”

…… One after another they came, the gates a scene of lively bustle.

The Pei family had sent out many invitations, calling on the noble and official households of the capital, and those families had duly responded. They all knew that the Jingchuan Earl’s residence was on a downward path — but one still gave the proper courtesies, and in any case it cost nothing more than sending someone over to go through the motions. In this capital city, who could say when a family might rise to prominence again? The ways of the world were hard to predict.

And so the Jingchuan Earl’s residence was a lively, bustling place.

The noon hour was drawing near, and yet one important relative had still not arrived. The Pei family continued to wait, casting glances toward the gate.

The longer they waited, the deeper the furrows in the Old Patriarch Pei Pu’s brow grew. He asked: “Bingyuan — your uncle’s family — did they receive the invitation in good time?”

Pei Bingyuan understood his father’s meaning and replied: “Fearing that Uncle might be occupied with affairs of the palace, I had someone send the invitation half a month in advance, and just a few days ago I had someone go to their household again to give word.”

Pei Bingyuan’s uncle — the younger brother of Pei Pu — was none other than Pei Jue.