In the drone of cicadas, the sun slowly descended. Because lunch had nearly choked him to death, Sheng Hong sent word that he intended to bury himself in official business and would take dinner in his study — his children were to eat as they pleased and need not gather together. Hai Shi seemed to have anticipated this. She had long since divided the food and soup into separate portions in several trays, then directed the married servants to carry them steadily and neatly in individual food containers to the various quarters.

Once she had finished all the arrangements, she swiftly returned to her own room. She found that her husband had already finished his meal and was now seated at the table, blowing on a bowl of warm tea. Hai Shi walked over quietly and said in a low voice: “The sky is still bright — eating so quickly, be careful it doesn’t sit well.”

Changbai set down his tea bowl and rose: “The sooner it’s all concluded, the better.”

Hai Shi looked at him, his whole face heavy with weariness, and was filled with tender concern, yet did not venture to say much. She stepped forward and helped him tidy his clothing and bearing, then hesitated: “…Today Old Grandmother was made none too happy by us — will she listen to you?”

Changbai was silent for a moment, then said: “If she won’t listen, I have methods for when she doesn’t.”

Hai Shi’s hands stilled momentarily, then she heard Changbai instruct: “After you have finished your meal, go to the Sheng’an Hall to attend the elder madam, and let Sixth Sister take a break. I can see her color is not good — she looks very worn out.” Hai Shi smiled: “You needn’t even say it — I know. I’ll bring the two children — Quan and the little one — along as well. Having the elder madam see her grandchildren might just cheer her up and help her recover faster.”

Changbai gave a small nod: “That would be good too. But Grandmother is still ill — do not let the children make noise.”

When he was done speaking, Changbai stepped out of the room in long strides. Outside the inner gate, old coachman Lu had already had the carriage harnessed and ready. Master and servant, along with a few family retainers, left the gate together. They went south, and in under half an hour arrived before a set of four jujube-red wooden doors. On either side stood lacquered dark cylindrical pillars, and above the main entrance was a plaque inscribed with the characters “Imperially Commissioned Wang Cabinet Minister’s Residence.” The head gatekeeper, upon seeing that it was Changbai, immediately sent someone inside to announce the arrival and personally came out to receive him.

Wang Old Madam was in a restless, troubled state of mind. She had eaten only a few mouthfuls at dinner and was reclining on the daybed sighing repeatedly. Wang Uncle stood to the side, holding a bowl of bird’s nest congee, at a loss for how to offer comfort. Mother and son heard that Changbai had arrived at the gate, and exchanged a look of mutual surprise: one hurried to sit up, her face a mixture of alarm and bewilderment; the other quickly set down his bowl and sent the servants and maids waiting at the side out of the room.

Changbai entered and bowed deeply.

Wang Old Madam said with a cold laugh: “You are an upright official and a great magistrate — this old woman could not presume to receive such a bow. Are you still not satisfied with the lesson you gave me this afternoon? Have you come back to scold me some more?”

Changbai bowed his head: “Today it was this grandson who was disrespectful — Old Grandmother may punish or rebuke me as she sees fit. But the matter of Aunt cannot be changed. I have already asked the Marquis Gu to submit a petition to the Imperial Household Department so that we may move the person there as soon as possible. I ask only for Old Grandmother’s consent.”

The Bureau of Strict Discipline could not detain people arbitrarily. It required the joint consent of both the husband’s family and the wife’s maternal family before the matter could proceed.

Wang Old Madam, whose fury had barely subsided, blazed right back up: “As long as I still have a breath in my body, I will never allow you to ruin his elder aunt! If you want my consent — dream on!”

At this response, Changbai showed no surprise. He said gently: “Aunt was born of Old Grandmother. Though I am a man and have not experienced the ordeal of carrying a child for ten months, whenever I see my little child’s endearing ways, I always think I would give anything to spare them hardship and suffering for the rest of their lives. How could I not understand Old Grandmother’s heart as a mother?”

Wang Old Madam’s eyes reddened, though she kept her head turned stubbornly away, refusing to look at him: “You speak fair words! And yet you press and torment your aunt with all your might!”

Changbai walked a few steps closer, coming to stand beside the daybed. He sighed: “The year grandfather passed away suddenly, my maternal grandparents were also in the capital — they would know what happened in those days.” Wang Old Madam sat sideways with her back to him, neither acknowledging nor denying. Changbai continued: “When grandmother was newly widowed, she was only a little past twenty. The old Marquis and old Marchioness of the Yongyi Marquis household were still living; the Xu family urged her from all sides to remarry.”

Wang Old Madam’s expression remained fixed, though her eyes showed a slight flicker of emotion.

“…There are some things this grandson only came to know later.” Changbai sighed softly. “In truth, the Xu family had already found a suitable match — the then Governor-General of Min and Zhe, His Excellency Tang Annian, had recently lost his wife. He held a top-ranked imperial examination degree; though somewhat older in age, his first wife had left only two legitimate daughters and one daughter born of a concubine. If Grandmother had married into that household, the family would certainly have been harmonious and prosperous in years to come.”

Wang Old Madam continued to say nothing; Wang Uncle, however, was moved: “The Tang family are a distinguished family from Songjiang. That the Sheng elder madam would keep her chastity on behalf of her late husband and raise the young master — truly, she…” He caught his mother’s expression and stopped halfway.

“These past several decades, Grandmother not only guarded Father’s family estate on his behalf — she also used her own dowry to manage affairs on all sides on Father’s behalf and to engage distinguished tutors to instruct him. That year when Father was discussing a match, the Yongyi Marquis household had indicated a willingness to make a connection — but Grandmother saw that the options were either a daughter of a collateral branch or a daughter born of a concubine, neither of whom was satisfactory in appearance or family background. For the sake of Father’s future, she was willing to completely sever ties with the Xu family in order to secure a good match for him. And then there is Elder Sister, myself, several younger sisters — Grandmother treated every one of us as though we were her own flesh and blood… In matter after matter, the grace and virtue Grandmother has bestowed on the Sheng family is as high as mountains, as deep as the sea. If Father and I do not win justice for Grandmother, can Father still call himself a person?!”

Changbai brought his fist down hard against his palm.

Wang Old Madam could not help but let out a long sigh. The Sheng elder madam was indeed a person of upright and noble character, who took nothing else to heart. For a stepmother to take a daughter from her husband’s family as a daughter-in-law’s companion — maintaining ties with the maternal family while drawing in the stepson — was practically the natural order of things. In other words, if Sheng Hong had married a Xu family girl back then, the Sheng elder madam would not be suffering through this today.

“This grandson understands what Old Grandmother’s heart is angry about. This grandson is fighting for a person with no blood connection to us, severely punishing Aunt, defying Old Grandmother, with not the slightest regard for true flesh and blood kin.” Changbai looked at her steadily. Wang Old Madam let out a heavy snort, but her expression was no longer as furious as it had been.

“At the time, how many people told Grandmother: a child not of your own blood will never truly be raised to your side. Not only did people in the world think so — even Aunt, deep in her heart, thought the same. That is why she acted with no restraint whatsoever in harming Grandmother: she calculated that Father would raise the matter high and then set it down gently!”

Changbai suddenly raised his voice, his tone sharp and grave: “With the blue sky overhead and divine justice above — would we truly let Grandmother repent of her choice in the afterlife, and let all the gods and spirits under heaven know that every person in this world is an ungrateful wretch who forgets a benefactor’s kindness?!”

Wang Uncle nodded again and again inwardly. Wang Old Madam finally let out a long, mournful sigh and slowly turned around to face Changbai. She said to him: “How could I not know that your aunt was deeply, deeply wrong in this! But she… she is, in the end, the flesh that fell from my body!”

“Is Aunt the only flesh and blood Old Grandmother has?” Changbai asked with perfect calm.

Wang Old Madam was struck speechless.

Changbai looked her directly in the eye: “When I was very young, Mother often said that although her Wang family uncle treated her kindly, her deepest regret was still not being able to enjoy the warmth of her own parents’ love. Whenever she played with the children of neighboring families, she was inevitably bullied for being ‘the one whose parents didn’t want her and cast her aside.'”

Wang Old Madam’s heart ached. She lowered her head and said through her tears: “I failed your mother — I always wished to find ways to make it up to her…”

Changbai said: “Mother was raised away from home for more than ten years, never having received parental love and tenderness. Aunt did not show the slightest sympathy.”

Wang Old Madam opened her mouth but could find no rebuttal.

“In this whole affair, Aunt showed complete disregard for her younger sister’s safety — even deliberately scheming to harm her.” Changbai’s face showed clear indignation. “Old Grandmother speaks of blood and bone kin at every turn — yet has Aunt shown even the slightest thought for the fact that Mother is also her own blood and bone?”

Wang Uncle shook his head: “Elder Sister truly went too far. Even I feel chilled to the heart over this.”

Wang Old Madam looked from her son to her grandson and said weakly: “But surely the punishment need not be so severe! That Bureau of Strict Discipline — she truly cannot go there.”

Changbai said: “When I was small and came to visit Old Grandmother’s home, there was once an occasion when I and cousin You climbed a tree to pick hawthorn berries. We worked hard for half a day and managed to fill less than half a basket. Then Old Grandfather asked us to pick out half of them and throw them away. I couldn’t bear to part with them no matter what, but Old Grandfather taught us both: ‘If you don’t discard the rotten fruit, the good fruit that remains will also be spoiled — and this is the same principle that governs how a person should conduct themselves in life.’ I have remembered those words to this day.”

At the mention of her late husband, Wang Old Madam’s expression became solemn. She said with difficulty: “What you mean is…”

Changbai said: “Aunt has long since become a rotten fruit. She can only drag the family into ruin.”

Wang Old Madam said angrily: “How can you speak of your elder like that?!”

“Over the years, Uncle has unceasingly helped clean up Aunt’s messes. No matter how hard Old Grandmother worked to educate and guide her, Aunt continued to do exactly as she pleased — cruel to her step-children, abusive to concubines and maids, quick to beat and berate in the inner household, treating people’s lives as worthless… This is not the first time Aunt has used poison, is it?!” Changbai looked toward Wang Uncle. “In covering for Aunt and tidying up after her, Uncle has sacrificed his face and dignity time and again — going to beg favors, making use of connections, spending money, doing many things that should not have been done. Given Uncle’s seniority and record, he should long ago have been transferred to a capital post. But for these past ten or more years he has been circling around in regional appointments.”

Even at the same rank, a capital official ranked half a grade higher than a regional official. Back when they started, Wang Uncle had outranked Sheng Hong; when Sheng Hong came to the capital, the two were equal; by now Sheng Hong already outranked Wang Uncle by half a grade, and as a capital official, stood even higher.

Thinking of his career, Wang Uncle could not help but grow dejected. Wang Old Madam glanced at her son and sighed with lowered head and a pang of guilt.

“Not only Uncle, but cousin You as well. And the matter of cousin Yuan’er — I have heard of it too.” Changbai pressed further: “Though it is true that my eldest sister-in-law of the Wang household also only conceived after several years, there have been other sources of issue. But Old Grandfather’s line is single — with this burden dragging on until now, Old Grandmother has already been more than generous enough to Aunt.”

Being generous to the daughter meant failing the Wang family. Wang Old Madam thought of her late husband, and her heart went hollow with unease, wave after wave.

“Cousin You is growing older by the year — Old Grandmother ought to think more of the Wang family’s prospects.” Changbai continued in an easy, coaxing tone. “As long as Aunt remains free, the Wang family will continue to be implicated by her troubles. Today she kills someone, tomorrow she poisons someone — when will it end? Would Old Grandmother, for the sake of shielding a daughter who does harm after harm, give no thought to Uncle, cousin You, and the several female cousins? Are they not also Old Grandmother’s flesh and blood?”

Wang Old Madam’s unease deepened with each passing thought.

Her late husband had been a man of outstanding talent and distinguished merit, his spirit tablet elevated to the Hall of Eminent Ministers — renowned throughout the realm. Her son was of middling talent; while he could not surpass his father, he was at least capable of maintaining the family’s standing. The shelter of these inherited honors could still protect the grandson Wang You — but what of the generation after that?

Watching the Sheng family’s rise become ever more clearly defined — with flourishing descendants, one after another studying for the examinations, and the family alliances formed largely with respectable, well-connected clans — one felt increasingly that they were falling behind by comparison. And to this day, her grandson still had no heir.

“Must she truly be sent to the Bureau of Strict Discipline…?” Thinking of her dutiful and filial son, and her grandson, Wang Old Madam began to waver.

“She absolutely must go!” Changbai said with finality. “Aunt has never learned from correction. Before, her cruelties were confined within the closed walls of the inner household. Now her audacity has grown — the Sheng family is, even setting aside family relations, a respectable official household of standing, and she dared to act against them as well. She dragged her own younger sister in to take the blame, and did it with complete impunity! Aunt is certain that Old Grandmother will save her. If we don’t strike with a decisive hand this time, the next disaster she causes will be beyond all remedy.”

“But she will never be able to come out…” Wang Old Madam wept, her resolve gradually tipping.

“As the saying goes: a ruler’s blessing lasts five generations before it is spent. How many distinguished and prominent families have applied especially strict discipline to their descendants — precisely for fear that trouble would arise from within. ” Changbai gently steadied Wang Old Madam’s shoulder. “Old Grandmother can look after cousin Kang Jin from now on — that will be enough.” After a moment’s thought, he added: “If she is not sent in, Kang Uncle by marriage will certainly repudiate Aunt, and then where would cousin and cousin-by-marriage stand?”

Wang Old Madam wept silently, her resolve caught in a tangle of conflicting pulls.

Changbai leaned close to his grandmother’s face and said word by word: “Even if it cost me twenty years of official career, I will not leave Aunt free.”

Wang Old Madam slowly dried her tears. Knowing that her grandson’s resolve was set in stone, she said haltingly: “But your uncle by marriage may not agree to send her to the Bureau of Strict Discipline, would he?” Her eldest son-in-law had long despised her daughter — once word of the poisoning came to light, he would certainly leap at the chance to write a letter of repudiation without delay.

“No — Uncle by marriage will certainly agree.” It was the first time Changbai had smiled.

……

“How could he agree?”

In the study, father and son sat across from each other at the table. On the table stood a pot of clear wine, two cold side dishes, and a plate of fragrant, savory duck gizzards.

Sheng Hong looked utterly baffled. “Your aunt and uncle by marriage may be husband and wife, but they have long been as fire and water to each other. Now that there is such a perfect pretext, writing a letter of repudiation would not be fast enough — why would he quietly comply?”

Changbai lifted one hand to push back his sleeve, then slowly poured wine for his father. “In Uncle by marriage’s inner household there is a Yiniang surnamed Jin, a woman of considerable skill and shrewdness, not only with a son and daughter of her own but favored for more than ten years without decline.”

Sheng Hong was startled, and immediately said: “Could it be — that the girl recently taken as a concubine for the old Prince was the daughter of this Yiniang Jin?”

Changbai nodded, set down the wine pot, and said in a quiet voice: “The Marquis has connections that can reach a trusted confidante of Yiniang Jin. Whether Aunt is repudiated or dies, Uncle by marriage’s main position would be vacant, and he would certainly take a new principal wife. If a young and beautiful woman were brought in, how would Yiniang Jin find herself?”

Sheng Hong slowly followed the thread: “And so, the outcome most desired by Yiniang Jin is for Aunt — the incumbent mistress of the household — to exist in name only: keeping a new wife from entering through the door, while she herself presides over the inner household, and her children reap the benefit.”

Changbai said: “Sending Aunt to the Bureau of Strict Discipline — to the outside world, it would simply be announced as her going to a country estate to recuperate from an illness. The family’s face is preserved.”

Sheng Hong smiled briefly, then frowned: “But Uncle by marriage has long wanted to repudiate Aunt. Would he actually listen to a concubine’s advice?”

“He would. First, Yiniang Jin’s daughter is quite well-regarded in the Prince’s household, and Uncle by marriage relies on the old Prince for a number of things. Second, Uncle by marriage would be told — that over the matter of Aunt’s poisoning, the Wang and Sheng families have quarreled fiercely. The Wang family is set on protecting Aunt, while the Sheng family…” Changbai smiled faintly, “is on the verge of being persuaded.”

Sheng Hong understood: “If Uncle by marriage refuses to agree to sending her to the Bureau of Strict Discipline, this affair will be minimized and swept under the rug.”

Changbai said: “And Father would say — the elder madam has, after all, survived. Repudiating would harm several nephews; he cannot bring himself to it.”

“If he can’t repudiate her, then Uncle by marriage would likely make great efforts urging me to stand firm and insist on sending her in!”

Kang Uncle by marriage had neither evidence nor witnesses, and would be delighted to rid himself of Kang Wang Shi by any means possible — he could only go along with it. Sheng Hong clapped his hands and laughed, praising: “I never expected my son to have the talent of Chen Ping!” He added teasingly: “How do you know the inner workings of the Kang household so well?”

Changbai said in earnest: “The Kang family is a trouble waiting to happen — sooner or later something would go wrong. Uncle and Father have repeatedly helped to smooth things over, and I have always felt uneasy about it. I kept my attention on it early.”

Now that such a troublesome affair had been resolved, Sheng Hong was pleased enough to drink two cups of wine in quick succession. Then, unable to help himself, he sighed: “After all, she is your true blood aunt by marriage. If your younger sister had not pushed things to this point, I would not have had the heart to be this ruthless.”

Unexpectedly, Changbai said gravely: “Father’s words are mistaken. Even if Younger Sister had not made a scene, I would have pursued this matter regardless.”

Sheng Hong was startled, and drew back the corner of his mouth: “…And why is that?”

“Would Father truly wish to be held over a barrel for the rest of his life?” Changbai poured another cup of wine for Sheng Hong. “If this matter is raised now, the reason is on our side. If it is raised later, Father would not escape the reputation of being ‘neglectful toward an adoptive mother, cold and ungrateful.’ Fortunately it has been brought out into the open now — otherwise, once Grandmother passes in the fullness of years, someone could use this against us. If not dead, we would still attract a cloud of disgrace.”

“This matter has already been suppressed — who would bring it up again?” Sheng Hong was puzzled. The Kang Yima and the Wang family would be desperate to bury it.

“The Xu family still has many members.”

Sheng Hong laughed: “Grandmother and her maternal family have been completely estranged for years — why would the Xu family come to stand up for her?”

“What if someone were directing them from behind the scenes?” Changbai said lightly. “When the moon is bright and the flowers are red, no one brings it up. But what about when the Sheng family faces a critical moment? If I were in such a person’s position, I would keep this leverage in reserve, waiting for the right moment to plunge in the knife.”

Sheng Hong’s laughter stopped abruptly. He thought carefully, and could not suppress a cold sweat from breaking out across his body — he remembered something from the past: the year of his palace examinations, Elder Minister Yuan and Elder Minister Song were competing for the position of Chief Minister. The two were evenly matched, and the late Emperor was hard-pressed to decide. At this point, a censor suddenly submitted a memorial accusing Elder Minister Yuan of embezzling the estate of his deceased elder brother and driving his widowed sister-in-law to her death with grief.

In truth, Elder Minister Yuan’s sister-in-law had always been frail and sickly, and dying of grief and longing after a major bereavement was certainly possible. But her maternal family leapt out to cry injustice, producing a great deal of seemingly credible and seemingly confused human witnesses. A single bite from a thief goes deep as bone — Elder Minister Yuan lost the contest from that point on.

“This matter can simply not be suppressed.” Changbai said gravely. “To say nothing of Kang Yima herself — even those around her who know of it are not few. The various managers, married servants — in a single day, Sixth Sister could interrogate the whole lot and wring it out of them. Not to mention those with schemes who wish to exploit it for their own purposes.”

Sheng Hong had harbored the grand ambition since youth of bringing glory to the family name. If in the future his descendants were to succeed and rise to high office, could he allow this matter to drag them down? After hearing his son’s words, the more he thought, the more alarmed he became.

“That is not all. There is also Kang Yima herself. What if she uses this to hold Father under threat in the future? By that time, the physical and human evidence will no longer be traceable. Aunt could insist that it was Mother who administered the poison, and that Father, for the sake of his official reputation and good name, suppressed the truth and covered up the facts.”

Sheng Hong slammed the table in outrage: “Would that scheming woman dare?!”

“She even dared to administer poison at a relative’s home — what would she not dare?”

In Changbai’s view, Kang Yima had long since lost all clarity of mind — her viciousness and madness had reached an incomprehensible degree. By her distorted logic, anyone who offended her must suffer, and anyone who stood in her way must be eliminated. She ought to have been locked away years ago.

“For the sake of the long-term future, one must make a clean cut. Once the matter passes through the Imperial Household Department, should anyone ever raise it in the future, Father will have solid ground to stand on — the perpetrator has already been punished, and Mother has been in the family shrine doing penance for many years; all the people in the old home can attest to it. Then Old Grandmother takes the deed of ownership and clears out every person around Aunt who knows anything of this. The matter is settled cleanly.”

Sheng Hong stared blankly at his son, his heart both moved and proud. The more he looked at him, the more he was reminded of his late father-in-law. Ordinarily as tight-lipped as a jar with a sealed gourd for a stopper — but once he began to speak, everything unfolded in a perfectly reasoned and comprehensive way that left you convinced and admiring all at once.

Though it was Changfeng, the second son, with whom he was more temperamentally in tune, it was Changbai he most relied on and trusted. In conducting himself and serving in office, neither of the younger two could hold a candle to the eldest in terms of seasoned competence and shrewdness. In the years to come when he himself retired from the world, the family would still have to rely on the eldest to hold things up. However many failings Wang Shi might have, securing such a capable son was certainly a great stroke of fortune.

“And so, Father must absolutely not waver — in these next few days, he must hold firm.” Changbai urged again and again.

Sheng Hong steeled his resolve, and brought his hand down hard on the table: “Kang Wang Shi must be locked away — there is no other option!”

Changbai slowly let out a long breath. He understood his father far better than his father understood himself. Sheng Hong was always emotionally swayed to and fro; only concrete self-interest could most firmly anchor his resolve.

Coming out of the study, walking slowly in the cool evening breeze, before he knew it his footsteps had led him to the courtyard of his mother’s quarters. Changbai thought for a moment, then waved his hand to silence the maids and servant women hovering in the corridor. He walked quietly to his mother’s window, just about to call out — when he heard the low sound of weeping from within.

“…My dear one, stop crying.” Liu Kun’s wife was saying by way of comfort.

Wang Shi wept: “I won’t go, I won’t go — I simply refuse to go!… Ten years! Better to just take a pair of scissors and cut off my life altogether! That wretched child — I carried him in my womb for ten months and gave him life, and he has the heart to do this!”

Liu Kun’s wife gave a quiet sigh. “You had better go. The eldest young master — it is for your sake, too.”

“…How do you mean… I can see his heart is entirely at the Sheng’an Hall, and he has completely forgotten his own mother! A heartless wretch of a son!”

Liu Kun’s wife said: “Think about it — you are not the aunt. You can wash your hands and walk away. But once the elder madam recovers, you will still have to attend and serve before her. After this, whatever the elder madam says or does, you can only thank her profusely and take it. Is it not better, then, to accept a proper punishment squarely? After a few years, when it has all passed, and you have acknowledged your fault and accepted your sentence, the whole matter can be smoothed over.”

Wang Shi sobbed for a long while, then hesitated: “…To be honest, I also feel I could not face the elder madam. But… when I come back, what if she still finds fault with me?”

Liu Kun’s wife smiled: “I can see the elder madam is not a hard-hearted person. What’s more — as long as you accept your punishment, the Old Master and the eldest young master will know where they stand. And furthermore…” she smiled ruefully, “if you don’t go, the eldest young master truly will resign from office.”

Wang Shi said with indignant fury: “Let him resign if he wants — threatening his own mother like that!”

Liu Kun’s wife hurriedly urged: “Don’t say such a thing. You can see it too — whether the Wang family or the Old Master, the dignity of the rest of their years still rests on the eldest young master. And Feng Ge’er is studying hard day and night right now. If the eldest young master truly digs in his heels, the whole Sheng family would have to rely on Feng Ge’er? Who knows — Lin Yiniang might even come back.”

The moment she heard the words “Lin Yiniang,” Wang Shi stopped weeping entirely, and cried out: “That lowly creature is dreaming!”

“Good — that’s the spirit. We’ll go to the countryside in Youyang — think of it as going away to nourish your health. I’ll tell you frankly: as long as the eldest young master’s career flourishes and his future is bright, who in the old home would dare show any disrespect? Who would not treat you with the utmost courtesy and deference? Even the main branch of the family would have to show you respect, would they not?”

Wang Shi’s resolve began to waver. She thought it over from every angle, then collapsed face-down on the table and wept: “I truly don’t want to go…that place, I know no one there, and I’ll be all alone…”

“I’ll come with you.”

Wang Shi was startled, then greatly moved: “You…”

A senior managing matron of her standing, and she was willing to leave the splendor and bustle of the capital to accompany her to a cold, remote village shrine?

“My children are all grown and don’t need me anymore. Their father manages the estate. I’ll come along and chant sutras with you and keep the fasts.” Liu Kun’s wife smiled: “Besides — how could I leave without my loyal little follower!”

Wang Shi broke into a watery laugh, her face streaked with tears and blurred cosmetics, and said with heartfelt, weeping gratitude: “My dear sister — it is not only my heart that was clogged with pig fat, but my eyes that were blind too. All those good words you spoke to counsel me before — sound counsel, every one of them — and I simply never took them in!”

Changbai stood beneath the window. The sounds from within were simply the murmurings between his mother and Liu Kun’s wife — now crying, now laughing. He listened for a while, then silently withdrew. Walking to the entrance of the courtyard, he drew in a long, slow breath of cool air.

By nature taciturn, he had said an exceptional number of words today and was thoroughly exhausted. Dragging his slow steps, head bent, he walked along. The moonlight was soft and gentle, scattering a thin layer of silver across the garden. He had walked halfway when he saw the young servant Hanniu waiting there, his whole face anxious.

“Young Master, you’ve finally come back. I looked for you everywhere — the study attendants said you’d gone to find the Old Master, then at the study several little servants said you’d gone elsewhere.” Hanniu smiled and trotted to Changbai’s side.

Changbai gave a small nod, eyes looking ahead. Hanniu understood this as a signal for “go back to the room” and immediately held the lantern out in front to lead the way. After they had walked for a while and reached the edge of the pond, he suddenly saw, across the water, two figures moving slowly in the distance.

One tall, one shorter — they appeared to be a man and a woman.

Changbai stopped. Because of the dim night, he could not make them out clearly. He shook his head slightly, and gave a jerk of his chin toward the far side. Hanniu understood and said: “That is the Sixth Young Mistress and the Marquis — I ran into them earlier when I was searching for you all over the courtyard. The night air is cool and the moonlight is beautiful, so the Marquis and the Young Mistress are taking a walk to aid their digestion.”

From the look of things and the snatches overheard, it seemed the Sixth Young Mistress had been too lazy to go out and simply wanted to go back to bed, while the Marquis felt it wasn’t good to sleep right after eating and had dragged her out.

Changbai looked at the graceful pair across the way, in their leisurely, untroubled ease. He said nothing for a good long while, then bent down and sat on a large stone beside the pond.

Hanniu was taken aback: “Are you not going back to your room first?”

Changbai gave a nod.

Hanniu, in a difficult spot, asked: “Then what should I tell the Eldest Young Mistress?”

Changbai patted the large stone beside him, then lifted his head to look at the bright moon in the sky.

Hanniu, calling upon years of experience, made a valiant guess: “Sir means… please ask the First Young Mistress to come here as well, and — ah — that is, to admire the moon?”

Changbai finally nodded, and waved him off.

Hanniu ran off in a full sweat — finished. The Young Master spoke too many words today; no telling how many days before the reserves came back.

First Young Mistress, you are truly a miracle.