Several more days passed, and the day of Wang Shi’s departure arrived. Changbai saw his mother off in the cool early morning, while Hualan and Rulan leaned against each other, tears on their cheeks as they said their goodbyes. Wang Shi was already sobbing inconsolably — and then Changbai, of all things, said cheerfully, “Go quickly and come back early.” Ten years — ten whole years — how could she come back early?! She was so furious she could have ground her teeth to powder.
After this, the Sheng household was managed jointly by the two daughters-in-law. Xiang Yiniang devoted herself entirely to attending to Sheng Hong’s daily needs, and all affairs were conducted with orderly efficiency. Deprived of his sparring partner for daily bickering and surrounded on all sides by docile concubines, Sheng Hong found to his surprise that he felt rather lonely. One day, he said wistfully to Changbai: “Your mother is not a bad person at heart. Over all these years, I have had my own failings toward her as well.”
Hai Shi let this slip while visiting Minglan, and Minglan laughed so hard she fell sideways on the daybed.
“Grandmother is recovering better and better. She can now walk half a circuit around the pond, and adds half a bowl of rice to her meals at a sitting. Your elder brother says that at this rate, once his term is complete, they can set off for his new post together.”
Minglan laughed: “Take all the children along this time.”
Hai Shi’s eyes lit up — nothing could delight her more than this — though she demurred aloud: “Your elder brother needs to give Quan Ge’er his early lessons, and teach the girls proper conduct as well. He says… heh heh… grandparents raising grandchildren, no matter how sensible the elders, inevitably end up being too indulgent.”
Minglan teased: “True enough — who could match Elder Brother? He was born with old-man gravity already built in!”
She felt a deep sympathy for Changbai’s children. With a father like that, how grim their childhoods must be. When Gu Tingye returned home that evening, she shared this thought with him — and to her surprise, her husband took the opposite view. He rubbed his large palm over Tuan Ge’er’s head with great deliberation and said: “I’ve thought about it. Our son — if he takes to martial arts, well and good, I can find any number of excellent teachers. But if he wishes to pursue scholarship… he’ll have to go to his maternal uncle.”
Minglan’s face fell in alarm: “And you could bear to do that to him!” It was not as though Gu Tingye hadn’t witnessed Changbai’s severity firsthand — the man didn’t even need to lay a finger on anyone; his verbal rebukes alone were enough to make people want to throw themselves into a river.
Gu Tingye hoisted the chubby boy up onto his shoulders and sighed: “Precisely because I can’t bring myself to do it, I must find someone else who can.”
Minglan: …
The heat of the season carried with it a stifling heaviness that left one gasping for air. At the same time, Minglan had to be especially careful about using ice during her pregnancy, leaving her wishing she could simply strip off all her clothing. In such sweltering conditions, the burden on a pregnant woman was already severe — a woman in postpartum confinement would have it even harder.
At the beginning of the ninth month, Xiao Shen Shi finally gave birth, enduring a full day and night of labor before delivering a daughter — and by all accounts, nearly losing her life in the process. Minglan, being inconvenient to make visits, stayed where she was. It was the Zheng First Madam who came to call, bringing a good-luck talisman wound with red thread.
“This was obtained from Guangji Temple a few days ago. One was for my sister-in-law, in hopes of a smooth delivery. Then when I heard you were also with child, I had another sought on your behalf.” The Zheng First Madam looked worn and listless. “Though you need not wear it if you do not wish — I rather feel it has not proved very efficacious.”
“How do you mean?”
The Zheng First Madam sighed: “My sister-in-law suffered greatly this time. The physician says she has sustained damage — it may not be easy for her to conceive again. She is still so young. What is to be done?”
Minglan was quiet for a moment, then gently said: “Elder Sister-in-law has always treated me with great warmth and kindness; forgive me if I speak plainly today. Take heart — perhaps it was precisely this talisman that allowed Sister Shen to escape with her life. That possibility cannot be dismissed.”
The Zheng First Madam was devout in her faith and sighed: “So be it. Let us say this was the tribulation fate had decreed for her.” She pressed her palms together and said softly: “This child has had little fortune with parents since infancy, raised instead by elder brothers and sisters-in-law. I can only pray that the Buddha watches over her and blesses her with abundant children of her own.”
In the presence of someone of such genuinely noble character — so magnanimous and compassionate — Minglan found herself at a loss for comfort. After floundering for some time, she called for Tuan Ge’er to be brought out and placed on the soft daybed, where he proceeded to perform what could only be described as a sideways waddling waddle, crouching low with each unsteady step.
The little chubby fellow, top-heavy and unsteady, would take a few tottering steps before landing in what might be called a grand settled descent — bottom-first, every time. Each time he fell, his pudgy indignant self would slap the soft bedding in frustration with his little fat paws, then haul himself back up and wobble onward. This performance thoroughly amused the Zheng First Madam; she scooped Tuan Ge’er up and planted two hearty kisses on him — a remarkable display from a woman whose usual bearing was so composed and severe.
After seeing the Zheng First Madam off, Minglan felt, for the first time, a genuine relief that she was currently with child — for had she been otherwise, what on earth would she have said when calling on Xiao Shen Shi?
Minglan fanned herself with a sigh. Her spiritual cultivation was still woefully insufficient.
In the blazing summer heat, Rong Jie’er and Xian Jie’er had long since begun their summer holiday from lessons, attending only a day or two each ten-day period. With Minglan now at leisure, she took it upon herself to teach them some household management, lest they grow up like the second Gu Tingcan — knowing only how to maintain an air of refined superiority while being utterly incapable of running a home.
She unearthed several old ledgers from the household treasury, selected four covering grain purchases, and had the two girls read through them separately, with strict instructions against comparing notes. A dozen or so days later, they came before Minglan to report their findings. Xian Jie’er had identified five discrepancies; Rong Jie’er had found eighteen.
Minglan sat fanning herself with an elegant folding fan and encouraged both girls to speak their minds freely.
Rong Jie’er went first, pointing out all eighteen errors one by one: “…Since the estate farms deliver grain directly, the household only needs to purchase outside grain at most twice a year. Yet looking at this ledger, each purchase is recorded as more expensive than the last. One might argue that the difference in seasons accounts for the variation in prices — but when I compared entries across multiple years, even purchases made in the same month consistently increased year over year. There is clearly something improper here!”
She grew more agitated as she spoke, visibly wishing she could drag out those sticky-fingered servants and give them a good thrashing.
Xian Jie’er went second. The young girl smiled softly: “I believe that running a household should not be too strict — if even the smallest coin is punished, it may result in losing the larger picture for the sake of the smaller one. However…” She flushed slightly. “When I compared the supplemental records, I noted several entries for ‘flood disasters causing high grain prices.’ I have heard people speak of ‘disaster years with flooding,’ so perhaps that accounts for the difference.”
Rong Jie’er immediately colored: “I also looked at the supplemental records. I found all sorts of explanations for difficulties — they all seemed like excuses — and I suspected they might be fabricated…”
“And did either of you verify your findings?” Minglan asked with a smile.
Both girls shook their heads in unison. Ledgers from decades past — how would one go about verifying them?
“Very well. I’ll give you a few more days. See what else you can uncover.”
Rong Jie’er and Xian Jie’er exchanged glances and reluctantly took their leave. More than ten days later, both came rushing back to find Minglan, faces bright with excitement.
Xian Jie’er spoke first, not even pausing to wipe the gleaming beads of sweat from her forehead: “I found one of the old nannies who sweeps the rear courtyard. Her family had been farming in the outskirts of the capital. She said that eighteen years ago, the harvest was excellent and plentiful, and she had eaten mantou from childhood. It was not until she was a teenager that disaster struck, and only then did she and her children sell themselves into service here.”
Rong Jie’er was equally flushed with excitement: “I borrowed a historical chronicle from Master Xue. It records that although those particular years were indeed prosperous and the common people well-fed, the Martial Emperor at the time was waging a military campaign and urgently requisitioned grain supplies, which caused grain prices in and around the capital to rise sharply. But in the following year, when the Martial Emperor returned in great triumph, prices fell back to their previous levels.”
Minglan smiled and bade them both sit, calling for Xiaotao to pour tea.
“In other words, the higher grain prices in that particular year were entirely legitimate.” Xian Jie’er flipped through the ancient ledger, its cover so brittle it seemed on the verge of disintegrating. “But in the years that followed — when by all accounts the realm was at peace and the harvests abundant — the prices continued to climb year after year. That is indeed irregular.”
Rong Jie’er took a sip of tea, nearly burning herself, and stumbled through her conclusion: “We believe it is like this — this particular steward had served many years. In the beginning he was still honest, but once he had earned the master’s trust and had less to fear, he became lax.”
The conclusion: even the most long-trusted of servants must be kept under periodic supervision, or they will breed rot from within.
Minglan was greatly impressed with this answer and clapped warmly: “My girls have grown — they are no longer yesterday’s unknowing children. Well said, well said indeed!”
Both girls glowed with delight at the praise, heads bowed, faces flushed, filled with pride and satisfaction.
Minglan had Xiaotao bring out two hairpins she had prepared in advance and told them to choose. One was set in red gold with rubies, trailing several large lustrous pearls in a swaying fringe that rang with a soft chiming sound and radiated a magnificent brilliance; the other was fashioned entirely of white jade, warm and luminous, with only a thumb-sized emerald inlaid at the crown, its green radiance glowing with quiet splendor.
The moment these two treasures were brought out, the entire room seemed to fill with light. Both girls stood rooted to the spot in astonishment.
Minglan had often given them small trinkets before — little earrings, small rings, things for everyday wear and play — but these two pieces were in an entirely different class of worth.
Xian Jie’er recovered first and immediately began to decline; Rong Jie’er turned red to the ears and refused flatly. Minglan spent considerable effort coaxing them before they finally edged forward, shyly pushing the choice toward each other. In the end, Xian Jie’er chose the white jade with the emerald, and Rong Jie’er took the gold-and-pearl with the rubies. That evening, both girls dined with Minglan, drank freely of the fruit wine, and then padded back to their respective rooms red-cheeked and beaming, each cradling her prize.
Shao Shi had barely set eyes on the white jade pin when she gave a start, holding it up to the lamplight for a long and careful inspection. “This is an exquisite rarity,” she murmured.
Xian Jie’er was radiant: “Auntie said that we are both good children — not only diligent in our studies, but clever and industrious.” There was a very distinct sense of pride in her voice, as though to say: I earned this with my own abilities.
Shao Shi sat in thought for a long while, then suddenly said: “It seems your aunt is looking to arrange a marriage for Rong Jie’er… well, she is of age now. She could hardly give only to her — so she did not leave you out either.”
Xian Jie’er pressed her warm little cheeks with both hands and stood there for a moment, then declared loudly: “Mother, there you go again! Always jumping to wild conclusions!”
Shao Shi drew her daughter close, warm and fond: “My foolish child, you do not know. When your father was alive, his relations with your second uncle were… not good. On his deathbed, his only worry was that your second uncle would bear a grudge against you.”
“I think Second Uncle is quite good,” said Xian Jie’er, pillowing her head against her mother’s embrace.
Shao Shi tapped her daughter’s little nose with a teasing smile: “And on the strength of one shared meal, you’ve decided Second Uncle is good?”
“Second Uncle wasn’t even there tonight — he went to the Zheng family for a full-month banquet.”
Shao Shi shook her head: “Who knows what he holds in his heart. Still — your aunt is decent enough…”
Mother and daughter held each other quietly for a moment. Xian Jie’er tilted her head up: “Mother, is Auntie truly about to find a match for Rong Jie’er? I don’t want to think about it — if Rong Jie’er goes to be married, I’ll be all alone.”
Shao Shi smiled: “How would I know? I have no particular insight into such things. Perhaps I’ve made a wrong guess, and thought too much about it after all.”
But this time, Shao Shi had guessed correctly.
The watch drum had only just sounded the hour of the dragon when Gu Tingye returned home carrying the faint sweetness of wine. Something had clearly stirred him up, for he began rambling directly at Minglan’s belly.
“…That Zheng girl is not bad-looking — only rather delicate; she could barely open her eyes. Not at all like our son — on his full-month celebration, facing a table full of gruff, battle-hardened fellows, he didn’t flinch in the slightest. He even gave Lao Geng a good scratch, heh heh…”
Gu Tingye pressed his hand to Minglan’s belly, his breathing slightly unsteady, and let out a long laugh: “This time let’s have a daughter. A fair little thing — tiny, with big eyes, and a pair of dimples at the corners of her mouth…” His fingers traced Minglan’s dimples. “Gentle and pretty — and unlike that little troublemaker who can wreak havoc without end… but she shouldn’t be too docile either…”
Minglan listened to his nonsense for a full stretch, inwardly rolling her eyes. If one knew the context, one would recognize a besotted father envisioning his future daughter; if one didn’t, one might think he was shopping on some celestial marketplace — his requirements were extraordinarily specific and comprehensive.
“…In the future, I’ll take great care choosing her husband. If he’s a military man, he must be the bravest warrior in the ranks! If he’s a scholar, then…” Gu Tingye had rather vague standards when it came to literary achievement — “top scholar” alone was insufficient to satisfy him. At last, recalling something Fu Qinran had once said, he declared with great gusto: “He must place first in the imperial examinations! Otherwise, no one is worthy of marrying my daughter!”
Minglan nearly sprayed out a mouthful of tea. She slapped the table with one hand and grabbed his ear with the other: “Wake up, dear! Since the founding of this dynasty, there have been exactly two men to claim the top position in the same examination — and both were middle-aged men. How many years are you intending to make our daughter wait?!”
Gu Tingye rubbed his ear and said magnanimously: “Then the top three finalists. Setting aside first, second, or third place specifically — any one of those would be… broadly acceptable, I suppose.”
“And what if this one isn’t a daughter?” Minglan was already exhausted. “What if she’s plain and unattractive?”
“How could that possibly happen?”
“Why not? Look at Madam Duan — she’s a beautiful woman. Have you seen her second daughter? Tsk, tsk, tsk…” The Duan husband and wife were both quite handsome in appearance, yet their daughter had somehow managed to inherit only the least flattering features from both sides.
Gu Tingye sobered up at the thought — surely not. Please, not that.
“All right, let’s talk about something real…” Minglan shook him briskly. “That little daughter of yours hasn’t even been born yet, and here you are spinning fantasies. What about your eldest daughter — shouldn’t you be giving her some thought?”
“…Rong Jie’er?” Gu Tingye took a moment to process this. “She’s still quite young.”
“Eleven now, turning twelve after the New Year.” Minglan said to herself: and just a moment ago you were going on about your ‘fair little tiny big-eyed daughter’ — how old did you think she was?
Gu Tingye was blank for a good while: “Even so… isn’t that a bit early?”
“Early? Do you think a son-in-law is a vegetable growing in the back garden, ready to be pulled up whenever you fancy one?” Minglan retorted. “Good matches are not easy to come by — do you think a few years is enough time?”
She ticked off on her fingers with the air of a seasoned matchmaker: “Begin selecting candidates now, it will take several years before anything can be settled, then preparations for the wedding, then the formal rites — and that’s assuming she marries close by. If she marries far away, there’s the whole matter of going to inspect the prospective family’s circumstances…”
Especially given Rong Jie’er’s awkward position — it would actually have been simpler if she were outright a child of a maidservant, but this ambiguous in-between status made it all the harder to find a suitable family. The difficulty was considerably elevated.
“…That you can think ahead for her this way — I cannot help but feel ashamed of myself by comparison.” Gu Tingye said honestly what was in his heart.
Minglan said softly: “Even in the moment when Grandmother lay with grave poison in her body, I never once thought about doing anything to that aunt’s children.” Holding others’ children responsible went against even the most basic principle of justice — even though the specific laws she still remembered were few.
“Then how shall we proceed with this matter? I defer to Madam’s judgment.” Gu Tingye clasped his hands in a bow, his smile as warm as a spring breeze.
Minglan’s spirits rose with enthusiasm. Pregnancy made for idle days — she had been so bored she was practically growing moss.
She retrieved several sheets of paper from beside the bed and read from them with bright-eyed energy: “It’s not so complicated. When you attend social gatherings at colleagues’ homes, or sparring sessions at the training ground, or meetings around the strategy table, or when you hear word among friends and acquaintances of any young man of outstanding character — simply keep your eyes open.”
“Those who cut people down without hesitation, killing without a flicker of expression — absolutely not. A martial man should either have cultivated perfect mastery and self-restraint, or better yet, find someone who does not practice martial arts at all. One who is only halfway there, if he ever strikes a wife, will have no sense of proportion!”
“His constitution must be robust — becoming a young widow is not acceptable. That is not to say built like an ox is sufficient; you must observe his physique, examine his bone structure, and inquire whether his elders and ancestors were long-lived.”
“Family standing should be neither too high nor too low — too high and she will suffer as a wife; too low and she will be unfairly disadvantaged. As for the precise measure, I leave that to the Marquis’s judgment. The art of it lies in how one applies the principle.”
“The household should ideally be simple in composition. But if the family is large, then the family’s conduct must be impeccable — family members harmonious, the atmosphere warm and united. Getting through daily life requires, above all else, harmony.”
“Scholars require especially careful investigation. Acts of righteousness are more commonly found among butchers and rough men; faithlessness most often comes from the learned. Do not be taken in by one who appears gentle and virtuous in every outward manner — who knows what foul water runs beneath the surface? Those who, the moment they acquire a shred of distinction, become insufferably arrogant — that type is the most despicable of all! Ahem — the Marquis may not be aware, but I once had a most unworthy cousin-in-law… well, never mind that.”
“In the treasury there are still two jars of bamboo-leaf green wine. Is it not true that Magistrate Liu Zhengjie has a fondness for it? Send them along with a note, and ask him to help look into backgrounds. One must avoid inadvertently encountering a deceitful man who conceals a prior wife at home…”
“Madam, are you finished?” Gu Tingye watched his wife — cheeks flushed, eyes shining, vibrating with barely-contained excitement.
“Well, this, there is still a little more — roughly about nine sub-points.”
Gu Tingye said with good-natured amusement: “Madam, please take your time. Would you care for some tea first?”
Minglan waved the teacup aside, her voice ringing out with crisp conviction: “We absolutely cannot allow things to go the way they went with younger sister Tingcan — so certain she had the upper hand that she grew complacent and simply waited for good things to arrive. We must guard against arrogance and impatience! The world is unpredictable; nothing is certain until one has bowed before Heaven at the altar. We must investigate on many fronts, consider multiple candidates — if one does not work out, there must be others to fill the gap. Family reputation, conduct of parents and sisters-in-law, personal character — none of these can be assessed in a single day. Therefore, early planning is essential! When it comes to marrying off daughters, if the first goes wrong, how can the rest go well? First victory leads to a strong advance, and victory is secured!”
Gu Tingye: …