The golden autumn wind rose, and with it came the season for eating river crabs. In years past, Minglan would have been clutching a small bowl of vinegar, eagerly awaiting the steamed chrysanthemum crabs to emerge from the pot. But now, with her pregnancy, this pleasure was of course forbidden once again. Nanny Cui wore a stern face: “Crabs are cold in nature — Madam must not eat them.”

Minglan could not conceal her sorrow: “…It seems that in this world, everything that tastes good is either cold in nature or heating in nature, or too dry or too damp. The foods that Nanny would approve of are all as flavorless as chewing wax. It is plain to see that Heaven created the world specifically to make things difficult for people.”

Nanny Cui patiently coaxed her: “You greedy little thing — be careful that the child in your belly hears you and blames you for it later!” Unlike Gu Tingye, she had been convinced from the very start that Minglan was carrying a boy this time.

It was by no means easy to resist! — The mere thought of those plump, golden, fragrant crab roes made Minglan feel as though a small cat were scratching away inside her stomach. Back when she had been carrying chubby Tuan Ge’er, the old white tigress had kept her under a watchful gaze, and she had not dared eat whatever she pleased; the constant state of anxiety had somehow kept her from dwelling too much on cravings.

Gu Tingye, seeing how miserable she was, simply issued a decree: no one in the entire household was permitted to eat crabs. He further declared that if Madam caught even the faintest trace of the scent and had her appetite stirred up, those responsible would be trussed up and steamed in the pot themselves.

Minglan laughed so hard she rolled back and forth on the kang. Tuan Ge’er, seeing his mother rolling about in what looked like great fun, stretched out his chubby arms and started todaling toward her — only to be scooped up by his father and hoisted entirely onto his back, then set loose to practice his climbing skills.

Gu Tingye had only managed half a sentence — “What if we just ate the crab claws” — when Nanny Cui walked in at precisely that moment carrying a clay pot of stew. He hastily cleared his throat: “Right, yes, of course — best not to eat any at all.”

Seeing her husband’s performance, Minglan dissolved into helpless laughter. In a private moment she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly twice. Tuan Ge’er, ever the mimic, launched himself into his father’s arms and pressed his little mouth to his father’s face, leaving half a face’s worth of enthusiastic drool.

Gu Tingye wiped his face and scolded: “Foolish boy — can’t even do this right!” He grabbed his son and demonstrated on the small face with two proper kisses by way of instruction. Unfortunately Tuan Ge’er missed the point entirely, only summoned extra vigor, and applied his tiny rice-grain teeth to his dear father’s cheek with dedicated effort, leaving a scattering of small toothmarks before cheerfully applauding his own work.

Minglan collapsed against the kang’s edge, laughing in silent, convulsing mirth.

Gu Tingye was simultaneously exasperated and amused, gave his son a few gentle pats on the bottom, and glared: “All you do is laugh! You’re his mother — can’t you say something?”

Minglan gasped between shakes of laughter: “This little one — how can he be this silly?”

Gu Tingye was immediately displeased: “Can’t you say something nicer?”

Minglan immediately said: “Your son has excellent teeth.” Impressive, to bite through hide that thick and tough.

……

As the cool air gradually intensified, and though she could not eat crabs, Minglan’s days slowly grew more comfortable. Autumn skies, high and clear, were the finest season for outings. In the first days of the tenth month, Tingye and his wife saw off the fifth household uncle —

The Fifth Master set off in high spirits, declaimed an ancient poem for the occasion, and poured half a jar of wine as a libation into the soil. He was resolved that this posting would allow him to make his mark at the academy. The Fifth Madam, however, was spiritless and limp, her eyes swollen red.

Afterward, Gu Tingxuan told Minglan in private: the wet nurse of his youngest daughter had heard from the wife of a servant stationed in the fifth household that the Fifth Madam had initially refused with every ounce of her strength to leave the capital, but the Fifth Master had been absolutely immovable. When she threw a tantrum and declared she had no wish to live, he grew furious instead: “Even if we have to carry you in a coffin, you are going!”

Ever since Gu Tingyang’s death, Gu Tingdi and his wife had harbored deep grievances against the Fifth Madam. Minglan suspected it was they who had quietly let this information circulate.

The farewell scene was one of cheerful send-off, and the one who appeared most cheerfully flush-faced was the Fourth Madam, who was exceptionally amiable and attentive toward Minglan, even insisting on pulling her home for tea. Minglan could not refuse, and thinking she might stop in at her own family on the way back, she went along.

In Minglan’s presence, the Fourth Madam had Liu Yiniang pour tea, serve water, fan her, and hand her a kerchief — displaying every last bit of her satisfaction. Gu Tingxuan stood to one side smiling wryly but made no move to intervene.

Liu Yiniang bore no resemblance to the powdered, flirtatious woman she had once been. Her age now showed plainly, and the moment she began to complain, the Fourth Madam said calmly: “If Yiniang does not wish to stay here and serve, perhaps she would prefer to go to the northwest. Tingbing is there all alone — it would be good for someone to look after him.”

Liu Yiniang reflected that however difficult the mistress of the house might be, she was still preferable to the harsh cold of the northwest. Unwilling to risk this old body of hers in such a place, she dared not talk back to the Fourth Madam — but she did not stop beseeching Minglan to ask Gu Tingye to look after her son.

Minglan’s mouth curved in a very slight smile, wanting very much to suggest she go lay flowers at Yu Yan Hong’s grave instead — one ought not casually put a green hat on one’s husband.

In the middle of the month, the Personnel Ministry issued the full roster of official performance reviews and appointments. Wang Uncle was, as expected, appointed to an external post in the south, and the whole family set out from the capital ahead of schedule. Sheng Hong and Changbai went to see them off; Hualan had originally intended to bring Rulan along as well, but for perhaps the first time in her life, she was talked out of it by her younger sister.

“You heard what Mother said — Maternal Grandmother was willing to take her own daughter to court in order to protect her! Hmph! It was clearly the aunt who was vicious — she harmed Grandmother and then tried to frame Mother. And Maternal Grandmother still wanted to come out of it without any consequences? Father and Elder Brother must go — it is a matter of propriety — but we are daughters who have married out. What business do we have going?! Maternal Grandmother made no distinction between right and wrong, and showed no regard whatsoever for the Sheng family’s dignity. We are to go and soothe her with smiling faces?! Mother has already been wronged enough — how could we add to it?!”

When she thought of her once-harmonious maternal family, now scattered and broken, Hualan felt her own anger rising. Maternal Grandmother was an elder, yes — but Wang Shi was her own birth mother, and had already begun serving her consequences. And so, in the end, neither of the two Lan sisters went.

However, the most remarkable thing about that day was that Molan went.

The news that the old matriarch had suddenly taken ill, and that Wang Shi had retreated to the family temple to pray and fast on her mother-in-law’s behalf — this story might fool outsiders, but Molan knew Wang Shi’s character well, and immediately felt that something was deeply abnormal. Added to this was the news that Changbai was bringing the old matriarch along to his new post; she knew at once that something had happened in the family home.

But no matter how she tried, she could not find out what. Changfeng was useless — he genuinely did not know the details. Liu Shi was slippery and gave nothing away. As for her sisters — there was no point even asking.

Burning with anxiety, Molan had her attendants use money to pry information from Sheng household servants. After nearly a month of roundabout back-and-forth, she had only managed to learn that on the day the old matriarch had suddenly taken ill, Minglan had surrounded the Sheng household with troops and arrested and interrogated several people. Changfeng had heard screaming but didn’t know who it was. The final account was that Wang Shi’s confidante Nanny Qian had colluded with outsiders in a scheme to steal the household’s property, and in doing so had given the old matriarch such a fright that she fell gravely ill — which had infuriated both Sheng Hong and Minglan, who sealed the household and launched an investigation.

Additionally, the Kang family aunt had recently fallen gravely ill as well and had been sent to a country estate to recuperate — but no one knew which estate, and her confidants had mostly been sent along to tend to her. Mistress and servants alike, they had vanished without a sound.

Taking all of this together, Molan knew perfectly well there was a great deal more beneath the surface, yet she was stopped here and could discover no more.

On the day the Wang family was seen off, Molan had still failed to extract so much as a hair’s worth of information from the Wang maternal aunt. With no other recourse, she fell back on her most reliable tactic of filial piety and accompanied her father all the way back to his study, gently and obliquely raising her questions.

“…Father, this daughter heard from the servants that on the day Grandmother fell ill, Sixth Sister suddenly had the Marquis’s guards surround the entire household. What was that about?”

Sheng Hong sighed and produced the standard answer smoothly: “We discovered a traitor within the household who had conspired with outside thieves to steal from us, giving Grandmother quite a fright. For fear the thieves might destroy evidence and flee, we surrounded the estate as a precaution.”

Molan nearly choked with suppressed frustration — this was the same answer she had already heard. She pressed her lips together: “I also heard that Sixth Sister’s people were inside interrogating and beating people — that seems…”

“Ah, it was unfortunate for family harmony, yes — but in order to root out the thieves and put Grandmother’s heart at ease, there was no choice but to overlook certain niceties.”

Molan probed several more times and returned each time empty-handed. In growing desperation, she said: “Father, to catch a household thief, the family’s own guards would surely have been sufficient — there was no need to involve the Marquis’s personal soldiers. Sixth Sister’s conduct was really rather… And then there is the matter of Kang Aunt…”

Sheng Hong’s guard went up sharply, and his gaze cut across like lightning: “What exactly are you trying to ask? The house was robbed, Grandmother was frightened — your sister and I panicked and were desperate to find the culprit, so our methods were perhaps not ideal. What precisely is it you want to know?”

Molan shrank slightly under her father’s gaze but summoned her courage, tears beginning to fall: “Father, there is clearly more to this matter than meets the eye. Those outside the family may not know, but how could this daughter not? Now all the sisters know except me — not one person is willing to tell me. Does this daughter not carry the Sheng name? Am I not your own flesh and blood? To guard and conceal things so carefully from me…”

Her voice broke; tears streamed freely. “This daughter knows that in the matter of her marriage, she caused Father distress — yet blood is still blood. This daughter worried over Grandmother too, worried over Father as well. The household has been through this ordeal, and this daughter has been consumed with anxiety, unable to eat or sleep. Brothers and sisters all know — why is this daughter the only one left in the dark? Am I really so beyond the pale?…”

Sheng Hong watched her cry with such evident sincerity, each word she said striking somewhere defensible, and his heart began to soften. He was on the verge of opening his mouth — when he suddenly recalled Changbai’s words: “The more people know of this matter, the greater the risk. Human nature is unpredictable. Women of the inner quarters especially tend to be ignorant of the broader picture and to misjudge the weight of things. Hualan and Rulan, for the sake of their birth mother’s reputation, and Sixth Sister’s own role in events which was somewhat irregular — none of them will breathe a word. But others cannot be counted on…”

Changbai had not named names, but Sheng Hong understood perfectly — beyond those directly involved and with stakes in the outcome, not even close kin should know the full story, especially those born of Lin Shi’s line. If some small personal calculation led to damage to the Sheng family’s reputation, the regret would be without remedy.

“There is no hidden story here — you are reading too much into things.” Sheng Hong’s expression cooled. “You keep speaking of your sisters — but have you stopped to consider: of all the sisters right now, you alone have yet to produce an heir?”

Molan had been weeping with full investment when this struck her quite without warning. She stared blankly, tears still wet on her face: “Father… you…”

“I have four daughters. Setting aside Changdong, the youngest, all the others have now given me grandchildren. Whatever one may say of your brothers-in-law, each of them has shown genuine affection toward your sisters. You alone, since your wedding, have had household strife year after year without end. For all the inner favored ones your husband keeps, for all your resentment and indignation — who can really say anything to him?!”

Molan, face drenched in tears, cried out sharply: “Father—!”

“Your eldest sister is virtuous and dignified — her husband holds her in deep reverence and affection. The Fifth’s marriage is one of warm harmony as well. And there is no need even to speak of how the Gu Marquis treats the Sixth. Born of the same father — why do you not compare yourself to your sisters, reflect on how to be a better wife and mother? Instead you spend your days prying into trifling gossip — what kind of conduct is that?!”

Sheng Hong had spent years navigating official circles. When he truly meant to wound, he could do so with words like swords and sentences like blades, leaving no opening for defense. “Your own household is already in such disorder, and yet you still have the leisure to meddle in your maternal family’s affairs? Abandoning what is essential to chase what is trivial — this is incomprehensible.”

Molan had not anticipated that a few casual questions would bring down such a fierce and comprehensive rebuke. She stood utterly mortified, shame and fury warring in her chest until she felt she might split apart. She covered her face with her hands and fled out the door weeping. She had only taken a few steps when she realized the servants might see her, and forced herself to stop, pressing down the tears until they were gone, then walked away with her head low.

Because of this incident, she did not come to see Changbai off when the time came.

Changfeng stood there with an awkward, apologetic grin: “My wife says… that Liang Mansion… there are matters at home, and she cannot get away…”

The old matriarch’s expression was displeased; Sheng Hong sighed and slapped his thigh — neither dared meet the old matriarch’s eyes. Changbai, however, remained perfectly composed.

“Oh, it does not matter — Fourth Sister-in-law has her difficulties, and the family can only understand.” Hualan turned and said: “Fifth Sister, I was quite startled to see you today. I had thought you wouldn’t be able to come. I heard Fifth Brother-in-law has been posted far away — why have you not yet departed?”

Rulan had been waiting a long time for exactly this cue. She immediately sweetly slipped to the old matriarch’s side to support her and said: “Who says otherwise. We had originally planned to leave several days ago — but my husband said that Grandmother is departing today, and as younger members of the family, we would rather push ourselves a little and set off a few days later, just so we could see Grandmother off properly. That, he said, was the way of filial devotion.”

Sheng Hong’s face lit up with great satisfaction. He smiled and nodded: “Son-in-law said it well.”

The old matriarch laughed too and pinched Rulan’s nose: “Son-in-law is a good son-in-law — but you, you rascal girl! If he hadn’t said so, you’d have left already?”

Rulan gave a little cry and wriggled into her pouty act: “Grandmother, really! You always twist people’s good intentions against them!”

Everyone burst out laughing.

As the moment of departure drew close, the old matriarch looked at Minglan standing there grinning with a kind of happy-foolish expression and could not help but feel anxious no matter how many times she looked. She took a quiet moment to grab her granddaughter by the ear and draw her aside, and admonished her: “You foolish girl — Grandmother is leaving now. In daily life, you must listen more and observe more, be humble and reflective, and don’t go about with that carefree guileless air of yours — or people will take advantage of you without you ever realizing it!”

Minglan said cheerfully: “I know, I know.”

Ask Kang Aunt — who has been taking advantage of whom?

“Know what?!” The old matriarch was irritated and tugged on her ear. “I’m told that recently, because you cannot eat crabs, that son-in-law of mine has forbidden the whole household from eating them? But what about your widowed sister-in-law and her niece? She has resolved to keep her chastity and does not go out, and her meals must not be neglected. If word gets out, people will say you two are mistreating the widowed sister!”

Minglan covered her ear and silently cursed Nanny Cui for yet again playing the role of informant. She said pitifully: “Granddaughter is not so unreasonable. I had several baskets of green-shell crabs sent over already — each one as big as your rosewood fish tablet!”

“Amitabha! You wicked-mouthed little wretch — comparing a meat creature to a sacred vessel! Aren’t you afraid the Buddha will strike you down?!”

Minglan had been about to say “it is the Thunder God and the Lightning Goddess who manage striking people down — the Buddha has other jurisdiction — the deities each have their own departments” — but her earlobe was being pinched so painfully she could only bow her head and recite a string of Buddhist entreaties for forgiveness instead.

The old matriarch released her and let out a long breath: “People talk and tongues wag — you must be careful at all times. Give no one anything to use against you.” And then she launched into a further string of daily reminders and instructions that had Minglan nodding so rapidly she nearly resembled a woodpecker.

The farewell party talked on and on without stopping. Changbai had to urge them twice before the female family members and children finally made their way, one by one, into the carriages. Behind followed the baggage and the accompanying servants — more than a dozen vehicles in all. Watching the old matriarch’s smiling face as she boarded the carriage before her departure, Minglan understood: her grandmother was glad. A whole lifetime confined beneath a roof and cramped by walls — now, open sky and boundless horizon stretched before her, free and unrestrained. How could she not rejoice?

Watching grandmother, mother, elder brother, and the rest of the party leave and disappear into the distance, the Sheng household felt suddenly half-emptied. Sheng Hong could not help but sink into fresh melancholy (as he had before with Wang Shi’s departure). Changfeng, seeing their father’s sighs, proposed that the brothers and sisters all dine together. Hualan immediately agreed, clapping her hands with a smile: “The gentlemen have official duties — but if Father does not mind being stuck with only his daughters, we are happy to keep Father company over a few cups of wine!”

Minglan laughed: “That sounds wonderful. I may not drink, but I am glad to keep the company. In a few days, Fifth Brother-in-law will have to set out, and Fifth Sister will be busy seeing to his preparations and packing. Who knows when we’ll all gather for wine again? Why not today, while we have the chance?”

Rulan hurriedly waved: “Wine — fine, even if it ended with me carried home drunk, that would be all right — just please, no poetry recitation or anything of that nature!”

Sheng Hong could not suppress a smile, and stroked his beard with a hearty laugh: “Very well, very well.”

Liu Shi smiled and went downstairs to see to the arrangements.

She first had the servants set a long, ornately carved phoenix-head table at the head of the side hall, with four small square tables arranged on either side, then brought out food containers, soup tureens, and meal boxes in various numbers. The flower arrangement on each table was different in pattern, the tableware at the head seat the largest, the rest proportionally smaller.

One of the stewardess women who saw this smiled: “Second Young Mistress is setting out a divided-serving banquet — the lily-of-the-valley table arrangement.”

Liu Shi just smiled. She was not like Changfeng — one who cared only for a carefree and happy atmosphere. She reasoned: though these were father and siblings, flesh and blood, still, at a table where wine was to be served, better to avoid the passing of cups back and forth between men and women. Indeed, when Sheng Hong entered and saw the bright and spacious hall, his children arranged neatly on either side — both dignified and festive — he was greatly pleased and said to Changfeng: “Your wife is a capable woman — do not cause trouble for her.”

When these words were relayed by the attending servants, Liu Shi heard them in her room and only smiled. She had the maidservants dismiss the messenger with a handful of copper coins. Her own wet nurse was beside herself with delight: “All that effort from Second Young Mistress was not wasted — and you haven’t even had a proper meal yet today!”

Liu Shi leaned wearily against the kang: “What can one do? If my husband had even half of Elder Brother’s abilities and could manage everything smoothly and properly, I’d be as content as Elder Sister-in-law to stay in the background, and I’d have no need to wear myself out like this.”

The wet nurse sighed: “The gentleman is good in his way — only he is a bit childlike, and doesn’t understand how difficult it is to manage a household.”

Liu Shi picked up the rice bowl from the side table and listlessly stirred the grains: “Take this time, for example — Elder Brother has such remarkable ability and commanding presence. Even the old Wang Madam and our own Master, who are elders no less, were managed by him completely. You’ll see — in the future, whatever Grandmother leaves behind in silver, antiques, shops, and estate lands will all go to Elder Brother’s household.” She stirred again. “And if that is so — the year-round income will also follow.”

The wet nurse hesitated, ladle in hand as she scooped soup: “…Grandmother would not be so partial… would she?”

“If I were her, I would be partial too.” Liu Shi smiled bitterly. “She is not even a blood relation, Elder Brother was at least raised under her roof for a time and has the advantage of being the eldest legitimate grandson — and on top of everything, he was peerlessly filial in this crisis. Why would she not give everything to him? And then there is Elder Sister-in-law’s dowry on top of that, and Elder Brother’s own household… no matter how much Mother and Father give me, how can I compare?”

“Second Young Mistress, have some soup first — it is the finest angelica root and pigeon, slow-simmered.” The wet nurse placed the soup bowl in Liu Shi’s hands and could not refrain from sighing: “Ah well. Being concubine-born — there is no way to compare with the eldest legitimate son. At least the Master does seem fonder of your husband.”

Liu Shi took a few shallow sips and set it down. “That is all one can say. A lack of coin defeats even a hero. One can only hope that when Master sees Elder Brother thriving and our own household struggling, he may give us a little more in the end… but then, there is still Dong Ge’er to consider.”

The wet nurse had nothing comforting to offer. After a long pause, she said: “I see that the eldest young master and the eldest young mistress are both magnanimous and generous. They surely would not treat the younger half-brother harshly.”

Liu Shi gave a light, quiet laugh and set her chopsticks down in the bowl: “Speaking truthfully — of all the young mistresses in this family, none of them are truly petty or small-spirited… with the sole exception of my own full-blood little sister-in-law!” She sighed again. “Nor am I greedy. What is not mine, I do not covet in the slightest. If Heaven has pity on me for the difficulty of my marriage, let my husband apply himself and progress in his studies — let us earn our own footing in the world.”

The wet nurse smiled as well: “Yes, yes, that is the right way of thinking. Our Master always used to say — those grand and imposing noble households are mostly riddled with corruption and petty strife inside; any young mistress who enters only suffers for nothing and cannot even complain. The Sheng household has clean family values, simple rules, and children who are mostly well-mannered and capable. Being a daughter-in-law here is actually quite comfortable. Still…” her face sobered slightly as she lowered her voice, “…Second Young Master has no head for scheming. You must be on your guard. I have noticed lately that Wan’er the maid seems to be… carrying something. And Second Young Mistress currently has only the one daughter. Ought we not to…”

Liu Shi did not change expression, and said lightly: “I am already aware. There is no need for us to do anything… This time, let those restless ones see for themselves — just because there’s an extra bit of flesh in her belly, does she think she can rise to the top of the sky?”

The wet nurse, seeing she already had a plan, set her mind at ease and was just about to urge her to eat more, when a maidservant came rushing in from outside, fell to her knees, and reported breathlessly: “Second Young Mistress… just now a message came from the gatekeeper — someone from Sixth Young Mistress’s household brought word… saying… the Marquis sent people to urgently inform Sixth Young Mistress and the Master that the father-in-law of Fourth Young Mistress, he… he is gone…”

Even sharp-witted Liu Shi was momentarily tangled by the knot of “young mistress” and “son-in-law” terms, and she had to think for a moment before saying: “Would that be the Yongchang Marquis’s household — the Liang family’s father-in-law?”

The small maidservant looked somewhat dazed, blinked, then nodded quickly.

Liu Shi was stunned. She murmured: “So Fourth Sister-in-law truly does have ‘something happening at home’ after all…”

Author’s Note

Note 1: The divided-serving banquet — you have certainly seen this before, similar to the scene in Dream of the Red Chamber when Granny Liu enters the Grand View Garden: Grandmother Jia sits at the head, with a row of girls seated on either side, each at her own small square table with fine, delicate tableware in lacquered boxes. Viewed from above, the arrangement resembles lily-of-the-valley blossoms, which is also why it is called the lily-of-the-valley table.

Note 2: Ancient banquet table arrangements came in many varieties — there was even one called the pear blossom banquet, also quite beautiful, though unfortunately no detailed account of it has been found.