In the days that followed, Hualan came to find Minglan once more. Between the two sisters, an unspoken understanding had already been reached on the matter.

If every brother and sister were sailing smoothly while Molan’s household alone suffered hardship and misery, they could hardly just stand by and watch — that would only invite its own trouble. For all these reasons, it was best that Molan and her husband not separate out at all, but continue to live under the Marquis of Yong Chang’s household as they always had.

Hualan had arranged things with Liu Shi: all the small and tedious matters would be handled by the two of them in person, but Minglan at least needed to make an appearance — to lend a certain weight to proceedings.

On the appointed day, Madam Liang sent an invitation, saying the women of the Liang clan and the in-laws were gathering for tea to discuss the family division. Hualan felt the occasion was suitable — women of the inner household speaking among themselves could keep things from turning into an open, face-tearing confrontation, while still making the Sheng family’s position clear. So she brought Minglan along with her.

On the carriage ride there, Hualan and Liu Shi were seated as sisters-in-law together, and Minglan asked about the Liang family’s recent situation. “I find it strange — Old Marquis Liang has only just finished his forty-nine days of mourning. How has the First Young Madam of the Liang family already been openly demanding a family division?”

In the old days, dividing a family was not a particularly dignified affair. Unless it was at the parents’ initiative and under the management of elders, it generally attracted talk.

Liu Shi sighed — she was the one least able to escape this situation, having been repeatedly entrusted by her father-in-law and husband to run back and forth on their behalf. She said, “Sixth Sister, you are an honest soul and could never have imagined those cutting, petty stratagems. After Old Marquis Liang passed, the first branch couple began to stir. Later, when the Liang family’s eldest son went to Xuanda, they quieted down for a while. But once the edict confirming the hereditary title came through, First Young Madam kicked up a fuss again — and worse than ever.”

Hualan let out a cold laugh. “The scheme is not hard to guess. She must have been eyeing the title and thought to build up some credit beforehand, hoping to compete for it. Now that she sees there is no hope, she is looking to divide the property.”

Liu Shi said wearily, “I think that is exactly it. First Young Madam would never come straight out and say she wants to divide the family — instead she stirs up trouble every single day, finding fault at every turn. Today she accuses Second Young Madam of withholding her share of household goods; tomorrow she claims Madam Liang shows favoritism and the whole household bullies her. If things don’t go her way, she breaks into sobbing and wailing. Or she calls in relatives to come and argue her grievances and plead her case, threatening at every turn that she ‘cannot go on living like this.’ Even Fourth Sister was scolded once, accused of making things difficult for First Young Madam’s female cousin — someone called Yiniang Chunhe or something like that.”

Hualan was tired of hearing it. “Can’t Madam Liang just turn a blind eye? What is the point of squabbling with a petty person like this?”

Minglan shook her head. “Madam Liang has too much pride. She would never accept being treated this way.”

“Then she ought to show some of a mother-in-law’s authority! Don’t let people walk all over her as though she were soft clay!” Hualan slapped the side of the carriage wall. It was padded with thick silk brocade and cotton batting, so there was no sound at all.

Liu Shi said, “Elder Sister doesn’t know all of it. These past several years, the Liang family’s eldest son has been doing well in his official career, and everyone has been looking at him with new eyes. After the current Emperor ascended, Old Marquis Liang even received a rebuke — yet somehow the eldest son managed it, we don’t know through which channel, and won the favor of Commander-General Fan of Xuanda, continuing to rise steadily through the ranks. People outside all say it was actually the eldest son’s achievements that allowed Old Marquis Liang to be reinstated to his post. Worldly people follow whichever way the wind blows, and in this affair of dividing the family, quite a few in the Liang household have sided with First Young Madam. Madam Liang was all but driven to her death with fury!”

Hearing this, both sisters fell silent with a sigh. Minglan said, not without a measure of sorrow, “When all is said and done, what matters is having a capable heir of one’s own.”

Hualan thought of herself. Her brow furrowed deeply and she murmured under her breath, “Raising a tiger invites disaster.” Small wonder that stepmothers in this world were always guarding against concubine-born sons — some even deliberately rearing them to be failures. There was a reason for it, and the scene before them was a prime example. Minglan gave her a sidelong glance and said gently, “Cases like the Liang family’s are hardly common anywhere. Elder Sister, please don’t take it to heart.”

Whether Hualan took it in or not, she only nodded.

When they arrived at the Liang residence, all the assembled figures were already gathered in the side hall by the rockery garden. The ladies’ clothing was resplendent with jewels and ornaments — Minglan counted quickly, and there were at least ten of them. After Madam Liang introduced everyone, Minglan learned that two of the women were Madam Liang’s own relatives, two were the mother and elder sister-in-law of Second Young Madam’s family, four were female relatives of the Liang clan, and the remaining ones were all from First Young Madam’s maternal family. The concubine-branch Young Madam sat alone off to one side with her head bowed. The guests from Fourth Young Madam Molan’s maternal family had just arrived.

“You are not in a convenient state to be traveling. There was no need for you to come.” Madam Liang said apologetically.

Minglan carried her belly and smiled gently. “It is no inconvenience — these months are quite steady, actually. You have matters to attend to, Madam — of course we younger ones ought to come and look in on you.”

After the exchanges of greetings, everyone found their seats.

First Young Madam was around twenty-some years old, small and slight, of middling good looks. She cast a wary glance at Minglan and the others, then opened her handkerchief and picked up the topic where it had been left off — a tearful indictment of how difficult life was under Madam Liang’s hand.

“…Just wanting to eat a quail’s egg — is that something precious and rare? And yet the servants gave vague answers, and those less polite ones would even mutter behind my back that I was making a fuss. If it were the younger sister-in-law making the request, I expect they’d be out catching quails through the night!” She dabbed at her tears as she spoke. “A little girl only four or five years old — what does she know? And now that her grandfather is gone, how can her father compete with the second and fourth uncles…”

This woman had a technique for making grievances. She was meticulous to the point of exhaustion — even the tiniest things could be blown up into vast accusations. Tea served cold, soup served late, a single word, a single glance — all could be traced back to matters of dignity and face.

And she had several women seated beside her who chimed in in turn — one sighing that life was difficult for a senior concubine-born daughter-in-law, another singing Madam Liang’s praises, saying Madam Liang was surely so principled and broad-minded that she would certainly understand First Young Madam’s grievances and hardships.

When Madam Liang’s face went iron-gray and she declared, “Are you saying I am being unjust?” First Young Madam would sob back, “Five fingers are not all the same length, and the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born stands — how could Mother ever be wrong?” — and since Madam Liang could not very well say “I treat my concubine-born grandchildren better than my legitimate ones,” she had no choice but to swallow the insult and choke on it.

First Young Madam wept and talked, repeating herself endlessly. Although her face was covered in tears, her words had a clear thread of logic — she was not simply making an unreasonable scene. Minglan sat listening with amusement, privately marveling: this was the first time she had ever encountered such a masterful performer.

For instance: if you straightforwardly accuse someone — say, “Wukong, why do you only get along well with Second Brother and always make me do all the work?” — the other person can at least offer some defense. “That greedy and lazy pig has nothing on you, Sha Wujing, so steady and reliable — a perfect peach-blossom branch pressing down on the sea.” Even if it convinces no one, it’s at least something to say.

But this First Young Madam refused to follow the conventional playbook. She ran entirely on what might be called pure consciousness — saying only: “You all harbor hidden resentment toward me, your eyes show contempt, your manner carries disgust… don’t bother denying it. None of us here are blind — we can all see it perfectly well.”

Faced with an opponent like this, short of flushing red and screaming an obscenity, what rebuttal was even possible? No wonder even Molan had been bested by her. Minglan suddenly understood — truly, the most remarkable talents were found outside the great houses.

Second Young Madam was gentle and dignified by nature — she had never once talked back to a senior. The concubine-branch Young Madam shrank into herself and said nothing. Molan had tried several times to speak up, but intimidated by Madam Liang’s imposing presence, she did not dare make a scene and could only sit stewing with suppressed fury.

First Young Madam wept and complained for the duration of two full cups of tea before finally steering the matter to the point, indicating that “you have all wounded the feelings of the people of the first branch, have sought to overturn our peaceful life, and things cannot continue this way.”

Madam Liang had long since been simmering. She replied coldly, “If you want to divide the family, say so — do you think I would stop you?!”

But First Young Madam didn’t take the opening. She continued weeping and lamented on and on about “large trees branching off, division of a family is no bad thing, the affection between brothers cannot be severed, even if everyone lives separately, we still visit often, and it remains the same closeness” — going round and round about how she intended to support and assist the two younger brothers.

Madam Liang trembled with anger. “If you want to leave, leave by yourself — why must you drag in Third and Fourth along with you? I already said no, and you still won’t let it rest?!”

Second Young Madam quickly went to support her mother-in-law, saying continuously, “Mother, please calm yourself. Elder Sister-in-law is only talking to herself — both the uncles and their wives have already said they do not wish to separate out.”

Third Young Madam and Molan also hurriedly rose to their feet, both saying together, “We are willing to remain and serve Mother.”

First Young Madam immediately stopped crying. Her slender brows arched upward sharply. “If there is to be a family division, naturally all of them divide out together — what logic is there in leaving two behind while one leaves? Better to settle everything now and save the trouble of more back-and-forth later.”

Minglan took several turns sorting it out in her mind before she fully grasped it — not only did the Liang family’s first branch want to divide off, but they wanted the two younger brothers divided out as well?! She turned her head, and saw that Hualan was looking back at her — both women’s eyes flickered with puzzlement.

Second Young Madam’s elder sister-in-law spoke up, composed but direct. “First Young Madam wishes to divide the family — but the two younger ones are unwilling. There is no need to force them against their will. Everyone may manage their own affairs.” She came from a distinguished southern Zhejiang family, with fathers, grandfathers, and brothers having served as officials for generations — whether in her husband’s family or her own, the family culture had always been one of modest self-reflection and refinement. She had never in her life seen anyone so shameless.

First Young Madam’s expression went through several shifts before she composed herself and said with a forced smile, “Dear kinswoman, your words are off the mark. If the several brothers do not all divide out, and only we leave alone, does that not make us appear unfilial?”

Minglan could hold back no longer. She laughed and said, “First Young Madam is certainly thorough in her thinking. But if the others clearly do not wish to divide, why should they go through a family division for your sake?”

First Young Madam smiled back without warmth. “The Liang name cannot be written with two different strokes. Can it be that Mother and the various uncles would have the heart to watch the eldest branch pointed at and gossiped about by outsiders?”

Minglan said playfully, “And yet just now, First Young Madam was going on and on about mother-in-law and sisters-in-law treating her so openly and without shame. Given that, how much worse can ‘being pointed at’? “

This was not a taunt — it was a matter of logic.

First Young Madam was immediately stumped. A light ripple of quiet laughter moved through the room. Madam Liang, whose brow had been tightly knotted, smoothed out like snow beginning to thaw, and a faint smile crossed her face. Second Young Madam turned to look at Liu Shi with grateful eyes. The concubine-branch Young Madam also stole a glance up at Minglan. Molan’s expression was complex — she watched the room for a moment, then stared blankly out the window.

Minglan added one more line. “Moreover, whether one is filial or not — everyone has eyes. Old Marquis is not yet forty-nine days dead, and there are those already making noise about dividing the family. Well, well.”

First Young Madam ground her teeth, knowing this argument had weight. If it weren’t for her concern about her reputation, she would have made an even bigger scene long ago.

Hualan, seeing how things stood, raised her voice and said with a smile, “Then isn’t this resolved? Madam Liang has spoken — whoever wants to manage their own household may separate out. Those who don’t wish to divide the family may remain. Brothers are close, but each walks his own path. Everyone parts on good terms.”

After a pause, she let the smile fade and said coldly, “No one here is afraid of a scene — it’s only a matter of keeping one’s dignity and hoping the household stays at peace. I advise First Young Madam to be wise and know when to stop.”

Second Young Madam found her spine. She straightened her back and said, politely and with composure, “Elder Sister-in-law, Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle have no intention of dividing off. As for you — do as you please.” Since her husband had inherited the title, she had taken no shortage of cuts from her eldest sister-in-law.

First Young Madam sat with a stony expression and said nothing. One of the women beside her spoke up with a laugh, trying to smooth things over — “We are all family, tempers ran a little high, things got a bit twisted — in truth, First Young Madam had no other intentions; it is only that the children are growing up and of course they need to branch off eventually.” She joked her way through a round of patching things up, then said, “…Now if there were to be a family division, how does Madam plan to divide things?”

Madam Liang answered without hesitation: “The ancestral sacrifice fields are not to be touched. The permanently deeded lands are not to be touched. Fifth daughter has not yet married — leave her a dowry. Whatever remains is to be divided into four equal shares, one for each household.”

First Young Madam leapt up again, her voice rising sharply. “That won’t do! The row of shop fronts on Huaixi Street, the two silver exchange shops, and the two estates bought four years ago — Father long ago said those were set aside for us. How can those be counted as part of the common property?”

“If they were already set aside for you four years ago, why did Old Marquis never hand them over to you?” Madam Liang asked.

First Young Madam bit down hard on her lip, her fingers twisting her handkerchief continuously.

Madam Liang fixed her with a steady gaze and said, word by word, “In times of flourishing splendor, it was hard to see what you were truly made of — and Old Marquis liked you too. But when something went wrong, you two, as eldest son and daughter-in-law, refused to shoulder the slightest burden. Let the household flood, let the parents and siblings face difficulty — as long as you were alright, nothing else mattered. Old Marquis came to understand this about you, and so he reclaimed those assets and told me to divide them equally.”

First Young Madam’s face stiffened and went white. After a moment, she suddenly slumped against her own knees and burst into loud, heaving sobs. “The family has four brothers and only eldest brother throws himself into battle, bleeding and fighting his way through — what choice did he have? The concubine-born have no decent starting position and can only claw their way up through blood and fire! He has brought glory to the family name, given face to his father and brothers, and has amassed great wealth besides. Yet he is barely past his twenty-some years, and there is not a part of him that is whole!” She wept with deep sorrow, stomping her feet and beating her chest. “Second Brother has a good life — reading books and appreciating flowers, at leisure all day. He has his ancestors’ title to inherit without lifting a finger. Third Brother and Fourth Brother sit at home in comfort, with their eldest brother at the front shielding them — no one dares look down on them…”

Madam Liang heard this and erupted with rage. “Say what you like, but all that amounts to is this: you are afraid the other brothers will take advantage of your husband. Rest easy — even if we hit rock bottom, we still have a few relatives to rely on. We shall not be reduced to begging at your door!”

At the word “relatives,” First Young Madam’s heart lurched. True, all that remained of the Liang family besides her husband was a bunch of decorative pieces — fine to look at but useless. Yet Madam Liang and both of her sisters-in-law were each backed by formidable in-laws.

In a quick turn of thought, she had barely raised her eyes when she saw Minglan watching her with a serene smile. She immediately drew in her neck.

The noblewoman seated behind Madam Liang let out a sharp sniff. “Hmm. Apparently the Liang family’s eldest was born of Heaven and Earth, raised without his mother and father, and arrived in the world already bearing all his fine qualities — a true military star descended from above, needing no upbringing or guidance!”

First Young Madam pressed her lips shut and lowered her eyes, which flickered with resentment.

At this point, Minglan had already grown quite bored of the spectacle.

An able elder brother who refuses to be dragged down by less capable younger brothers, wanting to be self-sufficient — that is not difficult to understand. The Liang first branch, leveraging the fact that a concubine-born son was stronger than the legitimate heirs, had planned this family division. Counting on the old Marquis’s recent death, the haughty dowager’s pride, and some support from relatives and friends, the plan had carried reasonably good odds of success. But they had forgotten one thing — even a leaking boat still has three thousand catties of iron nails.

No matter how useless the brothers, no matter how arrogant the mother, the aristocratic family’s connections were still not to be underestimated. On Madam Liang’s side alone, and behind Second Young Madam, stood a Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, a Vice Minister of the Board of Revenue, and two illustrious families that had produced powerful ministers for generations — and that was without even counting the Sheng, Gu, and Yuan households.

No matter how capable the eldest son of the Liang family, he could not afford to make enemies of all those at once.

The child within must have sensed Minglan’s boredom, for it gave two firm kicks. Minglan was caught off guard and let out a soft “oh,” frowning and pressing her hand to her belly. Madam Liang noticed and said with concern, “Is something the matter?”

Minglan slowly rubbed her belly and smiled. “It is nothing — I must have been sitting too long.”

Madam Liang knew it was not suitable to let Minglan leave immediately, so she turned to Molan and said, “The room in the rear is fairly quiet — go accompany your younger sister. Let her rest a while, and then we can continue.”

Molan complied gently, lowering her head and reaching out to support Minglan. Xiaotao was quick and discreet — she smoothly stepped forward from the side and blocked Molan’s hand, supporting Minglan herself, and smiled cheerfully, “Fourth Young Lady, please lead the way.”

Molan glanced at the mistress and maid, then walked ahead with measured steps. Minglan and Xiaotao followed. Just as they were leaving the side hall, Minglan still caught the measured, calm voice of Second Young Madam’s mother, aged but steady and assured — “If you want to divide the family, simply say so. There is no need to speak of the mother-in-law being unkind. That only makes you look small. Your father-in-law’s estate, even divided into one portion, is still a very comfortable life. As younger members of the family, one should take the long view — it is always best to leave a margin of grace in all things…”

Minglan nodded inwardly as she listened. That speech managed to both counsel and threaten — truly formidable.

Winding past a large painted glass screen of purple sandalwood carved with peonies and auspicious ruyi patterns, turning two corners, they arrived at a spacious and elegantly furnished side room. A padded daybed stood against the wall, and by the window there was a table with chairs. In the center stood a grand round table in the shape of a ruyi.

Xiaotao helped Minglan sit back against the soft daybed, then bent down to remove her shoes and lifted both legs onto the couch, murmuring, “They are swollen again.” Then she began to gently knead them. Minglan let out a sound of relief — the aching, swollen calves were inexpressibly comfortable to have rubbed.

Molan sat across from Minglan. She watched the Liang household maids bring in hot tea and refreshments, then waved them all out. The slotted lattice of the side-opening charcoal brazier flickered as air currents moved through it, and from the hall up ahead the sounds of argument drifted faintly back.

She gave a cool glance at Xiaotao, who showed no signs of leaving. Then she looked at Minglan, and Minglan looked back at her. The room was so quiet a falling pin could be heard.

The two of them were simply too familiar with each other. Molan feigning meek helplessness was useless; Minglan playing simple and good-natured was equally pointless.

They had fought each other, quarreled, gone head to head, plotted against one another, and arrived at the present moment — even if they didn’t know exactly what was in each other’s hearts, at least they knew the shape and color of those hearts.

Molan gave a light, cool laugh. “Brother-in-law has left again. You must be feeling lonely, Sixth Sister. I can only hope he returns safely.”

Minglan paid no attention to this and said placidly, “I heard that after Old Marquis passed, Madam Liang took matters in hand herself and dismissed quite a few of the girls from Elder Sister’s quarters.”

Molan’s expression darkened, but she couldn’t help defending herself. “My husband must observe three years of mourning. It would only be a waste to keep those girls waiting.”

“—I see.” Minglan smiled.

Seeing her younger sister’s expression, Molan felt all the more annoyed and resentful. Her mother-in-law was unhappy with her — there had been hints, both overt and covert. Whenever the Gu family came up, she would invariably praise “the Marquis Gu’s wife is truly the sort to prosper the husband and benefit the family — a truly fortunate and blessed woman.”

“You all…” Molan bit her lip. “Do you think I am useless and incompetent?”

Minglan smiled serenely. “As to children, future prospects, and the affection between husband and wife — Elder Sister can compare for herself against Elder Sister Hualan, Fifth Sister, and me.”

Molan’s eyes filled with hatred. She rose and stepped a few paces toward Minglan. Xiaotao jumped up at once, positioning herself in front of the daybed, and called out loudly, “Fourth Young Lady, if you come one more step toward our young lady, this servant will not stand on ceremony!”

She had been sturdy from childhood, and in the past few years had also learned some basics of combat from Gu Quan and the others. Taking down a woman of the inner household was no challenge for her.

Molan glared. “How dare you?!”

Xiaotao stared straight back. “Fourth Young Lady, that year when you picked up a broken porcelain shard and tried to slash our young lady’s face — this servant still remembers it. Nanny Fang said that if there is ever a next time, just go ahead and take care of Fourth Young Lady’s face. No need to hold back!”

Molan stumbled back a step in her fury. Knowing that Xiaotao was straightforward and unyielding and meant every word she said, and taking one look at that sturdy, nimble frame, she had no choice but to sit back down and smack the armrest in rage. Under her breath she muttered, “I’ve had bad luck since I was a child — and today I have to be laughed at by you.”

Minglan propped herself up slightly on the daybed and said, with an air of mild surprise, “All her life, whenever things have gone wrong, Elder Sister has blamed Heaven and others. She has blamed Father for not favoring her enough; blamed Grandmother for showing partiality; blamed her sisters for getting in her way. This habit — even now you haven’t changed it. This marriage was something you schemed and worked for yourself. There is no one left to blame, so you lay it on luck. Has Elder Sister ever considered that perhaps all of this is your own doing?”

Molan slapped the small table in a burst of rage, the veins on her forehead visibly standing out, and shouted, “What have I done wrong?! Was I supposed to just sit there and watch you all climb to lofty branches while I waited helplessly to perish?”

Minglan didn’t stir at all. She said quietly, “From the moment Lin Yiniang began teaching Elder Sister not to ‘wait helplessly to perish,’ you were already making mistakes.”

“You—!” Molan was beside herself.

Minglan said calmly, “I can see, from Elder Sister’s behavior even now, some traces of what Lin Yiniang must have taught. Nothing more than competing for favor, keeping concubines and servants in line, getting a firm grip on one’s husband, taking away affection, stirring up trouble, flattering people…”

She gave a quiet, short laugh. “To speak plainly — it is no wonder Madam Liang is displeased with Elder Sister. Lin Yiniang’s position — and Elder Sister’s position — were not the same. She was a fine legitimate wife, yet she went and conducted herself with the ways of a concubine. And she thought she could secure her footing with those underhanded tricks.”

Molan’s fingers pressed white against the edge of the table. She said hoarsely, “Don’t speak of my Yiniang. She has suffered enough.”

Thinking of her recent visit to the estate to see her birth mother — the Lin Yiniang who had once been beautiful and delicate was now a rough-tempered, coarsened old woman. She could not hold back her tears.

“Besides her, who was there to teach me? If I didn’t listen to her, trust her — what else could I have done?”

Minglan looked at her and shook her head. “Nanny Kong, Grandmother, and even Father — he always spoke to us girls with instruction. But Elder Sister never took any of it in. Your bad luck? What about Elder Sister Hualan, then. Has Madam Liang ever schemed against your dowry? Has she ever placed women in your rooms? Has she ever mistreated or belittled your children? Ah — I had forgotten. Fourth Sister has not yet given birth.”

Molan was filled with resentment and resignation. She felt herself sinking into gray despair. Part of her wanted to claw open Minglan’s face; but her body seemed rooted in place, unable to move — she could only stare at Minglan with poisonous eyes.

“Elder Brother-in-law once said that Fourth Sister’s husband is no wastrel. He is young and fond of pleasure, his heart is soft, easy to incite — but he is not rotten at the core. Keep a firm eye on him, encourage him, and he will amount to something.” Minglan recalled Hualan’s words and said softly, “Even if he had once shown favor to Yiniang Chun, if Elder Sister had spoken to him with reason and gently guided him to apply himself — Madam Liang would have been overjoyed and given Elder Sister full backing. Your husband could hardly have refused to listen.

“But Elder Sister refused to take the straightforward path. Instead, she went down crooked alleys. To compete for his affection against a concubine’s maid, she kept filling the room with pretty new attendants, trying to split his attention further, until the whole household reeked of smoke and discord. And after these years, Elder Brother-in-law has fought hard to build up a dowry many times over for Elder Sister Hualan — but what about Fourth Sister’s husband? In all the years since he married you, there has been not the slightest advancement in his career! I ask Elder Sister — if I were a mother watching a son who once had potential for improvement being lured by his wife into neglecting all ambition, indulging himself among women day after day, could I possibly look favorably on that daughter-in-law?!”

Minglan paused for breath, and said slowly and deeply, “In urging a husband to diligent effort, Liu Shi is the textbook example.”

Clap. Clap. Clap. The sound of slow, deliberate applause.

Molan clapped with a cold laugh and said loudly, “Well said, very well said. How fitting that you’ve become the mistress of a great household — you speak with such impeccable clarity and logic. You make this worthless elder sister so ashamed she would like to dash her head against the wall and be reborn to try again in another life! Now that Younger Sister has risen high and prospers, don’t just sit there mocking — how about pulling your poor Elder Sister up a little while you’re at it?!”

Gazing at that twisted, agitated face, Minglan was quiet for a good while, then said suddenly, “Fifth Sister followed her husband to his posting far away. You have never asked, Elder Sister — do you know where they went?”

Molan made a contemptuous sound through her nose. “Who cares what obscure little backwater post that pinprick of a minor official holds!”

“…It is Quanzhou,” Minglan said softly. “The place where Father once took us to live. Fifth Sister’s husband had the ability to secure the position himself — Father did no more than give him a final push at the end.”

After saying this, Minglan let out a long breath and said only, “I have rested enough. I will go up front to take my leave. Elder Sister need not see me out — we part here.”

She stepped down from the daybed and put on her shoes.

Walking out the door, with Xiaotao holding her arm tightly, Xiaotao grumbled, “Young Lady, you are really too kind-hearted. Fourth Young Lady doesn’t deserve it! Your good words and good intentions — she only takes them as mockery!”

Minglan ruffled Xiaotao’s fringe and smiled. “Silly girl, sometimes we must do what we ‘should’ do — not merely what we ‘need’ to do.” Consider it a good turn done for Madam Liang’s sake — she had treated Minglan well enough.

Molan still sat in her chair, as though drained of all strength, her mind a blank.

Quanzhou — what a wonderful place that was.

The air was moist and warm, water pools glimmered everywhere, reflecting a shallow, clear blue sky. Among the fragrance of rice and fish and the gentle current of rivers, the young voices of children drifted in song. And from across the sea, Western goods had been shipped in on foreign vessels…

Those were the most beautiful days of her life.

Back then, she was her father’s most beloved daughter, and her birth mother Lin Shi carried herself with such dignity and grace. When they went out calling or received visitors, every woman who met her exclaimed how pretty she was, how clever — with the poise and bearing of a legitimate child, if not more so.

Quanzhou, Quanzhou, Yan Jing, Father’s arrangements… all of that should have been hers.

In that moment, her heart felt hollowed out and lost.