With these two arrangements settled, Shi Keng spent his days in the outer courtyard taking physical training classes from the Tujia brothers, while Xiaotao continued to eat and drink well in the inner courtyard. The girls of Jiaxi Residence, having received her many small tributes and knowing Xiaotao was generally amiable and might have great prospects ahead, gradually let their earlier teasing and jokes fade away, and began speaking well of young Master Shi on her behalf.

After receiving two rounds of honey-glazed ham, Xiaotao’s slow-to-warm heart was finally moved by her stomach’s gratitude. She resolved to offer her thanks, and since she had no skill with writing, she sewed two sturdy, neatly stitched purses and sent them over.

One kept sending gifts; the other kept offering thanks. The gestures gradually shifted to purely verbal expressions of gratitude. Back and forth, the two went from exchanging fewer than five words at each meeting to gradually discussing life’s ambitions, the stars and moon, and the fish they had once gutted together in years past.

Without needing any gossip-bearer to relay things, Xiaotao honestly told Minglan everything about each of their encounters. Shi Keng had traveled widely since childhood, following his elder brother and sister-in-law north and south, and had accumulated considerable knowledge. When he spoke of local customs, regional quirks, and amusing stories from different places, his words were plain and unpolished, yet the richness of the content earned Xiaotao’s deep admiration. And whenever Xiaotao admired someone, she had only one way of expressing it — she would open her mouth and praise them lavishly.

Thus, while Minglan was pleased that the two were behaving with proper decorum and not crossing any boundaries, she could not help but feel a little sour — after all, for the past decade or so, Xiaotao had only ever praised her alone, saying things like “So clever, so knowledgeable, so impressive!”

Minglan suddenly had a strong urge to pick a quarrel with young Master Shi.

One morning, she went over the household inventory ledger with Cuiwei. Over that winter, the household had taken in a good number of fur and hide goods. With so few members in the family — never mind the adults — even the two growing girls had each had two purple lambskin padded jackets made, plus a large fur-trimmed hood each. Generous portions had also been given as New Year’s gifts to several branches of relatives, yet a considerable amount still remained.

With spring approaching, Minglan worried that the stored goods might spoil, so she discussed how to store them properly. Ten large camphor wood chests, each about half a person’s height, had been newly built. The plan was to air the furs on a dry and mildly sunny day before cataloguing and storing them carefully.

They were kept busy for half the morning, and it was not until lunch that they finished. Looking at those solid camphor chests that required two people to carry, Minglan could not help but click her tongue softly. She thought, no wonder those old matriarchs of ancient families had such staggering personal fortunes — always giving rewards to the younger generations at every turn. At this rate, by the time she herself grew old, she would probably have accumulated quite a treasure trove of her own stashed away.

Cuiwei noticed Minglan’s slight frown and misread its cause, so she smiled and offered comfort: “Madam need not worry about the goods spoiling. The household is small now, but once Madam has given birth to a few more young masters and little misses, there will be children all over the courtyard. When they grow up, I daresay there won’t even be enough to go around.”

Minglan smiled faintly and said nothing to contradict her, simply telling her to go about her duties. She lay down on the warm kang for her afternoon nap, and after waking and freshening up a little, she called for the wet nurse to bring little Tuange over so she could practice speaking with him.

Tuan Ge’er was dressed in a short padded jacket of bright red with silver-grey squirrel fur trim, embroidered all over in gold thread with a pattern of wealth, longevity, and continuous vines. On his feet he wore a pair of round-toed tiger-head shoes. Led in by his wet nurse, his plump white cheeks still bore the crease marks of his bedding from sleep. The moment he caught sight of Minglan, he let go of the wet nurse’s hand and tottered his way toward her, and without waiting to be lifted, used both hands and feet to clamber up onto the kang with huffing little grunts.

The wet nurse smiled broadly: “The young master walks more steadily than ever. If he hadn’t just woken from his nap today, he normally refuses to let anyone hold his hand.” Ever since Minglan had become pregnant, she had very astutely taken to calling Tuan Ge’er “the young master.”

Minglan said, “Now that I’m so heavy with child, I’ll be relying on you to take extra care of him. When Tuan Ge’er grows up, he certainly won’t forget to be good to you.”

The wet nurse dropped to her knees with a thud and said in a stream: “Being able to serve Madam and the young master is a blessing I’ve earned through several lifetimes of good deeds. With a household as fine as this, there are more than enough people eager to serve the young master — there’s no room for the likes of me to take credit.” Ever since Tuan Ge’er had been weaned, one of the two wet nurses sent by Sheng Lao had already been released. She herself had been careful and patient every single day in her care, and had finally earned the approval of the Marquis Gu’s wife, allowing her to remain in the Marquis’s household.

Minglan smiled and sent her away to have some refreshments and rest, then occupied herself teaching Tuan Ge’er words and games.

Tuan Ge’er had been sturdy and healthy from birth — he ate well, slept well, and walked with a firm, stomping step. The only trouble was that his speech came out crooked every which way.

When Minglan pointed to Shao Shi and told him to call her “Elder Aunt,” little Tuange said “Lame Sheep.” When she pointed to Hualan and told him to call her “Auntie,” he said “Clothing.” When both Rong Jie’er and Xian Jie’er spent a long time trying to teach him to say “Elder Sister,” he could only manage “Borrow money.”

— You’re the one borrowing money! Your whole family borrows money!

After being thoroughly exasperated, she realized she had gotten sucked in too. Minglan resolved that day to properly correct little Tuange’s pronunciation. After playing with him on the kang for a while, she had Xiaotao bring over a low little stool, made Tuan Ge’er sit up straight and proper, and began the lesson.

She pointed to the round table nearby and enunciated clearly: “Table.”

Little Tuange, in his soft baby voice: “…Pig.”

Minglan suppressed the twitching vein at her temple and drew out her instruction: “Now say — home.”

Little Tuange, sweetly and innocently: “— Blind —”

Minglan flew into a rage. “Blockhead!”

Little Tuange giggled, and with astonishing pronunciation: “Dung — head.”

Minglan was at a complete loss for words. One moment she suspected the little one was deliberately messing with her; the next she was blaming Gu Tingye and his useless genes with their overdeveloped limbs and underdeveloped brains. Just then Nanny Cui came in carrying a stew pot, and seeing mother and son locked in a big-eyes-versus-small-eyes standoff, she laughed: “Madam, why rush? Since he can already speak, there’s no need to worry. Besides, as the old folks say, children who are slow to speak end up speaking all the more fluently when they grow up.”

Minglan had her doubts, but she dutifully lifted a spoon and began eating. Nanny Cui affectionately picked up little Tuange and fed him egg-and-milk custard spoonful by spoonful. Seeing his mother eating with such enthusiasm, Tuange stopped squirming and opened his mouth obediently.

Just as the two of them finished eating and wiped their mouths and rinsed, a visitor was announced from outside — Xiao Shen Shi had come to call.

Minglan quickly climbed down from the kang and put on her shoes, steadied a pearl hairpin that was sliding sideways from her chignon, and had Xia He straighten her clothes. She looked herself over in the mirror, then walked to the outer room to receive the guest. In a short while, Xiao Shen Shi came in smiling, accompanied by a young maidservant and an older female attendant.

Minglan murmured a greeting of “what a rare guest,” one hand cradling her swollen belly and the other pulling Xiao Shen Shi over to sit in the side room. “I was beginning to think you’d decided to hide away for the rest of your life! People outside all say that since you became a mother, you’ve suddenly turned into a model of virtue — not setting foot out the inner gate, not stepping beyond the outer gate.” As she spoke, she studied her guest — Xiao Shen Shi had lost some of her colour, though her complexion was still reasonably good; she lacked the postpartum plumpness of a woman who had recently given birth and was in fact a size slimmer than before.

Xiao Shen Shi laughed in embarrassment and sighed: “I used to be afraid of nothing. Now I know I’m just faint-hearted. These past months — partly I’ve been looking after my daughter, and partly… well, I won’t pretend with you, I’m afraid of people asking all manner of questions. My sister-in-law kept urging me to take a broader view of things. I thought — it’s fine to avoid others, but you’re someone I’m truly at ease with, and it wouldn’t do to cut off our friendship too.”

She had suffered considerably from complications after the birth and had kept to a full double month of confinement. In the months since, she had ventured out only once, to burn incense and fulfil a vow at a temple. She had entirely lost the lively, gossip-loving, cheerfully wandering spirit of her former self.

Minglan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, but smiled and went over to look at the bundle the older attendant was cradling. The baby girl within was delicately small, with fine brows and large eyes — the very image of Xiao Shen Shi herself, as if pressed from the same mould — though her constitution seemed a little fragile, her cry as faint as a tiny kitten’s mew. Luzhi had already brought over a tray, on which a red silk cloth covered a child’s amulet lock of pure gold.

“I had this ready for your little girl long ago. I thought, if you truly made up your mind to be a tortoise hiding in its shell, I’d just wait until after I gave birth and then come charging over to your door myself.” Minglan laughed and told Luzhi to hand the tray to the attendant.

“Pfft, you’re the tortoise.” Xiao Shen Shi scolded her playfully, picking up the small gold bracelet and little gold ankle ring to examine them. Then she noticed the gold amulet lock — it was exquisitely crafted, fashioned entirely in the shape of a half-opened lotus bud, lifelike in its detail. On the front was engraved a large, rounded character for Fortune, and on the back four small characters reading “Peace Throughout the Years,” with several slender lotus-bead pendants hanging below.

“What a novel design — I’ve never seen anything like it.” Xiao Shen Shi turned it over in her hands admiringly.

Minglan smiled: “I figured your household has so many elders that you must already have plenty of the usual auspicious cloud-pattern locks. So I sketched my own design and had the goldsmith make it. It needn’t be worn for any formal occasion — treat it as something pretty to play with.”

Xiao Shen Shi understood perfectly well that the gift Minglan had originally prepared was something else entirely, and that she had specially commissioned this charming piece knowing of the difficulty Xiao Shen Shi would face in having more children — as a gesture to lift her spirits. Grateful from the bottom of her heart, her voice caught: “My dear younger sister — how thoughtful of you to keep me in mind. I… I…”

Afraid she would start crying, Minglan quickly called for Nanny Cui to bring Tuan Ge’er out from the inner room, and pointed to Xiao Shen Shi, telling him to call her “Auntie.” Little Tuange called out loudly “Rope!” — fortunately the sounds were close enough that no one seemed to notice.

Xiao Shen Shi took one look at Tuan Ge’er — so round and plump, rosy-cheeked and robust — and was charmed beyond measure. She gathered him into her arms and refused to let go, covering him with kisses: “Half a year gone, and I can’t believe how big he’s grown.” She remembered Tuan Ge’er’s birthday and added: “I haven’t brought anything suitable today — when you turn two in a couple of weeks, Auntie will make sure to prepare something really special for you.”

After some warm, playful conversation, Xiao Shen Shi dismissed her maidservant and attendant. Minglan also had Nanny Cui take Tuan Ge’er away, but left the baby girl sleeping on the warm kang. Xiao Shen Shi, who had no wish to let her daughter out of her sight, took off her shoes and climbed onto the kang with Minglan, gently patting her daughter to keep her settled as she chatted and laughed: “I hear my sister-in-law recently earned herself a pair of matchmaking shoes from your Sheng Family.”

Minglan paused for a moment before realizing that the “sister-in-law” Xiao Shen Shi referred to was not Zheng Da Furen, but Zhang Shi. She found this mildly curious, but smiled as usual: “Last month my grandmother wrote back saying the match was well made and she had no objections. A few days ago my sister-in-law from my family’s side went to make the formal proposal — they said they’d first get engaged, then marry in a couple of years.”

Xiao Shen Shi made appreciative sounds and smiled: “Your grandmother is a decisive person and generous with her hand — I heard she sent back a pair of jadeite bracelets as the betrothal gift. My sister-in-law said that even she rarely sees jadeite of such quality — flawless and translucent throughout, the water clarity, the colour… simply extraordinary. It doesn’t seem like jadeite from the Central Plains at all — a truly rare and precious find.”

Minglan understood that her grandmother, worried that Sheng Changdong’s betrothal gifts might appear too modest — since he was a concubine-born son, unlike Sheng Changbai or Sheng Changfeng, one of whom had the Wang family dowry and the other the Lin family’s wealth — feared that without something truly valuable among the gifts, the bride’s family might look down on him.

She smiled and explained: “Those were part of Grandmother’s dowry. I’m told they originally came from the treasury of the Xiao kingdom’s royal palace — captured by Old Duke Xu during his campaign in the southern Dian region, and later bestowed by the Martial Emperor upon the Marquis Yongyi’s household. The Dian border being sealed now, you won’t find goods of this calibre on the open market.”

“So they have quite a history!” Xiao Shen Shi listened with rapt attention and patted her knee: “You don’t know this, but my Shen Uncle and his wife were simply speechless when they saw them. My sister-in-law says the old couple are now discussing adding more to the dowry.”

The Shen family were new money — land and silver they had in abundance — what they lacked was precisely this kind of treasured piece with history and provenance.

“Please, please don’t do that — Grandmother can’t return to the capital these past few years, so this is just a small token of welcome for a new granddaughter-in-law. We don’t want it to look as if my family is pressuring them over the dowry. Go back and pass the word — an appropriate dowry is quite enough.” Afraid of causing awkwardness later, Minglan waved her hands hastily.

Xiao Shen Shi had come partly to sound things out on someone’s behalf. Hearing Minglan’s words, she was reassured and smiled, steering the conversation toward amusing stories about the Shen family’s dowry preparations.

Minglan listened for a long while. Hearing Xiao Shen Shi say “my sister-in-law says this” and “my sister-in-law says that” over and over again, she finally could not resist probing: “You and your sister-in-law — the two of you — are things… better between you now?”

Xiao Shen Shi gave a faint, rueful smile and shook her head: “When I think about how things were before — there was never any real grudge between us, so why did it come to that. She’s had her own share of hardship.” She sighed, then lowered her voice: “Now that I’ve tasted suffering myself, I know better.”

Minglan rubbed her rounded belly, feeling sorrowful on her behalf. “And what does your elder sister-in-law say about all this?”

Xiao Shen Shi gazed with tender affection at her sleeping daughter, her voice tinged with bitterness: “My sister-in-law consoles me — she tells me not to be afraid, that ours is a household with proper rules, and that even if a concubine bears a son, he cannot take precedence over me.” As she said this, a single tear fell; she quickly wiped it away and forced a smile: “I’m making a fool of myself in front of you. It’s not as though I’m the petty, jealous sort — when did I ever prevent my husband from having women in his quarters?”

She sniffed and straightened her back with a lift of her chin: “My elder sister is the Empress of this dynasty, and my elder brother is a general commanding the troops — which fox-spirit or vixen would dare trample on my face? The only thing I fear is…” Her nose prickled with emotion and her voice broke: “If I were gone one day, this child would have no maternal uncles to stand behind her — what would become of her? My sister-in-law’s sons are fine young men, but they are still a separate branch — they are cousins at most.”

A mother’s heart was always like this. When the Empress and the National Uncle were eventually gone, those cousins and half-cousins would each have their own lives and families to manage — how many would still look out for her daughter? Minglan put herself in her shoes and sighed, not knowing how to offer any comfort. She could only sit quietly by her side.

After a moment, Xiao Shen Shi composed herself and smiled awkwardly: “Forgive me for making a spectacle of myself. I’ve been prone to brooding lately. But truly, there’s no need to rush into a panic — for one thing, my husband is far away in Longxi overseeing grain transport right now; and besides… my father-in-law is really not well, and my mother-in-law has taken ill along with him. My sister-in-law is running herself ragged — looking after the in-laws while managing the whole household — how could I only think of my own affairs? I ought to help shoulder some of the burden.” Once the father-in-law passed, a military officer might be permitted to remain on duty without observing full mourning, but taking concubines or fathering children was entirely out of the question.

Minglan had long known that General Zheng’s illness was serious, so she was not surprised. She offered earnest comfort: “All the more reason to take good care of yourself. The carriage will find its path when it reaches the mountain. Perhaps that boy will turn out to be decent and grateful, and will honour his official mother and cherish his official elder sister. Or perhaps your daughter will be blessed with great fortune, just like you — stumbling headlong into a sweet family of good people, with a devoted husband and a kind mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. Children and grandchildren have their own destinies — why torment yourself worrying yourself to death so early?”

Xiao Shen Shi broke into a tearful laugh: “If it truly turns out that way, I’d be willing to go up to Fahua Temple every day to kowtow.” She laughed for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. She studied Minglan’s expression and hesitated: “There is something… I’m not sure whether I should tell you.”

Minglan rolled her eyes and scolded her with a smile: “Nonsense! You’ve always been the sort who says things whether you should or shouldn’t.”

Xiao Shen Shi considered for a moment and then slowly said: “You know that our Zheng main family — Zhongjing Marquis’s household — is connected to the Han family by marriage. A few days ago the old Marquis and his wife came to see my father-in-law, and several of the cousins’ wives came too. The senior Madam had a long, hushed conversation with my sister-in-law, and afterward my sister-in-law told me…” She hesitated visibly. “She said that the Grand Princess Qingchang has recently set out to find a second wife for her son.”

Minglan was taken aback. “A second wife? Surely not just taking in a concubine?” If a son were simply taking a concubine into his household, would a Princess really need to personally involve herself?

“Not an ordinary concubine — there would be proper documentation.” Xiao Shen Shi shook her head. “Apparently the young woman is a government tutor’s daughter. Somehow the Princess took a liking to her and arranged for her to become her son’s secondary wife.”

Minglan was so shocked she could not speak. For a mother-in-law to openly appear and personally arrange to receive a second wife — was that not a slap in the face to the official wife? She could not help but ask with puzzlement: “Does Tingcan… not please her husband?”

Xiao Shen Shi shook her head and lowered her voice: “From what I’ve heard, it’s that your younger sister-in-law has quite a temper — one wrong word and she gives her husband a look. If the son-in-law exchanged even a few more words than usual with a serving girl, she would fall ill for days, crying like a weeping beauty and chasing her husband out of her room. At first the son-in-law would still try to soothe her, but he is a man who intends to study and advance in life — how could he spend every day keeping his wife company reciting poetry, always yielding and playing the submissive one?”

Minglan listened and inwardly thought with bitter amusement — you’d need someone as senseless as Gu Yankai to indulge a woman like Da Qin Shi, and even then it would only work if he was willingly besotted.

Grand Princess Qingchang had endured it for two years and finally ran out of patience. Unwilling to let some nameless maidservant produce a grandchild, she had sought out a scholar’s daughter to become her son’s second wife.

“You and your Madam…” Xiao Shen Shi struggled for the right words, “the two of you… you’re not quite on good terms. My sister-in-law sent me to let you know, so you’d have an idea of what’s going on.”

Ever since the fire on the day Minglan gave birth to Tuan Ge’er, all manner of half-veiled rumours had circulated through the capital without cease. And now that the two households had separated and barely exchanged any visits, the acquaintances and relatives of both sides had all sorts of ideas forming in their heads.

After seeing Xiao Shen Shi off, Minglan sat frowning in thought for a moment, then quickly reached a settled conclusion in her mind. Her mood composed itself at once. Supported by Xia He, she walked slowly to the inner room and found Tuan Ge’er already sprawled out like a starfish, fast asleep.

Nanny Cui rose to help Minglan sit down when she came in, and heard her murmuring something like “Shen Family Elder Sister is really good to me — to think she came all this way to inform me…”

Nanny Cui had Xia He go and bring hot tea, then crouched down to help Minglan out of her shoes and remove her outer clothes, letting mother and son lie head to head on the kang. On Nanny Cui’s usually stern face, a rarely seen teasing smile appeared: “The Zheng family’s two ladies have been so kind to Madam — can Madam truly not see the purpose behind it?” She had been in the adjoining room the whole time and had caught a good seven or eight parts of the conversation.

Minglan turned to look at her in surprise: “A purpose? What other purpose could there be?”

Nanny Cui sat at the edge of Minglan’s couch, affectionately smoothing the loose strands of hair from her face: “My dear girl, you are clever beyond measure in all things — how can you not read this? That lady talked on and on about how dearly she loves her daughter, about fearing the child will have no one to depend on in the future… when you put it all together, isn’t the solution obvious? You find a family of good character that you know well and can trust. From the way I see it, the Senior Madam Zheng probably knows about this too.”

And with that, she let her gaze drift to Minglan, and then settle on Tuan Ge’er on the kang, with a meaningful half-smile.

Minglan’s mouth fell open. She looked down at her sleeping little Tuange, then looked up: “…Surely not…?” Even as she said the words, the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and she felt a creeping chill run through her.

“Tuan Ge’er will eventually inherit the peerage — his wife ought to be someone capable.” It wasn’t that she had any objection to Xiao Shen Shi’s daughter — it was just… she couldn’t quite put it into words. If it were the Senior Madam Zheng’s own daughter, she would have given her nod immediately.

Hmm? Since when had her way of thinking started to resemble Lady Wang from Dream of the Red Chamber?

Nanny Cui saw Minglan’s worried expression and was secretly amused: “It needn’t necessarily be Tuan Ge’er. I don’t think Xiao Shen Shi would necessarily want her daughter to be the wife of the eldest son and heir; and besides, didn’t she ask just now about Madam’s pregnancy and due date?”

Minglan reflexively covered her belly with both hands, startled and uncertain: “…Even if this one is also a boy, he’d be younger than her little girl.”

Nanny Cui smiled: “A difference of half a year or a year is nothing much — and being the second daughter-in-law is a far easier position than being the first.”

Minglan was dumbstruck.

She had never dreamed that with one child not yet two years old and the next not yet even born, she was already being expected to consider prospective daughters-in-law.

Nanny Cui burst out laughing and patted Minglan to comfort her: “Madam need not be anxious. I don’t think Xiao Shen Shi has necessarily set her heart on becoming Madam’s in-law. How the boys will turn out when they grow up — their characters, whether they’ll be promising — nobody knows yet. A mother considering such things would want to wait and see.”

Minglan felt as though she were wandering through a dream in a fog; it was quite some time before she came back to her senses: “…In that case, her sudden rapprochement with the Marchioness Weibi — it wasn’t only because she’d had a change of heart, was it? There must be that consideration in it too.”

Zhang Shi’s son was half a year older than Xiao Shen Shi’s daughter — not only was the age match more suitable, they were also cousins on the maternal side. And Zhang Shi herself was upright and straightforward by nature — she would not make life difficult for a daughter-in-law.

Nanny Cui laughed aloud: “How clever Madam is!”

Hearing those words, Minglan was suddenly overwhelmed with a melancholy she could not explain.

To think that ever since Xiaotao had started her little romance, it had been so very long since anyone had praised her — perhaps that was why she had grown so dull.