That same afternoon, the already-married Sheng Yun and the elder cousin Shulan also returned to their maternal home to pay their respects to Sheng Lao. Li Shi hurriedly instructed the maids to summon the two girls who were playing in Lan’s room. Lan’s elder sister had married early, her eldest brother had taken a wife early, and her second brother Changwu had gone to the capital, leaving her with no companions on ordinary days. With no one to play with, she had painstakingly devoted herself to mastering the nine-ring puzzle. Minglan had never practiced such a thing, and being outmatched, she gracefully conceded defeat. Lan was pleased with herself, and while directing her maid to straighten her skirt and hair ornaments, she chattered on at length about the tricks to solving the nine-ring puzzle.
Danju lifted a magnificent hairpin from the mother-of-pearl jewelry box — a golden-thread-and-pearl pin in the form of a phoenix holding a red gemstone in its beak. Minglan gritted her teeth and accepted it, feeling as though her neck had shortened by an inch. Nearby, a senior maid was urgently trying to pin an ornate jeweled butterfly-and-flower hairpin onto Lan’s head. Lan stiffened her face and shoved it away, crying out: “I’m not wearing that thing! Last time I wore it for half a morning, my neck ached for days!”
The maid coaxed her patiently: “My dear young miss, please wear it nicely. If it were only your aunt and the eldest young miss coming, I wouldn’t press you — but Young Miss Hui and the others are coming too. Look, even Young Miss Ming has hers on, and hers looks even heavier than ours.”
Lan looked up at Minglan’s large, trembling pearl hairpin, felt somewhat consoled, and then pouted as she allowed it to be put on.
They walked slowly toward the main rooms, turning along the covered corridor. A maid stood guard at the doorway and lifted the curtain, announcing: “Second Young Miss and Young Miss Ming have arrived.” Minglan followed Lan across the threshold. Seated in the center were Sheng Lao and the Great Madam. Da Li Shi sat on a low stool, while the other Madam stood about attending to the tea and refreshments, everyone smiling and conversing with several richly dressed women.
A woman in her forties was pressed right up against Sheng Lao, whispering jokes in her ear. Her complexion was slightly dark, yet her eyes were so lively and animated that they seemed entirely unsuited to her age. Catching sight of an unfamiliar girl beside Lan, she immediately rose and pulled Minglan close, scrutinizing her from head to toe. The girl’s skin was as smooth as congealed snow, her gaze clear and limpid, and a pair of dimples — tiny as grains of rice — hovered at the corners of her rosy lips. The woman’s eyes lit up at once, and she turned to laugh: “Auntie, this must be my niece Minglan! Oh my goodness, what a little face — lovelier than anyone in a painting! They say a niece takes after her aunt, and sure enough, she’s the very image of me!”
The Great Madam pointed at her and laughed: “You shameless thing — are you complimenting Minglan, or flattering yourself? Even if you were reincarnated ten more times, you’d never land such a face!” The woman actually stamped her feet in mock indignation: “Mother! I’m bringing honor to you! I look like you, so when I praise myself, I’m including you in the praise! And here you are, undercutting me!”
The Great Madam shook her head helplessly. Sheng Lao was amused as well, and nodded: “Yun, you’re certainly a filial child!” The entire room burst into laughter, and even the maids covered their mouths and laughed quietly.
The Great Madam pointed the woman out to Minglan: “This is your Aunt Yun.” She then pointed to a sharp-browed, narrow-eyed woman seated on a low stool below: “This is your uncle’s wife.” Then she pointed to a young woman and a girl standing nearby with her head bowed: “This is your elder cousin Shulan, and this is your cousin Huilan from the other branch.”
Minglan immediately curtsied and bowed in greeting, addressing each of them in turn. Everyone in the room saw that her courtesy was precise and proper — from shoulder to waist to knee, each posture was graceful and fluid — and after watching the Great Madam draw her close for a few words, they all found her composed, well-mannered, respectful, and warm. Everyone was quite fond of her.
Sheng Yun, being the most forthright of the group, pulled Minglan close and began chatting, asking what she liked to eat and whether she had settled in comfortably, while at the same time producing from her breast a heavy, large red embroidered drawstring pouch and pressing it into Minglan’s hands: “My Minglan is such a beauty — later Auntie will send over a few bolts of the finest Yun brocade and Japanese satin for you to have clothes made!”
Lan, being naturally generous, bore no resentment toward Minglan for being well-liked. She only feigned annoyance: “Auntie, your heart is so partial! Now that you’ve found a younger cousin more lovely than me, you’ve forgotten all about me.” Sheng Yun firmly pressed her finger against Lan’s forehead and laughed scoldingly: “You ungrateful little thing — haven’t you taken enough from your aunt over all these years!”
While the others chatted merrily in the room, the sharp-eyed woman sat alone with no one paying her attention, quietly sipping her tea. She suddenly cut in: “Cousin Lan, you ought to be content. Though you’re both nieces, your cousin Huilan here hasn’t received even half of what you’ve gotten.”
Minglan kept her head low and stole a glance at Huilan, whose face was flushed as she sat silently looking down. Minglan then looked over at the sharp-eyed woman — her clothes appeared presentable at first glance, but on closer inspection, the edges and sleeves showed signs of wear and mended patches.
Sheng Yun paid the woman no mind, and simply brushed past with a light remark: “Auntie has done great kindness for our siblings, and naturally my niece Minglan is no ordinary case.” Left hanging, the woman turned and shot Huilan a fierce glare, directing her venom obliquely: “You useless child — if you had even half of your cousin Minglan’s gift for making people fond of her, you’d have received your aunt’s large and small gifts by now! After calling her aunt for over a decade, you haven’t gotten so much as half a tael of silver!”
Sheng Yun immediately retorted: “Now I don’t understand what the wife of the eldest branch is saying — are you suggesting that when children in your household call me aunt, they’re calculating what possessions of mine they can scheme for?”
The woman raised her eyebrows and said shrilly: “Oh, heaven forbid! It’s just that word outside is that the first and second branches of the Sheng Family have mountains of gold and silver piled up like sea walls, yet they stand by and watch their own brothers and uncles fall so low they’d have to beg — not lifting a finger to help. Meanwhile, they give out porridge and rice every day to strangers and earn themselves the reputation of great philanthropists. Apparently it’s all just for show!”
Lan, hearing someone insult her father, immediately called out loudly: “My father just sent over several cartloads of firewood and grain to your family just the other day! And the silver — that comes every month without fail! Is that ‘just for show’ too?”
Da Li Shi said in a low but firm voice: “Lan — that is enough! Step back at once!”
The room fell into a sudden charged silence.
Minglan stifled her astonishment, keeping her head bowed to hide the shock on her face. In the past, her sisters had bickered with one another, and Wang Shi and Lin Yiniang had traded overt and covert jabs — but she had never witnessed open-faced confrontation quite like this. She stole a glance around the room and saw that everyone, including Sheng Lao, wore expressions of composure as though nothing unusual had occurred.
The Great Madam let out a grunt: “Wife of the eldest branch, did you come today to pay your respects to your second aunt, or to provoke a quarrel? To shout and carry on like this before your elders — aren’t you afraid the younger generation will laugh at you?”
The woman’s face went crimson. She sat down without a word and furiously gulped her tea and ate the refreshments.
Minglan turned and saw that Lan looked utterly triumphant, shooting provocative glances at Huilan. Shulan, for her part, appeared genuinely pained, and drew Huilan away to speak with her privately, relieving the awkward tension in the room.
Just then, a maid came in and announced: “The maternal aunt of the Li Family has arrived.”
The Great Madam said eagerly: “Quick, invite her in.” The maid lifted the curtain, and in walked a woman whose head was covered in pearls and jade ornaments, with plump, well-nourished skin. Upon seeing the Great Madam and Sheng Lao, she bowed respectfully and said with a smile: “I have come to impose on you. Please don’t hold it against me, Elder — it’s just that I’ve often heard my young sister-in-law speak of your second aunt’s warm and kind nature, so today I’ve come shamelessly to pay my respects.”
Sheng Lao smiled: “You are too modest, Maternal Aunt — we are all family here. What do you mean, ‘two separate households’? As one gets older, one enjoys a bit of bustle. I’m very glad you came… Minglan, come and greet your aunt.”
Minglan stepped forward and curtseyed, hesitating over how to address her. The aunt quickly said: “Just call me Maternal Aunt, the same as Lan does.” Minglan glanced up at Sheng Lao, saw her give a slight nod of approval, and obediently called out: “Greetings, Maternal Aunt.”
The maternal aunt, Zhu Shi, narrowed her eyes into a smile: “What a charming and lovely girl — Elder, you are so fortunate!” As she spoke, she took a lotus-colored drawstring pouch from the maid at her side and pressed it into Minglan’s hands. Minglan looked down and saw that the pouch was adorned with gleaming pearl embroidery and set with precious stones — its brilliance was dazzling, and even without considering its contents, the pouch itself was worth a considerable sum.
Everyone sat down to converse. Zhu Shi, the maternal aunt, made no effort to acknowledge the sharp-eyed woman and spoke only with Sheng Lao and the others — ranging from Jinling to the capital, from matters of the inner quarters to those of their daughters. Minglan had never underestimated the idle talk and pleasantries exchanged among women of the inner chambers. Listening carefully, she gathered that in earlier years, Elder Li had made his fortune alongside Sheng Lao’s late husband. At first he had not prospered as greatly as the Sheng Family, but his son had been raised well — keeping his original wife rather than bringing in new blood from outside — and through generations of diligent management, the family’s fortunes had flourished, making them one of the foremost households in Youyang County.
The sharp-eyed woman attempted several times to interject but could not get a word in. In a pause in conversation, the Great Madam suddenly turned to Sheng Yun: “Where is Taisheng? Did he not come with you today?” Sheng Yun replied with a smile: “Changwu rarely returns from the capital, so that foolish son of mine can’t stop chatting with him. Oh — Maternal Aunt, did you come alone today?” Zhu Shi smiled: “Yu and Du are here — both waiting outside.”
The Great Madam said warmly: “They are all our own family. Bring them in.”
She called for the maids to summon them, and the curtain was lifted. In walked a group of boys of similar ages, who knelt and bowed in greeting to Sheng Lao. The Great Madam pointed first at a boy in the lead — smiling eyes, rosy lips, and fine white teeth: “This is the second son of the maternal aunt’s family, Young Yu.” She then pointed to a boy on the left who appeared bashful and shy: “This is the Li Family’s son, Young Du.” Finally, she indicated a boy with a slightly dark complexion, solid and sturdy in build: “And this is the young son of our Yun — Taisheng.”
The three boys each had their own distinct charm, and the room instantly brimmed with vitality. All the others already knew one another, so Minglan was the only one who had to step forward and greet each of them in turn, following Lan’s lead and calling them all “Cousin.”
Zhu Shi smiled and said to Minglan: “You also have an eldest cousin, who is away on a buying trip right now. His wife is a good person — you must come visit our home sometime.”
Sheng Lao praised: “Maternal Aunt, you are so fortunate — your sons are all so dignified and refined, truly fine young men of excellent character.” The aunt laughed: “These two troublemakers are a handful — Elder, you flatter them too much.”
Sheng Lao drew the two Li boys close and asked them carefully about their studies. Upon learning that the elder had already passed the provincial examination and become a licentiate, and that the younger had already earned a stipendiary scholar position, she was even more delighted: “Wonderful, wonderful — diligence and dedication are truly the right path.” Zhu Shi smiled: “They can hardly be considered remarkable — I’ve heard that Elder’s eldest grandson at home, regardless of whether it was licentiate, provincial graduate, or metropolitan graduate, passed all on his first attempt and has now been appointed as a court academician serving in the Hanlin Academy. Now that is a truly exceptional destiny.”
Sheng Lao turned and gave the Great Madam a look: “It must be this elder sister-in-law going around spreading word everywhere — one mustn’t spoil the children with too much praise.” The Great Madam laughed: “When there’s someone to brag about, naturally one brags. Later, when these two boys go up to the capital to sit the examinations, you’ll just have to take care of them a little.”
Sheng Lao said: “That goes without saying — the nephew of Wei’s wife is as good as our own family’s child. Maternal Aunt, when the boys go up to the capital, they must stay with us. There are already two younger ones at home preparing for the examinations — it’ll be good company.”
Zhu Shi had been waiting for exactly these words, and laughed warmly: “Then truly, many thanks to you, Elder! Yu, Du — go and kowtow to express your gratitude.”
Li Yu and Li Du immediately knelt down again, and the maternal aunt gave thanks again and again.
Lan leaned close to Minglan’s ear and whispered: “It’s only a matter of staying at their own relatives’ home — why carry on with such elaborate thanks?”
Minglan smiled wryly. This young girl truly dared to say anything. She only answered: “Our family has many books.”
The truth was that succeeding at the imperial examinations required far more than simply burying one’s head in study. There were considerable matters to attend to before and after: first, one needed to know the literary tastes, political leanings, and even calligraphic preferences of the chief and deputy examiners; then there was the current direction of court politics — certain forbidden topics and factional disputes had to be avoided entirely. And finally, one had to cultivate friendships and seek out teachers, establishing a reputation among the circle of upright scholars.
Although examination papers were submitted anonymously, the truth was that those who rose to become chief examiners could generally identify candidates they knew well from the style of the prose and the handwriting. This was not a means of outright cheating, but as long as the work was not greatly inferior, it could earn a somewhat more favorable assessment. With the help and introductions of an official family like the Shengs, Li Yu and Li Du would be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Minglan’s private opinion was this: a candidate who did not wish to pass was no good candidate — but an examination hall free of connections was the only truly fair one.
At this moment, Lan went over to chat with Hu Taisheng, their laughter growing a bit too loud. Sheng Yun turned to look and frowned slightly, then nestled up beside Sheng Lao and said with a smile: “My Taisheng is not cut out for scholarly pursuits — I hope Auntie won’t look down on him.”
Sheng Lao seemed to be genuinely fond of this spirited niece, and laughed scoldingly: “You little monkey — how many times did I try to teach you to read and write when you were small? You fished for three days and dried your nets for two, couldn’t even recite the Three Character Classic in full, and you have the nerve to say anything? Taisheng takes entirely after you! Taisheng, come here.” She took Taisheng’s hand and smiled: “Good boy — every walk of life has its own path to success. I’ve often heard your uncle praise you, saying you are diligent, honest, and wholehearted in all you do, managing the family’s affairs with great competence. Hearing that has brought me no small joy on behalf of your mother!”
Hu Taisheng only smiled his honest, guileless smile. Lan pressed over and laughed: “Cousin, my younger sister Minglan is new here — surely you brought something nice for her?”
Taisheng replied honestly: “Western pastries from across the sea, for the young ladies to try something new.”
Unwilling to be left out and having endured long enough, the sharp-eyed woman finally spoke: “In this generation, I haven’t even tasted Western pastries — I hear they’re sweet and fragrant. Bring some back for your uncle to try too; nephew, don’t let people think you look down on your uncle’s family!” Huilan also smiled: “Listen to what Mother is saying — Cousin Taisheng is the most generous of people; how could he treat us differently or look down on our family?” Huilan’s tone was warm and intimate, and her large, watery eyes drifted toward Taisheng. Taisheng’s face went crimson to the ears, and he stood with his head bowed, refusing to utter a word no matter what.
Everyone else in the room politely pretended not to notice. Only Lan was seething, ready to charge forward — Minglan let out a quiet sigh. She had thought to grab Lan’s sleeve, but quickly assessed the balance of strength between herself and this cousin, and decided to change her strategy.
Minglan made a light, nimble pivot and, without any visible fuss, stepped in front of Lan. She hadn’t thought of an excuse yet, but the moment was already upon her, so she said something she imagined to be quite clever: “Cousin Lan, won’t you explain to me again how to solve that nine-ring puzzle? It’s been hanging in my mind all this time, like something scratching at me — I can’t stand it.”
Lan was indeed stopped in her tracks. She turned in surprise: “But I went through it with you step by step just a little while ago — how is it you’ve already forgotten?” Her voice was a bit too loud, and several of the boys nearby looked over. Li Du, in particular, the youngest of them, wore an expression that clearly read, “She is terribly dim.” Minglan’s face burned with embarrassment, and she cursed him thoroughly in her heart.
Li Yu gave a light laugh, then smiled and looked at Minglan: “A puzzle as intricate as the nine-ring can only be mastered on the first try by someone as clever as our young miss here — someone as dull as the rest of us would naturally need it explained several more times.” Hu Taisheng, being the most straightforward, chimed in earnestly: “Yes, yes — I never get it right either.”
Lan was thoroughly gratified upon hearing this: “Cousin is absolutely right.” She turned to Minglan and patiently went through the tricks to solving the nine-ring puzzle once more.
Minglan felt a quiet pang of melancholy inwardly: “Intricate” my foot! But at least the goal had been accomplished.
Minglan listened with a smile, nodding along steadily. As she idly glanced upward, her gaze fell on Sheng Lao sitting at the head of the room. She was talking and smiling with the other women, and Minglan stared for a moment, struck by a strange sense of familiarity in her grandmother’s smile… Ah — that was it. When she was small, and her maternal grandmother had coaxed her to get her ears pierced using a hard-boiled egg as an offering, she had worn exactly this same smile.