Nearly two months away from home — and Minglan suddenly felt her eyes prick with warmth. Only then did she realize: at some point, without her even noticing, this family had become her own. Sheng Hong had grown a short beard beneath his chin, trimmed in a short-long-short pattern — apparently the most fashionable style of official beard in the capital at present. Wang Shi had been so worn out by the preparations for Changbai’s wedding that her lips had broken out in a string of sores that even powder could not conceal.

“If you hadn’t come back when you did, Grandmother, I would have thrown myself in the river — there’s so much going on inside and outside!” Wang Shi supported Grandmother Sheng’s arm with a warmth never before displayed.

This time, Hai Furen’s father had sought a posting away from the capital, and fearing it would be difficult to send his daughter off in marriage from such a distance in the future, it had been decided to hold the wedding before the year’s end. Wang Shi was simultaneously settling the entire newly arrived household and managing the wedding preparations, and was nearly dizzy with the effort.

Hai Furen’s father, though now retired, had served as Imperial Tutor to two successive emperors and still commanded great prestige among the scholarly class. The Hai family was marrying off a daughter, and nearly every leading figure of the northern literary world was expected to attend. Their wives might not all be noblewomen, but every last one of them could quote classical poetry with ease.

“Your household is truly a temple of elegant refinement — just look at this copy of Lin Anzhi’s ‘Lady Playing the Lute’ — so exquisitely conceived, the spirit captured through the form, entirely in the tradition of Gu Kaizhi at his finest.” A certain Hanlin academician’s wife offered this embroidered critique of the painting on the wall.

“The painting itself is superb, but the inscription is slightly heavy in tone — it rather weighs down what should be an airy quality. Were it executed in the style of Master Tanwei, it would fully realize the union of Gu and Lu. Madam Sheng — would you not agree?” The wife of a certain scholar added her contribution, and then both women turned to look at Wang Shi.

Wang Shi: =_=… She laughed a few hollow laughs and quickly changed the subject.

Could someone please tell her what in the world they had just been talking about?

The person responsible for dragging Wang Shi into all of this, Changbai, remained exactly as he always was. He pulled Minglan over and measured her height against himself, then said without expression: “Two inches short by six fen.” — Are you measuring cloth?

Changfeng had failed the Autumn Imperial Examination again. But in the capital he had made a few friends who shared his love of poetry, and had recently acquired the flattering nickname “The Distinguished Maple.” Even in the dead of winter he was waving a fan and seeing no reason to be embarrassed about it. Changdong had changed the most — he had shot up like a fresh new sprout, growing considerably taller all at once. “Sixth Elder Sister, I’ve kept watch over all your things — not even the corners of the trunks have been scraped,” Changdong said quickly.

“Changdong is so capable — come by my room later and pick something up. I’ve set something aside for Xiang Yiniang,” Minglan leaned over and whispered in his ear.

Nine-year-old Changdong’s cheeks went pink with a combination of pleasure and embarrassment: “Elder Sister shouldn’t have gone to the expense — Yiniang says it’s not necessary, Grandmother already sends the monthly allowance.” Minglan lowered her voice and murmured: “It’s fine fabric from Aunt — you’re growing fast, and she can make you two smart-looking outfits. It’ll be fitting for the capital. A proper appearance matters here.”

Changdong felt a warmth in his chest and lowered his head in quiet thanks.

Minglan understood perfectly well that if they relied solely on the monthly household allowance, Molan and Changson would not be dressing nearly as well as they did. Everyone in the house knew it — but Sheng Hong was the kind of lord of the household who never paid attention to such details.

“Sixth Younger Sister — I’m so glad you’re finally back. If you’d been any later, I couldn’t have guaranteed the safety of your trunks.” Rulan was constitutionally incapable of opening her mouth without a barb, which promptly stopped Molan cold. Minglan quickly slung her arm over Rulan’s shoulder, grinning cheerfully: “With Fifth Elder Sister here, even if things did go missing, I’d know exactly where to look! And I brought you several bottles of osmanthus oil this time!”

Rulan’s eyes lit up: “Is it the Canxiang variety?”

“Of course.” Minglan smiled until her brows curved into crescents, quite adorably, and said softly: “The osmanthus of Canxiang isn’t as fine as that from Xiyun Mountain, but it’s an imperial-grade tribute product. The annual supply is strictly rationed. Aunt had to pull some strings with the official workshop to get any — and I refused to keep a single bottle for myself. Every last one is for Elder Sister’s hair!”

Rulan was delighted, and pulled Minglan close by the waist: “Then I’ll take it with thanks — I was just running low. Good little Sister, how thoughtful of you to remember me.” She had always had dry, sparse, yellowish hair — years of care had only marginally improved it — and Minglan’s gift was exactly what she needed.

Molan pouted and said coolly: “Sister’s been to the old family home and come back quite socially polished — what an impressive bit of flattery, look how pleased Fifth Sister is!” Minglan remained completely unruffled and turned to her with a smile: “I hadn’t forgotten Fourth Elder Sister’s gift, either — look, this is fine, aged ink from the south. They say it’s blended with superior aromatics, so that the very characters you write carry a fragrance. That would suit someone of refinement — a simple girl like me who can barely read would only be squandering something so fine. It’s more suited to you, Elder Sister.”

Molan received a small, elegant lacquered mother-of-pearl case, and when she opened it, a clean and elegant fragrance of ink wafted out. Examining the ink sticks themselves — each one a subtly deep purple-black, perfectly smooth, without a single crack — she recognized these as fine quality, and felt a private surge of pleasure, though her face remained carefully neutral: “I’ll thank younger Sister, then. Next time I attend the Hai family gathering and receive a gift of South Sea pearls, I’ll share half of them with you.”

Minglan was not the least bit modest, and clapped her hands in delight: “That would be wonderful! — But Fifth Elder Sister, what about you?” She fixed her wide eyes on Rulan, hand outstretched, in the manner of a child expecting something. Rulan rolled her eyes and scolded: “You shameless creature — do you think I’d forget you? I set aside a pair of old-pit jade rings for you.”

Minglan took hold of both sisters’ arms, sighing with deep satisfaction: “There is truly nothing better than having elder sisters. Even the latecomer gets the good things — I really am fortunate!” The cheerful sincerity of Minglan’s delight seemed to be catching. Rulan and Molan both laughed and shook their heads. The mood was, for once, quite harmonious.

That evening, Sheng Hong returned to the residence. There was another round of happy reunions between parent and children. Wang Shi, in high spirits, ordered a large table set for a family dinner — everyone together. At the meal, Minglan raised a cup to Sheng Hong and said in a clear, bright voice: “I toast Father on his continued success in official service. Without Father’s hard work and efforts, we daughters would not have this comfortable life. May Father enjoy good health and long life!”

Sheng Hong heard the genuine sincerity in Minglan’s tone and saw the openness of her manner. He was genuinely moved, and drained his cup in one drink, exclaiming repeatedly: “Our Minglan has grown up!” Seeing this, the other children raised their cups as well, each one offering a toast to Sheng Hong. He was deeply pleased: “Good, good, good — seeing all of you doing well makes me happier than any promotion of my own!”

The boys all drained their cups in one go. Grandmother Sheng quietly instructed that the girls should only take a small sip.

The whole family was in excellent spirits that evening, and the meal was lively with talk. Minglan described her journey with cheerful animation.

“When we arrived, it was golden autumn — the ninth and tenth months. The osmanthus trees on the hillsides were like carpets of gold — blanketing the mountains, the fragrance absolutely everywhere. Just walking through the grove left you scented for hours!”

“When we were picking osmanthus flowers, we tied a rope to a branch and then the people below grabbed one end and shook with all their might. One shake and blossoms rained down everywhere! Pin’lan has terrible coordination — everyone else was shaking flowers down, and she managed to shake loose several caterpillars! And she was standing right below, looking up with her mouth open — heaven help her, one of the caterpillars nearly fell right in!”

“The water buffalo by the rice paddies are the most good-natured creatures — I coaxed one along gently with a rope and it just plodded after me. Pin’lan was too rough with hers — she startled the animal, and it nearly kicked her with a back leg. I was terrified!”

Minglan’s voice was bright and expressive. She recounted the amusing episodes with dramatic rhythm and depicted the scenery with flowing ease. The wild pleasure of the mountain countryside and the tranquil beauty of the rural landscape seemed to materialize before their eyes. The whole family was caught between sighs of longing and bursts of laughter. The Sheng children had grown up entirely within the walls of great houses, raised in comfort and luxury all their lives — they had never known pleasures like these.

“Our old family home truly is a wonderful place — the land is fine, the people fine, the scenery fine.” Even Sheng Hong was stirred to homesickness and said admiringly.

Changfeng couldn’t help but say: “Is Youyang really that much fun? I’ve been there too.” Molan, stung by Minglan’s success at the table, said a little sourly: “Elder Brother is a scholar — naturally he can’t compare his experience to a little girl running wild.”

Sheng Hong frowned: “Your little sister is young — it is perfectly natural for her to be lively. Besides, she had the servants watching over her — she couldn’t have gotten into any real trouble! Your eldest uncle and aunt both wrote to praise Minglan highly for her good nature and sense — and apparently she even managed to settle Pin’lan down quite a bit.”

Molan lowered her head and said nothing, inwardly dissatisfied. Rulan, seeing Molan chastised, was even more pleased than if she had been praised herself, and happily gnawed on another chicken leg.

Minglan said quietly, with becoming modesty: “Grandmother and I had agreed that she’d let me play for a bit, and then I would settle down properly once we were back in the capital.” Sheng Hong smiled: “Getting along well with relatives is entirely right — no need to be stiff and formal. Just calm down a bit now that you’re home.”

Minglan thought privately: it really is good to have family. On the journey up to the capital, Sheng Wei — worried that the capital’s prices for even the most basic goods would be steep, and that Sheng Hong would have both settling-in costs and a wedding to manage — had quietly sent along a rather generous sum of silver as well.

But then, that is the nature of the official-merchant relationship — each helps the other, and everyone benefits.