As night fell over the mountain village, lights began to flicker on here and there, sparse and scattered. By the threshing ground near the pond, a group of children ran about chasing each other; an old farmer sitting by his house, pipe in hand, occasionally tapped it against the bluestone steps beside him. Dongzhu and Guard Geng sat for a while under the big tree by the pond, chatting idly.

“…At first, I really did think young master was as soft and weak as the rumors said, but the more I’ve watched, the more I’ve realized that’s not quite right. A scholar’s still a scholar, sure, but he ought to carry himself just this way. These days in Jiangning, ask around about the young master named Ning Liheng — who doesn’t know the name? My own boy’s studying at the academy now, got praised by Magistrate Song himself last year, tsk… Us Gengs have always been illiterate — if not for the Su family, that boy would never have had the chance to learn to read; and if not for young master, how could he ever have earned praise from someone like Magistrate Song…”

Not far off, the memorial hall buzzed with noise. Guard Geng slapped his thigh, telling all this to the young cart-driver Dongzhu.

“You wouldn’t know it, but young master’s a truly modest, easygoing sort. Doesn’t seek the limelight, never goes off carousing or drinking with those self-promoting so-called talents. And he’s genuinely good to the second young mistress. Look at who he keeps company with — Li Pin, Li Dexin, now that’s a real talent… How does he teach in the classroom? Never loses his temper, never speaks a harsh word, and sure, those boys get a bit unruly because of it, but they’ve learned better than any batch before them, even so…”

“Me, Geng Lie, can’t read a word myself. I originally just figured the teacher was strict, and last year when the magistrate praised him I was overjoyed. But then one day the boy came home talking about something that happened in class, and I realized something wasn’t right. The teacher’s good-natured, doesn’t hold grudges against you lot, but you boys can’t take that as license to misbehave — so they strung one boy up and gave him a proper beating. Afterward, young master personally came to tell me not to bother about it. That’s the mark of a great man — commanding respect through virtue, through learning…”

“In the old days, the teacher was strict and those boys just droned through their studies mindlessly, no real use in it. Now those boys still act up, sure, but they truly respect this young master — always going on about what ‘our teacher’ said, this and that. A few times that boy even came running to tell me things like that, tsk… thinking it over, it really does make sense. Look at this trip to the village — visiting one household after another, the way he speaks, the way he carries himself, no different from a proper gentleman of standing. Might not have noticed at first, but slowly you realize — that’s what real learning gets you. Not many in the household can even match up to young master…”

Geng Lie, gruff and fierce in appearance, was gentle and easygoing with his own people, and spoke unhurriedly, one sentence at a time. Dongzhu, sitting beside him, looked almost like his nephew, and stayed rather quiet for a while before finally speaking up. “I heard young master got beaten up right when he first arrived at the household, is that right?”

“Mm, that Xue Jin fellow from the Xue family, caught him off guard with a brick when no one was looking… Damn it, if I’d caught him at it, Xue family backing or not, I’d have beaten him half to death and then reported it. But young master got his own back on him later, gave him a proper humiliation, heh heh… oh, right, you’d already joined the household by then, hadn’t you…”

“Mm.” Dongzhu nodded. “Not long after I joined, I heard people mention it, but wasn’t too clear on the details. But… Uncle Geng, if young master’s really this capable, why did he marry in as a matrilocal son-in-law?”

Geng Lie thought it over. “That’s a bit complicated. First, there was an old arrangement between the patriarch and young master’s grandfather’s generation. Second, the Su family’s foundation is quite solid these days, and the second young mistress has real ability, a strong-willed character too. Not sure exactly how the negotiations went, but the most likely reason, we figure, is… heh, before the wedding, the second young mistress apparently went to see young master privately — she’s got the looks and the bearing, no question… whatever happened between them, in the end, young master agreed to it… And forget the second young mistress herself, even her maids — Chan’er’s so thoughtful, Juan’er’s lovely too, and that Xing’er girl… pretty enough, sure, but a bit too sharp-tongued.”

Among the three maids, Chan’er was thoughtful, Juan’er lively, and Xing’er, being a year older as the “big sister,” would sometimes get into arguments with people. She’d even quarreled with Geng Lie a few times over small matters, though neither side held it against the other — if anything, it made for some amusing, if occasionally exasperating, stories. Having said his piece, Geng Lie patted Dongzhu’s shoulder.

“The second young mistress and young master really are a match made in heaven. The Su household will surely pass to the second young mistress one day. You’re still young — work hard, and maybe someday you’ll become a steward yourself…”

Encouraged like this, Dongzhu nodded in agreement. Before long, night had fully fallen, people coming and going from the memorial hall, idle villagers gathering to make things livelier, before gradually thinning out again as time passed. Dongzhu occasionally wandered over to look — the girl named Xiao Chan was inside, young master sometimes there, sometimes not.

Dongzhu had only joined the Su household the previous year, and for a boy originally from the countryside, being able to come to the city and work in such a grand household felt “impressive, novel” in everything he saw.

Courtyard after courtyard, rule after rule — the stewards seemed to know everything, and everyone else, regardless of age, seemed remarkably capable too. Occasionally he’d overhear them talking about who was who, how high someone’s standing was, or tales of the city’s literary talents. In short, it all felt like something entirely beyond his reach.

He often heard people in the household say the second young mistress was the most formidable person there — aside from the masters, of course — though he’d had little chance to actually see this formidable second young mistress. Her maids, though, he’d seen several times.

The one who often smiled, and looked lovely even when scolding people, was Chan’er — though she seemed younger than him, he still had to call her “Sister Xiao Chan,” which felt only natural given how capable she was. The one called Juan’er was quiet and serious when giving instructions, rarely smiling, and when angry her dark expression could be rather intimidating. Sister Xing’er was usually gentle when giving orders, but could be quite fierce when clashing with others — once he’d seen her arguing with a steward from the third branch of the household, laying out her points one by one, refusing to back down… she was just a maid too, and yet she dared argue with such an important steward, and even won in the end. Dongzhu found this genuinely impressive.

Comparatively, it was Sister Xiao Chan who caught Dongzhu’s attention most. They’d barely spoken, really — a few times she’d come by to give instructions and then left — but he saw her often around the household: stretching and muttering something to herself as she walked, sometimes trotting along in a hurry, sometimes skipping along beside young master. He simply thought… Sister Xiao Chan had such a lovely smile. Beyond that, he didn’t have many other thoughts about it, honestly.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, he’d driven the carriage to take her out somewhere, though they hadn’t managed to say much — he’d only told her his name. Later, she’d actually remembered it; a few times in the household she’d greeted him, calling him “Brother Dongzhu,” and each time he hadn’t managed to answer properly, which left him kicking himself afterward.

There were servants in the household pursuing this or that maid, but such things weren’t really on his mind. The second young mistress’s three maids held a standing in the household roughly equal to the stewards; he hadn’t yet gotten used to the idea of “pursuing” anyone, nor did he feel he had the standing to. Of course, this time, when Xiao Chan needed to go home, he’d been assigned to drive the carriage; that morning he’d meant to say a few comforting words, but being tongue-tied, he never managed to get them out even as they set off.

These past few days in Nanting Village, there’d been a persistent hollow feeling in his chest. He didn’t have much to actually do — feeding the horses, maintaining the carriage, that was about it. Occasionally he accompanied Guard Geng and young master on their visits to different households. Young master really was impressive — if it had been him, he’d never have managed to say those things; they sounded so simple, yet somehow exactly right, just as Guard Geng had said — a learned man deserved the respect he received.

That Sister Xiao Chan would share a room with young master was, in itself, simply how things were meant to be; he didn’t think anything was wrong with it. But that hollow feeling in his chest was hard to shake off all the same. As night deepened, he went to check again and found that young master and Xiao Chan had both already left the memorial hall. On his way back to his own quarters, passing by young master’s courtyard, he saw a light on inside. He stood outside for a moment, watching — young master’s shadow sat by the window, apparently writing something — but Sister Xiao Chan’s figure didn’t seem to be there.

Turning toward the small courtyard set aside for himself and Guard Geng, he noticed rustling sounds coming from near the carriage. Puzzled, he went over, and Xiao Chan, dressed in plain white, crawled out from inside, holding something in her hands. Seeing him, she nodded. “Brother Dongzhu.”

“Er, Sister Xiao Chan… ha, I wondered who it was…”

“Young master hasn’t been eating well these past few days. I brought along some things earlier — bringing them to him now.” Xiao Chan nodded with a smile, holding some long-lasting pastries and dried fruit, and handed one over. “Are you hungry, Brother Dongzhu? Have one too.”

“Uh, I, I…”

“Here, take it.” Xiao Chan smiled and pressed the pastry into Dongzhu’s hand, then waved. “I’ll head back to the room now. See you tomorrow, Brother Dongzhu — sorry to trouble you again.”

“No, no… no trouble at all…” Dongzhu held the pastry, with so much he wanted to say but couldn’t get out, just watching her figure head off toward that courtyard.

In truth, she hadn’t looked quite as cheerful as usual just now; her figure seemed touched with sadness.

Still, as she reached the door, he could see her pause, the corner of her mouth curving into a smile, before she pushed the door open and went inside.

Their two silhouettes began moving inside. Dongzhu stood there holding the pastry, staring blankly for a long while, then took a small bite. This pastry, which might have tasted quite good to him under normal circumstances, somehow didn’t taste as sweet now; he simply gazed at the figures moving within that glow of light, feeling something faint yet inescapable stir in him — a hazy, uncertain sort of affection, lost somewhere in this summer night.

“Now that’s the life of a landlord’s son…”

Inside the room, Ning Yi sighed, splitting the pastries and dried fruit on the table in half, pushing one half toward Xiao Chan. “Not used to the food people prepared so kindly, and now sneaking snacks in secret in the middle of the night — if word got out, what would people think?”

“It wouldn’t matter even if they knew. Young master’s the truly impressive one, really — not liking the food at all, and still managing to sit there eating it the whole time…”

“Er, was it that obvious that I didn’t like it?”

“Xiao Chan could tell. No one else would have noticed, surely.” Xiao Chan smiled. “I’ve already eaten my fill, young master, you don’t need to share with me.”

“Whether it tastes good or not, force it down anyway — that’s what I do too, and I’m full now besides. Since you brought it, you’re obligated to help finish it off, half each, so nothing goes to waste.”

“Then I’ll just take a small bit.”

Xiao Chan picked up a pastry and some fruit and pushed them toward Ning Yi. Ning Yi shook his head, negotiating. “No, no, that’s too much — this way I lose out. Let’s go by proportion — divide it into five portions, and you, Xiao Chan, have to take at least two of them for this to be a fair deal… this one’s too big, swap it for a smaller one!”

The negotiation proceeded across the table like a tense, high-stakes bargaining session. Xiao Chan held up the large piece of fruit alongside two smaller ones, protesting, “That’s not fair, this big one already counts as two…”

“Then come up with a more reasonable way to divide it. And these pastries aren’t the same size either — look, that piece on your side is clearly smaller, isn’t it… this won’t do, you’re deliberately trying to come out ahead.”

“If young master wants to put the big one on my side, you have to give me two small ones in exchange!”

“I have another solution.”

“Hm? What—mmph!”

Xiao Chan’s mouth opened, and Ning Yi popped the large piece straight in. “There, now the big one’s gone, so this’ll be much easier to divide — we won’t even count that one anymore…”

“Mmf, how can that not count, I ate it…” Xiao Chan protested, struggling to chew.

“You ate it, so how could it still count — you’re the one who ate it. And you can’t even talk properly with your mouth full, yet you still want to negotiate — what exactly are you even trying to say… tch, can’t understand a word. Fine, I’ll keep dividing — you’re welcome to raise objections, and I’ll take every single one of your objections into consideration…”

With nothing better to do, they simply amused themselves with this small, pointless game, dividing up the food back and forth like a tug-of-war across the room. By the time they’d finished dividing it all up, Xiao Chan realized she’d ended up eating more than half — normally quite the sharp, capable maid, she found herself utterly outmatched against Ning Yi, muttering “young master’s bullying me” as she undressed and climbed into bed, settling in on the inner side, determined to ignore him — though not long after, once Ning Yi climbed in too, she couldn’t help scooting toward the middle and taking hold of his hand.

The night passed quietly after that, and the next morning at the hour of the dragon, the burial for the deceased took place. Originally there would have been a feast in the village at noon and evening, but given the flooding these days and the refugees heading toward Jiangning, it seemed better to return to the city as soon as possible. After the burial and offerings, Ning Yi and the others said their farewells to everyone and prepared to set off.

By the hour of the snake, the sunlight overhead had just begun to turn scorching, and the carriage left Nanting Village, setting out on the mountain road back to Jiangning. The mountain air felt oppressive, and before long, dark clouds seemed to be gathering in the distance…