The next day, when Tong Mama came to check on her again, Jinchao said to her, “Last night, Guard Xue and the others helped us for quite a while—it couldn’t have been easy. Please distribute ten taels of silver to each of them from my account.”
After a moment’s thought, she added, “This is the lean season between harvests, and I heard that Guard Xue’s family in Tongzhou are all farmers. Why don’t you pay them another visit, bring some food and cloth with you? His youngest son just turned one—get a pair of silver bangles with little bells as a gift. Also, charge it to my account.”
Tong Mama smiled and agreed, taking two servant women with her to make the purchases.
Jinchao took a sip of tea infused with fuling and thought to herself: I must treat Xue Sixteen better. If he harbors contempt for me, he’ll never serve wholeheartedly.
While sipping her tea, she lost track of time until midday. Remembering her mother’s illness, Jinchao brought her homemade medicinal broth to Xiexiao Courtyard.
Ji Shi was resting against a large brocade pillow with her eyes closed, seemingly unaware that Jinchao had arrived. Jinchao quieted her steps, tiptoeing forward to gaze at her mother’s face. Seeing her behave like a child again, Xu Mama couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle and turned her face away.
Jinchao simply wanted to see if her mother was sleeping soundly. As she examined her carefully, she thought her mother looked even thinner than before—her skin sallow, her features wan. She was barely over thirty, yet already bore the appearance of someone well past forty.
In that blurry moment, her mother’s gaunt face overlapped with the image of her own from her previous life when she was gravely ill—both equally emaciated and frail.
Jinchao furrowed her brow. Why is Mother still not improving? What could be the reason?
Ji Shi suddenly opened her eyes and was startled to find Jinchao’s face so close.
The maids and servant women all laughed. Xu Mama teased, “Our young lady still watches Madam like a little girl!”
Ji Shi gave a faint smile and took Jinchao’s hand to sit down beside her. She remembered when Jinchao was three years old and she had gone to Tongzhou to see her. The little one had sat quietly in her maternal grandmother’s arms, fair-skinned and chubby, nibbling on a crab roe bun and too shy to speak. They had been separated by her eldest aunt, but little Jinchao kept turning sideways to peek at her through the gap, and every time their eyes met, she would quickly turn back and giggle with glee. She had done this several times before Ji Shi realized the child was trying to play a game with her.
Back then, her heart ached terribly. Jinchao might not have lacked food or clothing at her grandmother’s home, but she had clearly been lonely.
Unlike Rong-ge’er, whom she had raised with her own hands, and Lan-jie’er, who had always had playmates.
She didn’t know how much longer she had left. It had only been six years since Jinchao returned to the Gu family, and still she felt it wasn’t enough to make up for lost time. She so dearly wished to live a few more years—not for anything grand, just to see her Jinchao marry with honor into a proper, upright household.
Ji Shi felt a sudden sting in her nose and gently grasped Jinchao’s hand. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay with you…”
Jinchao smiled. “Don’t worry, Mother. I promise I’ll help you recover.”
In just half a month, Mister Xiao would arrive.
The medicinal dish Jinchao brought was still warm. Xu Mama served it straight from the food box and brought bowls and chopsticks to help mother and daughter dine together. That meal, Ji Shi ate more than usual, prompting Xu Mama to praise Jinchao: “It must be the young lady’s cooking—Madam had half a bowl more than normal!”
Ji Shi gave a wry smile. “Those other medicinal dishes are always so bitter and hard to swallow… but Chao’er’s cooking is far better. Much easier to eat.”
Xu Mama could only sigh. “Looks like we’ll need the young lady to send her medicine dishes more often!”
The maids burst into laughter.
As they chatted warmly in the inner room, Moyu lifted the curtain and entered. After bowing, she said, “Madam, I just heard from the rear quarters that Second Young Miss’s maid, Ziling, is getting married. Concubine Song has already picked out a courtyard for her, and tomorrow someone from the farmstead will come to fetch her.”
Ji Shi frowned. “Not a word was mentioned, and now they’re marrying her off in such a rush. Did you find out where she’s going?”
Moyu nodded. “Yes, Madam. I heard she’s being married off to Shulu County in Baoding Prefecture. The Song family has a farmstead there. She’s marrying the steward’s second son—as his second wife.”
Ji Shi nodded. “That girl is of age. Prepare a wedding gift of a hundred taels from me.”
Jinchao sat beside her, listening, yet felt something odd. Gu Lan had always favored that maid. In her previous life, when she married into the Duke of Fuguo’s household, Ziling had even followed her as her personal dowry maid. But now, in this life, Ziling was being married off to a farmstead in distant Baoding. That was far from Shian—she certainly wouldn’t be coming back.
And to become someone’s second wife…
After returning to Qingtong Courtyard, Jinchao reflected on the matter for a long time. Then she summoned Caifu. “Gu Lan’s maid Ziling is getting married. The ceremony is tomorrow. Take Baiyun with you and offer her a drink. Give her three hundred taels for her dowry… and a few boxes of sugar candy that crackles when you bite into it.”
Caifu grew cautious. She had never seen her mistress give such a generous dowry to another maid.
In a low voice, she asked, “Is there something you wish me to find out?”
Jinchao gave a soft smile. “I’m not sure what to find out just yet. Just go and see—report back afterward.”
Caifu was always perceptive and didn’t need much guidance.
The next day, Caifu prepared the gifts: a silver note worth three hundred taels, and Baiyun carried the sugar candy. They inquired at the rear quarters to find out which hutong the courtyard was in, and headed out with their offerings.
The courtyard was in Chenhuai Hutong—a drab place with an unremarkable exterior. At the door stood an old serving woman from Song Yiniang’s quarters. When she saw that the two second-tier maids from the young lady’s residence had come in person, she quickly smiled and said, “What an honor to have the young ladies visit!” and ushered them into the side wing.
Caifu glanced at the small siheyuan. It lacked even a spirit wall or a chuihua gate. On either side were narrow wings, a main hall, and a southern-facing rear wing. A single locust tree stood beside a well—everything plain and visible at a glance. It wasn’t what one would call festive; aside from a red double happiness character pasted on the paneled doors of the main room, there was little decoration.
Inside the side room were two or three young girls from Gu Lan’s quarters, but none of them ranked high enough to even speak to Caifu and Baiyun.
The furniture in the side room was dull and worn, with a musty, mildewed scent hanging in the air.
Caifu stood and slipped a silver ingot into the rough servant woman’s hand, smiling as she asked, “Do you know where Miss Ziling is? We’ve always been on friendly terms—now that she’s getting married, we really must exchange a few words at least.”
The old woman beamed so widely her eyes nearly vanished. “Of course, of course! It’s a blessing for Ziling to have known the two young ladies. She’s in the main room right now. Old Madam Chen is helping her get ready—the escort from the farmstead will be arriving shortly.”
Even among maids, status made all the difference. Though Ziling was a first-rank maid and they were second-rank, Caifu and Baiyun served under the favored eldest daughter, while Ziling had lost her mistress’s trust and was being sent away. The balance was obvious; this servant woman had no trouble choosing whom to curry favor with.
She opened the door to the main room and ushered them inside.
Ziling sat expressionlessly on an embroidered stool, staring at the dressing mirror. The old woman helping her, Madam Chen, rose quickly and bowed when she saw Caifu and Baiyun enter. Ziling turned her head and looked surprised to see them.
Baiyun stepped forward and handed Madam Chen a silver ingot. “Thank you, ma’am. We’d like to have a few words with Miss Ziling.”
Madam Chen’s eyes flickered. She took the silver and quietly withdrew from the room, even closing the door behind her. Another older servant whispered anxiously, “You’re risking your neck—didn’t Yiniang say to keep watch over Ziling until she leaves?”
Madam Chen snorted. “Don’t think I don’t know—you probably took their silver too! She’s leaving anyway. How would Yiniang know if we watched or not?” Seeing the other woman still disapproving, she mumbled, “I’ll stay right outside the door. What could Ziling possibly do?”
With the door shut, Ziling turned to them and said coldly, “So the Young Miss sent you to laugh at me?”
Caifu offered a gentle smile. “Why would you say such a thing, Miss Ziling? Our Young Miss has a kind heart. When she heard you were getting married, she immediately had us bring sugar candy to celebrate. True, there were some past grievances—but now that you’re leaving the Gu household, why would we still hold anything against you?” She pulled over a small stool and gently took Ziling’s hand in hers as she spoke.
Ziling bit her lip but didn’t pull her hand away.
She had only learned of her engagement a few days ago. Second Young Miss hadn’t even asked whether she was willing—hadn’t even told her what kind of household it was. She’d merely heard from a servant that the man was the son of a steward on the Song family’s farmstead… whose wife had died last year.
In just a few days, all her tasks had been handed over to Mu Jin, leaving her with nothing to do. Then she was brought here. After a moment of dazed confusion, the dread began to settle in. She didn’t even know what she’d done wrong. Why was Second Young Miss treating her like this?
Even Mu Jin, with whom she had once been close, hadn’t come to see her—that alone spoke volumes about Gu Lan’s attitude.
She hadn’t expected Caifu and Baiyun to come.
Caifu took a silver note from her sleeve and pressed it into Ziling’s hand. She noticed that Ziling’s palm was clammy with sweat. Her voice softened even more: “This is three hundred taels from the Young Miss. She said you mustn’t be without silver of your own. Just in case—don’t put this with your dowry. Keep it close, hidden on your person.”
Ziling looked puzzled. “But… why?” Three hundred taels was far too much.
Caifu shook her head. “I don’t know either. But it never hurts to be cautious. That steward’s daughter-in-law died under strange circumstances… You must look out for yourself.” Her tone was full of concern.
Ziling’s worry only deepened. She unconsciously gripped Caifu’s hand tighter, then suddenly realized she had dug her nails into her skin. “I’m sorry… I—” Her voice was trembling, nearly in tears. “I don’t know what to do…”
Caifu and Baiyun consoled her patiently. Only when Ziling had calmed down did a commotion rise from outside. Baiyun slid open the folding screen and peeked out—it was the escort party, a few men dressed in dark red wedding coats. They were laughing and shouting boisterously, the whole courtyard buzzing with noise.
Ziling suddenly clutched Caifu’s hand tightly!