In First Madam Cheng’s courtyard stood a crowd of maids, and even more of them were hurrying over as others called out to them.
In the distance, those who didn’t understand what was going on asked each other:
“What’s happened?”
“Quick, go see—the foolish young mistress has come back.”
“What’s there to see about a fool? Watch out, you might get unlucky just by looking.”
“She’s not a fool—she’s a beauty!”
“So which is it then, a foolish young mistress or a beauty?”
The inner quarters of the Cheng household buzzed with constant whispers, but as one drew closer to First Madam Cheng’s side, no one dared to speak loudly. In the courtyard, the maids held their breath in silence, and in the main hall—packed with people—it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Every gaze was fixed on the girl seated to the lower left of First Madam Cheng.
At that moment, the girl was lifting her sleeve with one hand and drinking tea with the other… Oh—no, not tea. When the maids had brought the tea earlier, the maid standing behind her had smiled and spoken up in gentle reminder:
“My mistress does not drink tea. Please bring plain water instead,” she said.
This maid’s expression was serene and smiling, her manner completely at ease, without the slightest trace of awkwardness at being in a new place.
Well, yes—strictly speaking, this wasn’t a new place to her. She had been here before.
One of the maids at Second Madam Cheng’s side narrowed her eyes and studied her for a long while before finally matching her to the image in her memory—of that same maid, once trembling with fear, slapped across the face, and tearful.
So this girl… had come back as well.
The girl who removed her cloak was dressed in garments as subdued in tone as the cloak itself—an oversized robe with wide sleeves edged in a simple trim, a plain long skirt, her hair loosely gathered into a single knot, adorned only with a small silver comb. She wore no other ornament. The raised sleeve concealed half her face.
Her lowered wide sleeve moved as naturally and fluidly as her manner itself.
When the sleeve dropped to rest upon her knees and the tea bowl was pushed aside, those present finally relaxed, as though at last they could speak without fear of disturbing this lady.
“You… you’ve truly recovered?” Madam Wang was the first to speak. From the moment Cheng Jiao-niang had entered, her gaze had roved over her again and again, inside and out.
“My health is fine,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied with a faint smile.
Madam Wang hesitated for a moment, then reached out her hand.
“How many… is this?” she asked.
At those words, everyone in the room was taken aback.
“Five,” Cheng Jiao-niang answered calmly, with another faint smile.
She could count—that was enough.
Madam Wang was overjoyed, letting out a breath of relief.
“Excellent,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’ll be on my way then.”
The others were still stunned when Cheng Jiao-niang stood and gave her a respectful bow.
Only then did the rest of the people in the room come to themselves, hurriedly rising in a flurry.
“Sit, sit,” Madam Wang said with a smile, even as she lifted her foot to head out.
First Madam Cheng knew her mind was on Wang Shi’qi-lang. If it weren’t for wanting to get a good look at this Cheng Jiao-niang, she would have left long ago. So she didn’t try to keep her, instead personally walking her out.
“Not bad, not bad… Ah, Sister, honestly—you’ve such a fine little lady here, what’s there for you to be reluctant about?” Madam Wang laughed as she strode quickly away.
First Madam Cheng’s expression was complicated.
“In the past… she wasn’t like this,” she said. After a pause, she added, “And now, I can’t say she’s all that wonderful either… Whether a person is good or not isn’t something you can judge just by looks…”
Madam Wang turned her head with a grin.
“Our Shi’qi? Why, he does judge purely by looks,” she said with a laugh, lifting a finger and wagging it. “And with looks like these—there’s nothing to fault.”
First Madam Cheng watched as Madam Wang’s carriage hurried away, standing outside the second gate in a bit of a daze.
Behind her came the sound of hurried, disorderly footsteps and low, suppressed giggles.
“Quick, quick, go see the beauty…”
“…Is it really that fool?”
First Madam Cheng turned and saw three or four coarse maids running about, and her face instantly darkened.
The maid beside her quickly called out sharply.
Only then did those little rough-handed maids notice First Madam Cheng standing there. Frightened, they dropped to their knees and knocked their heads to the ground, trembling.
First Madam Cheng couldn’t even be bothered to punish them. She just felt an irritable restlessness in her chest, a feeling she couldn’t quite name.
The last time that girl had come back, she had knocked on the door in the middle of the night, sparking a quarrel between the Second Branch couple—and sowing discord between sisters-in-law that still lingered to this day.
This time, at least, she had come in broad daylight, openly and properly… but seeing the stir she caused… who knew what trouble might follow?
First Madam Cheng raised a hand to press her forehead, then lifted her foot to walk inside.
But…
She stopped again.
Was she truly recovered? No longer a fool?
Could one really recover from that? Could something one was born with truly be cured?
Or was it, just like the last time she’d returned from distant Bing–zhou, all due to the careful arrangements of that maid?
Ah, yes—that maid. How had that maid, the one who’d gone to the Zhou family, ended up back here again?
First Madam Cheng resumed walking, her thoughts a jumble. When she reached the courtyard gate, she found that all the people who had been crowding there earlier were gone, leaving only a few maids on duty, whispering softly among themselves.
“Where is she?” First Madam Cheng asked in surprise.
The maids quickly straightened up.
“Madam, Second Madam took her away,” one of them replied.
Second Madam took her away?
First Madam Cheng’s expression instantly darkened, her teeth clenching.
See? See? When she was a fool, she was pushed into her care. But now that she seemed well, Second Madam rushed to snatch her away.
For the person’s sake? As if! She was surely up to some other scheming again!
“Jiao-niang, look—this is your home,” Second Madam Cheng said with a smile, leading Cheng Jiao-niang through the courtyard gate.
The maids in the courtyard quickly stepped aside, all the while stealing cautious glances at the woman walking toward them at an unhurried pace.
Behind her followed Cheng Qi-niang, Cheng Liu-niang, and the other sisters, then their own maids, and further still a trail of other maids. They poured out from First Madam Cheng’s courtyard like a long, swishing tail—and that was not even counting all the maids who, upon hearing the news, had hidden along the roadside to watch.
“Your father isn’t here, but I’ve already sent someone with a message to him. He’ll come see you when he has his next rest day,” Second Madam Cheng said as she guided Cheng Jiao-niang into the main hall.
“Come, sit down and rest for a bit.”
“Madam, where is our mistress’s room?” Ban Qin asked. “She would like to rest first.”
Second Madam Cheng looked at this maid and suddenly remembered who she was.
Back then, she had refused to work as Qi-niang’s cook, was slapped across the face, and had fled crying like a frightened chick. Later, when a young gentleman from the Zhou family came, just one glance from him had lured her away.
It seemed that trip hadn’t been in vain—she’d learned a thing or two. Just look at her now: her presence was more at ease than that of her own mistress.
Second Madam Cheng gave a soft laugh in her heart.
This girl was no simple character.
“Yes, I was so pleased I nearly forgot,” she said with a smile, then turned to the maid beside her. “Is Jiao-niang’s room still the one arranged by the First Madam?”
The maid understood immediately.
“Yes,” she replied, though her expression showed hesitation, as if she wanted to say more. “But Madam, that room hasn’t been lived in for a long time—through one summer and another autumn. It’s damp and stifling in the heat, and now that the weather’s turned cold, even though we’ve tidied it up, I’m afraid it’s not really fit for anyone to stay in…”
Crash!
First Madam Cheng pushed away the tea bowl in her hand, sending the tea spilling into the tray. A maid hurriedly crawled over on her knees to clean it up.
“She said that?” First Madam Cheng asked, brows raised.
The maid bowed her head and answered, “Yes.”
“So Second Madam has had Miss Jiao-niang temporarily stay at Qi-niang’s place,” she continued, “and she personally led people to tidy up the rooms by the Lotus Pond.”
“Did I not already give instructions for her to tidy those rooms?” First Madam Cheng said through clenched teeth, furious. “What good does it do her to rush so anxiously just to make me look like the villain?”
“Oh, there’s naturally a benefit,” the maid replied. “Madam, from the looks of it now, Miss Jiao-niang truly has recovered…”
“What’s so good about her?” First Madam Cheng asked irritably. “That she’s pretty? She always looked like that. When she came back last time, who told you not to look? That she can walk? Last time she walked in too. That she can talk? Last time she called ‘Father’ as clear as could be. She’s exactly the same—how does that count as recovered? Isn’t it just the Zhou family putting on a grand show…”
The Zhou family putting on a grand show…
First Madam Cheng stopped mid-sentence and clapped her hands.
No wonder she’d felt something was off—this time the Zhou family really had gone all out to make a spectacle of that little lady!
And why? Out of care for their niece? Bah! Who would believe that!
“I was wondering why they’d been so quiet for so long—I thought they’d truly given up thinking about my family’s… Jiao-niang’s dowry. Turns out their follow-up plan was here all along.” She gave a cold, mocking laugh.
“Exactly. The Zhou family made such a grand display—short of beating gongs and drums—when they sent her over, the whole city now knows our Jiao-niang is no longer the way she was as a child. Second Madam is as sly as they come; of course she wouldn’t let such a chance slip by. But mark my words,” the maid said in a low voice, “if something doesn’t please her, she’s bound to start shouting all sorts of nonsense. Before, it didn’t matter what she shouted…”
After all, everyone in the city knew Cheng Jiao-niang was a simpleton. For a fool to be married off was already the greatest stroke of fortune imaginable, and the match First Madam Cheng had chosen was impeccable. No matter what Second Madam might say, no one would have believed her.
But now it was different. This so-called fool had made a dazzling public appearance, and by tomorrow, the whole city would be talking about it. If Second Madam were to say something about Cheng Jiao-niang now, people might start weighing her words more carefully…
“Second Madam can see clearly enough that this girl is able to act and isn’t dull-witted anymore. That’s why she’s so eager to win her over—so that later she can coax the child into asking for this or that, pointing here or there. Madam, if it comes to that…” The maid clicked her tongue twice and shook her head.
Hah—hadn’t she said it before? That fool was nothing but trouble! First Madam Cheng ground her teeth.
“Madam, fortunately Madam Wang is also satisfied, and Young Master Wang has returned. Hurry and send her off,” the maid said. “Be careful—long nights bring many worries.”
First Madam Cheng nodded.
“Don’t just stand around—you all go fetch some clothes and household items to send to her,” she said.
The maid responded and stepped back.
“Quickly, quickly—go to the storage rooms,” she called to the other servants.
The courtyard filled with a flurry of busy activity.
Compared to the noisy commotion in the courtyard here, outside the Cheng family mansion in a back alley stood a low, single-story house where people were joyfully gathered.
“Let me see, let me see! Have you lost weight? Have you been beaten?” Chun Lan cried as she tugged Jin Ge’er, looking him over from head to toe.
Jin Ge’er’s parents stood nearby, both laughing and wiping away tears.
“Oh, nonsense,” Jin Ge’er said, shaking off Chun Lan’s grip and swinging his arm. “I’m very strong. I’ve grown taller too.”
As he spoke, he turned his head.
“Brothers, just put the things down and rest. You should go take a break now.”
Only then did Chun Lan’s family notice two people still standing here, each carrying two bundles. They were tall and sturdy, dressed like Jin Ge’er, but far more imposing in presence.
Chun Lan recognized them and knew exactly who they were.
Since the Fourth Young Master wasn’t home, she hadn’t been idle but had been sent to do other tasks. When she heard that the foolish young mistress had returned, Chun Lan was naturally delighted and followed others to the gate to see. But arriving late, she only caught a glimpse of Cheng Jiao-niang being escorted into the inner courtyard.
Of course, she wasn’t interested in the foolish young mistress herself, but in her own brother. So she didn’t chase after the crowd, instead asking about Jin Ge’er. When she saw Zhou family’s attendants settled in the courtyard, she was stunned by their neat and unified bearing.
Upon learning Jin Ge’er had already gone home, she hurried back.
Now seeing these two’s attire, she immediately knew they were Zhou family’s attendants.
“All right then, Jin Ge’er, we’ll be off now,” the two said with smiles, and one of them reached out to pat Jin Ge’er on the shoulder.
Their manner was kind and their demeanor close, standing here all this time without a hint of impatience despite being ignored.
“You two go back first. Tomorrow I’ll take you out to play,” Jin Ge’er said cheerfully.
The two bowed again to Jin Ge’er’s parents and Chun Lan, causing the elders to hurriedly return the salute. Only then did they leave.
As soon as the two left, the other curious neighbors quickly gathered around.
“Jin Ge’er… those are people from the Zhou family?”
“Jin Ge’er, was capital fun?”
A chaotic jumble of questions came from all sides.
Jin Ge’er smiled and answered each in turn, then invited everyone inside.
“I brought gifts back for everyone,” he said.
So generous! Seeing the two bundles in Jin Ge’er’s hands, everyone’s eyes lit up, and amid the excited chatter, they all followed him into the house.
Chun Lan and her parents stomped their feet anxiously.
“This child, such reckless generosity,” Chun Lan whispered urgently. After just one trip to the capital, he was already showing off. She didn’t know whose money he had borrowed to buy all these things. Regretting not stopping him in time, she hurriedly followed inside.
The room was already bustling with excitement, as Jin Ge’er unpacked the bundles and handed out one gift box after another.
“These are the most famous silks from the capital—use them to make clothes…”
“This is the finest official liquor from the capital—try it…”
Jin Ge’er’s words came one after another, and with each, the sounds of surprise and delight in the room grew louder. Chun Lan and her parents’ hearts beat faster and faster.
My goodness… how much must all this have cost?
“Jin Ge’er, how much—how much did all this cost?” a neighbor asked.
Jin Ge’er shook his head.
“I don’t know. Ban Qin prepared it,” he said, then clapped his hands and bowed to everyone. “While I’m away, thank you all for taking care of my parents and sister.”
The people inside laughed at his words.
“Oh, it’s nothing, really…”
“Wow, Jin Ge’er really made quite the trip to the capital…”
“Look at Jin Ge’er, then look at you—there’s no comparison…”
“Jin Ge’er is really making something of himself…”
Listening to their praises and seeing the neighbors’ half-envious, half-jealous expressions, Jin Ge’er’s parents straightened their backs and grinned happily.
“That rascal has even learned to say things like that,” Chun Lan laughed, wiping away tears.
Sure enough, going out and enduring hardship had made him more sensible.
After the neighbors left, the family of four sat facing each other. Their son hadn’t been beaten or starved thin, so they finally felt relieved. But seeing the two empty bundles, they all felt a pang of worry.
“How much did you actually spend?” Chun Lan asked.
“I really don’t know. It must have been expensive. Ban Qin is very generous when shopping—she always picks the best of everything,” Jin Ge’er said as he sipped the tea his mother had brewed.
This was the second time Chun Lan had heard the name, and she hesitated.
“That Ban Qin—she’s with the foolish… young mistress again?” she asked.
“Not that Ban Qin, it’s… the eldest Ban Qin. But that other Ban Qin is also with Miss. The one who returned this time is her,” Jin Ge’er explained.
Chun Lan was utterly confused. Which one was which, exactly?
“There are three Ban Qin. The eldest Ban Qin stayed in the capital, the second Ban Qin went with someone else, and the original Ban Qin is still Ban Qin…” Jin Ge’er counted on his fingers, seeing his sister getting even more puzzled, so he waved his hand, “Anyway, you wouldn’t recognize any of them even if I told you, so don’t worry about which is which.”
Chun Lan gave a thoughtful “oh,” that made sense—after all, they were all maids, and as long as the young lady was cared for, it didn’t matter which was which.
“Then it’s money from the Zhou family, right?” she asked.
“Miss has money herself—she doesn’t care about the Zhou family’s,” Jin Ge’er said proudly.
The young mistress has money?
His parents and Chunlan exchanged a glance.
“Where would that fool get money from?” they asked in unison.
“Miss isn’t a fool,” Jin Ge’er said unhappily, with a hint of seriousness. “Don’t say that anymore. You couldn’t even imagine what we went through in the capital. If she were a fool, there’s no way I’d be back like this today.”
The three inside the room were even more surprised.
“What happened?” they asked.
The young man, sitting cross-legged on the worn mat in the low, cramped room, grew serious. His gaze turned toward the door, as if recalling memories.
A silence fell over the room. Strangely, amidst the quiet, Chun Lan and his parents suddenly felt a sense of pressure that made them afraid to ask further—despite the fact that the person they wanted to question was their own son and brother.
This young man, who had only been away for a little over a year, truly seemed different.
“You don’t need to ask about those things. Ban Qin told me not to speak of them,” Jin Ge’er said with a faint smile. “We follow the young mistress by doing more and speaking less.”
As he spoke, he pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and pushed it toward his parents and sister.
“I didn’t bring gifts for you, Father, Mother, and Sister. This is the money Ban Qin helped me save each month. Please take it,” he said.
Jin Ge’er’s parents had never seen such a thing before and were somewhat puzzled. Chunlan, having spent some time with the Fourth Young Master, recognized it as a flying money note.
“How much money could it be? And they even made it into this form, just giving it away like that,” she said, reaching out to take it. But when she saw the amount clearly, she gasped sharply.
“One thousand guan!”
Jin Ge’er’s parents were also shocked by the sum.
Their monthly allowance was only fifty coins, and now in Jiang-zhou one guan was worth 720 coins. So how many coins was one thousand guan?
The elderly couple’s heads buzzed and their ears rang; no matter how they tried, they couldn’t make sense of the calculation.
“How could it be so much?” Chun Lan’s hands trembled as she struggled to hold the flying money note, her voice shaking.
Jin Ge’er grinned.
“Ban Qin said my monthly allowance is about the same as that of a Dragon Chart Academician,” he said with a smile.
Dragon Chart Academician?
Though she didn’t know exactly what that was, it sounded like a very important official.
A servant’s monthly allowance matching the salary of a court official? That—was no joke!
“Ban Qin said since we’re few in number, each of us gets a bit more. Also, I live far from home, and now I’ve learned to drive the carriage, guard the courtyard, chop wood, sweep the yard—all that’s on me. So one person does the work of several and should be paid accordingly,” Jin Ge’er said with a grin, rubbing his head with a bit of pride.
So that’s why he could do so many things.
Again, it was Ban Qin.
“So who really calls the shots—Ban Qin or the young mistress?” Chun Lan couldn’t help but ask.
“Miss does, of course. But she never concerns herself with these little matters. Ban Qin handles those on her own,” Jin Ge’er waved his hand casually.
Little matters?
Is money a little matter? Then what counts as a big matter?
“Yeah, these are just small things,” Jin Ge’er said, lifting his tea to continue drinking.
Taking down those who want to bully us—that’s the big matter Miss handles.
The commotion on First Madam Cheng’s side, and the excitement around Jin Ge’er, neither affected Cheng Jiao-niang.
She wouldn’t know about them, and even if she did, she wouldn’t care.
After washing up in the room arranged by Second Madam Cheng—Qi-niang’s room—Cheng Jiao-niang rested. When she woke up, she saw Ban Qin sitting on the mat, quietly folding the clothes she had changed out of. The evening sunlight streamed gently into the room, peaceful and serene.
Outside, footsteps and low voices could be heard, followed by someone poking their head in through the door.
Ban Qin heard this and quietly stood, motioning to the person outside.
“Miss hasn’t woken yet,” she said softly.
Cheng Qi-niang listened to her words and glanced inside, meeting eyes with Cheng Jiao-niang lying on her side on the bed.
Those large, glossy, deep black eyes stared unblinkingly.
Not awake yet? Then what was this… sleeping with her eyes open?
Sleeping with her eyes open! How terrifying!
Cheng Qi-niang screamed and jumped back. Her scream startled Cheng Liu-niang and the others following behind, who also screamed in fright, their skirts tangling as they stumbled and fell over each other.
The accompanying maids, confused and scared, shouted and hurried to help them up.
The courtyard instantly erupted into chaos.
