The sky was just beginning to lighten. At the foot of Xuan-miao Mountain outside the city, incense smoke curled endlessly around the Xuan-miao Temple, accompanied by an unceasing murmur of scripture chanting.
The temple had clearly been renovated, and in front of the gate stood rows of carriages and horses.
When the morning prayers ended, the abbot stepped out of the main hall, followed by more than a dozen devout men and women who bowed respectfully in farewell.
“Kind patrons, this way please.”
Two young novices were already waiting to the side, gesturing politely to guide the way.
“The tea and refreshments are ready.”
Laughing and chatting, the group followed the novices toward the rear hall.
Meanwhile, a number of other men and women who had been waiting stepped forward to greet the abbess with respectful salutes.
“The refreshments are ready—everyone, please come with me in the arranged order,” another pair of novices called from behind the hall.
Delighted, the men and women quickly rose and followed them.
Standing under the veranda, Abbess Sun looked over the temple grounds. The paving stones were newly laid, the trees were encircled with stone borders, and the fallen leaves had all been cleared away. Three young novices were busy with brooms, sweeping into every corner.
These days, incense burned thick and the place bustled with people; the Xuan-miao Temple was no longer the quiet, deserted place it once was.
Shaking her horsetail whisk, Abbess Sun stepped outside. Beyond the temple gates, the mountain path was already crowded. Thanks to the temple’s growing fame, more and more people came to visit Xuan-miao Mountain, and with them came more hawkers outside the gates.
They were villagers from nearby, selling baskets of flatbread, hot tea, soups, and dried fruits. After all, the temple’s tea and refreshments were not something one could enjoy at any time. When tired from sightseeing, visitors would readily buy a snack to refresh themselves—providing the villagers with an extra source of livelihood.
“Good morning, Abbess Sun.”
“Greetings, Abbess Sun.”
When they saw the abbess emerge, people stepped forward one after another, bowing respectfully in greeting.
The scene felt so natural and easy, as if it had been this way for a long time. Even the abbess herself could hardly recall that just over a year ago, the priestess of their Xuan-miao Temple had rarely set foot beyond the gates—for fear that, because of the disgrace brought by that Small Xuan-miao Temple higher up the mountain, she might be cursed at or pelted with stones.
Smiling, the abbess returned each greeting in turn, followed by two young novices as she made her way up the mountain. From a distance, she could already see the small temple half-hidden among the rocks and trees.
“Abbess.”
Two priestesses opened the door and bowed in greeting.
The abbess lifted her gaze to the plaque above the entrance, then stepped inside.
“These past few days have been damp—has the heated floor in Miss’s room been lit?” she asked as they walked.
“It has,” one of the priestesses replied with a smile. “The bedding is aired and scented every day.”
The abbess nodded. She had just stepped into the courtyard when a shout came from outside the gate.
“Master! Master!”
The five of them turned to see a young novice running in, panting heavily, a basket of grass strapped to her back.
“Weren’t you going into the city? How did you get back so quickly?” one of the priestesses asked in surprise.
The novice bent over, hands braced on her knees, gasping for breath.
“Master… Master, she’s… she’s back…” she panted.
The five of them frowned at her.
“No, no—Master, Lady Cheng is back!” the young novice straightened up as she caught her breath, her face breaking into a joyful smile.
At those words, the abbess and the two priestesses—everyone except the two newly arrived novices—lit up with delight.
“Truly?” they asked in unison.
“Truly. I heard it when I was buying rice, and I even went to the Cheng household to confirm. They said she returned just yesterday, and now everyone is talking about it.” The novice beamed. “I didn’t even bother to buy the rice—I just ran straight back here.”
Everyone is talking about it?
The abbess looked slightly surprised.
“What are they saying?” she asked.
“They… they’re saying Miss… isn’t a fool anymore…” the novice replied.
The abbess smiled.
“Did that even need saying?” she remarked, flicking her horsetail whisk as she turned away.
She never was.
Daylight was already bright when the quiet of First Madam Cheng’s courtyard was broken.
“Mother, Mother!”
Cheng Liu-niang’s voice called from outside the door.
On the bed in the inner room, First Madam Cheng lay with her eyes closed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
“Mother, yesterday that fool came looking for you—oh, Mother, why do you look so pale? Are you ill? Why aren’t you up yet?”
Cheng Liu-niang stepped forward as she spoke, reaching out to feel her mother’s forehead.
“No,” First Madam Cheng said, pushing her hand away. “Just tired.”
That child had only arrived yesterday, and already she felt utterly drained.
With Second Madam Cheng muttering behind her back, and the Old Madam making a fuss about leaving the house, she had hardly slept a wink the previous night.
“Mother, what did that fool say to you yesterday?” Cheng Liu-niang asked.
“She didn’t come looking for me—she was looking for your father,” First Madam Cheng replied.
No sooner had she spoken than a maid came in to announce that Second Madam Cheng had arrived with Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Tell them the master hasn’t returned yet,” First Madam Cheng said.
Before long, Second Madam Cheng came in smiling.
Cheng Liu-niang straightened in her seat, her gaze falling on Cheng Jiao-niang, who stood just behind Second Madam Cheng.
She didn’t know what the girl had been eating lately, but though she was only a year or two older than herself, she was already taller than Second Madam Cheng.
“We’re not really for the master,” Second Madam Cheng said as she sat down. “I thought I’d bring Jiao-niang to see the Old Madam.”
First Madam Cheng inwardly snorted, her eyes fixed on Second Madam Cheng.
The Old Madam is my mother-in-law, and also yours. If you want to go see her, go ahead—how could I possibly stop you?
But she kept these words to herself. She knew that if she said them out loud, Second Madam Cheng would immediately take that fool to see the Old Madam.
Didn’t Second Madam Cheng know that the Old Madam could no longer even bear to hear the mention of this fool? When the Old Madam inevitably became furious, Second Madam Cheng would naturally feel aggrieved and terrified, and she would turn that frustration onto First Madam Cheng.
“She insisted I come to see her…” Second Madam Cheng would certainly say, feigning hurt, and it was obvious what would follow: a scolding from the Old Madam directed at First Madam Cheng.
But if First Madam Cheng forbade the visit herself, Second Madam Cheng could simply tell the fool, “See, it’s not that I wouldn’t let you go, it’s she who forbade it. She doesn’t like you.”
In short, no matter what happened, the good guy would always be her, and the bad guy would always be First Madam Cheng.
First Madam Cheng looked at Second Madam Cheng, her expression complex.
How strange… how had she ever thought this younger sister-in-law was gentle and amiable?
“No need to go,” First Madam Cheng said calmly.
As expected, Second Madam Cheng turned to look at Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Then we’ll wait for a more convenient time,” she said softly, with a hint of consolation.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s expression remained calm and unreadable.
First Madam Cheng smirked inwardly. Did I really need to care about the moods of a junior like you? If you weren’t truly a fool, you’d know exactly who you should be currying favor with now.
Who you are going to marry, and who can truly make your life comfortable in your husband’s household—the stepmother, the aunt—they are all relatives, but affection and favor are not the same.
“Jiao-niang, don’t be upset. The Old Madam doesn’t like seeing people much anyway. Let your aunt ask first, and then we’ll see.”
After leaving First Madam Cheng’s, Second Madam Cheng didn’t forget to continue speaking.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“Please, Madam, attend to your own matters,” she said, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings. “I think I’ll take a walk on my own.”
Second Madam Cheng was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and nodded.
“The house isn’t large, but you can still take a look. I’ll accompany you,” she said with a smile.
Cheng Jiao-niang turned to look at her.
“I think… I’ll walk by myself,” she said.
Such an attitude, such words, were undeniably rude—but strangely, Second Madam Cheng didn’t feel insulted. It was as if this young lady’s behavior was entirely natural, and it felt in no way inappropriate to her.
“All right, all right,” Second Madam Cheng nodded. “Oh, have your younger sister come and take you for a walk.”
Ban Qin frowned.
“Madam, my mistress said she wants to go herself…” she began.
“You’ve just returned and don’t know the house well. Let her accompany you, and it’ll give you sisters a chance to get familiar with each other,” Second Madam Cheng said with a smile. Without waiting for any further objections, she motioned for a maid to go fetch the younger sister.
Ban Qin wanted to protest further, but Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head and started walking ahead on her own.
Ban Qin bowed respectfully to Second Madam Cheng and said nothing more, following after her.
“Mother, look at her—she really is so insufferable,” Cheng Liu-niang said, sitting up and moving closer to First Madam Cheng. “Mother, don’t let her stay in the house. She should go to the temple instead.”
First Madam Cheng made a soft “hm” sound, pinching her forehead but saying nothing.
“Mother,” Cheng Liu-niang noticed her mother’s perfunctory response and shook her sleeve, insisting, “Hurry and drive her out, or I won’t be able to go out and see anyone.”
“All right, all right. She’s about to leave, and this time she won’t be coming back,” First Madam Cheng said helplessly, tired of the noise.
“Really?” Cheng Liu-niang asked.
“Really, really. Go on and have your fun. Let me rest a little longer—I truly can’t endure it any longer,” First Madam Cheng said, waving her hand.
Only then did Cheng Liu-niang leave satisfied. But just as First Madam Cheng lay down again in the inner room, a maid came to the door and announced,
“Madam Wang has arrived.”
First Madam Cheng was startled, especially seeing Madam Wang enter looking completely different from yesterday.
“What’s the matter with you? You look so pale! You traveled all day yesterday—if something had happened, someone should have sent word. How did you come here yourself?” she asked rapidly.
Ting-zhou was half a day’s journey from here. She had only returned home yesterday after dark, and now she had come again—meaning she must have left before dawn. No wonder she looked so unwell.
“If I didn’t come, I wouldn’t have survived,” Madam Wang said, waving her hand.
First Madam Cheng hurried to have a black lacquered chair brought over. Madam Wang leaned against it, taking a moment to catch her breath.
“What happened?” First Madam Cheng asked anxiously.
“Sister, last night our whole family was nearly terrified to death,” Madam Wang said. “Shi’qi… he… he…”
She raised a handkerchief to wipe her tears as she spoke.
First Madam Cheng sat up straight in fright.
“What happened to Shi’qi?” she shouted.
“He nearly died,” Madam Wang said.
“What? What happened? Is he ill? Sick? Or just exhausted? I told you not to let him go to the capital, but you didn’t listen…” First Madam Cheng immediately burst into tears.
Seeing her like this, Madam Wang could no longer afford to cry and hurried to comfort her.
“It’s all right, it’s all right. Fortunately, he was saved in time,” she said.
“Someone, prepare a carriage! I’m going home at once to see Shi’qi…” First Madam Cheng wiped her tears and stood up.
Madam Wang quickly reached out to stop her.
“Sister, you don’t need to go. You don’t have to see him. Just promise me one thing, and Shi’qi will be fine,” she said.
First Madam Cheng looked at her.
“What thing? Tell me quickly! Even if it’s a hundred things, I’ll agree,” she said anxiously.
Before she could finish speaking, a maid rushed in from outside, interrupting them.
“Madam, Madam, someone is here to pay a visit,” she said, her expression strange, holding a notice in her hand.
“Who is it?” First Madam Cheng said irritably. “I don’t want to see them.”
Here in Jiang-zhou, she still had the authority to decide who could be received and who could not.
“The person said they’re from the Qin family in the capital,” the maid hesitated, speaking slowly. She couldn’t read the characters on the notice, and she hadn’t memorized the long name the visitor had given—she just thought that anyone from the capital must be from a very influential family.
The Qin family? Not familiar. First Madam Cheng waved dismissively.
“Is it the Qin family from the Princess’s residence?” Madam Wang grabbed her hand, looking at the maid as she asked.
Princess’s residence?
First Madam Cheng knew what the word “princess” meant. Upon hearing it, she froze.
“Let me see it,” Madam Wang said, reaching out.
The maid quickly handed it over. Madam Wang opened it and stared, her expression one of shock and disbelief.
“Is that so?” First Madam Cheng asked. “Who are these people? Are they looking for the master?”
The maid’s expression grew even stranger.
“No, they said they’re here to see Cheng Jiao-niang’s guardian,” she said.
At first, she hadn’t even realized who Cheng Jiao-niang was; it was only when the maid reminded her that it clicked.
“Looking for her guardian?” First Madam Cheng asked in surprise, then laughed. Naming Cheng Jiao-niang and then asking for her guardian—what else could it be but something regarding the young lady’s marriage?
She had expected this move all along.
“It must have been arranged by the Zhou family. Tell them to wait a moment…” First Madam Cheng said with a hum.
The maid nodded and stepped back.
First Madam Cheng turned to look at Madam Wang, who seemed a little dazed.
“What’s wrong?” First Madam Cheng asked, then immediately laughed. “Don’t worry, they won’t be able to stir up any big trouble.”
Madam Wang came back to herself and forced a faint smile.
“It’s still our Shi’qi who matters most,” First Madam Cheng continued. “You just now said I needed to promise something—what was it?”
Madam Wang looked at her, her expression shifting for a moment.
“Promise… that this month… the marriage between Shi’qi and Cheng Jiao-niang will be arranged,” she said slowly, as if each word were difficult to speak.
