Watching the Qin family’s envoy pack up the box, bow, and take their leave, First Madam Cheng was momentarily dazed.
“Sister.” Madam Wang’s voice sounded from behind as she stepped out from behind the screen, observing First Madam Cheng’s distracted expression. “Don’t tell me you’re actually tempted?”
First Madam Cheng smiled.
“Of course not,” she said. “If it were any other girl, perhaps—but her? One must have self-awareness. How could those families possibly be doing this for her?”
Yet those families were doing it for her.
But Madam Wang would never say that aloud. After all, a person must always look out for themselves first.
Madam Wang gave a somewhat guilty smile.
“Actually, that Cheng girl has already taken a liking to our Shi’qi,” she said.
“Of course she has—our Shi’qi is such a fine match,” First Madam Cheng replied.
“Then it’s settled. The betrothal letters have already been exchanged, and I’ll arrange the remaining formalities in the coming days to get everything done at once. The wedding will be in November, just in time for the New Year celebrations,” Madam Wang said with a laugh, already stepping toward the door.
“You’ve had such a tiring day—why not rest a while before leaving?” First Madam Cheng urged kindly.
“No, no, I’d better return early,” Madam Wang declined with a smile.
“Go on then, don’t keep Shi’qi waiting too eagerly,” First Madam Cheng teased, rising to see her out.
Madam Wang, who had just stepped through the doorway, staggered slightly and reached out to steady herself against the doorframe.
Shi’qi…
The family was eagerly awaiting news back home—what was she to do now?
Outside the Cheng residence, two maids asked anxiously, “Lady Wu, what should we do? Who would have thought the Chengs would refuse? This… this isn’t at all what Madam predicted!”
The woman holding the betrothal letter box also wore a troubled expression.
“To think they weren’t even slightly tempted…” she murmured, glancing back at the Cheng family’s gates.
Truly, traveling always brought unforeseen complications.
“Are we just going to return like this, then?” another maid asked.
“How can we?” Lady Wu immediately shook her head. “We’ve accomplished nothing—we can’t go back empty-handed.”
“Then whom should we approach now?” the servants fretted. “Should we seek out Lady Cheng directly?”
Just as they were speaking, a commotion arose from the side gate of the nearby alley as a group of people emerged, chatting and laughing merrily.
“The colored ball game here is especially spectacular—even you gentlemen from the capital haven’t seen anything so lively,” declared Jin Ge’er with a touch of pride, not forgetting to add generously, “My treat!”
Steward Cao and the others chuckled, accepting without ceremony.
“Excellent! Then we’ll have Jin Ge’er to thank for his hospitality,” they replied jovially.
“Jin Ge’er!”
A woman’s voice called out.
“Are you Jin Ge’er, the one serving Lady Cheng?”
Steward Cao, Jin Ge’er, and the others paused in surprise, turning toward the approaching women who wore pleasant smiles, followed by a carriage and four mounted guards.
“Are you the ma’ams from the Qin family?” Steward Cao recognized the family crest on the carriage at once and hurried forward to greet them.
Meeting acquaintances in a foreign place, the Qin family’s women felt relieved. Though they didn’t recognize these men, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity.
“Have you just arrived, or have you already met with…” Steward Cao asked, gesturing toward the inner courtyard of the Cheng residence.
“We’ve met,” Lady Wu replied, “but now we’re at a loss for what to do next.”
Steward Cao understood immediately.
“In that case,” he suggested, “you must be weary from your long journey. Why don’t we find a tea house to sit, rest, and discuss matters? How does that sound?”
The women of the Wu family smiled and curtsied in gratitude.
“Many thanks, then.”
Steward Cao turned to Brother Jin with a smile. “Jin Ge’er, what do you say? Where’s the finest tea house around here…?”
“Follow me,” Jin Ge’er declared, puffing out his chest proudly.
Fanyuan Garden was the most renowned restaurant in Jiang-zhou—a tranquil retreat amidst the city’s bustle. Beyond the elegant two-story private rooms facing the street, its meticulously arranged rear garden offered an even more refined ambiance.
In the past, a lowly servant like Jin Ge’er would never have had the chance to step foot in such a place. Even as a personal attendant to a young master, it might have been possible—but Jin Ge’er had never dared to dream of such a position, let alone entering this establishment as a host treating guests.
As they approached, a groom in charge of carriages hurried over, bowing obsequiously—only to widen his eyes in shock upon recognizing the visitor.
“Eh—aren’t you Jin Ge’er from the Cheng family’s back riverside?” the groom exclaimed in disbelief.
Jin Ge’er recognized him at once.
“Brother Bao!” he laughed, clapping the man’s shoulder. “It’s been ages!”
“You—weren’t you sold off…?” the groom asked hesitantly, eyeing Jin Ge’er’s attire. Though the clothes seemed unremarkable at a glance, a seasoned Fanyuan Garden attendant like him had sharp eyes: the fabric was unmistakably fine, the kind wealthy patrons wore in the garden’s private pavilions.
No way…?
“Enough nonsense—just get us the largest and finest private room you have,” Jin Ge’er declared.
The largest and finest private room!
“Jin Ge’er, have you lost your mind? Do you know how much that costs—?” The groom’s jaw nearly dropped as he grabbed Jin Ge’er’s arm, hissing in a low voice.
Jin Ge’er reached into his robe and pulled out a money pouch, about to toss it to the groom—when the head steward, who had initially paused upon overhearing their exchange, suddenly straightened up at the mention of “largest and finest.” Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
“Honored guests, right this way!” he announced in a booming voice, shouldering the groom aside as he bowed deeply and gestured them inside.
As Jin Ge’er swaggered in with his entourage of no fewer than twenty people, the groom stood dumbstruck outside, nearly forgetting to tend to the horses.
Has he gone mad?
Even just entering the largest and finest private room—without ordering a single dish—would cost a year’s wages for someone like him. And if they actually ate and drank? The bill might well exceed a lifetime’s earnings—assuming he could even keep his job at Fanyuan Garden for that long.
Would they be beaten half to death and thrown out later?
Unaware of the groom’s anxieties, Jin Ge’er and his party had already settled inside. Though Fanyuan Garden catered to wealthy patrons, hosting such a large private banquet was a rarity—perhaps only a handful of times a year. Instantly, the entire establishment buzzed into action.
The manager himself came to attend to them. Cold appetizers, fruits, and tea were served first, while dishes like the main bowls, plates, fruit platters, and vegetable bowls waited to be called upon. The singing courtesans and wine-pouring maidens, summoned earlier, now arrived gracefully with their lutes—busy yet orderly, bustling but not chaotic.
Once everything was properly arranged, the manager and the usher withdrew. The guests inside exchanged introductions over tea, accompanied by the courtesans’ melodies. Lady Wu of the Qin family bowed to Steward Cao and cut straight to the point:
“We were sent by our madam to handle a matter, but Madam Cheng just refused us. Now we’re at a loss, so we’d like to ask for your advice.”
“Does it concern our young mistress?” Steward Cao asked.
Lady Wu nodded.
“Before we left, our madam instructed us not to trouble Lady Cheng, saying the head of the household could decide. But now, what should we do?” she said.
Steward Cao chuckled and turned his gaze to Jin Ge’er.
“Then you’ll have to ask Jin Ge’er,” he said.
After all, they were from the Zhou family, while Jin Ge’er was the young mistress’s personal attendant.
All eyes shifted to Jin Ge’er.
“What’s this about? Has someone bullied my mistress?” Jin Ge’er asked bluntly, without a hint of reserve.
“It concerns the young mistress’s marriage arrangements,” Lady Wu replied without hesitation.
Jin Ge’er let out a dismissive laugh.
“Such a trivial matter—no need to trouble our mistress,” he said, waving his hand.
A trivial matter?
So they’d asked the right person after all. This aligned perfectly with their madam’s intentions.
“Then…” Lady Wu leaned forward slightly, her tone now more deferential as she asked, “What should we do next?”
“You’ve approached the First Madam,” Jin Ge’er said between sips of tea, his words slightly muffled by the drink. “But you haven’t tried the Second Madam yet…”
The Second Madam?
As outsiders here, unfamiliar with the household, they had already been turned away by the Cheng family’s matriarch. Gaining an audience with another madam would likely require some maneuvering.
Lady Wu smiled and gave a slight bow.
“Then we’ll trouble you to help relay our request,” she said.
Jin Ge’er’s old acquaintance—the groom—had been squatting by the door the entire time, ignoring other arriving guests. Despite enduring glares and a few scoldings, he stubbornly refused to leave his post, unwilling to miss the anticipated spectacle. Yet, to his surprise, when Jin Ge’er and his party finally emerged in high spirits, there was no scene of a violent thrashing of “scammers skipping out on the bill.” Instead, he saw the manager himself personally escorting them out, his face beaming like a blossoming flower.
“Young master, take care! We look forward to your next visit,” the manager said cheerfully, even going so far as to attentively smooth out the perfectly unwrinkled hem of Jin Ge’er’s robe.
The group walked away laughing and chatting, while the groom stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.
“…Whose young master is this? Such extravagant generosity…”
“…Right? Look at the tip he gave me—it’s a whole month’s wages!”
Inside the hall, two courtesans giggled excitedly to each other.
The courtesans’ tips alone were that generous?
The groom gulped hard.
“Indeed—whose young master is this? How have we never noticed him before? Such lavish spending!” the manager marveled.
Whose young master?
“He’s no young master at all,” the groom blurted out. “He—he’s just a servant from the North Cheng household!”
A servant?!
Everyone present gaped in disbelief.
“A servant from the Cheng family?” the manager exclaimed. “Heavens! We’ve all heard the North Chengs are wealthy, but this extravagant? Even a servant tosses around hundreds of strings of cash without batting an eye!”
Cheng Qi-niang stormed into Second Madam Cheng’s hall with a gust of cold air, plopping herself down by the charcoal brazier to warm her hands.
“Where’s your sister?” Second Madam Cheng asked urgently, peering toward the door while clutching her hand warmer, ready to pass it to Cheng Jiao-niang.
But beyond the doorway stood only scattering maids and servants—no one else.
“She’s a fool. Why would I waste time trailing after a fool outside?” Cheng Qi-niang retorted, her face sour.
“You impossible child! Wasn’t I clear with my instructions?” Second Madam Cheng scolded, frowning. “She’s simple-minded—that’s why you must humor her! Can’t you even manage that?”
“She doesn’t listen at all,” Cheng Qi-niang argued. “If I tell her to go east, she insists on west—”
“Who said anything about making her obey? Just go along with her!” Second Madam Cheng tapped her forehead in exasperation.
“Ugh, I refuse to wander around those stinking southern alleys with her,” Cheng Qi-niang sniffed. “She’s a lunatic! Everything she does is bizarre!”
Second Madam Cheng ignored her daughter’s complaints and turned anxiously to the servants.
“She strolled through the southern alleyways and then headed toward the riverbank,” a maid answered. “Don’t worry, Madam—we told them Seventh Young Lady returned early because she felt cold. Plenty of attendants remain with her.”
Only then did Second Madam Cheng nod in relief.
“Take this hand warmer to her at once,” she ordered.
Just then, another servant rushed in breathlessly.
“Madam! Madam!”
“What now?” Second Madam Cheng frowned impatiently.
“Madam, I—I just heard from the washerwomen at the back river that someone has come to propose marriage to Cheng Jiao-niang!” the servant gasped.
“What’s so surprising about that? Her betrothal was already settled—” Second Madam Cheng waved dismissively.
“No, no! Not the First Madam’s relatives—these are envoys from the capital! They brought multiple betrothal letters, not just from one family…!” the servant babbled urgently.
Second Madam Cheng gave an absentminded “Hmm,” before suddenly snapping to attention. She bolted upright.
“What did you say?” she demanded sharply.
The servant stepped closer.
“…They just arrived—everyone at the gate saw them… They’re from the Qin family of the Princess’s Estate…” she whispered.
“The Princess’s Estate?!” Second Madam Cheng’s voice rose shrilly as she seized the servant’s arm.
