Chapter 56: Clothes Convey Affection

Chapter 56: Clothes Convey Affection

Eleventh Niang Xie curiously stepped into the embroidery room.

The warmth of early summer filled the room, with clean windows and neatly rolled reed curtains. Embroidery frames were arranged in rows, and the embroideresses were busy around them, surrounded by piles of fabrics, bundles of embroidery threads, scissors, and needle holders. At their feet were baskets filled with scraps of fabric.

The sound of needles rustling filled the air as everyone worked diligently. Only the old embroideress had been called over by Xie Qi, and the two stood in front of a rack, seemingly discussing something.

The room was paved with polished blue bricks, and Eleventh Niang Xie approached silently. She overheard her brother gesturing vaguely at the waistline of the garment, his ears slightly red as he softly said, "I'm afraid it needs to be taken in another two inches..."

Eleventh Niang, holding her round silk doll, belatedly realized that the garment was long and narrow, clearly not meant for her. Among her sisters, she was the tallest—though she was the eleventh in line, the three branches of the Xie family had only eight girls who had grown to adulthood.

Apart from Tenth Niang, who was a few months older than her, the other sisters had already married.

Twelve Niang from the second branch was a year younger than her, and Thirteen Niang from the third branch was two years younger. Even Tenth Niang was much shorter than her, so the garment couldn't be for them either. Eleventh Niang didn't have a sister-in-law, and it was even less likely to be for her aunts or cousins. Why would a nephew or younger uncle suddenly make clothes for an aunt or sister-in-law? Ninth Geer would probably get a beating from their mother if that were the case.

Eleventh Niang hid behind a pillar, squinting and peeking out with half her head, secretly observing.

A young embroideress sitting by the pillar, threading a needle, looked up in confusion, but Eleventh Niang turned to her and shushed her. The young embroideress stifled a laugh and lowered her head to continue working on her embroidery.

The young embroideress thought to herself that among the many young ladies in the family, most were quiet and demure, but Eleventh Niang was the most gluttonous and mischievous. While the other young ladies might alter their clothes once every six months, Eleventh Niang had already let out her waistline twice in this short period. It was said that a few days ago, she had even secretly ordered food to be delivered through the back gate, staying up late in the pavilion to feast on grilled fish. She had also dug up the cherry wine that the matriarch had buried years ago, and she and her father had enjoyed it to the fullest. They were caught by the mistress, and the matriarch had been so angry that she had hit them with her cane several times.

Now, she was probably up to her tricks again, teasing Ninth Geer.

Unaware of the young embroideress's thoughts, Eleventh Niang peeked from behind the pillar for a while, then suddenly had an epiphany and thoughtfully stroked her chin.

The fabric of the garment didn't look like cicada-wing gauze or light gauze, but more like six-ounce gauze or square-mesh gauze... Though not particularly expensive, it was dyed in a fresh, tender green color, and the fine silver threads embroidered on it shimmered in the sunlight, creating a beautiful, serene image reminiscent of lotus flowers floating on water.

She realized that it must be prepared for her cousin, the eldest daughter of the Cui family. The Cui family would also be attending the banquet tomorrow, and she had heard that her aunt would bring several cousins, who were probably already at the outskirts of the city.

Her mother had sent Zheng Neizhi early this morning with several carriages to wait outside the city.

Though her mother hadn't explicitly said so, if Cousin Cui came, it wouldn't be impossible for her and her brother to rekindle their relationship! Eleventh Niang thought optimistically that if she were to choose who she most wanted as her sister-in-law, she would still choose Cousin Cui.

Eleventh Niang quite liked Cousin Cui. When she was young and visited Chenzhou, Cousin Cui had taken her to the mountain estate to ride horses and hunt rabbits, and had even given her a small pony with snow-white hooves. Unfortunately, after bringing it back to Bianjing, the pony fell ill with "glanders" and died. Since then, she had never had her own pony again.

She had heard that Cousin Cui had fallen ill and had to break off her engagement with her brother, which had saddened her for a long time. She had written several letters and asked her mother to gather medicinal herbs, sending them to Chenzhou with a servant. She didn't know if Cousin Cui had received them, as she had never received any reply.

But Cousin Cui's illness was severe, and it was possible that she couldn't write. Eleventh Niang hoped that after such a long period of recovery, her health had improved, and she would be able to meet her tomorrow.

Eleventh Niang didn't know if her brother still had feelings for Cousin Cui, but the calligraphy and paintings hanging in Madam Shen's shop had surprised her... But such things were nothing to worry about. If her brother had impulsively given a couple of pieces, it was understandable—Madam Shen's craftsmanship was so good that even she would have been tempted to inscribe something for her.

Before her brother's engagement was broken off, he had always prioritized Cousin Cui in everything. He never went to entertainment houses to listen to music or engage in literary gatherings, nor did he pay attention to the maids in the household who had ulterior motives. He had even been reluctant to interact with Seventh Niang.

But there was nothing to be done. The marriage alliance between the Xie and Cui families had been set in stone, and Eleventh Niang didn't know how to console Feng Qiniang. Her own life was a mess. However... Eleventh Niang suddenly remembered that Seventh Niang hadn't come to the Xie household to play with her for a long time, and she didn't know what she had been busy with.

When she came tomorrow, she would have to question her thoroughly!

"The servant will take in the waist a bit more. Ninth Geer, please wait a moment; it will be ready in a quarter of an hour..." The old embroideress's voice suddenly reached Eleventh Niang's ears, pulling her out of her reverie. She startled and silently retreated behind the pillar, tiptoeing away with her silk doll in her arms.

Oh well, she would come back later to have the doll's clothes tailored. Eleventh Niang felt she had uncovered Ninth Geer's secret and was already thinking about how to extort her brother as she left.

*

Meng San led the family's stubborn donkey that refused to carry people or goods, while his book boy carried two baskets of books. The two of them walked through the long street to the Xie household to return the books.

The Xie family of Chen County had a centuries-old heritage, and their vast collection of books was perhaps only rivaled by the Feng family. Meng San often borrowed books from the Xie household, taking them by the basketful, and returning them after reading or copying them.

But today, he hadn't come of his own accord—he had received a note from Xie Qi, urgently asking him to return the books.

Meng San found it odd. He had just returned home from the academy on break, and instead of going out to play, why had he suddenly become so diligent? This is too much! Meng San, who always ranked behind Xie Qi in exams and was thus nicknamed "The Eternal Runner-up," was sometimes mockingly called "Meng Er" by some folks instead of "Meng San."

It drove him up the wall!

And then there was this donkey! It was driving him crazy. He had no idea how his father had chosen this donkey, which loved to eat Chinese cabbage stalks but refused to do any work. As soon as someone tried to ride it, it would kick and let out a pitiful "hee-haw."

Now he couldn't sell it and had to keep feeding this 'high-maintenance beast.'

As Meng San entered the Xie household, he was enveloped by the cool shade. The Feng family loved bamboo, while the Xie family favored pine and cypress. The estate was lush and green, and the towering trees provided a refreshing canopy. Meng San wiped his sweat with his sleeve and exhaled a breath of hot air, finally feeling some relief.

The 'high-maintenance beast' was tied at the side gate of the Xie residence, and the gatekeeper even grabbed a handful of beans to feed it. Meng San wanted to remind the gatekeeper not to feed it too much, as the donkey might start farting and knock someone out with its stench!

But before he could say anything, Yan Shu, sent by Xie Qi to wait for him at the gate, pulled him inside.

He and his servant carried the books straight to Xie Qi's courtyard. Yan Shu led the way like a whirlwind, and as soon as he hurried in, he saw a tall cherry tree standing lush and green in the corner of the courtyard. Under the tree was a stone bench, where Xie Qi had already prepared chilled drinks and was waiting. Meng San, his throat parched, walked over and plopped down on the stone bench, which felt cool against his skin, instantly cooling him down. He let out a long, contented sigh.

"What's the rush? Why the hurry? You've got me running around like this!" Meng San fanned himself with his sleeve, slouching lazily on the stone bench. His tone became even more languid. "The books are here. Do you want to check if anything's missing? Don't tell me you're studying even on break..."

"Asking you to return the books is secondary," Xie Qi said, instructing Yan Shu to hand over a neatly folded brocade bundle. "There's something I need your help with."

"What is it? Why so mysterious?" Meng San yawned, not standing on ceremony as he got up to fetch a bowl of chilled hawthorn dessert from the side. He lowered his head and began slurping it noisily.

"It's nothing major. I just wanted to trouble you to head over to Willow East Lane later and deliver this package of clothes to Shen's Noodle Shop," Xie Qi pushed the bundle toward him. "Just hand it over to Madam Shen."

Meng San stopped shoveling food into his mouth and squinted, a mischievous grin slowly spreading across his face. He pointed at Xie Qi with a small silver spoon. "You said you didn't like widows! Look! I've caught you in the act."

After a pause, Meng San thought it over again. "You have plenty of servants at home. Why are you asking an outsider like me to do this? Oh... I get it. You're worried it might get sent back, aren't you?"

Xie Qi remained calm, letting Meng San tease him without changing his expression. He always acted openly and never bothered to hide anything. The reason he asked Meng San to deliver it was actually to protect Madam Shen's reputation.

If Xie Qi sent a servant to deliver it, by tomorrow's banquet, everyone would know. He didn't want Madam Shen to be subjected to gossip, and preparing clothes for her was also out of the same consideration. Madam Shen wasn't someone who cared much about clothing. She was resilient and didn't pay attention to external things, but Xie Qi knew the extravagant customs of the aristocratic families.

Especially since this banquet wasn't being held at the Xie family's main residence but at their private garden "Spring Manor" in the outskirts of the city. Spring Manor was far from the hustle and bustle, famous for its scenic lake and mountains. He didn't want his well-intentioned invitation to Madam Shen to end up making her feel uncomfortable, which would be his fault.

Therefore, he had not only prepared clothes for Madam Shen but also for Xiang Jieer, Ji Geer, and even Chen Chuan. This way, she wouldn't be disturbed by those prying eyes and could relax for a day.

Meng San had been teasing Xie Qi with a mischievous look, but Xie Qi's gaze was clear and unflinching, meeting his eyes directly. Slowly, Meng San's teasing expression faded, and he turned his head away, relaxing his shoulders and lying back on the stone bench. He rested his arms behind his head and looked up at the drifting clouds in the sky, letting out a sigh. "Alright, I'll make this trip for you. Who would've thought you'd fall for a widow too? But... I really envy you."

To love someone so openly, without fear or hesitation, and without worrying about family opposition.

His family background was far inferior to Xie Qi's, and he didn't dare reveal his feelings, afraid that just speaking them out loud would anger his parents to death. Meng San suddenly sat up again and asked in a low voice, "Does your mother know about this?"

Xie Qi shook his head. He didn't know.

"And you still dare..." If these clothes were worn, others might not understand what was going on, but someone as sharp as Xie Qi's mother would see through it at a glance. How could she not understand his feelings?

Xie Qi casually handed the bowl of chilled dessert to Yan Shu, who had been drooling beside him, and replied, "Loving someone is not a disgrace. Why should I hide it? Asking you to make this trip isn't about hiding it from my mother. If she finds out and asks, I'll be honest with her. I just don't want to cause unnecessary gossip and let unrelated people judge her freely. Madam Shen is a good woman, and it's only natural that someone would admire her. Even if it weren't me, it would be someone else. I just don't want to hurt her because of me..."

Especially since... Madam Shen knew nothing about this.

He wanted to treat her well, and that was worth all the caution in the world.

Meng San was momentarily speechless but still curious. He leaned in, sitting up straight. "Xie Jiu, don't mind me being blunt. Your brother has gone to Qinzhou, and who knows when he'll return. You're your mother's only son now. Does the Lady of the Xie family really not care about your feelings? Or have you already thought of some argument that will surely convince her?"

Come on, tell me, teach me! Meng San was eager.

"No," Xie Qi saw through him. "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. It's not that my mother doesn't care. Back then, if it weren't for the marriage arrangement with the Cui family before I was born, given my mother's temperament, she might not have chosen Cui's sister as my wife. You know how awkward our family's position is in the capital now. The powerful families don't dare to marry into our family, and the same goes for other aristocratic families. Look at Feng Dalang's wife—she's just the daughter of a county magistrate. Nowadays, we no longer dare to seek alliances everywhere. We just want to live out our lives in peace. The Xu family was persecuted, my aunt committed suicide in the palace, Empress Guo was deposed and died in a Taoist temple. In the past three years, which family hasn't been on edge, fearing for their own safety..."

Meng San felt a chill in his heart, filled with sorrow. Moreover, the current emperor had deposed Empress Guo, who came from a scholarly family, on the grounds of her being childless, and instead elevated Zhang, originally a court musician, to be the new empress, entrusting her with the management of the palace and the control of the imperial harem.

How could this not strike fear into the hearts of the great families?

"Besides, my mother’s temperament has always been different from their lady’s."

"How so?" Meng San snapped back to attention, curious again. He had only met Lady Xie a couple of times during the New Year celebrations when he accompanied his parents, and had no other opportunities to see her. In his impression, she was a witty, kind, and dignified person, and he didn't notice anything particularly different.

"How should I put it? Just different. For example... when my elder brother decided to leave, to go on such a distant and perilous journey to seek a way out, my father cried so much that his tears and snot flowed freely. He didn’t want to use his own sleeve, so he grabbed mine and wailed for half an hour. But my mother didn’t shed a single tear. She simply handed my brother her dowry long staff and recited a poem, saying nothing more. Guess what the poem was?"

"What was it? 'The thread in the hands of a loving mother, the clothes on the body of a wandering son'?"

"Wrong. It was 'Through a hundred battles in the yellow sand, clad in golden armor, not returning until Loulan is conquered!' My mother was telling my brother to let go of all worries and just forge ahead." Xie Qi smiled slightly, "She’s told me similar things before. When I repeatedly failed the imperial examinations due to my unfortunate fate, she told me that taking the exams was not for her sake, nor for the sake of the Xie family. The Xie family of Chen County has existed for centuries, and we’ve seen all the glory and wealth imaginable. There’s no need to study merely to bring honor to the family. To act or not depends on the times; to advance or retreat is my choice. She only hopes I’ll read like Su Shi—to gain wisdom, to guard my heart, and to live with an open mind."

Meng San listened so intently that he grabbed Xie Qi’s hands, his voice trembling with excitement, "Xie Jiu, does your mother need another son? She must, right? Your Third Geer’s been gone for years, so how about... taking a sensible adopted son like me to serve her?"

Xie Qi silently pulled his hands away and pushed Meng San’s face aside, speechless, "Enough joking, hurry up and go—it’ll be dark soon." Meng San was shoved up by him, and heard him repeatedly remind, "Make sure you deliver it!"

Meng San picked up the bundle, looking back every few steps, "Are you really not going to adopt a son?"

What sin had he committed in a past life to end up with such a troublesome friend? Xie Qi gritted his teeth, "...Go quickly! My elder brother is just traveling far away, he will return, don’t try to take advantage of me and my mother!"

Shen Miao had no idea her actions nearly saddled the Xie family with another unreliable Third Geer. Today, she’d spent the entire day on the Fish Shaking Lottery Festival, and with all the gifts gone, it ended perfectly.

At first, she worried it wouldn’t succeed, since the price of two hundred and sixty wen per draw wasn’t cheap. If no one participated, the prizes she’d spent one or two thousand wen on would have to be disposed of later. To her surprise, many participated on the first day, revealing just how wealthy the Song people were.

Now it seemed nearly every household in the inner city had savings. Their spending power was impressive!

Shen Miao and Aunt Gu carried the lottery table inside together, and then Aunt Gu went home to rest. In the backyard, Xiang Jieer played a sandbag-throwing game with Thunder, tossing it high to make him jump and catch it. Wind lay beside Chen Chuan’s wheelchair, gnawing on the wheels and leaving tooth marks. For the past two days, Shen Miao had been too busy to mind him, and he’d run wild, digging everywhere and getting his fur filthy. A few days ago, he’d stuck his face into the stove for some reason, leaving it pitch black and so filthy that Shen Miao always wanted to bathe him.

The three chickens were plump too, with the two hens laying two eggs daily for Shen Miao. The little white rooster had grown a bright red comb and long tail feathers, becoming more majestic, but unfortunately, he still didn’t know how to crow, only taking every opportunity to mount the three-yellow hen, only to be pecked off fiercely by her.

You Gang had just filled the water vat and was standing by it with a carrying pole, looking satisfied.

Ji Geer had just returned from the academy and was still in his room catching up on his homework. It had only been one day off, and his teacher had already assigned him to copy two chapters of "Mencius". It was better not to have a break at all.

There was still some time before the night market opened, and with the event over, the shop was very quiet. Shen Miao decided to take the children out for a stroll and buy some lanterns to play with.

In a few days, it would be the Lotus Viewing Festival, and the streets were full of lotus lanterns for sale. Yesterday, Liu Douhua brought back a rabbit lantern with a pull string and two small wooden wheels on a lotus base, which made Xiang Jieer drool with envy. She not only surrounded it to look but also begged to borrow it to pull around for a couple of laps. But Liu Douhua treasured it so much that she pulled it and ran back to the tofu shop, not lending it to anyone.

As soon as it was announced that they were going out to buy lanterns, Xiang Jieer jumped up like a spring, cheering loudly! Shen Miao pushed Chen Chuan, called Ji Geer, and Xiang Jieer pulled You Gang, and the group set off in a grand procession.

Unexpectedly, a young scholar who looked somewhat familiar but whose name she couldn’t remember suddenly appeared in the front shop. He looked around furtively, and when no one was looking, he quickly stuffed a large bundle into Shen Miao’s arms, whispering, "From Xie Jiu."

Then he hurriedly led a donkey that kept making loud farting noises away.

Shen Miao wanted to ask more, so she quickly chased to the shop entrance, but the man, leading the donkey with a book boy following, was walking very fast. As he walked, he pinched his nose and cursed, seemingly scolding the donkey for eating so many beans.

She had no choice but to carry the bundle back to the backyard. Opening it, she found four sets of clothes, one large and three small, covering all four people in her household. For her, there was a pair of turquoise silver-thread embroidered lotus jackets and a moon-white pleated skirt; for Xiang Jieer, a crabapple-colored short jacket with a contrasting blouse and skirt; the other two sets were boys' wide-sleeved robes, also in more subdued greens, embroidered with a few clusters of green bamboo or pine branches.

But the fabrics were all of high quality, presumably good materials.

Although there were no words accompanying the clothes, Shen Miao, who was always more sensitive than others, understood at a glance.

This was another kind gesture from Ninth Geer.

She sat under the lamp, examining these sets of clothes, and couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed. She was quite familiar with Ninth Geer and had a measure of his character in her heart. Shen Miao wasn’t foolish; in the past, Ninth Geer’s actions weren’t very obvious, so she might have turned a blind eye, but such a large bundle of clothes, wrapped with his utmost consideration, almost overwhelmed her.

He didn’t send Yan Shu, nor Qiu Hao, nor Zhou Da or Zheng Neizhi, the Xie family servants, but specially asked an unrelated outsider to deliver it, showing his extreme caution, fearing that she might be the subject of gossip, right?

Some express their feelings boldly and directly, eager to marry the very next day after meeting; others express them with restraint and quietness, fearing to disturb.

People aren't made of stone; Shen Miao couldn't help but feel a stir in her heart.

Especially since Ninth Geer was such a good man—handsome, from a well-off family, and gentle by nature. If she were a woman of this time, basking in his favor and tender care, she wouldn’t feel so conflicted and uncertain as she does now.

But right now, she really wasn’t in the mood to think about love or marriage. She felt there were still so many things she wanted to do but hadn’t yet managed.

She turned her head and looked towards the small courtyard of the Shen family. The soft glow of the lanterns lit up the east wall, where a few tendrils of ivy had crept up. The little pond had gathered rainwater, and a few frogs had moved in uninvited a few days back, croaking away at night. But thanks to them, the mosquitoes that used to swarm around the lanterns had nearly vanished.

This was the little courtyard she’d built with her own two hands.

Xiang Jieer skipped in through the door, asking when they’d go lantern shopping.

She brought in the night breeze, which messed up her hair. Her tidy double buns were blown into two frizzy puffs. Shen Miao chuckled, retied the bundle, and stood up to take her hand: "Let’s head out now."

Some things don’t need to be fretted over alone; some words are better said when sitting down. Shen Miao quickly stopped overthinking. After all, she was a married woman from the streets, and she had a voice—there was no harm in speaking her mind.

The family happily went out to stroll again.

The streets were bustling with life. Shen Miao also grabbed two boxes of hawthorn cakes from Shopkeeper Wei’s bakery for everyone to snack on as they walked. When Shopkeeper Wei saw her, he paused for a moment but quickly put on a friendly face, chatting warmly and praising her business and skills as if nothing had ever gone wrong. Typical of a businessman, with no conflict of interest, his attitude shifted on a dime.

Shen Miao also tasted the hawthorn cakes. The texture was soft and chewy, not too sour, not too sweet—just right, with a flavor that reminded her of modern sour jujube cakes.

It was pretty good; she’d have to make it a regular buy.

When they encountered a lantern vendor, Shen Miao not only bought Xiang Jieer a lotus-seat rabbit lantern like Liu Douhua's but also got her a rotating lotus lantern. Xiang Jieer was so thrilled that she couldn’t stop grinning as she held the lanterns.

Youyu picked a lotus pod lantern with a long handle, like a lollipop, which was pretty neat. Ji Geer chose an octagonal palace lantern with poems written on it, which was elegant and refined.

Only Chen Chuan looked at the lanterns with a hint of melancholy.

Shen Miao noticed and bent down, softly asking if he wanted to pick one. He pretended to be mature, shaking his head and saying no, it wasn’t fun.

He’d been kidnapped during the Lantern Festival, so the scene must’ve brought back some memories. Shen Miao didn’t push him, just patted his head, and took a small tasseled ball lantern for herself. The group then hurried back home.

The next day, Shen Miao opened and retied the bundle three times before finally taking out the new clothes and putting them on. She also dressed Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer in new clothes, but Chen Chuan refused to change no matter what. Shen Miao had to ask Aunt Gu to look after him.

After the siblings were ready, Shen Miao brought along the hand-drawn paper version of her financing PPT, which she had stayed up late to make, and boarded the carriage sent by the Xie family. They rode through the morning mist towards the Xie family estate in the suburbs.

*

Meanwhile, about sixty miles away from Bianjing, on an old postal road, three dusty donkey carts stopped in front of a shabby inn.

A handsome young scholar jumped out of the first cart and eagerly lifted the curtain, helping his new bride down. Several servants who had followed the carts went ahead to ask the innkeeper for two upper rooms and one large dormitory.

Then they went to unload the last cart, which was full of luggage.

From the middle, slightly narrower and shabbier donkey cart, a fat old woman got down. The old woman had slanted eyes and a look of disdain for everything. Seeing her son helping his wife, she rolled her eyes and spat on the ground:

"If it weren’t for borrowing your Zheng family’s influence and money to ensure my son’s future, she should have been serving by my side like that Shen woman!"