That night, Minglan slept restlessly, drifting between dreams and wakefulness, constantly feeling as if someone was watching her. In her dazed state, she cracked open her eyes to find Gu Tingye leaning slightly over her, gazing intently. Utterly exhausted, she mumbled, "Why aren't you asleep yet?" After a long pause, Gu Tingye replied softly, "Sleep well. You've been worn out these past days."
His tone was filled with profound tenderness and affection, tinged with a hint of remorse.
The girl's long lashes fluttered abruptly.
She was indeed exhausted.
Managing such a large household was draining. The endless social engagements, gift exchanges, and interpersonal dealings were wearying. Remaining constantly vigilant against others' schemes was even more taxing—every word had to be weighed thrice before speaking, every action deliberated seven or eight times before acting. She feared criticism, reproach, and most of all, making a misstep that might bring trouble upon him. Continuing like this, she might as well leap straight into a madhouse.
Long, long ago, she had vowed before the Buddha that she would strive to live well.
No matter how busy her days, she always carved out time to rest—admiring flowers, reading, playing chess, painting, secretly delighting in her "Brokeback Mountain series" embroidery. Facing the pristine lake and mountains, she would silently recite Buddhist scriptures. Those graceful poems, those vast chronicles of rivers and peaks, swept through her like a refreshing mountain breeze, carrying a strange, soothing power.
Smiling, praying, she begged the Buddha for mercy—wishing only for peace, joy, and a heart clear as a mirror.
Everyone said she was blessed—but at least this man understood her weariness and struggles.
Minglan tilted herself sideways, wriggling like a little stray dog into his embrace. In the cool late-spring night, only the warmth of this man's arms felt real.
After breakfast, the three residents of Kouxiang Garden came as usual to pay their respects.
Qiu Niang's eyes were swollen like walnuts, clearly from crying all night, her spirits utterly depleted. Hongxiao, however, remained cheerfully talkative as if completely unaware of any incident. As for Rong Jie'er, well-fed and cared for daily, she was finally gaining some rosiness, though she still only uttered single words or short phrases.
Minglan conversed warmly with them, initiating three sentences each before letting them steer the conversation—typically led by Hongxiao. But today, Minglan spoke a few extra words.
"Mama Chang will visit this afternoon. Have Mama Hua bring Rong Jie'er over then."
Qiu Niang's lips twitched, but she stayed silent. Rong Jie'er lifted her bowed head slightly. Hongxiao exclaimed with delight, "Mama Chang is coming? I've often heard the master speak of her. Now that we're all in the capital, we can visit frequently!" Her tone brimmed with anticipation.
Minglan glanced at her, lifted her teacup, and said mildly, "The master instructed that since Mama Chang once cared for Rong Jie'er, she should come out to greet her."
Qiu Niang's face grew even grimmer. Rong Jie'er lowered her small head thoughtfully, as if recalling something. Hongxiao's eyes flickered briefly before she beamed and swiftly changed the subject. Minglan let her ramble for five minutes before raising her teacup to signal the end of the audience.
After they left, Minglan stared blankly at the ornately carved, brocade-draped beams overhead. This Mama Chang, she mused, was quite an extraordinary character.After losing her newborn daughter, she went to the Bai family to work as a wet nurse. She served diligently and reliably, and Old Master Bai offered to take in both her and her husband. However, Mama Chang politely declined, preferring fewer benefits to maintain her independence. As Old Master Bai’s fortunes grew, Mama Chang’s loyalty earned her increasing trust, and her family’s circumstances gradually improved. When Madame Bai married, many servants clamored to follow her to the marquis’s estate for a life of comfort, but Mama Chang did not join them. Instead, she returned to her hometown to manage her own small household.
Even after Gu Tingye’s rapid rise to prominence, Mama Chang did not rush to attach herself to him. She firmly chose to remain an ordinary, free commoner. When Clear Garden was first established, she came to the estate at Gu Tingye’s request to help with the reorganization for a period. Once Gongsun Xiansheng arrived from the south, she returned to her own home.
This time, she even made it clear that she would only visit in the afternoon.
This was quite intriguing. In ancient times, guests usually visited in the morning. Minglan privately speculated about Mama Chang’s considerations: first, visiting in the afternoon increased the likelihood of running into Gu Tingye; second, if she came in the morning, the host would inevitably insist on her staying for a meal.
Despite her seniority and respect, Mama Chang had once served as a wet nurse for the Bai family, which placed her in a semi-servant status. For this reason, she refused to sit at the same table as her hosts for meals. Yet, she seemed unwilling to explicitly state this principle of "servants not dining with their masters," as it would demean herself. Thus, she simply chose to visit in the afternoon.
This elderly woman strictly adhered to social hierarchies but also carried herself with pride.
Around the second quarter of the Hour of the Goat, Minglan woke from her nap, washed her face, and was in the middle of styling her hair when someone outside announced: Mama Chang and her family of four had arrived. Minglan immediately sent Cuixiu to teach Rong Jie’er at Kouxiang Garden. After dressing properly, she went to the small parlor to wait. Shortly after, Liao Yong’s wife led the guests into the room.
At the forefront was an elderly woman with graying hair, dressed in a dark blue, unpatterned brocade jacket edged with two-finger-wide black velvet. Her round face was full of wrinkles, and she wore a solemn expression. Behind her was a woman in her late thirties, wearing a long rust-red thin satin gown with subtle patterned motifs. Following them were a pair of young children: a girl of about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in an apricot-yellow embroidered jacket with winding floral patterns, and a boy who appeared just over ten years old, wearing a plain, light-colored Confucian-style robe.
Minglan found the boy’s attire very familiar—her younger brother Changdong often wore similar styles, though the fabric and embroidery here were of much finer quality.
Minglan rose slowly and stepped forward with a smile, offering a slight bow to Mama Chang. "You’ve finally come, Mama. I’ve been looking forward to your visit for so long. My husband has mentioned you countless times."
Mama Chang sidestepped slightly to avoid Minglan’s gesture of respect and, at the same time, bent her knees to perform a proper curtsy in return. She said solemnly, "This old woman pays her respects to the Madam."
As she spoke, she also observed Minglan. The young lady before her was in the prime of her youth, dressed in a light purple gauze jacket embroidered with cloud patterns and lotus motifs. Her hair was styled in a falling chignon, simply adorned with a mutton-fat jade lotus-headed Ruyi hairpin. She resembled dew freshly formed at dawn—radiant, elegant, and breathtakingly beautiful. Her demeanor was gentle and refined, her eyes kind and clear, exuding an aura of noble purity.
Upon their first meeting, Mama Chang couldn’t help but nod inwardly in approval.She turned slightly and gestured to the person behind her, saying, "This is my daughter-in-law, née Hu." The middle-aged woman lowered her head and stepped forward to curtsy to Minglan. Minglan smiled and returned a half-curtsy. "Greetings, Sister Chang."
"May the lady be well." Chang Hu-shi lifted her head slightly. She had a somewhat pleasing appearance, though her skin was slightly dark, and the corners of her mouth drooped, giving her a perpetually sorrowful expression. She immediately began to flatter, her face breaking into an ingratiating smile. "I've long been eager to meet you, my lady. Everyone says you were born from a celestial maiden, and I didn't believe it at first. But seeing you today—oh, how could the Queen Mother of Heaven bear to let you descend to the mortal realm!"
As soon as Minglan caught sight of Chang Hu-shi's attire, she couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. How bold of someone with dark skin to wear dark red! Hearing these words, she couldn't suppress a chuckle. "Sister Chang, you are quite the humorist! Please, take a seat."
Chang Hu-shi, however, was in no hurry to sit. She glanced at her mother-in-law, who pointed to the two children behind her. "This is my granddaughter, Chang Yan, and this is my grandson, Chang Nian. Yanzi, Nian Ge'er, pay your respects."
The siblings immediately stepped forward, bowing on either side. This time, Minglan could accept their greetings without returning the gesture. When the siblings lifted their heads, Minglan couldn't help but pause in surprise.
The siblings looked quite alike, both with slightly dark skin and delicate features, yet their temperaments were vastly different. Chang Yan was merely an ordinary girl from a modest family, and having lived in the countryside on the outskirts of the capital for the past few years, she carried a rustic air. Chang Nian, however, exuded a scholarly and upright demeanor. He spoke clearly and carried himself with natural ease, showing none of the restraint typical of common-born youths in the presence of wealth and nobility.
Everyone sat down to talk, and even the Chang siblings were given stools to sit on.
It seemed to be the first visit for Chang Hu-shi and her two children. Once seated, they couldn't resist glancing around at the furnishings in the hall, especially Chang Hu-shi. The hall was elegantly decorated, with an understated refinement that spoke of extreme luxury.
A foot-tall vase of mutton-fat jade, flawless and pure, stood simply on a curio shelf. Two rows of carved rosewood chairs, with their dark, polished wood, gleamed softly. Chang Hu-shi couldn't stop running her hands over the chair she sat on, exclaiming repeatedly, "This is truly a marvelous place, my lady. I feel as though I've stepped into a celestial palace! Good heavens, look at this bonsai... Could it be made of jade? And this cool bamboo mat—what kind of bamboo is it woven from?"
The woman's words and actions carried a distinctly common air, hardly fitting for such an occasion. Mama Chang, sitting nearby, frowned slightly and glanced at her daughter-in-law but refrained from speaking. As for Minglan, she showed no disdain or impatience, nor did she go out of her way to flatter Mama Chang. Instead, she smiled lightly and teased, as though Chang Hu-shi's words were genuinely amusing.
"I'm not entirely sure," Minglan said, trying to recall. "I believe it's bamboo from Sichuan. They take towering mao bamboo, slice it into strips, and select only the finest and most resilient pieces. These are then drawn into long, thin strands, about the thickness of bamboo skewers, and polished repeatedly with smooth, round stones—perhaps over a thousand times—until they become as fine as silk threads. Only then are they woven into mats." It was this meticulous process that produced mats as soft and white as satin.
Chang Hu-shi gasped in awe, her eyes filled with envy. "Heavens above! How much work must that take? How precious it must be! No wonder it feels so smooth to the touch. Ah, we common folk are truly blessed to have the chance to use such things!"Minglan found it difficult to feign modesty in this matter. In ancient times, society wasn't a commodity-based economy—sometimes even money couldn't buy certain things. Under imperial rule, the finest goods were often tributes reserved for the court, crafted exclusively by artisans in imperial workshops.
As summer approached, the palace continuously bestowed heat-relief items, many of which Minglan had never seen before. Take this bamboo-silk cooling mat, for instance—if not for the risk of bamboo products molding over time, she would have stored it away in the treasury.
Mama Chang's brows furrowed deeply. She shot her daughter-in-law a sharp glance, effectively silencing Mrs. Chang Hu's incessant chatter. Minglan remained unperturbed, exchanging a few pleasantries before turning to Mama Chang: "...I heard you're now living in Cat Ear Lane. Is the residence comfortable? Is the commute convenient?"
The wrinkles on Mama Chang's face softened. "Thanks to Ye-ge'er, the house is splendid—two courtyards with dual sections. It's more than enough for our widow-and-orphans household of four. Even when Nian Ge'er marries and has children someday, it'll suffice. The neighbors on both sides are decent, respectable families, and the lane connects to main roads front and back. Whether by carriage or sedan chair, it's easily accessible."
"That's good to hear. My husband and I can rest assured..." Minglan picked up a vibrant fruit from the celadon plate, smiling as she prepared to continue. But Mrs. Chang Hu interjected again: "Not everything's perfect though. The location is rather remote and quiet. Buying writing materials for Nian Ge'er or new clothes for Yanzi requires half a day's journey. If only we could—"
"Hold your tongue!" Mama Chang's expression darkened. She thumped her teacup heavily on the table. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Mrs. Chang Hu immediately fell silent. Curious, Minglan observed that though the woman had closed her mouth, she showed no signs of shame or irritation—thick-skinned and seemingly accustomed to her mother-in-law's scoldings, unfazed by public reprimands. She even began snacking on pastries and fruits as if nothing had happened.
After glaring at her daughter-in-law, Mama Chang turned back to Minglan: "Please don't stand on ceremony, Madam. We've already imposed on Ye-ge'er beyond measure." She sighed, her tone growing somber. "It's all my good-for-nothing son's fault! He failed at scholarly pursuits, then tried his hand at business—only to be swindled. Our family lost everything and still couldn't cover the debts. He was beaten half to death, and the trouble nearly extended to the rest of us. That's why I swallowed my pride and dragged the whole family to the capital. Little did I know my elder daughter had passed away over a decade earlier. When all hope seemed lost, Ye-ge'er came through! He helped us acquire farmland and this house—that's how we've survived till now."
These words elicited unconcealed surprise from Minglan.
Her astonishment wasn't due to Mama Chang's story itself, but rather the old woman's blunt frankness in airing the family's dirty laundry.
Gu Tingye had never mentioned any of this to Minglan, but she had long speculated about the circumstances.
Ancient traditions emphasized staying rooted to one's homeland and maintaining family enterprises—people didn't lightly abandon their native places. If Mama Chang had been living comfortably in Haining, why would she suddenly uproot her family for the capital? Having lost contact with her former master's household for nearly two decades, it wasn't likely due to a sudden surge of loyalty. Nor did the Chang family appear to have scholars taking imperial exams in the capital or business plans to open branches.
Thus, only one conclusion remained: the Chang family could no longer remain in their hometown—they had come seeking refuge with their former masters.Since their marriage, although Minglan had many questions in her heart—Yanhong's death, the full story of Man Niang, and the other child—if Gu Tingye was willing to speak of them, she would listen, but she never took the initiative to ask. Even between husband and wife, some hidden shadows in the heart are not convenient to speak of aloud, and Gu Tingye clearly had no intention of bringing them up.
Mama Chang had been in the capital for nearly ten years and surely knew all the inside stories. She was precisely the breakthrough point, so for a long time, Minglan had intentionally studied Mama Chang's character and behavior.
So, what kind of person was she, after all?
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