Once the third day passed, the entire household was frantically busy.
Before the New Year, the Grand Master had received the Emperor’s favor with a plaque reading “Pillar of Support.” The bittersweet implications of this were naturally clear to him, but outsiders saw only the glory.
This year, the number of visitors coming to call was unprecedented.
The Grand Madam naturally had to take charge personally, and even the three unmarried young misses became highly sought after. Whenever any madam or lady came calling, they all wanted to see the Yang family’s young ladies with their own eyes. Whether Fifth Miss, Sixth Miss, or Seventh Miss, each had people holding their hands, praising them endlessly, reluctant to let go for ages.
Fifth Miss had a strong temperament and no patience for socializing with these madams and ladies who appeared out of nowhere. After just a few days, she claimed illness and recuperated at Moon Arrival Pavilion. Sixth Miss and Seventh Miss dared not imitate her willfulness.
Over time, the two inevitably grew weary of it.
Especially Sixth Miss—with her gentle, innocent temperament and beautiful appearance, being of concubine birth meant no concerns about being too lowly a match. This year she had just come of age and reached marriageable age…
She was actually even more popular than Seventh Miss.
Those fifth and sixth rank officials—how could their families not have several legitimate sons who hoped to make their mark in official careers? The Yang family was famous for their generosity, having made spectacular dowry arrangements for several daughters already. No wonder these madams and ladies found everything about Sixth Miss delightful.
In the latter days, Seventh Miss simply followed Fifth Miss’s example and claimed illness, leaving the entire stage for Sixth Miss to shine.
Rarely did so many people come this year, and the Grand Madam was willing to let Sixth Miss appear publicly. There was no need for her to compete with Sixth Miss.
Though the Grand Madam felt helpless, over the years she had indulged Fifth Miss to the point where she couldn’t bear to scold or strike her. As for Seventh Miss, she had been considerate, gentle, and virtuous year after year… For her to be willful just this once, even the Grand Madam couldn’t bring herself to reprimand her.
She could only pull Sixth Miss to deflect those passionately enthusiastic female guests, dressing her up beautifully and impeccably every day to receive compliments—which wasn’t without its pleasures at the year’s beginning.
After the Lantern Festival, the Governor’s Mansion finally quieted down again.
The Grand Master, however, had received over ten marriage proposal letters.
As Seventh Miss read them to the Grand Master, he smiled throughout.
“When one family has a daughter, a hundred families seek her hand. Sixth Miss has reached marriageable age indeed.”
Never mind Sixth Miss—even for Fifth Miss, letters had come from the capital inquiring about her situation. The Xu family wasn’t the only one interested in seeking a match.
However, though Xu Fengjia himself had come to Suzhou, though the Grand Madam had written to Lady Xu, and though Lady Xu had even sent several letters in reply, there had been no hint of requesting a match or proposing marriage. The Grand Madam couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
“What exactly are the Xu family’s intentions?” she grumbled to the Grand Master. “Fifth Miss is already sixteen. In a few more years she’ll be an old maid. Surely they’re not going to wait until Fengjia returns to the capital before proposing?”
Great households had many proprieties. If the two families began marriage negotiations, Xu Fengjia would indeed be unsuitable to continue residing at Chuiyang Studio.
The Grand Master was also helpless. “Such matters are hardly something we can press them about… If you truly can only favor the Xu family, then we’ll just have to wait.”
The Grand Madam shot the Grand Master a look and said no more.
After the Lantern Festival, the New Year celebrations were considered complete.
Aside from the young ladies, everyone had business to attend to.
Once court was in session, the Grand Master prepared to audit the salt and iron accounts, starting with Fujian. These past days, messengers had already departed, and the outer courtyard was packed daily, sometimes requiring overnight stays at the Governor’s Office.
The Grand Madam also began making rounds with Seventh Miss to attend spring wine banquets, especially accepting invitations from Zhejiang Province families most frequently.
Xu Fengjia went to stay briefly at Xukou and hadn’t returned to Chuiyang Studio for half a month. Minge, Dage, and Honge remained home studying behind closed doors.
Ninth Brother, however, had enrolled at Shantang Academy.
Though Shantang Academy was far away in Mudu, the Grand Madam insisted Ninth Brother commute daily rather than allowing him to lodge near the academy.
“He’s the only precious heir in this entire household. If anything happens to him, I won’t be able to eat or sleep well. If you let Ninth Brother stay at the academy, you’re deliberately tormenting me!” the Grand Madam fumed at the Grand Master.
The Grand Master had no choice but to agree, arranging five or six attendants to escort Ninth Brother to his studies daily and bring him back at the appointed time.
Even the three Minge brothers were extremely busy. They naturally had a group of classmates preparing for this year’s provincial examination. Every day they either attended literary gatherings or were summoned by the Grand Master to the outer courtyard to practice eight-legged essays with the secretaries and advisors. Sometimes when the Grand Master was free, he took them to tour Suzhou’s famous sites, composing poetry.
Surprisingly, the most idle was Fifth Miss.
This year the Grand Madam only brought Seventh Miss to spring wine banquets—not that she was unwilling to bring Fifth Miss, but after declining every invitation, it eventually became habit.
“Young girls of age really do have so many thoughts,” the Grand Madam could only complain to Seventh Miss. “Usually when I mention Fengjia to her, it’s all ‘won’t marry, won’t marry, wouldn’t marry him no matter who.’ But look—Fengjia reduces his visits and she becomes unable to eat or drink… Ah, she’s reached that age!”
Seventh Miss couldn’t help marveling at the Grand Madam’s wishful thinking.
However, regarding this matter, from any angle, it wasn’t appropriate for her to speak.
She could only smile subtly. “Fifth Sister’s thoughts—even I can’t guess them now…”
The Grand Madam looked at Seventh Miss with a smile. “Don’t learn from your Fifth Sister! All that awkwardness only hurts herself! Once your Fifth Sister’s match is settled, we’ll immediately arrange Sixth Sister’s engagement to the Li family. After that, it’ll be your turn. Whether the Gui family or another, Mother only cares that you’re happy!”
Seventh Miss’s face flushed. “Mother only knows how to tease Little Seven!”
This made the Grand Madam laugh heartily. Only then did Seventh Miss lower her head and sigh quietly to herself.
She looked up and asked the Grand Madam, “Mother is in such fine spirits this year. How is it you’re willing to accept invitations even from various madams?”
In previous years, the Grand Madam only attended spring wine banquets at limited households like the Li and Zhang families. No matter how high their rank, she wouldn’t attend homes with whom she didn’t regularly socialize.
The Grand Madam first stepped back, examining herself in the glass mirror from all angles, and asked Seventh Miss, “This ensemble looks good, doesn’t it?”
For her first visit to various madams’ homes, the Grand Madam had dressed rather richly, even wearing a complete set of red gold and pearl ornaments.
Seventh Miss tactfully suggested, “It’s lovely, but these ornaments look heavy. In Little Seven’s opinion, wearing just a coronet would suffice. Even with fewer pearls and kingfisher feathers, it wouldn’t diminish your status.”
“You don’t understand,” the Grand Madam instructed Seventh Miss. “Many guests at the Zhu family’s spring banquet haven’t met us before. If we don’t display sufficient grandeur at this first meeting, it might diminish the Governor’s Mansion’s standing.”
Seventh Miss nodded, accepting the lesson.
The Grand Madam then pulled her before the mirror. “Let me see, let me see… Mm… one more pearl hairpin would look even better!”