Seventh Miss quickly changed into Ninth Young Master’s clothes.
She and Ninth Young Master looked almost identical to begin with. At their young age, gender was indistinguishable. Wearing Ninth Young Master’s usual sapphire blue bamboo-leaf straight robe and donning a small silver crown, she looked like a second Ninth Young Master standing before everyone. Lichun’s eyes couldn’t help but brighten.
Seventh Miss had some vague guesses in her heart but didn’t voice them. She smiled at Bailu and was pulled out of the courtyard by Lichun.
“Second Lady is in the main hall talking with the Grand Lady.” Lichun said to Seventh Miss as they walked. “When you meet, don’t bow first. The Grand Lady is joking with Second Lady—she’s found two Ninth Young Masters and is having Second Lady tell them apart.”
Seventh Miss now understood.
Second Master Yang Haixi’s parents had died when he was still in swaddling clothes. He grew up following First Master. In the first years after the Grand Lady married in, she raised Second Master as her own son. Second Master was quite unruly in his youth—who knew how many times the Grand Lady had beaten him with a bamboo rod. Only after First Master passed the imperial examinations and entered officialdom did Second Master settle down and study earnestly behind closed doors. After ten years of diligent study, he passed the imperial examination and was now serving at the Hanlin Academy.
Second Lady was the match the Grand Lady had arranged for Second Master. She was technically the Grand Lady’s cousin once removed. Though her family wasn’t as wealthy as the Grand Lady’s, they too were scholarly for generations.
Unfortunately, the first branch had always struggled with heirs. First Master was nearly fifty with only Ninth Young Master as his sole son. In the second branch, Second Lady had given Second Master three sons in succession right after marrying in. Before Ninth Young Master was born years ago, First Master had considered adopting one to be registered under the Grand Lady’s name.
When the Yang family first prospered, they had only a small two-courtyard home and a few hundred acres of land. Now the first branch possessed vast wealth. First Master had sat in the Jiangnan Governor-General position for seven years. Seven years ago, he was Jiangsu’s Regional Administrator—also an extremely lucrative post. Second Master, however, was still just a poor Hanlin scholar in the capital. The first branch had always provided financial support to the second branch.
How could the second branch not want this?
Just at this time, Ninth Young Master was born. From then on, a rift formed between Second Lady and the Grand Lady.
Though Seventh Miss lived in the south side courtyard, she knew that Ninth Young Master’s few illnesses had all occurred after Second Lady’s visits.
Too coincidental indeed.
Seventh Miss suddenly felt calm—she wasn’t afraid of the Grand Lady wanting something from her; what she feared was precisely the Grand Lady wanting nothing.
If there was want, there was room to perform, room to negotiate, possibility to rise.
She showed a brilliant smile and followed Lichun into the main building.
Lichun looked at her with both surprise and admiration, pursing her lips as she led her to the west secondary room.
The west secondary room was where the Grand Lady received guests—outside guests, not family members. This showed how estranged the Grand Lady and Second Lady had become.
Seeing Seventh Miss arrive, the Grand Lady’s face lit up with joy.
“Ninth Young Master, come here!” She extended her hand, calling warmly.
Seventh Miss cheerfully trotted over and nestled into the Grand Lady’s embrace. The Grand Lady carried a faint scent of sparrow tongue tea. The brilliant brocade treasure flower pattern swayed before her eyes.
“Ninth Young Master.” The middle-aged woman seated below the Grand Lady called out with a smile.
This was a refined-looking woman, appearing to be in her early thirties. She wore a ginger-yellow tribute satin jacket trimmed with grey squirrel fur at the edges. A light blue horse-face skirt gracefully spread across her knees, faintly revealing her shoe tops. She looked dignified, noble, and somewhat approachable.
Seventh Miss only smiled without responding.
Satisfaction gleamed in the Grand Lady’s eyes. She beckoned to Lichun.
Lichun smiled with pursed lips and went down. Soon she brought Ninth Young Master in.
Ninth Young Master wore clothes identical to Seventh Miss’s. Upon entering, he rushed into the Grand Lady’s arms, nearly colliding with Seventh Miss.
Seventh Miss quickly made room for him. The two small figures nestled beside the Grand Lady, gazing at each other face to face.
“Oh my, these siblings truly look alike.” Second Lady laughed, patting the armrest of her grand chair. “Which one is really Ninth Young Master?”
Ninth Young Master couldn’t hold out first and turned to call Second Lady. “Second Aunt!”
Seventh Miss quickly followed. “Second Aunt!”
Their tone, voice, and manner were identical.
The Grand Lady showed a slight satisfied smile and patted Seventh Miss’s shoulder approvingly. Seventh Miss forcibly suppressed the urge to shrink her shoulders. She raised her eyes to smile at the Grand Lady, treating herself as Ninth Young Master—smiling both adorably and boldly.
Ninth Young Master grew somewhat unhappy. His large eyes rolled as he looked at Seventh Miss, biting his lip without speaking.
Second Lady observed this and smiled, extending her hands toward Ninth Young Master. “Come, Ninth Young Master, come to Second Aunt. Second Aunt dotes on you.”
Fortunately, Ninth Young Master didn’t go over, nor did he respond to Second Lady’s words. Second Lady had to beckon to Seventh Miss instead. “Ninth Young Master, Second Aunt mistook you. It’s Second Aunt’s fault. Look, I brought you something nice.”
The Grand Lady could no longer contain herself and laughed proudly.
Seventh Miss also smiled and walked before Second Lady to bow. “Seventh Miss greets Second Aunt.”
Second Lady was dumbstruck. After a long while, she forced out a smile and took out a white jade twin-fish pendant from her waist, handing it to Seventh Miss. “Second Aunt’s meeting gift.”
Whatever the relationship between Second Lady and the Grand Lady, she had been kind to Seventh Miss, knowing she lacked good clothes and specially allocating some. Seventh Miss smiled with lowered eyes and accepted the jade pendant. “Thank you, Second Aunt.”
Ninth Young Master also stood beside the Grand Lady greeting, “Ninth Young Master greets Second Aunt,” but didn’t approach Second Lady.
The Grand Lady waved her hand. “You siblings go play. You don’t need to attend school this afternoon—it’s rare for Second Lady to visit.” Her words carried a hint of mockery, but Second Lady acted as if she hadn’t heard, simply sitting serenely with a smile.
Though told to go play, they only moved from the west secondary room to the east side room. This was where the Grand Lady usually resided. The bed in the east secondary room was where Ninth Young Master slept.
The east secondary room and east side room were separated only by a gauze cabinet. Any movement from Ninth Young Master, the Grand Lady would immediately know—the east side room’s furnishings were even more austere than the east secondary room’s.
Only now did Seventh Miss understand what it meant to be a treasured child.
At first, Ninth Young Master ignored Seventh Miss, only playing with building blocks on the window-side heated platform. Being young, he quickly warmed up, coming before Seventh Miss to look left and right, then invited her, “Come build blocks with me?”
Seventh Miss glanced at the young maid attending nearby. Ninth Young Master introduced, “This is Xiaoxue. Mother has her attend to me.”
Xiaoxue had a round head and face—not pretty but very cute. She bowed to Seventh Miss before saying, “Seventh Miss, please play with Ninth Young Master for a while. His sisters aren’t here, and he’s quite bored.”
Seventh Miss had no choice but to pick up blocks and build with Ninth Young Master. She was somewhat curious. “Why aren’t you attending school this afternoon?”
Ninth Young Master fell silent. Seventh Miss also stopped talking. Only then did she hear faint, small footsteps. Before long, Lichun entered carrying a plate of cherries, smiling as she handed it to Xiaoxue. “Precious things brought by Second Lady.”