Third Master Yin's visit to Yin Shi's quarters ultimately stemmed from Madam Shen and Shen Ti.
Concubine Yan had passed away, and while Third Master Yin felt sorrow, his younger sister and nephew's homecoming visit took precedence. He devoted all his energy to this matter, fearing any oversight that might slight his sister.
Today had proceeded smoothly overall. Knowing his wife would have a private meeting with his sister, he deliberately returned to his rooms early to inquire about the situation.
Third Madam pursed her lips. "Younger sister simply wouldn't take the bait. Don't entertain any wild ideas. Since we have no legitimate daughter of our own, how could you possibly offer a concubine-born daughter to her? Wouldn't you feel ashamed? And with the Shen family's precious grandson—aren't you afraid of putting younger sister in a difficult position with her mother-in-law and husband?"
How could Third Master Yin not have considered this? He had merely clung to a sliver of unrealistic hope. Now that it was dashed, he felt a slight disappointment, though not an overwhelming one.
It had been a foolish notion from the start.
Just then, someone came to report: "The young master personally visited Fourth Daughter's courtyard to see her and even brought gifts."
In a grand household like this, there were no secrets. Moreover, Shen Ti had been open and aboveboard, so naturally the servants reported it to Third Madam.
"Oh?" Third Madam said. "It must be that younger sister pities Fourth Daughter. Really, Xi Ge is still a child himself—to trouble him with this."
Third Master Yin, however, brightened. "She is her own dear niece, of course she cares."
If his sister cared for her niece, it was naturally because she was close to him, her brother—love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof.
If an aunt could show such concern, a father could not do less than an aunt she had never even met. Putting on a show of concern, he asked about Yin Shi's condition: "How is Fourth Daughter?"
"Didn't we already report this morning? She's much better than yesterday," Third Madam replied. "She woke up in the afternoon and came to pay her respects, but unfortunately, I was with the children at younger sister's place and missed her. The maids say she's almost fully recovered. I suppose she was just frightened at first. A couple more doses of medicine to calm her nerves should set her right."
This reminded Third Master Yin of the recently deceased Concubine Yan.
Concubine Yan had been ill for quite some time. As the saying goes, prolonged illness tests even a filial son's devotion, let alone that for a mere concubine. Whatever affection he once held had long faded by her sickbed.
Madam Shen sending Shen Ti to visit Yin Shi unexpectedly stirred the last remnants of Third Master Yin's tenderness and paternal affection. He sighed, lifted the hem of his robe, and stood up. "I'll go see Fourth Daughter."
Thus, he arrived at Yin Shi's courtyard. Upon entering, he saw both of the older maids waiting outside.
Third Master Yin frowned. "Why aren't you inside attending to the young lady?"
Afraid of ghosts and neglecting their duties, Qing Yan and Qiao Que naturally dared not tell the truth. Qing Yan wiped her eyes and said, "The young lady misses her concubine and doesn't want us around, preferring to be alone. But we didn't dare actually obey. We left Yunjuan inside to keep watch. If anything happens, she'll call us in right away."
Third Master Yin's eyes reddened. "She's just lost her birth mother. You must be careful with her. If she cries or fusses, comfort her."
Qing Yan hurriedly assented. "This servant understands."
Third Master said, "Go and inform her."
Qing Yan, now setting aside her fear, eagerly went inside to announce his arrival.
As his daughter was grown, even her father could not enter the inner chamber. Third Master waited in the main hall.
He rarely visited his daughter's courtyard. Now, glancing around, he saw that the room was properly furnished—paintings on the walls, vases on the long narrow table. It seemed his wife and the servants had not mistreated this concubine-born daughter.
Every item was merely adequate, neither flawed nor exceptional, at best deserving only an "all in order" assessment.
Third Master sighed softly.
Yin Shi had been lounging in her room, idly contemplating the future, when Qing Yan suddenly entered to announce that her "father" had arrived. Startled, she sprang to her feet.
She had dared to put on a tearful performance in front of her cousin from the Shen family because they had never met before, and he had no idea what she was really like. But this was her own father.
At that moment, Yin Shi’s first instinct was to revert to the parent-child dynamics of another time and space—a family living together under one roof, seeing each other daily and knowing one another intimately. How could she not be nervous?
She steadied herself, then quickly remembered this was a different era. Look, even her own father wouldn’t enter her inner quarters; he waited outside and had a maid announce him.
It was different, indeed.
While Qing Yan helped Yin Shi tidy her clothes, Yin Shi had already formed a plan. She was, after all, a young girl who had just lost her birth mother, wasn’t she? She could behave in any way she pleased.
Crying was fine, making a scene was fine, acting foolish was fine, even fainting would do, right? She had already been frightened into a high fever before.
Once she had thought it through, her panic subsided. Yin Shi followed Qing Yan out, and as she passed through the second partition door, she lowered her head.
Third Master Yin stood with his hands behind his back, examining the furnishings in the main hall. Hearing the sound, he turned and saw his fourth daughter walking out slowly, her head bowed.
She looked utterly pitiful.
A pang of tenderness stirred in Third Master Yin’s heart. He called out, "Shi’er."
Yin Shi slowly raised her head and glanced at the man before her.
He was quite handsome. Her father was good-looking, so it made sense that the daughters he had with his beautiful concubines would be even prettier. Logical.
She murmured a low "Father," then lowered her head again, not even offering him a proper greeting.
That day, she hadn’t even met her legal mother, Third Madam, nor had she had the chance to practice the proper etiquette for greetings. Although she had memories of such customs, her body was still unfamiliar with them.
Rather than performing a clumsy, nonstandard greeting that might give her away, it was better to play dumb.
It worked perfectly. His once obedient and well-behaved fourth daughter now appeared dull and dazed, which tugged at her father’s heartstrings. Third Master Yin sighed and patted her head, explaining, "These past two days, your aunt’s homecoming has been a major family affair. She and I share the same mother, and your grandfather entrusted all the arrangements to me. I truly couldn’t get away. As soon as things settled today, I came to see you."
Hearing this, Yin Shi didn’t bother trying to guess whether that concubine had seen her husband before her death. It was exhausting.
With many women, love becomes diluted. With many children, affection becomes divided.
Moreover, the original body’s birth mother was merely a concubine—there might not have been any love at all. Even if there was, it was likely just favor, which is ultimately different from love.
Seeing his daughter remain unresponsive, appearing dazed and foolish—nothing like what his wife had described as "mostly recovered"—it was clear she was still lost in grief over her mother’s death.
A sense of guilt welled up in Third Master Yin’s heart. After a moment’s thought, he said gently, "I’m thinking of arranging a memorial service for your concubine at Donglin Temple, so she may pass on peacefully. You’re still young, so you don’t have to go. You can just recite sutras for her at home…"
Before he could finish the word "sutras," Yin Shi fell to her knees with a thud. "I’ll go!"
Talk about a timely opportunity.
Yin Shi had originally planned to use the mourning period for the original body’s mother as a transitional phase to integrate herself. Now, with the chance to go to a temple, wasn’t that even better?
Her kneeling held no burden—it was just acting, not to be taken seriously.
Moreover, not only was she taking on the identity of someone else's daughter, but she would also be eating and drinking at this person's expense in the future. Kneeling to him once could be considered a gesture of gratitude.
"Father…" The actress's eyes brimmed with tears. "Not only do I want to go, but I also want to… I also want to…"
For a moment, she couldn't recall the term she was looking for, so she quickly gasped for breath, pretending to be overwhelmed with tears. After a few gasps, she remembered: "Recite sutras and pray for blessings for Concubine Yan… Yes, I'll recite sutras and pray for blessings for Concubine Yan at the temple… She is my birth mother, and I will observe mourning for her."
Third Master Yin hesitated. "It's good to have filial piety, but you're still too young, and life in the temple is austere…"
Yin Shi clutched the hem of his long robe. "I also want to pray for blessings for Grandfather, and for Father and Mother, and… and Fourth Aunt. May everyone stay healthy and live as long as the southern mountains."
Such a young child had so many people in her heart. Third Master Yin was moved. "Good child."
He agreed. "Alright, Father will make the arrangements. Get up now."
Qing Yan, perceptive as ever, helped Yin Shi to her feet.
Yin Shi lowered her head and wiped her tears with her sleeve.
Yes!
Third Master Yin returned and told Third Madam that he wanted to hold a Daoist ceremony for Concubine Yan and also send Yin Shi to Donglin Temple to recite sutras and pray for blessings for the entire family.
"This child is truly filial," he said, moved. "Make the arrangements."
When Third Madam heard about holding a Daoist ceremony for Concubine Yan and sending Yin Shi to the temple, she inwardly scoffed.
Concubine Yan had been ill for several years, and he hadn't shown much concern. Now that she was dead, he suddenly felt heartbroken?
She pursed her lips. "Since she's so filial, why not let her complete the mourning period there?"
This time and place were in the Da Mu Dynasty. At the beginning of the dynasty, the rites were established, originally stipulating that sons and unmarried daughters must observe mourning for a concubine mother for one year. However, this system had long been criticized and was practically unenforced among the people, existing in name only.
Nowadays, when a concubine died, only her biological children would observe mourning for their birth mother. It wasn't strictly enforced either—observing three or six months of mourning was already praised by outsiders as "knowing the debt of life."
Third Master hesitated. "She's still a bit young…"
Third Madam had only spoken casually and didn't really care. "As you wish."
But Third Master began to seriously consider it. After Concubine Yan passed away, Yin Shi had fainted upon hearing the news and then developed a high fever, which was quite alarming. People of this era believed in ghosts and spirits, so it was natural to think that Yin Shi might have been haunted by something unclean. Children were already prone to dying young.
Third Madam had spoken in jest, but Third Master was genuinely persuaded. "That might be for the best. She had a fever for two days, and I feared her concubine mother couldn't bear to part with her and wanted to take her along. Let her take refuge before the Buddha to protect her soul. With the Buddha's light protecting her, her concubine mother's lingering attachment will gradually fade."
He added, "Arrange for a reliable person to accompany her."
Third Madam: "…"
If only she hadn't spoken out of turn—she’d only created more work for herself.
The next day, Third Master Yin went to visit his younger sister. The siblings were finally able to meet privately, just the two of them. He was the person closest to her by blood besides her son—her own elder brother from the same mother. Although they had kept in touch through letters and exchanged gifts during festivals, when they spoke of their time apart, Madam Shen couldn't help but shed tears.
Third Master also wept, his tears staining his clothes.
The siblings chatted at length, and finally, in the midst of their conversation, Yin Shi was mentioned.
"You even sent Xi Ge to visit Little Four yesterday," Third Master said, his eyes red. "At that moment, I thought, you are truly her aunt. Even though you're far apart, the bond cannot be broken."
Madam Shen dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. "Of course. Haven't we all been through this? Be good to this child."
Both Madam Shen and Third Master Yin had lost their concubines at a young age.
However, Third Master Yin's feelings were not as profound as Madam Shen's. After all, as a man, daughters were under the mother's care, while sons were the father's responsibility.
Having little interaction with the inner household, his sentiments naturally weren't as intense as Madam Shen's. Madam Shen had truly lived under the rule of her legal mother. Especially since the legal mother had her own biological daughter, the concubine-born daughter had to tread even more carefully.
Thus, she genuinely pitied this niece who had just lost her birth mother.
Third Master Yin said, "Of course, she is my own daughter. This child is truly good—she herself suggested going to Donglin Temple to observe mourning and pray for blessings. I've already asked your sister-in-law to make arrangements. Early this morning, I sent people to prepare everything."
Madam Shen recalled that Shen Ti had also spoken highly of this cousin yesterday and praised, "What a truly good child."
The rest naturally fell to her sister-in-law, Third Madam. As an aunt, she had already done her utmost and could no longer interfere in her sister-in-law's household affairs as a sister-in-law. With that, she set the matter aside.
In her mind, Yin Shi remained a gentle, filial, and pitiable niece—a faint impression left in her heart.