After paying their respects, Lin Shi walked back with her two children.
Ying Jie’er, holding her mother’s hand and tilting up her little head in curiosity, asked, “Mother, I’m usually very well-behaved at meals and sit properly. Why did you tell Grandmother that I’m like a little mud monkey? I don’t want to be a mud monkey!”
“Ying’er, don’t be angry with me. I was just teasing Grandmother, only joking,” Lin Shi said, startled herself. She had not expected her three-year-old to be so sensitive. “Everyone in the household praises you as the most obedient child. From now on, Mother won’t say you’re like a mud monkey anymore… Will you accept Mother’s apology?”
“Mm-hmm,” Ying Jie’er nodded contentedly. “I’m not angry with Mother.”
This little bundle, dressed in a pale yellow top and a dark green pleated skirt, was Pei Shaohuai’s elder full sister—Pei Ruoying.
At first hearing her name, Shaohuai, thinking in terms of the modern world, associated it with “heroism” or “valor.” It wasn’t until one day he heard his father recite in a cultured manner, “A daughter of her age, with beauty like Shun Ying, destined to soar, adorned with jade…” that he realized he had misunderstood.
Her name actually originated from this: Shun Ying—a hibiscus flower.
True to her name, this little bundle was exceptionally beautiful. Lin Shi was already lovely, and Ying Jie’er inherited her mother’s beauty, yet even more delicate. From her father, she inherited smooth, gentle features—slightly lacking in masculine vigor, but on a little girl’s face, they made her look particularly graceful and charming.
Add her quiet, composed temperament, and she appeared dignified, elegant, and clever.
Unfortunately, in the original story, her younger brother’s failures and the family’s steady decline left the entire Jingchuan Marquisate in financial ruin. Her beauty, without the family’s protection, brought not admiration but unwanted attention from lecherous men, inviting endless trouble.
Alone, in that world, she could never defend herself.
A villain, scheming to seize her, tricked Pei Shaohuai into a debt of tens of thousands of taels, leaving the only option to hand over his sister as repayment.
Though usually delicate and quiet, Pei Ruoying had a fiery spirit. Facing threats and bribes, she could not betray her parents’ kindness, nor compromise her own dignity and chastity.
“I would rather die than let you gain even a sliver of advantage,” she declared. In the bridal sedan chair, her soul seemed severed along with the ceremonial red silk.
Hibiscus petals fell in the August sky.
…
Snapping back from his memories of the book, Pei Shaohuai looked at this clever, adorable little sister. How could he bear to let Ying Jie’er repeat the calamities of the story?
Someone so innocent and bright deserved happiness. As for her husband, she should choose someone she liked.
This was part of the reason Pei Shaohuai resolved to study diligently and take the imperial exams. Since he had entered this life, he would not allow such tragedies to occur. He would shoulder responsibility and live a life of purpose.
Perhaps it was the bond of blood, or the tragic ending of Ruoying in the original story, but Pei Shaohuai found himself cherishing this sister even more.
He resolved to be a good brother.
…
…
Pei Shaohuai was still very young, and his movements depended entirely on where others carried him. Even now, fully aware, he had never had the chance to interact closely with his half-brother, Pei Shaoji. Many times, they only glimpsed each other briefly before being separated.
Today, he spent more time in Grandmother’s room, just in time for Aunt Shen to arrive with Pei Shaoji in her arms, offering the opportunity.
“Has little Brother Jin’s appetite improved lately?” Grandmother asked with concern.
“Thanks to your care, Great-Grandmother, Jin’s appetite has improved these past few days, and he’s gained some weight,” Aunt Shen replied. “He enjoys the supplementary foods sent daily from the household.”
Grandmother asked further, “Do you have enough hands in the courtyard? Speak up if you need more, so the servants don’t delay the young master’s care.”
“All is well, Great-Grandmother. We haven’t lacked anyone,” Aunt Shen replied with a smile.
Pei Shaohuai observed Aunt Shen carefully. Plain-looking at first, her beauty was in her neat, glossy black hair and fair, radiant skin. Her demeanor was dignified and calm, always smiling—a person outside the household would never guess she had been raised from maid to secondary wife.
Aunt Shen had originally been Ning Shi’s maid, Yuyi.
As previously mentioned, Pei Bingyuan was indifferent by nature and had little interest in romantic affairs. After Ning Shi’s death, he took Yuyi as his concubine—not out of love, but partly to fulfill Ning Shi’s wishes and partly because Grandmother insisted someone should be close to attend him.
Thus, Pei Bingyuan’s taking of her carried no romantic affection.
Aunt Shen wore a muted lotus-colored dress, carefully masking her fair skin. Shaohuai had overheard servants remark that she used to favor pastel pink or greenish-blue garments, but since Lin Shi came into the household, she had worn only subtle lotus or willow-yellow shades, showing her extreme caution and discretion.
In the original story, Aunt Shen eventually succeeded largely because of her careful child-rearing.
In the Marquisate, she lived cautiously, never competing for wealth or status, focusing instead on guiding her son’s studies and preparation for the imperial exams.
She often told Pei Shaoji: “Jin’er, though you were born in this Marquisate, don’t cling to its wealth. Rather than competing, it’s better to study hard and focus on your future through the exams.”
A maid who could see so far and raise her son so wisely deserved her ending—decades of careful stewardship finally producing a top scholar.
…
Pei Shaohuai judged that Aunt Shen must possess a keen mind—not cunning, but admirable strategic intelligence.
He then looked at his half-brother, Pei Shaoji. Still a baby, slightly thinner than Shaohuai, inheriting Aunt Shen’s skin and Pei Bingyuan’s features, he was handsome and alert, carefully observing his surroundings.
Truly a child blessed by the literary star, even more focused than other children.
Shaohuai wondered if his own changes in this life might affect Shaoji’s fortune. He could not guarantee zero impact, but he resolved not to hinder his talented half-brother.
Someone who endures when low, resists adversity, and is cautious when successful—how could such a character fail? How could anyone prevent his success?
Shaohuai’s task was to learn from his half-brother, study hard, and improve himself.
…
At that moment, Pei Shaohuai sat on the soft couch, playing by himself.
Grandmother said, “Bring Brother Jin over to the couch so the two boys can play together and bond.”
Aunt Shen hesitated. “Jin’er is active, and children can be careless. What if he bumps into Huai Ge’er…”
Grandmother waved her hand. “With adults nearby, what is there to fear?”
Shaohuai grinned and waved at his little brother, eyes squinting with excitement.
Aunt Shen set Jin’er down next to Shaohuai.
The two toddlers, both handsome, sat side by side. Grandmother beamed at her two grandsons.
Jin’er examined his unfamiliar older brother. Shaohuai reached out, gently grabbed his little hand, and shook it, thinking, Little brother, consider this our handshake—let’s get along from now on.
Though they could not speak yet, they made sounds—“oh” and “ah”—as if conversing.
Zhou Mama smiled, “They’re brothers, indeed! They’re already playing together so well. Isn’t that wonderful, Grandmother?”
Grandmother laughed. “It is. Look at them—like discussing lessons. When they grow older, we’ll send them to their grandfather to learn reading and writing together, then to the same school so they can watch over each other.”
Zhou Mama teased, “Imagine! Two top scholars from our Marquisate! Every time one succeeds, the servants get to share in the joy—how lucky we’ll be!”
Grandmother laughed heartily, Aunt Shen joining in merrily.
…
…
Months passed. Near the year’s end, Pei Ruolian’s marriage finally took shape.
That day, Pei Bingyuan came to Grandmother’s courtyard. “I found a good family. I want your advice, Mother.”
“Official Xu was formerly Prefect of Taicang Prefecture, sixth rank. Last month, the Emperor summoned him back to the capital, appointing him as Lecturer at the Imperial Academy. I heard he already bought a house in southern Kyoto and will move there soon. Coincidentally, his second son, Xu Zhan, seventeen, is still unmarried. Through acquaintances, I met Xu and he seems interested in the match,” Pei Bingyuan explained briefly.
Grandmother was momentarily puzzled. “From Prefect to Lecturer—isn’t that a lateral move? Perhaps the Emperor does not favor him.”
“Mother, you worry too much,” Pei Bingyuan said. “The Emperor is careful with appointments. Xu has just returned to Kyoto and will likely sit in the cold seat for a year or more for observation. This is quite normal.”
Grandmother considered this, then said, “But buying a house only last month—doesn’t that mean he has no foundation in Kyoto? Anything could happen. If Ruolian marries there, she may suffer hardship.”
Hearing this, she already felt a pang of hesitation. If Xu were not favored or had no footing in the capital, who knew if they would be sent back to some prefecture? Ruolian would naturally have to move with them.