When she left her grandmother’s quarters, Ji Hanyi pressed a handkerchief against her eyes for a moment. She then had Rong Chun examine her closely, only feeling relieved once she was certain there were no visible signs of crying.
As she turned to head toward her mother’s residence, a light snow began to fall. The sparse flakes were small and didn’t feel particularly cold when they landed on her cheeks.
The maid standing at the entrance of Huilan Courtyard spotted Ji Hanyi from a distance. Her face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly called out to those inside before rushing to meet Ji Hanyi. “The front gate sent word that you had arrived, Miss. Madam is absolutely delighted,” she said, her voice brimming with happiness.
“We’ve brewed the Junshan Tea you like and prepared some ginger and date soup to warm you up. We’ve just been waiting for you to arrive.”
Ji Hanyi smiled, a soft light shimmering in her eyes beneath her delicate brows. As she walked, she asked in a gentle tone, “Has Mother’s health improved these past few days?”
Chun Ju quickly replied, “Don’t worry, Miss. Madam’s spirits have been much better lately.”
Ji Hanyi nodded and entered the room. Chun Ju hurried over to help her unfasten her cloak, whispering with a smile, “Madam was just mentioning you the other day. It isn’t easy for you to visit, and seeing you is better than any medicine.”
Ji Hanyi looked around at the room’s furnishings; they hadn’t changed in years. This had been her mother’s maiden chamber, but after all this time, it had grown somewhat dilapidated. The heavy, lingering scent of medicinal herbs permeated the courtyard, while the wind chimes hanging under the eaves emitted a soft, crisp tinkling.
She gazed at the wind chimes for a long time before looking back at Chun Ju. “Has Mother read all the letters I sent?”
Chun Ju looked up. “Miss always reports the good news and hides the bad. Madam reads every letter several times over. Every time she finishes one, she finds the strength to get out of bed and walk around. She always says she is happy that you married such a wonderful husband.”
Ji Hanyi slowly lowered her gaze and gave a silent, hollow smile, masking her true emotions. She walked slowly toward the side room.
Opening the cabinet, she saw that there were very few tonics left. The fleeceflower root and sea cucumber her mother usually took were long gone, replaced only by some common longan and Solomon’s Seal. She opened a nearby medicinal packet and saw that the ingredients were no longer the ones used previously.
Beside her, Chun Ju whispered, “The First Madam said the household expenses are heavy now and we can no longer afford the old prescription. She had a physician switch it to a different one, claiming the effects are the same. She said the household is going through a difficult time—the Second Master just received his official appointment and needs silver to cultivate connections, and then there’s the trouble with the Third Master that also requires bribing… Old Madam hasn’t been well lately either, so her needs come first. They also say the eaves need repairing when spring comes, and the harvests from the manors were poor this year. Even the servants didn’t get new clothes for the winter.”
Ji Hanyi listened in silence. She rewrapped the medicine and gently placed it back where it belonged. When a decision is made, every step forward is bound to be difficult.
Dust motes danced in the beams of light filtering through the window. She took a purse from her person and placed it in Chun Ju’s hand. “The household expenses are indeed tight. Use this silver to prepare Mother’s original medicine first. If it isn’t enough, just write to me. Don’t keep bothering my aunt, and as before, don’t tell Mother.”
Chun Ju looked down at the heavy purse in her hand. She knew that if Ji Hanyi hadn’t been constantly sending silver over these past few years, her mother’s medicine would have been cut off long ago. Although this was the Madam’s natal home, the Old Madam no longer managed affairs. The First Madam held the purse strings, and having to beg for every penny meant constantly enduring her cold reception.
Ji Hanyi stepped out of the side room and warmed her fingertips over the charcoal brazier. Once the chill had left her body, she lifted the thick curtain and entered the heated inner chamber.
Passing through two sets of screens, she finally saw her mother lying on the bed. Lady Gu wore a simple inner garment with a cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders. Though her face was marked by illness, she remained a beautiful woman; even while confined to her sickbed, her every movement remained elegant.
Ji Hanyi walked to the bedside.
Seeing her daughter, Lady Gu’s pale, haggard face broke into a smile. She sat up slightly and looked Ji Hanyi over, her soft eyes carefully taking in everything from the ornaments in her hair to the hem of her skirt.
The hairpin was of high-quality jade, the fabric of her dress was expensive Suzhou silk, and the string of pearls around her neck was of excellent luster.
Lady Gu felt at ease. No matter what the outsiders said, and no matter how her two sisters-in-law mocked her by suggesting her daughter might not be living well in the Xie family, she didn’t believe them. She only believed her daughter’s words.
Finally, Lady Gu gripped Ji Hanyi’s hand and coughed twice before speaking. “Have you already paid your respects to your grandmother and your two aunts?”
Ji Hanyi nodded gently. “I have.”
A look of loneliness crossed Lady Gu’s face as she whispered, “Your two aunts have doted on you since you were a child. They are just… still dwelling on those old matters. Don’t take it to heart. We are all one family; how could they not want the best for you? Don’t let it upset you.”
Ji Hanyi looked at her mother with a smile. “I know. I’m not upset.”
Lady Gu was comforted by the smile. She patted Ji Hanyi’s hand and watched her daughter’s expression. “Come to see me less often in the future. I am perfectly fine.”
As she spoke, Lady Gu reached out and tenderly smoothed a stray hair that had been ruffled by the wind and snow. “The matter regarding your Third Cousin hasn’t passed yet. I know your position is difficult, but we are family. If you can help your Third Cousin, then help him. And don’t worry too much about me. I stopped caring about this body of mine long ago. If I didn’t worry about you, I would have followed your father back then.”
“The most important thing for you now is to quickly conceive a child for Yuheng. He is young and promising. If you delay too long, even if he doesn’t take concubines now, who can say what the future holds? Your mother-in-law won’t be happy either.” Lady Gu looked at her with concern. “It’s been nearly three years. Why haven’t you conceived yet?”
Ji Hanyi paused. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she merely said, “I’ll leave it to fate.”
Lady Gu sighed, understanding that such things could not be rushed.
She stayed for lunch with her mother. Before leaving, Ji Hanyi told her mother not to secretly pour out her medicine again and gave Chun Ju detailed instructions. Such things had happened before. The year her father died suddenly in prison, her mother had been so heart-broken that she swallowed arsenic, nearly following him to the grave. Though she was saved, her health was ruined.
For a year after that, her mother often secretly discarded her medicine. She had improved slightly after Ji Hanyi’s marriage, but letters from the servants mentioned that she still often woke up weeping in the middle of the night.
Ji Hanyi understood her mother’s grief. Her father had spent his life shielding them from the wind and rain, devoted, gentle, and kind.
Standing under the veranda, Ji Hanyi slowly exhaled a breath of white mist. Watching the mist rise and listening to the wind chimes under the eaves, her eyes suddenly reddened.
***
In the afternoon, Ji Hanyi’s carriage stopped in front of Baoshan Gallery.
Baoshan Gallery was a frequent haunt for scholars and literati. Antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and elegant curios were brought here for display and auction. Many talented but impoverished scholars often made their names here first if their work was admired.
Ji Hanyi visited every few months. The servant at the front gate recognized the plaque she presented and expertly led her toward a different set of stairs. Wearing a veiled hat and carrying a scroll, she followed him up to the third floor.
A refined youth in a blue silk robe stood at the entrance of the third floor. Seeing her, he stepped forward to lead the way, passing through two floor screens until they reached a study, where he silently withdrew.
Inside was a large huanghuali wood desk. Behind it stood a man in his forties, carefully selecting from the scrolls spread across the table. These were the paintings chosen for that afternoon’s auction.
Seeing Ji Hanyi, the man hurried from behind the desk and invited her to sit in a nearby chair. A tea set was laid out on the small table between the chairs, and a stand nearby held phalaenopsis orchids, their delicate fragrance mingling with the aroma of tea.
Ji Hanyi handed over the scroll and said politely, “Please have a look, Mr. Zhang.”
Zhang Hai took the scroll with both hands and sighed. “Madam’s paintings are, of course, the grand finale. With your reputation as ‘Shilan Jushi,’ many people will be fighting over it.”
Shilan Jushi was not actually Ji Hanyi’s pseudonym; it was her father’s. Mr. Zhang had been a close friend of her father’s, and her painting style had been personally taught by him. Even with a different hand behind the brush, no one could tell the difference.
Initially, she had been unwilling to use her father’s old name. However, Mr. Zhang had written to her, saying that many patrons had stopped coming once Baoshan Gallery no longer had works by Shilan Jushi. He invited her to take up the brush, offering a sixty-forty split of the auction proceeds.
After marrying into the Xie family, her mother-in-law kept a close watch on her. Although she was never mistreated in terms of basic necessities, she had no ready cash. Whether it was tipping servants or purchasing extra items, she had no means of her own. Furthermore, her mother’s medicine could not be interrupted. Although her grandmother told her not to worry, her aunt managed the household accounts, and over time, resentment was inevitable. If she provided more support, her mother’s life at her natal home would be easier.
Ji Hanyi had started by trying one painting. It was the first work by Shilan Jushi after a three-year absence, and it had fetched two thousand taels of silver. However, she did not paint quickly; it took her at least a month to finish a piece. Moreover, she knew that if she produced too many, they would lose their value. She usually sent one every two or three months.
From the money she earned, she sent a portion to her mother and bought gifts for her two aunts and grandmother. The rest she saved, eventually using it to acquire a shop. When she had married, her grandmother had settled one shop in her name. With two shops under her management, she had managed to save a decent amount of silver over the past two years.
It wasn’t a fortune, but it provided a sliver of confidence as she considered her divorce.
Ji Hanyi smiled. She intended to stop by her shop later, so after a brief exchange of pleasantries with Mr. Zhang, she took her leave.
As she walked downstairs, she heard a fawning voice approaching from around the corner. “It is rare for the Marquis to find the time to visit in person. I have naturally reserved the best seat for you.”
“If the Marquis is pressed for time, the paintings are all on the third floor. Should any catch your eye, I shall have someone deliver them to your estate.”
Ji Hanyi recognized the voice as the manager of Baoshan Gallery. Curious as to who could command such sycophancy, her gaze instinctively drifted downward.
A dark green hem came into view, followed by a tall, slender figure as elegant as a crane. Through the thin white veil of her hat, Ji Hanyi looked up and met a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.