At the fifth watch, just before dawn.
Birds chattered outside. Wan Niang slept deeply, having cried in her grief; traces of tears still marked her face.
The smell of alcohol in the room had faded somewhat. The maid on night duty had woken unusually early.
Bao Niang had been eavesdropping all night. Though the voices were muffled, she had caught fragments of an argument.
She prepared a bellyful of words to comfort her mistress.
As the sky began to lighten, Bao Niang entered with a basin of washing water.
Her steps were light. When she lifted the bed curtain, she saw the other side was empty. She reached out and touched it—still warm.
Thinking the young master had already left, Bao Niang breathed a sigh of relief. But as she turned, she was startled by someone.
The young master had appeared from somewhere, his dark robes almost merging with the shadows.
His hair was still uncombed, his face slightly flushed from the night's drinking. A few steps away, he seemed about to go out. Caught by her, he simply tilted his head, curled his lips, and stared at her with an unreadable expression.
"Won't you wash, young master?"
She raised the basin again, but the young master waved his hand.
He pushed open the window.
In the courtyard, three thrushes hopped among the trees. Possibly courting, two of them chattered incessantly, waking the maids. But the young madam, usually a light sleeper, remained in her dreams.
To avoid disturbing her, Bao Niang was called out.
She followed the young man ahead. He seemed still drunk, occasionally swaying and stumbling. Each time Bao Niang felt the urge to steady him, but she was always a step too late.
The young master had another residence arranged by Sixth Uncle Gu, not far from the main house.
When they reached Pine Wind Lodge, his attendants were watering flowers. Seeing a woman, they lowered their heads and said nothing. Only Cheng Bi was bold enough to grin and greet her.
Bao Niang rolled her eyes and called him a glib-tongued rascal.
Gu Lanyin, now dressed neatly inside, gave her a task for purchasing supplies.
They were staying at his sixth uncle's house, and expenses were shared, but as guests, they didn't lack silver. The daily needs of Pine Wind Lodge and Tongqi Pavilion, where Wan Niang stayed, were covered from their own account; only their own people did the shopping.
Cheng Bi remained the steward of Pine Wind Lodge. As for Tongqi Pavilion—
Gu Lanyin smiled. "You have to take care of Wan Niang every day. If you're too busy, just let Bai Long handle it."
Bai Long, who was ironing clothes nearby, said considerately, "We're all one family; we should help each other. I'll go out with Cheng Bi later. Bao Niang, this is your first time in Xunyang; you must find many things unfamiliar. Why don't we go together and get you acquainted?"
Bao Niang nodded. "Excellent."
In this household, anything related to money meant opportunities for profit.
Back in the Zhao family, Bao Niang had seen such things through her father. Now that the young master favored her and entrusted her with money to manage the daily expenses of Tongqi Pavilion, she felt both flattered and overwhelmed.
She left the room, and when she was alone, the more she thought, the more puzzled she became.
As the saying goes, one does not receive rewards without merit. Why had she been singled out?
After careful reflection, she slapped her own face hard. That wasn't enough, so she crouched by the water and splashed her face with the cold early-spring water.
Soon, the sun rose higher.
The sunlight warmed the skin.
Wan Niang woke up and called twice before a maid entered.
"Where's Bao Niang?"
The maid who entered was Liu Liu, one of her personal attendants. She pursed her lips and nodded outward, saying sourly, "This morning the young master gave her a fine assignment—purchasing all the supplies like rice, oil, salt, cloth, cosmetics, and so on for our courtyard. She's very busy."
Bao Niang was her close maid. Gu Lang had funded this task for her, so they no longer depended on Sixth Uncle's household. Wasn't this an apology for last night?
Wan Niang hugged his pillow, feeling a lingering disappointment.
*
At noon, Bao Niang returned cheerfully.
Previously, she thought Cheng Bi was just a pretty face, but after going out with him this morning, she realized he was a smooth talker. He and Bai Long had sharp eyes and were skilled at bargaining. She envied them.
Bai Long said it came with practice; once she went out shopping more often, she would learn.
On her way past the small kitchen, she peeked in and felt even better.
Wan Niang was practicing calligraphy inside. Bao Niang suddenly jumped in and slapped some trinkets she'd bought at the market onto the table beside her.
"What are these?"
"Porcelain kittens and puppies, and woven grass katydids and mantises."
Wan Niang propped her chin and smiled. "I'm not a child anymore. Why keep buying these?"
"They look so interesting! We can give them to the little young master later."
At the mention of a little young master, Wan Niang's heart sank.
She pushed the things aside and continued writing.
Noticing this, Bao Niang massaged her shoulders from behind and told her everything that happened that morning.