Early spring had only just begun to warm the air, while pear blossoms hang thick and white in bloom. Rain had passed over Jiangling Prefecture the night before, soaking the drum-shaped stone slabs set before every household’s gate.
At the first light of dawn, the crevices along the center of Changgan Alley held pools of spiritual nectar. As a cool breeze stirred and morning light spilled across the lane, jade-white pear blossoms drifted down from within the horse-head walls, their faint fragrance lingering as they fell into the shallow puddles along the stone path.
The sound of “tap-tap” footsteps drew closer. An errand boy dressed in black boots and a blue tunic stepped through the watery path while clutching several brocade long-gowns to his chest as he felt his way from the end of the alley into the Fu family’s back courtyard.
The Fu family was a distinguished household in Jiangling Prefecture. Being merchants for three generations, they specialized in the tea trade, possessing hundreds of acres of tea fields beyond the city and running hundreds of fine shops within it. Fu Shangyi had begun life as a tenant farmer. At fifteen, he married Miss Cheng Xiqiu of the tea-dealing Cheng family, and by following his father-in-law across the provinces, his business steadily expanded. Miss Cheng was well-educated and sensible with a “botanical heart,” yet her health was frail. After four or five years of marriage without bearing a child, she personally arranged for Old Master Fu to take two concubines. One was surnamed Liu, a confidante Old Master Fu had met while traveling for business; the other was also surnamed Liu, the daughter of a mountain tenant, with whom Old Master Fu had been forced into a “spring breeze” encounter during a debt collection trip.
Let us first speak of this Lady Liu. Born with the beauty of flowers and the moon, she was graceful and full of charm; even now at forty-three, the autumn ripples in her eyes remain captivating as ever. In the five years after entering the household, she bore Old Master Fu three sons, and long since rose from concubine to Second Madam, taking charge of all the family’s affairs, both great and small.
Though both entered the household as concubines, Madam Liu prospered, while the other Lady Liu lived a life of sorrow and desolation. She too bore Old Master Fu a son and a daughter, but being neither favored nor inclined to compete, she grew depressed and passed away some years ago.
The servant in the blue jacket now stood in the courtyard where the other Lady Liu had once lived. It lay not far from the rear gate, its main hall facing north, with exceedingly poor light. There were no pavilions or terraces, nor any water features or ornamental fish. Several broken bamboo sieves for drying tea were stacked in layers against the corner of the wall; within them, a patch of tender green could be seen, like freshly picked spring buds.
The servant in the blue jacket stepped up the stairs and knocked on the door. “Young Master, I am back.”
Just as his voice fell, a person walked out of the room.
The person wore a jade-colored long robe and held a folding fan with sandalwood ribs; upon its surface was painted a winding bridge over flowing water, while the ribs were carved with broken willow branches. Half a piece of white jade hung at his waist, engraved with a moonlit corridor and clusters of peonies; it was none other than the Fu family’s second young master, Fu Jingxuan.
Second Young Master Fu was tall and elegant, with well-defined brows and bright eyes. His peach-blossom eyes curved gently at the corners, giving him the look of smiling whether he truly was or not. Born to Lady Liu, he; like his mother, was not particularly favored by Fu Shangyi; yet unlike her, who succumbed to quiet sorrow, he passed his days in carefree ease within his small courtyard.
“Is everything here?”
“Not a single piece left; I didn’t even leave him a pair of underwear!” The young servant in the blue jacket was named San Bao, and he had been with Fu Jingxuan for nearly eight years. He deftly pulled several articles of clothing from his vest and shook them out.
Fu Jingxuan nodded and cast his gaze toward a stack of slender bamboo poles propped in the corner. Understanding at once, San Bao seized one, draped a pair of plain white undergarments over it, and wedged the pole into a crevice between the stones in the center of the courtyard. There it stood, fluttering and whistling loudly in the wind.
Fu Jingxuan fanned himself and walked out of the courtyard gate in satisfaction. “Come, this young master will take you to see a comedy.”
On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, the Fu family would gather to burn incense and pay respects to their ancestors, praying for good weather, prosperity, and peace.
Cheng Xiqiu, who was dressed in a long purple-grey jacket with a gilded bird hairpin in her hair, stepped into the ancestral hall supported by Fu Shangyi. Her health had declined over the past few years, leaving her bedridden and sensitive to the cold; she had not stepped foot out of her doors for the entire winter.
“First Madam.” Lady Liu, who was dressed in a jade-green glazed skirt that radiated elegance, stole the attention of the entire hall, yet she still had to bow slightly and pay her respects like everyone else.
Cheng Xiqiu raised her hand, signaling her to rise quickly. Her gaze then settled on a corner, and she finally revealed a hint of a smile. “Jingxuan, Shuang’er.”
Fu Jingxuan stepped forward, followed by a young girl of about sixteen who was pretty and charming. This girl was also born to Lady Liu; the fifth miss of the Fu family, Fu Shuang’er.
Shuang’er was slender; her features were more subdued and gentler compared to the Second Young Master’s. She spoke timidly, “Greetings, First Madam.”
Cheng Xiqiu took her by the wrist and said with a slight, reproving pout, “You’re being distant again. How many times have I told you siblings? Call me ‘First Aunt’.”
Hearing this, Madam Liu rolled her eyes and pulled Fu Shangyi aside while whispering, “All these years have passed, and she still doesn’t acknowledge me. She shows affection only to Lao Er[mfn]Refers to the second child.[/mfn] and Lao Wu[mfn]Refers to the fifth child.[/mfn]; I hardly see her caring for my three sons at all.”
Fu Shangyi was fifty-four years old. He appeared upright and modest, but in reality, he was cowardly and indecisive. The Fu family’s present prosperity was entirely thanks to Old Master Cheng’s support while he was alive; after his passing, Cheng Xiqiu took over the household accounts. Now that Cheng Xiqiu’s health was worsening, Madam Liu had grown ambitious. She had three sons of her own, and she didn’t want a single cent of this vast family’s estate to fall into anyone else’s hands.
Although the Fu family’s business was now under their name, the person truly in charge was still the lady of the Cheng family. Fu Shangyi knew of his own incompetence, but unwilling to lose face before Madam Liu, he spent his years smoothing over matters with vague and half-hearted mediation. After a few low-voiced words of comfort, he asked, “Why is Ye’er not here?”
Madam Liu shot him a glare and deliberately raised her voice, “Ye’er had recently gone to help at the teahouse in the eastern part of the city. He spent his days busy greeting guests and running errands without a moment’s rest. Even when he returned home, he stayed up late by lamplight studying, saying he wanted to fulfill his father’s long-cherished dream of becoming a scholar. After toiling for a few days, he’s lost several pounds. I reckon he pulled another all-nighter and overslept. Should I send someone to wake him up?”
These words drifted into everyone’s ears. San Bao couldn’t help but cover his mouth to stifle a laugh, but after a sharp glance from his young master, he quickly went silent.
“Forget it, forget it,” Fu Shangyi said dismissively, his favoritism clear, “Ye’er is helping carry my burdens; let him sleep.”
He had always been this way, so this reaction was hardly surprising.
The Fu family ancestral hall was solemn and dignified. On either side of the redwood “Eight Immortals” offering table stood a pair of openwork carved armchairs. Hanging from the central roof beam was a plaque inscribed with “Contention with None”—the family motto left by Old Master Cheng. The Old Master had spent his life growing and selling tea; in the end, he left his life work to his daughter and son-in-law, seeking only that future generations would live in harmony and health without fighting or grasping.
It was true that everyone wished for harmony and good health, but to live entirely without contention? Most people have not yet reached that level of understanding.
“Fu Jingxuan—! Get your ass out here!”
Before the three sticks of incense could even be lit, a thunderous roar erupted out of nowhere. More than a dozen family members turned their heads in unison, only to see a man, his face slick with grease and powder and clad in a bright pink camisole, barging through the door.
Madam Liu’s expression shifted violently. Fu Jingxuan walked from Cheng Xiqiu’s side to the front of the hall and replied, “Does Eldest Brother have business with me?”
The newcomer was indeed the eldest young master of the Fu family, Fu Jingye. His coarse face was pitted and uneven, and he reeked of a sickening mix of cosmetic powder and stale overnight wine. Clearly driven mad with rage, he had forgotten what day it was; he rushed forward and grabbed Fu Jingxuan by the collar while cursing loudly, “You son of a b*tch! I’ll kill you today!”
“Oh?” Fu Jingxuan remained perfectly composed, snapping open his folding fan to cover his nose and mouth. He asked pointedly, “What exactly do you mean by that, Eldest Brother?”
“Stop playing dumb!” Veins bulged on Fu Jingye’s forehead. “Did you send someone to take my clothes? Jin Niang told me everything!”
Fu Jingxuan looked completely bewildered and asked San Bao, “Who is Jin Niang?”
San Bao immediately answered, “I heard that the madam of Huachun Yuan is named Jin Niang!”
“The brothel madam!?” Fu Jingxuan cried out in shock. “Eldest Brother, you mustn’t go around accusing people blindly. I don’t even know which way the gates of Huachun Yuan face, so how could I possibly know their madam?”
“Bullsh*t! I haven’t come looking for trouble with you these past few years, and yet you’ve come to provoke me instead?” The Eldest Young Master pulled out a pair of underwear from somewhere and said through gritted teeth, “This was found in your courtyard! And you still claim you don’t know!?”
Fu Jingxuan’s expression remained unchanged. He took a few steps back in distaste, closed his folding fan, and used the fan handle to hook the underwear. He shook it in front of everyone with a beaming smile. “This belongs to Eldest Brother?”
Driven to a frenzy of rage, Fu Jingye raised his hand to throw a punch, only to hear Madam Liu let out a shrill scream. She rushed forward, lifting her skirt, and slapped him across the face. The strike cut through his drunken haze, leaving him stunned where he stood.
“Mother, I…”
“I what! Look at what day it is! How dare you act so insolently in front of your ancestors? Kneel down this instant!” She had wanted to stop him long ago, but Cheng Xiqiu’s forbidding gaze had held her back, delaying her action until now.
Fu Jingye remained indignant, eager to lodge a complaint, and paid no heed to Madam Liu’s attempts to stop him. He ran before Fu Shangyi, whose face had turned ashen. “Father! It’s not what it looks like! Fu Jingxuan framed me on purpose! While I was out on business, he sent someone to steal my clothes to make a fool of me!”
“So, your ‘business’ led you right into a prostitute’s bed, did it!?” Seething with rage, Fu Shangyi kicked the Eldest Young Master toward the doorway and stormed off while snapping his sleeves.
With the head of the house gone, Cheng Xiqiu watched coldly for a moment before leaving with Fu Shuang’er. Fu Jingxuan followed them across the threshold, meeting Madam Liu’s gaze as she glared at him. Her eyes were filled with a bone-deep hatred as if she wanted to gouge out his eyes and rip out his heart.
“San Bao.”
“Yes! At your service, Young Master.”
Fu Jingxuan twirled his fan with a flourish of his hand and asked, “Have you ever seen the girls from Huachun Yuan?”
San Bao said, “I have, I have.”
Fu Jingxuan asked, “Are they truly beautiful?”
San Bao used some flowery words, “As beautiful as flowers! With swaying figures!”
Fu Jingxuan chuckled and asked, “How do they sway?”
San Bao narrowed his small eyes, straightened his back at once, took tiny steps, and began to sway his hips from side to side. The Second Young Master Fu laughed loudly and no longer paying any mind to the deathly pale Lady Liu before strolling out the door leisurely.
