CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: RETURN GIFTS

Daisy stepped out, just in time to brush past Tong Xiyu, who didn’t avoid her and walked directly out of the courtyard. Tong Xiyu frowned slightly as she went in, only to encounter Siliu and Sixing coming out together: "Greetings, Eighth Miss!"

Tong Xiyu nodded, her voice soft, "I’m here to see Sixth Sister."

Siliu and Sixing exchanged a glance, then Siliu stepped forward with an apologetic smile, "I’m really sorry, the young lady just took her medicine and lay down. Eighth Miss, please wait a moment, I’ll go in and wake her." But she didn’t move.

Tong Xiyu glanced into the curtains, hesitating, and after a while said, "Then I’ll come another day." With that, she left the courtyard with her maids.

Sixing pulled Siliu aside, "Why do you bother? She’s still the mistress after all."

Siliu snorted, "For someone who only knows how to protect herself, why should we be kind to her? Even if you give her your heart today, tomorrow in trouble, she’d still be a turtle hiding in her shell."

Sixing chuckled but didn’t refute.

Xiqiu, sitting inside, also said nothing. Not everyone is the same; unwilling to become enemies yet powerless to be friends. If Siliu could help Tong Xiyu understand this, it might make future interactions lighter.

During the half-month of illness, Xiqiu had not been idle. Either Tong Xiyan came to see her, or maids from the several young masters came to inquire repeatedly. Xiqiu felt embarrassed, so she asked for the shoe sizes of a few people and made a pair of dark green cotton shoes for First Young Master. Tong Shen Zhi, holding the shoes, let his gaze linger on the blue shoe upper and then on a few noble and sturdy green bamboo motifs, before handing them calmly to his servant Yishan, "It’s time to switch to spring clothes."

Yishan, being perceptive, lined up the spring clothes neatly by the bed the next day.

Third Young Master received a pair of black cotton shoes with a cute, chubby curved knife embroidered on them. He was delighted, immediately putting them on and showing off to everyone, "The shoes made by Sixth Sister are both beautiful and comfortable," adding, "This knife is exactly the weapon I fancy!"

The pair for the Cousin Young Master was blue, with silver thread embroidery that formed hollowed white clouds, symbolizing rising through the ranks.

Xu Tianqing personally rummaged through the wardrobe, finding a sandalwood red lacquer box containing seven or eight letters written in delicate handwriting, along with several fan covers of varying embroidery skills. Some were made when Xiqiu was just learning embroidery, with uneven dense stitch patterns and crooked bamboo. Each piece showcased her progress and change, culminating in the current seamless pair of embroidered shoes.

He examined each item carefully, rearranged them, wrapped the shoes in a cotton handkerchief, placed them cautiously back in the box, locked it up, and put it away, his ears reddening at the memory of a fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose.

Seventh Young Master never lacked shoes because he was growing. Almost every month, Xiqiu would make a new pair for him. Despite this, he often stared resentfully at Tong Quanzi’s shoes, mumbling to himself for quite some time.

Two days later, each received a return gift. Xiqiu racked her brains and sent back uniform fan covers, and then received another round of return gifts, prompting her to seriously ponder whether or not to continue embroidering.

"First Young Master really is something, sending fabric over, saying he has no use for it and might as well give it to Miss." Chunyan and Tong Shen Zhi belonged to two different species, unable to communicate mentally: "Who knows if that mourning Miss Jiang will be able to handle First Young Master in future."

The First Young Master was eighteen this year, engaged at fourteen to the eldest daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Since both were young, they agreed to marry in another year. However, that year the old master of Tong Mansion passed away, and coincidentally, Tong Shen Zhi just became a scholar, so he closed his doors to mourn. Last year, as soon as the mourning period ended, he passed the Advanced Scholar exam and was appointed as a scholar to the Hanlin Academy. Just as they were about to discuss the marriage again, Lord Jiang passed away in his sleep, and Miss Jiang had to mourn for three years.

Lady was clamoring for a withdrawal from the engagement. Although the Jiang family had a noble lineage, without the assistance of the father-in-law and with her younger brother still young, others were distant. The First Young Master, being a young scholar with boundless potential, quarreled with the First Master for several months, until Tong Shen Zhi’s words settled the dispute: "If we annul the engagement, I will remain unmarried for life!"

Lady deflated, while the First Master happily returned to his post. Throughout the Capital, everyone praised Tong Mansion for its noble benevolence.

After interaction, Xiqiu thought this reticent and less talkative brother quite interesting: "If he intended to send me some fabric, why send navy blue?" It was a sign to Xiqiu that he favored navy blue, and the delicate fabric was suitable only for making men’s summer attire.

Chunyan was flabbergasted, amused yet tearful, "Is he roundaboutly asking you to make him a summer robe?!"

Xiqiu merely smiled.

Dragging it out for half a month, Lady could wait no longer. This morning, Xiqiu dressed in a fresh hibiscus-colored overcoat with a willow-green pleated skirt and headed for Zhui Garden.

Lady beamed as Xiqiu entered, "Haven’t seen you for half a month, you’ve lost weight." She motioned to Nanny Fang, "Go, tell the kitchen to add a few more meat dishes. Let the girls all stay for lunch." After a pause, she added, "Sixth Girl likes braised pork, remember to include it."

Xiqiu rose and curtsied, "Thank you, Mother." The other two also rose to express gratitude.

Tong Xiyang was still copying Buddhist scriptures, and Lady exempted her from morning and evening greetings. In reality, she couldn’t leave the courtyard, so she wasn’t listed.

Lady continued with a smile, "On the third of March, I’ve arranged to go to Puning Temple with Madam Chen for a vegetarian meal. There’s only half a month left, so make your preparations."

The daughters’ eyes lit up, especially for Xiqiu, who had only ventured out once in five years. Even though it was just a temple, the prospect thrilled her.

"The weather should be quite warm then. How about I wear that peach-red overcoat? Or the lake green one could work too." Tong Xiyan rarely was this excited, "Sixth Sister, wear that moon white one, you look good in white."

Xiqiu laughed behind her sleeve, "Okay." She teased further, "I recall your lake green one was made last year. Are you sure you can still wear it this year?"

Tong Xiyan suddenly remembered she hadn’t made a lake green spring coat this year and clung to a lucky hope, "I’m not as tall as you, I should still fit in it."

Xiqiu laughed, as did Nanny Fang, joy all over her face.

Lady glared at her daughter, "If you really want to wear it, have the seamstress make another in time, why wear last year’s?" She looked at Xiqiu and Tong Xiyu, "Make a madder red one for Sixth Girl, and an ochre yellow one for Eighth Girl."

Tong Xiyan and Tong Xiyu laughed, but Xiqiu frowned secretly.

Lake green and ochre yellow, why was hers the only one in red?

Could Madam Chen be, in fact, Madam Chen from the Minister Mansion?

The maids and servants in the estate, excited to go out, kept chatting about Puji Temple’s vegetarian dishes all day long, even detailing the roadside stalls at the foot of the mountain. But Lady’s single sentence dashed their hopes: "We have to wait until Third Miss finishes copying the Lotus Sutra. If incomplete, we’ll discuss the date again."