"Alright, you father and daughter, staring at each other like that—what's going on? Do your eyes have no room for the rest of us?" Mrs. Wan said with a laugh.
Qi Caishang: "It's just that we haven't seen each other for so many years!" Of course he had to take a good, long look.
He then cupped his hands towards the Eldest Prince and the Eldest Princess. "This humble official has been discourteous."
In the presence of outsiders, he was always the picture of refined elegance and grace.
The Eldest Princess was very friendly and curious towards Consort Hui's family. She said with a smile, "It's only natural, bound by kinship, to be overcome with emotion. It's unavoidable. Father Emperor permitted Consort Hui to visit her family to fulfill the reunion of flesh and blood. My coming here privately is somewhat improper. Minister Qi, please do not stand on ceremony regarding our status; simply treat us as ordinary juniors."
The Eldest Prince paid even less mind. He was staring unblinkingly at a youth standing beside Qi Caishang.
The youth had dark skin. Judging by his face alone, he wasn't old, and his height wasn't particularly tall either, but his sturdy, robust build was exceptionally noticeable, especially his bulging arms, which looked incredibly strong—clearly someone trained in martial arts.
The Eldest Prince looked at himself, then at the youth, his heart itching with a desire to challenge him to a match to see who was more formidable.
Noticing the Eldest Prince's gaze, Qi Caishang beckoned the youth forward, both to introduce him to the Eldest Prince and to allow Qi Daiyu to recognize him. "This is Shulüe."
Qi Shulüe, son of Qi Chuchu, only ten years old this year.
Qi Shulüe had a sturdy build, but his nature was honest, simple, and somewhat shy. He scratched the back of his head. "Aunt."
As he greeted her, he looked curiously at this aunt he had never met before. Hehe, his aunt was truly beautiful, just like his father said, like a fairy descended to earth.
"This child is so well-built," Qi Daiyu praised sincerely, then looked at the two young girls beside Qi Shulüe. The slightly older one wore a blue dress, gentle and elegant; the younger one in pink was as lovely as jade and snow.
Qi Daiyu's gaze softened. "These must be Shutao and Yashu?"
Qi Shutao, Qi Chuchu's eldest daughter, twelve years old this year. Zhou Yashu, Qi Qinglong's daughter, six years old this year.
Qi Daiyu then looked at Lang Tianyu and Qi Qinglong, saying helplessly, "Sister-in-law, Qinglong, why have you all come?"
This was really making too grand an occasion of it.
Mrs. Wan: "You've finally managed to return home. Of course I had to call them all." Upon learning the Emperor had approved the family visit, she had hurriedly sent a letter to the capital, asking her daughter-in-law and grandchildren to come. It was a pity Zhou Yue couldn't leave the city without permission, so Qinglong had to bring Yashu alone.
Otherwise, that would have been a true full family gathering!
Qi Caishang: "Yes, it's right that you should return, so the whole family can gather."
"Alright now, let's not all stand here. Today I've invited the most famous Lanhua Troupe from Jiangning. The stage is already set up. The 'Shuimo' tunes here in Jiangning are different from the opera troupes in the capital—you must listen! Let's go watch the opera and chat as we do!" Mrs. Wan said.
The old lady chimed in cheerfully, "Yes, watch the opera, watch the opera!"
The group then made their way to the garden.
Qi Daiyu took the initiative to support the old lady. Though the old lady was advanced in years and her body was still healthy, her memory was not what it used to be. Sometimes she couldn't even recognize who Qi Caishang was. At first, she let Qi Daiyu support her, but after walking a short while, she no longer recognized her. Mrs. Wan then took over from Qi Daiyu. "When people get old, it's like this."
Qi Daiyu had no choice but to walk alongside Lang Tianyu and Qi Qinglong. The atmosphere among the three was somewhat awkward.
It couldn't be helped; no matter how close the relationship, years of separation always create distance.
Ever since Qi Chuchu returned to the capital, Mrs. Wan had taken Lang Tianyu into the palace a few times. Lang Tianyu, being intelligent and considerate, always made sure to leave ample time for mother and daughter to talk privately. Consequently, Qi Daiyu's relationship with her was polite but not close.
As for Qi Qinglong, before Qi Daiyu entered the palace, Mrs. Wan never took her in. After she married Zhou Yue, she became pregnant not long after and thereafter focused entirely on her child, with even less opportunity to enter the palace. Zhou Yue's official rank wasn't high enough to bring his wife to palace banquets either, so Qi Qinglong and Qi Daiyu had had no contact over these years.
Even though in Qi Qinglong's memory, she and her elder sister had been extremely close before the latter entered the palace, after so many years apart and with the difference in status now, she truly didn't know what to say to her elder sister.
The three awkward individuals could only try their best to find topics of conversation.
The easiest topic was children.
Lang Tianyu looked back and said with a smile, "The children, however, have become familiar quickly."
Qi Daiyu also looked back.
She saw the Eldest Prince had already huddled together with Qi Shulüe, muttering about who knows what.
The Eldest Princess and Siyu were walking with Shutao and Yashu. Siyu already had one arm linked through Shutao's and was holding Yashu's hand with the other.
Lang Tianyu's gaze fell on Siyu. "I heard from Mother-in-law that the Third Princess visited the family home some days ago and later went to visit Minister Qin. That's when I learned that Consort Zhuang was actually an old friend of mine."
Qi Daiyu was surprised. "Oh?"
Lang Tianyu smiled wryly. "When I was still very young, my father once served as Assistant Prefect of Yuzhou. That's when I met Sister Qin. But not many years later, my father was transferred, and our family moved with him to his new post. For the next few years, Sister Qin and I kept in touch through letters, until she told me she was going to the capital, and then we lost contact. Later, I heard she had been assigned to His Majesty, who was then the Crown Prince."
Times had changed, and the close childhood friend had embarked on a completely different life path.
She still remembered when she first married Qi Chuchu and saw her mother-in-law worrying about her younger sister-in-law in the palace, Lang Tianyu mentioned she had an old friend also in the palace. At that time, no one knew the person she referred to was Qin Saizhu. Even Lang Tianyu herself wasn't clear about what rank her Sister Qin held in the palace.
It wasn't until a couple of days ago when she came to Jiangning and heard Mrs. Wan mention Qin Lian that she found the name familiar, asked a few more questions, and discovered that the Third Princess's mother, Consort Zhuang, was her former good friend.
After clarifying all this, Lang Tianyu was filled with sighs. During the years she and Qin Saizhu were close, they had even joked that Lang Tianyu should marry Qin Lian directly in the future, so they would become family, and any child Qin Saizhu had would call Lang Tianyu "Aunt."
Who would have thought she would marry Qi Chuchu, Qin Saizhu would pass away after giving birth, the Third Princess would be raised by Qi Daiyu, and now could also call her "Aunt."
Truly, fate plays strange tricks.
After listening, Qi Daiyu fell silent for a long time.
She still couldn't come to terms with Qin Saizhu's death.
Perhaps because Qin Saizhu's death was too sudden, too unexpected; or perhaps because Qin Saizhu was the first friend she made after arriving in this world.
Since her transmigration, Qi Daiyu had gained many friends. Like the Empress, who had helped her greatly—she respected and admired her, a relationship both teacher and friend; like Nie Zhiyu, both were gentle and even-tempered people—she felt at ease and comfortable with her, a bond of sworn sisters; like Consort Li, who possessed advanced ideas and an unrestrained soul—she felt close to and appreciated her, a true soulmate.
But these people's friendships with her were more or less tinged with self-interest.
Only Qin Suzhu was the one genuine heart Qi Daiyu encountered in the deceitful depths of the palace—a heart that sought nothing and asked for no return in kind.
A genuine heart is so rare that every time she remembered that woman with the deep dimples when she smiled, her own heart ached unbearably.
Seeing Qi Daiyu remain silent, Lang Tianyu knew she shouldn't have brought this up and quickly changed the subject. "I heard today's opera troupe is performing exceptionally well..."
Qi Qinglong chimed in: "Yes, especially their 'Little Orchid'..."
Qi Daiyu, aware of their good intentions, also put on an expectant expression. "Then I must listen carefully today."
As for whether the Orchid Troupe's opera was good or not, Qi Daiyu wasn't very sure.
Because halfway through the performance, she fell asleep.
During intermissions in the opera, Qi Caishang would occasionally glance back at his daughter, only to find Qi Daiyu slumped in her chair with her eyes closed. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat, fearing something had happened to her. Noticing her steady breathing and realizing she was simply asleep, his heart settled back into place.
Mrs. Wan was about to wake Qi Daiyu but was stopped by Qi Caishang.
Qi Caishang mouthed the words: Let her sleep. It's a good chance for us to have a proper look at our daughter. It's been so many years since we've really looked at the child.
Mrs. Wan wanted to say it wasn't appropriate, but in her heart, she felt Qi Caishang had a point. She looked up at the sky; it was midday with the sun shining, so there was no worry about her catching a chill.
So Mrs. Wan stayed silent. The couple, stealthily and as if admiring a priceless treasure, gazed greedily at their daughter's sleeping face.
Qi Daiyu had a dream.
In the dream, her soul seemed to float into mid-air.
The opera was still being performed on stage, but the audience below had changed.
The Eldest Prince, the Eldest Princess, and the others were gone. Only she, Qi Caishang, Mrs. Wan, the Old Lady, Qi Chuchu, and Qi Qinglong remained.
She herself had changed too, no longer adorned in luxurious attire. She wore clothes sewn by Mrs. Wan's own hands, with only a plain silver hairpin in her hair—one bought by Qi Caishang with half a year's worth of saved-up private funds, one for her and one for Qinglong.
The Old Lady listened to the opera cheerfully while picking over mung beans in a winnowing basket. The old woman's eyes weren't good, so occasionally a bad bean slipped through.
Qi Qinglong pestered Qi Chuchu to play cat's cradle. Qi Chuchu, being strong, accidentally snapped the string. Qinglong was so angry she cried, chasing Qi Chuchu all around the courtyard with a broom.
Qi Caishang lounged improperly in a deck chair, fanning himself and critiquing the performers on stage.
Mrs. Wan, who had been mending clothes, got a mouthful of dust stirred up by Qi Chuchu and Qi Qinglong's chase and started grumbling.
And she, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, laughed until she started coughing. Seeing her cough, Qi Chuchu and Qi Qinglong immediately stopped their chase, one pouring her tea and the other patting her back.
When the coughing subsided, she laughed again, collapsing with laughter into Mrs. Wan's arms.
The laughter was so lighthearted.
Then, the whole family laughed.
The opera on stage continued singing.
"Spring's hues weave crimson dreams, fragrance lies amidst smiling blooms, don't cry, don't cry, father and mother are here to soothe, here to soothe..."
...
Qi Daiyu stayed at the Qi family home for five days.
Five days was enough for a not-so-familiar family to become familiar.
On the last night, it was even Qi Daiyu, Mrs. Wan, and Qi Qinglong who slept together.
The mother and her two daughters talked late into the night. As Mrs. Wan was drifting off to sleep, she heard Qi Daiyu murmur.
She leaned in to listen.
"Mama..."
"This child!" Mrs. Wan chuckled. The address "Mama" was typically only used in ordinary commoner households; those of slightly higher status called their mothers "Mother" or "Madam." In the Qi family, only the children had called her that when they were first learning to talk.
Mrs. Wan thought Qi Daiyu, in her sleep, had reverted to her childhood and used the address from her early years. Mrs. Wan couldn't help but remember how soft and adorable her daughter was as a little girl, and her heart instantly melted.
Mrs. Wan then drew Qi Daiyu closer into her embrace, gently patting her back, just as she did when lulling her to sleep as a child.
"Mama's here, Mama's right here."
