Chapter 3
By the time they arrived at the Song residence, it was already well past mid-morning.
The autumn sunlight was gentle and pale; even after most of the morning had passed, the glow still lacked much warmth.
Qi Yunmiao stepped down from the carriage carrying a bundle of ceremonial gifts, holding them tightly in her arms as she approached Pei Ze.
At the gate of the Song mansion, besides the gatekeeper and attendants, stood a rather striking young boy.
He was positioned on the steps, slightly shorter than Pei Ze, but his clear complexion and bright smile revealed two shallow dimples and a pair of small tiger teeth.
Seeing Qi Yunmiao and Pei Ze alight from the carriage, he immediately grinned broadly and hurried down the steps, half in delight, half in reproach: “Why have you only just arrived? The master has already begun the lesson!”
Pei Ze glanced back at Qi Yunmiao, who was burdened with her heavy load; a faint look of guilt appeared on her cheeks.
The boy immediately understood.
“Come inside quickly. The master is resting now; this is the perfect time to perform your formal apprenticeship ceremony,” he said.
Qi Yunmiao nodded and followed the boy and Pei Ze through the Song estate’s gates.
This was the home of Minister Song, and before setting out, Aunt Fang had briefly explained that Minister Song was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, on friendly terms with the Prime Minister. Privately, they often drank together, so she could study here at ease.
Prime Minister, Vice Minister.
How extraordinary, Qi Yunmiao thought. Just last year, the highest official she had ever seen was the county magistrate of the city—a rare chance when she accompanied her father into town during the New Year festivities.
She never imagined that now she would live in the Prime Minister’s household and study at the Vice Minister’s residence.
The boy who led her inside was named Song Su, the eldest son of Minister Song, the same age as Pei Ze.
Along the way, Song Su joked with her often.
“So you’re Jing Xuan’s younger sister?” he asked. “I’m Song Su, Star of the Twenty-Eighth Abode, styled Zhaolin. What’s your name?”
Qi Yunmiao replied, “Qi Yunmiao.”
“Qi Yunmiao? Which Qi?” Song Su pressed further.
Qi Yunmiao hesitated.
Which Qi? Everyone in her village shared that surname. Even the teacher at the private school never asked her that.
She pondered for a while but could not think of how to explain her surname to Song Su.
She only knew how to write her name, not its origin.
“Spring days linger, gathering fragrant herbs, Qi Qi,” Pei Ze interjected lazily, as if he couldn’t bear to watch her struggle.
Qi Yunmiao immediately looked back at him.
Song Su suddenly understood: “I see, your surname comes from the Book of Songs!”
“Hehe...” Qi Yunmiao smiled sheepishly.
She hadn’t read the Book of Songs thoroughly. Usually, when her mother recited poetry, it went in one ear and out the other. When studying, she mostly thought about how to coax her father to take her up the mountain for a play.
“Spring days linger, gathering fragrant herbs, Qi Qi.”
“Spring days linger, gathering fragrant herbs, Qi Qi...”
Qi Yunmiao withdrew her gaze, silently repeating those eight words over and over in her heart.
When they finally reached the Song household’s academy, Qi Yunmiao’s eyes were opened once more.
The study hall of a scholarly family was grand indeed. She had never seen such a classroom—each student had their own desk and mat. The number of students was small but all sat properly at spacious desks, each equipped with the four treasures of the study: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Qi Yunmiao had come in haste and had no personal attendant to help her, so she was awkward and busy delivering gifts to the teacher by herself.
The teacher at the Song household was a retired scholar from the National Academy, an old learned doctor.
Before Qi Yunmiao’s arrival, the Prime Minister had already made many arrangements with Minister Song and Doctor Su, so her apprenticeship ceremony went fairly smoothly.
Next came the lesson.
Pei Ze had only accompanied Qi Yunmiao to the apprenticeship ceremony and would not stay for class. After the ceremony, he disappeared somewhere unknown. Qi Yunmiao set up her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—prepared by her family—at the back of the classroom and listened to the scholar’s lecture.
She understood little during the lesson. When it ended, a crowd gathered around her, full of curiosity.
“You’re Qi Yunmiao? Which Qi? How do you write your name?”
“You’re the new daughter recognized by Lord Pei?”
“Qi Yunmiao, I heard you used to live in the countryside. How old are you? After class, we’re going to pick persimmons. Do you want to come with us?”
...
The questions came thick and fast, making Qi Yunmiao dizzy.
Fortunately, she didn’t dislike her classmates at all.
She answered each question earnestly and exchanged names with everyone there.
“Spring days linger, gathering fragrant herbs, Qi is from the Book of Songs.”
“Yes, my mother did marry the Prime Minister.”
“I used to live in the countryside. Picking persimmons? There are persimmon trees here?”
...
In the blink of an eye, another lesson was over. As soon as the teacher dismissed the class, Qi Yunmiao was pulled along by the others to the Song family’s rear garden to pick persimmons.
There were two persimmon trees planted in the corner of the garden, their golden-orange fruits strikingly vibrant in the autumn light.
Both trees were tall, some branches reaching the eaves of the wall, making it difficult for the children standing below to look up and reach the fruit.
“Miao Miao, can you climb trees?” Song Qingyu, the youngest daughter of the Song family and now a good friend of Qi Yunmiao, asked.
Qi Yunmiao nodded as they stood beneath the persimmon tree.
“You can climb trees?” Song Qingyu exclaimed in surprise. “None of the girls in our family can climb. Only the boys can. We just wait down here!”
She pointed to several boys already perched high in the tree branches.
Since the girls couldn’t climb well, the boys who climbed the treetops were the center of attention.
“Qingyu, we’ll come down as soon as we’ve picked some persimmons. You just wait here!” called Song Qingxiao, Qingyu’s third older brother.
He shouted loudly, seemingly unafraid of the housemaids who might come to investigate.
“All right!” Song Qingyu obediently stayed put.
But Qi Yunmiao noticed that the boys all crowded on one tree picking persimmons, while the other tree remained untouched.
She set down her bag, rolled up her sleeves, and began to climb the empty tree with swift movements.
Song Qingyu, waiting expectantly for the fruit her brother would pick, turned to talk to her new friend but was surprised to see Qi Yunmiao had disappeared.
“Miao Miao?” she called curiously.
Qi Yunmiao sat perched atop the treetop, waving down to her: “I’m here!”
Song Qingyu looked up and was startled to see her sitting there.
With a mix of surprise and admiration, she exclaimed, “Miao Miao, you really can climb trees!”
“Yes,” Qi Yunmiao laughed happily. Since coming to the capital, it had been a long time since she’d climbed a tree to pick fruit.
There were no trees in the little courtyard where she and her mother lived, and it was forbidden to climb trees elsewhere. Now, with a persimmon tree at hand, she easily plucked two fruits and called down, “Qingyu, catch!”
Song Qingyu quickly unfolded a piece of cloth to catch the falling persimmons.
The two persimmons Qi Yunmiao tossed down were not fully ripe, a bit green and firm, but they didn’t bruise on the cloth.
Song Qingyu held the persimmons excitedly, looking them over and pointing at Qi Yunmiao as she boasted to the other children.
Gradually, the girls in the garden realized that climbing trees wasn’t just for boys—Qi Yunmiao could climb too!
They all gathered beneath her tree.
“Miao Miao, give me one!”
“Miao Miao, I want one too!”
...
All the girls ran over.
When Song Qingxiao finally finished picking a basketful of persimmons and prepared to climb down, he looked down to find his tree empty.
He and his friends looked around in surprise, soon spotting Qi Yunmiao on the other persimmon tree.
That little girl, a daughter of the house, was so skilled at picking persimmons she outpaced the boys.
They were all stunned.
“Ah Xiao, look at Qi Yunmiao, she’s picked more than us!” one friend exclaimed.
Song Qingxiao snapped out of his surprise.
Carrying his basket of persimmons, he slowly climbed down.
The boys who had been so glorious climbing up now found themselves ignored by the girls.
Once on the grass, Song Qingxiao looked up at Qi Yunmiao and murmured, “So what if she picked more? A wild country girl’s green persimmons won’t be as sweet as mine.”
—
On her first day studying at the Song household, Qi Yunmiao never imagined she would return home laden with fruit.
She brought back a basket of persimmons.
At first, the ladies of the Song residence hadn’t noticed their secret excursion to pick persimmons, but someone must have reported it, saying that children had climbed the trees and nearly fallen.
So Lady Song came rushing to the garden with a group of servants.
Finding no one injured, Lady Song sighed with relief.
However, for daring to climb the trees without permission, each child received a mild reprimand.
Afterwards, Lady Song was lenient, saying since they had picked the fruit, they must eat it all or take it home—no wasting allowed.
Qi Yunmiao divided the persimmons among her new friends and herself, ultimately taking eight home.
When she returned, Pei Ze wasn’t there to meet her, but the Pei family’s carriage was still available. Servants escorted her home.
On the carriage, Qi Yunmiao planned who would receive which persimmons: one for her mother, one for Lord Pei, one for Aunt Fang, who had told her that a personal attendant would be arranged to accompany her to study at the Song residence from now on—so the attendant deserved one too.
That left four persimmons.
Qi Yunmiao, not yet satisfied, kept two for herself, gave one more to her mother, leaving only one remaining...
When Qi Yunmiao returned to the Pei residence, neither Lord Pei, her mother, nor Pei Ze was home.
She placed the persimmons as planned, leaving one of the two intended for her mother in her own room, to give her when she visited at night.
As for the last persimmon...
Holding it, Qi Yunmiao asked Aunt Fang, “Auntie, could you take me to my brother’s courtyard? He took me to the Song residence today, and I want to thank him.”
Aunt Fang was more than happy to oblige.
A brother and sister’s mutual respect and affection—this was the scene every adult wished to see.