Song Manor.
A courtyard in the rear residence.
Inside a room, Li Nuo stood before a mirror, combing the hair of a dainty little girl. A few tears still clung to her soft, rosy cheeks, and she sniffled every now and then.
Beside Li Nuo stood another girl who looked exactly like the one in the mirror. She folded her arms, pouted, and looked thoroughly displeased.
Li Nuo now knew that the two little girls beside him were named Song Ninger and Song Mu'er. They were twin sisters, daughters of Song Jiaren's fourth uncle.
It had all started when Li Nuo had given Song Mu'er a beautiful hairstyle. Song Mu'er ran over to show it off to Song Ninger. Ever since they were little, if her older sister had something, she had to have it too. The maids in the household didn't know how to do this improved Flying Immortal Hairpin, so Song Ninger had thrown a fit...
As the culprit, Li Nuo had been hauled in by the women of the Song Family. He couldn't leave until he gave Song Ninger an identical hairstyle.
Unless this little princess was satisfied, no one was going to have a good night.
Li Nuo's hands flew back and forth, and a lovely bun gradually took shape atop the little girl's head. Song Zhen glanced at Song Jiaren beside her and asked in surprise, "Jiaren, when did your husband learn to do this?"
The deftness with which he braided Ning'er's hair put even the oldest hairstyling maid in Song Manor to shame.
Generally speaking, in a great household like the Song Family, only specially trained maids knew how to style and braid hair. Young ladies might know how to put their hair up simply, but they certainly couldn't make such an intricate bun. For a man to master a woman's skill to this degree was even more baffling.
What's more, he was a fool.
Song Jiaren did not answer her aunt's question.
To be honest, she and this husband of hers... weren't all that familiar with each other.
Though they had been married for a month, they had probably exchanged fewer than ten sentences in total.
She had no idea what Li Nuo could or couldn't do.
Before the mirror, Li Nuo placed a pearl flower identical to the one in Song Mu'er's hair in the same spot on Song Ninger's head. He studied the two sisters carefully, then adjusted the positions of the other two pearl flowers until he couldn't spot the slightest difference. Only then did he let out a long breath and say, "There. All done..."
Song Ninger hopped down from the chair and looked at Song Mu'er, then at herself in the mirror. Only then did a satisfied expression appear on her little face.
Just then, a maid hurried in from outside and said, "Eldest Young Lady, Fourth Madam, the birthday banquet is about to begin. Master says you should hurry over..."
Inside the birthday hall at Song Manor.
Great families paid close attention to birthday celebrations. For Old Madam Song's sixtieth birthday, the Song Family had specially decorated a birthday hall. A Hundred Longevity Painting hung on the south wall, flanked by a couplet that read, "Clouds bear the jeweled carriage as the Queen Mother arrives; flowers bloom, and the golden phoenix descends from the stars." A Longevity Banner hung above, embroidered with an Immortal and Buddha Longevity Painting.
A red carpet covered the floor. Beneath the wall facing the entrance stood a square table bearing Longevity Candles, Longevity Peaches, Longevity Noodles, and assorted fresh flowers and fruit.
A kindly-looking old woman sat in the place of honor. The Song Family's descendants stood respectfully in order on the red carpet in the center of the hall, each stepping forward in turn to offer birthday wishes to Old Madam Song.
Birthday greetings followed the order of seniority. At the front were Old Madam Song's five children and their spouses. After them came the third generation of the Song Family. Song Jiaren's father was Old Madam Song's third son. Li Nuo and Song Jiaren stood in the second-to-last row, with the sisters Song Mu'er and Song Ninger behind them.
The birthday ritual was simple. Everyone stepped forward in order, presented Old Madam Song with a gift, and said a few auspicious words. Then they could sit in the chairs to one side and wait for the banquet to begin.
Two young figures stood ahead of Li Nuo and Song Jiaren. They were two of the three people who had mocked him in the courtyard earlier.
They were probably children of one of Song Jiaren's aunts.
In the row ahead of them stood three men and two women. One was the young man whose head Li Nuo had patted like a dog, the one Song Mu'er called "Brother Yu."
The maids of the Song Family stood in neat rows on either side of the birthday hall, holding wooden trays covered with red silk. Hidden beneath the cloth were gifts the Song Family had prepared in advance.
When someone's turn came to offer birthday greetings, the maids would hand them a tray, and they would present the gift themselves.
As the second generation of the Song Family stepped forward one after another, Li Nuo took the chance to memorize their names: Song Jiaren's eldest uncle, Song Tai; her second uncle, Song Lian; her aunt, Song Zhen; and her fourth uncle, Song Hao. Song Jiaren's father, Li Nuo's Father-in-law, was named Song Zhe. He was a lean, middle-aged man, but Li Nuo did not see Song Jiaren's mother.
All the members of the second generation had their spouses beside them. Even Song Zhen's husband had come. Only his Father-in-law stood alone.
Once the elders had offered their birthday wishes, it was the younger members of the third generation's turn.
A young couple walked hand in hand up to Old Madam Song and said respectfully, "Your grandson, Song Lin, and your granddaughter-in-law, Wang Yan, wish Grandmother a long life and lasting health and happiness."
The gift they presented was a pair of golden Buddhas.
Next, another young man came forward holding a painting and said with a smile, "Your grandson, Song Qi, wishes Grandmother a life as bright as the sun and moon, and longevity like the pines and cranes."
Old Madam Song took the painting and examined it. Her face lit up. "It's Zhao Meng's Yaochi Holy Mother Birthday Painting! Wasn't this painting said to be lost? Where did you find it?"
The young man replied, "Your grandson happened upon it. I'm glad Grandmother likes it."
Old Madam Song handed the painting to a maid standing nearby and told her to hang it on the wall. Then she looked back at the young man and said, "You know, Grandmother would be even happier if you found yourself a wife..."
As the Song Family's descendants stepped forward one by one to offer their birthday wishes, Li Nuo learned a little more about this large family.
The Song Family was thriving. Song Jiaren's eldest uncle had two sons, and her second uncle had two sons and a daughter. Her parents had only one child, while the twins, Song Mu'er and Song Ninger, were daughters of Song Jiaren's fourth uncle, Song Hao.
That was the entirety of the Song Family's third generation.
Among the younger members of the third generation, Song Lin and Song Qi, from eldest uncle Song Tai's branch, presented a pair of jade Buddhas and a birthday painting. From second uncle's branch, Song Jin and his wife presented a pair of pearls as large as pigeon eggs—rare treasures indeed. Song Yu presented a pair of Longevity Peaches, said to have been cultivated by a powerful member of the Agricultural school. They could cure every illness and prolong life.
Li Nuo didn't know whether the peaches could really prolong life, but he could smell their invigorating fragrance from this far away. He even heard the two little girls behind him swallow.
The Agricultural school might not be much good at fighting, but they certainly knew a thing or two about farming.
Song Yu's older sister, a woman named Song Qian, presented Old Madam Song with a Buddhist scripture she had copied by hand. Though it wasn't as valuable as the other gifts, it was full of heartfelt care, and Old Madam Song liked it very much.
Song Qian's husband was a slender young man with a strong scholarly air about him. He presented Old Madam Song with a birthday poem, drawing quite a few cheers.
The Song Family was a Military Family. Its descendants either joined the Military School or practiced the Martial Dao; few studied the Confucian school. They could wield swords and spears, but not brush and ink. The birthday poem was a refreshing change and won unanimous praise.
In order, it was now the turn of Li Nuo and Song Jiaren as a couple.
Li Nuo already knew what gift they were going to present. He had seen it in the carriage: a pair of exquisite Jade Ruyi.
Li Nuo had figured out the pattern. If a member of the Song Family was married, their birthday gift to Old Madam Song was usually a pair of matching items, presented in the husband and wife's names. If they were still single, they only needed to give one gift—though they could also each present something separately, like Song Qian and her husband.
Song Jiaren had already prepared Li Nuo's gift for him. He only had to wait for the banquet to begin.
After Song Yu stepped aside, it was the turn of Li Nuo and Song Jiaren as a couple.
At that moment, many of the guests turned to look at them, and the noisy chatter in the birthday hall quieted somewhat.
The name of the Song Family's gifted daughter had spread throughout Chang'an more than ten years ago.
Of course, her husband had become famous even earlier than she had.
They were famous for different reasons. Song Jiaren was renowned for her beauty and her talent in the Martial Dao. Li Nuo was famous for being a fool. To this day, countless people still lamented their marriage.
It was like a toad getting its mouth around a swan's meat, a fine cabbage fed to a pig.
Aside from being rather handsome and having Li Xuanjing for a father, he was good for nothing.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, a maid brought over a tray covered with red silk. Song Jiaren held it in one hand and slowly lifted the cloth. Just as she was about to step forward, her pace faltered slightly.
Li Nuo glanced down, and his brow furrowed as well.
Beneath the red silk on the tray were not a pair of Jade Ruyi, but two long, narrow stones.
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