First Meeting with His Widowed Sister-in-Law

The Qiantang Ding Clan had two principal residences: a grand mansion with five successive courtyards in the county town, and a country estate in the eastern outskirts, also called their villa. The latter was the foundation of the clan, commanding hills and waterways, with fifteen thousand mu of fertile farmland, twenty protected households, two hundred tenant households, and sixty retainers who trained in martial arts year-round. Every one of them could be sent into battle, and when necessary, the tenants could also be organized into household troops. These were the private armed forces that great aristocratic clans had developed to protect themselves since the upheavals of the Eastern Han.

The great aristocratic surnames of Qiantang were, in order, Quan, Zhu, Gu, Fan, Du, Dai, Ding, and Chu. The first four were first-rank clans. The Ding Clan counted as a Second-Rank Aristocratic Clan in Qiantang, but across Jiangdong as a whole, they were a third-rank clan—the lowest rank of the aristocracy. Yet even a lowest-rank clan like this wielded tremendous local power. Generally speaking, the magistrate of Qiantang County could not control them, especially a magistrate of humble, non-aristocratic birth, whom these powerful clans would not deign to acknowledge. Heaven knew why the Ding Clan had married their daughter to Chen Qingzhi, a man of humble birth. Marriage between aristocrats and commoners greatly diminished an aristocratic clan's prestige and earned the scorn of other clans.

At dusk, three ox carts slowly entered a side gate of Ding Clan Villa in the eastern outskirts of Qiantang County. Ding Clan Villa resembled Chen Family Cove Fortress in some ways, with its high walls and thick gates. The difference was that Chen Family Cove was round, with fortified towers, while Ding Clan Villa was square and much larger. The ground rose from front to rear, with buildings ascending in tiers, arranged symmetrically on either side of a central axis. It was said to have over four hundred rooms.

Darkness had already fallen. A lantern shone at the little doorway through the hall, illuminating a pale face behind it. Seeing the ox carts enter, the person hurried forward and asked, "Is that Xiao Chan and Qingzhi?"

Xiao Chan answered from inside the cart, "It's me. We've brought both Zongzhi and Run'er, and young Master Caozhi has come too."

"Really? That's wonderful. My lady was just asking." The maid carrying the lantern was A Xiu, another of Ding Youwei's four personal maids.

Before she had even climbed down, Run'er called sweetly, "Sister A Xiu, it's me, Run'er! My Elder Brother and Uncle Chou are here too."

The anxiety A Xiu had felt while waiting vanished like smoke and clouds, leaving her heart full of joy. Smiling, she stepped forward to help Run'er down, then raised the lantern to look at her. "Little Miss Run'er has grown so much taller! Such a pretty face and such a sweet tongue-everyone who sees you loves you. Ah, Zongzhi, young Master Zongzi has grown taller too-oh, who is this?"

Xiao Chan laughed beside them and said to Qingzhi, "Wasn't I right? A Xiu wouldn't recognize young Master Caozhi."

Just then, a steward from the Ding Household came out. After a few brief questions, he told Lai Fu and his son Lai De to follow a tenant to eat and rest. Lai Fu said he wanted to pay his respects to their young mistress first, but the steward said impatiently, "Who would dare let you in at this hour? Pay your respects tomorrow."

Zongzhi and Run'er went into the inner courtyard to see Ding Youwei. Since Chen Caozhi was still a minor, counted as a relation of the Ding Clan by marriage, and had been specifically mentioned in Ding Youwei's instructions, he went in with them.

Ding Youwei lived in a separate little compound, with a square courtyard and a two-story wooden building whose western and southern wings joined together. There was also a small garden behind it.

The courtyard gate stood half-open. Hearing footsteps, someone immediately came out carrying a lantern. After a quick look, she was overjoyed and called back, "My lady, my lady! Zongzhi and Run'er are here!"

Run'er, who was in Xiao Chan's arms, struggled down to the ground and cried, "Mother-"

A faint, delicate fragrance drifted over, like a night breeze passing across a lotus pond in the fifth month. A tall, graceful beauty in white appeared before the little courtyard. In the lantern's yellow glow, she saw tiny Run'er running toward her and managed only one cry of "Run'er-" before her voice choked. She bent to embrace Run'er, kissing her over and over, while her eyes, like stars in the dark night, continued searching. When she saw Zongzhi, she stretched out an arm and beckoned, like an injured crane. "Zongzhi, come-"

Chen Caozhi gently nudged his nephew's shoulder from behind, and Zongzhi stepped forward rather shyly and called, "Mother."

Ding Youwei gathered both children into her arms and wept for joy. The sight of mother and children reunited after their separation brought tears to the eyes of Xiao Chan and the other three maids.

After a while, Ding Youwei raised her face and asked, "Where is my young brother-in-law? Didn't he come?" Women of the Wei-Jin period called their husbands' younger brothers "young brother-in-law."

Chen Caozhi stood between Xiao Chan and Qingzhi. Now he took two steps forward and bowed deeply. "Caozhi pays his respects to his sister-in-law."

"Ah!" Ding Youwei straightened and stared at Chen Caozhi with her lovely eyes wide, surprised and delighted. "Caozhi? Six Ugly Points?"

Chen Caozhi answered again, "Sister-in-law, it's me, A Chou."

Xiao Chan smiled. "My lady, young Master Caozhi has grown so much taller, hasn't he? A Xiu didn't recognize him just now either."

Only then did the other maid, Rain Swallow, exclaim, "This is young Master Caozhi? I didn't dare recognize him."

Both lanterns now shone on Chen Caozhi so Ding Youwei could take a closer look.

Ding Youwei walked up to Chen Caozhi with a gentle smile. "It really is Caozhi. You're already as tall as your sister-in-law, and you're not even fifteen yet. You'll be taller than your elder brother." Chen Qingzhi had been a handsome, slender man over seven chi tall.

Worried that Ding Youwei would grow sorrowful again, Xiao Chan quickly said, "My lady, let's go inside first. Zongzhi and Run'er must be starving. They've been jolting along for six hours."

Ding Youwei reproached herself for being muddleheaded. Holding Zongzhi with one hand and Run'er with the other, she turned toward the courtyard gate, then stopped and glanced back at Chen Caozhi. "A Chou, come with your sister-in-law-" Before Chen Caozhi could answer, she smiled radiantly. "I won't call you A Chou anymore. You've grown up. I should use your proper name, Caozhi."

Run'er asked, "Mother, then what should my Elder Brother and I call Uncle Chou?"

Ding Youwei said, "Call him Uncle Cao instead."

Uncle Cao sounded far too awkward. Chen Caozhi hastily said, "Zongzhi and Run'er are used to calling me Uncle Chou, and Uncle Chou sounds more natural to me too."

Ding Youwei walked ahead in her plain white clothes and skirt, holding her two children's hands, while Chen Caozhi followed behind. The sister-in-law in the boy's memories had not been this thin. Her slender willow-like waist seemed as though it would snap at a touch, and her face was pale as faded petals. Only her eyes still shone like stars-

Even so, his sister-in-law was still the most beautiful woman Chen Caozhi had ever seen!

After supper, Ding Youwei ordered Xiao Chan and Rain Swallow to prepare water for Chen Caozhi's bath. She herself hitched up her skirt and rolled up her sleeves to bathe Zongzhi and Run'er. With so few chances to care for her children, even the toil was a pleasure.

When Xiao Chan and Rain Swallow found that Chen Caozhi would not let them attend him, they giggled outside the door, saying that young Master Caozhi now knew how to blush and feel shy. Then they whispered about his looks, recalling what he had looked like as a child and clicking their tongues in admiration as they compared him with the present.

Chen Caozhi emerged from his bath with hair black as lacquer, red lips, and white teeth. The two maids, Xiao Chan and Rain Swallow, stared at him in a daze.

Chen Caozhi said, "Sister Xiao Chan, take me to my sister-in-law's study."

Ding Youwei's study was beside her bedroom on the second floor. Chen Caozhi froze the moment he stepped inside. Under the light of a bronze ox lamp, the study's furnishings were exactly like those of the study at Chen Family Cove: elegant and simple. Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all laid out on the desk. It seemed his sister-in-law still kept up her habit of reading and practicing calligraphy every day.

Xiao Chan was rather observant. Seeing Chen Caozhi standing motionless, she thought for a moment and understood. She said softly, "My lady had it specially arranged this way. She misses Chen Family Cove-"

Just then, Run'er's laughter came from outside the door. "Uncle Chou, hurry and show Mother the Keting Flute! Mother doesn't believe you can play the Recorder, or that someone would give you the Keting Flute."

Then came Ding Youwei's gentle, pleasing voice. "It isn't that I don't believe it. I'm just so surprised. Have you become so accomplished in the two years since we last met, Caozhi? Who taught you?"

Chen Caozhi answered, "Sister-in-law, I merely played a few casual notes. For some reason, they happened to please a traveler on the river, and he unfastened his flute and gave it to me. He said it was the Keting Flute."

Fresh from her bath, Ding Youwei entered the study holding Zongzhi's and Run'er's hands. All three looked as though they had been carved from fine jade, with skin like snow and features like a painting. Though Ding Youwei was slender, her skin remained fine and smooth, glowing translucently in the lamplight. Her thinness made her eyes look especially large and her chin pointed. There was nothing affected about her movements, yet she was exquisitely graceful.

As Chen Caozhi looked at his sister-in-law, she too studied him with a smile. They had not seen each other for two years. This young brother-in-law, once somewhat wooden, was now not only fresh-faced and handsome; his mind also seemed to have opened, making him clever.

Ding Youwei nodded. "Run'er was right. You really have grown much stronger, young brother-in-law. Yes, climbing Nine Luminaries Mountain every day is very good." Meanwhile, she ordered Qingzhi and A Xiu to carry Chen Caozhi's baggage to the room on the second floor of the West Tower. It had been prepared several days earlier, especially for him. Run'er and Zongzhi would naturally sleep with her.

Seeing the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, Run'er remembered what Uncle Chou had told her and said, "Mother, my Elder Brother and I have brought you gifts."

"Really?" Ding Youwei said happily. "What gifts have you brought? Let Mother see!"

Run'er said, "Elder Brother, you go first."

Eight-year-old Chen Zongzhi glanced at Uncle Chou. Finding encouragement in his eyes, he walked to the desk and began grinding ink himself. Xiao Chan wanted to do it for him, but Chen Caozhi stopped her. "When practicing calligraphy, you must grind your own ink. It's also a good way to strengthen the wrists and fingers-my elder brother taught me that too."

Ding Youwei nodded slightly, a bittersweet joy filling her heart.

Chen Zongzhi spent half a quarter-hour grinding an inkstone full of thick ink. He rubbed his little hands, then knelt with his legs tucked beneath him and held the brush with his wrist raised, reproducing Zhong Yao's Declaration Memorial from memory. It took him more than two quarter-hours to write all eighteen lines, totaling three hundred and eight characters, neatly on the paper. Though his brushwork was immature, it already showed the beginnings of the poised, fresh quality of Zhong Yao's calligraphy.

Ding Youwei knelt beside him, quietly watching Zongzhi write. The eight-year-old child was so absorbed, so meticulous with every stroke, that her beautiful large eyes filled with joyful tears.

When Zongzhi finished, he set down the brush. The joints of his brush-holding fingers were red. He looked at Uncle Chou, then at his mother, and said softly, "Mother, this is my gift to you."

Great drops of tears rolled down Ding Youwei's face. She clasped Zongzhi to her chest, her voice trembling slightly with joy. "This is the best gift Mother has ever received. Mother has never been so happy!"

Seeing her Elder Brother praised, Run'er was eager to show what she could do. She said brightly, "Mother, Run'er has a gift too-"

Ding Youwei knelt on the reed mat with one arm around Zongzhi, wiped her tears with a silk handkerchief, and smiled. "All right, Mother will inspect Run'er's gift."

Run'er said, "Run'er can write the Declaration Memorial too, but not as well as my Elder Brother. I'll recite the Analects instead." Starting with the Xue Er Chapter and the Wei Zheng Chapter, she recited straight through to the Xiang Dang Chapter before stopping. Panting a little, she said, "I'm so thirsty-"

Xiao Chan hurried to bring Run'er water. Beside them, Zongzhi whispered, "Mother, Run'er can't recite what comes after that."

Ding Youwei's heart truly burst into bloom. She drew Run'er onto her lap as well, pressed her cheek against her daughter's tender little face, and said gently, "Run'er, Mother couldn't even read when she was your age. You're much better than Mother was. Your gifts have brought Mother such comfort-who taught you all this?"

Run'er said, "Grandmother taught us before, and then Uncle Chou taught us. Uncle Chou teaches better."

Ding Youwei lifted her face, its tears like morning dew gathered on white magnolia petals, and broke into an exquisite smile. "A Chou, thank you. This is also the most precious gift you've brought your sister-in-law."

Thank you, readers, for your votes. This humble Daoist feels very motivated.