Chapter 12: Once and for All

In Lengxiang Abode, everyone was eating *hubing* (sesame flatbread).

*Hubing* was a common snack, but Fangzhou’s craftsmanship was so excellent that she baked the bread until it was crispy and fragrant with oil. Inside was a thin layer of lamb filling; one bite was savory without being greasy, absolutely delicious.

Nanny Yu was so moved she felt like crying: she shouldn't have reminded the Sixth Young Lady to curry favor with the Old Madam. She wanted to stay in Lengxiang Abode for the rest of her life to teach the Sixth Young Lady "etiquette"!

"Young Lady, the four young ladies have come to see you." The little maid who rushed in to report had grease on her lips; she, too, had been "captured" by the *hubing*.

"Please, invite them in."

As Qiu Xuan and the other three walked further inside, the fragrance grew stronger.

This scent... it wasn't quite what they had expected.

When they saw the stack of glistening, oily *hubing* on the table, all four were stunned.

"Sixth Sister, you’re eating meat pies at this hour?" Qiu Ying couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

It wasn't that she was greedy, but it was truly too fragrant, and the bread looked like it perfectly matched that aroma.

Qiu Heng smiled: "Learning etiquette is tiring, so Fangzhou baked some *hubing* to reward me. Would the four sisters like to try some?"

"No need—"

"Sure!"

Different voices rang out, and the scene went quiet.

"Then I shall taste Fangzhou’s handiwork—" Qiu Xuan had spoken to ease the awkwardness, but the moment the *hubing* entered her mouth, she was shocked.

Seeing her usually composed second sister display such an expression, Qiu Ying hurriedly picked up a *hubing*. "I’ll try some too."

Once they tasted it, they could no longer spare the breath to speak, eating bite after bite.

This could not possibly be the plain, unremarkable *hubing* seen everywhere!

Qiu Yun, who was best at lowering her presence, picked up a *hubing* without a word.

Qiu Fu bit her lip hard.

It wasn't as if they had returned home starving; they had no shame.

A moment later—she would just taste how bad a *hubing* made by a country girl’s maid could be.

Annoyed by the scent of the bread and meat, the Fourth Young Lady picked up a *hubing* and took a spiteful bite.

It was terrible!

For a time, the four sisters ate their bread in silence, and Nanny Yu finally felt relieved.

Heaven is my witness, it really wasn't that her willpower was weak!

Qiu Heng’s mood, however, was different from the others enjoying the delicacy.

Originally, they were distant, so she could choose not to think about it, but now, looking at the Second Young Lady, Qiu Xuan—she would drown in an accidental fall after her marriage.

The Third Young Lady, Qiu Yun, would be married as a second wife to a certain Vice Minister over forty years of age; her fate was unknown.

The Fourth Young Lady, Qiu Fu, would be promised as a concubine to the Prime Minister’s grandson, only for the grandson to die suddenly, leading her to die of a broken heart.

The Fifth Young Lady, Qiu Ying, would elope with someone and disappear, only to later appear in the pleasure quarters of Linzhou in the Southern Capital.

As for the Eldest Young Lady, who entered the palace to serve the Emperor, the outcome needed no elaboration.

Normally, the situations of girls from such ordinary noble families would not be recorded. However, because the Earl of Yongqing’s grand feat of sending his granddaughters to be concubines was recorded alongside them, it ended with a sigh that the Qiu family women were beautiful but ill-fated.

If one granddaughter suffered such a fate, one could blame her own bad luck, but with all five granddaughters suffering the same, it was likely the work of their "good" grandfather, the Earl of Yongqing.

It was currently the 25th year of Jingping. Five years from now, in the second year of Longxing, the capital would fall, and the young emperor would flee south. By then, the number of those with tragic fates would be countless.

But the withering of flowers during a prosperous age was different from the tragedy of having no whole eggs left under an overturned nest.

The blade held by a loved one always hurt more when it pierced the skin.

"I wonder why the four sisters have come?" Seeing that they had finished their *hubing*, Qiu Heng asked.

"We came to thank Sixth Sister..." Qiu Xuan spoke of the attention the sachets Qiu Heng had gifted them had garnered at the flower banquet. "Thank you, Sixth Sister, for putting so much effort into making those sachets for us."

Qiu Ying nodded in agreement.

Qiu Fu twitched her lips, thinking to herself, *what "we"?* She certainly hadn't come to thank her.

She had only followed along to see what was happening, lest they speak ill of her behind her back.

"Sisters are too kind. I have also made a type of fragrant ornament; if you are interested, I will send them to you to play with once they are finished."

"Then thank you in advance, Sixth Sister."

After all, they weren't very close. The *hubing* had been eaten and the thanks given; Qiu Xuan and the others had no reason to stay longer, so they took their leave.

When the Old Madam learned that her granddaughters had returned, she called them to Qiansong Hall to ask about the events at the Marquis of Changchun’s residence.

Although it was just a gathering of young girls, it represented the first real interaction between the Earl’s residence and the Marquis of Changchun’s, so the Old Madam could not help but take it seriously.

"The sachets Sixth Sister made were praised endlessly by the Eldest Miss Feng, who even said she would send invitations for us to visit again," Qiu Xuan said with a smile.

Qiu Fu glanced at Qiu Xuan.

What kind of love potion had Qiu Heng fed her second sister to make her so determined to help her get out of the house?

It must be the *hubing*; she had definitely been bought off by that terrible *hubing*.

"Is that so?" The Old Madam was pleased to hear that Qiu Heng’s sachets had found favor with the young ladies of the Marquis of Changchun’s residence, but she did not change her mind. "Wait until she has learned her etiquette before you take her out with you."

If they were to visit the Marquis of Changchun’s residence or even higher-ranking households in the future, they could not afford to be impolite.

Looking at it this way, the Sixth Girl was not entirely useless.

...

Before the calming incense was even finished, the day arrived for Qiu Feng and Qiu Song’s school holiday, and it was also the ten-day break for the Imperial Academy.

Qiu Heng saw the Eldest Young Master, Qiu Yang, for the first time.

"This is a cherry *biluo* (pastry) bought from Second Sister-in-law Cui’s shop on East Street. Try it, Sixth Sister, and see if you like it." Qiu Yang handed over a package of snacks. "Her pastries are very famous. If you aren't used to sweet things, I’ll buy meat-filled ones next time."

Before Qiu Heng could speak, Fangzhou couldn't take it anymore: "How can a cherry *biluo* be filled with meat!"

Qiu Yang: "..."

Looking at Nanny Yu, Nanny Wang, and the others, they were actually nodding in support.

How strange.

"I made a sachet; I’ll give it to Big Brother."

Qiu Yang hadn't expected a return gift and hurriedly tucked the sachet away. "Then I won't disturb Sixth Sister’s work."

That the Sixth Young Lady had to learn etiquette was known to everyone in the Earl’s residence.

Not long after Qiu Yang left, Qiu Feng’s head maid, Xige, came to deliver a message: "Sixth Young Lady, our Young Master invites you to the garden."

Qiu Heng didn't ask what it was about and followed Xige to the garden.

Qiu Feng was waiting by the flower trellis. Seeing the young girl approach, he subconsciously stiffened.

If Third Brother couldn't win the arm-wrestling match, would he cause some other kind of trouble?

But if he didn't agree, he wouldn't let it go.

Qiu Feng recalled the countless times he had teased her and suppressed his unease at having called Qiu Heng over.

"Why did you call me here?" Qiu Heng stood still and asked calmly.

"It’s—" Qiu Feng had just started to speak when he saw Qiu Song.

The chubby boy appeared behind Qiu Heng with a fierce expression.

"Qiu Heng!" Qiu Song shouted.

Under Qiu Feng’s horrified gaze, Qiu Heng turned around calmly. With one hand, she caught the object Qiu Song had thrown, and with the other, she grabbed his collar and pulled him forward, deftly wrapping the writhing creature in her hand around his neck.

Qiu Feng’s legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.

And Qiu Song, who considered himself fearless, didn't dare to move or cry. He stared fixedly at the long snake that had raised its head and was flicking its tongue at him, as if he had been hit by a paralysis spell.

Qiu Heng looked at the terrified little fatty and asked in confusion, "Didn't you bring this? What are you afraid of?"

"I... I..." Qiu Song trembled, wanting to say he wasn't afraid, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt the snake’s head nudge toward his lips.

Help me!

(End of chapter)