Chapter 8: Marveling at Divine Skill (Part 2)
After a while, the maids brought nine kites. The Shen sisters each had their own specialty kites. Shen Qin gave three of her old ones to Su Jun and the Wang sisters, while the remaining kites retrieved from the storeroom were all exquisitely crafted.
Naturally, Shen Qin's kite remained the most remarkable. At first glance, it appeared only slightly more ornate than others—a bat-shaped design. But its true marvel revealed itself during flight. The lightweight frame and superior construction allowed it to ascend smoothly, soaring higher than all others. Its true distinction emerged when five tiny bats unfurled from the main kite's belly after catching sufficient wind, forming the intricate "Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity" pattern—a masterstroke of ingenuity.
The crowd erupted in applause.
"Of course!" Shen Qin declared proudly. "This was personally crafted by Old Master Zhang of Little Zhang's Kites!"
The story of Little Zhang's Kites bordered on legend. Old Master Zhang began as a restaurant waiter whose sole passion lay in kite-making. After losing his job, he devoted himself entirely to the craft, gradually building renown until his style stood equal to southern Pailou and northwestern Yansha traditions.
Since turning sixty, the master rarely crafted kites himself. This "Five Blessings" piece proved exceptionally rare—priceless even with silver—explaining Shen Qin's justifiable pride.
Shen Cui burned with envy, wishing she shared Shen Che's bloodline, while the Wang sisters gazed longingly.
Yet triumph often breeds mishap. With multiple kites airborne, their strings required careful separation to avoid tangling. While losing ordinary kites might be acceptable, the "Five Blessings" kite demanded absolute protection.
Despite Shen Qin's vigilance, fate intervened. During retrieval, a sudden gust lodged the precious kite in a century-old tree's uppermost branches—a protected centerpiece of Qinyuan Garden that even Shen Qin couldn't harm.
"What shall I do? What shall I do?" Shen Qin fretted tearfully.
The kite dangled nearly sixty feet aboveground from a smooth, branchless trunk that defied climbing attempts.
"Stay calm," advised Shen Yan. "We'll have servants bring ladders. If that fails, they'll form human towers."
But the tree's height mocked their efforts—ladders proved insufficient, human towers unstable beyond five tiers. Shen Qin stamped her feet below as darkening skies threatened rain.
"Second Brother will skin me alive when he finds out!" she wailed. "He'll never procure such treasures again!" Though privately she knew the truth—this kite hadn't been a gift, but taken without permission during her brother's absence.
"Let me try," Ji Cheng offered.
Shen Qin regarded her through teary eyes. "Can you climb trees?"
Climbing offered no solution—the fragile twigs couldn't support human weight, as evidenced by a fallen servant's uncertain condition.
"I can only attempt," Ji Cheng replied cautiously. She dispatched a maid to fetch Yu Qian'er and retrieve her personal slingshot with iron pellets.
While other young ladies composed poetry or moon-gazed, Ji Cheng had honed her skills in equestrianism, archery, and slingshots.
When the weapon arrived, Shen Qin regarded Ji Cheng as a bodhisattva incarnate. Even the typically composed Ji Cheng felt her hands tremble under such expectation. Her first pellet fell short, transforming Shen Qin's hopeful anticipation into crushing disappointment.
Undeterred, Ji Cheng paced beneath the tree, eyes closed in concentration. Selecting her position, she secured the pellet pouch at her waist and rolled up her sleeves, revealing luminous forearms. Three rapid twangs echoed—almost simultaneous—before a crisp snap resounded. Before observers could process the action, the branch fractured, sending kite and twig earthward where waiting servants caught them.
As the twig snapped, applause erupted behind Ji Cheng. The group turned to see an unfamiliar man standing nearby.
"Eldest Brother!" Shen Yan exclaimed.
The man wore a dark green robe embroidered with curling vines and bamboo motifs—none other than Shen Yu, eldest son of the Shen family's second branch. Known since youth for following his father's military campaigns in the northwest, the twenty-five-year-old now held the fourth-rank position of Loyal Martial General in the capital garrison. His imposing presence evoked mountainous grandeur, the family's handsome features rendered severe by his stern demeanor.
Ji Cheng instantly recognized this ascendant star of the Shen clan—a widower whose wife Zhou perished in childbirth two years prior, leaving their son in Lady Huang's care. A fleeting, impractical thought surfaced and dissolved—even a concubine's position lay beyond her reach.
"Impressive marksmanship," Shen Yu remarked, his gaze sweeping over Ji Cheng. "Three consecutive shots—the second propelling the first upward, the third reinforcing the impact. This required not just skill, but precise calculations of varying force."
The Shen sisters gaped. For Shen Yu—renowned ice-hearted warrior who rarely spoke to women, including his own mother and sister—to initiate conversation bordered on miraculous.
Confronted by an unrelated male, Ji Cheng's cheeks flushed with marital aspirations. She lowered her gaze, lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Shen Yu observed these trembling lashes before noticing her radiant complexion. Abruptly aware of his scrutiny, he averted his eyes.
Shen Yan interjected, "Eldest Brother, this is our third aunt's niece—Cheng Mei."
"So it's Cousin Cheng," Shen Yu nodded slightly. If she were his own sister, his earlier abruptness wouldn't have been too improper.
"Cousin Cheng, this is my eldest brother. You've been here many days but haven't met him yet?" Shen Yuan introduced Shen Yu to Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng performed a slight curtsy. "Eldest Cousin."
Her voice carried the crystalline chill of pearls dipped in mountain springs, yet flowed with the softness of blossom-touching streams. The affected sweetness made Shen Yu's jaw tighten - he detested this artificial warble masquerading as proper speech.
Yet his frost-etched features revealed nothing as he turned to leave. Against his better judgment, he paused. "Might I examine your slingshot, cousin?"
Ji Cheng wordlessly offered the weapon.
Shen Yu inspected the unremarkable tool - competent craftsmanship using resilient wood and medicine-cured ox tendon, but no hidden mechanisms. His eyebrows lifted fractionally. The girl's precision shooting stemmed purely from mathematical acuity and raw arm strength, skills that would earn any soldier commendations.
Returning the slingshot with a nod, he strode away without comment.
The moment he departed, eager voices swarmed around Ji Cheng. "Where did you learn such skills?" Su Yun pressed. "Even Eldest Cousin seemed impressed!"
"From trailing after my brothers as a child," Ji Cheng smiled. When the Ji family's fortunes hung by threadbare means, with her father perpetually traveling and mother too timid to manage household affairs, she'd shadowed her second brother through streets and fields like any boy.
Later, confined to women's quarters, she'd bonded with Jin Province girls over kites and slingshots. Her prized butterfly kite - a southern treasure brought by her father - once snagged in high branches, sparking frantic efforts mirroring Shen Quan's distress today. Those desperate kite retrievals had honed her marksmanship through stubborn repetition.
"Skills learned from street urchins," came Wang Yueniang's carrying murmur as she reeled in her kite. "Nothing worth applauding."
Though formerly aligned with the Wang sisters, Shen Quan frowned. "Any skill that helps others deserves praise."
Wang Siniang smoothly intervened, "Now that the kite's retrieved, let's enjoy the gardens before spring fades."
As hostesses, the Shen sisters organized the party's movement with practiced ease.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu encountered his elusive younger brother descending Hegang Hill's pine-lined path. "You're home?"
"Filial duties require occasional appearances," Shen Che drawled.
The brothers walked shoulder-to-shoulder through whispering pines. "You should settle down," Shen Yu said. "The princess nags daily about your antics."
Shen Che's laughter scattered sparrows. "I'd marry tomorrow if Mother stopped rejecting every prospect."
"Don't play innocent." Shen Yu's sidelong glance held steel. "We both know you sabotaged those matches."
When Shen Che merely smiled, his elder pressed on: "If not for Mother, consider Grandmother's wishes. You're her favorite."
"I've told her to arrange any marriage she chooses." Shen Che examined his jade ring. "Shall I vet your bride too? Ensure she's virtuous and... durable?"
Shen Yu's tanned cheeks betrayed nothing. "If needed."
Their path curved, revealing pink silk fluttering ahead - no possibility of avoidance.
From Hegang Hill's summit, Ji Cheng observed the approaching party through her peripheral vision. Wang sisters flanked Shen Quan beside Shen Yu and an unfamiliar man matching his height. Her gaze skimmed past - whatever game the Wangs played with Shen Quan held no interest for her.
(End of Chapter)
