Against the Current - Chapter 104

Chapter 104 - Going Home (Part 2)

Upon leaving the room, an elderly matron was already waiting outside to lead Lin Jinlou to the Zhuoshou Garden. Madam Qin was sitting on the couch, holding a hand warmer, while her youngest son, Lin Jinyuan, was practicing character tracing at the kang table nearby. Seeing Lin Jinlou enter, Lin Jinyuan immediately dropped his brush, scrambled off the couch, and dashed over, shouting, "Older Brother!"

Lin Jinlou lifted Lin Jinyuan up in the air, set him back down, patted his head, and laughed, "You've grown taller again."

Lin Jinyuan giggled uncontrollably. At only six years old, he had a sturdy, tiger-like build, a round and rosy face, and large, round, sparkling eyes. Clinging to Lin Jinlou's leg, he rapid-fired a string of questions: "Was fighting in the war fun? Mother said older brothers use big sabers on the battlefield, I want one too! And, and older brother, take me out to ride horses, I want to ride a big horse!"

Lin Jinlou nodded and smiled, "Alright, alright, I'll take you later." He sat down in a chair, and Lin Jinyuan wiggled his little bottom and immediately began scrambling up onto his lap.

Madam Qin said, "Yuan'er, stop making a fuss, I have something to discuss with your older brother."

Lin Jinyuan pretended not to hear, wrapping his chubby little arms around Lin Jinlou's neck while swinging his small feet back and forth. Madam Qin had no choice but to order the wet nurse and maidservants to carry Lin Jinyuan away. Lin Jinyuan stubbornly refused, clinging stubbornly and refusing to budge. Lin Jinlou gave Lin Jinyuan a light pat and said, "If he won't go, he doesn't have to. Let him stay here." He tapped the tip of Lin Jinyuan's little nose.

Madam Qin then waved her hand to dismiss everyone else. She glanced at Lin Jinlou's expression and said cautiously, "When you went off to war, we were afraid you'd be distracted, so some things weren't told to you..."

While teasing his younger brother, Lin Jinlou replied indifferently, "I know. Qinglan died, a double tragedy taking both mother and unborn child."

Madam Qin expressed surprise, saying, "You already knew?" She sighed heavily, "Well, it means Qinglan lacked the fortune for it. Make sure to go burn a stick of incense for her later; truly, it is such a pity."

Lin Jinlou lowered his head and grunted an acknowledgment.

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Madam Qin gave a slight cough and said, "There is a girl among my maternal family's distant relatives who is seventeen this year. She has a lovely appearance and a gentle temperament. Once the New Year is past, I will bring her over for you to take a look at. If you like her, we can take her into the household as a concubine, so you'll have someone suitable to wait on you day to day."

Lin Jinlou raised his head to look at Madam Qin, pinched Lin Jinyuan's little cheek, and said, "We'll talk about that later." He paused before adding, "I intend to elevate Meimei in my quarters."

"Meimei?" Madam Qin frowned. Meimei's family home had caught fire, after which she had vanished without a trace. The Lin family hadn't been able to find her, and Meimei's family hadn't come to make a scene either, so the matter had simply been dropped.

"Yes, Meimei. Her older brother sent her to me. While I was toiling away abroad, she was the one who took care of everything for me."

Madam Qin's brow furrowed even deeper. "She sneaked off to find you without even reporting it to the family first. How could such a thing be allowed?"

Lin Jinlou said, "I have already punished her for that; she won't dare do it again in the future." He patted Lin Jinyuan's little bottom and set him down on the floor, whereupon the boy immediately scrambled off on his short legs to find his wet nurse.

Seeing that Lin Jinlou was shielding her, Madam Qin pressed the matter no further and instead asked about his military campaigns and whether he had sustained any injuries. Lin Jinlou answered them one by one, then inquired about the situation at home. Madam Qin replied, "Everything at home is well, nothing untoward has happened, except that Ting'er failed to pass the provincial examination this time. Others performed reasonably well, and although your second uncle didn't say anything outright, I noticed his expression wasn't very happy."

Lin Jinlou remarked, "The provincial examinations are hardly so easy. If just anyone could pass simply because they wanted to, wouldn't the degree become worthless? How old is Third Brother anyway? He can simply try again next exam. At worst, if he can't pass, we can purchase an official title for him—the family isn't short of silver."

Madam Qin said, "What your second uncle cares about is saving face. The Song family's boy scored as the top provincial graduate, while Ting'er failed to place on the rank list at all. The contrast is rather glaring. He always wants to look good in front of the Old Master, but the Old Master stubbornly looks down on him. Now that Ting'er hasn't passed while you've been promoted, the second branch is probably feeling rather awkward about it, so you should mind your words around them."

Lin Jinlou sneered. "If only Second Uncle spent less time running around carousing and scheming, and instead devoted more energy to proper matters, he wouldn't have ended up in this state today."

Madam Qin sighed. As sisters-in-law, she and the Second Branch's Madam Wang were on friendly terms. Madam Wang had wept and poured her heart out to her several times, and she could only offer advice and consolation from the sidelines. Mother and son spoke of a few other matters before Lin Jinlou took his leave and headed toward the Zhimun Lodge.

Zhao Yuechhan swallowed a bitter surge of fury right down to her stomach without letting a trace of displeasure show on her face, lowering her eyelids as she watched Magpie place a soft cushion on the floor while Meimei, casting her eyes downward in submission, kowtowed to her.

Meimei wore a dazzling gold phoenix hairpin holding a pearl, dressed in an edged crimson satin cloud-embroidered jacket, adorned around her neck with a finger-wide pure gold necklace studded with gems, and wearing gold-inlaid jade rings that were larger and finer than the ones on Zhao Yuechhan's own hands. Her face was powdered and rouged to a radiant glow, making her look all the more exquisite and delicate, while carrying an unusual air of prestige. If she were to stand side by side with Zhao Yuechhan, one might genuinely struggle to tell at a glance who the true mistress of the Lin household's eldest branch really was.

Zhao Yuechhan tightly twisted her handkerchief in her hands.

When Meimei finished her formal greetings, she stood up and said to Zhao Yuechhan, "When my family's home caught fire that day, it just so happened that the Eldest Master sent people to fetch me, so I went along. Having received the Eldest Master's grace and been elevated to a concubine, I ask that the First Mistress please guide me more in the future." Her phrasing was superficially humble, yet there was not a shred of genuine respect in her tone, carrying instead an undeniable provocation.

Yingshuang glared in open anger. Zhao Yuechhan felt as though she were about to snap her fingernails into her own palms, yet she maintained a calm expression. "Well, that certainly must have been hard on you. As for the Eldest Master—if he wanted to take someone in to wait on him, he could at least have informed me. It caused the family to search all over for you for so long, and we honestly thought you were dead."

Meimei smiled sweetly. "Thanks to the First Mistress's immense blessing, I happen to have a very tough life. My older brother also earned some military merit and was promoted by a rank, which is quite a fortunate outcome as well."

Zhao Yuechhan simply pretended not to hear, and said, "Now that you've returned and received the Eldest Master's favor, I've already ordered the servants to clean and tidy up the quarters. Later on, I'll assign a cleverer maid to your rooms to wait on you."

Meimei immediately replied, "There's no need to trouble the First Mistress. The Eldest Master already stated when he returned that the east wing is to be assigned to me. I'm not picky; the maid who originally served Mistress Lan can simply stay behind and wait on me."

Zhao Yuechhan sneered. "Mistress Lan was carrying a child, which was why Madam specially allocated three maids to her. An ordinary concubine is only ever attended by a single personal maid; adding a little serving girl to your quarters already violates household rules. If you want Mistress Lan's treatment, you'd better put some effort into your own belly."

Meimei raised an eyebrow. Refusing to argue, she kept a smile on her face and replied, "Ah, is that so? Then it seems I was overstepping. I hope the Mistress will not blame me."

Zhao Yuechhan picked up her teacup and said with sarcastic inflection, "How would I dare blame you? You don't even hold the great Lin family in your eyes—you leave when you please, return when you please, and don't even bother to give a notice. You carry more airs than the Master and Madam themselves. If I blamed you, wouldn't I simply be inviting misery upon myself?"

Meimei pretended not to understand, keeping silent while maintaining a placid smile on her face.

Seeing her thick-skinned demeanor made Zhao Yuechhan itch with the desire to scratch and claw at Meimei's face, but with Lin Jinlou still away and the situation unclear, she didn't dare act rashly.

Just at that moment, Lin Jinlou stepped into the room. Both Zhao Yuechhan and Meimei stood up. Lin Jinlou seated himself in the primary chair at the head of the room and asked, "Has everything been arranged?"

This question was addressed to both Zhao Yuechhan and Meimei.

Zhao Yuechhan sneered, "Naturally it's arranged. Meimei says you promised her the east wing, and she even wants the maid who originally served Mistress Lan. It is the Eldest Master's grace if you wish to elevate her, and living in Mistress Lan's former quarters is one thing, but as for the maid, I have to consult Madam before I can make a decision, lest Madam turns around and tells me I have no sense of propriety."

Lin Jinlou raised his brow slightly and glanced at Meimei. He had indeed promised to elevate Meimei to a concubine, but he had never mentioned giving her the east wing, let alone assigning her Qinglan's former personal maid.

Meimei continued to play the fool, keeping her gaze lowered to study the pattern on her skirt.

Zhao Yuechhan continued, "Even though Meimei's departure was arranged by the Eldest Master, you should at least have given the family a heads-up. Otherwise, if this terrible precedent is set—one person leaves today, another leaves tomorrow—where will household discipline go? If I want to discipline someone in the future and others throw back at me, 'Even the concubines in the Eldest Master's chambers are like this,' what am I supposed to do?"

Lin Jinlou cast another glance at Meimei. Meimei's brother had sent her to Zhejiang, yet somehow, through the twists and turns of her telling, it had been spun into "Meimei was fetched by him." Having openly played two little tricks of clever manipulation right before him, Lin Jinlou felt a flicker of displeasure. However, over these past days, Meimei had after all been gentle and attentive, serving him properly in every matter, and she possessed the talent of sweet talk and flattery. That had revived some of Lin Jinlou's old sentiments, and with their affection not yet faded, he wanted to save some face for her, so he remained silent.

Yet that single look from Lin Jinlou sent a chill straight through Meimei's heart, leaving her too frightened to make a single movement.

A heavy quiet settled over the room.

Lin Jinlou finally spoke up. "Since you want the east wing, you may have it. As for the maids, follow the standard household allocation for their numbers. Leaving the estate without permission and failing to notify the family is still an offense." He glanced at Zhao Yuechhan. "You are the First Mistress; you shall have the final say."

Zhao Yuechhan was startled, her heart instantly blossoming with delight. Meimei never imagined Lin Jinlou would say such a thing, and she abruptly lifted her head, her face etched with complete shock.

Suppressing her triumph, Zhao Yuechhan said, "Go kneel in the ancestral hall for one hour, copy the Precepts for Women three times, and forfeit half a year's allowance." She thought to herself: No matter how pleased with yourself you are, I am still the legitimate primary wife of the Lin household. If you try to act up in front of me, I have a hundred ways to make you wish you were dead.

Lin Jinlou frowned, however, and said, "Kneeling in the ancestral hall in the dead of winter is hardly appropriate; we can waive that punishment. Carry out the rest." Hearing him show consideration for Meimei stirred annoyance in Zhao Yuechhan's heart once more. Meimei felt a deep sense of grievance, but it also served as a rude awakening. Under her oil-adding and provocative instigation, Lin Jinlou had more than once spoken of divorcing Zhao Yuechhan and sending her packing. Yet now, upon returning, though he wore a cold expression, he still treated Zhao Yuechhan as his primary wife. She could not comprehend why a domineering figure like Lin Jinlou would back down before Zhao Yuechhan, but she had largely stopped taking Zhao Yuechhan seriously. Coupled with Lin Jinlou's growing favor toward her, she had developed ambitions to butt heads with Zhao Yuechhan. But after Lin Jinlou's sharp reprimand just now, she understood instantly and said submissively, "Yes, it was this servant's fault. I accept the punishment." She rose and bowed.

At that moment, someone outside announced, "Eldest Master, First Mistress, Old Madam has rewarded two maidservants, and I have brought them here."