Against the Current - Chapter 149
Chapter 149 - Receiving Guests
Inside the room, Nanyue and the others gathered tightly around Xianglan to talk. Sensing that she lacked enthusiasm and knowing she had suffered a reprimand from several of the Lin family's young masters and misses that morning—which was likely weighing uncomfortably on her mind—they tactfully took their leave. Tinglan lingered hesitantly, walking as far as the doorway before turning back. Approaching Xianglan, she accompanied her smile with a conciliatory tone and said, "Chunling mentioned that you were lacking a peach-red decorative cord for your skirt. I had some free time, so I knotted a few. They look nice tied to clothing or fastened around the waist, and I made a few smaller ones too—if you string them with jade or pearls, they can be used as fan tassels. Take a look and see if you like any of them." With that, she produced a small cloth pouch and emptied its contents across the bed.
Upon closer inspection, Xianglan saw that they were indeed several beautifully crafted cords in peach-red, pine-green, tender green, and bright crimson. The colors varied, and the workmanship was remarkably vibrant.
Lifting her gaze, Xianglan saw Tinglan's face plastered with ingratiating subservience and instantly understood her intent. She mused inwardly, Back when I was locked up and put up for sale by Zhao Yuechan, Tinglan came to bring me food. When I begged her to pass a message to Song Ke, she refused out of fear. Now that I've returned to the Lin family, she's simply afraid I'll hold a grudge. In truth, the mere fact that she was willing to bring me food back then meant I already owed her an immense debt of gratitude, something I'd appreciate for the rest of my days. We're all just people trying to scrape by in this world—who doesn't face hardships? Why must she put on such an act? Raising her head, she noticed dark bruises under Tinglan's eyes that even powder couldn't conceal, realizing she must have burned midnight oil to finish these cords over the past couple of days. Feeling a pang of sympathy, she lost whatever reluctance she had to accept them, knowing that if she refused, Tinglan would only let her imagination run wild with worry. Pulling herself together with a smile, she said, "These are all exceptionally fine. To keep me in mind over such a trifling matter actually makes me feel quite embarrassed." Pointing at a pine-green cord, she added, "This one is particularly lovely; I'll tie it onto my sachet right away."
Seeing Xianglan smile and declare her approval without a trace of pretense, and noting that she remained as warm as ever, Tinglan let out a visible sigh of relief and smiled. "If you're going to tie it to a sachet, I'll make a few more tassels to hang from it; it looks much better that way."
Noticing no one else was within earshot, Xianglan lowered her voice and said, "Sister, you really didn't need to go to all this trouble. When I first entered the manor, sister looked after me and offered guidance on many occasions. Later, when Zhao Yuechan wanted to sell me off, sister even took the risk of bringing me food... I remember every bit of it in my heart." As she spoke, she reached out to gently press Tinglan's hand.
Comprehending instantly, Tinglan felt a mixture of guilt and warmth bloom in her chest. "Oh, Xianglan, you truly are a kind and generous soul. Hearing you speak like this leaves me quite at a loss for words..."
Before she could finish, a well-dressed senior maid wearing a dark red piped vest stepped into the room carrying an octagonal tiered box. With a smile, she announced, "The Second Young Miss sent me to bring some items for Miss Xianglan."
Recognizing her as Tasha, Lin Dongqi's personal head maid, Xianglan promptly stood up to express her thanks. Tasha opened the tiered box to reveal two jars of fresh tea, a plate of seasonal fruit, and a small dish of pastries—none of them particularly rare items, but valued for their freshness. Xianglan understood that the worth of the gifts lay not in their material value; Lin Dongqi was doing this to grant her face and to repay the favor she owed her from the past. Xianglan offered a wry smile internally, thinking, Before, when I had no one to lean on in the Lin family, I only hoped for someone to act as a pillar of support so I could live a little more easily. Yet back then, those offering timely assistance were few, while those who trampled and squeezed me out were many. Now that I have no desire to stay here, they're all rushing over to grant me face. But what use is any of it now? Still, feeling genuinely grateful to Lin Dongqi and worrying she had nothing suitable to return as a reciprocal gift, she suddenly recalled two boxes of cosmetic powder tucked away in her drawer. She retrieved them and handed them to Tasha, saying, "You've come at just the right time. Please take these back for the Second Young Miss to use, and thank her properly on my behalf."
Upon catching sight of them, Tasha beamed and exclaimed, "Oh! These are the jade hair-powder tribute items sent to the palace from Yangzhou—they're dreadfully hard to come by. Our young miss had a box previously, and once it ran out, she could never find any more. Who would have thought I'd be so lucky today as to lay eyes on such a rare treasure!" After thanking Xianglan, she accepted a handful of coin tips from Chunling before taking her leave.
For a time, all remained quiet.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou's declaration that he would henceforth live permanently in the Zhichun Pavilion threw everyone into a frantic whirlwind of activity. First, Lin Jinlou's clothing and bedding were hauled back from the study; then, the room's curtains, chair cushions, table runners, and bed quilts were all swapped out for brightly colored alternatives. Lianxin and Nanyue carried several varieties of window drapes and bedsheets into the room for Xianglan to inspect and approve.
Upon taking a look, Xianglan saw that the materials were either Kesi silk or brocade, woven with dual-colored gold threads—every single piece an exorbitantly expensive luxury. She couldn't help asking, "Why are you showing these to me?"
Lianxin smiled. "The Eldest Master remarked that the rooms looked too gloomy and drab, so he ordered us to change them for something more vibrant, and instructed that the young lady should have the final say."
Xianglan froze. Earlier that day, when Lin Jinlou had interrogated her regarding her past with Song Ke, she had failed to restrain herself and thrown a barbed remark back at him. She had fully expected Lin Jinlou to strike her across the face again, yet he had merely stormed off in a huff, and now he was asking her to choose the color of the curtains. What a ridiculous joke. She was not the mistress running the household in the Zhichun Pavilion; asking her to make the selection wasn't that overstepping her bounds? Raising her eyes, she caught Lianxin's ingratiating, flattering smile, prompting a quiet sigh. Too exhausted to guess what game Lin Jinlou was playing, she casually pointed to a persimmon-patterened brocade in gardenia-yellow interwoven with gold thread and said, "Let's go with this one."
Lianxin rattled off a flurry of orders for the maids to hang them up immediately.
Nanyue chimed in cheerfully, "That's an excellent choice! It's fresh, crisp to the eyes, looks wonderfully clean, and the gold threads gleam and shimmer as if they're alive."
Rushuang chimed in with a laugh, "Indeed, and the symbolism is wonderful as well. Since ancient times, wedding motifs have often featured persimmon patterns, signifying steadfastness, durability, and a flourishing, populous household." As she spoke, she glanced sideways at Xianglan. Knowing Xianglan's gentle temperament, the maids had no fear of teasing her, and all broke out into quiet, knowing giggles.
Hearing such remarks made Xianglan's face burn with heat. Lowering her head, a wave of distress washed over her. That's right—what if I carelessly end up pregnant with Lin Jinlou's child? Wouldn't that make it even harder to extricate myself? Right now, Lin Jinlou's position as a legal husband remains vacant, and the Lin family's household rules are rigorously strict; surely they wouldn't permit an illegitimate eldest son to be born ahead of time? But then again, one can never be certain. Lin Jinlou is the eldest grandson and heir, yet his line remains completely childless to this day. Old Madame Lin and Madam Qin are driving themselves half-mad shoving women into his quarters precisely so he can sprout branches and spread leaves as early as the day before yesterday, we shared pillow-talk as man and wife, yet no senior matron ever came by to administer a bowl of contraceptive decoction...
With her mind in complete turmoil, and assuming Xianglan was simply thin-skinned and growing irritated by their teasing, Lianxin prudently led the other maids out of the room.
No sooner had Lianxin and the others departed than Huamei arrived, standing at the threshold to ask Xiaoque to announce her. Xianglan thought to herself, Huamei is sharp-witted, silver-tongued, and vicious at heart. Back then, with just a flick of her tongue, she manipulated Auntie Qin into committing countless foolish blunders. In the end, not only did she manage to walk away entirely unscathed, but she stepped right up over Qinglan's dead bones to climb another rank and become a concubine, leaving even Zhao Yuechan utterly powerless against her. That goes to show the extent of her scheming methods. I've never liked her character in the first place; such a person is best kept at arm's length. Turning to Chunling, she said, "Today has been bizarre from start to finish—this room is turning into a revolving door. Do they take this place for a bustling marketplace? Tell them I'm exhausted and have already gone to sleep."
Chunling hesitated. "That wouldn't do... Huamei is a concubine after all, and she still holds some standing. You know her methods and scheming nature; if we snub her face so publicly, she's bound to harbor a grudge, and it doesn't quite accord with proper etiquette either."
Xianglan sneered coldly, "If she doesn't like it, she can go complain to Lin Jinlou, and if Lin Jinlou finds me an eyesore, he can throw me out. All these young masters and misses act like high-and-mighty ancestors whom I'm forced to wait upon—surely Huamei isn't an ancestor too? Besides, she's hardly a good person; even when we meet face-to-face, she's honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted—sweetness on her lips while she wishes she could tear me apart inside. I simply don't have the patience to keep up such hypocritical pretenses with her."
Chunling burst into a sudden chuckle. "You speak with such satisfying candor! If Auntie Qin had possessed even half of your clarity, she wouldn't have ended up dead in such a muddled fog." With that, she sighed, shook her head, and turned to head outside and turn Huamei away.
Leaning back against a large bolster, Xianglan felt her mind grow increasingly restless. Lost in a whirlpool of stray thoughts, she drifted aimlessly until dusk finally descended.
A sudden commotion echoed from the courtyard. Moments later, Lin Jinlou pushed open the door and strode inside. It was a rare occurrence for Lin Jinlou to return precisely at a normal hour, which thoroughly startled the residents of the Zhichun Pavilion. Everyone scrambled in a flurry, crowding around to assist him with wiping his face, changing into house robes, and serving tea.
After changing into comfortable indoor attire, Lin Jinlou walked over to the eastern inner chamber to take a look. Seeing Xianglan still slumped motionlessly over the windowsill, he let out a sharp cough. Xianglan refused to turn around.
Lin Jinlou gave a cold smirk, seated himself on the edge of the arhat bed, stretched out a long arm to pinch Xianglan's delicate little chin, and forced her face around to meet his. "Tell this lord," he drawled, "what wondrous exotic sights are there to gaze at outside?"
Pressing her lips tightly shut, Xianglan refused to utter a word, her long eyelashes drooping downward.
Chunling hurried forward to serve Lin Jinlou his tea, speaking in a soft voice, "Eldest Master, this is a cooling herbal tea to calm internal heat."
Lin Jinlou thought to himself, Indeed, this lord certainly needs to cool down some internal heat, or I'll sooner or later be driven to an early grave by this stubborn mule. She was as stubborn and foul-tempered as a pit-dwelling stone; things had reached this pass, yet she still refused to recognize her own status, daring to stubbornly cross him. Very well, he thought, let's see who outlasts whom. Releasing his grip on her chin, he issued a command: "Serve dinner."
The small kitchen had already made preparations. Hearing Lin Jinlou's instructions, the maids filed in one by one carrying trays, swiftly loading the kang table with an array of dishes: a platter of dry-steamed and sun-cured chicken, a dish of deep-fried spare ribs, a platter of crystal pork trotters, and a plate of steamed shad, accompanied by shredded garlic and meat-floss flower rolls, sesame-oil tossed shredded smoked pork, and more. Rushuang brought over a small silver wine pitcher, two pale-pink sunflower wine cups, and a pair of ivory chopsticks, arranging them neatly on the table.
With an air of unhurried leisure, Lin Jinlou picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. Xianglan cast a covert glance in his direction. Dressed in soft blue silk garments with splashed-ink patterned trousers, his hair knotted simply with a single golden filigree hairpin, he sat cross-legged on the bed, leaning back against a pair of pillows. In such relaxed household attire under the candlelight, he appeared all the more towering and robust. Xianglan's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that fateful night two days prior, sending a fresh wave of jittery anxiety through her chest and causing her palms to break out in a cold sweat.
Lin Jinlou clearly seemed ravenous; he wolfed down the pork trotters and cleared away an entire plate of ribs in short order. Xianglan sat quietly beside him with her head bowed. Anxious and frantic, Chunling kept shooting frantic glances her way, silently urging her to pour Lin Jinlou a cup of wine. Seeing that Xianglan remained completely frozen, Chunling had no choice but to step forward herself and fill Lin Jinlou's cup.
After he had eaten his fill, the maids cleared away the empty platters and brought out lighter, refreshing seasonal vegetables. Waving the surrounding servants away, Lin Jinlou stared at Xianglan for a long moment before speaking up. "You should eat something. You haven't had a proper meal since the day before yesterday, subsisting entirely on greens like some caged rabbit. Even your chin looks a bit sharper today." As he spoke, he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of chicken breast, placing it directly onto the small gold-inlaid dish before her.
Xianglan thought to herself, So even this Lin Jinlou is capable of speaking a couple of soft words. While she was internally marveling at the shift, she heard him continue in a calm, level tone, "Eat some meat. Otherwise, your whole body will wither away, and even your breasts will shrink."