Against the Current - Chapter 153

Chapter 153 - Peace 

Without further ado, Shuran led some people to the back rooms and had a chest carried out. When they opened it, they found half a box of snow-wave paper inside, along with half a stack of ripe xuan paper. A small lacquer box held pigments such as cinnabar, ochre, mineral blue, gamboge, and rouge, alongside several large sketching brushes, wolf-hair brushes of various sizes, white-cloud brushes of various sizes, and a number of coarse white dishes and bowls. Indeed, a good majority of these items were perfectly usable. Xianglan then instructed the others to sort out what could be used, spread out the paper, and stood holding a brush in a daze.

She had no idea what she should paint. For the past few days, she had been lying in bed, staring blankly into space. She felt that her fate was wretched; she had fought her way through countless obstacles, only barely managing to endure until she caught a glimmer of light, before instantly plunging back into the abyss. Sometimes she thought, Why not just leave it at this? Since things have already turned out this way, why not probe into Lin Jinlou's preferences and figure out a way to make things more comfortable for herself? During the day, she invited Shuran over to take things step by step and probe indirectly. Shuran was a shrewd person; though she seemed as pleasant as a gentle spring breeze to everyone, she actually harbored deep defenses. Xianglan kept her composure, chatting idly and deliberately avoiding any other topics, slowly lowering Shuran's guard so she could coax useful information out of her. Yet when she lay in bed at night, she could not sleep; a thousand strands of resentment and unwillingness almost drove her mad. It felt as though there were a saw inside her heart, pulling back and forth and causing her agonizing pain.

Later on, she fetched some Buddhist scriptures to copy, and her state of mind gradually settled. When Chunling saw this, she went out and found her a white porcelain Guanshan statue. Every day thereafter, Xianglan would burn sandalwood incense and stare blankly at the white porcelain Guanyin. Life still had to go on, and she remained trapped in the Lin family; no amount of grief would change a thing. It was just like when she had served Cao Lihuan—she simply had to endure first, biding her time until an opportunity arose to strike and escape this place altogether. This very morning, she had discovered that her monthly period had arrived, causing her to let out a long breath of relief. Her spirits instantly brightened, and she began to ponder picking up her paintbrushes once again.

Shuran brought over two large dyeing brushes, one medium dyeing brush, three small ones, and pigments such as stone yellow, azurite, and malachite. Seeing that Xianglan was painting a cluster of orchid grass, she smiled and said, "This orchid is painted so handsomely. Tomorrow, draw a couple for me so I can use them as embroidery patterns."

Xianglan smiled. "I could paint a hundred of these if you wanted them."

Shuran remarked, "The eldest master is accustomed to painting landscapes. He even painted a few fan faces, which I'll dig out for you to look at later." Seeing Xianglan lower her head in silence, she sighed and said, "Actually, if you manage to coax the eldest master into a good mood, he grants every request. But if you displease him, nobody has an easy time. The master has already shown extraordinary leniency toward you. You didn't see what happened with Zhao Yuchan... On the second day of their marriage, the two of them had a falling out. Zhao Yuchan is a fierce and formidable woman, but with a single punch, the eldest master beat her to within an inch of her life. On the third day, when she was supposed to return to her maiden home, she couldn't even get out of the k'ang bed; it ended up being the Zhao family who had to come over to the residence instead. Years ago, when I first started serving the eldest master, someone from the clan came to seek an audience with him. Thinking they were all members of the main family and closely related by blood, I led them inside. When the eldest master saw them, he flew into a towering rage and made me kneel outside through the entire night. It was the dead of winter, and I nearly froze to fainting, catching a severe cold that laid me up with a major illness. The eldest master sent someone to deliver medicine to me and told me that even if they were clan members, I had no business leading them into the inner quarters without his explicit permission—that was the rules. Furthermore, while he fought battles outside, he offended countless bandits and outlaws. If someone harboring evil intentions had truly sneaked into the household and taken the lives of our family members, what then?"

Xianglan was taken aback.

Shuran continued, "The eldest master is capable, and he has businesses of his own; he can single-handedly support the Lin Family Army. While the imperial court loses money fighting wars, every time the eldest master fights, he brings back pots of gleaming silver. Throughout the entire estate, aside from the Grandfather's quarters, Zhixin Lodge lives the most comfortably. Everything regarding food, clothing, housing, and daily use is of the absolute highest grade."

Xianglan asked, "Doesn't everything come from the collective household funds? How can there be such a difference between living well and living poorly?"

Shuran covered her mouth with a hand and giggled. "If we relied solely on the standard monthly allowance from the collective funds, it would barely be enough just to eat. Every season requires new clothes, the madams and young misses need to commission jewelry, the masters have to entertain guests outside, give out tips to servants, buy extra luxuries for the New Year and festivals, and accommodate new servants joining the household. Keeping up a glamorous and respectable front with all those daily expenses is no easy feat!"

Xianglan observed, "Still, it shouldn't be too extravagant, or outshine the parents, should it?"

Shuran replied, "That's where you don't understand again. The eldest master values simplicity and plainness, and the eldest madam isn't a picky person either. Besides, with the eldest master serving as an official outside, how could he ever run short of silver? Just look at Second Young Miss's wedding—every single item carried out from the First House was top quality; they simply choose not flaunt their wealth. The Second House, in truth, ought to be quite well-to-do as well, but the second master... to put it bluntly, he is a mud wall that won't hold plaster. Look at him holding a fifth-rank official post; he puts on quite an airs during social calls and knows how to calculate, yet his every action reeks of pettiness, right down to tipping servants a mere few copper coins. He ignores everything at home, spending all his own money on women outside, indulging in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling—is there anything he doesn't know how to do? He just relies on his wife's dowry and comes home to throw his weight around. Thank goodness the second madam has a good temper; if it were anyone else, goodness knows what would happen! As for the second madam, she's somewhat muddle-headed; although her dowry is substantial, she's also fond of luxury and squandering. Still, I've heard she owns farms and shops that send in a hefty annual tribute, so her dignity is always maintained."

Xianglan smiled. "No wonder the eldest master values you so much. Everyone calls you the 'know-it-all' who seems to be aware of everything."

Shuran laughed. "After living in the estate for so long, naturally one learns of everything."

After chatting a bit longer, Shuran took her leave. Xianglan resumed painting for a while, then had Xiaojuan bring over a potted flower to use as a model. Xiaojuan smiled and said, "This flower is blooming so freshly; later on, I'll clip a couple of blossoms for you to wear in your hair. Honestly, those old hags in the garden have no eyes at all. Every morning when they cut fresh flowers and send them to Zhixin Lodge, they always hand them over to Meifan first—perhaps because they think she's a concubine! But everyone in Zhixin Lodge knows who the eldest master favors most; even the sweeping maids and pageboys are aware of it. I reckon they did it on purpose!"

Chunling had just stepped out holding two garments, and upon hearing this, she tapped Xiaojuan lightly on the head with a scolding, "If you say things like that again, I'll smack your mouth!"

Xiaojuan rubbed her head and muttered, "It's the truth! These past two times the eldest master had people bring back food and supplies for Sister Xianglan, didn't you see the sour look on the face of the eastern wing? Xique told me, 'You've really made it now, having the sharp eye to recognize a hero early on. When Xianglan was still just a sweeping maid, you already knew how to cozy up to her. Now that she's become the apple of the eldest master's eye, your status has risen right along with hers. Look at how your face has grown a whole circle fatter recently—you must have eaten plenty of the goodies the eldest master sent back!' Listen to that, just listen! What kind of talk is that? I haven't gotten fat at all!"

Xianglan couldn't help letting out a soft giggle. "Last night you ate half a box of pastries all by yourself, and you ate just as heartily at dinner. If you keep going like this, even if you aren't fat now, before long you'll turn into a little basketball." Turning to Chunling, she added, "The next time the flower-delivery matrons come, make sure to give them all a tip—whether large or small, being polite is always a good idea."

Chunling acknowledged the instruction. Xianglan buried her head back in her painting, thinking to herself: Good connections are built up through everyday interactions. Never underestimate a few small coins; over time, they will certainly prove useful.