Against the Current - Chapter 168

Chapter 168 - Catching a Cold (Part 1)

While Xianglan had returned home, the Zhichun Lodge suddenly became bustling with activity. Lin Jinlou had slept in the study for two consecutive days, and every room was astir. Huamei had embroidered a handkerchief with mandarin ducks, and Yingge had made Lin Jinlou a pair of silk-padded winter shoes to wear indoors. Both sent them over through the junior servants in the veranda, and Lin Jinlou rewarded them all, with only Luan'er making no sound at all.

By the time the lamps were lit on the third day, Shuran spent half an hour sitting in Luan'er's room. The moment she left, Luan'er opened her vanity case and began to dress and groom herself. She had Cunxin restyle her hair, put on an eye-catching array of her finest jewelry kept at the bottom of her chest, penciled her eyebrows, and touched up her temples. Then she asked Cunxin to open the chests and search for brightly colored garments. Cunxin took out a true rose-red vest and a light magenta inner tunic, along with a lined, open-front jacket of lake-blue patterned with pale yellow plum blossoms, saying, "Both of these are newly made and have never been worn."

Luan'er put them on to try them out, spun around twice, and feeling they weren't right, took them all off. "The master doesn't like styles like this," she said. "He loves fitted clothes that show off the waist the most. Find my peach-red narrow-waisted inner jacket and my slim-waisted pomegranate-red phoenix-tail skirt."

Cunxin hesitated and said, "Those are summer clothes, and the sleeves are still made of gauze. Wearing them right now is far too cold..."

Luan'er urged her repeatedly, "I said find them, so find them."

Cunxin had no choice but to dig out the clothes. Luan'er put them on and finally felt satisfied. Cunxin advised her again, "My good girl, you've just had your dinner, and the master is still in the front study with no telling when he'll return. At least throw a cloak over your shoulders; you can take it off when the master arrives. Catching a chill is no laughing matter."

Relying on her usual robust constitution compared to others, Luan'er wasn't afraid of the cold and refused to put on an outer garment. Instead, she simply hugged her pipa, plucked it intermittently, and hummed a few notes in a low voice. Knowing that Luan'er's temper was like burning charcoal, Cunxin didn't dare press her too hard, so she could only pour a cup of hot tea and periodically urge Luan'er to take a sip to warm herself up.

Luan'er paid her no heed, until she suddenly shivered, felt a violent shudder rack her entire body, and followed it with a pair of sneezes. Cunxin hurriedly said, "Oh dear, you've surely caught a chill." Seeing Luan'er's cheeks glowing as red as third-month peach blossoms—a flush entirely different from the rouge she had applied earlier—she quickly grabbed a mirror to show Luan'er, saying, "Your face is flushed like this, you're coming down with something."

Luan'er, however, thought her facial complexion looked lovely and didn't realize she was falling ill. She still refused to put on clothes, but after sneezing five or six times in a row, she began to cough. Cunxin then wrapped her in a thin quilt, went searching for cold-remedy pills, and babbled, "How can you not take care of your own body, miss? That narrow-waisted jacket is simply too thin. If you really fall sick tomorrow, won't you just be suffering for nothing?"

Luan'er said anxiously, "What shall I do about this cough? If the master comes later, I won't be able to sing for him."

Cunxin rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, You've already caught a cold, how are you supposed to serve the master? If you pass the sickening vapors onto him as well, it'll be an even greater crime. Yet, looking at Luan'er's flustered state, her heart softened somewhat, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Meanwhile, Shuran headed toward the front study and saw Shuangxi dozing on a round embroidered stool by the doorway. She walked over, gave him a gentle nudge, and asked, "Why are you sleeping in broad daylight? Who is inside serving?"

Startled awake, Shuangxi wiped his face and said, "It's Master Qi and Master Kang. Guiyuan is inside pouring tea."

Shuran peeked inside and saw Lin Jinlou seated behind the desk, with Qi Shao and Kang Shiyuan standing on either side, discussing something. Not daring to interrupt, Shuran asked Shuangxi, "Has the master said where he's sleeping tonight? Is he returning to the inner quarters or not?"

Shuangxi shook his head. "He hasn't said." Inwardly, however, he curled his lip in a sneer, thinking, Shuran is just trying to put in a good word for Luan'er. You'd think she was a shrewd person, yet she ended up with such a hopeless cousin. Originally, the master's lifting Luan'er up could have given Shuran an extra backing, but who knew she was mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall? Instead of a backing, she became a drag. The master hasn't looked at Luan'er these past few days precisely because Luan'er made a scene of crying and carrying on in front of the young masters, causing the master to lose face, and afterward she didn't even know how to soften up and kept being stubborn. Does she think she's Chen Xianglan? That living ancestor can give the master the cold shoulder time and again, and the master still runs after her eagerly. Without that kind of capability, she's blindly putting on airs like a fairy. She's nothing more than a concubined maid, and the master is simply leaving her out in the cold.

After turning things over in her mind, Shuran went to a nearby small side-room, picked out a few pastries, placed them on a crystal plate, and carried them to the doorway. Just as she arrived, she saw Qi  and Kang Shiyuan walking out of the room. Shuran quickly ducked behind the door, waiting until they had left before stepping inside. Seeing that Lin Jinlou was still staring intently at a few sheets of paper, she carefully set the plate down, checked Lin Jinlou's expression, and said in a soft, gentle voice, "Master, these are fresh little pastries, all light and flaky. Have a couple of bites."

Lin Jinlou glanced at the pastries, picked one up casually, popped it into his mouth, and remained deep in thought without a word. Shuran added softly, "There is still chicken soup in the small earthenware pot. Would the master like a bowl?"

Lin Jinlou raised his head and smiled. "It's still you who are attentive. Those young fellows are still too crude. Bring a bowl over."

Shuran immediately went to fetch the soup, returned with it, and said, "The master shouldn't stay up too late tonight either. Rest when the hour of the Hai arrives... I wonder if you wish to return to your own room to sleep or rest here in the study?"

Because Lin Jinlou remembered that Xianglan had gone home, leaving the main chamber desolate, he said, "I'll stay in the study. I have some official business late into the night, and I'll sleep once it's done."

Shuran smiled ingratiatingly and said, "By rights, it's not my place to speak... yet I am brazenly bringing it up this once... Luan'er has long since known her wrong. It was utterly improper of her to anger the master. During these days of reflecting behind closed doors, she has shed I don't know how many tears with me... I also felt that she is young and hot-tempered, and her temperament needed a good trimming, so I didn't pay her much mind. But seeing her pitiful state now, she truly realizes her mistake. May the master forgive her just this once."

Lin Jinlou raised his head and stared at Shuran for a moment.

Shuran hurriedly kept up a smile while her heart beat a frantic drum. Lin Jinlou was never an easy person to deal with; when flying into a rage he was terrifying, but even in calm moments he possessed a natural dignity that inspired involuntary awe.

Lin Jinlou let out a cold laugh. "Shuran, what kind of sneaky tricks are you trying to pull with me here? As for Luan'er crying several times, I might believe that, but 'reflecting behind closed doors'? That's a story to fool ghosts, isn't it?"

Shuran waved her hands hurriedly. "No, no, I wouldn't dare deceive the master."

Lin Jinlou gave Shuran a deep look, lowered his head once more, and said, "Remember this: tend to your own duties properly. If you stick your nose into matters concerning my rooms again, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Cold sweat had already beaded on Shuran's brow. Wringing her hands and dropping her head, she said respectfully, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, I truly wouldn't dare ever again."

Lin Jinlou said indifferently, "Be on your way. Today I am sparing your face; tonight I will drop by Luan'er's room to take a look. If you play any more tricks, you'll know the consequences."

Shuran gave repeated assents and backed out of the room on trembling legs. Struck by a chilling gust of wind, she shuddered all over, untied her handkerchief from her lapel to wipe away the sweat, and thought to herself, The master is furious with me now; I must never meddle in Luan'er's affairs again. Alternating between lingering terror and deep regret, and vexed that Luan'er hadn't helped her save face, she left with long sighs and groans.