Against the Current - Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - Magnolia

As they spoke, Lin Jinting walked in from outside, and upon seeing the room full of sisters, he froze for a moment, hastily preparing to retreat. Lin Dongling smiled and said, "Now that our brother is here, why are you running off? We have hot tea here; why not have a cup before leaving?"

Lin Jinting stepped back outside and smiled, saying, "I just happened to be passing by to return a book to the Second Sister. Yifei is waiting for me outside the courtyard, so I won't stay long."

Lin Dongqi, Lin Dongling, and Lin Dongxiu's eyes instantly lit up. Lin Dongling immediately chimed in rapid succession, "Older Brother Song is here? Why aren't you hurrying to invite him in?"

Lin Dongqi nodded repeatedly. "We are all family relatives, what is there to fear? Since he has come to my quarters, how could we not offer him a proper cup of good tea?" She ordered the maidservant to invite him in immediately, and personally picked up a teapot to carry outside. The young misses all moved at the news, rushing out one after another.

Lin Dongxiu was squeezed to the very back, and with a cold smile, she muttered under her breath, "Just a moment ago she was putting on airs as the legitimate daughter, and I didn't see her being so eager. Now that she hears young Master Song has arrived, she runs faster than a rabbit. Bah, bah! Shameless."

Xianglan was standing near the door, taking in every single word of this remark. She buried her chin against her chest, pretending she hadn't heard a thing. Raising her gaze, she saw Lin Dongqi and Lin Dongling tightly surrounding an elegant, handsome young gentleman, their faces both tinged with a faint flush.

Lin Dongqi personally poured a cup of tea and offered it forward. "It's so rare for Older Brother Song to visit my quarters; how can you not come inside and instead rush off in such a hurry?"

Song Ke accepted the tea with a gentle smile. Lin Dongxiu spoke in a soft voice, "As Older Brother Song has grown older, he has instead grown distant from us. When we were little, all of us used to swing together in the courtyard and untangle nine-linked rings. Older Brother Song only ever knows to come to the Second Sister's quarters and never comes to sit in mine."

Hearing this, Lin Dongling immediately knitted her brows, stepped forward to elbow Lin Dongxiu behind her, and tugged at Song Ke's sleeve. "Older Brother Song, you are so close with my brother, and you're also my own cousin. Although I wasn't in the capital when I was little and didn't grow up alongside you, you mustn't show favoritism."

Before her voice had even faded, the hand tugging at Song Ke's sleeve was swatted away by Lin Dongxiu, who shot her a look that was half-smile and half-taunt. "Third Sister, Older Brother Song is your cousin, but he isn't your real brother. It's hardly proper for you to be pulling and tugging at him like that."

Xianglan sighed inwardly to herself, "Just a moment ago, Lin Dongxiu and Lin Dongling were united in squeezing out Cao Lihuan, but the moment this 'Older Brother Song' appears, they immediately turn on each other in a tit-for-tat struggle. Ah, they say beauties are the ruin of nations, but a handsome man is just as much of a disaster."

Seeing that Song Ke had arrived, Lin Dongxiu secretly regretted that she hadn't worn more vibrant attire today. Though she certainly carried an air of elegance, compared to Lin Dongling, she fell far short of being striking and distinctive. Lin Dongling, looking at Lin Dongxiu, regretted that she had opted for convenience today and hadn't put on any rouge or powder. Her face was completely bare, and she hadn't even used a razor to properly groom her thick eyebrows; standing next to Lin Dongxiu, she looked somewhat masculine by comparison. Lin Dongqi, however, was thoroughly satisfied with how plainly she was dressed. The Song family had always maintained diligence and thrift as their household motto, and their current circumstances were not what they used to be. Her outfit was hitting just the right note.

Song Ke smiled and said, "Today I came along to accompany Xiuhong. As brothers and sisters grow older, it's only natural that we don't see each other often. For the sisters to care about me so much truly makes me feel flattered."

The moment his words fell, a chorus of chirping, warbling feminine voices rang out all at once. Song Ke took a sip of tea and said, "Today the farming estate sent over a few baskets of early peaches. While they aren't as sweet as honey peaches, they are full of juice. I've had two baskets sent to the estate so the sisters can taste something fresh."

Lin Dongxiu waved her hand and said, "That won't do, that won't do. The Second Sister can't eat peaches; even touching them gives her a rash."

Lin Dongqi cast a playful glare at her and said, "You're the one with too much to say."

Lin Dongling, however, smiled brightly and said, "The Second Sister misses out on this blessing, but I love peaches more than anything. Make sure to send a few extra plates of them over to my rooms later."

After exchanging pleasantries once more, Song Ke said, "I have other matters to attend to and won't intrude any further. My younger sister is here, so I must trouble the sisters to take good care of her."

Lin Dongqi immediately replied, "For Older Brother Song to speak in such terms is to treat us as outsiders..."

Lin Dongling quickly declared her stance, "Exactly, exactly! I treat Tanchai just like my own flesh-and-blood sister. In fact, I was just saying that I have a box of the finest palace hair ornaments right here, and I'll send them all over for her to wear."

Lin Dongxiu stepped forward to wrap her arm around Song Tanchai's shoulders, speaking with extreme intimacy. "Indeed! I was just saying I want Tanchai sister to stay in the estate a few days longer and room with me so we sisters can have a good chat."

Dawn broke over Xianglan's understanding: "So this Song Tanchai is that 'Older Brother Song's' sister. No wonder all these Lin family young misses went to such lengths to curry favor with her. I wonder what background this 'Older Brother Song' has; he possesses such refined literary grace and extraordinary demeanor, looking very much like a dragon among men, yet his attire completely lacks any opulent or wealthy air." Her gaze dropped to linger on Song Ke's waist belt. "Take that gold-woven belt of his, for instance—where an agate bead has fallen out, rather than replacing it with a matching agate or resetting it with precious stones like red rubies or red jade, his belt has simply been patched with a cheap piece of reddish-brown jasper. Though his clothes are clean, one can easily see they are six or seven parts old. It seems his family must have known wealth in the past, but their fortunes have declined somewhat now."

Even as she was thinking this, unawares, Song Ke's gaze swept over toward her. Their eyes met; Song Ke paused in surprise, then narrowed his eyes slightly, while Xianglan gave a start and immediately lowered her head.

Lin Jin ting smiled and said, "Look at that, the moment Yifei brother arrives, he becomes the most sought-after prize. Nobody cares about me; none of the sisters pay me any mind."

Lin Dongling shot him a sidelong glance. "You dangle before our eyes every single day, so we couldn't avoid you even if we wanted to. Older Brother Song, however, is a rare visitor—how could you possibly compare to him in value?"

Everyone burst into laughter. Taking advantage of the moment, Song Ke exchanged a few pleasantries, then grabbed Lin Jin ting and departed. The whole group trooped outside to see them off. Xianglan had watched the lively scene for quite a while, and when she turned her head back, Cao Lihuan was standing right beside her. Cao Lihuan's face was flushed with a hot flush, her eyes gleamed with an intense light, her breathing was somewhat rapid, and her gaze remained fixed rigidly in the direction where Song Ke and Lin Jin ting had gone. At that moment, Huier returned, and Xianglan quietly and unobtrusively called out, "Huan Lady, if there is nothing else, I will head back first."

Only then did Cao Lihuan snap out of her daze. She instructed Xianglan, "Go to the back and find Tasha. The Second Young Miss gave me a potted plant, and you can just carry it back with you."

Hearing this, Xianglan turned back toward the rear quarters. Lin Dongqi had gifted Cao Lihuan a potted white magnolia. Its fragrance was rich and refreshing to the spirit, and its petals were crystal clear, stacked like snow and sculpted from jade.

Xianglan drew in a deep breath of its fragrance, holding the flowerpot and walking outward in a pleasantly dizzy haze. She recalled how in her past life, because her name contained the character for orchid, and because she loved the noble purity and fragrance of orchids, she had filled her rooms and courtyard with various kinds of orchids—ink orchids, spring orchids, sword orchids, winter orchids, plum-petal varieties, lotus-petal varieties, narcissus-petal varieties, butterfly-petal varieties—altogether surrounding herself with ten thousand blossoms across her doors, beams, windows, and parlor tables and long side tables. Every spring when the magnolias bloomed, she would pluck a blossom and tuck it behind her temple, so that even her hair strands carried a rich, lingering fragrance. She and her maids would also gather the fallen orchid blossoms to make fragrant scented cakes and fragrant balls to perfume their clothing. Those had been the utterly carefree days of her youth in her past life.

Xianglan stepped out of Huifeng Studio, turned onto a pebble-paved path, and walked a short distance further before slipping away to hide behind a rockery. Seeing that the surroundings were completely deserted, she placed the flowerpot on a nearby stone table, stealthily plucked a single magnolia blossom, tucked it beside her temple, and leaned down to peer at her reflection in the waters of the lake.

The lake water was emerald green and calm, reflecting a peach-blossom face. The girl in the water was in the radiant bloom of her youth, adorned with a magnolia beside her temple. It was impossible to tell whether the person outshone the blossom or if the blossom made the person appear even more delicate and exquisite. Xianglan knew this physical shell of hers was capable of turning heads, and ever since coming to the Lin estate, she had never taken proper care of her appearance. Her hair was always haphazardly combed and tied off with a blue or white hair cord, and her clothes were mostly old, limited strictly to dark greenish-cyan and indigo. Ever since Madam Dowager passed away, the entire household had uniformly worn plain mourning garments, so she had been wearing white. Yet she too loved beauty; taking advantage of the solitude, she drew a boxwood comb from her bodice, let down her mass of raven hair, and hummed a fragmented tune from The Romance of the West Chamber: "Snow waves beat against the vast sky, autumn clouds roll at the horizon... The east wind rocks the weeping willow threads, drifting spiderwebs snare peach blossom petals, pearl curtains shroud a hibiscus face... Leaving me riddled with an unquenched longing sickness, how can I endure that parting autumn glance of his? Say not he is a mere scholar—even a man of iron and stone would have his passions stirred and heart enticed..." Once her hair was properly combed, she pinned the magnolia flower squarely and neatly beside her hair bun, bent down to inspect herself left and right, made a playful face, and burst out laughing.

Suddenly, the reflection of a man appeared in the lake water, standing silently right behind her. Xianglan gave a start of fright, jerked her head around, and saw Lin Jinlou standing directly behind her, staring straight at her with fixed eyes. Flustered, Xianglan hastily scrambled to her feet from the ground, smoothed down her skirt, retreated a couple of steps with her head lowered, and softly murmured, "Big Young Master..."

The corner of Lin Jinlou's mouth twitched upward into a lazy, languid smile. Taking a step forward, he asked, "What little tune were you singing just now? It sounded rather nice."

Xianglan kept her head lowered, stammering, "I, I... I just heard others humming it elsewhere and picked up the tune." Lin Jinlou was tall, and combined with his inherent oppressive authority, Xianglan felt somewhat starved of oxygen, so she took yet another tiny step back.

Today, Lin Jinlou had originally been hosting guests in the water pavilion at the front of the garden. The young masters who came were all sons of high-ranking nobles in the capital, usually addressing him as brother among peers. Since they were touring the scenic spots of Jiangnan, he naturally had to act as the host, and those young men had long since heard of the fame of the Lin estate's Changyuan Garden, clamoring to come and view the grounds. Lin Jinlou had welcomed them into the front gardens to host a banquet. Because they were in the mourning period for the Great-Grandmother, things could not be overly extravagant, so no string and wind instruments were provided; they simply ate and drank freely.

Having finally seen his guests off, Lin Jinlou was feeling about five or six parts drunk. He had wandered into the rear garden, taking twists and turns until he reached this secluded corner. Finding the scenery lovely, he began to stroll slowly, vaguely hearing someone humming a little tune behind the rockery. Stealing a glance, he saw a maidservant sitting sideways on the ground combing her hair. From a distance her features were indistinct, but he could make out that she was wearing an ink-green jacket paired with a white skirt, with the hem of her skirt faintly revealing the tip of an autumn-yellow embroidered shoe. Her figure was slender and supple, and her jet-black hair fell straight down to her waist. The girl's singing voice was sweet and tender, making his heart itch so intensely that he desperately wanted to lift that hair and look closely at her face.

Later, when the girl finished winding her hair into a bun, a snow-and-jade face was revealed. Watching her amuse herself, using the lake as a mirror while pinning flowers and striking poses, Lin Jinlou felt as though hundreds of little hands were scratching at his heart, leaving him unable to restrain himself any longer. He walked over lightly and quietly on tiptoe.