Against the Current - Chapter 192

Chapter 192 - Night Talk (Part 3)

Mother Han said, "Madame, do not fret. Perhaps Zhichun Pavilion really has crossed paths with some bad omen. I hear the eminent monks at Xiangguo Temple are the best at chanting scriptures. Tomorrow, we can invite them here to hold a ritual. Whatever demons or ghosts there are, they will naturally vanish the moment the Buddha's presence arrives."

Madame Qin hurriedly replied, "What you say makes sense. My own heart feels uneasy as well; we really should invite the masters here to perform a chanting session." She placed her prayer beads and scriptures on the side table, rubbed her temples, and suddenly asked again, "Tell me, what do you think of that Chen Xianglan?"

Mother Han was startled, thinking to herself that the young girl had caught the eldest young master's eye and had been specially placed by his side. Just moments ago, his words had revealed how he protected her on all fronts, making it obvious she was extraordinary. Looking at what she wore on her body and what she wore on her head, she was practically more resplendent than the young misses of the manor. If it were any ordinary master's concubine, she would be more than happy to gossip a bit to chew the fat, but she had no desire to make irresponsible remarks about someone favored in Lin Jinlou's quarters. However, seeing that Madame Qin was asking, she chose her words carefully and said, "Her appearance is fine, and her speech is quick-witted. No wonder the eldest young master takes her to heart."

Madame Qin asked, "Who do you suppose taught her that exceptional brushwork?"

Mother Han replied, "I heard this girl was raised in a temple during her childhood, and the temple's grand abbot personally taught her calligraphy and painting."

Madame Qin said thoughtfully, "Good looks, and she understands calligraphy and painting as well. You haven't practiced calligraphy so you wouldn't know, but being able to write all these script styles so gracefully and fluidly is truly no easy feat. Not to mention anything else, simply finding a tutor versed in calligraphy is already difficult. As far as I know, there used to be a Shen..." She caught herself halfway through and abruptly stopped, amending, "Only those great aristocratic families producing grand tutors and junior guardians—generations of embroidered cap-and-girdle lineages—where both men and women are versed in writing, could manage this. Yet this little maid is actually able to write as well. I heard that poetry club Qinglan organized was also helped along by her. Tell me, how can a maid possibly know all these things? Even ordinary young misses and mistresses would be outshone by her. Just now in the room, did you see her demeanor? Neither hurried nor scheming, neither humble nor overbearing, parsing out her reasoning sentence by sentence, with every point hitting the mark without a single trace of fluster. She truly knows how to keep her composure. I must confess that back when I was her age, I certainly didn't have that kind of steady poise. If the master had spoken a word that wronged me, I would still have had to stiffen my neck and shout a few times."

Mother Han chuckled and said, "Madame has a fiery temper, whereas Xianglan has a soft disposition. They aren't meant to be compared side by side."

Madame Qin smiled slightly and said, "She looks soft-spoken, but her bones are hard. She seems mild-mannered, but inside she is shrewd and quick-witted." As she spoke, she leaned slightly to one side, and Mother Han hurriedly grabbed a green satin bolster embroidered with red and thrust it under Madame Qin's arm. She listened as Madame Qin continued slowly, "Her speech alone radiates cleverness... Yet she is far too clever, which反而 makes it unappealing. Inevitably, such a person will have lofty ambitions yet a thin fate, and lacks contentment—not nearly as fortunate as those who are simple and foolish."

Before the words had even faded, Mother Wu walked in carrying a soup tureen and smiled, saying, "Madame is worrying too much. Qinglan used to be simple and foolish, and what was the end result? She broke early instead. In my view, only the clever ones are truly good. Madame, think about it—ever since Xianglan arrived, how long has it been since the eldest young master went out to run wild and carouse? Perhaps next year Madame will be holding a grandson."

These words caused Madame Qin's expression to shift slightly. Mother Wu brought the soup to Madame Qin and said, "The eldest young master is the hardest to please; his standards are high and his palate is picky. The maids who serve him at home are all neatly featured, yet either he finds them lacking in charm, or he complains they aren't quick-witted enough, or he grows warm for a brief spell only to cast them aside and run off outside. Vixenish, bewitching women cannot be brought home into the family either. Now that he has finally taken a fancy to one, I see that his treatment of Xianglan is different... Madame knows the eldest young master's temper best; it would be better to go along with his wishes. Since he is elevating that girl, and Xianglan has no glaring faults—she comes from a clean background and has a gentle temperament—if she manages to bear a child down the line, it would also fulfill the eldest young master's filial duty, wouldn't it?"

Madame Qin stirred her spoon in the soup for a long moment before uttering, "A man as strong-willed as Lou'er—good at everything, yet so unfortunate in this one matter..." With that, she let out a long sigh.

Mother Wu lowered her head and remained silent. Mother Han wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but seeing that Mother Wu kept her mouth shut, the words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down. Once Madame Qin finished her soup, Hongjian and the others stepped forward to assist with washing up, making the bed, letting down the bed curtains, and retiring together.

Out in the doorway, Mother Han glanced at Mother Wu and said with a half-smile, "You certainly had plenty to say just now."

Mother Wu smoothed down her clothes and retorted, "Wasn't every single word spoken for the eldest young master's own good?"

Mother Han narrowed her eyes, stepped closer, and lowered her voice to say, "You're elevating her so high—you'd better watch out for putting in all that effort and getting no thanks in return. Madame didn't take a shine to her at all."

Mother Wu gave Mother Han a couple of looks, let out a faint smile, reached out to take Mother Han's hand, and also dropped her voice to whisper, "Old sister, the two of us have served together by Madame's side for many years, and my boy even has to call you 'godmother.' If there's something to say, let's speak plainly. Are you still harboring notions of sending your niece to the eldest young master's side? Hasn't tonight's little spectacle frightened the wits out of you yet?"

Mother Han's expression shifted slightly, though she quickly recovered a smile and said, "What kind of talk is that? I don't understand a word of it."

Mother Wu pointed a finger at Mother Han and said, "Tsk tsk, you old thing aren't being honest. I originally had some good advice to share with you, but I suppose I won't bother now." She turned on her heel and walked away.

Mother Han hurriedly intercepted her and said, "Hey, hey now, you can't just leave things half-said."

Mother Wu halted her steps and said coolly, "You're a clever person too—stop fixating on Zhichun Pavilion. Instead of scheming to plant one of your own family members inside as the eldest young master's concubine, you'd be much better off trying to get in the good graces of Chen Xianglan and cultivating a bond of good karma. In another two years, once she bears a child, I'm afraid even if you wanted to cozy up to her, you wouldn't be able to."

Mother Han sneered, "Whether she has that kind of fortune or not is still far from certain!" Then, unable to suppress her jealousy, she added, "You've staked your entire livelihood and future on Xianglan, so naturally you're terrified someone else will step in and carve up her favor."

Mother Wu smiled with a trace of mockery and said, "Your niece is reasonably pretty, but let me ask you in all honesty: can her looks, character, demeanor, and speech match up to Xianglan? Even Luan'er, who was given by the old mistress, and Huamei, who once enjoyed her glory days, fall short of her. Just how much cultivation does your niece possess? Wanxia, you and I served side by side under Madame all this time; you've never truly submitted to me, yet I have always kept you a notch below. It isn't because I'm better at serving people than you are, but simply because my vision is broader and more far-reaching than yours." With that, she gently patted the hand Mother Han was using to grip her, and turned away.

Mother Han's face flushed slightly. She drew a few heavy breaths, forcibly suppressing the displeasure churning in her chest, and spat out, "Bah! What on earth does she have to be so smug about?" At the same time, a sense of desolation crept into her heart.

Back in the day, she and the woman surnamed Wu had entered the Qin family as maids together. One was named Zhaoxia, and the other Wanxia. Their names sounded like sisters, but behind the scenes, they constantly vied with one another. Both possessed competitive and aggressive natures. Zhaoxia was younger than her by two months, and in every skill related to household labor she fell short, yet she always managed to outshine her in every respect. Later on, the two of them left in the same year to be married off, and after bearing children and returning, she became a managing matron and remained Madame's left and right hand, whereas Zhaoxia refused to take on a prestigious post and willingly became the eldest young master's wet nurse. For those years, she had basked in success, surrounded by throngs of people wherever she went, receiving countless flattery and fawning while pocketing plenty of benefits.

Zhaoxia, on the other hand, couldn't even see her own son, and because the young master was unruly, she never had a moment of rest day or night, living in constant, terrified anxiety that the young master would suffer some mishap or illness. Behind her back, she had mocked Wu Zhaoxia countless times, often using her as fodder for gossip. But as the eldest young master gradually grew up and made something of himself, the tables turned completely. Zhaoxia returned to Madame's side to take on duties, and because a wet nurse's status was a cut above ordinary domestic servants—and the young master was a sentimental person who, apart from her monthly stipend, allocated an extra share of silver to Wu Zhaoxia from Zhichun Pavilion—not only that, but she also elevated her own sons and nephews to serve by the young master's side. Now, her eldest son had already become the eldest young master's personal guard, securing a brilliant future that left everyone else green with envy.

Everyone up and down the Lin family kept their eyes fixed on the eldest young master, but the young master was someone who had little patience for dealing with the older matrons and women of the household. Realizing that it was no longer so easy for her to muscle her way into Zhichun Pavilion and latch onto the young master now, she couldn't help but regret missing out on the favorable wind. Seeing Mother Wu strutting about in such a haughty manner, moving with ease between Madame and the young master, she gnashed her teeth in secret.

She stood beneath the veranda for a short while before slowly making her way back to the outer room designated for night watch. After a hasty wash, she lay down on the bed, tossed and turned for a while, and finally drifted into a chaotic sleep.

The next morning, Mother Han woke up before dawn. Lying in bed for a moment, she heard someone outside speaking in hushed, murmuring tones to Fang'er, the little maid who waited on her: "Is the First Eldest Sister awake yet?"

"Not yet. Things were churning until the middle of the night, so she probably won't be up so early."

"...Yesterday... what happened over at the eldest young master's place? Eldest Sister has been staying in the manor and hasn't gone home, and the family is worried. Early this morning, a little errand boy even brought a letter over to ask about it."

"How would I know what happened? I was about to ask you, sister. Last night, all the prominent senior matrons and managers in the manor went over, and they didn't return until the middle of the night."

Mother Han let out a cough from inside the room, and the voices outside vanished instantly. Mother Han lifted the bed quilt, got up, and began dressing. A moment later, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl lifted the curtain and entered. She was plump, fair-skinned, yet possessed a slender seed-pod face with emerald brows, red lips, and eyes like water-soaked apricots, making her quite striking in appearance. She wore a light purple unlined jacket embroidered with parrots picking peaches, paired with a blue satin skirt. Her hair was styled in an intricate, exquisite arrangement; because she was a maid, she dared not make it too eye-catching, so she merely fastened it with two gold hairpins, sticking a light-red palace flower behind her bun. This girl was Mother Han's niece, currently serving as a third-rank maid in Madame's quarters, and her name was Zidai.

Entering the room, Zidai offered Mother Han a flattering smile and said, "You're up early, Auntie. Did you sleep well last night?" She stepped forward to help her put on her clothes and shoes, quickly retrieved the writing box and vanity case, set up the mirror stand, and picked up a pearwood comb to brush Mother Han's hair.

Silver threads were already beginning to infiltrate Mother Han's hair, which had also grown sparse. Applying osmanthus oil to the palms of her hands, Zidai applied it only to the hair along her forehead, gathering the rest backward and carefully combing it before taking a faux hair bun out of the box. She pinned it securely to the top of Mother Han's head, fastening it firmly with several hairpins. Zidai stole a glance at Mother Han through the mirror; seeing that her eyes were half-closed while her brow remained furrowed, her hands instinctively grew even lighter.

With the entire family's prestige now depending on Mother Han's standing in Madame's good graces, Zidai served her with increasing diligence.

Fang'er brought in hot water, tidied up the bedding, and went off to empty the spittoon. After Mother Han washed her face, applied facial cream, and dusted a layer of scented powder, Zidai hurriedly brought out a pair of silver bracelets carved with dragons and phoenixes bringing auspiciousness and fastened them onto Mother Han's wrists.

Mother Han raised her head, her gaze colliding directly with Zidai's.

Zidai quickly smiled and said, "Madame isn't awake yet at this hour. Auntie can eat something before going over to serve—it won't be too late. There's still some almond tea left from yesterday; would you like a bowl?"

Mother Han did not answer. With half-closed eyes, she scrutinized Zidai closely, taking in her fair, tender, and rosy cheeks, her full bosom, and her slightly plump hips that nevertheless managed not to look bloated, instead exuding a seductive charm. This physical build was what the older folks often praised as the "auspicious physique for bearing sons." Such a fresh blossom was fully capable of matching the late Lan Concubine whom Lin Jinlou had once favored. If there weren't any presentable girls in their own family, they would have had to adopt a goddaughter from within the manor; but with such talent right in their own household, why worry about lacking the opportunity to latch onto a giant tree? Right now, Zhichun Pavilion was precisely at a point where it lacked maids...

Mother Han drifted off into a slight reverie.

Seeing her aunt staring fixedly at her, Zidai felt a bit uneasy. Noticing that Fang'er had stepped outside, she whispered to Mother Han, "Auntie, what happened over at the eldest young master's place last night?" In the past, Mother Wu had dropped subtle hints to Zidai about the prospect of sending her to Zhichun Pavilion in the future. Zidai understood this implicitly, and naturally felt shy; since Lin Jinlou was heroic and imposing, and possessed both wealth and power, Zidai's heart had inevitably been moved. Harboring a maiden's affections, she had grown especially concerned about Zhichun Pavilion.

At the mention of the previous night, Mother Han gave a start, instantly recalling how Lin Jinlou had dealt with the concubines and maidservants in his quarters, which in turn brought back Mother Wu's words from the previous evening and sent a chill through her heart. Coming back to her senses, she saw Zidai looking at her with eager anticipation. Catching sight of Zidai's watery eyes and remembering her well-behaved, endearing nature, she found herself hesitating once more. She opened her mouth, but when she finally spoke, she asked instead, "I've never seen the clothes you're wearing—are they newly made?"

Zidai said, "Auntie, could you have forgotten? The fabric was given to me by you. During the New Year last year, when Auntie was making jackets and vests, you said this color was plain and elegant, and after finishing there was still some left over, so you gave it to me—it was just enough to make an unlined jacket, and the leftover scraps were even enough to cut handkerchiefs and shoes. I finished the jacket long ago, but doing the embroidery on top took some time, so it was only just completed now. The pattern was even taken from Chunling—isn't it novel? Chunling said there's plenty more where that came from, and that Girl Xianglan loves painting these designs the most."

The moment Mother Han heard the name "Xianglan," she frowned.

Zidai, however, completely misinterpreted her reaction and hurriedly said, "I know I shouldn't wear anything so conspicuous, but they say the eldest young master likes it, and even had Xianglan's drawn patterns embroidered onto his knee-pads and sword bags..."

Mother Han waved a hand and said, "That's not what this is about."

Just then, a voice called out from outside the window, "Is Mother Han in?"

Recognizing Lianxin's voice distinctly, Mother Han hurried out of the room and answered, "I'm here, I'm here." Seeing Lianxin standing at the doorway, she hurriedly ushered her inside and called for Zidai to pour tea.

Just as Lianxin was about to step into the room, she caught sight of Zidai inside and stopped in her tracks. Tugging lightly on Mother Han's sleeve, she said, "Mother needn't busy herself. I only have a couple of words to say and then I'll leave."

Out on the veranda, Lianxin fished a piece of silver out from her sleeve, pressed it into Mother Han's hand, and said in a low voice, "The eldest young master sent me to pass along a message. He said Girl Xianglan has a somewhat difficult temper, dislikes dealing with people, and is prone to crying—that she's a bit silly and foolish—and he asks Mother to look after her and show her extra favor for his sake. This bit of silver is for Mother to buy some wine with, and in the future, the eldest young master will have even more favors to return."

Mother Han gave the silver a squeeze in her palm; it weighed a full five taels, giving her a start. On her face, however, she smiled and said, "Why must the eldest young master be so polite? Passing along a word is already enough; this old body certainly wouldn't dare accept such silver." With that, she made as if to push it back.

Lianxin hurriedly wrapped her hand around Mother Han's and smiled, saying, "Mother, don't decline it. If you decline, how am I supposed to go back and report on my errand?"

Mother Han licked her dry lips and asked in a quiet voice, "Did only I get this silver, or did others get it too?"

Lianxin leaned closer as well and whispered, "Since Mother is asking, I might as well speak the plain truth. Not only does Mother have some, but Mother Wu has some too, as well as Hongjian and Lilan, who are useful by Madame's side. The eldest young master gave instructions bright and early this morning; he even gave a pouch to Chunling, said the second-rank girls like Rose would also get a bit of silver, and even the little maids all got a dozen copper coins."

Mother Han instantly drew in a sharp breath of cold air. The amount of silver didn't matter so much; the crucial point was that the eldest young master was actually stepping forward personally to give Xianglan this much face.

After Lianxin departed, Mother Han returned to her room in a somewhat dazed state and sat down on the kang. Zidai hurried over and asked, "Auntie, what did Lianxin want with you so early in the morning?"

Mother Han blankly shook her head, glanced at Zidai, let out a long sigh, and said, "Good girl, put aside any thoughts of going to Zhichun Pavilion, alright."

How favored Chen Xianglan was, she had only heard about in rumors, never having witnessed it with her own eyes—but now she had truly seen it. A master who was usually too lazy to look people straight in the eye had actually dispatched someone to deliver silver on account of that maid, making it glaringly obvious that Chen Xianglan was truly extraordinary. With someone of that caliber standing in front, Zidai would likely gain no advantage whatsoever, and might even end up stirring up trouble for herself.

Mother Han smacked her lips. Unwilling as she was, she had to admit that Wu Zhaoxia had a knack for judging people. Even though the two of them had pricked and prodded at each other from time to time over the years, they also shared an unspoken understanding and bond that couldn't be told to outsiders, and the pointers Wu had given her last night were genuinely a few words of good advice. It seemed... she was going to have to soften her stance toward Chen Xianglan.

Just as Mother Han was deep in thought, Fang'er came in and announced, "Mother, Madame is awake and wants everyone to have breakfast before coming over." Mother Han acknowledged the command and ordered Fang'er to fetch the dishes. Turning her face, she saw that Zidai was still sitting beside her with her head bowed, tears already streaming down her face.

Frowning, Mother Han scolded, "What are you crying for! Crying over something like this is shameful enough to die for! If you don't want your face, I certainly want mine!" Her scolding left Zidai's face burning bright red. Covering her face with a handkerchief, Zidai yanked up the curtain and ran out.

Two flowers bloom, each representing its own branch.

As for Xianglan, she woke up early, helped Lin Jinlou dress, and after he went out to practice his martial arts, she lay down for a little longer before getting up to wash and freshen up. Because she was going to see Madame Qin, Chunling acted as though she were facing a formidable enemy, spending a long time that morning selecting an outfit with Tinglan before finally picking out a set of dark-blue satin unlined jacket paired with a deep-blue skirt. It looked somewhat aged, but exceptionally dignified and understated. Her hair was combed into a simple style, adorned with a gold phoenix hairpin of filigree with clustered pearls and two jade-green hairpins, not even daring to stick fresh flowers into it.

Seeing how nervous the two of them were, Xianglan found it somewhat amusing, though she let them fuss over her. She wasn't afraid of meeting Madame Qin; she simply found the prospect tedious. As for what Madame Qin thought of her, she didn't care in the slightest.