Against the Current - Chapter 196

Chapter 196 - Warning and Instruction

To continue, as Dongling and Dongxiu stepped out of Madame Qin's courtyard, Lin Dongxiu halted her steps and sneered, "You certainly have a mind of your own! Leaving your own blood cousin hanging, you instead go and cozy up to that servant seed's backside. I've finally seen through you today!" With that, she turned around and angrily stormed off, her personal maid Nange hurrying to chase after her.

Lin Dongxiu was so furious her complexion turned ashen, and Hanzhi quickly consoled her, "Fourth Young Miss is just of that temperament; please don't lower yourself to her level, Miss."

Twisting her handkerchief fiercely and holding back the tears welling in her eyes, Lin Dongxiu muttered, "She has that temperament? Why doesn't she ever dare to pick a fight with Second Sister? Let alone speak such harsh words to her! Isn't it just because she bullies me for not being born from Madame's own womb?" Glaring at Lin Dongling's back, she gritted her teeth and said, "When I finally rise to prosperity one day, I'll let you see what's coming!"

Hanzhi hastily pulled out her own handkerchief to dab at the corners of Lin Dongxiu's eyes, saying, "Don't be angry, Miss, please don't be angry."

Enduring her humiliation, Lin Dongxiu wept as she walked back, thinking to herself, "I just have bad luck. If I were born to Madame, I could also throw my weight around, scolding whoever I please. Who would want to suck up to Xianglan, that servant's seed? I wouldn't even deign to spare her a sideways glance! It's all because Big Brother dotes on her. When Second Sister got married, Big Brother added a full two chests of dowry items for her, and I heard it wasn't just silver, but antique paintings and calligraphy as well. If I make nice with her now and Big Brother is pleased, perhaps he'll add extra dowry gifts for me too. In case I ever suffer bullying in my maiden family down the road, Big Brother will be someone I can count on. Only that brainless fool Lin Dongling would stick her neck out and clash head-on with Chen Xianglan." Thinking along these lines, she randomly wiped away her tears and returned to her own room in a fit of pique, which we will leave aside for the moment.

Meanwhile, feeling fatigued, Madame Qin leaned on Hongjian for support as she returned to her chambers, instructing Xianglan to sit at the kang table in the outer room and copy the Diamond Sutra. Mother Han and Mother Wu both withdrew together. Mother Han sighed, "This morning I already told Madame that I didn't want Zidai to go to Zhichun Pavilion, but who would have thought Madame wouldn't give a clear response upon hearing it, and ended up sending Zidai over after all."

Mother Wu cast a cool, detached glance at Mother Han. "Who told you to constantly praise Zidai's virtues in front of Madame all the time? Originally, the Eldest Young Master already had four concubines in his quarters; adding any more might have been unseemly and would make the family of any future formal wife uncomfortable. So Madame kept putting it off, which also delayed promoting Zidai's rank. Now look—two positions opened up in the Eldest Young Master's quarters, and this is your golden opportunity. Since you're completely satisfied now, what are you still complaining to me about?"

Mother Han clicked her teeth in annoyance and snapped, "Are you going to play the fool with me? You know very well what I mean. After what you said to me yesterday, how could my heart possibly be at ease?"

Mother Wu scoffed, "You old creature are much more cunning than you used to be. Zidai has a bit of cleverness, so she should stay out of the spotlight over there and show plenty of respect to Xianglan. If she has the fortune for the Eldest Young Master to take her into his chambers, that's her own stroke of luck. For the sake of your face, earning the title of 'Mistress' is well within reach—just don't act like Luan'er and court your own death, and she'll have a settled destination for life. But if the Eldest Young Master doesn't spare her a second glance, she shouldn't crowd around him either. When the Eldest Young Master gets angry, he won't care whose niece she is!" With that, she turned and walked away.

Watching Mother Wu put on airs and throw her weight around, Mother Han knew deep down that her words made sense, but she still felt as though a lump was stuck in her throat. Spitting a contemptuous "Bah!" she flicked the curtain aside and stepped into the room.

The hour was nearing noon. Madame Qin had changed into a muddy-gold jacket embroidered with peonies, leaning against a satin-red, scattered-flower bolster on the Luohan bed, closing her eyes to rest. Hongjian cleared away the tea on the small crabapple tea table that had already turned half-warm, replacing it with a fresh, piping-hot cup. Just as she was about to quietly withdraw, Madame Qin suddenly opened her eyes and asked, "What has she been doing outside?"

Hongjian naturally knew who Madame Qin was referring to and replied, "She just finished copying a few pages of scripture. Following Madame's instructions, she hasn't been given a moment of idleness and is currently outside sorting threads. When Rose and the others tried to tease her into chatting, she only pressed her lips into a smile and refused to say a single extra word."

Madame Qin straightened up, and Hongjian hurried over to support her, saying, "Madame slept late last night; you should recline a bit longer this morning." Handing her a gold-filigreed banana-leaf cup, she asked, "Will you be keeping her for lunch at noon?"

Madame Qin took a sip and replied, "Keep her for what? There's no food allocation for her here."

Thinking of the five taels of scorching hot silver Lianxin had shoved into her hands that very morning, Hongjian probed, "From what I've seen, Xianglan is a low-maintenance sort who doesn't talk too much or meddle in things. When the few of us purposely gossiped about Luan'er and Huamei right in front of her, she didn't take the bait, and when we asked her about the Eldest Young Master, she just shook her head to every question. She doesn't seem like a frivolous person."

Madame Qin wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and gave a light chuckle. "It's not that she doesn't show it on the surface; she's fiercely ambitious underneath. That arrogance is bred right into her bones. If she isn't severely ground down, she won't even be willing to submit properly if she becomes a concubine. If she were just a bit foolish, that would be one thing, but this girl has a calculating mind. What if the wife Lou'er marries in the future fails to keep her under control? The storms she whips up might end up being even greater than those caused by the Zhao woman."

Hongjian smiled faintly. "No wonder Madame publicly stripped her of her dignity several times this morning—so it was meant to be a show of force! I was wondering why Madame, who has always been so benevolent—such as when Concubine Lan was clumsy and made a few mistakes or said the wrong thing, and Madame treated her like gentle breeze and fine rain—should suddenly change her temperament."

Madame Qin gestured toward her legs. Hongjian immediately became attentive, sitting down by the edge of the bed and picking up a beauty-pounder to massage Madame Qin's legs. Letting out a comfortable sigh, Madame Qin said, "Right now, Xianglan is living in the main rooms of the main courtyard. The moment Lou'er returns, he rushes straight to her place, and even a prominent maid like Lianxin goes over to wait on her. She carries herself for all the world like the First Madame... Tsk, when I went to Zhichun Pavilion yesterday and opened her jewelry box, it was full of glowing pearls and jade, along with rare treasures from overseas, and she has several large chests of clothing... How long has she even been in this manor? Never mind what she's wearing today, even the necklace around her neck is finer than the one Fourth Lass wears. That foolish child Lou'er pampers her far too much. He's wonderful in every other aspect, but when it comes to women, he's utterly muddled. If I don't clip her wings a bit for him, how on earth will this end?"

At that moment, Mother Han walked in. Hearing Madame Qin's words and recalling Xianglan's attire and the dazzling luxury of Zhichun Pavilion's furnishings, her emotions were a complex tangle. For a fleeting moment, she cursed her own poor judgment back then for failing to latch onto Lin Jinlou's coattails; then she envied Mother Wu's family for finding a powerful backer and rising above her in status; then she vaguely hoped that Zidai might also catch Lin Jinlou's eye and achieve the same dazzling glory as Xianglan; and then she feared that if Zidai failed to make a mark, it would only implicate her family—perhaps it would be better for her to stay quiet and obedient after all.

Hearing Hongjian say, "The Eldest Young Master is so fond of Girl Xianglan, which I suppose isn't necessarily a bad thing; even Mother Wu says that ever since Xianglan entered Zhichun Pavilion, the Eldest Young Master hasn't gone out to run wild. It's so thoughtful of Madame to consider every single aspect for the Eldest Young Master, and even personally instruct Girl Xianglan,"

Madame Qin remarked, "There's nothing wrong with teaching her more; we certainly don't want another Huamei or Luan'er cropping up." Catching sight of Mother Han, she beckoned, "You've arrived. Have you escorted Zidai over?"

Mother Han beamed with smiles and said, "I've delivered her safely, and troubled Madame to keep it in mind." She then asked curiously, "Madame mentioned wanting to instruct Girl Xianglan—I wonder how you plan to teach her?"

Madame Qin smiled without answering, and after a long pause, she said, "Let her copy sutras for a few days first, to calm her mind." Turning to Mother Han, she added, "Tomorrow, have Zidai come over as well to study alongside her."

Mother Han froze. Feeling as though a massive pie had fallen right out of the sky, she grew dizzy with excitement and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "This old servant thanks Madame for elevating Zidai!"

Madame Qin gave her a light, virtual lift, her smile somewhat ethereal. "No need to thanks me yet. I have this intention, but it remains to be seen whether she has the fortune for it." Zidai was gentle and looked like she was built to bear children. Since she was eager for a grandchild, and Mother Han had served her loyally for many years with Lin Jinlou's quarters currently vacant, there was no harm in sending the girl over. If it succeeded, it would serve two purposes at once and also suppress Xianglan's arrogance. If it failed, she could simply prepare a dowry for Zidai in a couple of years and marry her off to a decent family, preserving the dignity of an old servant by her side.

Mother Han was so excited her entire body trembled slightly. Lin Jinlou had one supreme virtue, and that was filial piety—back then, Qinglan had been taken in as a concubine precisely because Madame had bestowed her. If Madame herself was backing this matter, it was eight-tenths of the way done already! She kowtowed to Madame Qin repeatedly to express her gratitude, and by the time she backed out of the room, her forehead was actually swollen.

The little maid Xiaofang fetched hot water and wrung out a steaming towel for her to wash her face. Staring into the mirror set up before her, Mother Han examined her own reflection for a long time before suddenly letting out a snigger and muttering to herself, "You old hag Wu Zhaoxia, putting on airs and acting high and mighty in front of me all day long, putting on that sickening expression of 'I'm more capable than you,' as if you're half a mistress yourself. You think that by latching onto the Eldest Young Master and betting on Chen Xianglan, you can boss everyone around in Zhichun Pavilion and all the good fortune will exclusively benefit your household? Hmph! No matter how much the Eldest Young Master dotes on Xianglan, she's still just the spawn of a servant, and she can't override the status bestowed by Madame. There are plenty of pretty, clever, and sensible maids in this manor; our Zidai is the pick of the crop. Do you really think everyone else in this household is dead?!" Having been suppressed by Mother Wu for decades, she felt a sudden surge of triumphant relief after saying this, and slammed the mirror case shut with a sharp clack.

People of all sorts harbored their own hidden thoughts. After Xianglan spent the entire morning doing labor in Madame Qin's courtyard, Madame Qin dismissed her at noon, instructing her to return bright and early the next morning.

The moment Xianglan stepped back into Zhichun Pavilion, Lianxin led Xue凝 and Zidai over. Xianglan said, "Since both of you were bestowed by Old Madame and Madame, you are naturally fine additions. As for how to manage your positions, we will wait until the Eldest Young Master returns and follow his wishes. You shouldn't be coming to me to ask."

Lianxin thought to herself that the Eldest Young Master had already dropped explicit words stating that any maid coming to Zhichun Pavilion whom Xianglan found displeasing could be directly driven out. Although Xianglan's status was awkward and doing so violated propriety, how could she possibly dare not to submit to Xianglan's vetting?

Xueying was of medium build, with fair and delicate features. Though not overwhelmingly beautiful, she possessed a touching allure and bore a striking resemblance to Xuezhan, Old Madame's most favored personal maid—they must have been sisters. Wearing a smile on her face, she said, "Before coming over, Old Madame gave strict instructions that we were to come and pay our respects to the Young Mistress, and from now on we will be serving right by your side. We only hope the Young Mistress won't find us clumsy and dim-witted."

Zidai also wore a smile, though she could not conceal the triumphant radiance overflowing from her face. "From now on we'll all be together in one place. I'm young and ignorant, so Big Sister will have to teach me a lot."

While Xueying had used the term "Young Mistress," Zidai had brazenly addressed her as "Big Sister." Chunling instantly knitted her brows.