Against the Current - Chapter 199
Chapter 199 - Attentive Devotion
Everyone said that Yinliu had spoken out of turn and provoked Xianglan, and that even kneeling and kowtowing all night long hadn't done her any good because Xianglan had taken the matter straight to Madame, resulting in Yinliu being sold off. Xianglan's reputation for being overbearing and tyrannical suddenly grew loud and notorious. The maidservants and old women pointed and whispered behind her back, chewing the rag with fresh gossip about Xianglan. They said, "Her reputation was dreadful to begin with; she was already seducing the masters back when she was just an ordinary maid, and even after leaving the estate she couldn't keep her nose clean—word has it she had some lingering entanglements with a scholar. It's a pity the Eldest Young Master got bewitched by this loose, wanton woman and picked up someone else's discarded goods," and "She puts on even bigger airs than the former Eldest Young Mistress, bossing everyone around and shouting orders. It's just a petty person tasting power, acting mighty fierce indeed!" Mother Wu cracked down severely twice, after which the talk subsided somewhat, but Madame Qin adopted a hands-off attitude, neither listening nor asking. Zidai, on the other hand, wept bitterly over Yinliu being sold off, and even gifted her some of her own private silver and garments. Everyone praised Zidai for her benevolence and righteousness, noting that Yinliu hadn't even served her for very long before winning such deep affection.
"Let this affair serve as a lesson for us all. From now on, put away your fiery tempers. A person of noble character expresses anger only when justified; to pick a fight with a petty person is ultimately like biting your own hand. Some things are just the way they are—it's not about seeking the momentary satisfaction of a sharp tongue; once the anger is vented, that's supposed to be it. If you cannot endure a momentary flash of frustration, you will only invite even greater trouble upon yourselves." Xianglan leaned back against the head of the bed, holding a cup of warm tea in her hands. Behind the swirling wreaths of steam, her porcelain-white face remained as calm and unruffled as still water.
Chunling's face burned with shame as she stood with her hands at her sides, murmuring, "I understand now... I will definitely engrave this lesson in my memory... It was my fault for causing trouble for the Young Mistress."
"It was simply that Zidai dug a pit and tricked us into jumping right into it. That woman's heart and liver turned pitch black ages ago." Xiaojuan was fuming with indignation, aggressively tearing Xianglan's discarded sketch paper into even tinier shreds as if trying to vent her bitter hatred.
Chunling spoke in a soft, delicate voice, "Zidai entered the estate at the same time I did, and I spent two whole years working alongside her. Although she has always been a bit fond of putting on airs, she didn't have so many crooked, scheming turns in her gut. This is definitely the handiwork of some seasoned strategist behind the scenes—it has to be Mother Han."
Tinglan was in the midst of knotting a decorative cord; she set down her work, knitted her brows slightly, and said, "Logically speaking, I ought to be urging everyone to make peace, but Zidai has been acting far too outrageously lately. Besides, our Young Mistress has too gentle a disposition—she hasn't squeezed and pressured you enough in Madame's presence, has she? I've heard both Lianxin and Xue Ning say that Zidai is climbing right up onto people's noses and acting so wild she doesn't even know her own weight anymore." Tinglan was naturally a peace-loving person, but firstly, she was close with Xianglan; secondly, Zidai and Yinliu had previously offended her as well; and thirdly, seeing the absolute chaos currently plaguing Zhichun Pavilion filled her with genuine anxiety, compelling her to voice her thoughts.
"It's all because Madame is backing that petty creature up, forcing the Young Mistress to take the blame for an evil reputation for no reason at all!" Xiaojuan tossed the shredded ball of paper into the bronze brazier and stirred the ashes frantically with the fire tongs.
The others in the room fell silent upon hearing this, unable to stop themselves from letting out long, heavy sighs of frustration.
Tinglan hesitated before speaking. "Do you suppose... she carries on like this with Madame's full knowledge? Lianxin even said that things cannot go on this way—the Young Mistress is suffering so much unjust grievance for nothing, and she really ought to speak with Madame about it. Otherwise, all the proper rules and discipline in Zhichun Pavilion are going to be completely ruined, and even the little maids we went to such trouble to train up are currently lacking proper decorum..."
Xianglan replied, "Zidai represents Madame's face; going to Madame to lodge a complaint against her would be no different from stripping Madame of her dignity. Besides, Zidai hasn't committed any truly egregious offenses yet. They're all just trivial matters, and Madame has no patience to deal with them."
Xiaojuan said with a disgruntled huff, "The Young Mistress is just far too easy to bully. Zidai figured out that you wouldn't dare do anything to her, which is why she dared to act so atrociously up to this point. Now your entire reputation has been ruined by her hands."
Xianglan's expression darkened. She set her teacup down onto the small side table with a sharp click and said sternly, "Let's make this clear right now: starting today, no one is permitted to pick any more fights with Zidai. Give her a wide berth whenever you cross paths with her. Do you understand?"
Xiaojuan looked sheepish and clamped her mouth shut, saying no more.
Xianglan let out a slow, measured breath and gazed out the window. Outside, withered leaves drifted in melancholy descent and chilly mists shrouded the landscape, save for the chrysanthemums on the flower stand, which bloomed in a riot of brocade-like splendor as they swayed in the breeze. Zidai's backing was Madame Qin, not to mention having Mother Han as her own maternal aunt. Xianglan herself was merely a humble woman who had caught Lin Jinlou's eye purely on the strength of her looks. Lin Jinlou would never pick a fight with his own mother over a mere woman, which was precisely why Zidai dared to intervene so boldly in the affairs of Zhichun Pavilion and repeatedly ride roughshod over Xianglan without ever taking her seriously.
She glanced at the dejected Chunling, then turned her gaze to Xiaojuan's swollen, pouting cheeks. She knew both of them were acting out of concern for her, and their current indignation was only human nature—someone bullies you, and your immediate instinct is to jump up and defend your honor so that you can "vent the anger trapped in your chest." But what happens after the temporary rush of satisfaction? Madame Qin was turning a blind eye, Zidai was riding the crest of a wave of popularity, leaping about and showing off with boundless energy. Xianglan could only watch coldly from the sidelines, simply waiting for the day when Zidai's actions provoked public outrage and ran afoul of household rules. Yet Chunling's outburst had actually ended up bailing Zidai out—on the surface, the entire incident looked entirely like Yinliu offending Xianglan, kneeling in the wind to catch a chill, and subsequently being sold off. The stamp of being arrogant, spoiled, and tyrannical had thus been firmly branded onto Xianglan's forehead, while the fact that Zidai had failed to properly discipline her subordinates was conveniently rendered inconsequential. Driving Yinliu away provided a ready scapegoat for the mess Zidai had previously left behind, while simultaneously burnished Zidai's reputation for "benevolence and righteousness" and incidentally tarnishing Xianglan's good name. It was truly a brilliant stratagem that killed three birds with one stone.
Xianglan had no desire to go around looking for trouble. She wasn't afraid of Zidai, but what was the point of squabbling with the likes of her until they were red-faced like a pair of fighting cocks? Lin Jinlou's interest in her was purely a novelty for the time being—who knew how long that novelty would last? If she openly offended Madame Qin, what possible benefit could it bring her?
A few days earlier, Mother Wu had sent over a small potted honeysuckle via a little maid, and Xiaojuan had remarked at the time, "This flower isn't much to look at; why on earth did Mother Wu go out of her way to send it over?"
Xianglan understood the underlying message: Mother Wu was telling her to endure in silence for the time being, and indeed, endurance was her only option. Living in this world had never been about doing exactly as one pleased. Back then, she had been capable of kneeling on the hard ground to kowtow to Young Master Xiao; compared to that, what did these minor indignities amount to?
She silently rose to her feet, walked over to the desk, picked up a writing brush, and penned a massive character for "Endurance" (Ren) across the paper. Taking a deep breath, she stared at the character for a long while before crumpling the sheet up and tossing it straight into the brazier.
Seeing Xianglan's stern expression, Xiaojuan didn't dare utter a single sound, merely using the fire tongs to gently turn over the grey ashes inside the pot.
To dispense with needless chatter:
In the dead of night, enveloped by stars and the waning moon, Lin Jinlou returned home. Stepping into the bedchamber, he found Xianglan still fast asleep in bed. Since it was Tinglan's turn to keep night watch, she hurriedly threw on an outer garment and stumbled into the room. Lin Jinlou waved a hand casually to dismiss her, stripped off his outer robes, slid straight into bed, and reached out a hand to grope his way across the mattress.
The moment he entered, Xianglan snapped awake, slapped his hand away, and snapped, "You're reeking of dust and grit from the road. Stay away from me."
Lin Jinlou chuckled playfully and said, "You little ungrateful wretch! Your lord here has been riding like a whipped horse day and night without closing his eyes just to come back and see you, and all you do is complain." As he spoke, his hands grew even more uninhibited.
Lin Jinlou had a notorious reputation for romantic escapades, and when he was in high spirits, he was always full of sweet, honeyed words. Anyone who took them seriously would simply be a fool. Moreover, since he wasn't the type to indulge in sentimental romantic attachments while neglecting business, the fact that he had rushed back in such a hurry meant he must have had official duties to attend to. Xianglan naturally didn't believe a word of his nonsense, and simply wriggled further into the inner recesses of the bed, saying, "Stop messing around, it's the middle of the night." But how could she possibly escape him? When Lin Jinlou was in the mood, he cared not whether it was day or night; with a few quick movements, he stripped Xianglan bare and pounced straight upon her.
Tinglan pricked up her ears outside in the outer room and instantly understood what was happening. She hurriedly rushed out to shake the rough-service maid on night duty awake, ordering her to get the water boiling immediately, plunging Zhichun Pavilion into a flurry of bustling activity.
Amber, the little maid serving in the outer room, had been personally trained up by Lianxin. The moment she saw Lin Jinlou return, she quietly slipped off to report it to Lianxin, who smiled and said, "You little monkey, off you go then—I've noted down your good deed." With that, she handed her a piece of pastry to snack on. Seeing that Zidai was still fast asleep, Lianxin quietly dressed herself, pinned up her hair, and headed to the front quarters to take charge.
When daylight broke fully, Lin Jinlou had already finished his bath and was sitting radiantly beside the heated brick kang table. Set upon the table was a pot of thick, steaming purple rice and red date porridge, alongside two bowls of fragrant nine-thread broth—dotted with paper-thin threads of cured ham, silvery whitebait, wood ear mushrooms, and dried bean curd—as well as miniature crab dumplings, assorted fried pastry rings, chestnut-flour pancakes, alongside refreshing side dishes such as oil-and-salt stir-fried bean sprouts and chicken-marrow bamboo shoots.
A moment later, Xiaojuan supported Xianglan as she walked in and took her seat. She was dressed in a snow-blue, emerald-trimmed quilted tunic embroidered with dark plum blossoms. The skin beneath her eyes was tinged with faint dark circles, and her cheeks carried an air of delicate, fragile exhaustion. Lin Jinlou glanced at her appearance, and Xianglan instantly lowered her gaze. Lin Jinlou suddenly chuckled, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Eat."
Having been tossed about for most of the night, Xianglan's mind was sluggish and heavy, and her body still felt deliciously languid. She merely picked up a single dumpling and nibbled on it in tiny, delicate bites.
Seeing that Lin Jinlou had finished a bowl of broth, Lianxin stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Shall I fetch you another bowl?" Seeing Lin Jinlou nod, she picked up the bowl and prepared to withdraw. As she turned around, however, she caught sight of Zidai standing right before her. Snatching the bowl out of Lianxin's hands with a smile, Zidai declared, "Let me handle such a small chore." With that, she stepped aside to ladle another bowl of broth and brought it directly to Lin Jinlou's side, adding with an eager, ingratiating smile, "There are some freshly made shredded radish pancakes in the kitchen—would the Eldest Young Master care for a plate?"
Hearing a voice she did not recognize, Lin Jinlou raised his head to look. He found himself gazing at a tender, voluptuous maidservant wearing a flattering smile on her face. A pair of dark, limpid apricot eyes gazed at him with hidden emotional depth, and her attire was exceedingly upscale.
Lin Jinlou looked over at Xianglan, then asked in momentary confusion, "Who is this...?"
"Sister Shuran has departed, and Madame feared that the Eldest Young Master might not have anyone suitable to wait on him, so Madame assigned me here to serve," Zidai replied with a slight smile. "This humble servant is Zidai. I wish the Eldest Young Master peace and well-being." With that, she dropped to her knees and kowtowed once to Lin Jinlou.
A heavy silence descended upon the room. Ordinarily, this would be the moment when Lianxin or one of the other senior, prestigious maids should step forward and say a few words like, "Zidai is a clever one; she has done no end of work ever since she arrived, showing just how deeply Madame cares for the Eldest Young Master," and so forth. Yet Lianxin simply stood off to the side with lowered head, playing dead and refusing to utter a single syllable, while the other maids likewise kept their heads down in silence.
Lin Jinlou was in an excellent mood, so he merely chuckled and said, "From Madame's rooms? How is it I've never laid eyes on you before?"
Zidai pursed her lips into a smile before answering, "I was always serving in the back courtyards. Besides, the Eldest Young Master is a man of great affairs; even if you had seen me, you would likely have forgotten." Having said this, she hitched herself forward a few steps on her knees, her bosom heaving in a gentle, rolling flutter.
Lianxin abruptly cut across their exchange, stating, "Aside from Zidai, the Old Madame also assigned another maid to us named Xue Ning. She is a sensible person who observes proper boundaries and rules, and she has filled the second-class vacancy." With that, she signaled for Xue Ning to come forward and kowtow to Lin Jinlou.
Lin Jinlou glanced over, saw that Xue Ning kept her head properly lowered, gave a nod of acknowledgment, and let out a grunt of assent.
Zidai was a petite beauty, and coupled with her heavily flirtatious demeanor—thrusting out the trembling mounds upon her chest—she possessed a certain undeniable allure. Lin Jinlou was accustomed to a life of romantic dissipation, and he actually felt a brief urge to flirt and toy with her a little. However, catching sight of Xianglan out of the corner of his eye, he recalled her pristine, ice-pure demeanor and figured she would look down upon his usual habit of dallying with maidservants in red-light fashion. Besides, he was a man of wide experience; beautiful though Zidai might be, in his eyes she was merely a passing novelty rather than someone truly extraordinary, so why bother offending Xianglan over a mere maid? With that thought, he casually waved the two of them away.
Zidai had gone to great lengths to secure this opportunity, only to have it rudely interrupted by Lianxin, leaving a bitter sting of resentment in her heart. She raised her gaze to look at Lin Jinlou, then glanced over at Xianglan, who was sitting quietly off to the side holding her bowl and sipping her porridge in tiny sips, a sensation of profound unease washing over her. Everyone in the household said that Xianglan enjoyed immense favor; back when Lin Jinlou had been away from home, Zidai had merely noticed that Xianglan was lavishly dressed and lived in the main chambers, but she hadn't thought much of it—after all, senior maids in Zhichun Pavilion all wore silks and satins and draped themselves in gold and silver, so it was only natural that someone with Xianglan's standing should be somewhat better off than the rest. Furthermore, in front of Madame Qin, Zidai had held the absolute upper hand, squeezing and pressuring Xianglan to her heart's content. Upon returning to Zhichun Pavilion, Xianglan had spent almost all her time cooped up in her rooms, yielding on every front, which had led Zidai to hold her in progressively lower esteem, genuinely believing that because she was a gift bestowed by Madame Qin, no one would dare usurp her position.
Yet today, with Lin Jinlou's return, Zidai sensed a stark difference. She had woken up late that morning, and with no one calling for her, it was only upon stepping outside that she discovered Lin Jinlou had already returned home. Flustered, she had scurried back to change into a fresh outfit before coming out. It wasn't until she reached the veranda that she saw three large wooden chests placed on the ground, with two junior servants standing nearby chatting. She heard one of them say, "Watch it, you turtle's spawn, put that down gently! Steward Xiang gave explicit instructions—this box belongs to Young Mistress Xianglan, and it's filled with exquisite, precious treasures. If you smash even a corner of it, your dog's life wouldn't be enough to pay for the damage. I hear there are even two paintings in there, and a single one is worth three thousand taels... Could they be made of solid gold?"
"What are paintings compared to this? Along the way, the Eldest Young Master even dispatched men to deliver an entire cartload of goods straight to Xianglan's family home, saying he helped prepare all their New Year provisions ahead of time. It's not about how much silver that cartload is worth, but rather the immense prestige the Eldest Young Master is bestowing upon her—tsk tsk."
Hearing this, Zidai had frozen in utter shock. When she finally re-entered the room moments later, she discovered to her horror that Lin Jinlou had actually seated Xianglan right beside him at the same table to share a meal! Even senior maids like Lianxin were standing by to serve, making it crystal clear that he was treating Xianglan with the status of a legitimate mistress.
Xianglan caught the look of lingering resentment and unwillingness on Zidai's face, and observed her standing off to the side with her amorous gaze constantly darting toward Lin Jinlou. She mused inwardly that Lin Jinlou was a dutiful son; he would not refuse to give face to someone Madame Qin had explicitly instructed him to elevate. Once he took Zidai into his chambers, he would naturally dote on her for a few days of novelty—and once that moment arrived, it would be the perfect opportunity for her to finally slip away from this place...
Lin Jinlou finished two delicate pancakes, looked up, and saw Xianglan listlessly swirling her spoon around inside her porridge bowl with a thoroughly distracted air. Frowning slightly, he picked up a piece of tender stewed bamboo shoot, placed it into the celadon dish right in front of her, and said, "These are bamboo shoots braised in chicken broth. Eat them alongside your porridge—they're wonderfully refreshing." Seeing Xianglan raise her eyes to look at him, he raised an eyebrow, broke into a sudden, elegant smile, and added, "Eat more, lest you stay so frail and delicate that you can't withstand things."
Xianglan's face flushed crimson in an instant, and she immediately lowered her head as if startled.
Before long, the meal concluded. The maids stepped forward with water and basins for them to rinse their mouths and cleanse their hands. As Lin Jinlou continued to lounge lazily on the brick bed, Xianglan stood up, preparing to depart. He asked, "Where are you off to?"
Xianglan replied, "To Madame's rooms to study household decorum."
Lin Jinlou paused in surprise. "It's been this long, and you're still not done studying?"
Before Xianglan could utter a response, Chunling strode into the room and deliberately announced, "Hurry up, Miss, Zidai has already finished tidying up and is waiting for you at the entrance."
Xianglan cast one final look at Lin Jinlou, and prompted by some inexplicable impulse, let the words slip from her lips: "Zidai is a first-class maid promoted by Madame herself. Madame wants to instruct her personally, and even told me to learn a thing or two from her."