Against the Current - Chapter 214

Chapter 214 - Punishment (Part 2)

She had always feared Old Master Lin, and now, completely devoid of any lingering hope, she prostrated herself on the floor and wept, "Your granddaughter deserves to die... When I first witnessed the affair, I wanted to tell the mistress, but I was instigated by that maid who told me that if the third sister eloped with that man, the marriage proposal from the Marquis of Yongchang's household would fall to me. I was truly envious of the third sister's fortunate match... and I was also afraid that the second aunt would harbor resentment toward me if she knew I had witnessed the third sister's scandalous behavior, so I..." She sobbed until she was out of breath, looking utterly pitiful. "After the incident occurred, granddaughter was filled with remorse, but... but I didn't dare speak of it again..."

"You envied the third girl's match? Why?"

Her face flushed crimson with shame, Lin Dong绣 wept tearfully, "This is entirely my own shameful conduct, and now that you know it all, there is no use in speaking further. I only beg Grandfather to spare me some dignity."

Straightening his posture, Old Master Lin said, "Since I am asking you, just speak of it."

Only then did Lin Dong绣 say, "The Marquis of Yongchang holds high office and heavy power, and he is also a magnanimous and forthright man. Eldest Brother often praised him as well, showing that he is an exceptional person. How could a matter of marriage be treated like child's play? Naturally, one must seek a reliable partner. Although the Marquis is somewhat older, he is still a dependable and honorable match. Only third sister has such good fortune, born from the mistress's womb, to receive such a marriage proposal. Yet she actually disdained it..." Her voice grew lower and lower, gradually trailing off into an inaudible murmur.

Old Master Lin remained silent for a long while before pointing at the water tobacco pipe. Lin锦楼 immediately stepped forward, packed the tobacco, lit it, and handed it to Old Master Lin. After taking a few gurgling puffs, Old Master Lin handed the pipe back to Lin锦楼 and slowly said, "Fourth girl, ever since you were small, the family has never shorted you of even a needle or a thread. Among the four girls of the First and Second Branches, the food, clothing, and daily provisions allocated from the public treasury are entirely equal. Because you are the youngest, your grandmother frequently used her own silver to subsidize you extra. Compared to the daughters of concubines in other households, the Lin family has balanced its bowl quite evenly. If you were not born from the mistress's womb, that is your own karmic cause and effect. If you harbor resentment toward the family for this, it would mean you have no conscience at all."

This remark struck straight at Lin Dong绣's heart, yet her lips could only reply, "Never, never, I have never resented the family..." Raising her head to meet Old Master Lin's penetrating gaze, which seemed to see right through her inside and out, she panicked and quickly lowered her head.

After looking Lin Dong绣 up and down several times, Old Master Lin raised his head and drifted into thought for a moment before suddenly saying, "Very well, since you covet the third girl's match, how would you like me to give it to you?"

Before the words had even faded, Lin锦楼 was utterly startled and hurriedly said, "Grandfather..."

Old Master Lin waved a hand, looking at Lin Dong绣's face, which showed a mixture of disbelief and profound shock, and said with half-closed eyes, "I am asking you a question. What do you think?"

At a complete loss, Lin Dong绣 looked back and forth between Old Master Lin and Lin锦楼, then timidly said, "Grandfather, I... I wouldn't dare..." Seeing that Old Master Lin was watching her expressionlessly, she instinctively clenched her hands into fists inside her sleeves, gritted her teeth hard, and rasped, "If this marriage proposal is given to me, it would be... it would be Grandfather's mercy and consideration, and it would also be the blessing I accumulated in my past life." With those words, she kowtowed and pressed her forehead against the floor.

Looking up at the ceiling, Old Master Lin murmured leisurely, "This matter has not yet been raised with the Marquis of Yongchang's household. The Marquis originally set his sights on your third sister, and whether he would be willing to accept you in her place remains uncertain. Should this marriage fail to materialize, the Lin family will still not treat you unfairly and will naturally select a prosperous, solid household for you to marry into. Your father did not understand your desires and always intended to find you a scholarly husband from a clean background, but I know that you have always loved wealth and status."

Stunned as if struck by a pie falling from the sky, Lin Dong绣 was too dazed to even feel joy. Yet upon hearing the final sentence, her face suddenly burned with heat, an indescribable feeling washing over her, and she lowered her head in silence.

Old Master Lin continued, "You may not like hearing some of the things I am about to say. You are, after all, a daughter born to a concubine. The Marquis of Yongchang's household is of high standing with strict rules; whether you possess your mother's capability and tact after you marry over is something you know best. If you cannot command respect or manage affairs properly, you will find yourself facing difficult days ahead. Furthermore, the Marquis's household has several senior concubines who have served for many years, with sons and daughters of their own, alongside numerous young and beautiful secondary consorts. The Marquis is sentimental; if you still bring out the young girl's petty jealousy and rivalry, you will only end up thoroughly humiliated. Everyone in that household looks at the world through eyes greedy for wealth and status—it will be a hundred times harder for you there than marrying into an ordinary, well-to-do family. The only things you will be able to rely on are the Lin family, your own father and brothers, as well as your capacity for forbearance and patience in making concessions in all matters. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Cold sweat drenched Lin Dong绣 from head to toe, but the terror was instantly washed away by the joy of having her grandfather step in to secure a marriage with a noble aristocrat. Knocking her head hard against the floor, she declared, "Grandfather's earnest teachings, his cherishing of his granddaughter, and his guidance on how to conduct myself are things granddaughter will never dare to forget."

Old Master Lin further ordered Lin Dong绣 to copy the Precepts for Women once every day and placed her under house arrest in her quarters starting today, before finally waving his hand to dismiss her.

Old Master Lin let out a long sigh. Lin锦楼 suddenly realized that his usually vigorous grandfather seemed to have aged several years overnight. Feeling a heavy ache in his chest, he knelt on one knee beside Old Master Lin and lowered his voice to say, "I'll help Grandfather to the bed to rest. Shall I send for the divine doctor Luo?"

Fatigued, Old Master Lin waved a hand and said in a raspy voice, "Though I generally pay little heed to mundane affairs, I know what each of you children is like. Counting these four girls on our fingers: the eldest girl is far too eager to outshine others and climb higher; the second girl is reasonably clever and dutiful, yet still falls far short of your mother, and having been kept under strict restraint by your mother since childhood, she isn't particularly outstanding; the third girl was utterly ruined by her second aunt; the fourth girl is far too vain and selfish, but when I questioned her just now, she still possessed a sense of shame, and her fundamental nature is not malicious." He paused and coughed twice.

Lin锦楼 hurriedly helped stroke his back, urging, "Grandfather, say no more. Have a rest."

Waving a hand to catch his breath, Old Master Lin continued, "This marriage with the Marquis of Yongchang must be secured. The Lin family has historically walked the path of scholarly officialdom, but aside from your father now... Xuan'er's constitution can only drag on through the years; Ting'er has a sliver of petty cleverness, but he is not a driven man, and even if disciplined well, he will only be capable of guarding what we have; Yuan'er is still too young... cough, cough..." He coughed a few more times.

Lin锦楼 quickly brought over the spittoon. After spitting, drinking tea to rinse his mouth, and wiping his lips with a handkerchief, Old Master Lin resumed, "There are indeed a few ambitious youths within the clan, but behind closed doors, they are not truly family. Ultimately, one must rely on one's own capabilities. For this generation of descendants, we can only pin our hopes on you. The Duke of Zhenguo can offer a helping hand, and the other is the Marquis of Yongchang. Previously, I thought that although the third girl's temperament was a bit spoiled, she was at least earnest and simple-minded enough that the Marquis could manage her; his character is good, and he wouldn't treat the third girl poorly. But looking at it now, that won't do. Among the girls in the family, only the fourth girl remains. Since she longs for this match, now that it is within her grasp, she should cherish it. She still retains some sense of shame, though her selfish greed is a bit heavy and her breadth of mind is hardly grand, she is still a safer choice than the third girl..."

Lin锦楼 lowered his gaze slightly. As for his sisters, aside from the eldest sister who had married into a family of scholars, one had married the son of the Duke of Zhenguo, and another was now to marry the Marquis of Yongchang. The family had practically exhausted all its resources on his behalf. A hot prickling sensation filled his eyes as he looked at his grandfather's increasingly aged face, leaving him speechless.

After a moment of reflection, Old Master Lin instructed, "Have your mother replace everyone serving the fourth girl with attendants of honest character, intelligence, and worldly sense. Starting tomorrow, have your mother personally instruct her..." He half-stopped, then waved a hand. "Never mind, you don't need to trouble yourself; I will speak to the eldest daughter-in-law myself."

After a long silence, he looked at Lin锦楼 and said, "I know you were driven mad with rage today, but you shouldn't have gone straight to beating the third girl. Even when you had the upper hand, throwing those punches gave others grounds for criticism and damaged your own reputation. Why go to such lengths? You must learn to master your temper. When I was young, I didn't understand this principle either and suffered many losses because of it. You... sigh, you are good in every respect, except for this temper of yours..."

"Good in every respect"—this was the very first time Lin锦楼 had ever heard his grandfather praise him like this. A warm, stinging sensation hit his eyes once more as he forced a smile and replied, "Grandson understands. I won't do it again in the future."

"Handle everything outside properly so that no bad rumors leak out."

"Yes."

"After this affair, the Second Branch will surely harbor resentment toward you. Afterward, give your second uncle some benefits. Since you've cut off his financial lifeline in the family, you know how to handle it yourself. Also, look after your third brother more often on ordinary days. As for the third girl... do not concern yourself with her."

"Yes, grandson understands."

"Regarding Lu Shaotang, when you move to discipline him, make sure not to leave any handles for others to grasp."

"Naturally. Grandfather can rest assured."

Having spoken these words, Old Master Lin fell silent. Seeing that weariness and exhaustion had overtaken his grandfather's face, Lin锦楼 dared not disturb him further. He personally fetched a brocade quilt to cover Old Master Lin, added hot water to the small teapot, and quietly stepped out on tiptoe. Nodding to summon Liubei at the doorway, he instructed her to fetch the restorative medicine the Old Master usually took, and inquired about the Old Madam's condition. Liubei replied, "The Old Madam is fine. She has taken her medicine and fallen asleep by now, and the mistress is attending her by the bedside."

Nodding, Lin锦楼 walked out to find the courtyard completely empty, the people all gone and the bloodstains on the ground thoroughly scrubbed away. Stepping outside, he felt the chilling, biting wind and drew in a deep breath.

At that moment, Shuangxi cautiously approached, stopping by Lin锦楼's side to lower his head and report respectfully, "Eldest Master, Commander Wen has arrived and is waiting just outside the second gate."

Lin锦楼 immediately strode forward. Seeing Wen Shushi standing beneath a pair of red lanterns, he cupped his fists as Wen reported, "Eldest Master, a corpse was found floating in the moat. Upon identification, it is Dubin."

Wen Shushi immediately fell silent after saying this, keeping his head lowered and not daring to look up at his master's expression. One could well imagine that Lin锦楼's expression must be darker than the bottom of a cooking pot.

"Confirmed?"

"Confirmed. The body was not decomposed, the face and head were intact, and he was stabbed in the back, the blade piercing straight through his heart to cause death."

As it turned out, when the Lin family guards rushed in from outside that day, Dubin and his cohorts realized things were taking a disastrous turn and fled in panic, forgetting not to take the Second Branch's mother and daughter as hostages. Halfway through their flight, they ran into Commander Xu leading troops in pursuit. Dubin had temporarily turned on his allies, killing his companion to pose as a heroic savior and returning the Second Branch's mother and daughter safely to the Lin estate. Yet he never expected that Lu Shaotang had already received word and had been tailing him ever since the day Dubin entered the city, ultimately sending men to assassinate him and throw his body into the moat to silence him permanently.

Lin锦楼 furrowed his thick brows. Though he had already anticipated this outcome, he still felt that death had let that beast Dubin off far too easily. At that moment, someone called out to him from behind: "Eldest Brother..."

Turning his head, Lin锦楼 saw Lin Jinting standing inside the second gate, shoulders slumped and looking thoroughly dejected, stammering, "Eldest Brother, might I have a word in private? Younger brother has something to discuss with you."

Turning back through the ceremonial moon gate, Lin锦楼 kept his face cold and remained silent.

The Lin family's Third Young Master had been terrified of his eldest brother since childhood, feeling that he was even more frightening than their grandfather. Grandfather at least reasoned with people, but when this one lost his temper... Yet remembering the tearful, hysterical state his mother had been in just moments before, Lin Jinting peeked furtively at Lin锦楼. He had never witnessed his eldest brother grow this furious before; normally, no matter how tyrannical Lin锦楼 was, he remained elegant, composed, and as warm as a spring breeze in front of his family... Licking his lips and staring fixedly at the tips of his shoes, Lin Jinting muttered, "Brother, brother, can you spare third sister? She truly knows she was wrong. If you just say the word, Grandfather is certain to change his mind..."

Stealing another glance at Lin锦楼, Lin Jinting saw that his face was gloomy, though not quite in the middle of a rage. Emboldened, he continued, "Though third sister's actions were disgraceful, nothing actually happened to the family in the end, and everyone came home safe and sound—only a few servants and guards died, but they were outsiders anyway; how could they possibly compare to one's own flesh and blood? I heard that Eldest Brother even lost a concubine... Wasn't it just that girl Xianglan? She had a stinking temper and was nothing but a jinx anyway. Later on, I'll send brother another one myself, guaranteed to be daintier, gentler, and far more understanding than Xianglan..."

Before his voice could fade, a rush of wind swept past his ear. Before Lin Jinting could even register what was happening, his collar was yanked up by Lin锦楼, and his entire body was swung heavily down against the floor. The impact made him bare his teeth in pain, feeling as though every tendon and bone in his body was about to shatter. Tears instantly sprang to his eyes as he collapsed onto the ground, groaning incessantly.

Lin锦楼 stepped forward and delivered a vicious kick, snapping, "Stop pretending to be dead, get up!"

Utterly dumbfounded and no longer daring to provoke his eldest brother, Lin Jinting gritted his teeth against the pain and staggered to his feet.

Pointing straight at his nose, Lin锦楼 barked, "Get lost!"

Frightened by the roar, Lin Jinting's knees buckled. His personal page, Lu'er, hurriedly rushed over to support him, and the master and servant fled in utter panic.

Lin锦楼 dropped his arms limply, clenching his hands into fists and pressing them hard against his forehead as if trying to force down the surging waves of fury and anxiety in his mind. After a long moment, he said in a hoarse voice to Wen Shushi, "Have the brothers continue searching for people. I'll send someone to identify the detained women myself. Go." Wen Shushi bolted away as if chased by ghosts.

Turning around to walk back, Lin锦楼 saw that Shutong and Zidai were still bound hand and foot with gags in their mouths, tossed on the ground while Shuran kept watch nearby.

Shutong's expression was utterly desolate; seeing Lin锦楼, she couldn't help trembling all over. Zidai, however, tilted her chin back to look up at Lin锦楼, her eyes brimming with entreaty while a muffled "mm-mm" sound escaped her throat.

Glancing at them only briefly, Lin锦楼 instructed Shuran, "Have the tongues of both these wretches cut out." Pointing at Shutong, he added, "Send this one to the country estate." Then pointing at Zidai, he said, "Her aunt is a person of influence in front of the mistress, so out of respect for the mistress, I won't sell her off. Drive her out past the second gate, and find some bachelor in the estate who doesn't mind her being mute to marry her off."

Shutong's face turned as pale as ash. She had assumed she was bound to die either way, and never expected Lin锦楼 to actually spare her life, though the thought of having her tongue severed made her tremble violently once more. Zidai was so terrified that a pool of urine soiled the ground beneath her, and she writhed and struggled while letting out frantic, muffled wails. She had been slated to become a proper concubine, a lady of wealth and status—how could she possibly reconcile herself to this! Zidai felt certain she must be trapped in a nightmare!