Against the Current - Chapter 216
Chapter 216 - Old Acquaintances
Xianglan had no idea that Lin Jinlou had practically turned all of Jinling upside down in his frantic search for her. At that moment, she was pushing open the window of the Buddhist meditation room, rolling up the bamboo curtain and securing it on a small silver hook as she gazed out into the distance. The distant mountains at dusk were hazy and remote, weary jackdaws were returning to their nests, and a clear stream rushed over the stones. A chilly gust of wind blew past, crisp and refreshing. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as though blowing away all the lingering agitation and stifled weight from her lungs. Turning back to the desk, she picked up a writing brush and delicately dotted a few strokes of flowing clouds onto her painting, instantly bringing the "Mountain Village at Dusk" landscape to life. Satisfied, Xianglan inscribed the date, took a small stone seal, dipped it in vermilion paste, and stamped it in the lower right corner. She wiped her hands on a small hand towel beside the desk and turned to look out the window. Such a peaceful and serene life was precisely what she had longed for—free from the vicious turf wars and scheming intrigue of a great noble household, and free from forced flattery and trampled dignity. It all felt like a dream.
When she had stumbled out of the temple that fateful day and begged the young novice to notify the guards, she had only let out a breath of relief upon seeing the men stream into the temple grounds. After resting for a moment, she heard shouts of combat and spotted black-clad assassins fleeing in panic from within the temple. Supporting herself against a tree trunk, she stood up and thought to herself, "Lin Jinlou's personal guards are all extraordinary fighters; surely they'll manage to rescue the Madam and the Fourth Young Miss." But a second thought immediately followed, "Lin Jinlou saved my life twice, and now I've saved his mother and sister—these two debts should cancel each other out. What if he refuses to let me go and tries to drag me back to the Lin residence... Wouldn't it be better... wouldn't it be better if I just took the opportunity to slip away tonight?"
Once that idea took root, it refused to go away. She reasoned, "There's a small convent called Lotus Nunnery nearby that I visited a few years ago. My junior uncle, Abbess Dingsu, is the abbess there. She watched me grow up and is very fond of me. I should go find her first and decide on my next steps."
Taking advantage of the hazy moonlight, she carefully picked her way down the mountain. Fortunately, she had often played in these mountains during her childhood, so she knew the paths well. After walking for the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, she finally caught sight of the small convent. At that early hour, the resident nuns were performing their morning devotions. Abbess Dingsu was startled to see Xianglan, but quickly hurried her into her quarters. When Xianglan recounted the trials she had faced over the past two years, the abbess was deeply sympathetic, sighing repeatedly and continuously chanting Buddhist prayers with joined palms. Then she asked, "What are your plans now?"
Hearing this, Xianglan immediately dropped to her knees, tears shimmering in her eyes as she pleaded, "I have been driven to such straits, yet I shamelessly beg my junior uncle to save me. I am entirely unwilling to return to the Lin family. I beg you to hide me temporarily while I find a way to travel to Yangzhou to seek out my master. If my parents come looking for me, please quietly let my family know. Your immense kindness is something I could never repay, even if my body were smashed to pieces." With that, she kowcotted repeatedly.
Abbess Dingsu hurried to help her up, saying, "Hiding you isn't difficult, but for you to travel alone to Yangzhou... Ah, a beautiful young girl journeying by herself could encounter any number of perils. If you were abducted by traffickers or met with some other misfortune, it would be even more perilous." She pondered for a moment before suggesting, "How about this? There is a wealthy local squire with the surname Yu nearby who is known for his charity and gentle character. As it happens, his daughter is about to be married off in Yangzhou. I can entrust you to his care, claiming you are my secular niece going to Yangzhou to join relatives. If you disguise yourself as a maid, you can travel along in their company."
Overjoyed, Xianglan settled into Lotus Nunnery. Over the next couple of days, soldiers and guards from the Lin family came searching several times, but she managed to evade them all. Two days later, she disguised herself, hurried aboard a boat, and traveled all the way down the chilly Grand Canal to Yangzhou. Upon reaching the territory of Yangzhou, Xianglan offered silver to compensate the Yu family. When she had originally planned her escape, she had sewn some silver and jewelry into the lining of her monastic robe when making it, and she had secretly left a portion of silver beside Abbess Dingsu's pillow when leaving Lotus Nunnery, yet she still had a considerable amount left. The Yu family, however, refused to accept her money, and instead hired a large carriage and instructed their servants to escort Xianglan all the way to Manifest Victory Nunnery, where Abbess Dingyi resided.
Abbess Dingyi showed no surprise upon seeing Xianglan, simply taking her in and telling her to clean a second-story meditation room to live in. Every day, Xianglan joined the nuns in the rhythmic cadence of morning bells and evening drums, chanting scriptures and practicing spiritual discipline. By day, she hauled water, tended the vegetable garden, and helped out in the kitchen. In her spare time, she painted in her room, living a life of utter leisure. Chansu, the nun who attended Abbess Dingyi, once joked with her, "Junior Sister, it hasn't been all that long since we last met, yet you're like a completely different person. Previously, even though you were level-headed, you had a sharp, vibrant spirit and loved to talk and laugh; now you are so much more subdued, yet so much more sensible."
Xianglan was momentarily startled, then smiled and replied, "With every year one grows older, one changes. How can I always act like a child, running around and making our master and senior sisters angry?" After Chansu left, however, Xianglan sat alone in her room, staring blankly out the window. The hardships of these past two years stirred a bitter grief and despair far deeper than when the Shen family had fallen into ruin, her husband had died on the exile road, and she herself had fallen mortally ill. Back then, no matter how difficult things were, she always felt that someone was walking alongside her through life and death; gritting her teeth to endure, she believed she could carve out a path to survive. She had carried a tiny spark of fire in her heart, using a fierce, proud resolve to defend that last shred of dignity and hope. When she died of illness halfway through her exile journey, that proud backbone of hers had not yet been completely crushed beneath people's feet.
In this lifetime, however, she had first been forced into servitude and subjected to endless bullying, only to finally catch a glimpse of dawn before being abandoned by Song柯. Later, to save her father, she became Lin Jinlou's concubine. While everyone else spoke of her glorious fortune, she alone knew the terror of serving Lin Jinlou, the perilousness of her position in the Lin household, and the unspeakable bitterness in her heart. Every single step had been filled with sighs, kneading her round and flat, casting her face to the ground to be trampled by anyone, wearing down her sharp edges until they almost vanished entirely. Only a single bone remained wedged firmly in her heart, reminding her in midnight dreams that she had never truly bowed her head. Now, looking back, even though she had stumbled forward along this path with her head bowed and bleeding at every step, it had allowed her once-haughty and arrogant heart to settle. From then on, she understood the myriad flavors of life far better and treated others with a newfound tolerance.
The nuns in the convent also grew fond of Xianglan. At first, seeing her exceptional beauty—so unlike ordinary folk—and not knowing why she had chosen to live in a temple, they had kept their distance. But seeing her amiable nature, her ever-present smile, and her willingness to endure hardship—taking on any chore, washing clothes out in the courtyard in the dead of winter until her hands were frozen red without a single complaint, carrying heavy buckets of water against the biting wind until her shoulders were rubbed raw without uttering a sound, and keeping everything impeccably organized—they warmed up to her. As time passed, everyone grew eager to be close to her. When curious ones asked where she came from, Xianglan explained that she had originally been a disciple of Abbess Dingyi, but had spent a few years serving as a maid in a great noble household before redeeming her indenture and returning to serve her master.
Later, Xianglan received a letter from Abbess Dingsu stating that her parents still did not know she had gone missing. The Lin family seemed to have kept it under wraps, and Abbess Dingsu had wisely held her tongue. The letter also mentioned that the New Year gifts sent by the Lin family had been extraordinarily lavish, leaving Chen Wanquan's eyes nearly popping out of his head. He had declared his intention to go into the estate to offer thanks, though he was intercepted by Jixiang, who delivered the gifts. After his initial shock subsided, Chen Wanquan was overcome with immense pride, boasting to everyone about how prestigious and influential he had become, how many treasures the Lin family had bestowed upon him, and how glorious his daughter was in the Lin household. This attracted a crowd of people rushing to curry favor with him—even County Magistrate Han Yaozu, who had once ordered Chen Wanquan's bare bottom beaten, made a special personal visit. Magistrate Han's son, Han Guangye, spent a large sum buying several of Xianglan's paintings, praising them as works of unmatched brilliance, which made Chen Wanquan even more lightheaded with vanity.
Knowing her parents were safe set Xianglan's mind at ease, and she continued living her tranquil routine. Though she had some silver on hand, she knew she could not simply sit and eat through her savings. Intending to earn some money so she could eventually bring her parents to Yangzhou, she began taking her calligraphy and paintings to a stationery and antiquity shop near the temple to be sold on consignment.
Three months slipped by in the blink of an eye. On this particular day, Xianglan carefully carried two rolled paintings into the shop, slipping in quietly through the back door. The shopkeeper, who was already familiar with her, first invited her to rest in the inner parlor reserved for distinguished guests while he went to the front to fetch her silver. Xianglan had just sat down when two people walked in. One was a woman dressed in a green brocade vest interwoven with gold thread and a agalloch-brown silk skirt, with a seductive figure, cloud-like hair adorned with jade, a complexion glowing like a spring morning, heavy makeup, and glittering gold and silver jewelry. On her slender fingers she wore six gold stirrup-shaped rings. At a glance, one might have mistaken her for a noble lady from a marquis's household. Her expression was haughty, her gaze darting about, and her every gesture carried an unmistakable air of the demi-monde. The second person was a handsome young dandy with a pair of roving peach-blossom eyes, tall in stature, dressed in blue silk robes and holding a folding fan. He exuded a frivolous, romantic air, much like a wealthy young master sowing wild oats.
The moment Xianglan caught sight of the woman, she was utterly startled. The exquisite, glamorous matron was none other than Chunyan, who had been banished from the estate by Lin Jinlou long ago! Glancing sideways, she saw the powdered, oily-faced young man, whose face was completely unfamiliar to her. Xianglan hastily pulled her Guanyin hood over her head, kept her head down, and turned to leave. Just then, a shop assistant came in carrying tea and pastries. Seeing Xianglan hurrying out of the room, he apologized with a ingratiating smile to the two newcomers, saying, "Apologies, apologies, I didn't realize someone was already in this room. Please enjoy your tea, you two," and set the tea down on a small side table.
Chunyan snorted, seated herself, picked up her teacup to take a sip, and immediately frowned because it was too scalding. Setting the tea bowl down with a clatter, she complained, "I'm parched and exhausted, my throat is practically hoarse, and I can't even get a sip of tea into my mouth!" With that, she picked up a flaky pastry from the plate. She hadn't recognized Xianglan just now; she had entered the Lin household early on, while Xianglan had grown up in the temple and the two rarely crossed paths. By the time Xianglan officially entered the residence, Chunyan had already been sold off by the Lin family not long afterward.
The young dandy also sat down, but his eyes chased after Xianglan's retreating figure. Even after she vanished from sight, he kept craning his neck to look. When Chunyan raised her eyes and caught him, anger flared in her chest. She snatched the pastry and hurled it straight at his face, snapping jealously, "What are you staring at? What are you staring at? You deserve to have that pair of eyes plucked right out of your head!"
Startled, the young dandy saw Chunyan's willow eyebrows arching in fury and chuckled, "Are you jealous now? You're out flirting with men from morning till night, and yet I can't even look at someone else twice?" Seeing that Chunyan was about to flare up and start cursing again, he quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, my good aunt, I was wrong, alright? Since you find the tea too hot, I'll go tell the shop assistant to bring a lukewarm cup." With that, he picked up the teacup and strolled out.
As the saying goes, life is full of coincidences. This young dandy was none other than Qian Wenze, the man who had narrowly escaped with his life from beneath Lin Jinlou's very hands. Knowing he had provoked a veritable king of hell, he had fled Jinling like a dog chased by hounds, jumping and scampering all the way through winding paths until he reached Yangzhou by means of deceit and disguises. The whole affair with Zhao Yuechan was a scandalous disgrace, and Lin Jinlou had dropped the matter like a hot potato, having no heart to pursue it further, which accidentally left Qian Wenze a lifeline. He hid low for a while, but eventually grew bolder when no one came to arrest him.
Qian Wenze had always loved mingling in the marketplaces, so he changed his name and resumed his old ways in Yangzhou city. Once he had money on his hands, he inevitably indulged in eating, drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels. Accustomed to a life of luxury and having once shared intimacy with a peerless beauty like Zhao Yuechan, he turned his nose up at ordinary women. At the Yicui Pavilion, he would scatter a thousand pieces of gold to summon the reigning favorite, Yan'er, to come play the lute and sing for him. Before long, Chunyan caught his eye. Charmed by such a dashing young fellow, Chunyan took a liking to him as well, and after exchanging flirtatious glances, they became intimate that very night. While lying in bed, Qian Wenze probed into her background, and Chunyan claimed she had been a senior maid in a great household in Jinling, driven out only because she had offended her masters. As for which household in Jinling it was, however, Chunyan steadfastly refused to say.
Qian Wenze made private comparisons: women prettier and more famous than Chunyan were far beyond his financial reach, while those of lesser quality failed to catch his eye. Among women of this particular tier, Chunyan was a top-tier prize. He began visiting Yicui Pavilion constantly, and whenever he was flush with cash, he would sponsor Chunyan for a month or two, swearing up and down that once he saved enough money, he would redeem her indenture and take her as his wife. Having lived this way for two years, Chunyan convinced herself she finally had something to look forward to, dedicating herself heart and soul to him. In private, the two acted like a proper married couple.
On this day, Qian Wenze and some companions—sons of various local squires—had been drinking together, and he had brought Chunyan along to play music and entertain the guests. On their way back, Chunyan mentioned that a painting hanging in her room had been ruined by a guest who had spilled wine during a banquet, and she wanted to buy a new one, insisting on picking it out herself. Thus, they had come to this shop. The shop assistant had seen Chunyan arrive in a small sedan chair draped in silk curtains and noted Qian Wenze's fine attire, assuming they were wealthy patrons, and naturally treated them with great deference, ushering them into the private parlor. He never expected them to run right into Xianglan.
As Qian Wenze walked outside carrying the teacup, he happened to see the shopkeeper slipping a small money pouch into Xianglan's hands. Xianglan curtsied in thanks and turned to leave, but because she wore her Guanyin hood, her face remained hidden. Qian Wenze hurried forward and asked the shopkeeper, "Who was that young woman who just left? I happened to pick up a handkerchief she dropped." As he spoke, he smoothly pulled a handkerchief embroidered with peach blossoms out of his sleeve.
The shopkeeper took a look and laughed, "That certainly isn't hers. She is a nun practicing austerities at Manifest Victory Nunnery; she wears only coarse cloth and would never use anything so delicate. Look at her—she's dressed in plain robes, and even the hairpin in her hair is made of wood."
Qian Wenze tucked the handkerchief away while muttering, "A nun? Tsk, what a terrible waste for someone so lovely. What was she doing in this shop?"
The shopkeeper replied, "Some of the abbesses in the convent paint in their spare time and entrust her to bring them here to sell." With that, he picked up a painting from the counter and slowly unfurled it.