Against the Current - Chapter 24

Chapter 24 - Enigmatic Hints

Inside the main rooms of the Second House, the scent of agarwood drifted slowly from a gold-beast censer. On the long desk by the window sat a jade-gall bottle holding a thousand-petaled Dubeichun camellia, while a square rosewood birdcage hung from the window lattice, inside which a yellow oriole fluttered its wings and chattered incessantly.

"...If I hadn't happened to overhear that little maid named Xiulan from Luoxue Lodge speaking to Shuju about this, I would never have known that Cao Lihuan possessed such audacity. To send a letter to Xiuhong behind our backs like this—if word of it got out, wouldn't it become a complete laughingstock?" Standing beside the coiled-dragon-and-flowing-clouds arhat bed, Song Ke handed the letter directly to Wang Shi, the mistress of the Second House.

Wang Shi was in her early forties, plump of figure and well-kept. She possessed a pair of gently curved crescent brows, apricot-shaped eyes, and a mouth that was slightly on the wider side. She wore a plain satin jacket threaded with silver, a deep cyan skirt underneath, and an eight-treasure bun adorned with two silver hairpins on her head, still retaining plenty of charm and elegance. Her expression dark and heavy, she unrolled the letter and read through it in a few quick glances.

Song Ke remained silent. Seeing Wang Shi's maid, Shanhua, carry in a cup of hot tea, he promptly stepped forward to take it, waved the maid away, and personally placed the warm tea on the kang table beside Wang Shi.

After reading the letter, Wang Shi's expression cleared slightly. "There's nothing much written in here—just some everyday greetings and requests for Ting'er's guidance on poetry. At the very end, there are even two poems, though I'm not well-versed in composing verse. Help me take a look; what do these poems actually mean?"

Song Ke glanced over them twice before saying, "There's nothing much to the poems themselves, but precisely because there is 'nothing much,' that is what makes it so clever."

Wang Shi had just lifted her teacup when she heard this and hurriedly set it back down, asking, "How so?"

Song Ke flicked the edge of the stationery, weighing his words carefully: "Cao Lihuan is three years older than Xiuhong, and the two of them are considered to be of a comparable age. Since Cousin Cao is on the verge of getting married, writing a private letter to her cousin-in-law was already improper to begin with. But if this letter were to truly leak out, the contents written inside could at least be awkwardly explained away. What is most terrifying is precisely this technique: this time she asks for guidance on willow and spring poems so that Xiuhong can instruct her. If Xiuhong replies, what happens when she writes love-filled romantic poems the next time? And what about licentious and flirtatious ditties the time after that? Xiuhong is right in the middle of preparing for the autumn provincial examinations, and my only fear is that his focus and character will be ruined by this back-and-forth provocation."

Wang Shi used her palace-gauze handkerchief to dab at the corner of her mouth, laughing as she replied, "How could it ever come to that? You child, your imagination runs far too wild. Be careful lest you turn into an old man while still so young."

Song Ke hastily said, "Even if the scenarios I just mentioned are just me letting my imagination run wild, today I dare to say something presumptuous and ungrateful in front of my aunt: Auntie knows very well what Cousin Cao has been up to in the mansion these past few days. Suppose she uses this letter as an excuse to broadcast outside that Xiuhong holds affections for her and frequently corresponds with her through letters—once that spreads, it will be a scandal. People on the outside won't care whether the matter is true or false. If this is exaggerated and carried back to Cao Lihuan's betrothed family, and they kick up a fuss or try to break off the engagement, Cao Lihuan could seize the opportunity to latch onto Xiuhong. Such an outcome is entirely possible. That little maid named Xiulan mentioned overhearing some gossip regarding Xiuhong and Cao Lihuan within the mansion, and when I made a few discreet inquiries myself, it scared me into a cold sweat. This matter—"

With every word Song Ke spoke, Wang Shi's expression grew a shade darker, until she suddenly cried out, "Enough!" Right after, she stood up, snatched up the letter, and declared, "I am going to find your eldest aunt right now!" In a blazing flurry, she started storming out.

Song Ke quickly took a few quick steps to catch up, following closely by Wang Shi's side to say in a low voice, "This matter should not be blown out of proportion."

Wang Shi paused, finally coming to her senses. She turned to Song Ke and said, "Come with me. Repeat to your eldest aunt exactly what you and Xiulan discussed."

Song Ke felt helpless. His aunt had a kind heart, but she was stubborn and straightforward by nature, which had caused her to suffer quite a few losses in the past; fortunately, she was broad-minded. If he didn't lay out the severity of the situation right in front of her, Wang Shi would likely just laugh off the whole letter affair.

Without further delay, the two made their way to the main rooms of the First House. Qin Shi was busy tallying accounts with an abacus, but upon seeing them arrive, she hastily ordered tea to be brewed and had pastries and fruits laid out anew. Wang Shi clearly had no leisure for tea-tasting; she grabbed Qin Shi by the arm and said, "My good sister-in-law, I have something to tell you." Having dismissed the attendants, she instructed Song Ke to repeat his story from the beginning, presented the letter for inspection, and leaned slightly toward Qin Shi, asking, "Elder Sister, take a look..."

Qin Shi scanned the letter cursorily, a cold sneer playing at the corner of her lips. "That little hussy is full of nothing but filthy schemes. I was wondering why she's been so well-behaved and quiet these past couple of days—so she's set her sights on Ting'er! Sister-in-law, this letter might look harmless to you, but if word of it spreads and falls into the hands of someone with malicious intent, goodness knows how they'd twist and spin it! She must have set her eyes on the Lin family's wealth and taken a fancy to Ting'er's character and demeanor, so she's made up her mind to sink her claws into him and refuse to let go. Bah! She's dreaming with her eyes open!"

Hearing Qin Shi's assessment align word for word with Song Ke's, Wang Shi couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath. In her heart, Qin Shi was the cleverest person she had ever known, so she hurriedly pressed, "Sister says the exact same thing Ke'er did! So what should be done about this? Should—shouldn't elder sister hurry up and drive that little hussy out of the mansion?"

Qin Shi shook her head. "Driving her out like that would make the Lin family look uncharitable, and instead leave us open to criticism. Besides, under what pretext would we expel her? After all, she is getting married soon; we cannot ruin her reputation entirely. One should always leave a way out for others when dealing with them. Since she hasn't driven us to a dead end, there's no need for us to deal with her too harshly just yet."

Hearing these words, Song Ke couldn't help casting a sideways glance at her, thinking to herself, "They always say this Qin Shi is a heroine among women. Based purely on these words, she certainly possesses genuine breadth of mind and insight."

Qin Shi's expression immediately turned stern. "However, we cannot let this matter slide so lightly either. Otherwise, she will think the Lin family is a soft persimmon that she can knead and squeeze however she pleases! The thunderous storms I previously subjected her to apparently had no effect; her skin is truly thick enough."

Wang Shi was more than eager for Qin Shi to exert her authority, so she nodded repeatedly in agreement, urging, "Elder sister, please come up with a plan quickly. She is so brazen that she dares to harbor designs on our Ting'er. If something truly goes wrong, how could I ever show my face to my husband, let alone to Grandfather and Grandmother? I only have one son in Ting'er; if he were truly latched onto by that female rakshasa, his entire life would be ruined..."

Qin Shi smiled, patted Wang Shi's hand, pondered deeply for a moment, and asked Song Ke, "Did that little maid from Luoxue Lodge say anything else?"

Song Ke replied, "She didn't say anything else. She only stated that she is a maid of the Lin family and her loyalty ultimately lies with the Lin family."

Qin Shi nodded and said in a low voice to Wang Shi, "Later on, send a trustworthy maid to quietly find the one called Xiulan. Slip her a small reward and have her keep an eye on Cao Lihuan, so that the moment anything suspicious happens, she can report it to us immediately."

Wang Shi nodded repeatedly.

Qin Shi continued, "As for the rest, you don't need to worry about it. Starting today, have Ting'er move into a room further away from the garden."

Wang Shi hurriedly said, "I was just thinking of doing the same. Let's have Ting'er move in to live with Ke'er so they can study together, which will also provide them with some mutual company and looking-after."

Qin Shi smiled, picked up her teacup, swept a glance at Song Ke from the corner of her eye, took a sip, and said in a leisurely, measured tone, "Ke'er is a motivated, good boy. If Ting'er studies alongside him, things are bound to go right. But with the autumn provincial exams drawing near, Ke'er should also help and support your cousin a bit, keeping him from strolling around the gardens so much and urging him to apply himself more in his room." Pausing for a moment, she added, "Though Tan'er and Ling'er are your proper sisters, you must also treat Wan'er, Qi'er, and Xiu'er just like your own flesh-and-blood sisters. When you achieve success in the future, you must look after them well."

Song Ke's expression shifted slightly before breaking into a smile. "Naturally. I have always regarded all of my sisters as my own flesh and blood. Moreover, since Auntie has specially invited a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar to instruct us, Xiuhong and I will naturally study hard and keep ourselves shut behind closed doors."

The two of them were speaking in veiled hints, declaring their intentions within a few short sentences. Wang Shi, however, remained completely oblivious. Smiling cheerfully at Song Ke, she said, "It's a fortunate thing this child is so sharp-witted. Protecting Ting'er means protecting me, and I must thank you properly."

"For Auntie to speak of 'thanks' is to make us feel like strangers." As Song Ke rose to give a bow, his demeanor was utterly graceful, his eyes like polished black jade, and his handsome, refined smile left even Qin Shi and Wang Shi momentarily dazed.

Wang Shi thought to herself, "Ke'er is clever, sensible, kind, and motivated. If his family background weren't somewhat humble, I would have betrothed Ling'er to him."

Qin Shi, on the other hand, silently mused, "Qi'er is the apple of my eye, and this Song Ke is indeed a match for her in terms of capability, but he is far too worldly and smooth, and his ambition is too grand. Qi'er simply lacks the cunning to deal with his schemes; a high-born family should not marry below its status. Song Ke would likely never look down upon Xiu'er, who was born to a concubine. What a pity given such appearance and talent—he will undoubtedly have a brilliant future ahead of him, yet he cannot become the Lin family's son-in-law."

After Wang Shi and Song Ke departed, Qin Shi leaned back against her damasked sunflower-and-banana-leaf bolster and suddenly spoke a single sentence: "They're gone. Come out."

The door curtain of the inner room lifted, and Lin Dongqi stepped out. Her eye rims were slightly red, and she kept her head down without speaking. Qin Shi patted the chair beside her, signaling her to sit down. Qin Shi remained silent, simply sipping her tea. After a long while, she finally spoke: "Did you hear everything that was just said?"

Lin Dongqi only kept her head lowered and refused to utter a sound. Qin Shi stroked Lin Dongqi's hand and said, "Child, let go of this obsession, alright?"

Tears streaming down her face, Lin Dongqi suddenly choked out, "Is there anything about me that isn't worthy of him? Or is Mother looking down upon the fact that his family has fallen on hard times..."

Qin Shi cut her off, saying, "I have never dared to look down on him. There is a driving, competitive urge within Song Ke that means he will undoubtedly go far in the future, but his mind is far too deep. Why do you think he has been frequenting our Lin family so often and even sent his younger sister to stay here? Clearly Ling'er is his most proper relative by blood, yet Song Tanqian shares living quarters with you. Don't tell me it's because you insisted on making her stay—Song Tanqian is a smart girl with a mind of her own. If she hadn't wanted to, you wouldn't have been able to keep her." Qin Shi sighed. "Qi'er, although Song Ke's looks and talent are exceptional, when all is said and done, he is hardly a top-tier choice. What I dislike most is his unfathomable, inscrutable nature, where one cannot discern what his true character is... He is, after all, a clever person; with just a few hints from me today, he completely understood."

Lin Dongqi's vision was blurred with tears; whatever Qin Shi said failed to register in her mind. Having encountered Song Ke just as her romantic awakening began, she had secretly compared him to everyone else and felt that among all the young men she had ever laid eyes on, not a single one could compare to him. She admired his demeanor and talent, and after hearing Lin Jinting mention that ever since Song Ke's father passed away, he had single-handedly shouldered the entire family fortune, managing shops and agricultural estates without a single flaw, while still dedicating himself wholly to studying in his spare time, her affection for him had only grown deeper. Today, Qin Shi's words felt like a basin of ice-cold water poured directly over her head, chilling her to the bone. Yet to let go of these feelings so easily was something her heart simply refused to accept. Stunned and dazed, tears rolled down her cheeks once more.

Seeing that Lin Dongqi remained unresponsive despite her lengthy talk, Qin Shi's expression shifted, and she said harshly, "Lin Dongqi! Today I am telling you plainly: the matter with Song Ke ends here! From this day forward, you will stay properly within the inner chambers and give up any wild, shameless thoughts! I have already inquired about a few families for you and Xiu'er, and in a few days, I will invite the female members of these households over. If they look promising, we will discuss marriage as soon as the mourning period for Old Madame Zeng is over! Do you understand?"

Lin Dongqi had feared her mother since childhood, and at this warning, even though she felt a mountain of grievance and reluctance in her heart, she could only nod through her tears. When she returned to her room, she hugged her pillow and wept throughout the entire night.