Against the Current - Chapter 25

Chapter 25 - Disciplining a Daughter 

Now, returning to her rooms, Wang Shi still felt deeply unsettled and hurriedly ordered her servants to pack Lin Jinting's luggage, arranging for him to move into Song Ke's home that very night.

Wang Shi's trusted older woman, Mammy Qian, said in a low voice, "It is for the best now. Young Master can go and stay away for a bit, and once the First House has dealt with that little hussy, it won't be too late for Young Master to return."

"Instruct Shuju once more to make sure she packs a few extra sets of clothes, and also pack up several more parcels of the pastries Ting'er usually likes to eat," Wang Shi instructed loudly. Hearing the maids' acknowledgments from outside, she finally let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against her daybed as she massaged her temples. "What Mammy said is naturally clear to me. Yet, with a matter like this hanging over us, it ultimately feels suffocating."

Mammy Qian said, "Brother Ke is scholarly and a fine young man; what is there for My Lady to worry about? In my eyes, he and our young miss Ling'er would make a well-matched pair. If I may speak in jest, if they truly became in-laws, it would be a case of adding family to family."

Wang Shi waved her hand dismissively. "Ke'er is fine indeed, but his family's fortunes have fallen into decline. Although there is the old saying that 'a starved camel is still bigger than a horse,' Ling'er has grown up in the lap of luxury, and the maidservants attending to her have never numbered fewer than eight. I could never bear to let my darling child go and suffer hardships with the Song family."

Mammy Qian sighed, knowing her mistress's horizons would forever remain this narrow. Had she possessed even one or two parts of Qin Shi's cleverness, she wouldn't have suffered so many hidden and open losses over the years. "Brother Ke is a motivated young man. If he places high in the spring examinations next year—"

"And what if he passes? Without someone of influence to sponsor him, and without silver to grease the wheels, he might not even secure an official appointment," Wang Shi shook her head. "Mammy Qian, let's not speak of this matter again. Ke'er is a good boy, and later on, I will keep an eye out for other families' daughters on his behalf, but our family's Ling'er cannot endure that kind of hardship with him."

Mammy Qian replied, "Since My Lady holds this view, I shall say no more. It's just that as Ling'er grows older day by day, she has developed her own thoughts. These past few days, she has constantly pestered her brother with questions about Ke'er, running over to Cloud-Rest Pavilion all day long in hopes of running into him, and even declaring that she wants to diligently practice her needlework so she can make a pair of shoes for Ke'er. Just the other day, I even heard her complaining about not being able to wear brightly colored clothes during the mourning period, and demanding a set of silver ornaments crafted in the latest fashionable designs."

"Oh, my little ancestor!" Wang Shi nearly leaped to her feet. "You tell me, why is it that not a single one of these children ever gives me any peace of mind!"

Mammy Qian said, "My Lady, compose yourself; it's simply that since Ling'er has such thoughts in mind, Your Ladyship must be aware of it." She cast an anxious look at Wang Shi as she spoke. Her mistress was someone who did things backwards—panicking when there was no need for haste, yet dragging her feet when matters required prompt action. Over the years, she had relied entirely on the guidance of a few loyal servants, so when she told Wang Shi to "be aware," she had no idea whether Wang Shi truly grasped the gravity of the situation at all.

Wang Shi reached up to massage her temples once more, ordering Shanhua to fetch her a calming medicinal pill. Just as she was breaking open the wax coating and preparing to swallow it, Lin Dongqi lifted the door curtain and dashed in with a swift dash, looking around and scrutinizing the room from the outer hall into the inner chambers, before rushing off to lift the curtain of the side room as well.

Wang Shi was already out of sorts. She popped the half-pill into her mouth and asked thickly, "What are you looking for?"

Lin Dongqi's temperament was just like Wang Shi's—impulsive and hasty. "Where is Brother Yifei? The moment I entered the courtyard, the maids told me Brother Yifei had come. Where is he now?" Ever since she had heard her female cousins address Song Ke as "Brother Song," she had felt displeased in her heart, pondering how she needed a distinct form of address of her own—one that ideally sounded even more intimate—and thus she had taken to calling Song Ke directly by his courtesy name, "Yifei."

Upon hearing the four words "Brother Yifei," the medicinal pill nearly choked Wang Shi in her throat, sending her into a fit of loud coughing. Mammy Qian hastily stepped forward to smooth Wang Shi's back, and staring at Lin Dongqi, she said, "The young master Song has already left."

Pouting her lips, Lin Dongqi muttered, "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone back to change my clothes; I might have just bumped into him."

Wang Shi was nearly driven to apoplexy. Incensed, she rebuked, "You come from a distinguished family background; how can you act so brazenly pining after a man? Is this how I have taught you?"

Lin Dongqi rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "Brother Yifei is not an outsider; what is wrong with me thinking of him?"

Exasperated, Wang Shi stood up, walked over, and poked Lin Dongqi on the forehead a few times, gritting her teeth as she said, "Wretched girl, if word of this gets out, how will you ever face people? Even if Song Ke is your cousin, he is still an unrelated male. As you are both growing older day by day, I have already instructed Ting'er to move out to the outer courtyards to live. From now on, you are forbidden from seeing Song Ke again, and whenever Song Ke comes to the mansion, you are not allowed to go near him! If you disobey, I will tell your father!"

Lin Dongqi was thoroughly startled. Paying no heed whatsoever to Wang Shi's injunction against seeing Song Ke, her mind dwelt solely on the thought that if Lin Jinting moved to the outer courtyard, she and Song Ke would find it nearly impossible to meet again. Overcome with anxiety, she blurted out, "Brother has been living perfectly well in Cloud-Rest Pavilion; why does he have to move?"

Mammy Qian chimed in, "The young master is growing older, so moving to a place somewhat further away from the garden is entirely proper."

In the heat of her anger, Lin Dongqi suddenly widened her eyes, pointed straight at Mammy Qian, and scolded, "Shut your mouth! When I am speaking with my mother, where is the room for you to interrupt?"

Mammy Qian was stunned. A surge of fury rushed through Wang Shi, who shoved Lin Dongqi hard and scolded, "Wash out your mouth! Even your brother treats Mammy Qian with respect; if you ever dare say such a thing again, family discipline will be applied!" Noticing then that Lin Dongqi was wearing a brand-new plain satin skirt embroidered with golden-blue chrysanthemums, while underneath her collar she had quietly put on a rose-red undergarment, revealing a trace of embroidered lining that—offset by the white outer layer—looked all the more dazzling and alluring, coupled with the jeweled silver hairpins on her head and the coquettish application of face powder, Wang Shi's anger flared up all over again. Pointing at Lin Dongqi, she reprimanded, "You are still in mourning for your great-grandmother, yet look at this outfit of yours! Dressed in reds and greens, wearing rouge and powder—have you turned into a goblin? If this gets out, won't people point fingers and stab you in the spine!"

Wang Shi possessed an indulgent maternal heart and doted heavily on her youngest daughter. Furthermore, being of a mild disposition, her disciplinary scoldings were always all thunder and no rain. Lin Dongqi was far too accustomed to acting disobediently to feel any fear toward her; Wang Shi's lecture might as well have been preached to a cow. Tugging at her mother's sleeve in acute anxiety, Lin Dongqi pressed, "Mother, how could you let Brother move away? Once he's gone, how will Brother Yifei be able to come into our mansion?"

Wang Shi fiercely yanked her sleeve away, but Lin Dongqi stubbornly grabbed hold of it once more. Two patches of crimson flushed across her cheeks as, enduring her embarrassment, she whispered, "Mother, Brother Yifei... he is truly exceptional. In talent, in appearance, in character—which of these is he not at the very top? Auntie likes me, and Brother Yifei treats me well too. I, I..."

"You, you, you—what is it you are trying to say? Are you trying to anger me to death?" Wang Shi pointed at Lin Dongqi, too furious to finish her sentence. "Let me tell you this: Song Ke is merely your cousin. Get those unseemly thoughts out of your head this very instant!"

Flying into a rage, Lin Dongqi stamped her foot aggressively and snapped, "I knew it! I knew it! You all look down on him because his family is poor now, and that's why you despise him! You are all snobbish and money-grubbing!"

Mammy Qian rebuked loudly, "Silence! How can Miss Ling speak so disrespectfully to her elders!"

Lin Dongqi sneered, "What? Does having the truth pointed out make you fly into a rage from shame? I never imagined that Mother would also become so vulgar, keeping her eyes fixed entirely on another family's wealth."

Wang Shi's face turned alternately red and white with rage. Never a woman of sharp tongue or quick wit, upon hearing these words, tears instantly welled up and spilled over. Just as she reached for her handkerchief to wipe them, an angry roar echoed from the doorway: "Wretched creature! What kind of outrageous nonsense are you spewing?" Following close behind, a figure rushed in like a gale, delivered a resounding slap straight across Lin Dongqi's face, and pointed fiercely while cursing, "If you ever dare behave in such a shameful and disgraceful manner again, see if I don't break your legs!"

Seeing that the intruder was none other than the Second Master of the Lin family, Lin Changmin, Wang Shi was utterly shocked. Lin Dongqi was likewise frozen in place; she had always held the utmost dread of her father, and in this instant all her bravado vanished completely. Clutching her stinging cheek, she stood dazed as hot tears streamed down her face.

Staring with wide, bulging eyes, Lin Changmin's dark face was faintly suffused with a layer of deep crimson fury as he cursed, "Marriages have since ancient times been decided by parents. You are a dignified young lady of a prominent family, yet you throw yourself shamelessly at a man—if word gets out, it will be a laughingstock! I might as well beat you to death, you wretched creature, to save us the disgrace!" With that, he swung his arm back to strike her again.

Involuntarily, Lin Dongqi sidestepped to dodge the blow. Panicking, Wang Shi threw her arms around Lin Changmin's sleeve, dropping to her knees and weeping, "Master, please preserve your health! Ling'er is of a delicate constitution; please do not strike her anymore!"

Fiercely shoving Wang Shi aside, Lin Changmin pointed and cursed anew, "And you, you ignorant, stupid woman! Is this how you usually teach my daughter? You are even more shameless and brazen than a harlot in a brothel!"

A lump caught in Wang Shi's throat, and she burst into loud wails once more. Lin Changmin had been out drinking earlier; upon returning home, he had overheard the commotion inside the room from outside. Having stood by the doorway for a good while, he had already pieced together roughly eighty or ninety percent of the whole cause and effect. He had never liked Wang Shi to begin with, and now, learning of these scandalous triggers, his aversion deepened further. Swinging his arm again, he landed a harsh slap across Wang Shi's face, roaring furiously, "This is the wonderful relative from your maiden family! Wonderful indeed—coming to our Lin family to sponge off us, and now trying to abduct my daughter into the bargain! That goddamned little bastard, I'll have him pack his things and get lost tomorrow!" Glaring with bulging eyes, he pointed at Wang Shi and yelled, "You are the root of disaster in the Lin family! Not a single day of peace have I known since I married you! If you stir up any more trouble, I will divorce you and cast you out of this household!"

Feeling both deeply wronged and consumed by shame, Wang Shi buried her face into the bolster of the arhat bed and sobbed aloud. Lin Dongqi, meanwhile, was utterly terrified; her previous arrogant and haughty demeanor had vanished without a trace as she stood clutching her face, dazed in a corner. Having made his scene, Lin Changmin's alcohol-induced haze had mostly cleared away; he had merely returned home to retrieve some silver to gamble with outsiders. Snorting coldly, he strode into the inner room and took five taels of silver straight from the drawer of Wang Shi's dressing table. Before leaving, he pointed back at Lin Dongqi and warned, "Let me tell you, I have already arranged a match for you—an exceptionally decent and respectable marriage. If I ever find out you have other thoughts again, I will tear you to pieces!" With that, he flung the door curtain aside and stormed out.

Wang Shi remained slumped across the bed, wailing bitterly. After offering a few words of comfort and seeing that Wang Shi showed no signs of calming down, Mammy Qian walked over to Lin Dongqi, pulled her aside into a corner, and sighed deeply as she reached out to gently touch the cheek Lin Dongqi was covering: "My young miss, do not blame this old servant for meddling, but you know what kind of position our mistress is in. Why must you act so willfully and make her suffer such grievances? Hurry up and apologize to your mistress."

At that moment, the only thing echoing in Lin Dongqi's mind was Lin Changmin's declaration that he had already arranged a match for her. Gripped by shock and fear, the pain of the slap she had just received reawakened her resentment, leaving her with zero inclination to care whether Wang Shi cried herself to death or not. Shouting out in defiance, "You all want to drive me to my grave!" she stamped her foot and bolted out the room, covering her face.

Mammy Qian hastily instructed a little maid to chase after her, then hurried back to comfort Wang Shi, saying in a low voice, "Please don't take it to heart, My Lady. The Master merely had a few cups of too much wine today and lost his temper. Usually, he is not—he is not like this..." As she spoke, realizing that even she didn't believe her own words, she trailed off into silence.

Wang Shi wept until she was hiccuping, taking quite a while to regain some composure. Tearfully, she muttered, "Why is Ling'er never able to give me any peace of mind? I always thought of her as just a child and spoiled her, but only now do I realize that she has grown up, and yet she can make my heart ache so deeply..." Renewed grief washing over her, she began sobbing aloud once more.

Mammy Qian shook her head repeatedly, patting Wang Shi's back to help her catch her breath. "The young miss is still young, after all. Once My Lady guides her properly, she will come to understand Your Ladyship's good intentions."

Wang Shi shook her head, shedding a few more tears. After a long pause, she instructed, "The Master struck Ling'er just now, so she must be feeling deeply upset inside. Mammy, tell the kitchen to prepare a few of the pastries Ling'er loves later on. I remember last time she wanted to have some bright, fashionable dresses made; there is still a bolt of snow-satin in my chest, so send someone to deliver it to her later."

Mammy Qian could not help sighing inwardly yet again. Every single time, Wang Shi acted like this: after severely disciplining Lin Dongqi, she would grow overwhelmingly terrified that the child had been wronged, hastily dispatching gifts to appease her, only to follow it up shortly afterward with indulgent pampering and lax discipline—thus reducing all her previous reprimands to absolute waste.