Against the Current - Chapter 252

Chapter 252 - The Garden

Early morning at Kangshou Residence

"...That garment was already stained, so Auntie has given it to one of her personal maids. If Second Young Madam still wants it, you can just send a maid over to collect it. Here are two lengths of silk fabric; Eldest Young Master said the weather is gradually growing warmer, and asked Second Young Master to have a couple of outfits made." After Shuran finished speaking, she instructed Lingqing and Lingsu to put the materials down, and added, "I still have duties to attend to, so I will head back first, and pay my respects to Second Young Master another day." With that, she turned to leave.

Lin Jinxuan had kept his head lowered throughout, his face flushed to the point of bleeding. Hearing this, he hastily stood up and said, "Stay and have a cup of tea before leaving."

Shuran smiled and replied, "I cannot, I truly have no leisure today. Second Young Master should also get some rest." Having said that, she lifted the door curtain and left.

Lin Jinxuan sat in his chair and let out a long sigh. At that moment, Concubine Yin entered the room, and upon seeing the two bolts of silk on the table, she stepped forward to stroke them, delighted as she exclaimed, "Where did these come from? Such silk cannot be bought outside. This material is just enough to make you a single-layer robe, and with what is left over, I can even make you a sleeveless vest."

Just then, a loud crash echoed from the inner room as someone overturned a teacup. Shortly after, Madam Tan walked out. She first glanced at the bolts of silk on the table, then cast a cold look at Concubine Yin, and said chillingly, "So Concubine Yin is here." With her head held high, she walked straight out.

Lin Jinxuan wanted to call out to her, but his lips parted, and not a single word came out. Concubine Yin, however, arched her brows in anger and snapped, "Has she lost her mind? Who is she putting this long face on for? She has barely been married into this family for long, yet she already dares to give people attitude. Xuan'er, are you going to manage her or not!"

Lin Jinxuan smiled bitterly. Whose face was she putting it on, if not his concubine's? Just yesterday, his wife had brought up wanting to have a jacket made—the exact style worn by his elder brother's favorite concubine. He had agreed without a second thought, figuring it was merely a piece of clothing and of little consequence. But when he called over Xuening, the maid in charge of Bailan's wardrobe, he learned that the fabric was Mingxia brocade woven in Jiangnan, a rarity in the capital, and that the floral pattern was drawn by Bailan herself and embroidered by a renowned Hunan embroidery artisan, completely different from ordinary capital embroidery. A single garment like that cost ten whole taels of silver. Lin Jinxuan was immediately put in a difficult spot. Being in frail health and solely devoted to recuperation and study, his monthly stipend and other allowances had previously been managed entirely by his concubine, leaving him no say in the matter. Even after getting married, the silver had not been handed over to him; his concubine had simply told him that the wedding preparations and purchase of goods had exhausted the funds. Being naturally detached and confident that his food and lodging were fully provided for at home, he had never given money a second thought. Once married, the household stipend was managed by Madam Tan, amounting to no more than four taels a month. When his wife mentioned wanting a new outfit, it suddenly dawned on him that far from having ten taels of silver, he probably could not even scrape together five.

Yet he did not want to disappoint his wife's wishes. His wife was a proper daughter of an official's family, breathtakingly beautiful, and a talented woman to boot. During these days since their marriage, she had treated him with utmost tenderness, bringing them the sweet joys of a devoted couple. Often accompanying him in his studies or playing go with him, her refined speech and manners were simply incomparable to the maids who had previously served him. Lin Jinxuan was utterly infatuated with her, while simultaneously feeling acutely self-conscious about his fragile constitution, which fell far short of his brothers' robust prospects for official careers and bringing glory to their wives and descendants. Consumed by lingering feelings of inferiority and melancholy, he felt he had wronged Madam Tan and sought every possible means to make her happy. Yet now, he could not even procure a single dress for her—what was he to do?

When Madam Tan heard Lin Jinxuan stammering that he had no spare silver on hand, she immediately pressed him further. Learning that Concubine Yin had previously held the purse strings, she could not help sneering. After pondering for a moment, she instructed Lin Jinxuan with a set of words and ordered him to go ask Lin Jinlou for the money. Unwilling as he was, Lin Jinxuan ultimately went. Who could have expected that instead of a jacket, Lin Jinlou would hand him two bolts of silk instead?

Coughing twice, Lin Jinxuan walked over and pulled open the drawer by the bed. Inside lay a drawer full of copper coins reserved for tipping servants, along with a brocade pouch containing scattered fragments of silver. Another drawer held the various hairpins, longevity locks, jade pendants, and fan tassels he usually used for binding his hair. Picking up a gold hairpin carved with the character for longevity, Lin Jinxuan turned it over in his hand, wondering whether he should find a small servant to pawn the hairpin so he could afford the material for Madam Tan's dress.

Meanwhile, Madam Tan walked outside toward the small garden in the center of the old estate. Sitting down on the winding corridor, she used her handkerchief to fan herself against her bosom, feeling both mortified and exasperated. Her position as the legal mistress of the house was utterly humiliating; to even wear a decent, striking gown, she had to lower herself and ask a concubine. For Bailan to give that dress away to a maid was a direct slap to her face! If the man she had married was Lin Jinlou, how could she ever have been subjected to such an insult?

At the thought of Lin Jinlou, Madam Tan's face grew warm. She considered herself to have been renowned for her beauty and grace back in her maiden days, with countless families coming to her family's doorstep to propose marriage. Several of her father's students had made excuses to frequent her home simply to catch a fleeting glimpse of her. With such a captivating figure as herself, she simply could not believe that a man as well-versed in romantic affairs as Lin Jinlou could feel utterly indifferent toward her. Lin Jinlou was tall, handsome, and possessed immense power; such a man was truly worthy of entrusting her life to. Yet now, that dashing gentleman had become a mere passerby, leaving her to nurse her hidden feelings in solitary melancholy.

Feeling listless as these thoughts churned, Madam Tan found the small garden rather diminutive—merely a square plot of land anchored by an odd-shaped ornamental rock in the center and sparsely planted with a few flowers and grasses, offering no scenic views to speak of. Having finished nursing her gloomy grievances, she rose to leave when she caught the sound of cheerful laughter and chatter from not far away, as if men were bantering and laughing unrestrainedly.

One voice said, "You two keep it down. Don't disturb the female quarters in the inner courtyard, or Yingyang won't be pleased." The person speaking was none other than Chu Dapeng.

Liu Xiaochuan boldly chimed in, "What status do we brothers hold? We come here to renovate his residence and garden, yet he's still in a position to pick faults. If it weren't to tidy things up for Little Third's wedding, this young master wouldn't have bothered coming at all."

Xie Yu sneered, "Stop running your mouth here for cheap thrills. If you have the guts, go complain to Yingyang and see if he doesn't boot you."

Frowning, Liu Xiaochuan retorted, "Last night this young master was fast asleep in the embrace of tender beauties, only for you two scoundrels to yank me out of my warm bed this morning. I've got a bellyful of fire right now, so you'd better not provoke me."

Xie Yu said, "If it weren't for Eldest Brother Lin, would you even have spare silver to frequent brothels? Enough, spare us the nonsense. Volunteering to renovate the old estate and replant the flowers and grass so that Little Third can have a proper wedding was something Lao Chu and I eagerly agreed to. Once we get on that man's good side, there will be no end of silver to spend in the future. Bringing you along was meant to let you share in this favor, so don't be ungrateful."

Pointing at Xie Yu, Liu Xiaochuan spat, "Bah! Second Brother Xie, I've always said you're a spineless wretch. Ever since you were a kid, you've trailed behind that Lin bandit's coattails. If he passes gas, you call it a thunderclap; if he drops a turd, you call it dragon saliva. The Lin bandit raises a big barking black dog in the front courtyard—in my view, what's the point of him keeping another dog? He might as well just take a chain and tether you up instead."

Xie Yu raged, "You little brat, looking to give your grandpa a hard time, aren't you? You'd feel much more comfortable if I gave you a couple of slaps across the face, wouldn't you!"

"Alright, alright, alright. The two of you start bickering the moment you lay eyes on each other, barking back and forth like dogs—aren't you even annoyed?" Chu Dapeng waved his hand dismissively, pulled a set of blueprints out of his boot, unrolled them, and pointed as he said, "The courtyard adjacent to the garden is the new bridal chamber. The roof tiles must all be replaced with a brand-new uniform set, and the paper on the windows must be swapped out for crimson gauze. As for the tables, desks, and chairs inside, the existing ones are fine and don't need replacing—they already match the decor. Beyond that, the furnishings, bed curtains, door hangings, brocade-stacked embroidery, kesi ink-splashed silks, and crimson gold-threaded bamboo blinds must all be prepared. The wedding chair covers, table skirts, bed valances, table runners..." As he spoke, he walked forward, and abruptly caught sight of a pretty face peering out from the winding corridor ahead.

Chu Dapeng paused in surprise, while Liu Xiaochuan, still lagging behind and bantering, bumped right into Chu Dapeng's back. Muttering, "Why'd you stop?" Liu peered around his shoulder, smacked his lips, and exclaimed, "Good lord, Old Xie, come take a look. A fairy maiden, hey."

Madam Tan had originally intended to step back and avoid them, but upon hearing the three men chatting so engagingly, she guessed they must be young gentlemen of high birth on friendly terms with Lin Jinlou, and could not resist hiding behind a pillar to take a peek. Now that she had been discovered, her face flushed crimson, and she lowered her head to hurry away.

Xie Yu remarked, "What fairy maiden? We've probably just startled their household's female kin. Stop looking."

Liu Xiaochuan mused, "You suppose this is that Bailan woman? I saw her once before, though I drank a bit too much at the time and only vaguely remember she looked terribly neat and proper; by the time I woke up the next day, I'd completely forgotten."

Glancing at Madam Tan's retreating back, Chu Dapeng observed, "That's not her. That tyrant Lin's apple of his eye isn't as tall as this, and her features are far prettier."

Madam Tan had been on the verge of leaving, but hearing this remark abruptly provoked her pride. She stopped dead in her tracks, took a deep breath, turned around, and marched straight toward the three men. Upon drawing near, she maintained an air of poised grace, curtsied with a delicate grace, and said with a warm, pleasant smile at the corners of her lips, "My lords, this humble concubine is the wife of the Lin family's Second Young Master. To have accidentally crossed paths with you all here today is truly mortifying. If there has been any lapse in propriety on my part, I beg the three young masters to forgive me."

This time, the three men were stunned into silence, exchanging bewildered glances among themselves. Chu Dapeng gave a light cough, cupped his hands in a formal bow, and said, "It was the three of us who acted rashly. We beg our sister-in-law to pardon us."

Hearing this, Liu Xiaochuan and Xie Yu quickly echoed the sentiment, also bowing respectfully to Madam Tan.

Madam Tan smiled gently and said, "For the three of you to arrive so early and toil away over my family's affairs is truly touching. Later on, this humble concubine will instruct my maids to send over some tea and fruit as a small token of my gratitude. I shall take my leave now." With that, she curtsied once more, letting her gaze sweep over the three men. Finding that Chu Dapeng, who stood at the forefront, was by far the most handsome—with his rosy lips, white teeth, and graceful bearing, the absolute image of a dashing young gentleman—she lingered a moment longer. As their eyes met, catching the playful, affectionate glint swimming in Chu Dapeng's eyes, her face flushed red, and she gracefully turned on her heel to walk away.

Reviewing the encounter, Liu Xiaochuan remarked, "Who would have thought it—that sickly weakling Lin the Second actually managed to marry such a striking wife. Tsk, what a waste, what a waste." Nudging Xie Yu with his shoulder, he added, "Wouldn't you say so?"

Xie Yu nodded and said, "You have to admit, she truly possesses a distinct and captivating charm. I heard that Lin the Second married Tan Luhua, the daughter of the Tan family, who was quite well-known among the young ladies back in the capital. Seeing her today, I realize it's well-deserved."

Deliberately slowing her pace, Madam Tan listened to their discussion as she walked, her spirits suddenly lifting as a smile bloomed on her lips. She was a woman of noble birth, after all—how could she ever be compared to slave-stock like Bailan, who had merely climbed up high branches to achieve success?

At that moment, Chu Dapeng suddenly caught sight of something left behind on the spot where Madam Tan had stood. Stepping forward to inspect it, he found it to be a lozenge-shaped sachet embroidered with bright red flowers, exhaling a faint, lingering fragrance.