Against the Current - Chapter 253

Chapter 253 - The Sachet

Liu Xiaochuan leaned closer, let out a strange chuckle, and beckoned to Xie Yu, saying, "Brother, come over here and take a look at this." With that, he snatched the sachet, brought it under his nose, and sniffed it. "My, it smells wonderful. Tell me, do you think that young married woman's heart has been stirred, and she deliberately left this behind to send you a token of affection?"

Chu Dapeng gave Liu Xiaochuan a shove. "Stop talking nonsense." He snatched the sachet back, looked closely at it, and pointed, saying, "Look, the knot on the loop that fastens to the waistband is broken. That's why the sachet fell off."

Xie Yu tapped Liu Xiaochuan on the forehead. "Your mouth has no latch, you just love to blab nonsense. If word gets out, what happens to her reputation? None of us have clean hands either, you know."

Liu Xiaochuan muttered defensively, "What's the big deal? This young master was just making an offhand remark." Then he lowered his head and chuckled softly to himself.

Xie Yu glanced sideways at him. "What mischief are you scheming now?"

Liu Xiaochuan grinned mischievously. "With my knack for divination, I can tell at a glance that that young woman is no ordinary housewife. Every fiber of her being radiates seductiveness. It's probably because Lin the Second is useless in bed that he leaves such a peerless beauty pining in her lonely boudoir."

Chu Dapeng smiled and poked Liu Xiaochuan with his finger. "You and that mouth of yours—it's utterly incorrigible."

Liu Xiaochuan protested, unconvinced, "Your grandfather here has seen countless people; what kind of female creature hasn't he laid eyes on? If you don't believe me, let's place a wager."

Xie Yu asked, "What kind of wager?"

Liu Xiaochuan explained, "She lost her sachet, so she's bound to come back looking for it. Instead of returning it to her, what if we leave a man's pouch right there? If she's a proper, upright woman, she'll either ignore it entirely, or upon seeing a man's pouch, send a little maid to find the actual owner, or perhaps even have a good, virtuous cry thinking someone is making sport of her. But if she's the flirtatious sort, she'll assume a man is exchanging tokens of affection with her, and who knows how delighted she'll be inside? We'll just hide nearby and watch quietly. I bet she'll be tickled pink. Whoever wins gets treated to a five-tael silver feast at the Binying Restaurant tonight."

Chu Dapeng rolled his eyes. "If you applied this much brainpower to your studies and official duties, your family patriarch would have to burn high incense to thank your ancestors for eight generations." Shaking his head, he walked away.

Xie Yu scoffed, "Look at that—did you just get put in your place?"

Liu Xiaochuan let out a huff, turned around, and as if performing a magic trick, produced a pouch from his sleeve. Grinning craftily, he said, "Hypocrite! As if he hasn't spent his life eating, drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels. Just now, while he wasn't looking, I slipped his pouch away without a sound. We'll use this one to test that young madam in a moment."

Xie Yu pointed a mock finger at Liu Xiaochuan and laughed, though he hesitated a moment later. "This... is probably not a very good idea... If Fourth Brother Chu finds out..."

Liu Xiaochuan brushed it off. "What's wrong with it? Doesn't a guy have the right to drop a pouch in his own garden? Anyone—whether it's a maid or an old woman working in the garden—could pick up dropped items. Why couldn't that young mistress find it? Hurry up, make it snappy, and go drop this pouch over there."

Xie Yu had been keen on watching the spectacle all along. Hearing Liu Xiaochuan put it that way, his interest was instantly revived, and he quietly tossed the pouch onto the covered walkway.

Meanwhile, after returning to her room, Madam Tan began changing her clothes when her maid, Luoluo, asked, "Second Young Madam, what happened to the sachet you were wearing this morning? It seems to be gone."

Madam Tan looked down, and sure enough, her waist was bare save for a jade pendant trailing pearl tassels. Panic instantly seized her, and she hurriedly instructed, "Quickly help me look for it. That sachet is a piece from the imperial palace—it's extraordinarily rare." Realizing she had just been outside, she figured it might have been dropped somewhere along the way. She rushed out to search, retracing her steps all the way to the small garden, where she spotted something resting on the covered walkway ahead.

Stepping closer, Madam Tan saw that it was a peacock-blue, ruyi-patterned, gold-woven pouch. It was perfectly square, fastened with red coral and intertwined gold threads, and exquisitely crafted—definitely not something used by ordinary wealthy households. Opening it to tip its contents out, she discovered a few pieces of scattered silver, a small enamel vial containing snow-crystal pills, and a prayer amulet acquired from a temple. Unfolding the amulet, she saw the three characters "Chu Dapeng" written across it. Madam Tan's heart instantly hammered like a battle drum. She quickly folded the amulet back up, glanced nervously around her, and found the surroundings completely still, with only flower shadows and tree branches swaying in the breeze.

Clutching the sachet tightly in her hand, her heart felt like a boiling pot of broth as she thought to herself, "I've often heard that the young masters of the Chu, Xie, and Liu families grew up alongside Lin Jinlou, sharing an extraordinary bond. Among them, Chu Dapeng is the son of the Minister of Punishments. Renowned for his literary talent and dashing elegance, he is a famously handsome man in the capital. The one who looked the most dashing and debonair just now must surely have been him. It's such a pity I didn't realize at the time that he was Chu Dapeng himself, otherwise I could have lingered to exchange a few more words... Is this sachet something he deliberately left behind, or did he drop it by accident? If it was accidental, then so be it. But if he picked up my sachet earlier and deliberately left his own here to exchange it with me, then—then—that would truly..." At this point, her face grew burning hot. Clutching the pouch, her heart melted into a puddle of sweet reluctance, torn between overwhelming shyness and irrepressible triumph.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter and chatter drifted over. Spotting Lingqing and Xuening approaching from not far away carrying small vials, she hurriedly tucked the pouch away inside her sleeve. Once they had passed, she pulled the pouch out again, gazing at it over and over as she mused, "When I used to read vernacular romance tales, talented scholars and fair maidens always pledged their hearts to one another through small tokens like pouches, jade pendants, scented sachets, and handkerchiefs. Who would have thought Young Master Chu is also such an understanding, romantic soul? Being a gentleman and a close friend of my brother-in-law, he must have harbored deep admiration for me but found it improper to speak of it aloud, leaving him no choice but to convey his feelings through this sachet. He surely picked up my sachet. Oh well, since fate has denied us a proper path in this lifetime, I will treat my sachet as a gift to him, returning the depth of his lovesickness." As she entertained these thoughts, a wave of bittersweet melancholy washed over her. A moment later, she softly recited, "Red flowers fade as swiftly as a lover's fickle heart, while flowing waters run as endlessly as a woman's sorrow," and then murmured another couplet, "I return your gleaming pearls with two lines of falling tears, regretting only that we did not meet before I was wed." She gazed all around searching for a trace of Chu Dapeng, and failing to catch sight of him, could not help feeling a pang of disappointment. Clutching the pouch, she slowly made her way back.

Liu Xiaochuan and Xie Yu had been hiding nearby, watching the entire scene. Seeing Madam Tan depart, Xie Yu smacked his lips and remarked, "You really called it. Look at the lingering affection on her face—she even hid the pouch when her maid approached, muttering something about 'regretting we didn't meet before I was wed.' She's definitely fallen for it."

Liu Xiaochuan chuckled, "This young master's predictions are never wrong. Who would have thought Lin the Second actually managed to find such a passionate little wife?" The two of them bantered back and forth, but we shall leave them aside for now.

From then on, Madam Tan frequently dressed herself up in elaborate, brightly colored makeup and headed to the small garden. However, because Chu Dapeng and his companions were busy renovating the buildings and worried about startling the household's female residents, they stayed strictly confined to the courtyard and did not venture out. Whenever Liu Xiaochuan and Xie Yu caught sight of Madam Tan from a doorway or window, they would either clear their throats loudly or exchange knowing winks, pulling various similar pranks. Unaware of the underlying context, Chu Dapeng remained oblivious and too lazy to humor them. It was only later, when domestic servants were brought in to plant flowers, replace roof tiles, and whitewash walls, that Madam Tan finally stopped visiting the garden. What started as mere idle mischief by a couple of wealthy young playboys ended up unwittingly planting the seeds for a future storm.

Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou grew increasingly busy in the capital, often disappearing for entire days at a time. Once the wounds on her hands had healed, Bailan instructed her servants to set out her painting supplies once more. She spent her days reciting sutras, worshiping the Buddha, painting, practicing calligraphy, and occasionally plucking the strings of her zither. Over the past few days, she completed a few more paintings, slipped them into silk tubes, and said to Huanshan, "Go call Little Guiyuan here."

Guiyuan had previously been tending to a fierce black guard dog that Lin Jinlou kept. The hound was exceptionally ferocious, robustly built, and deeply favored by Lin Jinlou, who had assigned people to feed and care for it meticulously. Hearing Huanshan calling him from the corridor, Guiyuan quickly washed his hands and hurried over. Catching sight of Huanshan, he chimed eagerly, "Sister Huanshan, what can I do for you?"

Huanshan replied, "Second Young Madam is calling for you."

Guiyuan hastily followed Huanshan inside, chattering along the way, "Good sister, I haven't seen you in days, and you've grown even prettier."

Huanshan spat lightly in response. "Who's your good sister? Don't go spouting nonsense."

Guiyuan grinned. "You're younger than me. If I don't call you younger sister, should I call you older sister? I picked up all sorts of novel trinkets on the street yesterday; if you call me 'good brother' twice, I'll show them to you."

Huanshan scoffed, "Pah! Who wants to call you..."

Before she could finish, they had already reached the doorway. Guiyuan instantly dropped his playful demeanor, collected his breath, assumed a quiet, obedient expression, and lowered his gaze as he stepped lightly into the courtyard. Keeping his eyes from wandering, he walked up to the entrance where Huanshan lifted the curtain. Casting a sideways glance, Guiyuan saw Bailan seated in the main hall and immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing as he said, "May Second Young Madam enjoy boundless prosperity."

: Bailan said, "I have an errand for you to run. Take these two scrolls of calligraphy and paintings, have them mounted first, and then find a stationery shop to sell them on consignment. Each painting should fetch at least ten taels of silver; any profit above that goes to the shopkeeper. You must keep this matter strictly between us and not breathe a word to anyone else. If you handle this task well, I will reward you handsomely."

Xiaojuan stepped forward to hand over the silk tubes.

Guiyuan thought to himself, "A piece of worthless paper going for ten taels? Only a complete fool would buy it." Aloud, however, he agreed repeatedly, taking the silk tubes with both hands. Bailan instructed Xiaojuan to give Guiyuan two taels of silver for mounting the paintings, alongside a generous handful of loose coins and a small dish of pastries and cakes.

As he was about to step out the door, Guiyuan heard Xiaojuan say, "Second Young Madam worked so hard to paint these, why are you taking them out to sell? We aren't exactly short on this bit of silver."

Bailan replied softly, "No matter how much silver there is here, it doesn't belong to me. Having silver of one's own is the only way to feel truly secure..."

Daring not listen any further, Guiyuan hurried out, thinking to himself, "Eldest Master has a few shops in the capital, though I've no idea if any of them sell paintings. This is the very first task Madam has entrusted to me, so I must execute it impeccably."

Right as he reached the front entrance, he bumped into Lin Jinlou returning from outside. Guiyuan quickly sidestepped, holding his breath and bowing deeply. As Lin Jinlou strode past, his gaze swept over Guiyuan, and he asked, "What's that you're holding in your arms?"

Guiyuan replied, "These were given to me by Second Young Madam."

Hearing this, Lin Jinlou's interest was piqued. "Hand it over and let me have a look."

Guiyuan hastily presented the silk tube. Lin Jinlou removed the cap and pulled out two unmounted paintings, rolled up neatly inside. Drawing out the first one, he saw depicted a deep courtyard with a cluster of peony flowers blooming by the corner of a wall; a maid with double hair buns stood in the courtyard holding a fan, batting at butterflies. The scene was fresh, elegant, and vividly lifelike, signed in the corner with the alias "Hermit of Orchid Fragrance." Lin Jinlou pulled out the second scroll, which featured a black cat lying gracefully beside an embroidered folding screen, its eyes glowing with intelligent focus and striking realism. It was likewise signed with the four characters "Hermit of Orchid Fragrance."

Lin Jinlou asked Guiyuan, "What are these paintings for?"

Guiyuan cursed his luck inwardly. Although Bailan had explicitly warned him not to tell anyone, Lin Jinlou was someone he dared not keep secrets from. Thus, he answered honestly, "Second Young Madam gave them to me, instructing me to find a shop and sell them." With that, he cautiously raised his eyes for a quick peek.