Against the Current - Chapter 256

Chapter 256 - Waves of Flirtation (Part 2)

As it turned out, when Dai Rong followed Liu Xiaochuan into the Lin household, he dared not let Lin Jinlou catch sight of him and kept hiding behind the crowd. After Liu Xiaochuan introduced him to Lin Jingting and then to the steward Xu Fu, he washed his hands of the matter and left him to his own devices. Xu Fu cast a glance and saw that the tables in the inner hall were reserved for figures of great prominence, leaving no place for Dai Rong. However, no matter how worthless Dai Rong might be, he was still the son of a fifth-rank compiler. Weighing the situation carefully, Xu Fu noticed a table of young gentlemen sitting in the corridor whose backgrounds were comparable to Dai Rong's, so he led him over and settled him there. After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, with the theatrical performance halfway through, Dai Rong's eyes kept drifting toward the inner rooms. Seeing Lin Jinlou leave his seat, Dai Rong pretended he needed to relieve himself and quietly trailed behind him, dodging and weaving as he slipped stealthily into the inner quarters.

He only dared to follow at a safe distance, watching Lin Jinlou enter the Changchun Hall. Knowing this was Lin Jinlou's private residence, he did not dare step inside, lingering instead outside to poke his head about, entirely undecided. Driven initially by a surge of impulse, it was only after entering the Lin estate that he realized carrying out the drugging scheme would be exceptionally difficult. Inwardly, he thought, "Lin Jinlou's fearsome reputation precedes him; people call him the 'Living Yama'. If I cause trouble in his residence, I'm just asking for bad luck. That punch he threw last time nearly broke the bridge of my nose, but Zhao Yuechan that bitch isn't someone to mess with either... Tsk, I might as well just fabricate a story to fool her and swindle a few dozen more taels of silver to spend." As Dai Rong thought this, he paced around outside the courtyard a couple of times. Fearing that someone at the banquet might notice his absence and come looking for him, causing an unseemly spectacle, he turned around and headed back the way he came, only to run squarely into Madam Tan midway.

How these two harbored their respective thoughts shall be set aside for the moment. Meanwhile, inside the rockery cave of the Changchun Hall, Lin Jinlou finished their intimate encounter. As he fastened his clothes, he glanced back to see Xianglan trembling slightly as she attempted to put on her inner garments. Chuckling, he remarked, "At the rate you're dressing, you won't be finished by tomorrow." Wrapping her haphazardly in a jacket, he scooped her up horizontally in his arms and strode outside.

Startled, Xianglan struggled and grabbed his collar, protesting, "My trousers are still inside... I... I haven't even done my hair..."

Unable to hold back, Lin Jinlou burst out laughing. "You silly girl, no one's going to look. Just relax." With large strides, he entered the bedchamber. Once inside, he laid Xianglan gently on the bed, whereupon she immediately grabbed the quilt and scurried backward into the corner.

Chuckle-bound once more, Lin Jinlou sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Xianglan. "Look at you, with all these rules—aren't you exhausted living like this? Every time we're together, crying out sounds like you're losing your life... Tsk, tell me honestly, did it feel good just now, hmm?"

The remark was utterly shameless. Xianglan had originally hidden her head beneath the coverlet, but upon hearing this, her face flushed so intensely it seemed as though it would drip blood. Then came Lin Jinlou's impudent tease: "This lord reckons you enjoyed it well enough—you grabbed two handfuls of my shoulder at the end, and it's still stinging."

Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Xianglan could no longer contain herself. She whipped the quilt back, sat upright, and glared at him with indignation. "Shameless!"

Rubbing his chin, Lin Jinlou chuckled, "What's shameless about that? Why don't you try being 'refined' the next time we're together and show this lord how it's done—like reciting some Tang or Song poetry, perhaps? I quite like the sounds you make back then."

mortified and furious, Xianglan was saved when Xueying, hearing the commotion, walked in. Catching sight of Xianglan sitting on the bed with disheveled attire and clutching the quilt while Lin Jinlou sat right beside her, Xueying hurriedly backed out.

Xianglan closed her eyes and simply chose to ignore him, turning over to lie down flat. Lin Jinlou leaned in closer to provoke her further. "Don't sleep. Keep this lord company and chat for a bit."

Frowning, Xianglan swatted his hand away. "I'm tired. Let me rest."

This impatient, sulky little expression was dripping with languid charm, making Lin Jinlou adore her all the more. He kicked off his boots as well, lay down sideways behind Xianglan, and slid his hand inside her garments. "Very well, you rest then. This lord isn't tired yet."

Startled, Xianglan found that Lin Jinlou had already pressed down upon her. She hurriedly pleaded for mercy, "I truly can't take anymore! The banquet isn't even over yet. Have mercy, my lord, I am genuinely exhausted..."

With a low chuckle, Lin Jinlou murmured, "Good Xianglan, count on your own fingers—just how many days has it been since we were intimate..." He pinned her down for another lingering bout of affection. By the time it finally concluded, Xianglan was so drowsy she could barely keep her eyes open. Putting on his clothes, Lin Jinlou lowered the bed curtains and called Xueying in. "Tell Shuran that your mistress is feeling unwell and have her help manage things. When it's time to see the guests off, let the Second Young Mistress handle it."

Xueying rattled off assent and was about to withdraw when Lin Jinlou called out again, "Where have all the maids in this room run off to? Call them all back this instant; later on, there won't even be a soul here to serve." With that, he strode out.

Xianglan fell into an exceptionally deep slumber. When she finally opened her eyes, the room was shrouded in dim twilight. Startled into alertness, she sat straight up and parted the curtains. Outside, it was already time to light the lanterns. Lingqing and Lingsu were sitting in the corner of the room, cracking dried nuts while whispering softly. Seeing Xianglan wake up, they hurried over to serve her—one handing her tea, the other bringing a washbasin and a damp face towel.

Anxious, Xianglan asked, "What time is it? Has the banquet dispersed?"

Lingsu reassured her, "Milady, rest easy. Sister Shuran managed everything out in the banquet hall, and nothing went wrong. Since milady is so meticulous and prepared for every contingency, Sister Shuran just had to oversee it. Most of the guests have already left, and the Second Young Mistress is seeing off the remainder. Only the men's banquet out front is still going; a few are still gambling and drinking, and they've brought in another troupe of young actors to perform civilian plays."

A weight finally lifted from Xianglan's heart, though a wave of embarrassment washed over her moments later—anyone looking at her current state would immediately know what illicit deeds had just transpired. Knowing how thin-skinned Xianglan was, Lingqing and Lingsu exchanged glances. Pretending nothing was amiss, Lingqing smiled and said, "Is milady hungry? Would you like something to eat? The master said it's late, and tomorrow morning Third Young Master and Third Young Mistress will be heading back to Jinling together, so he wants milady to go out and see them off in the morning."

Withstanding her shyness, Xianglan got up, washed behind the screen, changed her clothes, and re-dressed her hair. Lingsu brought over two plates of vegetarian meat-and-seaweed small pancakes along with a bowl of soup. Finding herself genuinely ravenous, Xianglan finished every last bit. Just as she was rinsing her mouth and washing her hands, Shuran entered to report, "The banquets in the inner quarters have all cleared, and the leftover tables have been cleared away. The remaining tableware, utensils, table skirts, and chair covers have been entered into the inventory. I've come to ask milady for the keys and the ledger to cross-check them."

Xianglan instructed Lingqing to fetch them and went with Shuran to inspect everything. They first packed away the valuable items and locked the remainder up in the room, leaving the detailed counting and checking for the next day. Retrieving a small gold ingot from her sleeve, Xianglan pressed it into Shuran's hand and said, "You've worked hard these past few days. Buy yourself something nice to eat and build your strength back up. Everyone has contributed during this period; later on, I'll mention it to the master so he can properly reward all of you."

Shuran beamed, her face like a blossoming flower. "Milady is so generous that we get to bask in your glory as well. The master already handed out red packets to the people below today, and even the sweeping old women got a hundred copper cash." Pausing for a moment, she added, "Both Eldest Aunt-mistress and Second Aunt-mistress have returned home. Earlier, they told me they wanted to come speak with milady, but hearing that milady was unwell and resting, they didn't dare disturb you. They are staying the night here, and since it shouldn't be late enough for them to sleep yet, if milady has some free time, why not go pay them a visit?"

Xianglan thought to herself, "Shuran truly is efficient and slick in all directions, thinking of things before anyone else does. No wonder Lin Jinlou holds her in such high regard." With a smile, she said, "You are quite right; I'll go right now." She first returned to the Changchun Hall to fetch some items.

By this time, the maids had returned in twos and threes and were making a ruckus inside. Huashan sat in the alcove, pouring out the reward money she had received from her brocade pouch with a clatter and counting them one by one. Xiaojuan teased her for being a miser and snatched the jade fan pendant that Xianglan had given Huashan as a reward. Anxious, Huashan lunged forward to snatch it back, and the two tumbled into a heap on the kang. Lingsu sat nearby cracking melon seeds, clapping her hands and laughing out loud. Xueying and Lingqing sat on small stools by the edge of the kang, keeping watch over the kang table while eating pastries and drinking tea. Lingqing, who had picked up some gossip outside today, chattered away endlessly to Xueying. Suddenly, Xiaojuan lost her grip, and the fan pendant went plop right into the teacup in front of Xueying, splashing tea all over her face. Startled, Xueying let out an involuntary shriek, "My goodness!"

The group paused for a moment before bursting into even more raucous laughter. Little Huashan hastily scrambled down from the kang to fish out the pendant, while Xiaojuan laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up, using a handkerchief to wipe Xueying's face.

Just as the chaos reached its peak, Shuran walked in and instantly let her expression sink. "Don't you all look at the time before carrying on like a pack of wild animals? Coming to the capital has made you all too unruly! Tomorrow I'll write a letter to the Madam and ask her to send a couple of senior matrons over to whip this disgraceful bunch of you into shape!"

The maids fell instantly silent, not daring to utter another word. Seeing Xianglan walk in, they quietly stepped forward to wait on her. Suppressing a smile, Xianglan pretended to be oblivious and instructed Xiaojuan to open the cabinet, taking out the prepared congratulatory gifts. Accompanied by Shuran and Xiaojuan, and led by an old woman carrying a lantern, she headed toward the courtyard where the two young mistresses were lodging. Because they were staying at their maiden home, husband and wife were not rooming together; the two brothers-in-law had been arranged by Lin Jinlou to stay in the front courtyard, while Lin Dongwan and Lin Dongqi resided together in the same rear courtyard.

As Xianglan reached the doorway, a maid dressed in reds and greens emerged carrying a silver basin. Catching sight of them, she hastily lifted the door curtain and announced, "An aunt-mistress has arrived!" Stepping inside, Xianglan saw that Lin Dongqi's hair was loosely coiled and she had already changed into casual home attire, clearly having removed her makeup and washed up. Just as she was about to step down from the bed, Xianglan hurried forward to stop her. "Don't move! It's my fault for barging in without knowing you had already turned in. Had I known, I would have waited until tomorrow."

Lin Dongqi smiled and said, "I just retired early; the others are still eating, drinking, and chatting over there." She pulled Xianglan down to sit beside her on the edge of the bed and instructed a maid to serve tea.

Xianglan looked closely at Lin Dongqi and noticed she had grown somewhat thin. With her cosmetics removed, her complexion also looked slightly sallow. Concerned, she asked, "Is the Second Aunt-mistress feeling unwell? Your complexion looks like this—should we call a doctor to take a look?"

Smiling faintly, Lin Dongqi shook her head and whispered into Xianglan's ear, "I am with child. This is my third month, and the severe morning sickness these past few days is the reason I look like this. I just vomited a moment ago and felt too sluggish, so I came back to rest."

Delighted, Xianglan said, "Congratulations! The Madam will be overjoyed when she hears the news."

Lin Dongqi smiled. "A letter has already been sent." Reaching out to take Xianglan's hand, she added, "You should hurry up as well and give birth to a child early. Even if it's a girl, it will secure your peace for a lifetime."

A smile still lingered on the corners of Xianglan's mouth, but she lowered her gaze slightly. At that moment, a maid entered to serve tea. Seeing that the maid possessed gentle, docile features and recognizing her as the personal maid Lin Dongqi had originally brought from the Lin household—presumably named Xiangyun—Xianglan asked Lin Dongqi, "Why did you bring her instead of Tasha? In your condition, she ought to be by your side serving you."

An awkward look crossed Lin Dongqi's face. Being a clever person, Xianglan immediately guessed the underlying implications and instantly regretted asking the question. Just as she was thinking of changing the subject to steer away from the topic, she heard Lin Dongqi say, "Since I became pregnant, there were bound to be times when service fell short, so I promoted Tasha to be a concubine." Pausing to see Xianglan biting her lip with an expression even more uncomfortable than her own, Lin Dongqi burst into a chuckle. She patted the back of Xianglan's hand and sighed, "You truly are a rare, kindhearted soul... This matter is no big deal. Mother hinted to me that as my belly grows heavier, husband and wife ought to sleep in separate rooms anyway. Originally, there were two or three coquettish maids in my husband's quarters, but after I married over, Mother made the executive decision to either marry them off or have them dismissed from the estate, leaving only a single concubine-in-training named Dongxue. She was well-behaved, had a gentle temper, and originally served Mother. Since Mother had already gone to such lengths for my sake, I couldn't overreach. Now, Mother's intention was for Dongxue to serve us, but that Dongxue would periodically run off to Mother's quarters to report on the affairs of our household, which deeply displeased me. Mother wrote me a letter saying that if someone had to be promoted anyway, it would be better to promote one of our own people, telling me to elevate Tasha and keep Dongxue from coming near, while also cautioning me to treat Dongxue politely on the surface and deal with her only after I give birth to a son. I followed her instructions accordingly. Today, Tasha was originally supposed to come along, but since someone reliable had to stay behind to manage things at home, I left her there."

Xianglan thought to herself, "Madam Qin is truly a seasoned fox. Tasha has followed the Second Young Mistress since childhood, showing unwavering loyalty and an honest disposition, and while she is fairly attractive, she is still somewhat less striking than the Second Young Mistress. With her entire family coming over as dowry servants firmly in the Second Young Mistress's grip, she is naturally obedient. Even after being promoted, she would remain fiercely loyal to the Second Young Mistress and never cause trouble. Furthermore, by giving her own personal chief maid to her husband, the Second Young Mistress successfully blocked her mother-in-law's mouth and earned a reputation for virtue. How fortunate the Second Young Mistress is, having such a shrewd and capable mother to love and protect her." She then heard Lin Dongqi say with a small, knowing smile, "Perhaps Mother sent a letter to Eldest Brother as well. Barely a couple of days later, Eldest Brother marched over to my husband's place with a saber, dragged him out for a private chat, and when they returned, my husband only told me that he intends to wholeheartedly emulate his father-in-law, enter official service, and serve the country. As for Dongxue and Tasha, he claimed he had never given them a second thought; only if they bore sons in the future would they be considered, and otherwise they would be dismissed in two or three years so he could focus solely on living a good life with me. That very evening, he moved back from the study, slept in the alcove, and stopped calling upon those two women to serve him."

Hearing this, Xianglan exchanged a glance with Lin Dongqi, and both of them burst out laughing. Lin Dongqi lowered her voice. "My husband is a thorough scholar, strictly brought up since childhood to abide by propriety, and he has never truly indulged in women. Ever since I entered the household, he hasn't spent a single night in Dongxue's room, and after this incident, he wouldn't dare even if he wanted to. I hear that bunch of lads grew up trailing behind Eldest Brother and caught more than their fair share of beatings from him. My eldest brother-in-law is Eldest Brother's sworn friend, and he's promised to look after us well and make sure I'm never bullied or wronged." She patted Xianglan's hand again. "Eldest Brother may have his flaws, but toward his closest people, he is exceptionally good. The maids say he dotes on you immensely, and everyone envies it." She earnestly advised, "You should take good care of your health right now and give birth to a son as soon as possible—that's what truly matters. I know a few good doctors skilled in nourishing the body; I'll have them come over tomorrow to check on you."