Against the Current - Chapter 257

Chapter 257 - Waves of Flirtation (Part 3)

Warming up inside, Xianglan took hold of Lin Dongqi's hand and said, "This matter cannot be rushed; the matter of heirs is all about destiny..."

Lin Dongqi replied, "You are a kindhearted person. Ever since you first entered the Lin household, you suffered hardships; Xiaojuan and Mother Wu have mentioned all of that to me. You saved me once, and although the Madam previously held prejudices against you and treated you poorly, you still saved her and the fourth sister. In this household, you speak little and mind your own business. If an ordinary person received the kind of favor from the eldest master that you do, they would already be lording it over everyone else. It is rare for someone to push the limelight away and let others have it whenever a chance for showmanship arises, just like this wedding banquet today. All the exhaustion fell on you, yet all the prestige went to others—I am well aware of these things in my heart."

Xianglan sighed, "Second Aunt-mistress, you exaggerate. I am merely fulfilling my duties. Right now, everyone looks upon me as someone in the limelight, but who knows what scenery lies ahead? You know the master's temperament; I am merely taking things one step at a time. Whatever I eat, drink, wear, or use here belongs to the Lin family. It is simply that the master happens to fancy me for the moment, so I must know my own limits. How could I ever become arrogant?"

Lin Dongqi said, "Never say such things. This place is your home as well. You are a person in my brother's quarters—isn't eating, using, and drinking what's his completely natural and proper? You are an intelligent person; why would you speak like that?"

Xianglan thought to herself, "I certainly cannot remain a concubine here for long." On her face, however, she merely offered a faint smile.

Lin Dongqi consoled her, "I know what you are worrying about. At today's wedding banquet, several families were asking about my eldest brother's remarriage prospects. I will make sure to inquire carefully on your behalf. If any formidable woman tries to come in, she must not be allowed to marry him, and I will write to the Madam when the time comes."

Touched once more, Xianglan said, "Second Aunt-mistress, there is truly no need to go to such lengths. With you treating me like this, I really have nothing more to say."

Lin Dongqi smiled, "When I married away from Jinling, although there were a few young ladies I was close with in the capital, some married far away, others grew distant, and some changed their temperaments entirely, leaving no one pleasant to converse with. It is quite nice to be able to chat and pass the time with you. I know you are a good person, and we can always confide in and comfort one another. Once my condition gets heavier later on, it won't be convenient for me to go out, so you must come visit me at my home more often."

After chatting a while longer, Xianglan left behind her gifts, took her leave, and headed toward the bridal chamber.

Leaning against the head of the bed, Lin Dongqi was soon joined by Xiangyun, who sat at the foot of the bed massaging her feet and whispered, "I asked around at the front: the brother-in-law couldn't hold his liquor, so he has already taken his hangover soup and retired. There are servant boys looking after him out front, so the Second Young Mistress can rest easy."

Lin Dongqi responded with an "mm" and drifted off into a daze. A short while later, she asked, "You saw both of our Lin family mistresses today. What did you think of them?"

Xiangyun answered, "The Second Young Mistress Xuan has a lovely appearance, but she is far too sharp and eager to climb on top of others, insisting on standing out in everything she does. It's a good thing Fourth Miss isn't here; otherwise, the two of them together would put on quite a show. Third Young Mistress Ting looks like a shrewd and formidable person. As for the Eldest Aunt-mistress, I felt she was somewhat different from before. In the past, her words were bound to sting like vinegar, but now she has grown much softer, speaking in a way that elevates others and makes one feel quite comfortable."

Lin Dongqi smiled faintly and said, "If I hadn't married well, why would she come to flatter me with her words? When she first married into the Lu family, she thought she had climbed a high branch and acted coldly even toward her own family. It was only after she stumbled that she realized how much weight her maiden family could add to her stature, which is why she came crawling back. That wasn't her original temperament either; now she has a whole set of flattering phrases ready, which shows how much bitterness she must endure behind closed doors." Pausing for a moment, she continued, "What do you think of Xianglan?"

Xiangyun replied, "She is truly a beauty. The moment she stands somewhere, the entire room lights up. No wonder Eldest Master Lin favors her alone."

Lin Dongqi sighed, "It is a pity that those born with such beauty often suffer a tragic fate. Looking at how she manages her subordinates, she genuinely has the demeanor of a young lady from a great aristocratic family—generous, magnanimous, liberal with rewards, and thoughtful enough to care for those beneath her. Those two points sound simple, but not everyone can pull them off. Some young ladies from good backgrounds are penny-pinching misers; forget about giving rewards, they would rather split a single copper coin in two, or they might be generous with themselves while parting with anything for others feels like cutting flesh from their own bones. Xianglan came from a background of hardship, yet remarkably she doesn't fret over these things. Then there are other noble ladies and matrons who treat maids and servants like dirt, barking insults and abuse, or practicing hypocritical appeasement while harboring deep contempt, or treating them like mere cats and dogs. Today I heard Xiaojuan praising Xianglan endlessly to others, saying that Xianglan set a rule forbidding the maids from doing needlework after the lamps are lit for fear of damaging their eyes."

Xiangyun chuckled, "Xianglan was a maid herself once; back when she was under the cousin-miss's care, she spent plenty of nights burning the midnight oil doing needlework, so of course she knows how to sympathize with those below."

Lin Dongqi smiled, "When I heard about it, Second Aunt-mistress said the same thing. But she didn't stop to think that there are plenty of people who, having tasted sudden success and turned the tables to become mistresses, trample all over their subordinates even more ruthlessly, feeling that since they endured such hardship themselves, it is only natural for others to do the same. Or else they immediately put on grand airs out of fear of being looked down upon—think of Huashan, Qinglan, and Luan'er back then, which of them wasn't like that? Xianglan has managed to rally the servants around her so well that they are willing to go through fire and water for her. While a part of that is due to Eldest Master's intimidating presence, if she lacked even a shred of capability, she could never handle things with such perfection, let alone manage someone as sharp as a monkey like Shuran. Now she has even managed Third Brother's wedding banquet. Although it followed proper protocol, remarkably there wasn't a single flaw. The better job she does, the more nervous I feel for her—when the future mistress of the house finally steps through the door, will she ever be able to tolerate someone like this?"

Xiangyun said, "The Mistress sees things with such thorough clarity; we could never understand these principles."

Lin Dongqi remarked, "What good is clarity if I am still far inferior to my mother? She predicted long ago that Xianglan was no ordinary person. Though she appears quiet and reserved, given that appearance and scheming mind, whenever she chooses to stir up waves, it won't be a minor commotion. At first I didn't believe it, seeing how gentle Xianglan was with few words, not looking at all shrewd or formidable. But look for yourself—hasn't it all come true? Eldest Brother, who has always been fickle and prone to wandering waves, now keeps only her in his quarters and dotes on her like a precious treasure."

After the mistress and servant chatted a while longer, Lin Dongqi's spirits flagged with exhaustion, and she soon drifted toward sleep against her pillows.

Moving with utmost care, Xiangyun stepped forward, draped a light quilt over her, blew out the lamp, and quietly withdrew.

Meanwhile, as Xianglan made her way toward the new bridal chamber, she could see from afar that it was brilliantly illuminated with lights. Since the formal wedding bows had not yet taken place, Lin Jingting was lodging in Lin Jinxuan's courtyard for the night, while the bride resided here. Stepping into the courtyard, Xianglan saw old women and maids still bustling about in twos and threes, and occasional sounds of laughter drifted from inside. When the young maids of the Lin family caught sight of Xianglan, they hurried inside to announce her arrival. A matron at the doorway lifted the curtain, and as Xianglan stepped in, she saw seven or eight female guests standing about, all dressed in gorgeous embroidered robes. Seated on the bed was a woman wearing a formal bridal cape. Although her appearance was dignified and pleasant, it was not exceptionally striking—she had fine eyebrows, large eyes, fair skin, a full physique, and a rounded face that carried a hint of natural sternness.

Xianglan thought to herself, "This must be the new bride, Miss Li, whose given name is Yingru. Her grandfather is the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and her father serves as a prefectural vice-governor in Zhejiang. Having been raised and educated like a boy by her grandfather since childhood, she is extremely clever and astute. Lin Jinlou mentioned that because the Old Master felt Second Madam Wang was far too soft and spineless, they deliberately sought out a strong-willed daughter-in-law this time, hoping that Lin Jingting would finally have someone decisive in the future. They say appearance reflects the mind, and this Miss Li clearly possesses a much fiercer temperament than Tan Luohua."

Lin Dongwan was conversing with the others when she caught sight of Xianglan entering. She eagerly stepped forward, took Xianglan by the arm, and smiled, "Come, come, let me introduce our family's beauty. This is the person from my eldest brother's quarters; today's banquet was largely managed by her." Pointing out the noblewomen in the room one by one, she identified them for Xianglan—aside from the female members of the Lin and Li families, there were also guests from several other prominent families, all relatives by marriage to the Lin household. Xianglan exchanged greetings with Li Maizhi, presenting a pair of bracelets as a gift, and Li Maizhi reciprocated with a pair of hairpins.

As the noblewomen in the room stepped forward to converse, Xianglan merely lowered her head with a shy demeanor, answering only after four or five questions and avoiding excessive talk. After standing about for a short while, she took her leave and withdrew. Upon returning to her quarters, she found that Lin Jinlou had already returned and was sitting inside drinking tea. Seeing her, he asked, "Coming back from Third Sister-in-law's place?"

Xianglan nodded and took out her everyday clothes to change into them.

Lin Jinlou asked, "What do you think of her?"

Xianglan replied, "I get the impression that the Third Young Mistress is quite a formidable person."

Rubbing his chin, Lin Jinlou chuckled, "That's precisely it. She has been well-read in poetry and books since childhood. When she was a maiden, everyone in the entire household called her 'Young Master Miao,' often complaining bitterly that heaven and earth were unjust for making her a mere woman, or else she would have taken the imperial examinations and established a glorious career. Third Little-one has reeled in a fierce wife; he's going to have his hands full from now on." After bantering idly for a bit, the two blew out the lamps and went to sleep, which need not be dwelt upon.

The next morning, Lin Jingting took his wife and headed south toward Jinling at early dawn, accompanied by everyone seeing them off, a detail requiring no elaboration. After the wedding banquet concluded, all the decorative furnishings and utensils were packed up and stored away, the busy day's work ending only once cleanup was complete. Xianglan carefully cross-checked every valuable item against the ledger, collected the tally tokens, had the remaining jars of wine stored in the storehouse, and distributed the leftover dishes, pastries, and unconsumed wine among the servants as rewards. She also arranged rotating leave for the maids, matrons, older women, and stewards who had shouldered the heaviest burdens during the wedding banquet, supplementing their time off with extra food rewards, which instantly filled the entire household with joy. While Xianglan remained thoroughly occupied, Tan Luohua found herself completely at leisure. Having tested her skills and basked in a measure of glory during this wedding banquet, she knew people had only curried favor with her because she was a daughter-in-law of the Lin family, but her heart remained immensely gratified nonetheless, causing her to treat Lin Jinxuan with a bit more patience and gentleness.

Ever since summer arrived, the ailments afflicting Lin Jinxuan had eased somewhat. He spent his days sitting beneath the grape trellis in the courtyard reading books, arranging flowers, competing in herbal games, watching fish, admiring insects, or playing a game of chess with Tan Luohua, making his days rather tranquil and refined. However, after a few days had passed, Tan Luohua grew restless. Whenever she walked in or out, a heavy sense of depression hung over her, and in the dead of night when dreams faded, she would recall the scene she had witnessed in the backyard of the Changchun Hall—two bodies passionately entwined, Lin Jinlou's broad shoulders and powerful arms... It felt as though a fire had been lit inside Tan Luohua's chest. Turning her gaze to look at Lin Jinxuan, she saw only his pale, delicate, handsome face, and she recalled how the rare occasions they shared intimacy always ended hastily, leaving Lin Jinxuan with weak legs the next day due to his constitutional deficiency—a weakness that provoked malicious gossip from Concubine Yin, driving her to distraction.

Letting out a languid sigh, Tan Luohua kept her eyes open until dawn, her body feeling limp and listless. After partaking in the midday meal, Lin Jinxuan went off to take his afternoon nap, leaving Tan Luohua to amuse herself by tossing chess pieces with her maids. Just then, someone came in to report, "Third Young Master Rong from the Dai residence has arrived."