Against the Current - Chapter 259

Chapter 259 - Strikingly Similar

Early that morning, after they had finished breakfast, Tan Luhua tended to Lin Jinxuan as he took his medicine, then instructed the maid to prop open the windows so the medicinal scent could air out. Lin Jinxuan had changed into casual indoor robes and was leaning back against the head of the bed reading a book when Caiming entered and said, "Two pieces from the newly tailored seasonal garments have been delivered. Second Young Madam might want to go over and try them on."

Tan Luhua hurried out from the inner room. As she passed through the side parlor, she caught a glimpse of two figures sitting in the middle of the room. She paused, took two steps back, and cast a stealthy glance, only to see Consort Dowager Yin and Xiluo sitting on the heated brick bed of the side parlor, chatting away.

With a guilty conscience, terrified that her own secrets might be exposed, Tan Luhua hurriedly walked outside into the courtyard and pressed her ear against the windowpane. She heard Xiluo saying, "...I saw it as clear as day just now when I passed by the storeroom. There were easily a dozen maids and matrons surrounding that concubine. With just a single glance from her, those people were scrambling over themselves like eager puppies. Oh, my goodness, what an impressive display of grand airs! If I may speak frankly without fear of offending you, given her background, how could she ever be worthy of such treatment? Someone of your seniority and status, Consort Dowager, who even gave birth to the Eldest Miss and the Second Young Master, doesn't carry on with such brazen arrogance."

Consort Dowager Yin replied, "My child, be careful not to let that tyrant in the household hear you say such things. That person is not someone you can afford to cross."

Xiluo let out a cold laugh. "I only recognize Second Young Master. I don't care who else there is."

These words struck a deep chord in Consort Dowager Yin's heart. She pulled Xiluo's hand, patted it gently, and said, "I know you are a good girl. Ever since that overlord married into this family, hardly a single maid in this entire courtyard pays any attention to me anymore. You are practically the only one who still frequently comes to sit in my room."

Xiluo merely smiled. After a brief pause, she continued, "Consort Dowager, please set your mind at ease... To be honest, I actually thought that when Second Young Madam married in, you would finally get to enjoy a few days of peace and comfort. I had heard that Second Young Madam already had quite a reputation back in her maiden family—accomplished in both talent and beauty, and surely a master at household management. If she could take charge of the household here in the capital, our lives would be much more comfortable down the road, wouldn't they? Who would have ever imagined that a stray bandit would suddenly burst in midway? Out of nowhere came Chen Xianglan—a mere maid by origin, without a single son or daughter to her name—yet she is the one running the household now. A proper mistress like Second Young Madam has been reduced to a mere ornament. It's enough to make people laugh out loud if word gets out."

This speech struck yet another sympathetic chord deep within Consort Dowager Yin. She slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh, dear heaven, it's intolerable! That's why I say you and I share such a kindred spirit. Isn't that the truth? That master in our rooms is nothing more than a paper doll, only good for standing around to be poked and prodded—completely useless for anything else. Look at how thoroughly Xianglan has whipped her into shape; she can't stick her nose into a single matter, big or small. Day in and day out, all she knows is how to eat extravagantly, wear gold and jade, and stockpile over a dozen new outfits as if that weren't enough. She spends silver like running water and prances around every single day looking like some seductive goblin. She doesn't have an ounce of courtesy when speaking to people, and she always leaves me choking for breath. She never stops to think about who actually birthed Brother Xuan! To think she's supposed to be from a prominent, respectable family—such petty, vulgar airs, she's not even half as sensible as you."

Xiluo was deliberately egging Consort Dowager Yin on with these remarks. She merely pursed her lips into a smile and said, "Consort Dowager, please don't say such things. I am nowhere near as capable as Second Young Madam..."

As the old saying goes, "Words are the highwaymen that block the road." In this world, tolerant and magnanimous souls are few, while petty and calculating scoundrels are many. People are especially unable to stomach petty slights, and upon hearing others speak ill of them, they are prone to flying into an instant rage. Hearing this exchange, Tan Luhua felt a sudden surge of fury rise from the depths of her heart. She thought to herself, "That little slut Xiluo is stirring up trouble behind my back again! Earlier, when she liked running over to the Consort Dowager's rooms, I couldn't be bothered to pay her any mind, but now she's actually fabricating stories right about me? Very well, very well, I'll make sure you have plenty of good days coming to you later! Don't people be so utterly snobbish. What kind of disgraceful games are they playing? If they're genuinely furious, why don't they go face that tyrant Lin directly instead of bullying the meek and picking on the softest persimmons? Let's see if I agree to let them get away with it!" After turning these thoughts over in her mind, she resolved to first establish her authority in front of Xianglan and then come back to deal with these two wretches. She straightened her robes, beckoned Caifeng over, and headed straight toward Xianglan's quarters.

Xianglan was currently busy. Because Lady Qin was scheduled to arrive, the courtyard she had previously stayed in was undergoing a thorough cleaning and redecoration, and Lin Dongxiu was to be settled into Lin Jingting's former bridal chamber. Per Lin Jinglou's instructions, Xianglan had reopened the storeroom and, consulting Lady Qin's personal preferences, selected several decorative items to rearrange the space. When Lin Changzheng had returned to Jinling earlier, he had already taken all of his most valuable belongings with him, leaving behind only mediocre items in the storeroom. Fortunately, Lady Qin was not the sort to obsess over extravagant luxuries, so Xianglan picked out a few pieces distinguished by their rustic elegance, while also planning to allocate a few items from the Changchun Hall.

Just as Xianglan was standing at the entrance of the storeroom having just selected a pair of vases, she caught sight of a young child skipping over, waving a willow branch in his hand. Upon noticing Xianglan, the child came to a sudden halt. Recognizing the boy as Yuan Shaoren's youngest son, Xianglan waved and smiled, "Dige, come here quickly."

Dige pursed his lips in a slightly shy manner, prompting Xianglan to walk over, take him by the hand, and lead him aside to a stone bench beneath the dense shade of the trees. Noticing that he was covered in dirt from head to toe like a little mud monkey, she guessed he must have been up to some mischievous antics just moments before. Gazing into those eyes—which were an exact replica of Shen Jialian's—Xianglan felt a bittersweet ache soften her heart. She instructed the maids to serve some fruit, patted his little head, and asked, "Who did you come here with?"

Dige swung his little legs and replied, "My dad. He went to talk with Uncle Lin." With that, he reached out to grab a pastry from the tray. Xianglan hurriedly stopped him, told the maids to fetch a basin of water, and personally wrung out a handkerchief to wipe Dige's face and hands. After giving him a small bowl of mild tea, she finally allowed him to eat a pastry, all the while asking him in a gentle, flowing stream of questions about what books he had been reading and what martial arts forms he was practicing nowadays.

Just then, Tan Luhua arrived. Noticing the look of irritation and wrath on Tan Luhua's face and knowing that nothing good ever came from such a visitor, Xianglan preempted her by standing up with a smile and saying, "Second Young Madam is here. Come and help me choose; I need to decide what furnishings to use when Madam arrives." As she spoke, she shot a subtle look at Xiaojuan and murmured, "Go brew a cup of good tea for Second Young Madam."

Tan Luhua had arrived carrying a whole head full of grievances, but upon hearing Xianglan's opening words, her fiery temper subsided somewhat. Maintaining a haughty posture, she offered a cold smile and said, "I wouldn't dare. This is something Eldest Brother specifically ordered you to do. Even if I am the legitimate mistress of the house, it wouldn't do for me to throw my weight around like that."

Everyone present understood the significance of the phrase "legitimate mistress" and immediately realized that Tan Luhua was here to pick a fight. Xianglan, however, acted as though she had heard nothing, keeping a smile on her face as she replied, "Second Young Madam's clothing, jewelry, and even the incense you use are the most fashionable in the entire capital. Your eye for these things is definitely peerless. First Brother woke up early this morning and insisted I handle this chore. Since I lack any such aesthetic eye, I was already planning to send someone to invite Second Young Madam over to lend your discerning judgment. But Second Young Brother scolded me, saying, 'You know perfectly well that Second Brother hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days. Sister-in-law has to wait on him through the night and is run ragged during the day; when she actually gets a free moment, she needs to catch a wink of sleep. How could she possibly manage to come over? Selecting a few decorative vessels is a minor matter anyway, so why make such a fuss over it?' Since First Brother put it that way, I didn't dare to disturb you. You haven't yet experienced First Brother's temperament, Sister-in-law. He is notoriously a man of his word; things go well enough if tasks are handled properly, but if there's even the slightest deviation from his wishes, he throws a fit. I was just worrying that whatever items I picked might not meet First Brother's standards, and I had no one to consult to make joint decisions. Fortunately, Second Young Madam, you've come."

Hearing this, Tan Luhua's burning desire to argue with Xianglan instantly fizzled out completely. She thought to herself, "If I help you choose and Lin Jinglou gets unhappy later, she'll just pin the blame on me. Nice try." Out loud, she said, "Since Eldest Brother told you to handle it, I shouldn't poke my nose into it too much. The only reason I came over here was to borrow a teacup; yesterday, a clumsy little maid dropped and broke one, ruining an entire matching set."

Xianglan smiled and said, "We have plenty of teacups." She led Tan Luhua into the storeroom, where Tan Luhua picked up a small purple clay teacup, took her leave, and departed.

Xiaojuan hurried over and complained, "Why on earth did she come wandering in here like that? Her face was ashen when she first walked over, clearly harboring the intent to stir up trouble, and every word out of her mouth was barbed. Bah! Madam, why on earth are you afraid of her?"

Xianglan replied, "Looking back a year ago, if I ran into something like this, I would have snapped right back. But wrangling over such idle grievances feels so pointless when I think about it now. Just humoring her with a couple of nice words to keep her happy is enough. We live our lives with the river water not interfering with the well water, so why make enemies everywhere?"

Meanwhile, Yuan Shaoren was standing outside the arched doorway, having witnessed the entire scene from start to finish. He had originally come looking for Dige, but upon seeing the child sitting side by side with Xianglan, he had paused and waited outside. He had watched as Xianglan meticulously wiped Dige's face, dusted off his clothes, and fed him snacks, all with an expression of profound affection—as if Dige were her very own flesh and blood. The sight sent a profound shock through his heart.

By the time he returned home, Yuan Shaoren fished a handkerchief out of Dige's sleeve. He noticed that the upper right corner was embroidered with a cluster of orchids, while the lower left corner featured a single lotus blossom. Taken aback, Yuan Shaoren hurriedly called Dige over and demanded, "Where did you get this handkerchief?"

Dige answered, "An older sister who looked just like an immortal fairy used it to wipe my face and hands today."

Yuan Shaoren clutched the handkerchief and sat in a daze for a long while, remaining entirely silent. Truly, wonders never ceased in this world. In the past, Jialian had owned several handkerchiefs just like this one, down to the exact floral patterns and colors. When he had asked her about them back then, she had explained: "In this world, people either pair peonies with magnolia blossoms to invoke the meaning of 'jade halls overflowing with wealth,' or they pair lotus flowers with osmanthus to signify 'consecutive noble sons.' What is the meaning behind embroidering orchids and lotus flowers together like this?"

Shen Jialian had replied, "When we presented handmade needlework to our parents back when we were little, Sister always embroidered a cluster of orchids, and I would embroider a lotus flower underneath. Nowadays, whenever I cut fabric for a handkerchief and don't know what pattern to embroider, I just stitch this one out of habit."

Yuan Shaoren clutched the handkerchief tightly, letting out a long sigh as he thought to himself, Lianniang, could a sliver of your soul have attached itself to this Chen Xianglan? Why else would her disposition and bearing be so strikingly similar to yours? Dige is an endearing child, but that sort of motherly tenderness—surely not everyone possesses it? Now even this handkerchief is an exact match. Can there truly be such coincidences in this world? Then, recalling the sight of Xianglan standing at the storeroom entrance, smiling brightly and subduing Tan's anger with a mere handful of words, he slowly shook his head and thought, Jialian loved to banter and was always full of smiles and laughter—her temperament is quite different from Xianglan's. If she had encountered today's predicament, she would have long since given Lady Tan a piece of her mind; she never possessed that kind of forbearance. But then again, if she had even a fraction of Xianglan's tact and two parts less of her sharp temper, things wouldn't have turned out the way they did...

The sky suddenly grew overcast, and a sudden wind picked up, as if a rainstorm were about to break.

Dige rushed forward, threw his arms around Yuan Shaoren's sleeve, and called out, "Daddy? Daddy?"

Yuan Shaoren finally snapped back to his senses with an "Mn," stroked Dige's round, dirt-smudged little face, stared into those eyes for a long moment, and silently pulled his son tightly into his embrace.