Against the Current - Chapter 262

Chapter 262 - The Jiang Family (Part 2)

That afternoon, Lady Qin was in her room inspecting Lin Dongxiu's embroidery when she heard a report from outside: "Elder Aunt-Grandmother has arrived outside the gates with two young misses." Hearing this, Lady Qin hurriedly tidied herself, dispatched people to summon Lin Jinglou and Lin Jinxuan, and took Lin Dongxiu and Tan Luhua to the front to welcome them. Escorting the guests inside, she found that Old Madam Jiang was already completely white-haired, lean and gaunt, yet full of vigor and high spirits. She wore a head-band of braided silk, a brown satin vest embroidered with the Eight Treasures, and leaned on a person-high sandalwood cane carved with bats and peaches symbolizing longevity, with a string of prayer beads hung around her wrist. On either side, she was supported by two young maid-like maidens of tender years.

Lady Qin immediately ordered a welcoming banquet to be prepared, while simultaneously sending servants to have the luggage transported to the Mengfang Courtyard. This Mengfang Courtyard was originally the residence where Lin Changmin had lived while staying in the capital, mirroring the Kangshou Residence where Lin Jinxuan now dwelt. It comprised some five or six rooms complete with both front and back quarters, and boasted an independent outer gate. A side door in the back quarters led straight via a covered corridor to the inner residential quarters of the Lin mansion, placing it very close to Rongshou Hall, where Lady Qin resided. The previous night, Lady Qin had urgently ordered people to clean and prepare it, fully equipping it with all necessary amenities and specifically assigning several coarse-cleaning matrons and pageboys, clearly demonstrating a lavish and enthusiastic hospitality.

Once they entered the grand hall and everyone took their seats, with maidens serving tea, Old Madam Jiang presented her gifts of regional specialties and formal tributes before smilingly saying, "At my advanced age, I am already well along in years. My youngest son cannot return from Fujian, and my eldest son must proceed to Zhejiang, which is why I cannot avoid trespassing upon your household and causing a disturbance. It is truly inappropriate."

Lady Qin beamed with delight, her face radiant with spring warmth as she replied, "We are all family relatives, and we normally visit quite frequently. For Elder Aunt-Grandmother to speak thus is to treat us as outsiders." With that, she instructed Tan Luhua and Lin Dongxiu to pay their formal respects to Old Madam Jiang, and Old Madam Jiang likewise ordered the two Jiang family maidens to pay their respects to Lady Qin. These two girls were both granddaughters of Old Madam Jiang: one was named Jiang Danyun, and the other Jiang Xiyun. Born to different concubines, they were separated in age by a single year. Jiang Danyun was slender and graceful, with an oval face, delicate eyebrows, and bright eyes, exuding a refined and scholarly elegance. Jiang Xiyun was slightly fuller in figure, with brows and eyes like a painted scroll, skin as pure and white as snow, and a pair of tiny dimples set into her rounded face, possessing an indescribable, fresh radiance. Both were beauties hard to rival, yet standing beside Jiang Xiyun, Jiang Danyun was inevitably eclipsed by a shade.

Lady Qin took each girl by the hand, observing them closely without pause, and with immense delight said to Old Madam Jiang, "It has only been a year or two, yet these two young misses have grown so remarkably! They truly look like celestial maidens. Elder Aunt-Grandmother is truly blessed—why, my own girls are completely outshone!"

Old Madam Jiang chuckled and said, "Who says that? Our Xiu girl is a rare beauty in her own right, and your second daughter-in-law is also a one-in-a-hundred choice, with features and bearing that could kill a person with envy. You just have a honeyed tongue for flattering people." Pausing, she added, "Originally, I said I would only bring Xi girl along, but Dan girl showed such filial devotion and insisted on coming to wait upon me, so she came too."

Lady Qin smiled and said, "The more people there are, the merrier. For these young sisters to gather together gives them pleasant company." She directed Jiang Danyun and Jiang Xiyun to take their respective seats, adding, "Treat this place just like your own home, and do not stand on ceremony. You have your sisters-in-law and sisters here; though those two are clumsy, having each other's company will help pass the time and dispel any boredom. If you suffer any grievance whatsoever, just come and tell me, and your aunt-grandmother will exact justice for you." She then inquired in detail what books the two of them read and what they occupied themselves with daily.

Old Madam Jiang replied, "When they were young, the girls started their studies alongside the boys and learned a few characters. Dan girl studied from the same editions as her eldest sister, Feiyun; she can compose fine poetry and prose, and is well-versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting..." As she spoke, she glanced at Lady Qin's expression. Seeing Lady Qin's face reveal appreciation rather than the bias of those matrons who believed that "a woman devoid of talent is virtuous," she felt reassured.

Lady Qin smiled broadly and said, "Who does not know that your Feiyun is a renowned talented woman, especially skilled in painting, whom even the noble ladies in the imperial palace praise?" Looking toward Jiang Danyun, she smiled and said, "For this child to possess such literary talent, she is truly worthy of coming from an Grand Academician's household."

Jiang Danyun's face lit up with joy as she modestly replied, "You flatter me too much, Aunt-Grandmother. My eldest sister excels at painting, while I have studied the zither since childhood under the guidance of a renowned master. I can now manage a tune or two, so as not to bring shame upon my teacher's reputation."

Lady Qin smiled faintly and offered a couple of words of praise. Jiang Danyun wanted to continue, but seeing that Lady Qin had already turned her head to ask Jiang Xiyun, "Do you ordinarily study poetry, lyrics, the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting as well?"

Jiang Xiyun's rounded face bore a smile as she replied, "My sisters are all exceptionally brilliant. Only I am neither skilled in literature nor martial arts; no matter how much I study, my poetry and lyrics remain half-baked, and my zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting are barely passable—not worth mentioning at all."

Old Madam Jiang laughed and said, "Poetry and lyrics are merely pastimes for men to display their romantic flair. Xi girl can actually compose prose, and she possesses an exceptional talent for needlework. The forehead bands, hand-warmers, knee-pads, and socks I wear through the four seasons are all made by her, and her embroidery patterns are both clever and vibrant."

At that moment, a throng of maids could be seen supporting and escorting a young gentleman into the room. He was around twenty years of age, wearing a dark blue silk scarf on his head and a gold-woven, embroidered brocade robe patterned with cranes and deer symbolizing spring. His complexion was pale and wan, his eyebrows clean and clear, though his cheeks carried a sickly pallor. The moment he stepped inside, Tan Luhua hurried forward to take the place of the maids in supporting him. Jiang Danyun and Jiang Xiyun rose to exchange greetings, and Lady Qin smiled and said, "This is Xuan'er, your Second Cousin." Danyun and Xiyun bowed and called out in unison, "Second Cousin."

Lin Jinxuan was unaccustomed to receiving guests, so he only managed a shy smile, raised his hands in a greeting, and bowed. Tan Luhua supported him as he sat down in a chair, then bustled about to place backrests and arm-pillows behind and beside him, personally serving him a bowl of tea.

Old Madam Jiang scrutinized Lin Jinxuan closely for a moment, then said to Lady Qin, "I see Xuan'er has a robust spirit and is much sturdier than before."

Lady Qin smiled. "Indeed he is, all thanks to his wife's attentive care."

Hearing this, Tan Luhua felt a wave of comfort wash over her and hurriedly smiled, saying, "Mother is exaggerating my merits; what credit could I possibly claim?"

After the group chatted idly for a moment, the maids replaced the tea and fruit. Lady Qin asked again, "Where is Lou'er? Why hasn't he come yet?"

A serving matron in Lady Qin's rooms named Qiaohui entered from outside and reported, "I just went to invite him, but the Eldest Young Master has a guest out front and will come shortly." Lady Qin smiled at Old Madam Jiang and said, "Just look at that boy, all he knows is running around blindly all day." After they conversed a bit more, Qiaohui stepped inside to report: "Just now, the Eldest Young Master sent someone from the second gate to say that he is overwhelmed with official business and will come tomorrow to pay his respects to his elders."

Lady Qin's face darkened slightly, and she said coldly, "What sort of earth-shattering business could be so important that he refuses even to make a trip over here? Tell him to come here immediately to pay his respects."

Old Madam Jiang hastily placated her, saying, "Lou'er holds a high and weighty position, so he is naturally bound by official duties. Seeing him today or tomorrow is all the same—why disturb his official business?"

Lady Qin replied, "When elders arrive, it is only proper to pay formal respects. None of that matters, I know what I'm doing." She then smiled at Jiang Danyun and Jiang Xiyun, saying, "This Eldest Cousin of yours—you met him ten years ago and even played together back then, I wonder if you still remember him? He has spent all his years knocking about in military camps. Although he read some books of the sages in his youth, I fear by now those have long been neglected, leaving him with somewhat rough speech. He's not like those gentle, refined, and scholarly brothers in your household. Don't mind that his temper is a bit boorish; he is an exceptionally good person—capable of steering a course, able to shoulder heavy responsibilities, and willing to endure hardship. He hasn't missed a single detail, big or small, and has always been fiercely protective of his elders and younger siblings alike." As she spoke, her gaze seemed to drift toward Jiang Xiyun.

Jiang Danyun smiled gracefully and said, "We don't have a single person in our family who attained a third-rank official post at such a young age as the Eldest Cousin."

Jiang Xiyun said, "We have long heard our family elders speak of how Eldest Cousin gained military achievements at a tender age and possesses extraordinary capability."

Before her words had even faded, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Qiaohui lifted the curtain and smiled, reporting, "The Eldest Young Master has arrived." At that moment, Lin Jinglou had already strode up, lifted the door curtain with one hand, and stepped inside. With the exception of Old Madam Jiang and Lady Qin, everyone else stood up. Danyun and Xiyun saw that the newcomer was exceptionally tall, robust, and straight-backed, wearing a dark gauze crown on his head, dressed in a brocade robe patterned with auspicious ruyi clouds over a hemp-weave weave, belted with a gold-woven sash inlaid with jade, and shod in black satin court boots. With straight eyebrows and a well-defined nose, he possessed an extraordinarily striking and manly appearance. The moment he entered, everyone in the room held their breath. Danyun and Xiyun felt they had never laid eyes on a man with such an overwhelming aura of dominance, calm composure, and cool collectedness.

Seeing him, Lady Qin hastened to smile and say, "You've finally come! Why don't you hurry and pay your respects to your Elder Aunt-Grandmother and your cousins?" Lin Jinglou promptly performed a ceremonial bow to the three of them. As he took his seat and looked them over one by one, he first glanced twice at Old Madam Jiang, then turned his gaze to the two cousins. He saw that one was tall and the other petite, one slender and the other full-figured; strangely enough, the fuller-figured one possessed an even more striking beauty than the slender one, causing him to linger a moment longer. He noticed her hair was styled in a side-coiled bun adorned with three agate hairpins shaped like lotus flowers, and she wore a rose-colored gold-inlaid vest over a snowy undergarment, with a grayish-pink patterned skirt brushing her feet. Her eyes were like drops of ink, bright and crystal clear. Seeing Lin Jinglou look at her, she could not help but softly break into a sweet smile, faintly revealing two pear dimples, instantly making all the pearls and jade in the room seem to lose their luster.

Lin Jinglou paused in surprise, while Lady Qin already pointed and introduced them: "This is your Jiang family's Fourth Cousin, Danyun, and this is your Fifth Cousin, Xiyun... When they were little, the sisters used to come to our mansion to play, and Xiyun was just a little chubby girl back then."

Lin Jinglou smiled. "I remember. Fifth Cousin was very small then, and she used to chase after me, begging me to take her down to the pond to fish and chase butterflies."

Jiang Xiyun lowered her head and blushed, while Old Madam Jiang pointed playfully at her with her finger and laughed, "Ever since she was little, I told her never to wander near the pond, but she never listened. For that, she was punished more times than I can count by being forbidden from eating pastries, yet she never learned her lesson."

Jiang Xiyun reached out to catch the sleeve of Old Madam Jiang's garment, smoothing down her skirt hem while deliberately changing the subject: "Old Madam, the skirt you're wearing today is so pretty." Displaying the coquettish charm of a young child, she looked as endearing as a mewing kitten, drawing laughter from everyone present.

With a gaze full of maternal affection, Old Madam Jiang pulled Jiang Xiyun into her arms and scolded affectionately, "You little monkey."

Jiang Danyun had remained silent until now, but seeing this, she hurried to interject. Reaching out to take Jiang Xiyun's hand, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice: "With that mouth of yours, no wonder Old Madam dotes on you the most. It's not fair, Old Madam, you must hug me too." As she spoke, her peripheral vision darted toward Lin Jinglou, though she didn't dare look too closely, and her face flushed red first.

Old Madam Jiang gave a light cough and said, "Strictly speaking, since this is our first time here, I shouldn't be saying things like this, but I am forced to brazenly ask my eldest nephew for a favor..." Throughout her life, Old Madam Jiang had treasured her reputation and rarely asked favors of others; before she had even finished speaking, an awkward expression settled over her face.

Old Madam Jiang had already mentioned this matter to Lady Qin in a letter beforehand, so recognizing the preamble, Lady Qin took over the conversation and smiled at Lin Jinglou: "Your Jiang family's Second Cousin, Jingpei, serves as a seventh-rank deputy commander in the Five City Military Garrison Command in the capital and is quite skilled in martial arts. However, since your uncle is now going to assume his post in Zhejiang, Jingpei is exceptionally filial and wishes to accompany and serve him along the way. Yet, having no acquaintances in the Zhejiang military, he has been unable to secure any decent post. You often treat various military commanders and governors in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions as sworn brothers—do you suppose there is a path or connection for this?"

Jiang Xiyun's heart leaped into her throat as she stared unblinkingly at Lin Jinglou. This Jiang Jingpei was her own full-blooded elder brother, so she cared deeply about the matter. At this moment, Hongjian came out bearing a gilt-traced red-lacquered tray to serve fresh tea and fruit. Jiang Xiyun hurried forward, personally picked up a bowl of tea, presented it before Lin Jinglou, and smiled, saying, "Eldest Cousin, please have some tea." Seeing several small dishes of dried fruit on the tray, she picked out the finest dish, eagerly offered it to Lin Jinglou, and smiled, "Eldest Cousin, the fruit in this dish is the reddest; you should have this one." If anyone else had acted with such deliberate attentiveness, it surely would have appeared unbecoming of a young lady of good breeding. However, Jiang Xiyun was full-figured and delicate; though she was already fifteen years old, she still retained a dash of childlike playfulness. Combined with her exquisite beauty and poised demeanor, her actions struck others as exceptionally clever and endearing.

Lady Qin could not help laughing aloud, pointing at her and saying, "Just look at her, exactly the same as when she was little. Whenever she wanted an extra piece of pastry back then, she knew how to come over to my side, act spoiled, and shower me with flattery: 'Aunt-Grandmother, you look so pretty,' 'Aunt-Grandmother, your skirt is so gorgeous'..."

Before she could finish, everyone in the room burst into helpless laughter. Lin Jinxuan chuckled a few times before breaking into a fit of coughing. Tan Luhua hastily smoothed his chest, stroked his back, personally handed him a cup of tea to help soothe his throat, and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Jiang Danyun covered her mouth with a light chuckle and said, "Because of Second Brother, Fifth Sister now only has eyes for Eldest Cousin, and completely forgot to serve tea to Grandmother and Aunt-Grandmother." Although spoken ostensibly as a joke, it carried a sharp, competitive sting. Old Madam Jiang frowned slightly at this.

Acting as though she hadn't caught the meaning, Jiang Xiyun put on an innocent, naive expression. Flustered by the group's teasing, her small face flushed a bright crimson. She hurriedly served fresh tea to Old Madam Jiang and Lady Qin, then personally peeled two fruits, held them on a handkerchief, and presented them to Old Madam Jiang and Lady Qin. "I peeled these fruits with my own hands; Eldest Cousin doesn't have any," she coaxed with a smile. "My hands have juice on them, so the ones I peeled are extra sweet—please hurry and taste them, Elders."

Lady Qin's lips instantly curled upward, and her face blossomed with a smile.

Old Madam Jiang laughed and scolded, "You little slippery rogue! You've been like this since you were a child, truly making people unable to decide whether to love you or be exasperated with you."

Lin Jinglou raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this Jiang Xiyun was truly sharp-witted and astute. Women who were this observant and adept at handling situations were usually found only in pleasure quarters; daughters of wealthy families were all pampered and excessively reserved. Someone who could be so unconstrained yet charming, appearing naive while actually being shrewd, was exceedingly rare to come by. Seeing her smiling face, he found her quite undeniably endearing. He took a sip of tea and smiled, "Since I've drunk my Fifth Cousin's tea, I naturally have to handle things for her. That's easily done. Tomorrow, have my cousin come over, and after I ascertain his intentions, I will write a letter to Yang Zhaolin, the Regional Commander of the Zhejiang Military Command; he will naturally make proper arrangements."

As soon as these words fell, the three members of the Jiang family beamed with radiant joy. Jiang Xiyun instantly lifted the handkerchief bearing the fruit toward Lin Jinglou, offering a flattering and eager smile as she said, "Thank you for your hard work, Eldest Cousin. Come and have some fruit."

The company laughed once more, and Lin Jinglou could not help chuckling as well, reaching out to take one. Jiang Xiyun's face was flushed a rosy red. Lady Qin looked from Lin Jinglou to Jiang Xiyun, an expression of satisfaction dawning on her face as she slowly nodded. Jiang Danyun's eyes turned red with vexation, and when she raised her gaze, she happened to lock eyes with Lin Dongxiu's expression of undisguised disdain. Both girls froze for a second, then exchanged a tacit, knowing glance before lowering their heads once more.

At that moment, Shuran was peeking in anxiously from outside the window. Lin Jinglou suddenly remembered that he still had a guest waiting out front—the man must have grown impatient and sent Shuran over to scout the situation. Rising to his feet, he said, "I still have official business to attend to, so I won't linger. Once I have some free time in a couple of days, I'll come over to pay my respects to Elder Aunt-Grandmother."

Old Madam Jiang hastily replied, "You go right ahead; for men, official business always comes first, unlike us female family members who spend our time idling together."

Lin Jinglou then stood up, bowed in farewell, and walked toward the door. Suddenly halting his steps, he turned around and smiled, "There is one matter I almost forgot. This afternoon, Mother borrowed someone from me and still hasn't returned her. Now I'd like to take her back to my place together."

The smile on Lady Qin's face froze. That afternoon, Lin Dongxiu had brought her self-embroidered dowry pieces to show her. Lady Qin had felt the patterns were uninspired, remarking that Xianglan knew how to draw many fresh, novel designs, and had consequently summoned Xianglan to her rooms. With the subsequent arrival of guests and all the ensuing commotion, she had kept Xianglan detained in her quarters. Knowing she should have sent her back earlier, she was just about to say that Xianglan wasn't there when Lin Dongxiu abruptly chimed in: "Xianglan is right inside the inner rooms; I'll go call her." Without even looking at Lady Qin's expression, she walked straight back into the inner chamber on her own accord.

Xianglan was currently tracing a floral pattern at the kang table. As Lin Dongxiu entered, she pulled her by the arm and said, "Let's go, Big Brother is calling you out front."

Having heard the murmurs and laughter drifting from the front rooms earlier, Xianglan knew the Jiang family had arrived, and hesitated, saying, "This... wouldn't be appropriate. Fourth Young Miss, just tell them I'm not here; I'll go back once the guests have left."

Lin Dongxiu glared at her. "Why should you wait until they leave before stepping out? Are you some kind of shameful secret that can't be seen?"

Xianglan was momentarily stunned, then let out a bitter laugh.

Lin Dongxiu ground her teeth. "You have no idea—the Jiang family brought two girls here, and there's one called something Xiyun who is utterly detestable, everywhere striving to grab the spotlight and show off her competence. At a single glance, I could tell what kind of vixen she is. Hmph, everyone knows what they've come here for—their intentions are as transparent as Sima Zhao's plots, yet you choose to hide away right now." As she spoke, she looked Xianglan up and down. Seeing her dressed simply and plainly, she picked up a pair of scissors and snipped at a cluster of winter orchids in a nearby flowerpot, muttering, "I knew you should have dressed more brightly today. Let's start by cutting this flower for you to wear in your hair, and we can have someone send another pot later."

Xianglan hastily stopped her, her expression turning stern. "Stop messing around! Even if you cut them, I won't wear them!"

Giving Xianglan a look as if exasperated by her lack of fighting spirit, Lin Dongxiu snapped, "I'm doing this for your own good, but you treat my good intentions like a donkey's lung!"

Xianglan looked at Lin Dongxiu. Ever since arriving in the capital, Lin Dongxiu had grown much warmer toward her, and though she could tell the girl genuinely wanted to befriend her, it wasn't to the extent of standing up to fight her battles. Xianglan knew Lin Dongxiu's temperament well: the girl was arrogant and deeply envious. No doubt that Jiang Xiyun must have been exceptionally outstanding, striking precisely at Fourth Miss Lin's sorest nerve.

Pulling her along, Lin Dongxiu dragged her toward the outer room. With no other choice, Xianglan rose, straightened her clothes, and followed behind Lin Dongxiu, stepping out with her head lowered. She could hear the buzzing drone of conversation outside, but the moment she emerged from the inner doorway, the entire grand hall fell abruptly, dead silent.