Against the Current - Chapter 268

Chapter 268 - Five Maidens (Part 2)

This eastern side-chamber originally served as a parlor for receiving guests, but because Xianglan needed a study, Lin Jinlou had ordered the large brick-bed in the room dismantled and replaced with a large pearwood writing desk, alongside bookshelves and other furnishings. The lattice windows were covered with green gauze, and Xianglan had copied a painting by Zhao Mengfu titled "Mist and Clouds," alongside two pairs of couplets and a few scrolls of calligraphy. All of them were done in imitation of Mi Fu's handwriting, looking almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and were hung around the study. A Boshan censer shaped in small seal script sat on the desk, while a coral-red gold-traced brush holder adorned with bats clasping peaches was fully stocked with purple-bamboo brushes of various sizes. At the corner of the desk rested a crystal flower vase, constantly refreshed with seasonal fresh flowers; since it was summer, it was packed full of tuberoses, exhaling rich fragrances. There were also a large bronze tripod, an agate-and-huanghuali small folding screen, and other articles. A arhat bed was set beneath the window, with half a game of unfinished chess resting on the kang table. In another corner of the room stood a guqin, with several scores scattered loosely about. The entire room lacked vulgar luxury, possessing instead an extreme refinement and exceptional elegance.

Lin Jinlou also felt that this eastern side-chamber study was splendid, and had simply taken to bringing his official paperwork there to write in the evenings, bidding Xianglan to attend to him by his side. He found a distinct, romantic pleasure in having "red sleeves adding fragrance to the study," which explained why various scattered items belonging to Lin Jinlou were also left about the room.

As everyone entered the study, Jiang Danyun praised its elegance at first glance. Jiang Xiyun looked around; though she acknowledged its refinement and offered words of praise, she privately held a low opinion of women overly steeped in such scholarly arts, and thus felt deeply dismissive in her heart. Lin Dongxiu had already crowded around the writing desk to inspect the painting, pointing at the bamboo and remarking, "You've only painted a single stalk of bamboo—why not paint a few more clusters?" She continued unceasingly with her critiques, adding, "If you added a couple of bizarre rocks to this corner, wouldn't it have even more vibrant life?"

The two Jiang sisters also gathered around to look. Jiang Danyun had a modest grasp of painting and calligraphy; upon seeing the piece on Xianglan's desk, she was stunned for a long moment, then glanced at Xianglan and asked skeptically, "Did you... draw this?"

Lingqing was currently cleaning writing utensils nearby and replied upon hearing this, "Naturally, it was drawn by our Madam. In fact, this piece isn't even her finest work. Do you see that painting on the wall called 'Mist and Clouds'? That's also the Concubine's handiwork. When the Eldest Young Master first saw it, he was so shocked he asked how he didn't know there was an authentic work by the previous dynasty's Daoist Songxue in the household."

The group looked up toward the wall. As the saying goes, "Experts watch the technique, while laymen watch the spectacle." Jiang Xiyun merely felt the painting was exquisitely done, whereas Lin Dongxiu, who had studied painting, knew how immensely difficult such a work was. She smiled at Xianglan and said, "You are truly extraordinary. No wonder Eldest Brother hides his golden beauty away in the house every day, treating you like a precious treasure." As she spoke, she cast an intentional or unintentional glance at Jiang Xiyun.

Jiang Xiyun felt somewhat uneasy inside, though she let no trace of it show on her face, keeping her eyes cast downward as she looked around. She noticed several volumes of correspondence stacked on the desk, alongside military ledgers, as well as several volumes of travel essays, miscellaneous notes, and poetry collections mixed together. Picking up the miscellaneous essays to thumb through them, she saw that the volume contained annotations written in small regular script with fine hairpin strokes. Comparing the handwriting to that on the painting, she knew the books belonged to Xianglan. Hanging from the armrest of the arhat bed was a man's belt and a pair of casual loose-legged trousers worn around the house, alongside one of Xianglan's half-arm garments. On a begonia-wood side table, women's everyday small trinkets—such as folding fans, handkerchiefs, and jade bracelets—were scattered about. Since everyday items from both sexes were commingled in the main chambers like this, it was obvious that Lin Jinlou and Xianglan lived in constant, intimate proximity.

Xianglan had never expected that these three would actually enter the study, and thus had failed to tidy up in time. Seeing Jiang Xiyun looking around, she hurriedly signaled Lingqing with her eyes to gather up the items scattered outside. She then invited everyone to be seated and served tea. Lin Dongxiu picked up her teacup, glanced up, and let out a sudden giggle, saying, "Look at Younger Sister Danyun, everyone! She's completely bewitched by what she's seeing!"

As it turned out, Jiang Danyun was still staring fixedly at the "Mist and Clouds" painting, growing more and more startled the longer she looked. She thought to herself, Although the painting is an imitation, it differs from the original in subtle ways. She altered the color scheme of the mist and clouds, shifting from light yellow to pale purple, and her blending techniques are even more brilliant than the original. With brushwork and skill like this, not only could Eldest Sister never hope to match it, but it could even rival the imperial court's dedicated court painters. Looking back at Xianglan, a complex wave of jealousy and sourness welled up in her heart, an indescribable feeling.

Smiling, Jiang Xiyun stepped forward to pull Jiang Danyun down to sit beside her, while Xiaojuan and Huashan brought out trays to reset the fruit platter. Xianglan smiled and said, "Since you've come, please have something to eat. Do not disdain it."

Jiang Danyun picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked Xianglan, "Who did you learn painting from?"

Xianglan smiled. "When I was sickly in my childhood, I became a lay disciple under Abbess Danyi. She simply taught me a bit of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

Jiang Danyun said, "Abbess Danyi? How is it that I've never heard of such a painting-and-calligraphy nun?"

Xianglan replied, "She resided long-term in Jinling, and as a monastic who kept mostly to herself, her name naturally wouldn't be widely known."

Before she could finish her sentence, someone outside suddenly announced, "The Second Young Madam is here." Even as the words fell, Tan Luhua came swaying in with her fan. The moment she saw a room full of people seated in the eastern side-chamber, her eyebrows arched. Hiding her mouth behind her fan, she fake-smiled and said, "Oh my, what unfortunate timing. I really shouldn't have come at a moment like this."

Both Lin Dongxiu and Jiang Danyun wore awkward expressions, while Jiang Xiyun kept her head lowered. The moment Xianglan saw this, she knew there was more to the story than met the eye. She hastily stood up to offer a seat, smiling, "The Second Young Madam is busy, and usually we couldn't invite you even if we tried. What do you mean by 'unfortunate timing'?" At the same time, she covertly signaled Xiaojuan, who understood, nodded, and departed.

Tan Luhua said with a half-smile, "I'm afraid you're the only one willing to invite me. Others certainly wouldn't be pleased."

Lin Dongxiu asked, "What is that supposed to mean? I'm afraid I don't understand."

Tan Luhua merely offered a faint, cold smile and made no reply.

Seeing the chill in the atmosphere, Xianglan hurriedly urged everyone to partake in the fine tea and pastries. Tan Luhua picked a lotus-shaped pastry from a powdery-white gourd-shaped dish, took a bite, and immediately praised, "Are these pastries from the Zimei Zhai shop? The lotus pastries from that pastry shop are exceptionally rare and usually hard to buy. They only sell them for a brief period every day at the hour of Chen, fifty boxes at most, and if you miss out, you have to come earlier the next morning."

Xianglan smiled. "The younger maidservants went out to buy them this morning. Since the Second Young Madam enjoys them, I have more here—you can take them all with you later."

Tan Luhua smiled as well. "Then I won't stand on ceremony." She cast a glance at the Jiang sisters, then turned back to Xianglan, saying, "Sister Xianglan is indeed a person in Eldest Brother's quarters. We're talking about mere pastries after all, yet your demeanor is so magnanimous—you tower a head above those who style themselves as young ladies of noble families. No wonder Eldest Brother loves you so dearly."

As soon as these words left her mouth, Jiang Danyun's face immediately darkened. Jiang Xiyun's gaze grew slightly cold as she lowered her head to gently blow on her tea, while Lin Dongxiu pursed her lips and sat off to the side with a smile, looking like someone watching a good show.

Xianglan's heart rang with alarm bells. She understood that Tan Luhua was using her as a tool to elevate her while taking a disguised swipe at the Jiang family girls. Maintaining her composure, she smiled gracefully and replied, "They're just a couple of pastries; how can that show any real magnanimity? Second Young Madam is teasing me unmercifully with words like that. Tomorrow I'll go over to your quarters for a free meal—I'll simply have to eat a few fine meals to make up for these two pastries!"

Her playful tone coaxed a chuckle out of both Tan Luhua and Lin Dongxiu. Seeing Xiaojuan signaling her from the doorway, Xianglan stood up and said, "Please excuse me for a moment, everyone; I'll be right back." Stepping outside, Xiaojuan lowered her voice and reported, "I asked Caifeng. Earlier, the three young misses went to the Second Young Madam's quarters first. Because Second Uncle Jiang does business in Fujian, Jiang Xiyun brought along some Fujian local specialties to gift to the various households, and our quarters received some too. The Second Young Madam found them wonderful and asked if they had any more, to which Jiang Xiyun replied that she had already given them all away. But Fourth Miss has a loose tongue and let it slip during the conversation that the Fujian specialties the Jiang family had separately prepared for the Eldest Young Master and Third Young Master Ting were twice as lavish as those given to the Second branch's household. The Second Young Madam's expression immediately darkened, thinking the Jiang family looked down upon her and her husband. Fourth Miss then poured oil on the fire by saying, 'Second Sister-in-law, do not be angry. As the saying goes, "A goose feather sent a thousand miles carries deep feeling through a light gift." No matter the quantity, the sentiment is the same. Now that Sister Xi's second brother is going to Zhejiang to serve as an official, he will entirely depend on Eldest Brother and Second Uncle for support. Sending a bit more is only natural human feeling, wouldn't you say?' That made the Second Young Madam even angrier, and she ordered them out on the spot without listening to a single word of explanation, storming off in a huff. After wandering around outside for a bit, she came over to the Concubine's place. Who would have thought that adversaries are bound to cross paths?"

Hearing this, Xianglan felt a great deal of a headache. Over the past two years, her temperament had grown increasingly calm; even when others provoked or argued with her, she couldn't be bothered to retort. But with these four fierce Buddhas sitting in her room—Lin Dongxiu loving to instigate, Tan Luhua being no simple character, and the Jiang sisters being absolute heavyweights—it would be a miracle if they didn't start shouting at each other shortly.

Xianglan nodded and instructed, "I understand. You did well. There's still half a plate of pastries in the cabinet; take them and share them with the others." Returning inside, she stood just outside the bead curtain and heard Lin Dongxiu saying, "Alright, Second Sister-in-law, stop being angry. After all, you're all family relatives; it's not worth getting upset over a few things like this."

Tan Luhua sat in her chair, propping up her arm and offering a slight, cold smirk. "It's not about the things themselves. 'A man fights for his breath, just as a Buddha burns a stick of incense.' It's about dignity. Seeing that our Second Master is in frail health, they simply don't take us seriously, dividing even cheap local specialties into three distinct grades based on status and closeness. The Jiang family certainly has remarkable family discipline."

Jiang Danyun had originally wanted to watch Jiang Xiyun make a fool of herself, but upon hearing Tan Luhua drag the Jiang family's discipline into it—clearly wrapping her up in the criticism as well—she frowned, tugged at Jiang Xiyun's sleeve, and lowered her voice: "You too—how could you be so careless? If you were going to do that, you might as well not have given anything at all."

Jiang Xiyun set down her teacup and said deliberately, "The specialties Second Uncle had brought back from Fujian were shared equally among all of us sisters. Feeling that I was imposing on the hospitality by staying at the estate, and knowing the Fujian specialties were novel items, I took my own share and divided it among the Lin family brothers and sisters." At this point, she glanced at Jiang Danyun.

Xianglan understood the implication clearly and thought to herself, What she's really saying is: 'Since everyone got an equal share, I was the only one generous enough to give mine to the Lin family. Since you didn't contribute a single hair, what qualification do you have to mock me?' This Jiang Xiyun is truly formidable at her core.

True to form, Jiang Danyun's expression shifted, and she fell silent.

Jiang Xiyun continued lightly, "There were only a few types of items in total. The Lin family's First Madam received the largest share, and since the Eldest Cousin put forth effort for my second brother's affairs, I gave him a bit more. Furthermore, because Third Cousin-in-law Yingru—the wife of the Lin family's Third Cousin—and I were close friends in our maiden days, the portion I gave to the Third Cousin included her share. As for the Fujian specialties I gave to the Second Cousin, although the quantity was smaller, I supplemented them with two top-grade medicinal herbs to make up for it, along with an exceptionally fine piece of Hui ink. Those two items are far more precious than ordinary Fujian specialties. If my Cousin-in-law still wants Fujian specialties, I can always ask Second Uncle to bring back some more next time."

Xianglan thought to herself: What she means is that even though the Fujian goods given to the Second Master's side were smaller in quantity, they were made up for with other items so that they equaled everyone else's. Her words are completely airtight.

Tan Luhua sneered, "Never mind. Miss Xi is so generous and magnanimous, showing such filial piety and gentleness by sharing her own gifts with others—since she's so praised by the Madam, if I were to shamelessly beg for more, wouldn't I be lacking in tact? There's no need for the young lady to write any letters either. Caifeng! Go retrieve that portion of goods Miss Xi sent us, calculate their value in silver, and make up the difference so she can continue presenting her favors elsewhere."

Seeing that a quarrel was about to erupt, Xianglan hurried inside to mediate, only to see Jiang Xiyun looking at Lin Dongxiu—who was gazing at the scenery outside the window—and then at Jiang Danyun, who was drinking tea with lowered eyes. Jiang Xiyun suddenly assumed a look of profound difficulty and grievance, saying, "Oh, what is Second Cousin-in-law saying? Those two blocks of medicine are extremely rare tonic items. I specifically consulted the Madam, looked over Second Cousin's medical prescriptions, and made sure the medicinal properties wouldn't clash before sending them over. That piece of Hui ink was originally a gift from my father, who told me it was carved by a famous master; I treasured it like my own life, and only when I was joking with Sister Xiu and learned that Second Cousin loves collecting writing implements did I painstakingly send it over. For Second Cousin-in-law to speak this way truly pierces my heart."

These words left Tan Luhua's cheeks flushing red. Xianglan silently praised Jiang Xiyun as a master; her words could drive someone to fury without ever leaving a handle for them to grasp.

Xianglan shook her head. When she looked up again, her face was wreathed in spring-breeze smiles. She entered the room, sat down beside Tan Luhua, and said, "Second Young Madam, do not be angry. Miss Xi acted out of sincere affection; it was just a matter of words tripping over each other and failing to convey the meaning properly."

Tan Luhua yanked her hand away from Xianglan's grasp and sneered, "Who asked for your fake kindness!"

Lin Dongxiu watched the drama unfold with great glee, thinking to herself, Xianglan really is a fool. Can't she tell that Jiang Xiyun is the one the Madam has her sights on? She should just let them tear at each other's throats. Instead, she has to step out and play the peacemaker only to have her good intentions treated like donkey's liver and lungs. She signaled Xianglan with her eyes to stop interfering.

Xianglan pretended not to notice, pulling Tan Luhua back with a smile. "It was merely a misunderstanding just now. The Jiang misses are all guests invited by the Madam; if the young ladies happen to exchange a few sharp words, shouldn't the Second Young Madam—being both fair and magnanimous—step in to offer counsel and persuasion? There's no reason to let a misunderstanding upset yourself first. I know you suffered a grievance this morning, and your heart is still feeling stifled, which is why you haven't bounced back yet. Come sit with me in the inner area; I just had a garment cut out and haven't decided on a pattern yet. Second Young Madam has always had refined tastes, so come help me pick one out." As she spoke, she tugged her along while calling out, "Huashan, why aren't you coming over to help the Second Young Madam, and fetch those pattern designs I drew a few days ago for her to look over?"

This speech was tactful, comforting, and offered a graceful way out. Tan Luhua immediately felt her pride restored; she hadn't wanted to make a scene anyway, but had lacked a way to back down gracefully. Thus, she went along with the flow and allowed herself to be pulled away by Xianglan.

The three girls left in the room sat staring at one another in dismay. Before long, Xianglan re-entered, personally refilling their cups with tea, and smiled at Jiang Xiyun. "The Second Young Madam just speaks her mind without filtering it; Miss Xi shouldn't take it to heart. It really was just a misunderstanding caused by our words overlapping. Now that it's cleared up, we should all remain warm and amicable in the future."

Jiang Xiyun smiled, looking both charming and innocent as she replied, "Look at what Sister Xianglan is saying. It was my fault to begin with, for causing Second Cousin-in-law to grow angry."

The incident was thus brushed aside lightly and gracefully. The four individuals in the room tacitly avoided mentioning it again. Jiang Danyun curled her lips, lowered her head to take a sip of tea, and suddenly her gaze flickered. Through the doorway on the other side of the eastern side-chamber—the one leading to the rear bedchamber—she caught the faint outline of a man's blue satin court boots, along with the hem of a robe embroidered with sea-cliff patterns. The boots lingered for a moment before turning away and heading deeper into the bedchamber. Jiang Danyun's heart instantly began to thump wildly against her ribs. She knew that Lin Jinlou had returned.