Against the Current - Chapter 269

Chapter 269 - Five Maidens (Part 3)

Just then, Mother Xia arrived with a maidservant in tow, and Xianglan hurried forward to invite her in. Mother Xia said, "I have come to escort the Fourth Young Miss back."

Lin Dongxiu coaxed pleadly, "Good Mother, all the sisters are still here—let me enjoy myself a while longer."

Xianglan then said, "Let us chat a little longer; Mother can go rest in the next room for a moment. The Second Young Madam is also in there picking out pattern designs."

Mother Xia thought to herself privately, The Lin family First Madam's intentions are twofold: first, for me to instruct the Fourth Young Miss, and second, for me to observe the character and deportment of the two Jiang girls. It would be far better to stay a while longer and observe more closely, so as to live up to the family's heavy trust and that most generous reward of silver. With this thought in mind, she gave her assent, and guided by Lingqing, she made her way over to Tan Luhua's room.

At that moment, Jiang Danyun suddenly stood up and walked over to the zither resting horizontally in the corner of the room. Plucking the strings lightly with her fingertips, she smiled at Xianglan and asked, "This zither is quite fine; might I try playing a piece?"

Xianglan smiled politely. "Since Dan Young Miss has such refined tastes, we will also have the good fortune to listen."

With a reserved and dignified expression, Jiang Danyun seated herself and struck a few notes. After tuning the strings, she began to play in earnest. The notes flowed like drifting clouds and running water, resembling the plaintive call of a solitary wild goose in the distance. Executing plucks, picks, hooks, and slurs with effortless mastery, she pushed the technical brilliance of the piece to its absolute limit as she performed "Wild Geese Descending on a Sandy Beach."

Xianglan thought to herself: Jiang Danyun truly plays an exceptional zither. "Wild Geese Descending on a Sandy Beach" is an exceedingly difficult piece, yet she commands it with such exquisite precision. It is abundantly clear that she has studied it with great care.

As the song came to an end, everyone present clapped and burst into praise.

Jiang Danyun's cheeks were flushed with a delicate warmth, but she kept glancing toward the doorway. Not seeing Lin Jinlou standing outside, a subtle trace of disappointment welled up within her. Jiang Xiyun, unaware that Lin Jinlou had returned, found it rather odd to see her sister continuously gazing out the entrance. At that moment, Lin Dongxiu gave her a gentle nudge and said, "Sister Dan plays so wonderfully, and Sister Xi's skills must surely be non-standard as well. Why don't you play a tune for us to hear?"

Jiang Xiyun smiled and declined, saying, "Fourth Sister is by far the most accomplished among us sisters when it comes to the zither. My own skills are clumsy; rather than making a clumsy display, it is better to remain silent and keep my flaws hidden."

When Lin Dongxiu continued to urge Jiang Xiyun to play a piece with every manner of persuasion, Jiang Xiyun simply smiled and refused each attempt. Jiang Danyun took a sip of tea, looked over at Xianglan, and with a smile that was not quite a smile, asked, "Sister Xianglan has a zither displayed in her room, so she must surely be well-versed in musical temperament as well. Why don't you play a tune for us to hear, too?"

Seeing the underlying provocation hidden on her face, Xianglan couldn't be bothered to exchange more polite pleasantries or refuse. "My playing naturally cannot compare to Dan Young Miss's," she said, "but I can play a small piece just to join in the fun and amuse everyone." With those words, she seated herself and played a brief, delicate composition. The melody was exceptionally serene, pure, and distant; while her fingering lacked complex elaboration, it possessed a distinct and charming character of its own.

Once the piece was finished, the company could not stop praising her either. Jiang Danyun covered her mouth with a light giggle and remarked, "It really is quite nicely played indeed," though her eyes held a trace of undisguised disdain, and her expression was filled with smug self-satisfaction.

Xianglan merely smiled faintly. In her past life, the Shen family had engaged a master of supreme zither skill to instruct the household, and she had been fully capable of playing "Wild Geese Descending on a Sandy Beach." In this lifetime, however, her skills had long since grown rusty, so she preferred playing simple, fresh little tunes purely for her own amusement.

Presently, Lingqing and Lingsu re-entered to reset the fruit platter. As Lingqing stepped back out, she murmured quietly in Xianglan's ear, "The Eldest Young Master has returned. He says Madam should attend to her guests and not worry about him; he will be leaving shortly."

Xianglan nodded. She saw that Lin Dongxiu had once again seated herself by the zither to pluck the strings, while Jiang Danyun had crowded over beside her. The two of them were presently discussing the five notes and six rhythms, and a moment later critiquing the relative difficulties of various regional schools in playing "Guangling San," matching each other's pace quite harmoniously. Relieved, Xianglan turned and headed into the inner warming pavilion to soothe Tan Luhua and converse with Mother Xia.

Sitting alone in the outer room, Jiang Xiyun felt thoroughly bored. Back at home, their family had engaged a tutor well-versed in musical theory to teach the sisters how to play the zither. After following along for a good while, she had grown dizzy and lightheaded just listening to the five notes of gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu alongside dozens of intricate fingering methods, and she had completely lost interest. Furthermore, she felt that people of refined tastes who truly appreciated the ancient zither were few and far between; as a mere concubine-born daughter of the household, learning such skills had no practical use anyway, so she had simply cast it aside. Sipping her tea, she glanced up and saw Lin Dongxiu playing "Three Variations of Yangguan." Though the melody was broken and stuttering rather than smooth, it still bore a recognizable shape. Finding the entire scene excruciatingly dull, Jiang Xiyun stood up and strolled out into the courtyard to dispel her restlessness.

Because guests had arrived at Changchun Hall, the prominent senior maidservants were all away attending to them, leaving only an occasional young maid wandering the courtyard. Jiang Xiyun noticed exotic grasses and immortal vines planted about the courtyard, accompanied by a few jagged rockery stones and framed by various colorful peach, plum, and crabapple trees, creating a scene of elegant scenery. As she strolled leisurely toward the backyard, she came upon layer upon layer of overlapping artificial hills, alongside several clumps of wild orchids and potted arrangements of diverse orchid varieties.

She stood there quietly, unaware that Mother Xia's little maidservant, Fangfei, was over on one side behind the rockery plucking balsam flowers to dye her fingernails. Even more unaware was she that a window of the bedchamber looked directly out toward this very spot, and that Lin Jinlou was leaning against the low couch, half-hidden behind soft gauze curtains where he could see her clearly. Lin Jinlou half-squinted as he appraised her: Jiang Xiyun possessed an extremely fair complexion and used neither powder nor rouge. Her raven-black hair contrasted sharply against a bright, delicate, and pretty face. Looking further down, he noticed her hands were plump and rounded, and her physique full and well-proportioned—a stark contrast to Xianglan's slender, willow-like fingers and impossibly slender waist.

Jiang Xiyun peered slightly into the backyard, then paused, turned around, and began walking back. Just then, she ran straight into her personal maidservant, Ruoqing, who was hurrying toward her. Ruoqing asked, "Why are you out here, Miss?"

Ruoqing replied, "I was worried you might be feeling overheated inside, so I came to bring you a vial of Xuejindan pills."

Jiang Xiyun smiled. "You are certainly thorough, though it isn't nearly that hot out here." As she spoke, she accepted the small vial of pills.

Ruoqing looked around and asked, "Why is the Young Miss out here?"

Jiang Xiyun sighed. "Those two inside are deep into a discussion about the different playing styles of 'Guangling San.' It was dreadfully dull, so I came out to get some air."

Ruoqing chuckled softly. "You've never cared for those sorts of things anyway. Earlier, when the family invited that music tutor over, you would grow drowsy and fall asleep after listening for even a moment."

Jiang Xiyun remarked, "What use are poetry, prose, the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting to a young woman in the inner chambers? They can't be eaten as food. If I were a man, studying such things might help me carve out a career and pass the imperial examinations. But I am a woman; am I supposed to be like the Eldest Sister and chase after the hollow reputation of a talented woman? Eldest Sister gained fame and managed to marry a high-ranking husband, but if I study these things, I'll probably just end up being someone's concubine."

Puzzled, Ruoqing asked, "I don't quite understand what the Young Miss means."

Jiang Xiyun explained, "The things young girls in the deep courtyard study from childhood are all meant for one purpose: marrying into a household later on. Whether it's needlework, household management, or literacy and bookkeeping, they are all meant for practical everyday life so one can manage the inner household for a husband. Even when someone becomes a talented lady who writes poetry and composes verse like Eldest Sister, it is merely for a pleasant reputation so she can select a better husband. But Eldest Sister crawled out of the First Madam's own womb, so naturally she made a high match with the eldest legitimate son of the Loyal and Brave Earl. I don't have such good fortune; even if I learn all these flashy trinkets, I could never surpass Eldest Sister. I'd be much better off mastering practical needlework. Having a specialized skill means I have something to lean on while also earning a good reputation—why wouldn't I do that?"

Ruoqing laughed and said, "Oh, my dear Miss, no wonder the Old Madam is always praising you for having the sharpest mind in the household. You've stated the principles of this entire world to absolute perfection."

Just as they were speaking, Xianglan came out looking for them, and Jiang Xiyun followed her back inside.

At that moment, Lingqing entered to bring a hot damp towel to Lin Jinlou. Seeing him reclining on the arhat bed and stroking his chin while lost in thought, she did not dare disturb him, and quietly withdrew on tiptoes.

Lin Jinlou stood up, walked over to the bed, and lifted the bed curtains. Deger was fast asleep inside, covered by a small diamond-patterned quilt, his little cheeks flushed red from sleep. Lin Jinlou picked Deger up and used the warm towel to wipe his face. The little boy woke up, rubbing his eyes with his small hands while still wearing a thoroughly drowsy expression.

Lin Jinlou murmured near Deger's ear, "Stop sleeping. Do a little chore for your uncle, and there will be a heavy reward waiting for you when you return."

Half-asleep and half-awake, Deger mumbled, "I'm so sleepy, let me sleep a little longer..."

"Tsh, you silly child, I already told you there's a heavy reward. Later on, I'll take you out horse riding."

The moment Deger heard the words "horse riding," he snapped wide awake, his eyes opening as round as saucers.

Back in the parlor, Jiang Danyun and Lin Dongxiu had spent some time discussing zither techniques, and Jiang Danyun had subsequently played several more pieces. Seeing that Jiang Xiyun did not appear particularly interested, Xianglan smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere and instructed the maidservants to brew a strong pot of tea for everyone. Just as Jiang Xiyun was thinking of taking her leave, Jiang Danyun—knowing Lin Jinlou was present and eager to show off her talents while she was feeling self-satisfied—was unwilling to leave. Noticing a set of purple-clay banana-leaf landscape tea utensils displayed on a corner table, she said, "Sister Xianglan has this complete set of items in her room, so she must surely understand the art of tea appreciation. Though I am untalented, I am also slightly versed in it. How about we engage in a tea-whisking competition just for fun?"

Jiang Xiyun pressed a hand to her forehead, thinking to herself: Fourth Sister, even if you are desperate to marry Lin Jinlou, there is no need to corner his beloved concubine like this. Seeing that your painting skills fell short, and your zither skills were only slightly superior, you are now desperately trying to crush her and assert absolute dominance, and now you want to compete in this too. The more you want to marry into this family, the more you should be cozying up to his favorite concubine; otherwise, a few whispered pillow-words from her would be enough to make you miserable.

Xianglan smiled and said, "Dan Young Miss is truly a refined person, whereas I know nothing of tea competitions. I merely saw this set in the storeroom and recalled the elegant historical accounts of Tang and Song dynasty tea-whisking from books, so I put them out simply to imitate refinement."

Jiang Danyun waved her folding fan and chuckled lightly. "What a pity then. Tea-whisking and tea competitions are skills very few people master these days; I thought I had finally met a kindred spirit."

Lin Dongxiu, who held a certain degree of fondness for Xianglan, frowned upon hearing this and opened her mouth to speak, but Xianglan quietly pulled at her sleeve, leaving Lin Dongxiu with no choice but to clamp her mouth shut. At that exact moment, the sound of light pattering footsteps echoed, and a small child pushed aside the door curtain, revealing a round, chubby, slightly tanned little face. He peered around the room, his eyes quickly landing on Xianglan, and softened his voice as he called out, "Aunt Lan."

Upon seeing him, Xianglan was both startled and delighted. She hurriedly stood up, stepped forward, and took Deger by the hand, leading him into the room as she asked, "Weren't you said to be ill? Why aren't you resting at home instead of running out?"

Deger crawled up onto the arhat bed by himself and piped up, "I had a fever last night, but by daytime I was already better. My father went out to the capital suburbs on official business, and Uncle Lin said I should come stay here for a few days."

Xianglan was both pleasantly surprised and touched. She reached out to feel Deger's forehead, then instantly began wondering what kind of delicious treats she should give him. After bustling about for a moment, she remembered her manners and introduced him to the rest of the company: "This is the youngest son of the Yongchang Marquis, little Master Deger."

A rather awkward expression crossed Lin Dongxiu's face. Knowing the Jiang sisters were quietly watching her, she stepped forward, swallowed her internal discomfort, forced a smile, and reached out to stroke Deger's cheek as she said, "What a fine, handsome child."

Deger felt a bit shy, lowered his head, and remained silent. Then, seemingly remembering something, he raised his head, looked straight at Xianglan, and asked, "Aunt Lan, let me ask you: if zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting can't be eaten or drunk, what use is there in studying them?"

Xianglan froze in her tracks. Over in the adjacent room, Mother Xia was just raising her teacup to her lips; upon hearing those words, her hand instantly came to a dead stop.