Against the Current - Chapter 273

Chapter 273 - Orchid Poetry (Part 1)

Once everyone arrived, the Lin residence instantly became lively. After exchanging mutual greetings and introductions, Tan Luhua led Jiang Feiyun and the others toward the garden. Seeing Lin Dongqi arrive with her visibly pregnant belly, Madam Qin pulled her daughter over to settle her in the partitioned alcove. Complainingly, she muttered, "As the months progress and the weather grows this hot, why didn't you stay properly at home to rest? This is your first pregnancy, and it requires the utmost care, yet your husband is far too indulgent with you."

Sitting on the large kang, Lin Dongqi used a handkerchief to dab away the beads of sweat on her forehead and replied, "It's nothing serious. The fetus has already settled firmly, and walking around a bit more is actually better." After taking a sip of warm tea, she lowered her voice and asked, "Where is eldest brother? Has he returned? With the Emperor newly establishing a crown prince, father-in-law and my husband's minds are hardly at ease. Hearing that eldest brother has been in the imperial presence these past few days, they wanted to come over and sound out the situation. Coincidentally, I missed my mother dearly, so I accompanied my husband here."

Madam Qin hurriedly said, "Since you've come, stay for a few days before heading back." She added, "Your eldest brother returned last night, and even before dawn today, visitors at the front courtyard have been coming in an endless stream."

Lin Dongqi asked, "Both of the Jiang family girls are here. Could it be to arrange a match for eldest brother?"

Madam Qin replied, "This is also the wish of your grandfather and your father. Which one do you think is better?"

Lin Dongqi said, "Need you ask? Naturally, it's Fifth Sister Jiang. Her disposition is kind and deeply endearing; there is no one from top to bottom who doesn't praise her."

Madam Qin agreed, "Who is to say otherwise? Just her appearance and her manner of conducting herself leave very few young ladies who can compare to her."

While the mother and daughter were conversing in the room, Tan Luhua was busy bustling about the garden, entertaining and hosting her guests. Everyone was seated within the pavilion, where embroidered screens and brocade curtains had been set up around the edges. Inside and outside the pavilion, various species of orchids were displayed—blushing pink, goose-yellow, pale green, snowy white, and deep carmine. Each pot showcased its blossoming flowers, set off by lush, verdant leaves that made them appear all the more delicate and charming. On the tables were arrayed various fruits, preserved sweetmeats, and an assortment of exquisite pastries. Tan Luhua's face was glowing with rouge and powder, her hair adorned with a gold-threaded topknot, a large imperial-gold phoenix hairpin with dangling pearls, and a necklace of purest gold filigree links. She wore a crimson-red, soft silk mourning jacket edged with embroidered gold and pink chrysanthemum patterns, over a white pleated skirt embroidered with clusters of gourds, which lent her an even more striking elegance.

She was exceptionally skilled in welcoming and seeing off guests, and with Lin Dongwan and Jiang Feiyun adding lively chatter and amusement on the side, the atmosphere for the moment was harmonious and cheerful. Tan had long since heard of Jiang Feiyun's literary reputation, and now observing her closely, she noticed that although Jiang Feiyun's brows and eyes were lovely, she could not quite match Jiang Xiyun. With an oval face, bright eyes that danced with intelligence, and thin red lips, she wore her hair in an impeccably dignified matron's bun, adorned with a gold-inlaid jade pomegranate hairpin, a solid gold plum blossom hairpin, and various kingfisher-feather inlaid ornaments. Dangling from her earlobes were a pair of solid gold and red coral earrings, and she wore a pale green jacket patterned with a hundred butterflies threading through flowers, paired with a silver-red skirt featuring a ribbon-woven hem, while lightly waving a court fan. Her bearing was casual yet lavishly grand, setting her apart from the rest.

After the company had chatted and laughed for a spell, Tan Luhua saw that the cups, plates, and dishes had all been fully arranged, so she invited everyone to partake in the food and drinks. She then instructed Caiping and Caiming to post the poetry prompt on the pillars of the pavilion. When the guests went to look, they saw the topic inscribed: "Taking the orchid as the subject, compose a seven-character regulated verse with unfixed rhyme feet."

Tan Luhua smiled and said, "I pondered over this topic for several days, and thought that since the rhyme is unfixed, we should simply compose these for our own amusement." At that moment, Caifeng brought over a porcelain bowl containing several rolled-up paper balls. Tan Luhua announced, "The poetry prompts are all inside this bowl. Let us all draw lots; whichever one you draw, that is what you shall write. How does that sound?"

Before her voice had even faded, a young maid named Mengyin came running over to announce, "Aunty, the Elder Madam and Madam have arrived!" Everyone hurriedly stood up and saw Madam Qin supporting Jiang Mother's arm as the two of them walked over, chatting and laughing. They were surrounded by seven or eight maids, with Lin Dongqi walking behind, supported by two small maids, and Senior Sister Xia supporting Fangfei bringing up the rear.

Feeling a surge of reflected glory, Tan Luhua hurriedly stood up with a smile and said, "Why have the Elder Madam and Madam come over as well? Such refined interests you both have."

Jiang Xiyun, who already knew Lin Dongqi, smiled and said, "Second Elder Sister, walk a bit slower. Let me support you."

Madam Qin smiled. "The few of us were chatting in the rooms, and when we heard you were all gathered here playing, we came over to take a look. There is no need to stand on ceremony just because we've arrived; continue enjoying yourselves."

Everyone crowded forward to greet and support them. Under the dense shade outside the pavilion, a gold-inlaid carved couch inlaid with a hundred blessings and floating clouds pattern had been set up. Tan Luhua had long since ordered someone to lay down a thick mattress, covered on top with a phoenix-tail woven bamboo mat. First, they helped Jiang Mother to be seated. Jiang Mother went over to pull Lin Dongxi's hand, saying, "Good child, sit with me." Madam Qin went into the pavilion, first glancing at the dishes and then inspecting the poetry prompt posted on the pillar. She thought to herself, "Tan truly has some capability; no wonder the master chose her. Although her horizons are somewhat narrow, she is ultimately a cut above the other girls." With a smile, she remarked, "When I was a young maiden, I also formed literary societies with my sisters. You young girls carry on with your fun."

Knowing that Jiang Xiyun was the family's favored choice to arrange a marriage with Lin Jinlou, Lin Dongwan was naturally exceedingly attentive. Using a small dish, she personally picked out several varieties of pastries and fruits, and holding the plate up before Jiang Mother, she smiled and said, "Elder Madam, please taste this." Jiang Feiyun fetched a separate cup, saucer, and chopsticks, while Jiang Xiyun briskly ladled a plate for Madam Qin and personally poured wine, respectfully presenting them one by one.

Jiang Mother, Madam Qin, and the others ate, drank, and chatted merrily outside the pavilion for a while. Once the maids cleared away the leftover banquet and re-set the fine tea and dried fruits, Madam Qin dismissed the young girls to go and play. Presently, a maid named Hongjian returned to report, "Madam, the eldest master has arrived. He said he originally wished to pay his respects to Madam, but seeing that the female relatives are all gathered here, he feared it might be inconvenient. He has sent his distant respects to Madam from afar and is now heading to the front courtyard to receive guests."

Filled with delight, Madam Qin smiled and said, "Hurry and invite him over. We are all one family of relatives, what is there to fear?" She then smiled at the rest of the company, saying, "He is quite the wealthy master; now that he's here, we must make him foot the bill for this round of drinks."

Before her words had even settled, Lin Jinlou arrived to pay his respects and offer greetings to Jiang Mother and Madam Qin. Seated inside the pavilion, Jiang Feiyun looked him up and down, left and right, and upon seeing that Lin Jinlou possessed a heroic and imposing bearing, she could not help but nod inwardly.

Jiang Xiyun attentively poured a cup of tea for Jiang Feiyun, handed it over, and said, "The weather is hot, Eldest Sister, please drink a cup of cooling tea to dispel the summer heat."

Covering her mouth with her fan, Jiang Feiyun blinked at Jiang Xiyun and whispered, "Is this your future husband? He is truly something else."

Jiang Xiyun instantly lowered her head in shyness and murmured, "What are you talking about, Eldest Sister!" She cast a fleeting glance at Lin Jinlou from the corner of her eye before quickly pulling it back. This match was radiant and glorious in every conceivable aspect; if not for Chen Xianglan, it truly could be called absolute perfection.

Watching Jiang Xiyun's tender, blossom-like, and flushed face, Jiang Feiyun's gaze flickered as she murmured, "Among all us sisters, you are the most blessed in looks and disposition, and you always know how to be yielding in every matter. Although you and I were not born of the same mother, I have always regarded you as my very own sister. Originally, I felt that with your looks and temperament, if you didn't make a high match, it would simply be Heaven lacking eyes." She curled her lips into a smile and added, "Only now do I realize that Heaven is indeed fair."

Still blushing and somewhat flustered, Jiang Xiyun said, "What is Eldest Sister saying? What fairness or lack thereof? The marriage arrangements aren't even settled yet."

Seeing her brilliantly red little face looking exceptionally adorable, Jiang Feiyun could not resist pinching her cheek, and chuckled in a low voice, "You, you're just far too honest and obedient. I came here today precisely to give you a helping hand; your brother-in-law will be arriving shortly as well."

Seeing the two of them huddled together whispering and acting so intimately, Jiang Danyun felt a fresh surge of grievance. She let out a soft huff, and glancing once more at Lin Jinlou, her eyes welled up with a mist of tears as she turned her face away.

Having received pointers from Senior Sister Xia over the past few days, Lin Dongxi had developed much better tact than before. Taking in all the various behaviors of the Jiang family girls, she could not help a trace of sarcastic amusement showing on her face, and instead passed a cup of tea to Jiang Danyun.

At that moment, Tan Luhua produced a blue-and-white porcelain urn and smiled, saying, "The poetry prompts are all rolled into paper balls inside this urn. Everyone can simply draw a lot."

Lin Dongqi smiled and said, "You all go ahead and play; I won't go taxing my thoughts with this. Once you've written them out, I'll act as a judge."

Lin Dongwan also smiled, saying, "Since Second Sister isn't writing, I'll take a shortcut and be lazy too. Having spent these past few years wallowing in mundane affairs, about all I have left is the ability to pick up a brush and write a character. Besides, with the great talent Jiang here, there is no place for the rest of us to stand; displaying my clumsiness would be far worse than hiding my mediocrity."

Everyone laughed and said, "If you put it that way, none of us have a place to stand either."

Jiang Feiyun smiled. "If everyone says that, I truly won't have the face to sit here. I only came because I missed my grandmother and sisters, forcing myself to sit here shamelessly for a free meal. Who would have thought we'd have to write poetry besides? Since the Lin sisters aren't writing, what fun would it be for me to write alone? Why don't I paint a picture to match the poetry prompts? Later on, everyone can inscribe the poems beside the painting. Wouldn't that be both novel and interesting?"

Everyone showered her with praise. Hearing this, Tan Luhua smiled and said, "That's a wonderful idea! As it happens, there is a marvelous person in my eldest brother's quarters who is also adept at painting. You can just ask her for the pigments, brushes, and ink." With that, she stood up, looked at Lin Jinlou with a smile, and said, "Eldest Brother, you are far too stingy, keeping Sister Xianglan locked away in her room and not letting her come out. Otherwise, how much more fun it would have been to invite her to join us? Now we need to borrow the painting supplies from your place, so you mustn't hide them away anymore."

Lin Jinlou froze for a moment. As soon as Tan Luhua mentioned Xianglan, the hearts of a large portion of those present grew uneasy. Jiang Feiyun asked in a low voice, "Is this Xianglan the concubine whom Lin Jinlou dotes on so heavily?"

Jiang Xiyun furrowed her brows slightly and nodded.

Hearing this, Lin Jinlou laughed and said, "She's just that dull-natured sort. My sister-in-law even sent someone over personally with an invitation early this morning; when I told her to come, she only claimed she was feeling a bit unwell. Since sister-in-law has shown her such respect, we can't let her make excuses anymore." He looked toward Hongjian and instructed, "Then trouble you to make a trip and have her personally bring over the painting supplies."

Not daring to move, Hongjian merely cast a glance toward Madam Qin. Seeing Madam Qin give a slight nod, Hongjian smiled and said, "I guarantee I'll bring her here." She turned and left.

As it happened, Xianglan was currently in her room watching Deger practice his writing. Noticing a few items of clothing piled haphazardly on the corner of the kang, she asked Huashan, "What's going on with these clothes?"

Huashan curled her lip in disdain and replied, "These clothes need to be ironed. This was originally Chunling's chore, but these past few days she has become thick as thieves with the Jiang family miss's maid, refusing to do any work and running outside all day long. No doubt she's setting her sights on climbing a higher branch." Catching sight of Xianglan's stunned expression and noticing Xiaojuan standing behind Xianglan signaling to her, Huashan instantly regretted speaking so bluntly.

Xiaojuan hurriedly chimed in, "Well, in my view, she's just 'a blind man lighting a lamp—wasting wax.' Why should Mistress even pay her any mind?"

At that moment, Hongjian arrived to invite Xianglan to the pavilion, leaving Xianglan feeling rather troubled. Over the past few days, Tan Luhua had taken to constantly seeking her out for conversation. Finding it tedious to entertain her yet unable to politely refuse, Xianglan had used a "poetry society" as an excuse; true to form, Tan Luhua had been busy all day and rarely visited the Changchun Courtyard, allowing Xianglan to snatch a few days of leisure. Now that the noble ladies and misses were holding a poetry gathering in the front, how could there be any place for her to stand? Naturally, her instinct was to stay as far away as possible.

Reading Xianglan's thoughts, Hongjian persuaded her, "The eldest master invited you in person before the Elder Madam and Madam. If you don't go, wouldn't that cause him to lose face? Mistress, just go over for a turn, uphold the eldest master's face, and then come right back."

With no other choice, Xianglan settled Deger, gathered her writing brushes and stationery, and headed toward the pavilion.

By this time, everyone had already drawn their poetry prompts. Tan Luhua was clearly confident; after thinking for a moment, her brush flew across the paper in a flurry. Lin Dongxi wrote a few lines, felt they weren't good enough, and crumpled them up to rewrite, soon accumulating a pile of seven or eight paper balls at her feet. Jiang Danyun was lost in thought, staring intently at the orchids. Jiang Feiyun craned her neck to look at Jiang Xiyun's prompt; knowing that her younger sister was diligent in her studies of characters and reading, her poetry and prose skills were rather lacking, and she was too ashamed of her handwriting to let others see it, Jiang Feiyun wanted to cheat and help her. However, with people surrounding them on all sides, she had no way to intervene.

Seeing Jiang Xiyun staring blankly at her poetry prompt, Jiang Feiyun thought to herself, "This is bad. Madam Lin and Lin Jinlou are both right here; although writing poetry isn't a major affair, showing her shortcomings over this wouldn't look good at all." As she waved her fan, she suddenly noticed a young girl walking from not far away, dressed in a lotus-colored bright silk skirt embroidered with green orchids, carrying a tray holding various pigment cups and dishes. Struck by the girl's stunning looks and tranquil, elegant demeanor, Jiang Feiyun paused in surprise. Looking at Hongjian, she immediately understood who the newcomer was; then, glancing back at Xianglan and turning to look at Jiang Xiyun, she knitted her brows deeply.

Having just finished her poem, Tan Luhua looked up and saw Xianglan arrive. She hurriedly put down her brush and greeted her warmly, saying, "You've finally been coaxed here." She then introduced Xianglan to Jiang Feiyun.

Lin Dongxi also stood up with a smile and said, "Xianglan, sit by me and help me see if what I've written is any good."

Jiang Feiyun had long known that Lin Dongxi and Tan Luhua were two prickly characters, yet now both of them were treating Xianglan with such warmth. Surprised, she exchanged a glance with Jiang Xiyun.

Unwilling to linger, Xianglan made an excuse and said, "I'm going to pay my respects to Madam and the others." She walked over to where Jiang Mother and Madam Qin were seated. Jiang Mother wore a faint smile on her face, while Madam Qin asked Deger a few questions.

Lin Jinlou looked at Xianglan and said, "They are writing poetry, go join in the fun."

Xianglan replied, "Deger is all alone in the room, I can't ease my mind. I had better go back."

Lin Jinlou said, "The maids and nannies are all there, what is there to worry about? Go on and play." With that, he stood up, instructed Xianglan to follow him to the pavilion, and said to Tan Luhua, "Sister-in-law, where is that lot-drawing urn? Let Xianglan draw one."

Tan Luhua immediately ordered someone to bring out the urn. Though deeply reluctant, Xianglan raised her head and saw that although Lin Jinlou's face wore a smile, a faint trace of displeasure was already brewing beneath it. Not daring to defy his intentions, she drew a slip, unfolded it, and saw two characters written upon it: "Fragrant Orchid."

Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "Since this is a poetry society, we should naturally judge the superior and the inferior. I have a little trinket here to serve as the prize for first place." With that, he fished a jade pendant from his bosom—a piece of warm, lustrous jade carved in the shape of an orchid blossom.