Against the Current - Chapter 295

Chapter 295 - Outing (Part 2)

The carriage rolled slowly out of the gates and then came to a halt. Xianglan lifted the thick felt curtain and peered outside through the cloud-patterned window gauze, seeing over twenty guards clustering around Lin Jinlou as he mounted his horse. He wore a dark-colored feather-crepe fox-fur cloak and a heavy marten-fur cap on his head. Glancing toward the carriage, their eyes met; Lin Jinlou frowned slightly, as if reluctant to bother with her, then yanked on his reins to swing his horse's head around and headed outward. The guards also mounted their horses one after another, following closely behind Lin Jinlou as they escorted him away.

A moment later, Shuangxi trotted over with his hands tucked into his sleeves. His face was nearly frozen stiff, yet he managed to squeeze out a smile and offer a greeting through the carriage window. Xueying lifted the window flap, and Jixiang said, "This time, the Fourth Brother-in-law and Fourth Sister are taking Young Master Deger along to view the plum blossoms as well."

Xianglan hadn't seen little Deger in days, and hearing this instantly brought a wave of delight. She leaned toward the window and asked eagerly, "Really? In such cold weather, is it alright for a child to be out?" Then she smiled, "Thank you for taking the special trip to tell me." With that, she fished out a handful of coins and told Xueying to give them to吉祥 (Jixiang), adding, "The weather's cold, buy some wine to warm up."

Shuangxi didn't honestly care much about a dozen copper coins, but having this bit of standing before the concubine whom the Eldest Master favored so deeply was rare indeed. Beaming all over with delight, he babbled eagerly, "The Eldest Master was the one who instructed this lowly one to tell the concubine."

Xianglan paused in surprise, and Shuangxi grinned broadly as he continued, "The Eldest Master also told this lowly one to let the concubine know that she should enjoy herself to the fullest once we arrive at the destination. However, since we'll be heading out onto the streets later where there'll be people of all sorts, he asks that the concubine keep the curtains closed so as not to be seen by irrelevant folks."

Hearing this, Xianglan looked up and gazed forward. Lin Jinlou was sitting tall in the saddle, his broad figure straight and upright like a pine tree. She curled her lip in silent derision, thinking, I've finally managed to get out for once, yet even if someone catches a glimpse through the window gauze it wouldn't be clearly seen. He's more fussy than an old nanny—such a difficult master to please. With a sharp tug, she dropped the curtain down.

Jixiang had been standing off to the side with his hands tucked into his sleeves the whole time. Seeing Shuangxi rub his nose, he chuckled quietly, "Well? Did the concubine not give you a pleasant look?"

Shuangxi pushed him away, muttering, "Go on, go on, young master here has enough on his mind."

Jixiang gave the back of his head a light smack and chided, "Getting a bit full of yourself, are you? I'm your older brother—how dare you call yourself 'master' in front of me? You blind fool, the concubine hasn't stepped foot outside the estate ever since she arrived in the capital, so her spirits are high right now. For you to pass along that kind of message from the Eldest Master, weren't you just asking to sour her mood? The concubine is the apple of the Eldest Master's eye. Lately, with all the official business our master has on his plate, he's forcefully pushed it aside, venturing out in this freezing weather just to coax a smile from the concubine... You'd better learn a thing or two fast. Look at Guiyuan—though he's a few years younger than you, he's sharp-witted and knows how to read people's expressions. He acknowledged Xiaojuan as his foster sister, and now all matters concerning the concubine outside the inner courtyard are handled entirely by him. Not long ago, the concubine quietly purchased a small estate, and I hear she's let him manage that as well."

Shuangxi asked in astonishment, "When did that happen? Tsk tsk, wasn't the concubine sick in bed until recently?"

"Tsk tsk, you shouldn't underestimate her. Without some real capability, could the Eldest Master be wrapped around her finger like this? After all that trouble with the Jiang family, I heard they had to cough up a massive sum of silver in compensation. She's a clever one, all right—she bought a small estate and had Guiyuan set things up."

"Does the Eldest Master know about this?"

"How could he not? What the concubine doesn't know is that the estate belonged to the Eldest Master in the first place; he transferred it to her at a discounted valuation."

"Then why not just gift it outright to the concubine? That would have pleased her even more."

"Tsk, you really do have a pig's brain. Would a person of the concubine's pride ever accept that? By half-gifting it to her this way, once she figures out the truth down the road, who knows how deeply touched she'll be? How could she not appreciate the Eldest Master's tender thoughtfulness?" Jixiang glared at his younger brother. "Look at you, you were born with a clever-looking face just like mine for nothing!"

For a while, all was quiet. The carriage swayed rhythmically, and sitting inside with a hand warmer clutched in her arms, Xianglan felt a creeping drowsiness take hold. Having woken up early that morning, she grew increasingly sleepy, drifting in and out of slumber as the carriage rocked along. When she woke up again, she saw Xueying untying a silk pouch, dropping two banana-leaf-shaped osmanthus-scented tablets into the hand warmer, replacing the lid, and tucking it back into Xianglan's lap. Xianglan realized that at least an hour had already passed. She lifted the curtain once more to look outside, noticing that they had long since left the city behind. A squad of guards trotted alongside the carriage, accompanied by local yamen runners and bailiffs who had been specially dispatched to provide armed escort along the route.

Another two cups of tea's worth of time later, they arrived at the foot of a mountain, where an elegant and sprawling estate came into view. The estate steward, Xu Fu, was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing the party arrive, he hurried forward to kowtow before Lin Jinlou, calling out, "This lowly one welcomes the Eldest Master." He shouted a rapid stream of orders for servants to take the horses and first guide the carriage inside.

Xianglan stepped down from the carriage, and a group of older women immediately rushed forward to usher her indoors. The bedchamber had already been thoroughly warmed with a heated brick bed (kang), while two additional braziers burned with fine silver charcoal, and lotus-shaped censers diffused sweet suhe incense, making the room as warm and balmy as spring. Xianglan let out a long sigh of relief as Xueying removed her heavy cloak and poured her a cup of tea. Having been rattled along the bumpy carriage ride, Xianglan's waist and legs ached, and she walked over to sit down on the edge of the kang. Before long, Lin Jinlou walked in. Having already discarded his cloak and hat, he carried a thick stack of official documents in his hand as he said, "It was far too cold this morning, so we'll head out a bit later after it warms up a bit, and also wait for Fourth Sister and the others. You rest for a bit first and get warm." With that, Lin Jinlou sat down at the kang table and buried himself in his documents. He worked for God knows how long, until the sound of commotion and children's laughing voices drifted in from outside—evidently, the Marquis of Yongchang and his family had arrived.

Lin Jinlou rubbed the bridge between his brows and raised his head, only to discover that Xianglan had already drifted off to sleep leaning against the head of the kang. Her head was tilted, her body curled slightly, and her smooth, snow-white face was flushed with a faint rosy hue. Her tender red lips were parted ever so slightly, and her features possessed a natural, serene innocence—like a delicate sculpture carved from fine white jade, she looked truly like a being made of purest jade. Lin Jinlou couldn't help smiling, a deep softness stirring within his heart. Moving with utmost care so as not to wake her, he drew a quilt over Xianglan and tucked it around her.

Xueying peeked in cautiously as she carried in a cup of tea. Seeing Lin Jinlou gently tucking the quilt over Xianglan, she quickly retreated with quiet tact, thinking to herself, The Eldest Master is so accustomed to ordering everyone around—when has he ever humbled himself like this, going to such lengths for a woman? Then she shook her head, reflecting that Chen Xiulan had not had an easy path, somehow managing to endure and claw her way up to this very point.

At the slight rustle of movement, Xianglan blinked sleepily and opened her eyes, finding Lin Jinlou gazing right down at her. "Awake?"

Lin Jinlou was habitually aloof, fierce, and overbearing, but right now the expression on his face was intensely tender, carrying an unspoken depth of emotion. Xianglan was momentarily struck speechless. Staring blankly at him for a good while, she didn't dare meet his gaze any longer and propped herself up with her hands to rise. The moment she lifted her head, Lin Jinlou pulled her firmly into his embrace, pressing his lips down to kiss her. He carried the familiar scent of pine wood, peppermint, and soap—a fragrance Xianglan knew all too well. For so long, night after night, this very scent had filled her pillows. From her initial panic and helplessness, she had grown accustomed to it over time. This tyrant was so formidable, branding layer upon layer of his mark into her heart and bones until the past, her husband from her previous life, and even Song Ke—for whom she had held a forbidden longing in this life without any hope of a future—all slowly faded into blurred, indistinct shadows. He had saved her time and time again, yet humiliated her time and time again as well. To this day, he remained the very shackle that imprisoned her, yet he also stepped forward to shield her from wind and rain whenever she was most terrified and forlorn.

For reasons unknown, a sudden wave of sorrow washed over Xianglan. Her throat tightened as if blocked, and hot tears spilled instantly down her cheeks. Hesitating for a long moment, she finally raised her arms and wrapped them around Lin Jinlou's shoulders. Lin Jinlou gave a start, his heartbeat abruptly accelerating until it thumped wildly against his ribs like a trapped rabbit. He lifted his face and murmured softly, "What is it? What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you simply too happy?" Without waiting for her to answer, he brushed the tears from her face with both hands and kissed her again.