Against the Current - Chapter 312

Chapter 312 - Illness (Part 3)

In the evening, the old master sent an elderly servant woman to summon one of the attendants from Lin Jinlou's quarters. Seeing that Shuran was absent, Xianglan instructed Xuening to go instead. Presently, Lady Qin came over in person and, finding Lin Jinlou asleep, sat down in the side room to talk with Xianglan. Before long, Lin Jinlou woke up. After checking with Xianglan, Xiaojuan scooped out a bowl of the soup simmering on the small stove and brought it over to feed Lin Jinlou. With a frown on his face, Lin Jinlou took a single sip before swatting the bowl aside, nearly tipping it onto the floor, and said with a dark expression, "Is this how you serve people?! There's a strange taste in the soup and you still dare to bring it over! Clumsy to this degree, do you lot just eat your keep all day long and know nothing else?"

Xiaojuan had already felt apprehensive about taking on this task, and seeing Lin Jinlou looking like a fierce guardian deity, she couldn't help losing her nerve. Standing with her head hung low to the side, she heard Lin Jinlou bark, "Just standing here like you're reporting a funeral? Get out of here at once." Hearing this, she scrambled to grab the bowl and fled in a hurry. Lady Qin and Xianglan heard the commotion, and Lady Qin said to Xianglan, "Don't mind me, go check on him first." Xianglan hurried out to find Xiaojuan standing outside the bedroom with reddened eye rims, and asked, "What's the matter?"

Xiaojuan looked profoundly aggrieved and said, "The Eldest Master complained that the soup wasn't good and had a strange taste. This is medicinal diet, a broth brewed to nourish qi and enrich the blood—it's just supposed to taste like this..."

Xianglan squeezed her hand comfortingly and, seeing that Lady Qin was not around, spoke softly, "That's just his temper. Didn't you see how Lingqing and Lingsu got chewed out head-to-toe earlier today? The small kitchen prepared a deboned eight-treasure chicken that's cooked until it's tender and glutinous; a while ago they tore off some leg meat and boiled a pot of porridge with eight-treasure fruits and vegetables for the Eldest Master to eat, and there's still a good deal left. Take it back later for you all to share." She added, "Go scoop another bowl of soup, but don't let him catch sight of you again—have Huanshan bring it in instead." With that, she walked back into the bedroom to find Lin Jinlou lying restlessly on the bed, his dark face glum as he picked at the tassels on the quilt with one hand. Xianglan walked over, first touched his forehead, and leaned down to ask, "Where does your body feel uncomfortable?"

"Where did you go? Why weren't you here just now? Letting that round-faced maid wait on me when you know perfectly well how clumsy she is?"

"The Mistress was here just now, and I was speaking with her."

"There's no shortage of people to keep the Mistress company. Next time, send Shuran, and you stay here to keep me company."

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything? I'm talking to you!"

"...... How old are you? Even young Master De wasn't this wearisome when he was sick."

Lin Jinlou stubbornly kept silent. Though his complexion cleared up slightly, his face remained gloomy. Pretending not to notice, Xianglan wrung out a hand towel from a silver basin. This silver basin was something the old master had specially sent someone to craft; it was made by cutting large sheets of silver and riveting them together over a wooden core, designed to keep the washing water warm a little longer during the winter. The basin was filled with a specially brewed medicinal decoction, and Xianglan first wrung out a towel to wipe the bruised areas on Lin Jinlou's body, then wrung out another to apply to his afflicted spots. She used a separate porcelain basin filled with clean water and another towel to wash and refresh his face. By this time, Huanshan had already brought in a red-lacquered, gold-inlaid tray decorated with mother-of-pearl, upon which sat a shallow-mouthed lotus porcelain bowl with a white base and swirling cloud patterns.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Xianglan took the bowl, blew away the steam rising from it, and said to Lin Jinlou, "Would you like some soup? It's brewed from top-quality medicinal herbs, with lily bulbs and bamboo fungus added in, along with several special kinds of tofu from Juwei Zhai, simmered until it's exceptionally fragrant. Won't you drink a little?"

"What's good about it," Lin Jinlou complained. "I'm lying here unable to move at all. Earlier it wasn't hurting much, but now that I've woken up, even taking a breath hurts like the devil. I'm sick of being stuck in bed all the time; it's hot, I'm tired, and I want..."

Xianglan went to inspect the wound on his chest again and said, "It looks somewhat better, and there's no suppuration. It's likely just that the effects of the medicine have worn off, which is why you're feeling the pain now. I'll have the imperial physician come examine you in a little while." With that, she fetched clean, fine linen strips and re-dressed the wound for him. Picking up the bowl, she urged, "Drink it. It will get cold if we leave it any longer. Drink this soup, and you can have meat porridge later."

Lin Jinlou looked at Xianglan. Under the candlelight, her expression was soft and tranquil, her appearance like jade, her eyelashes like thick folding fans, though her face still bore some purplish, swollen bruising. As he gazed at her, his voice suddenly softened as he asked, "Did you apply ointment to your face? There are still several boxes of top-tier ointment in the bedside cabinet, straight from the imperial palace, even marked with goose-yellow slips. Once we're back in Jinling, I have an even more precious salve there—the kind not even the imperial palace possesses."

Xianglan thought for a moment before replying, "I know of that one. When I first came in as a maidservant, Zhao Yuechan splashed a cup of hot tea right across my face, and the Eldest Master rewarded me with a box of it then."

At that, Lin Jinlou fell silent, allowing Xianglan to feed him the soup spoonful by spoonful, enduring the unpalatable medicinal taste for her sake. Presently, Lingqing and Lingsu brought in a heated kang table, upon which sat a bowl of porridge accompanied by four small dishes of side dishes. Xianglan fed him a bowl before having the remaining dishes cleared away. Hearing him repeatedly complain of the heat, she moved the brazier away from the bedside and used silver chopsticks to remove a couple of pieces of charcoal, saying, "The imperial physician will be here shortly to check the Eldest Master's wounds again... I know you're suffering, but you mustn't give the physician attitude again or start shouting..." She stood up as she spoke, poured a fresh cup of tea for him to rinse his mouth, and held the spittoon so he could tilt his head and spit out the tea water. She continued, "Eldest Master, that temper of yours... you really ought to change it. No matter what harsh things are said, a person's teeth are hard while the tongue is soft; when old age comes, the teeth gradually fall out one by one, yet the tongue remains. That shows how softness endures, while hardness loses out in the end. All sorts of virtues can sometimes be utterly ruined by a single remark..." She stole a glance at Lin Jinlou and, seeing no sign of anger on his face, felt reassured enough to continue advising, "When you get angry and fly into a rage, it's because your heart is running wild like an unbridled horse. Being able to tame and master this heart of yours is better than commanding tens of thousands of troops. Speaking thoughtlessly in anger is what hurts people the most. As the saying goes: 'A kind word in winter brings three months of warmth, while a harsh word in June chills you to the bone,' and 'A good heart with a bad mouth will see all its wealth and honor chipped away.'"

"You certainly have the nerve to lecture me, as if your own temper isn't stubborn. You smell like a rock in a latrine, and for all that you grew up with good looks, a single word from you could make my heart, liver, and lungs ache—have you forgotten all about that?"

Xianglan poked at the coals in the brazier, looked back with a small smile, then turned away to sigh, "When I returned to secular life from the nunnery, my master pointed out that I had a 'stubborn and unyielding temper.' At the time, I thought it was a compliment and felt quite pleased with myself. Thinking back on it now, I remember the look of sorrow on my master's face when she said those words; I suppose her old ladyship had long since foreseen that I would suffer many hardships because of that very flaw... But now I am slowly changing."

Lin Jinlou watched Xianglan's profile, his lips moving, but not a single word came out. A heavy, suffocating ache gripped his heart. Being a man of extraordinary cleverness, he knew that a good half of the hardships Xianglan had suffered were likely tied directly back to him.

Lady Qin had been standing by the doorway all this while, parting the curtain just enough to peer inside. Seeing her son staring fixedly at the young woman without even blinking an eye, his gaze following every movement whenever Xianglan stood up to do something, she dropped the curtain and stood there in silence.

Before long, the imperial physician arrived. After examining Lin Jinlou, he wrote out a new prescription, added another ointment to be applied to the affected areas, and declared there was nothing seriously amiss before taking his leave. When Lady Qin came in to check on her son, Lin Jinlou said to Xianglan, "Have you had your dinner yet? Go eat quickly; I don't need you here for the moment."

Xianglan went out to partake of her meal. The maidservants had brought four dishes of soups and vegetables, a bowl of glistening, translucent japonica rice, a small plate of milky sweet pastries, and a bowl of blood-nourishing, qi-tonifying broth. Xianglan sat at the kang table to eat. After asking after the others and learning that they had already grabbed a hasty bite, she had another table set down on the floor by the kang, where they all gathered around to feast on the deboned eight-treasure chicken and other dishes. Xianglan shared the pastries with them, and Lingsu brought out the half-pot of leftover soup from the morning, making for a lively and hearty meal once again.

Once dinner concluded, Xianglan rinsed her mouth, washed her hands, and returned to Lin Jinlou's room. Lady Qin rose to her feet and said, "It's late, I should be getting back as well." Xianglan followed behind to see her out. When they reached the doorway, Lady Qin reached out to take Xianglan's hand and said, "Good child, from now on Lou-ge is entirely dependent on you."

Xianglan replied, "Please rest assured, Mistress."

Lady Qin shook her head, holding fast to Xianglan's hand as she gazed abstractedly at the flickering candlelight dancing on the foreign-lacquered small table. After a moment, she spoke: "We are all straightforward people here, so there's no need for empty or false pleasantries. Lou-ge has already told me how much this entire ordeal relied on you... I hardly know what to things to say... Things having reached this point, you and I, mother and daughter-in-law so to speak, might as well lay our hearts bare and speak a few plain truths. At the very beginning, I didn't care for you. You possessed fine looks, but your pride was too lofty and you were too high-and-mighty; once Lou-ge took a fancy to you, I feared the inner courtyard would never know a moment of peace. Later on, when you saved me and the fourth girl, I felt grateful and looked upon you with higher regard, yet I still thought you were ultimately a servant. As long as I gave you plenty of silver and treated you generously down the line, that would be enough. As for those who harbor deceit, no matter how sincere their outward act, it can never truly be concealed. I never imagined that as time wore on, it would truly prove the saying: 'Only in biting winds do we know the strength of the stiff grass; only in times of national turmoil do we recognize loyal ministers.' Whether others treat you well or not, you understand it in your heart; what is rare is that even with such clear insight, you still know how to exercise restraint and benefit others. Ah... you child..." Lady Qin stroked the back of Xianglan's hand. In that moment of genuine emotional outpouring, her eye rims grew slightly damp, and she dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, continuing, "I heard the few things you said to advise Lou-ge earlier. They were all words of wisdom. Apart from the old master, Lou-ge won't listen to a single word from anyone else, yet he is willing to listen to what you say. In the days ahead, you must help me counsel him more often." With that, she tucked a stray lock of hair back behind Xianglan's ear and said, "Let these words be set down here today: since Lou-ge values you so, in my heart I recognize you as a daughter. If he ever bullies you in the future, I will stand up for you." Having said this, she slipped a pair of bracelets from her own wrists and slid them onto Xianglan's.

Xianglan hurriedly declined, saying, "I couldn't possibly accept this."

Lady Qin smiled and said, "What's impossible about it? This pair was part of my dowry from my maiden family. Giving them to you is my way of letting you see my true heart."

Standing nearby, Mama Wu hurriedly signaled to her with her eyes, her face wreathed in smiles as she chimed in, "This calls for congratulations to the Mistress! Earlier I was wondering who Lady Xianglan resembles, and now that the Mistress puts it this way, I really do feel that the Mistress and Lady Xianglan look alike—truly like a pair of mother and daughter. It must be a bond carried over from a past life." She then pulled Xianglan along, saying, "Hurry up and thank the Mistress."

Xianglan had no choice but to bow formally in gratitude. Lady Qin offered a few more words of encouragement before taking her leave. Mama Wu lingered behind a couple of steps and smiled to Xianglan, "Congratulations, Auntie. Just what kind of person is the Mistress? She is fiercely discerning. It's entirely thanks to its being you; anyone else wouldn't even dream of having such favor." With that, she followed after Lady Qin.

Xianglan walked back into the bedroom, where Lin Jinlou lay on the bed and asked, "What did the Mistress say to you?"

Xianglan smiled without answering. Looking down at the pair of bracelets on her wrists, she felt as though they weighed a thousand catties.