Against the Current - Chapter 321

Chapter 321 - Presenting the Paintings (Part 1)

When Lin Jinlou returned to the Changchun Hall, Xianglan had already finished washing and dressing. Several dishes and a pot of warm soup were laid out on the kang table, evidently just prepared. Lin Jinlou did not bother to wash up and invited Xianglan to dine with him. Xianglan said, "Eldest Master, wipe your face and change your clothes before eating."

Lin Jinlou replied, "By the time I change my clothes, the food will be cold. Let's eat first." He picked up a piece of chestnut cake with his chopsticks and placed it on the small dish in front of Xianglan.

Xianglan picked up her chopsticks, glanced at him, and Lin Jinlou smiled faintly. "What is it? Aren't you going to pick out some food for me?"

Xianglan was startled. She lowered her gaze, hesitated for a moment, and then used her chopsticks to pick up a portion of silver shredded vegetables, placing them on Lin Jinlou's dish. Lin Jinlou's expression darkened slightly.

The two of them remained silent, eating quietly.

Once the meal was finished, Lin Jinlou walked over to the desk and unfolded the paintings that Xianglan had placed inside the scroll tubes one by one to examine them. Xianglan could not help asking, "What are you doing?"

As Lin Jinlou unfolded the paintings, he said, "When I was lying in bed unable to move the other day, didn't I ask you to paint a couple of your best pieces for me to see? Which one is it?"

Xianglan said, "I'll find them." With that, she pulled out two tubes and handed them over. "Right here."

Lin Jinlou unfolded them to take a look, and saw that one of the paintings depicted the Goddess of Mercy holding a pure vase, with lowered brows and gentle eyes, her demeanor dignified. Her heavenly robes seemed to flutter in the wind, and the entire paper was filled with a sense of moving air—truly capturing the spirit through form, executed with meticulous and exquisite detail. The other painting was titled "Riverbank on a Snowy Night," featuring gentle rolling mountains in the distance and towering peaks close up, arranged in an uneven, natural composition. The riverbank was filled with vast, sweeping reeds, withered trees, and jagged rocks under a blanket of pristine white snow—it was unmistakably the scene where the two of them had suffered through their time of distress.

Lin Jinlou frowned and said, "Why did you paint these two? I thought you'd be like usual and paint some flowers, birds, fish, or insects."

Xianglan smiled without a word. Naturally, Lin Jinlou could not know how devoutly she had painted the Goddess of Mercy stroke by stroke back then, praying for the Bodhisattva to keep him safe and sound in both body and mind. Nor did he know that amidst the wind and snow of that single night, she had endured a life-and-death ordeal and experienced a sudden, profound spiritual awakening.

Lin Jinlou looked at the paintings up and down, sideways and straight, and after a long while said, "Very well. Even though it doesn't quite fit the mood, they are truly painted remarkably well." With that, he rolled up the paintings, tucked them under his arm, and began to walk out.

Xianglan hurried after him to ask, "Where is the Eldest Master going?"

Lin Jinlou turned around, looked at Xianglan with a half-smile, and said, "Where? I have to go off to battle on your account, you ungrateful little wretch. You gave me such a hard time just picking out a piece of food for your lord." He pinched the tip of Xianglan's nose, gritted his teeth, and said fiercely, "Tell me, who am I running around busying myself for? Aren't I just acting like a fool!" He spun around, walking out while shoving the two scroll tubes into the hands of Shuran, saying, "Call Jishuang and Shuangxi, and come with me to the Old Master's courtyard."

In the northwest corner of the Lin residence in the capital stood the Hall of True Substance, which was the sanctuary where Lin Zhaoxiang lived in quiet retirement. It consisted of around ten rooms, complete with both front reception halls and rear living quarters, and could be entered directly from the street. Lin Zhaoxiang stayed in seclusion day in and day out, so this residential compound was also much more secluded and tranquil than ordinary places. The servants walking back and forth all moved with slow steps and soft voices, with nothing to be heard save the chirping of birds.

When Lin Jinlou entered the courtyard, he unconsciously softened his footsteps. Thinking of Lin Zhaoxiang's piercing gaze and unfathomable thoughts, he felt a twinge of apprehension, secretly thinking, That old man, why is he so shrewd at his age? They all said that people grow wiser and more cunning with age, and his grandfather had been a cunning spirit even in his youth, hiding ten thousand schemes in his heart. Now that he had lived to such an advanced age, he was practically turning into an immortal, spending his days playing the fool while harboring absolute shrewdness. Lin Jinlou alone could never quite figure him out; every time his own actions went awry, his grandfather would point it out, inspiring a deep sense of awe and reverence within him.

Raising his head, he happened to see Geng Tonggui, Lin Zhaoxiang's most trusted personal attendant, walking out with a birdcage in hand. Lin Jinlou hurried over, his face piling up with a smile as he said, "Uncle Geng, out early today, walking the birds for Grandfather?"

Geng Tonggui's face broke into a smile resembling a blooming chrysanthemum as he looked at Lin Jinlou and said, "The Eldest Young Master is here? A rare sight indeed. Coming at this hour, could it be that you've stirred up some trouble you can't handle? Give this old servant a hint so I can figure out how to send for the Old Madam later." Geng Tonggui had watched Lin Jinlou grow up, so their bond was out of the ordinary, and because he was deeply valued by Lin Zhaoxiang, he spoke without much reserve.

Lin Jinlou said, "How could that be? I was just thinking that since I'm fully recovered, it's about time I paid my morning and evening respects."

"Oh," Geng Tonggui chuckled. "Remarkable, truly remarkable. Go on in, then. The Old Master is alone inside, enjoying the flowers right now."

"And—well, what about the Old Madam?"

"The Mistress and the Second Mistress are selecting pattern designs for this year's satins, and the Old Madam went over to join in the fun as well."

"...What about Brother Yuan?"

"The Third Young Master took the Fourth Young Master out." Geng Tonggui smiled again. "It's quiet today, so you grandfather and grandson can have a good chat. The Old Master has been talking about you every single day recently."

"Ah? What has he been saying about me?"

"Hehe, as a servant, it wouldn't do for me to wag my tongue too much. You'll find out once you go in."

"Don't be like that, Uncle Geng, Uncle Geng..." Geng Tonggui ignored Lin Jinlou's calls, smiling broadly as he carried the birdcage out of the second set of gates. That old fellow had spent these years by his grandfather's side, influenced by what he saw and heard, and had developed the exact demeanor of an old fox.

Lin Jinlou's heart was beating anxiously behind his ribs when Shuangxi carefully handed over the scroll tubes from behind him and said, "Eldest Master, this..."

Impatient, Lin Jinlou snatched them back and said, "Give it here, now clear off." He strode forward to walk inside, but suddenly caught sight of a small figure darting swiftly behind the grape trellis. With Lin Jinlou's exceptional reflexes, he took a single bound forward and grabbed the person by the collar, shouting, "Where do you think you're going? You don't even pay your respects when you see your older brother anymore? Your boldness has grown, hasn't it?"

Lin Jinyuan let Lin Jinlou hoist him up, his fair little face wearing a cheeky, shameless grin as he giggled, "Hehe, Brother, it's not like I didn't see you. Third Brother asked me to go out and play with him."

"What good could you possibly learn from him? Come with me to see the Old Master."

Hearing this, Lin Jinyuan refused to cooperate, struggling as he said, "I'm not going! If you want to go, you go! I spent half the night reciting the Four Books yesterday before Grandfather finally allowed me to go out today. If I go in there now, I'll have to recite books again, it's so annoying."

"Tsk, tsk, don't move!" The moment Lin Jinyuan saw Lin Jinlou's face sink, he indeed dared not move anymore, his little mouth pouting outwards.

Lin Jinlou put his smiling face back on, speaking softly to Lin Jinyuan, "Come on, Little Si, Big Brother knows you've been eyeing that bow in my study."

Hearing that, Lin Jinyuan's eyes lit up instantly.

"That bow is too big, and you're too small to draw it. Big Brother has already told the craftsman to make a small one specifically for you, and it will be delivered in three or four days. There are arrows, too—all fletched with peacock and pheasant feathers."

"Well, if that's the case, I—"

"However, you have to be obedient, and then Big Brother will give it to you. Otherwise, Big Brother is going to give it to young Master De from Old Yuan's family."

Lin Jinyuan stared with wide, round eyes, immediately reaching out to give his promise: "Don't, Big Brother, I'll be good! You tell me to go east and I'll never go west, you tell me to chase dogs and I'll never chase chickens!"

"Good boy, good younger brother. Big Brother has to go inside and discuss some matters with Grandfather in a moment. If Grandfather gets angry or upset later, you must come in and rescue me, understand?"

Lin Jinyuan scratched his head. "Ah? Grandfather is going to be angry..."

Lin Jinlou glared at him. "Tsk, what's this? A true man hesitates and stutters—do you still want that bow or not? As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought through danger; if you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch tiger cubs?"

Just as they were talking, a cough rang out from inside the house, and Lin Zhaoxiang called out, "Who is out there?"

Both of them were startled. Lin Jinyuan leaped up, broke free from Lin Jinlou's grasp, and bolted. Lin Jinlou pointed at Lin Jinyuan's retreating back and muttered softly, "You little rascal, running faster than a rabbit. Remember what I said—come in and rescue me later, or else forget about the bow and arrows, and I'll treat you to another serving of bamboo strips fried with pork skin." Seeing that little Lin Si had vanished without a trace, Lin Jinlou had no choice but to hug the scroll tubes and enter the house.

Lin Zhaoxiang was pruning flowers and plants in the main hall. He raised his head to glance at Lin Jinlou, then lowered it again, acting as if he hadn't seen him at all.

Lin Jinlou hurried forward, his face covered in smiles as he said, "Grandfather, your unfilial grandson has come." With that, he dropped to his knees to perform the full kowtow and bows. Just as he was about to get back up, he heard Lin Zhaoxiang say, "Just stay kneeling, don't get up."

Lin Jinlou raised his head to look at Lin Zhaoxiang's expression, then remained kneeling bolt upright.

Lin Zhaoxiang ignored him entirely, leisurely trimming a potted plant. Lin Jinlou suffered inwardly, not daring to move a muscle. Seeing Lin Zhaoxiang turn around, he quickly put on another smile. Lin Zhaoxiang let out a cold hum, set his shears aside, and a young maid offered a white hand towel. Lin Zhaoxiang wiped his hands, sat down in the grand master's chair, picked up a teacup to take a sip of hot tea, and only then looked at Lin Jinlou. "Very well, you certainly have some staying power. I thought you took me for dead."

Lin Jinlou forced a flattering smile. "When Grandfather puts it that way, there is hardly any place left for me to stand."

"Spare me the grinning and smiling. You know very well how much trouble you've stirred up outside! You good-for-nothing wretch, don't think you can act however you please just because you hold a high official post nowadays. Bringing shame upon our ancestors—I will be the very first one who won't spare you!" Lin Zhaoxiang raised his cane as if to strike, but remembering that his eldest grandson had just recovered from severe injuries, he hesitated over whether to put the cane down. Right then, someone shouted, "Grandfather, how should this sentence from Mencius be interpreted?" Turning his head, he saw Lin Jinyuan holding a book, peeking his head in from outside the doorway.

Lin Zhaoxiang snapped irritably, "You little monkey, do you want to take a beating right along with your older brother?"

Lin Jinyuan stuck out his tongue and pulled his little head back in.

With this interruption, Lin Zhaoxiang actually set his cane down. Lin Jinlou's heart began to flutter wildly. Logically speaking, Lin Zhaoxiang shouldn't fly into such a rage with him over the matter of Su Meiru; seeing that the affair had already settled down, Su Meiru had also entered the household to await her delivery, and she was an obedient one at that. In a great aristocratic family, which household didn't have a few sordid skeletons in the closet? Although the matter wasn't glorious, when all was said and done, it was his second uncle who had suffered the greatest loss of face, so his Grandfather shouldn't be taking it out on him.

While he was deep in thought, Lin Zhaoxiang's angry roar rang out in his ears again: "Have you grown such capable wings now that you reckon even I can't keep you in line?"

"No, no. Grandfather, please calm your anger—getting too angry hurts the liver."

Lin Zhaoxiang said, "I'm asking you, what is this business about you and those young scoundrels from the Chu and Liu families buying shares in the salt merchants?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, one of the stones in Lin Jinlou's heart finally dropped to the ground, and he understood where the old man's focus was really directed.

"That's a legitimate enterprise. It's operated by members of the Chu clan, and the few of us merely took stakes in it. We just look out for it along the water transport routes, fully in accordance with the laws of the realm."

"Don't pull any of those underhanded tricks or smuggle contraband. If you start scheming around private salt smuggling, your old man cares most about his official reputation, and I still need to keep my face!"

"Most definitely not, I wouldn't dare bring shame upon our ancestors. Grandfather, I'm still maintaining a military force of my own; the court's meager military rations thrown into the water wouldn't even make a splash. With so many brothers following me for their meals, we have to run some kind of enterprise—are we supposed to drink the northwest wind?"

"Stop crying poverty. Trading goods on the high seas also has your hand in it, don't think you can keep it from me."

"Those were all carried out alongside private merchant ships; I certainly didn't dare meddle with anything crossing the court's strict lines."

"Stop entangling yourself with those martial artists and underworld figures. I was too lenient with you before; if you ever let me catch you running wild and stirring up chaos outside again, messing around with unclean, foul, and filthy women from the streets, I will truly deal with you."

Lin Jinlou cursed inwardly, but verbally agreed over and over again. Then he heard Lin Zhaoxiang say, "Get up."

Lin Jinlou secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The moment he stood up, however, he heard his grandfather say, "Now, explain this to me—what on earth is the story behind that Biography of Recluse Lanxiang?"