Against the Current - Chapter 324

Chapter 324 - Undercurrents (Part 2)

Now, as it was already approaching noon, the grand floral hall had long since been set with various choice delicacies, fruits, pastries, and cakes, the entire room a vibrant cluster of brocades and flowers. In the courtyard, a theatrical stage had been erected, and the high-pitched, resonant singing accompanied by wind and string instruments from the Qingyun Troupe played on ceaselessly.

Old Madame Lin was seated right upon the large arhat bed in the main hall, picking out a few of her favorite fine silver-threaded vegetable dishes and delicate pastries, which were served on pale pink and gold-traced little dishes and arranged on a small heated kang table. Eating and drinking as she pleased, Old Madame Lin leaned back against her pillows to listen to the opera, keeping Jiang Xiyun strictly by her side where she sat on a low stool to wait upon her. Naturally, Jiang Xiyun sought to please in every possible way—at one moment handing Old Madame Lin a pastry, at the next pouring her tea, and then massaging her legs. Bustling about with the utmost diligence and attentiveness, she spared no effort. Naturally delicate and pretty, she had moreover dressed with deliberate care today: on her head she wore a full set of pure gold and kingfisher-feather ornaments, and she was dressed in a pale purplish-gray silk-threaded peony-embroidered satin jacket paired with a multicolored skirt. With a light touch of powder and rouge, her pretty face appeared all the more like a dumpling of pink jade, radiating a twelvefold charm of cuteness and endearing sweetness. Her clever tongue was exceptionally skilled at coaxing others, and Old Madame Lin beamed with smiles, evidently finding her immensely pleasing.

Madame Qin and Madame Wang sat at the high tables on the floor, while a bit further down sat the three sisters: Lin Dongwan, Lin Dongqi, and Lin Dongxiu. Bao Yiniang, a concubine of Lin Changzheng, sat in the corridor eating and drinking. Li Miaozhi stood by Madame Wang's side to serve, Bailan stood behind Madame Qin, and Su Meiru was nowhere to be seen. Old Madame Lin did not ask after her, and Madame Wang was naturally quite content to practice "out of sight, out of mind."

Bailan found herself instinctively glancing at Jiang Xiyun, feeling as though a thorn were lodged across her heart, pricking her so sharply that she could neither sit nor stand in peace. Thanks to this seemingly delicate and sweet-natured young maiden, she might never be able to become a mother in the future! Yet this very person, having fled in disrepute, could now return to the household and seat herself in the inner halls with such peace of mind, as if all those past events had merely been a dream devoid of any guilt. Instead, she simply continued to act coquettishly and obediently, wreathed in endless smiles. Bailan had originally thought she had learned to let go and find peace, but now, every time she looked at Jiang Xiyun—whether seeing her curry favor, watching her smile like a blooming flower, or witnessing her attentive devotion winning everyone's favor—the turbulent waves of malice inside her surged relentlessly. Overflowing resentment grew within her, almost too strong to suppress, threatening to drag her down into a deep abyss.

Jiang Xiyun sensed someone watching her. She knew it was Bailan, but she was unwilling and afraid to look back, merely casting a fleeting glance out of the corner of her eye before quickly pulling it away, her heart in utter turmoil. To say she felt no guilt in her heart would be a lie; yet immediately afterward, she reasoned to herself that if not for that incident, she might well have been married into the Lin family by now, with Bailan acting as a fierce tiger sleeping night after night right beside her bed. By then, she would have suffered endless torment, locked in a duel with Chen Xianglan that would have made her entire life agonizing. As her grandmother used to say, "To live an unblemished life—how many people can actually manage it?" For a woman to look after herself, she had to be somewhat ruthless toward others; in the spirit of "let the other fellow die so long as I survive," she lacked the emotional energy to pity someone else, so how could she have done wrong? She had desperately wished never to come to the Lin household this time, but come she must. With the Jiang family's fortunes currently in decline due to the Second Prince's affair—Jiang Danyun having only managed to marry into a somewhat decent minor gentry family—her own prospects were increasingly embarrassing and difficult to settle. She simply had to make this trip, win Old Madame Lin's favor, and reclaim her face both inside and out if she were to resolve her current predicament.

At this thought, Jiang Xiyun straightened her back once more, refused to look at Bailan again, and focused entirely on peeling meat to offer to Old Madame Lin.

Bailan turned her gaze back, silently reciting three times in her heart: "Resentment and hatred are like poisonous wine; do not hate, learn to forgive, for hatred only harms oneself." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she saw Madame Qin turn around and beckon to her. Stepping forward, she heard Madame Qin whisper, "Once the opera finishes, there will be storytelling and variety performances, which probably won't wrap up for a good while. Don't just stand here idly; go inside to rest for a bit and grab some food to line your stomach."

Bailan smiled with a hint of strain and said, "It's fine, I can stand a little longer." Raising her head, she caught Lin Dongxiu signaling to her. Excusing herself, Bailan stepped out and joined Lin Dongxiu in the corridor, where winding paths, graceful carved windows, hidden embroidered blinds, and gentle, breezy spring air greeted them with the vibrant colors of returning spring everywhere.

Lin Dongxiu walked toward the covered winding veranda, saying, "Let's go stroll outside for a bit, so we don't have to watch that little vixen showing off and needlessly upsetting ourselves. The old madame has truly lost her mind, inviting that Jiang girl back into the house." Bailan had not expected Lin Dongxiu to speak up on her behalf like this. Ever since she had rescued Lin Dongxiu at the mountain temple, the latter had treated her with a measure of genuine sincerity. Although their subsequent association was neither too deep nor too distant, it had remained harmonious, and as time passed, a touch of true affection had indeed developed. However, knowing everyone's temperament and disposition well, Bailan always kept her place and maintained proper boundaries; no matter how close their relations grew, she never presumed upon her position or overstepped. Now that Lin Dongxiu had become a marquise's lady, in this short span of time, her entire demeanor had become vastly different from before. Her words and actions carried an implicit air of superiority, making her a completely different person from her former self, casting ordinary people completely out of her regard. Recalling the delicate, fragile fourth young miss of the Lin family who used to knit her brows before speaking and possessed a slightly sickly, acid tongue, and comparing her to the present marquise's lady—who possessed an awe-inspiring springtime dignity and a touch of haughty decisiveness—Bailan could not help a quiet sigh of emotion.

Lin Dongxiu took hold of Bailan's hand, stopped walking, and frowned slightly. "My, why are your hands so cold? And your face is as pale as paper—was it that Jiang wretch who made you this angry? If I had your clay-like temperament, even if I had to preserve the old madame's face, I'd still flick my sleeves and drop a few choice words!"

Bailan shook her head. The two of them turned toward the back courtyard, where a few young maidservants were playing about; seeing the two of them arrive, they hurried over to serve, spreading a large red-and-green satin cushion over a stone stool. Lin Dongxiu asked Bailan, "Shall I have the maidservants fetch a shawl for you?"

Bailan picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and said, "There's no need." She felt as though that piping-hot, mild tea had managed to soothe away a portion of the cold, gnawing hatred in her heart.

Lin Dongxiu suggested, "Why don't you fake an illness and head back? I'll explain it to the old madame for you... Tsk, just think about what kind of nonsense this is; never mind you, even I find it utterly sickening."

A warm feeling stirred in Bailan's heart. She squeezed Lin Dongxiu's hand and suddenly said, "It's fine. I'll have to go back in a little while anyway. Today is the old madame's auspicious day; if I claim illness and leave, the old madame will surely be displeased. Besides, there are members of the Lin clan visiting today, and if word gets out, heaven knows what people would say. Since I already promised Madame that I would keep the overall situation in mind, I must see it through from start to finish."

Lin Dongxiu was momentarily stunned, then said after a long pause, "Alright... Alright, alright. Ah, you have it hard too. No matter how great the kindness you showed our family, and no matter how much everyone respects you, it still can't override a single word from an elder."

Hearing this, Bailan smiled. "Having stumbled my way through these past few years, experiencing the warmth and coldness of human relationships, the shifting of the world, all sorts of twists and turns, and being unable to act of my own accord, though I have achieved nothing, I have at least stretched the capacity of my stomach a bit. Before, if someone poked or soured me with a single remark, I would likely have flown into a rage and lashed back immediately. Now, even in the face of the harshest bullying, I can accept it calmly; to dwell on it and obsess over it only ends up hurting oneself." With that, she made a playful grimace. "After getting through today's ordeal, I suppose I shall be even better equipped to endure turmoil in the future."

Lin Dongxiu sighed. "You really are impossible to figure out. Back when you were just a maidservant being looked down upon by everyone, you held your head higher than anyone else. Now that you've gained some status and position, with both Madame and the eldest young master backing you up, you instead willingly subject yourself to grievances. You truly are a strange person."

After exchanging some casual talk, Bailan took a turn about the garden and felt that the boiling irritation in her chest had mostly dissipated. Only then did she re-enter the grand floral hall, where she found that Lin Dongwan, Lin Dongqi, Li Miaozhi, and Jiang Xiyun were all gone. Bailan returned to Madame Qin's side and poured her another cup of wine. Old Madame Lin lifted her eyelids to glance at her, then quickly looked away.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiyun, having finished attending to Old Madame Lin, had turned into the inner room to have her meal. Upon entering, she noticed Lin Dongwan fast asleep on the large brick-bed in the inner chamber. As it turned out, Lin Dongwan had been coaxed into drinking several cups of wine by a few familiar older nurses, and before long, her head had grown heavy while her heart began to flutter and throb, prompting her to excuse herself from the feast and lie down in the inner room. Jiang Xiyun sat at the table by the window, eating her meal while watching the theatrical performance. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head to look and saw Li Miaozhi and Lin Dongqi walking in while chatting and laughing.

The three of them had been close friends since childhood. Jiang Xiyun smiled, stood up, and softly said, "So the two of you are here."

Lin Dongqi had heard a fair bit about Jiang Xiyun's affairs; thinking of Bailan, she felt rather uncomfortable inside and merely offered a few perfunctory responses. Li Miaozhi, having grown up alongside Jiang Xiyun, shared an even deeper bond and was genuinely delighted. Pulling Lin Dongqi along, the three of them sat down in a circle, had the maidservants bring over cups and saucers, and proceeded to drink and chat together.

After sharing a cup of wine and exchanging a few laughs, they touched upon childhood anecdotes, instantly feeling a sense of closeness as the atmosphere slowly warmed up. At that moment, a maidservant walked in and spoke in a low voice to Li Miaozhi, "Third Young Madam, Su Yiniang says she is coming over later to offer her congratulations for Old Madame's birthday... We tried every way to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. Once she arrives, I'm afraid our Madame's face will look unpleasant again..."

Li Miaozhi frowned, waved her hand, and said, "I know, you may go." Once the maidservant had departed, she let out a few more sighs and said to the other two, "We are all close sisters here, so I won't hide anything from you. Speaking of my father-in-law's newly taken concubine, she is truly quite a character—that mouth of hers can make black look like white. Pity my mother-in-law is an honest soul, bullied by her to the point where her mouth tastes of bitterness yet she can utter no complaint. Moreover, relying on the fact that she is carrying a child, the slightest displeasure on her part allows her to stir up trouble. Yet to your face, she smiles so brightly that you can't even find a handle to hold against her. Now, whenever my mother-in-law hears her name, she shakes with anger; who knows what sort of scene will happen once they meet later."

Lin Dongqi remarked, "I've met her once. She has pleasant features and carries herself with an open, poised manner—quite different from those timid, shrinking types."

Li Miaozhi sighed, "It's precisely those worldly-wise and scheming ones that are the worst. She puts on an even better act than an opera actress, yet my mother-in-law is slow of speech. By the time the other woman has angered her to tears, mother-in-law only realizes afterward how she should have replied or acted—she's always a step behind, locking the barn door after the horse has bolted. As a daughter-in-law, I can't say too much either. That Su Meiru has also tried several times to plot against me and dig up dirt on my husband."

Lin Dongqi sighed, "Truly, every family has a scripture that is hard to chant. I'd much rather my mother-in-law were like Second Aunt-in-law—generous and honest. My mother-in-law is a stepmother, so she treats the children of the previous wife rather poorly. Leaving aside her countless nitpicking faults, she is completely biased toward the third sister-in-law, always finding fault with everything I do and trying to wedge the maidservants from her own rooms into mine, while secretly snooping around to see how much dowry I brought..."