Against the Current - Chapter 326

Chapter 326 - Surging Tides (Part 1)

Just then, Lin Zhaoxiang walked in at a leisurely pace, holding a hollow-carved pearwood cane adorned with a hundred bats bestowing longevity in one hand, while leading Lin Jinyuan with the other.

Lin Jinyuan wore his hair in two cute buns on either side of his head, dressed in a crimson, sleeveless round-collared robe embroidered with golden lotus round flower patterns. With a face as white as a dumpling and large, obsidian-like eyes darting around rapidly, he looked exceptionally clever.

He had always been closest to Xianglan. Sneaking a sideways glance at her, he playfully made a funny face, which prompted Xianglan to chuckle softly and blink back at him in secret.

The gathered crowd stood up in a sea of motion to pay their respects and offer greetings. Lin Zhaoxiang walked straight over to the side of Old Madam Lin and took his seat. As soon as Old Madam Lin sat back down, Lin Zhaoxiang addressed the room, "I heard such a lively commotion over here and came to join in the fun. All of you, keep right on enjoying yourselves and don't feel ill at ease just because I've come."

Everyone took their seats one after another. Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Dongwan swept forward, curtsied gracefully, and eagerly asked, "Since Grandfather has arrived, your granddaughter wishes you boundless fortune and enduring peace. Has your health been well? A few days ago, when I heard that Grandfather was under the weather, I was beside myself with worry, praying day and night for your longevity and wellness. Seeing today that your complexion is better than ever, I assume your ailments have fully passed. Only then has this granddaughter's heart finally been set at ease. Tomorrow, I must make a trip to Guanyin Temple to fulfill my vows."

Lin Zhaoxiang lifted his eyelids to glance at her, replying flatly, "Eldest girl, you've managed to say everything that everyone in this entire room could possibly utter."

Lin Dongwan’s face flushed bright red in an instant, looking rather embarrassed as she quietly retreated.

Madam Qin hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over, holding up a playbill and offering it with a smile, "Since the Old Ancestor has come, why not select a couple of plays? Today we invited the renowned Qingyun Troupe from the capital; their stage presence and vocal mastery are both exceptional."

Lin Zhaoxiang accepted the bill and picked two plays. A young maid immediately sprinted out to relay the order, and before long, the melodic singing of the opera drifted in from outside. Lin Zhaoxiang picked up his teacup and took a sip. Catching sight of a delicate and remarkably pretty young girl sitting on the small footstool by Old Madam Lin's knees, he knew well who she was, yet feigned ignorance and asked, "Who might this be..."

Old Madam Lin smiled and said, "Look at me, I completely forgot to mention it to you." She patted Jiang Xiyun's hand and continued, "This is Xi girl."

Jiang Xiyun hastily gathered her skirts and curtsied respectfully.

Lin Zhaoxiang looked her up and down, nodding with a faint smile, "She still has the look of her childhood days." He gestured with his hand as he reminisced, "Back then, you were only this high, and you would often come to our house with your grandfather, your mouth as sweet as honey. In the blink of an eye, you've grown into a young lady." He paused in thought, then chuckled, "Remember when you used to say the Lin family's cook was the best, especially skilled at preparing fish? Whenever that dish was served, you would eat until your cheeks were flushed with fragrance. It was just unfortunate that because 'fish generates internal heat and meat generates phlegm,' your wet nurse wouldn't allow you to eat your fill. Every single time you watched the fish being taken away, you little girl would always have teary eyes."

Jiang Xiyun shrank back behind Old Madam Lin, her expression a mix of coyness and innocence as she pouted, "That was all from when I was little. I should have long since outgrown my gluttony by now; the Old Ancestor really knows how to tease people..."

Everyone burst into laughter. Madam Qin forced a couple of polite laughs and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief; Xianglan lowered her head in silence; Lin Dongixi kept both eyes glued to the opera stage; Lin Dongxiu sneered repeatedly; while Su Meiru cracked melon seeds, casually spitting the shells out onto the floor.

A moment later, Jiang Xiyun instructed her maid to bring over two colored spools of thread, offering them forward with eager attentiveness, "This is some needlework I embroidered to honor the Old Ancestor. I hope the Old Ancestor won't mind my crude craftsmanship."

Upon closer inspection, Lin Zhaoxiang saw a pair of shoes and a cloak. Embroidered upon the cloak was a lifelike fish, swimming with such exquisite detail that it seemed ready to leap off the fabric. Lin Zhaoxiang laughed, "You ate quite a fair share of fish at the Lin household back in the day. Sewing this single fish now—I'm afraid it won't be enough to pay back your debt, will it?"

Hearing this, the company erupted into laughter once more.

Jiang Xiyun's face turned beet red as she aggrievedly protested, "The Old Ancestor can have as many fish as you wish! I'm just afraid that because of my childhood gluttony, even if I embroidered this cloak completely full, it wouldn't be enough to settle the score!"

At these words, Lin Zhaoxiang could not help but laugh heartily, and the rest of the household quickly joined in. Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Zhaoxiang glanced at Xianglan, only to see her expression entirely devoid of ripples—neither sorrowful nor joyful, with her eyelids cast down.

Lin Dongxiu secretly exchanged glances with Lin Dongqi, whispering under her breath, "Could it be that Grandfather has no idea what kind of shady business she pulled?"

Lin Dongqi could not help but kick her under the table, gesturing toward Lin Zhaoxiang while lowering her voice to hiss, "Keep your voice down! Don't let anyone hear you."

Lin Dongxiu let out a cold snort, retorting, "What is there to fear? I want Grandfather to hear!"

Xianglan sat quietly in her place, maintaining a calm exterior, yet a tumultuous storm of heartache, grievance, and hatred threatened to choke her throat. The sheer anguish made it agonizing for her to sit still, stirring up ripples in a heart that had finally found some peace. She took a few deep breaths, slowly clenching her fists before relaxing them. Lifting her head, she happened to catch Madam Qin looking at her with a gaze full of deep concern. Xianglan gave a slight, subtle shake of her head.

Pity washed over Madam Qin's face as she slowly nodded. At this point, she genuinely felt deep sympathy for the young girl, thinking to herself, Xianglan has saved me, saved Xiu girl, and saved Lou'er. By any measure whatsoever, she should not be subjected to such public humiliation and cruelty here today. Have the Old Master and Old Madam lost their senses? With the entire household watching, how are they expecting Xianglan to endure this? Such a pitiful child. Turning calculations over in her mind, she decided she would soon find an excuse to send Xianglan on an errand, giving her a way out to escape the embarrassing spectacle.

Just then, Old Madam Lin spoke up, "Since everyone is gathered here, why not bring out the bracelet bestowed by the Crown Prince so everyone can feast their eyes upon it?"

Madam Qin remarked, "Oh, to think there is such a magnificent treasure! We must indeed take a careful look."

Old Madam Lin explained, "After the Banquet of a Hundred Elders, the Crown Prince personally removed it from his own wrist and granted it as a reward. It is made of eighteen agarwood beads, with the dividing Buddha head bead being a ruby the size of a pigeon's egg, while the pendant drop is a mythical beast carved from mutton-fat white jade."

Madam Wang murmured a Buddhist chant and praised, "Leaving aside the fact that this treasure was bestowed by the Crown Prince, even on its own, this bracelet is an immensely precious artifact!"

Lin Zhaoxiang declared, "This was a treasured personal possession of the Crown Prince. Bestowing it upon the Lin family is the highest possible honor. Since your Old Madam's health hasn't been entirely well lately, I shall have her wear these prayer beads so she, too, may partake in the Crown Prince's blessing and virtue. That being the case, bring it out."

These words caused the color to drain entirely from Lin Jinyuan's face. He slid down from his chair, quietly padded over to Xianglan's side, and gave her clothing a gentle tug. Xianglan followed him outside. Once they reached a secluded spot out of sight, Lin Jinyuan clutched Xianglan's sleeve, his dumpling-like face washed over with utter panic as he cried out, "Sister Xianglan, save me!"

Xianglan asked with a start, "What is wrong?"

With tears choking his voice, Lin Jinyuan sobbed, "That string of beads... I've lost it."

Xianglan gasped in horror, "What?!"

Wiping away his tears, Lin Jinyuan explained, "This morning in the inner room of the reception hall, I was with the Old Madam while she had her meal. I saw her wrap the bracelet in a handkerchief and place it underneath the bedding of the large heated brick bed. I fished it out to play with, and right at that moment, Third Brother came over for his morning greetings and took me along to pick up some daily necessities. I tucked the prayer beads into my purse, but after making the rounds and returning, when I patted my waist, I realized they were gone... I've already arranged with Eldest Brother to have him secretly search outside for an identical string. Tonight, I planned to tell the Old Madam that the bracelet was lost, asking her to cover for me first. I never expected that Grandfather would ask about it today! What am I supposed to do?" He stamped his feet in desperation and burst into fresh tears.

Xianglan pressed urgently, "How could you take such an item out to play with so casually? Other bracelets might be one thing, but this was bestowed personally by the Eastern Palace! It is no trivial matter—where on earth are we supposed to find an exact duplicate?"

Lin Jinyuan whimpered, "What should I do... I'm terrified..."

Xianglan grasped Lin Jinyuan's tiny hand and spoke in a gentle tone, "Be a good boy. Come back inside with me right now and confess the truth to Grandfather and Old Madam. Take whatever punishment or blame comes your way. Since you made the mistake yourself, facing the consequences is only right."

Lin Jinyuan shook his head frantically like a rattle-drum, his face a mask of absolute terror, "No, no! Grandfather's cane will beat me to death!"

Xianglan softened her voice, "Even if Grandfather beats you, it will only be out of a momentary flash of anger, and besides, Old Madam is right there. Think about it: even if taking a beating hurts for a while, it's still far better than living in constant, gut-wrenching terror day after day, isn't it?"

Wailing pitifully, Lin Jinyuan stubbornly refused to confess, pulling at her repeatedly and pleading, "Good sister, please don't tell anyone, I'm begging you! I'll never dare do it again!" Xianglan wanted to press him further, but seeing his pitiful, panicked expression reminded her of her own early days entering the Lin household, working under Cao Lihuan. Every minor misstep filled her with that same lingering dread, never knowing what sort of beatings and scoldings awaited her, and her heart inevitably softened. At that moment, two maids walked past, and fearing they might be spotted, Xianglan pulled Lin Jinyuan into an embrace and whispered, "A true man must take responsibility for his actions. Making a mistake and accepting the punishment is the proper course. But since you aren't ready to face it yet, I won't force you for now; I promise I won't tell a soul. However, this is a mistake you made yourself, and you must bear the consequences in the end."

Lin Jinyuan sniffled and remained silent.

With a heavy sigh, Xianglan used her handkerchief to wipe the tears from Lin Jinyuan's face and led him back to the reception hall.

Before they even stepped inside, they saw that the hall was already packed with people kneeling in a dense crowd. Lin Zhaoxiang's voice rang out like a booming bell, thick with boiling rage and a drastically altered complexion. He slammed his walking cane heavily against the floor and thundered, "...What staggering audacity! To dare harbor such base intentions toward items bestowed by the Eastern Palace! Whichever one of you took that bracelet, confess it now of your own accord. If I have to dig it out myself, the consequences won't be settled so easily! Who all entered the inner room today?"

Frightened out of their wits, Lin Jinyuan broke away from Xianglan's grip, backed away step by step, and turned tail to run without looking back.

The entire assembly held their breath, plunging into dead silence.

Liubei, the personal maid who served Old Madam Lin directly, spoke up, "The inner room is reserved for the young misses and madams to rest in. Ever since the Old Madam finished her morning meal there, unauthorized persons have been strictly barred from entering. Only the Eldest Madam, Second Madam, Second Aunt, and Miss Xi have been inside, along with a few maids and matrons who carried in courses and served tea."

Hearing this, Madam Qin's heart sank, and she thought to herself, This is disastrous. They are all daughters and sons of this household—if word of this spreads, what becomes of our lives and our dignity? Do we want them or not? She hurriedly straightened her posture, shuffled forward a few steps on her knees, and choked back tears as she pleaded, "I beg the Old Master and Old Madam to calm your anger. Now that the Eastern Palace's gift is missing, I dare not argue whether it was taken by someone within the family or by outsiders with unclean hands, but there are a few points I hope the Old Master will take into consideration: Firstly, perhaps the item was not actually placed beneath the bedding, but was locked away in some box and forgotten—if someone is wrongly accused because of this, it will deeply dishearten everyone. Secondly, the priority right now is to quietly search for the item and investigate in private; in front of a grand gathering like this, who could possibly have the face to confess and claim it? Thirdly, if the item can be found, well and good; but if it cannot be recovered, the Old Master and Old Madam must still set your minds at ease and take careful care of your health."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang nodded repeatedly and chimed in, "Elder Sister's words are entirely reasonable. Old Master, Old Madam, please take care of yourselves."

After listening to these words, Lin Zhaoxiang looked at Madam Qin, then shifted his gaze to Madam Wang. Drawing a long, slow breath, he spoke in a deep, heavy voice, "I will wait right here in the inner room. Whoever took that bracelet and is willing to confess, come inside and find me." With that, he rose to his feet, refusing anyone's support as he slowly paced his way into the inner room.