Against the Current - Chapter 335

Chapter 335 - Worth It

Xianglan could not help but laugh outright upon hearing this.

Seeing her gentle, smiling expression—much like a rain-drenched peony or red lotus blossoms reflecting against her cheeks—Lin Jinlou couldn't help feeling a surge of joy within himself. He lowered his head and asked softly, "What are you laughing at?"

Xianglan raised her eyes to look at him, seeing Lin Jinlou gaze back at her with a smile. She still wanted to laugh, but looking at his face made the smile fade. As the two stared at each other for a long time, a question suddenly welled up in her mind: Why had Lin Jinlou chosen to send the Crown Prince away back then? To investigate such a matter so thoroughly risked the supreme penalty of having one's household confiscated and head severed—it was a move with a hundred harms and not a single benefit. At a time when his official career was at its peak and his family was flourishing, was it truly worth taking such a bizarre and perilous risk?

Yet, in the end, she didn't ask it aloud.

In everyone's heart, there is always something heavier than anything else—be it righteousness, affection, conscience, or fame, wealth, and status. For this, they struggle and hesitate throughout their entire lives, willing to shatter their bodies and grind their bones to dust without a shred of regret. Perhaps others might deem it worthless, but without it, nothing else holds any value.

She understood him.

Seeing Xianglan look at him without speaking, Lin Jinlou couldn't help rubbing his chin, then asked with a mischievous grin, "What are you looking at? Do you feel like you can't get enough of looking at me?"

Xianglan smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking that when Big Brother talks to me nowadays, you no longer refer to yourself as 'this lord,' but instead say 'I'." With that, she picked up the hem of her skirt and turned to walk ahead.

Feeling a bit awkward, Lin Jinlou followed behind and asked, "Well, and what of it?"

Xianglan shook her head and said, "Nothing much. I was just feeling touched in my heart that Big Brother has begun to show me respect..." Lin Jinlou paused, slowly coming to a halt.

Xianglan simply kept walking without looking back, saying, "Between two people, there must always be mutual respect first before one can speak of anything else." After walking a few steps and seeing that Lin Jinlou hadn't followed, she turned back to look. Lin Jinlou was still standing there in a daze, but a moment later he walked over. Though his expression carried a hard-to-read mix of pleasure and displeasure, he suddenly reached out a finger and flicked Xianglan lightly on the forehead, muttering, "You silly girl."

With the memorial rites concluded, the company packed up and returned to the city. Lin Jinlou said, "If you still want to stroll outside, we can find a renowned restaurant later to have some tea and food."

Xianglan replied, "We've already been out hiding for half a day, it's about time to return." Exchanging idle chatter as they went, they soon arrived back at the Lin residence. Alighting from the carriage and entering through the second gate, they hurried over to the Changchun Hall to change their clothes before proceeding to the flower hall. By then, the opera had already ended, and a female storytelling artist stood there performing a piece. Lin Zhaoxiang had already retired to Youshi Hall to rest; inside the room were only Lady Wan, Lady Qi, Lady Xiu, and seven or eight female relatives. Old Madam Lin was reclining on the Luohan bed, with Madam Qin personally serving her fruits and refreshments nearby.

Noticing other female relatives present in the room and lacking the patience to deal with them, Lin Jinlou first went to Youshi Hall to pay his respects to Lin Zhaoxiang. Just as Xianglan was about to step into the flower hall, she happened to run into Lin Dongqi coming out from the banquet area. Meeting in the corridor, Lin Dongqi asked, "Where did you run off to just now? The old lady even sent someone to look for you." Without waiting for Xianglan's reply, she continued, "The Jiang family folks have already taken their leave just now. The old lady said it wasn't lively enough with so few people, so she invited a few more frequently visiting relatives over. Later on, there's going to be a variety show with acrobatics."

Xianglan asked, "Where are you heading off to?"

Lin Dongqi answered, "Second Aunt isn't feeling well, and little Miao is over there attending to her. My mother told me to go check on her in her place."

Remembering what she had discussed with Lin Jinlou on the road about Lady Wang being ill—and how Lin Jinlou had told her to take two jars of palace-bestowed medicinal herbs from the cabinet and send them to Lady Wang—Xianglan said, "I'll go with you." She promptly instructed Xiaojuan to fetch the medicine and went together with Lin Dongqi to check on Lady Wang.

Now, let us turn our attention elsewhere. Returning to her own quarters, Lady Wang lay on the bed, feeling a stifled ball of air pressing against her chest. She wanted to vomit it out but couldn't, and her chest ached fiercely. She clenched her fists to beat a dull thump-thump against her chest, tears rolling down once more as she tossed and turned in torment. When the physician arrived to diagnose her, he simply pronounced it as stagnant vital energy and obstructed thoughts; after writing a prescription, he departed.

Li Miaozhi saw the physician out and then went to oversee the boiling of the medicine. Afterward, she tended to Lady Wang and helped her take the medicine. At that moment, Xuezhan came to invite her, saying that several frequently visiting relatives had arrived and asking Li Miaozhi to go greet them and keep them company for a little while before returning. Li Miaozhi had no choice but to go.

Lady Wang was thus left lying alone in the room when she saw the door curtain stir and a woman dressed like a Taoist nun walk in. The woman wore a light veil over her face, and seeing that there was no one else in the room, she removed the veil, hurried to the bedside, and called out "Mother" to Lady Wang—it was none other than Lin Dongling. As it turned out, Lady Wang had secretly brought Lin Dongling out of Jinling, hiding her first in a carriage. Upon arriving in the capital, she had settled her in a temple built by the Lin family, disguised as a nun, ordering her to live in seclusion and only waiting until Lady Wang could select a suitable match so she could alter her appearance and remarry.

Today, the Lin family was holding a grand feast, and Lin Dongling had faintly caught the sounds of flutes and strings, stirring envy in her heart. Thinking that she herself ought to have been sitting in the seat of honor in all such splendor, her high self-regard made her unable to accept falling to such a destitute state. Filled with resentment, she drank a pot of wine to drown her sorrows, which inevitably led to another bout of weeping. Coincidentally, Amber, one of Lady Wang's maidservants, came to bring her food. Seeing Lin Dongling sobbing on the bed, Amber went over to comfort her, saying, "The mistress is holding on by a single breath right now, relying entirely on you and the Third Young Master. Even if the young miss doesn't preserve herself for her own sake, she should do so for the mistress's sake. If the mistress knew you were crying like this, it would bring yet another illness upon her."

Hearing these veiled words, Lin Dongling immediately pressed for details. At first, Amber refused to say, but under Lin Dongling's urgent questioning, she finally spilled everything that had happened in the side room.

Lin Dongling immediately gritted her teeth and spat, "That promiscuous bitch! Putting on airs and throwing her weight around on ordinary days—I've long found her eyesore. Now she actually dares to bully my mother like this; she'd better hope I don't lay eyes on her!" With that, she quietly slipped out to visit Lady Wang.

Seeing Lady Wang now—her face the color of beaten gold, her expression withered, tears streaming down both cheeks, looking five or six years older and utterly haggard—Lin Dongling let out a choked cry and burst into tears. Stroking Lin Dongling's face, Lady Wang sobbed, "My child, if it weren't for the sake of you and your brothers, I would have closed my eyes and let go of everything long ago."

Hearing this, Lin Dongling instantly widened her eyes and declared, "What nonsense is Mother talking about?! If anyone's going to die, it should be that slut!"

Lady Wang hurriedly reached out to cover her mouth. Knowing that Lin Dongling had been spoiled since childhood, possessed a fiery temper, and acted impulsively without regard for consequences, she feared a catastrophe and hastily said, "It's my fault, it's my fault; I shouldn't have said those words to you in the first place. Now that Concubine Su is with child, if something untoward happens and is blamed on us, it will be disastrous. I will handle this matter myself; you just stay peacefully in the temple." Calming down a bit, she added, "Your eldest aunt and I have already set our sights on a few potential matches for you. Once we settle on the right one, I'll marry you off so that this heart of mine can finally rest. You must not stir up trouble under any circumstances."

Lin Dongling brushed Lady Wang's hand aside and sneered, "When people are bullying us right to the top of our heads, are we not even allowed to utter a sound? So what if she's pregnant? At worst, I'll give her a kick to her belly, cause her to miscarry, and see if she still dares to act so smug!"

Just as they were speaking, a little maid entered and announced, "The Second Aunt-Grandmother and Miss Xianglan have arrived to check on the mistress's illness."

Lady Wang hurriedly motioned for Lin Dongling to hide behind the screen before inviting the two visitors in. Xianglan and Dongqi exchanged pleasantries regarding her health, inquired about her symptoms, offered a few comforting words, and left behind the pastries, porridge, and medicine they had brought before preparing to take their leave. At that moment, a maid entered again to report that Concubine Su had come to offer her apologies. Because there were others in the room, Lady Wang found it difficult to refuse; despite her utmost reluctance, she had no choice but to invite Su Meiru inside.

Xianglan and Lin Dongqi exchanged a glance and swallowed back their farewell words, sitting down once more.

Su Meiru's complexion looked sallow. Having cried and made a scene earlier, her makeup was long since smeared, so she had simply washed her face with plain water and worn no cosmetics. Upon entering and seeing Lady Wang, she immediately burst into tears, weeping, "It is my fault for causing the mistress to fall ill; I beg the mistress to punish me." With that, she moved to drop to her knees.

Lady Wang said, "Enough. You are with child, there is no need to kneel."

Su Meiru said, "The mistress is still so magnanimous. In the future, my child will also be the mistress's child. A certain old Taoist priest once physiognomized me and said the one I carry in my belly might be some literary star reborn. The master was overjoyed and rewarded me with a hefty red packet. Ah, how could I have such good fortune? I will be content if this child grows up to possess even half of the Third Young Master's capabilities. Should I happen to give birth to a little miss... I heard that the mistress also once had a little miss who passed away at a tender age, and the master never allows anyone to mention it for fear of reopening old wounds. If I have a little miss, she can just fill the vacancy for the master and mistress and help ease the ache in your hearts."

Xianglan's heart gave a jolt as she thought silently: This Su Meiru is truly a master of wielding a soft blade that kills without drawing blood. Every single sentence sounds considerate, yet every single word drives straight into someone's heart, leaving them with grievances they cannot voice. Could she be intentionally trying to anger Lady Wang to death so that Lin Chang敏 can elevate her to a legitimate wife?

Sure enough, Lady Wang's face turned beet red and she broke into a violent fit of coughing, tears streaming down her face as she coughed.

Behind the screen, Lin Dongling listened in a fury, trembling all over. A wave of intense anger, fueled by the wine she had consumed, rushed to her head instantly. All the grievances she had suffered in the past and the humiliation of her present downfall seemed to find an outlet here. Glancing out, she saw that Lin Dongqi was already stepping forward to rub Lady Wang's chest, while Su Meiru wore a look of utter dismay and was just about to rise and step forward. Xianglan moved to stop her, but precisely at that moment, Lin Dongling burst out without a word of warning, charged straight at Su Meiru's belly with a kick, and yelled, "You damned slut! Today I'll let you taste what real trouble is!"

Caught completely off guard, Su Meiru let out an "Aiya!" and stumbled backward. Lin Dongling lunged forward, grabbed Su Meiru by the hair, and delivered two more fierce kicks to her stomach while cursing, "You shameless wretch who doesn't know her place as a servant! Today your mistress is going to teach you a proper lesson!"

Xianglan was stunned into silence at first, but realizing what was happening, she scrambled to pull Lin Dongling back, crying, "Stop right now! Look after the mistress first!" Lin Dongling refused to relent. Hearing the commotion, Mother Qian, Amber, and Yingluo rushed in to intervene.

At that exact moment, the door was kicked open with a loud crash. Lin Changmin strode in, his eyes blazing red the instant he saw the scene inside the room. He grabbed Lin Dongling by the collar and struck her, cursing, "You unfilial, unrighteous wretch, a creature no better than a whore—how dare you hit people!"

The moment Lin Dongling saw Lin Changmin, her fierce spirit collapsed. She stopped her assault, crying, "Father, how can you be so biased! Instead of asking how this slut angered my mother, you strike me first!"

Su Meiru collapsed to the ground with a cry of agony, clutching her abdomen and groaning ceaselessly, her face turning ashen white as cold sweat rolled down her forehead in beads. Looking down, Xianglan saw a pool of blood already seeping out beneath Su Meiru, causing her to cry out in shock and hastily order people to carry Su Meiru onto the bed and fetch a physician immediately.

Seeing this, Lin Changmin grew even more furious. He reached into his boot, drew out a dagger, and shouted, "Fine, fine! Today you dare harm your father's concubine; tomorrow you'll be murdering your parents! I'll rid the world of you by running you through right now!" With that, he lunged forward to stab her. Terrified, Lady Wang scrambled to her feet, lost her balance, and rolled off the bed, stumbling and crawling over to Lin Changmin's side where she threw her arms around his sleeve, weeping, "Master! Master, open your eyes and look! She is your own flesh and blood after all! You cannot care only for the unseen one in that belly while coming to slaughter the one you've painstakingly raised for over a dozen years!" Lin Changmin shook her off with a wave of his arm, bellowing, "Get out of the way!" He shoved Lady Wang against the wall, sending her crashing as Mother Qian and the others rushed over in wailing panic to support her. The room instantly descended into complete chaos.

Seeing that the situation had turned disastrous, Lin Dongling seized the opportunity amid the melee and bolted out the door. Lin Changmin gave chase right behind her.

Fleeing blindly with nowhere to turn, Lin Dongling sprinted down the corridor straight toward the side gate leading to the street and rushed out through it. Lin Changmin pursued her outside, but upon seeing Lin Dongling stumbling and running off into the alley before turning a corner and disappearing from sight, he could only turn back while hurling curses at the top of his lungs.