Against the Current - Chapter 34

Chapter 34 - Filing a Complaint

Madam Qin had always been shrewd, meticulous, and orderly in everything she did. This was the very first time Old Matron Lin had ever witnessed her in such a disheveled state, and she hastily helped her up, seating her close by while asking with a mixture of alarm and uncertainty, "What on earth has happened to you? Could it be... could it truly be the second girl..."

Weeping and shaking her head, Madam Qin grasped Old Matron Lin's hand and cried, "Old Matron, you must seek justice for Dongqi and me... This disaster that befell Dongqi was completely unprovoked; someone deliberately plotted to harm her..."

Old Matron Lin's complexion turned slightly pale as she asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

Sobbing, Madam Qin explained, "Today's banquet to celebrate my birthday with several madams was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Who would have thought that Hongjian would come to me with a report that a young maid saw Mistress Huan steal a peach, squeeze its juice in the washroom, and hide it in a porcelain jar? She then brought it out, mixed it into the wine, and coaxed Dongqi into drinking several large cups... I was half-in-doubt, yet too afraid to simply dismiss it, so I had someone administer two pills of medicine to Dongqi beforehand. To think it turned out precisely as feared—not long after, Dongqi broke out in massive rashes and welts, and her entire body swelled up until she was unrecognizable... Old Matron, thank goodness she took the medicine in advance! Otherwise, had a severe reaction broken out, what would have become of her? This—this was an attempt on her life!"

Old Matron Lin's expression changed drastically. "Is this true?"

Wiping away her tears, Madam Qin retorted, "How could it not be true? Now that matters have reached this point, I am casting aside whatever shred of face I have left to tell you the truth. You always considered Cao Lihuan to be a good girl, thinking she is charming, well-spoken, and clever at pleasing you with this and that. Out of respect for your fondness for her, we said nothing. But does the Old Matron know what kind of behavior she displays outside? She orders the servants around with arrogant disdain, possessing not a fraction of the decorum expected of a young lady from a prominent family, and she loves taking out her temper on young maids... Let us set aside these minor flaws, but this girl is utterly lacking in common sense. Though she is already betrothed and awaiting marriage in her boudoir, she somehow set her sights on Young Master Ting, brazenly sending him poems and essays, lingering around the very places he loves to frequent, and even spending money to hire gossiping old women and maids to spread rumors about herself and Ting! This—this..."

"Thwack!" Outraged, Old Matron Lin slammed her hand down on the carved Pixiu figure adorning the head of the luohan bed. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

Thinking to herself that she had been stockpiling Cao Lihuan's transgressions precisely to strike her down in one decisive blow, Madam Qin maintained a mournful expression on her face and replied, "I was mindful of the reputations of the two young people and afraid that you would worry upon hearing it. The moment I caught wind of the servants whispering filth, I had Ting move out to live elsewhere, and I even gifted the complicit maid directly to Mistress Huan. My original intention was merely to give her a light warning. Who would have thought my good intentions would be met with ingratitude? Not only did Mistress Huan ignore it, but she instead bore a grudge against me, dragging the second girl into suffering such a terrible ordeal... You know the second girl best; she is the most gentle soul imaginable, yet even her she could bring herself to harm..."

As she spoke, Madam Qin covertly observed Old Matron Lin's expression and saw, just as she had anticipated, that the old matriarch's face had turned ashen. Her calculations were spot on: all these years, Old Matron Lin had subsisted on a vegetarian diet and Buddhist prayers, possessing a soft heart while loving a lively household. She had figured that taking in an orphaned girl merely meant adding an extra bowl of rice and eventually a dowry—surely the Lin family wouldn't begrudge that small expense? Besides, since Cao Lihuan knew how to talk, smile, and please her, keeping her around provided amusement while accumulating hidden merits and a fine reputation. Why not? But however skilled Cao Lihuan was at playing cute and currying favor, she remained an outsider whose relatives were distant and whose family background was in decline. Hence, no matter how much Old Matron Lin favored her, she regarded her much like a little cat or dog; minor mischief was harmless enough, so the old matriarch chose to turn a blind eye. Yet the moment it implicated her own children and grandchildren, the matter became entirely different!

Madam Qin hurriedly exchanged a glance with Xuecan standing nearby. Catching the hint, Xuecan stepped forward with a bowl of soup and said, "Old Matron, do not let this anger you—she isn't worth it. Drink some soup to soothe your lungs first."

Frowning, Old Matron Lin brushed Xuecan's hand aside. "I don't care to drink."

"Please, Old Matron, do take a little. Let it calm your temper first, because I fear... I fear what comes next will only cause you even greater anxiety..." Lowering her head, Madam Qin twisted her handkerchief in a display of reluctance and hesitation.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Old Matron Lin asked, "What could possibly be more severe than the two matters you just mentioned?"

Lowering her voice, Madam Qin reported, "Just now, during the birthday banquet, Lou happened to catch Mistress Huan's pageboy molesting a maid in the courtyard, causing a scene that... grew rather unseemly. When Lou stepped up to question him, he discovered that the pageboy actually shares an illicit affair with Mistress Huan! He had sneaked in to rendezvous with her amidst today's bustling festivities in the manor, only to lose his wits from drink and mistake that maid for Mistress Huan while trying to force himself upon her..."

"Absurd! Outrageous! Utterly preposterous!" Furious, Old Matron Lin struck the bed frame repeatedly. A scandal of this magnitude leaking out would drag down the reputations of all the young ladies in the household. To think Cao Lihuan had behaved with such utter shamelessness! "I used to think her behavior stemmed simply from her family's decline and her excessively competitive nature, which made her vie for attention in everything. To think her very core was rotten through and through!"

Patting Old Matron Lin's back to help her catch her breath, Madam Qin soothed, "Pray calm your anger, Old Matron, do calm your anger. Lou has already handled this matter properly, and in any case, she has not lived in the manor for very long and is already moving out of our garden, so the association is not too deeply entangled." Then, watching the old matriarch's expression warily, she stoked the flames further: "Old Matron, every word I told you just now is the absolute truth. If you do not believe me, I am ready to swear a venomous oath right here..."

"Have her pack her things immediately and get out of the Lin family!" Old Matron Lin gasped heavily. "Our household has no room for such a shameless relative. Have carriages prepared at once to send her straight back to her brother, and do not allow her to ever set foot here again!"

Secretly rejoicing, Madam Qin assumed a troubled air and asked, "What about the Master..."

Old Matron Lin glared. "Leave him to me! Why haven't you gone yet?"

"Yes, yes." Thinking to herself that this was the exact permission she had been waiting for, Madam Qin hurried toward the door, only to hear Old Matron Lin call out from behind, "Have a couple of skilled physicians come examine Dongqi. And as for Ting, it is a shame he had to move out because of this wretched nonsense; living outside is bound to be less comfortable than being at home. Once that person has been driven out, bring him back."

Madam Qin assented to each instruction, fighting desperately to keep from smiling.

Meanwhile, because Lin Dongqi's sudden illness had brought the birthday banquet to an abrupt and unpleasant end, Cao Lihuan was walking back with a smug, thoroughly pleased expression, calculating internally whether Sishun had succeeded yet. She had instructed Sishun to roll Xianglan up in a reed mat after drugging her with incense, and carry her out along with two bundles of fabric from her room. Now that Xianglan was nowhere to be seen, she assumed the plan had gone off without a hitch.

Swaying her fan gracefully as she strolled back, she reached her destination only to discover two coarse-handed older women guarding the courtyard entrance, accompanied by Shuangxi, a pageboy highly favored by Lin Jinlou. Instantly gripped by panic, Cao Lihuan stepped forward and forced a smile. "What are you all standing around here for on a fine day? Good mothers, please step aside and let me enter my room first."

With a dark expression, the older woman blocked Cao Lihuan's path and stated expressionlessly, "Wait! Mistress Huan, hold on a moment. The superiors have given strict instructions that no one is allowed to enter this courtyard."

Raising an eyebrow, Cao Lihuan challenged, "Instructions from the superiors? Which superior?"

Rolling his eyes, Shuangxi retorted, "Which superior it is doesn't concern you, Mistress. In any case, this courtyard is sealed off, and absolutely no one is entering."

Cao Lihuan's face instantly darkened, and her panic intensified. At that moment, she heard someone wailing from within, "Mistress! Save me! Please save me!"

A jolt shook Cao Lihuan's heart, and she thought to herself, It's ruined! In a fraction of a second, her mind raced through several scenarios: if the plot was exposed, she would pin the blame entirely on that slave Sishun, claiming he was driven by lust to attempt a rape on Xianglan, while she herself would bear at most the charge of poor supervision—though she would undoubtedly have to endure weeping tears before that bitch Qin. Yet the panic etched across her face was hardly feigned: "What on earth is going on here?"

Shuangxi sneered, "What is going on? Mistress knows best in her heart. Our Young Master has already interrogated him thoroughly. Standing guard here is merely to preserve Mistress's reputation. If Mistress is sensible and knows what's good for her, she'd best stay quietly put. If you intend to make a scene like you did last time when you forced your way into Shoushi Hall and injured Sister Liubei, you'd better first check whether you can get past me."

These words were delivered with absolute bluntness. Cao Lihuan's expression shifted violently; under normal circumstances, she would have delivered a slap across his face long ago. But now, with a guilty conscience, she truly dared not throw a tantrum. Staring at Shuangxi, her face cycled between pale and crimson.

Shuangxi let out a cold snort, not even sparing Cao Lihuan a glance from the corner of his eye. Inside, Sishun was still howling, prompting Shuangxi to bellow, "What are you howling about? Is someone mourning the dead? Your mistress isn't dead yet!"

Sishun instantly cut off his cries.

Unable to spare any more energy to bicker with Shuangxi, Cao Lihuan stood there feeling the wind shift ominously as cold sweat trickled down her spine. Just as she thought to turn back and probe for more information, she caught sight of Liubei approaching with seven or eight matrons and older women in tow.