Against the Current - Chapter 35
Chapter 35 - Shrewd Sophistry
As the saying goes, enemies meeting face-to-face ignite an immediate blaze of fiery hatred. Cao Lihuan froze stiff on the spot, her expression turning heavily guarded. Liubei halted right before Cao Lihuan, her gaze icy yet carrying a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips as she slowly spoke, "I am here under the Old Matron's orders. The Old Matron says that Mistress is to pack her belongings immediately; the carriage is already prepared at the gates, and we are to escort Mistress home."
It was as though a thunderbolt had struck Cao Lihuan's head, freezing her in her tracks. Meanwhile, the matrons and older women trailing behind Liubei marched straight into the courtyard. Stumbling into the courtyard to take a look, Cao Lihuan saw Sishun sprawled on the ground like a stray dog. Her head spun for a moment, but the genuine terror truly set in when she watched those people carry her chests and belongings out of the room.
This time—this time it was for real!
Huier was still trying to block those older women from hauling away the camphorwood chest on the kang, shouting at the top of her lungs, "What are you doing? What are you doing? These are our Mistress's things, put them down at once!"
Terrified to the point of tears, Siqiao stumbled over to Cao Lihuan, grabbed her sleeve, and cried, "Mistress, what—what on earth is going on here? Why aren't you doing something to stop them?!"
The muscles on Cao Lihuan's face twitched. Just as she wanted to grab Siqiao and demand what had happened, she heard Liubei raise her voice, "The Old Matron gave strict instructions that Mistress Huan's belongings are quite valuable, so we mustn't let wandering hands steal anything. How about this—Mother Fang, take two women and accompany the two maids back to the room to clear out the items. Make sure nobody gets the opportunity to claim things went missing and pin the blame on us!" Mother Fang acknowledged the order and hauled Huier and Siqiao away by the arms as if they were little chicks.
Realizing she had no hope of getting straight answers this way, and too terrified to question Sishun, Cao Lihuan whipped around and bolted toward the exit. To her surprise, she bumped straight into Liubei at the entrance. Glancing up, she saw Liubei looking down at her with a mocking smirk playing at the corners of her mouth, even going so far as to offer a formal bow of greeting. "My dear Mistress, why are you rushing about in such a panic? This hardly looks like the deportment of a proper young lady from a prominent family or a genuine relative of the Lin household. If outsiders were to see this, they'd laugh at our lack of breeding."
"You—" Cao Lihuan's face turned livid. She glared furiously at Liubei, but knowing full well that this was no time to pick a fight, she shoved Liubei aside and broke into a run. When a few of the older women moved to block her, Liubei gently waved them back, a cold smile on her lips as she remarked, "Let her go wherever she pleases. If she's determined to humiliate herself, who are we to stop her?"
Moving with the speed of the wind, Cao Lihuan raced all the way to the main quarters where the Old Matron resided. The maids in the courtyard seemed to expect her arrival, as not a single soul stepped forward to obstruct her path. Standing at the threshold of the main hall, Cao Lihuan took a deep breath before lifting the door curtain and stepping inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, she wailed, "Old Matron..."
Before she could finish crying, Madam Qin stood up, took a step forward, and interjected, "The Old Matron is already feeling unwell on account of Dongqi's illness. The moment you walk in, you start bawling—are you trying to aggravate her condition further?"
With red-rimmed eyes, Cao Lihuan protested, "The Old Matron is driving me away, and my heart feels deeply aggrieved... Am I not even allowed to cry?"
Coldness hung from the corners of Madam Qin's eyes and brows as the edges of her mouth curved upward. "Nobody is forbidding you from crying, but didn't you notice the Old Matron resting in bed? What would happen if your screaming just now startled her?"
Casting a glance, Cao Lihuan saw that Old Matron Lin was indeed reclining against the luohan bed with a somewhat pale complexion, while Wang Shi sat by the bedside holding a bowl of medicinal broth.
Old Matron Lin flicked her eyelids open to spare Cao Lihuan a single glance before shutting her eyes once more.
Gritting her teeth, Cao Lihuan dropped heavily to her knees and crawled over to Old Matron Lin's side, tears streaming down her face in heavy drops. "With the Old Matron indisposed, I ought not to disturb you, but your granddaughter truly... truly has no other choice. I beg the Old Matron to make it clear to me: what grave sin have I committed to deserve such aversion and rejection from you..."
Keeping her eyes closed, Old Matron Lin waited a long moment before finally speaking. "You've grown quite accomplished indeed. Our Lin family can no longer accommodate a grand Buddha like yourself. As for why Ting moved out and how Dongqi fell ill, you know very well in your heart."
Her heart sinking, Cao Lihuan wept as she defended herself, "Why must the Old Matron speak thus? I—I truly am innocent..."
Old Matron Lin waved a hand, an expression of profound disgust painting her features as though she refused to listen to another word.
Kowtowing tearfully, Cao Lihuan pleaded, "Old Matron, I beg you, I beg you to tolerate me one last time! I know I acted willfully in the past and committed many foolish deeds, needlessly stirring up trouble and angering my elders. But—but as for the matters concerning Third Cousin Ting and Second Sister Dongqi, I am genuinely completely ignorant of them." Her face powder mixed with her flowing tears, she cried until she looked like a smeary-faced kitten, possessing a certain pitiful, sorrowful charm.
Hearing Cao Lihuan weeping and protesting her ignorance in a tone that did not sound feigned, Old Matron Lin turned her gaze toward Madam Qin. Secretly gritting her teeth, Madam Qin knew that the old matriarch was soft-hearted by nature and easily swayed by a pitiful display. Terrified that the matriarch might change her mind or let Cao Lihuan pull the wool over her eyes once more, Madam Qin sneered, "Mistress Huan, we are trying to preserve a shred of your dignity here. Must you insist on making a massive scene?"
Filled with a hatred that ached down to her teeth, Cao Lihuan wept miserably while casting a pathetic look at Madam Qin. "Where on earth is Cousin-in-law getting these claims? I know Cousin-in-law has long, long despised me, laying the blame entirely on my past unruliness for failing to win your favor... But Cousin-in-law cannot simply decide from this day forward that I am pure evil..." With that, she struck the floor repeatedly with heavy kowtows, her forehead threatening to break skin and bleed.
Looking down at Cao Lihuan from her elevated stance, Madam Qin flicked aside the door curtain and called out toward the outside, "Bring her in."
Moments later, a maid entered with her head bowed. The instant Cao Lihuan laid eyes on her, her pupils shrank into pinpricks.
It was none other than Xianglan who walked in!
Xianglan, dressed neatly and impeccably groomed!
Stepping forward respectfully, Xianglan dropped to her knees and kowtowed. "May the Old Matron, Eldest Madam, and Second Madam enjoy peace." She did not even spare the corner of her eye to glance at Cao Lihuan. Moving with perfect composure and wearing a serene expression, she bore no trace of distress whatsoever, causing Cao Lihuan's heart to leap into her throat.
Madam Qin said indifferently, "Speak."
Lowering her gaze, Xianglan reported, "Mistress Huan once gave me an envelope, instructing me to deliver it directly to Third Young Master Ting. Regardless of what was written inside that envelope, this constituted a private exchange of correspondence. Furthermore, rumors regarding the Mistress and Third Young Master Ting had already been circulating through the manor for some time. I originally wished to refuse, but Mistress Huan pressured me and even sent a maid to follow closely behind me along the way. Indeed, just a few days after I delivered that letter, Third Young Master Ting moved out of the garden."
"You—you're talking nonsense!" A vicious glint flashed instantly in Cao Lihuan's eyes.
"This maid is speaking no nonsense. If there is a single fabricated word in what I say, let me be struck by lightning and rot to death with ulcers in my throat!" Violently turning her head to stare straight at Cao Lihuan, Xianglan fixed her with an expression of innocent, almost naive artlessness. "Mistress even conspired with Huier, planning to move into Longcui Residence simply because it was closer to Sleeping Cloud Courtyard, where Third Young Master Ting resides. Later, when Madam brought Siqiao over to admonish Mistress, Mistress remained utterly unrepentant, stating, 'I would rather be a favored concubine in the Lin family than live a life of poverty,' and even adding, 'So what if I'm only a concubine for now? The seat of the mistress of the house will be mine sooner or later.'"
Old Matron Lin's expression grew steadily uglier, while Wang Shi turned green with rage. Madam Qin, however, wore an expression of undisguised delight—she had assumed Xianglan was a dull, tongue-tied lump who couldn't force out three words with a beating, yet here she was speaking with absolute clarity and striking like a honed blade with every sentence!
Desperate to lunge forward and tear Xianglan's face to shreds, Cao Lihuan shrieked at the top of her lungs, "You vile little wretch, you're lying! You're framing me! You're talking nonsense!"
Maintaining her innocent, worldly-naive demeanor, Xianglan gazed up into Old Matron Lin's face. "This maid is not lying. These were all things Mistress Huan and Huier discussed in private, which I merely happened to overhear a stray word or two of while doing my chores in the room. I even tried to advise her, pointing out that since Mistress already had a betrothal agreement with the Ren family—and would enter their household as a proper, honored first wife—she shouldn't behave this way. But when Mistress refused to listen and instead cursed and beat me for meddling, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut thereafter."
"Old Matron, Old Matron, do not believe her!" Crawling on her knees, Cao Lihuan lunged to grab Old Matron Lin's legs. "This maid has a vicious heart, she's lazy, impossible to discipline, and has sticky fingers to boot! Because I disciplined her somewhat strictly, she harbored resentment and is now exacting private revenge..." Shifting into an expression of heart-broken devastation as she looked at Xianglan, she pleaded miserably, "I was merely strict with you in my discipline, so why must you... why must you..."
Before she could finish, Xianglan burst into a loud, sobbing cry—one far more heartbroken than Cao Lihuan's own performance. "Mistress, how can you say such a thing? The clothes on your body, the handkerchiefs in your hands, even your wedding garments and dowry items—were they not all embroidered by my hands? As for fetching water, sweeping, and watering the flowers, those were entirely my tasks as well!" With that, she raised both hands. "If the Old Matron does not believe me, look at the needle pricks on my hands. Let Mistress lay her hand on her heart and speak the truth: among Huier, Hairui, and later Siqiao, which of them ever worked harder than I did? If I failed to win Mistress's favor, it is because I am dull and clumsy, but Mistress should not despise me simply because my loyal advice grated on her ears... Today, it is only because I stand before the Old Matron and Madams that I speak these truths; otherwise, has Mistress ever heard me stir up gossip or slander behind your back? When have I ever spoken a single ill word of Mistress from my own lips? Saying these things now is solely to prompt the Old Matron and Madams to offer Mistress more guidance..." This bout of weeping was entirely genuine, stirring up memories of the grievances she had suffered in the past until her heart truly felt shattered.
Madam Qin was on the verge of clapping her hands in applause. This young maid was exceedingly clever and articulate; betraying one's master always carried an inherent stain no matter how one spun it, yet by adopting this innocent facade and projecting an image of someone completely devoid of scheming, she managed to reframe the whole ordeal through simple explanation. She turned the narrative around until it cast her as a loyal advisor whose sound advice was rejected, leaving her no choice but to report the matter to her superiors so they could administer discipline.
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Xianglan choked back a sob and continued, "Later on, Mistress grew increasingly... muddled. At today's birthday banquet, Mistress secretly pocketed a peach from the table, claiming she needed to relieve herself. I followed behind and saw Mistress squeezing the peach juice into a porcelain jar inside the washroom. When she returned to the banquet, she used her sleeve to block the view as she poured that peach juice into the wine, coaxing Second Miss into drinking several cups. I was baffled at the time, but then I suddenly recalled how Second Miss had mentioned during a previous gathering in Mistress Huan's quarters that she was severely allergic to peaches and could neither touch nor consume them. Terrified that a disaster would ensue and bring harm to Second Miss while causing the Old Matron and Madams distress, I ran outside and happened to run into Sister Hongjian, so I reported it to her."
The moment those words left her lips, the entire room fell into a profound, pin-drop silence.
All the strength drained out of Cao Lihuan's body, and she felt as though every drop of blood in her veins had turned instantly cold.