Against the Current - Chapter 353
Chapter 353 - Provoking Words
Lin Jinlou held Xianglan's hand, pressing a kiss into her palm. "You're just too soft-hearted. To put it nicely, you're broad-minded; to put it bluntly, you're just too easily taken advantage of, with no end of people plotting to exploit you."
Xianglan smiled softly and replied, "If a person always stops to calculate whether they're getting the short end of the stick, just think of how much anxiety all that fretting causes. Heaven's arithmetic of addition and subtraction is far clearer than ours. When you calculate things too precisely, your fortune diminishes, so it's much better to live at ease." As she spoke, she yawned, her eyelids gradually growing heavy, when suddenly she heard Jinlou say, "That little scoundrel Xia Yuan crossing swords with you turned out to be his genuine good fortune."
Xianglan couldn't help laughing out loud. "What kind of talk is that? Making an enemy turns into good fortune?"
Jinlou answered, "Once you let go and your heart opens up, you realize the breadth of heaven and earth is truly boundless. Most people understand the principle, but truly managing to act with such detachment is rare indeed. That rascal Xia Yuan is fortunate to have made an enemy of someone with a broad mind."
Xianglan sat up, staring at Jinlou in utter astonishment before making a show of peering out the window. "I'll need to take a careful look tomorrow morning to see if the sun is rising from the west."
Jinlou laughed. "Well, well, you dare make fun of me." With that, he reached out, pushed Xianglan down beneath him, and started tickling her.
Dodging left and right, Xianglan was exceptionally ticklish. She giggled a few times, then realized how unseemly it was and feared the maids might hear. She bit her lower lip, but unable to hold back, burst into laughter once more and hurriedly pleaded for mercy. "Spare my life! Spare my life! I surrender."
Only then did Jinlou stop, looking down at her from above. "Do you still dare?"
With a flushed face, Xianglan pushed aside the stray locks of dark hair framing her cheeks. "I was just astonished. My Lord has always gripped whatever caught your fancy in the palm of your hand from the very start—when on earth did you ever learn to let go and relinquish anything?"
Jinlou huffed. "Your lord naturally understands the art of giving and taking." He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers, his warm breath washing over her face, and murmured after a moment, "It just doesn't work when it comes to you."
Xianglan had intended to tease him further, but upon hearing those words, her eyes suddenly grew hot. She quietly slipped her arms around Jinlou's neck, and his lips met hers without delay.
Who could have foreseen that in the dead of night, an eight-hundred-li urgent express would arrive with confidential intelligence, prompting Jinlou to set off immediately for the Gendarmerie and send word that he would not be returning home for the next few days. When Xianglan woke the following morning, she felt heavy and sluggish all over, her entire body aching as if she were coming down with a chill. Lacking all energy, she read for a while, idly bantered with Xiaojuan and the others, and then went to bed early to extinguish the lamps. By the next forenoon, Xianglan felt her illness grow heavier. Coincidentally, a close branch of the Lin family's kindred was celebrating the birth of a grandson—a joyous occasion known as holding the jade scepter—and Jinlou had sent word asking Xianglan to attend in his stead to offer congratulations. Mustering her strength, Xianglan changed her clothes, had gifts prepared, and set off to pay her visit.
The host's household was brimming with a festive atmosphere, with a steady stream of well-wishers arriving and female relatives from various branches gathering in full force. Upon seeing that Xianglan had arrived, the hosts were naturally exceedingly attentive, specially inviting her from the main hall into a side parlor for tea. The parlor was filled with women of some standing; knowing Xianglan's background, though each was filled with curiosity, they treated her with proper courtesy. Xianglan responded with a faint smile, and after sitting for a while, she made to leave, but the hostess would not hear of it, pressing her to stay. Xianglan had no choice but to sit a while longer. Mother Wu and Xiaojuan, knowing she was unwell, specifically stepped inside to wait on her. Just then, someone announced the arrival of Fifth Mistress Lin. Xianglan's heart tightened slightly as she saw a beautiful maiden of seventeen or eighteen supporting an elderly woman with silver-white hair as they slowly walked in.
It was Xianglan's first time laying eyes on Madam Ding. She saw that she was not tall, with a plump figure, narrow eyes, and a prominent nose, yet she possessed an imposing aura. Because she was an elder, Xianglan stood up to greet her, but Madam Ding feigned blindness, merely exchanging pleasantries with the older matrons and not even sparing Xianglan a sideways glance, while the assembled women vied with one another to offer her a seat. When Xianglan looked toward the young maiden, she saw someone of medium-tall stature with a slender, graceful figure, almond-shaped eyes, peach-blossom cheeks, and a striking, radiant appearance. Xianglan nodded and smiled at her, wanting to make a greeting, but the girl refused to look her way and instead directly helped Madam Ding to her seat.
Xianglan could not help exchanging a glance with Mother Wu, who felt deeply embarrassed and humiliated on her behalf. Gently patting Xianglan's arm, Mother Wu whispered, "Let's leave."
Xianglan whispered back, "No, let's wait a little longer."
Though Madam Ding refused to look at her directly, she had already swept her with several sideways glances. Putting on airs, she had expected Xianglan to step forward and address her first so she could put on a show of condescension before someone else smoothed things over and bridged the gap. That way, she would become acquainted with Xianglan while successfully maintaining the upper hand. Little did she expect that Xianglan possessed a naturally unpretentious disposition; coupled with her bodily indisposition, she had little appetite for chatter, and knowing full well that Madam Ding disliked her, she saw no reason to subject herself to a cold shoulder. Instead, she simply sat quietly to the side with lowered head and modest demeanor. This only added to Madam Ding's displeasure, and she occupied herself entirely with chatting with a few old cronies. The girl accompanying Madam Ding was her grandniece, whose given name was Suyan. After scrutinizing Xianglan several times, she curled her lip in silence.
As it turned out, there was a backstory to this. Ding Suyan had been raised like a young lady of a great noble household, excelling in domestic management and needlework alike. Versed in chess, calligraphy, and painting, and capable of both writing and playing instruments, she possessed a shrewd and competent nature that had thoroughly won the affection of Old Madam Lin, who never tired of praising her. Back when Lin Jinlou and Zhao Yuechan dissolved their marriage, Old Madam Lin had originally set her sights on Ding Suyan to be her eldest grandson's wife, even calling the girl to her side to broach the subject. Madam Ding had been overjoyed upon hearing it, but unfortunately, Ding Suyan had been unwilling. Jinlou was more than a decade her senior, notoriously romantic and fond of beauty, not to mention the countless concubines in his inner quarters and his various mistresses tucked away in pleasure quarters outside. Believing herself to be a beauty with a renowned reputation for virtue in her maiden days—especially since her father had been reinstated in official office and suitors constantly beat down their doors, among them plenty of promising young talents and scions of great houses—she saw no reason why she couldn't find a most desirable husband. Consequently, she chose a scion from an aristocratic family on par with the Lins. Yet not long after their engagement, she heard that while the young man possessed some literary talent, he was entirely dictated by his mother's whims. Although their family was wealthy, the pocket money he received each month amounted to a mere five taels, and if he spent a single copper extra, he had to account for it to his mother. Ding Suyan immediately regretted her choice, weeping and making scenes time and again to break the engagement. Looking around, she realized none of her suitors could compare to Lin Jinlou, who cut a dashing figure, possessed illustrious military achievements, commanded vast sums of wealth, and had few family elders to police him. Having attained high office due to his role in rescuing the Crown Prince, he could well be called a regional lord in his own right. Even if he was somewhat romantic, what powerful man did not play the field? She couldn't help regretting missing out upon a mountain of gold, and she wished to turn back. However, the entire Lin household had relocated to the capital where she couldn't see him, and Jinlou was deliberately set on marrying Xianglan, leaving Ding Suyan to nurse an escalating bitterness as she clung to her grandaunt, still hoping to unite with the Lin family through marriage.
Exasperated, Madam Ding had scolded her, "When people were bending over backwards to propose to you back then, you refused. Now you want to crawl back shamelessly—where on earth is such a thing heard of?"
Weeping, Ding Suyan had replied, "Who could have foreseen how things would turn out? Grandaunt must help me."
Ding Suyan's parents naturally fancied Lin Jinlou as well; knowing that Madam Ding held considerable prestige within the Lin clan and enjoyed a close relationship with Old Madam Lin, they showered Madam Ding with numerous precious gifts. In turn, Madam Ding wrote letters to both Old Madam Lin and Lin Changzheng, painting Xianglan in the most vicious and grotesque colors while subtly praising Ding Suyan's virtues. Seeing that Lin Changzheng's reply was phrased in terms that suggested extreme annoyance toward Xianglan, she assumed the matter was settled. Never had she expected that Lin Jinlou would marry Xianglan anyway. Enraged, Madam Ding dared not write to Lin Changzheng again, but knowing that Old Madam Lin possessed a weak disposition, she penned a letter declaring, "A base woman of lowly origins, her vulgar nature soaked deep into her bones, making it impossible to alter her character to her dying day," using it to vent her hatred. Yet that letter vanished like a stone tossed into the sea, meeting with total silence.
A knot had thus formed in Ding Suyan's heart. Seeing Xianglan today—with a complexion fresh as morning blossoms, eyes clear as twin pools of limpid water, an air of pure elegance, surrounded by attending maids and fawned upon by a crowd of sycophants—while she herself had broken off an engagement, was growing older day by day, and found herself caught between high and low without being able to find a man like Lin Jinlou—she felt increasingly unsettled. A surge of bitter resentment welled up inside her, and she thought to herself, "Using mere beauty to serve others, she has merely picked up what I originally cast aside. I was trained from childhood by eight veteran nurses; I've managed banquets of the grandest scales, and whether in household management or needlework, I always took top honors. The Lin family cares nothing for making a laughingstock of themselves, but by what virtue does she sit in such a position? Aside from that face and a few mediocre paintings, what single point of hers stands out? I've heard she might even be barren..."
Just as her thoughts reached this point, the hostess brought out the baby for everyone to see. The crowd swarmed forward, clucking and praising the child. Playing with the infant, Madam Ding turned to the hostess and said, "It's still your daughter-in-law who has true fortune. How long has she been married, and she's already produced a son in one fell swoop?"
As if possessed by some ghost, Ding Suyan piped up, "Indeed, adding descendants to the family line is the fundamental basis for a thriving household. The only fear is encountering those who cannot continue the incense burner's line—isn't that just a fraud that leaves a family without heirs?" Ding Suyan knew full well she shouldn't poke at someone's sore spot like this, but seeing Xianglan's grand airs made her feel deeply uneasy inside, and she couldn't resist dropping a couple of acid remarks. Having said it, she felt a trace of shame and awkwardness, yet mixed with it was an indescribable sense of malicious satisfaction. Lifting her head, she cast an intentional or accidental glance at Xianglan.
How could Xianglan fail to understand her meaning? Her face turned pale. Having descendants was a hidden sore spot deep within her heart; even if Jinlou didn't mind, she still hoped for a child to play around her knees. She also understood all too well that if she remained barren over the next year or two, the Lin elders would likely force Jinlou to take a concubine. Even if Jinlou refused for her sake, her days in the Lin household might no longer be smooth sailing. Besides, did Jinlou truly not want children? She only had to recall how he used to dote on Brother De and Brother Yuan to know the truth.
Madam Ding naturally heard the implication loud and clear. Though she felt her grandniece's words were somewhat improper, her lingering anger toward Xianglan and her deep-seated prejudice made her feign deafness. Directing her words solely to the others, she smiled and said, "Since we're gathered here today, I can't help saying a few extra words. Of the three unfilial acts, having no descendants is the most grave, and failing to bear children falls under the 'seven grounds for divorce.' Among young couples, while they're sweet as honey, being childless isn't necessarily a crime in itself; the real worry is when time drags on—tsk, tsk—and resentment genuinely breeds because of it. To my mind, if a woman's own belly shows no movement after two or three years, she should proactively arrange for a concubine herself, or if she's simply incapable of bearing children at all, otherwise she lacks wifely virtue. But putting your hand on your heart, how many principal wives can actually stomach that? I heard that the youngest son of the Lin family living out in the northern suburbs—he and his wife were originally as thick as thieves, but later, because they were childless, the husband took in a concubine. Naturally, he forgot his old love in favor of the new, and there wasn't a single day of peace. In the end, the devoted couple turned against each other and made a dreadful scene, and their youngest son even divorced his wife and elevated the concubine who bore him a son to the position of primary wife."
Every single word spoken by these two women felt like a knife twisting in Xianglan's heart. Especially since she was already feeling unwell today, it made the ordeal all the more unbearable. Yet these remarks were dripping with insinuation, and she couldn't even voice the grievance weighing on her mind. Fearing she wouldn't be able to suppress her temper and start a public wrangle with Madam Ding right then and there—and finding the atmosphere here utterly intolerable any longer—Xianglan abruptly stood up with a start and walked outside.