Against the Current - Chapter 42

Chapter 42 - Waiting Upon Him (Part 1)

Lin Jinlou rarely came to the eastern side-chamber during the day. Hesitating for a brief moment, Xianglan stepped forward and said, "The concubine has gone for a stroll in the garden. Does the Eldest Master have any instructions?"

Lin Jinlou cast a lazy glance at Xianglan and said, "So there are people in this room after all; I thought none of the maids were around. Go pour me a bowl of tea."

Xianglan vaguely remembered that the tea Lin Jinlou usually drank was kept in the cabinet. Opening the cabinet door and taking a look, she indeed spotted a small, multicolored plum-and-bamboo-patterned jar with a bluish-green glaze resting on the shelf. She pinched out a pinch of tea leaves from it, placed them into a small blue-and-white porcelain fish-and-water cup, rinsed the leaves with water, poured out the first brew, and added hot water. Only then did she carry the tea over to the small side table beside Lin Jinlou, before stepping back a large pace and lowering her head, ready to take her leave.

Reclining on the daybed, Lin Jinlou frowned slightly and said, "Wait. Who told you to leave?"

Xianglan had no choice but to stop and turn around. With his eyes half-closed, Lin Jinlou shook his foot and said, "Take off my boots." Xianglan walked over, half-knelt on the floor, pulled the boots off Lin Jinlou's feet, placed them lightly and carefully on the ground, and moved to retreat once more.

Lin Jinlou called out to stop her again, saying, "I still need someone to wait on me here, where are you off to? I'm hungry; bring two plates of pastries. No thousand-layer pastries, but if there's any soup, heat up a bowl." Having no alternative, Xianglan went to the small alcove in the back to fetch two plates of pastries. There was still a little less than half a pot of the non-glutinous rice and lean pork porridge that Concubine Lan had eaten in the morning, so she placed it on the stove to heat up a bowl, put it on a tray, and carried it back.

Lin Jinlou held his teacup, sipping leisurely. Having lived a life of luxury and fine jade since childhood, he was fastidious in his food, clothing, housing, and daily use. Although life in the military had been hard and forced him to overlook many things, at home he remained extremely particular even about his tea. In the past, Qinglan would always brew his tea for him by hand. Today, with someone else in her place, the flavor was lighter, and the temperature differed as well. Though it lacked the deep richness of before, it had a light, delicate mouthfeel that surprisingly left a lingering aftertaste.

Right then, Xianglan carried in the food, placed it on the small side table, and said, "There's no soup left, but there's some porridge made this morning that is still quite fresh. I've heated up a small bowl for the Eldest Master."

Lin Jinlou nodded, drank a couple of sips of the porridge, and began eating the pastries.

The room was quiet, save for the occasional chirping of the thrush hanging in the veranda cage. Lifting his gaze slightly, Lin Jinlou saw Xianglan standing far away near the doorway, her head lowered and completely motionless, which somewhat displeased him. Wherever he went in the inner courtyard, people of all ages and genders would rush to welcome him, bowing and scraping, with maidservants scrambling to curry favor and trying every bizarre trick imaginable just to earn an extra glance from him. If any maid were ever alone with him in a room like this normally, she would have long since racked her brains to strike up a conversation. Yet Xianglan was completely different; she stood as far away as if he carried a contagious disease, too lazy even to raise her head.

With a loud clatter, Lin Jinlou dropped his spoon back into the bowl.

When he had originally assigned Xianglan to serve under Qinglan's command, it was precisely to keep the little maid close by and under his watchful eye. He knew what kind of people he had in his own quarters—none of them were easy to deal with—except for Qinglan, whose disposition was gentle and magnanimous. It was only later that, burdened first by arduous and complex military affairs and then by the responsibilities of inspecting the salt administration, he gradually set this little maid aside. Even when he occasionally visited the eastern side-chamber, he never saw her step forward to wait on him. Meeting her now, he discovered that she was utterly heartless; he had saved her chastity and even promoted her to close service, yet she treated him like a complete stranger.

Xianglan was lurking near the doorway, inwardly grumbling, "If Concubine Lan and Chunling and the others come back later and see me alone in the room waiting on the Eldest Master, they'll think I'm deliberately throwing myself at him. If they get angry, it won't end well." In truth, she did harbor a deep sense of gratitude toward Lin Jinlou, but whenever she saw those burning eyes of his looking as though they wanted to devour her, she simply dared not show any further attentiveness.

At that moment, she heard Lin Jinlou say, "It's hot in this room. Come over here and fan me."

Xianglan froze. Picking up a snow-white silk palace fan from the eight-immortals table, she obediently walked over to fan him. After a few strokes, Lin Jinlou glared at her and said, "Standing so far away from me, how is any breeze supposed to reach here?"

With no other choice, Xianglan had to step a bit closer. Lin Jinlou let out another hum and said, "Do you take me for some wild beast? Am I going to eat you?" Xianglan had no option but to edge forward a little more, lowering her gaze and meekly starting to fan him.

Only then was Lin Jinlou satisfied. Lifting his eyes to look at Xianglan, he noticed that her face had grown a bit fuller, with rosy cheeks and delicate, gentle eyes that possessed an indescribable charm. She still wore her hair in double-knotted buns, dressed in a camel-colored brocade jacket with a white long skirt below, her youthful figure just beginning to reveal its graceful curves.

Lin Jinlou suddenly frowned and asked, "What kind of perfume are you wearing?"

Xianglan was taken aback. "This servant never wears perfume..."

Feeling somewhat ill at ease, Lin Jinlou shifted his position and squinted at the little maid before him. Xianglan was standing rather close to him, and a faint, elusive fragrance drifted with the breeze into his nose, making him desperately want to reach out and touch her soft, delicate face, and breathe in that alluring, subtle scent she carried. Being a debauched and dissolute rake, he felt deeply stirred, thinking that if it weren't for the mourning period for the Old Madame, taking a maid as a concubine that very night would hardly be a big deal. He glanced at Xianglan again, noting that she had not yet reached womanhood and still retained a hint of tender youthfulness, and decided it wouldn't hurt to let her grow a bit more before taking her into his rooms.

Composing his thoughts, Lin Jinlou took a sip of tea and asked, "Are you getting used to things here? Has the mistress been giving you a hard time? I've come by a few times and never caught sight of you."

Keeping her eyelids lowered and refusing to look at Lin Jinlou, yet maintaining an exceptionally respectful expression on her face, Xianglan replied, "Replying to the Eldest Master's words, the concubine is as kind-hearted as a living Bodhisattva. She treats me very well and has even bestowed many rewards upon me. Since I've just arrived and am still clumsy with my hands and feet, I mostly just do needlework in the back, while Big Sister Chunling handles serving tea and pouring water."

Lin Jinlou chuckled softly. "If you don't handle matters right before his eyes, your mistress might just forget all about you." His words carried a double meaning, sounding frivolous, lazy, and languid all at once.

Xianglan was a smart girl and grasped his meaning immediately. Unsure whether she felt more embarrassed or angry, her face flushed crimson "whoosh" all the way down to the roots of her neck. Still keeping her head lowered, she said, "Big Sister Chunling is far more clever than I am. I am a clumsy person and I'm afraid of angering the masters."

Resting his foot upon the daybed with a playful smile, Lin Jinlou said, "How about this—why don't you come and serve me exclusively from now on? Shuran, the maid by my side, is about to leave the manor to get married, and you can just take her place. If you follow me, I guarantee I won't think you're clumsy..."

Just as he reached this point, someone at the doorway cried out in pleasant surprise, "Why has the Eldest Master come?"