Against the Current - Chapter 45
Chapter 45 - Visiting Family
Spring days lingered on. Now in the depths of late spring, the weather had suddenly turned cool. After several rounds of fine drizzle, the grass and trees grew with even more luxuriant vitality.
Xianglan tucked her personal gold and silver trinkets close to her body, placed two changes of clothing into a peony-scattered bundle, and stepped out of the Zhichun Pavilion with a light and brisk stride. This was her first time returning home to visit since arriving at the Zhichun Pavilion. Because Lin Jinlou had partaken of his meal in the eastern side-chamber, Qinglan was in high spirits and readily granted Xianglan's request for a day off starting the next day, adding that if it grew too late, she could stay the night at home and return early the following morning right as the mansion gates opened.
Naturally overjoyed, Xianglan bustled about to tidy up her things and left the mansion early the next morning. Her home was situated in the lane behind the Lin residence. Because she had been promoted to a second-rank maid, the second gate had dispatched a matron to accompany her home. This matron, surnamed Cai, was short, nimble, and exceedingly deferential toward Xianglan, smiling as she said, "Since the young miss comes from Auntie Lan's quarters, how is the Auntie's health? Everyone in our entire household is hoping she will bless the Eldest Master with a little master; that would be an event of truly boundless joy."
Xianglan smiled faintly and replied, "Auntie's health is remarkably good. Thank you, Mother, and everyone else for keeping her in your thoughts."
As Mother Cai chatted with Xianglan, she ordered a small sedan chair to be prepared. Xianglan quickly stopped her, smiling, "My home is right in the lane behind the mansion—it's so close we can reach it in just a few steps. Why go to all the trouble and expense of preparing a sedan chair?"
Mother Cai chuckled and said, "Oh, my good miss, which respectable maid leaving the mansion doesn't ride in a sedan chair? Those going further even have a horse-drawn carriage prepared. Yindie from your Auntie Lan's side was originally a third-rank maid with no special standing when going out, yet she still managed to slip a few coins to the doorkeeper, claiming her legs hurt and asking them to arrange a sedan chair home. In truth, everyone knew perfectly well that her legs were fine—what she wanted was simply the prestige... Besides..." Mother Cai looked at Xianglan's expression and grinned, revealing a row of slightly yellowed teeth. "Besides, since the miss lives in the lane behind the mansion, you must be a family-bound servant born into the household, right? Riding in a sedan chair also adds face for your parents. Down in the back streets, people love to look down on the low and fawn on the high; returning in glorious style will make them hold you in higher regard."
Though Xianglan had initially wanted to walk, hearing Mother Cai put it this way changed her mind. She inwardly praised the old woman for knowing the ways of the world. Before long, Mother Cai indeed had a small green-cloth two-bearer sedan chair prepared, which carried Xianglan away with a gentle sway.
Sitting inside the sedan chair, Xianglan occasionally lifted the curtain to look outside, feeling as though this short distance was unusually distant, especially through the narrow alleyways where the chair had to wind its way around before finally arriving. At the mouth of the alley, some children were playing while a few old women sat together gossiping. Seeing a sedan chair approach, they all narrowed their eyes, and upon recognizing that the person alighting from it was Xianglan, they immediately began whispering and exchanging glances among themselves.
Xianglan gave a few coins to the sedan-bearers and Mother Cai, asking them to return to pick her up at three quarters past theé…‰ (yÇ’u) hour. Pushing open the courtyard gate and walking inside, she saw Mrs. Xue with her back turned, hanging out laundry in the courtyard. Xianglan walked over briskly and called out, "Mother!"
Mrs. Xue turned around in a hurry. The moment she saw it was Xianglan, she was instantly overcome with delight. Wiping her hands on her apron, she exclaimed happily, "You've come back? Quick, come inside the house." Catching hold of Xianglan's hand, she pulled her straight indoors. Once inside, she was a flurry of activity—pouring tea, fetching snacks, urging Xianglan to drink the freshly brewed hot tea, then offering her the spiced melon seeds bought just yesterday, along with two pieces of rock sugar and sesame sweet dumplings left over from a neighbor's celebration last month—running about in a dizzying whirl.
A warm glow filled Xianglan's heart. Stopping Mrs. Xue, she said, "Mother, stop fussing and let's sit down and have a proper chat." She then asked, "Where is Father?"
Mrs. Xue replied, "Your father is still down at the shop. When he comes back at noon and sees you here, he'll be beside himself with joy. Just last night we were talking about you; he was still kicking himself for not stopping you from entering the mansion, worrying constantly about whether you were getting along well or suffering any grievances. The last time you came home, your face was as pale as wax, enough to break anyone's heart. We had people ask around and heard you were sent to serve the young female cousin... and since that young cousin was hardly a decent sort, your father and I spent the entire night tossing and turning with worry..." As she spoke, she squeezed Xianglan's hand, looking her up and down, unable to suppress her heartache. "You do look a bit better than the last time you came home, though you're still thinner than when you left home..."
A sour lump rose in the bridge of Xianglan's nose. Enduring the harsh winds and frost all by herself in the Lin mansion, walking on thin ice with utmost caution, she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be cherished by someone—to have people treat you like a plaything to be casually trampled upon, while your parents always regarded you as the apple of their eye, cradling you carefully in the palms of their hands. She hugged Mrs. Xue's arm, shook it, and coaxed in a spoiled tone, "I'm doing very well in the mansion, so Father and Mother shouldn't worry. Cao Lihuan has already been driven out by the Mistress. Now I'm serving in the quarters of the Eldest Master's concubine, and I've even been promoted to a second-rank maid."
Mrs. Xue beamed with joy. "Really? You've been promoted to second rank?"
Xianglan giggled and nodded. "Auntie is of a very generous disposition, and she has rewarded me with quite a few things."
Pulling Mrs. Xue down to sit on the kang, Xianglan opened her small bundle and laid out the contents one by one for her to see, saying softly, "These are the rewards I've earned since entering the mansion."
Mrs. Xue first picked up the jade bracelet, held it up to the light to inspect it thoroughly, then examined the agate gold hairpin and coral earrings, her face breaking into a wide smile. "You're only a maid attending an auntie, yet you're able to win so many rewards—this is truly prestigious."
Xianglan said, "The Eldest Master dotes on the Auntie and even privately bestowed a shop upon her, not to mention ordinary rewards and the extra monthly allowances he gives her for expenses. This bit of silver is nothing more than a drop in the ocean to Auntie Lan." With that, she slipped the bracelet onto Mrs. Xue's wrist and smiled, saying, "I brought these back to show my filial piety to you, Mother. Wear whichever one you like."
Mrs. Xue hurriedly slid the bracelet off and thrust it back into Xianglan's hands. "I spend all day washing and scrubbing, sewing and mending; wearing such fine things would just ruin them. You're at the age when girls love to look pretty, and since the family could never afford to buy you these, it's rare for your masters to reward you with a few trinkets—you should keep them to wear yourself. I came out of the Lin household myself, and I know how snobbish those people in the mansion are; they look down on anyone dressed shabbily and seize every chance to step on them."
Xianglan smiled. "I have more. These are all for you, Mother, and besides, I don't care much for wearing these things." She drew out her needlework from the bag and said, "When I had some leisure time, I made a pair of shoes for each of you. The fabric was left over from making Auntie's summer gowns—it's top-quality silk cloth, very cool to wear in the summer. Mother, as you're getting older, stop staying up late sewing to supplement the household income; it's too hard on your eyes. This pouch contains my regular wages, which should cover our expenses for a while. Just make sure Father doesn't find out, lest he take the silver and go drinking and making a racket with his group of fox-friends." As she spoke, she tucked a small purse into Mrs. Xue's hands.
Mrs. Xue felt the weight of the purse and said, "I'll save all this money for you... as your dowry."
Hearing the word "dowry," Xianglan felt a slight awkwardness and lowered her head without speaking.
Mrs. Xue picked up the silver ring gifted by Qinglan, looked at it over and over, pressed her hands together in a Buddhist gesture, and murmured, "Your Auntie Lan truly has the compassionate heart of a living Bodhisattva. You must remember her kindness and serve her well and diligently."
Fingering the trinkets scattered across the bed, Xianglan remarked, "Since she treats me with such deep affection, I will naturally repay her well."
Mrs. Xue glared at Xianglan and scolded, "What do you mean by 'repay her well'? You are her maid; showing utmost loyalty to your master is your bounden duty."
Taking a sip of warm tea, Xianglan said offhandedly, "It's all just a matter of whose belly you happen to be born into. What masters and maids? I've never held such notions in my heart. If she treats me generously, I will naturally repay her with true sincerity; if she treats me poorly, why should I pledge my life to her?" Inwardly, she thought that if Mrs. Xue knew she had twice betrayed her master by reporting to Madam Qin, there was no telling what terror and worry it would cause. Sighing softly, she added, "For now, I'm just a servant, but who knows what things will look like a few years from now? Perhaps one day they'll all be respectfully addressing me as 'Mistress' or 'Madam'."
This remark pleased Mrs. Xue immensely. A smile broke across her face as she spat playfully and said, "Such soaring ambitions! Neither your father nor I expect you to become any sort of mistress or madam; as long as you live in peace and safety, we'll be content." After a moment of thought, she hurriedly added, "Don't you go uttering such talk in front of others, mind you."
Xianglan smiled and said, "How could I? I was only saying it here at home."
The mother and daughter chatted and laughed together for a while.
By noon, Mrs. Xue was bustling around the stove, frying up several dishes that Xianglan loved. When Chen Wanquan returned home and saw Xianglan back, he was naturally overjoyed. Hearing that Xianglan had been promoted to second rank in the mansion, his face split into a grin from ear to ear. Straightening his back, he downed his cup of wine in one gulp, threw his head back, and laughed loudly, saying, "I always said immortal Fairy Ma was right when she said Xianglan had a couple parts of good fortune! How long has she been in the mansion, and she's already promoted to second rank? That second daughter of the Gong family—how many years has she been in there, yet she's still a third-rank maid, and she still had the nerve to put on airs and brag in front of me. Bah! Look at Chen Wanquan's daughter... My child, before long you might even become a deputy young lady."
Xianglan rubbed her temples. "Father, you mustn't talk nonsense like that outside."
Chen Wanquan glared at her. "Tsk, how can you call it 'nonsense'?"
Helpless, Xianglan said, "If Father goes out showing off like that, won't people find it obnoxious? Besides, there are countless second-rank maids in the mansion; bragging about this will only make people laugh at us."
Chen Wanquan grew even more displeased. "Why can't I talk about it? This is a good thing; aren't you going to let me speak well of it outside?"
Xianglan sighed silently. Her father in this lifetime, though good-natured at heart, was cowardly, fearful of trouble, and fond of boasting. He had a habit of exaggerating a trivial matter into a grand affair and reeked of petty merchant vulgarity. Because of this personality, despite possessing genuine expertise in appraising antiques, he could only ever remain a third-rank manager in the shop. Xianglan wanted to offer a few more words of admonition, but seeing the boundless pride and satisfaction on Chen Wanquan's face, she closed her mouth, thinking to herself, Since I'm in the mansion, it's rare for me to come home anyway; why make Father unhappy over this? Besides, he's just bragging to the men he drinks with.
Mrs. Xue spooned a helping of food into Xianglan's bowl and smiled, "Now that Lan'er has been promoted to second rank, finding a match for marriage will be a completely different story. The likes of Shopkeeper Liu's son or Shopkeeper Huang's son simply won't do anymore... A few days ago, Second Sister-in-law Xia from across the street wanted to arrange a match with our family and mentioned her nephew to me... Her nephew is an ordinary commoner, but I hear he reads well and aims to take the imperial examinations to become an official, and right now he's studying diligently at home to test for the scholar's degree. At first, I thought their family was a bit too poor, and I was afraid a scholar would be too proud and make Lan'er suffer grievances if she married him. But now that Lan'er has been promoted to second rank in the mansion, stepping out she's better off than the daughters of ordinary gentry families. The Xia family will definitely be thrilled!"
The more Mrs. Xue talked, the more delighted she became, her face blooming with smiles. "When the right moment comes, I'll go take a look at that young master Xia. If he's of upright appearance and good character, we can settle the match early."
Chen Wanquan frowned and said, "The Xia family's prospects aren't even as good as ours. What good is just knowing how to read? He'll just end up full of scholarly poverty. Let's wait until young master Xia passes the scholar exam before talking about it."
Mrs. Xue scoffed, "If we wait until he passes the exam, it'll be too late; by then goodness knows how many families will be lining up to make a match. Besides, nothing ever goes entirely according to your wishes..."
Hearing the conversation veer further and further off course, Xianglan hurriedly steered the topic away, instead bringing up why Cao Lihuan had been driven out of the mansion, carefully omitting her own role as an informer and the incident where SSishun had nearly assaulted her. Her parents were alternately shocked and amazed, discussing Cao Lihuan at length and temporarily pushing the matter of young master Xia aside.