Against the Current - Chapter 53

Chapter 53 - Acting on Behalf 

Qinglan was full of enthusiasm, pulling Mother Wu aside to discuss the poetry society together, and even sent Chunling over to Lin Dongqi's quarters to ask for advice and experience. But the moment they began drafting the rules and procedures, they realized how petty and trivial every single detail was, making it exceedingly difficult to manage. First came the dilemma of whom to invite. Lin Dongqi was a young miss, so it was entirely appropriate for her to simply invite the madams and young misses of other households. But Qinglan was a concubine; if she didn't invite the favored concubines of other households, she would inevitably be seen as lacking tact and would find herself ostracized within the circle of official dependents later on. Yet if she did invite them, she worried about upsetting the legal wives. The guest list alone was debated endlessly. Next came the fruit platters and culinary dishes, the monetary expenses, external procurement, and selecting the prompts for the poetry society—a myriad of various matters that defied completion.

Coming from a humble background, Qinglan had never learned any of this growing up. She possessed little experience with interpersonal socializing, welcoming guests, or bidding farewell, and having never managed substantial affairs before, she grew exasperated listening to Mother Wu and Chunling chatter back and forth. She lacked the patience for such work, but since the words had already left her mouth, she now had to push through and shoulder it with a stiff upper lip. Though she initially put on a spirited front to issue commands, her instructions grew increasingly chaotic. Before long, she was claiming a headache today or a sore waist tomorrow, dumping all the responsibilities entirely onto Mother Wu to handle. Yet, she still wanted to come out on top and win distinction, repeatedly admonishing them that everything must be strictly flawless and dazzling. After Mother Wu and the others labored through one task after another, Qinglan would find fault with this and that in every conceivable way. Four or five days passed, and not a shred of progress had been made.

Qinglan hadn't assigned Xianglan to manage this affair, though she occasionally made her run errands. Xianglan, for her part, was quite content with the leisure. One day, while Xianglan was in her room making children's garments, she saw Mother Wu walking in while supporting her lower back and quickly stood up to ask, "What's wrong, Mother?"

Mother Wu let out a sigh. "A single word from the concubine has practically run our legs off." She sat down on the edge of Xianglan's bed. Xianglan used her own cup to pour a cup of tea for Mother Wu.

Sighing heavily, Mother Wu said, "Who knows what our concubine has in mind? The guest list hasn't been finalized yet, and not a single invitation letter has been written, but every single day she agonizes over what dishes to serve. When I suggested hiring a renowned chef from outside, the concubine complained it was too expensive; yet she found the household cook's dishes unsatisfactory. When we planned to procure food from outside, she crossed out half of the items on the finalized list and told me, 'No matter how expensive it is, we cannot spend fifty taels all at once; ten taels of silver is the absolute maximum...' Look at this! She wants to save face, but she refuses to spend money. My old bones can't take this anymore—whoever is willing to do this can go ahead!" She took a sip of tea and sneered, "Without the diamond drill, she insists on taking on porcelain work. In the end, she refuses to do the work herself, yet she nitpicks and criticizes everything. No wonder people always say that those from humble backgrounds are petty and short-sighted."

Hearing Mother Wu's complaints, Xianglan furrowed her brows slightly. Qinglan was merely a favored concubine whom Lin Jinlou held in somewhat high regard, whereas Mother Wu was Lin Jinlou's wet nurse. Though she was a servant, she held a position of dignity even in front of the Madam. In watching over Qinglan's pregnancy, Mother Wu carried a degree of Lady Qin's implied directive. Rather than calling it "waiting upon" the concubine, it was more about using Mother Wu's status to deter the wives and concubines of the various courtyards, preventing them from harboring petty, underhanded thoughts. Yet this Concubine Lan seemed completely oblivious to Lady Qin's intentions, instead treating Mother Wu quite literally like a common servant. Having served as a domestic matron in a grand aristocratic estate for decades, Mother Wu was already a seasoned veteran who hid her emotions behind a calm facade. Yet now, she openly ridiculed Qinglan as being "from a humble background and hopelessly petty," a clear sign that her resentment had reached its peak.

Furthermore, when a prominent household hosted guests and banquets, what they cared about above all else was face. Since they wanted to preserve their dignity, they had to pour a vast amount of silver into it. Avoiding waste was already commendable; attempting to pull it off without extravagance was absolute fantasy. Ordinarily, Qinglan's generosity toward the servants amounted to giving away clothes she had worn out or jewelry she no longer fancied—mere trifles and trinkets. Now that real gold and silver had to be paid out of pocket, naturally it felt as though flesh were being carved from her body.

Xianglan originally wanted nothing to do with the matter, but seeing Mother Wu's exhausted expression, her heart softened. Being a naturally kind and good-natured soul, she lowered her head to ponder for a moment before suggesting, "Why not go ask Second Young Miss which households' madams and young misses were invited when she hosted her poetry society last time?"

Mother Wu replied, "After all, the concubine's status is different from Second Young Miss's."

The moment she heard this, Xianglan understood. Pouting into a smile, she said, "Mother is muddled to be worrying over this. Could it possibly be that you need to write a separate invitation letter for every single concubine? You can simply phrase the invitations broadly on the cards: 'Requesting the presence of the female family members of so-and-so's household.' When the time comes, they can bring whoever they wish."

Mother Wu was startled, then slapped her hands together and laughed. "Of course! My mind was simply clouded. Since we are all concubines, I insisted on seeking confirmation for every single person coming, which completely made me lose my bearings."

Xianglan continued, "An approximate headcount will suffice. However, we do need a proper schedule detailing who among these visiting families is on good terms with whom, who is at odds with whom, and who ought to be seated at the same table. Additionally, we must pay close attention to dietary restrictions—which madams are devout Buddhists and require purely vegetarian dishes, and which madams prefer meat and poultry."

As she spoke with rapt absorption, completely unaware of Mother Wu's astonished gaze, she gracefully continued, "Nor is there any need to invite too many people; a dozen or so prominent figures will be quite sufficient. Combined with the madams and young misses of our own household, a total of twenty-odd people will create just the right lively atmosphere—any more than that would actually detract from the elegance. The small amount of silver provided by the concubine does have its workarounds. Grand households grow weary of the same old delicacies and rare mountain treasures. Instead, we could have fresh fruits and vegetables hauled straight from the estate's agricultural farms. I remember the Eldest Master operates a Shunfu Restaurant; I've heard the chefs there know how to cook dishes using fresh blossoms and flowers—it's both novel and visually stunning. Why not invite them to prepare a Hundred Flower Banquet? It isn't about stuffing oneself with food; it's entirely about creating a refreshing novelty. As for flower petals and foliage, couldn't we pluck as many as we like right from our own gardens? Granted, ten taels of silver is still rather tight; hosting a banquet of this caliber will require at least thirty taels..."

Just as she reached this point, Yindie walked in. Seeing Mother Wu seated on Xianglan's bed and the two of them chatting in an apparent state of intimacy, a wave of discomfort rippled through her. She chimed in, "I just came back from the kitchens after requesting a section of lotus root for the concubine's porridge. Mother Fang wasn't in, so the steward told me to come notify Mother Wu." With a sweeping glance, she spotted the white porcelain cup in Mother Wu's hand. Mistaking it for her own cup, she felt even more discomposed, muttering inwardly to herself: She certainly knows how to use other people's belongings to win favor. But glancing over at the table and seeing her own cup resting safely in its place, she shut her mouth.

Mother Wu took note of everything but pretended not to see, saying indifferently, "I understand. You may go." As soon as Yindie departed, she turned back to ask Xianglan, "According to your view, where should this poetry society be held? The concubine still intends to hold it in the Autumn-Casting Pavilion."

Xianglan thought for a moment before replying, "The Madam is fond of the Autumn-Casting Pavilion. If we hold our gathering there as well, wouldn't we be stepping on her toes? Isn't the Verdant Gathering Lodge still vacant? It has now been converted into the estate's greenhouse. Why not use that location instead? It's secluded, saves us the trouble of cleaning up, boasts an abundance of floral greenery, and provides an ideal backdrop for composing poetry."

Mother Wu's eyes curved into smiles as she reached out to grasp Xianglan's hand. "My good girl, I never realized you possessed such vision—you've truly put the one inside the room to shame. Where on earth did you learn all of this?"

A wave of wariness stirred within Xianglan, prompting her to lower her gaze and reply, "I happened to overhear Cousin Miss once rambling on about how her family used to host banquets back in the day, and these details just stuck in my mind inadvertently. Please don't overpraise me, Mother—I'm merely stumbling through it blindly by copying the cat."

Mother Wu simply wore a faint smile as she patted the back of Xianglan's hand.

Peeking in with a stealthy expression, Yindie stood just outside the doorway, holding the curtain parted by a tiny sliver to eavesdrop for a moment. Because the two of them spoke in low tones, she couldn't make out what they were discussing, leaving her feeling utterly tormented with curiosity. Rolling her eyes, she hurried over to Qinglan to make her report. "Ever since the Eldest Master rewarded her with that ointment, Xianglan has acted as though she's a cut above everyone else. Now she's ingratiating herself with Mother Wu in every possible way—I'm afraid she's harboring treacherous intentions!"

Qinglan had never regarded Mother Wu as anyone truly formidable, and furthermore, she disliked Yindie. Hearing these words, she sternly reprimanded her, "Tend properly to your own duties, and don't come bothering me with such petty nonsense!"

Yindie had no choice but to slink away in defeat.

From that day onward, Mother Wu frequently consulted Xianglan regarding the arrangements for the poetry society. At first, whenever Xianglan offered a suggestion, Mother Wu would still pause to ponder it over, but gradually she came to realize that Xianglan's ideas far surpassed her own in brilliance. Later on, she even approached Qinglan to formally request that Xianglan be assigned to help manage the poetry society, decreeing that everyone else must take their orders from Xianglan while she herself merely sat back in command. Xianglan initially attempted to decline, but Mother Wu pressed her: "Once the poetry society concludes, I will grant you half a month of leave and an extra month's wages."

Gritting her teeth, Xianglan finally agreed. "There is just one condition: outwardly, it must be said that I am merely assisting you, Mother. If it turns out successful, all the credit belongs to the concubine and you, Mother—it must have nothing whatsoever to do with me."

Hearing this, Mother Wu looked Xianglan up and down once more before finally nodding in agreement. "Very well, then we shall do it your way."