Against the Current - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Cousin

Someone inside the courtyard gave an acknowledgment, and immediately out came a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who was tall and robust, with small eyes, light eyebrows, and fairly decent facial features. Her skin was fair, though dotted with a few freckles. Even as she piled a smile onto her face, a sharp, formidable edge could still be discerned beneath it. She wore a magnolia hairpin and a kingfisher-feather inlaid silver dangling tassel, a sapphire-blue satin patterned sleeveless jacket, a white silk skirt, and blue-enameled earrings, with a pair of solid silver bracelets on her wrists. Her attire was presentable and striking, and even though she could not be considered a beauty, it lent her an extra measure of appeal.

The cousin, whose name was Cao Lihuan, beamed the moment she caught sight of Yingshuang. She hurried forward and said, "Whatever brings Sister Yingshuang here? Come inside quickly and sit down for a cup of hot tea."

Yingshuang replied, "Didn't you mention to the First Young Mistress the other day that you didn't have enough maids around to wait on you? The First Young Mistress has kept it in mind. As it happens, a few new maids were brought into the estate today, so she sent one over specifically for you to keep."

Cao Lihuan recited a brief Buddhist invocation and exclaimed, "My good mistress, you truly are so thoughtful and considerate! I had only just mentioned it once, and she actually remembered." With that, she went over to look at the maid, but when she saw how extraordinarily beautiful her face was, she froze in an instant.

Yingshuang looked at Cao Lihuan with a deep, meaningful gaze and said, "The First Young Mistress specifically instructed that she be sent to you. Since she's newly entered and doesn't know the rules yet, you'll need to train and discipline her well. Make sure she isn't allowed to run around indiscriminately."

Cao Lihuan's expression shifted slightly. She thought to herself: A newly arrived maid who hasn't even been trained yet is sent directly to me—this is clearly looking down on people through dog's eyes. In a flash, a smile reappeared on her face, and she called out loudly to the elderly woman at the door, "Mother Liu, take her inside and get her settled."

Mother Liu wiped her hands and led Xianglan into the house. The Luoxue Lodge was narrow, but the interior furnishings were lavish. Though there were not many curios, what was there was exquisitely crafted; the furniture was brand-new and cleverly styled. The main hall was furnished with a calligraphy and painting long table alongside an eight-immortals table. The room to the left served as the bedroom, while the room on the right was arranged as a reception and parlor area. Mother Liu invited Xianglan to put her bundle into the small cabinet in the corner of the parlor, then pointed to a soft couch set near the window and said, "You'll be sleeping right here at night. There's another set of bedding in the cabinet—it's freshly washed and clean, and I even took it out to air in the sun just the other day."

Xianglan repeatedly expressed her gratitude. Mother Liu glanced out the window, and seeing that Yingshuang and Cao Lihuan were still standing outside, she said in a low voice, "It's a bit of a grievance for you to sleep in this small side hall. There is indeed a bed in the heated alcove of the inner bedchamber, but a maid has already taken it."

Xianglan smiled and said, "It's just a place to sleep. I think this place is just fine."

Mother Liu took Xianglan's hand and smiled, saying, "My child, your speech is so pleasant and amiable, and you're so pretty—I'm afraid even the young misses of the estate can't compare to you." She proceeded to ask in detail how old she was and who her parents were. Xianglan answered every question one by one.

After a short while, Cao Lihuan walked back into the room, and Mother Liu hastily scurried outside. Cao Lihuan sat down beside the eight-immortals table in the hall, beckoned for Xianglan to come over, looked her up and down several times once more, and finally said, "Do you know why you were sent to me?"

Xianglan was startled and shook her head.

Cao Lihuan cast a sidelong glance at Xianglan, her demeanor haughty and indifferent as she spoke, "You are quite advanced in age; when maids enter the estate, they are usually not even ten years old, making them obedient and easy to train. Masters generally don't want girls of your age, and besides, you look far too seductive. The Old Mistress and the Mistress often say that a maid being too striking in appearance is never a good thing—it inevitably breeds high ambitions and a restless spirit, whereas clunky, clumsy girls are the ones who please people. Yingshuang told me just now that if you don't do a good job, I am to report it to my sister-in-law and have you driven out of the estate. However, I felt you looked somewhat honest and kept a kind heart, so I decided to keep you. You had better not let down my good intentions."

Xianglan lowered her head and replied, "May the Young Mistress examine the truth: I have never harbored any 'high-reaching' ambitions. I only wish to serve my masters with all my heart and peace of mind for a few years before returning home." Hearing that she might be driven out caused a slight surge of anxiety within her, but she kept her expression completely composed. She glanced at Cao Lihuan again, thinking to herself: This Cousin Mistress immediately comes out swinging with a severe warning. It seems she's a thorny character who's going to be troublesome to handle.

Cao Lihuan stared fixedly at Xianglan. "Just because you haven't harbored such ambitions doesn't mean others won't think that way. While you are with me, your future words and deeds, your movements, your sitting and standing—all of it reflects upon my face. If you commit an error or bring disgrace, people won't merely criticize you; they will poke fun behind my back and say I don't know how to train people. Back in my own family, I had four nursemaids instructing me in rules and deportment. Even the slightest gesture of raising my hand or moving my feet had to adhere strictly to protocol. Nowadays, even when my great-grandmother sees me, she praises me on several counts. The people under my command cannot lower our standing by imitating those reckless, unhinged maids. You must not shame me."

Xianglan hurriedly bowed slightly and said, "I will definitely serve diligently, conduct myself properly as a duty-bound person, and not bring shame upon Cousin Huan." In her heart, however, she held Cao Lihuan in low regard. In her past life, Xianglan had been a renowned young lady of good breeding in the capital. Even though her life later underwent drastic upheavals, leading her to be reborn into a humble family and grow much more spirited, her bearing was fundamentally different from others. Seeing that Cao Lihuan possessed merely the airs of a girl from a minor household yet forcefully put on the pretentious graces of a grand noble lady to brandish herself, she found it somewhat laughable.

Seeing that the newly arrived maid possessed striking beauty and a refined, elegant aura, Cao Lihuan felt a pang of jealousy rise within her. Hence, she had deliberately set out to crush her spirit with a heavy hand. Noticing how submissive Xianglan was, her expression softened somewhat, and she continued, "My affairs here are somewhat numerous, but the place is very quiet. There are two other maids in the room: one is Hui'er, who has served by my side since childhood, and the other is Hairui, who was given by the Old Mistress. One of them manages jewelry while the other manages food, and outside there is Mother Liu, who handles the rough chores here at Luoxue Lodge. The household here is simple, but those who perform well can certainly stand out. If you truly do a good job, I will put in a good word for you with my sister-in-law to advance your rank early, and you'll have a bright future ahead of you."

Xianglan replied deferentially, "I don't seek any grand future; as long as I can serve the Young Mistress well and live in peace and safety, that will be my greatest blessing." Inwardly, however, she felt a sense of wonder. After all, Cao Lihuan was a cousin who had come to seek refuge with the Lin family. If her family fortunes had declined into ruin, it would be understandable for her to have only a single maid waiting on her. But for the Lin family to assign only a single maid from the Old Mistress's chambers to serve her carried rather significant implications.

Cao Lihuan asked, "How is your needlework?"

Xianglan hastily replied, "If the Young Mistress pleases to look, the flowers on my skirt are embroidered by my own hand."

Hearing this, Cao Lihuan promptly told Xianglan to come closer. Upon inspecting the embroidery patterns on the skirt, she nodded in satisfaction and said, "Not bad. I am currently in need of someone who can do needlework. Hui'er only knows how to embroider simple floral patterns, and Hairui cannot hold a needle at all, which often leaves me sitting by myself embroidering all day long until I'm utterly exhausted. Since you can embroider, that will save me a lot of trouble..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of girls laughing and playing drifted in from outside. One voice called out, "Flowers are meant to be worn in the hair properly, yet you insist on plucking off all the petals—you're wasting such tender little blossoms!" Another voice retorted, "Cousin Huan is still in mourning; how could she wear flowers? I see this blossom blooming so splendidly that we shouldn't let others benefit from it. Even if we can't wear them, we can crush the petals to make rouge." Xianglan turned her head slightly to look and saw two girls of fifteen or sixteen walking in. One was slightly shorter and somewhat plump, while the other was tall and robust. Neither was particularly ugly or pretty, and both were dressed plainly. However, the first wore a pure gold five-blessings hairpin, while the second wore a pure gold necklace about an inch thick around her neck.

The two girls could not help being startled when they saw Xianglan standing in the room. Cao Lihuan beckoned to them and said, "This is the new maid Xianglan, who came today to serve here." She then pointed to the short, plump one and said, "This is Hui'er." Pointing to the tall, robust one, she added, "This is Hairui."

Xianglan smiled slightly and greeted them, "Sister Hui'er, Sister Hairui."

Hairui wore a stern expression and gave Xianglan a perfunctory, half-hearted nod by way of greeting. Hui'er looked Xianglan up and down. Seeing that she wore old clothing, a look of disdain crept into her gaze. She turned her head away as if she hadn't even seen Xianglan, and instead said to Cao Lihuan, "Young Mistress, these are the flowers I just plucked in the garden. They'll be just right for washing and steaming into rouge. There are also a few sprigs of peach blossoms; later on, we can put them in a vase for us to admire." Xianglan sighed inwardly, vaguely feeling that her days in Luoxue Lodge might not be very easy.

Cao Lihuan instructed Hairui to fetch a wooden box containing a dozen brand-new handkerchiefs. Selecting two of them, Cao Lihuan handed them to Xianglan and said, "Go embroider these two handkerchiefs. The patterns are ones I traced yesterday and placed on the dressing table. The sewing box is in the dressing table drawer." Xianglan immediately took the handkerchiefs and, just as she was about to go fetch the patterns, Cao Lihuan called out to stop her, adding, "Once you've got the handkerchiefs, go into the side hall to embroider." With that, she led Hui'er and Hairui into the bedchamber.

Xianglan murmured a soft "Understood," then took her things and walked into the side hall. Sitting down on the soft couch, she pulled out the embroidery frame and began stitching according to the patterns. The patterns were indeed simple: one was a precious vase, and the other was an immortality peach. Xianglan carefully selected her colors and danced her needle across the cloth. Suddenly, sounds of cheerful laughter drifted over from the bedchamber. Pricking up her ears to listen closer, she could make out the murmur of people chatting merrily.

Xianglan put down her embroidery frame, rubbed her neck, and thought to herself: Whenever a reputable household welcomes a new maid intended for close personal service, they invariably bestow some kind of reward—be it a few pieces of jewelry or some old garments. Even if harsh words are spoken to keep them in line, most mistresses will still treat them with a warm and affable consideration. This Cousin Mistress hasn't given out a single reward; instead, she launched into a severe, sharp-tongued lecture, piled a mountain of work on me, and went off to laugh and chat with her two personal maids while banishing me to this side room. This is clearly an intentional act of exclusion. As for the two maids in Luoxue Lodge: Hui'er, who has served by the Cousin Mistress's side since childhood, is full of arrogance and presumption while lacking in graciousness—she's likely a thorny character. Hairui was sent by the Old Mistress; she seems quiet enough, yet she's on very cozy terms with the mistress and her personal maid. No doubt the Cousin Mistress thinks highly of Hairui because she originates from the Old Mistress's quarters and is deliberately trying to get on her good side. My father is merely a third-class manager in an antique shop, leaving me utterly without backing or influence in the estate. If the Cousin Mistress were blessed with a shred of kindness and considered my willingness to work hard in the future, my days wouldn't be too difficult. But if she turns out to be a petty and vicious mistress, things are going to be tough...

She turned her head to look out the window. Mother Liu was holding a large straw broom, sweeping the fallen blossoms scattered across the ground directly into the murmuring, flowing stream. Xianglan thought of how she had once been the young lady of a high-ranking noble family, yet had now fallen to the level of a maid—walking on thin ice, constantly reading others' expressions, drifting with the current just like those little red flower petals swept into the stream, her destiny entirely beyond her own control. A wave of poignant melancholy stirred within her. But a moment later, her thoughts shifted: My present circumstances are a hundred times better than being exiled to the remote frontiers or dying a violent death in a foreign land. What more could I possibly be dissatisfied with? I have already witnessed boundless wealth and prosperity, and I have endured the ruin and destruction of my family. Having lived through a lifetime without drinking the Broth of Oblivion, if I cannot even see past this minor hurdle, I would be wasting all those years and seasons of life. Moreover, the world rises and falls, and fate is ever fickle; who can truly predict what their own karmic encounters will hold? Back when I was the daughter of the Senior Grand Secretary, could I ever have imagined that I would one day be crushed into the mud? By the same token, though I am merely a humble little maid today, who is to say I won't have a day of rising back up in the future?

After comforting herself with these thoughts, that touch of lingering melancholy and sentimental sorrow was blown away by the spring breeze, dissolving entirely into dust and smoke. Reinvigorating her spirits, she picked up the embroidery frame in her hands and began to stitch, one needle and one thread at a time.