Against the Current - Chapter 74

Chapter 74 - Demanding the Return

Although Qinglan was timid and submissive, the old saying goes that "a snake tries to swallow an elephant with a human heart"; once greed takes root, it cannot be reined in. Back when Madam Qin first sent a matchmaker to tell her family that she was to be taken as a concubine for Lin Jinlou, her father had been extremely hesitant and wanted to refuse. But after catching a secret glimpse of Lin Jinlou from behind a screen, she fell hopelessly in love at first sight, feeling that such a talented and handsome immortal of a man could hardly be found anywhere else in the world. To be with Lin Jinlou, she would have willingly remained a concubine for the rest of her days.

When she had first lived in the capital, Lin Jinlou had doted on her deeply. Everyone up and down the household, being astute and sophisticated, uniformly addressed her as "Mistress," completely omitting the "concubine" prefix. She had begun to feel that she was no different from a legitimate wife. Upon returning to Jinling, however, the very first task had been to kowtow and serve tea to the principal wife, and her quarters were located in the secondary east wing. Although her food, clothing, and daily provisions were lavish, her status could never compare to that of the mistress of the main house. When the Lin family held a family banquet, she, a mere concubine, was not even permitted to sit at the table! The other day, Lin Jinlou had originally intended to rest in the east wing, but the moment Zhao Yuechan arrived—smashing teacups and terrorizing the maids in her rooms—Lin Jinlou had offered no reprimand. Instead, he had followed Zhao Yuechan back to the main quarters to rest. Though she kept silent on the surface, inside she felt as though she were being roasted in a pan of hot oil.

A few days prior, when she had ordered her subordinates to host a poetry gathering, she should have been the one to shine and take center stage. Instead, Madam Qin had given her a thorough, scolding dressing-down right to her face for overstepping her status, and even told her to "properly serve the eldest master and the eldest young madam"!

Only then did she realize that no matter how much Lin Jinlou disliked Zhao Yuechan, and no matter how coldly he treated his wife, the status of the principal wife remained firmly established at the top. Everyone still had to bow and scrape, respectfully addressing her as "Eldest Young Madam." When a scandal broke, the entire household would go to great lengths to cover it up. No matter how much Lin Jinlou favored her, she remained a concubine—a creature whose survival depended entirely on pleasing her master. In time, should Lin Jinlou take a new favorite, what would become of her? Even now, just as she sensed Lin Jinlou's affection for her beginning to fade while she was still in the bloom of youth and merely carrying his child, Lin Jinlou had already set his sights on the maid in her own quarters.

The vibrant Xianglan; the graceful Xianglan; Xianglan, who was even more beautiful than she was...

As for herself, would she eventually meet the fate sung of in operas—"Her beauty has not yet faded, but her master's favor ends first"?

Qinglan gripped her handkerchief so tightly that her fingernails dug deep into the flesh of her palms.

If she were to personally hand this ledger over to Lin Jinlou, the distance between her and the position of Lin family's principal wife would be reduced to a single step. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, she had to try. With this thought in mind, she lifted the wooden bed boards and concealed the ledger in the hollow space between the bed frames.

Just as she smoothed down the bedding, a flash of lightning split the sky, followed instantly by a deafening crash of thunder that made Qinglan leap in fright. After all, she was not a person of resolute and decisive character; her heart wavered back and forth, filled with anxiety and terror, and she longed for someone to consult. Unfortunately, Mother Wu had caught a cold and, fearing she might pass the illness along, had gone home to recuperate. The remaining maids and older women were either untrustworthy or simple-minded. She paced back and forth, standing then sitting, enduring an agonizing torment.

Inside the main quarters of the Zhinchun Hall.

With a sharp crack, Zhao Yuechan struck Yingshuang across the face with a hard slap, cursing, "Useless, worthless trash! I told you to wait at the second gate for my cousin's pageboy to bring back the ledger, and what did you bring back instead? You've handled affairs for years, yet you can't even manage a simple task like this. What use is keeping you around?" With that, she hurled the bundle of Buddhist scriptures straight into Yingshuang's face.

Kneeling on the floor, Yingshuang clutched her face, tears streaming down as she sobbed, "Eldest Young Madam, please calm your anger. I collided with Chunling and Xianglan in the garden; we must have swapped booklets in the scramble. Since Chunling was the closest, that ledger must be with Mistress Lan in the east wing."

Flying into an even greater rage, Zhao Yuechan rushed forward and struck her several more vicious blows. "Did lightning scramble your brains or did a ghost devour your soul? To commit such a muddled blunder! Of all people for it to fall to, it had to land in the hands of that little minx! If she hands that ledger over to Madam and the eldest master, we might as well all go find ropes and hang ourselves to make a clean end of it!"

Weeping and kowtowing, Yingshuang pleaded, "Madam, I was wrong! Please spare me!"

Trembling all over with a mixture of fury and absolute terror, Zhao Yuechan hissed, "Spare you? How can I spare you? I'll find a strip of white silk right now, strangle you first, and then go hang myself from the ceiling beams!"

Yingshuang threw her arms around Zhao Yuechan's legs, crying, "How did things ever come to this? Since the ledger was just lost a moment ago, it should still be in the east wing. Why not let Yindie sneak in and steal it back—"

"Don't mention that useless little wretch," Zhao Yuechan interrupted. "The east wing has been on guard against her for ages."

Wiping away her tears, Yingshuang offered another suggestion, "Then I'll go to the east wing and demand it back."

Spitting in disgust, Zhao Yuechan retorted, "Fool! If that little minx hasn't realized what she's holding, she might still swap it back with you. But if she's already figured out that it's a life-or-death weapon, how could she possibly return it to you?"

I told her long ago, Yingshuang thought to herself with bitter regret, that we couldn't keep running high-interest loans, but the eldest young madam listened to the young master's coaxing and kept sending money out to lend. Now that the truth has come to light, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape my share of the blame. If they follow the vine to unearth the melon and uncover the illicit affair between the young master and the eldest young madam, I'd be better off just slamming my head against a wall to save myself the trouble. Her weeping grew even more frantic.

Giving Yingshuang a kick, Zhao Yuechan snapped, "Crying! All you know how to do is cry! Shut your mouth at once!" Yingshuang instantly choked back her sobs, forcing herself down to a muffled whimper. After pondering for a long moment, Zhao Yuechan let out a deep, heavy sigh and commanded, "Someone, bring my cloak—I am going to the east wing."

Without delay, Zhao Yuechan brought her maid Bailu along and lifted her skirts as she hurried toward the east wing. Yindie was currently standing in the covered walkway using a large ceramic jar to catch rainwater. Seeing Zhao Yuechan arrive, she gave a sudden start, hastily lifting the door curtain as she called out, "The eldest young madam is here!"

Her mind in utter turmoil, Zhao Yuechan paid no heed to the young maid, striding directly into the rooms. Chunling was sitting near the entrance of Qinglan's bedchamber doing needlework. Seeing Zhao Yuechan arrive with such an aggressive, menacing aura, she knew she couldn't stop her and could only stretch her neck and shout, "The eldest young madam is here!" Inside her room, Xianglan was sewing a pair of shoes, feeling puzzled as to why Zhao Yuechan would show up in the east wing out of the blue. Peering out cautiously for a moment, she quickly pulled her head back inside when she saw Zhao Yuechan storming toward the bedroom.

Pacing frantically back and forth inside her room, Qinglan grew even more flustered at the announcement of Zhao Yuechan's arrival. She didn't know whether to sit or stand, her mind spinning into a complete blank, incapable of conjuring a single countermeasure. While she was still paralyzed with panic, Zhao Yuechan swept the curtain aside and strode in. Their eyes met, and with a smile that failed to reach her eyes, Zhao Yuechan remarked, "What is younger sister Qinglan so busy with?"

Wearing an extremely unnatural smile, Qinglan stammered, "N-Nothing at all, just sitting here idly." She was so flustered she completely forgot to offer a seat or invite her to tea.

Zhao Yuechan was a sharp-witted woman. The moment she laid eyes on Qinglan's expression, she understood everything. Instead of panicking, she grew entirely composed, strolled over to pull up a chair, and arched an eyebrow as she said, "I wouldn't visit the formless hall without a reason. My maid was clumsy and ended up swapping books and booklets with your maid in the garden." She signaled Bailu with a glance, instructing her to step forward and present the Buddhist scriptures to Qinglan. With a smile, she said, "Younger sister, take a look—is this your property?"

Lowering her head, Qinglan accepted the booklet. The indigo-blue cover held pages copied in a dignified, upright hand—it was precisely the volume of the Diamond Sutra that Xianglan had lent her. Her heart hammering wildly against her ribs, Qinglan raised her eyes in stealthy apprehension to look at Zhao Yuechan.

Zhao Yuechan sat opposite her, smiling placidly. Though her lips curved upward, her gaze was as sharp and piercing as two malevolent, frost-laden swords, sending a sudden shudder running through Qinglan's entire body.

"Is this yours?" Zhao Yuechan asked.

Forcing a smile, Qinglan replied, "Thank you, Madam, for bringing it back. This is indeed the scripture I lost..." As she spoke, she walked over to the shelf, pretended to search through a few other volumes, and avoided meeting Zhao Yuechan's gaze as she added, "How strange, I don't seem to have the booklet you lost here, though."

"Oh?" Zhao Yuechan raised an eyebrow slightly, walked over to take the stack of books from Qinglan's hands, flipped through them, and said with a faint, mocking smile, "That truly is strange."

Qinglan murmured in a low voice, "Perhaps your maid left your items somewhere else."

A cold laugh escaped Zhao Yuechan. "Left them somewhere else, or did you hide them away?"

Startled, Qinglan shrank her neck back and trembled, "Madam jests... I... I..."

Softening her tone, Zhao Yuechan coaxed, "Why call me 'Madam'? You and I share the same roof and serve the same master—you might as well just call me 'older sister.' There were a few others in the master's quarters previously, but they were all cunning sirens who twisted their minds to lead the master astray. Out of my deep devotion, I was terrified the master would ruin his health, so while I couldn't keep those concubines on too tight a leash, I still tried to advise him to practice moderation and self-respect. Who would have thought it would only displease him? Coupled with the fact that I held the household to a somewhat strict standard, gossiping servants spread wild rumors behind my back, tarnishing my reputation beyond recognition. I dared not voice my grievances and could only endure in silence. It wasn't until a tragedy occurred that the master finally realized those vixens were troublemakers and sent them away. He understood that I had his best interests at heart; he was merely nursing a private resentment in his heart, which is why he treats me with such indifference on the surface. Younger sister is an intelligent person. Although I have sometimes been careless and failed to take proper care of you, can you point to a single instance where I deliberately made things difficult for you?"

For a moment, Qinglan failed to keep up with the sudden shift in narrative, and could only follow the flow of conversation. "You are a reasonable person, elder sister; you have never made things difficult for me."

Zhao Yuechan smiled. "There you have it. In truth, when younger sister entered the household and conceived the master's child, I was happier than words can say. Heaven has shown mercy, and before long I will have another ally by my side. If we sisters share our joys and sorrows together, isn't that far better than being true blood sisters?"

Qinglan replied, "I only ask for elder sister's care and affection; I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life." With that, she moved as if to bow.

Stepping forward to catch Qinglan's arm, Zhao Yuechan said warmly, "I knew you weren't the treacherous sort... To be frank with younger sister, that booklet of mine is a matter of great importance. Do help me look for it once more, and if you find it, please return it."

Placing her left hand protectively over her belly, Qinglan hardened her heart and declared, "I truly do not have your belongings here."

The smile froze entirely on Zhao Yuechan's face, and hatred flared in her heart: It seems she has a mouth of steel and refuses to confess. Curse her for having Madam and the child in her belly to prop her up, or else I would set fire to this place and burn it all to the ground to make a clean sweep! If I cannot find that ledger, the few loans I just sent out will have no proof or vouchers, and I'll vainly suffer a loss of seven or eight thousand taels. Losing the silver is a minor matter, but if the master truly finds out... A sudden wave of panic pierced her, and when she looked at Qinglan again, her gaze was venomous with malice.

A rumble of distant thunder rolled across the sky, leaving the room wrapped in heavy silence. Bailu whispered, "Eldest Young Madam, it's about to pour. Shall I go fetch an umbrella?"

"No need, let's go," Zhao Yuechan said coldly, turning abruptly toward the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, Qinglan hurried behind her to see her off.

As Zhao Yuechan stepped out of the doorway and onto the porch steps, she whirled around to glare fixedly at Qinglan. Unable to suppress the fury raging within her, she thought, Wretch! You want to ruin me? I won't let you off easily either! Letting out a sharp breath, she instructed her attendants, "Step back for a moment; I have a few private words to say to Mistress Lan."

Outside, a torrential downpour began to lash down.