Against the Current - Chapter 80

Chapter 80 - A Turning Point

Stealing a glance outside, Xianglan saw maids and matrons bustling back and forth in the distance. Suddenly, she spotted Xiaojuan walking past in the distance with a white mourning band tied around her waist, carrying a large food box. A surge of hope flared in Xianglan's chest, and she opened her mouth to call out, only to watch Xiaojuan turn the corner toward the covered walkway with her box. A wave of disappointment washed over Xianglan, but there was nothing she could do.

She stood by the window for a moment, then, fearing someone might spot her, retreated to pull out an old cushion and sit down against the wall. Under ordinary circumstances, anyone else facing such a sudden upheaval would have been scared out of their wits. Having lived through massive ups and downs in her past life—including the confiscation of her family's estate, exile, and the agonizing partings of life and death—combined with her own resilient nature, Xianglan managed to steady herself and began pulling the items out of her pockets one by one to take stock.

She fished out a dozen copper coins, a small piece of silver scrap, an old silver hairpin from her hair, and finally unclasped the jade pendant from her neck. This pendant was none other than the jade frog that Song Ke had given her. She had originally kept it tucked inside a small box, but later, when visiting her parents at home, she had intended to give it to them. Hesitating at the last second, she had slipped it around her neck on a whim and had been wearing it ever since.

Gently stroking the jade frog with her thumb, Xianglan thought to herself, "I have no idea when Zhao Yuechan plans to sell me off. My face is covered in bruises now, so I probably won't fetch a high price, nor will I be sold to a decent place. If I can't find anyone to save me, I must keep these things carefully hidden. Perhaps they can buy my life if I manage to bribe the right person." Tucking the items securely against her skin, she leaned back, closed her eyes to calm her mind, and silently recited scriptures in her heart.

How much time passed, she could not tell. Curled up on the cushion, Xianglan drifted into a hazy, restless sleep, waking up with her stomach rumbling with hunger and her face throbbing with intense pain. Peering through the gap in the door, she realized that past noon had already arrived. Everyone had finished their midday meal, and the courtyard was dead quiet, with the glaring white sunlight beating down on the ground without a single soul in sight.

Sighing softly to herself, Xianglan walked over to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water to drink, and lowered her head to look at her reflection. Her face was swollen even worse than before, and her cheeks had turned a horrifying shade of bruised purple. Just as she stood there in a daze, she suddenly heard a soft voice calling from outside the door, "Is anyone in there?" With that, a handkerchief was pushed in through the crack at the bottom of the door, holding a few pieces of pastry.

Xianglan hurried over and peered through the door gap to see Tinglan standing outside with a flustered expression. As it turned out, Tinglan had heard the commotion the previous night and knew that Xianglan had been beaten and marked for sale by Zhao Yuechan. Pitying Xianglan's plight yet terrified of the mistress's fierce tyranny, Tinglan had nonetheless remembered their past fondness for each other and quietly brought her some food.

Feeling like a drowning person catching a glimpse of light, Xianglan pressed herself against the door and pleaded in a low, choked voice, "Tinglan, Tinglan, I beg you for a favor. I have a jade pendant here—please take it..."

Frightened out of her wits, Tinglan cut her off mid-sentence, "Xianglan, bringing you food is already taking a monstrous risk. I can't possibly manage anything else. Take care of yourself, I have to go." With that, she scurried away in a panic.

Xianglan slammed her head heavily against the wooden door as the tiny spark of hope that had just ignited within her was abruptly extinguished. Slowly sliding down to a squat, she picked up the pastry, pinched off a small piece, and let it soften in her mouth before swallowing it bit by bit, tears streaming down from her eyes. She understood in her heart that Tinglan was already being remarkably kind by risking herself to deliver food; choosing not to get involved any further was only human nature. Yet she still couldn't stop the crushing wave of disappointment, and as the tears trickled into her mouth, they tasted bitter and astringent.

She had originally entered the manor because her parents intended to marry her off to the son of a high-ranking servant in the Lin household, a fate she found completely intolerable, driving her to seek an opportunity inside the estate to clear her household registry status. But once inside the Lin family, she discovered that every single thing was beyond her control. As a lowly, unsupported bondservant, she had no choice but to strip away her pride and swallow every insult in silence. First, Cao Lihuan had subjected her to endless bullying, and it had taken careful scheming to escape that tiger's den. Transferred to Mistress Lan's quarters, she had hoped to live in peace for a few days, find a well-established servant woman to rely on, and endure a few years until she could buy her freedom and leave the estate—only for disaster to strike once more.

There were moments when she felt she simply couldn't endure any longer and that death would be a clean release. Yet after gritting her teeth, she found that she somehow possessed the strength to swallow these bitter trials, humbly clinging to that single thread of hope.

Clasping her knees, she thought hard for a long while until she remembered that Chunling had been suffering from a cough these past couple of days and had to brew herbal medicine in the small kitchen after every meal. Preferring the closer route, Chunling always walked right past this small utility room. Though Chunling wasn't particularly close to her and even held a subtle hostility toward her, Xianglan knew she had to try, come what may.

Crouching patiently in the corner of the room, Xianglan waited until dusk began to fall, at which point Chunling indeed walked past in the distance. A surge of joy leapt in Xianglan's chest. Hurrying to the window, she fished out a small piece of charcoal she had found in the cabinet and tossed it through the gap; two pieces in a row struck Chunling.

Startled, Chunling stopped in her tracks and looked around. Xianglan quickly threw a third piece, which hit Chunling right on the shoulder. Seeing Chunling look toward the window, Xianglan hissed in a low whisper, "Chunling, Chunling, come a bit closer. It's me, Xianglan."

Wide-eyed with shock, Chunling hesitated before stepping closer, lowering her voice to ask, "Xianglan? Yingsheng and the others said you fell ill and were sent home..." Drawing near enough to peer through the tattered window paper, she caught sight of Xianglan's horribly swollen face and gasped in horror, blurting out, "You... what happened to you..."

Xianglan hurriedly gestured for her to keep her voice down, tears streaming from her eyes as she pleaded, "Good sister, I've been framed and locked up by the First Madam. She's going to sell me off any day now—I'm begging you to save me." As she spoke, she pushed the jade frog out through the gap, crying, "Please take this to Yunyun Courtyard and give it to Elder Master Song so he can buy me out... There are two liang of silver and a hairpin in the box under my bed; you can take them all. I only ask you to help me this once. Even if I'm shattered to pieces, I will never forget your great kindness!"

Chunling hesitated, asking, "You say you were wronged—what kind of wrong?"

Xianglan gritted her teeth. "The wrong is that the eldest master wanted to elevate me, so the First Madam wants to sell me away."

Hearing this, Chunling understood everything instantly. Her heart sank as she realized what a massive risk she would be taking by getting involved. Just as she wavered, Xianglan's voice rang out again, "Good sister, I'm only asking you to hand this jade pendant to Elder Master Song Ke so he can buy me and keep the First Madam from selling me to a brothel..." With that, she dropped to her knees. Though Chunling couldn't see what was happening inside the dark room, she heard a series of loud thuds—Xianglan was clearly kowtowing against the floor.

Just as Chunling opened her mouth to speak, she spotted Yingsheng and the others walking over from a short distance away. Seized with panic, she grabbed the jade frog and hurried off. When she returned to her quarters and sat down on her bed, her heart was still pounding wildly against her ribs.

To be honest, she hadn't ever really liked Xianglan. Considering herself quite capable, she had always aspired to stand out among the maids. There were too many talented women in Lady Qin's quarters for her to shine, so after transferring to Qinglan's side, she had finally found herself relied upon for everything. Yet out of nowhere, Xianglan had appeared. Though Xianglan didn't compete with her, she was easygoing, well-liked by all the junior maids, and had even caught the eye of Lin Jinlou, which inevitably left Chunling feeling a bit envious. But seeing Xianglan's current wretched state... Chunling gave a slight shudder. An innocent man is guilty simply because he holds a piece of jade; being a maid was certainly safer when one possessed only ordinary looks like her. After all, Chunling wasn't a vicious person at heart, and her past jealousy toward Xianglan had now transformed into pity. Even she had to admit that Xianglan's disposition and character were genuinely likeable—gentle, modest, disinclined to pick unnecessary fights or gossip about others, and always willing to go out of her way to help whenever someone asked.

Yet helping her deliver that jade pendant to Yunyun Courtyard... That was where Chunling hesitated. She was deathly afraid of Zhao Yuechan and wanted no part of any trouble. At the same time, the image of Xianglan weeping and begging her "not to let the First Madam sell me to a brothel" kept echoing in her mind, leaving her torn. She tossed and turned all night without a proper sleep, until finally, at dawn the next morning, she gritted her teeth and thought, "Xianglan can be truly infuriating at times—she used to annoy me back in the rooms, and now she's dropped such a huge problem in my lap! But if I don't help her this once, how will I ever be able to live with my own conscience?" Clutching the jade frog tightly, she made her way straight to Yunyun Courtyard.

Entering the courtyard, she spotted a young maid watering flowers and asked, "Is Shuju around?" Recognizing Chunling as a maid who had entered the manor at the same time as Shuju—who was now Lin Jinting's concubine-in-training and shared a close bond with her—the little maid smiled and replied, "The Third Young Master just woke up, and Sister Shuju is currently serving him." With that, she skipped inside and called Shuju out.

Shuju smiled warmly. "What wind blew you over here today?"

Chunling stepped forward with a smile. "I've actually come to ask a favor of you. Mistress Lan just passed away, and there's so much work in her quarters that I was hoping you could help me with some needlework when you have a free moment."

Shuju laughed. "Is that all? Just wait a bit; once the Third Young Master leaves for the study, you can tell me the details."

Chunling asked hurriedly, "Is the Third Young Master going to the study together with Elder Master Song?"

Shuju nodded. "Of course. Elder Master Song just arrived, and the two of them are inside the room right now."

Just at that moment, Song Ke walked out, calling back over his shoulder, "Xiuhong, hurry up, I'm waiting for you outside."

Seeing her chance like finding a precious treasure, Chunling gave Shuju a gentle nudge and said, "Go back inside and tend to your work, I'll wait right here for you." As soon as Shuju stepped back indoors, Chunling hurried over to Song Ke's side, extended her palm with the jade frog resting in it, and whispered, "Elder Master Song, Xianglan asked me to bring this to you. She said she was framed by the First Madam and locked up, and she's going to be sold to a brothel in a few days. She begs you to buy her."

Song Ke's expression darkened instantly as he picked up the jade pendant. Over the past few days, he had only heard rumors that Lin Jinlou had taken a fancy to Xianglan and had been meaning to ask for her, but Lin Jinlou had been away from the estate. Who would have expected such alarming news to reach him today? He demanded, "Where is she locked up?"

Chunling replied, "Locked in a small room in Zhichuntang... Elder Master Song, your maid is risking her life to bring you this message. Please pretend I was never here!"

Song Ke quickly assured her, "Naturally. I will never breathe a word of this." Chunling offered a quick bow and scurried away.

Lost in thought, Song Ke turned around and called his personal manservant, Green Bean, over. Pulling out an identity tally, he instructed, "Go to the finance department and tell them I need to draw one hundred liang of silver." Pausing for a moment of reflection, he corrected himself, "Make it three hundred liang. Go quickly and come back just as fast." Receiving his orders, Green Bean tucked the tally away and hurried off on his errand, but we will leave him for now.

Meanwhile, Huamei had taken the ledger home and spent a peaceful night there. The next morning, her father urged her to return to the Lin estate, telling her, "You've stayed home for a night, but it's time to head back. Even though the eldest master is away, lingering around home will only get people in the manor gossiping. Seeing that our family's fortunes are finally looking up and your brother is in the military under Master Lou's protection, you must serve diligently."

Huamei sneered, "Our family's fortunes are better now, but you mustn't forget that this came from selling your own daughter in the first place."

Hearing those words, her father shrank his neck and fell silent. Huamei's original surname was Du, and her father, Du Yu, had once been a junior military officer of the seventh rank. However, he had been impeached for corruption, stripped of his official rank, and further implicated in a manslaughter case. Having exhausted their entire family fortune to spare his life, the entire household had been demoted to military retainers. In order to secure a future for the family, Du Yu had sent his concubine-born eldest daughter off to serve as a concubine in a high-ranking official's household, from where she was later transferred to Lin Jinlou as a concubine-in-training—and that girl was Huamei.

Du Yu harbored a lingering sense of guilt toward Huamei, and knowing that the family's future depended entirely on her, he simply turned a deaf ear and played dumb whenever she talked back.