Against the Current - Chapter 84

Chapter 84 - Instigation 

Xianglan unpinned a hairpin from her hair of her own accord, adjusted the lamp wick, and said leisurely, "If it was Madam who instructed you to ask, you should prepend the words 'Madam told me to ask you' before speaking next time. If it wasn't Madam who instructed you, then I must ask you to be a bit more polite in the future. Though I am untalented and have always served others, I did spend quite a few days living within aristocratic households. It doesn't matter much if you speak to me this way, but if you used that same tone with outsiders, I'm afraid people would mock the maids of our Song family for lacking proper manners." Her words were delivered in a calm tone, yet they were utterly devoid of politeness.

Fangsi's face instantly turned crimson with rage, and she sneered, "You certainly carry yourself with quite an air! Your words imply from start to finish that I lack manners, but since I am by Madam's side, are you suggesting that Madam doesn't know how to train her people?"

Xianglan smiled. "I wouldn't dare. I am clumsy, blockheaded, and rash. If what I said just now offended you, Elder Sister, please allow me to offer you an apology. Since you serve by Madam's side, your breadth of mind is naturally different from ordinary people, so you surely wouldn't lower yourself to bicker with someone like me, would you?"

Fangsi had originally intended to put on airs of authority in front of Xianglan, only to find herself checkmated instead. Her retort had neatly blocked off both her retreat and advance, leaving her hanging awkwardly in mid-air. Just as she was floundering, she suddenly heard the sound of talking and frolicking near the entrance, realizing that Junxi and Yuexi were returning. Glaring fiercely at Xianglan, she threw down the door curtain and stormed off.

She ran behind the trellis of roses and stamped her feet in furious indignation.

She had known all along that this Xianglan possessed the look of a seductive vixen and was bound to be a man-trap, and today she had run right into it! The fabric for tailoring clothes should naturally be chosen by the masters first, yet the Eldest Young Master had actually set aside two bolts specifically for her, and even reached out to touch her hair! If she hadn't walked in right then, would he have gone on to stroke her face and kiss her lips? Bah, bah, bah! Shameless! The Eldest Young Master must have been blinded to specialize in favoring such a delicate, frail little fox spirit, completely failing to recognize her own worth all these years. Previously, there had been Hongxiu in the rooms; because of the affection built up from serving together since childhood, she could accept it with a convinced heart. But Hongxiu was gone now; in terms of seniority, appearance, figure, cleverness, and loyalty, no matter how one compared, she should be the natural choice. Even Madam liked her—why on earth wasn't she good enough?

Fangsi wiped away the tears forced out by her anger.

She knew she wasn't as breathtakingly beautiful as Xianglan, but aside from a pretty face, was there any area where she didn't surpass that little minx by a wide margin? The Eldest Young Master's legs had simply gone soft from being entangled by female charms. Things couldn't be allowed to go on like this!

Fangsi fished out a handkerchief to dab at her face and immediately headed straight for Madam Song's quarters. Upon stepping inside, she found that the fabric selection had already concluded and everything had been cleared away. Mother Guo was instructing the servants to lay out the meal, while Madam Song was reclining on the imperial concubine couch, twisting a string of prayer beads with her eyes closed as she silently chanted Buddhist scriptures.

Madam Song was a conventional, reserved matron. Ever since her husband's death, her heart had turned to ashes. She ate vegetarian food, chanted Buddha's name, and never stepped foot outside the door. The garments she wore were mostly dark in color, bound with a forehead band, and completely devoid of cosmetic powder. Even though she possessed a naturally graceful and dignified beauty, such attire aged her whole appearance by a full decade.

Seeing that Fangsi looked furious and carried herself with uncharacteristic carelessness, Mother Guo glared at her and gestured meaningfully toward Madam Song. Fangsi collected her thoughts, halted her steps, smoothed down her dress, laid the fabric she had been carrying off to the side, picked up the plantain fan from beside the couch, and walked over on light, quiet steps to fan Madam Song.

Madam Song opened her eyes and, seeing it was Fangsi standing by her side, asked, "Does Elder Brother like this color?"

Fangsi forced a ingratiating smile and replied, "He likes it, how could he not? The Eldest Young Master even said that making a winter cloak would be too warm, and since he doesn't have a maid skilled in needlework in his rooms, he praised my sewing and asked me to make him a pair of loose-legged trousers instead."

Madam Song closed her eyes and smiled. "Amitabha! Since the child has made such an earnest request of you, you should make him a pair." She then asked, "Has Elder Brother eaten anything yet?"

Fangsi replied, "When I went over just now, meals hadn't been served in his rooms yet."

Madam Song said, "Tanchai has too much internal heat, so a bowl of porridge in the evening is enough to stave off hunger. Elder Brother has been working hard all day and needs to eat a more substantial meal at night. Go send another bowl of soup over to him in a little while." As she spoke, she rose from the couch.

Fangsi hurried forward to support her, but Madam Song smiled and said, "I'm not so old that I need someone to hold me." She then seated herself at the table.

Mother Guo chuckled, "Let her support you, it's her proper duty."

Fangsi stood by to serve the dishes. After taking a bite, Madam Song suddenly paused and asked, "Did that new maid in Elder Brother's rooms pick out any fabric? Make sure you didn't leave her out."

A wave of bitter resentment churned in Fangsi's chest, though she kept a smile plastered on her face. "She picked them." Glancing at Mother Guo's expression, she added, "However, there is a matter..."

Madam Song looked at Fangsi. "If you have something to say, spit it out. Why stutter and hesitate?"

Fangsi said, "When I stepped into the room just now, I saw that the Eldest Young Master had specially prepared two bolts of fabric for that maid. Strictly speaking, it isn't my place to comment, but the Eldest Young Master handled this rather improperly. Before Madam and the Young Mistress had even made their selections, how could he bypass them and reserve materials directly for that servant girl?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Song put down her chopsticks. "What kind of fabric did he reserve?"

Fangsi replied, "It's a concubine-red silk damask and a sky-blue fine cotton."

Madam Song picked her chopsticks back up with a smile. "They aren't anything exceptionally precious aren't all the fabrics delivered today of that exact quality? Perhaps Elder Brother worried that the girl is a newcomer and too shy to pick for herself, so he ordered someone to set two bolts aside for her. Young girls aren't like us; wearing reds and greens suits them well."

Fangsi hastened to say, "I understand that reasoning, but when I walked in just now, I happened to see the Eldest Young Master doing something to that girl..." She raised her eyes upward and lowered her voice, saying, "Ever since Senior Sister Hongxiu left, the Eldest Young Master's quarters have indeed lacked someone to wait upon him. But the spring imperial examinations are only half a year away now, and I'm simply worried that the Eldest Young Master might have his mind corrupted by bad instigations, get bewitched by crooked paths, and neglect his studies. Given the family's current situation, the Eldest Young Master is Madam's sole hope. We servants who serve here hope nothing more than for him to place high on the imperial roster and revitalize the family estate: first, to comfort the master's spirit in heaven; second, to ease Madam's worried heart; third, so that Eldest Miss will stand tall and proud when she marries in the future; and fourth, so that all of us can live in peace and safety."

This speech struck all the right chords. Madam Song dropped her chopsticks once more and asked anxiously, "My child, what did you see in the room just now? Thank goodness you are sensible and handle things so properly, otherwise I'd still be kept completely in the dark."

Fangsi replied, "It wasn't anything much, really. It's just that when I entered, I happened to catch the Eldest Young Master reaching out to touch that girl's hair, looking as if he were about to pin a flower in it for her. If this were anyone else, it wouldn't mean much, but the Eldest Young Master's heart is entirely set on scholarly honor. Even with Senior Sister Hongxiu before, the Eldest Young Master never exchanged playful banter with her. Yet this girl has only just arrived, and already..."

Madam Song fell silent. When that maid named Xianglan had first come to kowtow, she had inspected her closely and noted that she was an absolute beauty with a refined and elegant bearing—truly a top-tier catch.

Seeing that Madam Song remained silent, Fangsi pressed on, "Madam must make a decision. Right now is a critical juncture for the Eldest Young Master; having such a seductive, swaying girl by his side is so worrying. Furthermore, that girl's background is completely murky—we don't even know where she was bought from. What if she was corrupted somewhere before entering the manor and picked up all sorts of vulgar tricks? Our young master is such an upright and honest boy; if his core character gets ruined, it would be a complete disaster!"

Mother Guo chimed in immediately, "That's very true. That maid's background is unknown, and she arrived covered in injuries to boot. Who knows what trouble she was involved in previously, or if she was driven out by her former masters for misconduct? To speak bluntly behind closed doors, with looks like that, being cast out of a great noble household—there's no telling whether she still has her chastity or if she's picked up loose, licentious habits. There are always gossips in this world who spend all day fabricating stories behind people's backs. When the Eldest Young Master becomes an official or a minister in the future, what he'll need most is an untarnished reputation. He cannot afford to make even the slightest misstep. If nothing happens, fine; but if someone brands him with a 'flawed' character, there's no telling how many petty villains will kick him while he's down and trip him up. For us to fret, panic, and burn with anxiety is one thing, but what would happen to the Eldest Young Master's reputation?"

As Mother Guo spoke, Madam Song nodded along.

Fangsi moved the bowl of soup closer to Madam Song and asked in a low voice, "Madam, what do you think about this matter..."

Madam Song sighed and said, "It's a good thing you mother and daughter are here to help me strategize, otherwise I truly wouldn't have understood the gravity of it. However, when that girl was purchased, Elder Brother told me that she was someone he had set his sights on to elevate later on. They had known each other previously, and he had long wanted to redeem her from her masters, but never found the right opportunity. Who would have thought she would be framed by others, allowing him to seize the moment to buy her? Her background is actually clean and well-verified."

Madam Song's statement that "she was someone he had set his sights on to elevate later on" felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over Fangsi, chilling her to the bone. Madam Song then turned to Mother Guo and said, "Elder Brother is someone you watched grow up from childhood; he has the best judgment. He also told me that he won't bring anyone new into his rooms until after next spring's imperial examinations. Having her by his side right now is simply to have someone help pour tea and grind ink while he studies."

Hearing this, Mother Guo exchanged a glance with Fangsi, then smiled and said, "As long as Madam has a clear grasp of things, then good. Look at how this whole fuss turned out—it just makes us mother and daughter look like gossiping meddlers. We deserve a beating! We truly deserve a beating!"

Fangsi also forced a smile and echoed, "Indeed! Especially me—I really deserve to slap my own mouth!" As she spoke, she actually gave her own cheek two light slaps.

Madam Song reached out to grab Fangsi's hand, smiling as she said, "You silly child, why are you actually hitting yourself? I'm not blaming you; I am endlessly grateful to you in my heart. You mother and daughter think of everything for us, worrying day and night just to preserve our family's reputation and dignity. Ever since the master passed away, everyone has been stabbing us in the back and bullying our lonely widow and orphan. Only you two have stayed by our side with single-minded devotion to protect us, and I've always reminded myself that I must never fail you." Mentioning the master brought fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

Mother Guo and Fangsi hurriedly joined in weeping. After a quiet moment in the room, Mother Guo wiped the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief and forced a smile, saying, "Why did we have to go and dredge up these heartbreaking matters out of nowhere? It's all this little minx Fangsi's fault for provoking Madam into shedding another round of tears."

Patting Fangsi's hand, Madam Song smiled at Mother Guo and said, "With me protecting her, you are not allowed to hit her." Looking affectionately at Fangsi, she continued, "Our family's Elder Brother is simply lacking in fortune, failing to recognize your fine qualities. But you can rest easy—as long as I am here, I will never treat your future poorly."

Fangsi feigned a coy, bashful expression and lowered her head, yet the grievances buried deep in her heart surged upward, instantly dampening her eyes with tears.