Once they stepped out of the room, an elderly matron was already waiting outside and led Lin Jinlou to Zhuoshou Garden. Qin Shi was sitting on the daybed, holding a hand warmer, while her younger son Lin Jinyuan was practicing calligraphy on the heated brick bed. When Lin Jinlou entered, Lin Jinyuan immediately dropped his brush, scrambled down from the bed, and rushed over, calling out, "Big brother!"
Lin Jinlou lifted Lin Jinyuan briefly, then set him down and patted his head, smiling. "You've grown taller again."
Lin Jinyuan giggled delightedly. Just six years old, he had a chubby, adorable face with large, round, bright eyes. Clinging to Lin Jinlou's leg, he chattered excitedly, "Was fighting fun? Mother said you used a big sword on the battlefield—I want one too! And, and take me horseback riding! I want to ride a big horse!"
Lin Jinlou nodded with a smile. "Alright, alright, I'll take you another time." He sat down in a chair, and Lin Jinyuan immediately wriggled his way onto his lap.
Qin Shi said, "Yuan Ge'er, stop fussing. I have matters to discuss with your big brother."
Lin Jinyuan pretended not to hear, wrapping his plump little arms around Lin Jinlou's neck and swinging his feet playfully. Qin Shi had no choice but to order the nursemaid and maids to take Lin Jinyuan away, but the boy stubbornly refused to budge. Lin Jinlou patted him and said, "Let him stay if he doesn't want to go." Then he gently tapped Lin Jinyuan's little nose.
Qin Shi waved for the servants to withdraw. She glanced at Lin Jinlou's expression and cautiously said, "While you were away at war, I didn't tell you some things, fearing it would distract you..."
While playing with his younger brother, Lin Jinlou replied calmly, "I know. Qinglan died, along with the child in her womb—two lives lost."
Qin Shi exclaimed in surprise, "You already knew?" She sighed deeply. "Well, it was Qinglan's misfortune. You should go offer incense to her later—such a pitiful fate."
Lin Jinlou lowered his head and murmured, "Mm."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Qin Shi cleared her throat softly and said, "There's a girl from a distant branch of my family, seventeen years old this year. She has a lovely appearance and a gentle temperament. After the New Year, I'll bring her for you to meet. If you like her, you can take her in—it would be good to have someone to attend to you."
Lin Jinlou glanced at Qin Shi, then pinched Lin Jinyuan's chubby cheek and said, "We'll see." After a pause, he added, "I intend to promote Huamei from my household."
"Huamei?" Qin Shi frowned. Huamei's family had suffered a great fire, and afterward, she had vanished without a trace. The Lin family hadn't been able to find her, and her family hadn't come to cause trouble, so the matter had been dropped.
"Yes, Huamei. Her brother sent her to me. While I was away toiling, she alone took care of everything."
Qin Shi's frown deepened. "She went to you privately without reporting to the family? How could that be allowed?"
Lin Jinlou said, "I've already punished her for that. She won't dare do it again." He patted Lin Jinyuan's bottom and set him down on the floor. The boy immediately scampered off on his short legs to find his nursemaid.
Seeing that Lin Jinlou was protective of her, Qin Shi didn't press further and instead asked about the war and whether he had been injured. Lin Jinlou answered each question and then inquired about the family's situation. Qin Shi said, "Everything at home is fine, nothing major has happened. It's just that Ting Ge'er failed the imperial examination this time. Others might not mind, but although your second uncle didn't say anything, I could tell he wasn't too pleased."Lin Jinlou said, "Becoming a provincial scholar isn’t that easy. If you could pass, and he could pass, wouldn’t it be worthless? How old is Third Brother anyway? He can always try again later. At worst, if he can’t pass, we can buy him an official position—it’s not like our family can’t afford the silver."
Qin Shi replied, "Your second uncle cares about face. The Song family’s son passed as the top provincial scholar, while Tingge failed. The contrast is rather glaring. He’s always wanted to earn favor in front of the old master, but the old master simply doesn’t think much of him. Now that Tingge hasn’t passed and you’ve been promoted, the second branch is probably feeling resentful. You should be careful with your words."
Lin Jinlou sneered, "If Second Uncle spent less time fooling around outside, less time scheming, and more effort on proper matters, he wouldn’t be in this state today."
Qin Shi sighed. She got along well with Wang Shi, the wife of the second branch, who had confided in her tearfully several times. All Qin Shi could do was offer some comforting words. After discussing other matters, Lin Jinlou took his leave and headed to the Hall of Knowing Spring.
Zhao Yuechan swallowed her anger, not letting a trace of displeasure show on her face. She lowered her eyelids and watched as Xique laid a soft cushion on the floor, while Huamei, with downcast eyes and a submissive demeanor, knelt to kowtow to her.
Huamei wore a gleaming gold phoenix hairpin with a pearl in its beak, a crimson satin jacket with cloud and pearl patterns and trimmed edges, a gold filigree necklace as wide as a finger, and a gold-inlaid jade ring on her hand—even finer and larger than the one on Zhao Yuechan’s finger. Her face was radiant with makeup, making her appear even more enchanting and carrying an unusual air of authority. If she stood beside Zhao Yuechan, for a moment, it would be hard to tell who was the true Da Nǎinai of the Lin family.
Zhao Yuechan twisted her handkerchief tightly in her hands.
After completing the formalities, Huamei stood up and said to Zhao Yuechan, "When my family’s home caught fire, it happened that the Eldest Master sent someone to fetch me, so I went with them. By the Eldest Master’s grace, I was elevated to the rank of Concubine. I hope you will instruct me well in the future." Her words were humble, but there was not a hint of respect in her tone; instead, they carried a provocative edge.
Yingshuang glared furiously. Zhao Yuechan felt as though she might snap her nails in her palm, yet her face remained calm as she said indifferently, "You’ve had a hard time, then. The Eldest Master is also to blame—if he wanted to bring someone over to serve, he should have told me. We’ve been searching for you for a long time, thinking you were dead."
Huamei smiled sweetly and said, "Thanks to Da Nǎinai’s great fortune, I’ve been quite lucky to survive. My brother has also earned some military merits and been promoted another rank, which is good news too."
Zhao Yuechan pretended not to hear and said, "Now that you’re back and have received the Eldest Master’s favor, I’ve already ordered someone to tidy up a room for you. Later, I’ll assign a clever maid to serve you."
Huamei immediately replied, "There’s no need to trouble Da Nǎinai. When the Eldest Master returned, he already said to let me stay in the east wing. I’m not picky—the maids who previously served Concubine Lan can stay and serve me."
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Concubine Lan is with child, which is why Madam specially assigned three maids to her. Ordinarily, a concubine only has one maid attending to her. Giving you an extra young maid is already against the rules. If you want the same treatment as Concubine Lan, you’d better strive to be more productive in that department."
Huamei raised an eyebrow but did not argue, still wearing a smile as she said, "So that’s how it is. I was being presumptuous. Please don’t blame me, grandma."Zhao Yuechan picked up her teacup and said with sarcasm, "How dare I blame you? You don't even care about the entire Lin family, coming and going as you please without a word of notice. You put on more airs than the master and madam themselves. If I were to blame you, wouldn't I just be asking for trouble?"
Huamei pretended not to understand and remained silent, still wearing a faint smile on her face.
Seeing her act so shamelessly, Zhao Yuechan felt the urge to scratch Huamei's face. However, with Lin Jinlou not yet returned and the situation unclear, she dared not act recklessly.
Just then, Lin Jinlou entered the room. Both Zhao Yuechan and Huamei stood up. Lin Jinlou took the seat of honor and asked, "Is everything arranged?"
This question was directed at both Zhao Yuechan and Huamei.
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Of course it's arranged. Huamei said you promised her the east wing and the maids who used to serve Lan Yiniang. It's her good fortune if Eldest Master wants to favor her, and there's nothing wrong with her living in Lan Yiniang's former quarters. But as for the maids, I need to consult Madam before making a decision, lest she later accuse me of having no sense of propriety."
Lin Jinlou raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at Huamei. He had indeed promised to promote Huamei to the status of concubine, but he had never mentioned giving her the east wing, let alone the maids who had served Qinglan.
Huamei continued to play dumb, keeping her head down and staring at the patterns on her skirt.
Zhao Yuechan added, "Even though Eldest Master brought Huamei back, you should at least inform the household. Otherwise, if this bad precedent is set, with people coming and going as they please today and tomorrow, what will become of the family rules? In the future, if I try to discipline anyone, and they retort, 'Even the concubine in Eldest Master's household acts like this,' what am I to do?"
Lin Jinlou glanced at Huamei again. Huamei had been sent to Zhejiang by her brother, but now it was being twisted into "Huamei was brought back by him." She had twice shown her cunning in front of him, which displeased Lin Jinlou. However, Huamei had been gentle and attentive lately, taking care of everything meticulously and even flattering him with sweet words. Lin Jinlou had rekindled some of his old affection for her, and since their intimacy had not yet faded, he decided to save face for her and remained silent.
But that glance from Lin Jinlou sent a chill down Huamei's spine, and she dared not move a muscle.
The room fell into silence.
Finally, Lin Jinlou spoke, "Since you want to live in the east wing, you may do so. As for the maids, follow the household's usual allocation. However, leaving the residence without notifying the family warrants punishment." He glanced at Zhao Yuechan and said, "You are Da Nǎinai. You decide."
Zhao Yuechan was taken aback but immediately felt overjoyed. Huamei, never expecting Lin Jinlou to say such a thing, abruptly lifted her head, her face full of shock.
Suppressing her triumph, Zhao Yuechan said, "You shall kneel in the ancestral hall for an hour, copy the 'Admonitions for Women' three times, and forfeit six months' allowance." She thought to herself, "No matter how proud you are, I am the legitimate wife of the Lin family. If you dare to cause trouble in front of me, I'll make sure you don't even know how you died."Lin Jinlou frowned and said, "Making her kneel in the ancestral hall in the dead of winter is inappropriate. That punishment is exempted; carry out the rest as planned." Hearing his pity for Huamei, Zhao Yuechan grew furious again. Though Huamei felt wronged, she also felt a sense of vigilance. Under her instigation with added details, Lin Jinlou had more than once threatened to divorce Zhao Yuechan and send her back to her family. Yet now, despite his cold demeanor, he still honored Zhao Yuechan as the principal wife. She could not understand why a domineering figure like Lin Jinlou would yield to Zhao Yuechan, but in her heart, she somewhat looked down on her. Moreover, as Lin Jinlou gradually valued her more, she developed the intention to challenge Zhao Yuechan. However, after Lin Jinlou’s reprimand just now, she immediately understood her place and said meekly, "Yes, it was my fault. I accept the punishment." She rose and bowed.
Just then, someone outside announced, "Eldest Master, Da Nǎinai, Old Madam has gifted two maids. I’ve brought them here."
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