Lin Jinlou stepped out of the room to find the sky already heavily overcast, with scattered snowflakes drifting down from above. Shu Ran approached and whispered, "Will Eldest Master be staying at the Hall of Knowing Spring or returning to the study?"
Lin Jinlou narrowed his eyes and looked up at the oppressive dark sky. Where to go? Having just paid respects to Qinglan and the child, he truly had no mood to remain in the Hall of Knowing Spring, yet the study felt too desolate...
He said to Shu Ran, "Have the servant prepare the horse. I'm going out. If Madam asks, tell her I have urgent matters to attend to and need to return to the military camp first. I'll be back tomorrow." Shu Ran promptly acknowledged the order. As Lin Jinlou reached the doorway, he suddenly thought of something and turned back, adding, "As for that maid named Xianglan, later find some reliable people to inquire where she was sold. If she ended up in a brothel or some unsavory place, use silver to redeem her and find her a proper path. Consider it accumulating merit for Qinglan and the child."
Lin Jinlou had never believed in concepts of karma or retribution, so his inexplicable words now somewhat surprised Shu Ran. Yet she quickly concealed her astonishment, bowed her head, and said, "Yes, I will go find a few slave traders to ask shortly."
Lin Jinlou gave a slight nod and walked out, still saying, "I brought back a chest of specialties from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Later, distribute them among the various households and have someone deliver them."
Shu Ran followed behind, repeatedly acknowledging with "Yes," while thinking to herself, "Eldest Master is also pitiable. This task should have been done by Da Nǎinai, but now that they are estranged, the work falls to me. In the future, when I leave the estate to marry, Eldest Master won't have a single capable person by his side. My cousin Keran was sent to Eldest Master by Old Madam. If she is clever, I'll have her take my place later." It turned out that although Lin Jinlou had a domineering temperament, he was generous and lenient to his subordinates, with a sense of loyalty, so those who had long served him were willing to give their all for him.
Lin Jinlou then took Jixiang and rode out on horseback. After passing through seven or eight alleys, they stopped before a small red door. Jixiang went to knock, and before long, an old man came out. Recognizing the master and servant, he hurriedly welcomed them inside. Lin Jinlou strode directly into the house, where an exquisitely beautiful woman of enchanting charm came forward to greet him, her face adorned with a gentle, ingratiating smile as she said repeatedly, "Eldest Master, why did you come out so soon after returning to the estate? Have you eaten yet?"
Lin Jinlou didn't even glance at her. Entering the room, he grabbed a pillow and lay down on the kang. The woman showed no annoyance, merely ordering someone to boil water for tea and replenish the fruits. She herself wrung out a hot towel to wipe Lin Jinlou's face, then quietly climbed onto the kang and began massaging his head and shoulders. She chuckled softly and said, "Where did you get upset, my lord? You came in with such a stern face—it's quite frightening." Seeing that Lin Jinlou didn't respond, she shot a glance at the maid attending nearby. After the maid withdrew, she unfastened her jacket, revealing a crimson embroidered mandarin duck undergarment inside, and said in a soft, coaxing voice, "Oh dear, let me see. Your face is so gloomy—who offended you? Tell me, and I'll make a little effigy later to curse whoever troubled you, so they die a miserable death... But it seems to me that you're not upset over official matters, but rather over some affair of the heart..."That little voice was thick and cloying, the words drawn out in an extremely seductive manner. Lin Jinlou felt a stir in his heart when a soft, boneless little hand had already slipped into his lapel. A fragrant breath whispered by his ear, "My lord, you have the number one beauty of Jinling enshrined at home, so why come to me as soon as you return? You must have missed me, haven't you?" Delicate teeth nibbled playfully on his round, thick earlobe.
Lin Jinlou closed his eyes and caught the hand, a slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Don't fuss, let me rest for a while. I'm not in the mood right now."
The woman chuckled lightly, "My good man, what could possibly be troubling you here..." Suddenly meeting Lin Jinlou's direct gaze as he opened his eyes, she was startled and dared not continue her flirtations, slowly straightening up.
Lin Jinlou closed his eyes again and said, "Go have someone heat water for my bath. Change the tea to Dragon Well." The woman bit her lip and left reluctantly.
This woman was called Su Meiru. Originally a "skinny horse" from Yangzhou, the slave trader, seeing her beauty and cleverness, had meticulously trained her until she was accomplished in all the arts—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. At fourteen, she was sold at a high price to Wu Dapeng, a salt merchant from Zhejiang, as his concubine. Wu Dapeng was already over fifty, obese and vulgar, whom Su Meiru utterly despised. But she was cunning and willing to endure hardship, serving him with twelve parts tenderness, thus winning extreme favor. Through coaxing, deceiving, crying, and making scenes, Su Meiru managed to get Wu Dapeng to remove her slave status and change it to that of a commoner. Coincidentally, that year, Wu Dapeng suffered a stroke and was bedridden, seemingly on the verge of death. Su Meiru attended to him day and night without even changing her clothes, playing the part of the virtuous concubine to the fullest, while secretly stealing a great deal of gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and paintings, selling them off for silver behind everyone's back. When Old Wu finally kicked the bucket and the Wu family members were fighting tooth and nail over the inheritance, Su Meiru shed her mourning robes, took two chests of gold, silver, and antiques, and rode a carriage straight to the army to seek refuge with Lin Jinlou.
Su Meiru personally brewed a pot of Dragon Well tea and carefully brought it over, calling out softly, "My lord, the tea is ready." Seeing Lin Jinlou sit up, she hurriedly handed him the tea. Under the candlelight, she gazed at his handsome features, somewhat entranced. She had first met Lin Jinlou when she was eighteen. Wu Dapeng had hosted a banquet at home for several distinguished guests and had her come out to play the pipa for entertainment. She was somewhat displeased but also curious: what kind of person could make Wu Dapeng willing to present his cherished concubine, usually hidden away in the inner chambers, to entertain guests?
Carrying her pipa, she stepped out, curtsied gracefully, and upon looking up, her eyes immediately fell on Lin Jinlou. He was wearing a dark green robe, valiant yet refined, noble and imposing, with a careless smile on his face. Compared to him, the other young masters around seemed dull and faded into the background. Su Meiru's heart raced, and her face slowly flushed.
Later, Su Meiru managed to wheedle information out of Wu Dapeng and learned that he was Lin Jinlou, the eldest grandson of the prestigious Lin family in Jiangnan. She also learned that he was shrewd and ruthless, capable of directing troops with a laugh, and that he commanded the Lin Family Army, which was quite renowned. She also discovered that he roamed freely in the world of romance and pleasure, always indulging his desires, and had married Zhao Yuechan, the number one beauty of Jinling. She couldn't forget Lin Jinlou. Perhaps heaven took pity on her, for as soon as Old Wu died, she found her liberation. Coincidentally, Lin Jinlou was fighting in Zhejiang at the time, so she asked an acquaintance to plead her case before him and then willingly became his mistress.Lin Jinlou did not refuse the beauty's affection. At first, he was tender and passionate, no longer caring even about the beloved concubine who had pursued him from home. He rented a residence outside where he stayed with her all day long. Though generous with his spending, he told Su Meiru, "I cannot give you a proper status. If you ever wish to marry in the future, you may do so freely. Or if you have a specific match in mind, I can help you find one and later add to your dowry."
Su Meiru felt a chill in her heart but shot Lin Jinlou a coquettish glare and said, "I, Su Meiru, am in the bloom of youth and beauty, with silver and land to my name. Those who wish to marry me could form a line stretching all the way to the south of the city—there's no need for Eldest Master to trouble himself on my account. Besides, I’ve made up my mind to follow you for life. Surely you wouldn’t cast me aside, hmm?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Jinlou merely smiled faintly, lowered his eyelashes, and sipped his tea. Later, however, his affection for her gradually cooled. Su Meiru grew anxious and frantic, yet she could neither grasp nor guess the man’s temperament and thoughts. Secretly, she sent a lock of her hair to him through a servant. Unexpectedly, after that, although Lin Jinlou still had people look after her, he never set foot in that residence again. Only then did Su Meiru realize she had done a foolish thing and became even more cautious, plagued by constant worries. Later, when Lin Jinlou returned to Jinling, he told her that the residence in Zhejiang was now hers and that henceforth, the two of them would have no further connection. Su Meiru made a scene, threatening to take her own life, and clinging to Lin Jinlou’s legs, she wept bitterly before stubbornly following him back from Zhejiang.
Now, having just returned to Jinling, Lin Jinlou spent his first night at her place. Su Meiru was both surprised and overjoyed, exerting all her skills to be tender and attentive.
Soon, the water was heated, and Su Meiru attended to Lin Jinlou’s bath, taking a brush to scrub his back. Seeing his robust and sturdy upper body, her heart warmed with desire. Stealing a glance, she noticed Lin Jinlou lying with his eyes closed against the edge of the bathtub and dared not act presumptuously, instead carefully wiping him with a cloth.
Lin Jinlou let out a long sigh and said, "Prepare a few light dishes. I’ll have dinner here tonight."
Su Meiru immediately beamed with joy, standing up happily and saying, "I’ll have Zhang Ma prepare them right away! And I’ll have a pot of congee simmered carefully. I remember last time, Eldest Master ate two bowls of plum-scented congee and said it whetted the appetite."
Lin Jinlou replied, "No need for such trouble. I have important matters tomorrow and will just eat a few bites before sleeping."
Su Meiru instantly understood Lin Jinlou’s meaning and could not help but feel greatly disappointed, her smile becoming forced. Hearing Lin Jinlou cough lightly, she leaned closer and said, "Is Eldest Master thirsty? Would you like some tea?" Lin Jinlou slightly opened his eyes and saw Su Meiru’s ingratiating smile, her full lips lightly coated with rouge. Suddenly, he recalled that little maid named Xianglan, who also had such a lovely little mouth—naturally pink and vibrant without any rouge. He had originally intended to promote her upon his return from the campaign, but who would have thought Zhao Yuechan would sell her off? Among the women he had met, Xianglan’s appearance and demeanor could easily rank within the top three. What a pity, such a delicate, willow-like girl…
Noticing Lin Jinlou staring intently at her lips, Su Meiru grew somewhat uneasy. She flashed a seductive smile and said, "What is Eldest Master looking at? Have I gotten something dirty on them?"During the bandit suppression campaigns, he spent his days living on the edge, and Su Meiru was his diversion in moments of leisure. Though she was a young widow, her beauty and charm made her an acceptable pastime. Yet, unexpectedly, Su Meiru began to harbor other intentions, constantly inquiring about the members of the Lin family—their temperaments and dispositions—and asking whether his principal wife was tolerant. This made him frown. A dalliance outside was just that; he had never considered bringing her home, nor had he ever imagined letting someone like Su Meiru bear his children. He had made his stance clear to her, yet she lingered, unwilling to leave. Well, it was the same with his former flame, Xiao Cuixian—she had wept and refused to let other patrons redeem her, clinging to the hope that he would buy her freedom and take her home. Only after years had passed, as her youth faded, did she finally relent, allowing him to spend three thousand taels to redeem her and gift her to a friend. As for Su Meiru, he would stop visiting her soon enough. In a couple of years, she would come to her senses and marry someone else.
But he had forgotten the old saying: "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet." Just so, there would come a day when his romantic debts would come due. Later, Su Meiru would stir up a major dispute within the Lin family.
At this moment, Lin Jinlou closed his eyes and said calmly, "It's nothing."
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