Lin Dongling was so engrossed in her intimacy with the man that she didn't notice Xianglan. Their figures flashed past and disappeared behind the rockery. Xianglan thought to herself: "This Lin Dongling is quite bold, daring to engage in secret rendezvous with a man right in her own home. The Lin Family is considered an established noble clan—their young ladies may not be raised in extreme luxury, but they should at least maintain some decorum. For her to commit such improper acts shows the family's moral standards have declined. This is no place to linger—I'd better leave quickly." So she stopped and turned back, choosing another path to take. We'll set this aside for now.
Meanwhile, the Lin residence was bustling with activity. Although they were still observing mourning for Old Madam Zeng, Lin Jinlou's promotion to Fourth-Rank General had made the household even more lively than usual. Visitors coming to offer New Year's greetings streamed in continuously, like a revolving lantern. Lin Jinlou had gone out early in the morning to pay New Year's visits and didn't return until noon, bringing along several frequently-visiting friends for a meal. Due to the mourning period, they couldn't hire opera troupes for performances, so he spent silver to have top courtesans from Yihong Court and Lichun Pavilion brought over in small sedan chairs. He also summoned several musically-trained girls from the household to play string and wind instruments behind the screen. For a time, the atmosphere was filled with spring-like revelry.
Lin Jinlou reclined against the pillows on the Luohan bed, half-squinting as he watched the men at the drinking table playing finger-guessing games and indulging in various amusements. Dihong, a famous courtesan from Lichun Pavilion, sat beside him, peeling an orange and feeding him segment by segment. The drinking table was filled with sons of officials, among them one called Wu Liang—the only son of Jiang-Zhe Inspector Wu Youwei. Seventeen years old and spoiled by his elders, he was a profligate youth devoted to drinking, pleasure-seeking, and gambling, yet quite cunning. He was striving to befriend Lin Jinlou. Seeing that Lin Jinlou paid him little attention, he instead clung affectionately to Lin Jinting.
Lin Jinting had little capacity for alcohol. After being forced to drink several cups, he became lightheaded and began speaking incoherently. Lin Jinlou said, "Xiao San'er, don't drink anymore. Have a servant boy help you to the back to rest." Before he finished speaking, two handsome servant boys stepped forward to assist. Wu Liang quickly supported Lin Jinting and said, "It's my fault for making Brother Lin drink so much. Let me help him back instead."
Lin Jinlou neither agreed nor disagreed, merely taking a sip of ginseng tea from the bowl Dihong handed him. Wu Liang eagerly helped Lin Jinting toward the rear. When they reached the covered corridor, the cold wind hit Lin Jinting, making his head throb and his stomach churn. Leaning against a pillar, he vomited with a "wah" sound. Wu Liang was startled and urgently called out, "Someone come quickly! Your Third Master has vomited from drinking!"
He called several times but no servant boys appeared. The servants knew that once such a banquet started, it wouldn't conclude for at least two hours. Only a few clever ones remained in the front serving the party, while the rest seized the opportunity to gamble, visit brothels, sneak out for drinks, or return home—thus no one came at that moment.
Wu Liang looked up and vaguely spotted several maids passing through the moon gate. He hurriedly supported Lin Jinting over and stood at the garden entrance peering inside. He saw the courtyard featured winding paths, elegant latticed windows, and subtly veiled embroidered curtains. On a nearby hillside grew a grove of plum trees, where a beauty wearing a bright crimson cloak stood beneath a plum tree with pruning shears, cutting plum branches. A young maid stood beside her holding a plain white jade vase, already containing a beautifully cut plum branch—they appeared as lovely as figures from a painting.Wu Liang stared transfixed, unconsciously taking a few steps forward. He saw the beauty was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with skin like congealed cream and snow, willow-leaf eyebrows and sandalwood lips—truly peerless in elegance, radiating an aura of refined grace. Wu Liang felt as if his soul had flown away, and he couldn't help but nudging Lin Jinting, murmuring, "Is... is this a girl from your Lin Family?"
Lin Jinting drunkenly opened his eyes, glanced over and said, "This... this is my cousin, from the Song family..." Before he could finish, he vomited again.
Wu Liang hurriedly helped Lin Jinting lean against a Taihu rock, then went into the house to call for help, though he secretly took a liking to Song Tanchai and would later make various inquiries about her, but that's a story for another time.
Lin Jinlou, finding the drinking in the room dull, was approached by Xiao Cuiyun from the Yihong Court. She personally shredded some rib meat and served it on a small plate, smiling as she said, "Master, don't just eat what Sister Dihong feeds you. At least have a bite of what I've prepared—do me this honor."
The crowd teased, "Look at her getting jealous! The hardest thing to bear is a beauty's favor—you'd better eat it quickly!"
Lin Jinlou smiled lazily, lowered his head and took a bite, then said to Xiao Cuiyun, "My dear, you're getting more clever by the day. It shows Li Er has been treating you well since he took you in."
Xiao Cuiyun shot Lin Jinlou a resentful glance, half-serious and half-joking, "It's only because Master doesn't fancy me, preferring my sister instead." It turned out Xiao Cuiyun was Xiao Cuixian's younger sister. She had previously taken a liking to Lin Jinlou, sending him poems and decorative knots. When Lin Jinlou accepted them, she secretly rejoiced, but he paid her no mind. Instead, Li Yi'an, a deputy general in his army, took a fancy to her and used silver to claim her. Xiao Cuiyun initially refused, even attempting suicide by hanging and slitting her wrists. Later, the brothel madam scolded her: "Cuixian is prettier than you and can sing and play instruments—that's why Master Lin visits occasionally. Since you can't compare to your sister, you'd better give up this fantasy!" When Lin Jinlou sent someone to mediate her relationship with Li Yi'an, Xiao Cuiyun had no choice but to agree. Yet now, seeing Lin Jinlou again, her heart itched with longing, and she couldn't resist coming to flatter and please him.
Lin Jinlou laughed, "You shouldn't say such things. Your sister is with Young Master Liu now and has nothing to do with me anymore."
Xiao Cuiyun forced a smile and said, "It was my slip of tongue—I deserve punishment!" She raised a wine cup and drank it down. Secretly, she thought: "Lin Jinlou is a heartless man. My sister was utterly devoted to him, but in the end he didn't want her—he just used silver to redeem her and gave her to his friend. It shows most men in this world are faithless and unreliable, truly not as dependable as silver." With that bit of melancholy gone, she put on a smile again and said, "Yesterday, Mama was saying you never visit us anymore. Several new girls have arrived in the garden, all fresh as spring onions with tender voices, specially trained by instructors. I've brought a young sister today—let her serve you, Master."With that, she stood up and pulled over a girl from the banquet, around fourteen years old, wearing a pink satin BeiZi embroidered with magnolia branches, a white silk mid-length garment with a bamboo leaf patterned stand-up collar, and a date-red skirt embroidered with plum blossoms beneath. Her hair was braided, still not yet styled into a bun, clearly indicating she hadn't been initiated, yet she wore a gold-inlaid semi-winged butterfly enamel hairpin with jewels, a white pearl gold hairpin, gold rhombus flower ornaments at her temples, green jade earrings dangling from her ears, and a gold-inlaid pearl bracelet on her fair wrist. She had an oval face, finely drawn eyebrows, eyes brimming with emotion like pools of water, rosy cheeks, and a slender, soft waist, still carrying a hint of youthful innocence. As she approached Lin Jinlou and saw his handsome and imposing figure, her face flushed red first. She gracefully bowed and said in a soft, coquettish voice, "This humble one is Cuiqiao, here to serve Master."
Xiaocuiyun pushed Cuiqiao to Lin Jinlou's side, laughing as she said, "This is my new sister, brought here to gain experience. Master must be gentle and cherish her, don't frighten her." She then gave Cuiqiao a meaningful glance: "Be clever. Serving Master Lin is a blessing you've earned from your previous life."
Although Cuiqiao had some charm and was already a rare beauty, in Lin Jinlou's eyes, she wasn't considered top-tier. He casually remarked, "Your madam is quite quick. Just as Cuixian left, she's already replaced her with a new one."
Cuiqiao was quite sharp; she personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to Lin Jinlou, who only took a sip before setting it on the heated brick bed table.
Seeing that Lin Jinlou wasn't particularly interested, Xiaocuiyun said to Cuiqiao, "Go fetch the pipa and sing that new song you learned recently for the masters."
Cuiqiao then took the pipa, sat down, plucked the strings, and sang "Dream of Pomegranate Flowers" in a clear and melodious voice. For a moment, the entire hall erupted in applause, with everyone exclaiming, "Such a fresh and tender voice is truly rare." Some frivolous young men, seasoned in the world of pleasure, were already eager, one whispering, "Despite her youth, she has a unique charm. Later, I'll go exchange handkerchiefs with her." Another muttered quietly, "Nonsense, can't you see she's already taken a liking to someone? Besides, the madam of Yihong Court is ruthless. For such a pretty girl, it would take at least eighty taels of silver to initiate her!" Yet another added, "Eighty taels might not be worth it. You can buy a maid outside for just five taels." This comment sparked a round of mocking laughter: "Five taels? Go buy yourself a plump, short, and ugly girl then!"
Once the song ended, Cuiqiao came forward to serve again, imitating Dihong's manner, feeding fruits to Lin Jinlou. Lin Jinlou turned his head to look and saw her timid, delicate expression. Suddenly, he remembered Xianglan—when he first saw her, she had been just as shy. She had secretly tucked a magnolia flower into her hair by the lake, and when caught, she lowered her blushing face, devoid of makeup, far more elegant and spirited than this Cuiqiao.
This memory reminded him of how that girl had been ungrateful yesterday, throwing a fit and threatening suicide, making him attend the ancestral ceremony with a grim face. Anger welled up inside him, and he simply stopped drinking tea, put on his shoes, and got off the heated brick bed to leave, saying, "You all continue eating and drinking." I just remembered an urgent matter and will be back shortly." With that, he swept into the inner chambers like a gust of wind.In the Flower Hall, Qin Shi was entertaining guests by having female opera singers perform. Lin Jinlou saw Hongjian about to enter the room carrying a tray and called her over, quietly asking a couple of questions. Shortly after, Hongjian emerged from the room and said, "I've already informed Madam Song. She's waiting for you in the side room."
Lin Jinlou repeatedly expressed his thanks, lifted the curtain, and entered the side room. Seeing that Song Yima had already arrived, he clasped his hands and said with a smile, "I apologize for interrupting your opera enjoyment, Auntie."
Song Yima chuckled and replied, "Silly child, why stand on ceremony? What brings you to invite me here?"
Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "I hope you won't find me presumptuous, but I came to ask you for a favor. The Song family has a maid named Xianglan, and I've taken a liking to her. I wonder if you'd be willing to part with her? If you give her to me, I'll certainly send you a generous gift in return."
Song Yima was taken aback, then her face showed a troubled expression. "Oh, what unfortunate timing... That girl just came this morning to seek permission and has already been released from service."
Lin Jinlou was stunned, his brow gradually furrowing.
Thank you Junxi812, cbbca, Yunxia Nichang, and damima for the little yellow chicks~
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