Xianglan sat on the soft couch holding her embroidery frame in a daze, feeling deeply wronged. Seeing no one around, she quietly wiped her tears. She had no one to rely on in the mansion, and she simply couldn't bring herself to flatter and fawn like Huier and Huairui did. She had hoped to establish herself through hard work, being kind to everyone and enduring humiliation without contention, but somehow she ended up being bullied and having her merits stolen at every turn, leaving her with even less of a foothold.
Just as she was wiping her tears with her sleeve, she suddenly heard someone at the window say, "Xianglan, come out and help this old woman with something."
Xianglan turned around in a fluster and saw Liu Pozi standing outside, beckoning to her through the window. She quickly blinked back her tears and walked out, forcing a smile as she asked, "What is it, Mother Liu?"
Liu Pozi said, "Come to the tea room and help me tidy up."
After the two entered the small tea room behind the house, Liu Pozi stared at Xianglan's face for a moment and sighed, "You're too honest, child. Even when you're wronged, you cry in secret. No wonder those few bully you."
Xianglan forced a smile and said, "I wasn't crying. Some dust just got in my eyes earlier, and I rubbed them hard..." But when she saw Liu Pozi's shrewd and knowing expression, she awkwardly fell silent and lowered her head.
Liu Pozi pulled over a small stool to sit on and patted the empty stool beside her, saying, "Girl, sit here." Xianglan sat down next to Liu Pozi, who let out a long sigh and said, "You're new here, so I shouldn't say too much, but I've been quietly observing you. You're a good one, not like those frivolous girls. But you only know how to work foolishly. I've wanted to advise you several times but never had the chance. Today, seeing those few openly ganging up on you, I couldn't stand it any longer. I know you've been working like an ox, spending three days making a pair of shoes. I've seen it all."
Xianglan felt comforted, and half of her grievances faded away.
Liu Pozi said, "You're too soft-hearted, girl. By the time you're bullied to death, you'll still be called a coward! That Miss Huan is no good! Her maternal grandmother is merely a concubine-born sister of our Old Master. They had a falling out decades ago and have had no contact since. Now she's come all the way from Yuzhou to seek favors. The Old Master and Old Madam initially thought that since she had lost both parents, she was truly pitiable. Even if her grandmother had some faults, her granddaughter couldn't be blamed. With her glib tongue, she managed to please them, so they let her stay. However, Old Madam, wary of her grandmother's poor character, wasn't entirely at ease and ordered Second Madam to investigate. Guess what they found out?"
Xianglan asked, "What did they find out?"
"Turns out this Miss Huan was domineering and abusive at home. After her parents died, she and her brother seized the dowries of her two half-sisters and the inheritance of a half-brother. She even suggested marrying off one half-sister to an old, fat salt merchant as a replacement wife and the other to a white-bearded seventh-rank petty official as a concubine—all because these men demanded no dowry and even paid her family a large sum of silver!"
"Ah?" Xianglan was utterly stunned.
"Second Madam is someone who can't tolerate dishonesty. She immediately reported this to Old Madam. At first, Old Madam was fooled by Miss Huan and let her stay with Lingjie. But within two days, they quarreled, and Miss Huan even hit Lingjie. So Old Madam had Miss Huan move out and assigned her to the farthest and most remote Luoxue Courtyard, even giving her Huairui, the least favored maid from her own quarters.""Ah?" Xianglan was dumbfounded. Huairui was actually the least favored maid in Old Madam's household!
"Huairui's father is a prominent steward serving Old Master, and he insisted on sending his daughter to the mansion, actually scheming to make her a Concubine. But his daughter... tsk tsk, which of her looks, speech, or abilities is presentable? She's gluttonous yet lazy, fond of cutting corners. Old Madam only tolerates her out of respect for Old Master, pushing her off to Miss Huan. Unexpectedly, they hit it off." Liu Pozi gave a cold laugh. "I once saw Huairui secretly slip Miss Huan a silver ingot and two pieces of fabric. Miss Huan accepted them without batting an eye. Oh my, what a colossal joke! Normally, it's always the young lady rewarding the servants, but now we have a maid giving gifts to the young lady!"
Xianglan, however, smiled faintly. "No wonder Miss Huan doesn't assign her any tasks. I suppose it's thanks to that silver ingot and those two pieces of fabric."
Liu Pozi sighed. "But now that Miss Huan has entered the mansion, leaving won't be so easy. She can only wait until her mourning period ends to marry. To squeeze more silver from the family and increase her dowry, Miss Huan fawns over Old Madam day in and day out. Old Madam remains indifferent, yet she still refuses to give up. Old Master, however, still holds some affection for her and always urges Old Madam to treat her well. Da Nǎinai is on good terms with her, and together, these two have schemed who knows how much silver out of the Lin family."
Xianglan didn't know what to say and silently poured Liu Pozi a cup of tea.
Liu Pozi snorted. "Old Madam Zeng is about to kick the bucket. When that happens, the eldest branch will return from the capital for the funeral. Once First Madam is back, all these demons and monsters will be revealed for what they are!"
Xianglan asked, "Is First Madam of the eldest branch really that formidable?"
Liu Pozi laughed. "If it were twenty years ago, when First Madam was still here, the mansion wouldn't be in such a state. Later, when the Eldest Master was promoted, the eldest branch moved to the capital, leaving only Eldest Master behind to be raised by Old Master. Second Madam is blunt and straightforward, not skilled at managing a household. After a few years under her care, things started to fall apart. When Eldest Master married, Da Nǎinai took over, and things became even more disorderly. Da Nǎinai only loves flattery—whoever curries favor the most and offers the most 'tributes' gets promoted. Few in the mansion do any real work; everyone is focused on slacking off and lining their own pockets. As for Eldest Master, everyone praises him—handsome and capable, he not only passed the imperial civil exam but also the military one, helping the family expand their business. The silver he's earned could last several lifetimes. But it truly fits the saying, 'A fine man often marries poorly.' He married this creature, and even after five years of marriage, she hasn't produced an egg, and she forbids him from taking a concubine."
Xianglan thought to herself, "Zhao Yuechan is also a harpy-like figure. Being friends with Cao Lihuan—birds of a feather flock together."
Liu Pozi, clearly having bottled up her grievances for a long time, poured out her words incessantly: "Back when First Madam was here, she promoted me to the accounts office to handle calculations. I had my moment of glory then—not a single coin passed through my hands without being accounted for. Later, when Second Madam took charge, though I wasn't particularly ingratiating, I was still useful. But as soon as Da Nǎinai arrived, afraid that her embezzlement would be exposed, she relegated me to this place, making me a menial servant..." At this point, she sounded quite despondent.
Xianglan comforted her, "Don't be disheartened, Mama. When First Madam returns, remembering old ties, she ought to assign you a different position."Liu Pozi smiled and said, "At my age, I should be retiring home to enjoy my remaining years in a couple of years. What more could I ask for in terms of assignments? But you're different—you're so lovely and have such a gentle nature. You shouldn't be following that wicked woman who's rotten to the core... Ah, but truth be told, that cousin is also pitiable. Since she was young, her parents turned against each other. Her father had five concubines and countless maids he took advantage of—anyone slightly pretty was dragged into his quarters. He drove her mother to live in the estate. It's true that pitiable people often have their own hateful flaws."
Xianglan sighed as well. "She used sweet words to coax me into working my hardest for her, sometimes saying she'd put in a good word for me with Da Nǎinai, other times claiming that without her, I wouldn't be able to stay in this mansion and would surely be driven out and sold by Da Nǎinai..."
Liu Pozi widened her eyes. "She said what? That without her, you'd be kicked out by Da Nǎinai?"
Xianglan nodded.
Liu Pozi sneered, "Who does she think she is? Is she Madam or Old Madam? How dare she spout such nonsense—she's not afraid of tripping over her own tongue! She doesn't have that deep a relationship with Da Nǎinai. You can rest assured and stay in the Lin family. Who cares what that cousin is!" She sighed again and patted Xianglan's head. "Remember, the more capable you are, the more work you'll get. Others will happily push all their tasks onto you to keep themselves free. Once you're used to it, you won't be able to stop, and then people will gossip behind your back, calling you lazy. You're too honest, child. In the future, learn to be slick when needed and keep a few more tricks up your sleeve!"
Xianglan smiled. "Being honest is a good thing. If I weren't, you wouldn't think highly of me and come specially to advise me."
Liu Pozi wanted to say more, but seeing Xianglan's adorably innocent smile, her heart softened, and she closed her mouth.
Though Xianglan's face wore a simple smile, her mind was busy with other calculations. She thought to herself, "Having left the impression of being 'naive' and 'foolish' isn't necessarily bad. After all, I'm not one for scheming, and appearing clumsy might be safer than those who flaunt their cleverness. But from now on, I can't let others push me around so easily. I must find a way to leave that cousin." After pondering this carefully, she asked Liu Pozi for more details about the Lin family, but that's a story for another time.
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