Against the Current

Lin Dongling was so engrossed in her intimacy with the man that she did not notice Xianglan. The two figures vanished behind the rockery in a flash. Xianglan thought to herself, "This Lin Dongling is quite audacious, daring to engage in secret rendezvous with a man so openly at home. The Lin family, after all, is an established and prominent clan. Their young ladies may not be raised in the lap of luxury, but they should still uphold some decorum. For her to commit such disgraceful acts now shows the family's moral standards have declined from what they once were. This is a place of trouble; it's best to leave quickly." So she halted her steps and turned back, choosing another path to take her leave. Let us set this aside for now.

Meanwhile, the Lin residence was bustling with activity. Although they were still in the mourning period for Old Madam Zeng, Lin Jinlou's promotion to a fourth-rank general had made the household even more clamorous than usual. Visitors paying New Year's calls streamed in incessantly, like a revolving lantern. Lin Jinlou had gone out early in the morning to pay his own New Year's visits and did not return until noon. He brought along several friends with whom he often socialized to dine at home. Due to the mourning period, it was inappropriate to hire opera troupes or set up stages for performances. Instead, he spent silver to have the top courtesans from Yihong Court and Lichun Pavilion brought over in small sedans. He also summoned a few maids in the household who were skilled in music and singing, who took up their string and wind instruments to play behind the screen. For a time, the atmosphere was filled with the vibrancy of spring.

Lin Jinlou reclined against the headrests on the Arhat Bed, half-squinting as he watched the men at the drinking table play finger-guessing games and engage in all manner of revelry. Dihong, the famous courtesan from Lichun Pavilion, sat close to him, peeling an orange and feeding him segment by segment. The drinking table was filled with sons of officials, among them one named Wu Liang, the only son of Wu Youwei, the Inspector of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. At seventeen, Wu Liang had been spoiled by his elders and was a profligate youth, indulging in drinking, gambling, and womanizing. Yet, he was shrewd and went to great lengths to befriend Lin Jinlou. Seeing that Lin Jinlou paid him little attention, he eagerly sidled up to Lin Jinting to curry favor.

Lin Jinting had little tolerance for alcohol. After a few cups, his head grew fuzzy, and his speech became incoherent. Lin Jinlou said, "Third Brother, don't drink anymore. Have the servants help you to the back to lie down." Before the words had fully left his mouth, two handsome young servants 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 there."

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 to the back. 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 retched and vomited. Wu Liang was startled and cried out, "Someone, come quickly! Your Third Master is vomiting from drink!"

He called out several times but saw no servants appear. The attendants, knowing that such banquets often lasted for hours without dispersing, had only a few clever ones staying upfront to serve, while the rest seized the chance to gamble, visit brothels, sneak out to drink and make merry, or even go home. Thus, for a moment, no one came.

Wu Liang looked up and caught a glimpse of a few maids near the moon gate. He hurriedly supported Lin Jinting toward it and stood at the garden entrance, peering inside. The courtyard within was a scene of winding paths, elegant latticed windows, and softly draped embroidered curtains. Not far away, on a hillside, stood a grove of plum trees. Beneath them was a beauty clad in a crimson cloak, holding shears to trim the plum branches. A young maid stood beside her, holding a plain white jade vase with a freshly cut plum branch already placed inside. The scene was as enchanting as a painting.Wu Liang stared transfixed, unconsciously taking a few steps forward. He saw the beauty appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with skin like congealed cream and snow, willow-leaf eyebrows and sandalwood lips—truly peerless in elegance, exuding an air of grace and refinement. 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, drunk and bleary-eyed, opened his eyes and glanced over, saying, "This... this is my cousin, from the Song family..." Before he could finish, he couldn't hold back and vomited again.

Wu Liang hurriedly helped Lin Jinting lean against a Taihu rock and went into the house to call for someone, but he secretly took a liking to Song Zanchai and later made all sorts of inquiries about her, though that is a story for another time.

Lin Jinting, feeling bored after drinking for a while in the room, was approached by Xiaocuiyun from the Yihong Court, who personally shredded some rib meat and served it on a small plate. She smiled and said, "Master, don’t just eat what Sister Dihong feeds you. At least try a bite of what I’ve prepared with my own hands—give me some face, won’t you?"

The crowd teased, "Look at that, she’s getting jealous! The hardest thing to bear is a beauty’s favor—you’d better eat it quickly!"

Lin Jinting lazily wore a smile, lowered his head, and took a bite. He then smiled at Xiaocuiyun and said, "My dear, you’re getting more and more clever. It’s clear that Li Er has taken good care of you since he’s been keeping you."

Xiaocuiyun shot Lin Jinting a resentful glance, half-serious and half-joking, "It’s only because Master doesn’t fancy me and only has eyes for my sister." It turned out that Xiaocuiyun was the younger sister of Xiaocuixian. She had once admired Lin Jinting, sending him poems and decorative knots. When he accepted them, she secretly rejoiced, but to her dismay, Lin Jinting paid her no further attention. Instead, a deputy general in his army, Li Yi'an, took a liking to her and spent silver to have her. Xiaocuiyun initially refused, even attempting to hang herself and slit her throat. Later, the madam scolded her, "Cuixian is prettier than you and can sing and play instruments—that’s why Master Lin occasionally visits. Since you can’t compare to your sister, you’d better give up this idea!" When Lin Jinting sent someone to mediate her relationship with Li Yi'an, Xiaocuiyun had no choice but to agree. Yet now, as she looked at Lin Jinting, her heart itched again, and she couldn’t resist coming over to flatter and please him.

Lin Jinting laughed and said, "You can’t say such things recklessly. Your sister is now with Young Master Liu and has nothing to do with me anymore."

Xiaocuiyun forced a smile and said, "It was my slip of the tongue—I deserve punishment!" She raised a cup of wine and drank it down. Secretly, she thought, "Lin Jinting is a heartless man. My sister was devoted to him, but in the end, he didn’t want her. He merely paid to redeem her and gave her to his friend. It just goes to show that there are many fickle and unfaithful men in this world—none as reliable as silver." With that bit of sentimentality gone, she put on a smile again and said, "Just yesterday, Mama was saying that you never visit us anymore. Several new girls have arrived at the garden, all fresh as spring onions, with tender voices, and they’ve been specially trained by masters. I’ve brought a younger sister with me today—let her serve the Eldest Master."With that, she stood up and pulled over a girl from the banquet, roughly fourteen years old. She wore a pink satin jacket embroidered with magnolia branches, a white silk inner garment with a bamboo-leaf patterned stand-up collar, and a maroon skirt embroidered with plum blossoms. Her hair was braided, not yet styled into a bun, indicating she had not yet been initiated into the profession. Yet she was adorned with a gold and pearl half-winged butterfly enamel hairpin, a white pearl gold hairpin, gold rhombus-shaped flowers at her temples, green jade earrings dangling from her ears, and a gold and pearl bracelet on her fair wrist. She had an oval face, finely drawn eyebrows, and eyes that sparkled with emotion. Her cheeks were flushed, her waist slender and soft, yet she still carried a hint of youthful innocence. As she approached Lin Jinlou and saw his handsome and imposing appearance, her face immediately reddened. She gracefully bowed and said in a soft, coquettish voice, "This humble one is Cuiqiao, here to serve the Eldest Master."

Xiao Cuiyun pushed Xiao Cuiqiao to Lin Jinlou's side, laughing as she said, "This is my new sister, brought here to gain some experience. Eldest Master, you must be gentle and not frighten her." She then gave Xiao Cuiqiao a meaningful glance and said, "Be clever. Serving Master Lin is a blessing you cultivated in your past life."

Though Cuiqiao was quite a beauty and already a rare sight, in Lin Jinlou's eyes, she was nothing extraordinary. He casually remarked, "Your madam is quite efficient. No sooner has Cuixian left than she's already replaced her with someone new."

Xiao Cuiqiao was quick-witted and personally poured a cup of tea, offering it to Lin Jinlou. He took only a small sip before placing it on the kang table.

Seeing that Lin Jinlou was not particularly interested, Xiao Cuiyun said to Xiao Cuiqiao, "Go fetch the pipa and sing that new song you learned recently for the masters."

Xiao Cuiqiao then picked up the pipa, sat down, and began plucking the strings, singing "Dream of Pomegranate Flowers" in a clear and melodious voice. The entire hall erupted in applause, with many exclaiming, "Her voice is so fresh and tender—truly rare!" Some frivolous young men, seasoned in the world of pleasure, were already growing restless. One whispered, "Despite her youth, she has a unique charm. Later, I'll try to exchange handkerchiefs with her." Another muttered, "Nonsense! Can't you see she's already taken? Besides, the madam of Yihong Court is ruthless. A beauty like this—you couldn't have her for less than eighty taels of silver!" Yet another remarked, "Eighty taels isn't worth it. You could buy a maid outside for just five taels." This comment provoked a burst of laughter and teasing: "Five taels? Go buy yourself a plump, short, and ugly girl then!"

When the song ended, Xiao Cuiqiao returned to serve, imitating Dihong's manner by feeding fruits to Lin Jinlou. He turned to look at her and saw her timid, delicate expression. Suddenly, he was reminded of Xianglan—how she had been just as shy when he first saw her. She had secretly tucked a magnolia flower into her hair by the lake, and when someone caught her, she had blushed and lowered her head. Without any makeup, she was far more elegant and refined than this Xiao Cuiqiao.

The memory made him recall how that girl had been ungrateful yesterday, throwing a tantrum and threatening to take her own life, leaving him in a foul mood even during the ancestral worship ceremony. Anger surged within him. He set down his tea, put on his shoes, and stood up from the kang, saying, "You all carry on with your drinks. I just remembered an urgent matter and will be back shortly." With that, he swept out of the room like a gust of wind and headed toward the inner residence.In the side hall, Qin Shi was entertaining guests by having female performers sing opera. Lin Jinlou noticed Hongjian carrying a tray about to enter the room and called her over, quietly asking a couple of questions. Shortly after, Hongjian emerged from the room and said, "I've informed Madam Song. She's waiting for you in the side chamber."

Lin Jinlou repeatedly expressed his thanks, lifted the curtain, and entered the side chamber. Seeing that Song Yima had already arrived, he cupped his hands and smiled, "Apologies for interrupting your opera enjoyment, Auntie."

Song Yima chuckled, "Silly child, why so formal? What brings you to summon me here?"

Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "I hope you'll pardon my boldness, but I came to ask you for a favor. The Song household has a maid named Xianglan, and she caught my eye. I wonder if you'd be willing to part with her. If you grant her to me, I'll surely 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 plead for mercy, and she's already been released from service."

Lin Jinlou froze, his brows gradually furrowing.