Xianglan saw Qin Shi walk out and quickly stepped aside. After waiting for a long time without seeing Cao Lihuan emerge, she cautiously peeked inside the door. There stood Cao Lihuan, frozen in the hall, her eyes wide and unblinking as if in a trance. Xianglan thought to herself, "They say Qin Shi is a formidable woman, and indeed she is. She must have given Cousin a hard time—otherwise, she wouldn't be in such a state." She hesitated to enter, fearing she might provoke Cao Lihuan’s wrath, but standing there wasn’t an option either. After some deliberation, she steeled herself and entered the room, softly saying, "Miss, don’t just stand there. Come sit and rest."
She repeated this several times before Cao Lihuan’s eyes flickered, snapping back to reality. Seeing Xianglan standing meekly by her side, a surge of rage erupted within her. She lashed out, striking Xianglan twice and shouting, "You wretched slave! Where were you when your mistress was being humiliated? Now you dare show up and whine like a ghost! I’ll teach you to whine! You insolent wretch, a lowly servant daring to bully me—I’ll beat you to death!" She continued to vent her fury, using Xianglan as a punching bag.
Xianglan was stunned by the sudden blows. By the time she regained her senses, her face had already taken two hard slaps. Overwhelmed by resentment and injustice, she had initially intended to say something like, "Miss, take care of yourself, don’t let anger harm you." But the humiliation choked her words, leaving her kneeling on the ground, biting her lip as tears streamed down.
After several vicious strikes, Cao Lihuan’s anger subsided somewhat. Noticing maids peeking curiously from a distance, she stopped, realizing Xianglan’s swollen cheeks would be hard to conceal. She kicked her fiercely and snapped, "Useless thing, get out of my sight!" Straightening her clothes, she stormed off, her mind racing. "I absolutely cannot leave the Lin household—all my efforts these past days would be for nothing. My only option now is to beg that old hag from the main branch to let me stay and ask Zhao Yuechan to put in a good word for me. Tch, I’ll have to bribe her again—that woman won’t lift a finger without silver!" Standing outside the Hall of Longevity and Joy, her resentment grew. She tore off a handful of leaves, crushing them in her grip to vent her frustration.
Xianglan wiped her tears with her sleeve, trembling as she stood up. Her face burned, her body ached, and her heart felt as heavy as a millstone. She took out a handkerchief, roughly wiped her face, and smoothed her hair. Softly, she whispered to herself, "Chen Xianglan, life has always been more bitter than sweet. Today, just consider it a dog’s bite. Endure the humiliation—persevere, and one day, your time will come." Taking a deep breath, she dabbed her eyes again with the handkerchief. Not daring to linger, she adjusted her clothes and hurried out with her head bowed.The beaded curtain in the hall was lifted as two figures emerged from the inner chamber. One was a youth of fifteen or sixteen, of average height, dressed in fine yet plain garments. His face was powdered fair, his eyes dark as lacquer, resembling a golden boy attendant—this was Lin Jinting, the legitimate son of the Lin family's second branch. The other was slightly older than Lin Jinting and stood a head taller, with a fair complexion, long brows, handsome eyes, a high nose bridge, and an elegant demeanor—truly a handsome gentleman. He wore a slightly worn blue silk robe, his Gold Brocade Belt at the waist also old, inlaid with agates. One agate had fallen out and been replaced with an ordinary Red Jaspis stone, yet the belt was meticulously cleaned and neatly arranged.
This man was named Song Ke, styled Yifei, the nephew of the second branch's Taitai, Wang Shi. Wang Shi's second elder sister had originally married Song Fang, the son of a family friend of the Wangs. Song Fang had passed the imperial examinations, and through family connections, secured a minor official post in the Court of Judicial Review, gradually rising to the fifth rank. Their household had been harmonious, but three years prior, Song Fang had succumbed to a sudden illness, leaving behind only a son and a daughter. Song Ke's mother, Song Yima, was of a meek disposition and had suffered much humiliation and scheming in the Song household. Thus, Song Ke had taken his mother and younger sister, Song Tanchai, to live separately.
Wang Shi shared a deep bond with her sister Song Yima and, sympathizing with their fallen circumstances, had written to Qin Shi in the capital to arrange assistance. Qin Shi, finding Song Ke intelligent, diligent, courteous, and kind-hearted, took a liking to him and arranged for him to study alongside Lin Jinxuan and Lin Jinting. Now that the family had returned to Jinling, Song Yima, feeling homesick, had followed with her children.
Lin Jinting frowned and said, "That Cousin behaves like a shrew from the streets—how can such a person still remain in the household? Thankfully, Auntie intends to drive her out. In my opinion, such a person should be expelled as soon as possible to spare us trouble." After grumbling for a while and seeing Song Ke remain silent, he nudged him. "What are you thinking about?"
Song Ke clasped his hands behind his back and said, "I fear she won't be so easily driven out. The old master of your household would never allow it. You know how he values face—he would never tolerate others speaking ill of him. How could he turn away a parentless orphan girl and invite public scorn? The old master and old mistress may dislike her, but propriety binds them. At most, they'll spend some silver to send her away."
"But she's a petty person. Keeping her here will only bring unrest to the household. Worse, she might corrupt our sisters, tarnish the Lin family's reputation, and hinder their marriages—that would be disastrous." Lin Jinting sighed. "That little maid who was beaten is truly pitiful, suffering such unjust punishment. She didn’t even know to beg for mercy—perhaps she was beaten senseless." He still remembered the girl kneeling on the ground as Cao Lihuan struck her repeatedly, her delicate frame trembling like autumn leaves in a cold wind, her face streaked with tears, looking unbearably fragile and stirring deep pity. After Cao Lihuan left, the girl had quietly tidied herself before slipping out with lowered head, murmuring something under her breath, as if afraid others would notice she had been beaten by her mistress—making her seem all the more pitiable.
Song Ke chuckled and called Lin Jinting by his courtesy name: "Xiu Hong, you're still as soft-hearted as ever. No wonder your elder brother teases you, saying that once the mourning period for your great-grandmother ends, he'll personally gift you two charming beauties who can sing and converse—guaranteed to be more understanding and delightful than Suju in your chambers."Lin Jinting flushed and glared, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting! Don’t learn from that libertine elder brother of mine—I can’t handle the beauties he sends my way... and, besides, Suju was given to me by Mother... she’s been serving me since childhood."
Seeing Lin Jinting’s awkwardness, Song Ke stopped teasing him and merely patted his shoulder as the two walked out together. Upon reaching the hall, Song Ke suddenly noticed a small white silk flower on the floor, recalling it had fallen from the head of the little maid who had just been beaten. His lips curled into a mocking smile. Xiu Hong had called the girl pitiful? To him, she seemed shrewd. Earlier, through a crack in the east chamber’s window, he had seen Cao Lihuan and Liubei fighting, with maids and matrons either holding them back or blocking them—only that girl, though shouting "Stop fighting," had kept her distance, clearly unwilling to intervene. When Xue Zhan scolded her, she had deliberately run forward to take a kick, then dramatically collapsed to the ground and refused to get up—until Taitai left, when she sprang to her feet faster than anyone.
Later, when she was beaten in the small hall, though she wept pitifully, once Cao Lihuan left, she didn’t run out crying. Instead, she calmly straightened her clothes and hair, not shedding another tear! Such grievances could be swallowed in an instant, and she even murmured afterward, "Chen Xianglan, today just consider yourself bitten by a dog. Life has always held more bitterness than joy. Endure the humiliation—persist to the end, and one day you’ll rise above it all." Though her voice was soft, Song Ke’s hearing was sharper than most, and he caught every word, startling him. Faced with injustice, she didn’t wail or wallow in self-pity but instead resolved to endure and prevail. Such insight and fortitude were rare even among grown men, let alone a maid of thirteen or fourteen. Watching her determined expression from afar, he was momentarily reminded of another—a girl only two or three years older, just as delicate, once a nobleman’s daughter, now fallen into the dust, her brow often bearing the same stubborn resilience. She had endured immense suffering, swallowing every humiliation to protect him... Sometimes, when he thought of that distant past, it felt like a bizarre dream.
As Song Ke reached the hall’s entrance, he suddenly turned back, picked up the small white silk flower, and brought it to his nose—it still carried a faint trace of hair fragrance. Hearing Lin Jinting call for him, he quickly tucked the flower into his sleeve and strode out.
Meanwhile, Xianglan, stepping outside, saw Cao Lihuan pleading to see Qin Shi outside the main quarters, blocked by the door matrons. After several failed attempts to push through, Xianglan thought to herself, "Whatever happened inside must have escalated—why else would Cao Lihuan rush out to find First Madam?" She wanted to avoid Cao Lihuan, but since all the maids and matrons had seen her emerge from the small hall, she had no choice but to lower her head and approach.
Cao Lihuan was indeed formidable—tall and sturdy—and she seized an opening to shove past the two matrons guarding the door, lifting the curtain to enter. Xianglan, right behind her, was inadvertently pushed inside by the intercepting matrons. By then, the meal had ended. Lin Old Madam reclined on the luohan bed, Qin Shi sat on an embroidered stool leaning forward to chat with her, while Second Madam Wang Shi sat nearby, shelling hazelnuts for Lin Old Madam by hand.Lin Old Madam was taken aback and turned to look at Qin Shi. Qin Shi frowned, her expression indifferent. "Why have you come here? Weren't you told to go back? The elders are all gathered here, and you barged in without being announced—your lack of manners grows worse by the day. Are the servants guarding the door all dead? Hurry up and drag her out!"
The two maids immediately stepped forward to take Cao Lihuan away. Xianglan, caught between entering and retreating, shrank back and stood by the door, thinking that if Cao Lihuan were taken out, she could follow; if Cao Lihuan stayed, she would just stand there pretending to be invisible.
Cao Lihuan struggled wildly. "Let go! Let go!" She fell to her knees with a thud, crying, "Old Madam, save me!"
Thanks to Huaxiyuexi for the PK vote =3=. Please vote, bookmark, and leave comments, you naughty readers! After reading, you don’t even leave a single word to chat with me—I’m updating daily, so give me more encouragement! &&&;_&&&
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