Lin Old Madam was in her sixties, with kind eyebrows and gentle eyes, broad-minded and plump like a benevolent Buddha. Her hair, already streaked with white, was tied into a bun with a magnolia jade hairpin, adorned with a pearl forehead band. She wore soft silk garments in frosty hues, idly rolling two decorative walnuts in her hands. Hearing the commotion, she slightly straightened up, and Xue Zhan, standing nearby, immediately stepped forward to support her, tucking two Golden Python Cushions in Autumn Fragrance Color behind her back.
Lin Old Madam spoke unhurriedly, "What's the matter now? Get up quickly. Young girls like you shouldn’t be crying like this. Come now, speak your mind properly."
Instead of rising, Cao Lihuan kowtowed twice with a thud, her face streaked with tears, wearing an expression of stubborn misery. She sobbed, "Old Madam, I made a mistake earlier and upset Eldest Aunt. I know I was wrong. Please punish me, Aunt... just don’t... don’t send me away..." She broke into loud sobs.
Qin Shi’s voice remained calm. "Wasn’t it you who resented the Lin family and blamed us? Why do you keep saying I’m driving you away?"
Cao Lihuan shook her head desperately, her earrings slapping against her cheeks. "No, no, Aunt! I misspoke. Please teach me, considering my youth and ignorance. Pity me—a rootless weed with no parents, never properly guided since childhood—that’s why I dared to defy my elders..." Her tearful eyes darted between Lin Old Madam and Qin Shi as she choked out, "...I... I truly was wrong... please spare Huan’er..."
Wang Shi, soft-hearted and unaware of the earlier incident, found Cao Lihuan’s weeping pitiable and was about to intercede. Glancing at Qin Shi, she began, "Well, Huan Jie’er is still young, she..." But catching Qin Shi’s warning look, she promptly fell silent.
Qin Shi seethed inwardly. Back in the capital, she’d heard how Cao Lihuan colluded with Zhao Yuechan to exploit the Lin family’s wealth, all while ingratiating herself to the old master and mistress with false sweetness. Today, seeing her behavior no different from a vulgar shrew, Qin Shi’s disgust deepened. She had been waiting for an opportunity to expel her, but the girl proved cunning—forcing a confrontation before the old mistress in one bold stroke.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Shi asked, "Then tell me, what exactly were your mistakes?"
"I shouldn’t have defied my elders, shouldn’t lost my temper and fought with the maids, shouldn’t have angered Taitai... Aunt, please forgive—"
"You accused the old mistress of treating you as an outsider, saying it was a family banquet yet two maids barred you at the door. You claimed that if even the old mistress acts this way, how could any snobbish maid respect you as a true mistress. Did you or did you not say these words?"Qin Shi slowly recounted what Cao Lihuan had just said, causing Lin Old Madam's expression to darken. Yet Cao Lihuan remained composed, as if she had anticipated Qin Shi's words, and instead gave a bitter smile: "Aunt, do you know what those maids just said? They said the masters and young ladies of the Lin family are the true masters, and asked where I came from to call myself a master—just a distant relative taking advantage of the Lin family, not even as good as their lowly servant status... Aunt, every word of this cuts deep! Even though I have neither father nor mother, I still know how to write the words 'shame' and 'honor.' How could I... how could I endure this..." Cao Lihuan wept pitifully, wiping her tears with her sleeve, smearing the powder on her face, making her appear even more wretched.
Wang Shi's face showed pity, and even Lin Old Madam seemed moved. Xue Zhan grew anxious when she heard Cao Lihuan trying to drag Liubei into this, glancing at Qin Shi.
Qin Shi's expression remained calm: "And because of this, you could disregard all dignity and brawl with a lowly maid? Cursing her as a 'little wretch'—where is the dignity of a well-bred young lady? I advised you out of kindness, yet you turned your anger on me, even on the Old Madam. We don’t expect gratitude from you, but neither do we wish to make an enemy of you."
Hearing this, Cao Lihuan cried even harder, shuffling forward on her knees as tears streamed down her face: "Aunt, it's all because I'm young and foolish! My heart was clouded when I spoke such words—no wonder you're angry with me. I hate this temper of mine, this mouth that brings trouble!" With that, she slapped herself hard twice across the face.
Lin Old Madam was startled and quickly waved her hands: "What are you doing! Huan Jie'er, stop this at once!" She then glanced at Qin Shi and called her by her maiden name: "Ying Yatou, what do you think of this matter..."
Qin Shi cursed inwardly. Cao Lihuan's current display made her seem pitiful and innocent. If they pressed further, it would only make the elders appear harsh and cruel.
Seeing an opportunity, Cao Lihuan redoubled her efforts, tears falling freely as her eyes and nose reddened. She said mournfully: "Old Ancestor, no one can blame Aunt for being angry with me—every fault lies with me. I only beg the elders to take pity on me, orphaned of both parents. Though I have an elder brother, he barely scrapes by with a small business and is no support at all. I am truly alone in this world, trampled and spat upon wherever I go. It's just that I have a stubborn pride, afraid that if I marry, my husband's family would look down on me. That's why I shamelessly sought refuge here, so people would know I came from the Lin family—that I had some backing, that they might regard me a little higher... No wonder the maids would say such things... After all, I'm not truly a master of the Lin family... I just couldn’t bear the humiliation then... I only hope Old Ancestor and my two aunts will remember my youth and my rootless state, granting me a small place in this household. I don’t even need an allowance—just a corner to call my own, and I’ll be content..." She seemed on the verge of breaking into loud sobs but held back with visible effort. "Please, don’t drive me out!"
As she spoke, she kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead soon turning red. Lin Old Madam hurriedly rose to help her up, grasping her arm: "Good child, get up quickly. The floor is cold—don’t catch a chill."Cao Lihuan refused to get up, only turning her head to look at Qin Shi's face, appearing utterly pitiful and wretched. Even her originally tall and sturdy frame seemed to hunch over, shrinking smaller as she whimpered, "Aunt... Auntie... Huan'er was truly wrong. In the future, even after I marry... I'll come back often... to care for you all... Please don't drive me away..."
This display was truly heartbreaking to witness, enough to move anyone to tears. Even Wang Shi couldn't help shedding a few tears as she said to Qin Shi, "Sister-in-law, considering her young age, don't send her away. She doesn't seem like a bad child to me—just lacking some manners. You can teach her properly in the future, alright?"
Qin Shi's face had already softened with maternal affection. She stepped forward to take Cao Lihuan's hand, tucking the disheveled strands of hair behind her ears, and spoke earnestly, "Silly child, did you really think I would drive you away? I only said those things earlier to scare you because you were being disobedient. We're all family—how could we speak as strangers? Even if we wanted you to leave, we wouldn't allow it, let alone if you wanted to go yourself. Earlier, you even brought gifts specially to welcome us back—I was so overjoyed that I immediately sent someone to deliver some local specialties and trinkets to you. Just remember in the future not to quarrel with the maids anymore. It's beneath your station and distressing for us to see."
Cao Lihuan nodded like a chick pecking at rice, still sniffling intermittently. Lin Old Madam instructed Xue Zhan to pour tea for Cao Lihuan, while Wang Shi had already ordered a maid to fetch water for Cao Lihuan to wash her face. Qin Shi held Cao Lihuan's hand as they sat by the bed, chatting intimately like a loving mother and daughter.
In the blink of an eye, the tense atmosphere in the room had transformed into one of warmth and harmony.
Incredible! Absolutely incredible!! Xianglan, shrinking by the doorway, watched dumbfounded. She couldn't help but mentally give Cao Lihuan a thumbs-up—no wonder this Cousin could act so domineeringly and thrive in the Lin household! She truly had some tricks up her sleeve! On the verge of being packed off immediately, yet with just a few words, she had turned the tables—not only securing her stay but also winning the elders' affection. She could throw a tantrum to storm out, then swallow her pride to return, flexible and adaptable, with a silver tongue and sharp perception, even resorting to the "self-inflicted injury" tactic—those two slaps had definitely not been light!
Xianglan marveled inwardly—not even the most skilled actress on stage could match Cao Lihuan's performance.
But Qin Shi was no pushover either. Fully aware of Cao Lihuan's sophistry—even her deliberate twisting of words into "Auntie wants to drive me away"—she remained unshaken, countering every move effortlessly. Without batting an eyelid, she exposed Cao Lihuan's earlier insults toward the old madam, every word she spoke grounded in reason, making it clear to everyone that it was the junior who had been unreasonable toward the elder, while the elder refrained from throwing her weight around.
Later, when Cao Lihuan played the "self-inflicted injury" card and Lin Old Madam softened, Qin Shi swiftly shifted gears. Her previously expressionless, cold face instantly overflowed with maternal kindness, brushing off the "driving away" threat with a casual "just words to scare you." Truly, the older the ginger, the spicier it is!
After carefully analyzing the situation, Xianglan's gaze toward Qin Shi now carried a trace of awe.Once they left the Hall of Longevity and Joy, Cao Lihuan's warm smile instantly darkened. Returning to Gauze Snow Dock, she threw a tantrum, smashing two cups. Xianglan looked in the mirror and saw stark finger marks swelling prominently on her snow-white cheeks. She hid in the tea room, applying some ointment. Granny Liu clicked her tongue in dismay, muttering curses about the cruelty, and used a cold towel to soothe Xianglan's face. As Xianglan loosened her hair to comb it again, she noticed the white mourning silk flower at her temple was missing. She sighed at her misfortune—the silk flower had been issued by the household, made of fine white silk, with only one per person. Now that hers was lost, she didn’t know where to get another and would have to make do with a paper flower instead.
The next day, Cao Lihuan went to pay respects at Qin Shi’s main quarters, but the matron at the door barred her entry, saying Qin Shi was unwell. After a few curt words, she was sent away. The gifts she had brought for the main household were mostly returned—only a set of needlework was accepted, while the rest of the expensive items were refused.
(Note: The last paragraph about the computer is unrelated to the novel and has been omitted from the translation.)
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