Lin Zhaoxiang gave Lin Jinlou a few more instructions. As Lin Dongqi's wedding date approached, Qin Shi sent someone to report the arrangements for the wedding day—details such as the guest list, locations for sending off the bride, seating arrangements, and banquet venues. Just then, the Jinling garrison commander paid a visit, so Lin Jinlou went to attend to him, as expected.
When Lin Jinlou returned that evening, Xianglan had already extinguished the lamp early and was asleep in the eastern side room. Only the maids—Lianxin, Nuanyue, Rushuang, and Tinglan—remained awake, doing needlework while waiting for his return.
Seeing him enter, they hurriedly stood up, greeting him in unison and bustling about to brew tea and fetch water. Lin Jinlou swept his gaze over their faces and asked, "Where's Xianglan?"
Lianxin replied, "She's already asleep." Lin Jinlou headed toward the bedroom and, finding it empty, darkened his expression. He strode directly to the side room, flung open the bed curtains, and pointed at Xianglan with a stern face. "Your master has been entertaining guests, and you dare sleep without waiting to attend to me? Who are you trying to displease?"
Xianglan had no choice but to sit up, keeping her head lowered in silence.
Lin Jinlou snorted and stormed off.
Xianglan slowly put on a jade-colored patchwork jacket and went to the main room. Lin Jinlou had already finished cleaning his teeth and was washing his face with scented soap. Tinglan wrung out a hot towel and quietly handed it to Xianglan, giving her a meaningful look. But Nuanyue had already eagerly presented a hot towel to Lin Jinlou. Tinglan frowned slightly, but Xianglan returned the towel to her and shook her head.
Once Lin Jinlou finished washing up, Nuanyue and the others came to help him undress. Lin Jinlou fixed his eyes on Xianglan, his voice calm but his face cold. "Who are you standing there like a post for?"
Tinglan gently nudged Xianglan, who had no choice but to step forward and use her small hands to undo the buttons on his robe. As Nuanyue moved to untie his belt, Lin Jinlou waved impatiently. "All of you, leave. Let her do it."
The maids picked up the utensils and withdrew.
Lin Jinlou lowered his head slightly, watching Xianglan's bowed head, his heart simmering with anger. This woman is truly an ingrate. Haven't I treated her well enough? This afternoon she was all over me, and now she goes to sleep without me, wearing that wooden face without a trace of a smile. Where's the warmth and affection? She's like a stone from a latrine pit.
Xianglan trembled with fear, worried that Lin Jinlou would seize her and repeat his earlier actions. Her body ached, and she still felt uncomfortable walking, her heart filled with shame. She had gone to bed early precisely to avoid him. She wanted to put on a gentle front, coax him a little, and make him happy enough to let her return home. But in front of this Living Yama, she simply couldn't bring herself to act that way.
Staring at Lin Jinlou's broad, solid chest, her palms grew sweaty. She hurriedly removed his outer robe and placed it on the perfumed drying rack nearby. Lin Jinlou sat on the bed and patted the edge. "Come here."
Xianglan walked over with her head still lowered.
Lin Jinlou said, "I told you to sleep in this room from now on. Were my words just wind past your ears?"
Xianglan whispered, "If word gets out that I sleep here, it might be inappropriate..."
"If I say it's appropriate, then it's appropriate."
"The Eldest Master will marry Da Nǎinai sooner or later. For me to be like this..."
"Enough of this 'like this' and 'like that.' For now, I'm telling you to sleep here, so sleep here."
Xianglan bit her lip and fell silent.
Lin Jinlou's anger flared again. "Put out the lamp. It's time to sleep."Xianglan blew out the candle, lowered the bed curtains, and climbed into bed quietly, lying on the very edge. Lin Jinlou turned over, stretched out his arm and embraced her. Xianglan was so frightened she dared not move a muscle. But Lin Jinlou took no further action and simply fell asleep.
Since returning home, Lin Jinlou had been constantly occupied with social engagements of all sizes, in addition to his duties at the military office. He was busy day after day and seldom returned home. Lin Jinting, however, had proven himself useful, bustling about managing everything—procuring gold and silver utensils, various silks and satins, replanting flowers and plants, hiring opera troupes, and so on. Even Qin Shi said to Lin Changzheng, "Though Ting Ge'er is mediocre in his studies, he handles affairs quite properly and is reliable." If he doesn't pass the next imperial examination, we should find a way to pull some strings and purchase an official post for him.Lin Changzheng sighed and said, "I originally thought the same, but Father insists that Ting must at least pass the provincial examination to bring honor to the family." Second Brother only cares about himself; when I discussed it with him, he just said to follow Father's wishes. For now, let's wait a little longer on this matter." Qin Shi then dropped the subject.
With Lin Jinlou absent all day, Xianglan breathed a sigh of relief. Each day, she selected her better paintings, rolled them up, and stored them in a chest, burning the rest. She also gathered some inconspicuous gold and silver jewelry and placed them in a small brocade pouch, while the more valuable items remained under Chunling's care. As the Lin family busily prepared for Second Miss's wedding, the Hall of Knowing Spring also became more lively. Shu Ran and Lianxin went to the upper floor and picked out many brightly colored silks and satins, decorating the place with lanterns and festoons. They also had Lin Jinting hire people to plant flowers and plants, completely revitalizing the courtyard. Xique saw this and grumbled resentfully, "They say 'one shouldn't interfere in affairs outside one's position.' Shu Ran is already a married woman, yet she comes to the Hall of Knowing Spring every day to take charge. Lianxin isn't capable either, just blindly obedient. By reason and sentiment, the Concubine should now be the foremost, managing the key affairs in the Eldest Master's courtyard. How can those two order everyone around?"
Huamei said, "Those two aren't worth fearing. What's worrisome is the one living in the main room. Since she arrived, the Eldest Master hasn't come to this room at all. When I went to see her, she closed the door and refused to meet anyone, as if she's willing to go all out. If we don't come up with a plan, we'll just be waiting for doom." After thinking for a moment, she took a pouch from a drawer and pulled out two taels of silver, saying to Xique, "When you get a chance, give this silver to Shuangxi and have him show the pouch to the Eldest Master. Tell him I made it these past few days, knowing the Eldest Master tends to suffer from internal heat. Inside the pouch are cooling pills I made by grinding medicinal herbs myself."
Xique took it and kept it for the time being.
On the evening before Lin Dongqi's wedding, Lin Jinlou finally returned home. As soon as he entered, he bathed and changed clothes, then went to the front to socialize. Naturally, Xianglan couldn't sleep either. While everyone else went to join the excitement, she felt too lazy to move. Seeing Chunling and Xiao Juan full of enthusiasm, she let them go and took out a pair of half-finished shoes from a chest, sewing them stitch by stitch.
Tinglan, always steady and reliable, stayed behind to watch the rooms and dismissed the young maids. She brought her needlework to join Xianglan. The two occasionally exchanged a few words but mostly worked silently on their sewing, lost in thought. The room was so quiet they could faintly hear the music of pipes, strings, cymbals, and drums from the front. Outside the Hall of Knowing Spring, it was extremely lively—guests coming and going, glasses clinking in toasts. It was a scene of splendid bustle, with embroidered ribbons fluttering. Whether ladies, young misses, or maids, all were dressed in red and green, adorned so beautifully as to put peach blossoms to shame and make apricots yield, provoking envy even among swallows and orioles.Meanwhile, Lin Dongxiu stood demurely beside Qin Shi, lightly supporting her arm. Lin Dongqi had already departed in the bridal sedan, yet Qin Shi remained unsettled, continuously dabbing her tears with a handkerchief, her eyes still reddened. A circle of noble ladies surrounded her, offering consolation.
Playing the part of the perfectly obedient and filial daughter, Lin Dongxiu also glistened with tears as she advised, "Mother, please restrain your tears. Today is an auspicious occasion, and Second Sister is going to enjoy a life of happiness. If you carry on like this, you'll only make Second Sister uneasy about her marriage. It doesn't matter that Second Sister has married—I'm still here by your side to fulfill my filial duties."
Her words drew widespread praise from the crowd.
Qin Shi glanced at Lin Dongxiu and saw her wearing a foreign-red cloud-patterned brocade sleeveless jacket embroidered with floral and bird motifs, a golden-yellow silk long gown adorned with coin patterns, and a sea-blue chrysanthemum-patterned long skirt. Her hair was adorned with a gold-and-jade magnolia hairpin with kingfisher feather inlays, a kingfisher-feather spiral-pattern hair ornament, and a twisted-wire gold hairpin with dangling pearls. Around her neck was a gold necklace with a Yingluo gold locket, and from her ears hung a pair of long red agate pendants. Her face was meticulously made up with powder and rouge, her eyebrows and temples carefully drawn, making her exceptionally radiant. Already a beautiful girl, this elaborate attire added to her charm, making her even more captivating.
Qin Shi was not particularly close to Lin Dongxiu. For one, she had her own children to raise, and initially, she had entertained some thoughts of promoting Lin Dongxiu—after all, she was merely a concubine-born daughter who posed no threat. If the girl were to prosper in the future, she might even become a support to her siblings. Moreover, the child always addressed her as "Mother." However, Qin Shi gradually realized that the girl was cunning and petty. After several attempts to guide her, she found that Lin Dongxiu only put on a superficial show of obedience. Thus, Qin Shi lost interest and distanced herself, though she never treated the girl poorly.
Lin Dongxiu, however, had her own agenda. Now that her second sister had married, it would soon be her turn to be betrothed. Lin Changzheng had considered several scholarly families, but she was dissatisfied with their status. Determined to make a striking impression at Lin Dongqi's wedding, she aimed to catch the attention of several noble ladies and secure an elite marriage. Her current appearance immediately revealed her intentions to Qin Shi, who remarked lightly, "Our Xiu is a considerate child."
Several noble ladies then took Lin Dongxiu's hands, asking her age, her usual pastimes, what books she read, and what needlework she could do. Lin Dongxiu responded with a smiling, composed demeanor. As a daughter of the Lin family, even if concubine-born, she possessed inherent grace. Moreover, the family's status was evident, and her apparent closeness to Qin Shi suggested she might have been raised under Qin Shi's care. Several families began to take notice, considering making further inquiries.
Qin Shi busied herself with social engagements, while Lin Dongxiu stayed close by her side, now handing her water, now offering a handkerchief, and even adjusting Qin Shi's clothing. Hongjian frowned and subtly signaled to Qin Shi with her eyes, but Qin Shi shook her head, indicating she should not interfere. Lin Dongxiu was eager to stand out, and Qin Shi was willing to give her the opportunity. Whether she succeeded would depend on her own fortune. As long as she did not disgrace the Lin family's dignity, Qin Shi would not intervene.After bustling about with Qin Shi for a while, Lin Dongxiu finally returned to her own table contentedly just before the midday banquet was about to begin. Noticing that Lin Dongling had gone off somewhere, Lulan offered to look for her. Seizing the opportunity to find a quiet spot to freshen her makeup, Lin Dongxiu rose and said, "I'll go find Third Sister." With that, she left the others behind and slipped quietly into the small side parlor nearby. The room was empty. Lin Dongxiu untied the Brocade Pouch from her waist, pulled out a hand mirror, and tidied her hair before it. Then she retrieved a small enamel box with blue designs, took out a sheet of Rouge, and was just about to press it to her lips when she heard voices outside the curtain—none other than Shanhu and Yingluo, the maidservants attending Wang Shi.
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