Nowadays, Cao Lihuan's life was not easy. Previously, when Zhao Yuechan was in charge, due to some remaining courtesy between her and Cao Lihuan, the maids and servants still showed Cao Lihuan a degree of respect. But since Qin Shi took over the reins of power, Cao Lihuan's daily provisions for food, clothing, and other necessities had become far inferior to before. To make matters worse, she was stingy and unwilling to offer tips or bribes to smooth things over, so the servants grew increasingly negligent in their duties at Luoxue Courtyard.
Seeing that the meals were becoming more and more unsatisfactory, and that the daily pastries were not being delivered properly, Cao Lihuan flew into a rage. She personally took Huier to the kitchen to make a scene. Wangcai's wife, who managed the kitchen, leaned against the doorframe, picking her teeth as she said, "Times are hard now. Even Old Madam has reduced her meals by three dishes. You have fish and meat with every meal, Miss—what more could you want? If you want better food, use your own silver to buy it. The kitchen stoves are available for your use. The other day, when Da Nǎinai wanted Rouge mushroom soup, she still had to charge it to the main household's account, go out to buy mushrooms, and then have it made. If you're not satisfied, go complain to Madam. This is Madam's order." With that, she flung the curtain aside and went inside.
Furious, Cao Lihuan went to Qin Shi to vent her grievances, vehemently accusing Wangcai's wife. Qin Shi sternly replied, "How could there be such a servant? I'll have to enforce the rules properly later. But times are hard this year—even the imperial consorts in the palace have cut their expenses. How can the people in our household be more privileged than the Empress Dowager and the consorts? That's why the household allowances have been reduced. Even Qi-jie wanted an extra bowl of white fungus soup and had to beg me for a long time. In the end, she pouted and added her own silver to have a bowl made." The underlying message was clear: if you want to continue enjoying lavish food and drink in the Lin family—no chance! If you're craving something, use your own money to have it made. After saying little more, Qin Shi signaled the end of the audience by offering tea. Before Cao Lihuan left, Qin Shi sent her maid Lulan to give Wangcai's wife a reward, praising her for handling the matter well.
Naturally, Cao Lihuan returned home and threw another fit. Xianglan slipped away, and Cao Lihuan, unwilling to hit Huier and hesitant to scold Huairui, took a feather duster and chased the dog, giving it a few hard whacks. Still unsatisfied, she smashed a teacup.
With nowhere to go, Xianglan wandered over to the Hall of Knowing Spring. Coincidentally, Xiao Juan was tending the stove in the tea room. Seeing Xianglan, she hurriedly invited her to sit on a small wooden stool, then dashed out to fetch two pieces of mung bean cake for Xianglan to eat. She also used her own cup to pour tea for Xianglan.
Xianglan smiled and said, "Don't trouble yourself. I can't stay long—I have to go back soon. The young mistress in my room is difficult to serve, and I don't dare linger outside for too long."
Xiao Juan pressed the cup into Xianglan's hands and said, "That's true. Everyone in the household says Miss Huan is no good—narrow-minded, fond of showing off, and most obsessed with superficial appearances, lacking the dignity of a noble family. Anyway, you'll soon be free. Once she's married, you can stay far away from her. The Eldest Miss, Second Miss, and Fourth Miss of the main household are all much easier to serve." Fanning the stove a couple of times, she lowered her voice and added, "My life has gotten much better. Since First Madam returned, the main household has been completely transformed. Within a few days, she severely punished Yinliu, who was always beating and scolding the young maids, and she also disciplined Da Nǎinai several times. Now, things in the room have truly settled down."Xianglan looked at Xiao Juan's round face and smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, and smiled as well. Since entering the Lin residence, Xiao Juan had been the least calculating girl she had met, and also the first friend she had made in the household. Whenever they were together, she felt her heart lighten. She had originally intended to gather some information, but now she abandoned the idea, unwilling to dwell on the unpleasant matters of Luoxue Courtyard. Instead, she chatted quietly with Xiao Juan, talking about their parents and families, and sharing trivial daily matters.
Just then, a tall, slender girl walked in. Xiao Juan grinned at the sight and said, "I was just about to go find you, and here you are! This is Xianglan, the one I told you about. The day she arrived, I felt an instant connection with her—we never run out of things to say." She then turned to Xianglan and said, "This is Tinglan. Though she's only a year or two older than us, she's already a second-rank maid. Thanks to her always looking out for me, I’ve managed to avoid a lot of trouble." She stuck out her tongue playfully.
Xianglan greeted her with a smile, "Sister Tinglan." She noticed Tinglan was wearing a half-new indigo satin jacket, a white trimmed vest, and a slate-blue skirt. Her face was oval-shaped, with eyebrows so faint they were barely visible, elongated with eyebrow pencil. She had almond-shaped eyes and a slightly wide mouth that revealed a set of white teeth when she smiled. Though not exceptionally beautiful, her gentle demeanor made her instantly likable.
Tinglan waved her hand dismissively. "Why call me 'sister'? That makes me sound old. Xiao Juan just calls me Tinglan—you should too, no need to be formal." Noticing the mung bean cake in Xianglan’s hand, she shot Xiao Juan a reproachful look and said, "That mung bean cake is from yesterday and isn’t fresh anymore. On my way here, I saw them steaming hibiscus cakes in our small kitchen. Let me go fetch a couple."
Xiao Juan quickly grabbed Tinglan’s sleeve. "Are you crazy? If Yingshuang and the others see you, they’ll tear you apart!"
Tinglan winked and smiled. "The small kitchen isn’t entirely Yingshuang’s territory anymore. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing." With that, she left. She returned shortly with a handkerchief bundle of steaming hibiscus cakes in one hand and a marigold-patterned ceramic pot in the other. "Quick, bring some cups," she urged. "This is honey tea. I brewed it for Madam this morning, but she didn’t finish it and gave it to Sister Hongjian. Hongjian thought it was too sweet and left it in the small kitchen with no one to drink it. I quietly brought it out. Let’s dilute it with some hot water and have it with the cakes."
Xianglan hurriedly fetched the copper pot to brew tea, and the three of them sat together in a circle, eating cakes and drinking tea. Xianglan made an effort to be friendly, Tinglan was easygoing, and with Xiao Juan chattering away, the three of them chatted and laughed, enjoying a cheerful atmosphere. Tinglan was a family-raised servant who had entered the residence at a young age and initially did odd jobs in the Hall of Knowing Spring. As she grew older, Zhao Yuechan dismissed all the seductive and alluring maids, but kept Tinglan because she was not particularly beautiful and was both honest and clever, diligently completing every task assigned to her. After a few years, she was promoted to second-rank maid.
After eating a piece of cake and taking a sip of the warm honey tea, Xianglan asked, "Speaking of which, our young lady caused some trouble for Madam today. She complained that the food isn’t as good as before, her allowance has been reduced, and pastries aren’t delivered on time anymore. Even when they are, there are only four or five pieces, which isn’t enough. I wonder if the other young masters and young ladies have also had their allowances reduced?"Xiao Juan mumbled with a mouthful of cake, "Your young lady is the one with the most trouble. Everyone in the mansion knows she fought with Liubei outside Shouxi Hall! Liubei even got ten strokes of the cane because of her—what a nightmare."
Tinglan, clearly more experienced and perceptive than Xiao Juan, seemed to understand why Xianglan was saying these things. She smiled at her and said, "The food allowances have been reduced, but... the monthly stipends have been increased. However, the extra silver goes directly toward covering the food expenses." After saying this, she fell silent and changed the subject to discuss the embroidery patterns on Xiao Juan’s clothes.
Xianglan was taken aback, her eyes widening. Oh my, this cousin is far less shrewd than Madam! Madam cut back on daily provisions but raised the masters’ monthly allowances, with the extra silver directly offsetting the food costs—essentially, it’s the same old wine in a new bottle. The masters’ living standards remain unchanged, but Miss Huan’s situation is entirely different. She lives in the mansion for free yet receives no monthly stipend. This move was clearly aimed at Cao Lihuan, but this clueless cousin still had the nerve to confront Madam without understanding the situation. Who knows how people are laughing at her behind her back!
Xianglan sighed inwardly, calculating that Cao Lihuan would be married off in a few months. As a maid of the Lin family, she wouldn’t be sent along as part of the dowry and would naturally need to serve another master. She casually probed Tinglan about the temperaments of the young masters and ladies in the mansion. Tinglan shared what she knew, and before they knew it, two cups of tea had passed. Xianglan then stood up to take her leave.
As she was leaving, Tinglan handed Xianglan a handful of melon seeds and dried apricots, smiling as she said, "Come visit me and Xiao Juan when you have time."
Xiao Juan laughed, "You both have 'Lan' in your names—no wonder you’re like sisters."
Xianglan also felt a bit reluctant to part and promised to stay longer next time before heading back to Luoxue Courtyard.
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