Before Xianglan could speak, she saw Xiao Juan approaching with a garment in hand. Xiao Juan handed it to Xianglan and said, "Chunling mentioned the wind has picked up, and she was worried you weren't dressed warmly enough, so she asked me to bring this over." With that, she draped the clothing over Xianglan's shoulders.
Everyone looked and saw it was a vibrant red gauze robe edged with gold-woven trimmings. The fabric was exquisitely fine, far superior to the silks and brocades they ordinarily wore—it was clearly material reserved for the imperial court. Huamei's expression turned slightly uncomfortable, and she lifted her teacup to mask it; Luanr's eyes instantly reddened with envy; Yingge gazed with covetous admiration and instinctively drew closer to Xianglan, picking up the playbill and saying, "We've all chosen plays already, sister, why don't you pick one as well?"
Xianglan declined, "You all choose—I'm happy to listen to whatever is performed."
Luanr sneered coldly, "Sister Xianglan is the one closest to Eldest Master's heart. Even though Madam invited everyone to watch the opera, you dared to arrive late. If we don't let you pick a play, what if Eldest Master gets angry later and comes to wring our necks? We wouldn't dare risk that."
Xianglan slowly put on the garment, picked up her teacup, and smiled faintly. "Sister Luanr has always been quick with words. From the sound of it, you're resentful that Eldest Master didn't wring my neck, and now you're speaking behind his back to belittle him."
Luanr's eyes widened, and she sprang to her feet, pointing at Xianglan. "You're slandering me! What nonsense are you spouting?"
The commotion was so loud that Wang Shi and the others repeatedly turned to look. Huamei hurriedly stood up and said with an apologetic smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing—I was clumsy and spilled tea on Luanr."
Wang Shi then said, "The weather's turned cold; have her go change her clothes quickly," and didn't pursue the matter further.
Huamei quickly pulled Luanr back down to sit, thinking to herself, "Last time, Luanr suffered a loss because of Xianglan—why hasn't she learned her lesson? That one isn't someone to be trifled with." Aloud, she said, "Sister Luanr was just joking with you—she didn't mean it like that."
Xianglan took a sip of tea, her face still wearing a gentle smile, and amiably replied, "Is that so? It's just that I'm not good at recognizing jokes—I tend to take everything people say seriously. In the future, it's best not to joke with me. If it somehow reaches Eldest Master's ears and the joke turns real, then who would be at fault?"
Luanr's face flushed with anger, and she glared fiercely at Xianglan. Xianglan, however, remained unruffled, calmly lifting her teacup to sip her tea.
Yingge quickly pushed the playbill forward again to smooth things over, saying, "Let's choose a play, let's choose a play. There's one called 'The Valiant Official'—the action scenes are incredibly lively, with lots of somersaults." She chattered on about which young actor sang well, which had the best stage presence, which had the clearest voice, and even complimented the embroidery pattern on Xianglan's handkerchief.
Though Yingge was usually honest, she had always kept a respectful distance from Xianglan and had never been this friendly before. Xianglan knew that Tinglan had given silver and clothing to Yingge, making her feel grateful. So, in return, Xianglan said to Yingge, "I drew this embroidery pattern myself. If you like it, after the opera, come to my place, and I'll give you a stack of them."
Huamei, cracking melon seeds, remarked with a faint, ambiguous smile, "Oh, I'm afraid that won't do. Sister Xianglan lives in the main chamber of the principal residence. Those of our status aren't fortunate enough to enter there, don't you all agree?"
Xianglan hadn't expected Huamei to suddenly challenge her and looked at her in surprise.Luanr suddenly perked up, following Huamei's lead: "But who knows how long this good fortune will last. The Eldest Master will eventually marry Da Nǎinai and bring her in. Sister Xianglan should enjoy the main room while she can. Once you move out, it'll be hard to get back in."
Yingge wasn't good at verbal sparring, nor did she want to offend anyone. She wanted to speak up for Xianglan but didn't know what to say. Xianglan smiled and said, "So both sisters want to move into the main room. No wonder you've been throwing barbs at me since you arrived. That's easy enough—when the Eldest Master returns, I'll mention it to him. If he agrees, I'll move to the east wing tonight and let Sister Huamei 'enjoy' the main room for a few days first." At these words, Huamei and Luanr's expressions immediately changed.
Xianglan had no desire to make enemies, but the women in Lin Jinlou's inner quarters all saw her as a thorn in their side, pressing aggressively and deliberately trying to undermine her. Normally, she avoided confrontation, steering clear whenever possible, but when truly cornered, she couldn't just let herself be bullied. Now, she had nothing in the Lin household except for the borrowed authority of Lin Jinlou's "favor." Hoisting this banner wasn't entirely without foundation.
Sure enough, Huamei and Luanr feared Xianglan would complain to the master and immediately fell silent.
Xianglan set her teacup down with a clatter, her face turning stern as she said seriously, "Today, let's speak frankly. All of you sisters arrived at the Hall of Knowing Spring before me. When I was still a lowly cleaning maid, you were already esteemed young ladies. Huamei, needless to say, comes from an official family and is now a proper lady—I couldn't hope to match you. Luanr and Yingge both come from highly respected servant families, with parents and siblings who are all favored by the Eldest Master. Not like me—born a servant, though my family recently obtained commoner status, it's of little use. In a household like ours, how many commoner girls are bought in alone to be maids? Even though I'm a commoner now, when I entered, it wasn't with the grandeur of Lan Yiniang's arrival. I have no name or status, and I'm clumsy, always displeasing the Eldest Master—as you've all witnessed."
This speech spoke the truth, and everyone's expressions softened slightly, falling into silent contemplation.
Xianglan continued, "For women like us, at the very most, we can only hope to become a concubine..." As she spoke, she observed carefully: Luanr's face showed scorn, Huamei's held a trace of melancholy, while Yingge nodded slowly. Xianglan added, "The Eldest Master values me somewhat now, but which of you hasn't been valued by him before? With his reputation for romantic affairs, if I fall out of favor today, perhaps tomorrow when someone new arrives, I'll have to step aside even further. In truth, we're all in the same boat. Why must you sisters make things difficult for me?"
These words stirred everyone's thoughts. Yingge let out a long sigh, Luanr snorted coldly, and Huamei's gaze flickered as she stared intently at Xianglan. She had scrutinized Xianglan many times before, aware of her stunning beauty that inspired pity, but today, sitting upright and serious, Xianglan carried a subtle authority quite different from her usual delicate demeanor.Xianglan slightly raised her face and met Huamei's gaze. Huamei let out a sudden laugh, glanced at her nails, and said nonchalantly, "What act are you performing, sister? Firstly, we've never made things difficult for you; secondly, you're the Eldest Master's favorite. That 'newcomer' is still a shadowy matter. I see you're blessed—given how strongly the Eldest Master backs you, you might even reside in the main quarters for a lifetime!"
Luanr, whose hostility had somewhat subsided, couldn't help but sneer upon hearing Huamei's words.
Xianglan knew Luanr was simple-minded, wearing her emotions plainly on her face, and thus not someone to fear. Huamei, however, was shrewd inside and out. Hearing this, Xianglan smiled and said, "How could I be so fortunate? I'm merely benefiting from being 'new.' Although we're all women in the Eldest Master's household, Sister Huamei is now a proper Concubine with a powerful maternal family and the protection of her father and brothers. As for Luanr, her cousin is a trusted aide of the Eldest Master—need I say more? My own parents are simple, honest commoners, far inferior to yours. Moreover, you sisters excel in music, needlework, tenderness, and reading people's moods. I can't play any instruments, my sewing is rough, and I'm not sweet-tongued enough to please others. Right now, I may appear somewhat glamorous, but if I were truly so favored, I probably wouldn't have been beaten. I have no desire to compete; I just want to live my days in peace. If you don't believe me, then in the future when the Eldest Master is home, feel free to come to the main quarters and say I invited you."
These words stirred the hearts of Huamei, Luanr, and Yingge. When Lin Jinlou returned to the estate, he was either in the study or the main quarters, and they could hardly get close to him. If they didn't wait by the inner gate, they might not even catch a glimpse of him. If they could enter the main quarters, they could see him more often, and perhaps their fortunes would change. Even if there were no opportunities, just letting the Eldest Master see them a few more times might keep them in his thoughts, preventing him from forgetting them entirely.
Upon hearing this, Huamei immediately picked up her teacup and offered it to Xianglan, her face breaking into a smile. "Dear sister, I didn't realize your sincere intentions. I spoke wrongly earlier and deserve a slap on the mouth! You're magnanimous and shouldn't hold it against me. Let me offer tea in place of wine to apologize."
Xianglan inwardly sneered but raised her teacup in acknowledgment. Their gazes locked for a long moment before Xianglan smiled faintly and took a small sip. Huamei, however, drained half her cup in one gulp.
Luanr's emotions churned, but she sneered and said, "Sister Xianglan, I hope you won't say one thing now and then turn your back later. From our previous dealings, I know you're a formidable person who never accepts the slightest disadvantage!"
Xianglan smiled and replied, "I'm reasonable, but I won't let others bully me either. Sister Luanr, you started by trying to intimidate me. No matter how much I wish to befriend you, I must first protect my own dignity. I've said it—I only want to live peacefully."
Yingge laughed and said, "We didn't know Sister Xianglan was like this before. Now that everything's out in the open and misunderstandings are cleared, we should get along well for a long time to come."
Huamei quickly agreed and changed the subject, creating a superficially harmonious atmosphere.Xianglan merely smiled and offered a few perfunctory responses, going with the flow. She had deliberately made those remarks to achieve two purposes: first, to make Huamei and the others feel indebted to her, so they would no longer confront her like fighting cocks whenever they met, sparing her unnecessary annoyance; second, with them present in the main quarters, they could serve as a buffer between her and Lin Jinlou. Who knows—Lin Jinlou might rekindle old affections for one of them, and she could finally find some peace.
Xianglan turned her head away and gazed at the vast sky with scattered clouds, and the half-lake of lotus leaves that remained lush and green despite the tightening autumn breeze. Xiao Juan and a few young maids were gathered on the Covered Corridor, watching a bird bathe in its cage, while the opera on the stage continued its melodious singing. Xianglan tightened her robe—driven by self-interest, the women in the inner household would never cease their scheming. She didn’t need to form genuine bonds with them; as long as appearances were maintained, that was enough.
Since returning to the Lin family, she had resisted everything about it. Now, it was time to adopt a new attitude to navigate it all.
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