Hua Mei grew increasingly puzzled. She hurried around the rockery and saw two maids burning a pile of clothing. One had a square face with small eyes and a tall, plump figure—it was Huairui, who had previously served Cao Lihuan. The other was slender and short—Ying Luo, a maid from Wang Shi's household.
Ying Luo stood at a distance, covering her face with a handkerchief, while Huairui crouched down, her mouth and nose wrapped in cloth, using fire tongs to toss garments into the flames.
Hua Mei quickly asked, "Why are you burning perfectly good clothes? Who gave you permission to burn them here? What if a fire breaks out?"
Ying Luo initially ignored Hua Mei upon recognizing her, but after hearing several questions, she finally replied, "Han Fang from the third young lady's room returned home to visit relatives two days ago and came back with a fever. The physician diagnosed her with pox—it’s very serious. She’s just lingering, waiting to die. Our Taitai has already provided silver to have her moved to an empty room, with only an old woman who’s had pox before tending to her. Her clothes were ordered to be burned. The third young lady thought burning them in the courtyard was too unlucky, and taking them outside the second gate might infect others, so we were told to burn them nearby in the garden to keep things clean." She then urged Huairui repeatedly, "Hurry up! Finish burning them quickly—Taitai is waiting for a report!"
Huairui remained silent, her face dark with displeasure. After Cao Lihuan left, she had relied on her parents’ influence to secure a position serving Lin Dongling. But Lin Dongling, unlike Cao Lihuan, had been pampered since childhood and cared nothing about which respectable servant one’s parents were—she showed no face at all. Huairui, accustomed to laziness and trickery, offended Lin Dongling several times and was eventually relegated to menial tasks outdoors. Today’s clothing burning was a dangerous, thankless chore, and Huairui, seething with resentment, dumped the remaining clothes into the brazier, nearly smothering the fire. Ying Luo stamped her foot and scolded, "Are you trying to die? If it goes out, what then? We’ll have to relight it! In this cramped space, we might end up infected too!"
Zhi Cao, upon hearing it was pox, turned and fled in fright, calling from behind the rockery, "Miss Hua Mei, don’t stay here! Hurry back!"
Hua Mei acknowledged verbally and took two steps back. As she turned to leave the rockery, her eyes caught a discreetly dropped embroidered handkerchief on the ground, with the character "Fang" stitched in one corner—likely fallen from the clothing pile. A wicked scheme instantly formed in Hua Mei’s mind. Quietly picking up a branch, she took advantage of the others’ distraction to flick the handkerchief out. Rounding a corner, she pulled a brocade pouch from her sleeve, emptied its contents, used the branch to place the handkerchief inside, then held it by its strings as if nothing had happened and returned to Knowing Spring Pavilion.Upon entering the room, Hua Mei immediately stuffed that bundle behind a small table in the corner. Though she was typically deep-minded and calculating, having such a deadly object hidden in her room made her heart flutter uncontrollably. She took a deep breath and sat up. Whenever she felt anxious and restless, she always liked to have Xi Que brew her a cup of pearl tea, but Xi Que had long been taken away and sold. She couldn't order Zhi Cao around, so she had to get off the heated brick bed herself and retrieve a small porcelain jar painted with landscape scenes from the cabinet. Opening it, she found the tea leaves were completely gone. Ever since Lin Jinlou had grown tired of her, the monthly supplies that were supposed to be regularly provided had been cut off. Even the meals and soups were of poor quality. If she hadn't used her own silver to bribe for better provisions, how could her palate, now accustomed to the luxuries of wealthy living, tolerate such coarse rice and rotten food? She had previously sought help from her maternal family, secretly having Zhi Cao deliver a letter home, but it seemed to have sunk into the sea without a trace. Her brother Du Bin used to visit the Lin Family frequently, but lately, he hadn't even shown his face, as if he considered her dead. Trapped in the mansion, with every move watched, even with a hundred clever schemes, she found it difficult to act. Now, on the verge of destitution, should she take that final step?
Hua Mei stared at the corner, her face dark and inscrutable.
But enough of idle words.
At lamp-lighting time, when Lin Jinlou returned home and entered Knowing Spring Pavilion, he saw a woman in a pale purple cloak embroidered with magnolia branches standing under a banana tree with her back to him. Her figure and silhouette resembled Xianglan's, so Lin Jinlou walked over and said, "Why are you standing in the wind?" As he spoke, he reached to embrace her waist.
The woman turned around—it was actually Hua Mei. Lin Jinlou was taken aback, immediately releasing his hand and frowning slightly. "Why is it you?"
Hua Mei also appeared greatly surprised and flustered, hurriedly saying, "I felt unwell this morning, afraid I caught a chill last night, so I didn't go to kneel in the ancestral hall. Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I was just on my way there..." She half-lowered her head, turning her face aside, and said sorrowfully, "This servant remembers Master's punishment and dare not forget it for a moment... These days, I've had no appetite for food or tea, thinking of my mistakes and feeling ashamed of Master's past favor. I wish I were dead..." Her willow-leaf eyebrows held sorrow, her bright eyes brimmed with emotion, presenting a unique beauty. She pulled a jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it over, saying, "This jade was given by Master... I wove a tassel with a strand of my own hair and silk cord as a token of my remembrance for Master and my resolve to cut my hair in penance..."
Lin Jinlou looked and saw that in Hua Mei's soft, pale hand lay a white jade piece carved with magpies on plum branches, adorned with a multicolored ruyi tassel. Lin Jinlou gave it a casual glance and was about to walk away without another word.
Seeing this, Hua Mei quickly knelt on the ground, crying out mournfully, "Master, I truly know my wrongs!" With a thud, she kowtowed on the blue brick floor.
Lin Jinlou halted but didn't even turn his head, raising his voice to shout, "Where are the servants? Where is everyone? Have you all dropped dead?"
The old woman assigned to watch Hua Mei had been secretly hiding behind a pillar, observing the scene. Hearing Lin Jinlou's call, she had no choice but to brace herself and run over with a forced, smiling face. "What are your orders, Master?"
Lin Jinlou said, "If she's caught a cold, move her out tonight. Don't let her spread the illness. It's almost the New Year—we don't need such bad luck!"
The old woman bowed and scraped, "Yes, yes."
Lin Jinlou strode off toward the main house.
Hua Mei felt a roaring in her ears. She had already used considerable force in her kowtow, making her see stars, and now she felt even dizzier and more disoriented. Her eyes grew vacant, and after swaying on her knees a couple of times, she collapsed in a heap on the ground.The old woman hurried forward to pull her up, only to find Hua Mei's eyes wide and staring as if she had passed away, completely unresponsive to pinching or twisting. The old woman shook her head and said, "Amitabha, what a sin, what a sin... Hua Mei, you... you must ease your heart..." After murmuring a few more words, she saw Hua Mei still staring blankly without responding. The old woman grew somewhat flustered. She had taken Hua Mei's silver and turned a blind eye to letting her wait in the courtyard for Lin Jinlou's return. Now, fearing she might get entangled in trouble, she hastily dragged Hua Mei up from the ground and pushed her back into the room.
Hua Mei sat on the heated brick bed, unaware that the sky had completely darkened.
Although Lin Jinlou had ordered her to be confined and made to kneel in the ancestral hall every day, she still clung to a sliver of hope—after all, he hadn't driven her out like he had done with Luan'er, had he? Moreover, among the women in Lin Jinlou's rear courtyard, she had once been the most favored, even Zhao Yuechan had to yield to her a little. How could she willingly leave like this? After a month or so, no matter how great Lin Jinlou's anger was, it should have subsided. If she dressed up beautifully, spoke softly, and humbly admitted her mistakes, perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope. It was this thought that had sustained her until now. Every day, she made sure to dress elegantly, reminding herself not to forget the grandeur she once had.
But today, it had come to this.
Hua Mei felt her heart slowly grow cold, a chill seeping through her entire body, her bones feeling as if they were frozen. She couldn't help but tremble all over.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Zhi Cao entered carrying a food box. Not noticing a stool in front of her, she stumbled over it and nearly fell, exclaiming, "Oh dear, why isn't the lamp lit in such a dark room? I almost fell. If I had dropped the food box, you wouldn't have any dinner tonight." Muttering complaints, she fumbled to set down the food box and lit the oil lamp.
Hua Mei watched the faint light, took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and smoothed her hair with both hands.
Zhi Cao arranged the dishes from the food box onto the heated brick bed table. The two dishes had long lost their warmth, and the steamed buns had turned hard. Placing the chopsticks in front of Hua Mei, Zhi Cao said with a mocking smile, "Miss, please eat." She had already overheard the maids and old women gossiping about how Hua Mei had tried to seduce the Master today and ended up humiliated again. One of the maids had taunted her, "Oh, Zhi Cao, you've risen in status now, actually serving Concubine Mei! You're different from us who fetch water and sweep the floor! Quite the grandeur, huh!" Zhi Cao spat and retorted, "Stop mocking me with that talk! Concubine Mei? What Concubine Mei? A fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken, let alone a quail. If she didn't know her place, I wouldn't even give her a glance!" She had deliberately delayed fetching the meal, and seeing the once-proud concubine in such a state, Zhi Cao felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
Hua Mei, however, did not eat. She stared at Zhi Cao for a long while, then suddenly smiled warmly and beckoned, "Zhi Cao, come here." She motioned for her to sit on the heated brick bed, reached into a chest, and pulled out a five-tael silver ingot, holding it out to her. "I have a favor to ask of you. If you do it properly, this silver is yours."
Zhi Cao reached out to take the silver, but Hua Mei pulled her hand back.
Zhi Cao licked her lips and asked, "What is it? Do you want to send a message to your family, or ask the kitchen to prepare extra dishes? Just give the order, Miss."Hua Mei sighed and said, "Last night I had a dream where the Grand Duke of the Year told me this year's fortune is unfavorable. He gave me a pot of orchid grass, saying a yin person is clashing with me, and if I throw a handkerchief I've used into her room, everything will turn auspicious. When I woke from the dream, I realized—the orchid grass given by the Grand Duke must be referring to Xianglan! Dear sister, the Master has confined me to my quarters. Besides kneeling in the ancestral hall, I can't even step outside. I must trouble you to do this for me..."
Zhi Cao immediately waved her hands in refusal. "No, no! How could I possibly enter the Main House? Before I even reach the doorway, the senior maids inside would tear me apart, let alone throw some handkerchief! My lady, have you lost your senses, having such dreams?"
Hua Mei pleaded gently, "I know it's difficult, which is why I'm offering you five taels of silver. Just toss the handkerchief through the window—I'll be watching from here. As long as you get it inside, anywhere will do, and I'll give you a pair of exquisite silver hairpins too, alright?"
Being greedy by nature, Zhi Cao felt tempted. She thought to herself that it was just a handkerchief, nothing important, and succeeding would earn her rewards equivalent to a year's allowance. She readily agreed. Hua Mei couldn't help but sneer bitterly, gritting her teeth as she muttered, "Lin Jinlou, isn't Chen Xianglan your treasure? I'll make her die! And take your life along with it!"
The next morning, Hua Mei indeed gave Zhi Cao a brocade pouch. Opening it, Zhi Cao saw it contained only an embroidered handkerchief. She stealthily approached the Main House but noticed people constantly coming and going, making it difficult to act. Turning around, she saw Hua Mei still watching from afar, so she pretended to wander to the back of the building and casually tossed the pouch away.
Unexpectedly, Zidai approached and asked, "Why are you throwing away a perfectly good thing?"
Zhi Cao, who had been wanting to gossip, seized the chance to tell Zidai about Hua Mei's dream as a joke. She added, "She's no ordinary person—last time she dared to use a talisman to curse the Master. Who knows what trickery this handkerchief holds? If it's discovered, wouldn't I be in trouble? I only pretended to help her out of pity, but who'd actually do such a thing?" Having said this, she left.
However, these words stirred Zidai's thoughts. She mused, "Zhi Cao makes a point. Hua Mei is surely up to some mischief, definitely targeting Xianglan..." While thinking this, she picked up the brocade pouch and, without anyone noticing, threw it through a rear window.
That morning, Xiao Juan was organizing Xianglan's trunks, pulling out clothes that were rarely worn from the bottom. Xianglan said, "Give the unworn ones away. Later, pick a few nice ones for Ying Ge—her father is still ill, and their silver is draining rapidly. To save money this year, she plans to only wear the two outfits provided by the estate and not make any new clothes. Everyone in the Lin Family has eyes for wealth and status; I'm afraid she'll have a hard time."
Xiao Juan laughed and said, "You're always so soft-hearted, miss."Xianglan sighed and said, "She's had a difficult life and is an honest person. Lending a hand is like accumulating merit for myself." Neither of them noticed that a brocade pouch had been thrown through the window, landing among the sorted clothes. Just then, Ying Ge came over, took a few new garments, and thanked Xianglan profusely. Her maid, Ding Xiang, spotted the exquisitely crafted brocade pouch among the clothes and, growing fond of it, secretly tucked it into her sleeve and took it away.
That same morning, Hua Mei reported to Lin Jinlou, gathered her personal belongings, and left the Lin Family.
Within a few days, the smallpox outbreak in the Lin residence grew increasingly severe. The second branch fared relatively well, with only one maid carried out, but in Knowing Spring Pavilion, several fell ill one after another—first Ding Xiang with a high fever, followed shortly by Ying Ge and Zhi Cao. Qin Shi was greatly alarmed, promptly sending Lin Jinyuan to stay with trusted relatives and ordering all smallpox patients moved to the rear annex room.
Lin Dongling said to Wang Shi, "I originally said our household has been unsettled nearing year's end. For Aunt's birthday, we should have followed last year's example—held a Buddhist Mass at the temple, stayed a couple of days for vegetarian meals. But you wouldn't listen, and now look! We must go out and worship properly, especially the Goddess of Smallpox at Qixia Temple."
Wang Shi then discussed this with Qin Shi, who sighed and said, "I've been thinking the same. Initially, I thought with two happy events to prepare for, we'd keep the birthday simple and let it pass. Never expected such a vexing trouble at home. We should indeed visit the temple to worship. Let's choose an auspicious date in the next couple of days and set out."
Thank you to qian20051978 for the sachet, Ma Xi Ban Xiao, Xiao Xiao 66, and jojo8129 for the Peace Talismans, and also thank you all for the pink votes^_^
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