The maid quickly replied, "It'll be ready after simmering a while longer." Madam Tan muttered a few complaints, clearly dissatisfied. Xianglan couldn't help but take another look at the maid. Shuran leaned close and whispered, "That maid is called Qian Luo. She's served the Second Master since childhood and used to be the most favored in his quarters, but ever since the Second Mistress entered the household, she hasn't been able to tolerate her... Now she's been sent out here to boil medicine."
Hearing this, Xianglan looked again and saw the maid was about sixteen or seventeen years old, delicate in appearance with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, possessing notable beauty that set her apart from other maids. However, she wore slightly worn clothes as she crouched by the stove, her face flushed red from the heat with fine beads of sweat on her forehead. The maid carefully poured the medicine into a small porcelain bowl using a handkerchief to hold the clay pot handle, when suddenly Madam Tan scolded, "Hurry up!"
Startled, Qian Luo's hand slipped, splashing hot medicine that scalded her wrist red. She endured the pain, hastily wiped it with her handkerchief, and carried the medicine inside. Seeing her like this, Xianglan recalled her own days as Cao Lihuan's maid and felt a surge of pity. Lifting her skirt to enter the room, she heard Madam Tan berating Qian Luo: "Clumsy fool, can't even handle such a simple task. Are we keeping you here to eat idle rice?" Noticing Xianglan and the others entering, Madam Tan stopped and ordered Qian Luo to serve tea instead, standing up to ask, "What brings you here?"
Xianglan smiled gently. "The Master heard Second Master is ill and was concerned, so he sent us to check on him." She pointed to the basket. "This contains freshly prepared bird's nest soup with some added medicinal ingredients—all mild tonics. It's been checked against Second Master's prescription and won't conflict. Please have him take it while it's still potent." She then handed the cloth to Madam Tan, saying, "Take this material to make a skirt. The Elder Miss said pomegranate red skirts are all the rage in the capital now."
Madam Tan took the cloth and examined it—the silk was smooth and glossy, the color vibrant—and her face brightened into a smile. "Oh, this is capital silk, isn't it? Such fine material, you should keep it for yourself."
Xianglan smiled. "I have more."
Being at an age where she prized beautiful things, Madam Tan owned few nice garments and had long wanted a red skirt but found commercially available colors unsatisfactory. High-quality silk cost three or four taels of silver, which pained her to spend, and as a new bride, she couldn't easily ask her in-laws for it. Receiving this cloth fulfilled her wish, so she didn't refuse, instructing a maid to put it away. Her attitude toward Xianglan warmed, though noticing Xianglan's own sleeve material was noticeably superior to the capital silk she'd been given, she felt displeased again, privately thinking Xianglan stingy.
They discussed Lin Jinxuan's illness for a while, with Madam Tan sighing, "Second Master's health is so frail at such a young age. Who knows if he'll have a long future..." Her eyes reddened as she spoke.
Xianglan comforted her, "With proper care, the Lin Family can afford any medicine, no matter how expensive. I don't think Second Master has any serious illness—just minor ailments that take longer to recover from. We'll find a couple of good doctors to examine him again later."Madam Tan merely shook her head. Lin Jinxuan had coughed half the night, leaving her unable to sleep well either. If this continued, she would either end up a widow or trapped in a lifeless marriage—either way, it meant lonely springs in the women's quarters, with the perpetual smell of medicine stifling her chest. Having just married into the family, she already found it draining; she couldn't imagine how to endure the long years ahead. Yet she was too ashamed to voice this, especially since Xianglan was only a casual acquaintance. Instead, she said, "Actually, you're quite fortunate. The Master is robust and powerful."
Xianglan smiled faintly. "What fortune? I'm just a concubine. While the Master favors me today, I enjoy a bit of grandeur, but 'even the grandest feast must end.' Soon, we'll only hear the laughter of new favorites, not the tears of the old. Who knows what the future holds?"
Madam Tan had initially felt a twinge of envy seeing Xianglan's radiant appearance, but these words eased her mind somewhat. She blurted out, "They say beauty fades with age—there's truth to that."
Shuran, standing nearby, frowned at this, but Xianglan maintained her faint smile and remained silent.
Only after speaking did Madam Tan realize her words were too sharp. Feeling awkward, she was relieved to see no reaction from Xianglan, as if she hadn't heard.
Shuran said, "It's getting late; we should take our leave." Xianglan rose gracefully to say farewell. Once outside the courtyard, Shuran whispered, "Second Mistress has no filter—she just throws out whatever comes to mind. For someone from a scholar-official family, she puts on all the airs of a lady, yet her words cut like knives. She ought to show some restraint."
Xianglan replied, "She's still young and married to such a frail husband. It's only natural she's unhappy and vents on us. Who knows how Second Master's health will fare? In truth, she's pitiable." If Madam Tan were the meek, dutiful type, it might be different, but Xianglan had noticed her attire today: a peony-patterned sleeved jacket in consort pink, a watery green skirt, her hair piled high, and her face heavily powdered and rouged—even with her husband ill, she still took pains to adorn herself, clearly a lively and coquettish sort. With Lin Jinxuan's health, he likely couldn't satisfy her romantic whims... At this thought, Xianglan shook her head and said, "If Madam Tan doesn't learn to temper her disposition, she'll have plenty of suffering ahead."
Back in her own courtyard, the medicine had been fetched. Shuran promptly sent Ling Su to brew it, and once it was cooled, she personally oversaw Xianglan taking the dose. Reluctant as she was, Xianglan forced it down, growing anxious at the thought that if she conceived Lin Jinlou's child, she'd be trapped as a concubine for life. Could she bring herself to abandon the child and strive for independence alone? If she took the child with her, escape would be the only option, but with her aging parents, where could she flee? Listlessly, Xianglan stayed in the warmed chamber, lying facing the wall, until her wandering thoughts lulled her to sleep.
She woke to lanterns already lit. Sitting up, her head foggy and disoriented, she couldn't tell what day it was. Ling Qing, who had been keeping watch by the heated brick bed while doing needlework, set aside her work and said, "You're awake, Mistress. Would you like some tea? The Master is out for the evening—Shuangxi came back to say he won't be dining at home. What would you like for your evening meal?"Xianglan wiped her face, feeling somewhat more alert. As she dressed and stepped down from the bed, she said, "Something light—stir-fry two vegetable dishes. The mixed mushroom soup from yesterday was quite good." Ling Qing then sent a young maid to the kitchen to request the dishes.
After the meal, while Xianglan amused herself by playing out a leftover chess game from a manual, she suddenly had an epiphany. Since things had already come to this, she might as well let them be. With no solutions at hand, she could only meet troubles as they came. Agonizing over it would only torment herself further. Having reached this realization, Xianglan instructed Hua Shan to put away the chess set. After exchanging a few casual words with the maids, she made the bed and retired for the night.
Half-asleep, she heard voices outside, followed by the bed curtains being pulled open. Lin Jinlou stumbled in and sat on the heated brick bed, haphazardly stripping off his clothes and tossing them to the floor. He pulled back the covers and lay down, bringing with him a strong wave of alcohol fumes.
Xianglan sat up partially and leaned over, intending to draw the curtains and have the maid on night duty bring sobering soup, hot tea, and a warm towel. But as she drew closer to Lin Jinlou, she noticed that besides the smell of liquor, he also carried a cloying fragrance of cosmetics. It was clear he had just returned from some romantic escapade. Xianglan’s delicate, long eyebrows furrowed slightly. She looked down and saw Lin Jinlou lying motionless with his eyes closed. In a daze, he suddenly reached out an arm and pulled her into his embrace. Xianglan struggled immediately, but Lin Jinlou rolled over, pinning her down, and muttered, "What are you fussing about?"
Xianglan bit her lip and turned her face away. Ignoring her evasion, Lin Jinlou kissed her on the lips. She turned to face the wall, and he pressed against her from behind, his arm draped over her and his face buried in her hair. Xianglan lay rigid and still, thinking that if Lin Jinlou had been intimate with another woman and now, with his desires still unsated, came to her, she felt an indescribable humiliation and bitterness. She waited quietly for a moment, planning to stealthily move his arm away. But the moment she stirred, Lin Jinlou lazily said, "Stop moving."
Xianglan had already felt the hardened presence between his powerful thighs pressing against her buttocks and dared not move again. Lin Jinlou was always self-indulgent; once aroused, he was insatiable in bed. Xianglan feared he might be stirred to lust again. Tonight’s situation was especially unbearable, yet she dreaded displeasing him and provoking further trouble. So she lay quietly, her mind wandering to the half-finished painting, the unresolved chess game, the incomplete needlework, and then to fragments of her days at the temple. She even recalled her previous life, visiting family friends with her parents, wandering through an exquisitely beautiful garden—perhaps it belonged to the Lu family, or maybe the Lu family? She was still young then, her hair tied in two buns, holding a peach blossom to tease the fish in the lake before her nurse hurriedly carried her away... The memories of her past life felt so distant, as if they were nothing but a dream.
Lost in these scattered thoughts, Xianglan eventually fell asleep. When she woke the next morning, she found herself nestled in Lin Jinlou’s embrace. His robe was open, revealing his sturdy, rising and falling chest as if he were sleeping deeply, his other arm still wrapped around her waist. Outside the curtains came faint footsteps, and Xue Ning whispered, "Shall we wake him?" It was usually time for Lin Jinlou to rise and practice martial arts.Ling Qing hesitated and said, "Master drank too much last night and came back late..." She tilted her head to listen, hearing Lin Jinlou's soft snoring from inside, then said, "Master hasn't woken up yet... Should we go ask Sister Shuran?"
The two of them discussed it and went off.
Xianglan sat up quietly, draped her clothes over her shoulders, carefully lifted the bed curtain, put on her shoes, and got out of bed. Just then, Shuran led some people in. Seeing Xianglan up earlier than usual, she quickly had the maids attend to her. Noticing Lin Jinlou sleeping soundly, Shuran discussed with Xianglan, "Master came back late yesterday. Should we let him sleep a bit longer and wake him at Chen hour?" She thought to herself, When Master returned last night, he was so drunk he could barely stand. After drinking the hangover soup, he vomited once and was still unsteady on his feet. Young Master Chu, worried he might fall off his horse, specially sent him back in his own sedan chair. In the past, in such situations, Master would have stayed out overnight. Even the most popular courtesans in the capital couldn't keep him from leaving. And now, Master has even found a physician to treat her illness and help her conceive. Tsk, this Chen Xianglan must have had a wonderful dream in her previous life.
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