Xianglan felt a warmth in her heart and grasped Lin Dongqi's hand, saying, "This matter cannot be rushed. Matters of descendants are a matter of fate..."
Lin Dongqi replied, "You are a kind-hearted person. When you first entered the Lin Family, you suffered greatly. Xiao Juan and Wu Mama have told me about your experiences. You saved me once, and Taitai used to hold prejudices against you, treating you poorly, yet you still saved her and Fourth Sister. In this household, you neither speak too much nor too little. If an ordinary person received such favor from my elder brother, wouldn't they strut around arrogantly? Yet, when there are rare opportunities for glory, you always step aside. Just like today's wedding banquet—you bore all the hardships, while others reaped the Grandeur. I am well aware of all this."
Xianglan sighed and said, "Second Mistress, you exaggerate. I am merely fulfilling my duties. Nowadays, everyone sees me in Grandeur, but who knows what the future holds? You know Master's temperament well—I am merely taking one step at a time. Everything I eat, drink, wear, and use here belongs to the Lin Family. It is only because Master temporarily favors me that I must know my place. How could I possibly act arrogantly?"
Lin Dongqi said, "Do not speak like that. This is your home too. You are my brother's woman—isn't it only natural for you to eat, use, and drink what is his? You are a sensible person; why would you say such things?"
Xianglan thought to herself, "I absolutely cannot stay here forever as a concubine." But on her face, she merely smiled faintly.
Lin Dongqi comforted her, saying, "I know what worries you. At today's banquet, several families inquired about my elder brother remarrying. I will make careful inquiries for you. If she turns out to be a formidable person, I will never allow her to marry into this family. I will write to Taitai about it."
Xianglan felt moved again and said, "Second Mistress, there is truly no need for this. You treat me so well—I have no words to express my gratitude."
Lin Dongqi smiled and said, "Since I married here from Jinling, although I have made a few close friends among the young ladies in the capital, some have married far away, others have grown distant, and some have changed in temperament. There is no one to have a good conversation with. Only with you can I chat and pass the time pleasantly. I know you are a good person—we can comfort each other and always have someone to talk to. In the future, when my pregnancy advances, it will be difficult for me to go out. You must come visit me at my home more often."
After chatting for a while longer, Xianglan left her gifts, bid farewell, and headed to the bridal chamber.
Lin Dongqi leaned against the headboard. Shortly after, Xiang Yun entered and sat at the foot of the bed, massaging her feet. In a low voice, she said, "I inquired at the front. The groom cannot hold his liquor well and has already taken sobering soup to rest. A servant boy is taking care of him at the front. Second Mistress, you need not worry."
Lin Dongqi hummed in acknowledgment, lost in thought. After a while, she asked, "You have seen both mistresses of our Lin Family today. What do you think of them?"
Xiang Yun replied, "Second Madam Xuan has a fine appearance, but she is too eager to outshine others. In everything, she must show herself as exceptional. It is fortunate that Fourth Sister is not here, or the two of them together would make quite a scene. Third Mistress Ting seems like a shrewd and formidable person. As for the eldest young lady, I feel she is somewhat different from before. She used to speak in a way that inevitably irritated others, but now she is much softer, speaking in a way that lifts people up—it is very comforting to hear."Lin Dongqi smiled faintly and said, "If I hadn't married well, why would she bother flattering me now? When she married into the Lu family, she thought she had climbed to great heights and even neglected her own family. Only after suffering setbacks did she realize how much her natal family supported her, and now she's rushing back to curry favor. She wasn't originally like this—now she's full of sycophantic words, which shows she must have endured plenty of hardship in private." After a pause, she added, "What do you think of Xianglan?"
Xiang Yun said, "She's truly a beauty. When she stands in a room, the whole place seems brighter, no wonder Master Lin dotes on her exclusively."
Lin Dongqi sighed, "It's a pity that those born beautiful often meet tragic fates. But looking at how she manages her subordinates, she truly carries herself like a well-bred lady—generous and kind, giving ample rewards, and showing genuine concern for those beneath her. These two qualities sound simple, but not everyone can embody them. Some well-born young ladies are so stingy with silver they wouldn't dream of giving rewards—they'd rather split one coin in two. Or they're generous only with themselves, acting as if giving to others is like cutting flesh. Xianglan came from humble origins, yet remarkably she doesn't fuss over such things. Then there are those noble ladies who treat maids and servants as less than human—scolding and insulting them, pretending to win them over while secretly looking down on them, or treating them like playthings. Today I heard Xiao Juan praising Xianglan endlessly to others, saying Xianglan established a rule that maids aren't allowed to do needlework after lanterns are lit, fearing it would strain their eyes."
Xiang Yun laughed, "Xianglan was originally a maid herself. Back when she served the young mistress, she often worked on needlework late into the night by lamplight. Of course she knows how to show consideration for those below her now."
Lin Dongqi smiled, "The second aunt said the same thing when she heard, but she doesn't consider how many people, once they gain power and become masters, turn around and mistreat those beneath them even more—thinking since they suffered through it, others should too. Or they quickly put on airs, afraid of being looked down upon. Didn't Hua Mei, Qing Lan, and Luan'er all act that way? Xianglan has managed to win over those serving her so completely that they're willing to work tirelessly for her. While this is partly due to elder brother's authority, if she didn't have some capability herself, she could never handle things so flawlessly, let alone manage someone as shrewd as Shuran. Now she's organizing the third young master's wedding banquet—while it's conventional, remarkably there's not a single mistake. The better she performs, the more I worry for her—what future mistress of the household would tolerate someone like her?"
Xiang Yun said, "You see things so clearly, madam, while we common folk don't understand these matters."
Lin Dongqi replied, "What use is clarity alone? I'm far inferior to my mother. She long ago said Xianglan was no ordinary person—quiet as she may seem, with that appearance and cunning, any storm she stirs won't be small. I didn't believe it at first, thinking Xianglan appeared gentle and reserved, not seeming particularly shrewd or formidable. But look—hasn't it proven true? My elder brother, that fickle philanderer, now keeps only her in his chambers, treating her as if she were priceless."
After chatting for a while longer, Lin Dongqi grew weary and leaned against her pillow, drifting into drowsiness.
Xiang Yun quietly approached, draped a light quilt over her, extinguished the lamp, and softly withdrew.It is said that Xianglan went to the bridal chamber and saw from afar that the room was brightly lit. Since the wedding ceremony had not yet taken place, Lin Jinting stayed overnight in Lin Jinxuan’s courtyard, while the bride resided here. As Xianglan stepped into the courtyard, she saw old women and maids still bustling about in twos and threes, and laughter occasionally drifted from inside the room. A young maid of the Lin Family spotted Xianglan and hurried inside to announce her arrival. A woman at the door lifted the curtain, and Xianglan entered to find seven or eight female relatives standing in the room, all dressed in luxurious attire. On the bed sat a woman wearing a bridal cape. Though she was beautiful and dignified, her looks were not particularly striking—she had delicate eyebrows, large eyes, fair skin, and a plump figure, with a round face that carried a hint of authority.
Xianglan thought to herself, "This must be the new bride, surnamed Li, with the maiden name Yingru. Her grandfather was the Vice Minister of Revenue, and her father served as a Tongzhi in Zhejiang. Raised by her grandfather as if she were a boy since childhood, she is exceptionally clever and sharp-witted. Lin Jinlou mentioned that the Old Master found Second Mistress Wang Shi too meek and gentle, which is why they sought a daughter-in-law with a stronger temperament, hoping that Lin Jinting would have someone decisive in the future. They say one’s appearance reflects their character, and this Li Shi clearly has a fiercer disposition than Tan Luhua."
Lin Dongwan was chatting with the others when she noticed Xianglan entering. She warmly stepped forward, linked arms with Xianglan, and said with a smile, "Come, let me introduce you to the beauties of our family. This is from my elder brother’s household, and today’s banquet wouldn’t have been possible without her efforts." She pointed out the noblewomen in the room one by one for Xianglan to recognize. Aside from the female relatives of the Lin and Li families, there were also several others, all connected to the Lin Family by marriage. Xianglan and Li Miaozhi exchanged greetings, with Xianglan presenting a pair of bracelets as a gift, and Li Miaozhi reciprocating with a pair of hairpins.
The noblewomen in the room approached to make conversation, but Xianglan kept her head lowered, feigning shyness, responding only once after four or five questions and speaking very little. After standing for a while, she excused herself and left. Upon returning home, she found Lin Jinlou had already returned and was sitting in the room drinking tea. Seeing Xianglan, he asked, "Did you just come back from Third Mistress’s place?" Xianglan nodded, fetched her everyday clothes, and changed into them.
Lin Jinlou asked, "What do you think of her?"
Xianglan replied, "I think Third Mistress seems like a formidable person."
Lin Jinlou stroked his chin and said, "Exactly. She has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood. When she was a girl, everyone in her household called her 'Miaoge,' and she often lamented the injustice of heaven and earth, wishing she had been born a man so she could take the imperial exams and achieve fame. Xiao San'er has married a fierce wife—he’s in for a tough time ahead." After some casual conversation, the two extinguished the lamp and went to sleep, which need not be detailed here.
The next day, Lin Jinting set off early with his wife for Jinling in the south, and everyone saw them off, which requires no further mention. After the wedding banquet, all the furnishings and utensils were tidied up, and it took a full day of busy work to complete the task. Xianglan checked the account books for all the valuable items, collected the tally tokens, stored the remaining jars of wine in the warehouse, and distributed the leftover dishes, pastries, and unconsumed wine as rewards. She arranged for the maids, women, old matrons, and stewards who had worked the hardest during the banquet to take turns on leave and additionally rewarded them with dishes. For a time, the entire household was delighted. While Xianglan had no leisure, Tan Luhua was extremely idle. She had made a splash with her small efforts during the banquet and knew full well that it was her status as a daughter-in-law of the Lin Family that prompted others to flatter and curry favor with her. Nevertheless, she felt quite pleased and, as a result, found herself a bit more patient and gentle toward Lin Jinxuan.Since the beginning of summer, Lin Jinxuan's health condition had slightly improved. He spent his days sitting under the grape trellis in the courtyard, sometimes reading books, sometimes adorning flowers and competing with grasses, enjoying fish and insects, or playing chess with Tan Luhua. His life was quite tranquil. However, after a few days, Tan Luhua began to feel restless. She moved about listlessly, and in the middle of the night, she would recall the scene she had witnessed in the backyard of Chun Tang Hall—two bodies entangled passionately, with Lin Jinlou's broad shoulders and strong arms... A fire seemed to burn in Tan Luhua's heart. She turned to look at Lin Jinxuan, whose handsome face appeared pale and frail. She thought of how their occasional intimate moments always ended hastily, and the next day, Lin Jinxuan would feel weak in his legs, showing signs of deficiency, which led to Concubine Yin's gossip and endless annoyance.
Tan Luhua let out a long sigh and stayed awake until dawn, feeling lethargic. After lunch, Lin Jinxuan went for his nap, and Tan Luhua amused herself by playing chess with her maids. Just then, someone announced, "Third Master Rong, the third son of the Dai family, has arrived."
Thanks to Xiang Yun who dislikes sashimi, m denominator, Ailan 2014, Chenxiang Yun, and Huihui—sister for the Peace Talismans, and also thank you all for the pink votes^_^
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