Lin Jinlou suddenly pinched her chin and said, "You..."
Xianglan trembled, opening her eyes wide to look at him.
Lin Jinlou then released his hand and said, "Never mind, you may go." With that, he strode out.
Xianglan let out a long sigh, her body going limp as she slumped onto the bed. Turning her head, she noticed Hua Shan peeking cautiously at the doorway and beckoned her inside, asking, "How are the elder and younger mistresses doing?"
Hua Shan replied, "The elder and younger mistresses are still in the eastern room. Just now, Xue Ning went in to serve tea and pastries and hasn't come out yet, likely because she's chatting with them. The second mistress has already left."
Xianglan smoothed her hair, mustered her energy, and stood up, saying, "Let's go. It's not proper to leave them unattended."
Hua Shan hesitated and said, "Miss, your eyes..." She then brought over the mirror case. Xianglan leaned in to look and saw that her eyes were slightly red and swollen, clearly showing she had been crying. She quickly instructed Hua Shan to fetch two silver spoons and pressed them against her eyes for a while to reduce the swelling. Afterward, she wiped her face with a damp towel, reapplied some ointment, and only then went to meet the guests. Of this, no more need be said.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou exited the inner gate and first returned to his study in the front courtyard, where he wrote a note. He handed it to Jixiang, saying, "Take this first thing tomorrow morning to the Imperial Hospital and invite Doctor Zhang Shiyou to come." After speaking, he casually placed the brush on its stand and let out a deep sigh.
He had eavesdropped on Xianglan's words at the door, hearing every single one clearly. He knew that the woman still harbored resentment, and he himself was quite impatient with it. But today, Xianglan's words had given him a sudden insight. She had said, "When one is pregnant, the child in the womb is connected by blood—how could one bear to abort it? She must have struggled for a long time, ultimately unable to bring herself to do it, and only when her family found out did she return to the Dai family." From this, he realized that if this woman were to have a child, her heart might settle down. He also wondered why, since Xianglan was the only one in his rear courtyard now and they were together day and night, there had been no sign of good news yet. This Doctor Zhang Shiyou from the Imperial Hospital specialized in diagnosing and ensuring safe pregnancies for the noblewomen of the inner palace. He was highly learned and deeply versed in medical principles. Previously, when Lin Jinlou had donated an official position for his son, he had sought the help of Zhang's father. Having him examine Xianglan would help identify any issues and set his mind at ease... Perhaps, after he finished his busy schedule these next couple of days, he would take Xianglan to Miaofeng Mountain in the outskirts of the capital to pray to the Child-Giving Goddess?
Lin Jinlou stroked his chin, considering summoning Kang Shiyuan to inquire about his schedule for the next two days. Unexpectedly, as he pushed the door open, he saw Shuangxi waiting outside. Spotting Lin Jinlou, Shuangxi hurriedly said, "Eldest Master, the second son-in-law drank too much and is now feeling the effects. We just forced a jar of sobering soup down him, and he vomited. After that, he drank some more sobering soup and is now lying on the kang. What do you suggest we do..."
Lin Jinlou hurried over to check. Upon entering the room, he was met with the strong smell of alcohol. His second sister's husband, Tao Hongxun, lay on the bed, his face pale. Having vomited, he was still in decent spirits. Lin Jinlou comforted him briefly and ordered a servant to bring him some porridge. After resting for a while, Tao Hongxun felt better and insisted on leaving. Lin Jinlou urged him to stay, but Tao Hongxun said, "I have official duties tomorrow and dare not linger. I will visit another day to trouble you again." Only then did Lin Jinlou see him off, finally having him take along a box of gifts brought from Jinling.After Lin Dongqi and her husband had left, Lin Dongwan felt it inappropriate to linger much longer either. She rose to take her leave and returned to Lin Jinxuan's quarters. Upon entering the courtyard, she saw Concubine Yin grinding medicine beneath the shade of a tree. She approached and said, "Why are you doing this yourself, Concubine? What are the maids for?"
Concubine Yin replied, "This is medicine for your brother. I can only rest assured if I grind it myself. He fell slightly ill some days ago, and fortunately it didn't develop into anything serious. He's now taking Ginseng Nourishing Pills. But these past few nights, he hasn't been sleeping soundly and keeps breaking into cold sweats. The physician who examined him today said it's due to yang deficiency and kidney weakness, likely caused by his recent marriage. I just told his wife that they should sleep separately for a few days, and guess what she said to me?" Mimicking Madam Tan's expression, she continued, "'Thank you for your concern, Concubine. Although there are no proper elders around now, I still respect you as one. But this is a private matter between husband and wife, so you needn't trouble yourself with it in the future.' Just listen to that! She's implying I'm not a 'proper elder' and clearly doesn't regard me at all. Has there ever been such an insolent bride in this world? Poor me, living to this age thinking I'd have someone to rely on in my later years, only to end up with a daughter-in-law like this. My fate is truly bitter!" As she spoke, tears trickled down.
Lin Dongwan said, "You should bear with her temperament, Concubine. Nothing in this world is perfect. Last time I visited, weren't you praising the new bride for her understanding and the pair of gold bracelets she gave you? I've managed to come home with difficulty, yet you don't even ask how I'm doing. Life is hard for me at my husband's house too. The eldest branch is clamoring to divide the family estate. The second and fourth branches are capable, the fifth is the most favored and gets the most. Only our third branch is hopeless—that good-for-nothing master of mine is utterly unreliable, a complete coward who gets swayed by whatever his brothers feed him. Last year, we bought him an official post, but he refuses to perform his duties properly. Instead, he's fallen in with a bad crowd and been led astray to gambling. Now the old master can still keep him in check, but if the family really splits, how will we manage... My heart is the one that's truly suffering..." She too began to weep.
Concubine Yin cursed, "It's all that wretched Qin Shi's doing—she arranged this marriage for you, and she must have been behind Jinxuan's match too, pushing for this marriage just to ensure I never have any peace!" She tugged at Lin Dongwan's sleeve and said, "My child, your brother is frail and mustn't be agitated. Now only you can stand up for me and help me discipline Jinxuan's wife. She's new to the household—if we don't get her under control and establish proper rules now, where will I stand in the future? I know you've always been resourceful."
Lin Dongwan, who had been wiping her tears, paused, her heart turning cold. She sneered, "You're always like this, Concubine—only ever thinking of Second Brother. I didn't come from your womb, so you only remember me when you're wronged, wanting me to fight your battles. That's how I offended Madam, and now I don't even have the face to ask my elder brother for a position for my husband." With that, she stood up and strode away, sweeping through the door curtain into the room. Her personal maid Qiuye hurried after her and, seeing Lin Dongwan standing by the door wiping her eyes, handed her a handkerchief, whispering, "That's just how the Concubine is, Third Young Mistress. Why trouble yourself with her anger?"Lin Dongwan wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, "I know, but my heart is bitter. It’s rare for me to come home, yet she didn’t even bother to ask how I was doing. When she saw the nursemaid carrying Brother Hui past, she didn’t inquire about him either. Her heart and eyes are entirely focused on Second Brother, and she even made me play the villain for her."
Qiuye found it difficult to offer much comfort and could only say, "Concubine Yin speaks to you so frankly because she regards you as one of her own." Then she added softly, "Third Young Mistress, please don’t cry. Second Master and Second Mistress Jinxuan are inside the room."
Lin Dongwan dabbed the corners of her eyes again and suppressed her anger. By nature, she was the type to "swallow her teeth along with blood"—no matter how great the grievance, she refused to show even a hint of it in front of others. Back when she had reached marriageable age, Lin Changzheng had intended to wed her to a wealthy local family, but she refused, determined to marry into an established noble lineage. She understood clearly that no matter how much money a wealthy family had, the prestige of an aristocratic clan could not be built with silver alone. She would rather wear old clothes and hold a broken bowl while drinking thin porridge under a glorious plaque than dress in new garments and hold a golden bowl while feasting beneath an ordinary doorway. Though the Lu family only maintained a respectable facade, a starved camel was still larger than a horse. She refused to believe that, with her intelligence and capability, she could not urge her husband to better himself and turn their fortunes around. When that day came, she would return home and make everyone recognize her anew!
Yet after marrying and enduring two years of hardship, she realized she had been far too naive. Her in-laws, sisters-in-law, uncles, and husband—each had different temperaments and dispositions. With ten people having nine different minds, how could she single-handedly reverse their fortunes?
Still, she would never admit that her initial decision had been wrong. The path she had chosen, even if she had to crawl on her knees, she would see it through to the end.
Now, on one hand, she befriended Chen Xianglan, hoping that the latter would put in a good word for her before Lin Jinlou in the future. On the other hand, she prayed that Lin Jinxuan’s health would hold up so he could take the imperial examinations next year and earn an official rank, giving her more to rely on.
When Lin Dongwan entered the inner room, Lin Jinxuan was reclining on the bed. Madam Tan had just finished helping him take his medicine and was airing out the room by opening the window. Seeing Lin Dongwan enter, she still harbored resentment over how Dongwan and Lin Dongqi had sided with Xianglan earlier, making her lose face. She lifted the curtain and walked out, merely instructing a maid to serve tea.
Madam Tan sat alone in the western chamber for a while, feeling bored and listless. She picked up her needlework, stitched a few times, and then tossed it aside. Today, she had accumulated a bellyful of anger. First, she had been wronged by Xianglan, and upon returning, Concubine Yin had nagged her incessantly, telling her to sleep in separate quarters from Lin Jinxuan. What did they take her for? She was the lawfully wedded wife, properly married into the family. Even if Concubine Yin was Lin Jinxuan’s birth mother, she was still merely a concubine—how dare she act so self-important in front of her! Previously, she had humored and flattered Concubine Yin only out of respect for her husband. If they thought she was an easy target, they had miscalculated! She was not someone to be trifled with!
Madam Tan sneered coldly a few times and downed a cup of tea. The underlying message in Concubine Yin’s words was that she had used her bewitching charms to seduce Lin Jinxuan and exhaust his health. But she didn’t even stop to consider what her own son was like—a man who could be toppled by a gust of wind, nothing like Lin Jinlou, who hardly seemed like his own brother. Thinking of Lin Jinlou, Madam Tan’s face suddenly grew warm. Earlier, she had bumped squarely into his embrace, feeling how broad and firm his chest was, how strong his arms were, and those captivating eyes of his...Madam Tan dared not dwell further, silently cursing herself as she fanned her flushed face with a handkerchief to cool the burning heat. Yet her thoughts soon drifted again: "They say my brother-in-law is a seasoned philanderer, well-versed in romance, and seeing him now, it's true. I never knew such men existed—so different from my own brothers. Shouldn't all real men stand firm and towering like him? It's just my ill fortune. If I were a noble lady from a prominent family, married to him, we'd be a harmonious couple, sharing a life of affection. But instead, I'm wed to Lin Jinxuan. He is gentle and considerate, yes, but plagued by illness... Ah..."
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