Early that morning, after breakfast, Tan Luhua attended to Lin Jinxuan as he took his medicine, then instructed the maids to open the windows to air out the medicinal smell. Lin Jinxuan, dressed in casual clothes, reclined against the headboard reading a book when Caiming entered and said, "Two pieces from this season's newly tailored clothes have been delivered. Second Young Mistress, please go and try them on."
Tan Luhua hurried out of the room. As she passed the side chamber, she caught a glimpse of two people sitting inside. She paused, took two steps back, and stole a glance, only to see Concubine Yin and Qianluo sitting on the kang in the side chamber, chatting.
Feeling guilty as a thief, Tan Luhua feared her own affairs might be exposed. She quickly moved outside and stood in the courtyard, pressing her ear against the window. She heard Qianluo say, "...I saw it clearly just now when I passed the storeroom. Over a dozen maids and wives were gathered around that Concubine. With just one glance from her, they all scurried about eagerly. Goodness, what a grand display! Forgive me for saying this, but with her status, how does she deserve such treatment? Even someone of your seniority, Concubine, who has borne the eldest young lady and Second Master, doesn’t carry on so frivolously."
Concubine Yin replied, "My dear, be careful not to let that tyrant in the household hear you say such things. That one is not to be trifled with."
Qianluo sneered, "I only recognize Second Master. Who cares about anyone else?"
These words struck a chord with Concubine Yin. She patted Qianluo’s hand and said, "I know you’re a good one. Ever since that one married into the family, hardly any maids in the entire courtyard pay me any mind. Only you still come to my room to sit with me from time to time."
Qianluo simply smiled. After a pause, she said, "Concubine, please set your mind at ease... Actually, I had thought that after Second Young Mistress married in, you might have a few good days. I heard Second Young Mistress was quite renowned in her maiden days—talented and beautiful—so I assumed she’d be skilled at managing household affairs. If she could take charge of the household in the capital, wouldn’t our lives be more comfortable? Who would have thought a Cheng Yaojin would appear out of nowhere? Out of the blue came Chen Xianglan, a maid by origin, without a single child to her name, yet she’s taken over the household. Meanwhile, Second Young Mistress, a proper mistress, has been reduced to a mere decoration. It’s laughable if word gets out."
This speech resonated deeply with Concubine Yin. She slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Ah, heavens! No wonder we two are so compatible. Isn’t it just so? The one in the room is like a paper figure—only good for propping up and displaying. You can’t rely on her for anything. Look how Chen Xianglan has her under control—she can’t get involved in any matters, big or small. All she does every day is indulge in fine food and drink, deck herself out in gold and silver, and add over a dozen new outfits without ever feeling satisfied. She spends money like water, always dolling herself up in a garish manner. And when she speaks to people, she doesn’t show the slightest courtesy—she always leaves me breathless with anger. She doesn’t even stop to think who gave birth to Brother Xuan. And to think she comes from a noble family—she’s more petty and vulgar than a commoner, not even half as sensible as you."
Qianluo had been baiting Concubine Yin to say these very things. She pursed her lips into a smile and said, "Concubine, please don’t say such things. I could never compare to Second Young Mistress..."As the saying goes, "Words are tigers blocking the road." In this world, there are few truly tolerant and cultivated individuals, while those who nitpick and hold grudges abound. They particularly cannot bear idle provocations, and upon hearing a few unfavorable remarks about themselves, immediately fly into a rage. After hearing these words, Tan Luhua felt fury rising from the depths of her heart. She thought to herself, "That little wretch Qianluo is stirring up trouble again. Before, when she loved running to the Concubine's room, I couldn't be bothered to deal with her, but now she's actually spreading rumors about me. Fine, fine, fine! Just you wait—you'll get what's coming to you! People shouldn't be so opportunistic. What kind of good deeds are these anyway? If you're truly discontent, go confront Lin the Tyrant face to face. Bullying the honest and picking on the weak—let's see if I'll allow it!" After turning these thoughts over in her mind, she first resolved to assert her authority in front of Xianglan before returning to deal with those two. She straightened her dress, summoned Cai Feng with a wave, and headed toward Xianglan's quarters.
Xianglan was busy at the time. Since Qin Shi was coming, the courtyard where she had previously lived was being cleaned and redecorated anew, while Lin Dongxiu was to be settled in what was formerly Lin Jinting's bridal chamber. On Lin Jinlou's orders, Xianglan had reopened the storeroom and, keeping Qin Shi's preferences in mind, selected a few decorative items to rearrange the space. When Lin Changzheng had returned to Jinling earlier, he had taken all the valuable possessions with him, so what remained in the storeroom was nothing remarkable. Fortunately, Qin Shi was not one to crave luxury or fuss over extravagance. Xianglan picked a few simple yet elegant pieces and considered borrowing a few items from the Hall of Flourishing Spring as well.
Just as Xianglan stood at the storeroom entrance, having selected a pair of vases, a child came skipping over, waving a willow branch in his hand. When he caught sight of Xianglan, he froze in surprise. Recognizing the child as Yuan Shaoren's youngest son, Xianglan beckoned with a smile and said, "De Ge'er, come here quickly."
De Ge'er pursed his lips, looking a bit shy, so Xianglan walked over, took his hand, and led him to a stone bench under the dense shade of a tree. Seeing him covered in dirt like a little mud monkey, she guessed he must have been up to some mischief earlier. Gazing into his eyes—so identical to Shen Jialian's—her heart softened with a bittersweet ache. She ordered a maid to bring some fruit and snacks, then gently patted his little head and asked, "Who did you come with?"
De Ge'er swung his little legs and replied, "My dad. He went off to talk with Uncle Lin." As he finished speaking, he reached for the pastries on the plate. Xianglan quickly stopped him, instructing a maid to fetch a basin of water. She personally wrung out a cloth, wiped De Ge'er's face and hands, made him drink a bowl of light tea, and only then allowed him to eat the pastries. She then asked him in detail about what books he had read and what martial arts he practiced daily.
Just then, Tan Luhua arrived. Seeing the anger and resentment written all over her face, Xianglan knew she came with ill intentions. She quickly rose to her feet and said with a smile, "Second Young Madam is here. Please help me choose—what decorations should we use when Madam arrives?" As she spoke, she shot a meaningful glance at Xiao Juan and added, "Go brew a cup of good tea for Second Young Madam."
Tan Luhua, who had been brimming with grievances, felt her anger subside slightly upon hearing Xianglan's words. Assuming a haughty demeanor, she sneered and said, "I wouldn't dare. This is what Eldest Young Master ordered you to do. Even though I'm the rightful mistress, I shouldn't overstep my bounds."Everyone knew Tan Luhua was picking a fight when she mentioned "proper mistress," but Xianglan pretended not to hear, maintaining her smile as she said, "Second Young Madam's clothing, accessories, and even the incense you use are all the latest fashion from the capital. With such discerning taste, you certainly wouldn't be wrong. Eldest Master insisted I handle this matter first thing this morning, but how could I possibly have such an eye for these things? I'd long wanted to send someone to invite you over for your opinion, but Second Master scolded me, saying, 'Don't you know your second brother hasn't been feeling well these past few days? Your sister-in-law has been attending to him at night and is too busy to get away during the day. When she does have a moment free, she needs to rest. How could she possibly come over? Selecting a few decorative items is a trivial matter—why make such a fuss over it?' Since Eldest Master said so, I didn't dare disturb you. Sister-in-law, you haven't experienced Eldest Master's temper yet—he's always been one to stand by his word. If things are done properly, it's fine, but if there's the slightest detail that doesn't suit him, he'll lose his temper. I've been worried that my selections might not please him and that I'd have no one to discuss it with. Fortunately, you've come."
Upon hearing this, Tan Luhua's earlier indignation, which she had mustered to confront Xianglan, completely dissipated. She thought to herself, "So you want me to help you choose, and if Lin Jinlou is unhappy later, you'll push the blame onto me? Dream on." Aloud, she said, "Since Eldest Brother asked you to handle it, I shouldn't interfere too much. I came here to ask for a teacup—yesterday, a clumsy little maid broke one, ruining a perfectly good set."
Xianglan smiled and said, "We have plenty of teacups." She led Tan Luhua into the storeroom, where Tan Luhua took a small purple clay teacup and then took her leave.
Xiao Juan approached and said, "What was she doing here out of the blue? When she arrived earlier, her face was ashen, clearly looking for trouble, and her words were full of barbs. Pah! Madam, why are you afraid of her?"
Xianglan replied, "If this had happened a year ago, I would have retorted too. But now, thinking back, it seems rather pointless to argue over such trivial matters. Saying a few soothing words to make her happy is enough. We've always lived our lives without interfering with each other, so why make enemies everywhere?"
Meanwhile, Yuan Shaoren stood outside the moon gate and witnessed the entire scene. He had originally come looking for De Ge'er but stopped to wait when he saw the child sitting with Xianglan. He watched as Xianglan meticulously wiped De Ge'er's face and hands, brushed off his clothes, and gave him something to eat. Her expression was full of affection, as if De Ge'er were her own child, which struck him deeply.
After returning home, Yuan Shaoren pulled a handkerchief from De Ge'er's sleeve. In the upper right corner was embroidered a cluster of orchids, and in the lower left, a lotus flower. Yuan Shaoren was greatly astonished and immediately called De Ge'er over, asking, "Where did this handkerchief come from?"
De Ge'er replied, "The fairy-like sister gave it to me today to wipe my face and hands."
Yuan Shaoren sat silently for a long time, holding the handkerchief in a daze. Truly, there are no coincidences in this world. Previously, Jialian had also owned several handkerchiefs like this, identical in pattern and color. He had once asked her, "In this world, people either pair peonies with magnolias to symbolize 'wealth and nobility,' or lotuses with osmanthus to mean 'continuous birth of noble sons.' What does it mean when you embroider orchids and lotuses together like this?"
Shen Jialian had replied, "When we were children, whenever we made needlework for our parents, my elder sister would embroider a cluster of orchids, and I would add a lotus flower below. Now, when I occasionally make handkerchiefs and don't know what pattern to embroider, I just use this one."Yuan Shaoren held the handkerchief and let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, "Lianniang, is there a trace of your spirit attached to Chen Xianglan? Otherwise, why would her character and demeanor resemble yours so much? Although De Ge'er is a likable child, such a motherly expression is not something everyone possesses. And now, even this handkerchief is exactly the same—could such a coincidence truly exist in this world?" He then recalled how Xianglan had smiled and spoken cheerfully at the storeroom entrance, calming Madam Tan's anger with just a few words, and shook his head silently, thinking, "Jialian was fond of jesting, lively and talkative, which is quite different from Xianglan's temperament. If she had encountered today's incident, she would have retaliated against Madam Tan without hesitation, lacking such patience. Yet, if only she had possessed even a fraction of Xianglan's tact and a little less temper, how much better things might have been..."
The sky suddenly darkened, and a gust of wind rose, as if rain was approaching.
De Ge'er rushed forward and hugged Yuan Shaoren's arm, calling out, "Father, Father?"
Yuan Shaoren finally snapped out of his thoughts with a soft "Hmm," stroked De Ge'er's round, dark little face, stared into his eyes for a long moment, and silently pulled his son into a tight embrace.
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