Initially, Lin Changmin and Su Meiru were naturally deeply affectionate. But as time passed, Su Meiru gradually began to notice problems. First, Lin Changmin was not as wealthy and powerful as she had imagined. When Lin Jinlou used to visit her, he would give her at least five taels of silver, sometimes even dozens, not to mention other expenses. Lin Changmin, however, initially gave her one or two taels of silver per month, but soon began making various excuses to ask her for money. In the end, he took more from her than he gave. Second, once he had won her over, Lin Changmin abandoned his former gentle and sweet talk, becoming violent and prone to shouting, cursing, and throwing things. Third, he was boastful, exaggerating his abilities while actually having little talent. Su Meiru felt deceived, and the more she looked at Lin Changmin, the more she resented him. Yet, given the circumstances, she had no choice but to endure in silence.
After another two months, Su Meiru realized she was pregnant and repeatedly urged Lin Changmin to take her into the Lin Family. Lin Changmin, however, was unwilling and dared not do so. He kept delaying, and when pressed, would fly into a rage, curse, and storm out. Su Meiru would inevitably weep again. She sensed Lin Changmin’s intentions and feared that as his affection waned, he would abandon her, leaving her unable to enter the wealthy family. So she devised a plan, bribing Lin Changmin’s servant boy to secretly spread word within the Lin Family about Lin Changmin’s covert taking of a concubine outside.
As the saying goes, "Good deeds stay behind closed doors, but scandals travel a thousand miles." Not only did the matter spread throughout the Lin Family, but it also reached the outside. Lin Changmin taking a concubine was not particularly newsworthy, but the fact that the concubine was previously Lin Jinlou’s concubine made this affair stir up a hornet’s nest. Even Censor officials intended to submit memorials impeaching the Lin Family for lax household management, with uncle and nephew sharing a woman, which was deemed morally corrupt. Old Lord Lin was furious, angered by his grandson’s reckless behavior and even more enraged by his son’s disregard for ethics. Suppressing his rage, he managed to settle the matter through various means. He initially wanted to order Lin Changmin to divorce the woman, but since Su Meiru was pregnant, he had her brought into the estate. She was housed in a room near the second branch’s courtyard, accessible only through a small, isolated side gate, with a private courtyard. She was also forbidden to leave on ordinary days. When Wang Shi learned of this, though she claimed it was fine and acted virtuously, even assigning two maidservants to serve Su Meiru, she ultimately fell ill from the distress.
Lin Zhaoxiang was enraged. His original intention in coming to the capital was to discipline Lin Jinlou properly, but unexpectedly, Lin Jinlou was severely injured, so he set the matter aside for the time being. Today, Lin Jinting came running eagerly to deliver news.
"I’ve seen Su Meiru too. She’s quite beautiful, no wonder you took a liking to her before, Brother. She—ow!" Lin Jinting had barely spoken when Lin Jinlou kicked him, nearly knocking him off the bed. Looking up, he saw Lin Jinlou signaling with his eyes and followed his gaze to see Xianglan entering the room.
As soon as Xianglan entered, Lin Jinlou quieted down. Xianglan greeted Lin Jinting, then walked over and leaned down to check on Lin Jinlou, touching his forehead. "The physician said you might still have a fever these next few days. If you feel hot and uncomfortable, I’ll wipe you down with a cool cloth." She glanced at the side table and said, "Why haven’t you taken your medicine?" She touched the bowl and found it cold, then called for Ling Su, who informed her that another bowl was warming on the small clay stove. Xianglan had it brought over, blew on the steam, and said, "Hurry and take your medicine." She lifted a spoonful and fed it to him.Lin Jinlou frowned after taking a sip of the medicine. Xianglan said softly, "Drink it while it's hot so your wound can heal. I'll change your dressing in a while." Lin Jinlou looked into Xianglan's eyes and fell silent, quietly finishing the entire bowl.
Lin Jinting stood nearby clicking his tongue in disapproval, thinking: "Damn it! Just now he complained my feeding was too hot, but this bowl isn't hot at all? Prioritizing beauty over family duty - serves you right if it burns you!"
After drinking the medicine, Lin Jinlou turned to Lin Jinxuan and said, "Alright, I know about the matter you mentioned. If there's nothing else, get lost."
"Brother, your dismissal is too heartless—"
"Hiss, not leaving?"
"Fine, fine, don't glare at me. I'm leaving, I'm leaving."
Just as he turned to leave, Lin Jinlou called out: "Come back!" Staring at Lin Jinting, he said, "Keep your mouth shut about this matter, understand?"
"Why?" Lin Jinting noticed Lin Jinlou only had eyes for Xianglan and immediately understood, feeling shocked. He thought: Oh my! Has someone like my elder brother truly fallen in love? Seeing Lin Jinlou turn to glare at him again, he smiled apologetically and retreated. Even when he reached the corridor, he still felt like he was dreaming. Seeing Shuran approaching, he stopped her and asked, "Sister Shuran, has my elder brother—has he really become infatuated with Chen Xianglan?"
Shuran rolled her eyes and said, "How novel. That's old news." She then tried to leave.
Lin Jinting still blocked her way: "No, I mean, has my elder brother developed genuine feelings?"
Shuran thought for a moment and said, "We servants dare not speculate about genuine feelings. It's just that when the Master was so severely injured this time, he called out 'Xianglan' several times in his delirium. The first thing he asked when he woke up was 'Where's Xianglan?' That's the situation. You can ponder whether it's genuine or not yourself." Having said this, she went on her way, leaving Lin Jinting standing there scratching his head.
After feeding Lin Jinlou the medicine, Xianglan gave him fragrant tea to rinse his mouth. With chest injuries, even slight movements caused excruciating pain, so Xianglan supported him, letting him lean against her while holding the spittoon for him to spit out the tea water. Throughout this, Lin Jinlou's forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain. He clenched his teeth without making a sound.
Xianglan took a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then unwrapped the bandages around his chest to change the dressing. She also examined the wounds on his shoulders and gently applied ointment. Lin Jinlou trembled slightly from the pain, the sheets beneath him soaked with cold sweat, his jaw tightly clenched. Ling Su wiped the sweat from his body nearby. Xianglan felt distressed and said softly, "If it hurts, groan a couple times. It might make you more comfortable." Lin Jinlou just grasped Xianglan's hand, turned his head, and buried his face in her palm, shaking his head as he muttered, "It's fine. Just holding you like this is enough." Xianglan moved to the head of the bed and cradled Lin Jinlou's head in her arms. Ling Su took over, deftly changing the medicine before quietly retreating. Xianglan helped cover Lin Jinlou with the quilt, but he still held her hand unwilling to let go. When he looked up and saw Xianglan's seemingly moist eyes, the words he wanted to say caught in his throat.
Soon, Xiao Juan entered to change the incense cakes. Both remained silent, the room utterly quiet. After Xiao Juan left, Lin Jinlou leaned against Xianglan's chest, enduring the pain as he asked, "Where have you been all this time just now?"Xianglan said, "The Old Master and Taitai summoned me and rewarded me with several items. Then Taitai took me to see the Old Madam, who held my hand and spoke with me for a long while. She even kept me in her room to do needlework and gave me several pieces of jewelry—head ornaments, bracelets, earrings, and rings, all fine pieces."
By then, the medicine was taking effect. Lin Jinlou yawned, growing drowsy as he mumbled, "The Old Madam has plenty of treasures. She must be fond of you to reward you so."
Xianglan gave a soft "Mm."
Lin Jinlou's consciousness was already blurring. "Are you injured?" he murmured. "You stayed so long in the snowy cold, covering me with blankets and your own clothes. Someone as delicate as you might fall ill from the chill—" His voice faded into inaudibility.
Xianglan replied, "I'm fine overall, though my feet got a bit frostbitten. I’ve already applied the medicated cream." She glanced down and saw that Lin Jinlou had fallen asleep. She held him for a while, studying his face. In slumber, his usual imposing aura vanished entirely; his features softened, acquiring a touch of scholarly elegance, almost childlike. Carefully, she rested his head on the pillow and let out a quiet sigh.
Earlier that day, Lin Old Madam (Madam Jiang) had treated her with exceptional kindness, inquiring after her well-being and praising her effusively, first bestowing a heap of gifts. When Xianglan presented some of her usual needlework, the Old Madam lavished compliments on her skills. After chatting and laughing together for some time, Qin Shi brought up matters concerning her maternal family sisters. At this, the Old Madam began to weep, sighing, "Speaking of sisters, I’m reminded of my own younger sister, a few years my junior, who passed before me—all due to her unfilial descendants. It’s truly pitiable; her two granddaughters were too young and foolish, led astray by misguided thoughts." She then took Xianglan’s hand and said, "Good child, I know you’ve been wronged in this affair. From now on, whether you bear children or not, we will never treat you unfairly. I’ll see to it that those two apologize to you properly." Xianglan was inwardly surprised, thinking the Jiang Sisters had already apologized to her, but then the Old Madam added, "And we must ease Lou Ge'er's heart too. After all, we’re all family relatives; why let things escalate like this?"
Xianglan suddenly understood—the Old Madam was here as a mediator. She smiled faintly and said, "I’m deeply grateful that you, Old Madam, don’t find me unworthy and show me such kindness. You’re right; we are all family. I’ll speak with the Master about it later."
The Old Madam sighed, "I just worry that stubborn boy won’t listen. He’s been causing the Jiang Family trouble behind the scenes, alas! Now that they’ve come to me, what can I say?"
Xianglan merely smiled in response. Had this happened two or three years prior, she would have felt indignant and resentful. But given all she’d been through, she now faced it with openness and calm.
That afternoon, as lantern-lighting time approached, Ji Xiang, Shuangxi, Xue Ning, and the others finally returned from the Manor. Upon inquiry, it turned out that arrests were rampant outside, and chaos reigned. The group had waited until things settled somewhat before being escorted back to the capital by soldiers. Of this, no more need be said.
At dinner, Lin Jinlou woke up, and Xianglan brought him porridge, feeding him spoonfuls. After one taste, he frowned and said, "My mouth’s been as bland as a bird’s these past couple days—nothing but thin gruel."
Xianglan replied, "You’re injured and can’t eat stimulating foods. The imperial physician said you must stick to this diet."Lin Jinlou said, "Nonsense. Back on the battlefield, even when I was injured, I ate whatever was available."
Xianglan coaxed him gently, "Drink this porridge first. I'll go to the kitchen to see if there's any mushroom soup simmering and bring you a bowl, alright?"
Lin Jinlou felt utterly miserable. Lying sick in bed had filled him with restless irritability, and everything seemed to aggravate him. He had intended to vent his frustrations and pick a quarrel, but hearing Xianglan speak to him so tenderly made his anger vanish entirely. He watched silently as she fed him the porridge, wiped his mouth, brought tea for him to rinse his mouth, unwrapped the bandages to check his wound, and bustled around him attentively, speaking to him in soft, comforting tones. Suddenly, he felt that this injury was almost worth it.
(Xiao He's Weibo: Search for He Yanshan on Weibo~)
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