Lin Jinlou frowned. He certainly remembered Su Meiru—that woman was quite beautiful, possessing a moonlike countenance, skilled in the arts of charm, adept at dressing up, and a master of music and song. Originally the beloved concubine of a salt merchant from Yangzhou, she had come to seek his protection after her husband died. He had rented a residence outside to keep her for a while, but later his interest waned, especially after Xianglan entered the household, and he completely severed ties, giving the woman a sum of silver. He also arranged for someone to look after a shop she owned in the city, feeling he had done his utmost in kindness. Now, this old history was dug up by Lin Jinting. Lin Jinlou glanced at him and said, "I remember, so what?"
Lin Jinting sighed, placing the medicine bowl on the foreign-lacquered side table, and said listlessly, "That woman is truly a calamity. Tsk, somehow she got involved with my father." He lifted his eyelids to sneak a glance and, seeing Lin Jinlou's expression remain calm, continued, "My father, bewitched, wants to elevate her as a concubine because she’s pregnant. Afraid the Old Master wouldn’t agree, he married her in secret. But not long after, rumors started spreading outside, saying the Lin family is beastly and disrespectful, with uncle and nephew sharing the same woman... Now that woman is already pregnant..." He glanced at Lin Jinlou’s face, his voice trailing off.
Back when Lin Jinlou was with Su Meiru, he had once hosted a banquet at the residence he had set up outside, inviting several colleagues from the army. Since his uncle Lin Changmin also held a middling fifth-rank military position, he was included in the gathering. That day, Lin Changmin arrived very early. Lin Jinlou wasn’t there, and he saw Su Meiru wearing a silver wig, emerald plum blossom hairpins, inch-long green jade earrings, a lotus-root silk gauze blouse, and a white embroidered skirt, with the tips of a pair of red cherry-toed shoes peeking out from under the hem. Holding a gold-embroidered handkerchief, she stood on the platform inside the second gate. Lin Changmin had long heard of his eldest nephew’s romantic exploits and his exceptionally charming mistress. Meeting her face to face, he saw she had a jade-like, enchanting beauty, a slender and graceful waist, with an undercurrent of allure, and a slightly dark complexion that made her a "dark beauty," only adding to her charm. With her oval face and delicately arched eyebrows, Lin Changmin was struck dumb at the sight and couldn’t help but bow deeply. Su Meiru, unlike shy ordinary women, looked Lin Changmin up and down, curtsied, covered her mouth with a light laugh, and flicked her handkerchief as she retreated inside.
Lin Changmin was captivated from that moment. Later, during the banquet, Lin Jinlou called for Su Meiru to come out with her pipa and perform a set of "Thirty Tunes." Her performance was melodious and tender, full of grace, and Lin Changmin grew even more infatuated. However, restrained by the fact that she was Lin Jinlou’s mistress, he couldn’t make a move. From then on, under the pretext of looking after things for Lin Jinlou, he occasionally sent gifts—sometimes food, sometimes perfumed powder, or hair oil. Su Meiru, being astute, understood about eighty to ninety percent of his intentions. She accepted the gifts, generously rewarded the servants who delivered them, but never sent anything in return and never mentioned it to Lin Jinlou. After sending gifts four or five times with no response from Su Meiru, Lin Changmin eventually gave up.After Lin Jinlou stopped visiting Su Meiru and sent Jixiang with three thousand taels of silver and a box of jewelry to settle matters, Su Meiru wept bitterly for several days. But once she dried her tears, life had to go on. She swore to herself: "If a woman wants to live well, she must rely on herself. Men are utterly unreliable—better to trust silver than men! Next time I marry, it must be into a wealthy and powerful family. How else can I make up for all the suffering I've endured?" Because she was beautiful and quite wealthy, many sought to marry her as a second wife or take her as a concubine. Matchmakers came and went all day long, but none of the families could compare to the Lin family in status. The few with somewhat respectable backgrounds involved men who were old and ugly—nowhere near as desirable as Lin Jinlou. One day, someone knocked on the door, and a young servant stood at the entrance, claiming that Second Master of the Lin family had sent him to deliver perfumed lotion. The maid who answered the door hurried to the back to show Su Meiru the two bottles. This time, however, Su Meiru acted entirely differently from before. She personally called the servant in and questioned him about this and that. In the end, she even wrapped some freshly steamed jujube paste cakes in her own handkerchief, saying she had made them herself, and asked the servant to take them back for Lin Changmin to taste.
Within a few days, Lin Changmin came in person. Su Meiru dressed in her finest: sapphire earrings, a lilac gauze blouse, a silver-red sleeveless jacket, and a brocade skirt. She invited Lin Changmin to stay for drinks. Su Meiru diligently urged him to drink and engaged him in flirtatious conversation. Lin Changmin found himself swayed by her charms. Thinking of Su Meiru as a wealthy widow, he grew even more sweet-tongued, asking her to sing a tune and attempting to get handsy. Su Meiru responded with intimate laughter and talk but was very sparing with physical contact. She said, "Although I come from a humble background, I was pampered and spoiled by matchmakers since childhood. I won’t sing for just anyone."
Lin Changmin laughed and said, "What? You sang for my nephew before—is my status not as great as his?"
Su Meiru traced her fingers along her sash and replied, "Back then, I was with him—he was my man. But what are you to me, Second Master Lin?" Her bright eyes glistened, and despite having seen many beautiful women, Lin Changmin felt an itch in his heart. Before he could speak, Su Meiru stood up and said, "It's too late now, Second Master Lin. You should go. Come back another day." With that, she turned and left.
Lin Changmin was left dumbfounded. He sat for a long while, realizing Su Meiru wouldn’t return, and eventually left a five-tael silver ingot with a young maid, saying, "Keep this silver for your mistress to buy rouge and powder. When I come again, I’ll bring two bolts of silk." Then he stood and departed.When he returned a few days later, he was met with a closed door. The gatekeeper said Su Meiru had gone up the mountain to offer incense. When he went again, he was told she had left to visit relatives. This was Su Meiru's tactic. If Lin Changmin had previously regarded her as seven-tenths desirable, now that she seemed within reach yet remained elusive, she became twelve-tenths irresistible, making him crave her even more desperately. It wasn't until his third anxious attempt that he finally gained entry. Lin Changmin first presented her with a bolt of thirty-eight-tael Songjiang broadloom plain white satin, two sets of clothing, and a sealed packet of fifty taels of silver. Su Meiru, exuding tender affection, held her pipa this time, gently adjusting her silk sleeves as she sang "The Wind Falls the Mume Blossoms." After finishing the song, she toasted Lin Changmin. Overjoyed beyond measure, he moved to embrace her, but she pushed him away, saying, "I am deeply honored by Second Master's affection. Though I am but a drifting weed, I still have some principles. Currently, there are two paths before us—one long, one short. I wonder which you would choose?"
Lin Changmin asked, "What two paths? What does the short one entail, and what about the long one?"
Su Meiru replied, "The short path: we enjoy one night of pleasure, and I repay Second Master for your kindness. A fleeting romance—tomorrow you may marry, I may wed, with no further ties. Magistrate Han's son, Han Guangye, has already sent a matchmaker to take me as his second wife. Though he's only a minor eighth-rank official, the Han family is quite respectable and well-off."
Lin Changmin said, "And the long path?"
Su Meiru rose, took Lin Changmin's hand, and led him to a chest in the room. Opening it, she revealed half a chest full of antique treasures and various silks and satins. She said, "I have more items like these. Not just these, but I also own another shop. All the furniture in this room is mine—this black lacquer bed carved with blessings and traced in gold alone cost twenty-six taels of silver. If you, Master, are willing to properly marry me, and we become one as husband and wife, all this will belong to both of us. Staying together forever, bearing children and raising a family—wouldn't that be like an immortal couple?"
This chest of treasures truly made Lin Changmin's heart race with desire. Their branch of the family had always been inferior to the main branch, and Lin Zhaoxiang didn't think much of them either. Although they didn't lack silver, Lin Changmin had the demon of gambling, and over time, his funds became insufficient. He could squeeze no more money from his wife, Wang Shi, and now he had outstanding debts outside. Only in front of outsiders did he flaunt his extravagance, but inwardly, he grudged every penny spent. Now, seeing Su Meiru so wealthy, he was genuinely tempted. Moreover, his wife Wang Shi was only moderately attractive and had aged poorly, becoming less appealing. Besides, Wang Shi was somewhat dull in social interactions, often failing to read people's moods or show understanding—nowhere near as graceful, clever, and gentle as Su Meiru. Yet he hesitated, saying, "The Old Master values reputation above all. After all, you're 'a latecomer to the priesthood'—not originally chaste—and you were involved with my eldest nephew... If this gets out... I'm not afraid of anything else, but I fear my father... Tsk..."
Su Meiru said, "What is there to fear, Master? Just keep it completely secret. We can feign one thing while doing another, handle matters quietly without anyone knowing. In a year or half, when I bear your child, how could the Old Master not dote on his grandson? Besides, since things have already come to this, at most he'll scold you once—what more can he do? I've heard your current wife is meek-natured—surely she wouldn't be intolerant."Indeed, lust clouds judgment, and wealth stirs desire. These words set Lin Changmin’s heart racing. In that moment, he cast aside all thoughts of his stern father, his formidable nephew, and even the family’s reputation, pledging vows of eternal devotion to Su Meiru and wholeheartedly plotting their future together. Little did he know Su Meiru’s true intentions. Proud and ambitious by nature, her standards had only risen since becoming involved with Lin Jinlou. She dismissed every suitor who came seeking her hand, fixated on marrying into a wealthy, powerful family—yet none of her prospects met her expectations. Lin Changmin, however, was in his early forties, slightly plump, of average height, with dark skin and narrow eyes—an ordinary man, yet possessing a certain charm. As a fifth-rank official, he was gentle, soft-spoken, and meticulous in every detail. Lin Jinlou had once remarked offhandedly that Wang Shi, his wife, seemed rather ineffective in managing the household, meek as tofu—a type of principal wife who would be easy to control in the future. After much deliberation, Su Meiru concluded that no one suited her better than him, and partly to spite Lin Jinlou, she decided to align herself with Lin Changmin.
Thus, the two eagerly made their arrangements. Su Meiru used her silver to purchase the rented property they occupied, while Lin Changmin spent his money on jewelry, clothing, bedding, curtains, and other necessities for their new union. On the chosen day, Lin Changmin invited only two close friends and a few clansmen with whom he was on good terms, hosting a banquet to formally take Su Meiru as his concubine.
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