Xianglan had no heart to watch the opera. After chatting with Lin Dongxiu for a while in the Covered Corridor, she suddenly noticed Lin Dongxiu's expression shift slightly. Pressing her lips into a smile, Lin Dongxiu said, "Oh my, look who's here."
Xianglan turned her head and saw Lin Jinlou striding over, covered in dust from his journey. She remembered he had official business outside today and had left early in the morning. His return now, still in his travel-worn clothes, showed he had rushed over without even changing.
Lin Jinlou walked up close, furrowing his brows as he scrutinized Xianglan from left to right. Unable to resist, she asked, "Why are you back so early? And why haven't you changed your clothes?"
Lin Jinlou replied, "I heard the Jiang family came again? Did the Old Master and Old Madam give you a hard time?" Without waiting for her answer, he grabbed her hand and said, "Let's go, back we go."
Xianglan hurriedly said, "The banquet hasn't ended yet, how can we leave?"
Ignoring her, Lin Jinlou tugged Xianglan along and strode ahead. They arrived directly at the Hall of Flourishing Spring, where Lin Jinlou finally stopped. Turning to look, he saw Xianglan's face flushed bright red and realized he had walked too fast. Still frowning, he said, "Alright, don't go back. Save yourself from fidgeting there. I'll speak to the Old Madam later and have her send the Jiang family away."
Xianglan grew anxious at this and said, "No, I've already agreed anyway. Wouldn't that undo all my efforts? Besides, today is the Old Madam's birthday—you can't let your grandmother be upset because of me."
Lin Jinlou, still frowning, said, "This is because I care about you, silly."
Xianglan was taken aback and fell silent, staring at Lin Jinlou.
After a long pause, Lin Jinlou said, "Have you ever thought about it? Being so soft-hearted only ends up hurting yourself. You sacrifice your own comfort for others, and sometimes people take you for a fool. All your kindness is wasted on the ungrateful—they won't appreciate it and will only bully you more." Seeing Xianglan in a daze, he took her hand and turned it over and over, muttering, "Tsk, alright. Since I'm back anyway, the Jiang family should be sent off soon. We can go to the front later."
Suddenly, Xianglan said, "The weather is nice today. Why don't you take me out for a stroll, Eldest Master?"
Lin Jinlou looked up in surprise—this was the first time Xianglan had asked to go out with him. He couldn't help but feel pleased and said, "Very well."
Servants promptly prepared the carriage. Xianglan changed out of her splendid attire into a plain, inconspicuous outfit and did not bring any maids. Lin Jinlou also refrained from riding his horse and boarded the carriage with Xianglan. He asked, "Where would you like to go? The capital is full of places to eat, drink, and have fun."
Xianglan smiled and said, "Nothing in particular, let's just look around casually."
The carriage then circled through the bustling parts of the capital. Whenever Xianglan asked a question about something or glanced outside a little longer, Lin Jinlou would send Shuangxi and Jixiang to buy it. They returned with local specialties like Autumn Pear Paste, Tuckahoe Pancake, Crisp Sugar Candy, and Preserved Fruit, as well as humble, charming trinkets such as old books, Dough Figurines, Sugar Paintings, Pellet Drums, and Small Pottery Jars—a miscellaneous assortment of items.
Xianglan stopped him, saying, "Why buy so much? I was just curious to look."
Lin Jinlou, beaming with delight, replied, "You can't get out of the carriage—can you see clearly from this far? Buying them back lets you examine them closely, to your heart's content. If you get tired of them, you can give them away later. The small vendors have a hard time making a living anyway—it's just a few extra coins for them to earn."Xianglan was about to compliment him upon hearing the latter part of his words when Lin Jinlou leaned closer and lazily grinned, "See how well I treat you? Touched?" He pointed at his own cheek and said, "Don't you think you should give me a kiss?"
Xianglan choked back her half-formed words and ignored him. Previously, she had found Lin Jinlou's behavior rather annoying. Though she had been genuinely moved, his insistence on spelling it out and demanding repayment stripped away every last trace of that feeling. This fellow had no understanding of subtlety or the power of unspoken sentiments. Yet now, she found his shameless demeanor somewhat endearing. The corners of her lips twitched upward as she suppressed a smile, turning her head to peer through a crack in the carriage curtain.
After more than a decade, the capital appeared both familiar and strange to her eyes. In her childhood, her grandfather and father had taken her out on the streets, with servants carrying her on their shoulders, buying all sorts of trinkets to amuse her. When she grew older, her father would hold her hand and bring her to watch street performers or take her to the opera theater... Just then, the carriage slowly passed by a shop called "Rongxi Zhai," a time-honored establishment in the capital renowned for selling the Four Treasures of the Study. Xianglan remembered how her grandfather, whenever he managed to find some leisure, would bring his grandchildren here to hunt for antique inkstones. Each time, she would pick out a stack of Patterned Stationery Paper dyed in various designs to take home. Her father would laugh at her girlish sentiments, yet he often painted flowers, birds, fish, and insects on ordinary letter paper for her and her younger sister to admire...
Even as the carriage moved on, Xianglan continued to gaze back. Lin Jinlou couldn't help but ask, "Want to buy some writing materials?" After a pause, he added, "Should I have the guards clear the area so you can take a look inside that shop?"
Xianglan shook her head, her eyes glistening as if with unshed tears. Suddenly, she murmured, "Over a decade ago, the Shen family of the Grand Secretary was completely wiped out... I wonder... I wonder if anyone collected their bodies... and where they're buried now..."
Lin Jinlou was taken aback. He had long suspected that Xianglan had deep connections to the Shen family, but since she never spoke of it, he never asked. He hadn't expected her to bring it up now. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "If you wish to pay your respects, I'll take you." With that, he ordered the servants to drive the carriage out of the city.
Once beyond the city gates, the official road grew increasingly deserted and desolate. After traveling about eight or nine li in one go and making two turns, they arrived at the foot of a mountain where a narrow path curved upward. Lin Jinlou helped Xianglan alight from the carriage, and the two walked along the path for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Before them lay a gentle slope, where a tomb constructed of blue bricks and white stones stood—it was actually the ancestral grave of the Shen family. Lin Jinlou said, "Grand Secretary Shen and his descendants are all buried within this large tomb chamber."
Xianglan gasped, her entire body trembling slightly. She covered her mouth in astonishment and asked, "Who is buried here? Could it be... could it be that the Shen family wasn't completely exterminated? Are there survivors?"
Lin Jinlou shook his head and replied softly, "No... When the Shen family fell, all the male members were executed at the Meridian Gate. It was my grandfather who bribed the guards under cover of night to secretly retrieve their bodies. At first, they didn't dare bury them here and had to inter them hastily elsewhere. Five or six years later, when the turmoil had quieted, they chose an auspicious day to quietly move the remains to the Shen family's ancestral grave."Xianglan's eyes had long reddened, two pools of tears welling up and rolling down her cheeks. Back then, the situation had been perilous, with storms raging and darkness descending as the princes vied for the throne. The Shen family was the first to be executed, and not only their relatives and close friends but even her grandfather's disciples were implicated one after another. At court, three Imperial Censors had spoken up for the Shen family, yet all were reprimanded and demoted. The world was cold, human relationships as thin as gauze—no one came to lend a hand, all avoiding involvement if they could. Though Lin Zhaoxiang and Shen Wenhan had grown distant due to political disagreements, she never imagined that when the Shen family lay in ruins, it would be the Lin family who gathered their remains—a deed fraught with unspoken dangers. She turned slightly, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, and asked in a choked voice, "Is there any incense?" Unable to hold back, she bowed her head to wipe her tears again and added, "I have some ties to the Shen family and wish to pay my respects today."
Lin Jinlou said, "I bought a pack of Rue Incense at the market earlier." He then ordered Jixiang to fetch it.
Moments later, Jixiang came panting, not only with the Rue Incense but also carrying a small pottery jar to serve as an incense burner, some plain fruits and pastries, and even a cushion from the carriage to kneel on. Shuangxi, standing nearby, couldn't help but click his tongue and rub his hands, thinking to himself how their Eldest Master always favored his elder brother more—if he had been sent, he'd probably have only brought the incense, never thinking of the burner or cushion.
With everything prepared, Xianglan personally lit the incense and performed three bows and nine kowtows with deep reverence toward the large grave. She poured a cup of light tea on the ground, silently praying, "Ancestors of the Shen family, I offer you tea today, hoping you transcend suffering in the afterlife. But back then, the crisis struck so swiftly, I couldn't even bid you farewell. Remembering your voices and smiles feels like a knife twisting in my heart, so sorrowful." After the rites, she remained kneeling on the ground, tears still falling.
Lin Jinlou watched curiously, thinking, "Xianglan once claimed she was the reincarnation of the Shen family's eldest daughter—how absurd! But with her honest nature, she never lies... I heard her master also came from a prominent family. Could there be some connection between the Shen family and her master?" As he pondered, he saw Xianglan rise. Lin Jinlou stepped forward to light the incense and paid his respects as a junior. Noticing Xianglan's reddened eyes fixed on him, he said, "I met Lord Shen as a child, though my memory is hazy. My grandfather once said that despite their disagreements and constant debates, he respected Lord Shen's character. When Lord Shen fell from grace, some family advisors mocked his foolishness for not adapting to the times, but Grandfather angrily retorted that even if one couldn't be as unyielding and loyal as Lord Shen, facing death for integrity, they should at least honor the virtuous and feel regret."
Hearing this, Xianglan couldn't hold back more tears, thinking, "Regardless of the kindness in collecting the bodies, these words alone make Grandfather's friendship with Lord Lin worthwhile." She looked up and noticed a lone tombstone on the hillside, not far from the ancestral graves. Curious, she lifted her skirt and approached, only to freeze at the sight of the inscription: "Shen of the Xiao Family."
Lin Jinlou followed her and, seeing the tombstone, explained, "I heard this was erected by the eldest daughter's maid as a cenotaph. Since she was a married woman, she couldn't be buried in the ancestral grave. Grandfather often sighed over this in casual talks—what was that maid's name... something Dong?""Rendong." Xianglan silently recited the name in her heart, reaching out to trace the characters engraved on the tombstone. She recalled how she had once resented this person for their cunning behavior, their constant absurdities, and their never-ending troublemaking. She had even considered expelling them, but in the end, she couldn't bear to do it. Seeing them secretly crying when no one was watching, she thought that if she were to sell them off, their frail body might not survive long, so her heart softened and she let them stay. Afterward, Rendong's temperament remained unchanged, and Xianglan often found herself frustrated. Yet, out of regard for the affection Rendong held for her, she tolerated it. Little did she expect—little did she expect—that their fate would end here.
She looked up at Lin Jinlou and saw him casually examining the tombstone with the lazy air of a wealthy young master. Noticing Xianglan's gaze, Lin Jinlou turned his eyes toward her. Xianglan gave him a radiant smile and said, "Earlier at the Lin residence, Eldest Master mentioned how sacrificing oneself to fulfill others is like feeding one's conscience to the dogs. At the time, I didn't know how to respond, but now I understand... I act with kindness because it is the right thing to do, not for any future benefits I might gain. Even if the other person betrays me, does that mean the right thing I did back then shouldn't have been done? Heaven is always fair. After all the calculations of gains and losses, I may have suffered betrayals, but I've also received abundant rewards. There are always more good people in this world."
Xianglan rarely smiled at him like this, and Lin Jinlou was momentarily stunned. It took him a moment to grasp what she meant. He reached out to take her hand and asked, "Oh? Then tell me, what rewards have you received?" Just as Xianglan was about to speak, Lin Jinlou added, "Look at how well I treat you—perhaps that's the good karma you've accumulated from your virtuous deeds. It seems you've truly amassed great merit in your daily life."
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