At the third quarter of the You hour, Xianglan returned to the mansion in a small sedan chair. Dinner had just concluded in the household, the garden gates were about to be locked, lanterns were lit in every room, and all was quiet. Choosing a shady and secluded path, Xianglan walked until she reached the back gate of the Zhichun Hall courtyard, where she vaguely saw two figures speaking behind an unusual rock. Drawing closer in the twilight, she recognized them as Ying Shuang and Yin Die.
Startled, Xianglan quickly hastened her steps to hide around a corner, peeking cautiously. Ying Shuang was whispering something to Yin Die, who nodded from time to time. Finally, Ying Shuang took out some loose silver from her sleeve and pressed it into Yin Die’s hand. After a few polite refusals, Yin Die smoothly tucked the silver into her own sleeve.
Xianglan thought to herself, "Is Ying Shuang trying to bribe Yin Die? I’ll need to be more wary of her from now on."
She then took a long detour to enter through the main gate and went to the eastern wing to thank Qing Lan. Qing Lan, fanning herself, wore a white silk blouse and a flower-patterned silk skirt, reclining lazily on the Imperial Concubine Couch by the window with her eyes closed. She casually asked about Xianglan’s family. Seeing that Qing Lan seemed weary, Xianglan kowtowed and left.
When she returned to her room, Yin Die was already there, sitting on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest, staring blankly into the distance. Xiao Juan spotted Xianglan and bounded over cheerfully, asking, "You’re back! Is everything well at home?"
Xianglan smiled. "Thank you for your concern. Everything’s fine." As she spoke, she took out some sweet candies she had bought from the shop to share with everyone.
Just then, Chun Ling entered the room. She greeted Xianglan, then turned her head and saw Yin Die. Instantly, her brows furrowed in anger, and she pointed accusingly, "I told you earlier that the Concubine wanted to bathe and asked you to hurry the water. And here you are, sitting on the bed like a mistress—should we set up an incense burner and worship you too?"
Yin Die, startled, scrambled off the bed and rushed out to fetch the water. Chun Ling chased after her, scolding, "You shameless, clueless wretch! Do you really think you’re a lady?"
Seeing the commotion was getting out of hand—several maids from the main quarters were already peering curiously from the courtyard—Xianglan pulled Chun Ling back, smiling. "Sister, don’t be angry. Let me pour you a bowl of tea."
Chun Ling fanned herself with a small handkerchief, grumbling, "Just looking at her attitude makes me furious! You weren’t here today, so you didn’t see. That little hussy clung shamelessly to the Master, making him a pouch and cozying up to him. She even said she’d tidy his clothes and reached out to touch him. But just as she stretched her hand, the Concubine caught her red-handed. Thankfully, our Concubine is kind-hearted and didn’t embarrass her on the spot. She only punished her after the Master left, docking her three months’ rice allowance."
Xianglan gasped in shock. "She... she’s far too bold!"
Chun Ling snorted. "Bold? She’s downright mad. She’s been complaining in private, telling people who don’t know the truth, ‘I was only fixing the Master’s clothes and got punished.’ She even cursed me and Xiao Juan under her breath." Lowering her voice, she added, "Between you and me—don’t tell anyone—I heard from Wu Mama that the Concubine plans to summon Yin Die’s parents soon and have them take her home."
Xianglan said, "If that really happens, she’ll be utterly humiliated."
Chun Ling covered her mouth, giggling. "Exactly. Once she’s gone, we’ll have some peace." Humming a tune, she turned and walked out.That evening, Lin Jinlou went to the east chamber for dinner. Qing Lan quickly ordered two more dishes he liked and prepared a fresh pot of soup, causing a flurry of activity in the east chamber. Qing Lan warmed a pot of wine for Lin Jinlou in a colorful glazed petal-shaped wine vessel, while she herself accompanied him with tea, creating a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.
Chun Ling eagerly took the lead in serving, so Xianglan seized the chance to relax. She sat in the tea room, watching the stove while doing needlework, when suddenly she heard movement at the door. Wu Mama entered and sat on a small stool beside Xianglan, fanning herself with her hand. "This room is like a little steamer, yet you can sit here so calmly," she remarked.
Xianglan smiled and said, "It's quiet here. A little heat doesn't bother me." As she spoke, she picked up the copper kettle on the stove and poured a cup of tea for Wu Mama.
Wu Mama's face relaxed into a smile, her wrinkles smoothing out. "The east chamber is lively tonight. The Master has been staying here for several days in a row, completely ignoring the main residence. Judging by the way things are going, he’ll probably stay here tonight as well."
Xianglan asked, "What if Madam gets angry?"
Wu Mama snorted. "Who cares if she’s angry? Taitai found many issues while checking the accounts and is already furious with her. The Master can’t be bothered with her either. Apart from Second Madam, who has a soft heart and occasionally sends someone over with little gifts, no one in the household pays her any mind." She leaned closer to Xianglan and lowered her voice. "I once heard the concubine mention that the Master is considering... a divorce after the mourning period ends."
Xianglan was shocked, her eyes widening. "Divorce? That’s no joking matter..."
Wu Mama sighed. "I thought the same. The Zhao family won’t take this lying down. Although Madam Zhao’s immediate family is only of the sixth rank, the Zhao clan is a prominent one, with many officials in court. If this escalates, it could get ugly. But this is just what the Master is thinking for now... Even if they do divorce, our concubine might not necessarily be elevated to the main wife." She then grew serious. "What I just told you must not be shared with anyone else—not even Xiao Juan or Chun Ling. The concubine holds you in high regard, which is why I confided in you."
Xianglan nodded. "Mama, don’t worry. I won’t say a word." Before she could finish, Chun Ling rushed in and pulled Xianglan up. "The Master sent me to deliver something to Taitai, and we’re short-handed up front. Quickly take the pastries from the small kitchen to the main room."
Xianglan had no choice but to go to the small kitchen. She took four plates of cakes from the cook, arranged them on a tray, and entered the bedroom. Keeping her head lowered, she glanced around discreetly. Inside the green gauze cabinet, Lin Jinlou and Qing Lan were dining on the large kang bed, which was set with a mother-of-pearl-inlaid vermilion lacquer table adorned with gold. The table was laden with fine dishes and wine. Lin Jinlou reclined against a dark blue satin cushion embroidered with ink motifs, his hair loose and dressed in casual attire, his robe half-open to reveal his sturdy chest. He held a delicate porcelain wine cup decorated with auspicious treasures, exuding an air of unrestrained ease. Qing Lan sat beside the table, using her chopsticks to feed him bites of food and refilling his cup whenever it was empty.Xianglan cautiously stepped forward, placed the dessert dishes on the table, and cleared away two untouched dishes. When Lin Jinlou saw Xianglan enter, his heart skipped a beat, and he narrowed his eyes. Ever since their brief exchange last time, for some reason, her delicate and radiant face kept surfacing in his mind. When he went to the east wing again, he couldn’t find the little maid. He had visited several days in a row and even deliberately or inadvertently mentioned her to Qing Lan. Unexpectedly, Qing Lan was oblivious and failed to grasp his intentions, letting his words go in one ear and out the other. He remembered Xianglan saying she only did needlework in the back and never served tea or water, so he purposely went to the tea room to look for her but still couldn’t find her. Today, however, he unexpectedly saw her.
Lin Jinlou took a small sip of wine and said to Xianglan, "Stay here and serve. Don’t go anywhere else."
Xianglan was reluctant but had no choice but to obediently stand a few steps away from the green gauze cabinet, ready to be called upon. Yet Lin Jinlou was particularly vexing, complaining that the wine was too cold one moment and the dishes too bland the next, ordering her to do this and that. Suddenly, he called out again, "I’ve been running around these past few days, and my legs are sore. You, come here and massage them for me."
Qing Lan immediately moved to massage Lin Jinlou’s feet, but he quickly stopped her, squeezing her hand with a smile. "You’re with child—how could I bear to trouble you? Let a maid do the kneading and massaging."
Xianglan had no choice but to pick up a beauty hammer and stand by the kang to massage Lin Jinlou’s legs. Still, he wasn’t satisfied and snorted, "Use your hands. The hammer is too hard—it doesn’t feel good."
Lin Jinlou half-closed his eyes, watching as Xianglan obediently clenched her fists and massaged his legs. Her hands were like two balls of cotton, brushing against him like a tickle, yet he found it oddly soothing. Especially when he ordered her around, keeping her busy and circling around him, it gave him a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
Finally, the meal ended. Xianglan shook her sore hands and picked up a tray to clear the table. Lin Jinlou pointed at two dishes on the table and said, "These two plates of desserts, along with a bowl of congee, are yours to eat. Finish them before coming back to serve during the washing-up."
Xianglan thanked him for the reward and stepped outside. Looking at the plates, she saw lotus root honey cakes, glutinous rice cold cakes, kidney bean rolls, pigeon glass cakes, cream pineapple jelly, and floss pastry rolls, along with a bowl of bird’s nest congee made with premium rice—all the finest delicacies. Normally, even leftovers of such dishes would be saved for the master’s next meal.
Xianglan thought to herself, "These two plates of desserts were just what he sent me to the kitchen to fetch earlier, and now he hasn’t touched a single bite. I wonder if this Master is just generous, always rewarding servants with good things, or if he’s simply wasteful, spending gold and silver so recklessly." It never crossed her mind that there might be another meaning behind it. Happily, she took the desserts to the tea room, leaving two overly sweet pieces for Xiao Juan before devouring the rest.
Suddenly, a maid at the door announced, "The Mistress is here!"
Thank you, Junxi812, for the two zongzi^_^
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