In early spring, the weather still carried a slight chill. Over twenty girls stood in the courtyard outside the second gate of the Lin residence. Xianglan wore a faded light red apricot-colored jacket, her hair tied in twin buns, and a floral cloth bundle in her arms. She stood at the very end of the line. The girl in front of her appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a semi-new floral-patterned jacket, with a round face, large eyes, and fair skin, giving her a particularly endearing appearance. She turned around and smiled at Xianglan, saying, "My surname is Liang, and my parents call me Juanzi. I was just bought into the estate. Where are you from, sister?"
Xianglan also smiled and replied, "My name is Chen Xianglan. I'm a family-raised servant of the Lin family."
The two chatted briefly, and with Juanzi's naive temperament and straightforward speech, they quickly became familiar. Juanzi said, "I wonder where we'll be assigned to serve in the future. Since you're a family-raised servant, you must know quite a bit about the Lin family, right? What masters, madams, young masters, and young ladies are there in the Lin family? Tell me quickly."
Xianglan thought for a moment and whispered, "Old Master Lin Zhaoxiang was originally the Minister of Personnel. After retiring to his hometown, the current emperor once considered recalling him to service. However, due to chronic health issues, Old Master Lin only served as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy for five years before retiring again. Old Master Lin has only two sons. The eldest legitimate son, Lin Changzheng, is a Metropolitan Graduate, selected as a Hanlin Bachelor. He served outside the capital for several years before returning to the Hanlin Academy in the capital. After a few more years, he transferred to the Ministry of Revenue as a Vice Minister. He married Qin Shi, a daughter of a prominent family, and they have three sons and three daughters. Lin Jinlou is the eldest legitimate son, married to Zhao Shi, a daughter of an aristocratic family. Lin Jinxuan is the second son, born of a concubine, and is not yet betrothed. Lin Jinyuan is the youngest legitimate son, still very young. The eldest daughter, Lin Dongwan, is born of a concubine. The second daughter is the legitimate Lin Dongqi. The third daughter is Lin Dongxiu, born of a concubine."
"Old Master Lin's second son, Lin Changmin, pursued a military career. A few years ago, he followed General Zhang Huanping to suppress Japanese pirates and now remains in Jinling as a Regional Commander. He married Wang Shi, the daughter of a civil official, and they have only one legitimate son and one legitimate daughter, named Lin Jinting and Lin Dongling."
Juanzi said, "So, the family of the Eldest Master is still in the capital?"
Xianglan nodded and added, "However, the Eldest Master's eldest son, Eldest Master Lou, was raised from childhood by Old Master and Old Madam."
As the two continued chatting, the second steward, Yang Zhong, came out and said, "Quiet down. In a moment, Eldest Master Lou will personally come to inspect you. Don't make a fool of yourselves."
The surroundings immediately fell silent. The girls glanced at each other and stopped talking. Xianglan hugged her bundle and looked up to see a young gentleman in his mid-twenties walking through the arched gate. He wore a dark green informal robe embroidered with orchids and eight roundels, his jet-black hair tied up with a gold and jade crown. Tall and straight-shouldered, with broad shoulders and a commanding presence, his features were handsome and imposing, his eyes sharp as cold stars, exuding an air of dignity and authority. This was none other than Lin Jinlou, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Lin family.
The girls, some as young as eight or nine and the oldest no more than thirteen or fourteen, reacted variously—some blushed and lowered their heads, some shyly stepped back, and others hid behind their companions to steal glances. Xianglan trembled slightly and thought to herself, "I saw him twice when I was a child. Back then, he was a delicate, jade-like little boy—willful, domineering, and exceptionally mischievous. Everyone called him a little terror. Fourteen years have passed, and he's grown into this. He looks much more refined now." Remembering that this person had once been considered for a marriage arrangement with her, she felt a strange sensation in her heart.Yang Zhong barked, "Stand properly, all of you. What did I just instruct?" He rearranged the girls into a line and handed the roster to Lin Jinlou, saying, "Fifteen girls in total—ten born into servant families and five purchased. Please review them, Eldest Master."
Lin Jinlou took the roster and compared it with the girls, then crossed out several names with a brush. "Didn't I say before? They must have decent looks. Do these even count as presentable?"
Yang Zhong bowed with an ingratiating smile. "Some may be a bit plain, but they're skilled with their hands and excel at needlework..."
Lin Jinlou shot him a sidelong glance. "Is the household short of those who can do needlework? Maids must be pleasing to the eye first, so they're a delight to have around. Yang Zhong, you're usually sharp—surely you know this? Did some house-born servants slip you silver to get their daughters or nieces in here?"
Yang Zhong protested, "My lord, how would I dare!"
Lin Jinlou snorted and ordered the crossed-out girls to be taken away. He then questioned the remaining ones one by one, giving them new names, such as changing Juanzi to "Xiao Juan." When it was Xianglan's turn to be questioned, the servant boy Shuangxi rushed in and said, "Eldest Master, two stewards from the docks have arrived and are waiting to see you in the outer courtyard. They say it's urgent."
Lin Jinlou immediately replied, "I'll go right now." Remembering he hadn't questioned the last girl, he circled Xianglan's name on the roster as a reminder to speak with her later. He shoved the roster back to Yang Zhong and said, "Take these few to Jihong Hall and have the old matrons teach them the rules properly for a few days." With that, he hurried off.
Yang Zhong called for Yang Hongying and handed her the roster and the ten selected girls. Yang Hongying promptly led them toward Jihong Hall. Xianglan, carrying her bundle, walked at the very end, gazing around in all directions. They passed through the small passage hall at the inner gate and stepped onto the Covered Corridor, where the view suddenly opened up. Everywhere were carved beams and painted rafters, exotic flowers and rare plants, with a winding stream meandering beneath the corridor. It cascaded from deep within the foliage into a small pond surrounded by fantastical rocks, like a scene from a celestial realm.
Xianglan found it all too much to take in. Suddenly, she recalled her previous life, living in a deep mansion in the capital, where the scenery had been even more magnificent. Now, with her family destroyed and herself displaced, it truly echoed the line, "The carved balustrades and marble steps must still be there, but the faces have changed." They rounded a large screen of ebony carved with cloud-scroll landscapes and saw four side halls, with the main courtyard behind. A maid in a silver-red sleeveless jacket stood on the steps and said to Yang Hongying, "What took you so long? I've been waiting here for ages."
This maid was named Yingshuang, a servant of Lin Jinlou's wife, Zhao Yuechan. Yang Hongying knew well that Zhao Yuechan and her attendants were all domineering and difficult to deal with, which gave her a headache. Nevertheless, she put on a smile and stepped forward, asking, "What can I do for you?"
Yingshuang looked haughty and did not answer. She glanced down the steps and said, "Are these the girls Eldest Master picked? Just these few?" Without waiting for a reply, she snatched the roster from Yang Hongying's hand, turned around, and said, "Bring them all in. Da Nǎinai wants to see them personally."Yang Hongying had no choice but to lead Xianglan and the others inside. Upon entering the main hall, Xianglan glanced upward and saw a radiant woman seated in the chair directly opposite. She wore a kingfisher-feather hairpin adorned with dangling pearls and a ruyi-shaped phoenix ornament, a red gold necklace with Yingluo-style pendants set with mutton-fat jade, and a palace sash with colorful silk tassels tied over a skirt embroidered with floral patterns. Her upper garment was a two-toned gold peony-patterned jacket, and beneath it, a rose-purple pleated skirt. She had slender, upturned eyebrows and captivating peach-blossom eyes—her beauty was as striking as blooming flowers, and even her casual glances seemed to carry a coquettish charm, exuding an air of unparalleled grace and allure.
Yingshuang hurried forward and addressed the woman, "Da Nǎinai, everyone has been brought."
Zhao Yuechan took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Weren't more than twenty brought in? Why are there so few left?" She then turned her gaze to Yang Hongying.
Yang Hongying quickly replied, "These were personally selected by the Eldest Master. The rest have been sent back."
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Let me see what kind of taste the Eldest Master has. All of you, lift your heads and let me have a look."
Everyone raised their heads, and Zhao Yuechan scrutinized them carefully. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon a young maid dressed in a brand-new lake-blue dress, with a delicate oval face and lively, darting eyes. Pointing at her, she asked, "What's your name?"
The girl was startled and timidly replied, "It's... the Eldest Master just changed it to Yindie."
Zhao Yuechan said coldly, "Listen to that—Yindie, such a frivolous and coquettish name." The room fell silent, and no one dared to make a sound. Xianglan thought to herself, "This Da Nǎinai may look like a celestial beauty, but her temper is like that of a demon—hardly endearing." Since Zhao Yuechan was illiterate, she ordered Yingshuang to read the names from the register. When Yingshuang reached the last name, she paused slightly, then brought the register to Zhao Yuechan and pointed at Xianglan's name, whispering, "Madam, this one named Xianglan—the Eldest Master circled her name with a brush."
Zhao Yuechan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who is Xianglan?"
Xianglan replied, "It's me."
Zhao Yuechan looked Xianglan up and down several times. Seeing that the girl had an intelligent and refined appearance with an ethereal grace, her face darkened. She thought to herself, "I knew there was something fishy about him rushing me to buy maids. It wasn't for 'making his parents and siblings comfortable at home' at all—it was all for his own vulgar desires. Just as I suspected!" The more she looked at Xianglan, the more displeased she became. Just then, she heard Yingshuang whisper, "Does Madam intend to drive this little wench out? That won't do. Since the Eldest Master circled her name, it means he's already taken a liking to her. You've been at odds with him lately—if you dismiss someone he's interested in, wouldn't that just add to the tension?"
Zhao Yuechan said stiffly, "If I don't drive her out, I'll be the one feeling stifled."
Yingshuang suggested, "I have an idea. Why not assign her to some remote corner of the estate? Perhaps the Eldest Master was just momentarily infatuated and might forget about her later. If he truly doesn't remember her, we can always send her away then. The Old Madam doesn't have much time left—once she's gone, no matter how much the Eldest Master fancies her, it won't matter."
Zhao Yuechan asked, "But what if the Eldest Master asks about her?"
Yingshuang replied, "We can make excuses for now. If that doesn't work, she'll still be within the household."
Zhao Yuechan thought for a moment and nodded slightly. Turning to Yang Hongying, she said, "Keep Xianglan. Take the rest away."Yang Hongying thought to herself, "Da Nǎinai immediately kept the most outstanding-looking girl with just one remark. I wonder what will become of this young girl in the future." She glanced worriedly at Xianglan but dared not argue, quickly leading the others away. Juanzi looked back repeatedly at Xianglan, seemingly very reluctant to part.
Zhao Yuechan said to Yingshuang, "Take her to Luoxue Courtyard. Coincidentally, the other day Miss Huan asked me for someone, saying she had no maids to use. Go and tell her that this girl is assigned to her."
Yingshuang, having received the order, led the girl out. Xianglan frowned inwardly, thinking, "Who is this Miss Huan? Why haven’t I heard of her before?"
"Miss Huan is the granddaughter of Old Master’s second younger sister. Her elders passed away early, and her brother and sister-in-law’s family is in humble circumstances, so she came to rely on us." Yingshuang glanced at Xianglan. "Serve her diligently. Miss Huan was betrothed in her childhood and is only staying with our Lin family for a year or so. Once the mourning period is over, she will marry and leave from our Lin family, which will also bring her some honor."
Xianglan scoffed inwardly, "She’s just a maid, yet she keeps saying 'our' and 'our Lin family'—how ridiculous!" Her face showed no expression, and she continued walking with her head bowed meekly.
Yingshuang led the two of them for a long time until they saw a delicate, small house ahead, built by the water. It had one main room and two side rooms, all with polished walls and black barrel tiles, without any red powder decoration. A tall, sturdy woman in her fifties was sitting at the main entrance washing clothes. When she saw Yingshuang, she stood up and called into the house, "Miss Huan, Yingshuang is here!" After saying this, she leaned against the doorframe, her large eyes rolling as she scrutinized Xianglan.
OpenNovel