Early spring still carried a slight chill in the air. Over twenty girls stood in the courtyard outside the second gate of the Lin residence. Xianglan wore a faded apricot-red jacket, her hair tied in a simple bun, with 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 patterned jacket, with a round face, large eyes, and fair skin—exceptionally charming. She turned to Xianglan with a smile and said, "My surname is Liang. My parents call me Juanzi. I was just bought into the household. Where are you from, sister?"
Xianglan smiled back. "I'm Chen Xianglan, a household slave of the Lin family."
The two exchanged a few words. Juanzi, with her innocent nature and straightforward speech, quickly warmed up to her. "I wonder where we'll be assigned to serve. Since you're a household slave, you must know a lot about the Lin family, right? What masters, mistresses, young masters, and young ladies are there? Tell me quickly!"
Xianglan thought for a moment and replied softly, "Old Lord Lin Zhaoxiang was originally the Minister of Personnel before retiring to his hometown. After the Emperor ascended the throne, he considered recalling him to service, but due to lingering ailments, Old Lord Lin only served as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy for five years before retiring again. He has only two sons. The eldest, Lin Changzheng, is a twice-ranked imperial scholar, appointed as a Hanlin bachelor. After serving outside the capital for several years, he returned to the Hanlin Academy and later became Vice Minister of Revenue. He married Qin Shi, a daughter of a prestigious family, and they have three sons and three daughters. The eldest, Lin Jinlou, married Madam Zhao from an aristocratic family. The second son, Lin Jinxuan, is of lesser birth and remains unmarried. The youngest, Lin Jinyuan, is still a child. The eldest daughter, Lin Dongwan, is of lesser birth; the second, Lin Dongqi, is legitimate; and the third, Lin Dongxiu, is also of lesser birth."
"Old Lord Lin's second son, Lin Changmin, pursued a military career. Years ago, he followed General Zhang Huanping to quell Japanese pirates and now serves as a brigade commander in Jinling. He married Wang Shi, the daughter of a civil official, and they have one legitimate son, Lin Jinting, and one legitimate daughter, Lin Dongling."
Juanzi asked, "So the eldest master's family is still in the capital?"
Xianglan nodded. "Only the eldest son, Eldest Master Lou, was raised from childhood by Old Lord Lin and his wife."
The two continued chatting until the second steward, Yang Zhong, stepped out and announced, "Quiet, everyone. Eldest Master Lou will be coming shortly to inspect you. Don’t make fools of yourselves."
Silence fell instantly. The girls exchanged glances and hushed. Xianglan clutched her bundle and looked up as a young man in his mid-twenties emerged from the arched gate. Dressed in a dark green formal robe embroidered with orchids, his jet-black hair was tied with a gold-and-jade crown. Tall and broad-shouldered, his handsome features were accentuated by piercing, coldly gleaming eyes—exuding both authority and noble refinement. This was Lin Jinlou, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Lin family.
The girls, ranging from eight or nine to thirteen or fourteen years old, reacted variously—some blushed and lowered their heads, others shied away bashfully, while a few peeked out from behind others. Xianglan felt a slight tremor. She thought, "I saw him twice as a child, when he was still a spoiled, domineering little brat—everyone called him a little tyrant. Fourteen years later, he’s grown into this... much more refined now." The memory that this man had once been considered for marriage to her stirred a peculiar feeling in her heart.Yang Zhong barked, "Stand properly! What did I just instruct you?" He rearranged the girls into a line again and handed the roster to Lin Jinlou, saying, "There are fifteen girls in total—ten born into servant families and five purchased. Please review them, Master."
Lin Jinlou took the roster and compared it with the girls before him, then crossed out several names with a brush. "Didn't I make it clear? I want those with proper looks. Do these count as proper?"
Yang Zhong bowed with an ingratiating smile. "Some may be a bit plain, but they're skilled with their hands, excellent at needlework..."
Lin Jinlou shot him a sidelong glance. "Is our household short of those who can do needlework? Maids must first be pleasing to the eye—only then will they bring comfort when placed in the rooms. Yang Zhong, you're usually sharp. Don't tell me you don't understand this? Did some servant families bribe you to sneak their daughters or nieces in?"
Yang Zhong protested, "My lord, how would I dare!"
Lin Jinlou snorted and ordered the crossed-out girls to be led away. He then questioned the remaining ones one by one, giving them new names. He renamed Juanzi as "Xiao Juan." When it was Xianglan's turn to be questioned, the servant boy Shuangxi ran over and said, "Master, two stewards from the docks are waiting to see you in the outer courtyard. They say it's urgent."
Lin Jinlou immediately replied, "I'll go now." Remembering there was one last girl he hadn't questioned, he circled Xianglan's name as a reminder to question her later. He shoved the roster back at Yang Zhong and said, "Take these to Jihong Hall and have the old matrons teach them proper manners for a few days." With that, he hurried off.
Yang Zhong called for Yang Hongying and handed her the roster along with the ten selected girls. Yang Hongying promptly led them toward Jihong Hall. Xianglan, carrying her bundle, walked at the very end, looking around as they passed through the small hallway beyond the second gate and onto the covered corridor. The view suddenly opened up—everywhere was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, exotic flowers and rare plants. A winding stream meandered beneath the corridor, flowing from deep within the foliage into a small pond encircled by fantastical rocks, like something out of a fairyland.
Xianglan found it all overwhelming. She suddenly recalled her previous life, living in a grand mansion in the capital, where the scenery surpassed even this. Now, with her family ruined and scattered, it truly echoed the line, "The carved balustrades and marble steps must still be there, only the rosy cheeks have changed." As they rounded a large ebony screen carved with mountain-and-cloud motifs, they saw four reception rooms, behind which lay the main courtyard. A maid in a silver-red vest stood atop the steps and said to Yang Hongying, "What took you so long? I've been waiting here for ages."
This maid was named Ying Shuang, a servant of Zhao Yuechan, Lin Jinlou's wife. Yang Hongying knew well that Zhao Yuechan and her attendants were all domineering and difficult to deal with. She couldn't help but feel a headache coming on, yet she forced a smile and stepped forward. "What can I do for you?"
Ying Shuang, with an air of arrogance, didn't answer. Instead, she glanced down the steps and said, "Are these the girls Master selected? Just these few?" Without waiting for Yang Hongying's reply, she snatched the roster from her hands and turned away. "Bring them all in. The mistress wishes to see them personally."Yang Hongying had no choice but to lead Xianglan and the others inside. Upon entering the main hall, Xianglan cautiously raised her eyes and saw a radiant woman seated on the chair directly opposite. The woman wore a large phoenix hairpin adorned with kingfisher feathers and pearl droplets, a red-gold Ying Luo necklace set with mutton-fat jade, and a long tasseled palace sash tied around her waist with colorful silk flowers. Her upper garment was a two-toned gold peony-patterned jacket, paired with a rose-purple pleated skirt. She had delicate, upturned eyebrows and a pair of peach-blossom eyes that shimmered like water—beautiful as a peach blossom, her gaze seemingly affectionate even when devoid of emotion, exuding an air of charm and grace.
Ying Shuang hurried forward and said to the woman, "Madam, they've all been brought here."
Zhao Yuechan took a sip from her teacup and remarked 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 Master. The rest have been sent back."
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Let’s see what the Master’s taste is like. All of you, lift your heads so I can take a look."
The group raised their heads, and Zhao Yuechan scrutinized them carefully. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a young girl dressed in a brand-new lake-blue dress, her oval face quite pretty, her eyes darting about nervously. Pointing at her, Zhao Yuechan asked, "What’s your name?"
The girl flinched and stammered, "I... the Master just renamed me Yin Die."
Zhao Yuechan said coldly, "Listen to that—Yin Die. Always picking these coquettish, delicate names." The room fell silent; no one dared to make a sound. Xianglan thought to herself, "This Madam looks like a celestial beauty, but her temper is more like a demon’s—hardly endearing." Since Zhao Yuechan was illiterate, she ordered Ying Shuang to read the names from the register. When Ying Shuang 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 Master circled her name with a brush."
Zhao Yuechan’s eyebrows shot up. "Who is Xianglan?"
Xianglan replied, "It’s me."
Zhao Yuechan examined Xianglan several times, noting the girl’s delicate beauty and refined demeanor. Her expression darkened as she thought, "I knew there was something fishy about his rush to have me buy new maids. It was never about 'making his parents and siblings comfortable at home'—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 Ying Shuang whisper, "Does Madam intend to drive this little wretch out? That wouldn’t be wise. Since the Master circled her name, it means he’s already taken a liking to her. You’ve been at odds with the Master lately—if you dismiss someone he’s interested in, it’ll only add fuel to the fire."
Zhao Yuechan said stiffly, "If I don’t drive her out, I’ll be the one suffering."
Ying Shuang suggested, "I have an idea. Why not assign her to some remote corner of the estate? The Master might just be momentarily infatuated—he could forget about her later. If he truly doesn’t remember her, then you can dismiss her without issue. The old lady doesn’t have much time left. Once she’s gone, no matter how much the Master fancies her, it won’t matter."
Zhao Yuechan asked, "But what if the Master asks about her?"
Ying Shuang replied, "Stall him first. If pressed, the girl is still in the household, isn’t she?"
Zhao Yuechan pondered this, then gave a slight nod. Turning to Yang Hongying, she said, "Keep Xianglan. Take the rest away."Yang Hongying thought to herself, "The mistress picks the most outstanding-looking girl at first glance. I wonder what will become of this little girl in the future." She cast a worried glance at Xianglan but dared not argue, quickly leading the others away. Juanzi kept turning back to look at Xianglan, seemingly reluctant to part.
Zhao Yuechan said to Ying Shuang, "Take her to Gauze Snow Dock. Coincidentally, Cousin asked me for a maid the other day, saying she had no one to serve her. Go tell her this girl is now hers."
Ying Shuang received the order and led Xianglan out. Xianglan frowned inwardly, wondering, "Who is this Cousin? Why haven’t I heard of her before?"
"Cousin is the granddaughter of the old master’s younger sister. Her elders passed early, and her brother’s family is struggling, so she came to seek refuge with us," Ying Shuang said, glancing at Xianglan. "Serve her well. Cousin was betrothed as a child and will only stay with our family for a year or so. Once her mourning period ends, she’ll marry and leave from the Lin household—it’ll be an honor."
Xianglan scoffed inwardly, "Just a maid, yet she keeps saying ‘our family,’ ‘the Lin household.’ How ridiculous." Her face remained expressionless as she walked meekly forward.
Ying Shuang led the two of them for quite a distance until they reached a delicate little house by the water—one main room flanked by two smaller ones, with polished walls and black barrel tiles, devoid of any red or painted decorations. A tall, sturdy woman in her fifties sat at the entrance washing clothes. Seeing Ying Shuang, she stood up and called inside, "Miss Huan, Ying Shuang is here!" Then she leaned against the doorframe, her large eyes scrutinizing Xianglan up and down. (Seeking favorites, comments, and votes ^_^)
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