Huier craned her neck to peer into the eastern room several times before tiptoeing back to the western bedchamber. She whispered to Cao Lihuan, "Still embroidering, hasn't even lifted her head. She seems quite docile."
Cao Lihuan sneered, "She just arrived, of course she'll be diligent for a few days. Who knows how she'll be later."
Huier frowned, "But she's far too striking. With that face, I doubt she'll stay settled. What's her background? Bought or family-raised?" Her own complexion was sallow and her figure plump, yet she adored beauty and fashion. Seeing Xianglan's jade-snow skin and slender form made her heart sour with envy.
"Yingshuang told me she's a family-raised servant. Her father's a third shopkeeper in an antique store." Cao Lihuan took a sip of tea. "Such families are neither high nor low - just minor respectability. Easy to manage, no need to worry about cunning servants bullying their masters."
Huier tittered, "My dear lady, even if she were the ancestor of cunning servants, she'd still have to bow before you."
A smug expression crossed Cao Lihuan's face as she lifted her teacup. Turning to Huairui, she said, "Keep a close eye on her from now on, both of you." Then with annoyance, "That wretched Zhao Yuechan! After I gave her that pair of fine jade bracelets, she sends me some untrained newcomer!"
Huairui said, "At least she sent someone after all this time."
Huier picked up a pastry, chewing as she spoke, "Exactly. Da Nǎinai's the only one we can influence. Having one is better than none."
Cao Lihuan's face remained dark. "I'll endure it for now. Once I'm married, I'll have my revenge. There's not a decent soul in this entire Lin household!"
"Who says there isn't? Our lady is perfectly wonderful!" Huier picked up the painted bird-and-flower pottery pot to refill Cao Lihuan's tea, shooting Huairui a meaningful glance.
Huairui chimed in, "Indeed! All the young ladies in this mansion combined couldn't match our lady's talent, beauty, and cleverness."
This struck right at Cao Lihuan's heart. She couldn't suppress a smile, though she sighed, "I just wasn't born under a lucky star. When Father was bedridden all those years, I was the only one of all his children attending his sickbed. Soon after he passed, Mother fell ill too and left us not long after. Not only did we exhaust the family silver, but I couldn't even secure a good marriage match."
Huier said, "Speaking of which, it rankles me too. With your qualities, if the master and madam were still here, suitors would've worn out our doorstep! You could've had anyone. Now... ah, it's truly unfair to you."
"The Ren family isn't bad," Huairui said. "When they delivered the carriage recently, I saw Young Master Ren - quite handsome indeed. The Ren household is simple. After marriage, you'd only need to attend to Old Madam Ren and her daughter. In a couple years when the daughter marries, and later when the old lady passes, you'll have peace and quiet. Much better than marrying into some large, complicated family." As Huairui spoke, Cao Lihuan nodded, her expression finally brightening.
The afternoon passed uneventfully.
Before dinner, Xianglan brought Cao Lihuan the embroidered handkerchief. Surprised by how quickly it was finished, Cao Lihuan examined it closely. The stitches were even and delicate, the color scheme elegant. Though just a small piece, it shone with exceptional brilliance.Feeling satisfied, her earlier dissatisfaction with Xianglan had diminished by a fraction. Yet, thinking that failing to point out flaws wouldn’t showcase her own superiority, she deliberately picked out a few places where the embroidery was supposedly “not well done” and added, “Although you embroider quickly, you shouldn’t just focus on speed—it must be done well. My needlework was taught by the finest embroiderer in Yuzhou, and by the time I was seven or eight, my skills were already better than yours are now.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she sensed they were somewhat inappropriate and quickly put on a smile again. “Huairui’s needlework is simply not presentable, and Huier has too many responsibilities to manage. If you can master your needlework, you’ll have your chance to shine. Besides, in a household like this, a maid skilled in embroidery is always favored by her masters. You’re new here and know nothing—it’s only because I’m kind-hearted that I’m giving you this advice. Other masters wouldn’t care whether a maid lives or dies.”
Xianglan had already gained some insight into Cao Lihuan’s temperament and thought to herself, “This cousin thinks too highly of herself, enjoys flattering the powerful and trampling on the weak—she’s not an easy person to deal with. I’ll just go along with her for now.” So she replied with feigned humility, “Thank you, Miss, for your concern and guidance. I’m truly fortunate to have met a mistress like you.”
Cao Lihuan indeed broke into a smile. She picked out a pastry from the plate in front of her—one she didn’t particularly care for—and handed it to Xianglan, saying, “You’ve worked hard all afternoon. I saved this pastry especially for you. Have a piece and take a break.”
Xianglan accepted the pastry and smiled. “Thank you for the reward, Miss. I’ll return to my embroidery now.”
As soon as she stepped outside, the smile vanished from Xianglan’s face. She walked straight to the bamboo grove beside Luoxue Courtyard, lifted the white-skinned pastry in her hand, and examined it. A mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips as she murmured, “This afternoon, I clearly heard her shouting inside her room, ‘There’s too much osmanthus sugar in this white-skinned pastry—it’s overly sweet and greasy, makes me want to vomit. Huairui, take the remaining two pieces and feed them to the dogs. If the dogs won’t eat them, throw them into the pond for the fish.’ I worked my fingers to the bone embroidering a handkerchief, and instead of a single word of appreciation, she rewards me with a pastry even the dogs wouldn’t eat, claiming she ‘saved it especially for me.’ This cousin is truly ‘generous’ indeed.” She took a large, angry bite of the pastry, only to be overwhelmed by a cloyingly sweet, greasy taste that shot straight to her head and made her want to retch.
Xianglan chewed forcefully a few times, suppressing the urge to vomit, and swallowed the pastry with great effort. She told herself, “Chen Xianglan, remember the taste of this pastry. For as long as you remain someone’s servant, you must endure such humiliation day after day. But this should not be your fate. You must steel your heart, cultivate patience, endure disgrace, and calm your resentment. Strive to free yourself from servitude as soon as possible, so you can live with dignity and never let anyone look down on you again!”
She stood for a while in the bamboo grove, watching the orange-red evening clouds dye the horizon, quietly listening to the murmuring stream. She silently recited the Great Compassion Mantra twice. A gentle breeze drifted through the window, brushing against her cheeks and dispelling the last traces of restlessness and gloom from her heart. Only then did she take a few deep breaths, straighten her clothes, and slowly make her way back.
The next morning, Cao Lihuan brought out a roll of bright red silk, sketched a floral pattern, and instructed Xianglan to embroider a pair of mandarin ducks playing in water on pillowcases. There was also a crimson wedding gown and a “Hundred Sons” robe, all with intricate patterns that would require immense time and effort.Xianglan stared in astonishment, thinking to herself, "These are all essential items for marriage, traditionally embroidered by unmarried young ladies themselves. Only those with poor needlework would have their parents hire seamstresses to rush the work. How could Miss Huan dump all this work on me alone? When will I ever finish? Working solo, I'm afraid even three years wouldn't be enough."
Cao Lihuan declared, "All the tasks are here. Make haste with them." After instructing Huier to accompany her to pay respects to the elders, she departed.
Left with no choice, Xianglan bent her head to thread needles. The workload was immense, and Cao Lihuan proved exceptionally picky—the slightest imperfection meant ripping out stitches and starting over, followed by scoldings: "All thumbs! My former needlework maid Xiaoyuan was a hundred times more deft than you," or "You're too slow and clumsy—Xiaoyuan finished two pillowcases and an entire 'Magpies on Plum Branches' quilt cover in just half a year." After each reprimand, she'd soften with a smile and earnest advice: "I'm doing this for your own good. No other mistress would take such pains to train you. You'll appreciate my efforts someday."
Xianglan would feign dull-witted obedience, responding with "sincere" gratitude: "I know Miss Huan means well for me," swallowing her grievances while playing the fool.
Xianglan's gentle nature and delicate appearance made her seem meek and easy to exploit. She never slacked off, working briskly and speaking little in Luoxue Courtyard. Within days, everyone saw her as a pushover, constantly summoning her: "Xianglan, fan the stove quickly!" "Xianglan, wipe all the windows with a rag!" "Xianglan, why hasn't the young lady's soup been brought?" "Xianglan, Miss wants her pea-green dress—go rummage through the chest!" "Xianglan, wash the handkerchiefs and sew the pouches!" The demands never ceased. Being new, she inevitably made mistakes under pressure, earning frequent rebukes.
Xianglan spun through her days like a top, one task piling atop another before she could finish. Cao Lihuan assigned the visible, light duties to Huier and Huairui, reserving all tedious, heavy labor for Xianglan. She often strolled the garden with Huier, chatting about whose hairpins were prettiest, which family's face powder was best, or how someone's dress complemented their complexion—all laughter and teasing. Huairui frequently vanished to idle elsewhere, which Cao Lihuan tacitly ignored.
Gradually, whenever Xianglan completed chores—whether brewing tea, cooking soup, or finishing needlework—Huier would snatch them away: "Done? Rest now. I'll take it in." She'd then present the results to Cao Lihuan, currying favor. Pleased, Cao Lihuan would reward Huier with trinkets and assign new tasks, which Huier promptly dumped on Xianglan.
Xianglan endured in silence, keeping her head down and her mouth shut as she worked.
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