Speaking of Xiang Lan, after leaving the Song residence, she returned home like a wandering soul. She shut herself in her side room and sat motionless for a long time, staring only at the jade bracelet Song Ke had given her. She sat there until dusk descended, then finally rose to forcefully remove the bracelet. She rummaged through her belongings, gathering all the gifts Song Ke had given her into a box, secured it with a large lock, and pushed it under her bed. Then, as if nothing had happened, she went out to help Mother Xue prepare dinner.
Seven or eight days later, Chen Wanquan returned home from his shop with news of Song Ke’s engagement to Zheng Jingxian. Mr. and Mrs. Chen secretly glanced at Xiang Lan but saw her smiling as usual, using her chopsticks to serve them food as if she hadn’t heard anything. A few days later, Song Ke sold all his properties and took his entire family to the capital. On the day of their departure, all the notable officials and gentry of Jinling gathered at the Ten Mile Pavilion to bid farewell. Chen Wanquan naturally went to say goodbye as well. Upon returning, he couldn’t stop praising the grand spectacle and then pulled out a letter for Xiang Lan, saying Song Ke’s servant had secretly asked him to pass it on.
Xiang Lan returned to her room and opened the letter, finding only two characters written on the paper: “Take care.” Her heart suddenly filled with unbearable pain, and the grief she had suppressed for days could no longer be contained because of these two words. Her tears immediately poured down like rain. Song Ke was her bond from a previous life and the light in her heart. Whenever she thought of him, Xiang Lan felt that despite the many hardships in this life, being able to meet him again meant heaven hadn’t treated her too badly. But now Song Ke had truly left, and would soon marry another and have children. From now on, her beloved would become a stranger, and they could only wish each other well in their hearts, separated by vast distances.
Xiang Lan wept heart-wrenchingly in her room while Mr. and Mrs. Chen stood at the door, straining their ears to listen. Chen Wanquan wrung his hands anxiously and said, “Our daughter is already delicate by nature. What if this crying ruins her health? Quick, go in and comfort her.”
Mother Xue said with a worried expression, “Sister Lan once secretly told me that Young Master Song genuinely wanted to marry her as his principal wife with all proper ceremonies. I was half-skeptical, thinking it unlikely, and indeed it has come to nothing. She seemed fine these past few days, but after seeing that letter today, why is she crying so devastatingly?”
Chen Wanquan glared and scolded, “What do you know! She was there indulging in foolish fantasies, and you didn’t even try to discourage her, instead joining in her daydreaming! Who is Young Master Song? A two-time graduate, an official in the Hanlin Academy – how could he possibly consider Xiang Lan? Didn’t you see he’s engaged to Duke Xianguo’s daughter? If our daughter cries herself sick, I won’t let you off!”
Mother Xue frowned and retorted, “Why are you getting angry with me? Sister Lan has such a stubborn personality that not even ten oxen could pull her back. How could I possibly persuade her?”
Chen Wanquan heaved a long sigh and squatted down, pulling out his pipe from his belt and taking a few puffs before lamenting, “We’re just common folk, we can’t reach for such high connections. Better to live our lives properly within our means.”
Mother Xue said, “That’s what I think too. Sister Lan isn’t young anymore. We should find her a good match. Once this happy event occurs, the matter of Young Master Song will naturally fade away.”
Chen Wanquan said, “Earlier, I thought becoming Master Lin’s concubine would be excellent, but Sister Lan wasn’t happy about it. Besides, the Lin family has several formidable women, and I fear she might suffer there. Master Lin hasn’t returned from the capital yet, and who knows when he will. Better to marry her to someone in our neighborhood. We only have one daughter, and it would be good to have someone to care for her when she’s unwell in the future.” He stood up, tapped his pipe against his foot, and continued, “I have someone in mind… what do you think about Young Scholar Xia?”
Mother Xue raised her eyebrows and asked, “Xia Yun?”
Chen Wanquan replied, “Exactly. Young Scholar Xia is now a Provincial Graduate. Though he hasn’t passed the Metropolitan Examination, he’s gained the Chief Magistrate’s favor and works as a clerk in the government office – at least he has an official position. I see he’s highly educated, good-looking, and reliable. He’s been frequently visiting our home lately, clearly showing interest in Sister Lan, and has even sent someone to sound out my thoughts. If we don’t secure this match quickly, we might regret it if someone else gets there first.”
Mother Xue said, “Young Scholar Xia is indeed good, but there’s one unfavorable aspect – his family is rather poor. He has two older brothers, one older sister, two younger sisters, and three younger brothers, none of whom have much money. His parents and sisters-in-law are also difficult to get along with. I fear Sister Lan might suffer after marrying into their family.”
Chen Wanquan waved his hand dismissively, “What does lack of money matter? He’s already an official, won’t he be able to enjoy a good life in the future? Which young woman doesn’t have to serve her in-laws and get along with her sisters-in-law? If others can do it, why can’t Sister Lan?”
Mother Xue still worried, “I don’t know if Sister Lan would be willing…”
Chen Wanquan’s eyes widened as he raised his voice, “You’re still concerned about whether she’s willing or not! She was willing for Young Master Song, but was he willing for her? We can’t let her have her way anymore. She’s already sixteen – should she just stay at home and become an old maid? Marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. If it looks good, we’ll settle it. I wouldn’t harm her!” He stormed into the house.
As for Xiang Lan, she had fallen into a deep sleep after crying herself tired. When she came out of her room the next day, she appeared refreshed, and if not for her swollen eyes, one wouldn’t have known she had cried so sorrowfully the day before. However, she now spent her days shut in her room painting, no longer tending to flowers and plants, and rarely laughing or joking. Mother Xue watched with concern.
One day, Xiang Lan propped open her window, placed a pot of orchids on the windowsill, and was watering it with a sprinkler. Mother Xue came to the window and said, “Later, Young Scholar Xia’s mother, sister-in-law, and sister will be visiting our home. You should come over then, we mustn’t be discourteous.” Xiang Lan absently agreed.
Soon after, Xia Yun’s mother Lady Jin, along with Second Sister-in-law Xia and Third Sister Xia arrived. Mother Xue personally opened the door to welcome them, taking Lady Jin’s hand while smiling and saying, “It’s been some time since we last met. Elder Sister, you look even more spirited, and your complexion is better than before – truly, happy events make one glow.”
Lady Jin was originally from Yuzhou and had fled famine to Jinling before marrying into the Xia family. Although she was only eight years older than Mother Xue, she looked about twenty years older. Mother Xue had once been a maid in a wealthy household, and though only a third-rank servant, she had seen something of the world. The Chen family was also wealthier than the Xia family, making Lady Jin often feel inferior. However, now that Xia Yun had become a Provincial Graduate and a government clerk, Lady Jin felt more confident and carried herself more proudly, saying with dignity, “I am indeed content, especially since our Third Son is so capable. Just this morning he went to the government office again, saying he needed to report for duty…”
Looking around, they saw it was a residence with one bright room and two dark rooms, considerably larger than ordinary houses. It had been newly whitewashed and renovated, appearing particularly neat, with intricately carved screens and five-colored window papers, giving it quite an impressive air. The courtyard was paved with bluestone in the center, with pebble paths winding through it. Flowers and plants bloomed everywhere, with some rockery and banana plants. There was a large pottery jar with several goldfish swimming in it, and under the grape trellis were stone tables and chairs. A red wooden birdcage hung above, housing a chirping oriole.
A large yellow dog barked twice, but after a few words of rebuke from Mother Xue, it lay back down in the shade to doze.
The Xia women were dumbstruck, and Lady Jin’s next words caught in her throat. Third Sister Xia swallowed and exclaimed, “My goodness, it’s so grand! This is like living in paradise! Our home is like a pigsty in comparison.”
Lady Jin, hearing these words, finally came to her senses and was secretly angry at Third Sister Xia for speaking so embarrassingly, turning to glare at her fiercely. Though Second Sister-in-law Xia was also amazed and envious, she found Third Sister Xia’s words inappropriate and slapped her on the back of her head, scolding in a low voice, “You troublemaker, if you keep running your mouth like this, we won’t bring you again!”
Third Sister Xia rubbed the back of her head, pouting unhappily.
Mother Xue saw everything but pretended not to notice, just smiling and saying, “This was all because our daughter insisted on having some flowers and plants. It happened that a wealthy household was renovating their garden and had some leftover flowers, plants, and rocks lying around. Her father just found a cart to bring them back, didn’t cost much at all. Father and daughter spent half a day planting everything, and now it looks quite presentable.” In truth, Chen Wanquan hadn’t been keen on fixing up the courtyard but did so only because Xiang Lan said she needed to see flowers and plants to paint, so he had put in the effort to arrange the courtyard.
Lady Jin’s smile became somewhat uncomfortable. Earlier, when Xia Yun passed the provincial examination, some wealthy families had sent money, and the respectable gentry had even gifted them an empty house. Though not spacious and somewhat old, it was still a two-courtyard residence. After cleaning it up, the whole family moved in feeling quite pleased, thinking they had surpassed others. But now, seeing the Chen family’s home, even this small courtyard was ten times more luxurious than theirs. Upon entering the house, seeing the blackwood tables and chairs, enamel vases, various hanging calligraphy and paintings, and the celadon and brown-green lotus tea cups, it was truly like a wealthy household’s furnishings.
Even Second Sister-in-law Xia was shocked, touching the tea cups and small tables while repeatedly exclaiming, “Goodness gracious, this is truly like a wealthy household… Even the Lin family, however rich and prestigious they might be, couldn’t be much better than this. Just how much silver are all these antiques worth… Oh my, even these snacks look so fine, it’s almost a shame to eat them…”
Third Sister Xia had already stuffed two pieces of pastry into her mouth, chewing heartily as she said, “Why be ashamed to eat them? They’re even more delicious than what we buy for New Year’s.”
Mother Xue was pleased and smiled, “These are pastries from Guisuxzhai. Her father bought them yesterday when he went out. Please eat as much as you like, there’s plenty more.”
Lady Jin felt even more bitter and cleared her throat, saying, “My dear Sister Xue, I hope you won’t mind me saying a few words… What’s the use of decorating the courtyard so fancily? Wouldn’t it be more practical to raise some chickens and ducks? Not only would you have something growing every day, but you could also collect eggs, and during festivals, you could butcher them for meat – isn’t that more practical than these flowers and plants? And these pastries are most unnecessary. You could make them yourself – though that uses oil and flour – or buy them outside, where two small packages only cost a string of coins. You’re not like our family – our Graduate is working in the government office, and people bring pastries and fruits every day. Even when they’re brought, I don’t like eating them, just let them go to waste.”
Mother Xue was taken aback by these words, and her expression slightly darkened.