Old Madam Lin was in her sixties, with kind eyes and a benevolent countenance. She was plump and good-natured, resembling a Buddha statue. Her hair had turned gray and white, secured in a bun with a white magnolia hairpin.
She wore a pearl headband and frost-colored soft silk clothes. While rolling two decorative walnuts in her hand, she rose slightly upon hearing the news. Xue Zhan, who stood beside her, immediately stepped forward to assist, placing two autumn-colored dragon-patterned cushions behind Old Madam Lin’s back.
Old Madam Lin spoke unhurriedly, “What has happened? Get up now. Young ladies shouldn’t be crying like this. Come on, stand up and speak.”
Instead of rising, Cao Li Huan knocked her head on the ground twice with a “thump thump.” Her tear-stained face bore a stubborn yet pitiful expression as she sobbed, “Old Madam, I made a mistake earlier and upset Elder Cousin-in-law. I know I was wrong. I beg Elder Cousin-in-law to punish me, but please… please don’t send me away…” She broke into tears.
Madam Qin spoke evenly, “Weren’t you the one who expressed disdain for the Lin family and resentment towards us? Why do you now claim that I’m sending you away?”
Cao Li Huan shook her head vigorously, her earrings striking her face, “No, no, Elder Cousin-in-law. I spoke wrongly. Please teach me, considering my young age and ignorance. Take pity on me, a rootless duckweed without parents. I’ve had few people to guide me since childhood, which is why I spoke disrespectfully to my elders…” She glanced tearfully at Old Madam Lin, then at Madam Qin, choking out, “I… I truly was wrong… please forgive Huan…”
Madam Wang, being soft-hearted and unaware of the earlier incident, felt sorry seeing Cao Li Huan crying so pitifully. She wanted to intercede and looked at Madam Qin, saying, “Well, Young Lady Huan is still young, she…” But upon seeing Madam Qin’s warning glance, she immediately fell silent.
Madam Qin was furious inside. While in the capital, she had heard that Cao Li Huan and Zhao Yue Chan were in cahoots, scheming to gain advantages from the Lin family by acting well-behaved before the Old Master and Old Madam. Today, seeing her conduct no different from a common market shrew, she grew even more disgusted. She had been waiting for an opportunity to expel her but hadn’t expected this shrewd girl to make such a bold move by bringing the matter before Old Madam.
Taking a deep breath, Madam Qin asked, “Then tell me, what exactly did you do wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have talked back to my elders, shouldn’t have lost my temper and fought with the maids, shouldn’t have angered Madam… Elder Cousin-in-law, please forgive…”
“You complained that Old Madam treated you like an outsider, saying that although this was a family feast, two maids blocked you at the door and wouldn’t let you in. You said with Old Madam acting this way, how could those snobbish maids respect you as a proper master? Aren’t these your words?”
As Madam Qin calmly repeated Cao Li Huan’s earlier words, Old Madam Lin’s expression darkened. However, Cao Li Huan remained composed, as if she had anticipated Madam Qin would say this. She gave a bitter smile and said, “Elder Cousin-in-law, do you know what those maids said? They said only the masters, madams, young masters, and young ladies of the Lin family were proper.
They asked who I was to claim to be a master, saying I was just a distant relative taking advantage of the Lin family, worth less than even servants… Elder Cousin-in-law, every word they spoke cut deep into my heart! Even though I’m parentless, I still understand the meaning of ‘shame.’ How could I… how could I endure such treatment…” Cao Li Huan wept sorrowfully, wiping her tears with her sleeve, removing her makeup, and appearing even more pitiful.
Madam Wang’s face showed sympathy, and Old Madam Lin seemed to soften. Xue Zhan grew anxious hearing Cao Li Huan trying to implicate Liu Bei and looked worriedly at Madam Qin.
Madam Qin’s face remained calm, “Because of this, you felt justified in fighting with a young maid without regard for propriety? Calling her ‘little wretch’ repeatedly? Let me ask you, where was your dignity as a young lady from a good family? When I tried to advise you, you turned your anger on me and Old Madam. We don’t expect gratitude for the Lin family’s kindness, but we certainly don’t want to make enemies.”
Hearing this, Cao Li Huan cried even harder, shuffling forward on her knees with tears streaming down her face, “Elder Cousin-in-law, it was all because I’m young and ignorant. My heart was clouded when I spoke those words. I don’t blame my Elder Cousin-in-law for being angry with me. I hate my temper and this trouble-making mouth of mine!” She slapped herself hard twice with loud “pah pah” sounds.
This startled Old Madam Lin, who quickly waved her hand saying, “What are you doing? Young Lady Huan, stop this at once!” She glanced at Madam Qin and called her by her childhood name, “Ying child, what do you think about this matter…”
Madam Qin cursed inwardly. Now that Cao Li Huan was acting this way, she appeared innocent and pitiful. If they pressed her further, the elders would seem harsh and cruel.
Seeing an opening, Cao Li Huan pressed harder, tears rolling down her face, her eyes and nose red as she spoke plaintively, “Grandmother, Elder Cousin-in-law has every right to be upset with me. All the wrongs are mine. I only beg the elders to take pity on me, orphaned by both parents. Though I have an elder brother, he only runs a small business and can’t be relied upon. I’m truly helpless, getting trampled and spat upon wherever I go. It’s just that I have a proud heart, afraid of being looked down upon by my future in-laws. That’s why I shamelessly sought refuge here, hoping people would know I came from the Lin family and had some backing, earning a bit more respect… I can’t blame the maids and servants for speaking that way… After all, I’m not truly a proper master of the Lin family… I just couldn’t swallow my pride at the time… I only hope Grandmother and both Elder Cousins-in-law will consider my youth and rootless state, granting me a place in the household. I don’t even need a monthly allowance from the family; having a place to stay is enough… I’ll be content with that…” She was about to break into loud sobs but deliberately held back, “Please, please don’t send me away!”
She kept kowtowing as she spoke, her forehead quickly turning red. Old Madam Lin hurriedly stood up to help her, grabbing her arm and saying, “Good child, get up quickly. The ground is cold; don’t catch a chill.”
Cao Li Huan refused to rise, only turning her head to look at Madam Qin with utter pitifulness and distress. Even her originally tall and strong frame seemed to shrink and bend smaller as she whimpered, “Elder… Elder Cousin-in-law… Huan truly knows her wrongs. Even after I marry… I will often return… to show filial respect to you all… please don’t send me away…”
This display was truly heartbreaking to witness. Even Madam Wang couldn’t help shedding a few tears as she said to Madam Qin, “Sister-in-law, please consider her young age and don’t send her away. I don’t think she’s a bad child, just lacking in proper conduct. You can teach her more in the future.”
Madam Qin’s face had already softened with maternal affection. She stepped forward to hold Cao Li Huan’s hand, tucking her disheveled hair behind her ear, and spoke earnestly, “Silly child, I never truly meant to send you away. I only made up those words to frighten you a bit when I saw you being unruly. We’re all family; how could we speak of becoming strangers? Not only would we not send you away, we wouldn’t let you leave even if you wanted to. You even brought gifts specially to welcome us back earlier, which made me so happy that I immediately sent people to bring you some local specialties and trinkets. Just remember in the future not to quarrel with the maids. Don’t lose your dignity over nothing, and don’t make us worry.”
Cao Li Huan nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick, continuing to sob. Old Madam Lin instructed Xue Zhan to pour tea for Cao Li Huan, while Madam Wang had already ordered maids to bring water for Cao Li Huan to wash her face. Madam Qin held Cao Li Huan’s hand, sitting on the bed chatting intimately, appearing every bit like a loving mother and filial daughter.
In an instant, the room’s atmosphere had transformed from tense to harmonious.
Impressive! Truly impressive!! Xiang Lan, crouching at the doorway, watched in amazement. She couldn’t help but give Cao Li Huan a mental thumbs up—no wonder this young lady could act so domineering and move about freely in the Lin family; she had skills! What seemed like certain expulsion turned into winning the elders’ affection with just a few words. She could throw tantrums and also knew when to humble herself, skilled in speech and expression, reading the room perfectly, and even employing the strategy of self-harm—those two slaps were not light!
Xiang Lan marveled that even stage actors couldn’t match Cao Li Huan’s performance.
But Madam Qin was no pushover either. Though she knew Cao Li Huan was cunning and even deliberately twisted her words to claim “Elder Cousin-in-law wants to send me away,” she remained unflustered, countering each move skillfully. Without showing her hand, she revealed how Cao Li Huan had spoken ill of Old Madam, making everyone understand that it was the younger generation being unreasonable with their elders, yet the elders weren’t using their authority to suppress her.
Later, when Cao Li Huan employed her self-harm strategy and Old Madam Lin softened, Madam Qin swiftly changed her approach, transforming her expressionless cold face into one of maternal love, dismissing the talk of “sending away” with a casual mention of “just trying to frighten you.” The older ginger is indeed spicier!
Xiang Lan carefully pondered all this, and when she looked at Madam Qin again, her gaze carried a hint of awe.
After leaving Shou Xi Hall, Cao Li Huan’s warm smile instantly turned dark. Upon returning to Luo Xue Villa, she threw quite a tantrum, smashing two cups. Xiang Lan looked in the mirror to see stark finger marks on her fair cheeks, swollen high. She hid in the tea room, finding some medicinal ointment to apply.
When Liu Po saw this, she stamped her feet repeatedly, cursed about causing trouble, and used a cold water towel to compress Xiang Lan’s face. As Xiang Lan let down her hair to rearrange it, she discovered her white mourning silk flower was missing from her temple and sighed at her misfortune—the silk flower was issued by the household, made of the finest white silk, with only one given to each person. Now that hers was lost and she didn’t know where to get another, she would have to make do with a paper flower in the future.
The next day, when Cao Li Huan went to pay her respects at Madam Qin’s main chamber, the servants at the door stopped her, saying Madam Qin was unwell. After a few words, she was sent away. Of the gifts she had sent to the main household, Madam Qin only accepted one set of sewing items and returned all the expensive ones.