At that point, Lin Zhaoyang gave Lin Jinlou a few more instructions. As Lin Dongqi’s wedding date approached, Lady Qin sent someone to report the wedding day arrangements – who was invited, where the bride would be escorted from, where guests would be seated, where the banquet would be held, and so on. When the Jinling Garrison Commander arrived, Lin Jinlou went to receive him, which we’ll not elaborate on further.
When Lin Jinlou returned in the evening, Xianglan had already turned out the lights and retired to the eastern side room. Only the maids Lianxin, Nuanyue, Rushuang, and Tinglan remained awake, doing needlework while waiting for his return.
Seeing him enter, they quickly stood up, greeting him in succession and bustling about with tea and water. Lin Jinlou scanned their faces and asked, “Where’s Xianglan?”
Lianxin replied, “She’s already gone to bed.” Lin Jinlou went to the rooms, and finding the bedroom empty, his expression darkened. He walked straight to the side room, yanked open the bed curtains, and with a stern face, pointed at Xianglan, “While I’m entertaining guests, you dare to sleep without waiting to attend to me. Who are you trying to upset!”
Xianglan had no choice but to sit up, keeping her head down without speaking.
Lin Jinlou snorted and stormed out.
Xianglan slowly put on a jade-colored cotton jacket and went to the main room. Lin Jinlou had already brushed his teeth and was washing his face with soap. Tinglan wrung out a hot towel and quietly handed it to Xianglan with a meaningful look, but Nuanyue had already eagerly given a hot towel to Lin Jinlou. Tinglan frowned slightly, and Xianglan returned the towel to Tinglan, shaking her head.
Once Lin Jinlou finished washing, Nuanyue and others came to help him undress. Lin Jinlou stared at Xianglan, his voice neither loud nor soft but his face cold, “Who are you standing there for!”
Tinglan gently pushed Xianglan forward. Xianglan had no choice but to approach, her small hands going to undo his buttons. When Nuanyue moved to undo his belt, Lin Jinlou impatiently waved his hand, “All of you leave. Let her do it.”
Everyone took their things and withdrew.
Lin Jinlou lowered his head slightly, looking at Xianglan’s bowed head, feeling waves of irritation. This woman was truly ungrateful – hadn’t he treated her well enough? They had been intimate that afternoon, yet when he returned at night, she went to sleep alone, her face wooden without even a smile, showing no warmth or affection. She was truly like a stone from a latrine.
Xianglan was also nervous and frightened, fearing Lin Jinlou would catch her and take her again. Her body was sore, and she still walked uncomfortably, her heart full of shame – she had gone to bed early specifically to avoid him. She wanted to show a gentle face to Lin Jinlou, to coax him a bit so he would be happy and let her return home, but she simply couldn’t put on such an act before this living King Yama.
She stared at Lin Jinlou’s broad, solid chest, her palms sweating as she hurriedly removed his outer garments and placed them on the nearby warming rack. Lin Jinlou sat on the bed and patted the edge, saying, “Come here.”
Xianglan approached with lowered head.
Lin Jinlou said, “I’ve told you before to sleep in this room. Are you treating my words as wind in your ears?”
Xianglan said softly, “It might not be appropriate if people hear I’m sleeping in this room…”
“If I say it’s appropriate, it’s appropriate.”
“Master will eventually marry a First Madam, and I…”
“Stop with all these this and that. When I tell you to sleep here, you sleep here.”
Xianglan bit her lip and remained silent.
Lin Jinlou grew more annoyed and said, “Put out the lights. Time to sleep.”
Xianglan blew out the candles, lowered the bed curtains, and carefully got into bed, lying on the very edge. Lin Jinlou turned over, reached out his arm and held her. Xianglan was so frightened she didn’t dare move. However, Lin Jinlou made no further moves and went to sleep.
Since returning home, Lin Jinlou had been constantly busy with various social obligations and military office duties, rarely returning home. Lin Jinting, however, proved useful, managing everything from acquiring gold and silver vessels, various silks, planting flowers and plants, to hiring theater troupes. Even Lady Qin said to Lin Zhengzheng, “Though Ting’er’s studies are mediocre, he handles affairs quite properly and reliably. If he doesn’t pass the next examination, we should find a way to help him purchase an official position.” Lin Zhengzheng sighed, “I thought the same, but Father wants Ting’er to pass the provincial examination to save face. Second Uncle only looks out for himself – when I discussed it with him, he just said to follow Father’s wishes. Let’s wait a while on this matter.” Lady Qin didn’t mention it again.
With Lin Jinlou absent all day, Xianglan felt relieved. Each day she rolled up her better paintings and put them in a box, burning the rest. She packed some inconspicuous gold and silver jewelry into small silk pouches, leaving the valuable pieces in Chunling’s care. The Lin family was bustling with Second Miss’s wedding preparations, and Zhichun Pavilion became somewhat livelier. Shuran and Lianxin selected many bright-colored silks from upstairs, decorated with lanterns and festoons, and had Lin Jinting hire people to plant flowers and plants, giving the courtyard a fresh look. Seeing this, Xique said angrily, “They say ‘don’t manage affairs beyond your position.’ Shuran is already a married woman, yet she comes to Zhichun Pavilion daily to take charge. Lianxin has no real ability, just being honest. By rights, Madam should be in charge now, managing Master’s courtyard. Why let those two boss everyone around?”
Huamei said, “Those two aren’t worth worrying about. What’s concerning is the one living in the main room. Since she arrived, Master hasn’t come to this room. When I go to see her, she keeps her door closed and won’t receive anyone. She seems capable of anything. If we don’t come up with a plan, we’ll just be waiting for doom.” After thinking, she took out a pouch from a drawer and two taels of silver, telling Xique, “When you get the chance, give this silver to Shuangxi and have him show the pouch to Master. Tell him I made it these past days, knowing Master tends to get heated, and I personally ground medicines to make cooling pills for the pouch.”
Xique took it and left, which we won’t elaborate on further.
On the evening before Lin Dongqi’s wedding, Lin Jinlou finally returned home, immediately bathing and changing clothes before going to entertain guests. Xianglan naturally couldn’t sleep, and while everyone went to join the festivities, she lazily didn’t want to move. Seeing Chunling and Xiaojuan’s excitement, she let them go while she took out a half-finished pair of shoes from her trunk and began sewing them stitch by stitch.
Tinglan, being steady and proper, stayed to watch the house. She sent all the little maids away and brought her needlework to join Xianglan. The two occasionally exchanged a few words while quietly sewing and thinking their own thoughts. The room was quiet, with only faint sounds of opera music and instruments from the front.
Outside Zhichun Pavilion, it was extremely lively, with guests coming and going, wine cups clinking. It was a scene of flowery splendor, with floating silk ribbons. Whether ladies, young misses, or maids, all wore red and green, dressed so beautifully they would make peach blossoms shy and swallows envious.
Lin Dongxiu stood properly beside Lady Qin, lightly supporting her arm. Lin Dongqi had already left in the bridal sedan, but Lady Qin hadn’t recovered, constantly wiping tears with her handkerchief, her eyes still red. A group of noble ladies surrounded her with consolation.
Lin Dongxiu, playing the role of the perfectly filial daughter, said with glistening eyes, “Mother, please dry your tears. Today is a joyous day, and Second Sister is going to enjoy good fortune in her marriage. Your crying will only make Second Sister uneasy about her marriage. Don’t worry about Second Sister leaving – I’m still here to serve you filially.”
These words drew praise from everyone.
Lady Qin looked at Lin Dongxiu, seeing her dressed in a magenta brocade jacket with embroidered birds and flowers, a golden-yellow silk long coat embroidered with coin patterns, and a navy blue chrysanthemum long skirt. Her hair was adorned with gold magnolia kingfisher feather ornaments, kingfisher feather spiral flower decorations, and gold hairpins with hanging pearls. She wore a gold necklace with precious ornaments and a gold lock, and long red agate earrings. Her face was carefully made up with powder, eyebrows drawn and temples decorated, looking quite splendid. She was already a beautiful girl, and with such careful preparation she looked even more enchanting.
Lady Qin wasn’t close to Lin Dongxiu – firstly because she had her own children to raise, and secondly, though she initially thought to help Lin Dongxiu – after all, she was just a concubine’s daughter who posed no threat, and if fortune favored her, she might help her siblings in the future, especially since the child would always call her “Mother.” However, she gradually found the girl to be clever but petty, and after several attempts at guidance, realized Lin Dongxiu was only putting on an act. She lost interest and withdrew her support, though she never mistreated her.
Lin Dongxiu had other intentions. With Second Sister getting married, it would soon be her turn to be betrothed. Lin Zhengzheng had considered several scholar families, but she wasn’t satisfied with their social status. This time, she was determined to make an impression at Lin Dongqi’s wedding, hoping to catch the eye of several noble ladies for a better marriage prospect. Seeing her current appearance, Lady Qin immediately understood her intentions and said mildly, “Our Xiu’er is a child who knows how to care for others.”
The noble ladies then took Lin Dongxiu’s hands, asking her age, what she liked to do, what books she read, what needlework she could do, etc. Lin Dongxiu answered gracefully with a powdered smile. Being a Lin family daughter, even from a concubine, she naturally had dignity, especially given the family’s status. Moreover, seeing her closeness with Lady Qin, she might have been raised by Lady Qin herself. Several families became interested and planned to make inquiries.
Lady Qin went about socializing, with Lin Dongxiu following closely, constantly offering water, handkerchiefs, or helping adjust Lady Qin’s clothes. Hongzhan frowned and gave Lady Qin a meaningful look, but Lady Qin shook her head, indicating to leave it alone. Since Lin Dongxiu was eager to advance herself, she would give her the chance – success would depend on her own fortune. As long as she didn’t embarrass the Lin family, Lady Qin wouldn’t interfere.
After bustling about with Lady Qin for a while, Lin Dongxiu finally returned satisfied to her table near noon when the banquet was about to begin. Seeing Lin Donglin had gone somewhere, when Lvlan wanted to look for her, Lin Dongxiu, wanting to find a private place to reapply her makeup, stood up saying, “I’ll go find Third Sister.” She left the others and quietly went to the small flower hall, which was empty. Lin Dongxiu untied the brocade pouch at her waist, took out a mirror to fix her hair, then took out a blue enamel box containing rouge. Just as she was about to apply it to her lips, she heard people talking outside the curtain – it was Coral and Yingluo, Wang’s maids.