A small sedan chair stopped beside the ornate gate of the Lin residence in the capital. An elderly servant woman lifted the curtain and helped a lady step out, saying with a smile, “Young Mistress has arrived. Master is receiving guests in the front hall and isn’t here at the moment.”
Lin Dongwan, Lin Jinlou’s eldest sister born to Concubine Yin, adjusted her clothes and bent down to lead a small child about three years old from the sedan. She smiled and said, “I’ll wait for Elder Brother.” Lifting her skirt with one hand and holding the child with the other, she walked inside, asking, “Who’s on duty here today?” Seeing Shu Ran emerge from the main house, Lin Dongwan immediately abandoned the elderly servant and approached with a beaming smile, saying, “Look who’s here!”
Shu Ran smiled and said, “It’s Young Mistress! Please, come sit inside.” She then bent down to play with the child, asking, “Is this Young Master Hui? He’s grown so tall!”
Young Hui clung to Lin Dongwan’s leg, sucking his thumb without speaking. Lin Dongwan stroked his head and smiled at Shu Ran, “This child is shy, as refined as a girl, and doesn’t talk much.” Seeing no one else around, she quietly took Shu Ran’s hand and pulled out a pouch from her sleeve, passing it over in a low voice, “We haven’t seen each other in so long. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Last time you mentioned needing a lock for a silver necklace, and I happened to get one. Please don’t refuse.”
Shu Ran felt the weight of the pouch and smiled, “How could I accept this?”
Lin Dongwan’s face turned stern, “Back home, we used to sleep in the same bed, and you even combed my hair. How could you not accept?” Her expression softened again, “This is about our relationship…”
Shu Ran held the pouch without putting it away and smiled, “Master has just returned. Young Mistress’s visit must have some urgent matter?”
Lin Dongwan replied, “What urgent matter could I have? I just miss my family and came to visit.” She paused before asking, “How is Elder Brother lately? I heard he got another promotion. Well, since we’re family, I’ll speak frankly. My inadequate husband recently bought an official position, but it’s all for show, not very substantial. He’s not very satisfied either. I heard there are some good positions in the Ministry of War. How are Elder Brother’s connections there? You handle his visiting cards daily, have you noticed anything?”
Shu Ran thought to herself, “Lin Dongwan is shrewd and calculating. I didn’t want to accept her gifts, but since she’s asked this question, I might as well keep what she’s given.” She smiled and said, “Young Mistress, you overestimate me. I’m just a servant running errands for Master. The visiting cards are handled by Manager Kang and Manager Qi at the front.”
Lin Dongwan frowned. Before her marriage, she had helped her mother Concubine Yin scheme against Madam Qin, and Lin Jinlou had treated her coldly. After her marriage, Lin Jinlou’s career flourished, and she inevitably tried to curry favor with him, but he showed no interest. Now that she needed his help, she felt even more uncertain and said to Shu Ran, “Then this matter…”
Shu Ran said, “Young Mistress, I’m too lowly to help with such matters. These are affairs for the masters to handle. Why doesn’t your husband invite Master for a drink? We’re all family, and Master couldn’t refuse such a gesture, right?”
Lin Dongwan’s expression grew more troubled. Seeing this, Shu Ran stopped speaking, thought for a moment, and said, “There’s another way…” Seeing Lin Dongwan’s eyes fixed intently on her, she lowered her voice and continued, “You probably don’t know in the capital, but Master has taken a new concubine named Xiang Lan. She’s his current favorite – I’ve observed that his affection for her surpasses all others. She’s come to the capital with him and has no one to rely on. Young Mistress might want to get close to her. If Master is pleased, your request is halfway granted.” As she spoke, she slipped the pouch into her sleeve.
Lin Dongwan was skeptical, but seeing Shu Ran accept the gift, she thought, “Shu Ran is known for being reliable. She wouldn’t accept my gift without some confidence in success.” She smiled and said, “Thank goodness you thought of this plan. If this works out, there will be more rewards.” She patted Shu Ran’s hand and led Young Hui inside.
Shu Ran dutifully escorted Lin Dongwan into the house. After coming out, she found a private spot to open the pouch. Emptying it into her palm, she saw a silver lock with “Long Life and Prosperity” engraved on the front and “Good Fortune and Wishes” on the back, with four silver peach-shaped tassels hanging from it. The silver was of good quality and had clearly been polished recently, gleaming brightly.
Shu Ran felt some disdain upon seeing the lock, thinking, “This kind of longevity lock must have been given to Young Hui at his hundred-day celebration and has been kept for years. Now she’s using it to curry favor. Lin Dongwan was calculating even before her marriage. If she truly wanted my help, she could have at least melted it down and made a new lock with ‘Eternal Fortune and Prosperity’ or something suitable for adults. That would have shown some generosity.” She left through the second gate and called over her husband Xu Fu through a servant, placing the lock in his hand, saying, “Your brother had a son, and your mother complained that the lock we sent was too small, giving me the cold shoulder. Now replace it with this one and see if she’s satisfied.”
Xu Fu was surprised at the sight of the lock, exclaiming, “Where did this come from? It’s so exquisitely made!”
Shu Ran coldly smiled, “Never mind where it came from, just take this lock back, so she’ll stop picking at everything in front of you.” Her eyes welled up with tears as she took out a handkerchief to wipe them, choking up, “I do everything for our family, yet your mother always thinks I’m after something from your family. What could I want? I only valued your character, that you could live honestly. Otherwise, weren’t there plenty of shop owners’ sons? Any of them would be wealthier than your Xu family!”
“Alright, alright, you know how my mother is. Now that we’re in the capital, far away from her, just let it go,” Xu Fu was distressed seeing his wife cry. His mother always told him that a wife like Shu Ran was too ambitious, always following the Master, and acting above her station, and if she wasn’t properly controlled, she would not only be unmanageable but would also dominate her husband. But Shu Ran wasn’t one to be controlled, and she found her mother-in-law petty and vulgar, nearly causing several family disputes. Caught in the middle, he resented his mother’s meddling but was also displeased with Shu Ran’s refusal to yield. Yet both women were like Buddha statues he had to worship – he dared not offend either. Xu Fu had some capability and was quick-witted and eloquent. Seeing no one around, he pulled Shu Ran into a corner, pushed the lock back into her hand, and smiled, “Don’t worry about my mother, I’ll handle it. This lock is too nice to give away. Let’s keep it for ourselves, and when we have a son, we can give it to him.”
Shu Ran spat, “Pah! Who’s going to bear you a son!”
Xu Fu grinned, “Of course, my wife will bear me one.” After some more coaxing, Shu Ran’s mood improved, and she said, “From now on, spend more time with Gui Yuan, and guide him whenever possible.”
Xu Fu asked, “Why?”
Shu Ran explained, “Master can’t let go of Xiang Lan, and if she bears a son or daughter, it will be even more significant. She only has one servant, Gui Yuan. If you treat him well, he’ll be grateful in the future, and we’ll benefit too. Right now, Master hasn’t married a proper Madam yet. Once he does, things will change. My current authority won’t be tolerated by the new Madam. Better to build good relationships now while we can, so we’ll have more support in the future.”
Xu Fu knew his wife had good judgment and nodded in agreement, saying nothing more.
Meanwhile, Xiang Lan had removed some of her hairpins and ornaments and changed into casual clothes. She was reading a book when she heard someone announce, “Young Mistress has arrived.” Looking up, she saw a woman in her twenties enter. She had thick eyebrows, small eyes, a high nose, and red lips. Her face was heavily made up, and while not extremely beautiful, she had a certain charm. She wore a purple jacket embroidered with winter plum blossoms in five colors over a lotus-colored silk skirt. Her hair was glossy, adorned with pure gold hairpins, rings, and necklaces. Before speaking, she already wore a slight smile as she approached, saying, “Is this Sister-in-law? My, such beauty! I thought I was seeing a celestial maiden!”
Only Snow Ning, an elderly servant, was in the room. She quietly told Xiang Lan, “This is Master’s eldest sister, married to the Lu family’s young master in the capital.”
Xiang Lan quickly gave her greetings and invited her to sit on the kang bed, ordering a young maid to bring tea. She smiled and asked about her well-being, saying, “I’m new to the capital and don’t know many people yet. Please forgive any discourtesy.” She thought to herself, “Concubine Yin was a beauty, and Lin Changzheng was handsome, but Lin Dongwan inherited their less favorable features. Though her features are regular, she’s not as attractive as her two sisters. But she’s heavily made up and knows how to dress well.” She also wondered, “The Lu family in the capital? There’s a famous Lu family here, I wonder if that’s who Lin Dongwan married into.” Seeing a well-dressed boy in silk with his hair in knots, presumably Lin Dongwan’s son, she praised him and had a maid lift him onto the kang bed, giving him fruits to eat.
Lin Dongwan quickly glanced around, noting that women’s clothes were draped over the warming frame and that Xiang Lan was sitting in casual dress in the main room. She realized this meant Xiang Lan regularly lived in the main house, suddenly understanding why Shu Ran valued her so highly. Seeing her dressed in fine silks, adorned with gold and silver, with the beauty of a flower and moon combined, she had no more doubts. She smiled and said, “I’m married out, and because of the distance, I rarely get to visit home. Now that I’m in the capital and see sister’s enchanting beauty – even celestial maidens couldn’t be this lovely – I feel an immediate connection. We must become close in the future.” She continued praising Xiang Lan effusively, saying things like “You couldn’t find such beauty even with a lantern,” “Your grace surpasses even princesses,” and “No wonder my elder brother favors you – all his previous women combined couldn’t compare to you,” elevating Xiang Lan to near-divine status.
Xiang Lan could tell Lin Dongwan was flattering her and felt uncomfortable, only saying, “Young Mistress overly praises me.” She thought, “I have no prior relationship with Lin Dongwan, yet she tries so hard to please me. She must want something.”
As they were talking, unexpectedly, Lin Dongyi also arrived. She entered and paused in surprise, saying with a graceful smile, “Oh, Elder Sister is here too.”
Xiang Lan rose to offer her a seat and ordered the maids to bring tea.
Lin Dongyi had her hair arranged in a married woman’s style, adorned with pearls and jewelry, making her appear a couple of years older than before. She wore a peach-colored floral jacket and a bright red crepe skirt, her makeup perfectly applied, looking radiant. She first greeted everyone cheerfully, played with Young Hui, then sat down and said, “Yesterday we heard you’d arrived in the capital, but it was too late to visit. This morning, my husband urged me to come see you. He and Elder Brother are old friends, and he often speaks of him.”
The phrase “old friends” made Lin Dongwan uncomfortable, and she held her teacup without speaking.
Xiang Lan also greeted Lin Dongyi and exchanged pleasantries before steering the conversation to casual topics about the capital’s customs and culture.
When Shu Ran entered the room, Xiang Lan gave her a subtle glance, then said to the two sisters, “Please stay seated, I’ll be right back.” She went to the eastern room with Shu Ran following.
Xiang Lan asked, “Why is the eldest young mistress trying so hard to flatter me?”
Shu Ran smiled and replied, “She’s asking Master to secure a position in the Ministry of War for her husband. You should just accept her flattery. You must be bored staying in the residence all day – you need to socialize with other ladies in the capital. Building a good relationship with her could give you a companion for the future.”
Xiang Lan said, “Securing positions outside is men’s business. You know Master’s temperament – it’s best not to get involved, but we also shouldn’t offend her. Next time she comes, we should try to avoid her if possible.” She started to walk out.
Shu Ran quickly blocked her way, “Madam should still maintain a relationship with her. If she asks for anything, you’re clever enough to judge the situation appropriately.”
Xiang Lan stopped and just looked at Shu Ran with a smile, saying nothing.
Shu Ran felt as if Xiang Lan had seen through her and quickly smiled apologetically, “Don’t you think this makes sense?”
Xiang Lan smiled again and simply said, “I understand.” She thought to herself, “Even Lin Jinlou said I could handle family social interactions as I see fit, yet Shu Ran eagerly advocates for Lin Dongwan and encourages our friendship. Lin Dongwan’s type is a seasoned manipulator – not an easy character to deal with. Shu Ran must have accepted some favor from her. But since she’s spoken up, I might as well give her face and do Lin Dongwan a small favor.” She went to her dressing table, opened a drawer, took out a pair of small silver ingots shaped like ruyi scepters, put them in a pouch, and gave them to Young Hui, saying, “This is a small gift for our first meeting. Young Mistress, please don’t think it too modest.”
Lin Dongwan responded warmly, “How can you say that? I came without bringing you anything, yet you give this child a gift.” She repeatedly urged Young Hui to thank her, but he just nestled in Lin Dongwan’s arms, holding the pouch without speaking.
After more conversation, it was nearly noon when Gui Yuan came with a message from Lin Jinlou saying he had guests and wouldn’t return for lunch, asking Xiang Lan to host Lin Dongwan and Lin Dongyi for the meal. Xiang Lan thought for a moment, then sent Ling Qing to invite Lady Tan and dispatched Little Juan to order dishes from the kitchen.
Lady Tan had been planning to serve Lin Jinxuan’s lunch, but hearing Xiang Lan’s invitation and that both young mistresses were present, she hurried to change clothes. After some consideration, she took out her most valuable outfit, changed into it, redid her hair with flowers, touched up her makeup, and then went over supported by her maid.
It was Lady Tan’s first visit to Lin Jinlou’s quarters. She saw crimson silk curtains hanging from copper hooks outside the door, and inside, a large kang bed was placed under the south window. Xiang Lan and the others were sitting on the kang talking. When Lady Tan entered, Xiang Lan ordered the meal to be served.