After releasing the lotus lanterns together, Xiang Lan and Song Ke returned home as the night deepened. Xiang Lan had sweet dreams that night. The next day, Song Ke went to the academy as usual. Xiang Lan tidied up the entire house, took out all the clothes from the trunks, folded them neatly one by one, and sorted them into piles to put in the cabinets.

Yue Xi smiled, “I’ve been wanting to organize Young Master’s clothes but never had the chance.”

Xiang Lan said, “Some of these clothes are so worn that the edges have turned white. While simplicity is good, it shouldn’t be this austere. Young Master meets people daily, dealing with sons of noble families, respectable officials, and the local gentry. Most things don’t matter, but what’s most hateful are those contemptuous people who judge others by their clothes. We can’t let them look down on him.” She pointed at different piles, explaining, “These new ones go on top, for Young Master to wear when receiving guests. These half-worn ones can be fixed by replacing the collar and cuffs, then pressing them with a hot iron and wine – they’ll look as good as new. These three damaged ones need patching where possible, and where they can’t be patched, we can embroider flowers to cover the spots. Most unfortunate is this fur coat that’s been moth-eaten – we should ask the steward to bring a camphor wood chest tomorrow. As for these few, they’re either too worn from washing or have oil stains on the front – we should ask Young Master if he wants to give them away.”

Yue Xi clapped her hands together, saying, “Young Master has three or four seasonal outfits made each year, but they just stay in the trunk – some he forgets about as soon as they’re made. Fortunately, we’ve checked them now.” She called Jun Xi over to help Xiang Lan organize the clothes and find suitable materials for repairs and mending.

Yue Xi suddenly sighed, “Ah, if Master were still alive, Young Master wouldn’t have to wear such clothes. He could have several new outfits made each year and discard the old ones.”

Xiang Lan said, “There’s nothing wrong with wearing old clothes, as long as it’s not when receiving guests.”

Jun Xi said, “Young Master is saving money for when he passes the provincial examinations – he’ll need it for networking. Those officials in the capital are all black-hearted; without greasing the wheels, how could Young Master secure a good position?”

Just then, they heard someone outside the window asking, “Is Miss Xiang Lan here?” Xiang Lan looked out and saw Mother Guo standing outside. She quickly put down her work, put on her shoes, and went out, saying, “Mother Guo, why have you come? Please, come in and sit.”

Mother Guo’s face was full of smiles as she held Xiang Lan’s hand, saying, “It’s nothing much. I’ve come today to apologize. My daughter was thoughtless and offended you with her words. Please forgive her uncouthness and ignorance. Don’t take it to heart – I’ll give her a good talking to when I get back.”

Xiang Lan immediately understood that Song Ke must have spoken to Mother Guo. She smiled and said, “Mother, what are you saying? It was my fault for not knowing what I should or shouldn’t say. Please ask Sister Fang Si to be understanding.”

They exchanged pleasantries with forced smiles, and Mother Guo handed over a food box, saying, “These are freshly steamed cloud cakes from this morning, brought for you all to eat.”

Xiang Lan smiled, saying, “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.” She went back and brought out a box of eight treasure-preserved fruits for Mother Guo to take back.

What Xiang Lan didn’t know was that earlier that morning, when Song Ke went to pay his respects to Aunt Song, mother, and son were chatting and laughing when Fang Si, who was serving nearby, seized the opportunity to say, “I’ve finished making the trousers for Young Master. Please take a look – if anything’s not to your liking, I can alter them.” She presented the trousers to Song Ke.

Aunt Song smiled, “Fang Si stayed up two nights making these – you mustn’t complain.”

Song Ke bowed slightly and smiled, “I wouldn’t dare.” He glanced at Fang Si, “Thank you for your trouble.”

Fang Si’s face immediately reddened, and she cast a coy glance at Song Ke. Despite her usual eloquence, she found herself speechless and slowly retreated to Aunt Song’s side.

Aunt Song and Mother Guo exchanged knowing looks, both wearing pleased expressions. Song Ke noticed this and lowered his head slightly. After a moment, he said, “Fang Si has served Mother devotedly these years, working hard with great merit. But she’s getting older now. Mother should look out for a good match for her, and when the time comes, I’ll contribute to her dowry.”

Before he finished speaking, Fang Si’s face turned pale, with tears welling up in her eyes. Aunt Song was stunned and looked at Mother Guo with some embarrassment, but not wanting to go against her son’s wishes, she said, “You’re right, we certainly can’t shortchange Fang Si.”

Song Ke didn’t stay any longer and got up to leave. Mother Guo followed him to the door, where he suddenly stopped and turned around, saying, “Fang Si is after all Mother’s maid. In the future, when doing needlework, she should prioritize her Mother’s needs. Making trousers for me and staying up late harms her health. Firstly, I can’t bear to see that, and secondly, if she falls ill, who will do Mother’s work?”

Mother Guo’s heart sank again, and she repeatedly said, “Young Master is right. In the future, Fang Si will only do needlework for Madam.”

Having made his point, Song Ke turned and left.

Mother Guo sensed something amiss in Song Ke’s tone. Entering the side room, she found Fang Si wiping away tears. Upon questioning, she learned about yesterday’s argument with Xiang Lan. Mother Guo urgently said, “I told you to avoid provoking Xiang Lan, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve left yourself no room to maneuver!” She hurriedly took cakes to apologize to Xiang Lan, and upon returning, sighed to Fang Si, “Today I looked carefully at Xiang Lan again – she’s as beautiful as a celestial maiden, and her words and actions are impeccable. No wonder Young Master holds her in such high regard. Since she’s shown she won’t tolerate others after your confrontation when Young Master marries her as the First Madam, you’ll have your share of suffering. Why did you need to fight with her now? Listen to your mother – from now on, stay far away from her, and don’t upset Young Master again.”

Fang Si nodded tearfully, secretly resenting Song Ke’s heartlessness and hating Xiang Lan for ruining her prospects, but we’ll leave that for now.

Meanwhile, after tidying Song Ke’s room, Xiang Lan drew a picture of insects and grass, signed it with “Lanxiang Hermit,” took out a seal, dipped it in ink, and pressed it firmly at the bottom. Her paintings combined elegant coloring and brushwork with occasional vibrant brilliance. While the flowers and grass were painted in freestyle, the insects were meticulously detailed, creating a uniquely elegant and lively effect. Such charming paintings were rare in the market, making them especially popular among noble ladies and young misses.

Earlier, when Xiang Lan entered the Lin family, she had no time to paint, and only two or three pieces were sold by Chen Wan Quan before they became hard to find. The prices suddenly increased several times, leading to imitations in the market, though none could match the charm of Xiang Lan’s originals. Although Chen Wan Quan was unreliable, he was good at business and publicity, talking up the paintings extensively. Now a small painting sold for seven or eight taels of silver, delighting Chen Wan Quan immensely.

However, Xiang Lan wouldn’t paint many, only one or two small pieces at a time. As soon as Chen Wan Quan hung them in his shop, they sold out completely. Soon, the name “Lanxiang Hermit” became well-known, and literary scholars considered it an honor to own one of these paintings, making them even more valuable.

After finishing her painting, Xiang Lan felt the room was stuffy. Looking out the window, she saw dark clouds gathering and knew it would rain. She quickly got an umbrella and called Lu Dou to the corridor, saying, “Young Master probably didn’t take an umbrella this morning when he left. Go deliver one to the academy – hurry there and back.” Lu Dou took the umbrella and left.

Xiang Lan put away her painting, thinking it would be better not to keep it at the Song residence. She took an umbrella and quietly left through the back door to return home. Seeing Chen Wan Quan wasn’t there, she gave the painting to Madam Xue with instructions: “Mother, give the painting to Father in half a month. Don’t sell them too frequently, or they’ll lose their value. After a while, I’ll stop painting insects and grass and switch to landscapes. If those can fetch high prices too, that would be even better.” She added, “Father previously said I painted these, but that absolutely cannot continue. Have Father change his story – say he was just bragging carelessly, that the paintings were done by a traveling scholar who stayed at Jingyue Temple and gave him several pieces, which he treasured until now before selling them.”

Madam Xue agreed repeatedly and carefully put away the painting, saying, “Your father says that one piece, mounted on good ebony rollers, could fetch quite a price.”

Seeing the sky as dark as a pot bottom, Xiang Lan briefly exchanged a few more words with Madam Xue before leaving. As soon as she stepped out, thunder rumbled overhead and large raindrops came crashing down. Xiang Lan quickly opened her umbrella, lifted her skirts, and hurried to the Song family’s back gate, where she saw a scholar in a blue cotton robe standing under the eaves to avoid the rain.

Looking closer, Xiang Lan realized it was Xia Yun.

It turned out that after hearing about Xiang Lan from his second sister-in-law, Xia Yun had been unsettled. He and his classmates had discussed various young ladies and even courtesans during their leisure time. Being somewhat handsome with a refined demeanor, and being a scholar, many families favored him, and the neighborhood’s young women and wives liked to chat with him, secretly giving him handkerchiefs and pouches. Once, while strolling with classmates, Little Cui Xian from Yihong House was cracking melon seeds while leaning against the balustrade of her embroidered tower. She plucked a flower from her hair and threw it at him, causing others around to feel both jealous and amused, teasing him. He had blushed then, but couldn’t help feeling pleased inside. Looking up slightly, he found Little Cui Xian’s figure alluring, her glance containing countless charms. Even though he could control himself, his heart couldn’t help but flutter.

But after seeing Xiang Lan, he felt that although Little Cui Xian was graceful and beautiful, she was ultimately inferior, far from matching Xiang Lan’s pure elegance and noble air. Lost in such thoughts, he couldn’t focus on his studies and decided to take a walk. Passing by Chen Wan Quan’s pawnshop, he saw Xiang Lan’s “Chinese Cabbage and Cherry Picture” hanging on the wall. The brushwork was graceful, fresh, and elegant, stirring his heart. He thought to himself, “Only someone with great depths of character could create such a fine work.” His admiration grew even stronger.

Leaving the shop, he unconsciously walked to Xiang Lan’s door, hoping to see her again. Finding her absent, he felt disappointed but still wandered around the alley, unwilling to give up. Unexpectedly, it suddenly started pouring, and he hurriedly ran to take shelter under the eaves of the Song family’s back gate.

He had just seen a girl approaching with an umbrella and thought it was Xiang Lan. As she came closer, the umbrella lifted slightly, revealing a lotus-like face and eyes like black agate. Xia Yun suddenly felt as if his heart contained a dozen small rabbits, pounding wildly.