Chapter 26

Chapter 26: The Twenty-Sixth Episode

Zhang Ailian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "If you must go, then go find a desk job at the Southern Court."

Lian Cheng dropped the act, grabbed a handful of dried fruits, and ran off. Desk job be it—just watch him play the long game, climb the ladder, and run the show.

Qing Zhu pushed aside the curtain and went after him, "Young master, don't run! I'll have someone fetch Huqiu to come get you. Madam said you should go yourself to bring Old Master Guan over for the family's New Year's Eve dinner!"

"Sister, don't bother sending anyone—I'll head back myself."

Qing Zhu heard his voice but couldn't see him. She sighed, took a few steps, stopped, laughed, and muttered "that little rascal," then lifted the curtain and went back inside. She told Madam Zhang, who waved a hand. "Let him be. He's got a free spirit, just like his father."

"Not like the Master—like you, Madam," Qing Zhu offered.

Zhang Ailian ignored that remark and wrapped up the final odds and ends of the year: "Across the street is Censor Zhou's place. He's an honest man without much money-making business. When his daughter-in-law gave birth, she couldn't afford a doctor and had to borrow from us. Don't bother collecting that debt. Instead, put together New Year gifts along with ones for the other neighboring officials and send them over tomorrow morning."

She went on, "The Master may have a few shady friends, but he's not a bad person. We should also prepare gifts—no gold or silver needed, just wrap some nice inkstones and paper in plain rice paper and lemongrass, that's more fitting."

Finally, she brought up the ancestral rites on New Year's Day. Lian Cheng was the only legitimate son, so by custom he should lead the ceremony together with the Master. When Qing Zhu brought it up, she hesitated but pushed forward. "This year, are you still going to keep our young master from co-presiding with the Master? In past years, the young master grew distant because you gave his rightful role to the Eldest Brother. He was humiliated and hurt, and he held a grudge against you. Now that he's finally gotten close to you this past month, if you forbid him from presiding again, the rift between mother and son might open up again."

Zhang Ailian thought it over for a while, then said she'd let it go, showing no sign of objection.

Qing Zhu breathed an inward sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Madam, relax and have your tea. I'll go check on how dinner is coming in the kitchen."

Just as Zhang Ailian raised her teacup, she saw Qing Zhu heading to the kitchen and quickly called her back, "Those crabs in the pond and the live shrimp—tell them to use only live ones and throw out the dead ones. Cheng Geer will notice the difference. The Eight Treasure Thick Soup has to be made by Mama Liu; Cheng Geer only trusts her cooking."

"Got it."

By the time they finished talking, Lian Cheng had already run far away. But he wasn't in a hurry to get back—dinner was still early. He roamed the estate aimlessly like a headless chicken.

Having too much property had its downsides; even now Lian Cheng only knew Penglai Pavilion and that tiny plot in Yiqiu.

If the family ever got raided, he wouldn't even know how to escape.

Lian Cheng walked slowly along a corridor that looked the most appealing. There were footprints in the snow, meaning someone had come through earlier. At the end, he had a choice between left and right. He picked the path no one had taken—quieter. Bamboo laden with snow, jagged rocks resting against plum trees. As he turned, an antique gate came into view: Liuyun Terrace (Cloud-Retaining Terrace).

Whose courtyard was this? Lian Cheng racked his brain, but this name had never come up in the whole novel. He figured it might be one of the concubines' courtyards, so he stopped short and was about to turn around.

But before he could leave, he heard a quiet sob.

Lian Cheng clutched his head in dismay. Damn it—should he eavesdrop or get out of there right now!

He had no choice. He wasn't usually that kind of person, but looking at all the great achievers, could they afford to stick to trivial propriety?

So he scrambled up onto a rockery on all fours and peered down.

A dress dragging on the ground, hairpins swaying—it was a young lady. Which one? The household had only two: one quiet, one lively.

Beside her, a maid was wiping her tears with a handkerchief and trying to comfort her. "Miss, don't cry. It's almost time for the New Year's dinner. The whole family will be there. If they see your eyes all puffy, they'll all come asking and it won't be a good look."

The sobbing young lady raised her hand, yanked out her hairpin, and hurled it into the snow, sobbing. "Why should I go to the New Year's dinner? Every other sibling gets new clothes and new jewelry for the holiday, but I have nothing. The hairpins on my head are either from this mother or that one. It's a miracle they don't call me a beggar!"

"Never mind all these years. Just last year, even the maids in Third Brother's courtyard were better dressed than me, wearing white damask jackets. I don't even have a few of those!"

Cailing quickly shushed her. "Miss, you can't say that. Crying over food and clothes is already unbecoming, and badmouthing Sister Qiong Hua behind her back—if she finds out, we…"

"She's just a servant. Even if I wanted to kill her, there's nothing wrong with that," she said, standing up. From her height and manner, Lian Cheng recognized her as his fifth sister, Lian Yu.

Cailing broke into a cold sweat. "Sister Qiong Hua is Third Brother's maid, and she's under Sister Tong Xue's wing. Everyone knows Sister Tong Xue carries weight with the housekeepers in the whole household. Miss talks about killing like it's nothing. If Penglai Pavilion finds out, Sister Qiong Hua can't touch you, but she's backed by Third Brother."

"I'm just venting. When have I ever treated them badly? I've never been well-off, but every New Year I gave them bonuses. Now just because I say a few words, am I to be mistreated?"

Cailing sighed. "If Third Madam were willing to step out of this door and interact more with the Master, your situation wouldn't be so tight."

Lian Yu raised her hand and slapped Cailing, who immediately knelt and kowtowed.

"That's the truth, but it's not for a servant to say. Do you take my mother for a whore?"

Seeing this, Lian Cheng groaned inside. Such petty household drama—and not the dignified kind. He shouldn't have been eavesdropping.

He decided not to listen further. Too improper! How could he, as an elder brother, do such a thing?

Let him get down.

Just then, Lian Cheng's foot slipped, and he fell from the rockery to the ground—never had heaven answered his prayers so quickly.

-

Lian Cheng never liked using money to bribe people's silence. First, he couldn't afford to be extravagant—the more he spent, the more justification Lian Xiusheng had to take crooked paths. Second, bribes couldn't always seal lips.

But when he saw that Lian Yu and her maid, instead of accusing him, were panicked and looked like they'd rather die of shame on the rockery, Lian Cheng sighed, sat up, and said, "Fifth sister, I understand your hardships. From now on, I'll have Tong Xue increase your monthly allowance. No need to take it from the household—I'll add it myself. So don't go about killing this one and that one."

Lian Yu and Cailing first helped Lian Cheng up, brushed off the snow from him, and then she curtsied and said, "I was just momentarily distressed. I don't need Third Brother's charity."

Lian Cheng looked at the tear stains on her face, ran to the snowy patch ahead, and dug out the hairpin she had thrown away with his bare hands.

He picked up the hairpin, tucked it into his sleeve, returned to Lian Yu, and said, "Do you have any other jewelry in your room?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then I'll take this one. I'll have it melted down later and make you a better set together with what I'll add."

Lian Yu had a refined appearance, soft-looking yet with a resilient air. But she truly needed these things, and badly, so she didn't refuse again. "Then I thank Third Brother." With that, she lowered her head, let out sobs, and wept with her handkerchief pressed to her face.

Lian Cheng didn't know how to comfort a girl. He sighed several times, said he had to go, and left.

It was almost dark when Lian Cheng returned to Penglai Pavilion. Qiong Hua was about to flare up, but Lian Cheng shook the snow off himself and said, "Sister, your outfit is beautiful—you look like a fairy maiden!" Qiong Hua couldn't stay angry. She only urged Huqiu to quickly prepare a felt wrap, take an umbrella, and escort the Old Master and the young master to the main house for the New Year's Eve dinner.

Lian Cheng saw that Penglai Pavilion was in chaos while the neighboring courtyard was quiet, and asked, "Where are the people from Yiqiu? Aren't they going?"

"They never go," Qiong Hua said.

"Why not?"

Qiong Hua shook her head, saying she didn't know.

"I'll go take a look."

As soon as he stepped into the Yiqiu courtyard, Lian Cheng sensed a starkly different atmosphere from other courtyards. Though red lanterns were hung and 'fortune' stickers were pasted, it was still desolate and chilly.

Probably because not many lamps were lit, Lian Cheng thought. He went straight to Lian Xiusheng's bedroom, but he wasn't there. Then he went to Lian Xiusheng's study—no one. He searched several more rooms familiar to him but found no trace of Lian Xiusheng.

He didn't dare go to the women's quarters. Just when he was about to return empty-handed and bewildered, Lian Cheng noticed a wisp of faint smoke curling from the eaves.

"Fire!"

No.

"Something's burning!"

True to its name, the Yiqiu Courtyard looked just like a tomb at this moment. No one responded to Lian Cheng’s shouts, so he had no choice but to run over by himself.

In the dim snowy night, Lian Cheng rushed in and spotted right away the blazing fire in the center of the courtyard, as well as Lian Xiusheng sitting on a small stool.

So it wasn’t a fire after all—his younger brother was just playing with fire. Playing with fire means you’ll wet the bed, which meant he wouldn’t have to sleep with Lian Xiusheng anymore.

After confirming there was no danger, Lian Cheng took a look at this small courtyard he’d never stumbled upon before. There were no red lanterns, no New Year pictures or blessing characters, and no lamps lit. The only light came from those flames.

Seeing someone arrive, Lian Xiusheng was still continuously adding paper balls. Lian Cheng hurried over, about to scold him. But when he looked down—paper balls? Playing with fire? No, it was spirit paper and gold ingots. Lian Xiusheng was holding a memorial rite.

Lian Cheng didn’t understand. “Xiu Sheng, what are you doing?”

“Third Brother should go eat the New Year’s Eve dinner.” Lian Xiusheng wore a plain green thin robe, with a coarse cloth cloak over it, and a simple small hat. He looked like a hermit Taoist priest, detached from the world, but desire churned in his eyes.

No Taoist would look like that—this was a fighter's gaze, Lian Cheng thought. This guy was impossible to teach.

“It’s not that urgent. Who is the person you’re commemorating? Why not go to his grave?” Lian Cheng crouched down, reaching out to help Lian Xiusheng add ingots to the fire.

Lian Xiusheng’s expression changed. His body instinctively recoiled with disgust, and he shoved Lian Cheng so hard he landed on his butt.

Lian Cheng looked up in shock, and caught a flash of disgust and hatred in Lian Xiusheng’s eyes, quickly hidden. He stood up and helped Lian Cheng to his feet. “Third Brother, I always get emotional around this time of year. Sorry.”

Lian Xiusheng gave the small stool to Lian Cheng and crouched beside the fire, continuing to add ingots and spirit paper. The flames flickered, and his expression was cold and stern, always icy.

“If you didn’t want help, just say so—no need to push me!” Lian Cheng brushed the snow off his clothes, grumbling. “You’re skipping the New Year’s dinner just to burn offerings for your relatives? So why isn’t Fourth Madam going either?”

Lian Xiusheng said, “Fourth Madam has been folding ingots for a month. Today is the death anniversary of over a thousand of our family members. We can’t go to the New Year’s Eve dinner. I hope Third Brother understands.”

Lian Cheng said incredulously, “Over a thousand relatives?”

What kind of family is this? Was Fourth Madam a noblewoman whose family was raided, forcing her to perform at the Music Bureau? But the Music Bureau was under government control. Without permission, how could Lian Pu have redeemed her and brought her back to the Lian family?

But even if her family had been raided, what family could have over a thousand people? A prince? The late emperor only had three sons—the crown prince was gone, the second son was still alive, and the third son was sitting on the throne. Which prince's family could've been raided?

Lian Cheng was dumbfounded. His brain had shut down.

Unable to guess, Lian Cheng asked point-blank: “Sixth Brother, is there something you’re hiding from me?”

Without a moment’s hesitation or any guilt, Lian Xiusheng said, “Third Brother, I have nothing hidden from you.”

Fine! Lian Cheng just decided to believe Fourth Madam’s family had over a thousand relatives who needed offerings today!

But Lian Cheng still felt it was utterly absurd. For a moment he even felt hurt by Lian Xiusheng’s dishonesty.

Although he knew Lian Xiusheng had never been sincere, at least he used to put on a show. This time he was flat-out treating Lian Cheng like an idiot.

On New Year’s Eve of all days—what a pain!

Footsteps broke the silence—Jin Cai, also silent, appeared carrying two burlap sacks. He untied the bags and poured out two large piles of gold ingots, but he couldn’t break the silence between the two because he was the equally silent Jin Cai. He only gave a mildly surprised look at Lian Cheng, then left without a word.

Lian Cheng reached past Lian Xiusheng, grabbed a big handful of gold ingots, and tossed them into the fire.

Just tossed them.

Sparks flew up. Lian Xiusheng turned his face away, but this time he didn’t stop Lian Cheng.

But Lian Cheng didn’t think provoking him was any fun either. He just sighed. “Forget it. You go ahead. I’m going to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner. If there’s anything you want to eat, send a servant to come find me, and I’ll pack a box for you.”

Lian Xiusheng glanced at his third brother and said softly, “Third Brother’s kindness spreads far and wide, shining on Fifth Sister, and now you’re dumping charity on me too.”

Lian Cheng felt he was being sarcastic, and he didn’t need evidence. “Lian Yu’s life is hard. I have more than enough, and I’m her elder brother, so I gave her some. We’re brothers and sisters—how can you call it alms? Your words are too harsh.”

“So Third Brother can do it, but I can’t say it?” Lian Xiusheng asked.

Lian Cheng’s eyes widened in shock. In the snow, he looked like a startled little red fox. It took him a while before he pointed at Lian Xiusheng and asked, “Why are you being so unreasonable today?”

Lian Xiusheng said flatly, “In Third Brother’s heart, if I wish you would treat me differently from the other brothers and sisters, is that being unreasonable?”

It didn’t seem like it, Lian Cheng thought.

No—how had he been led by the nose? Lian Cheng immediately snapped back and said seriously, “We are all bound by blood; we should love and care for one another. Today I only gave Lian Yu a pair of hairpins, and you’re making a fuss. Whether you’re an official now or just a wandering knight-errant, there’s no reason to compete with your brothers and sisters for priority.”

Lian Xiusheng only laughed. He didn’t look as cold anymore. He finally spoke, “Just teasing Third Brother a bit. Don’t take it seriously.”

Yes, that’s more like it, Lian Cheng nodded. “Thi—”

Before Lian Cheng could finish, Lian Xiusheng wiped the smile off his face and asked, “Then let me ask Third Brother: if you could only pick one among your brothers and sisters, who would it be?”