Chapter Thirty-Two: Spring Waters and Green Waves
Manyun pulled Ruanbi to sit on the kang (a heated platform bed) in the west wing, and the coughing and sobbing stopped completely.
The main building of Chunhui Hall also has a five-room structure, three bright and two dark. The central hall is furnished with chairs for the host and guests, where close female guests and younger male relatives are received, and where the younger generation kowtows during festivals. To the east is a side hall where younger generations greet each other and meet the head maids and wives in charge of the courtyard. To the west is a heated room with a large pit near the window and a small low table; this is where people usually live in winter.
The weather hadn't turned cold yet, and the warm pavilion was unused, but it was spotless. The wallpaper had probably been freshly pasted in the summer, pure white and bright. Manyun went into the inner room and brought out a fruit plate, placing it on a low table, saying, "Miss, why don't you have some melon seeds first? The Second Madam will probably be talking for a long time."
Ruan Bi was eager to know what the Second Madam was talking about, but she was too embarrassed to keep asking Manyun. She picked up some melon seeds and slowly cracked them open, pondering how to make the Old Madam value her more, even to the point of relying on her. After thinking for a long time, she had to admit it was an unsolvable problem. With the Master and the First Madam both at home, how could she possibly value a granddaughter who would one day marry out of the family?
Suddenly, Manyun said, "Doctor Xu is here. Please sit down, young lady. I'll go see him." With that, she walked out of the warm pavilion.
Ruan Bi snapped out of her reverie and looked out the window. Sure enough, she saw the steward's wife leading Doctor Xu over. A moment later, Manyun went to greet them, talking about the old lady's symptoms.
Doctor Xu didn't stay long. After a quarter of an hour, he picked up his medical kit and was led out by the steward's wife. A little while later, the Second Madam also left. Manyun quietly returned and said, "Miss, the Old Madam is tired. Why don't you go and take a look?"
Ruan Bi nodded, stood up and followed Manyun to the east side hall, asking as they walked, "Did the doctor say anything about Grandmother?"
Manyun said, "It's nothing serious. You've been worrying too much and caught a cold. Just take good care of yourself for a couple of days and you'll be fine."
Entering the side hall, the old lady lay on the couch with her eyes closed, covered by a thin quilt. She usually seemed quite energetic, but illness made her appear aged and frail, revealing a weak constitution beneath her tough exterior. Ruan Bi looked at her and sighed softly, unsure whether to feel sorry for herself or for the old lady.
The old lady was startled and suddenly opened her eyes. Seeing Ruan Bi standing in front of the bed, she said, "Fifth girl, what brings you here?"
Ruan Bi knelt on one knee by the bed and said softly, "Grandmother is ill, and I feel uneasy, so I came to take a look." These words came from the bottom of her heart, although the real reason for her unease was that she was worried about losing the only support in the inner quarters.
The old lady was slightly moved. She reached out and touched her head, saying, "Silly girl, I'm fine. I just caught a cold and have a cough. It's nothing serious. The ground is cold, so don't kneel down. Get up and sit next to me."
Ruan Bi stood up and sat down on the edge of the couch, feeling a little ashamed, and lowered her eyes.
The old lady assumed she was just feeling down and found her granddaughter even more considerate. Looking at her closely for a while, she noticed a resemblance to Ruan Lan. She then recalled how, whenever she was ill, Ruan Lan would sit by her bedside, serving her tea and soup, offering comfort and warmth, sometimes even wiping away tears with her head bowed.
When she gave birth to Ruan Lan, her mother-in-law had just passed away. She became the mistress of the household, finally free from years of having to defer to her mother-in-law, and could finally hold her head high. Therefore, she doted on Ruan Lan immensely. She raised her from a young age, truly cherishing her like a precious gem. Little did she expect that over a decade of pampering would result in a life of desolation. Thinking of this, tears welled up in her eyes.
Ruan Bi was startled and asked, "Grandma, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
The old lady shook her head and said sadly, "It's nothing, I just thought of your mother..." Her mood was low, and she didn't realize that she had let something slip, "She's so far away, I don't know what kind of life she's living now, and I don't know if I'll ever see her again?"
An elderly woman, grieving the loss of her daughter who had married far away, moved Ruan Bi to tears, even though she disliked the old lady.
Manyun, who was standing nearby, came over, took a handkerchief and wiped away the old lady's tears. She looked at Ruan Bi reproachfully and said, "Miss, really, the old lady is sick now, and you are making her sad? If you continue like this, I will kick you out."
Ruan Bi said earnestly, "I was wrong, Sister Manyun."
The old lady waved her hand and said, "Don't scold her. It's not her fault. It's just that when I see her, I think of Lan'er..." As she spoke, her voice choked up again.
Manyun coaxed her, saying, "The year after next, Miss Lan can go back to the capital with Master Xu to report on his duties. We can let her stay a little longer then. Besides, Young Master Xu will pass the imperial examination next year and enter the Hanlin Academy. When he gets married, Miss Lan will be his mother, so won't she be there to preside over the ceremony?"
The old lady's eyes lit up, and she said, "That's right." As she spoke, she gave Ruan Bi a meaningful look.
Ruan Bi thought to herself, no wonder the old lady likes Manyun so much. She is indeed remarkable. Even the most baseless rumors become vivid and plausible in her story. With just a few words, she managed to coax the old lady back.
Just then, the maid brought over the prepared medicinal soup.
Manyun helped the old lady sit up and placed two large pillows behind her back.
Ruan Bi took the soup bowl and fed her spoonful by spoonful.
After taking the medicine, Manyun removed the large pillow, and the old lady lay down again. She said to Manyun, "Send someone to guard the door. When the master comes back from work at noon, tell him to come over here first."
Manyun made up a story: "We've already sent people to keep watch. There's still half an hour before the master goes off duty, so you should go to sleep."
"I can't sleep. I'll sleep after we've talked."
“That works too.” Manyun thought for a moment and said, “Then let Fifth Sister recite a passage of scripture for you.”
The old lady nodded.
Ruan Bi picked up the Diamond Sutra from the low table, opened it, and began to read it calmly. By the time she reached the fourth chapter, "The Sublime Practice Without Abiding," the old lady was already fast asleep. Manyun gave her a wink, and she put the sutra down, quietly leaving and returning to the east wing of Liaoyuan Garden. The rain hadn't stopped, but it was no longer a constant drizzle; it had turned into a fine, misty rain.
During the evening greetings, the old lady said in front of everyone, "Fifth girl, you recited the scriptures well today, even better than Manyun. Come and recite them to me often in the future."
"Yes, Grandmother." Ruan Bi replied respectfully, letting out a slight sigh of relief. Her efforts had not been in vain. Ever since she learned that the old lady liked to hear Manyun recite scriptures, she had practiced a lot in the room. Scriptures are different from others; they must be recited neither too slowly nor too slowly, with a relaxed and gentle tone, but not too cold or aloof.
The other girls were both surprised and envious, unable to understand how Ruan Bi had risen so high in the old lady's heart. Even Manyun, who wanted to help Ruan Bi, felt a pang of disappointment.
From then on, Ruan Bi had an extra task: she was summoned to Chunhui Hall from time to time to recite scriptures for the old lady. Several times this was at night, and she would recite until the old lady fell asleep before returning home. Liaoyuan Garden was remote, and it took more than a quarter of an hour to walk back from Chunhui Hall. Ruan Bi had considered moving to the empty east wing of Chunhui Hall to live closer to the old lady and obtain the fastest information. But this was something she couldn't bring up herself, nor was it appropriate to bring it up now.
During this period, it seems that things are not going well for the Second Master. The Old Madam has been eating less and looking worried.
The second wife had also lost weight, but the most pitiful was the third daughter, because not only was her father in trouble, but her future husband was also in trouble. Moreover, his crime was real—he directly killed someone. Although it was said to be a mutual fight, he would likely face imprisonment. Since the incident, she had locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone.
Ruan Bi went there once, but was turned away at the door.
One afternoon, Ruan Bi told a joke to the old lady. The old lady smiled slightly and said, "Fifth girl, I know you mean well, but I really can't laugh."
Ruan Bi had become much closer to her lately and spoke more freely than before. She boldly said, "Grandmother, don't worry. In my opinion, the charges brought by the Censor are very far-fetched. The root cause of the Yangzhou students' disturbance lies in the imperial examination system, and has little to do with Second Uncle. Even the Emperor understands this, which is why he only reprimanded him a few times the first time. This second time, it sounds like an undeserved disaster, and the blame doesn't lie with Second Uncle..."
The old lady said, "Fifth girl, you are right, but the most dangerous thing in this world is not mistakes, but the obstacles set by those with ulterior motives."
Just then, the master hurried in, waved his hand and said, "You may all leave."
Manyun quickly pulled Ruanbi back into a small room next door.
A moment later, the old lady exclaimed in astonishment, "What! Ten thousand taels?"
Then came the old man's voice again, hurried and fast, not loud, and it was hard to hear what he was saying.
After a brief silence, the old lady said loudly, "Manyun, Fifth Girl."
The two were in a small room. The old lady said, "Manyun, send someone to call the First Madam and the Second Madam over. Fifth Girl, you can go back first."
"yes."
Ruan Bi slowly walked back to Liaoyuan Garden, thinking as she went. Ten thousand taels was no small sum. Although the Ruan family wouldn't be unable to afford it, it would likely be a significant financial blow. Upon reaching the east wing, before even entering, she heard a burst of laughter and chatter. Surprised, she asked Han Xing, "Who's here?"
Hanxing said, "It's Sister Xiuping who's here."
What is she doing here again? She hasn't come for a while since she returned the Prince of Jin's reward.
Upon entering the room, Xiuping was talking to Granny Liu. On the table was a potted green plant with several small green calyxes, which looked like chrysanthemums. When she saw Ruan Bi, she stood up with a smile and said, "Fifth Miss is back. Come and take a look at this pot of Spring Water Green Waves."
Ruan Bi glanced at it again; delicate and exquisite, standing tall and graceful, this pot of chrysanthemums was well-cared for. "Where did this come from?"
"It was a gift from a distinguished person, but I'm used to being clumsy and might not be able to properly care for this precious chrysanthemum, so I brought it here to give to you, Miss, to thank you for the calligraphy you gave me last time." As she spoke, she smiled meaningfully and winked at Ruan Bi.
Seeing her strange, winking expression, Ruan Bi felt a chill run down her spine. She felt disgusted and wanted to tell her to take it back, but she was also reluctant—she quite liked the pot of chrysanthemums. The flowers were nameless and unremarkable, so keeping them wouldn't be a big deal; she had given him a calligraphy piece, and he had reciprocated with a pot of chrysanthemums—it was a fair exchange. Besides, the situation at home had suddenly changed, and she felt she couldn't rely solely on the old lady; she also had other plans for Prince Jin, and it wouldn't be good to shut him off.
After thinking it over, he nodded and said to Xiuzhi, "Take it."
Xiuping was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, young lady. I'll go and tell you right away."
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