Patterns

Chapter Seven

After returning to the Wuding Marquis Residence, Lin Yunwan did not hurry to attend to household affairs. Instead, she took out a calligraphy model and copied it by the window.

She spent three days writing.

Ping Ye came in to grind ink for her and asked softly, "Madam, it's been a long time since you practiced calligraphy like this. You've been copying the Bamboo Branch Calligraphy Model these past few days. Are you thinking of teaching the two young masters to write yourself?"

In her previous life, that was indeed what Lin Yunwan had planned.

But she had not forgotten that when she proposed the idea, they had actually suspected her of being too stingy to spend silver on a teacher for Qing!

She was not exaggerating. In the past, her calligraphy had been good enough to show to the grand secretaries themselves.

But the Lu family, though a marquis's household, understood none of this.

Later, Qing's calligraphy improved by leaps and bounds in just one month, and only then did the Lu family believe she was sincere.

"No."

Lin Yunwan's voice was calm.

She would never teach Qing again.

Ping Ye breathed a sigh of relief and said, as though venting a long-held grievance, "Young Master Qing has been staying with the old madam all this time and hasn't even come to pay his respects to you properly. His conduct isn't upright either. It's better that you don't teach him, madam."

But Lu Chang'gong was innocent.

Ping Ye said sympathetically, "It would be better if you could teach only Young Master Chang Gong. Whether you have time to see him or not, he comes to pay his respects every day. You can see he's a filial and sensible boy."

She sighed again. "But the household is sure to treat them equally. How could you teach only one young master?"

Lin Yunwan merely said, "This calligraphy model is for Chang Gong. He can use it."

After copying out a fu, she set down her brush and looked over the characters she had just written... In her previous life, she had devoted herself so completely to managing the Wuding Marquis Residence that she had forgotten the skills her father and teachers had taught her.

If her father saw her handwriting now, he would probably be so angry his beard would bristle.

She had grown terribly out of practice!

Yet at the end of her previous life, only these skills had truly belonged to her. No one could take them away.

She wrote until the sun sank behind the western hills. Then someone came from the Hall of Longevity with a message: "Madam, the heir has brought Cousin Miss back. The old madam asks you to come over."

Qing's birth mother, Ge Bao'er, had finally arrived at the Lu household!

Lin Yunwan put down her brush, rubbed her aching wrist, and curved her lips. "I understand."

Ping Ye helped her mistress change into another outfit.

Inwardly indignant, she muttered under her breath, "Some young lady cousin she is, daring to delay madam's visit to her parents. She can't be any good!"

Lin Yunwan arrived late, and everyone in the Hall of Longevity was already chatting merrily.

Ge Bao'er was actually sitting beside the old madam, while Wei Shi wore a pleasant expression nearby. As for Lu Zhengliu, although he took no part in the women's conversation, his expression was far more gentle and cheerful than usual.

"Old madam, the eldest young madam is here."

The conversation inside stopped abruptly. Ge Bao'er quickly rose and came over to greet Lin Yunwan.

In outsiders' eyes, she was a distant relative from the town where Old Madam Lu's family came from. Her clothes and adornments were naturally simple and fresh. She had a slender figure beneath her pale green jacket, and two little plain white flowers were pinned beside her temples. Though a white veil covered half her face, her moist almond-shaped eyes were full of life when she blinked.

She came from the countryside, yet she had the beauty of a lotus rising from clear water, and her nature seemed proper and obedient.

How could anyone not like a woman like that?

Not only Old Madam Lu and Wei Shi—even Lin Yunwan had been taken in by her in her previous life!

"Bao'er, this is your elder sister-in-law, Yun Wan."

Old Madam Lu took Ge Bao'er by the hand and led her before Lin Yunwan.

"Bao'er greets Elder Sister-in-law."

Ge Bao'er curtsied, then could not resist looking up at Lin Yunwan. She froze at once.

It was clear that Lin Yunwan had made no special effort to dress up for their meeting. Her clothes were plain and dignified, yet their richness showed in the finest details. Her jade-like skin looked delicate enough to break at a touch, and her dark hair was like ink and satin.

From head to toe, she carried the bearing of the mistress of the household. Her eyes in particular were lushly beautiful and imposing, truly soul-stirring!

Lin Yunwan addressed her in turn. "Cousin Ge."

Ge Bao'er lowered her head, her feelings complicated.

Lu Zhengliu had clearly said that the Lu family had forced him to marry Lin Yunwan, and that they could not do without her as mistress of the household because she came from a good family and managed the household well.

She had naturally assumed that Lin Yunwan must be as ugly as Wuyan, with nothing to recommend her but a talent for managing household affairs. How could she be so beautiful?

Seeing Ge Bao'er lost in thought, Lin Yunwan suddenly asked sharply, "Cousin, why are you wearing a veil?"

Wei Shi was still unaware of the truth and chimed in, "Summer is almost here. Aren't you afraid of feeling stifled, Miss Bao'er?"

Ge Bao'er panicked.

Of course it was to keep anyone from growing suspicious.

Although Qing looked more like Lu Zhengliu, his lips were more like hers.

She had only just arrived and was already somewhat timid. Although she had thought of an excuse beforehand, she was deeply uneasy and did not dare answer openly.

"She has a rash on her face. I'm afraid it will take some time to clear up. Yun Wan, don't trouble yourself over such a small matter."

Old Madam Lu was shrewd and quickly stepped in to get Ge Bao'er out of the awkward situation.

Lin Yunwan seemed genuinely unsuspecting and said politely, "Cousin Ge is a guest who has come from afar. My late arrival was already discourteous. Of course I should show concern for her."

Old Madam Lu promptly teased, "Since you know you've been discourteous, why don't you hurry and give your cousin a couple of bolts of fabric for clothes?"

"You're right, Old Madam. I'll remember."

For a time, the atmosphere in the small hall was remarkably harmonious.

Ge Bao'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"However..." Lin Yunwan looked at Ge Bao'er's embroidered shoes. "Cousin Ge seems to like fabric with auspicious cloud patterns, just like the heir. Unfortunately, I don't have any cloth in that particular pattern."

At her words, everyone looked first at Ge Bao'er's shoes, then at Lu Zhengliu's.

Ge Bao'er tried to draw her feet back, but it was too late!

Not only were the patterns identical, but on closer inspection, they even seemed to have been embroidered by the same person.

Wei Shi noticed nothing amiss and said with a laugh, "What a coincidence!"

After speaking, she felt something was odd. A young woman wearing the same pattern as her son... Had Ge Bao'er done it on purpose? She had really thought the girl was well-behaved. Wei Shi's impression of Ge Bao'er took a sharp turn for the worse.

Old Madam Lu's expression changed, and Lu Zhengliu's heart gave a jolt.

Really, with so many shoes to choose from, why did she have to wear those?

Ge Bao'er knew she had ruined things. Her face turned pale with fright, and she instinctively looked toward Lu Zhengliu, but he did not dare look at her at all.

She felt very much alone and helpless.

"If you don't have that kind of fabric, never mind. I still have plenty of aloeswood-colored fabric here. Though it's a little old-fashioned, it will do well enough for her to wear in my courtyard."

Old Madam Lu's earlier warmth was entirely absent as she spoke.

She had originally gone along with it to help her grandson carry the act through, and Ge Bao'er had indeed seemed honest and obedient. She had never expected her to be a needle hidden in cotton.

No one else needed to take action; she herself could not tolerate such a creature.

"Yes."

Lin Yunwan answered meekly.

"It's getting late. You may all leave."

Old Madam Lu dismissed them, looking somewhat tired, but spoke separately to Lin Yunwan. "Come over tomorrow morning. The two children have been in the household for some time now, and it's time they began their studies in earnest. We'll discuss an arrangement together."

Her manner and tone were gentler than before by who knew how much.

"All right. I'll take my leave, Old Madam."

After she went out, she faintly heard Ge Bao'er crying inside.

Lin Yunwan smiled coldly.

Ge Bao'er had managed to stay right under her nose for twenty years, waiting only for her to die so she could take the position of mistress of the household.

How could someone like that have no ambition?

And ambition was something that could never be hidden.