Chapter 12
Meilin
The tension between Meilin and Ailin stemmed from the fact that Ailin was naturally close-lipped and often unfairly judged anyone who differed from her.
She was the kind of older sister who would do anything for her family, but who was often wrong in her assessment of them.
Ailin thought Meilin was reckless, and that was not true at all.
Meilin devoted serious consideration to her opinions.
If she didn’t like Captain Bai, she was never going to change her mind about him just because those around her told her that his biggest flaws could be overlooked.
And if she liked Master Wei, she was not going to hide her feelings just because he was a writer who had not yet inherited a fortune.
She conscientiously thought about Master Wei as she and Begonia reviewed her outfit choices for dinner. They laid out two different ǎoqún blouse-and-skirt combinations on Meilin’s bed.
“The pale-green ǎo always makes your skin look good,” Begonia said, pointing to the ensemble on the left. Meilin wore it frequently because the loose, wraparound collar was so comfortable. But it felt too ordinary to express how excited she was about tonight’s dinner party.
“But the yellow skirt that pairs with it is too short to cover my shoes. Master Wei is coming tonight, and I don’t want to draw attention to my big feet.”
“Is that a problem? You’re beautiful and ladylike in other ways.”
Meilin brushed off Begonia’s words of comfort. Servants were not expected to have dainty feet the way that daughters of scholarly families were. Even the Jiang women, whose ancestors were merchants, had bound feet, making Meilin’s look worse.
“I heard that Aunt Meng’s sister arrived at the mansion today with her husband and niece. Do you know anything about them?” she asked, changing the topic.
Begonia was happy to gossip, and she eagerly shared everything she had heard about Batong Mansion’s newest guests.
Aunt Meng’s sister was a younger half-sister by a concubine, but Aunt Meng doted on her as if she was a full sister.
She was called Madame Pang because she had married a man called Master Pang who, like Uncle Meng, was a zhuìxù and lived with his wife’s family.
The niece who came with them was Master Pang’s sister’s youngest daughter, a penniless orphan near Meilin’s age.
The inundation of information was difficult for Meilin to remember, but her question had diverted the conversation for long enough that she felt comfortable asking Begonia about fashion choices again.
Meilin pulled the pink ǎo with the high mandarin collar off the bed. “Is this one too loud, or do you think it’s all right?”
“It looks great on you.” Begonia straightened a blue mǎmiàn skirt embroidered with intricate swirling clouds by Mama. “These two pair nicely, and the skirt is plenty long. We should remember your gold chāi too. That was the hairpin that brought you and Master Wei together, right?”
Warmth bloomed in Meilin’s stomach as she sat down at her vanity.
She opened the lacquered jewelry box on the table and selected the two-pronged chāi pin.
The goldwork shined as beautifully as it had on the day Father and Mama had given it to her.
Like real gold that never tarnished, Meilin would never compromise on her ideals—especially when it came to love and marriage.
Meilin searched for Master Wei as she walked with her family into the garden leading to the main dining room, but he was nowhere in sight.
Ming-ming promptly ran to the corner of the garden, where their younger cousins were building a snowman out of the snow that had accumulated during the afternoon. Next to a leafless tree on the side of the garden stood Uncle Meng, chatting with a spindly man she assumed was Master Pang.
Captain Bai stood next to the other men, and for once, he had no military gear on him, not even a trace of armor, and the dark-blue silk robes he wore made him look almost like a gentleman.
It was strange to see him dressed so elegantly.
Was it because he wanted to show respect to the new guests, or was he trying to impress someone?
When the captain glanced in her direction, Meilin hurriedly looked away. Goodness. She certainly hoped he was not trying to impress her. He ought to pay more attention to his child than a woman who would never be moved by him, no matter how carefully he dressed.
Unfortunately, Meilin found herself being pulled in his direction by Ailin, who was following Mama to greet Uncle Meng.
“Xiuyun, allow me to introduce my brother-in-law, Pang Tai,” Uncle Meng said to Mama. “Tai married Chunwan’s younger sister, Xiatian, last year, and they are visiting from Hangzhou for family business.”
Because Mama joined them, Meilin and Ailin had to stay several minutes to listen to their conversation about taxes.
Meilin tried to stay politely attentive, but she would have struggled to take interest in the topic even if she wasn’t actively trying to avoid Captain Bai or look for Master Wei.
She was almost grateful when some squeals and shrieks from the children interrupted the conversation.
Her two youngest cousins, Treasure and Fortune, began throwing snow at each other, hitting Uncle Meng in the process.
The men rushed to stop the little ones before they could injure themselves, and Meilin took the opportunity to move away, taking Ailin with her.
The ground was slippery and dangerous for her older sister’s small feet, and Meilin didn’t want Ailin to get hurt.
As Meilin pulled Ailin toward the entrance of the courtyard, however, she collided with a man on his way in. She panicked as she tipped backward, but Master Wei wrapped his arm around her, his hand supporting the small of her back, saving her from falling.
As the pressure from his hand traveled up her spine, Meilin gasped. Then her breath caught in her throat as she took in his devastatingly handsome appearance, from the jade pin in his hair to the tailored robes on his body.
She righted herself as quickly as she could, her cheeks warm despite the winter air. This was the second time Master Wei had physically saved her.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir,” Ailin said as she gently pulled Meilin away from Master Wei. The movement was subtle enough to not register as impolite, but it yanked Meilin from her lovely thoughts.
Of course Ailin would insert herself like this. She couldn’t stand seeing Meilin happy.
Despite Ailin’s interference, Master Wei was as friendly as could be, showing his good breeding. He bowed to Ailin and gave a full smile to Meilin. “Have you been well? I wanted to thank you again for our last conversation. It was inspiring.”
Meilin beamed. The last time they met, he had sat next to her through the whole dinner, asking her everything she knew about zithers as research for his next play.
“How is your script coming? May I read a draft?” she asked.
“I think The Romance of the Zither is the best story I’ve written to date, and I would love to surprise you with it when it is fully polished.”
His words were like honey tea, sweetly warming Meilin’s heart. “I look forward to that day. I’m sure this play will be your most successful yet.”
Master Wei’s eyes sparkled. “Hearing your praise alone feels like the greatest success. I wish there was something I could do for you in return.” After a pause, he asked, “Have you considered my offer to teach you archery?”
Master Wei had mentioned the lessons after she told him how she wished for the ability to protect herself since encountering the thief, but she thought he had offered just to be polite.
“You actually meant it when you said that?”
“Of course. Every word I say to you comes from the bottom of my heart.”
A thrill of anticipation ran through her. How amazing it would be to learn to fight like the legendary female warrior Huā Mùlán! Meilin could already imagine Master Wei standing close to her, guiding her movements as she drew back the bowstring, aiming for the target . . .
“In that case—”
“Learning archery is not strategic for a lady like you,” Captain Bai said sternly as he suddenly appeared by Meilin’s side.
Meilin was stunned by the captain’s interruption.
When had he started listening in on her conversation with Master Wei?
It was uncharacteristic of him to approach her so directly when he usually watched her from afar.
Now he was far too close for comfort. She could almost smell the soapberry and sandalwood on him, pathetic attempts to mask the scent of blood and dust of his daily work.
He was so rough compared to the elegant and chivalrous Master Wei.
Meilin wanted to step away, but she also wanted to show Captain Bai that she wasn’t afraid of him.
She had done nothing wrong, and he was being rude.
“Archery has been one of the Six Noble Skills since ancient times. Why shouldn’t someone like me study it?” she asked defiantly.
“You would need years of training to use a bow and arrow effectively during times of danger. If self-defense is your goal, you’d be better off learning to run with a shield. You might even excel at it, considering your natural feet.”
Meilin’s blood boiled. How dare the man comment on her feet just because they weren’t as dainty as other girls of her class! She was about to snap back at him when Ailin squeezed her arm and whispered, “Grand-mother Jiang is here.”
Meilin turned toward the arched gate of the courtyard. The old lady was walking toward them with Aunt Meng on her left and two younger women on her right. Now was not the time to argue with Captain Bai.
The woman who was probably Madame Pang looked like Aunt Meng except ten years younger, plump, and with smooth skin. Walking slightly behind her was a pretty girl who must have been the niece that Begonia mentioned.
“Are you provoking our dear Meilin again, Bai Yun?” Grand-mother Jiang asked as she led the ladies into the garden. “I could hear you all the way in the other courtyard.”
Meilin felt all eyes turn toward her. Had they really been so loud, or was Grand-mother Jiang teasing like always? She didn’t know which was more embarrassing: to have been arguing with Captain Bai or to have Grand-mother Jiang construe it as bad flirting.
Master Wei’s pleasant voice cut through her misery. “Captain Bai was educating us all on the best strategies for self-defense, Madame Jiang. I don’t know if you could hear the details, but it was quite informative. He is a man with a breadth of knowledge.”
“Though perhaps not as knowledgeable as you in the art of winning over people, eh?” Grand-mother Jiang gave him an arch look and laughed.
Despite the residual awkwardness in the air, Master Wei’s playful diversion had taken everyone’s attention away from Meilin, and for that she was grateful.
It was just like Master Wei to come to her rescue whenever she was in distress.
“Let’s not stand here dawdling in the cold,” Grand-mother Jiang said as she headed toward the dining room. “Let’s go inside and eat!”