Chapter 31: Scheming (Part 2)

Chapter 31: Plotting (Part 2)

The day before Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Lishi sent Chunlan to find Lin Zhijin again, hoping she'd come back to the Chen house for a reunion dinner the next day.

"The old lady says your name is still on the Chen family genealogy, so you're still a member of the family. Tomorrow all the concubines and masters will be coming home. The reunion dinner is one thing, but the main purpose is to pay respects to the late master. Cadre Lin, the old master treated you well in his lifetime—he had no heirs, and you two never even slept together, yet he still gave you a share of the inheritance like the other concubines. And because he took pity on you, he gave you even more. By all rights, you should come back and burn a stick of incense for him." Chunlan, without waiting for Lin Zhijin to speak, boxed her in with her words, making it seem like refusing would make her an ungrateful wretch.

The more Chunlan pushed, the more Lin Zhijin suspected something was amiss. Chen Lishi was definitely up to something.

Chunlan was right about one thing—no matter what else was true, she had received Master Chen's inheritance, and a considerable sum at that. Burning a stick of incense for him was the least she could do.

You can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against one for a thousand days. Hiding forever wasn't going to work. Lin Zhijin touched the pistol in her bag—she'd let Chen Lishi try her tricks and see if they could stand up to a bullet.

"You're really going to that Chen house tomorrow?" Chen Qiuqiu could tell from Chunlan's demeanor that she hadn't come with good news.

"Yeah, she's right. I got such a big inheritance, I should burn some incense for him." Lin Zhijin thought it over—bringing just the gun wasn't enough. She needed to be prepared for anything.

At dinner that evening, Wang Chunhua and Li Yue were both worried about her going to the Chen residence alone.

"It's probably a trap—a Hongmen feast." Li Yue frowned. "I'll go with you."

"I'll go too. Zhijin, don't think that gun makes you safe. The Chen estate has plenty of guards, and with a hefty price on your head, there are plenty of people who'd risk their lives for money. Can you take on a whole group by yourself? Besides, how can you be sure the Chens don't have guns too?" Wang Chunhua was rarely this serious.

The more Lin Zhijin heard, the more uneasy she felt. Going alone was indeed dangerous, but bringing Li Yue and Wang Chunhua to a family dinner didn't feel right either.

"Li Yue, Chunhua, could you wait outside for me? If I'm not out by six-thirty—no, six o'clock—then come in and find me." Lin Zhijin thought it over—safety first.

"Of course. Don't eat too much, and we'll be home by six to cook dinner—we can celebrate Mid-Autumn together." Wang Chunhua said, sounding a little too excited.

Lin Zhijin shot her a sideways glance. She was just looking for drama—she was definitely hoping the Chens would do something so they'd have a good excuse to raise hell.

Li Yue took Lin Zhijin's hand, saying worriedly, "Don't let yourself be alone. If something feels wrong, run. If necessary, fire your gun. Your safety comes first."

"Okay." Lin Zhijin had previously thought she could only carry a gun while on duty, but it turned out she could carry it at all times once it was assigned to her.

The next afternoon, Lin Zhijin went home to change—a white short-sleeved blouse with a floral pattern, black cropped pants, black cloth shoes, her hair braided, and no accessories except a wristwatch.

Carrying a custom leather bucket bag, Lin Zhijin walked toward the Chen residence with Li Yue and Wang Chunhua.

The banquet was at five, and Lin Zhijin arrived at four—right on time. But by the time she got there, most people were already waiting.

"Oh my, it's been so long since we've seen Ninth Sister—she's getting more and more beautiful." Seventh Concubine covered her mouth in fake surprise when she saw Lin Zhijin.

"Seventh Sister, you've got the wrong title. Cadre Lin is a government official now, different from us. We should call her Cadre Lin." Third Concubine smiled at Lin Zhijin, a flicker of calculation in her eyes.

"Oh, silly me! Right, Ninth Concubine is no longer Ninth Concubine—she's a government official now. Cadre Lin, that's right, isn't it? Cadre Lin, what do you do?" Seventh Concubine dramatically slapped her own mouth.

"Just call me Xiao Lin or Zhijin. Forget 'Cadre Lin'—I'm just an ordinary clerk. Seventh Concubine, your skin looks so much lighter—what are you using? Care to share?" Lin Zhijin deliberately changed the subject.

As expected, Seventh Concubine beamed and touched her face. "Really? It's lighter? I recently got an ancient recipe—you take it and put it on your skin. My girl also said I've gotten lighter, so it must really work."

Third Concubine, seeing that Seventh Concubine had been successfully sidetracked, was furious. She really couldn't rely on that idiot.

"Cadre Lin, I heard the government is hiring. Do you have any inside information?" Third Concubine interjected.

"I'm just an ordinary clerk—how would I know any inside information? Why? Is Second Master thinking of getting a government job?" Lin Zhijin looked at Third Concubine with feigned curiosity.

"Second Master is too old for that. Why would he want to work? That's way too much trouble. If Second Master went to work, who'd run things at home?" Seventh Concubine asked, even more curious than Lin Zhijin.

Third Concubine turned away, annoyed, ignoring Seventh Concubine, and instead turned her attention to Hu Xiaoyue. "Five months along now, right? Your belly sticks out so much—it must be a boy."

Hu Xiaoyue deliberately stuck out her belly, casting a smug glance at Lin Zhijin, then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a jade-green bracelet. "Ten more days until six months. Boy or girl, it doesn't matter—this child is the master's posthumous child. I just hope he or she grows up safely."

Lin Zhijin had seen Hu Xiaoyue when she walked in, and had seen her smug, contemptuous expression, so she'd ignored her. Now looking more carefully, that belly looked much bigger than six months. A big baby makes for a difficult birth—didn't she know that?

"Xiao Lin, how much do you earn a month at work now? Look at how you're dressed." Hu Xiaoyue looked Lin Zhijin up and down, disdain clear in her eyes.

"It is a bit plain. Didn't the master give you quite a bit of jewelry? Why aren't you wearing any?" Seventh Concubine asked curiously.

"It's not appropriate to wear jewelry at work now." Lin Zhijin saw Third Mistress helping Chen Lishi in, with Second Concubine following behind them. Chen Lishi looked more like Third Mistress's real mother-in-law, while Second Concubine seemed like a managing old servant.

"What are you all chatting about?" Chen Lishi made a grand entrance, only telling everyone to sit once she was settled. "It's been a long time since we've had such a full gathering. How is everyone doing?"

"Just fine. How's your health, old lady?" Fifth Concubine asked with a smile.

After liberation, except for Second and Third Concubines, the other concubines had moved out of the Chen estate with their children. If you could be your own mistress, who would want someone else over their head?

Actually, Second Concubine wanted to move out too. She'd spent a lifetime being subservient, and now that she was a grandmother, she really didn't want to serve anyone anymore. But Second Branch was too deeply tied to the main branch—untangling wasn't easy. Still, it wouldn't be long now. Soon she could leave the Chen estate and be her own mistress. Better days weren't far off.

As for Third Concubine, she'd always viewed the entire Chen estate as Third Branch's prize, so she had to stay and hold her ground.

"My health is fine. Zhijin, since you're back for a rare visit, why don't you stay the night? Your Wenzhu Courtyard has been kept for you all this time." Chen Lishi turned her gaze to Lin Zhijin, speaking genially.

Lin Zhijin was planning to leave early—there was no way she'd stay the night.

"I'd love to stay, but..." Lin Zhijin looked at them hesitantly. "I have a friend waiting for me outside. I can't keep her waiting too long."

Seventh Concubine's eyes suddenly widened. A friend—was this friend really just a friend?

She leaned closer to Lin Zhijin. "Zhijin, what's going on? Do you have a sweetheart?"

Lin Zhijin was speechless for a moment, then shook her head. "No."

Seventh Concubine wasn't satisfied with that answer and was about to press further when Third Master came over to invite them to the ancestral hall for the memorial ceremony.

Lin Zhijin again fell in behind Eighth Concubine, using her to block Seventh Concubine from continuing her questioning.

"You've changed a lot." Eighth Concubine suddenly spoke.

"It's been almost half a year since we last met. It's normal to change." Lin Zhijin thought that since she'd been gone so long, some personality changes weren't a big deal.

Eighth Concubine didn't press further, but after the ancestral ceremony, on the way back, she whispered in Lin Zhijin's ear, "Be careful of water."

Lin Zhijin immediately understood that Eighth Concubine knew something—she was deliberately warning her. Regardless, she was grateful for it.

When passing the garden pond, Lin Zhijin remembered Eighth Concubine's words and kept far away. Nothing happened. During the meal, she stayed vigilant, and still nothing happened. Could she have been wrong in her suspicions?

Lin Zhijin's gaze swept across the people at her table. Second Concubine was occasionally serving food to Chen Lishi with a humble demeanor. Third and Fourth Concubines chatted idly. Fifth and Sixth Concubines laughed and talked together. Eighth Concubine maintained her aloof expression. Only Seventh Concubine kept stealing glances at her, curiosity clear in her eyes—clearly still wondering who Lin Zhijin's "friend" was.

"Zhijin, why aren't you eating? Last time you told Chunlan you'd come see me and asked me to prepare your favorite dishes and pastries. I waited and waited, but you never came. Knowing you were coming today, I specifically told the kitchen to make your favorites." Chen Lishi pointed to the dishes in front of Lin Zhijin, speaking kindly.

Was she accusing her of going back on her word? Or of being ungrateful?

Either way, Lin Zhijin pretended not to understand, smiling lightly. "Work has just been so busy. I actually ate quite a few pastries earlier, so I'm not really hungry right now."

Before coming, Lin Zhijin had eaten a bowl of noodles. After arriving at the Chen estate, she'd seen Seventh Concubine eating pastries, knew they were safe, and had eaten nearly a whole plate herself—everyone had seen that. So when she said she wasn't hungry, no one thought she was lying.

Seventh Concubine leaned over, lowering her voice with a suggestive tone: "Could it be you're thinking about that 'friend' waiting outside? Can't even enjoy your food?"

Lin Zhijin's eyelid twitched, nearly choking on her food. She set down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, and smiled. "Seventh Concubine, you do love to joke. The one waiting for me is a female colleague."

“A female colleague, huh? I thought it was your sweetheart,” Seventh Concubine said, sounding slightly disappointed.

“Seventh Concubine, we don’t talk during meals,” Lin Zhijin replied calmly, glancing at her.

But Seventh Concubine pressed on: “Anyway, you’re no longer a concubine of the Chen family. You’re still young and beautiful—hurry up and find yourself a good match…”

“Seventh Concubine,” Chen Lishi shot her a cold, silencing glance.

After all, Lin Zhijin remained the Ninth Concubine—the one the Chen family had married with great fanfare. If she moved on while the old master’s body was barely cold, it would damage her reputation—and would the Chen family’s name fare any better?

Seventh Concubine pouted and fell silent, sullenly poking at her rice.

Lin Zhijin glanced at her watch—it was 5:45. Using the excuse that a friend was still waiting outside, she prepared to take her leave from Chen Lishi.

“You’re leaving already? You haven’t even finished your meal. It’s rare for the whole family to gather like this—stay a while longer,” Chen Lishi said, clearly reluctant to let her go.

Just as Lin Zhijin was about to decline again, the young maid pouring tea accidentally spilled an entire cup—right onto an awkward spot. Either way, there was no way she could step outside and meet anyone looking like that.

“Oh my! What are you doing? Can’t even pour tea properly? Madam, where on earth did you hire this girl from? So clumsy! In the old days, I’d have had you beaten!” Seventh Concubine exclaimed, also splashed by the tea.

“All household servants have been emancipated—you know that,” Chen Lishi retorted, glaring at the careless maid before turning apologetically to Lin Zhijin: “Xiaojiu, you see, she didn’t mean it. Things are different now, and you work for the government—you understand. How about I deduct half a month’s wages from her pay? Your clothes and trousers are soaked—let someone take you to change.”

Before Lin Zhijin could refuse, Chen Lishi had Wan’er lead her away to change.

Author’s note:

Thanks to the three treasures—Za Guo Mai Tie Lai Kan Wen, chopper-0124, and Yun Duo—for their generous gifts! Muah! (づ￣3￣)づ╭❤～