Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 173: Pure and Innocent Lin Daiyu

"Precious girl, are you not angry with your mother anymore?"

Aunt Xue was wearing a dark purple dress made of exquisite fabric. Her hairpins and bracelets were all inlaid with gold and jade. They were made by a famous jade craftsman in Jinling and were very valuable.

Although he has entered middle age, his facial features are still delicate, and the slight wrinkles on his face add a touch of kindness.

It was also because of Aunt Xue's outstanding appearance that Xue Baochai had such a beautiful appearance. Like Xue Pan, Aunt Xue also doted on this daughter.

"Precious girl, I was just careless yesterday. Don't take it to heart. Just think of it as me bumping into you yesterday. I'm here to apologize to you today."

Aunt Xue helped Xue Baochai to sit beside the couch and expressed her annoyance to her in a gentle voice.

Xue Baochai shook her head and said, "How could I bear a grudge against you, mother? Let's just forget about this matter and don't mention it again."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll just listen to Bao-ya-tou. I'll just turn the page and not mention it anymore."

Seeing her mother's smiling face, Xue Baochai couldn't help but secretly think, "I'm afraid that mother spoke the truth yesterday in anger. After all, I am a girl, and I was born in such a family. I can't escape the fate of being married off for an arranged marriage."

"If mother really thought she was wrong, why didn't she come to talk to me early in the morning? Why did she wait until I came back from the government office?"

Xue Baochai closed her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, endured the grievance in her heart, and asked, "Mother, do you have something to say?"

Aunt Xue smiled awkwardly, and holding Xue Baochai's arm tighter, she said, "I came here mainly to express my vexation to you, but secondly, I have something else I want to ask you."

Xue Baochai patted Aunt Xue's hand and said, "We are a family. Just tell me what's going on, mother."

Aunt Xue's eyes dodged and she asked tentatively, "I heard that you went to the government office this morning. What did the Marquis say? When will we be allowed to leave? The capital has already made arrangements with your aunt. It's not good to delay too long."

Xue Baochai said, "The Marquis has helped our Xue family and pointed out the way forward for them. We will probably need to stay in Cangzhou for a while. At least, we have to wait until the Marquis has put everything in Cangzhou on the right track before we can hand over the affairs here to the shopkeeper."

Aunt Xue said in disbelief: "Such a poor city, lacking everything except refugees, how can it get back on track? If the Marquis can't handle things here, will we be stuck here?"

Seeing that her mother was a little anxious, Xue Baochai comforted her again: "Mother, don't worry about this matter. The Marquis has already told me what to do. Soon Fengzihao will make a lot of money."

Aunt Xue immediately stood up, pulled her hand away, and said in a murderous tone: "You are usually very smart, why did you lose your mind when you saw that marquis? Did he drug you? I think even if he sold you, you would still count the money for him!"

Xue Baochai was helpless and said, "Mother, what are you talking about?"

Aunt Xue asked again, "Then tell me, how do you make money?"

Xue Baochai said truthfully: "The Marquis asked me to collect as much food as possible and bring it to Cangzhou Prefecture. The rest can be found by waiting for news."

Aunt Xue was so anxious that she slapped her thigh. "Oh my, my little ancestor, the Xue family is going to be defeated by you. Cangzhou Prefecture is so poor, how many people can afford to buy food? We have collected so much, and I don't know how much the loss along the way has increased the cost. How can we make money? Whose money are we going to make?"

"You can't even explain how you made money, so you were deceived? So what the Marquis said is right? Isn't it that mother is the one who deceived you?"

Xue Baochai frowned, moved her body, and turned her head away, unwilling to watch Aunt Xue go crazy. "Mother doesn't know the details of what's going on outside, and doesn't understand what kind of person the Marquis is. Besides, the Marquis has no reason to deceive us."

Aunt Xue pointed at Xue Baochai, gasping for breath, and said anxiously, "You really want to piss me off to death. Our top priority now is to get to Rongguo Mansion as soon as possible. The two old masters of the Jia family are here, can they be no match for a marquis like him?"

"If we can arrange a marriage with the Rongguo Mansion, will my Xue family still have to worry?"

Xue Baochai raised her eyebrows, "What are you talking about, mother?"

Even if she thought so, she shouldn't say it to his face. Aunt Xue knew she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth.

After a moment, Aunt Xue stamped her feet again and said with all her might, "Anyway, we can't linger here any longer. We have to hurry to Beijing!"

The two sides were in a stalemate. Ying'er, who had been hiding her head on one side, suddenly stood up with her hands raised.

"Madam, girl, please stop arguing. How about this: you two make a bet and whoever wins gets to decide what to do? Okay?"

Besides making lace and flower baskets, Ying'er's favorite thing to do is to play Go and gamble for a few copper coins.

Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai looked over and asked, "How do we bet?"

Ying'er explained, "Madam doesn't believe in the Marquis, but Miss does. Why don't we make a bet on whether we can make the money that the Marquis said we can make. If we can make money, Miss will win, and Madam will accompany Miss in Cangzhou City and listen to Miss in everything. If we can't make money, Miss will go to the capital with Madam. It won't take more than a few days. What do you think?"

Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai looked at each other and felt that it was reasonable.

Aunt Xue nodded and said, "I have to add one more thing. It doesn't mean that you have made money just because you make a little money. The annual revenue of Fengzihao in various places is about 100,000 taels. You have made a profit in Cangzhou City if you make 1,000 taels."

Xue Baochai said, "Okay, it's settled then."

Aunt Xue thought to herself, "Even if we plunder all the people in Cangzhou City, we can't find a hundred taels. It's just a pipe dream to find a thousand taels. Anyway, she has just taken charge of some family affairs, and she always wants to do something different."

"It's not easy to keep the foundation, let alone expand the trade route. Let her learn from her mistakes and know how difficult it is outside! It won't take a few days, I'll write a letter to my sister first."

After Aunt Xue twisted her waist and walked away with a proud look on her face, Xue Baochai sighed and said, "One thousand taels, how can it be so easy, alas."

Xiangling stepped forward and said, "It's alright, young lady. The Marquis is very good at calculating and will definitely not let you lose." Ying'er also said, "That's right, young lady, you may not lose."

Xue Baochai looked back and forth at the two little girls in front of her, her eyes reddened, and she asked Ying'er, "Why, do you also believe in the Marquis?"

Ying'er smiled innocently and said, "I don't know what the Marquis is capable of, but I believe in the young lady's vision."

Xue Baochai's lips trembled slightly. She spread out her arms and hugged the two little maids in her arms. The three of them cried bitterly in the room again.

……

The inner house of the government office,

After handling official business for a day, Yue Ling returned home.

Standing under the eaves, Yue Ling let out a light breath, relaxed his mood, put on a smile again, and walked into the hall.

As soon as you enter, you will see a familiar scene.

Lin Daiyu was wearing a small jacket and sitting in a chair next to the tea table, holding a book and reading it carefully.

Although he was reading a book, Yue Ling knew that Lin Daiyu was just waiting for him to come back, and he could go to her room to read.

As expected, when Yue Ling walked in, Lin Daiyu put down the book in her hand and looked over.

"Zijuan is lying in the room because she is not feeling well, and Xueyan is outside preparing food. If Brother Yue is hungry, he can eat some snacks first."

Lin Daiyu pushed the cakes on the table and poured tea for Yue Ling.

Yue Ling raised the corner of his mouth slightly and sat down next to Lin Daiyu. He always felt that it would be nice if life could be so peaceful and beautiful.

But Lin Daiyu will grow up sooner or later, and after Lin Ruhai finishes his official business, she should return to Lin Ruhai.

However, according to the plot of the original novel, Lin Ruhai passed away when Lin Daiyu was eleven years old. It is unknown what the future will be like after his butterfly wings flap.

He was a little reluctant to let Lin Daiyu go. After all, even if he raised a puppy, he would develop feelings for it after a year or two.

Seeing Yue Ling's eyebrows slightly raised, Lin Daiyu asked, "Brother Yue, what are you thinking about?"

Yue Ling shook his head, "I was just thinking about your father."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Of course I remembered to send the letter. How could I forget such a small thing?"

When Yue Ling came closer, Lin Daiyu's smile stopped and she gradually frowned.

Yue Ling had just picked up the teacup on the table when Lin Daiyu's small hands pushed it down.

Then Lin Daiyu came to his side and sniffed his shoulders, neck and hair carefully a few times. When she smelled the scent on Yue Ling's hand, Lin Daiyu frowned even deeper.

Yue Ling was a little overwhelmed and didn't understand what was going on. "Sister Lin, what are you doing?"

Lin Daiyu stood up, crossed her arms, and asked in an interrogative tone, "Brother Yue, where did you go today?"

Yue Ling said honestly: "It's in the government office, and it has never been out."

Lin Daiyu pinched Yue Ling's arm in anger, "Tell the truth! Why do you smell like a woman?"

Yue Ling was startled and smelled it himself, but found nothing unusual.

"Really? Miss Xue came here today, and she's the only woman I've ever seen."

Lin Daiyu pulled Yue Ling's arm and said angrily, "Go, wash yourself and come back!"

Yue Ling smiled awkwardly, "Okay, okay, listen to Sister Lin, I'll go wash it right away."

After dinner, Yue Ling returned to his room. Lin Daiyu remained silent. After a few words, Yue Ling was thinking about whether he should go to Lin Daiyu again to explain to her so as not to let her misunderstand him. Then he heard another knock on the door.

Yue Ling suddenly remembered that when Lin Daiyu left yesterday, she said she would come today, so he hurried downstairs to open the door.

Outside the door, Lin Daiyu had changed into a thicker set of pajamas and was waiting with a pillow in her arms.

"Get out of the way, I want to go in."

Yue Ling smiled and said, "I thought Sister Lin would not come today."

Lin Daiyu frowned and rolled her eyes, saying, "She came just now, and now it's my turn to come. She just met Brother Yue once, and she's getting closer and closer to him. She must have other thoughts. Brother Yue and I are innocent! Why shouldn't I come?!"

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(End of this chapter)