Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 221 Yue Ling: Miss Xue, you have lust
The girls were reciting poems and composing essays in their rooms, while the maids, who had no say, were playing Go in the hall.

Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai were both much more easy-going in character and did not need them to serve them all the time, so they just entertained themselves.

The rules of playing Go are very simple. You roll the dice to get points, then move on the board. The first person to reach the end wins. Because it is not difficult, it is just a daily pastime for the little maid.

At the moment, Zijuan, Xiangling and Ying'er were sitting together, fiddling with the chess pieces on the board, vying for the first place.

Ying'er's ears moved slightly, as if she heard some noise outside the yard. It was Yue Ling who came back and was talking to Xueyan. She felt a little confused on the spot.

"Ying'er, it's your turn."

Zijuan put the dice in her hand and looked at her suspiciously.

"Why are you distracted? Didn't you ask us to come play?"

Ying'er replied in a trembling voice: "It sounds like the Marquis has returned. Let's put away the chessboard first."

Zijuan was startled, then nodded repeatedly, "Yes, we have to collect it quickly."

The three maids hurriedly put the chess pieces together, removed the chessboard from the round table, and gave them all to Zijuan, asking her to put them back in her room.

The only people left in the hall were Ying'er and Xiangling, two people who knew each other well.

Xiangling kindly reminded him, "Ying'er, didn't you prepare a gift for the Marquis? Why don't you take it out? You spent a lot of time making it, wouldn't it be a pity if you forgot about it?"

Ying'er clasped her hands, her body trembling with nervousness, and replied through gritted teeth: "I'll take it out in a moment."

Before, Ying'er was just bragging in front of Xue Baochai, boasting that she had more courage. But when she stopped Yue Ling to speak, she had no idea that Yue Ling was the Marquis of Anjing. If she had known that their identities were so different, she would not have dared to go.

Besides, she was just a little maid. What was her intention in giving something as intimate as an ornament in front of so many people in the room?

Ying'er blushed, stood up and stood aside, with her head down, as if she had done something wrong, and said nothing.

"I've met the Marquis."

Xue Baochai came out and bowed in front of Yue Ling.

"Okay, no need to be polite."

Yue Ling looked around the room, but did not see Lin Daiyu, so he naturally looked in the direction of her room.

At the right time, Lin Daiyu came out, her face full of anger and annoyance.

But he still sat down at the table, looked at Yue Ling with concern and said, "Brother Yue, are you injured on this trip?"

Yue Ling shook his head, "It went quite smoothly."

Lin Daiyu exhaled, picked up the teapot, and poured water for Yue Ling. "That's good. This is really worrying."

Lin Daiyu sighed softly, then looked towards Xue Baochai dimly.

Xue Baochai was not paying attention to what was going on. Instead, she found Ying'er, who was hiding in a corner, as if trying to avoid being seen, and asked, "Ying'er, aren't you going to give..."

Ying Er immediately begged for mercy, "Miss, please don't mention it... How can I afford to give a piece of fabric to the Marquis? Besides, Miss Lin is still here, how dare I go beyond my courtesy?"

Xue Baochai knew that she was a person who was good at talking but would back down at the critical moment, so she sneered and said, "Let's see if you dare to talk nonsense in the room this time. I thought you really liked the Marquis, but it turns out you are just a 'Ye Gong who loves dragons'."

Ying'er said aggrievedly: "I just want to encourage the young lady. I am just a maid, how can I decide who I like? It's just because the young lady likes it that I like it too..."

Xue Baochai quickly covered Ying'er's mouth and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Where is this? Why don't you take a look?"

Xue Baochai looked at Yue Ling worriedly, and was relieved to see that he was still chatting and laughing with Lin Daiyu and not paying attention to them.

Lifting her finger and tapping Ying'er, Xue Baochai warned again: "Remember, don't talk nonsense!"

Ying'er nodded with her head down, as if she had defeated the chick.

When Xue Baochai came to Yue Ling again, Yue Ling invited her to sit close to Lin Daiyu's seat.

Yue Ling looked at Ying'er and asked with a smile, "Do you have anything to give me?"

There seemed to be a muffled thunder in Ying'er's mind, which made her dazed for a moment, and then she looked at Xiangling beside her.

Xiangling quickly shook her head to prove that she was not the one talking nonsense.

Lin Daiyu also looked over, wondering why Yue Ling asked this question.

Ying'er was thinking over and over again. She took out a peace knot from her bosom and presented it to Lin Daiyu, saying, "Well, when I came here, I heard that Miss Lin was not feeling well, so I tied this peace knot to wish her well. I just happened to give it to her today. I didn't have the chance to do so before..."

"Thank you, sister. That's thoughtful."

Lin Daiyu took it and saw that the peace knot was extremely delicately made, and could be considered a work of art. It must have taken a lot of effort, so she liked it very much.

Holding Ying'er's arm, Lin Daiyu asked again, "Did you make this yourself?"

Ying'er nodded, "I did it."

Lin Daiyu said happily, "This sister is so good at needlework. She is the best I have ever seen."

Xue Baochai stared at the uneasy Ying'er as if she was watching a show, and echoed from the side: "She is an expert at knitting, but she is only a rudimentary expert at other needlework." Hearing this, Lin Daiyu grabbed Ying'er's hand and said, "When you have time, you must come and teach me."

Ying'er nodded like a chick pecking at rice, just wanting to avoid Yue Ling's gaze, which made her feel too embarrassed. "I'll come, I will definitely come."

Lin Daiyu happily put the peace knot into her sleeve and looked at Yue Ling with a smile.

Seeing Lin Daiyu happy, Yue Ling was also happy. He nodded at Ying'er and felt that this maid was very smart. She was worthy of being a maid who had been with Xue Baochai for a long time and had learned a lot from her.

I just don’t know why Xueyan didn’t learn the essence of Lin Daiyu.

Ying'er's cheeks were flushed. After greeting Lin Daiyu and Yue Ling, she retreated behind Xue Baochai. She saw Xue Baochai covering her mouth and laughing, gloating over her misfortune.

Ying'er held back her breath, but couldn't help leaning over to whisper in Xue Baochai's ear, "Xiangling wouldn't lie, she definitely didn't say anything, and only the three of us knew about the gift of the pendant, but the young lady was talking to me just now. That means the Marquis heard what we just said!"

"Girl, you are still laughing. I wonder how long you can laugh?"

Xue Baochai was stunned and the smile on her face froze.

What Ying'er said made so much sense. If not, could Yue Ling really be able to predict the future?

Of course, if one could predict the future, he would also know what she was thinking.

Xue Baochai's face turned half red and she covered it with her sleeves, pretending to sip the tea.

Yue Ling has practiced martial arts for many years and has extraordinary perception. All changes on the field cannot escape his eyes and ears. Now, watching the show performed by the master and the servant in front of him, he couldn't help but laugh secretly.

"Does Xue Baochai really have feelings for me? I haven't done anything wrong. And Xue Baochai seems to be only in middle school. Do you think that women in ancient times matured too early?"

However, girls generally mature early.

And now when I think back, it seems that I had similar experiences in my previous life.

When he was still old enough to choose his deskmate, a little girl came to him quietly and said that she wanted to be his deskmate, but the girl was too embarrassed to ask, so she asked him to talk to the teacher.

Yue Ling naturally didn't go. He thought he would be happier sitting at the same table with his good brothers, so he rejected the idea on the spot.

Finally, the little girl left with an angry look on her face.

Now that I think about it, should that be considered a hint from the little girl?

Yue Ling couldn't help but look at Lin Daiyu beside him. What a simple and lovely girl, she was so beautiful.

Lin Daiyu was asking Xiangling and Ying'er questions, and she felt something in her heart. She turned around and saw Yue Ling staring at her in a daze. She smiled back and felt sweet in her heart.

In the hall, the maids had laid out the food and it was time for them to eat together.

Many pretty little girls sat around Yue Ling, and Yue Ling felt very comfortable seeing them. Perhaps this was Jia Baoyu’s happiness?
However, Jia Baoyu is probably not happy at the moment.

"Miss Xue, you're welcome. Just treat it like your own home."

It was originally a polite remark, but when Xue Baochai heard it, her cheeks turned red again, and she responded in a soft voice, "Okay, thank you, Lord. Sister Lin, use it, bird's nest is your best tonic, it nourishes your yin and replenishes your qi."

Seeing that Xue Baochai was concerned about her again, Lin Daiyu stopped being polite and asked Yue Ling, "Brother Yue, do you have any way to cure Sister Xue's fever?"

This question really stumped Yue Ling.

As far as Yue Ling knew, Xue Baochai had brought heat poison from her mother's womb. This congenital disease was difficult to treat even in the modern era of advanced medical technology, let alone now.

However, Yue Ling had seen some reports about Xue Baochai's fever. In order not to disappoint Sister Lin, he could only tentatively say, "Miss Xue's fever is caused by her congenital factors, but also by her own injustice and excessive sexual desire."

"Lust?"

All the maids at the table were stunned. Except for Xueyan who was still moving her chopsticks, they all looked at Yue Ling.

For a young lady who has not yet married, Yue Ling's words of lust can be seen as a public execution.

Xue Baochai's eyes widened and her face turned red with embarrassment.

If it were someone else, she would definitely curse him as a lecher, but this was said by the Marquis, so he couldn't be teasing her on purpose, right?

Yue Ling looked around and wondered, "You are all young, but you still have such crooked thoughts. Lust refers to the six impure roots and the six dusts of greed in Buddhism. Ordinary people still focus on fame and fortune, and are too eager for them. If you can let go of your obsessions, or reach your goals, maybe you can feel relieved."

"Otherwise, you won't be able to feel relieved, and the fever won't go away."

Not only Xue Baochai blushed, but many maids' cheeks also turned red, and they all drooped their cheeks and hid them in the bowls. Even Xiangling, who was as white as a little flower, was not spared.

Yue Ling glanced at them helplessly again, thinking to himself, "I really can't treat them as little maids."

Looking at Lin Daiyu beside him, Yue Ling asked, "Sister Lin is well versed in Buddhist scriptures, so she should be able to understand what I am saying."

Lin Daiyu's body tensed up, and she quickly responded, "Yes, yes, Brother Yue is right, lust is like this..."

　Good brothers, please give me some monthly tickets. If there are more than 1,000 monthly tickets, I will give you an extra 100 yuan in royalties. Please...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)