Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 284 They are all vixens!
Suzhou was the richest city in the world, and it even had more than ten post houses for officials to live in.

The place reserved for Yue Ling and others to stay was naturally the most outstanding one, located at Fengqiao Inn outside Canglang Pavilion near the west gate.

Like a Jiangnan garden, this place is not composed of small rooms, but has three courtyards.

There is also a main hall with an outer curtain for receiving guests, and the inner curtain connected to the corridor is used as a residence.

Fresh water was brought into the garden, and pavilions and waterside terraces were built, which was extremely beautiful.

The postmaster and postmen who managed the posthouse have now been temporarily replaced by Yue Ling's own people.

As for the decoration in the room, it was not luxurious. After all, it was a government inn. Apart from some scattered screens and paintings as embellishments, there were not too many luxurious items.

Lin Daiyu and Yue Ling had a good discussion about right and wrong, and she felt a little more at ease. However, as the Empress said, she could not forgive him all at once, and she had to think carefully for a while.

It was not until the sun set that the little girls who were playing in the room came out. Only then did we see that they all had red faces, and even Xue Baochai was no exception.

Seeing the slightly wrinkled collars of several people, Lin Daiyu asked in confusion: "What were you talking about in the room? Why did Sister Bao join them in making trouble?"

The girls looked at Xue Baochai, and saw that her naturally rosy cheeks became even darker.

After stabilizing her breathing and secretly glancing at Yue Ling who seemed not to notice her, Xue Baochai replied unnaturally, "We didn't talk about anything, we just talked about Xiangling and Zijuan."

Upon hearing this, Yue Ling paused in his tea drinking.

When he turned his head to look again, he saw that the clever Lin Daiyu had already understood what Xue Baochai was talking about, and her eyes were staring back and forth at Yue Ling.

The two little girls whose names were called lowered their heads and did not dare to say that Xue Baochai was despicable for selling them out first. After all, she was a young lady.

Now only Yue Ling can smooth things over, and Lin Daiyu is too shy to speak.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. I feel relieved to see you are all full of energy. A banquet is necessary for a long-awaited reunion. Today I sent someone to order a table of food from the restaurant. It may not be sumptuous. After all, the current situation in Suzhou is not good. I will bear with it for now."

The women shook their heads repeatedly. Along the way, they saw that the towns outside Suzhou were affected by the disaster. The fields were full of water and hundreds of thousands of people were still relying on food relief. Yue Ling, as the governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, was in charge of civil and military affairs and had the power of judicial law enforcement. As the emperor's envoy, he should set an example. They would not ask for extravagance.

Especially Zijuan and Ying'er, who had been to Cangzhou with Yue Ling, had lived a simple life.

Qin Keqing, Ruizhu and Baozhu were originally the most frugal people in the old Qin family's residence. They brought this habit to the Yue Mansion now and have no complaints.

The girls were all busy saying that they didn't mind and understood Yue Ling's hard work. They were all very well-behaved and sensible.

Lin Daiyu asked with some concern: "Brother Yue arrested so many people at once, will it cause a big disturbance outside? If Brother Yue is very busy with official duties, he doesn't have to accompany us tonight."

The girls also nodded and looked at Yue Ling.

Yue Ling shook his head and smiled, rubbing Lin Daiyu's head habitually. Her hair had already been tied into a bun, and the two strands of hair were like swallowtails, resting on top of her head. It was really beautiful and elegant, and quite set off her outstanding appearance.

"Something big happened today."

As soon as Yue Ling opened his mouth, the girls' hearts began to lift.

Although they all agreed with Lin Daiyu's words, after all, they had just arrived in Suzhou, so it would be a good thing if Yue Ling could spend more time with them.

They agree with it logically, but they also have their own preferences emotionally.

Yue Ling smiled brightly and said, "It's just that big things also need to ferment a little, let the news spread out, and see what those people hiding in the depths will do."

"All the criminals are in jail. We have sent people to keep them under strict supervision. We will have to wait two days for the trial. I will stay with you today."

The little girls were delighted. Yue Ling and Lin Daiyu smiled at each other. The atmosphere in the room was harmonious.

Lin Daiyu lowered her head, moved closer and asked, "What about the disaster victims? Is there anything else Brother Yue can help with?"

Yue Ling nodded slightly, "Master Lin's grain has been delivered, and the next stage of disaster relief has to begin. After dredging the river, we will sort out the fields and make plans using the method we used in Cangzhou."

"Changing rice production to mulberry trees is a national policy, but it is not something that can be achieved overnight. We need to work on it step by step."

Lin Daiyu was no longer a young girl who only knew about boudoir affairs. She had listened to many government affairs and, at the beginning, she had also heard a lot of news from those in high positions in the pavilion.

"According to what Brother Yue said, changing rice crops to mulberry trees is a good thing, so how come we have ended up in this situation?"

Seeing that Lin Daiyu was interested in this, Yue Ling also discussed it with her in detail.

Taking a piece of cake from the table, Yue Ling gestured and said, "As far as this is concerned, the silk trade only makes this piece of cake. Merchants will get a share, the government will get a share, mulberry farmers will get a share, the national treasury will get a share, and even the palace will get a share."

"But at this time, everyone has a clear share, so things can go on smoothly."

"Now, the raw silk produced by replacing rice with mulberry trees is much more than before, and more silk and satin are sold. This cake has been replaced by this big one."

"If we divide the cakes according to the previous proportions, some people will not be happy. Because the people who divide the cakes don't know how big the cakes are."

"First of all, the mulberry people are completely unaware of the situation. They only care about selling mulberry silk. They have a certain amount of mulberry silk that they can produce, and they sell as much as they produce. They hand it over to the national treasury and fill it into the palace, but they don't know the details."

"Jiangsu and Zhejiang are 3,000 miles away from Beijing. Even a fast horse would take six or seven days to travel there. How could one know Suzhou's movements at all times? As a result, some people became greedy."

"From local government to merchants, the weaving bureau colluded with each other, deceiving their superiors and subordinates, and took all the big parts for themselves. And they shared the sweetness with the palace, so that the palace would always support the change from rice to mulberry, and they could continue to make more money."

"Destroying the dikes and flooding the fields will reduce costs to the lowest level. You, the mulberry farmers, won't have to produce mulberry silk anymore, and there will be fewer people to distribute the cakes."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, as if she understood something, and asked with some concern: "So Brother Yue is the one who came to expose this scam? Doesn't that mean Brother Yue has a lot of enemies?"

Yue Ling smiled calmly, "In the officialdom, there is a saying that goes "be in harmony with the world". Why do we say this? It's because everyone who enters the officialdom has his own interests and interest groups. If you don't get involved in anything, protect yourself, and even do things conveniently for others from time to time, then you can be in harmony with the world."

"But if they all become dust, what will happen to the corrupt officialdom? Where will the people who are suffering from the disaster today go when they have nowhere to seek redress?"

"Someone will always stand up and try to change something, and now that I have the power to do so, I can no longer turn a blind eye."

"There are many traitors and evildoers in the country, and we can never stop scolding them. Only by joining the game ourselves can we change things."

Lin Daiyu smiled sweetly when she heard this, and her eyebrows and eyes curved.

Yue Ling also smiled like Lin Daiyu, "Do you think I'm too idealistic?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head. "Idealism? I don't know what that is, but I once asked Brother Yue why he became an official. I wonder if Brother Yue still remembers it?"

Hearing Lin Daiyu's questions, Yue Ling also began to think.

Seeing Yue Ling racking his brains, Lin Daiyu laughed even more, "In the past six years, Brother Yue has experienced a lot of things, and perhaps he has forgotten some of them. When I first met Brother Yue, he didn't know why he wanted to be an official."

"And now, Brother Yue has already had an ambition, which is truly for peace in the world and for the common people. I think this is good, and I am even a little lucky to be able to witness all this by Brother Yue's side."

"Luckily, fortunately you took me away from the Salt Inspectorate that day. Otherwise, I might still be in my room, silently crying in front of the moon-shaped window, miserable alone."

"I always have dreams like this after I fall asleep. I sit at a table and cry silently, feeling lonely and helpless. But when I wake up, I find that it is not the case at all, and I can't help laughing."

Yue Ling put his palm down and pinched Lin Daiyu's cheek. Her skin was smooth and tight, which made people love it. "I will always be by your side. How can I bear to leave you alone?"

The two looked at each other and smiled again, but the little girls playing in the hall, who had seen this many times, completely ignored it, because it was a treatment they could not even envy.

Then, Yue Ling said, "But, I will definitely take you back to Yangzhou in the future. You have been away from home for a long time, and Suzhou is so close to Yangzhou, I have to take you back to see Master Lin."

"This……"

Lin Daiyu looked at Yue Ling with sparkling eyes, but the corners of her mouth raised an arc with an incomprehensible meaning, and asked: "What is Brother Yue worried about? Is he worried about seeing my father's guilty conscience? Or is he afraid that my father will not let me go with Brother Yue anymore?"

Thinking that Brother Yue, who was so powerful outside, actually had difficulties, Lin Daiyu couldn't help laughing.

Yue Ling thought about it seriously and nodded sincerely, "Both." Such a straightforward answer made Lin Daiyu's heart beat faster.

He stroked his cheek gently and slowly lowered his head, "It's okay... there's still a long time to go, and there will be a way by then."

Yue Ling also nodded.

After all, Lin Ruhai was in charge of the Lianghuai salt industry, which was an extremely heavy job. He had to compete wits and courage with thousands of salt merchants, and also to crack down on endless illegal salt. He would definitely not come to Suzhou just to see his daughter.

Moreover, he has taken such good care of Lin Daiyu. She is no longer as weak and frail as she was back then and has to rely on medicine for food. Shouldn't he be grateful to him?

The grace of giving birth cannot compare to the grace of raising a child.

Looking up again, Yue Ling cleared the fog in his heart and called out to the girls below, "Go ask, how long will the food take?"

"Okay, General Yue, I'll go!"

Xueyan, who was waiting in the hall, seemed to be waiting for this sentence. Yue Ling smiled helplessly, "Ruizhu, Baozhu, you go with her, don't let her eat secretly."

……

The table was filled with all kinds of delicacies. Although the ingredients were not precious, they were colorful, fragrant and delicious, making people quite appetizing.

Su cuisine is a traditional cuisine, fresh and mild, which is suitable for young girls who have nothing to do on weekdays. Moreover, Lin Daiyu was born in Suzhou, and Huaiyang cuisine is of the same origin, which made her quite interested.

But now there were too many people in the room. Excluding Yue Ling's three maids, Qin Keqing, Ruizhu, Baozhu, Lin Daiyu's two maids, Zijuan, Xueyan, and the two brought by Xue Baochai, there were a total of ten people. For a while, the inn did not have such a large table.

We had to divide the dishes into two plates and seat the ten people at two tables.

Yue Ling and Lin Daiyu naturally sat together, along with Xue Baochai, Qin Keqing and Zijuan.

The other little girls sat at a small table not far away.

Everyone in the room knew each other and there was not much formality. Yue Ling repeatedly picked up dishes for Lin Daiyu, hoping that she would eat more, nourish her body and regain some spirit.

After all, the long journey was quite tiring for her.

The intimate behavior between the two made the people at the same table feel jealous, and they felt that the original dishes no longer tasted good.

The atmosphere at the table was strange. Lin Daiyu, who knew the temperature, covered her mouth and laughed secretly. She poked Yue Ling's arm and whispered, "They have worked hard all the way here. It was very hard for Sister Bao to pretend to be you. She is afraid of heat and has to wear heavy clothes in the summer. She has suffered from heatstroke several times. Sister Ke'er has been touching up Sister Bao's makeup and staying by her side."

"You should also take care of them."

Yue Ling looked at Lin Daiyu in surprise, as if her personality was not like that. She still remembered that in the book, whenever Jia Baoyu interacted more with the other sisters, she would get jealous, like a little jealous person. But now she was pushing his kindness away. Why was she so confident?
Of course, Yue Ling didn’t know about the arranged marriage yet, and just stood there in a daze.

Lin Daiyu blinked and said, "Didn't you hear what I said?"

Yue Ling nodded, "I heard it...Okay then."

Yue Ling picked up the chopsticks again and put a piece of mandarin fish into Qin Keqing's bowl. The mandarin fish had delicate meat, sweet and sour taste, and was exquisitely made. It was one of the best delicacies on the table.

"This mandarin fish tastes good, you should eat more. You have worked hard these years. I left you in Beijing to look after the family and take care of the family affairs. You are indispensable on the boat."

After not seeing each other for four years, Qin Keqing has transformed from the young and immature girl she was when I first met her to a more charming and enchanting woman.

Compared to the childishness of others, Qin Keqing was truly naturally charming, with a slim waist and seductiveness in every move. In addition, she was the best at putting on makeup in the room, and her careful makeup made her advantages appear infinitely more prominent.

It is Yue Ling's blessing to have a maid with such appearance.

Qin Keqing, who had been hanging her head, was pleasantly surprised to see Yue Ling's concern. She looked over with a smile and thanked him repeatedly: "Thank you, Master. I am your maid, and these are my responsibilities. By the way, I still have to pay back the Master's money, and I am saving money well."

Yue Ling smiled and said, "You still remember this so clearly, why would I ask for your money?"

Qin Keqing put the fish in her mouth and held the chopsticks tightly, as if savoring it carefully. After hearing Yue Ling's words, she winked and said, "Oh, does the master only want me?"

Lin Daiyu's smiling face froze. She clenched her hands into fists under the table and secretly tapped Yue Ling's leg.

Yue Ling's mouth twitched, and he didn't say anything, so he could only smile awkwardly.

Qin Keqing glanced at Lin Daiyu's face which had turned a little cold, and immediately stopped talking.

Yue Ling picked up the chopsticks again and put a piece of shrimp into the bowl opposite Xue Baochai. The three shrimps and tofu had a light taste, and the tofu brought out the original freshness of the shrimp.

"I'm sorry that you've suffered along the way. I can't find a better person to work with Sister Lin."

Xue Baochai raised her hand to take it, and shook her head, saying, "Working for the Marquis is also the duty of my Xue family. The Xuejiafeng brand can be what it is today, and can challenge major businesses in Beijing, all thanks to the support of the Marquis. I have no way to repay you..."

This sounded so familiar, as if it was from a storybook, where the next line after "I can't repay you" means either you work like a slave or give yourself to him.

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but cough lightly.

Xue Baochai smiled secretly and imitated Qin Keqing's tone and said, "If the Marquis has any more errands in the future, I would like to switch places with Xiangling."

Yue Ling hesitated, not knowing how to respond, but felt Lin Daiyu pinching him under the table again.

Yue Ling looked back, feeling quite helpless. He could only smile awkwardly, and inwardly he could not help but complain, "You asked me to pick up food for them. If I hadn't picked up food for them, wouldn't this have happened? Why are you secretly lecturing me under the table?"

But things have come to this point, and it would be bad to ignore Zijuan any longer. Yue Ling still picked up a piece of three-piece duck for Zijuan. It was stewed duck meat, which tasted more mellow and was a slightly heavier dish on the table.

Before Yue Ling could speak, Zijuan said, "Thank you, Master. This is exactly my favorite dish. Master remembers our preferences clearly. He is the best master in the world."

Lin Daiyu was so angry that she rolled her eyes. Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai would have been fine, but even Zijuan came to join in the fun.

If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have let Yue Ling take care of them.

"Okay, okay, they are all vixens! I must keep Brother Yue under close watch, otherwise, I don't know what kind of trouble they will cause!"

Lin Daiyu secretly thought in her heart that this was her biggest trouble when she was with Yue Ling.

There are hateful nuns outside, and there are so many stealing cats at home!
With the presence of several people, the situation at the table where the girls sat became much more peaceful.

From time to time, I looked at the excitement at the table. I was not very close to them and just watched and laughed.

Ying'er, however, spoke up for Xiangling, "Xiangling, you and the Marquis have also been married, so why don't you go sit there?"

Xiangling had just taken a bite of food when she was choked for a long time by Ying'er's sudden words. Ruizhu handed her some water and she felt better.

"How can I have the face to..."

Ying Er rolled her eyes and said, "You are such a useless girl, you only dare to do things secretly. If I were you, I would have gone there long ago, justifiably."

Xiangling blushed and didn't dare to respond to the conversation.

Ruizhu and Baozhu looked at each other and smiled. After spending a long time together on the boat, they also realized that Ying'er was a tough talker but actually more timid than anyone else.

There were five little girls sitting in a row, and the dishes on their table were indeed filling up faster than at the table where Yue Ling was sitting.

A small mountain of food piled up in Xueyan's bowl, but it was flattened soon, and then another mountain was piled up.

Back in her hometown, which is also Xueyan's home turf, the dishes are more to her liking. Even though there is less oil and salt, it does not affect how much she eats at all.

Before I finished eating, Xueyan had already finished the food. She leaned back in the chair, stroking her round belly, and breathing heavily.

"It's better to stay with General Yue. I didn't get to eat very good food on the ship. Miss, please don't go back to Yangzhou Prefecture. The concubines and nannies in the mansion will definitely not allow me to eat so much."

(End of this chapter)