Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 298 Why is she here?

Jia Lian took a speedboat all the way south, traveling day and night, and successfully arrived in Yangzhou before the new official went to Suzhou to take office.

As the boat entered the dock, sandalwood boxes were taken out of the cabin and loaded into the carriage. Jia Lian enjoyed the breeze from the river and looked around at the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River.

At first glance, the lights were as bright as the stars in the sky. In the river channel leading to the water gate in the city, there were boats and pleasure boats with colorful lanterns swaying with the waves.

In the shadows, there are painters painting and dancers performing, trying their best to attract passers-by who are shoulder to shoulder on the shore.

Three points of the world are moonlit nights, and two points are rogues. Yangzhou.

In Yangzhou, a romantic and dissolute place, Jia Lian has already begun to imagine his good days.

Whether it was the skinny horses of Yangzhou or the boat girls of West Lake, he had to taste them all to make the trip worthwhile.

"Second Master, everything is ready, we can go into the city now."

A servant beside him reported quietly, which made Jia Lian withdraw his thoughts. He gently waved the folding fan in his hand, strode around the carriage and asked, "Why is there only so much? Aren't there many gifts prepared in the cabin?"

The servant replied, "Those gifts were prepared by the Zhen family, not ours."

Jia Lian asked in confusion, "Oh? What's the reason? Did someone from the Zhen family come with us to give gifts to Uncle Lin separately from us?"

The servant shook his head and said, "No, I heard that these gifts are not for Master Lin, but for Marquis Anjing."

Jia Lian's face froze, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Why is the gift from the Zhen family to Marquis Anjing on my Jia family's boat? Could it be that they want me to deliver it?"

The servant asked in confusion, "Second Master, don't you know that your ultimate destination is Suzhou?"

Jia Lian was surprised and asked, "Why do you want to go to Suzhou?"

"The younger one doesn't know."

Jia Lian suddenly remembered that his father was sent by Grandmother Jia to Datong to deliver a letter. Since then, Jia She was put in jail. When he came out, his temper was even more violent than before, as if he had suffered a great blow in jail.

However, from Jia Lian's perspective, he heard that his father was interrogated by Yue Ling, and thought about the methods Yue Ling used when interrogating him, Jia Lian seemed to feel a chill in his crotch.

"Dad, what are you holding on for? The most important thing for a person is to be able to judge the situation. Otherwise, how can you keep yourself safe?"

In Jia Lian's eyes, Jia She must have suffered inhuman torture in prison, which led to this.

Thinking of this, he was even less willing to meet Marquis Anjing.

The letter from Lady Jia felt hot in her hand, and she felt that it was also related to Marquis Anjing.

Just when he was about to back out and wanted to go back to the boat to rest for a day before making any plans, the Lin family's carriage came from a distance.

The person who landed was Han Da, the chief steward of the Lin family. He stepped forward and saluted Jia Lian respectfully, saying, "This must be the Second Master Lian from the Jia family's main house. When I heard that the Jia family's express ship was heading south, the master had asked me to wait here. The mansion has already prepared a welcoming ceremony. Please follow me."

Jia Lian turned his head and saw the Jia family flag flying on the carriage frame. He felt like pulling it down, but it was too late to cover it up. He had to face the facts.

Jia Lian forced himself to keep calm, smiled bitterly, and said, "Then please lead the way."

……

Lin Ruhai was dressed in casual clothes, a dark blue straight robe with a black silk ribbon tied around his waist. He looked very low-key and reserved.

After more than a decade of ups and downs in his official career, he no longer had the vigor and vitality he had before, and has become more mediocre and peaceful.

His face was gaunt, his eyebrows were like peaks, and he sat in the middle, exuding a fierce temperament. His beard was neatly trimmed, with a few strands of silver hair in between, making him look more stable.

Upon learning that the younger generation of the Jia family was coming to visit, Lin Ruhai took it very seriously.

This was the first time that the Jia family had visited him since Jia Min's death. But after all, no one would visit without a reason. He claimed that there was nothing worth celebrating recently, so the Jia family must have some purpose in sending someone here.

Right now, only the things happening in Suzhou are causing a stir, and even Yangzhou has been affected. It can be said that the whole of Jiangsu and Zhejiang are watching what Yue Ling will do next and how deeply he will investigate this matter.

As Yue Ling's ally in Jiangnan, Lin Ruhai naturally wants him to clean up the bureaucracy and do something practical for the people. This is Lin Ruhai's unchanging position.

"Junior Jia Lian greets Uncle Lin."

Jia Lian came into the hall with the steward Han Da, and bowed to the emperor in person.

Regardless of other things, the Jia family is a family with very good upbringing. At least the boys who interact with them outside have decent looks and body language, and they don't lose their manners.

Lin Ruhai raised his hand and said, "We are all family, so there is no need to be so polite. My nephew has traveled all the way from the capital, and he has arrived in Yangzhou in less than ten days. If you have any urgent matters, you can tell me first, so that your nephew will not waste his hard work on the journey."

Jia Lian nodded slightly, and carefully took out a letter from his sleeve that he didn't want to take out from the bottom of his heart, "The ancestor didn't tell me what it was, please read this letter before making a decision."

Lin Ruhai took the letter, opened it, and greeted her, "I hope the old lady is recovering a little recently. I heard that she had been ill for a long time in the mansion."

Jia Lian nodded repeatedly, "The old ancestor has been busy with all the affairs of the mansion, but his energy is a little low. He will recover after resting for a few days."

Lin Ruhai sighed and said, "Even if the old lady cares about the Jia family, she can't ignore her own health. Things have to be handed over to you young people."

Unfolding the letter, Lin Ruhai read through it with a slightly frown on his face, but he was no longer as relaxed as when he was chatting just now.

Jia Lian waited anxiously for Lin Ruhai to speak, raising his brows and taking a sneak glance from time to time, but noting that Lin Ruhai's face was not relaxed, he became more and more uneasy.

Lin Ruhai looked up and asked, "Why did the Zhen family go to the old lady to ask for mercy, but what benefits did they give to the family?"

Jia Lian replied, "It seems that she prepared some gifts, nothing else. It must be that the old lady was moved by sympathy because of the friendship between the old friends."

Lin Ruhai shook his head and sighed, "We are family, so we don't have to talk about our differences. I don't want to see you get involved in this mess. You may not know that the Zhen family is guilty of a serious crime. Yue Ling and I exchanged letters, which involved the serious crimes of framing officials, destroying dikes and flooding fields, and even things in the palace that cannot be explained."

"Unless His Majesty agrees to exonerate me, we can only follow the rules. Now it depends on whether His Majesty will have sympathy. Any other efforts will be in vain."

Upon hearing that the affairs of the Zhen family had reached the ears of the emperor, Jia Lian felt even more uneasy. He nodded repeatedly and was unable to utter anything.

Lin Ruhai took the letter and read it carefully, then put it on the table beside him and sighed, "It's not easy for the old lady to manage such a large family business. The Jia family has experienced the previous turmoil, and there are fewer old friends who can interact with them."

"I am being polite this time, but I understand. I will write a letter to Yue Ling, and you can take it and present it to him."

"But to be honest, at this moment, this matter is no longer under his control, and there is no need to hold out too much hope."

Jia Lian still nodded without saying a word.

The thought of meeting Yue Ling gave him a headache.

I don’t know why Grandmother Jia always makes things difficult for the eldest wife, and assigns all the difficult tasks to them.

Given Yue Ling's bad temper, what if he turned against him and labeled him an accomplice and put him in jail? Far away in Suzhou, he would be helpless.

With Lin Ruhai's letter, he still dared to ask. If not, he would not dare to go no matter what.

Now that his work was done, Jia Lian raised his hands and said, "Thank you for your understanding, uncle."

Lin Ruhai waved his hand and said, "It's okay. It's not easy for you on this journey. Stay here for one night and leave tomorrow."

Jia Lian nodded slightly. Seeing that Lin Ruhai was so concerned about family affection, he did not forget to congratulate him warmly and said, "I heard that Miss Lin is going to make an engagement with Marquis Anjing. The Jia family has prepared some gifts, which are outside the hall. These are small gifts and are not a sign of respect. I hope you will not be offended, uncle."

These gifts were originally gifts brought by the Jia family as a greeting, but Jia Lian, judging the situation, changed them into congratulatory gifts, which had a very different meaning.

Just when Jia Lian was still feeling smug and proud of himself, he saw the calm Lin Ruhai sitting in the middle of the hall. His expression changed for the first time. He frowned deeply and asked, "Gift? When was the engagement? Why didn't I receive any news?"

Jia Lian was also confused by the question and said in astonishment: "No such thing? But the news has spread all over the capital, and everyone in the Jia family knows about it."

The most popular figure in Dachang now is Marquis Anjing. Even if Jia Lian dislikes Marquis Anjing, he has to admit that marrying Marquis Anjing is a good marriage. How could Lin Ruhai not be happy?
Jia Lian was puzzled, so he asked carefully: "When Marquis Anjing went south, didn't he stop by to see my uncle and mention this matter?"

Lin Ruhai's mouth twitched, he waved his sleeves and stood up and said, "Han Da, you accompany Lian Ge'er to dinner, I'll go to the room."

"Yes."

Looking at Lin Ruhai's back as he walked away quickly, Jia Lian asked cautiously, "Housekeeper Han, did I say something wrong just now? Didn't An Jinghou know my uncle a long time ago? Are they not on good terms?"

Han Danin smiled and said, "It's okay, Master Lian is worrying too much. My master has a very close relationship with Marquis Anjing and they often exchange letters. He may have been unable to suppress his joy when he learned about the marriage and didn't want to lose his composure in front of the younger generation."

Jia Lian nodded slightly, as if he understood something, and the heart that had risen to his throat slowly calmed down.

"That's fine, that's fine."

In the room, two concubines sat at a table, eating, laughing and chatting.

Aunt Bai was a maid that Jia Min brought from the Jia family as a dowry, while Aunt Zhou was a concubine who was married into the family later in Yangzhou City. Her father was once a captain in the salt camp.

Jia Min was the type who had difficulty giving birth. She was born with a weak constitution, and when she gave birth to Lin Daiyu she suffered from many illnesses, and her next son died young.

He later married a concubine in order to follow the seven grounds for divorce, to avoid gossip from outsiders and to continue the Lin family's bloodline.

However, Lin Ruhai and Jia Min had a deep affection for each other and their minds were not on the concubine, so they later had no children.

After he turned forty, Lin Ruhai didn't have much to think about. He was only devoted to the public and spent less time at home.

This made the two concubines get along like sisters. There was nothing to fight about, and they did needlework and chatted together every day.

The two were talking and laughing when Lin Ruhai came in in a hurry, looking very unhappy. This appearance startled the two concubines, as they all knew that someone from the Jia family was coming today, and Lin Ruhai was entertaining guests outside, and according to the rules, he should have prepared a banquet to accompany them, but now he came into the inner hall.

The two men quickly put down their bowls and chopsticks and came to Lin Ruhai. One of them supported him while the other made tea and comforted him repeatedly.

"Master, what big thing happened in the Jia family?"

"Master, no matter what happens, don't be anxious. Why get so angry? Can the sky fall for a family like us?"

Lin Ruhai took the tea, took a sip and said, "The sky won't fall? They are about to break it!"

As he spoke, Lin Ruhai stood up again and paced back and forth in the hall. He looked extremely anxious and had completely lost the composure he had just now.

Seeing Lin Ruhai so confused, the two concubines looked at the little maid who followed Lin Ruhai in, trying to get news.

The little maid was not in the main hall either, so she didn't know what had happened and could only shake her head repeatedly.

The two of them had no choice but to comfort Lin Ruhai again. After Lin Ruhai stood still, he thought for a long time and asked, "Is it better if I let Nanny Wang stay with Yu'er to prevent her from doing anything out of line?"

Ever since Aunt Zhou casually said, "Maybe when the girl comes back, you will be a grandfather," Lin Ruhai has had nightmares for several days in a row.

He always dreamed of the little Lin Daiyu whom he hadn't seen for a long time. She turned around with a big belly, smiling and waving at him. The culprit Yue Ling was standing behind her, laughing at him and pointing at Lin Daiyu's belly with a proud look on his face.

Lin Ruhai suddenly woke up from his dream, his hands and feet felt cold, and then he breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately it was just a dream.

And today, Jia Lian brought up the matter again, and he even learned from him that the news of their marriage had now spread to everyone in the capital. No wonder the two of them were so fearless and did not take him, their father, seriously at all.

Although Lin Daiyu could not be called back, Nanny Wang was her wet nurse, so it was always reasonable for her to go and take care of her.

When the two concubines heard what was going on, they curled their lips, sat back at the table, picked up their bowls and chopsticks and continued eating.

Lin Ruhai asked them blankly, "What's your attitude? Isn't this a big deal?"

Aunt Zhou nodded and said, "It's very big. Let's talk about it after dinner. It will get cold soon. If the master hasn't eaten in the front hall, how about eating together?"

……

Maple Bridge Inn,
We had two tables again for dinner and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Lin Daiyu's menstrual period has recovered and her complexion has become more rosy. Her face used to be as pale as paper, but now it has some color.

But her appetite was temporarily weaker, perhaps because her spleen and stomach were weak and had not recovered yet, or perhaps it was because Yue Ling had been preparing her meals recently and had cooked for her many times, which made her appetite a little picky.

There were only a few mouthfuls of rice left in the bowl. Lin Daiyu couldn't eat any more, so she put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm done."

Yue Ling glanced over and saw that there was some rice left in Lin Daiyu's bowl. Then he looked over and saw that Lin Daiyu raised her neck towards him, as if she was ready to be taught a lesson. So he stopped talking and poured the rice in her bowl into his own bowl.

"If you can't eat, then don't eat. Drink some warm water to nourish your stomach. But it's not good to leave this meal. I'll eat it."

"Eh eh eh..."

Lin Daiyu wanted to stop him, but Yue Ling's movements were too quick and it was too late. She could only watch as Yue Ling devoured all her food mouthful by mouthful.

Lin Daiyu dropped her hands, folded them in front of her, and a look of shame appeared on her face.

As a girl, her leftovers were eaten by others. It was really too much. She felt that her parents would not do such an ambiguous act. "This, this, is it considered self-restraint? It's not me who gave it to Brother Yue, so it should be considered as such."

Lin Daiyu looked around again and saw that many little girls didn't look up, and even seemed not to notice the actions here, so she breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, the maids were already accustomed to their behavior as an old couple. They often lay together, so what if they ate leftovers?

Who knew there wouldn't be more intimate actions when it was just the two of them?
Everyone saw through it but didn't say anything to avoid embarrassing Lin Daiyu. The only thing these two people lacked was a marriage certificate.

Everyone finished their meal quickly and cleaned up the place.

Only Qin Keqing came back and came to the room to help Yue Ling wash and dress.

Lin Daiyu had naturally washed and combed her hair, so she stepped on her embroidered shoes, came to the desk, and began to flip through the books casually while waiting.

Yue Ling leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes and rested.

Qin Keqing then began to perform the duties of a maid, but serving Yue Ling in front of Lin Daiyu made her heart move again.

But after all, she couldn't do anything inappropriate, so she obediently took off Yue Ling's leggings, kneaded and pressed him, and put his feet in the bucket to soak.

Qin Keqing lifted her temples slightly and rubbed them carefully, wanting to wash every inch of her skin.

He added some more hot water and began to rub his calves, occasionally secretly glancing at Lin Daiyu who was sitting at her desk.

In fact, Lin Daiyu's eyes were not on the book at all.

She remembered Qin Keqing's strange behavior that day. She opened the drawer and saw that it was full of accounts and nothing else. She then looked carefully at the furnishings in the room, but her eyes were not on the books at all.

"you……"

Suddenly, Yue Ling called out. Lin Daiyu turned around and saw Qin Keqing squatting beside Yue Ling, seemingly still giving Yue Ling a massage. Yue Ling smiled at her kindly, and Lin Daiyu turned her head back without saying anything.

Yue Ling whispered to Qin Keqing beside him: "Do you want to die? Sister Lin is still here."

Qin Keqing smiled shyly and said, "I didn't mean it."

Her hands moved downwards a little and continued to knead her thighs. She didn't look like she was doing it unintentionally, and she wasn't even reflecting on it.

Yue Ling had no choice but to sit up, calm down and not dare to relax. When Qin Keqing made a move again, he would immediately slap her restless little hands.

Qin Keqing rubbed the back of her hand and looked at him pitifully, but could only receive Yue Ling's cold gaze.

Qin Keqing pouted and stopped pestering them. She left the place for the two of them to spend their own time together, and took Yue Ling's clothes and left.

"What are you reading?"

Yue Ling walked over and sat next to Lin Daiyu and asked her.

Lin Daiyu closed the book, covered her mouth and yawned, "Brother Yue, I'm tired."

"Well, then go lie down and talk. If you want to sleep, you can go back."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, feeling happy.

Now that the vixen was gone from the room, it was time for her to get closer to Yue Ling.

The two of them lay in the same bed, but they were silent.

There are always times like this when, because we are too familiar with each other, we don’t know what to chat about for a moment.

They both knew each other's preferences and current situations, so there was really nothing to ask.

Lin Daiyu lay flat on her back, holding onto her small quilt, looking up at the ceiling, feeling very at peace.

Even if they didn't talk, she liked this feeling. It was good to have Yue Ling by her side, so she wouldn't feel lonely.

Originally she was a very light sleeper, but now the faint breathing sound beside her seemed to have a hypnotic power, and after a while she could hardly open her eyes.

But she still forced herself not to close her eyes. If she really fell asleep, there would be no reason for her to stay here any longer. For the sake of self-preservation and to set an example for the maids in the room, she always had to go back to spend the night.

Lin Daiyu's eyes moved slightly, and she suppressed her shame and slowly reached her hand into Yue Ling's quilt. Her fingers, as white as scallions, gently poked his back.

Yue Ling turned around again, "Hmm? Do you want to go back?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head, her face red as if blood was about to drip, and said shyly: "No, before... Didn't Brother Yue want to touch my wrist and get closer to me? Now, now is fine."

Yue Ling was stunned when he heard this, but then he did not refute. He gladly accepted Lin Daiyu's kindness and held her hand which she had stretched into the quilt but had not yet pulled out.

The small palm was only slightly bigger than Yue Ling's palm.

The soft and smooth skin was even finer than jade, and the cool temperature made Yue Ling feel inexplicably comfortable.

It seemed that Yue Ling had never touched a girl's hand in his previous life, let alone seen a girl who looked like Lin Daiyu.

This kind of spiritual touch seems to be a feeling I have never experienced with any girl before, or is it because of love?
Yue Ling still found it difficult to connect his love with such a young girl beside him.

"We still need to take care of it so that it grows up healthy."

Lin Daiyu wanted Yue Ling to just put a few fingers on her wrist like before, but Yue Ling grabbed her entire palm. Lin Daiyu didn't say a word or move when she felt the embrace and warmth. However, her heart was trembling slightly, as restless as a deer. She could even hear her own heartbeat, and all her sleepiness disappeared.

Sure enough, her method was really effective and she could stay in this room for a long time.

……

A figure ran in from the second door. It was a servant girl. After knocking on the door of the east wing, she said to Xueyan who opened the door, "Sister Xueyan, there is a nanny outside. She claims to be Miss Lin's wet nurse. Her surname is Wang. Can you let her in?"

Xueyan rubbed her sleepy eyes, swallowed a yawn, and said blankly, "Ah, why is she here?"

(End of this chapter)