Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 372 Lin Daiyu's Habit
"My Lord, a bathroom has been specially prepared on this ship for your use. The pool is made of white marble and was repaired by the best craftsmen in Yangzhou City. If you feel tired, bathing and resting in it will be very refreshing."

"Why is it that a government ship needs to be converted into a bathroom? Whose idea was this?"

"My Lord, this was the idea of ​​the local gentry in Yangzhou. We heard that you like... bathing, so we built this place. It's not extravagant, but just a token of our appreciation..."

Before boarding the ship, the words said by the ship's warden kept echoing in Yue Ling's mind.

Yue Ling still hasn't figured it out. It was the people in the city who heard about his hobby and wanted to build a bathroom on the boat.

Yue Ling had also visited that bathroom not long ago.

It was indeed magnificently built, quite like the high-end public baths of later generations, and the pool was also very large, able to accommodate dozens of people at a time.

There are supporting facilities beside the pool. Some of the wooden boards and tables are made of solid materials, while some are in strange shapes, which Yue Ling could not figure out their uses at a glance.

However, Yue Ling rarely uses this bathroom.

It was because the bored little girls on the boat often occupied this place, so he had no chance to go in.

"My Lord, your fish has taken the bait."

Yue Ling held a fishing rod in his hand, sat on a small stool, and leisurely fished with Zhao Hao and Liu Xianglian at the stern of the boat.

After being reminded by someone, the fishing rod bent into an arc in Yue Ling's hand. Only then did he come to his senses and hurriedly reel in the fishing line, struggling with the fish in the river.

Yue Ling's strength was certainly not comparable to that of a mere small fish. He just lifted it up and pulled it onto the deck.

"The Marquis is pregnant, it's shad."

It was a tiny fish, only half the size of Yue Ling’s palm.

After taking out the bait, Yue Ling released the shad back into the river.

This move puzzled the soldiers who were congratulating him around.

Yue Ling explained with a smile: "At this time of year, the fish are not fully grown yet, so it's not worth fishing for them. Wait until the turn of spring and summer, when the shad swim upstream and lay new eggs, and then they will be fresh and fat."

"Now that we have caught all of them, aren't we missing a hundred small fish for nothing?"

Everyone suddenly realized that the Marquis was not just having fun, but was actually worried about the people's sentiments, and they began to admire him again.

Liu Xianglian, who was standing nearby, put away his fishing rod, looked at the river in the distance, and sighed: "If the farming season is not violated, there will be an inexhaustible supply of grain; if the nets are not used in the muddy pond, there will be an inexhaustible supply of fish and turtles; if the axes and saws are used in the mountains and forests in due time, there will be an inexhaustible supply of wood."

Zhao Hao looked over with eyes wide open, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Have you ever been to school?"

Liu Xianglian spread his hands and said, "Even if I am a concubine's son, I am a concubine's son of the four kings and eight dukes. How could I not have studied in the clan school? Do you think I am an escort agency in some unknown place, where I only know how to practice martial arts, fight and kill every day, and I don't even know that I am being plotted against?"

Zhao Hao was stunned when he heard this, and it took him a moment to realize that Liu Xianglian was making fun of him, so he drew out the nine-ring knife from his waist, and the iron rings and the back of the knife made a sharp sound when they collided with each other. He wanted to compete with Liu Xianglian.

"What's so great about the four princes and eight dukes? In front of the Marquis, dare they say a word of no?"

"I have long disliked your feminine face. It just so happens that the Marquis is here today, so let's have a competition to determine the winner."

The two men were at loggerheads, and after a few words they started arguing, each drawing their weapons.

Yue Ling couldn't help but stare in amazement, and asked the Cangzhou boy beside him: "Have they ever quarreled in the barracks? Why do they seem to be incompatible?"

Being asked about someone, Xiao Xiao smiled awkwardly, "My Lord, you don't know that the two commanders have had many quarrels in the military camp, and there have been many fights in the martial arts field, but both sides are evenly matched, and each has won and lost."

"When they found that their martial arts skills were equally matched, they began to compete in more ways, such as horseback archery and fighting in battle formations. From then on, they each led a team of soldiers to fight against each other, and we suffered a lot."

Yue Ling held his forehead helplessly, "How did it become like this?"

The person who spoke came forward mysteriously and said, "My Lord, we all think that the two commanders want to compete for the first place before returning to the capital, so neither of them is willing to submit to the other."

Yue Ling looked at the two men who were on the verge of a fight, but shook his head. He felt that it was not just because of what the soldier said.

Before the two men started fighting, another messenger on the boat came quickly, "My Lord, Cangzhou Governor Chen is here to tell you that when you pass through Cangzhou, you can go back to your hometown and have a visit."

Speaking of Cangzhou, the first stop on the journey south, Yue Ling really wants to go back and take a look.

After all, it was he who had worked hard in Cangzhou for four years, transforming a dilapidated little town into the first city heading south from Beijing and a hub for the canal waterway.

After he left, many tones and plans were set.

From infrastructure, commerce, education, and even mineral exploration for industrial bases, there are plans. This is Yue Ling's attempt to remember the new era in his mind.

Now two years have passed, and Yue Ling also wants to go back and see the development situation.

However, Emperor Longyou had recently sent him an edict, asking him to return to Beijing as soon as possible.

After a moment's silence, Yue Ling said, "How about this? I recruited you all before, and you followed me from Cangzhou to Shuangyu Island to suppress the bandits. Fortunately, there were no casualties, and you have not let down the trust of the people of Cangzhou."

"Right now, I am going to the capital. Your organization is also temporarily established and has not been approved by His Majesty. Go back to Cangzhou first and visit the villagers on my behalf. If His Majesty allows you to enter the capital and become a battalion in the capital, I will write to you then."

The Cangzhou Army under Yue Ling's command could perhaps be renamed the Yue Family Army. Having made great military achievements following Yue Ling, they are now returning to Beijing to receive rewards.

However, the fact that the troops were not from the Beijing Camp and were entering Beijing was likely to cause misunderstanding.

Yue Ling also knows well that we should learn from history.

To Yue Ling, the love-hate relationship between the Fourth Master and Nian Gengyao was like the back of his hand.

He didn't want to go back to Beijing and perform a "taking off armor" show.

After thinking for a while, Yue Ling also thought that his statement was too cold, so he wrote another letter and said, "I have official business to attend to and need to return to Beijing immediately. It is not a good time to be a guest in Cangzhou. Prefect Chen was recommended by me. If I didn't know the person and the position, I would never have entrusted him with this important task. There is no need to ask me to inspect him again."

"Now, the spring imperial examination is approaching. Qingfeng Academy is the provincial school founded by me. I hope that in this imperial examination, the students of Cangzhou can strive to pass the exam and be on the list. This marquis is waiting for this good news in the capital."

After blowing the ink dry, Yue Ling folded the letter in half and handed it to the messenger, "Give this letter to Prefect Chen."

The messenger bowed and accepted the order, "Yes."

After the episode, Yue Ling turned back to look at Zhao Hao and said comfortingly: "You are also from Cangzhou. Do you want to go back to your hometown with the soldiers?"

Zhao Hao scratched his head and shook his head, saying, "Following the Marquis, where is my hometown? Wherever the Marquis goes, I will go too."

Liu Xianglian smacked his lips and said, "You may not have been educated, but your ability to flatter is no less impressive."

Zhao Hao's face turned red. He glanced at Liu Xianglian beside him and said angrily, "This is what I say from the bottom of my heart. What about you? Have you ever worked for the Prince Kang's Mansion and got beaten up by the Marquis? If His Majesty doesn't punish you when you return to the capital, it will be a great kindness from His Majesty."

Yue Ling raised his head to stop the two people from bickering, and shook his head helplessly, "If that's the case, you don't have to think too much. After returning to the capital, I will report your achievements to His Majesty. At that time, whether you will be rewarded or punished will be decided by His Majesty."

Since Yue Ling has personally expressed his position to Emperor Longyou, how could there be any punishment?

Neither of them was stupid, so they knelt down together to express their gratitude.

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

"Okay, I understand what you two are thinking. Fighting is not a bad thing, but don't lose your sense of proportion. The river is wet and windy today. I feel uncomfortable. I'm going to take a bath first."

Liu Xianglian and Zhao Hao looked at each other, bowed and said, "Yes."

……

"Hurry up, come on!"

The little girls ran out from the cabin upstairs happily.

On weekdays, when they were at the mansion, they could also walk around the garden together, plant flowers, and apply some rouge and powder.

Once on the boat, even these activities could not be done.

Because the deck was guarded by officers and soldiers, they could not come out for fresh air at will. If they just stayed in the room chatting and doing needlework all day, they would be driven crazy.

Fortunately, the bathroom prepared in advance by the wealthy businessmen in Yangzhou became their only place to have fun.

Taking a bath can not only refresh your spirit, but also moisturize your body, cleanse your skin and remove dirt. Girls love it the most.

But water is scarce on the boat, and it often takes four or five days before they can have fun playing in the pool.

With bell-like laughter, all the girls went into the bathroom and took off their clothes swiftly.

Everyone moved quickly, because only by taking off their own clothes could they free their hands to tease those who hadn't taken off their clothes yet. "Sister Xueyan, your flesh is so enviable, it's really grown in the right place."

Baozhu took off all her clothes, came behind Xueyan, and carefully poked Xueyan's back with her fingers.

Xueyan untied the knot behind her neck, tore off her undergarments, straightened her chest, put her hands on her hips and said, "Of course, no bite of meat is eaten in vain, just like learning more books, the knowledge will not let you down."

Xueyan started talking again, which made the young Baozhu blink in surprise. "Why doesn't Sister Xueyan read books?"

“How can I study when I’m sleepy?”

"What about when you're not sleepy?"

"When I'm not sleepy, of course I have to eat. Otherwise, what should I do if I let the meat down?"

"Ah, this...are you feeling sleepy again after eating?"

Xueyan grabbed Baozhu's arm and said, "Okay, stop asking so many questions. Go to the pond and grab a good spot, closest to the fruit bowl."

The little girls went into the bathing pool together, and Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai and Qin Keqing also came to the changing room for the first time.

It is called a changing room, but in fact it is just separated from the inside by a screen.

Because the room was filled with mist, even with a screen, it was impossible to see what was going on inside directly.

Xue Baochai hid behind Lin Daiyu and looked at Qin Keqing vigilantly.

She had suffered a lot of losses in the previous few times she came to the bathroom.

Qin Keqing took off her clothes so quickly that in the blink of an eye, her skirt and hairpins all fell to the ground, even the jade hairpin was pulled out.

It was as if there was a mechanism on her body, and the clothes would automatically come off as soon as she was touched.

This really caught Xue Baochai off guard.

She had a plump figure to begin with, and the moisture soaked her clothes, making it even more difficult to take them off.

Xue Baochai couldn't stand the fact that Qin Keqing would always take advantage of her in the name of helping her.

After that, she always hid behind Lin Daiyu and kept a certain distance from Qin Keqing.

Seeing Xue Baochai's cautious look, Qin Keqing curled her lips in disdain, didn't take it seriously, and continued to take off her clothes.

After Qin Keqing had taken off all her clothes and walked towards the pool, Xue Baochai took off her own clothes.

Sandwiched between these two people, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but smile, and said jokingly: "Sister Bao, you are like a scholar facing a man-eating goblin in front of Sister Ke'er."

As Xue Baochai undressed, she nodded and said, "Sister Lin is right. She is exactly the kind of demon who eats people and sucks their marrow out of their bones."

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth and chuckled, wrapped a cotton towel in front of her, wrapped herself tightly, and tilted her head and said, "I'll go in first? I'll wait for you inside."

"it is good."

Xue Baochai nodded, but did not notice that Qin Keqing had already returned in the dark, feeling her way around the corner and coming behind her.

As soon as Lin Daiyu walked around the screen, she opened her arms and embraced Xue Baochai from behind.

"Sister Bao, why are you always hiding from me?"

Xue Baochai trembled slightly and shuddered, then struggled hard to break free from Qin Keqing's hand.

"Sister Keqing, what are you going to do again?"

Qin Keqing went straight to the point and said, "It's still the old days. You saw me having sex, it's not fair. You have to let me see it too."

Xue Baochai blushed and said, "My Lord and I haven't reached that stage yet, what do you think?"

Qin Keqing raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh? So, you are willing to go that far with the master? Do you need your sister to give you some advice? Pretending to be Xiangling is actually the most convenient, but you don't want to."

Xue Baochai gritted her teeth, knowing that no good words would come out of Qin Keqing's mouth, "Who wants to be mistaken for someone else during their first night of love?"

Qin Keqing spread her hands and said, "So what? I don't care."

Then she leaned close to Xue Baochai's ear and said, "For the sake of our deep sisterly love, I will tell you a secret of the Marquis' Mansion that no one else knows."

Xue Baochai asked in surprise: "What secret?"

Qin Keqing said mysteriously: "When I slept with the master before, I pretended to be Sister Lin."

Then he stretched out his hands and gestured with numbers.
Qin Keqing shook her head and pointed at herself, a look of nostalgia on her face, "I, it's me."

Xue Baochai chuckled and said, "So that's it."

Qin Keqing twitched her lips and said unconvincedly: "If you..."

Xue Baochai frowned and snorted, "No matter how bad it is, it's still better than you."

Qin Keqing was filled with shame and anger. "I know why Ying'er is so stubborn. The master and servant are exactly the same. I want to see how many rounds you can last under my hands!"

As she spoke, Qin Keqing made a threatening move to tear off the cotton towel that Xue Baochai was holding in front of her.

Xue Baochai tried to hide backwards, but her feet slipped and she fell backwards.

Qin Keqing's eyes widened in shock, and she hurriedly reached out to take it, but they both fell at the door.

With a bang, the sound spread into the bathroom, and the wooden sign hanging outside the door was knocked to the ground.

All the little girls came out and hurriedly carried the two people to the wooden table nearby.

Lin Daiyu came between the two of them, and instead of blaming them, she asked anxiously, "How are you? Did you fall hard?"

Xue Baochai and Qin Keqing both rubbed their backs and said, "It's okay, it's not too serious. You can go wash first."

"How can I know if you are just pretending to be stubborn? Zijuan, Xueyan, Ruizhu, Baozhu, Qingwen, Ying'er, Xiangling, Lingguan, all of you come here, turn them over and see if there are any bruises on their backs..."

……

After getting a new set of clothes in the room, Yue Ling walked comfortably to the bathroom door.

Returning to Beijing is like going home for him. Running around outside is certainly not as comfortable as going home.

Of course, if you want to be comfortable on this boat, you have to have a convenient bath.

There was some hot steam coming out of the bathroom, obviously someone had used it and the water had been heated.

Moreover, there was no "Do Not Enter" sign hanging at the door, which must mean that the girls had finished bathing and it was Yue Ling's turn to enjoy the spacious bathing area alone.

After pushing with both hands, Yue Ling raised his head again and saw a scene that he would never forget in his life.

Lin Daiyu was seen standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, a cotton towel wrapped around her waist to cover her body, directing the other naked girls to gather around two long tables, trying hard to pull the limbs of the people on the tables, as if she was punishing them.

I rubbed my eyes and realized that everything was not a fantasy.

After taking another closer look, Yue Ling had already identified the two people on the table as Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai.

This visually shocking scene caused a wave of confusion in Yue Ling's mind, and he couldn't figure out what was going on.

At this moment, the cold wind that came in when the door was pushed open made everyone turn their heads and stare blankly at Yue Ling who had just entered.

The atmosphere was stagnant at this moment. Yue Ling was in a dilemma. He swallowed his saliva and couldn't help but guess: "Sister Lin, did they offend you? Are you punishing them?"

"But with so many people around, touching her all over, it's too... indecent... Of course, if Sister Lin has this kind of fetish, I have no objection."

Hearing the voice, Lin Daiyu turned her head in surprise, and even the two people at the table sat up.

A moment later, sharp screams broke out in the bathroom. The little girls covered their vital parts and quickly ran back to the bathtub. Some of them fell in the process, and the scene was in chaos.

A familiar voice sounded behind her. Lin Daiyu slowly squatted down, curled up into a ball, covered her blushing face and said, "Brother Yue, please listen to my explanation... No, Brother Yue, please go out first..."

(End of this chapter)