Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 13: Grandmother and Granddaughter Meet in Rongqing Hall; Grandmother Jia Meets Daiyu!
Just as everyone in Rongqing Hall was pondering, Lin Daiyu's sedan chair had already entered the Rongguo Mansion and arrived at the hanging flower gate.

"Miss Lin."

Several old women dared not delay and immediately went up to lift the sedan curtain. The wet nurse, Granny Wang, was a little worried about Lin Daiyu, so she personally helped her out of the sedan. After that, neither she nor Xueyan could accompany Lin Daiyu inside, and could only wait outside the hanging flower gate.

"Granny Wang."

Lin Daiyu gave her a comforting look, and then, supported by the old women of the Jia family, she walked slowly into the hanging flower gate. Behind the gate were covered corridors on both sides, and in the middle was a passageway. A marble screen with a rosewood frame was placed on the ground. They walked around the screen and came into view of a three-room hall, behind which was the main courtyard.

The main building has five carved beams and painted rafters, with covered corridors and side rooms on both sides. Elegant birdcages hang from the beams, housing various parrots, thrushes and other birds. The Duke's mansion is indeed extravagant.

"coming."

The maids who were sitting on the platform all smiled and came forward to greet her, vying to lift the curtains. One of them shouted into the inner room, "Miss Lin has arrived."

"Grandma, Miss Lin has arrived."

The words of the maid outside had already reached Rongqing Hall, interrupting Madam Wang and the others' thoughts.

Grandmother Jia, who was on the couch, ignored Zhou Rui's wife and moved at the sound. She leaned forward slightly and stared intently at the doorway with her cloudy old eyes, as if she was expecting something.

Seeing this, Madam Wang could not say much and had to suppress her anger and temporarily greet Lin Daiyu.

Before long, the curtain of Rongqing Hall was lifted by the old women, and a petite figure walked in, instantly attracting everyone's attention. Lin Daiyu was still young, but she already showed an extraordinary figure. Her two wispy eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her clear eyes seemed to be filled with tears. Her sorrowful posture was fully revealed by the dimples on both sides. Her body was weak as if she had inherited a lot of illness. After taking a few steps, her eyes were already filled with tears and she was slightly out of breath.

In stillness, she is as captivating as a delicate flower reflected in water; in motion, she sways gracefully in the wind like a willow branch.

"Grandma."

As soon as she entered, Lin Daiyu recognized the old woman on the couch as Grandmother Jia and greeted her respectfully.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia, who was on the couch, could not sit still. She took two steps at a time, staggered, and rushed forward to hug Lin Daiyu tightly, sobbing uncontrollably: "My darling, my sweetheart, sob! sob!"

When the grandfather and grandson met, they both thought of Jia Min, and their hearts were filled with unbearable bitterness. They both burst into tears, and the Rongqing Hall was filled with sorrow. The maids on both sides covered their faces and wept.

"Of all my children, your mother was the one I loved the most. Now she has left me first, and I can't even see her one last time. How can I not be heartbroken?"

Grandmother Jia held Lin Daiyu as if she were holding her own only daughter who had married far away to Suzhou, and her grief deepened.

"Okay, okay, stop crying, don't cry and hurt yourself."

Lady Wang looked at Lin Daiyu, a hint of hatred flashing in her eyes, but she pretended to be demure and stepped forward to comfort Grandmother Jia.

The quick-witted Lin Daiyu sensed something amiss from those words. Taking advantage of the moment when Grandmother Jia loosened her grip, she took a few steps back, bowed respectfully, then knelt down and kowtowed three times. She then stood up and repeated the process three times.

'Whoosh!'

The expressions of everyone in the hall changed slightly. If it were just a granddaughter paying respects to her maternal grandmother, one kowtow would suffice. Three kowtows and nine bows are the highest etiquette for children to pay respects to their parents. Lin Daiyu was performing filial piety on behalf of her mother, Jia Min.

"Get up, get up."

Grandmother Jia was already grieving the loss of her only daughter, and seeing Lin Daiyu's filial piety now made her even more emotional. She quickly helped Lin Daiyu up and said, "Good child, it's my fault. I'm so sorry. I'm here, but I'm crying and making you sad. I'm really getting senile."

"Grandma."

Lin Daiyu felt Jia Mu's care, her heart warmed, and she stopped crying.

"This is your maternal aunt."

Grandmother Jia held Lin Daiyu's small hand and introduced her to everyone. "Greetings, Aunt."

Lin Daiyu was about to bow to Madam Xing when Madam Xing stopped her, saying, "Alright, no need."

"This is your second maternal aunt."

"Greetings to my second maternal aunt."

Lin Daiyu looked at Madam Wang and bowed again. This time, Madam Wang did not help her up halfway like Madam Xing did, but accepted the bow without hesitation before saying, "Alright, alright."

Upon hearing her voice, Lin Daiyu immediately recalled the words she had just used to comfort Grandmother Jia, and her heart skipped a beat.

Perhaps Lin Daiyu was too young to understand social etiquette, but having experienced the loss of her mother, she had some understanding of everyone's words and thoughts. Lady Wang seemed gentle and kind, like a bodhisattva, but her intimacy was tinged with coldness, and she did not genuinely like Lin Daiyu.

“This is your elder brother Zhu’s wife, you can call her Sister-in-law Zhu.”

"Sister-in-law Zhu".

Lin Daiyu had no time to ponder Lady Wang's actions. Her gaze fell on the young woman beside her. Her face was unadorned, and she was dressed simply and plainly, much like a quiet, elegant, and dignified orchid. She bowed to her.

"younger sister."

Li Wan's personality matched her appearance; she was consistent inside and out, and returned the greeting with gentle grace.

"Go and invite the girls here."

Grandmother Jia took Lin Daiyu's hand and walked towards the couch, instructing Yuanyang, "Our guests have just arrived from afar, so you don't need to go to school now."

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang hurriedly went out and arranged for several maids to go and invite Sanchun.

At this moment, Grandmother Jia led Lin Daiyu to sit down on the couch. She carefully examined her granddaughter, noting her frail appearance and delicate demeanor, suggesting she might be suffering from some kind of ailment. She asked, "What medicine do you usually take? Why aren't you in a hurry to treat it?"

“I have always been like this. I have been taking medicine since I was able to eat solid food, and I have never stopped taking it.”

Lin Daiyu covered her face and wiped away her tears, replying, "That year, when I was three years old, I heard that a bald-headed monk came and said he wanted to take me away to become a nun. My parents refused, and he said that if that was the case, then your illness could never be cured."

"If you want things to go well, you must not see anyone crying in the future. Apart from your parents, you must not see any relatives or friends outside your family. Only then can you live a peaceful life."

"I've been talking nonsense and I'm still taking ginseng nourishing pills."

"I'm preparing pills right now; just tell them to prepare an extra batch."

Hearing this, Grandmother Jia felt even more sorry for Lin Daiyu in front of her, and patted her little hand to comfort her.

For an ordinary family to obtain Ginseng Nourishing Pills, they would have to go bankrupt. The ginseng alone requires wild medicinal herbs that have been stored for many years. Moreover, it also needs to be supplemented with other medicinal herbs such as Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Astragalus membranaceus (processed), Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia glutinosa (processed), Paeonia lactiflora, Citrus reticulata peel, Polygala tenuifolia, Cinnamomum cassia, and Schisandra chinensis.

That is, the Lin family of Suzhou, who had been marquises for four generations, and whose father, Lin Ruhai, was the Grand Master of the Imperial Academy and concurrently the Salt Commissioner of Yangzhou, had a fortune of millions, which was enough to support such expenses. The Rongguo Mansion was even less concerned about it.

"Ah."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, agreeing.

(End of this chapter)