Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 3 Sending Palace Flowers

Rongguo Mansion, Wang Xifeng's Courtyard

Ping'er took the food handed in by the maid and noticed that her grandmother's favorite braised ham and pork knuckle was only half the usual amount, which made her displeasure.

"Why is the portion size smaller? Could it be that someone is craving something sweet?"

Although the words did not specify who it was, the scrutinizing look in his eyes was self-evident.

The maidservant hurriedly explained, "We wouldn't dare to do that. It was Miss Lin who wanted to eat some meat. We didn't have time to prepare it this morning, and since Second Mistress has this habit, she took half of it. Miss Ping, you are very perceptive; we never stole anything."

"Miss Lin, would you like it?"

Ping'er frowned and whispered, "Silly girl, couldn't you at least come up with a believable excuse? You've made up a lie about Miss Lin. She's practically living on air and dew, never touching anything greasy. How could she be eating braised pork knuckle so early in the morning?"

The maidservant was on the verge of tears, "Miss Ping, I really didn't lie to you."

Wang Xifeng, who was leaning against the headboard inside the room, lazily called out, "Ping'er, bring it in."

"Yes."

Ping'er looked puzzled, waved the maid away, and walked into the room.

Ping'er placed the food on the table and explained, "The maid in the corridor just said that today's portion was too small and that half of it was sent to Miss Lin's room. I think they are lying. After you finish eating, I will go to the kitchen to check."

It was an unspoken rule in the household that all the servants would secretly take small items home to their families while on duty.

They generally ignore you unless you touch their head.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng showed a slight displeasure. After chewing a few bites, she pouted and said, "They've become increasingly unruly. It would be better if Lin Yatou really ate it. These little devils, if they recover their health and don't cause trouble, it will put the old lady at ease. That's better than anything else."

Ping'er nodded in agreement.

After serving Wang Xifeng her meal, she went to the inner room to coax Qiao Jie'er to rest. Just as Ping'er was about to leave, the felt curtain in front of the door was rolled up first.

Facing us was Zhou Rui's wife, one of the brides who had come with Wang's dowry, carrying a box in her hands.

What brings you here, sir?

Zhou Rui's wife smiled kindly, bent down to open the box, and chatted with Ping'er about everyday matters.

She explained clearly that Aunt Xue wanted to distribute the palace flowers.

"This is a good opportunity to pass by the corridor and let Second Madam pick something out as well. After all, these are items bestowed by the palace and are not commonly seen."

Ping'er nodded, took four branches, gave two to the maid waiting outside, and said, "Send them to Madam Rong of the East Mansion."

Seeing that Ping'er had chosen the best ones to keep, Zhou Rui's wife then went to Lin Daiyu's side.

……

"Sister Lin, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you."

Upon seeing Lin Daiyu, Jia Baoyu greeted her with great enthusiasm and offered to help her inside.

"I didn't keep you waiting!"

Li Chen rolled his eyes, shook off his hand, and casually sat down at the tea table.

Upon realizing she was wearing a skirt, Li Chen quickly squeezed her legs together and turned to one side.

"Ok?"

Jia Baoyu stood there, stunned. Seeing Lin Daiyu's distant attitude, he couldn't help but ponder what he had done to offend her in recent days.

After all, Lin Daiyu gets angry quite often, and each time it leaves him completely baffled. This time, he also assumed that he was in the wrong.

"But what did I do to offend Lin Daiyu?"

While Jia Baoyu was racking his brains, Li Chen noticed the pastries and candied fruits on the tea table.

After all, he was now Lin Daiyu, and he couldn't eat too much for breakfast. So even if he had a good appetite, he only ate half full. Now that this free food was being delivered to his door, there was no reason for him to be polite.

"This is what a noble family should look like. You can see the big picture from small details. I've never seen such exquisite pastries in my previous life."

Three kinds were placed in a single celadon dish. One was small and exquisite, milky white all over, with a jade-like color and shape like a plum blossom. The crimson filling inside could be faintly seen through the outer skin.

Li Chen ate them one after another; they were delicious, filled with jujube paste.

Below that is a square pastry, with a golden chestnut powder coating on the outside and osmanthus flowers decorated with sugar syrup on top, which is perfect for autumn.

Purely natural and free of artificial coloring, with a rich, sweet chestnut aroma that melts in your mouth – delicious!

There was another type displayed separately, a semi-transparent, gelatinous substance. If it weren't also on a plate, Li Chen would have thought it was inedible.

The surface is grayish-white, smooth and moist, and it vibrates slightly when the table is shaken.

I took a bite, and it was smooth, chewy, and refreshingly cool, almost like eating a sample of sour gummy candy. However, the flavor was very mild, with only a slight fragrance, which was a bit bland for Li Chen, who prefers stronger flavors.

"Sister Lin, it was my fault today. I shouldn't have disturbed your peaceful sleep."

Baoyu returned to Lin Daiyu and bowed deeply in apology.

Li Chen waved his hand casually, "It's nothing."

Seeing that Lin Daiyu was still willing to talk to him, Baoyu breathed a sigh of relief and sat down opposite her at the tea table.

"Does Lin Daiyu also think this is delicious? This is jujube and yam cake, osmanthus chestnut flour cake, and water chestnut flour cake made by the newly hired cook in the kitchen. She used to work on a ship in Jiangnan, and her pastries taste excellent."

Li Chen took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his mouth, and then neatly put it back, nodding slightly without responding to Jia Baoyu's words.

Jia Baoyu assumed that Lin Daiyu still had some energy left, so he presented her with the Nine Linked Rings and said ingratiatingly, "Lin Daiyu, please help me with these."

Li Chen turned his head and saw Jia Baoyu staring at him with a big round face, looking like a lecherous pig.

With that look in his eyes, he would have been qualified for a postgraduate recommendation in his previous life.

Li Chen couldn't understand why Lin Daiyu, who was both beautiful and talented and had a delicate mind, would fall for this fool in front of her.

He has no skills, no sense of responsibility, yet he loves to flirt with young girls, even eating the rouge off their lips, and what's worse, he doesn't take responsibility afterward.

The only explanation is that they were kept hidden away and never saw good things.

Lin Daiyu, you really couldn't think straight!
Li Chen lifted the nine-linked rings from his hand, holding them only with his fingers to avoid giving Jia Baoyu any chance to touch them.

The nine-linked rings are about the width of a palm and seem to be made of silver thread.

This was one of the few toys Li Chen had when he was young, so it wasn't unfamiliar to him.

The design is similar to that of the previous generation, with two scale rods supporting the rings at the top, and nine rings connected together at the bottom.

It's actually just simple topology; taking things apart and putting them back together are just repetitive mechanical actions, nothing profound.

However, the nine-linked rings in the boudoir actually symbolize a token of love between young people, implying that the rings are interlocked and their love is intertwined.

Li Chen didn't know if Lin Daiyu understood Jia Baoyu's little thoughts, but he could see them clearly.

He picked up the nine-linked rings, fiddled with them perfunctorily for a few moments, and then returned them.

Jia Baoyu looked embarrassed and didn't know how to start chatting again when Zhou Rui's wife walked in carrying a box.

"Miss Lin, your aunt asked me to bring you flowers."

Although he was smiling ingratiatingly, his eyes were inattentive, glancing around aimlessly.

Li Chen narrowed his eyes. Just as he expected, this kind of person who treats others differently based on their status had indeed arrived.

Baoyu, as if grasping at a straw, stood up and said, "What flower is it? Let me see it."

Upon opening the box, I was surprised to find that it contained exquisitely crafted artificial flowers made of tulle, crafted in the style of the imperial court.

Knowing that Lin Daiyu loved flowers, Baoyu quickly offered the flowers, saying, "Only you are worthy to wear these flowers, sister. It would be a waste for anyone else to wear them."

Li Chen remained unmoved, glaring at Zhou Rui's wife, and said coldly, "Is this just for me, or do all the other girls receive one?"

(End of this chapter)