Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

What good thing did Chapter 9 actually do?
Lin Daiyu was exceptionally talented, especially with her excellent memory. She could read ten lines at a glance and finish reading sixteen volumes of a play in less than the time it takes to eat a meal. Moreover, she could recite it from memory after reading it.

However, sometimes having too good a memory isn't a good thing.

Until noon, Lin Daiyu was still unable to shake off the embarrassment of relieving herself in the morning; her cheeks remained flushed and rosy, as if powdered.

"How embarrassing! Xueyan saw it all!"

Lin Daiyu secretly turned half of her body and peeked behind her.

Zijuan and Xueyan were wiping the tea table not far away, both scrutinizing Lin Daiyu's back with approving expressions.

"What's going on? Could it be that the second young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion is pretending that I wasn't suspected, and that I'm the one being misunderstood? This is really giving me a headache. Why did this strange thing have to happen to me?"

Lin Daiyu rubbed her head three times with her wrists, then let out a long sigh. "No, no, I can't do anything strange anymore."

The atmosphere in the room was awkward. The beaded curtain swayed slightly, and then another person walked in.

Her features were delicate and refined, her doe eyes innocent and naive, neither upturned nor downturned, exuding a gentle and pure innocence. Her cheeks were as radiant as peach blossoms, and a touch of rouge between her brows hinted at her cleverness and charm. She timidly gave Lin Daiyu a curtsy in person.

"Miss Lin, as we agreed beforehand, my wife has prepared a family banquet today and would like to invite you to join us."

Lin Daiyu looked up and blinked, then clenched her fists again, unable to bear it any longer.

As expected, what she feared most came to pass. She was still thinking about how to maintain her integrity and not do anything strange when Aunt Xue invited her to be a guest. She was completely unaware of the reason behind it all.

How can she answer if asked anything?

Forcing a smile, Lin Daiyu said awkwardly, "Okay, that's true. Let's go then."

Zijuan brought a large robe and draped it over Lin Daiyu, tying it securely.

Lin Daiyu stepped out of the room first, silently taking a deep breath.

She used to dislike going out, but now she even feels that going out for some fresh air isn't so bad. She's really uncomfortable being stared at by Zijuan and Xueyan all the time.

Thinking about how to deal with Aunt Xue, Lin Daiyu walked out of the hanging flower gate, climbed the covered walkway, and headed towards the most secluded Pear Fragrance Courtyard in the mansion through the back garden.

It was midday, and the servants who were busy inside the inner chambers were also walking out in groups to exchange tokens, and Lin Daiyu bumped into them on the way.

In the past, most people would avoid her or pretend not to see her, but today was very different.

"May Miss Lin be well."

"Greetings to Miss Lin."

"Ah."

Lin Daiyu responded blankly and walked past the two nannies.

This was the tenth group of people she had encountered.

All those she had encountered before stopped in front of her, stepped aside, and bowed respectfully.

From lowly maids and strong old women to the wives who served the ladies in the madam's quarters and the head maids around Grandmother Jia, none of them were exempt.

Lin Daiyu was quite unaccustomed to it. She secretly glanced at Zijuan and Xueyan, who, on the contrary, stood tall and proud, seemingly enjoying themselves.

"This is so strange, what exactly happened?"

Lin Daiyu was already confused about the matter, and the constant interruptions from these people only made things more chaotic for her.

"It's more unbearable outside than inside."

As if she were the center of attention, even servants who were some distance away would bow and greet her as she walked by. Lin Daiyu couldn't help but gently rub her arms, feeling uncomfortable all over.

"What bad things has this spoiled brat done with my body? Why is everyone so afraid? If he had any brains, he should know to leave me a message next time!"

Completely helpless, Lin Daiyu could only grumble in her heart and curse Li Chen endlessly.

Even after arriving at Rikain, she still looked sullen.

Xue Baochai, who was waiting under the eaves, was about to go out to greet Lin Daiyu when she saw Lin Daiyu's indignant expression from afar, and a suspicion suddenly arose in her heart.

"Ten days have passed since that incident, yet Lin Daiyu still can't let it go? I should have advised Mother not to be so hasty."

"But Lin Daiyu is usually very reserved and doesn't show her emotions. How could she have changed her personality like this? It's really against common sense."

Xue Baochai was puzzled and became even more cautious. When Lin Daiyu looked up and noticed her, she put on a smile and said, "I'm so glad you've come, sister. The weather is getting colder, so I shouldn't have troubled you to make this trip. However, I heard that you've been having a better appetite lately, and the Feng family has just received some fresh mountain delicacies like deer antler and bear paws. I thought I'd invite you over to try them and have a chat."

Upon hearing that the banquet would be filled with meat and fish, Lin Daiyu, who had eaten too much that morning, felt a churning in her stomach.

Lin Daiyu quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from retching, but her brows still furrowed unnaturally.

This scene surprised Xue Baochai even more. "What? Did I say something wrong again?" Xue Baochai was completely puzzled and dared not speak again. She could only stand like a wooden stake next to Lin Daiyu, waiting for her reply.

Zijuan and Xueyan, who were standing nearby, sensed something was wrong and wanted to help her up, but Lin Daiyu quickly shook them off and took a deep breath, replying, "Thank you for your help, sister and aunt."

Although her complexion was not good, her tone was still relatively gentle, which put Xue Baochai at ease. "Sister, you are too kind. I came here to apologize to you. Mother will surely be very happy to have you here. How could there be any trouble or inconvenience?"

After saying this, Xue Baochai invited Lin Daiyu into the house.

Lin Daiyu, however, was completely bewildered and began to ponder in her heart.

"Is this a sign of anger? My aunt gave it to me? What good deed has this纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat) done? Did he cause a huge scene in the manor that made everyone afraid of me?"

Lin Daiyu frowned, seemingly having found a clue.

Pear Fragrance Courtyard is a two-courtyard house. Usually, Xue Baochai's brother, Xue Pan, would live in the outer courtyard, while the inner courtyard was where Xue Baochai's mother and daughter lived.

Today, Xue Pan had been sent away, and Aunt Xue was waiting under the eaves, warmly welcoming Lin Daiyu into the room.

Pear Fragrance Courtyard was originally the place where the old Duke Jia Daishan spent his later years in quiet contemplation and cultivation. Now it is temporarily occupied by the Xue family, and the furnishings have been replaced with new ones.

In the center of the hall stood a round table made of rosewood inlaid with marble, surrounded by four carved chairs of the same material. On the chairs were casually placed large cushions with gold hearts and green shimmering satin and ink-splashed pillows, soft and comfortable.

On the west side against the wall is a row of display cabinets made of nanmu wood, displaying all kinds of rare and precious objects imported from the West. On the east side is a large floor-to-ceiling carved screen, separated by a green gauze cabinet, which is considered to be the inner room.

Xue Baochai pulled out a chair, and Aunt Xue helped Lin Daiyu to her seat. The mother and daughter treated her with extra care, which left Lin Daiyu completely bewildered.

"I am much relieved that Yu'er is here today. Let bygones be bygones. Yu'er, please don't resent me. I have no ill intentions."

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips, wondering to herself, "What exactly happened? Why won't you tell me?"

Seeing that Lin Daiyu's expression had changed, Xue Baochai sat down next to her and advised her mother, who was sitting opposite her, "Mother, we have all agreed not to mention this matter again, so why did you start again? Sister Lin is not a petty person, so let's just let it go and not mention it again."

Aunt Xue nodded with an awkward smile. "That's right, that's right. We didn't come here today to talk about these troublesome things. Let's try something new first?"

"Winter is almost here, and it's not easy to find fresh mountain produce now."

Lin Daiyu's face remained calm, but her heart was already filled with restlessness. "So, what exactly is it?"

"Come on, Miss Lin, why don't you try this sturgeon first?"

Xue Baochai tried adding a piece to Lin Daiyu's bowl, watching with a smile.

Lin Daiyu picked up the bamboo chopsticks and nodded in agreement, "Aunt and Sister Bao, there's no need for such formalities. I'll do as I please. This kind of pampering makes me a little uncomfortable."

Aunt Xue smiled kindly, but in her heart she thought helplessly, "The matriarch is in Rongqing Hall, but you are a little matriarch. How can we not take care of you?"

"It's a rare treat to have a feast, so of course we should eat to our hearts' content. Yu'er, try this bear paw again. The kitchen stewed it for three whole days to prepare this dish, and the flavor is incredibly rich and delicious. Yu'er has been enjoying meat lately, so she must know that this is the top of the 'Eight Delicacies of the Mountains,' a truly rare delicacy."

As Aunt Xue introduced the dishes, she also imitated Xue Baochai, adding food to Lin Daiyu's bowl.

The small bowls, no bigger than the palm of a hand, were piled up into a small mountain in the blink of an eye as the mother and daughter introduced the dishes, making it impossible for Lin Daiyu to even begin eating.

"I feel like the food I ate this morning is still stuck in my stomach. If I eat this much for lunch, won't I be stuffed to death? Does Li Chen usually eat this much?"

Zijuan and Xueyan, who came with her, had been summoned to a side room for dinner, and no one could answer her question.

But she couldn't refuse the mother and daughter's hospitality, and she was afraid of being misunderstood if she didn't eat, since the mother hadn't forgiven her for the so-called incident. So Lin Daiyu had no choice but to hold her nose and eat some.

Seeing her pick up her chopsticks, Xue Baochai and Aunt Xue looked up at each other and nodded in relief.

Seven dishes and a soup were laid out on the round table, with only one plate of lotus root being a vegetarian dish, and it was placed in the farthest place from Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu had no choice but to endure the savory aroma and eat it bite by bite, as if chewing wax.

Her movements were mechanical, and her mind was even more unclear. Besides secretly cursing Li Chen for being meddlesome, she was also worried that Li Chen's poor performance at the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence would ruin the good situation she had left behind.

If she switches back in ten days, wouldn't she be the one suffering again?

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu frowned.

Her delicately furrowed brows, which were already quite striking, became even more noticeable with the change in her expression.

Seeing this, the Xue family mother and daughter couldn't help but worry. They would occasionally chat with Lin Daiyu about everyday matters, but Lin Daiyu would reply listlessly and in a flat tone.

After eating half a bowl, Lin Daiyu felt her stomach was full of food, so she put down her chopsticks and said, "Aunt, I'm done eating."

A maid brought mouthwash and clean cotton towels for Lin Daiyu to clean herself.

Aunt Xue was filled with apprehension. From Lin Daiyu's unpredictable expression, she couldn't discern whether the banquet was good or bad, so she had no choice but to pass the buck to Xue Baochai, "In that case, Baochai, why don't you see Lin Daiyu off?"

(End of this chapter)