Red Mansion Daiyu, the Rise of the Lin Family

Lin Daiyu then said to Lin Ruhai,

"Father, I think if Jia Yucun has already adopted Zhen Yinglian as his adopted daughter, he should really treat her as his own daughter, not just for the sake of repaying a favor."

"This way, if he meets the girl's father in the future, he can give an explanation with a clear conscience."

Lin Ruhai asked in surprise, "Daiyu, do you mean that the father of this child is still alive?"

It is really unknown whether Lin Daiyu is still with him, but in the book Dream of Red Mansions, Zhen Shiyin became a monk and did not die.

"Father, the father of Zhen Yinglian in my dream became a monk."

Anyway, I have mentioned the dream theory before, and it becomes easier to talk about it now.

When Jia Min and Lin Ruhai heard Lin Daiyu talking about her dream again, they were speechless.

Your dream is quite extensive.

Anyone can dream about it.

If it is true about past and present lives, could it be that Daiyu in the dream life had any intersection with this Zhen Yinglian?

Lin Ruhai had countless questions in his mind, but when he saw Daiyu fell into deep thought again, he did not ask.

The family then ate in silence.

Lin Daiyu was thinking while eating, Zhen Shiyin had become a monk, and monks have a clear understanding of birth, old age, sickness and death, as if birth, old age, sickness and death were all fate.

In the book, Zhen Yinglian became Xue Pan's concubine and changed her name to Xiangling. After Xue Pan got married, she was almost bullied to death.

In the end, it was the father Zhen Shiyin who led his daughter's soul back.

No sadness or hatred?

Becoming a nun really stripped one of all emotions and desires, and Lin Daiyu suddenly felt that she was a little sentimental.

Don’t tell me that this body is just a sentimental one, right?

It seems I need to relax. I've been thinking too much lately.

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu turned around and asked Lin Ruhai,

"Father, are you going to buy a parrot tomorrow? Can I go with you?"

When Lin Daiyu said this, not only Lin Daiyu, but also Yongan and Jia Min looked at Lin Ruhai.

His earnest feelings were beyond words, what else could Lin Ruhai say?

In order to keep a low profile after arriving in Beijing, the family has not gone out together.

Especially Jia Min, Lin Daiyu at least followed the princess, and Lin Yongan also went out with the former Prince of Nan'an several times.

In addition, I attended several banquets in Beppu.

To be honest, who doesn’t yearn for the colorful world outside?

Anyone would go crazy if they were stuck in this small space inside and outside the house every day.

Lin Ruhai nodded, "Okay, tomorrow our family will go out in plain clothes."

"Also take a look at the common people in the capital and the flower and bird market."

Lin Yongan jumped up three feet high and shouted loudly, "Shantou, ask for leave tomorrow and tell my teacher that my father will take me to collect folk songs tomorrow."

"I'll make up three articles tomorrow."

Lin Daiyu pointed at Lin Yongan and bent over with laughter, "Good, good, good, this is a very reasonable excuse."

"Alas, it's a pity that I haven't studied with the teacher since I followed Princess Chaoyang for some time."

"Otherwise I could also say I went to collect folk songs."

Jia Min's mood also brightened up. She walked briskly and told the maids in a clear tone to prepare what was needed for tomorrow.

Since we are common people, we must act like ordinary people.

It is the middle of winter now, so a thick cotton-padded jacket is needed.

There were also hats, and if there were none, the maids were asked to prepare them quickly.

……

The next morning, after breakfast, the family of four set off with a few maids and guards following them.

Lin Daiyu wore a royal blue cotton coat and an ear-covering cotton hat. Apart from her watery eyes, almost nothing else could be seen.

Jia Min simply wore a gray Zhaojun hat with earmuffs and a royal blue cotton jacket.

Lin Daiyu looked around and was impressed. The way this mother and daughter were dressed, even a god couldn't tell their ages.

I have grown taller in the past two years and am not much shorter than Jia Min.

Looking at Lin Ruhai and Yong'an, they look especially like a young gentleman and a little servant boy.

"Mom, our attire doesn't match that of father."

"We are not even as good as the young master's maids and wives."

Jia Min said helplessly,

"What can I do? I dressed your father up in a short outfit, trying to make him look like a shopkeeper, but it's really out of place and makes people laugh."

There's really nothing you can do about it; some people don't even look like beggars when they're covered with sackcloth.

Lin Ruhai and Lin Yongan also looked at the mother and daughter with innocent expressions.

"Ma'am, you have indeed done this before."

"You don't have to be a country girl or a village woman."

Lin Daiyu blinked her eyes jokingly, "Mother, this is what my father said, not me."

"I am embarrassed to say it, country girl, country woman, that's a very apt description."

Jia Min was so angry that she deliberately put on a stern face and said, "It's all because of you that I'm talking about simple living."

"Now that simple clothes are in fashion, you complain that they are too plain."

"They are all very difficult to serve."

The family listened to Jia Min's complaints and joked with each other all the way. Although it was a chilly winter day, they were in a happy mood while talking.

At this time, two people came over from across the street, an old lady and a child.

The old lady was wearing an old-fashioned cotton jacket which was patched but cleanly washed. She was wearing a brown cotton hat on her head with a few strands of white hair showing under the brim.

His face is wrinkled but his eyes are bright.

Another little boy, about five or six years old, was wearing a cotton jacket that didn’t fit him well. The sleeves and trouser legs were too short, revealing his red, frozen hands and feet.

His eyes looked around curiously, and he pulled the old lady's clothes from time to time, looking a little uneasy.

The old lady looked around as she walked, breathing out white air from her mouth. When she saw someone passing by, she would follow them and ask something.

The people being questioned looked at their attire and shook their heads.

Jia Min looked at the old and the young and said to Lin Daiyu,

"Look, that's a real village woman."

"You can tell at a glance that they are a family that works hard all year round."

Lin Daiyu looked and saw that there were indeed many people on the street, men and women, old and young, but they were all citizens of the capital, and they all had a calm and confident look on their faces.

These two people are obviously from other places.

At this moment, the two of them saw everyone from the Lin family.

A hint of joy appeared on the old lady's face. She walked quickly forward and bowed to Lin Ruhai and Jia Min.

"Excuse me, sir, madam. We are from the countryside and want to go to Rongguo Mansion and Jia's house, but we don't know the way. Could you please point us in the direction?"

There was a hint of humility and expectation in the old lady's voice.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Min looked at each other in surprise and were unable to react for a moment.

Especially Jia Min looked up and down at the old and the young.

"May I ask what the old man wants to know about the Jia family?"

The old lady pursed her lips, as if she had something to hide.

"Well, we have something to do with the Jia family."

Jia Min waited silently for what the old lady wanted to say. She couldn't say anything about the strange old lady asking about the Jia family.

Lin Daiyu's head buzzed for a moment and she looked up at the sky. Could it be such a coincidence?

Are you just kidding me?

She asked tentatively, "What's your name, old man?"

The old lady looked at the girl with eyes as clear as lake water and said embarrassedly, "I am a country bumpkin, how can I say noble? My last name is Liu."

Lin Daiyu chuckled, "Then you asked the right question. The Jia family is my grandmother's family."