Red Mansion Daiyu, the Rise of the Lin Family

"My son, you are overthinking it. It's impossible." Aunt Xue thought for a moment and comforted Xue Baochai.

Xue Baochai sighed and said, "Mother, I am not suspicious. It's just that a lot of things have happened recently. First, Granny Liu came, and then we let her go. I am worried that my aunt will dislike us because of this."

"Plus, the people around Baoyu have found out something wrong. I'm really worried that we will be implicated."

Aunt Xue took Xue Baochai's hand and said, "My child, you don't have to worry. I don't know anything else, but I know your aunt very well."

"It is impossible for her to disband the Grand View Garden unless these girls have married someone else."

Xue Baochai frowned and asked, "Why are you so sure, mother?"

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Your aunt finally managed to get the girls out of her mother-in-law's hands. It's impossible for her to give them to her again."

"She has no daughters of her own, so she hopes these girls can marry into good families so that she can help Baoyu."

After listening to Aunt Xue's words, Xue Baochai suddenly understood.

"Mom! I understand. Let's go! Let's go and pay our respects to aunt."

"And help relieve my aunt's worries."

Aunt Xue was very pleased to know that her daughter had listened to her.

Oh! I wish my son could be one ten-thousandth as smart and sensible as my daughter.

……

Mrs. Wang sat upright in Rong Xi Hall, slowly turning the Buddhist beads in her hand, her brows furrowed, and a myriad of thoughts in her mind.

In recent days, all the changes in the Grand View Garden flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope.

I now have a dilemma. Now that Baoyu knows how to deal with people, should I move out of the Grand View Garden directly?

If all the children were in the Grand View Garden, it would be difficult for the mother-in-law to help.

It is also convenient to control it yourself.

But if any untoward rumors get out, the reputations of these girls will be ruined.

If a girl cannot marry into a good family, she will become a money-losing piece of shit and be of no use at all.

Another thing is that Qingwen died too quickly, and no one accounted for the loss of the imperial gift.

But now we are still lacking someone who can take the blame.

Just as Mrs. Wang was lost in thought, Zhou Rui's wife hurried in with a look of mysterious excitement on her face.

"Madam! I have a great discovery here!" she said excitedly.

Mrs. Wang looked up, secretly mocking herself.

Discover? Your eyeballs are empty, just for show, what can you discover?

"Is everything done?" she asked calmly.

Zhou Ruijia didn't seem to notice Mrs. Wang's displeasure, and continued to ask mysteriously, "Madam, have you not found out where the secret was leaked from?"

"How did you make this discovery?" Mrs. Wang's eyes lit up. Could it really be that a blind cat can catch a dead mouse?

"Madam! There is a small corner door in Hengwu Garden that leads directly to Lixiang Courtyard, and Lixiang Courtyard leads directly to the outer courtyard!"

She applauded herself for making this discovery.

Mrs. Wang's face changed. "Is this what you found? Who in the mansion doesn't know about this?"

"You said this in front of me. You are just saying that Aunt Xue's family leaked it."

At this point, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but glare at him, "If I didn't know you were my dowry, I would have had someone slap you in the face long ago."

"Who is Aunt Xue? She is my biological sister. Why did she do this?"

Mrs. Wang scolded Zhou Ruijia, who was speechless, but she was used to such treatment.

She explained nonchalantly, "Madam, Aunt Xue certainly wouldn't do that, but her son..."

"And you asked me to go find Granny Liu, the old woman who was suffering from the plague. She left early the next morning after our search."

"Silently and unnoticed."

"It's so easy to let the old and the young go!"

Having said this, Zhou Ruijia automatically took two steps back. She had also learned to stop when necessary.

Talked too much and got scolded too much.

The rest is more exciting as Mrs. Wang uses her own imagination.

With this discovery, the matter of Granny Liu's departure and Baoyu giving her silver could be explained away.

I am still smart!

Zhou Ruijia was secretly proud of herself, thinking that her discovery could relieve Mrs. Wang's worries, but she didn't expect that Mrs. Wang had other plans.

At this moment, a voice came from outside the door: "Madam! Aunt Xue and Miss Xue are here to pay their respects to you!"

Mrs. Wang's eyes gleamed with a gleam of light. She turned to Zhou Ruijia and said coldly, "You can leave now. I know about this."

Zhou Ruijia felt relieved and hurriedly bowed and took her leave.

Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai walked into the hall. Aunt Xue smiled and said to Zhou Rui's wife, "Oh! Why did Mrs. Zhou leave just after we arrived? Did we come at the wrong time?"

Zhou Ruijia was speechless and left in embarrassment.

Mrs. Wang sighed again, lamenting that there were too few people around her who could be used.

Xue Baochai came forward, holding a long ginseng box in her hand.

"Aunt, this is the new ginseng harvested from our shop. Aunt has been very worried these days, so it's time to take good care of your blood and qi."

Mrs. Wang's eyes were attracted by the ginseng, which lay quietly on the red silk cloth. Its roots were as thin as silk threads, its rhizomes were thick and even, and its skin was golden yellow. It was obviously of top quality.

This ginseng can be sent to the palace and it can be used as a gift.

"You are such a filial child." Mrs. Wang said to Aunt Xue with emotion, "How many times have I envied you for having such a good daughter.

"My poor daughter has been in the palace and I haven't seen her for many days." Having said this, Mrs. Wang stroked the corners of her sore eyes.

Then he asked, "Grandma Liu didn't say anything to you, did she?"

Aunt Xue was surprised and asked, "Why does my sister think so highly of her?"

"It's been so many years since Lian Zong came. If a country woman hadn't come to see us, we would have forgotten it long ago."

"Giving a few taels of silver is a favor, and then just let it go."

"Mrs. Zhou even went to ask about it today."

“I just feel surprised.”

"Sister, do you think that such a small matter needs to be taken care of by me personally? Then what are the other housekeepers for?"

Madam Wang glanced at Aunt Xue fiercely, "Is that what my sister thought? And then she let her go privately?"

Aunt Xue was shocked by Mrs. Wang's words. "What do you mean?"

"Could it be that my sister wants to keep her for the New Year?"

Mrs. Wang sighed, "I know that too, but she came at the wrong time."

"The reason for searching the Grand View Garden is that we lost something bestowed by the Emperor, but there is no result."

"If I don't finish it, and it starts well but ends badly, won't people say I'm incompetent?"

Aunt Xue came closer to Madam Wang and asked, "Sister, do you want Granny Liu to take on the responsibility?"

Seeing that Mrs. Wang looked thoughtful and silent for a long time, Aunt Xue continued,

"Sister, you are wrong to think so. Even though she is a country woman, she came here for you."

"If I let her take the blame, people will say that my Wang family relatives are not decent."

"Sister, do you have any good ideas? You can't go back on your word and say it's not lost, right?" Mrs. Wang asked.

Aunt Xue looked back at her daughter, and Xue Baochai smiled knowingly, "Aunt, what's the difficulty? Have you forgotten the Rongcui Temple?"

"Isn't my aunt having the little actors practicing writing with a planchette?"

"It's a good opportunity to help Miaoyu make a name for herself." Having said that, Xue Baochai stroked her hot cheeks with a handkerchief.

The floor heating in my aunt's room is just great!

“What you mean is…” Mrs. Wang’s eyes lit up.