Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Lunar New Year's eve.

The Lin residence was decorated with lights and filled with laughter and joy.

According to the old custom, servants would not wear red unless there was something important going on. But Lin Daiyu insisted on having a prosperous New Year, so she gave each man a red hairband and a red waistband, and each woman a red skirt and two red velvet flowers.

Seeing the yard full of bright red, Aunt Meng frowned and said, "It's like you're getting married! Forcing everyone to wear red with you!"

When the maids and old women heard this, they all bent over with laughter.

Daiyu blushed, stiffened her neck and said stubbornly: "I will never marry and never wear red, so what?!"

Qingwen was so frightened that she quickly fell to the ground and said "Puh, Puh, Puh". She then put her hands together and chanted "Amitabha" and prayed to all directions: "Our girl is young and she only said nonsense! Please don't take it seriously, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and gods. Just pretend you didn't hear it. You should still find a good marriage for her in the future!"

Daiyu felt even more embarrassed and hurriedly pretended to read a book to cover her face.

At one time, Zijuan came back from the Jia Mansion with a servant named Yan. She smiled and reported to Daiyu: "The old lady said that you are too polite. How can you go to pay New Year's greetings on the sixth day? That is the day when my daughter returns to her parents' home. She asked you to go on the first day so that you can be considered a close relative of the family.

"Although the Second Madam refuted a few words, the First Madam and the Second Madam both said that they missed you. If you go on the sixth day of the New Year, the grandmas and the wives will not be at home, and you will not be able to see them. You must follow the old lady's advice and go on the first day of the New Year, and then you can sit together and drink!"

Pointing at the family, he said with a smile, "Second Madam said that Madam Yan had promised to give it to you. But when she came last time, there were too many people around, and she was afraid that those who had served you would want to come and enjoy the good life, so she delayed it for a while. Now she is sending it to you quietly so that you don't go around making a fuss."

Daiyu smiled as she saw him. "It was you who guarded the door for me last time. Have you been wronged in the past month?"

The woman in this family was none other than Mrs. Yan, who had refused to let Baoyu in the night he made such a scene. She knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Daiyu, with a smile on her face:

"No, no! As soon as the girl left, Second Mistress pretended to be impatient and dismissed all the people in Lixiang Courtyard and sent them to the farm.

"Those who had connections naturally just wandered around the gate and returned to work for the government. I took my family and stayed at the farm for half a month.

"The weather is getting colder now. Second Madam said that if I go any further, I might get frozen and I won't be able to explain to you. So she took the opportunity when Miss Zijuan went over to answer the question and asked my whole family to come with me!

"From now on, I am finally yours! I, along with my family, kowtow to you, my master!"

Mrs. Yan and her family all knelt down and greeted Daiyu.

Seeing that there were only her, her son, his wife, and a little daughter in her family, Daiyu smiled and asked Lin Zhixiao's wife to take them to assign tasks: "All the errands at the Second Gate will be assigned to Mother Yan. This was agreed upon earlier. Don't forget it!"

Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled and agreed, "Yes! I will never forget it! The second gate is managed by Yan Mama, and the house cleaning and washing are managed by Shan and his wife. They are all honest people, and they do their jobs well. I know them very well! Don't worry, young lady!"

Daiyu nodded with satisfaction: "See, now we don't have to hire any more people! How perfect!"

Seeing that the time was just right, Lin Zhixiao and his wife brought all their servants to pay New Year's greetings to Daiyu and Aunt Meng.

Lin Daiyu blushed, looked at Zijuan with a smile, and pointed at everyone.

Zijuan and Qingwen carried out a large bundle and opened it, revealing a pile of glittering gold ingots.

"No matter if you are male or female, old or young, two for each person! The housekeeper and the housekeeper's wife will naturally distribute the other rewards according to the order! Let's have a good New Year!"

Everyone cheered. Mrs. Yan, who had just entered the house, was stunned: "I, I just came in less than an hour, and I have it too?!"

Everyone laughed.

Lin Daiyu smiled and waved her hand to let them go and do what they want. She also instructed Lin Zhixiao's wife: "I will go to the Jia Mansion to pay New Year's greetings tomorrow. I will leave in the morning and will probably be back in the evening. You will have to work hard and stay at home. As for the others, give them a day off! Let them all go out for a walk!"

Lin Zhixiao's wife kept chanting: "We have cultivated for several lifetimes to have such a good master and daughter! I thought Xiaohong was fooling around before, but now I know that my judgment of my daughter is far from good!"

"Not really." Lin Daiyu smiled and asked her to stand aside. She then asked Xiaohong, "Who received the gift from Uncle Shi's family? Can you tell me how busy Uncle Shi has been these days?"

When Xiao Hong mentioned this, she held her breath and said, "Manager Jiang left me behind when he entered the house, and went to talk to someone he knew in private.

"In just a few words, he told me that the eunuch was not at home and had not left any message, and that he could not leave the palace until at least the eighth day of the first lunar month.

"They just drove me back. I'm a manager who can make decisions and have a say, but I haven't even seen him!"

Seeing Xiao Hong's angry look, Lin Zhixiao couldn't help but laugh: "He asked you to come back, so you came back? Can't you say that the girl is waiting for your reply? When did you become so easy to talk to?"

Xiao Hong was so angry that her face turned red: "How can I argue with him? He has been the manager for more than ten years, and I have only been with the girl for more than two years, and I have only been in charge of the accounts for half a year..."

As I was talking, I suddenly started crying!

Lin Daiyu looked at him with amusement and said, "You are also a simple-minded person. You have only been in office for a short time, but your parents have been housekeepers for half their lives. With the status of Rongguo Mansion, they have seen all kinds of officials. Why would they be afraid of Jiang Yong?"

"Don't cry now, it's New Year's Eve! I don't need you to serve me today. Go to your mother's house to celebrate the New Year. Let your parents teach you how to deal with these evil people who bully others by taking advantage of their power!"

Xiaohong burst out laughing after hearing this. She smiled with tears in her eyes and said, "How can a girl talk about her servants like this?"

Daiyu waved her hands and said with a smile, "What's the big deal? Zijuan should go back too. In previous years, you had to serve by my side, but this year I have Qingwen, Xueyan, and Aunt Meng here, so I'm not afraid of being left alone. You should go back and spend a good New Year with your parents and brothers!"

Zijuan happily agreed, packed up her belongings, and went to Shan's house to spend the New Year with her family.

After dinner, Qingwen and Xueyan teamed up to teach Aunt Meng how to play mahjong. Just as they learned it, Aunt Meng almost won all of their private money.

Daiyu couldn't stop laughing at their sad faces, and took out another twenty taels of silver to divide among them: "See if you can keep it!"

After the second watch, Lin Zhixiao's wife brought Xiaohong, Shan Po brought Zijuan and her younger brother Shan Xiaoshan, all went to the garden to set off firecrackers and fireworks to wish Daiyu a happy new year.

Daiyu felt that although the firecrackers this year were deafening, they were not scary. She smiled and watched everyone joking with Aunt Meng, feeling that the years were peaceful and good, just like this.

"Are you afraid to go to the Jia Mansion to pay New Year's greetings tomorrow?" Aunt Meng looked at the colorful sky and suddenly asked Daiyu.

Daiyu smiled softly and tugged at her white fox fur coat: "I was never afraid even when I had nothing in the past, and now I am the head of the Lin family."