Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Back in the capital, at the Jia family, Grandmother Jia sat on her couch, her gaze fixed on her two sons. She asked sternly, "Do you two know why I called you here?" Jia Zheng rubbed his eyes and blearily replied, "Please explain, mother. I'm stupid and don't know."

As Grandmother Jia looked at her increasingly unmotivated son, a flicker of anger and disappointment crossed her eyes. Pointing at Jia Zheng, she declared, "Second son, you're becoming more and more presumptuous! No matter how much you lament your own failures, you can't ignore Baoyu's future. He's grown up now, destined for a career in government. How can he face making friends with your decadent behavior?" Jia Zheng, hearing this, smiled sarcastically, "Mother, don't be so naive. It's not that I look down on Baoyu. From the moment he clutched his rouge at his first birthday party, I knew he was a worthless fellow. And now it seems he's truly the one." Grandmother Jia's face turned livid at this, and she slammed the table, shouting, "Rebellion, rebellion! How dare you talk back? You've grown old, and no one listens anymore!" Tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing this, Jia Zheng immediately knelt, a wave of panic washing over him. While he had given up on himself, it didn't mean he wanted to live. In today's society, where filial piety is the guiding principle for governing a country, if he carries a reputation for being unfilial, he might really lose his chance of survival.

Jia Zheng knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the ground, not daring to raise his head. He whispered, "Mother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have offended you. I will definitely correct it."

Grandmother Jia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a moment, her emotions gradually calmed down and she continued, "I asked you to come here to tell you a piece of news. Lin Ruhai will be returning to the capital soon."

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this news. Especially Madam Wang, whose face turned pale instantly. She asked in a trembling voice, "Madam, Lin Ruhai is back? Then...will he come to cause trouble for us? After all, Sister Min and him..."

Grandmother Jia glared at Madam Wang and said unhappily, "Hmph, so what if he's back? Could he possibly eat you?" Then, turning to look at Jia Zheng, her tone softened a bit, "With Lin Ruhai back in Beijing, the Lin family finally has someone in charge. I'm wondering if it's time to officially finalize Daiyu and Baoyu's marriage."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng kowtowed profusely, repeatedly replying, "Mother, you are absolutely right. I was negligent. However, this important matter of marriage requires further consideration." In fact, three years earlier, Jia Zheng and his wife had privately discussed with Jia Min the marriage of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, and had written a letter to inform Lin Ruhai. The contents of the letter were as follows:

"From my brother-in-law, Lin Ruhai. Ever since Daiyu came home, I have loved her and have taken great care of her. The Jia family is now prosperous, and Baoyu and Daiyu are of similar age, childhood sweethearts, and are ready to marry. I intend to see them together. I hope you will consider this and reply soon." However, when the letter reached Lin Ruhai, he simply sent a messenger with a dowry and a message to Lin Daiyu: "Lin Daiyu is no longer my daughter, Lin Ruhai. Considering our blood relationship, I have specially granted her a dowry. I hope she will take good care of herself."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia snorted coldly: "No matter what, Daiyu is the daughter of an important official of the court and comes from a prominent family. She is outstanding in appearance, talented, and has a close relationship with Baoyu. She is indeed the most suitable candidate."

Jia Zheng secretly groaned bitterly. He knew full well that Baoyu had deep feelings for Daiyu, but from the current situation, Lin Ruhai didn't seem to acknowledge Lin Daiyu as his daughter. Moreover, the Lin family had already spent most of the dowry they had given Daiyu over the years, meaning the marriage offered little practical benefit to the Jia family. However, he didn't dare go against Grandmother Jia's wishes and could only reluctantly agree. Just then, a voice announced from outside: "Miss Lin has arrived!" Grandmother Jia quickly composed herself and smiled, welcoming Daiyu in. Entering the room, Daiyu saw Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng conversing, and stepped forward to greet her. Grandmother Jia took Daiyu's hand and asked with concern, "Daiyu, you're here. Are you tired?" Daiyu smiled and replied, "Thank you, Grandmother, for your concern. I'm doing well." Jia Zheng gazed at Daiyu, his heart moved. Although he had some concerns about Baoyu and Daiyu's marriage, seeing Grandmother Jia's love for her, he couldn't say more.

At this moment, Baoyu walked in. Seeing Daiyu, a delighted smile appeared on his face. He walked over to Daiyu and whispered, "Sister Lin, you're here." Daiyu looked at Baoyu, a hint of shyness flashing in her eyes. Seeing this, Jia Mu smiled and said, "Well, you young people, chat. Your uncle and I have something to discuss." With that, she and Jia Zheng left the room, leaving Baoyu and Daiyu alone.

Baoyu smiled and took Daiyu's hand, and whispered, "Sister, have you missed me these days?" Daiyu blushed and said angrily, "Who would miss you!" Baoyu smiled indifferently and said, "Sister, I have read a few poems recently and I think they are very good. I will tell you later." Daiyu nodded and responded, "Well, then tell me quickly, brother." The two began to talk about poetry, sometimes laughing, sometimes thinking, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

At this moment, Jia Baoyu said mysteriously to Lin Daiyu, "Sister Lin, I have good news for you." Lin Daiyu looked at him curiously, waiting for the next words. Jia Baoyu continued, "Did you know? Uncle Lin is coming back!" Lin Daiyu looked confused and asked, "What uncle?" Jia Baoyu explained anxiously, "It's your father, Lin Ruhai! He's coming back to Beijing."

Upon hearing this news, Lin Daiyu's cup suddenly slipped from her hands, shattering on the ground with a loud "crack." Her emotions became complicated, with a mixture of longing for her father and worry about the potential alienation they might feel upon meeting. She also felt resentment towards her father for his years of indifference towards her and her mother. Baoyu sensed her thoughts and gently soothed her, "Sister Lin, don't worry too much. Your father must miss you very much. Now that you're back, you two can have a good reunion." Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, a tear in her eye, her heart filled with anticipation and uneasiness.

Lin Daiyu turned and threw herself into Baoyu's arms, sobbing softly. Baoyu patted her back gently and comforted her, "My dear sister, don't cry. Be careful not to hurt yourself. When your father returns to the capital, I will go with you to visit him." Lin Daiyu raised her head and looked at Baoyu with tearful eyes, feeling a warm feeling in her heart.

Lin Ruhai and Wang Xifeng finally arrived in the capital. Meet and greeted by Lin Zhong, the Lin family's chief steward, they slowly disembarked from the boat and headed towards the carriage. Just then, two maids assigned by the Jia residence, led by Nanny Lai, pushed their way through the crowd and shouted directly at Lin Ruhai, "Excuse me, are you Lord Lin, the Inspector of Salt? We are here on the orders of Old Lady Jia of the Rongguo Mansion to welcome you to our residence to discuss the marriage of your eldest daughter and our second master, Mr. Bao."

Lin Ruhai's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly regained his composure. Seeing this, Old Lady Lin understood. She glanced at Lin Ruhai, then quickly stepped forward and addressed the two maids in a cold voice, "The old lady of the Duke of Rong's mansion comes from a distinguished family. How could she do such a rude thing? How could she go to a stranger's house before she's even home? Besides, my eldest granddaughter is just a child today. She's lived in Suzhou all her life and has never met Master Bao. How could she be engaged? It's truly bizarre that someone would dare to impersonate someone from the Jia family and commit fraud! Someone, take them to the authorities." With these words, Old Lady Lin stared at the maids with an icy gaze, as if she saw through them. Seeing the situation was bad, the maids tried to sneak away, but were stopped by the surrounding servants.

One of the maids quickly said, "Madam, this is all a misunderstanding! We are really from the Jia Mansion!"

Old Madam Lin snorted coldly, "Misunderstanding? I think you are clearly liars! Hurry and send them to the authorities!"

At this point, Lin Ruhai feigned belief and slowly said, "Mother, wait a minute. Since they say they're from the Jia Mansion, why not ask them first?"

So, Lin Ruhai had the maids brought aside and asked them about the Jia Mansion. Although the maids were a little nervous, they managed to answer correctly.

The harbor was bustling with people, coming and going. When they saw Nanny Lai and her group, they couldn't help but cast curious glances and began to whisper. After all, the Jia family had always been the source of gossip in the capital, and these women claiming to be from the Jia family undoubtedly piqued everyone's interest. Many people stopped and pricked up their ears, eager to hear what was going on.

Nanny Lai stood in the middle of the crowd, a smug look on her face. She shouted, "Master Lin, I was indeed sent by Old Lady Jia. She's trying to arrange a marriage between Miss Lin and Master Bao, and she also wants to use this opportunity to intimidate your wife. That's why she came up with this plan to force you over."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruhai's heart suddenly ignited with rage. He stared intently at the maids, his eyes gleaming with anger, and said in a deep voice, "Go back and tell Grandmother Jia that Lin Daiyu is no longer my daughter, Lin Ruhai, and her marriage is naturally not my decision." With that, he turned and said to Mrs. Lin, "Mother, let's go." Mrs. Lin nodded slightly in agreement, and then left the harbor with Wang Xifeng and the others.

Lin Ruhai turned around and left with his family, leaving only Lai Ma and others standing there, looking embarrassed.

"What should we do? How can we explain this to the old lady when we get back..." one of the old women muttered to herself.

Another maid suggested, "Why don't we follow the people from the Lin Mansion first to see where they live, and then go back and report to the old lady."

Everyone thought it made sense and hurried to catch up with Lin Ruhai and his group. Along the way, Lin Ruhai and Old Lady Lin were silent, with only Wang Xifeng occasionally saying a few words to try to lighten the mood.

Soon they arrived in front of a large house. On the plaque at the door were two large characters "Lin Mansion".

"You don't have to follow me anymore. I, Lin Ruhai, have nothing to do with the Jia family from now on." After saying that, he walked into the gate with his family and closed the door that symbolized the severance of ties with the Jia family.

Looking at the closed door, the old women had no choice but to return to the Jia Mansion.

When they told Lady Jia what had happened, she was so angry that she threw the teacup.

"This Lin Ruhai is so ungrateful!" said Grandmother Jia angrily.

The Lin family's mansion was a large estate passed down from their ancestors. Jia's mother decided to personally confront Lin Ruhai. She brought a group of people to the gate of the Lin family's mansion, but was stopped by the guards.

"Your master said that he doesn't want to see anyone from the Jia family anymore." The guard conveyed Lin Ruhai's words.

Hearing this, Jia Mu became even more furious. "Great! Lin Ruhai is so bold! I must see him today!"

However, no matter how much Jia's mother argued, the guard refused to let them in. Finally, Jia's mother had no choice but to take her people away.

After returning to the Jia Mansion, Jia's mother became more and more angry and decided to take revenge on the Lin Mansion. She ordered her men to secretly investigate the Lin Mansion's business and look for opportunities to sabotage it.

Meanwhile, Lin Ruhai was also considering how to deal with Lady Jia's threats. He knew Lady Jia would not give up easily, and he had to find a way to protect himself and his family. So, he began to strengthen the security of the Lin Mansion and formed alliances with other forces. A family feud began...

Lin Ruhai knew Lady Jia's methods well, so in order to take the initiative, he decided to send people to collect evidence against Lady Jia. A few days later, his men delivered some secret intelligence about Lady Jia. Lin Ruhai was shocked to find out that Lady Jia had been secretly manipulating the business of the Jia family and was even involved in some illegal activities. Lin Ruhai handed the evidence to the government, hoping to suppress Lady Jia's power. After receiving the report, the government immediately launched an investigation. Lady Jia was panicked when she learned about this. She didn't expect Lin Ruhai to be so decisive and disregard their past friendship. In order to protect the reputation of the Jia family, Lady Jia had to run around and try every means to calm the storm. Just when the two sides were deadlocked, an unexpected news broke the deadlock. The emperor issued an order to summon Lin Ruhai. Lin Ruhai was uneasy, wondering why the emperor summoned him so suddenly.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, Lin Ruhai hurried to the palace. Inside, he knelt before the emperor. The emperor questioned him about the Jia and Lin families, and Lin Ruhai answered truthfully. The emperor nodded slightly, then said, "I hear you have evidence of Lady Jia's wrongdoing. Hand it over." Lin Ruhai's heart tightened, unsure of the emperor's intentions, but he obediently handed over the evidence. The emperor reviewed the evidence, his face grim. "As the head of the Jia family, Lady Jia has committed such an act. This is a heinous crime. Considering the Jia family's past achievements, I will refrain from pursuing the matter. However, the Jia family must surrender half of their property as punishment." Lin Ruhai thanked him and left the palace, feeling relieved. He knew the storm had finally subsided. Lady Jia, though disgruntled upon learning of the emperor's verdict, was powerless to do anything about it. Thus, the feud between the two families came to an end.