Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Lin Ruhai, holding Xifeng's hand, walked into the front hall and overheard Wang Yi telling the adults how wonderful the gift Xifeng had given him was. Seeing Wang Xifeng and Lin Ruhai enter, he hurried over and called out, "Aunt, Uncle." The family sat down to the table and began to eat. There was a wide variety of dishes, catering to everyone's taste. There were "braised shrimp, stir-fried pig's trotter tendons, braised crab meat, braised duck feet, roast duck, vegetarian spring rolls, plain rice noodles, Buddha's hand sea cucumber, braised kidney cubes, venison, shark's fin soup..."

The two brothers, Wang Zisheng and Wang Zisheng, sat at the head table, their wives flanking them. Xifeng saw her favorite dish and began to eat. Lin Ruhai, watching Xifeng's favorite dish, kept serving it to her, showering the other two couples with affection. Lin Ruhai's mother-in-law quickly said, "Ruhai, don't just focus on Feng. She can eat on her own. You should eat something too." Lin Ruhai said, "Thank you for your concern, mother-in-law," and straightened himself up to eat when he was stunned by the dishes in front of him. Everyone noticed Lin Ruhai's stunned state and looked over. Before him were dishes promoting male sexual performance: kidney, venison, sea cucumber, leeks... During the awkward moment, Wang Ziteng, the unassuming man, said, "I'm exhausted from traveling lately. I asked the chef to prepare this for me." The nearby maid quickly stepped forward to replace the dishes. After the awkwardness subsided, everyone chatted and enjoyed themselves. The three grown men drank together and reminisced about the past, while the three women had already gone to the garden corridor to feed the fish and admire the flowers. Xifeng said, "Mother, Second Aunt, you don't know the Lin family's young lady's behavior. She doesn't act like a young lady from an aristocratic family at all. She cries for no reason. On the first day I served tea, my mother-in-law gave me the family heirloom bracelet and she started crying and gave me the cold shoulder. I gave her a gift, but she refused to accept it. When the maid accepted it for her, she even accused me of stealing Jia Min's things." The two ladies asked anxiously, "How did the son-in-law and Old Lady Lin solve the problem? Did they make you angry? The Lin family is a prestigious family, so how could a young lady like this be so unbearable?" Xifeng said slowly, "My husband said that Lin Daiyu had read so much sage books that she had no idea how to behave. If she doesn't learn the rules well, she shouldn't come out. Old Lady Lin is a reasonable person and didn't say anything when she saw my husband handle it this way."

Lin Daiyu is a carbon copy of Jia Min. The daughter of a military commander was taught to be as weak as a willow in the wind, and would shed tears at the sight of falling flowers. Back when the Duke of Rong was still alive and on business outside, Mrs. Jia secretly added Jia Min to the list of candidates for the imperial palace. At that time, the Duke of Rong's mansion was at its peak. The concubines and the young ladies who participated in the imperial palace selection naturally did not want Jia Min to be selected. As a result, Jia Min was targeted by everyone. While admiring the flowers in the imperial garden, she fell into a pond and was rescued by a young guard. However, when she was rescued, for some reason, the buttons of her shirt were unbuttoned, revealing a large area of skin. When the Duke of Rong returned to the capital, Jia Min had already been expelled from the palace. By then, the young guard had sent someone to the Jia Mansion to propose marriage. But the daughter of the Duke of Rong would never marry an unknown man. After investigating the cause, Duke Rong realized that the law does not punish everyone. He had no choice but to beg the emperor to punish the daughters of the lesser officials and to grant a marriage between Jia Min and Lin Ruhai. The emperor refused to give up. He said that even if he did not know that Jia Min had been seen by someone, he would still ask the Lin family for their opinion. After returning to the mansion, Duke Rong scolded Mrs. Jia and called Jia Min to the study. After that, it was rumored that the young master of the Lin family loved Jia Min. The Lin family did not come out to refute it until the three-year mourning period after the death of Marquis Lin. At that time, Jia Min was already 19 years old.

After hearing this, Xifeng was so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth. After a moment's pause, she said, "My husband is so unlucky." Xifeng quietly asked Madam Wang Er, "Aunt, does my husband know about this matter? Can a man of such stature endure this?" Madam Wang Er said, "Lin Ruhai may not know much about it, but Old Lady Lin knows about it. When Jia Min first got married, there were rumors that Old Lady Lin didn't like her."

Wang Xifeng continued, "Aunt, this is the Lin family's secret recipe for pregnancy, passed down from generation to generation. I don't know if it works. Take it back to the capital and have someone take a look." Second Lady Wang said, "If it works, Jia Min would have given birth." Xifeng looked around and whispered, "I heard from my mother-in-law and the maidservants around her that Jia Min was drugged by Concubine Zhen. At the time, I was wondering why Concubine Zhen wanted to kill Jia Min, but now that I think about what Second Aunt said, I understand."

Madam Wang Er said, "Then this medicine might really be useful." Xifeng thought to herself, "Of course it is! This is a pregnancy pill produced in the space, and it also contains a health-enhancing pill." Thinking of Wang Ziteng's death from illness ten miles away from the capital in her previous life, she took a small porcelain bottle and said, "Uncle and aunt, take one of this small bottle of pills every day to strengthen your body." Madam Wang Er said, "Feng'er, you are still young. Keep this precious medicine! Besides, your mother-in-law will be unhappy if you give it away like this."

Xifeng smiled and replied, "Aunt, what are you talking about? My mother-in-law loves me so much that she would be even happier if she knew I was delivering medicine to you."

Madam Wang Er took the medicine bottle and carefully put it away. "Thank you, little girl Feng."

Xifeng was chatting happily with the two ladies when she suddenly noticed that it was getting late, so she suggested going to the front hall to find the male relatives.

Arriving at the front hall, Lin Ruhai and his companions were enjoying a drink. Seeing his wife coming over, Lin Ruhai smiled and pulled her to sit down, asking what they had been talking about in the back.

Xifeng rolled her eyes, deliberately keeping the conversation a secret, and said with a smile, "These are private matters between us women. How can I tell you men?"

Everyone laughed and started to cheer. Lin Ruhai said, "Good Sister Feng, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us now!"

Xifeng then lowered her voice in a mysterious tone and told Lin Ruhai what she had just said about Jia Min. After hearing this, Lin Ruhai's face changed slightly. He had never thought that there was such a hidden secret.

Wang Ziteng patted Lin Ruhai on the shoulder and said comfortingly, "Let the past be the past. You two are a loving couple now, and you will surely be happy in the future."

Lin Ruhai nodded and secretly vowed in his heart that he must love Xifeng even more and not let her suffer any grievances.