Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu were strolling in the garden, a gentle breeze wafting through the air, the fragrance of flowers filling the air. They were feeling particularly relaxed as they strolled among the blossoms. Suddenly, a burst of clear, melodious laughter reached them from afar. Jia Baoyu, with his keen ears, caught the sound, and a look of excitement crossed his face.

"Sister Lin, what's that sound? It sounds like girls laughing!" Jia Baoyu said excitedly to Lin Daiyu, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Lin Daiyu smiled slightly and replied softly, "It seems so. It sounds like they are having a lot of fun!"

Jia Baoyu loved to hang out with girls the most. At this moment, he could not contain his inner excitement. He couldn't wait to grab Lin Daiyu's hand and said, "Sister Lin, let's go over and take a look! Maybe they are playing some interesting games!" After that, he pulled Lin Daiyu towards the direction where the sound came from.

The maid leading the way panicked when she saw this and hurriedly stopped them, saying anxiously, "Master Jia, that's where the young ladies from the various mansions are having their poetry gatherings. You can't go over there!"

After hearing this, Jia Baoyu frowned and insisted, "Why can't I go over? I love writing poetry. I often write poetry with my sisters in the mansion. I want to go and see what poems they have written."

The little maidservant was so anxious that she was about to cry. She didn't know how to stop Jia Baoyu. At this time, the older maidservant who was with Jia Baoyu understood the situation. She knew the rule that "boys and girls over seven years old should not sit at the same table", so she gently persuaded him, "Second Master, let's not go over there! There are too many people over there and it's noisy. It would be bad if it disturbed you and Miss Lin."

Baoyu refused to listen and insisted on going. The maid had no choice but to smile and say, "Second Master, if you really want to read poetry, why not go back and ask the Second or Third Miss to read it to you? Wouldn't that be better?"

Daiyu still remembered some of the etiquette she had learned at the Lin family in Suzhou. Seeing this, she whispered to Baoyu, "Baoyu, since this is a poetry gathering of young ladies from various mansions, it would be inappropriate for us to go there rashly. If you really like it, you can invite your sisters to recite poetry together another day."

After hearing Daiyu's words, Baoyu still felt a little dissatisfied and aggrieved. He felt that the tacit understanding between him and Lin Daiyu was no longer as deep as before. He turned around and said to her with a hint of complaint: "Sister Lin, how come you have become so rigid? Can't you understand my feelings? I have misjudged you!" After saying this, Baoyu turned and left, hurriedly leaving the garden and striding towards the place where the girls were playing. Lin Daiyu was left alone, crying silently, tears rolling down her face like beads from a broken string.

The maidservant watching this scene felt helpless and embarrassed. She didn't know how to deal with the situation and could only stand aside and observe silently. After a while, the maidservant decided to take action. She walked to Lin Daiyu's side and comforted her softly: "Miss Lin, don't cry anymore. Let me take you back to Madam Jia." After that, the maidservant hurried back. She needed to tell her masters what happened here, hoping to get a solution. After all, as a servant, she couldn't bear too much responsibility, and she was also very unlucky to meet two people who didn't follow the rules.

Jia Baoyu stepped into the room and glanced around. The girls in the room brightened his eyes, and even the air felt much fresher. He walked briskly into the room and said to the girls with a smile on his face, "Sisters, what are you playing? Can you take me with you?" Many of the girls looked up at this young man who had reached the age where he needed to avoid suspicion, with shy expressions on their faces, and quickly hid behind their maids. Upon seeing this, a young lady from the Zhenguo Mansion immediately stood up and said, "Sir, this is where we girls write poetry. Are you lost? I'll have a maid take you back to the front yard." Jia Baoyu wasn't one to read people's expressions, but hearing a beautiful young lady address him was met with overwhelming joy. He quickly said, "Sister, I'm Master Bao from the Rongguo Mansion. I just heard the young ladies laughing and having so much fun in the distance, so I came to join them." The young ladies' faces immediately dropped. The young lady from the Zhenguo Mansion said nothing more. With a wave of her hand, several maids arrived and restrained Jia Baoyu, attempting to walk out. Jia Baoyu was restrained by the maids, unable to move, his face a look of fear and anger. He stared at the maids with wide eyes, filled with confusion and fear. He struggled to break free, but the maids held him tightly, preventing him from escaping.

"Let me go, you dead-eyed bastards!" Jia Baoyu shouted, his voice filled with anger and dissatisfaction. He tried to intimidate the maids with his status, but they didn't seem to care.

"I am Master Bao!" Jia Baoyu continued to shout, hoping to attract other people's attention. However, everyone around him was silent, and no one stood up to speak for him.

"Sisters, sisters, save me!" Jia Baoyu finally pleaded with the girls around him. But they remained indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about his plight. Frightened by this, Baoyu's maidservant quickly exclaimed, "Master Bao, stop talking! You've caused trouble!" Her voice trembled, clearly terrified by the situation.