Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

Jia Baoyu, now engrossed in the flattery of his maids, had forgotten his own injuries and had even forgotten about Lin Daiyu, who had been injured, frightened, and fainted because of him. Meanwhile, Lin Daiyu, who had been embroidering with Jia Min when she learned that Jia Baoyu had been punished by Jia Zheng for peeking at a book, felt deeply uneasy.

Jia Min and Old Lady Jia were mother and daughter, so they naturally knew each other quite well. So she said to Lin Daiyu, "Daughter, Baoyu has read The Peony Pavilion with us after all. To avoid any retribution in the future, Yu'er, you'd better pretend to faint!" Lin Daiyu asked in confusion, "Mother, why should I pretend to faint? Brother Bao hates classics and historical books. Even I can see that, so why don't grandmother and the others know it?" Jia Min sighed softly and said, "Yu'er, you must never say that! Your grandmother loves Baoyu the most. She naturally thinks he is perfect in every way. If there is anything wrong with him, she will only think that others have led Baoyu astray." Lin Daiyu still didn't believe that Old Lady Jia would resent her for this, and said unwillingly, "Mother, grandmother loves me the most. How could they resent me for brother Bao reading miscellaneous books!"

Jia Min looked at her daughter, her eyes filled with heartache, but she continued, "Mother knows you're close to Baoyu, so she thinks this way, but this is the truth. If it was just about reading miscellaneous books, I wouldn't resent you, but since Baoyu was beaten because of this, it's hard to say. Mother knows you're sensitive and didn't want to tell you, but it seems I have to. Yu'er, you must remember that your grandmother is the old lady of the Jia family. She values the prosperity of the Jia family and your status in the Jia family the most. Anyone who affects her status will be eliminated, so don't let your grandmother think you're affecting the future of the Jia family."

Lin Daiyu's heart sank when she heard these words. She had thought the bond between her and her grandmother was unbreakable, but she hadn't expected it to be so fragile. She felt helpless and lonely, not knowing how to face this reality.

Jia Min gently stroked Lin Daiyu's hair, her eyes filled with heartache and helplessness. She softly comforted her, "Yu'er, mother knows you're sad, but this is an unchangeable fact. We need to face it bravely and not run away. Be more careful in the future and don't be as naive as before. In this big house, soft-hearted people often find it difficult to survive."

Lin Daiyu nodded silently, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew her mother was telling the truth, and though she still felt bad, she also understood that only by being ruthless and learning to protect herself could she survive in the complex world of the Jia family. From then on, she would no longer trust others easily and would remain vigilant.

Although Lin Daiyu still looked the same delicate and beautiful woman, she had undergone a silent transformation deep within. Her eyes, once clear as water, now held a touch of worldliness and flattery, like a once pure and flawless orchid now stained with a color that didn't belong to it.

At this moment, Lin Daiyu finally realized that the people in the Jia Mansion were not as perfect, kind, and amiable as she had previously believed. However, the Lin family was no longer her home, and she felt trapped in an inescapable predicament. She could not help but recall her father's concerned question before leaving, asking her if she really wanted to go to the Jia Mansion, a den of tigers and wolves, and a strong hatred suddenly surged in her heart.

She thought to herself: "My father clearly knew that the Jia family was not a good place to live, so why didn't he stop me? Doesn't he care about me at all?" This thought made her feel extremely painful and disappointed. She felt that she was just an insignificant existence in her father's eyes, and her father's favoritism made her resentful.