novelden Chapter 169 Lin Daiyu's younger brother in Dream of the Red Chamber 2
Chapter 169 Lin Daiyu's younger brother in Dream of the Red Chamber 2
"Miss has been in a much better mood lately. She was quite unhappy for a while, but Young Master really knows how to cheer her up," Wang Mama teased, her eyes full of laughter.
From the time Lin Daiyu was born, Granny Wang served her by her side, and she was frail from childhood for many years.
The young master was like this before he was three years old. The two of them were often sick and could not get along well. Now that the young master is healthy, the girl looks much healthier than before. Once the young master passes the imperial examination, the girl will have someone to rely on.
Wang Mama thought that although the master could be the young lady's support, he was already over forty-five years old and didn't know how much longer he could live. The young lady's support would naturally be the young master.
Lin Daiyu glanced at Granny Wang and said in a light tone, "You little grannies, all you ever do is tease me."
For some unknown reason, Lin Daiyu burst out laughing. Seemingly realizing that her behavior was not in accordance with the etiquette of a well-bred young lady, she quickly covered herself with a handkerchief.
After laughing for a while, she thought of the Rongguo Mansion that her mother had mentioned, and a sense of tension rose in her heart.
"Granny, what do you think of the Rongguo Mansion? I've often heard my mother mention it. She said the Rongguo Mansion is very prestigious, and my cousin, born to my second maternal aunt, has an extraordinary background. He was born with a jade in his mouth, but he doesn't like studying. My maternal grandmother dotes on him. I wonder what kind of person he is?"
Daiyu had no romantic feelings for Jia Baoyu, but she was worried that he would lead her younger brother astray. Her brother was still young and loved reading, so she couldn't let him learn bad habits from his cousin.
If Lin Jiyu heard Daiyu's words, he would definitely think to himself, "Who likes reading? Nobody likes reading. If he weren't Lin Ruhai's only son, he wouldn't be working so hard."
If one could simply lie down and do nothing, who would bother to work hard? Just like Jia Baoyu, in his eyes, he had gained nothing since birth. It's a pity that the Jia family was on the verge of collapse in the end, and Jia Baoyu was not able to enjoy a life of wealth and honor.
Daiyu made up her mind that as the older sister, she must keep an eye on Lin Jiyu when she arrived in the capital and not let Lin Jiyu neglect her studies.
When Lin Jiyu came to find Daiyu to play chess, Daiyu instructed Lin Jiyu not to spend too much time with Jia Baoyu of the Rongguo Mansion.
Lin Jiyu had no idea why Daiyu suddenly had a bad impression of Jia Baoyu. He actually quite liked Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu. As long as he became Lin Daiyu's support, whether his sister liked Jia Baoyu or not depended on her mood.
If, after the Jia family's fortunes have declined, Lin Daiyu still likes Jia Baoyu, then Jia Baoyu could be allowed to come and marry Daiyu.
"Understood, sister," Lin Jiyu replied.
He didn't say anything more and quickly changed the subject, going to play chess with Daiyu.
The ship gradually came to a stop, and after more than a month of sailing, it finally docked.
As soon as the boat stopped, the hustle and bustle of the capital city reached Lin Jiyu. Standing on the deck, Lin Jiyu looked at the bustling crowd. The capital city was very different from Yangzhou.
Under Lin Da's arrangement, Lin Jiyu disembarked from the boat and saw five or six old women standing beside her with several young women.
His face turned cold, and he frowned deeply. How could the servants of the Rongguo Mansion be so blind? They only brought a few people with them. Didn't they receive the news that he and his sister were going to the capital?
Lin Jiyu did not intend to go to Rongguo Mansion immediately, after all, they had brought so many things that they needed to move to Lin Mansion.
When the servants of Rongguo Mansion saw Lin Jiyu, the young man was handsome and elegant, and even at such a young age, he already possessed the refined air of a young man.
A servant whispered, "Is it that person? Someone from the Lin family?"
The servant, accompanied by five or six others, stepped forward, his words arrogant and incompetent: "This young master must be the young master of the Lin family. This old servant is here on the orders of the old lady. Young master Lin, please come with this old servant to the Rongguo Mansion."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jiyu didn't want to pay any attention to him and gave Lin Da a look.
Upon receiving the message, Lin Da stepped in front of Lin Jiyu and said, "This old lady, our young master and young lady have just arrived in the capital and are exhausted. They need to rest at the Lin residence for a while. We will send them a visiting card in a while."
Lin Da had already arranged for people to unload the items from the ship one by one. Daiyu, wearing a veiled hat, was helped down by Granny Wang and taken to the sedan chair.
"But the old lady is already waiting for you. It wouldn't be good if she got impatient." The old nanny said, half persuading and half threatening.
Lin Jiyu sneered and ordered the sedan chair to go directly to the Lin residence. He then mounted his horse, ignoring the Rongguo Mansion staff, and headed towards the Lin residence.
Of course, Lin Dayou introduced the general location of the Lin residence, and there were people carrying boxes in front of him, so he only needed to follow them.
"Young Master Lin, Young Master Lin..."
"Damn it, the Lin family is so arrogant! We are from the Rongguo Mansion, who in the capital doesn't give us face?"
"We should hurry and report to the old lady. If she blames the Lin family, she won't blame us."
Lin Jiyu wouldn't let the Rongguo Mansion people go back and spread rumors, so he arranged for his head maid Chunzhu and junior maid Haitang to accompany him. They were to inform the Rongguo Mansion people that they would visit Grandmother Jia only after they had finished preparing.
On the way, Lin Daiyu was very uneasy. The Rongguo Mansion was different from other families. Her younger brother ignored the people of the Rongguo Mansion and came to the Lin Mansion. She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
After all, they had just arrived in the capital and were unfamiliar with the place. Although she didn't want to live in the Rongguo Mansion, it would be better to live in the Lin Mansion and be in charge of her own affairs. If she were to live under someone else's roof in the Rongguo Mansion, she would have to be careful about her words and actions.
Lin Jiyu, worried that her sister was nervous, rode her horse to Xiaojiao's side and said, "Sister, don't worry too much. Our Lin family is very particular about rules. Besides, no one goes to visit other people's homes as soon as they arrive in the capital without tidying up properly."
Hearing her brother's explanation, Lin Daiyu's anxious heart calmed down. Although her brother was a year younger than her, he had been intelligent and sensible since childhood. With her brother by her side, Lin Daiyu felt at ease.
Upon arriving at the gate of the Lin residence, Steward Zhang and his men were waiting there. After bowing to them, they led them into the Lin residence.
The Lin Mansion in the capital is still decorated in the style of Jiangnan, but unfortunately, it has been uninhabited for many years and looks desolate.
Steward Zhang was an old servant of the Lin family. He had been managing the Lin family in the capital since Lin Ruhai became an official there. Later, when Lin Ruhai went to Yangzhou to serve as an official, he stayed in the capital to look after the Lin family.
In her previous life, Lin Daiyu came to the capital but did not return to the Lin family mansion. Lin Ruhai died of illness in Yangzhou, and Lin Ruhai's lineage was completely cut off. It is estimated that the Lin family mansion was also taken back by the imperial court. Steward Zhang did not wait for the Lin family to return to the capital.
This is a three-courtyard house, divided into a front yard and a back yard. Lin Jiyu is already nine years old and needs to live in the front yard. He randomly chose a courtyard and renamed it Pine and Cypress Courtyard.
The servants were moving things back and forth. Lin Jiyu was worried that Lin Daiyu would not be used to the new environment, so she planned to go to the backyard to check on Lin Daiyu.
Passing through the winding corridor, surrounded by lush trees and bamboo, and through a small door, you arrive at the backyard.
Lin Jiyu simply asked a servant for directions and, following her instructions, went to Lin Daiyu's courtyard.
This courtyard is a bit smaller than the one in Yangzhou. After all, space is scarce in the capital, and this three-courtyard house is much smaller than the Lin Mansion in Yangzhou.
Lin Jiyu slowly looked over. Lin Daiyu was sitting in the main seat, arranging the servants' work. Before long, the servants were in good order and busy but not chaotic.
“Sister!” Lin Jiyu said cheerfully.
Being able to live in her own mansion without having to worry about what others think made Lin Jiyu very happy, but she just didn't know when the Rongguo Mansion would come knocking on her door.
They will definitely move to the Rongguo Mansion when the time comes. Firstly, they originally planned to move to the capital through the Rongguo Mansion. Secondly, both he and Lin Daiyu are still minors, and having two children stay in the Lin Mansion is like children holding a gold brick.
"Look at you, you haven't even had a proper rest since you got back, you're sweating from worry."
Lin Daiyu took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Lin Jiyu's sweat.
"Little brother, you're in such a hurry to see your sister? Have you made all the arrangements here?"
"Don't worry, the orders have all been given. I just need to keep an eye on things," Lin Daiyu said with a smile.
Lin Daiyu asked worriedly, "Are we going to the Rongguo Mansion?"
Although the Lin family mansion in the capital was a bit desolate, it was still her home. As the saying goes, there is no place like home. She had originally been looking forward to going to the Rongguo Mansion, but now that she was back in the Lin family mansion, she felt that everything about her was fine and she didn't really want to go to the Rongguo Mansion and live under someone else's roof.
“I know my sister doesn’t want to stay in the Rongguo Mansion, but the Rongguo Mansion has a certain status in the capital, and my brother and I are still minors. It’s not safe for us to stay in the Lin Mansion, and Father wouldn’t feel comfortable with us staying there either. There’s a high probability that we will still need to live in the Rongguo Mansion.”
Lin Jiyu analyzed the situation carefully, and Lin Daiyu frowned and sighed after hearing it.
Lin Jiyu chatted with Lin Daiyu for a while, played a game of chess, and then went to the front yard to take care of things.
In the Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia sat in the main seat, flanked by Madam Xing and Madam Wang. Servants surrounded her, and Yuanyang was trying to amuse her, with laughter emanating from her from time to time.
The maidservant behind the curtain suddenly called out, "They're here."
Then, the old nanny who had been waiting at the dock entered the house and quickly walked up to Grandmother Jia.
The others only saw the old nanny and a few others, but not the young master and young lady of the Lin family. They realized that something had happened. The servants of the Rongguo Mansion were all very shrewd, and they put away their smiles.
"Tell me quickly, why haven't the people from the Lin family come?" Grandmother Jia asked anxiously.
The old nanny quickly knelt down, trembling as she said, "This old servant has failed the old lady's trust and was unable to invite the young master and young lady of the Lin family. It seems the Lin family doesn't think much of our Rongguo Mansion..."
"Shut up, how dare you speak like that, you old servant!" Grandmother Jia scolded. Having lived for so long, how could she not understand what the old nanny meant?
The old nanny shuddered. She dared not add any more fuel to the fire and quickly said, "The servants from the Lin family have come along. Would the old lady like to see them?"
Grandmother Jia was actually a little unhappy. Who would be happy if they waited for someone for a long time and then that person stood them up?
But Grandmother Jia has lived for so many years and is very good at maintaining appearances; she wouldn't openly turn against someone.
Then the two were brought up, and Chunzhu and Haitang stepped forward to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia.
Chunzhu replied, "Reporting to the old lady, the young master asked me to pay my respects to you on his behalf. He said that according to custom, relatives should visit each other in person, but the young master and young lady have just arrived in the capital and have brought a lot of luggage, which needs to be arranged at the Lin residence. In addition, the young master and young lady are still in mourning, so it is really inconvenient for them to visit in person. Once everything is settled, they will definitely send a visiting card and visit in person. Please do not blame the old lady for not being able to come to the Rongguo Mansion in time."
Chunzhu spoke at length in a well-organized manner, and after hearing it, Grandmother Jia's anger subsided by half. This young master Lin seemed to be a person who knew how to do things properly.
Grandmother Jia nodded and sighed, "Quan-ge'er is a well-behaved person, but I'm really worried about the two younger ones staying outside. Feng-ya, go to the Lin residence the day after tomorrow and bring the two younger ones back to me."
Grandmother Jia originally intended to pick up Lin Jiyu and Lin Daiyu for Rongguo Mansion the next day, but the Lin family's servants just said that they needed to rest, so it was arranged for the day after tomorrow.
"Oh, the old lady has assigned me a task, how could I refuse? I'll definitely handle it perfectly," Wang Xifeng joked.
Then, Wang Xifeng made some witty remarks. The people from the Lin family waited by her side until Grandmother Jia was tired before they were sent away and the people from the Lin family went back.
After returning to her courtyard, Wang Xifeng sat down wearily. Before dawn, she had to handle the affairs of the Rongguo Mansion, then serve Grandmother Jia breakfast, and tell witty remarks to amuse her.
"Ping'er, what kind of people do you think the young masters and ladies of the Lin family are?" Wang Xifeng asked casually.
“Young Master Lin should be a person who follows the rules. As for Miss Lin, I don’t know.” Ping’er rolled her eyes and chose a safe answer.
The young master and young lady of the Lin family haven't appeared yet, so she can't make any comments casually. It wouldn't be good if those people spread the word and the people of the Lin family heard it.
Wang Xifeng nodded, then asked with a puzzled look, "This young master of the Lin family is really well-mannered. I wonder how he compares to Baoyu? No, Baoyu has great fortune, which this young master of the Lin family can't match. The courtyard is all tidied up."
"Don't worry, Grandma, it's all packed and arranged in the northwest corner. We originally wanted to arrange it in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard in the northeast corner, but the Pear Fragrance Courtyard is too small, and we were worried that they would have too much stuff to fit them in. Besides, the young master and young lady of the Lin family are still in mourning, and the northwest corner is quiet, so it's perfect for them."
“You’re so thoughtful. Originally, the old lady wanted to arrange for Miss Lin to stay in the Bisha Pavilion in Rongqing Hall, but considering that there was also a young master Lin who was difficult to arrange, she arranged for the two of them to stay in the same courtyard,” Wang Xifeng explained in detail.
They all tacitly avoided mentioning Jia Baoyu. Jia Baoyu was eleven years old this year and still lived with Grandmother Jia in the Bisha Pavilion. Logically, he should have moved out of Rongqing Hall, but Grandmother Jia doted on Jia Baoyu, so they dared not say anything.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. After finishing her business at Rongguo Mansion in the morning, Wang Xifeng had already sent the visiting card to Lin Mansion. At 1:15 am today, Wang Xifeng got into her sedan chair and went to Lin Mansion.
At the Lin residence, Lin Jiyu received a visiting card from the Rongguo Mansion yesterday, saying that Wang Xifeng would be coming to visit. Lin Jiyu originally thought that Grandmother Jia would be angry, but she did not expect that Grandmother Jia would actually know to abide by the rules.
In her youth, Grandmother Jia had seen it all, but now that she was older, she didn't care much about managing affairs and only wanted to enjoy wealth and luxury, so the rules in the mansion were becoming increasingly lax.
Lin Daiyu had been waiting for Wang Xifeng's arrival for a long time. As for Lin Jiyu, he was already nine years old and it was inconvenient for him to meet young women. The fact that Daiyu was asked to entertain Wang Xifeng most likely meant that they were to move to the Rongguo Mansion.