Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

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Baoyu still didn't understand the situation and wasn't very interested in Baochai. Meanwhile, Baochai had secretly fallen for Gu Yu. Aunt Xue couldn't tell anyone about this, so she could only patiently and patiently persuade her.

Just as Aunt Xue was feeling conflicted about her daughter's outburst that day, Madam Wang added fuel to the fire by telling her daughter to go after her. Although it was an old topic, Aunt Xue suddenly felt uncomfortable and disgusted.

Was all of this worth it? It's one thing if my daughter doesn't want it, but Baoyu doesn't want it either. Should my precious daughter be treated with contempt?

Seeing her sister's absent-mindedness, Madam Wang suddenly became more alert. She subtly talked about the good life Baochai would have after marrying into the family, and how she would entrust the management of the household to her with peace of mind. This finally eased Aunt Xue's guilt considerably.

No matter how famous the Gu family is, they only have Yu-ge'er. A single tree cannot make a forest. Where is the grandeur of the Jia family, with its four kings and eight dukes united and covering the sky?

The Xue family's businesses are shrinking year by year. What they urgently need is not a promising stock with a bright future, but an advantage like the Jia family that is obvious to the naked eye!

A few days later, as a Mid-Autumn Festival poem with a reputation that was unparalleled throughout history reached the capital, Baoqin finally witnessed just how capable the young master Yu, who lived in the garden, was.

After savoring the poem "Shuidiao Getou" for the fifth time, Baoqin's eyes shone with admiration. She felt an urge to express herself, but when she looked up, she saw her sisters still engrossed in it. Not wanting to disturb them, she began to enjoy it a sixth time.

"Truly exquisite..."

Unbeknownst to her, the women were all staring intently at the last line, "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles," their eyes brimming with tears they could not suppress, only able to secretly wipe them away to avoid being noticed by Baoqin and the others.

"It's almost September... Brother Yu... when will you be back?"

After asking the question in her mind for the hundredth time, Daiyu composed herself, exchanged a glance with Baochai and the others, and started chatting with Baoqin, Xing Xiuyan, and the Li sisters as planned. With their cooperation, the girls had a concrete image of the young master Yu, even though they had never met him.

"Such an extraordinary man exists in this world..."

……

Chapter Seventeen: It's Snowing

After the Mid-Autumn Festival poem arrived in September, Daiyu and the others did not receive any more letters for the next month or two.

The flowers and plants in the garden gradually withered, and the weather grew colder day by day. Fortunately, Daiyu's health had been improving day by day in recent years, so she no longer had to stay at Xiaoxiang Pavilion as a sickly beauty. She continued to have fun with her sisters as usual.

That evening, after saying goodbye to her sisters, Daiyu returned to her courtyard. After washing up, she leaned against the couch, fully clothed, reading a book. Zijuan walked in from outside, looking surprised, and said:

"Miss, it seems like it snowed just now. The snow came a few days earlier than last year."

"Snowing?"

Daiyu mentally calculated the days and was startled to find that it was already the Lesser Snow solar term, but she still hadn't seen him return...

Seeing her sorrowful expression, Zijuan immediately understood what she was thinking and quickly took a few steps closer, patted Daiyu's back, and coaxed her:

"So many days have passed. Whatever it was, I suppose Master should be back by now. Miss, please don't worry. With Master Lin looking after things in the south, nothing will happen."

Daiyu naturally understood this reasoning, but she still missed him terribly. However, Zijuan's coaxing only stirred up her desire, so she deliberately glared at her and said in a slightly annoyed tone:

"You rascal, I haven't even said a word yet, and you're already trying to shut me up with ten sentences."

"What, when Brother Yu comes back tomorrow, I'll plead with him to let you go and take Xiangling's place? Then you won't have to suffer here anymore. Suffering."

Is there such a good thing? !

Zijuan was immediately tempted upon hearing this, but she quickly calmed down, rolled her eyes, and said with a grin:

"If you are willing, I will certainly do so. I will serve you as attentively as I would serve you."

"I'm afraid that if the girl gets jealous and piqued, she won't have anyone to comfort her. Wouldn't she just suffocate from all the stress?"

"You little brat! You're getting more and more arrogant, daring to talk nonsense about me now. I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"

"Hahaha~ Xueyan~! Come and see, the young lady is so jealous that she's even targeting us maids. It's just a pity that the only one in this garden who can be jealous isn't here, so there's no one to deal with her."

Daiyu paused her playful antics, straining her ears to hear what would happen next.

"Who else in this garden is the only one who can be jealous? Surely you're not even one? Then how did you even begin to act this way?"

Zijuan suppressed a laugh as she watched Daiyu's curious expression. Seeing Xueyan also looking at her with a blank expression, she finally couldn't help but burst out laughing:

"The most jealous person in this garden is naturally Master! No matter which young lady is jealous of, once he tastes her jealousy, it all disappears!"

Daiyu was taken aback. Now that she thought about it, it did seem to be true, but...

"Xueyan! Quickly, help me catch her! Today, I'll tear her mouth apart!"

"Cuckoo~"

……

The next morning, the master and servant opened the door and were immediately taken aback.

It turned out that the wind and snow intensified last night, accumulating nearly three inches of snow overnight. The dark clouds of the previous days seemed to have been squeezed out, and all that could be seen was a clear blue sky.

The bright morning sun shines on the glazed tiles, as if covering the snow on the eaves with a golden halo, dazzling and eye-catching.

Compared to yesterday, the light in the courtyard seemed to have increased three levels. Daiyu couldn't help but squint, and it took her a while to adjust to the view.

The old women in the courtyard got up without anyone noticing and quietly cleared a path through the yard. Daiyu went down the steps, squatted down gently, and reached out to touch the soft snow.

The cool, refreshing sensation traveled through her fingertips, quickly turning into tiny damp spots. Daiyu watched as the snowflakes on her fingertips melted, and couldn't help but smile softly, before wiping them away with a handkerchief.

Ever since Gu Yu said that even the whitest snow has dust mixed in, the sisters, though not entirely convinced, were still willing to listen to him.

Miaoyu used the snow water she had treasured for several years as her regular tea water, and of course, the elegant practice of melting snow on the spot to brew tea was no longer mentioned.

"Girl, look! The plum blossoms are in bloom!"

Zijuan, who had personally opened the courtyard gate, spotted the plum trees at the corner outside and immediately excitedly told Daiyu the good news.

A few days ago, after the sisters saw the flower buds on the branches, they were wondering when they would be able to enjoy the plum blossoms this year. Unexpectedly, after a night of wind and snow, they bloomed, and the trees were full of pink and red flowers. The girl will definitely like them!

Daiyu strode out, her eyes lighting up. She urged Zijuan to hurry up and follow, while she herself skipped excitedly toward Qinfang Pavilion.

"We have double happiness today, so we must hurry up and go to Grandma's place so we can have some fun!"

In the entire garden, only the plum tree at Qinfang Pavilion can be considered the king of trees.

When Huifang Garden was built, this plum tree was already here. Later, when Huifang Garden was connected to the Grand View Garden, Shan Ziye saw that the tree was quite remarkable, so he simply designated this area and planted plum trees everywhere.

Now that the first winter in the Grand View Garden is approaching, even Grandmother Jia has mentioned several times that she wants to come and enjoy the magnificent scenery of the plum grove.

The sisters usually made plans to visit each other here, and before long, Tan Chun, Xiang Yun, and the others arrived one after another. They talked about the heavy snow that day and made a promise to come back to enjoy the snow later.

As her gaze swept around, Daiyu suddenly spotted Xing Xiuyan, who was usually quite inconspicuous. She was taken aback, then subtly tugged at Yingchun's sleeve, signaling with her eyes.

Baochai noticed her movement and quickly moved closer to whisper an explanation:

"Although Miss Xing is related to the First Madam, her family isn't wealthy. She's also kind and honest; you don't know how awful the old women in the household are—"

Baochai paused, then suddenly glanced resentfully at the shy Daiyu. Since entering the Jia family, this girl had been taken care of by Gu Yu. Although she had heard and seen some things on a daily basis, she was confident and naturally did not need to worry about this.

"In short, she didn't have any spare money to pay off those gossipy old women, nor did she want to be talked about behind her back, so she could only secretly pawn her cotton-padded coat to shut them up."

"Didn't the old lady say before that her monthly allowance would be the same as that of the household?"

Daiyu couldn't help but glance at Xing Xiuyan's slender back again, and suddenly felt that the bright sunlight seemed to have dropped a lot in temperature, so she couldn't help but tighten her robe.

A hint of mockery flashed in Baochai's eyes, as if she were talking to herself or explaining:

"Although the old lady said such things, she is, after all, a girl from the Xing family. Although Feng girl contributed money, the eldest madam probably doesn't like her own niece very much."

“I heard from Feng that she has to set aside one tael of her monthly allowance to take care of her parents. How can one tael of silver be enough? Apart from paying her respects to the old lady, have you ever seen her come out on her own initiative? I’m afraid she doesn’t want to take advantage of us for nothing.”

Daiyu sighed softly, unsure of what to say.

If it were just a maid, a tael of silver would be fine, but Xing Xiuyan is a young lady. Even if she doesn't have any personal relationships with her sisters, she still has to bribe the maids and servants. No wonder she was forced to this point.

"Why don't we chip in and redeem that cotton coat? It's starting to snow, so we need to take care of ourselves. Or maybe we should just buy a new one and find an excuse to give it to them?"

Baochai smiled and nodded, saying:

"It's kind of you to be so kind. Since I knew all this, I naturally made preparations. That cotton coat was pawned at my family's shop and I'm keeping it—I originally wanted to give it to someone as a favor, but I didn't expect the weather to turn so bad and start snowing."

"I'll go talk to her about it later, otherwise she might get frostbite and some people will feel sorry for her."

"Ok?"

Daiyu turned her head suspiciously to look at the smiling Baochai, feeling that there was something hidden in her words.

"Let's go and pay our respects to the old lady first."

"... "

……

Chapter Eighteen: Reunion After a Short Separation

Upon arriving at Rongqing Hall, however, another small piece of bad news arrived.

It turned out that the snowstorm came too suddenly last night, and Grandmother Jia, being old, couldn't withstand it. Although she was being taken care of and didn't catch a cold, she was still feeling unwell and needed to stay in bed to rest.

After the sisters went in to visit, they came out staring at each other, feeling like they were dreaming.

We just made plans to go see the plum blossoms, how come we got a whole day off?

Once they entered the garden and the old women from the mansion were no longer following behind, the sisters finally resumed their boisterous atmosphere, all clamoring to pick the most beautiful plum blossom.

Daiyu smiled and echoed her words, then casually looked up at the distant sky. For some reason, her heart suddenly started racing, and she subconsciously looked in the direction of the pear blossoms and spring rain, falling silent for a moment.

The crowd was laughing and praising Yingchun's flower arranging skills, and did not notice the strangeness on Daiyu's face. Before they knew it, she had taken the lead and was walking faster and faster until she was almost jogging.

Zijuan and Ying'er followed behind the group of women. They hadn't seen Daiyu's movements until she broke away from the group. They then realized what was happening and quickly called out, drawing everyone's attention.

"Lin Daiyu? Slow down, the road is slippery!"

Daiyu's heart was pounding with anxiety. She couldn't explain what was wrong with her at that moment, but she felt an inexplicable attraction to the road ahead, making her want to fly to the pear blossoms and spring rain and jump onto her bed.

Seeing Daiyu run forward without looking back, the sisters exchanged glances and quickly followed. Just as they reached the end of the pebble path, Baochai and the others suddenly sensed something and abruptly stopped.

Baoqin took a few more steps forward, nearly bumping into Baochai and the others, before realizing that they had stopped for some reason. She asked in confusion:

"Why has everything stopped? Where is Sister Lin?"

Baochai and the others instinctively clutched their chests, and in their bewilderment, they suddenly seemed to understand something. Without a word, they walked around the ceremonial gate and stood under the corridor, looking directly at the water.

"It's Sister Lin!"

Baoqin's eyes suddenly lit up when she saw a familiar figure on the cobblestone path across the way. She quickly pointed, but when she turned around, she found that her sisters' eyes were shining as they stared in another direction. She couldn't help but look in that direction, but the next moment she couldn't help but cover her mouth.

"This is…"

……

Daiyu stood blankly on the road, staring motionlessly ahead.

The plum trees in front of me are blooming even more profusely than they did early this morning, their delicate petals releasing the first plum fragrance of early winter without restraint.

White, pink, and red blossoms, clusters and bunches, connected to the surrounding plum trees, gave Qinfang Pavilion a touch of midsummer.

Normally, Daiyu would have been chatting and laughing with Baochai and the other literary girls, immersed in the beautiful scenery, and would have even expressed her poetic inspiration. But right now, her gaze was fixed on the figure under the tree, and she couldn't take her eyes off him for a moment.

"Brother Yu...?"

Whether it was because she had been standing for too long or something else, Daiyu suddenly couldn't even hold onto the handkerchief in her hand, and it just floated down in front of her.

She had just sniffed when she felt a sudden thud, and tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her face. She could no longer hold back her sobs.

Gu Yu rushed back to the capital from Jiangnan last night, and then followed Jiang Zhi into the palace. He was only released today when the palace gates opened. He only went back to see Ke Qing and the others before rushing back without stopping.

When Gu Yu returned, Daiyu and the others had just left the garden. Gu Yu didn't want to wait for them to return before having her maids inform them, so she slowly made her way to the gate, still slightly drunk.

As Gu Yu was admiring the beautiful scenery before her, her slightly sluggish brain realized that someone was approaching. She turned her head and happened to see Daiyu's tear-stained face. She immediately snapped out of her daze, quickly took two steps, and stopped in front of Daiyu.

"...Why did you go back to the garden so early, little sister? I thought you'd be a little longer..."

Feeling guilty, Gu Yu naturally knew why this was the reason. After muttering a few words, she suddenly realized what was going on and quickly squatted down to pick up the handkerchief, wanting to wipe Daiyu's face.

But then she realized what she was doing and stopped her outstretched hand, wanting to use the clean handkerchief in her bosom instead. This series of comical actions finally made Daiyu laugh.

"Idiot! Give it back to me, don't reach over there, there are other girls watching over there..."

Daiyu turned her head away shyly and wiped her face lightly with her hand. Then she quickly avoided Gu Yu's large hand and playfully gestured to the women standing under the corridor not far away.

Gu Yu awkwardly withdrew her hand, assuming that she was just being petty again. After all, the sisters were so familiar with each other, why would they still be so reserved?

But when he turned around with a smile, intending to greet Baochai and the others, he finally realized something was wrong.

"One, two, three, four... why are there four more?"

At first glance, several unfamiliar faces appeared in the group of girls. One of them was wearing a bright red brocade robe with swallow patterns. She had a cherry-like mouth, red lips and white teeth, and very delicate eyebrows and eyes. She had a bit of Qin Keqing's style, but her eyes were lively and spirited, and she had her own unique charm.

The two women beside them seemed to be still drunk at first glance. When did these two figures appear? They were dressed the same, with curved eyebrows and eyes, and were very pretty, with a touch of the gentle beauty of women from Jiangnan.

As for the one on the far side, what first caught Gu Yu's attention was her slender figure. She wasn't actually short, but she was dressed so thinly in the snow that she looked almost as thin as Xi Chun.