The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 44 Letter

My maternal uncle's cousin?
Four-year-old Lin Daiyu and three-year-old Lin Chang'an were adorable and still had chubby cheeks. The two looked at Jia Lian with great curiosity.

They've never had any relatives visit before.

"What are you still doing?"

Lin Ruhai patted his son's head and said, "This is your second brother Lian. He came from the capital and brought you gifts."

"Second Brother Lian!"

"Second Brother Lian..."

Lin Daiyu and Lin Chang'an called out in unison, their childish voices filling Lian Er with joy.

He's already married, and the next step is to have a child.

"Second brother, give me a hug!"

Jia Lian smiled and stretched out his arms, hugging Lin Daiyu with one arm and Lin Chang'an with the other. "Uncle and Aunt, it's lucky you're in Jiangnan. If this were in the capital, I would definitely have taken my cousins ​​home."

"you dare?"

The two children were not afraid. Instead, after a moment of surprise, they were both amazed and happy. Jia Min was happy, but on her face she had a playful smile on her face. "I won't break your legs."

"That old lady is going to try and take it."

Jia Lian wasn't afraid of his aunt at all. "Uncle, look at Aunt, she can only bully me."

"Hahaha, it's enough that I can bully you."

Lin Ruhai smiled and snatched his daughter back, saying, "If the old lady comes to take her away, we'll only ask you questions."

“Oh dear,” Jia Lian laughed, “How could I forget? No matter who in the family makes a mistake, I’m bound to suffer the consequences.”

"Pfft~"

Thinking back to how this kid used to get beaten up wherever he went, Jia Min couldn't help but laugh, "Who told you to be like a monkey?"

He skipped classes all day long, which angered several teachers. Anyway, he would get beaten by his eldest brother and scolded by his second brother.

Even if he runs to his mother's side, she will protect him six times out of ten, but four times out of ten she will also beat him up.

"Chang'an, didn't you want to climb a tree?" Jia Min said with a smile. "I'll have your second brother climb it first for you to see."

what?
Lin Chang'an's eyes lit up instantly. "Second Brother, really?"

"Hey~"

Having been tricked by his aunt countless times, Jia Lian immediately knew that his aunt was going to bully him again. "Second brother will teach you, let's climb out together."

"Yeah!"

Lin Chang'an clapped his hands and said in a childish voice, "Sister, my second brother and I will climb together for you to see."

"Got it!"

Jia Lian flicked his little nose and said, "You really are a mischievous little monkey."

"Hee hee~"

Lin Chang'an smiled exceptionally brightly.

My older sister is often sick, and my parents are afraid of her. They actually wish he could be more resilient.

"No way!"

Before her parents could object, Lin Daiyu objected first, saying, "Climbing trees is dangerous," she said seriously, her voice sweet and childlike, "Second brother, don't teach your younger brother."

"Pfft, then I'll listen to my little cousin."

Jia Lian gave Jia Min a smug look, "Daiyu, when I came here, your maternal aunt from the East Mansion said that when she saw you, she wanted her aunt to kiss you a few more times, as if she were kissing you on her behalf."

"...Did your aunt say this?"

Jia Min was shocked and amused. "Could it be that you're using your aunt's name to fool us, mother and son?"

"How dare I!"

Jia Lian couldn't help but laugh, "Isn't your aunt about to give birth? She must have heard you bragging about your cousin before, and now she insists that the baby in her belly is a girl. The other day when I went to say goodbye, she was so envious, but since she couldn't come in person, she could only ask you to kiss her little cousin more on her behalf."

"Hahaha!"

Lin Ruhai laughed and handed his daughter to his wife, saying, "Quickly give your sister-in-law a kiss; maybe God will grant her a good daughter too."

"Pfft!" Jia Min laughed as she took her daughter's hand. "Daiyu, do you want your mother to kiss you instead of your maternal aunt?"

"want!"

Lin Daiyu's face flushed slightly.

Her mother used to talk about her maternal grandparents' family, but she didn't really understand it back then. Now, however, she remembered her maternal aunt from the East Mansion.

"Then Mother will kiss my dear Yu'er."

Jia Min's eyes were full of tenderness.

Her son and daughter were her life.

After more than ten years of marriage, she finally had these two daughters. She cherished them dearly, afraid they would fall from her hands or melt in her mouth.

"By the way, how is your aunt's health these days?"

"It's okay."

Jia Lian also kissed Lin Chang'an twice, "Don't envy your sister, your second brother likes you very much."

"Pfft~"

Lin Ruhai burst out laughing after taking a sip of tea.

"Hahaha……"

Laughter filled the elegant dining room.

At that moment, the maids filed in to serve the dishes.

Yangzhou cuisine is also exquisite, with dishes such as stir-fried shrimp, Wensi tofu, braised shredded dried tofu, three-layered duck, hibiscus fish slices, crispy roasted crucian carp, and dried shrimp and cattail shoots. The dishes are light and appetizing, and Jia Lian ate heartily.

For once, Lin Ruhai and Jia Min disregarded the rule of not speaking while eating, personally serving him food while inquiring about the family's well-being. Their primary concern was the old lady's health, which was what they were most worried about.

Of course, judging from Jia Lian's expression, it was clear that even if something had happened at home, it wasn't anything bad.

Unbeknownst to them, the two learned about each other's health while eating, and also learned about the downfall of the Lai family and the return of silver from the treasury.

The former is one thing, but the latter...

The couple exchanged a glance, their initial ease gone. Fortunately, the meal was nearing its end. After rinsing their mouths, they had the maids take their two children away. Jia Min's face hardened. "Tell me about the matter of returning the treasury silver from the beginning."

The matter of the treasury silver was related to the power struggle between the retired emperor and the emperor.

When her father and uncle were alive, they didn't return it; they just sealed it in the warehouse. Now, it's like this... Jia Min always felt something was wrong.

Lin Ruhai was also very concerned. This was his wife's family, and his ability to gain a foothold in Jiangnan was also related to his wife's side.

"This story begins with my aunt's outburst at the school."

Jia Lian knew he couldn't escape, and of course, he was also afraid that his grandmother and second uncle would mislead his aunt and uncle in the letter, so he told them everything that had happened in those days. "...Father also thought that it was best to return the treasury silver at that time, and his grandmother did not object. The family even donated a lot of silver to the national treasury under the pretense of accumulating good fortune for the child in his aunt's womb."

"Then... when you returned the silver as a donation, did the Emperor say anything?"

Lin Ruhai was very serious.

The retired emperor trusted him, and the emperor trusted him too. It wasn't that he was trying to please both sides, but rather that the national treasury was truly short of funds and needed him to stay here to stabilize and protect the largest tax-collecting region in Jiangnan.

Only by securing this place can we protect the military pay for the nine border regions and prevent chaos in the country.

The two emperors didn't need him to be anyone's man; they only needed to know that he worked diligently.

But this seat isn't so easy to sit in.

The retired emperor and the emperor each had their own subjects, who were trying to win him over while simultaneously suppressing him.

They all wanted to drag him down and then install their own people in his place.

Now the Jia family is repaying the debt...

"The Emperor said nothing."

Jia Lian said, "Father doesn't mind returning the silver, but Second Uncle seems a little disappointed."

Lin Ruhai: “…”

He used to think his brother-in-law was a bit muddle-headed, but now...

"The Emperor's silence is the greatest praise for the Jia family."

The retired emperor, mindful of his long-serving ministers, will surely say nothing. On the contrary, if the emperor rewards him, the retired emperor will feel betrayed.

Lin Ruhai's expression softened slightly. "Sister-in-law has great wisdom."

Quick to act, quick to react!
By the time all parties find out, it will be too late, and there will be no point in saying anything.

"Lian'er, you must take good care of your aunt from now on."

The Jiangnan region, a veritable melting pot, caused Jia Min, the legitimate daughter of the Rongguo Mansion, to suffer losses several times.

She was also well aware of her family's situation: "The biggest crisis for the Jia family was actually destroyed because of your aunt's troubles."

"Not bad!"

Lin Ruhai smiled and stroked his beard. "Didn't your sister-in-law send a letter? Min'er, bring it over and take a look!"

Jia Min hurriedly took out the last letter, but upon opening it, she discovered that there was not only one for her, but also one for her husband, and the one for her husband was the thickest.

"Huh? For me?"

Lin Ruhai's heart skipped a beat.

The most capable members of the Yue family are the eldest brother and sister-in-law of the East Mansion.

This sudden act of slipping the letter to him into Min'er's letter...

Jia Min handed it over immediately, and of course, she also looked at the letter her sister-in-law had given her.

To Minmei:
"Minmei must already know everything about what happened at home from Lian'er. I've already died once, and looking back, it seems I should have let go like you and Brother Jing, but I'm pregnant, I can't let go, and I can't afford to die."

Shen Ning knew Jia Min was intelligent, but she wasn't the kind of person who would beat around the bush. She said directly, "Lately, I've been dreaming about my daughter Yuxue's adorable little face. I'm afraid I won't be able to watch her grow up, so I specially hired two midwives early. Oh dear, they even care about whether I eat a little more rice or drink a little more soup."

Jia Min's mood was originally quite heavy, but upon seeing this, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.

Of her three sisters-in-law, she liked this one the most.

I was worried when I heard that she was pregnant at her age.

Jia Min had experienced the hardship of having children, so she knew very well how much her sister-in-law longed for one.

In her most recent letter, she wrote about the cuteness of her young children, the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, and invited her to come and visit Jiangnan when the children are older.

I was worried she would be stuck in her past sorrows, but now it seems she has moved on.

That's good!

"The Daiyu in your letter is probably the daughter in my dreams. For her sake, I have endured everything. I dare not eat the fruit that is not allowed to me, and I dare not sleep when I am not allowed to sleep. In short, I keep dreaming about my daughter, and it's all your fault."

In her letter, Shen Ning wrote: “Wait for me, I will definitely go to Jiangnan. When that time comes, you have to give me Daiyu so she can show me around and let me eat my way through Yangzhou. Oh, and Chang’an too, he’s a boy, he has to protect us.”

At this point, she finally changed the subject, "It's been many years since we last met, and I miss you dearly. I know my brother-in-law is a man with great ambitions, but Jiangnan is a wealthy place, and there are probably many people eyeing him. You two are a couple, so while you take good care of him, you should also take good care of yourself."

Judging from the Lai family's servants, you should know just how rotten they are. If possible, try to investigate further.

Jia Min brought quite a few maids with her.

Lin Ruhai doted on her, and the inner quarters were probably already dominated by Jia family servants.

When Shen Ning was in modern times, she once read a post that said the tragedy of the Lin family was caused by Madam Wang coveting the Lin family's wealth.

She didn't know if that was true, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

In her letter, she wrote: “It’s not that I’m afraid they’ll be greedy at home, but I’m afraid they’ll be blinded by outsiders. The two children are still young, so you must be very careful and not let those servants lead them astray.”

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(End of this chapter)