Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 181 Lin Meimei's Visit

Putting down the food box in her hand, Lin Daiyu stared at Yue Ling with her eyes, but her heart was unsettled, as if beating a drum.

"My mother said that women cannot go out, nor can they rashly go to the front hall to disturb my father's work, otherwise it would be a violation of etiquette. But the queen said that it is right to be by a man's side when he is tired, so that he will feel comforted and remember the love more deeply. Who is right and who is wrong? Let me try to see how Brother Yue reacts today."

With her eyebrows slightly furrowed, Lin Daiyu waited for Yue Ling's words.

Seeing that it was Lin Daiyu who came to bring him food, Yue Ling's heart softened a little. For a moment, he even thought of the story of Empress Ma bringing naan to Zhu Yuanzhang in prison.

Lin Daiyu is so well-behaved and sensible, so Yue Ling, as an older brother, should be more considerate and caring. He has always thought so.

Yue Ling took the food box without looking at it, and put it on the table. He first touched Lin Daiyu's little hand, held it in his hand and asked, "Is it not burned?"

Yue Ling's first words were beyond Lin Daiyu's expectations. She thought he would ask "Why are you here?" or scold her for running around like a father.

Unexpectedly, he was concerned about whether she was okay. Lin Daiyu was slightly startled, and then she couldn't help laughing. She thought to herself, "Brother Yue is indeed Brother Yue. It is this kind of natural concern that I like the most. It seems that what the Queen said is right. Brother Yue is not an ordinary person. He should not be judged by common sense."

Lin Daiyu did not withdraw her hand, but looked at Yue Ling with a smile and said, "If I can get burned by delivering a food box, then wouldn't I be so stupid that I can't accomplish anything?"

Lin Daiyu added, "Brother Yue, eat it while it's hot. It won't be good if it gets cold. There are snacks I made myself in here. Brother Yue, please try it."

Yue Ling stood up, first moved a bench from the side, put it next to him, and helped Lin Daiyu sit down together, "Sister Lin, it's time to eat, let's eat together."

Lin Daiyu sat aside obediently and said, "I have already eaten, and here is a pair of chopsticks, Brother Yue, please eat."

Yue Ling opened the food box, which was filled with white steam. He picked up the chopsticks and picked up a piece with Lin Daiyu, saying, "Since it was made by Sister Lin, then Sister Lin will have a bite first."

Lin Daiyu originally wanted to refuse, but seeing Yue Ling's expression, she realized that it would take some effort to pester him, so she accepted Yue Ling's kindness, moved closer to Yue Ling, opened her little mouth and waited for Yue Ling to feed her.

Chewing gently, Lin Daiyu's eyebrows curved and she smiled, "It's delicious. Brother Yue, try it."

Yue Ling nodded, and when he turned around he realized there was another person in the room.

Jia Yun stood at the door, turning his head away, not knowing whether to go in or back out. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, with only half of his body exposed.

Yue Ling said helplessly: "Why didn't you knock on the door?"

Noticing that someone was around, Lin Daiyu hurriedly sat up straight, leaned back in her chair, and her cheeks gradually turned red.

Jia Yun replied awkwardly, "Master, I don't have anything urgent to do. Please go ahead and do your work."

Yue Ling looked at Lin Daiyu and saw her nod. He understood and said, "If you have any business, please bring it in first. If it is not an important matter, come back tomorrow."

Jia Yun clutched a letter and said, "This is a letter from Miss Xue. Is it urgent?"

When she heard it was Miss Xue, Lin Daiyu perked up a little, and her frown turned into a pair of eyes staring at Yue Ling, as if she had discovered Yue Ling's secret.

"It is really not in vain that I have come here today. From now on, I will believe in the words of the Queen even more."

Seeing this, if Yue Ling didn't let Jia Yun send it in, it would seem like something shameful had really happened.

Yue Ling was speechless, "Send it in."

Jia Yun walked to Yue Ling's desk with his head down, then stepped back a few steps and bowed, saying, "Master, you are busy. I will not disturb you now."

After saying that, he ran out of the door.

After the incident, the two of them looked at the letter on the table together, and their hands stopped moving.

Yue Ling raised his hand, tore open the envelope, twisted the letter paper, and said to Lin Daiyu: "Let's take a look together?"

Lin Daiyu pouted and tilted her head, "Business is so important, can I watch it?"

Yue Ling smiled helplessly, "There is nothing in my place that Sister Lin cannot see."

The corners of Lin Daiyu's mouth curved slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

The two men looked at the letter together and saw the words: "To the Marquis: Today, I sold grain outside the city for the first time, totaling 15,000 catties, earning 1,650 taels of silver, a profit of 1,200. With this, the shopkeeper at home has changed his mind about me, and the Xue family can fully support the Marquis in his work in Cangzhou."

Yue Ling picked up the bamboo chopsticks again and threw the letter paper casually on the table, thinking to himself: "What shameful things could there be between me and Xue Baochai? We have only met twice. I am upright and have nothing to fear from others. Why should I be afraid of people checking on me?"

Thinking of this, Yue Ling was slightly startled, "That's not right, why would Sister Lin check on me? She is just my sister."

Lin Daiyu didn't know what Yue Ling was thinking. She picked up the letter and read it carefully again. "This girl from the Xue family has beautiful handwriting. She seems to be very capable. She deserves to be able to help Brother Yue."

Raising the letter in her hand, Lin Daiyu asked again, "Brother Yue, aren't you going to write back to her?"

Yue Ling nodded and responded frankly: "Of course I have to reply to the letter, and also what I want her Xue family to do next."

Lin Daiyu spread out the rice paper, took down a thin brush from the pen holder, held it in her hand and said, "Brother Yue hasn't finished his meal yet, so I will be his clerk today. Brother Yue said that if I write, it won't delay the important work."

Turning her head to look at Yue Ling again, Lin Daiyu raised her eyebrows slightly, "Brother Yue, you won't stop me from writing, right?" Yue Ling smiled, not knowing what this girl was arguing about, and responded, "Okay, I'll talk, and you write."

After Lin Daiyu rolled up her sleeves and dipped the ink, Yue Ling said, "The grain sales should stop in five days at most. They should have noticed it. Don't use the profits the Xue family has made now lightly. Come to Cangzhou Prefecture and buy a store to open a pawn shop. Also prepare a large amount of cash, at least not less than 100,000 taels, and send it to Cangzhou Prefecture to wait for the opportunity."

Lin Daiyu wrote it in one go, then turned her head to look at Yue Ling and asked, "Brother Yue, one hundred thousand taels is a lot, right? We only have a few million in our house."

Yue Ling shook his head. "One hundred thousand taels is not much. If you want to take over all the commercial accumulation of Cangzhou Prefecture, one hundred thousand taels is not enough. I need to add some more."

Lin Daiyu asked in confusion: "Should I send a letter home and ask them to send some silver?"

Yue Ling rubbed Lin Daiyu's head and smiled again: "This is official business, so we can't use our own money. But, Sister Lin, don't worry. When I first came, there were only 3,000 kilograms of grain in the treasury, and the silver treasury was empty."

"And just five days later, we had 300 dan of grain and 100,000 silver coins. Although we don't have them now, those profiteers have them, so what they have is ours."

Lin Daiyu's eyes turned and she smiled, "Brother Yue looks a little bad now."

Yue Ling frowned and said, "Bad? To deal with bad guys, you have to be even worse."

Lin Daiyu nodded, thinking it made sense.

After a short pause, Lin Daiyu asked again, "Brother Yue, if things get better in the city, can you take me out for a walk?"

Lin Daiyu, who had once galloped on a horse in the wilderness, was now somewhat obsessed with the feeling of freedom.

Sister Lin had something to ask, and Yue Ling had no reason to refuse. He had long wanted to take Sister Lin out for a walk, "Okay, after I finish my official business, I'll walk around with you.

……

Rongguo Mansion,
Lady Wang's Courtyard,

Ever since Yue Ling caused a big disturbance in the Jia family last time, the atmosphere in the Jia family has become increasingly cold.

Lixiangyuan seemed to be an independent small courtyard. Apart from the two old masters recuperating there, they would call Jia Lan over to talk from time to time.

When Jia Lan came back, Mrs. Wang asked him about it, but he just said that he had learned some lessons and practiced some martial arts, which made Mrs. Wang confused.

Grandmother Jia was so humiliated that she stayed indoors.

Mrs. Wang then moved Baoyu out and kept him in a warm room beside her.

After being beaten last time, Baoyu took several days to recuperate before he woke up from his coma. Mrs. Wang was so heartbroken that she cried every day. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and she couldn't see anyone.

That day, Mrs. Wang applied ice to relieve the pain in her room.

Jin Chuan ran in from outside and told Mrs. Wang: "Madam, there is a letter from the south."

Mrs. Wang hurriedly stood up and asked, "Is it a letter from the Xue family?"

Jin Chuan nodded and handed over the letter.

Mrs. Wang felt relieved holding the letter in her hand.

"The Xue family must be coming to the capital soon. I have to prepare to welcome them. I heard that Bao was given a golden lock when she was young, and Baoyu was born with a jade in his mouth. One gold and one jade, isn't this a perfect match?"

"If you ask me, this girl Bao is a good match for Baoyu. Xue Pan is a person who can't accomplish anything. In the future, the Xue family will have to rely on the Jia family through Baoyu, which will be a great help."

"The girl Bao is pretty and gentle. When Baoyu sees her, he will forget about the girl from the Lin family and the source of trouble will be gone."

"This marriage really kills two birds with one stone!"

Mrs. Wang was feeling smug, but when she unfolded the letter, she was stunned.

The letter paper also slipped from her hands, scaring the maids around her.

"Madam, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Mrs. Wang seemed not to have heard it and was still thinking about what was said in the letter.

"Why is the Xue family entangled with Yue Ling? Sister is so stupid that she actually let Xue Baochai work with Yue Ling and even made a bet with her. Can you win this?"

"I thought that after Yue Ling was sent out of the capital, my Jia family would be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Who could have thought that even far away in Cangzhou, my good fortune would be ruined!"

"This Yue Ling is the root of the Xue family's misfortune!"

Madam Wang, who was helped back to the couch by the maids, managed to calm down a little and said, "However, Yue Ling is now the Marquis of Anjing. Even if he doesn't marry a daughter of a noble family, he will not look down on the daughter of the Xue family. It shouldn't be a problem."

Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but sigh and said with emotion: "Since when has my Jia family reached the point where we have to pick up other people's leftovers?"

(End of this chapter)