Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 322: Romantic Celebration Banquet

Suzhou City, Canglang Garden,
There were lights and decorations everywhere, and the maids had tidied up the main hall to make it look brand new. They had set up several seats on both sides of the central axis for the banquet.

The floor was also re-laid with carpet. It was rare for the house to be decorated so formally. Everything was done to welcome Yue Ling home to celebrate and welcome him back.

This carpet is quite exquisite. It is made of wool and is not very common in places like Suzhou in the south of the Yangtze River.

If it wasn't a gift from the Weaving Bureau to the Anjing Marquis' Mansion after it resumed work, the little girls usually wouldn't be able to buy it.

The main reason why it was laid in the hall today was to make it convenient for the young girls to dance and sing barefoot on it, to help add to the celebration mood. This was the first time it was so luxurious.

During the banquet, the maids were the last to check the tableware and utensils to be used. Even the tablecloths were prepared by them in advance. They were of different colors to distinguish the seats for different people.

There was a cheerful and peaceful atmosphere in the hall. Under the octagonal glass lamp, Lin Daiyu sat leaning on the side, suppressing her inner feelings of longing.

It may not be appropriate to say that a short separation makes the new marriage better, but this is the feeling that Lin Daiyu is feeling now.

I haven't seen Brother Yue, who I spend every day with, for many days. He has made new achievements outside. He is a first-class man who stands tall and upright, and is admired by others.

Lin Daiyu was worried about whether he had any new injuries, and she would be very happy if he could return safely.

"Girl, someone outside sent a message saying that the master will be coming into the city soon."

Zijuan was reporting the news, interrupting Lin Daiyu's confused thoughts.

After coming to her senses, Lin Daiyu still hadn't forgotten about the group of little maids. After all, she had promised them that she would try her best to help them. She sympathized with the poor and the weak, and since she had had some interactions with them, she didn't want to see them suffer anymore.

"Call Lingguan over and ask them how their preparations are going."

"Yes."

……

In another side room,

A group of inexperienced young maids held the peach-colored silk gowns in their hands, all with shame on their faces.

This dress is not only as thin as a cicada's wing, but also has short sleeves, so only the lotus-like jade arms can be seen outside. Although the skirt is slightly long, it is very loose, and will slowly fall to the ground as she sways with the dance.

This is the effect that is desired in performing pink opera.

"Are we really going to wear this?"

Lingguan was handing out clothes to the sisters, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she explained, "As far as I know, the articles circulated in Anjing Marquis's mansion are all those kinds of articles that are not worth reading. If the atmosphere in the mansion is like this, how can we sing the plays in the libretto?"

"This is the Anjing Marquis's residence. Anjing Marquis is a top-notch hero. Lingguan, are you sure you're not seeing things?"

"I swear to God, it's absolutely right."

The little girls looked at each other in bewilderment. They had been taught since childhood that the customs of wealthy and powerful families were all bad. They didn't expect that the Anjing Marquis' Mansion was not immune to this.

While looking disappointed, he also felt a little uneasy inside.

I always feel that after putting on this dress, there will be no turning back.

Seeing that the sisters were still hesitant, but Marquis Anjing was coming back today, the oldest Rui Guan stepped forward to persuade them, "After all, it's a private party, there are only Marquis Anjing and the girls in the room, no outsiders. Besides, if you can be given a break, it will be much better than being imprisoned, right?"

"If the Marquis is so kind as to allow us to stay in the mansion, the sisters won't have to separate in the future. Isn't that what we want?"

These twelve girls were all orphans or abandoned by their parents. They were raised in brothels and taught to sing opera since childhood. It can be said that they have been dependent on each other until now.

There is no family affection, only sisterly love. If they were not helpless, they would not want to separate.

Rui Guan's words touched their hearts deeply, and the girls made up their minds to wear the clothes.

"Lingguan? Miss Lin is calling you."

"Okay, I'll come right away."

The sisters have made up their minds, and Lingguan is relieved. "This must be Miss Lin's last instruction. I'll go take a look. You should prepare well. Don't waste Miss Lin's kindness."

"Apply a darker blush. We only have this one chance."

After saying goodbye to her sisters, Lingguan came to the main hall, avoided the carpet she was going to step on, and made a circle to come in front of Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu was a little excited, and her eyebrows couldn't help but raise, "Are you all ready? We never sing opera in class before, this is the first time, so don't mess it up."

Lingguan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Miss Lin, don't worry, we will not let you down."

Lin Daiyu looked Lingguan up and down, and seeing that she was still wearing her usual clothes, she couldn't help asking, "You haven't changed into clothes yet? If you don't have anything suitable, you can ask Zijuan to help you find some."

Lingguan shook her head and said, "Don't bother, they have already changed, but I came to see the girl and haven't changed yet."

Lin Daiyu nodded, and was very satisfied with their careful preparation.

There was indeed no opera troupe in the mansion. If Brother Yue wanted to keep them by his side, she would think there was nothing wrong with assigning them some rough work like fetching water and washing clothes as maids.

Compared to the Anjing Marquis Mansion, if these girls were to be left alone in other mansions, or even in brothels or taverns, who knows what kind of torture they would suffer.

"So what songs did you prepare?"

Lin Daiyu thought about asking them to order a few songs that were suitable for the occasion, but then she changed her mind and thought that this was their first time to sing a song. If she ordered songs that they were not familiar with, it would harm them instead, so she did not want to interfere too much.

Lingguan, who was very thoughtful, nodded repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, young lady, the play we sing will definitely be liked by Marquis Anjing."

"Oh?"

Lin Daiyu was stunned when she heard this. She didn't even dare to say that she could order a play that Brother Yue would definitely like, because Brother Yue had never been interested in these things and never went to brothels, so how could she order a play that he would definitely like?

At this moment, even Lin Daiyu couldn't help but become curious.

He wanted to ask, but didn't want to expose her beforehand, so he put on a smile and said, "Okay, I'm waiting for your good show. If anything goes wrong, I'll say a few good words for you."

Lingguan bowed, thanked, and then said goodbye and left.

But Lin Daiyu didn't notice that after Lingguan turned around, a blush appeared on her face, as radiant as a peach blossom.

……

"master."

Jia Yun took the reins in front of the garden gate, held the horse, and welcomed Yue Ling back.

Yue Ling dismounted and asked, "Sister Lin and the others have all moved in?"

Jia Yun nodded. "Yes, he moved in three days ago."

As the two men walked in, one in front of the other, Jia Yun reported again, "Master, many people have come to see you these past few days, and they have brought many gifts."

Yue Ling smiled and waved his hands, "Are they all from Jiangnan families?"

Jia Yun nodded. "Everything happened as the master expected. Most of the noble families, wealthy clans, gentry, merchants, and anyone with some respect in Jiangnan have been here."

Yue Ling nodded and said, "Don't worry about it. I will meet them later and return the gift."

"Yes."

When we walked to the second gate, there were already many young girls waiting behind the large screen in front of us.

Jia Yun tactfully said goodbye and left without disturbing him. Yue Ling, with a smile on his face, strode in.

No matter how powerful you are outside, it is not as good as being comfortable at home. Seeing these caring little girls again, Yue Ling was in a very good mood.

But after taking a quick look, Yue Ling always felt like something was wrong.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... ten, eleven? How come there are two more?"

Yue Ling was a little stunned for a moment. How come after he left home for a few days, a little girl automatically grew in his room, like weeds?
After taking a closer look, I was able to make out a female master wearing a cassock, who looked very familiar.

Yue Ling held his forehead helplessly. They let them and Miaoyu hide from the disaster for a few days, but they actually took Miaoyu back?
"The master is finally back, but we have been waiting for so long."

Qin Keqing rushed forward first, threw herself into Yue Ling's arms, and held Yue Ling's waist tightly without letting go.

Among the many shy little maids, she was the most open-minded.

Miaoyu and Qingwen, who had just arrived, couldn't help but raise their eyebrows. It seemed that the atmosphere in the Anjing Marquis' Mansion was indeed similar to what they had initially expected.

With Qin Keqing setting an example, the other little maids also gathered around and acted coquettishly. Yue Ling rubbed their heads one by one. After being intimate with each other, he walked past Xue Baochai and rubbed her head in the same way.

This shocked Xue Baochai greatly, and she looked at Yue Ling with wide eyes in astonishment.

She didn't expect that she would be treated the same as the maids. She just wanted to do her job and maintain the relationship between the Xue family and the Anjing Marquis's Mansion. In fact, in the eyes of Yue Ling, who had lived two lives, she was also a young girl, but she was stronger than the average girl.

"I met people from the second branch of the Xue family on the island, and they helped a lot. It was all thanks to you for coordinating it."

Xue Baochai lowered her head in shame, "That...that's what they should do."

Ying'er and Xiangling, who were standing behind Xue Baochai, looked at her with envy, which made Xue Baochai, who caught a glimpse of all this out of the corner of her eye, blush even more with embarrassment.

Xiangling and he had a history of love, but Yue Ling had not forgotten her. He pinched her cheeks, which looked like freshly peeled eggs, and pinched Ying'er as well.

The little maids lowered their heads shyly until Yue Ling came in front of Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu turned her head away angrily, but Yue Ling didn't care. Instead, he took out a ring from his arms, half-knelt on the ground, took Lin Daiyu's hand, and put it on her ring finger.

Feeling Yue Ling's movements, Lin Daiyu turned her head again, staring at Yue Ling's strange posture in confusion, and asked in confusion: "Brother Yue, what are you doing?"

Yue Ling thought for a moment and said, "Nothing, just a gift for you."

Lin Daiyu looked at her finger. There was a crystal clear gem on the ring, which looked even more dazzling under the sunlight.

But no one else has it, only she has it, and the envious looks from people around her really make her feel secretly happy.

Moreover, not only did Brother Yue give it to her, he also put it on her personally with some kind of ceremony. Even though she didn't know what the meaning was, she only knew that it was a deep love for her, a love that was unique to her.

The angry thoughts disappeared, and Lin Daiyu only felt the temperature on her face gradually rising, and she slowly lowered her head in shyness.

"The master is partial. Only Miss Lin has it, and we don't have it."

"Yes, yes, I am biased."

The maids started to make fun of her and made jokes, which made Lin Daiyu feel ashamed. She wanted to pull back Yue Ling's hand, but Yue Ling held it tightly and refused to let go.

Yue Ling stood up and asked with a relaxed look, "Is Nanny Wang not here?"

Lin Daiyu nodded and said, "My mother's death anniversary is at the end of the month. Nanny Wang has gone to the mausoleum to repair it."

Yue Ling understood a little, "Where is Miaoyu?"

"Yes, it was Nanny Wang who called them to sing the sutras."

The girls made way for Miaoyu and pushed her forward to meet Yue Ling, allowing her to perform well.

In the mountains, Miaoyu often took them out to play. Everyone liked Miaoyu very much. Although she looked a little cold at ordinary times, she was still nice to them.

There is no need to say much about the status of my master in the outside world. If he can get some benefits, wouldn't the increasingly dilapidated Panxiang Temple be able to rebuild its gate?

But they didn't know that Miaoyu and her master had a previous relationship.

Miaoyu was very embarrassed and dared not move forward, and even wanted to step back.

After witnessing Yue Ling's feelings for Lin Daiyu, she regretted her impulsiveness even more. It was true that she liked Yue Ling, but she didn't want to mess up other people's good marriages.

But the maid behind her stopped her and wouldn't let her retreat, so Miaoyu had no choice but to bite the bullet and said, "Meet the Marquis."

Yue Ling smiled and said, "Since you are here, you don't have to be too restrained. Your father's matter has come to an end, and you don't have to bear hatred and do some radical actions in the future. However, I see that the way you take revenge and repay kindness does not seem like you can practice Buddhism, but more like a child of the rivers and lakes."

"I'm sorry to trouble you with the matter concerning Sister Lin."

Miaoyu nodded slightly, breathed a sigh of relief, and her face looked a little gloomy.

After all, that was her first kiss. After the kiss, it faded away, leaving the girl with a restless heart.

But when she raised her head again, she saw Yue Ling subconsciously wiping his cheeks gently, as if it was the place she had kissed.

Miaoyu's eyes lit up and the little flame in her heart burned again.

Yue Ling didn't pay attention to all this. He looked at the little girl standing alone and asked, "Who is she?"

Lin Daiyu was still in a trance and didn't hear Yue Ling's words. Yue Ling couldn't help swinging his arm again. Lin Daiyu hurriedly said, "This is Qingwen. She was driven out by the second wife of the Jia family, so I arranged for her to work in the mansion."

"Qingwen?"

Yue Ling was startled, then he looked at the little girl's face carefully. Her eyebrows were as dark as distant ink and her lips were like cherries. She really looked a bit like Lin Daiyu.

Her appearance is first-rate, on par with Xiangling.

I still remember when Yue Ling first read "Dream of Red Mansions", everyone said that Qingwen was a girl with high aspirations but a fragile life.

He often thought that this sentence was mocking the little girl who had a miserable end, but after reading "Dream of Red Mansions" carefully, he no longer thought so.

In the competition for favor in the Yihong Courtyard, all the maids fought for their positions by relying on their bodies. Only Qingwen kept herself clean and pursued her independence and freedom. It was a pity that she was just a maid.

When the maids formed cliques and factions, she remained unmoved and continued to mend her golden pheasant fur coat while sick.

She originally thought that her loyal Baoyu would be able to protect her, but before she died, she only got a jacket from Baoyu, and after her death, she only got a poem of regret.

In this era, women's destiny is not in their own hands. If they trust the wrong people, their fate will be miserable.

There was nothing wrong with entering his door. Yue Ling just didn't want a maid who was going to cause trouble and get into tit-for-tat arguments with others.

Yue Ling frowned slightly and was struggling.

Qingwen thought that Yue Ling was dissatisfied with her, so she quickly bowed and made offerings, her face as silent as a mouse, not daring to speak a word.

Lin Daiyu also tried to smooth things over, saying, "Today is Brother Yue's triumphant return, and the celebration banquet has already been prepared. I also have a gift for Brother Yue."

This sentence immediately brought Yue Ling back to his senses, "Oh? There's also a gift for me, so I'll have to take a good look at it."

Yue Ling held Lin Daiyu's hand and walked into the hall. When they passed the threshold, they saw lanterns and decorations inside, and the atmosphere was as festive as if it were New Year's Day.

Incense burners were lit in the hall, and the fragrance lingered in all directions. There were two chairs under the table in the main hall, and Yue Ling naturally walked up with Lin Daiyu.

The women took their seats one by one, uncovered the food and delicacies prepared on the table, and the banquet began.

Such a grand banquet was rare even in the mansion. Yue Ling drank some wine after a long time and toasted with the girls.

Seeing Yue Ling in great spirits, Lin Daiyu felt relieved, but she also reminded him, "Brother Yue, don't drink too fast. Take care of yourself."

Yue Ling couldn't help laughing and said, "It's Sister Lin's turn to remind me to take care of myself."

Lin Daiyu raised her eyebrows, looking proud, "Of course, I am no longer that weak and fragile person."

"Also, there is a gift for Brother Yue later, but I prepared it carefully. How can Brother Yue appreciate it when he is drunk?"

"Oh, you want an evaluation?"

Lin Daiyu nodded solemnly.

Yue Ling listened to Lin Daiyu's advice, put down the wine cup, picked up the tea and said, "Well, have someone bring it up quickly."

After saying this, Lin Daiyu exchanged glances with Zijuan below.

Zijuan left the table, but before she could return to the hall, she nodded to Lin Daiyu.

This is the secret code between master and servant, and everything is complete.

Lin Daiyu felt relieved and looked outside the door with Yue Ling. A moment later, two groups of young girls filed in. After they entered the hall, the sound of stringed instruments was heard.

The little girls danced gracefully to the music, which was not a problem at the moment because they were all wearing wide skirts.

This was the result of the girls' discussion.

If she entered the venue wearing a thin skirt, the impact would definitely not be enough. If we follow the customs of An Jinghou's mansion, I believe An Jinghou would prefer the feeling of people slowly taking off their skirts.

In the hall, Lin Daiyu and Yue Ling were appreciating the performance together, frowning secretly, "It's a good dance, but is this what Brother Yue likes?"

But seeing that Yue Ling's face looked a little surprised, but he was watching attentively, he felt relieved.

In fact, Yue Ling was just a little surprised that Lin Daiyu would invite people to dance to entertain her as a gift.

After one song was finished, the style of the music changed and the soft music echoed in the hall.

Under the admiring gazes of the crowd, the girls suddenly untied the belts around their waists, and their skirts slipped off their shoulders, revealing their thin, transparent peach-colored gowns, revealing their graceful bodies...

Yue Ling took a sip of tea and spat it all out.

"Sister Lin, is this what you prepared?"

(End of this chapter)