Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 325: The moral atmosphere was corrupted by you two?

Only after walking through a long corridor and passing through a hall can you reach the most remote corner of the courtyard.

In this large house with four courtyards, even the kitchen in one of the courtyards is very grand, with three double doors for ventilation. There are also several storehouses, firewood rooms and other supporting facilities, and a small vegetable garden at the back. The layout is very exquisite.

Normally, there would be no less than ten servants busy here, but today was Marquis Anjing's first day back, so the servants were sent out first, leaving only some close people to work in the yard.

This gave Qin Keqing an opportunity.

Xue Baochai walked all the way here alone. She vaguely guessed that Qin Keqing might have something to say, so she wanted to avoid being seen and asked her to come to the kitchen.

There are many places to stay away from the eyes of others, but she couldn't understand why she had to come to the kitchen.

After thinking it over, Xue Baochai was startled and said, "She is not going to drug the Marquis, is she?"

With a slight movement in her throat, Xue Baochai pushed open the door of the kitchen and took a few steps forward, only to hear some heavy breathing.

Some heavy work is required here, so it is not surprising to hear panting sounds. But what is strange is that the sound seems to come from a man. You know, there is only one man in this yard.

Xue Baochai was a little stunned, thinking that she had misheard. She stopped and listened carefully again. Not only did she hear the panting sound, but she also heard the conversation inside.

"Get up and lie down here."

"I've been waiting for so long, Master, please come soon..."

This dialogue and this plot seemed familiar to Xue Baochai. Her brain was working rapidly, and she realized that she had indeed seen them in Qin Keqing's articles.

Thinking of this, Xue Baochai's face quickly turned red, and she couldn't help but secretly spit: "This slut, she asked me to come here, and she actually did this kind of thing with the Marquis!"

But Xue Baochai is now in a dilemma.

If she took a step forward and was discovered, she would be ashamed, but if she took a step back, she would miss the opportunity to see the scene in her dream.

After thinking about it for a while, the noise in the room became louder and louder.

"She called me here, so she must have known I was coming. If I retreat, I will have no way to defend myself. I might as well go and take a look to see what tricks she is playing."

Holding her breath, Xue Baochai tiptoed to the window.

She had lived an upright life and had never done anything sneaky like this, which made her feel even more uneasy.

When I looked inside, I saw a scene that was truly appalling.

White steam was still coming out of the steamer nearby, and Qin Keqing was lying on Yue Ling's shoulder with a flushed face, her eyes were blurred and she looked very intoxicated.

Yue Ling's upper body was naked. His well-defined muscles, broad arms, and the dimples on his waist when he exerted force made Xue Baochai swallow her saliva.

Because of the battlefields in the past, there are still a few scars on his body, which serve as embellishments and add a bit of masculinity.

Perhaps because she had too many dreams last night, Xue Baochai's body became very sensitive early this morning. Looking at Qin Keqing's heavy breathing, her breathing gradually became consistent with hers, and her hand could not help but slowly reach under her skirt.

Just when she was feeling intoxicated, Xue Baochai suddenly came to her senses and found Qin Keqing leaning on Yue Ling and smiling at her. That smile was somewhat cunning and charming, which made Xue Baochai feel ashamed and she wanted to escape quickly.

Then I heard someone inside say, "Master, you must be tired. Let me come from behind."

Seeing that Yue Ling was about to turn around, Xue Baochai quickly squatted down, covered her mouth and nose with both hands, and tried her best not to make any sound.

But things did not go as planned. He took a step and kicked a stone, which rolled past the door.

Xue Baochai trembled and almost fell to the ground. Then she heard a male voice from inside, "Huh? Why is there someone here?"

Qin Keqing hugged Yue Ling's waist and said with a smile: "How could there be anyone here? It must be a cat that smelled the fishy smell and was looking for food early in the morning."

Yue Ling didn't believe it and frowned. After all, having sex here was against morals. "Let's stop here. I'd better go and see first. Why is there a cat in this garden?"

Qin Keqing did not let go and continued, "This Canglang Garden has been closed for a long time. There are not many people here. Isn't it normal for there to be some small animals?"

"There are quite a few prickly balls in the yard, and chinchillas, and cats are not uncommon, right?"

The last two words were spoken a few cents more, as if they were not meant for Yue Ling to hear, but for Xue Baochai who was outside the door.

Xue Baochai was so anxious that her cheeks were about to bleed. She could only purse her lips and imitate the cat's meow a few times, "Meow, meow, meow..."

If Qin Keqing hadn't been busy at the moment, she would have fallen to the ground laughing.

Who would have thought that Xue Baochai, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, the current helmsman of the Xue family, who owns the largest business in the capital and is befriended by many dignitaries for shopping convenience, would peek at pornographic scenes outside the window and even imitate the meow of a cat?
Qin Keqing felt much better immediately. She curled her lips in satisfaction and thought to herself, "I'll see if you dare to use your pigtail to threaten me again. If what happened today gets out, I don't see how you can stay in your room anymore."

With Xue Baochai's help, Qin Keqing worked even harder, using both her hands and head to free Yue Ling.

But at this moment, the voices of the little girls were heard outside the door.

"Hey, I haven't seen my sister for a while. Have you seen her?"

"Didn't see it."

"Ying'er, did you see it?"

"That's exactly what I'm looking for. My daughter was invited here by Sister Keqing, and she hasn't gone home yet. It's almost time for breakfast."

"That's great. Take the breakfast up with you."

"Xiangling, why are you standing here instead of going in? What's going on in there?"

"Shh..."

Yue Ling widened his eyes, wiped them quickly with a handkerchief beside him, and put on his clothes.

Judging from the girls' tone, Xiangling seemed to have been outside the door the whole time, and didn't come in because she knew something was going on inside.

Yue Ling immediately felt extremely regretful. He really shouldn't listen to this vixen. She only cared about those things. How could she possibly take other things into consideration?

Fortunately, there is only one Xiangling, so it is easier to deal with her, and she is not a gossiper.

But Qin Keqing, who also heard the noise, was already panicking. Things seemed to be developing in an uncontrollable direction.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get dressed. The cakes in the steamer are almost ready. Take them out in a while."

After giving the order, Yue Ling wanted to go out. Qin Keqing came to her senses and wanted to hold Yue Ling back, but it was too late.

After crossing the threshold, Yue Ling looked up and bumped head-on into Xue Baochai who had just stood up.

Xue Baochai's face flushed red, and the strange fragrance on her body became even stronger. Even in the kitchen with a strong smell of firewood, it was clearly discernible.

Yue Ling seemed to have a sudden burst of thunder in his head, and was stunned on the spot.

"You, why are you here?"

Xue Baochai lowered her head slightly, hesitating and not knowing how to respond.

"Did you see everything?"

Xue Baochai closed her eyes tightly, wishing she could turn into a wisp of dust and disappear.

But when she opened her eyes, Yue Ling's slightly messy trouser legs were still so eye-catching. Xue Baochai suppressed her shame and had to lower her head and nod.

At this moment, the little girls also rushed into the courtyard together.

"master?"

"Master Hou?"

"Girls? What are you doing?"

"Is your sister here?"

Many maids looked at Xiangling who had arrived earlier than them, "What happened to them? Did they quarrel?"

Xiangling blushed even more, "It's not quarreling, it's..."

"What is it?"

Xiangling couldn't stand the crowd's tugging and could only moan, "It's the part about the kitchen in the newspaper..."

"what?"

The maids were stunned on the spot. Xue Baochai and Qin Keqing, who arrived late, were also stunned. Only Yue Ling, who was a little thick-skinned, bit the bullet and said to the maids, "I made cakes for you. Go and get them in the hall."

Ying'er asked tentatively, "My Lord, is that cake edible? Does it have any strange taste?"

Yue Ling was speechless for a moment, and said helplessly: "Of course I can... I haven't... No, forget it, you will know after you try it."

Although having sex in broad daylight is not a good thing, these girls are all family members, and what happens in the bedroom has often spread out. Outsiders don't know about it, so Yue Ling doesn't care.

But he really didn't expect that Xue Baochai had a habit of eavesdropping, and he couldn't help but look at her a few more times.

Xue Baochai was already feeling ashamed. She was the most unpopular person here.

Qin Keqing did get some benefits after all, but she was just a spectator outside and she didn't expect that someone was watching her from behind.

Then weren't all her shameful actions seen by Xiangling?

Xue Baochai felt that she had no choice but to move out. She no longer had the face to stay any longer. If Lin Daiyu heard about all this, what would she think of her?

……

East wing room,
Lin Daiyu came back early in the morning, and after washing up, she sat at the table in a daze, covering her face with her hands, her heart full of shame.

"I am getting closer and closer to Brother Yue. What should I do? Before, when Brother Yue held my hand, I felt uneasy inside, but now I just feel comfortable. I even feel safe when I hold Brother Yue's arm in my arms when I sleep."

She always felt that things were developing in a direction that was out of control. She even said at the end that if Yue Ling wanted to sleep in the same bed with her, he only needed to discuss it with her.

Is this what you call self-control?
It seemed as if all the etiquette I had learned since childhood was invalid in front of Yue Ling.

However, these things are only known to the two of them, so it doesn't matter, right?

Lin Daiyu comforted herself in her heart, but always felt that her actions were a little out of line, and for a moment she didn't know how to deal with this subtle change.

"Miss, Qingwen is here to call you."

Lin Daiyu collected her thoughts and nodded, saying, "Okay, you and Xueyan go outside to help. I'll have a few words with her."

Zijuan agreed and left with Xueyan.

Qingwen stood in front of Lin Daiyu very stiffly, clasped her hands in front of her and bowed slightly.

"Meet Miss Lin."

Lin Daiyu waved her hand and asked her to come closer and sit on a small stool beside her. Qingwen felt relieved and sat down in front of Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu pondered and asked, "The troupe sang such a disgusting piece of music yesterday. It is not the usual custom of the Anjing Marquis's Mansion. Please don't be surprised. I don't know why things turned out like that."

"Brother Yue's cold attitude towards you is definitely not because of this kind of thing, so don't worry."

Qingwen nodded, "Thank you for your comfort, young lady."

Lin Daiyu asked again: "I heard that you made a set of clothes for Brother Yue, and wanted to have a set of clothes for spring, summer, autumn and winter. Are you still working on it?"

Qingwen still nodded, "I'm working on it. I've made the lining for spring."

Lin Daiyu nodded with relief, "You have such a kind heart, Brother Yue will not treat you unfairly. The mansion is different from the Rongguo Mansion. They can distinguish right from wrong and will not wrongly accuse anyone. You just need to work hard and don't worry about other things."

"it is good."

Changing the subject, Lin Daiyu continued, "I have something to ask you. If you know the answer, please tell me the truth."

Qingwen had always wanted to have a chance to show off and better integrate into this mansion, so she naturally knew but did not say, and said but did not say everything. "Miss, please feel free to ask, I will not hide anything."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, "Lingguan said that they found a vulgar book in the room you left, and they thought it was the preference of the Anjing Marquis's Mansion. Do you know who the book belongs to and where it came from?"

Qingwen was startled and stammered, "This, this..."

Lin Daiyu frowned slightly and said, "When I asked Zijuan, she also said she didn't know and she wasn't there. But as far as I know, you were there. Do you really want to hide it?"

How could Qingwen dare to do that? Being loyal to the master was the only way out for a servant, but she was also unwilling to betray her friend.

After a struggle between the human and the divine in her mind, Qingwen thought that according to Lin Daiyu's temper, she would not punish anyone, so she said weakly: "There is such a thing, and it all started with Miss Qin..."

"Sister Ke'er?"

Lin Daiyu muttered in astonishment.

"Yes, Miss Qin has a pen name outside, called 'Master of Qimengxuan', and is now the most popular writer in Suzhou City."

Lin Daiyu laughed when she heard this and said, "She? A scholar? I asked you to tell the truth, but I didn't ask you to make it up. How can she be related to a scholar?"

Qingwen's eyes turned red with anxiety. "Miss, please believe me and listen to me..."

As the topic deepened, Lin Daiyu finally understood how Qin Keqing got the title of the most popular writer.

Lin Daiyu's face became more and more ashamed and angry. "How dare she do this? If outsiders knew about it, wouldn't it ruin the atmosphere of the Anjing Marquis's mansion? How would outsiders view Brother Yue?"

"It would be fine if he just messed around in the room, but he even wrote an article openly."

"No, who published that newspaper? If she wasn't one of us, how could she have kept her identity secret for so long?"

Lin Daiyu thought about it and realized the trick. She said angrily, "Well, this must be Sister Bao's handiwork. She is using this to make money and make her newspaper famous."

"This official newspaper may seem like an insignificant thing, but if the people read it as a trend and believe everything in it, wouldn't it be a powerful tool to confuse right and wrong in the future?"

Qingwen could hardly understand Lin Daiyu's mumbling, so she just sat aside with her head down, praying for the little maids.

At the right moment, Zijuan came running back from outside and said, "Miss, it's bad. Everyone is blocking the kitchen. It seems something big has happened."

"problem occurs?"

Lin Daiyu was full of anger, and had nowhere to vent it, so she stood up and said, "Let's go and take a look."

"it is good."

Zijuan nodded and followed Lin Daiyu.

But before she crossed the threshold, Lin Daiyu turned around and glared at Zijuan, sneering, "I treated you as my sister, and I told you earlier that there was no need to hide anything. You actually kept reading that kind of newspaper from me. I really thought you were diligent and studious."

"what?"

Zijuan turned around and glanced at Qingwen, who was extremely ashamed, and guessed everything. She could only say angrily: "I didn't mean to hide it from you, but it's polluted to read such filthy articles."

"The young lady prefers poetry and songs. If I insist on presenting these to her, it would be annoying, but she wouldn't like them either."

Lin Daiyu pouted and said, "You know all about the filthiness, yet some people still want to write about it."

Zijuan was shocked, it turned out that Lin Daiyu knew everything.

……

Kitchen,

Yue Ling gave a few instructions and was about to retreat quickly.

Anyway, if there are too many lice, you don't have to be afraid of them biting you. So he just knew it. This silly Ying'er had misunderstood him many times in the past, so he didn't want to make any excuses.

Moreover, there is Xue Baochai, who is caught in the middle and attracts more attention. The little girls have already gathered around her.

Yue Ling couldn't help but smile, thinking to himself, "I never thought Xue Baochai would be such a person. I wish her the best."

Just as he was about to go out, Yue Ling hung his feet on the door sill, not knowing whether he should put them down.

Not far away, Lin Daiyu was seen walking towards him with a frown on her face.

"Brother Yue, what are you doing?"

"I……"

Yue Ling felt very guilty and didn't know how to explain for a moment.

Lin Daiyu glared at him and then looked inside at the scene. She didn't expect that there were so many people here. Watching the fun really made the idle maids in the room enjoy it.

Lin Daiyu took a deep breath and snorted, "I'll settle the score with you later."

When Lin Daiyu saw that Qin Keqing's clothes were a little untidy and there was a little sparkle at the corners of her mouth, she knew what was going on.

But Yue Ling had just returned from the military camp, and he was full of anger and had no place to vent it. He had spent the entire night with her and had never been frivolous to her. He had always behaved well, so it was not easy for Lin Daiyu to blame him for anything.

After the war, it became a common practice for soldiers to go to prostitutes. What's worse, the government troops were like bandits, looting wherever they went and raping women was a common occurrence.

This makes Yue Ling seem like a clear stream among them, and he doesn't fit in.

There's nothing wrong with being a little ridiculous at home.

Her gaze turned to Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai's faces. Lin Daiyu narrowed her eyes slightly and was so angry that she didn't know where to start.

When they saw Lin Daiyu coming, Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai looked like they had done something wrong. They lowered their heads and said nothing, just standing there obediently.

The little girls formed a circle, and were so silent that they dared not speak.

Finally, Xue Baochai said, "Sister Lin, things are not what you think. I..."

Lin Daiyu asked, "What's the matter with the court report, and who is 'Master of Qimeng Pavilion'?"

Hearing that Lin Daiyu did not talk about today's events, but asked about the court report, everyone became panicked, and the little maids even stared with their eyes wide open and their mouths opened in surprise.

Only Yue Ling was confused. What was the official report? What was the Master Xuan? How come he had never heard of them?

Qin Keqing was startled. She thought she could get away with it by just apologizing to Lin Daiyu and promising to behave herself and not indulge in sexual activities in broad daylight. However, she didn't expect that Lin Daiyu would hit her weakest point and she couldn't help but lower her body a few inches.

"Sister Bao, you did a good thing. You actually made money together with Sister Ke'er. If outsiders knew that this money came from our Anjing Marquis Mansion, how would they view it? Have you thought about it?"

"You two are still enjoying this. Not only can you write articles that can be published as books, but you are also experiencing it here today. Is it you two who have corrupted the atmosphere of this mansion?"

The two were speechless and could only sigh deeply.

Lin Daiyu looked around and saw the maids with different expressions. She said, "And you guys, you don't learn the right way all day long, and you secretly buy books and pass them around. I really don't know what's in your little heads."

"what?"

Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai looked at each other, then looked at the little maids who were watching the fun and were also affected. They all lowered their heads in shame.

"You all know?"

Qin Keqing looked at the pearls in disbelief.

Ruizhu had no choice but to say, "We have all read the booklet written by my sister..."

The whole place was destroyed, and no one survived.

Lin Daiyu's sense of shame and guilt this morning was swept away, not only because the embarrassing things done by others were more embarrassing, but also because these little girls were more indecent. She was the most self-restrained one in the mansion and was worthy of being the housekeeper.

After listening for a long time, Yue Ling finally understood what had happened.

It turned out that Xue Baochai was distributing newspapers and asked Qin Keqing to be the writer. She published short articles in the newspapers to attract readers and quickly seize the market.

In fact, the control of the court gazette is the control of public opinion in the feudal period. This will be beneficial to the propaganda for the general public that Yue Ling will formulate next.

And in fact, reputation is not that important to the Anjing Marquis Mansion.

Not to mention that the Anjing Marquis Mansion is strictly speaking a military general's residence, not a place for civil officials to maintain integrity. For Yue Ling, some stigma is actually a good thing at this stage.

What's more, it's not that what he did was really absurd, it just became a topic of conversation among people after dinner and did not have any impact on his deeds.

Yue Ling thought for a moment, then walked closer and asked, "Miss Bao, how much money did you make from this report?"

Xue Baochai said in a whimper, "Since the publication till today, there have been thirty-four issues, with a total profit of five thousand seven hundred taels..."

"What? More than five thousand taels, and you only gave me less than two hundred taels?"

Qin Keqing stood up with her teeth bared, and was about to fight with Xue Baochai. Xue Baochai raised her hand to block her and said hurriedly, "Then there are others who have contributed. There are hundreds of people in Fenghao who have contributed, not just you. You have taken the most."

The girls couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Lin Daiyu couldn't help laughing. Looking at the funny looks of the two people, the corners of her mouth curled up.

Yue Ling smiled and said, "That's actually quite a bit. The official report is a good thing. I wanted to do it but didn't have time for it. I didn't expect you to think more about it. It will play a big role in the future."

"It's a good thing that the mansion can increase income. Although we have enough food and clothing, we will eventually run out of money. Moreover, I now command an army, and I have to spend some money to reward the soldiers. These are all expenses."

"This is a way to make money in the future. We can try it again."

"But Sister Lin is right. You can't indulge in it all day long, right? There are so many little girls with messy hair. It's strange to see so many of them."

(End of this chapter)