Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 345 Lin Daiyu? Lin Qingtian!
The bed curtains hung down like clouds. On the brocade couch, Lin Daiyu lay on her side with a frown on her face, slightly lost in thought.

After seeing Lin Ruhai off, Yue Ling felt relieved. He sat down beside the bed and looked at Lin Daiyu's stagnant expression. He couldn't help but smile and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Lin Daiyu blinked and let out a long breath, "Of course I'm thinking about what Brother Yue and Dad just said."

Lin Daiyu moved her body and came out from under the brocade quilt, covering herself with her own small quilt tucked underneath.

After being stuck in the quilt for a while, Lin Daiyu, whose body was cold, began to sweat. As soon as she lifted the quilt, the refreshing fragrance went straight into Yue Ling's nostrils, which was really refreshing.

Lin Daiyu didn't pay much attention to it. She gathered her slightly messy hair behind her ears, and moved her long hair aside to avoid being pressed by Yue Ling.

All their movements were very skillful, just like an old couple who have been together for a long time.

But in fact, the two of them are really innocent.

Yue Ling watched Lin Daiyu's actions and couldn't stop swallowing his saliva. After being distracted for a while, he took off his court boots and lay down on the bed with her.

As the days passed, Lin Daiyu, who was approaching marriageable age, seemed to have sprouted new branches and became more and more beautiful.

In the old days, Yue Ling could still deceive himself and think that she was just a little kid, but in this era, women over the age of 28 are considered childbearing. If Prime Minister Cao loves someone else's wife, she is actually just a young woman under 30, not a middle-aged woman.

Yue Ling must have enough self-control to be able to lie with a girl as beautiful as Lin Daiyu all day long without having any bad thoughts.

"Oh, if Lord Lin knew that the person in this room was actually Miss Lin, I'm afraid there would be another scene of chaos that could not be resolved."

After thinking it over, Yue Ling finally suggested to Lin Daiyu: "Look, there is official business to be done. I am afraid your father will come to this courtyard often in the future. If one day, before you enter the door, you bump into each other, where should you hide?"

"In the future, you should be more cautious and come here less..."

Lin Daiyu looked away, not caring about Yue Ling's suggestion, and responded casually: "It's the New Year soon, and Dad doesn't have to do any work. Can he come here all day? Brother Yue is just worried about some unimportant things. It's better to care about something serious."

"I just listened to what you and Dad said, and I also think there are many doubts. I didn't go with you, so I don't know which details were missed. Brother Yue, why don't you tell me how you found the body in the salt warehouse."

Yue Ling wanted Lin Daiyu to keep some distance from him, and he also wanted to protect himself so that he wouldn't make any mistakes one day. However, Lin Daiyu ignored him and turned the topic back to business.

"What is this, a happy trouble?" Yue Ling secretly complained in his heart, lying flat on the couch, not turning his head to look at Lin Daiyu who was lying on the side, and holding his breath, not deliberately feeling the smell of Lin Daiyu, so that his mood gradually calmed down.

Seeing Yue Ling taking deep breaths beside him, Lin Daiyu focused on her father's case. She raised her hand and waved it in front of Yue Ling's eyes, wondering, "Brother Yue, why are you ignoring me?"

"Let me think... where to start."

The cuffs fluttered, and the familiar smell came to my face again.

Yue Ling hurriedly grabbed her wrist and tucked it back to where it was originally supposed to be.

"Just now you said that the mention of dead bodies made you sleep uneasy. Now you deliberately ask me about it. Aren't you afraid anymore?"

Before telling the story, Yue Ling couldn't help but ask a few more questions.

Lin Daiyu seemed to have expected him to ask this question. She reached out her hand and put it around Yue Ling's arm, smiling and saying, "With Brother Yue by my side, I won't be afraid of any evildoers."

Yue Ling was almost attracted to this annoying little devil. He had no choice but to tell the whole story of the investigation.

"Speaking of the dead bodies in the salt warehouse, they were actually hidden quite secretly. The bodies were found under a pile of salt slag. Because of the salt pickling effect, the original smell of the decayed bodies was covered up, so the people in the warehouse didn't notice it. Even I didn't notice anything strange at first. I noticed it accidentally."

"Therefore, it was concluded that this case was committed by the servants under the orders of the head of the Bao family, otherwise it would not have been done so meticulously."

"As for how I found the body, I saw ants crawling on the ground, and I couldn't lure them to the route I wanted with food."

"Ants forage for food instinctively, and it is not affected by food. So there must be something on the ground that can affect its instinct."

"There are many such substances, water, acid, etc."

"It just so happened that after the body was buried, the acid produced by the pickling affected the soil environment on the ground, causing the ants to instinctively avoid that location, so they dug deeper and found the body."

"When Lord Lin came just now, he talked about what happened after the autopsy. You heard it all."

Lin Daiyu frowned slightly, raised her nose, and thought seriously.

The room was filled with Lin Daiyu's body fragrance, an orchid-like scent that Yue Ling could still clearly recognize even though he had smelled it for several years.

Lying flat on the bed, Yue Ling kept silently chanting "Amitabha" in his heart.

"I should have gone to Miaoyu to learn the Pure Heart Sutra earlier. Can chanting sutras help calm my mind? Speaking of which, I don't know what happened to Miaoyu later. I asked Governor Su to take care of Panxiang Temple. I think she won't live such a hard life."

After a while, Lin Daiyu slowly said, "I hold the same view as Brother Yue. I'm afraid there is another murderer behind this case."

Yue Ling came back to his senses and turned his head to ask Lin Daiyu beside him, "Why are you so sure that the case was not committed by the head of the Bao family, but by someone else?"

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips and drew random circles in the air with her scallion-white fingers. "According to Brother Yue's reasoning, working backwards from the beneficiaries is indeed a way of thinking."

"However, I think the loophole in the case lies in the process of finding the body."

"The body was indeed hidden without leaving any traces, but why would there be an ant nest in such a sealed salt warehouse?"

"According to what I know, before the salt depot is built, the soil will be compacted and deliberately raised to at least the height of a wheel hub above the ground."

"Also, we need to add plant ash into the foundation and compact it to make it smooth, which can prevent moisture and insects."

"As a salt merchant family that has been passed down for generations, the Bao family shouldn't have such a mistake in their salt warehouse, so I guess someone left this clue for Brother Yue on purpose."

"But the mastermind behind this certainly cannot be sure who is investigating the case. With just this little clue, not everyone can find the place where the body is buried. If it weren't for someone as wise as Brother Yue, it would take who knows how long it would take for others to uncover the mystery of the dead body."

"It can be seen from this that if there is a mastermind behind this case, he must have also placed clues that are easier to find and point to this body as the final evidence of the crime."

"Moreover, in the worst case scenario, some people may even cooperate with all this to pursue their desired interests."

"The Bao family is one of the best among the eight major salt merchants in Lianghuai, and there are many people who are jealous. There are too many people with motives, and it is not easy to target them."

"I am now wondering how I can find the real culprit behind this."

Listening to Lin Daiyu's well-reasoned analysis, Yue Ling's expression became more and more interesting. When she finished speaking, Yue Ling couldn't help but rub her cheeks which still had baby fat.

"That's right. When I first discovered the ant nest, I was a little surprised. It turns out that someone might have taken advantage of it. This is what Sister Lin analyzed."

"I think we can wait and see. First, save the life of the head of the Bao family and prevent the case from being confirmed too early. Second, wait for the progress of the case in the government office and see if anyone among the people they arrest will provide clues that are more convenient for conviction. Then we can follow the clues and find the loopholes."

Lin Daiyu pushed Yue Ling's hand away, pouted her lips, and said with a little dissatisfaction: "I'm not a child anymore."

Yue Ling rubbed Lin Daiyu's head and said, "She is indeed not a child anymore. She can already judge cases in court. There is a judge named Lin in Yangzhou who is impartial and can distinguish between loyalty and treachery~"

Yue Ling sang a line in a pretentious voice, which made Lin Daiyu giggle again.

"When did Brother Yue learn to sing opera with Lingguan and the others? You are using it to tease me. You are a bad guy. I will ignore you."

However, under the brocade quilt, Lin Daiyu's flawless white feet were slightly raised, and she shook happily a few times as she secretly felt happy.

"I was just praising Sister Lin for her intelligence. How could you ignore me? I will be waiting for you in the room at this time tomorrow."

"You're not going to chase me away?"

"Of course I don't want to send Sister Lin away."

"That's pretty much it!"

…Early the next morning, after the cocks had crowed three times, the door of the remote courtyard was pushed open from the inside.

Lin Daiyu yawned, holding a set of clothes of a maid in the Anjing Marquis Mansion, and carefully closed the door again.

The days are short in winter and it is still dark at this time. You can even see the outline of a full moon in the west.

A slight cool breeze blew by, causing Lin Daiyu to shiver uncontrollably and her head became clearer.

In order to spend more time with Yue Ling every day, Lin Daiyu came late and left early. She was very excited when she came and a little disappointed when she left.

Fortunately, after resting for a few hours, I can come back again.

For fear of being discovered, Lin Daiyu did not dare to carry a lantern and had to move forward in the dark. After taking a few steps, before she stepped out of the yard, she saw a figure blocking the way in front of her, which really scared her.

"Who?"

Her voice was trembling with fear. Only when the person came closer and his outline became visible did Lin Daiyu breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's Xiangling, why are you up so early?"

Lin Daiyu asked in confusion.

Xiangling spoke in a soft Wu dialect and replied softly, "I know Miss Lin is going back. It's getting later and later in the day, so it must be inconvenient for her to go back, so I'm waiting here to accompany her."

Lin Daiyu's face lit up with joy. With Xiangling by her side, as long as she entered the second gate, she could say to everyone she met that she was strolling around the garden. She didn't have to hide from place to place.

"Okay, thank you for your help, let's go."

Xiangling nodded and supported Lin Daiyu as they moved forward.

Lin Daiyu whispered again: "Brother Yue is very tired and is still sleeping soundly in his room. When you come back, don't wake him up. Let him sleep a little longer. I will ask the kitchen lady to leave some food for him."

Xiangling responded, "Okay."

The two of them walked forward together, passed through the sparsely populated hall, took the small path and entered the inner curtain. Both of them felt a little relieved.

Walking around the garden, the two of them took a leisurely walk. Lin Daiyu opened her cherry lips and asked curiously, "I come to see Brother Yue every day, but has it ruined the good time you and Brother Yue have been getting along with?"

Xiangling's face was filled with bitterness, and she kept saying, "Young lady, what are you talking about? I am just a maid, how could I have such thoughts? Even being chosen to serve the Marquis is already a great thing that I can't ask for more."

"Even so, I don't know how many people envy me. I don't even dare to talk to Sister Keqing and the others recently."

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth and chuckled, thinking to herself, "Xiangling is a bit of a fool, so naive and silly."

Taking Xiangling's hand, Lin Daiyu comforted her, "I am really envious, but I am not jealous. I like you all the most. I allow you to make noises every day because you are not too scheming and will not compare with each other secretly."

"You can go and talk to them. They will only tease you, but they can't really hurt you or get mad at you. If you're bored, go and talk to them."

"Brother Yue lives in a remote place. It's all my father's fault. I wonder what he thinks."

Xiangling silently took note of Lin Daiyu's words. As for Lin Daiyu's complaints about her father, she didn't dare to respond and could only pretend not to hear it.

The two walked for a while longer, and sent Lin Daiyu to her door. Xiangling bowed and said goodbye, "Miss, I'm going back now."

Lin Daiyu smiled and waved her hand, then pushed the door and walked into the room.

As soon as he entered the room, Qingwen, who was crawling like an ant on the floor, immediately rushed over.

"Miss, you are finally back. Nanny Wang came several times just now, saying that she had something to say, but Sister Zijuan always blocked her by saying that you haven't gotten up yet."

"If the young lady doesn't come back, and Nanny Wang comes to investigate, the whole matter will be exposed."

"When the time comes, what shall we do..."

Zijuan also said with some concern: "Looking at Nanny Wang's expression, it seems to be about the girl going out. Could she have found out?"

After stuffing the clothes back into Qingwen's arms, Lin Daiyu shook her head confidently, "Why make a fuss? She won't notice. Mother Wang is old and weak. She goes to bed early at night and gets up early in the morning."

"Since you have something to say, it's just that Dad sent me here to pass on the message. Qingwen, please go to the separate room and take shelter. Sister Zijuan, please let Madam Wang come in."

"it is good."

They both agreed, and soon Nanny Wang was called into the room.

Nanny Wang, who came in, seemed to be a newcomer. She looked around, not knowing what she was looking for.

Finally, his eyes fell on Lin Daiyu, who was dressing in front of the mirror, and he looked her up and down.

"Mother Wang, please come in and sit down."

Led by Zijuan, Nanny Wang walked past the large floor-standing vase and came to the inner room. She did not notice anything unusual about Lin Daiyu, so she breathed a sigh of relief and then slowly expressed her intention.

"Miss, I'm here to pass on a message for the master. There is a maid in the Anjing Marquis's mansion who looks a bit like you. The master wants that girl to be sent to the room to serve the young lady, and not to serve beside the marquis, so as not to cause criticism."

Lin Daiyu was smiling, but she frowned after hearing this, and said with a pursed mouth: "What kind of logic is this? Qingwen is a maid in the Anjing Marquis's mansion, and she is still under the discipline of her father? Criticism, whose criticism? They are all people in the mansion. When did the Lin family have people who gossip? Mother Wang, do you understand?"

Nanny Wang shuddered, not knowing when her daughter had become so sharp-tongued. She waved her hands quickly and said, "I, an old woman, am definitely not the one gossiping behind others' backs. Otherwise, otherwise..."

Nanny Wang stretched out her five fingers with difficulty and wanted to swear to the sky.

Lin Daiyu softened her tone again and sighed, "Mom, you don't have to be like this. I trust you. Now, Dad is already paranoid. Even if Brother Yue has a straw man in the yard that looks like me, should we pull it out?"

"He is so boring and doesn't pay attention to his work."

Nanny Wang then made up for Lin Ruhai, "The master also has his concerns. Being a parent is not an easy thing. I hope the young lady can be more understanding."

Lin Daiyu pouted and said, "Well, how can I not listen to Daddy? Go back and tell Daddy that I know and will keep Qingwen in the room."

The huge stone on his shoulders suddenly fell. Even if the girl was dissatisfied, she listened to the master. And being caught in the middle, he was able to not offend either side.

Nanny Wang breathed a sigh of relief and felt much lighter.

"Without that girl in the room as the girl's substitute, it will be difficult for the girl to sneak around to look for the Marquis in the future. This is the best of both worlds, the best of both worlds!"

While Lin Daiyu hadn't changed her mind, Nanny Wang suppressed her joy and said, "In that case, I won't bother you anymore."

Lin Daiyu nodded, and when Nanny Wang was about to leave, she suddenly said, "Inform the kitchen that Brother Yue got up late today, so leave some breakfast for him."

Nanny Wang paused, her face dull, her heart filled with bitterness, she could not help complaining, "Young lady, you should at least pretend in front of us. You just got up in your room to put on your makeup, how do you know about Marquis Anjing's affairs? If you don't even pretend, how can I live with myself?"

After a while, Lin Daiyu suddenly realized that her previous words had too many loopholes, so she changed her words and said, "Xiangling, who was serving Brother Yue, came here just now. She doesn't know the way to the kitchen. Please tell her mother for her."

Nanny Wang was helpless. As an old man with half of his body buried in the ground, he had to pretend to be ignorant in front of the girl. "Okay, I'll go now."

Having said that, Nanny Wang left quickly.

Not long after I left the room, Qingwen, who was hiding in the compartment, came over and asked with a little concern: "Miss, since you want to keep me in this room, no one can pretend to be you and lie on the bed. What if we check the rooms and the people are not in the right place?"

A hairpin was passed through her bun. Lin Daiyu raised her hand to adjust it. She was very satisfied with the makeup Zijuan had done for her and a smile appeared on her face.

Her bright eyes turned around, and she had an idea about what Qingwen said, "Qingwen, go and call Lingguan from the opera troupe to come to the room."

(End of this chapter)