Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 352 Brother Yue, you are so bad!

The originally noisy sounds in the room gradually died down after Lin Ruhai shouted at them.

But when everyone looked at Lin Ruhai's face again, they saw that his beard and eyebrows were dyed white with flour, as if he had put on foundation like in an opera, and they couldn't help laughing.

This funny look is quite different from the usually serious Censor Lin.

Lin Daiyu withdrew her hand awkwardly, and said with an awkward smile: "Dad, you are back. It's... time for dinner. I was just about to go look for you."

Taking a handkerchief from the side, Lin Ruhai wiped his face and frowned deeply.

In front of him, there was Yue Ling with an innocent face and a girl smiling awkwardly, which really made Lin Ruhai feel overwhelmed.

These two people seem to be well-behaved on the surface, but when he is not around, they can play around without restraint. I wonder how much more unruly they will be when they live together.

But Lin Ruhai was powerless to change it. He thought it was just a waste of time. He sighed and decided not to bother about it. "Although there are no outsiders in the mansion, you can't make such a mess in the hall. Clean it up and call me for dinner later."

"Yue Ling, come and take a walk with me."

"Ah I?"

Yue Ling was a little surprised when Lin Ruhai called his name. He turned around to look at Lin Daiyu, only to see her sticking out her tongue, making faces, and smiling with a gloating look on her face.

Yue Ling smiled helplessly, followed Lin Ruhai and walked out of the lobby.

The Lin Mansion is a typical Jiangnan garden style. As soon as you exit the lobby, you can walk up to a corridor and directly come to the pavilion in the center of the pond.

Yue Ling was walking behind Lin Ruhai, but Lin Ruhai suddenly stopped under the eaves.

"Brother, do you want to ask about the case?"

Lin Ruhai held onto the railing and shook his head, saying, "No."

It was New Year's Eve, the temperature suddenly dropped, and snowflakes slowly floated down from the sky, falling on the branches and seeping into the pond.

Lin Ruhai exhaled white air, but his thoughts had already drifted away. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "When Yu'er left the mansion, it was also after this New Year's Day. It has been nearly eight years now."

"I didn't expect that a misunderstanding would lead to the current situation."

Lin Ruhai sighed and shook his head.

He was not asking about official business, but playing the emotional card. Yue Ling couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

After all, it was he who abducted someone else's daughter, and of a different generation, so Yue Ling couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

He scratched his head, not knowing what to say next.

"I have to say, when Yu'er came back, I was grateful to see that she was in good health and more lively. All of this is inseparable from your careful care over the years."

Lin Ruhai tilted his head to look at Yue Ling and sighed again.

"Her mother passed away too early, and I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as a father in the past eight years. As you two have been together for a long time, it's only natural that she will become more and more dependent on you."

"It was me who always wanted to make up for what I owed her. Now that I think about it, it was just my selfishness that was at work."

"Time passes, and nothing can be compensated. Just like when I first came to Yangzhou Prefecture, everything went wrong, my foundation was weak, and I devoted myself to the officialdom, and I didn't care much about her mother. Now when I think about it, I feel full of guilt, but it's useless. Things in the world are unpredictable."

Lin Ruhai's tone became increasingly plain, but the meaning contained in his words became increasingly profound.

Yue Ling could understand Lin Ruhai's self-blame as a husband and a father, and his desire to make up for his debt to Lin Daiyu.

Shaking off the snowflakes on his shoulders, Lin Ruhai said, "To be honest, what I am most worried about is Yu'er's marriage. Is there anyone who can stay with her forever and grow old together?"

"Yu'er has been a sickly child since she was young. It is impossible for her to marry into a rich family. The old lady of the Jia family sent a letter to take her to the capital to take care of her."

"With my elders around to teach me, I can rest assured and focus on my official duties. But looking at the current situation of the Jia family, I am glad that I didn't go to Rongguo Mansion."

"There is no need to talk about the mess in Rongguo Mansion today."

Lin Ruhai waved his hand and stood with his hands behind his back.

"However, I never thought that one day you would be the one to take care of Yu'er, and even come to this point."

Lin Ruhai smiled bitterly and shook his head, "It's neither good nor bad, and it's neither right nor wrong. It really makes me feel very confused."

As he spoke, Lin Ruhai turned around, took out a wooden box from his arms, opened the lid, and inside was an ornament wrapped in a brocade handkerchief.

Lin Ruhai carefully unfolded it, eyes full of nostalgia. He and Yue Ling looked at it and sighed, "This was her mother's favorite hairpin when she was alive. Once upon a time, when Yu'er was born, we joked that this hairpin would be used as her dowry."

The hairpin was indeed exquisite. The head of the hairpin was a double-petaled lotus carved with extremely delicate gold and silver inlay techniques. The center of the flower was inlaid with thumb-sized chalcedony, and the natural texture inside resembled the double happiness seal character.

The hairpin is gilded all over, and a phoenix made of twelve golden threads is spreading its wings from the calyx, with a seven-hole exquisite golden thread ball in its beak.

The craftsmanship and materials are both top-notch, and ornaments from the palace are likely to be of this level.

But in Lin Ruhai's eyes, this is not just a hairpin, but he sees in it the scene where he used to hold his wife and daughter in his arms on the bed, chatting about everything under the sun and talking about trivial matters.

At that time, I thought it was just an ordinary day, but today it has become a memory.

After putting the gold hairpin back in place, Lin Ruhai looked sentimental and handed it to Yue Ling after some hesitation.

"These past few days, I've thought it through. Even if I feel guilty and want to make it up to Yu'er, it's just my wishful thinking."

"She doesn't lack anything now. You take good care of her. I hope you won't let her down in the future."

Yue Ling did not refuse. This was a trust of feelings. Yue Ling took it solemnly and put it in his arms. "Brother, don't worry. I will take good care of Sister Lin for three lifetimes."

Not far from the stone pavilion, Lin Daiyu stepped onto the corridor, looking around for traces of Lin Ruhai and Yue Ling.

Bored, he picked up a snowflake, which melted in his palm, and was blown away by Lin Daiyu. "That's strange. Where did they go? Didn't Zijuan say she saw them chatting here?"

Lin Daiyu walked inside again, and only when she got closer did she see two people talking in the stone pavilion.

The voice was mixed with the winter wind, intermittent.

What caught my eye was that Daddy took out an extremely exquisite golden hairpin and handed it to Yue Ling.

Yue Ling bowed deeply again.

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth in shock. The hairpin had an extraordinary meaning, and seeing how her father cherished it, she guessed that it must be her mother's relic.

Therefore, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but move closer and listen to the conversation between the two.

"I will take good care of Sister Lin for three lifetimes."

Hearing this, Lin Daiyu excitedly covered her mouth with her hands to avoid making any accidental noise and being noticed by the two.

"I know you inside out and understand your character, so there's nothing to question. However, I'd like to say this first, but we still have to make some rules."

Lin Ruhai's face turned serious and he said, "First of all, before you two officially get married, you are not allowed to be too intimate."

Yue Ling was slightly surprised. "How do you mean this is too intimate?"

Lin Ruhai frowned, "You and I are both men, do I need to make it clear?"

Yue Ling smiled awkwardly and said nothing more.

"Secondly, when Yu'er marries into your house, she must be your principal wife, and you cannot have a concubine. In addition, the three letters and six engagements must be complete. In public, as the Marquis of Anjing, you cannot treat her badly."

Yue Ling said calmly: "This is natural."

Finally, Lin Ruhai sighed deeply and said, "Third, and this is what I am most worried about, if she is ill and cannot give birth to a child, you must not force her."

Yue Ling was slightly startled, then smiled bitterly, secretly complaining in his heart: "Sister Lin is no longer the sickly and weak person she used to be. She can even do aerobics for half an hour. It may be a bit too much to say that she can uproot a weeping willow tree, but her body is still much stronger."

"Besides, modern medical common sense also states that women should wait until they are 20 years old to fully develop before they can have children. How come it is like today, giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell?"

In front of him, Yue Ling nodded again and again, "Brother, rest assured, I will obey."

Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "Okay, it's almost time, let's go back and have dinner."

Lin Ruhai raised his foot, but his steps were a little unsteady, obviously because his emotions just fluctuated too much and he had not yet calmed down.

Just as she passed a railing, she saw a person hiding behind a pillar. It must be Lin Daiyu, who was so absorbed in eavesdropping that she had not yet had the chance to slip away.

Her face was red, and it was not known whether it was because of the cold or because she was embarrassed after hearing the conversation inside. When the two men came over, Lin Daiyu had no choice but to lower her head and look at her feet, not daring to say a word.

Lin Ruhai raised his eyebrows, "Did you hear everything?"

Lin Daiyu nodded first, then shook her head, feeling very conflicted, not knowing whether to say she heard it or not.

Lin Ruhai shook his head and said helplessly: "Girls cannot be kept at home when they grow up. You two can talk and come back early."

After saying this, Lin Ruhai walked away with big strides.

Lin Daiyu, like a quail, slowly raised her head, with cheeks like red lanterns, blinked, and looked at Yue Ling.

Yue Ling looked at Lin Ruhai's desolate back, then at Lin Daiyu, and they both laughed at the same time.

Yue Ling took Lin Daiyu in his arms and said with a smile, "Did you hear that? Your father has agreed. Now, you don't have to worry about it anymore."

Lin Daiyu pouted her lips, turned her head away, and said shyly: "Humph, I haven't agreed yet. Brother Yue hasn't asked for my opinion yet!"

Yue Ling thought about it, smiled playfully, and said, "Well, I'll ask you when I'm free. Let's go eat first, shall we?"

Lin Daiyu stamped her feet angrily, "Then give me the things first."

"what?"

Yue Ling blinked, pretending not to understand.

"The hairpin, that belongs to mother, so it belongs to me."

Yue Ling took out the wooden box from his arms, raised it and asked, "Is this it?"

Lin Daiyu's eyes sparkled and she nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, give it to me quickly."

But Yue Ling just deliberately glanced at her, then took it back into his arms, shook his head and said: "No, this is given to me by your father. I can only put it on you on the day of marriage. Now we are not married yet, and you don't want to marry me, how can I give it to you?" "Bad, bad, bad! Brother Yue, you are really mean!"

Lin Daiyu gently kicked Yue Ling's calf, very dissatisfied. She clenched her fists and started beating Yue Ling.

Yue Ling was no match for his opponent and had to escape first.

Lin Daiyu followed closely behind him.

The two of them walked around the stone pavilion, making a lot of noise for a while, with snowflakes flying all over their heads.

The weather was getting colder and colder. Even wearing a crane cloak, the cold wind made people shiver. Yue Ling had no choice but to surrender and said, "Wrong, wrong. We should go back. They must have been waiting for a long time."

Lin Daiyu panted heavily, still unwilling to let go, "Brother Yue is not sincere at all!"

Yue Ling embraced Lin Daiyu again, and before she could react, he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Lin Daiyu covered her cheek with one hand and looked up at Yue Ling in surprise. Yue Ling said jokingly, "This is the last time Sister Lin saw me in Cangzhou. This is the real thing."

As he spoke, he gently kissed the other half of the cheek.

"Is your sincerity enough this time?"

Lin Daiyu was aroused by the teasing and wanted to say it was not enough and touch her lips with her finger, but her girlish shyness made her cover her cheeks and stammer, unable to utter a word.

This was the first time that Yue Ling took the initiative to be so intimate with her, which really made Lin Daiyu feel too embarrassed.

"Well... okay, stop making trouble and go back."

The snow on their heads was getting thicker and thicker. Lin Daiyu took Yue Ling's hand and hurried to the main hall.

With her cheerful steps, Lin Daiyu was like an elf in the snow, so lovable.

Rushing to the door, Yue Ling gently helped Lin Daiyu brush away the snow on her head. Suddenly, he was moved and chanted: "Today we are soaked in the snow together, and we can grow old together in this life."

Lin Daiyu's heart, which had just calmed down, began beating wildly again...

……

Yangzhou is a prosperous city, and the festive atmosphere has not yet faded away until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Every household hung a red lantern, and every night at night, the sound of firecrackers could be heard.

The Lin family also celebrated the most joyous Spring Festival.

The reason, of course, is the arrival of Yue Ling and others.

Every maidservant was very cute and the two concubines liked them very much. During the New Year, not only were each of them rewarded with gold and silver ingots, but they were also wrapped in red envelopes to make them happy.

There was also a small opera troupe that performed all kinds of musical instruments and sang. Every three days they would perform a few operas to entertain everyone, which really gave the concubines a great time.

Not to mention Lin Daiyu and Yue Ling. Ever since the snowstorm on New Year's Eve, the two of them no longer hide their love from outsiders. When the Lin Mansion became the Anjing Marquis Mansion, they get together every day, whether it's lighting fireworks or watching plum blossoms, they are inseparable.

Lin Ruhai no longer controlled the two of them, but he would give them a few words of advice if he saw them again.

Lin Ruhai himself would come to the tablet of his wife Jia Min from time to time, burn incense and sit in meditation, usually sitting for a whole afternoon.

In a blink of an eye, time has come to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The Lantern Festival is the last flavor of the New Year and is also the festival that girls in the boudoir look forward to the most.

There are not many days in a year when we can go out on the streets, let alone have fun. Apart from the Lantern Festival, only the Qiqiao Festival is justified.

The little maids were all inexperienced and were very curious about the scenery outside.

All the way to Suzhou's West Lake, the curtains of the sedan chair were drawn, and people looked left and right, wishing they had a few more pairs of eyes.

"Master, where are we going to have fun later?"

Qin Keqing leaned on Yue Ling's shoulder, put her arms around Yue Ling's arms, and did not miss any opportunity to get close to him.

If Yue Ling hadn't raised his legs, Qin Keqing would have sat on him long ago.

Ruizhu passed the tea to him, and Baozhu took the embroidery and spread Yue Ling's legs to massage him. Yue Ling sipped the water and said, "We rented a double-decker pleasure boat. It's enough for you to play around. If you get tired, you can spend the night outside."

Hearing this, the little girls were overjoyed and looked forward to the activities that would take place soon.

Qin Keqing drove Baozhu away again, knelt down and massaged Yue Ling, and said in a friendly way: "Master, are you going to rest on top too?"

Qin Keqing didn't have many things in her mind. Yue Ling shook his head helplessly, "I shouldn't. I should stay with Sister Lin. We have a small boat. You and Bao-girl can have fun on the boat."

Qin Keqing pouted and couldn't help but use more strength in her hands, "It's Miss Lin again, when will the master give us some time, even a little bit is fine, I don't know how hard it is for us to stay alone in our empty room."

Yue Ling tilted his head to look at the two greenhorns, Ruizhu and Zhuzhu, who seemed to be looking at him in a daze. He said helplessly, "You? I think you are the only one. Don't teach them bad things."

Patting Qin Keqing's hand gently, Yue Ling comforted her: "You have been stuck in the room for a long time. Go out and buy whatever you like and play whatever you want. And take good care of those girls and tell them to be careful with their feet."

Qin Keqing was the oldest among the girls. Only she and Yue Ling could be considered of the same age. But at this moment, she still acted like a spoiled child and said, "I always look after them, and the master never said anything to reward me."

Yue Ling smiled and took her into his arms, rubbing her head, "Alright, alright, stop being so irritable, the pearls of Ruizhu are still watching, don't you care about your reputation as the eldest lady of the Qin family?"

Qin Keqing stuck out her tongue and snuggled into Yue Ling's arms, "Respect? Those two girls have already torn it away. I don't care about that!"

Yue Ling: "...It seems that everything has been exposed, which is not a good thing."

In the indigo sedan in front, Xueyan was squatting on the ground holding a bronze mirror.

In the mirror, Zijuan was carefully braiding Lin Daiyu's hair, tying her hair into a fairy-like bun embracing a jade rabbit, and then pinning a jade hairpin on it.

Lin Daiyu shook her head left and right, adjusted her hair bun, and couldn't help asking, "Sister Zijuan, does this look good?"

Zijuan heaved a sigh of relief, "The girl is naturally beautiful. Even if she doesn't dress up carefully, she is still very beautiful, let alone now."

"Besides, the master doesn't care about the girl's appearance."

Lin Daiyu bit her lip and said shyly, "That's different."

Zijuan blinked twice dryly, and Lin Daiyu said coquettishly, "Ah, you don't understand. Sister Zijuan, maybe you have been with Xueyan for too long, and now you are even more dazed."

"what?"

Xueyan, who was squatting on the ground, threw the mirror away, cried out "Zhuang Tian Qu", crossed her arms and said, "What does this have to do with me? I came out before I finished my dinner, and I'm still hungry now."

Lin Daiyu and Zijuan looked at each other and both laughed.

Lin Daiyu tapped her nose and said, "There will be plenty of cakes and preserves on the pleasure boat later. Go and have some then, and no one will snatch them from you."

"Really?"

Snow Goose's eyes are full of stars.

"Of course it's true. When did I ever lie to you?"

Xueyan happily squatted beside Lin Daiyu, rubbed her shoulders and said, "You are still the best, sister Zijuan, can you comb your hair again? I'll go get the mirror."

Zijuan had been combing her hair all the way, and her hands were so tired that she could hardly hold it up. After hearing Xueyan's words, she felt helpless, "No need, it's all done, don't untie it, and we're almost there."

Xueyan excitedly opened the curtain of the sedan chair. At first glance, she saw that there were thousands of colorful lanterns hanging on the weeping willows by the lake, which completely covered the Slender West Lake. The surface of the lake reflected the reflection of the pagoda in the distance. There were many cruise boats in the lake, and the painted boats had carved beams and painted rafters. There were also countless different kinds of lanterns hanging on the bows.

In addition to the lights on the boats, there are countless lotus lanterns dotted in the middle of the lake. From a distance, they seem to be connected to the sky and the sun, echoing with the bank in the distance.

The sounds of firecrackers, shouts, and the sound of pianos on the lake are endless, and the place is very lively.

"Girl, we're here!"

……

"Everyone, be careful with your steps. The waves on the lake are not big, but we are on a boat after all. It will be a little bumpy. Be careful not to bump into anything."

Yue Ling felt relieved when he saw the little girls getting on board safely.

When Lin Daiyu was supported by Zijuan and walked down, Yue Ling was stunned under the dim light.

She was wearing a moon-white dress, pure and spotless, like a fairy from a painting. Her black hair was like a waterfall, combed into a fairy bun, and she was extremely beautiful.

Noticing Yue Ling's dazed look, Lin Daiyu secretly rejoiced and followed everyone onto the boat. Even though she was wearing a long skirt, her steps were much lighter.

After Lin Daiyu had gone onto the deck, Yue Ling slowly came to his senses, got on the boat alone, and rowed to the center of the lake.

Standing in front of the girls again, Yue Ling scratched his nose to hide his embarrassment, coughed lightly and said, "There are still too many people in the night market right now. Let's go and have a look together when there are fewer people in a while. Let's play on the boat first. Lingguan, Ruiguan, if you are tired, take a break. You don't have to keep playing the piano."

Yue Ling did not hire any boat girls on his ship. With the small opera troupe on board, there was naturally no need for these entertainments, and they could just take care of it themselves.

Seeing that Marquis An Jing was still thinking about them, the little girls felt warm inside and nodded like chicks pecking at rice.

Passing by Qin Keqing and Xue Baochai, Yue Ling gave them another instruction, "Have fun. You are the ones who will take care of the girls on the boat."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

"I know, sir."

Coming to the stern, Yue Ling deftly untied the ropes on the boat and lowered a small boat.

Yue Ling jumped onto the boat easily, looked up at Lin Daiyu on the pleasure boat, and said with a smile: "No other sisters are here, only Sister Lin and I are riding on this boat together, are you happy, Sister Lin?"

Lin Daiyu gently stroked her cheek, only to feel a little embarrassed and hot. In front of Yue Ling, she still forced herself to say, "Brother Yue is thoughtful."

As he said this, he stretched out his hand, asking Yue Ling to help him.

Yue Ling stretched out his arm and pulled Lin Daiyu down, shocking her so much that she couldn't help but scream.

Yue Ling just walked around the boat and then hugged Lin Daiyu around the waist.

"Brother Yue, you are so bad!"

(End of this chapter)