Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 427: Answering Questions and Preaching, Dinner Party
The setting sun shines on the sky, just like a piece of brocade.

The inner court of Duke Dingguo's Mansion is now bustling with activity.

Maids kept coming in and out, fetching various things, but they didn't mind the trouble and were busy talking and laughing.

In front of the hall, several copper pots that Yue Ling had asked the craftsmen to make in advance were placed on the Eight Immortals Table. The bottom of each pot was burned red hot with charcoal, and the soup in them was boiling and steaming.

This season is not a good time to eat hotpot.

Steam came out, making the temperature in the already stuffy room even higher.

Even so, it did not dampen everyone's interest at all.

On weekdays, the girls just have to eat and have no chance to cook by themselves. Now, seeing plates of raw meat and vegetables being served to them and needing to cook by themselves, they are all eager to try.

There is also a wooden rack placed against the wall.

It was filled with jars and cans, all filled with condiments that Yue Ling could collect in this world, in order to enrich the taste of the hot pot.

In this joyous atmosphere, the Jia sisters Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun were somewhat dazed.

I sat in front of the table, feeling a little helpless and not knowing what to do.

Shi Xiangyun was more outgoing. She had long wanted to roast venison herself. Although she was not roasting it now, it was quite interesting and she had become friends with the maids who were busy running back and forth.

This makes the girls from the Jia family seem even more out of place.

Yue Ling glanced at them, recalled what Emperor Longyou said in the palace, and couldn't help but sigh secretly.

"Brother Yue, what's on your mind?"

Lin Daiyu brought over a cup of tea, pushed it into Yue Ling's hand, and asked in a low voice.

Her bright eyes flickered as if they could penetrate directly into people's hearts. Even the slightest expression could not be hidden from her.

"I'm fine, I'm just a little worried about them."

Yue Ling replied without hiding anything, and Lin Daiyu did not comment. "I didn't expect that the Jia family would have such a ridiculous son. It is really puzzling. Before I came to Beijing, my father had boasted about the good things of the Jia family. Even when my mother was alive, she often talked about these things."

"Now you are in such a miserable state. I wonder how Dad will view you after he arrives in Beijing..."

Yue Ling shook his head and explained, "A virtuous wife brings prosperity to three generations, which is better than thousands of acres of fertile land. When the head of the family changes, the family tradition will definitely change."

Lin Daiyu carefully thought about what Yue Ling said and felt that it made a lot of sense. She couldn't help but think more about it and applied what he said to herself.

"Right now, the atmosphere in the mansion has improved a lot, right? The sisters and the maids in each room are all chanting scriptures in the Buddhist temple, and they are no longer making trouble... No, am I a good wife in Brother Yue's eyes? Bah, bah, bah, what am I thinking? Obviously, Brother Yue and I are still innocent, why should I be a good wife and mother and manage the family business?"

"Sister Lin?"

Seeing Lin Daiyu standing beside him in a trance, Yue Ling thought it was very funny and interrupted her, "Sister Lin, if we give them a chance to turn things around and change their status, do you think they would be willing?"

Although the name was not mentioned, it was enough for Lin Daiyu to know who it was.

"Ah?" Lin Daiyu came back to her senses, frowned slightly, and said teasingly, "Change your status, Brother Yue, you won't really... No wonder Third Sister said that she was afraid that Brother Yue would be neglected when she went out to play, so she wanted to come back to have dinner together. It seems that the man has feelings for me, and the woman has feelings for me?"

Yue Ling felt a little embarrassed, wondering where Lin Daiyu's divergent thoughts were directed.

"I'm not saying that we want them to move into our mansion, but the Jia family is now in ruins."

Lin Daiyu was slightly surprised and was speechless for a moment.

Yue Ling's light words revealed a huge amount of information, and Lin Daiyu also knew that Yue Ling had returned from the palace. Combined with the news that the eldest sister of the Jia family would soon come back to visit her parents, it could only be that something big was going to happen to the Jia family.

"Could it be?"

Before Lin Daiyu finished her question, she saw Yue Ling shook his head and tilted his head in the direction of Sanchun with his eyes. Lin Daiyu understood what he meant and stopped talking.

Leaning over Yue Ling's ear, Lin Daiyu lowered her voice and said, "Jia Lian's matter will have a big impact on them. I think it will, but the key depends on their willingness."

Yue Ling nodded, not wanting to go into further details.

Lin Daiyu also understood Yue Ling's meaning and started to think about how to remind these sisters.

If they were to break off all ties with the Jia family, they would probably have to bear enormous psychological pressure, and they would also have to have the motivation to do so.

In Lin Daiyu's view, although the three of them are currently on the edge of a cliff and are already disappointed with the Jia family, they are not yet at the point of jumping off the cliff. To truly burn their boats and restore order, they need external forces to force them.

This really made Lin Daiyu distressed enough.

"Sister Lin, stop whispering here and come and see what you want to eat. I'll ask the maids to prepare it."

While she was still thinking about the sisters' retreat, Qin Keqing pulled her away. Lin Daiyu had no choice but to give up and focus on the matter at hand.

Yue Ling smiled and shook his head, then came to Sanchun and said to the three of them in a gentle voice: "This hot pot should be your first time to enjoy it. Although it is not a fine delicacy, it is still a good meal."

"You guys come with me first."

No matter what happens in the aftermath, Yue Ling still sympathizes with these girls and tries his best to make them live more comfortably in the few days they have in the mansion.

In the past, Yingchun was the only one who was dull, but today all three of them were a little dull. Yue Ling came over, but he didn't even know he was talking to them.

After a while, Tanchun came back to her senses first. She stood up with a bang and said with an awkward smile, "My Lord, are you talking about us?"

Yue Ling nodded and smiled: "That's right, follow me."

Yue Ling strode to the seasoning area, and the three followed closely behind.

"Come on, everyone take it."

After distributing a bowl to each of the three, Yue Ling explained, "The taste of hot pot is first of all the different flavors of the base of the pot, then the difference in the seasoning, and also the freshness and fragrance of the ingredients themselves, and the difference in taste."

"So the first step should be for you to prepare a flavor you like."

The three sisters looked at each other and saw the dazzling array of seasonings on the shelves, mixed with various aromas. They couldn't tell the types clearly for a moment, and they felt that this first step would be very difficult.

Moreover, they don't understand these things. If they mix it themselves and can't eat it, wouldn't that be a joke?

Yue Ling smiled and comforted him: "Just do it according to your own preferences, why worry about making mistakes. Nothing can be accomplished overnight, why not try a little more?"

"Life is full of trial and error, isn't it?"

Tanchun's eyes lit up, as if she understood the key point of what Yue Ling said.

There are many mistakes in life. If you are afraid of making mistakes and don’t try, won’t you just be left with regrets?
We always say if only things had been different then, so why not focus on the present?

After taking the bowl, Tanchun came to the counter and started to identify the seasonings by smell. At least she knew how to use the most common ones such as soy sauce and vinegar.

It was not enough for her to do it alone, so Tanchun pulled Yingchun's arm and said, "Second sister, let's try it together. Just as the Marquis said, the opportunity to try something in life is rare, so why not give it a try for such a small thing?"

"There are so many kinds of seasonings here, and it's interesting for us to decide the final taste. It's not often that we can decide the outcome ourselves."

Having said this, Tanchun couldn't help but sigh slightly.

Yingchun nodded firmly and agreed softly, "Okay."

Then he walked beside Tanchun and helped her to identify the seasonings.

Seeing this, Yue Ling nodded silently, but then he felt the corner of his clothes being pulled. He lowered his head and saw that it was the lonely girl painter Xichun, who looked up at him eagerly. "What's wrong?"

When Lin Daiyu first came to see him, she was even younger than Xichun is now, which made Yue Ling recall the time when he was coaxing the child.

Xichun raised her hand and pointed at the counter, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "My Lord, I can't reach the seasoning on top, can you help me?"

Yue Ling resisted the urge to pick her up, took the bowl, and first scooped two spoonfuls of sesame paste into it.

While preparing the sauce, Yue Ling explained, "This is sesame paste, a paste made from roasted white sesame seeds. You were born in the capital, and according to the northerners' taste, there is no way you would dislike this."

Originally, Tanchun and Yingchun were working hard to distinguish the seasonings, but Xichun acted coquettishly and Yue Ling came to help her take care of these things.

Tanchun twitched her lips, feeling a little jealous, but this was the path she had chosen, so she did not retreat. She just couldn't help rolling her eyes, but secretly moved closer to eavesdrop on Yue Ling's words.

"This is dogwood sauce. It's a little spicy, but not choking. It can remove the fishy smell. The fish slices will be indispensable later. If you add this, the taste will be richer."

Yue Ling couldn't help laughing when he caught a glimpse of Tanchun and Yingchun, who were very curious about the taste. He explained everything to them one by one so that they could adjust the taste themselves.

"Fermented bean curd juice, fermented black beans, shrimp oil, minced garlic, chopped green onions, coriander... finally add a little sugar to enhance the flavor, this is the finishing touch, it is indispensable."

After handing a bowl of sauce to Xichun, Yue Ling picked up another bowl and filled it with a large spoonful of the black sauce.

Xichun blinked and asked, "My Lord, what is this? Why don't I have it here?"

Yue Ling smiled and rubbed her head. "This is vinegar. Smell it. It's very sour."

Xichun leaned forward and sniffed it, then frowned and moved away, "It's sour, I don't like this smell, does the Marquis like it?"

Yue Ling shook his head. "Your sister Lin likes it. The sesame paste is too greasy for her. She prefers the sour kind. We can only use this as the base for the sauce."

……

All the necessary items were ready and all the maids took their seats.

Lin Daiyu took the sauce that Yue Ling prepared for her, arched her nose, sniffed it, and nodded, "This is the best taste, sour and sweet."

Yue Ling smiled with relief, "As long as it suits your taste."

Tanchun stirred the sauce she prepared evenly, dipped a little bit in it, and tasted it. The taste was rich and a little salty, which was just what she liked.

"Second sister, how are yours?"

After tasting my own food, I can’t help but be curious about the taste of other people’s bowls.

Yingchun pushed the seasoning over for Tanchun to taste. "Second sister's is not bad, but a little sweeter than mine."

"How about yours, Sister Yun?"

Without Yue Ling's guidance, Tanchun didn't believe she could make any delicious dish.

As expected, she just took a little bit of it, and Shi Xiangyun's masterpiece came out of her tongue, breathing hard, "It's so spicy, can you handle such a spicy seasoning?"

Shi Xiangyun tasted the one in her bowl again and frowned, "It's just right, why is it spicy?"

Yue Ling smiled and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Everyone has their own tastes. Isn't it normal for everyone to like different things?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the girls sitting around looked up at Yue Ling at the same time.

It seems like there are things in this room that everyone likes.

Noticing that there seemed to be a chill around him, Yue Ling coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment and said with a wry smile: "Okay, everyone try it. Just put the food you want to eat into the pot, cook it, and then dip it in the sauce you prepared."

"My Lord, what are the four grids on this pot?"

Shi Xiangyun had already stood up and was eager to try, but she still couldn't help asking beforehand.

Yue Ling replied, "You are the most anxious. These four squares, the east, south, west and north are spicy hot pot, mushroom soup pot, broth pot and water pot respectively. You can choose your own flavor or try all of them."

As soon as the signal for dinner was given, the hall became bustling with activity.

After an hour of preparation, the girls were already starving. They didn't even know how many people could hear Yue Ling's final words, "Be careful of the soup splashing and scalding your body." Dinner began in such a noisy manner.

There was a dazzling array of dishes. Lamb, pork, venison, etc. were all cut into thin slices and stacked on the plates, like a small mountain, enough to satisfy the girls' cravings.

Even for those who like light food like Lin Daiyu, there are whitebait slices, crucian carp slices, mandarin fish slices, as well as vegetables such as cabbage, spring bamboo shoots, fresh lotus root, and fungus for them to choose from.

It can be said that this is a dinner that can truly satisfy everyone.

Everyone was eating enthusiastically. Qin Keqing raised her cup and said, "It's a banquet after all. There has to be a name for a gathering. There shouldn't be any flattering words, right?"

Shi Xiangyun immediately echoed, "That's right! Why don't we wish the Marquis good luck and success?"

Everyone's eyes were drawn to the two of them. Qin Keqing waved her hand and said, "No need, no need. I have a better excuse."

For some reason, Xue Baochai, who had been eating quietly nearby, suddenly felt a chill on her back.

The room was filled with people and full of steam, making it very stuffy.

The next second, Qin Keqing lowered her head and looked at Xue Baochai and said, "The biggest news in the mansion recently is that Sister Bao has opened a new business and is making it very prosperous. If she hadn't brought new income to the mansion, how could we have extra money for our expenses? How could we have such a happy day today?"

When this was said, all the women thought it made sense.

Besides, it was Xue Baochai who originally wanted to entertain them, so her contribution should not be erased.

Qin Keqing raised her glass and said, "Today, let us wish Sister Bao a prosperous business and good fortune, and may her business spread all over the country!"

"Business is booming, fortune is prosperous, and business is expanding all over the country!"

All the girls spoke up at the same time, some drank tea, some drank wine, and toasted Xue Baochai.

Xue Baochai suppressed her anger, glared at Qin Keqing, and secretly complained, "This business is all over the country, and my reputation is really useless. If some literati record that I made a fortune from this, what will future generations think of me?"

Grinding her back teeth, Xue Baochai said coldly: "Thank you so much!"

But in return, the sisters and Yue Ling at the table still had warm smiles on their faces, "Thank you all for your support. This is all thanks to the planning of the Marquis. I hope that the sisters can achieve their dreams under the protection of the Marquis."

Lin Daiyu and Yue Ling smiled at each other. There were too many happy enemies in the mansion. There was no way these days would become boring.

"My Lord, your wine smells so good, can I have a taste?"

Shi Xiangyun licked her cup with some anticipation.

Yue Ling couldn't help but look at Lin Daiyu again.

"Sister Yun, please don't drink too much. Brother Yue's wine can easily make people drunk."

"Don't worry, I can drink a lot and won't get drunk. I can drink several jugs of old fruit wine by myself!"

The hall was bustling with activity when the roller shutter at the main door was suddenly lifted.

A maid walked in, looked around, and then came straight to Yue Ling and bowed, "Master, Miss Lin, there is a letter from Rongguo Mansion, saying it is for the girls of the Jia family."

The voice spread throughout the hall, and the originally heated atmosphere could not help but stagnate...

(End of this chapter)