Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 471 Defeating the Mandarin Ducks and Entering the Dingguo Mansion

Yuanyang had seen Yue Ling many times, and she had always been an observer whenever Yue Ling came to the Rongguo Mansion.

At first glance, she could tell that the boy was full of youthful vigor.

In particular, his courage to contradict the Duke's wife, Grandmother Jia, when he was just a guard in the Prince's mansion, left a deep impression on Yuanyang.

But she and Yue Ling were two different kinds of people. She was born a servant, a servant born into the Jia family, and had no hope of advancement.

Her life was destined to be a slave to others, so Yue Ling's dazzling brilliance both filled her with envy and fear.

Even more unexpectedly, in less than ten years, Yue Ling's status had surpassed that of the Rongguo Mansion, making the Rongguo Mansion even more unapproachable.

At this moment, when she went to Yue Ling's place again, even though she didn't see him in person, she was filled with unease.

The doormen were all well-dressed, and the stewards were all refined and easygoing. Even when she was disheveled, their eyes were calm and their expressions were natural. They did not show the undisguised disgust she had received when she was in front of the Xia family's door.

This did make her feel a little better.

But as she stepped over the threshold, Yuanyang couldn't help but stop, and asked in a trembling voice, "Qingwen, you, you haven't informed the room yet, how could you bring me, an outsider, back?"

Qingwen was taken aback upon hearing this.

Having grown up together since childhood, she thought she had just brought back an older sister.

The atmosphere of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion made her think she was just returning home, and she had long forgotten about these formalities.

After regaining her senses, Qingwen nodded and replied, "Seeing that my sister was covered in dust, I was thinking of taking her back to her room to wash up, and I completely forgot about it."

Sticking out her tongue, Qingwen called over a maidservant to lead the way.

"Then sister, please go and wait in the back hall. I'll go and deliver this book to Miss Lin first, and I'll be back soon."

“Okay.” Looking at Qingwen’s innocent and carefree nature, Yuanyang’s eyes were full of envy.

……

inside the house,

Lin Daiyu leaned over the table, rubbing her temples.

Tasks were assigned to all the sisters, and Lin Daiyu certainly wouldn't be idle; on the contrary, she was the most hardworking one.

Although she had little prior knowledge of Western culture, Lin Daiyu's photographic memory allowed her to learn Western languages ​​fluently within a month by simply referring to a dictionary.

The only drawback is that she can't speak, she can only read, but even so, the translated bibliography is sufficient.

The sisters in the room were all good at learning, but compared to Lin Daiyu, they were definitely slightly inferior. Lin Daiyu did not want to be in the limelight or belittle others to show off, so she stayed alone in her room reading foreign books and newspapers.

On the one hand, I deepened my learning, and on the other hand, I was able to keep up with Baoqin's thinking, frequently inquiring about the progress of the work and having some brief discussions.

Each time, her insightful observations greatly shocked the Xue sisters, and Lin Daiyu also enjoyed this state very much. She learned from Yue Ling that it was called something like "pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger".

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but pout, thinking to herself that she was no little pig.

Today, when Qingwen was sent out to shop again, she hadn't returned after nearly an hour, which made Lin Daiyu quite anxious, wondering if she had encountered any danger outside.

Just as he was about to call someone out to look for her, Qingwen stumbled in.

"Why are you only coming back now? Did you run into something?" Lin Daiyu asked hurriedly.

Qingwen nodded, placed all the books on a corner of the table, and finished the tea that Lin Daiyu handed her. She then leaned on her knees and took several deep breaths.

"When I came back, I passed by the Xia family's house with osmanthus flowers and happened to see Sister Yuanyang sitting by the roadside. When I asked her, I learned that she had encountered a problem. Today, the old lady of the Jia family was to be executed, and she had no money and could not afford to be buried. She was running around begging for money."

“Back in the Rongguo Mansion, Sister Yuanyang was very kind to me. I felt sorry for her, so I brought her back with me.”

At this point, Qingwen felt a little guilty and poked her fingers together, thinking that she had been too presumptuous.

Lin Daiyu naturally did not blame her, but sat at the table, lost in thought.

Unexpectedly, the farce in the Jia family mansion has come to an end today.

If we're talking about hatred, Lin Daiyu certainly doesn't feel any hatred towards Grandmother Jia. She can only complain that Grandmother Jia is too biased, unable to control Jia Baoyu, and too harsh on her sisters.

Another issue that cannot be ignored is that Grandmother Jia repeatedly slandered Yue Ling, which she found quite disgusting.

Even when her own father, Lin Ruhai, spoke ill of Yue Ling in front of her, she would frown slightly and retort with a few words, let alone more distant relatives.

But now that Grandmother Jia has received her due punishment, it is indeed Lin Daiyu's duty to bury her as a junior.

Even if she didn't consider her own filial piety, thinking of her deceased mother and her father who was still handling official business in Yangzhou, she was capable of doing this and had no reason to refuse.

With a sigh, Lin Daiyu asked, "Yuanyang, Siqi, Shishu, and Ruhua should all be registered as government slaves, right?"

Qingwen's eyes lit up, and she said in agreement, "Yes, yes, Sister Yuanyang has never done anything wrong, she was just implicated."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly and sighed, "Alright, go to the outer chamber and tell them to have Steward Ni and Steward Yun go to the execution ground to handle this matter. First, buy back Yuanyang's indenture, then inform the execution ground, register and claim the body, send it to the Iron Threshold Temple outside the city, and then choose a day for burial."

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away."

Just as Qingwen was about to rush off to deliver the message, Lin Daiyu instructed, "Don't rush. Let Yuanyang come in first to wash up and have some food. Before you leave, call Baochai and Baoqin. I have something to ask them."

……

Sitting in the outer hall, Yuanyang felt increasingly uneasy.

It wasn't that the nannies here were like those in the Rongguo Mansion, able to peek through a crack in the door; rather, she discovered that in this small back hall, she found many subtle and ingenious designs that were not commonly seen even in the Rongguo Mansion.

The first thing that struck her was the windowsill.

The glass used to seal the windows was completely free of any blemishes, so clear it seemed almost nonexistent. Yuanyang had only ever seen such clarity on the crystal ball treasured by Grandmother Jia.

Even though it's a back-facing hall, facing away from the sun, it's still very bright.

In addition, there is a Western-style pendulum clock placed inside the room.

The rhythmic striking of the clock, the hands indicating the time, and the chiming of the hour—it was far more exquisite than the sundials placed throughout the Rongguo Mansion courtyard.

Yuanyang was a senior maid in the Rongguo Mansion, so she was not ignorant and knew about clocks. However, the only clock in the Rongguo Mansion was the one in Grandmother Jia's room; it could not be seen anywhere else.

Western clocks were all imported from overseas and were traditionally tribute items, making them very difficult to buy on the market and naturally quite valuable.

The Duke of Dingguo's mansion was located in this back hall, seemingly only for the maids to remind each other of their shift changes. In particular, the clock here was somewhat different from the one Yuanyang had seen before; instead of Western numbers, the dial displayed the twelve two-hour periods.

An old nanny could see that Yuanyang was nervous, and without minding that she was covered in dust, she first served her tea and comforted her, saying, "Miss, you must have suffered a lot outside, but now that you're here, you don't have to worry. Once we're in the manor, we're all family, and you won't have to suffer anymore."

Yuanyang quickly stood up and politely declined, smiling awkwardly, "Mother is too kind, I dare not accept it. I was a maid in the old Rongguo Mansion, and my indenture is still with the government. I am not worthy to be a member of the mansion."

The old woman said strangely, "Why do you say that? There are quite a few maids from the old Rongguo Mansion in this mansion. How are you any different from them?"

"Although you're not wearing makeup, I can still tell that you're quite attractive, even more so than you are in the bedroom."

The maids in the Rongguo Mansion were naturally different, but to outsiders, Yuanyang couldn't distinguish them clearly, as if she were trying to elevate her own status.

She was originally a maidservant serving Grandmother Jia. If we're talking about loving someone because of them, then hating someone might also extend to them.

Putting aside the idea of ​​staying at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, she was more worried that after Qingwen's report, she might be kicked out like the Ningguo mansion and the Xia family.

Yuanyang smiled awkwardly, "Thank you for the compliment, Mom, but I'm not so fortunate."

The woman's cautiousness only puzzled the old woman further, prompting her to tentatively ask, "Could it be that you don't want to stay here?"

Yuanyang had naturally heard of how wonderful Dingguo Mansion was.

Especially when Lin Daiyu returned to the mansion with her maids, she would see how well her old friends Zijuan and Qingwen were doing, and then look in the mirror at herself, and the difference in their circumstances would be immediately apparent.

There's no need to compare yourself to Qingwen on the street just now.

Now she is even more helpless and alone, with Grandmother Jia dead and the Rongguo Mansion gone.

If Grandmother Jia hadn't used her in the end, Yuanyang would definitely have done as she had said, following Grandmother Jia's example, rather than living a life of dishonor.

If it turns out that Grandmother Jia still harbored suspicions about her, then what about her loyalty?
After several days of solitary confinement in prison, Yuanyang finally understood.

She was indeed loyal to the Rongguo Mansion, not to Grandmother Jia personally.

Grandmother Jia was not as glamorous as she appeared; in reality, she was a real menace to the Jia family. Therefore, Yuanyang did not regret her choice.

Slightly lost in thought, she was then handed a teacup by the nanny.

Just as she was wondering how to answer, she heard the old woman start talking to herself again.

“Girl, I’ve also experienced hardship. Seeing your pitiful state, I might as well say a few words from the heart. Ever since I accepted the master’s orders and came to this mansion, from the Marquis of Anjing’s mansion to the Duke of Dingguo’s mansion, I have never seen a young lady who entered the mansion and then left.”

“Now that you’re here, there’s no reason for you to leave. Besides, you’re good-looking and have a good figure; you seem like a clever and capable person.”

"The manor has everything it needs, except for people to do the work."

Yuanyang became increasingly bewildered by what she was being said.

However, several muffled thuds drew the attention of the old woman.

Before Yuanyang, an even more unbelievable scene unfolded before her eyes.

It looked like a copper or iron pipe, and Yuanyang couldn't tell the material. The old woman simply put her ear close and it was as if she was having a conversation with someone.

The sight of the mandarin ducks seemed like a magical spell, but passersby thought it was a common occurrence and didn't show any surprise.

"Granny Zhao, have Sister Yuanyang come to bathe. Someone from the second gate will fetch her."

"Okay, got it."

A moment later, the old woman came to Yuanyang again, her eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.

"See, I told you so. The madam has ordered that your indenture be retrieved. As for the funeral you were worried about, the steward outside has already taken care of it."

"This funeral is a very somber affair, and it's not something a young woman like you should be handling, much less showing your face in public. Leave it to the men outside, the more experienced ones. Go to your room and rest for a while, and remember to go to the main hall later to greet the lady."

Yuanyang seemed to be in a dream, her mind was hazy. It wasn't that she didn't hear what the old woman said, but rather that she dared not hear it clearly.

"What are you standing there for? Drink this cup of tea and then hurry up and go."

The old woman found Yuanyang's dazed expression quite amusing. She helped Yuanyang to her feet and urged her, pushing her back, "Hurry up, hurry up! I'm telling you, there's a girl with a long nose in the room. As soon as the stove is lit, she'll be there. Don't wait until you're late and there won't be any food!"

And so, in a daze, the mandarin ducks passed through the hanging flower gate of Dingguo Mansion.

The carvings and murals that are visible to the eye are exactly the same as those in the Rongguo Mansion.

The differences are what attract the attention of mandarin ducks even more.

Everywhere, the flowerbeds seemed to be automatically irrigated by small waterwheels propelled by streams.

Like the main hall, the stained glass windows everywhere are as clear as crystal, except that they are a little blurry when you get to the bath room.

Just then, a man walked out, looking rather dim-witted, and nearly bumped into Yuanyang. Papers flew all over the ground, and Yuanyang immediately bent down to help pick them up.

After handing back the papers she had been organizing to the person in front of her, Yuanyang recognized her as Xiangling, a maidservant of Xue Baochai.

"I'm so sorry," Xiangling said, feeling quite embarrassed. "The water temperature inside is just right, sister, you can go take a bath now. I was so engrossed in my book that I forgot to watch where I was going."

Yuanyang didn't say much. If she were in the Rongguo Mansion, she might have given some advice to be careful, but now that she was new here, she didn't have the right to say that.

Moreover, she was even more puzzled as to why even the maids in the Dingguo Mansion were reading books, and Western books at that.

Two maids served Yuanyang as she bathed. Soaking in the warm water, Yuanyang finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.

"There are many things in this mansion that I don't often see. I'm new here, could you please explain them to me?"

The two maids exchanged a smile and, without keeping them in suspense, explained, "Actually, the mansion wasn't like this three months ago; it's just that there's been a lot of construction and renovation work going on recently."

"The waterwheel that Sister kept staring at when we first entered the mansion is the work of Tan Chun, a masterpiece of this mansion workshop. There are many similar exquisite little gadgets. To encourage everyone, Master designed each practical item and placed it in the mansion for use."

"Over the past few months, everyone has been working tirelessly, and this is how things have turned out. It's truly remarkable how quickly things have changed."

Yuanyang nodded slightly, "Then what about that Xiangling girl just now..."

"Xiangling is different from Tanchun. She is a scholar, not a pragmatist. She reads so much that she forgets to eat and sleep. We all call her the 'Book Demon'. She reads while walking, and even while eating. She accidentally got a lamp that could be kept burning without a wick. After Tanchun took it apart, she took it to light her books."

"However, it's not just her who's watching. We're also studying diligently, but we're afraid we won't be able to keep up with the changes in the manor."

(End of this chapter)