Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 492 Angry Rebuke of Jia Baoyu

February 12th is the Flower Goddess Festival.

The Flower Festival, also known as the Flower Festival, is a celebration of the birthday of all flowers and a way to honor the goddess of flowers who controls them.

Colorful ribbons flutter and lanterns hang, making it a festival that girls love, and this day is also Lin Daiyu's birthday.

This year's Flower Goddess Festival in Beijing was even more lively than the Lantern Festival. From the south gate of the capital to Zhuque Street, everything was swept clean.

The shops facing the street were all newly decorated, with large red silks hanging in front of the doors and "double happiness" characters pasted on them, creating a joyous atmosphere.

High-ranking officials and wealthy merchants in the capital all flocked to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion in the eastern part of the city, forming long queues in front of the mansion gate early in the morning.

Cars and sedans from various families were parked everywhere, blocking the entire street.

Even those who couldn't send formal invitations to the Duke of Dingguo's wedding offered their own congratulations, putting aside their work to go out into the streets and chat and laugh with each other.

People have memories; the Duke of Dingguo once made great contributions to the capital, and they deserve to spontaneously rush to celebrate.

Especially after the Duke of Dingguo got married, people hoped that a few more young heirs would emerge from the family, who could inherit the Duke's mantle, grow up to guard the land and protect the people, and maintain peace in the region.

The taverns in every street and alley became places for celebration, and the wine banners in front of the doors were adorned with the character for "happiness." The shopkeepers announced that the Duke of Dingguo was inviting everyone to a celebratory feast today, and that everyone could help themselves to the wine, free of charge.

For a time, the capital was more bustling than a festival, even more so than the wedding of princes and princesses.

The Xia family in the capital city also happened to choose this day as their wedding date and held a grand banquet for their guests at their residence.

However, unlike the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, there were only a few relatives and friends scattered inside, making it extremely deserted.

The Xia family was, after all, a royal merchant family, and could be considered a very wealthy and powerful family. Even though the pillar of the family was gone and only the mother and daughter remained, they still had to maintain their dignity.

Xia's mother's face grew increasingly grim, and she immediately sent her personal maid in to inform Xia Jingui of the situation.

"Miss, miss, this is terrible. Today our wedding date clashes with that of the Duke of Dingguo. Apart from a few relatives, there are no other guests at our door. I'm afraid we won't even be able to collect the wedding gifts to cover the cost of the banquet."

The maid, her face contorted with grief, relayed the message, infuriating Xia Jingui to the point that she ripped off her veil and slammed the gilded phoenix headdress to the ground, exclaiming, "How did it come to this? Shouldn't those who do business with the Xia family be present? Could it be that they also went to the Duke of Dingguo's residence?"

The maid wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said demurely, "It must be because of the Feng brand. It's not like we don't have business dealings with the Feng brand."

"The Xue sisters will probably be getting married at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion in the future, and these people will be needed to make their mark."

"It's the Xue family again!" Xia Jingui gritted her teeth in hatred, clutching her wedding dress and breathing heavily.

Everyone knew Xia Jingui's temperament, so naturally no one dared to say anything to comfort her.

However, the wedding coincided with the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, which was a huge miscalculation. Xia Jingui overestimated her family's resources.

"And what about the Wang and Shi families? Didn't they offer any response whatsoever?"

The maid continued to shake her head silently, her face extremely embarrassed.

Just then, another young man arrived at the door.

Dressed in a wide-sleeved red robe with a jade pendant at her waist, her face was like a jade plate, her cheeks full of joy, and she strode into the room.

"My lady, the auspicious time has arrived. Shall we proceed to the hall to complete the ceremony?"

Even through the doors and windows, those inside could hear the smugness in Xia Jingui's tone, and they couldn't help but turn their gazes to her.

Sure enough, Xia Jingui, who had been secretly holding back her anger, flew into a rage the moment she heard the shouts outside. She threw all kinds of cosmetics and other objects she could lift out of the window.

As he threw things, he cursed, "You filthy bastard, you're getting cocky now? Open your eyes and see if anyone's out there!"

Jia Baoyu was startled; already timid, his face turned deathly pale with fright.

He thought that after the marriage, he would have a proper status and that even if Xia Jingui was verbally abusive, she would not beat or scold him. He did not expect that she would give him such a hard time before the wedding, which made him worry about his future.

"Mother, what is it that you're talking about? The guests haven't all arrived yet, but this auspicious time is too late to come again. Shouldn't we proceed with the ceremony first?"

Inside the room, Xia Jingui was absolutely furious. She threw out all the items on the dressing table and, still not satisfied, proceeded to smash things around the room, which startled Baoyu so much that he took a few steps back.

A few breaths later, perhaps because there was nothing left to smash in the house, Xia Jingui was heard panting heavily and saying, "If you had even a little bit of skill, today's wedding wouldn't be so deserted. You idiot, you don't even know this much, yet you shamelessly come to greet me. Why don't you go to the street to greet the guests?"

"I don't care what methods you use, if there are only two or three people at the banquet, I will not go out to have the wedding ceremony with you. I can't afford to lose face like that!"

What kind of connections did Jia Baoyu have, and who could he invite?

This really stumped him.

Upon learning of Xia Jingui's distress, Jia Baoyu naturally dared not delay and went outside to greet the guests.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, the gatekeeper rushed up to the hanging flower gate in a panic to report.

"Son-in-law? A high-ranking official has arrived. Come and see if he's a relative of yours!"

Jia Baoyu's expression faltered slightly. His relatives were probably already in Yizhou by now, but if we were to talk about true relatives and friends, there were definitely still people in the capital.

"Could it be that Uncle has arrived?"

Thinking of this, Jia Baoyu felt a surge of energy and straightened his back slightly.

After all, his uncle led troops to raid the Rongguo Mansion, so he must have felt indebted to him. Even if he didn't remember him, he should have remembered the kindness of his mother, Madam Wang, and should have come to show his support.

Jia Baoyu was a little worried that if his uncle found out that he had married into the Xia family, he might be scolded.

But now that things have come to this, Jia Baoyu has nowhere to hide and can only face it himself.

Taking a deep breath, Jia Baoyu instructed, "Alright, lead the way."

……

In order to attend his daughter Lin Daiyu's wedding, Lin Ruhai traveled day and night after receiving his transfer order.

Accompanied only by a few servants, he rode a fast horse and set off lightly dressed.

They dared not linger at any of the post stations they passed, changed horses, rested briefly, and then continued northward.

Lin Ruhai planned to arrive in the capital on the fifteenth.

But it seemed as if fate was deliberately working against him. When he passed through Cangzhou, several official roads were under repair due to the new water conservancy project, so he had to take a detour, which added more than ten days to his journey. Just at dawn on his wedding day, he saw Beijing in the distance.

Lin Ruhai dared not delay, and without resting, he continued to spur his horse forward at breakneck speed.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Lin Ruhai hurriedly took out the travel document from his pocket and handed it to the guards below the gate.

The trials and tribulations along the way had left Lin Ruhai looking like a refugee.

His body was covered in a layer of dust, gray and hazy, making it impossible to see the original color of his clothes. His crown was loose, and his hair was messy with a withered twig stuck in it, making it look like a bird's nest.

His attire naturally made the soldiers look down on him, and they disdainfully accepted the document. But when they opened the first page, their eyes widened in surprise.

Lin Ruhai, the Imperial Physician of the Imperial Academy and former Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai?
The soldiers guarding the city stared wide-eyed, unable to believe their eyes. They rubbed their eyes hard, but the writing remained unchanged. They then handed the writing to their colleagues for a closer look.

The two men wore the same look of surprise and doubt, which greatly angered Lin Ruhai. "What? Did I steal this document?"

The soldier hurriedly shook his head, clasped his hands in salute, and said, "This humble official greets Lord Lin."

The two men bowed, still puzzled. They exchanged a glance, and one of them couldn't help but ask, "Lord Lin, today is the wedding of the Duke of Dingguo and your beloved daughter. Why have you only returned to the capital at this time? Shouldn't you be at the Duke of Dingguo's residence?"

Lin Ruhai's beard trembled with anger. He gripped the reins tightly and roared, "I also want to know why we're only returning to the capital now! Isn't it because of that ungrateful wretch who insisted on interfering and doing all that good deed?"

The two soldiers were completely confused, but they dared not provoke Lin Ruhai any further. After verifying his identity, they let Lin Ruhai pass.

"Lord Lin, please hurry, or we might not make it in time for the ceremony."

"Yes, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion is sure to be packed today. If you don't attend the ceremony, you'll probably become a laughing stock..."

Just as Lin Ruhai was about to raise his whip, the two soldiers' well-intentioned admonitions made him so angry that he almost fell backward on his horse.

But the hustle and bustle of the past month had tempered Lin Ruhai's character even more. He took a deep breath, his expression darkened, and he remained silent.

"I understand."

With a cold remark, Lin Ruhai spurred his horse and galloped into the city once more.

The servants hurriedly chased after them, and the group continued straight along Zhuque Avenue.

But as soon as they entered the city, they were dumbfounded. Red ribbons were pasted everywhere and big red lanterns were hung, as if there were happy events everywhere. For a moment, they couldn't tell where to go.

The servants, all from Jiangnan, had never been to the capital before and could only follow Lin Ruhai closely.

The last time Lin Ruhai came to the capital was more than ten years ago. He had long forgotten most of the city's layout and didn't even know where the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was.

After walking along the street for a while, I encountered more and more people, almost blocking the road, making it impossible to pass on horseback.

Lin Ruhai was both angry and anxious, but he had no choice but to lead his horse down and walk.

"Master, please don't be anxious. Why don't we find someone to find out where the wedding will be held? The crowds here are too dense. If we take the wrong turn and miss the appointed time, all our efforts will be in vain."

The clever servant reminded him, and Lin Ruhai agreed that it made perfect sense.

He immediately found a well-dressed old man in the crowd and politely asked him for information, "Old man, do you know which family in the city is holding a wedding today?"

"Which one? It's the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, of course. Who in this city doesn't know it?"

The old man turned his head and looked at Lin Ruhai, who had asked the question, with a suspicious expression.

Lin Ruhai spoke with a strong Jiangnan accent, not authentic Beijing Mandarin, which made the old man even more wary.

Lin Ruhai shook his head repeatedly and said, "I'm not asking which family the old man is marrying into, but how to get there."

The old man took a closer look at Lin Ruhai's clothes. Although he could tell that they were made of brocade and silk, they looked tattered and worn, indicating that his family was very poor and he was not worthy of presenting a congratulatory gift to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

Moreover, his face was unkempt, with a few strands of hair sticking out in a tangled mess, making him look quite crude.

"Oh, I understand."

The old man suddenly realized that the man from Jiangnan must have come to the capital to do business, and had come to offer his congratulations and make connections after hearing about the Xia family's marriage, rather than going to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

“I see. You’ve come to the right person. Most people wouldn’t even know about this. It’s only because I’m older and have heard about it more often that I know about it.”

Lin Ruhai frowned slightly, not understanding what the old man was saying. Fortunately, the old man added, "See the alley ahead? Go in and you'll find a bustling street. If you look to the north, you'll see the mansion where the wedding will be held."

Hearing that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was nearby, not only Lin Ruhai but also the servant accompanying him breathed a sigh of relief. In any case, the hard work of the past month had not been in vain.

"Okay, okay, thank you very much, sir."

He then took out a silver ingot from his pocket and handed it to the old man, saying, "It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."

Lin Ruhai was in a great mood and led his horse into the alley.

The old man watched the group's retreating figures, biting his silver ingot with his teeth until it hurt, and exclaimed in amazement, "As expected of businessmen from Jiangnan, they are indeed generous. It seems they were right to have found the way. It's fortunate they met me. Otherwise, if they had gone to the Dingguo Mansion, they would have been turned away by the gatekeeper and their efforts would have been wasted."

Lin Ruhai walked along the road and found it to be a bustling street with a huge crowd of people, as if they were celebrating some kind of festival.

Whether they knew each other or not, everyone drank and enjoyed themselves.

Looking north, I finally found the character "大喜" (double happiness) under a plaque that read "夏家" (Xia Family).

"The Xia family? Where did this Xia family come from?"

Lin Ruhai frowned slightly, looking very puzzled.

Even if the plaque on the gate of the Dingguo Mansion doesn't say "Duke of Dingguo," it should at least say "Yue Mansion." Who is this Xia family?
However, the "double happiness" character on the door was newly pasted and not fake, so Lin Ruhai had no choice but to inquire first.

Upon arriving at the door, a greeter indeed rose to greet them, "You must also be a guest from Jiangnan who has come from afar? May I ask what gifts you have prepared for the host?"

Lin Ruhai glanced into the mansion and noticed that there were few people in the courtyard, which made him smile inwardly.

"Could it be that Yue Ling was afraid things would go too far, so he held a small banquet here under a false pretense? Yu'er has really suffered a lot following him."

"I don't think he needs to go to such lengths. With his style of doing things, he's made countless enemies. Why would they all come to celebrate with him?"

Gathering his thoughts, Lin Ruhai put his hands behind his back and said, "I don't have any good gifts. Just announce at the gate that it is Lin Ruhai, the Salt Inspector, who has arrived."

With a cold remark, Lin Ruhai strode across the threshold.

The gatekeeper was terrified. They dared not stop such a high-ranking official and could only hurry inside to inform him.

Lin Ruhai deliberately slowed his pace, waiting for someone to come and greet him.

Before he could, a young man dressed in red with a round face came out, making Lin Ruhai think he looked somewhat familiar.

"you are?"

Jia Baoyu was also stunned. When he heard the name of the Salt Commissioner, he knew who it was.

Jia Baoyu's feelings were very complicated. He didn't know how to face the person in front of him, but he still had to acknowledge their kinship at the moment, saying, "Junior Baoyu greets Uncle..."

"Jia Baoyu?"

Lin Ruhai's eyes widened. "You're having your wedding here?"

Jia Baoyu nodded silently, without saying a word.

Looking back at the plaque above the door, Lin Ruhai was once again taken aback and said, "This is not the Jia family's residence. Are you perhaps going to marry into the Xia family?"

Jia Baoyu nodded again.

Lin Ruhai's anger surged, his eyes seeming to spit fire. "You beast! As the eldest grandson of the Rongguo Mansion, how dare you marry into the family? How can the ancestors of the Jia family not send down a bolt of lightning to strike you dead?!"

The anger that had been building up for days could not be fully released by just a few curses. Rolling up his sleeves and clenching his fists, Lin Ruhai cursed again: "Second brother-in-law, today I will teach this shameless beast a lesson for you!"

(End of this chapter)