Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 501 Daytime
"Xueyan, are you eating again?"

"I haven't eaten, I'm leaving!"

Before she could even swallow her food, Xueyan rushed out the door in a panic, brushing past Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu looked up at Yue Ling in the room, who sat casually in the seat that Xueyan had originally occupied, picked up a osmanthus cake, poured himself some tea, and was filled with helplessness.

"You're bullying Xueyan again. She's been afraid of you these past few days, like a mouse seeing a cat, and you're still teasing her."

Yue Ling smiled, took Lin Daiyu's hand, and gently placed her in front of his lap. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and exclaimed, "So beautiful."

A blush rose on Lin Daiyu's face, and she turned her head away, saying, "If you don't tease her, you'll start teasing me again."

Yue Ling raised his hand and swore, "These are my heartfelt words, how could they be false? The original Lin Daiyu was beautiful, but now that she has her hair up, she is even more beautiful."

Lin Daiyu adjusted her hair bun at the back of her head and asked doubtfully, "Really? I don't feel anything."

In Yue Ling's eyes, Lin Daiyu's skin was like solidified cream, and her hair was tied up in a palace bun, which perfectly exposed her snow-white neck. She was truly more beautiful than before, and her childlike innocence had been enhanced with a touch of charm.

After experiencing sexual intercourse, my temperament is indeed different.

Naturally, he couldn't voice such vulgar thoughts. Yue Ling shook his head and said, "Originally, Lin Daiyu was like a lotus in a pond, a beauty meant only to be admired and not to be trifled with, a beauty that was pure and otherworldly."

"What now?"

"Now, Lin Daiyu's beauty belongs only to me, just like now, I can touch her with my hands." He gently pinched Lin Daiyu's waist, which made her playfully complain.

"Not serious!"

Yue Ling smiled and said, "Of course, I like what I have, and what I don't have is a regret."

Lin Daiyu pouted and said, "Now that you've got it, you're acting recklessly. I think it's better if you knew your limits back then!"

Yue Ling's eyes darted around, and he said, "Then, I won't call Xueyan to the room today. I'll keep you company by myself."

Lin Daiyu nodded. "Then, can we not do bad things?"

Yue Ling held Lin Daiyu's slender, delicate hand in his, kneading and playing with it, and looked up, saying, "My feelings have reached a point where I can't help myself."

"Pah, pah, pah! You lecher, you lecher! I see you've only revealed your true colors after you got married!"

The newlyweds were playfully wrestling and yelling in front of the hall, which made one of the people in the hall furious, with two vertical lines appearing on his forehead.

"Cough cough."

They coughed lightly, covering their mouths, completely unaware of each other's presence. Their actions became even more intimate, and right there in the main hall, one above the other, their eyes locked, burning with desire, they longed to kiss.

Lin Ruhai, who was standing under the eaves, found it increasingly difficult to bear. He knocked heavily on the door next to him, finally waking the young couple from their blissful state.

"Daddy."

Lin Daiyu straightened her clothes, which had been crumpled by Yue Ling, and curtsied. Her face was already flushed red, as if it could bleed.

"Father-in-law, what brings you here?"

Yue Ling was even more embarrassed. He patted his robes and stood obediently next to Lin Daiyu.

Lin Ruhai took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them, pointing and gesturing, but finally he sighed and lowered his head.

Lin Ruhai had been giving him lectures so many times that he was getting tired of it.

But witnessing the two engaging in what seemed like blatant debauchery in broad daylight, he couldn't help but speak out.

"You two are always together, don't you have anything important to do? It's still broad daylight, and you're kissing and hugging in the main hall, what kind of behavior is that?"

Lin Ruhai was so angry that his body trembled slightly, but he still couldn't stop himself from clapping his hands and complaining, "Yu'er, is this how my family behaves? Who taught you to be so unrestrained? How will you discipline the servants in the future?"

"The problem lies at its root."

Yue Ling and Lin Daiyu looked at each other, stuck out their tongues, and were truly embarrassed.

They forget that there are elders in the mansion now, who can keep them in check.

Lin Daiyu went to the side to make tea, and Yue Ling pulled out a chair and helped Lin Ruhai sit down. The couple worked together very well.

"Father-in-law, is there something you wish to discuss with me today?"

Lin Ruhai accepted the tea poured by Lin Daiyu, took a sip, and his mood indeed calmed down a lot. He then focused his mind back on the important matter.

“You haven’t been to the yamen lately, so you don’t know what’s going on there. Now the horses are strong and the grass is lush, and the Jurchens outside Liaodong are threatening to move south. The Prince of Nan’an and the Prince of Zhongshun have jointly supported the Second Prince in seizing military power and deploying troops to the border.”

"This is a great opportunity for practice. What do the others say?"

Lin Ruhai frowned and said, "Of course I know this is a good experience, but extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The Second Prince has successfully obtained military power, which was approved by the Emperor. Three regiments from the capital, as well as troops stationed in Shandong and Jiangsu, will be transferred to Shanhaiguan next month. Not only that, but now the allocation of grain and silver, the clarification of troop registers, and the cabinet meeting have all been handed over to the First Prince."

"I think someone is deliberately pushing the power struggle among the princes forward, and they already have rebellious intentions. I think you need to be more careful and vigilant lately, and not be careless, lest someone else succeed in taking advantage of you."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Yue Ling nodded repeatedly.

Although he was sharp-tongued, Lin Ruhai was genuinely concerned about his safety and took the initiative to find him, rather than sending a servant to summon him. This was just like Lin Daiyu's personality—sharp-tongued but kind-hearted.

Marriage really makes a difference; Yue Ling accepted the offer and treated him well.

"You've been staying indoors all this time, it's not a good idea. You should go out and show your face, instead of being so immersed in sensual pleasures all day long. You're only in your twenties!"

Yue Ling smiled wryly, thinking to herself, "Who calls their daughter a 'powdered skeleton'..."

Sure enough, when they looked at Lin Daiyu again, her cheeks were flushed and she was even more shy than before.

As if sensing something, she looked up and met Yue Ling's gaze. Lin Daiyu glared at him and turned her head away.

"Yes, I have already made a plan."

Yue Ling nodded and said, "I still have one card to play, which should be able to trick the person behind the scenes into revealing something."

"Oh? There's a reason I don't know?"

Yue Ling said, "That's right. Not long ago, the manor received a package from General Shi, the Marquis of Zhongjing. Much of the evidence pointed to a Shanxi merchant family. I've recently sent people to investigate..."

……

"What are you doing here again? Don't you ever have anything worthwhile to do all day?"

"Everything is back on track, so there's not much to worry about. Besides, Xiangling is becoming more and more capable, and I've dumped most of my responsibilities on her."

Xue Baoqin happily jumped around in Xue Baochai's room, displaying her lively and adorable nature.

Xue Baochai, however, was not happy. She found it difficult to deal with her younger sister, who always had wild and unconventional ideas; she was even more troublesome than Qin Keqing.

"External affairs are all on track, but lately I've been worried about domestic matters. Sister, are you holding back to ensure supplies arrive first? Tell me, what do you need, sister? I'll prepare it." Xue Baochai twitched her lips, thinking to herself, "What could I possibly lack? I just need some peace and quiet. Can you please leave already?"

He rolled his eyes and said helplessly, "The Marquis and Lin Daiyu are newlyweds, so don't do anything inappropriate."

Ignoring the mischievous Xue Baoqin, Xue Baochai turned her attention back to the tip of her pen, sketching out the recent accounts stroke by stroke.

Xue Baoqin finally plopped down at her table, persisting relentlessly, but what she said was a sigh, "I wonder when we can go out to sea to trade; Father's long-cherished wish has not yet been fulfilled."

It was rare for her to bring up serious matters, so Xue Baochai put down her pen and placed it on a bamboo pen holder beside her, asking with concern, "Didn't the Marquis grant you permission to build ships? He will surely grant you permission to go into business in the future as well."

Xue Baoqin pondered, "A single voyage at sea can take anywhere from a few months to several years. What if I miss my sister's wedding while I'm on a business trip?"

Xue Baochai was taken aback for a moment, then rolled her eyes. She really had no reason to care about this younger sister. She knew everything perfectly well, yet she still kept finding things to tease her about.

“It’s alright. You can hold a ceremony with the Marquis first, and I’ll do it your way. That way, you’ll have met him.”

Xue Baochai curled her lips.

Xue Baoqin fiddled with her hair, saying shyly, "This is so inappropriate. How can I, the younger sister, do this before my older sister?"

"Since you also think it's not good, then please leave quickly and don't disturb me while I'm doing my business."

"Huh? Serious business?"

Xue Baoqin ignored her and pulled Ying'er's arm, dragging her staggeringly closer.

"Stop pretending to sweep over there with a feather duster. Come over here and answer me. Tell me about getting a proper status for my sister. Is it important? Is there anything more important than that?"

Ying'er was caught in the middle between the two girls, looking left and right but unable to offend either of them, so she could only smile bitterly and say, "I'm just a maid, what can I say? I don't understand anything."

“What don’t you understand?” Xue Baoqin insisted. “We can’t compare with someone as experienced as Zijuan, nor can we compare with someone as clever and quick-witted as Xiangling. Look at Xueyan, she used to only work in the kitchen, but now she gets to eat and drink in the inner hall.”

"The difference between you and her is that she was the first wife's dowry maid, with a title and status, while you, along with your mistress, have no title or status."

"When Qingwen and Xiangling, these maids who do the hard work, become concubines, and even Lingguan and Ruiguan from the small opera troupe are promoted even further, how will you feel when you leave the garden and have to call her 'concubine' every time you leave?"

Ying'er was startled and shook her head repeatedly.

Even if she's incompetent, she's still of a higher status than the maids sold back from the opera troupe.

After listening to Xue Baoqin's words, Ying'er thought they made a lot of sense. Others could rise to a higher position on their own merits, but she couldn't. She was Xue Baochai's head maid, and her position was highly tied to her. She could only rise to a higher position by relying on Xue Baochai.

As long as Xue Baochai does not receive a formal title, she will always be an outsider in this household, and will be inferior to others.

"The second young lady is right, it is the young lady who is wrong."

Ying'er nodded firmly.

Xue Baochai was speechless and rubbed her forehead, saying, "Don't listen to her trying to sow discord. What time is it now? Don't you all have brains? Don't say such annoying things."

Turning to Xue Baoqin, Xue Baochai said, "I know what you're thinking. Aren't you afraid that if you go to sea, you won't be able to keep those old people in the old merchant guild in check? Perhaps you've been dealing with them less lately. Even if you stay at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion for these few months, they certainly won't dare to disobey you and your brother."

Xue Baoqin's arrogance vanished by half in an instant, and then she turned her head away awkwardly, saying, "This is only a small part; there is a much bigger reason."

Xue Baochai narrowed her eyes, wondering what kind of trouble her younger sister could cause, but then she heard Xue Baoqin say, "Just like my sister, my body has been touched by the Marquis."

"what?"

Xue Baochai felt dizzy and almost fell off the chair.

Ying'er was also taken aback. She often boasted to others that she had had an intimate relationship with the Marquis, but that was all just for show. She rarely even felt attracted to him, let alone had an intimate relationship.

Xue Baochai grabbed Xue Baoqin's wrist and frowned, asking, "When did this happen?"

Xue Baoqin shyly pinched the hem of her skirt, now showing some girlish charm, "It was the day that the son of Hanlin Mei came to the mansion."

"Weren't you and the Marquis just putting on an act in front of the hall that day?"

Xue Baoqin nodded, "They turned a fake relationship into a real one."

Xue Baochai leaned back in her chair helplessly, looking up at the sky.

"How old are you to be secretly doing this kind of thing behind people's backs?"

"Given the circumstances, what other options are there..."

"You must have planned this all along, calling her Sister Lin all the time."

"No matter what, shouldn't you still call her 'older sister'?"

The room was silent for a long time, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Ying'er held her breath and looked back and forth at the two sisters.

"Sister, when are you going to find the Marquis?"

Xue Baochai raised her hand to stop her, saying, "Let me take a moment."

"Sister, it's not that I'm in a hurry, but there has to be an explanation within a year. Don't tell me you don't want this title? I can't wait."

Xue Baochai, annoyed by her words, waved her hand and said, "I want it, of course I want it, but this is not something that can be forced, do you understand? Everything needs to happen naturally."

"Happiness is something you have to fight for. Look at Sister Keqing, I don't believe in anything that happens naturally."

"I've already said I want it, why are you still forcing me? Would you be satisfied if you stripped me naked and sent to the Marquis's bed?"

"It wouldn't come to that extent..."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. When the two sisters looked over, their faces turned red, and they silently turned their heads to the side.

Ying'er went up to her and said, "Miss Yun, what brings you here?"

Shi Xiangyun blushed and whispered, "I didn't mean to come here to steal your thunder. I had something to discuss with Sister Bao, but when I got closer I heard the commotion in the hall, so I came in without thinking..."

Xue Baoqin was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl under the table.

Xue Baochai had no reason to be aloof and not greet guests, so she had to swallow her pride and come out from behind the desk to welcome Shi Xiangyun into the room.

"Sister Yun, is something troubling you?"

Shi Xiangyun sighed and said, "The matter in my household is still unresolved, and the Marquis has not consulted me recently. I am very worried about my third uncle's situation, and I really don't know what to do."

Serving tea, Xue Baochai comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, since you've spoken to the Marquis, it's naturally within his calculations, and he won't forget. However, as for the safety of Marquis Zhongjing, I can help you investigate."

Shi Xiangyun quickly thanked her, "Thank you so much, Sister Bao. I will definitely not tell anyone what I just heard."

Upon hearing the first half of her sentence, Xue Baochai was about to say that she shouldn't stand on ceremony with her, but after hearing the second half, she swallowed her words.

With her almond-shaped eyes wide open, Xue Baochai glanced sideways at Xue Baoqin, inwardly grumbling, "I wonder how much Sister Yun heard. That silly sister of hers is really a worry! Now look what's happened!"

(End of this chapter)