Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 55 Envy (Please read again on Tuesday)

"This jade is a good piece of jade, but is it your name or Miss Lin's name?"

The little kid looked at it from front to back and said blankly: "There is nothing..."

"How can you prove your identity if you don't have any? If your jade was picked up and not given by Miss Lin, who can testify? Anyway, you can't go in unless you can produce the certificate given by General Yue."

"You, you, you guys!"

The little kid was so angry that his face turned red, and he was about to rush inside, but he was stopped after a few steps.

"Don't underestimate me because you are young. You will be punished for trespassing."

She had worked at home for several days before she had the chance to sneak out. She didn't expect that when she got to the yard, she was not allowed to enter. Shi Xiangyun was unwilling to let her efforts go to waste, so she turned her eyes and thought of a good idea.

After standing still, Shi Xiangyun stopped making a fuss. She raised her head and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, General Yue."

When the gatekeepers heard Shi Xiangyun addressing him as General Yue, they turned around and bowed their heads in greeting, saying in unison, "General Yue."

There was no response to my greeting, and when I looked up again I saw that the little kid had already run to the front.

"Hahaha, you idiots, I was just kidding you! Sister Lin, open the door quickly, I'm coming!"

Shi Xiangyun knocked on the door excitedly. After a while, the door did not open, but she saw the real General Yue.

"Hey, why are you here?"

Yue Ling stood in front of the door, looking at Shi Xiangyun in confusion.

Several servants behind him stepped forward and apologized to Yue Ling, "General Yue, we're sorry we didn't stop her."

Yue Ling comforted him, "It's okay, next time you see her, just let her in."

"Now you know it? I really know General Yue!"

Shi Xiangyun pinched her waist, her watery eyes turned up to the sky in pride.

"Stand back."

Yue Ling smiled and said to Shi Xiangyun: "You look so proud, why are you here?"

"Of course I'm here to look for Sister Lin. She promised me that I could come."

When Yue Ling pushed open the door, Shi Xiangyun ran into the courtyard happily.

Lin Daiyu in the room had already heard Shi Xiangyun's movements and was waiting to greet her under the eaves of the door.

Seeing Lin Daiyu, Shi Xiangyun waved her hands excitedly, "Sister Lin, I will teach you..."

Before he could finish the word "teach", Lin Daiyu pulled him over and covered his mouth.

Shi Xiangyun was caught off guard and fell directly into Lin Daiyu's arms, looking up with horror.

Lin Daiyu smiled awkwardly and said to Yue Ling, "Brother Yue, let's go back to our room."

Yue Ling nodded blankly, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

To be honest, Yue Ling had never seen Lin Daiyu move so quickly.

Lin Daiyu has always been "like a delicate flower shining in the moonlight when she is quiet, and like a willow swaying in the wind when she moves". Her move today really surprised Yue Ling.

"Could it be that Lin Daiyu really has the talent to uproot weeping willow trees?"

……

After entering the room, Shi Xiangyun was still confused and asked carefully, "Did I just say the taboo words in this courtyard?"

Seeing Shi Xiangyun's silly look, Xueyan and Zijuan all laughed. Zijuan was familiar with Shi Xiangyun and explained to her: "The girl didn't let General Yue know that she was learning needlework."

"Why?"

"Of course it's because the girl wanted to embroider it first and give one to General Yue as a surprise."

Shi Xiangyun frowned and said in disbelief, "General Yue is so lucky. Also, it turns out that my sister asked me to come here just to order me around. I really thought she wanted to play with me."

Shi Xiangyun pouted again and looked unhappy.

Lin Daiyu, who was sitting at the table, gently stroked her blushing cheek and whispered, "Of course I really want to find you to come over and play, and of course I am serious about asking you to teach me needlework. I just thought you were boring at home, and here is also a good place for you to go."

"You just said that General Yue is lucky, but that's not true. Brother Yue has taken care of me so much, and I owe him a lot. I can only trouble him to worry about him on weekdays, and I can't help him at all."

Shi Xiangyun unconsciously touched Lin Daiyu's forehead, which felt icy cold and not as if she had a fever. She then turned to Xueyan and Zijuan, as if to confirm what Lin Daiyu said.

Xueyan nodded repeatedly and spoke first: "Although General Yue has some bad intentions, he is really good to young ladies. I think I can't compare to General Yue."

Zijuan also said: "Indeed, General Yue has been worrying about us a lot all day long."

"Is it really that good?"

When in Rongguo Mansion, Lin Daiyu praised Yue Ling, and Shi Xiangyun was very envious at first, but she calmed down after returning to Shi Mansion. Just ask, how can someone without any relatives take care of others in such meticulous manner? Even the two uncles in Shi Mansion usually ignored her.

Those words were probably just boasting by Sister Lin.

Thinking of this, Shi Xiangyun felt much more balanced, but after hearing what she heard today, she felt uncomfortable again.

Lin Daiyu sat down next to Shi Xiangyun, rubbed her head and said, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, be my little teacher."

Shi Xiangyun agreed woodenly, "Okay..."

……

The little girls gathered in a room with the door closed, but they were quiet. Yue Ling didn't know what they were doing, and no one came out for a long time.

In order not to disturb their interest, Yue Ling did not ask Zijuan and Xueyan to prepare dinner at night, but showed off his cooking skills himself.

Roasted deer tendons, cherry meat, Longjing shrimps, stir-fried bamboo shoots with bacon... seven dishes and one soup, both meat and vegetarian, strong and light flavors, Yue Ling thought he was extremely well prepared.

The lighter dishes were mainly for Lin Daiyu. She didn't like greasy food to begin with, but with Yue Ling's care, she was able to eat some meat.

The strong-tasting ones were naturally prepared for Shi Xiangyun. I vaguely remember that this little girl loved roasted venison the most in the book. She ate meat and drank wine with big mouthfuls, and finally fell drunk in the peony bushes. She was so silly and cute.

"Children, it's time for dinner."

"dinner time!"

Xueyan immediately opened the door and came out. She came to the round table, arched her nose, and took a deep breath. "What a nice smell!"

Shi Xiangyun, who had originally looked a little depressed, was also excited when she saw the dishes on the table, "General Yue, which restaurant did you order these dishes from?"

Lin Daiyu pulled Shi Xiangyun to sit beside the table and said with a smile, "Of course it was made by Brother Yue himself. Brother Yue rarely cooks, so today I am taking advantage of you."

Yue Ling also waved his hand and said, "Come on, try it and see how it tastes. Is it better than what you ate in the Marquis' Mansion?"

Shi Xiangyun was really surprised that a young man like Yue Ling, who had such a graceful manner and masculine demeanor, actually had a gentle side.

After tasting the roasted deer tendons, Shi Xiangyun was so envious of Lin Daiyu's life that she almost cried, but the tears overflowed from the corners of her mouth.

While chewing, Shi Xiangyun murmured, "It tastes good..."

　Thanks to Mu Yushi, Gus_Violet, Friedrich IV, Zi Ma is sleeping in today, My heart is toward the bright moon, Kaysero018, @星辰海@, Haru_Haru, Xuan Yi Zhenren, and Jun Yuque for their monthly tickets. Thank you all for your recommendations and support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)