Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 8 Entering the Mansion
into the night,

Lin Daiyu washed and lay down, feeling very anxious.

I couldn't stop looking in the direction of the screen, observing what was happening on the other side.

However, unlike the silk screen at home, this screen was not light-transmissive and no outline of Yue Ling could be seen.

This way, Lin Daiyu could feel more at ease, as it proved that the person on the other side really couldn't see her.

However, Xueyan, who was sleeping outside her, did not have so many concerns. She blew out the lights and then lay down comfortably on the pillow.

"Girl, go to sleep. You've been busy for a long time today, and you're so tired that your bones are about to fall apart."

As night fell, Lin Daiyu naturally felt a little lost. She sighed softly and whispered to Xueyan in a low voice, "Today I insisted on strolling on the deck, and was hijacked by pirates. It was General Yue who protected me and prevented the thieves from succeeding."

Xueyan became interested and asked, "General Yue's martial arts are very good, right? Can he defeat a group of people by himself? After all, he is the personal guard of the palace, not everyone can be a member of the palace."

Lin Daiyu put her finger on Xueyan's lips and said, "Shh, keep your voice down. If you speak louder, you can ask him directly."

Xueyan nodded repeatedly and followed Lin Daiyu in a low voice, "Oh, I see."

"His martial arts skills must be very good. After all, he defeated several people by himself. As for how he defeated them, I didn't dare to watch."

Xueyan was puzzled again and asked, "This is a good thing. General Yue was protecting His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin. Now he is protecting the young lady. Wouldn't the young lady be treated the same as His Royal Highness? What is there to sigh about?"

Lin Daiyu curled her lips. She was not worried about this matter. "I just left home and haven't even reached the capital yet, but I've already owed two favors to the masters. If this continues, how can I repay them?"

Xueyan was not familiar with these social practices, so she answered casually, "I guess General Yue doesn't care about this. As long as the girl listens to him, he will be very happy."

"That's not the truth. We still have to do something to make up for it." Lin Daiyu suddenly thought of an idea. "When we get to the capital, buy some needlework and thread."

"Ah?" Xueyan was not good at needlework. When she heard Lin Daiyu's plan, she quickly came up with another idea, "The girl has been smart since she was young. She could read at the age of three and write at the age of five. Why not write a calligraphy and painting for General Yue?"

Lin Daiyu said, "General Yue is a military officer, he may not understand it, and he probably doesn't like it."

"OK then."

Xueyan had no choice but to agree. It seemed that after arriving in Beijing, it would be difficult for her to have some free time.

……

After a few days of sailing, Yue Ling and the other two who were in the same room had broken the ice on their relationship.

Although, Yue Ling often went out on the deck to get some fresh air, he had to avoid suspicion when Lin Daiyu had not yet dressed or was in other situations.

But they communicate more every day than in the previous month, which allows them to understand each other better.

Lin Daiyu is well-behaved and sensible, Xueyan is cute and adorable, and Yue Ling has gradually adapted to their presence.

Moreover, under Yue Ling's care, Lin Daiyu had enough food, took her medicine on time, and her complexion became better, even better than when she boarded the ship.

All his hard work was worth it, Yue Ling felt very accomplished.

That day, we abandoned the boat and went ashore.
Because he arrived in the capital two days earlier on the official ship, the Rongguo Mansion did not receive any news and naturally did not send servants to greet him.

The three of them took a carriage together and entered the capital.

When they arrived at the inner city of the capital, the two took different paths.

Lin Daiyu lifted the carriage curtain and pointed to the west, saying, "Should I go this way?"

She looked at the map drawn by Yue Ling and tried to identify the direction herself.

Yue Ling nodded, pointed to the east and said, "Well, I'll go this way then."

"Hmm?" Lin Daiyu looked over in surprise and said to Yue Ling, "General Yue, won't you go to Rongguo Mansion with me?"

Yue Ling nodded, "Aren't you going to deliver a letter or take care of family affairs? I need to go to the palace first to report, and I will come to pick you up after I finish my official business."

Suddenly, Lin Daiyu felt a little uneasy.

After spending these days together, she felt uneasy when Yue Ling was close to her, and she would feel uneasy when he was far away from her. Maybe in her heart she had already regarded Yue Ling as her support.

Yue Ling sensed the disappointment in Lin Daiyu's eyes and gently stroked her head, "Don't be afraid. No matter what, that's where your mother grew up. The old lady in the mansion will definitely not make things difficult for you."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, then looked up at Yue Ling, "Okay, I will remember what General Yue told me before. General Yue, please remember to pick me up early."

"Well, it's a deal."

After Lin Daiyu entered Ningrong Street and called the steward of Rong Mansion, Yue Ling changed horses and went to Qin Wang Mansion.

……

Ningrong Street is bustling and populated.

After walking a few dozen steps, they arrived at the main gate of Rongguo Mansion, under the golden plaque with the words "Built by Imperial Order Rongguo Mansion".

The five large characters written by the emperor himself clearly demonstrate the royal favor.

Being such a prominent family, there must be a lot of etiquette. If I make a mistake, I will naturally be looked down upon and humiliated as a poor and ignorant relative from the south.

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu dared not be careless at all.

As soon as the carriage entered the door, he lifted the curtain and got out.

At the Rongguo Mansion, when they heard that the daughter of Jia Min, the former jewel in the crown of the Duke, had entered the mansion, they all spontaneously came to the sides of the road to greet her.

As she passed through the Chuihua Gate, Lin Daiyu ran head-on into Lady Jia, who had arrived late after hearing the news.

As soon as she saw Lin Daiyu, Jia's mother immediately threw away her phoenix-headed pearwood walking stick, and cried as she took Lin Daiyu into her arms, "My poor child."

Grandmother Jia cried bitterly, and her sadness also moved Lin Daiyu.

She hadn't shed a tear in days, but at this moment she couldn't stop crying.

The people around them also shed tears silently, and it took a long time to persuade the two to calm down. They were led through the corridor and directly into Rongqing Hall.

In the center of the lobby, under a picture of the word longevity, there is a throne chair.

Grandmother Jia held Lin Daiyu's hand tightly, and the two sat down side by side. She said again: "Yes, she looks exactly like your mother when she was a child."

After just the first meeting, Grandmother Jia loved Lin Daiyu very much.

Other female relatives of the mansion came in one after another. Grandmother Jia no longer wiped her tears in front of Lin Daiyu, but introduced them to her: "This is your eldest aunt, this is your second aunt, and this is your elder brother Zhu's wife, Sister-in-law Zhu."

Lin Daiyu greeted everyone one by one and was very considerate.

Not all the people came, so Jia's mother ordered again: "Let the girls come. Today, we have guests from afar, so put aside the work on hand."

Soon, Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun came together, and the sisters got to know each other again.

They were all very pretty, but Lin Daiyu was no less pretty than them and she handled things more calmly.

Everyone was chatting about their daily lives. When the guests were enjoying themselves, they heard footsteps outside. The maid guarding the door came in and said with a smile, "Master Bao is here!"

Hearing the word "Master", Lin Daiyu suddenly became very alert. It was General Yue who said that the male members of the Jia family had arrived.

(End of this chapter)