Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 9: Jade Smashing
Outside the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Baoyu and his servant were riding horses on the street, heading towards the mansion.

He didn't know that his cousin from the south was arriving in Beijing today. He was playing outside with a few friends and missed the opportunity to go and greet her. He felt very regretful.

Jia Baoyu heard from many people that the sister named Lin Daiyu was well-educated, well-mannered and extremely beautiful.

For Jia Baoyu, who likes to hang out in the inner chambers, it is naturally a great thing to have a sister who is as beautiful as a fairy fall into his house.

Having a younger sister means more liveliness. He wishes all the beautiful women in the world would gather around him. What a happy life that would be.

"Second Master, Second Master? Ride slower, there are more people ahead."

Jia Baoyu's foster brother Li Gui accompanied him and gave him kind advice.

Jia Baoyu didn't want to hear this, so he whipped his horse whip twice more, "Sister has already arrived at the mansion. If I go any later, won't I have no chance to see you? Hurry up and stop talking nonsense!"

Li Gui also watched Jia Baoyu grow up, so he naturally knew what he was thinking. He smiled and said, "When your aunt got married, I saw her from a distance. Her appearance was one of the best in the capital. I think Miss Lin will be no worse."

Hearing this, Jia Baoyu became even more upset and couldn't wait to see Lin Daiyu.

"That's enough, you're just talking too much, get on your horse!"

Baoyu walked into the mansion and first went to his room to change his clothes and then came to the main hall.

A maidservant passed the message, and Baoyu walked in with square steps and high spirits.

When she heard that Baoyu had arrived, Mrs. Wang first said, "This devil has just returned."

Looking at Lin Daiyu, Mrs. Wang kindly reminded her, "He has been acting crazy and moody all day. If he offends you, just ignore him. These sisters are all very nice, and it's better to play with them."

Grandmother Jia also smiled and replied: "It is indeed hard to be at peace."

Lin Daiyu had indeed heard from her mother that she had a cousin who was born with a jade in his mouth. He was extremely naughty and hated studying. However, because his grandmother doted on him so much, no one dared to discipline him.

But considering that it is the residence of the Duke, he should not do anything impolite.

After listening to Mrs. Wang's advice, Lin Daiyu also didn't want to cause trouble. Originally, she was just going through the motions, chatting about some family matters, and after bringing the letter from home, she waited for Yue Ling to take her home.

"When I was at home, I heard from my mother's family that my second aunt had a son named Baoyu, who had a good relationship with his sisters. Today I came to meet my grandmother and aunts, so I won't get involved with him."

In this case, Mrs. Wang felt much more relieved. Even if Lin Daiyu stayed in the mansion, it would not be a problem. "That's good."

When Jia Baoyu entered the hall and bowed to greet Jia Mu and others above him, Lin Daiyu looked in the direction of his voice and only then did she know what kind of person Jia Baoyu was.

She wore a purple gold crown inlaid with jewels on her hair, and a golden headband with two dragons fighting for a pearl at her brows. She wore a red arrow-shaped sleeve with two-color gold butterflies on it, and a long tasseled palace belt with multicolored silk flowers. She also wore a dark blue flowered Japanese satin jacket with eight circles and tassels, and small court boots with a green satin and pink base.

There was a golden dragon necklace on her neck, and a five-colored silk thread tied with a piece of beautiful jade, which I guess was the jade she held in her mouth when she was born.

Lin Daiyu looked at the rest of the people. They were all wearing plain clothes, either dark brown or gray-green. Only a few girls were wearing brighter colors, but they were just light blue dresses and not very eye-catching.

Since she was not in mourning, she naturally dressed much more simply, just a plain white dress with some patterns embellished here and there.

And the young man in the hall was wearing gold and silver, and his clothes were so dazzling that they were really too eye-catching.

No matter whose mother has passed away, no one would wear bright red clothes when meeting her mother.

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu thought that she was overthinking it. In fact, no one in the mansion cared about her mother's funeral. She couldn't help feeling a little sad.

Her eyes were red, and Grandmother Jia also sensed something was wrong, so she said to Baoyu in a friendly tone: "Baoyu, why are you dressed like this to meet your sister today? Go and take off your clothes before coming back."

Baoyu, who was dressed up carefully, thought he looked very good. After showing off for a while, he obeyed Jia's grandmother's words and said on the sidewalk: "I just went out for a walk and didn't have time to change clothes. I just wanted to see my sister in the hall. I'll go and change now." After saying this, he strode out of the hall again.

Grandmother Jia liked Baoyu's outfit very much, thinking it looked quite handsome. She changed the subject and started chatting with Lin Daiyu about family matters.

"Yu'er, have you ever read a book?"

Lin Daiyu came back to her senses and responded, "I just read the Four Books. What are you sisters reading now?"

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "They just know a few words, and they are not blind."

Not long after, Baoyu came back.

He was still wearing the same half-worn jacket with silver and red flowers, half-exposed green silk trousers with pine flower flowers, thick-soled red shoes, and all kinds of accessories.

When he entered the hall earlier, he took a quick glance and saw that there was only one more girl. Jia Baoyu immediately knew that she was his cousin who had come from afar.

At just one glance, Lin Daiyu's appearance seemed to be engraved on his heart. Her eyes were filled with tears, her cheeks were full of beauty, and her delicate appearance was even more delicate than Xi Shi. It was really impressive.

"She is truly a beautiful person, like a fairy!"

Baoyu was extremely happy. He quickly walked to Lady Jia's side and sat down on the other side.

As soon as he sat down, Baoyu turned his head and said to Lin Daiyu, "I have seen this sister before."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room burst into laughter, knowing that Jia Baoyu was talking nonsense.

But Lin Daiyu and Xueyan had a different mood.

Unexpectedly, Yue Ling's words came true. Not only did this happen, but even the words were exactly the same.

Lin Daiyu immediately became alert, "Brother, you are joking. I have lived in the south since I was a child. How could I have seen it?"

Baoyu, however, was very confident and did not blush at all, "Maybe I have never seen you before, but I think you look familiar, so I think we are old acquaintances. Today we can just treat it as a reunion after a long separation, which is not a bad idea."

Grandmother Jia also praised him, saying, "Even better, even better. If this is the case, we will be more harmonious!"

Xueyan was so angry after hearing this that she wanted to go up and tear the mouth of this bastard apart.

Lin Daiyu exchanged a look with her, and she immediately regained her composure and stood obediently aside.

Grandmother Jia has been in charge of Rongguo Mansion for decades, so no trick could be hidden from her eyes. Seeing this, she said, "This girl is here to serve Yu'er on her way north. How old is she?"

Xueyan bowed first and said, "After this month, you will be ten years old."

Grandmother Jia frowned slightly, "How can I take good care of Yu'er when she is so young? I have to choose some more reliable people for Yu'er in the mansion."

Grandmother Jia, several housekeepers' wives and maids were making arrangements, while Jia Baoyu was talking to Lin Daiyu.

Taking out the jade he was wearing from his neck, Baoyu showed it to Lin Daiyu and said, "Do you have jade too, sister?"

Lin Daiyu didn't like to wear jewelry, and didn't understand why he asked this question. She shook her head and said, "I have never worn any jade."

Baoyu's face suddenly changed in shock. The originally harmonious atmosphere in the hall ended with a loud bang, and Baoyu's jade rolled a long distance on the ground.

"I don't want any of that shit!"

(End of this chapter)