The Red Mansion

Chapter 204 Stinky man

As the bright moon rises, its silvery light spills across the earth.

Xiao Nan, Lin Daiyu, Zijuan, Xueyan, and two maids walked under the moonlight to Peach Blossom Spring Pavilion, where they found the pavilion lit up.

Xiao Nan stopped, turned around, and smiled at Lin Daiyu, saying, "Lord Jiang must be inside. Would you like to go in, Miss?"

"I don't want to go in," Lin Daiyu said resolutely. "You go in and call him out."

Xiao Nan curtsied and strode into the pavilion.

A moment later, the sound of boots clattering echoed as Jiang Nian strode out the door. Tonight, he wasn't wearing his guard's uniform, but rather a dark blue, arrow-sleeved, close-fitting outfit, over which he wore a black sable cloak. The silver silk belt around his waist shimmered in the moonlight and lamplight. His full head of black hair was loosely tied back with a black jade hairpin, and a few stray strands fluttered in the night breeze, making him appear less imposing and more dashing than usual.

Lin Daiyu's eyes lit up without her noticing, and she clenched the handkerchief in her hand. When Jiang Nian's gaze swept over her, she turned her head away, pretending to look elsewhere.

As Jiang Nian approached, she saw Lin Daiyu wearing a veil and couldn't help but laugh, "Sister Lin, you haven't even left the second gate yet, and you're already in a hurry to cover your face?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's fingertips paused on her veil, then suddenly she steeled herself and lifted it off. She thought to herself that she had carefully dressed up tonight, and even Zijuan and Xueyan had said she looked beautiful; she should let this wretched brother-in-law see her… Anyway, it wasn't her intention to lift it; it was this wretched brother-in-law who started the conversation…

Jiang Nian carefully examined Lin Daiyu's face. She saw that after removing her veil, her cheeks were rouged, like two red plum blossoms blooming in the snow, and her lips were adorned with a touch of vermilion, clearly indicating that she had applied lip rouge in front of the mirror.

Lin Daiyu felt embarrassed by his gaze and lowered her head, secretly hoping for his praise.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Nian said, "Lin Daiyu looks less natural with such heavy makeup; it would be better if she wore a veil!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu was first stunned, then her expression changed.

Xiao Nan quickly covered her mouth with her handkerchief, while Xue Yan lowered her head and chuckled.

"I'll apply powder if I want, and I'll apply rouge if I want!" Lin Daiyu said defiantly, covering her face with a veil that only revealed her eyebrows and eyes. "What do you men know about cosmetics anyway!"

Although the voice was soft, it carried a great deal of annoyance.

Seeing that Lin Daiyu was upset, Jiang Nian did not comfort her, but simply said, "It's getting late, let's set off."

Having said that, he turned and strode away, his black sable cloak fluttering slightly in the night wind, his boots clattering softly, as if he were truly about to leave.

Seeing Lin Daiyu standing still with tears welling up in her eyes, Zijuan knew that the young lady was throwing a tantrum again, so she quickly whispered to persuade her, "Miss, Lord Jiang has already gone ahead, let's hurry up and catch up."

Lin Daiyu bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to move, deliberately saying loudly, "I'm not going! Let's go back to Furong Pavilion!"

Jiang Nian stopped upon hearing the sound, turned around, and saw Lin Daiyu standing there, her eyes filled with tears, one hand tightly clutching her handkerchief.

He frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, then turned back, waving for Xiao Nan, Zi Juan, and the others to step aside. He then leaned close to Lin Daiyu and whispered, "Secretary Lin, have you forgotten what I told you?"

Lin Daiyu turned her head away, her tears flowing even more uncontrollably.

Jiang Nian's voice was soft, but every word was cold and heavy: "I have warned you before that if you want your father to live, you must restrain yourself and not be willful. You must not let your sentimental nature aggravate your father's illness. Tonight we are going on a night out together, but the fun is secondary. The main purpose is for the important salt administration, as your father knows. If you suddenly refuse to go, it will not only be willful and reckless, but it will also aggravate your father's illness and the important salt administration matters between me and your father!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu was both angry and aggrieved, thinking to herself, "A threat! He actually used my father to threaten me!"

She glared at Jiang Nian, but Jiang Nian's expression was cold and his gaze sharp as knives, showing no pity whatsoever.

Seeing that Lin Daiyu's veil was already soaked with tears, Jiang Nian reached out to take the handkerchief from Lin Daiyu's hand. Lin Daiyu held on tightly, but Jiang Nian suddenly pulled, forcefully snatching the handkerchief away and raising her hand to wipe away Lin Daiyu's tears. Lin Daiyu turned her face away, and Jiang Nian said calmly, "Wipe away your tears, or you'll soak your veil."

Lin Daiyu was filled with shame and indignation, but there was nothing she could do but glare at Jiang Nian with resentment.

Seeing that she still didn't move, Jiang Nian's tone suddenly became stern: "Stop being willful and come out with me, that's the right thing to do!"

Lin Daiyu's eyes were brimming with tears, and she felt wronged in every way. She wanted to curse but dared not utter a word. She could only bite her lower lip tightly, and the vermilion lipstick on her lips was bitten until it faded. However, because of the veil covering her face, Jiang Nian could not see it.

Jiang Nian handed the handkerchief to Lin Daiyu and said indifferently, "Do you want this handkerchief? If not, I'll take it. I happen to need a handkerchief."

Lin Daiyu hurriedly reached out and snatched her handkerchief back, her fingertips trembling slightly, clearly indicating her extreme anger.

Jiang Nian smiled slightly, then turned to Zijuan and said, "Help your young lady wipe away her tears, support her, and then come with me."

Having said that, he said no more and strode forward.

Zijuan hurriedly stepped forward to wipe away Lin Daiyu's tears, whispering, "Miss, Lord Jiang has already gone far away, we..."

Lin Daiyu took a deep breath, suppressing her resentment, and finally, holding onto Zijuan's hand, slowly followed.

After walking a short distance, Jiang Nian looked back and saw Lin Daiyu, though still with tears in her eyes, had composed herself and was slowly approaching with Zijuan's support. Their eyes met, and a playful glint flashed in Jiang Nian's eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips, while Lin Daiyu's eyes were filled with resentment and helplessness, and she could only lower her head to avoid his gaze.

Lin Daiyu was originally looking forward to the Lantern Festival night outing, but before she even left the backyard, she was angered by Jiang Nian and verbally coerced by him. She felt wronged but had no choice but to follow him with tears in her eyes.

Jiang Nian led the tearful Lin Daiyu out of the backyard, followed by Wen Zaizhang, Lin Ruhai's advisor. Upon reaching the outer residence, Qi Jianyu, Meng Xiong, and several personal guards followed, all dressed in civilian clothes but carrying weapons.

Jiang Nian went to Yangzhou as an imperial envoy, accompanied by twenty elite officers and soldiers from the Imperial Guard. These were the emperor's personal guards, and since they had been assigned to him, they temporarily became his personal guards.

Along the way, supported by Zijuan, Lin Daiyu felt unsteady on her feet. She thought about how carefully she had dressed up that evening, only to be met with this wretched woman... this wretched man, who not only failed to compliment her but also said that "heavy makeup only obscures her true self." Even worse, he had used her father as leverage, forcing her to comply. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became!

As a result, Lin Daiyu cried all the way from the backyard to the outer residence, which made Zijuan very tired. She had to wipe away her tears with a handkerchief from time to time to prevent them from wetting her veil and to avoid the men seeing her in an indecent way.

At this moment, Jiang Nian and her group had already left the Saltworks gate. Zijuan wiped away Lin Daiyu's tears with a handkerchief, whispering, "Miss, please stop crying. There are too many people and too many eyes on the street..."

Lin Daiyu felt even more wronged, but she had to force herself to hold back her tears. Then, as if thinking of something, she suddenly stopped and whispered a few words to Zijuan.

Zijuan hurriedly called out to Jiang Nian, "Lord Jiang, please wait."

Jiang Nian turned to look at Lin Daiyu and asked in an annoyed tone, "What is it now?"

Seeing his expression and tone, Lin Daiyu felt a surge of anger, snorted coldly, and turned her face away.

Zijuan had no choice but to answer on her behalf: "The young lady asked...why a sedan chair wasn't prepared?"

Jiang Nianjian frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "How can one enjoy the Lantern Festival night out by sedan chair? And how cheap is it? Look at the streets, there are crowds of pedestrians, how many of them are riding in sedan chairs or carriages?" As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed.

Lin Daiyu looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that the street was indeed teeming with tourists, shoulder to shoulder. Her arrogance subsided by a third, but she still wouldn't let it go: "Fine, I won't ride in a sedan chair! Why... why are you being so fierce!" She couldn't help but ask, "How far are we going to walk tonight?" Her tone had softened a bit.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian suddenly looked down at Lin Daiyu's feet. Although they weren't bound, they were still small and delicate, encased in soft satin shoes embroidered with plum blossoms. Given the girl's frail health, walking long distances was indeed a difficult task for her.

Lin Daiyu noticed his gaze and immediately felt embarrassed, pulling her skirt down a little. She was both annoyed and anxious: "This stinking man is so rude. In broad daylight... no, in this street full of people and brightly lit, how dare he look at a young lady like this..." Thinking this, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Nian found it amusing, but pretended to be indifferent and said, "It's a rare festive night, especially in the bustling city of Yangzhou, and the moonlight is particularly beautiful tonight. We should enjoy ourselves. However..." He paused deliberately, "Considering that Sister Lin is delicate, we should only walk ten miles in total, including the outing and the return trip. It's not much, not much at all."

Lin Daiyu was stunned. Ten miles? Not much? Or was it "out of consideration for my delicate health"?
With her physique, she struggles to walk even a mile, let alone ten miles.

She thought to herself, "This bastard is clearly trying to kill me!" But she couldn't say it out loud, so she could only twist the handkerchief in her hand and gently bite her lips.

Seeing that she remained silent, Jiang Nian deliberately provoked her, "What? Lin Daiyu can't even walk ten miles? If that's really the case, she might as well stay in her boudoir for the rest of her life, so that people won't laugh at her for being unable to walk." After saying that, she deliberately shook her head and pretended to be regretful.

"You...you...you're so annoying!" Lin Daiyu's voice trembled with anger, and tears rolled down her cheeks again. Bathed in moonlight and lamplight, they looked like dewdrops on lotus leaves, crystal clear.

Zijuan watched closely from the side and sighed inwardly, "The young lady has always been aloof and willful. Even the old lady spoiled her when she was in the Rong Mansion, and Bao Er Ye was extremely obedient to her. But she just happened to meet someone like Lord Jiang, who seems to enjoy teasing her. I wonder how many stories will unfold between the two of them!"

After thinking it over, Zijuan wiped away Lin Daiyu's tears and said, "Don't worry, Miss. I'll help you along the way. If you really can't walk anymore, the two ladies can carry you."

This time, Lin Daiyu was accompanied by two servants from the Lin family.

Lin Daiyu was about to nod when she saw Jiang Nian looking at her with a half-smile, her eyes clearly carrying a hint of mockery. A stubborn streak suddenly rose within her, and she shook off Zijuan's hand, saying, "Who needs help? Who needs to be carried? I have my own feet, I can walk on my own! Not to mention ten miles, even... even eleven miles, I can walk!"

As she spoke, she lifted her skirt and quickly walked to the front.

He cursed inwardly, "What a disgusting man!"

Zijuan, Xueyan, and two maids hurriedly followed.

Lin Daiyu walked quickly ahead in a huff, her pale purple embroidered plum blossom cloak shimmering in the moonlight and lamplight, making her look like a sullen pale purple butterfly.

Jiang Nian, who was watching from behind, had a faint smile on her lips. Instead of chasing after them, she told Xiao Nan, Qi Jianyu, Meng Xiong, and Wen Zaizhang beside her, "Let's walk slowly."

Xiao Nan smiled to herself, thinking to herself, "I wonder how this Lord Jiang will tease the young lady this time!"

As the group entered the bustling market, they saw colorful lanterns hanging from the shops on both sides. Some shops had revolving lanterns depicting the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, which seemed to ride the wind and waves as they turned; some shops had glass lanterns, whose crystal-clear surface reflected the shadows of people drinking and exchanging toasts inside; and some shops had silk palace lanterns, which depicted stories of talented scholars and beautiful women, such as waiting for the moon in the West Chamber and the Peony Pavilion, swaying gently in the evening breeze.

The cries of street vendors rose and fell. An old man selling sugar stretched out long strands of maltose and sculpted a lifelike Monkey King; a woman selling candied hawthorns had a rack full of red berries in front of her, the sugar coating shimmering amber in the lamplight; the pastry stalls were piled high with various pastries, their sweet aroma wafting into people's noses; there were also young girls selling lanterns and old women selling rouge and face powder, making the street market colorful and vibrant.

The bright lights reflected in Lin Daiyu's tear-stained eyes.

She was initially angry, but the lively scene softened her mood, and she unconsciously slowed her pace. Suddenly, she saw a stall selling clay figurines, and the lifelike Chang'e and Jade Rabbit she had sculpted made her take a second look.

"How about this, young lady?" Zijuan asked, pointing to a clay figurine of Xi Shi holding her heart, when she saw Lin Daiyu stop.

Lin Daiyu was about to reply when she suddenly turned around as if she remembered something—she had assumed Jiang Nian would be following closely behind, and if so, she would simply go with him. But to her surprise, she saw him strolling leisurely about thirty paces away, as if he wasn't even with her.

"Humph!"

Lin Daiyu, furious, flung her sleeves and turned to leave. But her mind was in turmoil, and she tripped over a stone, lurching forward. Luckily, Zijuan quickly caught her—Zijuan was skilled at such things and always kept an eye on Lin Daiyu, which allowed her to support her in time. Otherwise, Lin Daiyu might have been unable to walk after the fall.

"Watch your step, young lady!" Zijuan said, still shaken. "There are so many people on this street. If you fall, you'll not only hurt yourself, but you'll also become a laughingstock!"

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Daiyu angrily retorted, "How dare you speak so loudly! You heartless girl, you're helping that stinking man bully me!" As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

Zijuan was both amused and exasperated, saying, "When did I ever help...help Lord Jiang bully you? I was just concerned about you..."

Lin Daiyu was about to scold her when she heard Jiang Nian's slightly mocking voice from behind: "What? You've only walked a short distance and you're already falling down? Lin Daiyu is indeed a precious daughter of a noble family, she can't even walk steadily."

Lin Daiyu turned around abruptly, glaring at Jiang Nian: "Mind your own business! You stinking... Humph!"

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to call him a "stinky man" to his face, so he turned and left.

Zijuan hurriedly followed, only to see that her young mistress was walking very fast, with Xueyan jogging behind to catch up. Both maids were a little out of breath.

Jiang Nian wasn't in a hurry; she strolled along, a smile playing on her lips...

(End of this chapter)