The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

It was at this time that the whereabouts of Lin Ruhai, the prospective father-in-law, became completely clear.

Just as the twelfth lunar month arrived, the imperial court officially issued a decree appointing Lin Ruhai as the Provincial Governor of the Central Plains Province, and he was to take office within half a month of receiving the decree.

The transfer order came very suddenly!

Although there had been quite obvious signs before, it is still puzzling that this happened just before the end of the twelfth lunar month. The situation in the Central Plains is relatively stable, isn't it?

"The current defense is against the south!"

Lin Ruhai explained privately, "We have ideas for the salt tax, as well as other taxes!"

"But you know the situation in the south. Getting the local powerful families and aristocratic clans there to cede their interests is not an easy task!"

"That's why we've replaced the Central Plains Provincial Governor who's on good terms with certain forces in the south!"

"Of course, the officialdom in the Central Plains is also in a mess and needs to be thoroughly cleaned up!"

"I don't believe that Cong-ge'er didn't write to you and tell you that the water is very deep!"

Jia Huan said he understood, since his future father-in-law, Lin Ruhai, had already given him a heads-up. He just hadn't expected the court to be so impatient, even preventing Lin Ruhai from having a proper New Year.

"Sister Lin, are you moving to the Rong Mansion before the New Year, or after the New Year?"

He changed the subject, asking, "Let me know if you need to move anything, and I'll come help!"

"I can't spend the New Year in Beijing!"

Lin Ruhai said helplessly, "When Daiyu arrives at the Rong Mansion, you'd better take good care of her!"

"That's only right!"

Jia Huan chuckled and said, "I'll also give Sister Lin a gift later, which will surely keep her from worrying about anything else and from being too sentimental!"

"That's good, now I can go to my post with peace of mind!"

Lin Ruhai nodded in satisfaction and asked directly, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hehe, as long as Uncle can ensure the smooth flow of the canals within the territory and prevent local forces in the Central Plains from interfering with the normal operation of my subordinates and the Xue family's caravans, that's fine!"

"This is easy to handle!"

Lin Ruhai breathed a sigh of relief and said leisurely, "I was just worried that you might be blinded by greed and do something irrational and impulsive, that would be bad!"

Jia Huan's heart stirred, and he asked curiously, "Uncle, are you referring to the matter of the Prince Zhongshun's mansion?"

"What do you say?"

Instead of answering, Lin Ruhai asked a question, saying calmly, "The actions of the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion are somewhat baffling, but that's precisely why we should be even more careful!"

"Uncle, rest assured, my relationship with the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion is just normal business dealings!"

Jia Huan chuckled and said, "As for the rest, I know nothing about it!"

In his heart, he couldn't help but curse, "Prince Zhongshun is such a useless piece of trash. He actually revealed such a big flaw that even his uncle Lin Ruhai, who doesn't pay much attention to politics, knows about it."

Chapter 304 Times Have Changed (Please Subscribe)

The third day of the twelfth lunar month is an auspicious day; the weather is clear and the wind is slightly chilly.

Although the temperature had dropped, Rongqing Hall was still quite lively.

The old lady sat at the head of the table, with Lin Daiyu, dressed in simple and elegant clothes, sitting close to her to the side.

The three sisters of the Spring Festival were surrounded by Li Wan and Wang Xifeng, who stood smiling beside them. Qiao Jie'er laughed and frolicked along with them, creating a heartwarming scene of a hundred flowers blooming.

Although the old lady was nearly eighty years old at this time, she was in quite good spirits.

Not only did he have a rosy complexion and bright eyes, but he also spoke clearly and logically, showing no signs of old age. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a centenarian.

The Rongqing Hall was unusually lively, and the old lady was in a very good mood, occasionally letting out cheerful laughter.

Today is the day Lin Daiyu returns to the Rong Mansion for a temporary stay!

Early in the morning, Lin Ruhai, who was about to take up a post elsewhere, sent Lin Daiyu to the Rong Mansion.

The Rong family, having made preparations well in advance, happily welcomed Lin Daiyu, their familiar and beloved guest.

The three sisters, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, and Qiao Jie'er, also gathered early at Rongqing Hall to welcome them.

After all, times have changed!

Last time, when Lin Daiyu entered the mansion, it had a bit of a sense of seeking refuge!

Whether it was the old lady or Wang Xifeng and other women, they didn't actually take it too seriously.

Otherwise, since Lin Daiyu had just lost her mother not long ago, even if the old lady didn't need to avoid anything, the younger generation, especially Jia Baoyu and Wang Xifeng, should at least dress more simply.

Of course, there's no need to dwell on these old, trivial matters.

Lin Daiyu is the only legitimate daughter of a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court. It is not an exaggeration to pay her any attention!

Even if they didn't care about family ties, they wouldn't dare to be too careless just because of Lin Ruhai's reputation.

Sure enough, the atmosphere in Rongqing Hall was quite harmonious, with no awkwardness at all.

The old lady and the women of the Rong family are not incapable of providing proper hospitality; it simply depends on whether they are willing to put in the effort.

"Daiyu, you're familiar with this place, so settle in comfortably!"

The old lady smiled and said, "I usually spend time with my sisters, so if I want to go out, I can make arrangements in advance!"

"The courtyard I've arranged for you is quiet and elegant. It's very convenient if you want to play with your sisters or hold a poetry gathering!"

"We can easily invite our girlfriends over!"

"Grandmother has made all the arrangements perfectly!"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "If there are any additional requests, I will tell Tan Chun myself!"

She was very familiar with the Rong family's situation and naturally knew that Tan Chun had begun to help Lady Wang manage the family affairs.

As for Wang Xifeng, she only needs to deal with the affairs of the main house, that is, the East Courtyard. She is focused on her precious son and is enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

On the contrary, Madam Wang, whose housekeeping skills were average and who had not dealt with household affairs for a long time, simply did not have the energy to manage them.

Having no other choice, they had to keep Li Wan and Tan Chun behind, which was similar to how the Grand View Garden was handled in the original Dream of the Red Chamber.

Li Wan remained as low-key as ever, showing no intention or desire to take on any responsibilities.

Her mind was still entirely focused on her son, Jia Lan!

Jia Lan was quite promising. Although he wasn't exceptionally talented, under Li Wan's careful guidance, he was able to sit still and concentrate on his studies at a young age.

He is currently twelve years old (actually twelve) and fourteen years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), and has already studied at the clan school for six years.

According to the teacher, his academic foundation was solid, and he was already qualified to participate in the preliminary examinations to gain experience.

If you're lucky, you might even pass the exam on your first try!

However, Li Wan had very high expectations and strict requirements for Jia Lan, and did not allow him to experience failure at such a young age, so she did not allow him to participate in the preliminary examination.

According to her, it would be better to wait until Jia Lan was 70-80% confident of passing the preliminary examination before going.

At that time, he was at most fourteen or fifteen years old, still very young.

Even the usually strict Master Zheng Er frowned slightly upon hearing this, wondering if his eldest daughter-in-law was being too harsh on the children.

Fortunately, the educational environment at the clan school was quite good, and it wouldn't produce bookworms, so Master Zheng was quite relieved.

Under such circumstances, how could Li Wan possibly be too diligent in managing the public affairs?

However, he followed the old rules and regulations, and was unwilling to have any conflicts with the steward's wife in the mansion. His main goal was to stay out of trouble!

Such a performance naturally did not satisfy Madam Wang.

However, Lady Wang did not intend to torment Li Wan. Instead, she promoted Tan Chun, who was always very proud, to be in charge of managing the public affairs.

Although she knew that Lady Wang's actions were merely a last resort, Tan Chun was still quite happy.

She had wanted to learn how to manage a household for a long time, but Madam Wang never gave her the opportunity.

That is, while playing at the Ning Mansion, he was able to learn a few things from Qin Keqing, but they were not systematic.

Even so, Tan Chun felt that she was quite capable and possessed certain housekeeping skills.

Now that the opportunity has come, she naturally wants to seize it!

When she was jointly managing the affairs of the public treasury with her sister-in-law Li Wan, she was very proactive and often clashed with the women in charge and the mother-in-law, sometimes even to the point of no return.

Because of this, Madam Wang scolded her several times, telling Tan Chun not to be so sharp and mean.

Tan Chun listened to her advice, but she remained intolerant of any wrongdoing, maintaining an unyielding and impartial demeanor.

All I can say is that she's incredibly lucky!

Compared to the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber, Tan Chun's life and circumstances were much better.

After all, she had a younger brother named Jia Huan, who was highly valued by the Second Master Zheng and had considerable influence and say in the household.

With Aunt Zhao secretly helping them, their lives were definitely better than those of the same period in the original Dream of the Red Chamber.

Even though he had a very unpleasant falling out with the steward's wife and the old women in the mansion after taking over the management of the public school, his situation did not become too bad.

For no other reason than that Aunt Zhao's network of connections, built up over many years, was enough to benefit Tan Chun immensely.

Don't forget, Aunt Zhao managed another channel for purchasing cosmetics and face powder from outside the household's lower-level maids and servants, and also oversaw the embroidery business in cooperation with Wang Xifeng.