Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with winning over Daiyu's favorability

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Great Yuan Dynasty, in early March, the weather was gradually warming up. At the residence of Lin Ruhai in Wu County, Yangzhou.

Deng Zechen looked at the somewhat thin middle-aged man in front of him, who was wearing a dark yellow brocade robe with symmetrical silver fishbone-like patterns embroidered on it.

Perhaps it was the pain of losing his wife and son that left a faint melancholy and lingering weariness between Lin Ruhai's brows.

"I am not some kind-hearted saint; I only sponsored your studies at the request of your uncle."

Your uncle and I were born in the same year, but it's a pity he didn't get to become an official. I owe him a lot back then...

Now that he has entrusted you to me, I will naturally not stand idly by.

When facing this old friend, Lin Ruhai appeared very amiable.

"Thank you so much, Uncle!"

Upon hearing this, Deng Zechen immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

Lin Ruhai picked up his teacup, took another sip, suppressed his sorrow, and waved his hand:

"It's nothing serious. Just focus on the county exam in a few days."

As if remembering something, Lin Ruhai looked intently at the resolute young man before him and said:

"I have a daughter who will soon be sent to the capital to be raised by her maternal grandmother. If you are willing, it would be best if you could look after her for me."

Having anticipated this, Deng Zechen replied respectfully:

"I can never repay your great kindness, Uncle! If Miss Lin needs anything, I will do my utmost to help."

Hearing Deng Zechen's resolute answer, Lin Ruhai felt somewhat relieved, as his expression seemed genuine.

"My Lin family has had only one son per generation for three generations, and the population is small. There are also few promising descendants in the branches that we can rely on."

I see you are a diligent student. I'll write you a letter and suggest you go to the prestigious Shoushan Academy in the capital after the county exam.

My daughter is intelligent, but she is ultimately confined to the inner quarters. It would be good if you could help her out from the outside.

"Yes, thank you for your concern, Uncle. I will remember it."

Only at this moment did Deng Zechen feel a great weight lifted from his shoulders and feel much more at ease.

It has been a year since Deng Zechen arrived in this unfamiliar world. During this year, he has spent most of his time studying hard to adapt to the original owner's identity.

During this process, Deng Zechen discovered that he could allow his consciousness to enter a place called "The Realm of Illusion".

Thus, Deng Zechen guessed that he was in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber, but he lacked concrete evidence.

It wasn't until a few days ago, when I learned that the person who had been sponsoring my studies was actually Lin Ruhai, that I confirmed my guess.

Before meeting Lin Ruhai, Deng Zechen could only use the Taixu Illusionary Realm as a study room because its flow rate was different from the outside world, making the most of every minute to study and maintain his original persona.

Perhaps it was because it finally came into contact with a key figure in the Dream of the Red Chamber that the Land of Illusion unlocked a new purpose.

Following the instructions, I entered Lin Daiyu's dream for the first time through the Land of Illusion.

However, Lin Daiyu seemed unable to see her own appearance clearly.

Therefore, Deng Zechen boldly engaged in a frank and in-depth conversation with Lin Daiyu…

Ogaki was frequently embroiled in war and plagued by natural disasters.

As a helpless orphan, the only way to survive is to embark on the path of the imperial examination. The upcoming county examination is one that cannot be missed!

……

Lin Ruhai nodded, and an old woman came in from outside:

"Master, these are snacks that the young lady specially requested to be served."

The young lady specifically instructed that she hoped the master would take care of his health.

The master didn't eat much at noon, so he'll have some snacks to tide him over for now.

"When it's time for dinner tonight, please invite this... young master to stay and dine with us."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruhai's worries faded considerably. He smiled and told the old nanny to put down the pastries before leaving, pushing one of the plates of pastries towards Deng Zechen.

"My daughter Daiyu has always been raised by my wife and me as a boy. I am often away from home due to official duties, so she has been managing the household all by herself. Please excuse my poor manners."

Deng Zechen quickly reached out and took the plate of snacks that Lin Ruhai handed him:

"Not at all, Uncle's family is a distinguished and scholarly family, and the daughters in his family are also remarkable individuals!"

The two ate some snacks with their tea, exchanging a few words from time to time.

"father."

Lin Daiyu wore a moon-white coarse cloth jacket underneath a gray-white vest, and a pure black cotton skirt on her lower body.

The waistband of the skirt was made of cotton fabric of the same color and tied in a simple knot.

Her entire body was completely unadorned and extremely simple.

Although they are two completely opposite colors, they create a harmonious and beautiful effect when worn by Lin Daiyu.

"Yu'er, are you all ready? It's your father's fault for not taking good care of you..."

Lin Daiyu's face was calm, but her eyes were slightly red and swollen, indicating that she was not as calm as she appeared.

After listening to Lin Ruhai's words, Lin Daiyu nodded and comforted him:

"Father, don't worry, I've made all the preparations and won't cause any trouble for my maternal grandmother's family."

Father, don't worry. Please take good care of yourself while you're away.

Hearing Lin Daiyu's sensible words, Lin Ruhai felt even more distressed, but not wanting to show it in front of his daughter, he could only reply instead:

"This is a descendant of my father's old friend, so you can call him 'brother'."

If you are fortunate enough to encounter any difficulties in the capital in the future, you can seek his help.

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu bowed to Deng Zechen and then said no more, retreating to Lin Ruhai's side.

Deng Zechen returned the greeting and looked away.

Seeing that Deng Zechen was polite and knew how to behave, Lin Ruhai was even more satisfied with him.

After Lin Daiyu arrived, she sat down familiarly to the side and began to brew tea, which seemed to be her first time doing so.

Deng Zechen had only one thought when he first saw Lin Daiyu's true face in real life:

"Her outfit is three parts mourning and seven parts black, giving her a fresh and charming look. Only Lin Daiyu could pull off this style."

We must achieve excellent results in the county examination to make a good start on our path to the imperial examinations!

It's important to understand that the situation is dire; some teenagers of his age have been conscripted for forced labor.

In this situation, serving hard labor offers a glimmer of hope, but if one were to go to the front lines, there would be no other option.

As Deng Zechen pondered, his right hand, which was resting on the hem of his clothes, unconsciously rubbed the fabric of his garment. Lin Daiyu noticed this small gesture, her eyes narrowed, but she remained silent.

Lin Ruhai then inquired in detail about some matters concerning Deng Zechen's uncle, Su Ning, and Deng Zechen answered them one by one.

Time flew by during the question-and-answer session. After having dinner at the Lin residence, Deng Zechen returned to his own place.

After returning to his residence, Deng Zechen tidied up briefly and lay down on the bed, entering the Land of Illusion.

The entire illusory realm was shrouded in a layer of mist, preventing Deng Zechen from seeing the scenes further away.

Deng Zechen explored the palace but found nothing, so he had no choice but to return.

An option box appeared in front of Deng Zechen:

You and Lin Daiyu have established a preliminary emotional connection. Affection level: 10/100

Active summoning opportunity: 1/1 (usable)

Use/Cancel

After reading the simple information that suddenly appeared, Deng Zechen selected "Use," and a familiar voice came from behind him:

"Where is this?"

As the fog lifted, Lin Daiyu appeared before Deng Zechen, still dressed as she had been during the day.

Last time, Deng Zechen was passively guided into Lin Daiyu's dream. This time, he actively summoned her to the Land of Illusion. It remains to be seen what will be different.