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

Upon learning that the tightly bound man might be a human trafficker, the guards rushed inside and brought out the magistrate.

The county magistrate was naturally overjoyed at the praise and achievements offered to him by this kind-hearted person.

The human trafficker was brought to the courtroom and, through a combination of beatings and intimidation, confessed everything in less than fifteen minutes.

It turns out that this human trafficker not only abducted Xiangling, but also recently abducted a pair of 3-year-old twins. He is currently in a hurry to find a buyer for the twins.

He then thought he should get rid of Xiangling as soon as possible, but he was caught red-handed at the entrance of the inn where he was resting.

The truth came to light, and the human traffickers were imprisoned to await their fate.

The onlookers cheered and were very satisfied with the spectacle they had witnessed, and then dispersed in twos and threes.

I plan to tell my family and friends about the excitement I saw today when I get back.

After learning the details, the magistrate was happy to have someone take over the follow-up matters. In particular, after learning that Lin Daiyu was the daughter of Lin Ruhai, the Salt Commissioner, he politely saw the group off.

They also dispatched several constables to the hideout the traffickers had given them to rescue the two abducted children.

On the way back to the dock, Lin Daiyu asked Xiangling in a soft voice:

"What's your name? Do you remember where you live? I can send someone to take you back."

Xiangling shook her head and answered softly:

"I don't remember, they all just called me Xiaohua."

Faced with Lin Daiyu's questioning gaze, Deng Zechen had no choice but to answer:

"I was bluffing him. In reality, I had never met this girl before, nor did I know where she lived."

He had just made up a surname on the spot, assuming that such a pretty girl must be pampered at home. Who knew that the man would be so guilty and lose his composure so easily.

Although Deng Zechen had read Dream of the Red Chamber, all he remembered about Xiangling's background was that she was the daughter of Zhen Shiyin, and her original name was Zhen Yinglian.

Ultimately, it didn't end up in Xue Pan's hands very well.

The only thing missing is that I have no recollection of it at all, let alone detailed information such as where I originally lived.

"Oh dear, what should we do?"

Lin Daiyu was at a loss as to what to do with Xiangling. If Xiangling had been bought with her own money, then she could naturally make arrangements for her directly.

Xiangling was rescued by Deng Zechen, and Lin Daiyu couldn't overstep her bounds without Deng Zechen's permission.

Seeing that neither of them was speaking, Xiangling, fearing that she would be abandoned and fall into the hands of another human trafficker, hurriedly spoke up:

"Please, young master and lady, let me stay. I can serve tea and water, do laundry and cook!"

"All I need is a bite to eat and a place to sleep, young master or young lady..."

"Don't worry, now that I've brought you out, I won't just leave you there. I'm just thinking about what to do with you."

I don't have a place to stay right now, so it's inconvenient to have you with me.

Lin Daiyu, having confirmed that Deng Zechen had not abandoned Xiangling, tentatively spoke:

"Why don't you come with me first, and then bring her over after you've settled in?"

"It's just that I need one more person to eat and clothe. My father gave me some money before I left home. It's more than enough to support one more person."

Is it "a few billion" or "some"?

But since Lin Daiyu had said so, Deng Zechen couldn't refuse, so he reluctantly agreed.

Who can blame her for being Lin Daiyu?

"Thank you, young master! Thank you, young lady!"

Seeing that the two men were kind-hearted, and knowing that she would no longer have to be beaten or scolded or live in fear, Xiangling kept thanking them.

Lin Daiyu offered further comfort, and only after Xiangling stopped crying did she say:

"Now that you've escaped suffering, you should have a new name, one that symbolizes your rebirth. What are your thoughts on this?"

Xiangling wiped away her tears, shook her head and said that she had never been to school and did not know what name to give herself. She and Lin Daiyu looked at Deng Zechen.

"Let's call her Xiangling."

Deng Zechen couldn't think of a good name for a moment, so he subconsciously answered with the title from the book.

Lin Daiyu nodded gently after hearing this and followed the explanation:

"Judging from your refined temperament, I will choose the character 'fragrant'. 'Water chestnut' is a type of drifting, rootless aquatic plant."

That does fit your situation. Let's call you that for now, and change your name later when we find your roots.

Ideally, you should find your biological parents; then you can simply use your birth name again.

"Yes, young lady."

Granny Wang glanced at the sky, finally waiting for the three to finish their conversation, and quickly spoke up:

"My little ancestor! Let's hurry up and go. We've already been delayed outside for too long, and the people on the ship must be getting impatient."

After Lin Daiyu agreed, the group, carrying large and small bags, quickened their pace toward the dock.

Deng Zechen boarded the same boat they had come on, while Xiangling followed Lin Daiyu to another boat.

After confirming that everyone had arrived, the ship, which had been docked at the pier for half a day, slowly set sail again, heading towards the capital.

Deng Zechen returned to his cabin and eagerly entered the Land of Illusion.

I've encountered another beautiful woman; I wonder if she's unlocked any quests.

A new quest has indeed appeared in the palace of the Illusory Realm:

You have established an emotional connection with Zhen Yinglian. Affection level: 50/100.

Rewards received: Constitution +1

Unlock skill: Questioning the Heart (This helps you quickly ascertain the other person's true desires, making it easier to win them over.)

Note: Each person can only use this once, and it can only be used when the favorability level reaches 50.

Use: Yes/No

After reading the instructions, Deng Zechen decisively chose "yes".

In an instant, countless voices filled Deng Zechen's ears:

"I want to go home..."

"Father, Mother, where are you?"

"Lian'er is hungry again. That person said I was disobedient, and this is my punishment..."

"I'm almost forgetting what you all look like..."

"I can't remember my name anymore... That person said my name is Xiaohua, and that I'm his niece..."

"I don't remember where my home is."

……

The sound receded like the tide, and Deng Zechen's expression was somewhat complicated.

After reading "Dream of the Red Chamber", I only felt sorry for Xiangling. She was a well-bred young lady who was kidnapped by human traffickers and lived a life of wandering, never to see her parents again.

She was reduced to being a slave to other girls, and when she fell into Xue Pan's hands, she was tortured to death.

His dying cries were truly heartbreaking.

When such a pitiful girl appeared alive before Deng Zechen's eyes, he simply couldn't regard her as a simple character from a book.

Now that we've met her, we must completely change her fate!

Rewards and such are completely unimportant.

It's simply because I'm kind-hearted and can't bear to see girls suffer.

By the way, I'll go out and experiment later to see what kind of physical changes this new physique has brought me.

Although he consciously exercised his body on a regular basis, the original owner was focused on studying and his foundation was not very good.

Everything produced by the system is of high quality; how can diligent study and hard work compare to the system's direct skill point allocation?