Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

Watching Jia Xichun's departing figure, Grandmother Jia felt that Jia Xichun had indeed changed a lot and was no longer the obscure little girl she used to be.

I suddenly remembered Wang Xifeng's casual remark: was Jia Xichun's change really related to Jia Can?

If it's true, then Jia Can, the illegitimate son of the Ningguo Mansion whose name she couldn't even remember before, is someone she should be wary of.

Previously, Grandmother Jia had almost no impression of Jia Can, only knowing that such a person existed. That day, she was invited by Madam You to Ningguo Mansion to enjoy flowers and wine, but she only decided to meet Jia Can on a whim.

Unexpectedly, after that meeting, Jia Can suddenly burst into everyone's sight, rising rapidly to become someone that everyone in the two mansions had to pay attention to and remember.

Regarding the deaths of Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, Grandmother Jia had always suspected that they were murdered, but she never dared to think about it deeply, thinking that it was ultimately a family matter of the Ningguo Mansion, so why should she investigate it further?

But now, upon closer reflection, Grandmother Jia vaguely saw a glimpse of the truth. She keenly sensed that the root of everything might lie with Jia Can!

Furthermore, considering that Jia Can had acted extremely obediently and discreetly when Jia She seized power, but after accepting the imperial decree to inherit the title, he seemed to have become a completely different person, quickly reorganizing the Ningguo Mansion and establishing his prestige in just half a month.

Whether they were guests who came to pay their respects or members of the Jia clan, who wouldn't praise Jia Can?

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but imagine that if Jia Zhen and Jia Rong's deaths were caused by Jia Can, it would truly send chills down her spine. Jia Can's composure was so extreme that it made her hair stand on end.

She also realized that Jia Can was definitely a ruthless person, someone who could achieve great things, and someone she had to be wary of.

Although the emergence of a rising star in the family is a good thing for the entire Jia family, Grandmother Jia does not want this rising star to be out of her control. What she most wants to see is for the descendants she has raised to rise to prominence.

In particular, Jia Can is now subtly showing signs of reaching out to her, which is what Grandmother Jia fears and is most dissatisfied with.

Thinking of this, a glint of light flashed in Grandmother Jia's aged eyes, and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

Thinking to herself, "A mere brat, even if he has some skill, can't possibly take someone from my side. I'll show you what real backyard infighting is all about!"

After a while, Grandmother Jia came to her senses and made some more arrangements.

In the days that followed, Jia Xichun was no longer able to visit Lin Daiyu. The maids in Lin Daiyu's room took turns guarding her, preventing any possible outsiders from coming into contact with her.

Lin Daiyu could have inquired about the Ningguo Mansion and Jia Can's situation at any time, but now whenever she asked, the maids would refuse to provide her with any information from the outside world, citing reasons such as not wanting her to think too much and to take good care of her health.

Although Grandmother Jia no longer had the three sisters, Xue Baochai, Wang Xifeng, and Li Wan take turns advising Lin Daiyu, nor did she have Jia Baoyu stay by Lin Daiyu's bedside, and no one mentioned filial piety to Lin Daiyu anymore, she only told Lin Daiyu to focus on recovering from her illness.

But in Lin Daiyu's eyes, this act of Grandmother Jia cut off all her contact with the outside world. Ostensibly it was for her own good, but in reality it was no different from house arrest.

This made Lin Daiyu feel even more stifled and heartbroken, and even somewhat suffocated. Just as Jia Can had said, if she did not listen to advice, Grandmother Jia's methods would become increasingly severe until she obeyed.

In the past, Lin Daiyu's condition would have worsened in this situation, and she might have even taken extreme actions. But now, Jia Can gave her hope to persevere.

Although Jia Can did not explicitly say when she would be able to go home, as long as there was such hope, Lin Daiyu would grit her teeth and persevere. She could not leave this world like this. Even if she died, she wanted to see her father one last time before she died, and she wanted to die in her own home.

Fortunately, Jia Can anticipated some of Grandmother Jia's next moves and came up with a countermeasure.

evening.

Lin Daiyu leaned against the headboard, gazing out into the distance, her face pale and her eyes slightly vacant, yet filled with expectation.

At this moment, Zijuan came in carrying a food box and said to Lin Daiyu with a smile:

"Miss, the medicinal cuisine for today from the East Mansion has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu immediately snapped out of her reverie, her gaze instantly focusing on the food box carried by Zijuan, a hint of joy appearing in her eyes:

"Open it quickly, I want to eat it now."

Zijuan was already used to it, and hurriedly took out some medicinal food from the food box. In addition to some tonics, there were also snacks that Lin Daiyu liked to eat.

Lin Daiyu tasted each one, and carefully examined the pastries, her eyes sparkling.

Zijuan found it strange and asked, "Miss, what's so interesting about these pastries that makes you look at them so closely?"

Lin Daiyu responded calmly:

"It's nothing, I'm just curious how they did it."

She spoke casually, but her eyes were full of joy, because there was a secret hidden in the pastry.

These pastries were deliberately decorated with sesame seeds, which looked messy, but were actually arranged intentionally. Only Jia Can and Lin Daiyu knew what these patterns meant.

Sometimes it's a simple greeting, sometimes it's a poetic remark, and sometimes it's a piece of news about the outside world, such as what Lin Daiyu cares about most: when will she be able to go home?

Although there weren't many pastries and they conveyed very little information, for Lin Daiyu, who was practically under house arrest at the time, they were like heavenly music. It felt like opening a blind box, with different messages delivered every day, making Lin Daiyu look forward to it and find it novel.

More importantly, this secretive way of transmitting messages was known only to her and Jia Can. Even the cook who made the pastries didn't understand what it meant. This made Lin Daiyu feel both mysterious and excited, as well as quite thrilled. It was essentially a secret that belonged only to her and Jia Can.

That's why she was so looking forward to the meals sent from Ningguo Mansion.

Although Zijuan noticed something was wrong, she also checked the pastries and found nothing unusual, so she didn't think much of it.

After serving Lin Daiyu her meal, she took the food box and handed it to a maid to take back to the East Mansion.

Just then, Yuanyang, the head maidservant of Grandmother Jia, arrived and asked:

"Zijuan, is Miss Lin feeling any better?"

Zijuan replied, "I can't really explain it either. These days, Miss Lin seems to be looking forward to the meals sent from the East Mansion. She hardly eats the meals we prepare and still has headaches."

"But once she eats the meals sent from the East Mansion, she feels much better, but then it all comes back at night."

Yuanyang was surprised and suspicious. After thinking for a moment, she asked again:

"Have you inspected the meals sent from the Eastern Prefecture?"

Zijuan nodded and said, "Of course there is. This was instructed by the old lady. We checked it carefully and tasted it ourselves. There is no problem at all. It is just a normal medicinal diet and snack."

Yuanyang, however, felt there must be something wrong with this. Otherwise, there was no reason why Lin Daiyu would feel better for a while after eating the food from the East Mansion, only to become unwell again afterward.

However, she couldn't figure out the reason behind it. When she went to report to Grandmother Jia, she only said that Lin Daiyu was still not better, without mentioning the impact of the East Mansion's meals on Lin Daiyu.

Although Grandmother Jia found it strange that Lin Daiyu had been ill for so long this time, she didn't think much of it. After all, Lin Daiyu had been frail and sickly since birth, and doctors often diagnosed her, so Grandmother Jia couldn't help but believe her.