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

The next day.

A banquet was set up in the flower hall of Huifang Garden. Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and the three sisters of the Spring Festival were all present, along with a large number of maids. The scene was lively and bustling with beautiful women.

Lady You and Qin Keqing, as the women of the East Mansion, warmly received them. As the only man present, Jia Can felt as if he were surrounded by a sea of ​​flowers, and every glance was pleasing to the eye.

"My dear sisters, I promised you that I would host a feast at the East Mansion to enjoy the flowers and wine. Today, I will fulfill that promise. Please feel free to drink and have fun."

Jia Can sat at the head of the table, drinking tea instead of wine, and smiled as he addressed the women.

Lady You and Qin Keqing were the first to echo her, followed by Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and the three sisters of the Spring Festival, who all responded to her, saying that he kept his promise and that it was rare that he still remembered this matter.

Jia Can scanned them one by one and saw that although Lin Daiyu still looked a little sick, her complexion was rosy, and she had obviously recovered.

Although Xue Baochai wore a bright smile, it was clear that she was anxious and worried, lacking her usual composure and dignity.

Jia Can naturally understood why Xue Baochai was acting this way; she must be worried about Xue Pan.

Although Jia Zheng had already submitted a memorial according to Jia Can's method, the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion insisted that Xue Pan had offended the royal family and must be severely punished, so there was no hope for the matter at present.

The three sisters remained as usual. Yingchun was quiet and reserved, with a polite smile on her face, but she hardly spoke.

Tan Chun is very charming and can chat with anyone. She also often takes the initiative to make jokes and liven up the atmosphere.

As for Xichun, a genuine smile appeared on her face. In her opinion, with Jia Can now in charge of the Ningguo Mansion, she finally felt a sense of belonging to the Ningguo Mansion.

Seeing her sisters come to visit, she was happy and excited, and talked more than usual, making the place quite lively.

After chatting for a while, the group started to wander around in twos and threes. After all, they were there to admire the flowers, and although there weren't many flowers in bloom at the moment, they could at least enjoy them.

Whether it was intentional on everyone's part or Lin Daiyu's deliberate desire to walk alone, she came to a corner by herself, seemingly waiting for something.

Jia Can then 'accidentally' passed by her, stopped, and asked gently:

"Sister Lin, are you feeling much better?"

Lin Daiyu saw that he had indeed arrived, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she gazed intently at him, and smiled gently.

"I'm much better. Thank you so much for your concern, Second Brother Can. I also want to thank you for your previous efforts in helping me. You not only provided a good remedy but also prepared a medicinal meal for me. I am deeply grateful and have no way to repay you!"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Jia Can.

Jia Can waved his hand and said:

"You're too kind, Lin sister. As long as you get better, these things are nothing."

Lin Daiyu felt a warmth in her heart. In recent days, she had been almost cut off from the outside world, except for the pastries that Jia Can had made, which contained the information she wanted to know.

Every day was like opening a blind box, always bringing her new information or words, making her look forward to meeting Jia Can even more. More importantly, she had many questions in her heart that she wanted Jia Can to answer.

Looking at Jia Can's handsome face full of gentle smiles, Lin Daiyu felt as if a spring breeze had swept across her heart, both warm and peaceful. A blush rose on her pretty face, and she pursed her lips, though she had a thousand words to say, she didn't know where to begin.

Jia Can looked at her, guessed what she wanted to ask, and took the initiative to speak:

"Sister Lin must be wondering why I'm so certain you'll be home soon, and when exactly?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu's heart trembled instantly. She gazed at him, nodded heavily, and softly hummed in agreement, awaiting his answer.

Jia Can had already prepared his response, and continued:

"I've heard some things about Uncle Lin's situation. Sister Lin, you need to be mentally prepared. As for the exact time, I'm not sure, but it should be soon."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu, who had been full of anticipation, suddenly realized something. The color drained from her face, her delicate brows furrowed, her hand unconsciously clenched her handkerchief, and worry flashed in her eyes.

She could tell that what Jia Can said was definitely not good news; something must have happened to her father, otherwise she wouldn't have had the chance to go home.

Seeing this, Jia Can couldn't help but feel sorry for her and gently comforted her:

"Don't worry, Lin sister. Things may not be so bad as to be beyond repair. There may still be a chance. So please don't overthink it."

But Lin Daiyu's heart had already flown back to the south. She wished she could go home right now to see her father and find out what had happened.

Jia Can sighed softly and tried to comfort her, but to little avail, so he could only stay by her side in silence.

Lin Daiyu stared blankly into space. She had originally thought that Jia Can's suggestion of returning home was a good thing, but now it seemed to be a bad thing that made her sad and worried. If she had known this would happen, she would have preferred not to have this opportunity to return home.

If her father were to get into another accident, she would truly be all alone, and what would become of her then?

After a while, Lin Daiyu calmed down a bit. She slowly turned her head and saw Jia Can still by her side. She felt a surge of warmth, and her previous sorrow dissipated considerably. She pursed her lips and said:

"Thank you for informing me, Second Brother Can. I understand. Even if you hadn't told me today, I would have found out someday. I will always remember your kindness!"

As he spoke, he bowed to Jia Canfu again.

Jia Can quickly reached out to help her up:

"Sister Lin, what are you saying? Actually, I'm helping you because I need your help."

Seeing that Lin Daiyu's emotions were relatively stable, Jia Can secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although the expectation turned into bad news, which was a blow to Lin Daiyu, it at least gave her a buffer period. When the news of Lin Ruhai's serious illness came, she would be more able to accept it.

Lin Daiyu, quite puzzled, tilted her head slightly and looked at Jia Can, asking:

"Second Brother Can, is there anything I can help you with?"

Jia Can looked at her, then hesitated and asked:

"Sister, have you... ever heard of the secret accounts of the salt tax in Lianghuai?"

Lin Daiyu saw that his starry eyes were clear yet unfathomable, and her heart fluttered slightly. She subconsciously looked away, frowned in thought for a moment, and gently shook her head.

"I've never heard of this before. Why is Second Brother Can asking about this?"

As she spoke, she looked at Jia Can again and saw an embarrassment on his handsome face. She felt ashamed and guilty, realizing that she had failed to help him.

Jia Can chuckled:

"It's alright if my sister doesn't know. Perhaps she'll find out when we get back to Yangzhou. But please, sister, don't tell anyone about this."

Lin Daiyu, who was feeling ashamed for not being able to help, felt much better upon hearing his words and nodded heavily.

"Yes, don't worry, my little sister definitely won't tell anyone else."

The thought that she and Jia Can had another secret together stirred a strange feeling in Lin Daiyu's heart, a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Jia Can nodded slightly:

"Well then, little sister, take good care of yourself and wait for the right time to go home. By the way, I'll also be heading south, but I don't know if I'll be able to travel with you."

Upon hearing that he was also going south, Lin Daiyu was filled with anticipation and delight, and hurriedly asked:

"Second Brother Can, you're heading south? Where are you going, and what are you going to do?"