The Splendor of the Red Chamber

Several days later, in the spacious middle cabin on the first floor.

Three of the four windows were closed, leaving only one open to the east. Lin Daiyu sat cross-legged in the center, facing the view outside the window, breathing in accordance with Jia Lian's commands.

"The second movement, draw the bow left and right as if shooting an eagle, put your wrists together and inhale - good, exhale and draw the bow, finish the movement and sit quietly, breathe slowly with the swaying, don't use too much force, keep your mind calm."

The Eight Pieces of Brocade have standing, sitting, and lying postures.

The boat was rocking and unstable, and Lin Daiyu was frail, so Jia Lian specially taught her how to sit.

You can actually practice in the cabin on the second floor, but it's more bumpy up there, and you can't practice while looking out the window. It's also easier to get seasick if you stay there for too long.

So every day Jia Lian would call her to practice in the middle cabin, and they would also chat to pass the time.

Lin Daiyu was quite talented; in just a few days, she had already learned the basics quite well, and compared to her teacher Jia Lian, she appeared even more otherworldly.

The river breeze blew through the window, fluttering her clothes. She was as graceful as a phoenix, ethereal as a fairy, untouched by the world's grime.

If this were in later generations, one could make a fortune just by selling courses.

The style of Jia Lian, who is diagonally opposite, is completely different.

He changed into a plain-colored cross-collar narrow-sleeved short shirt, tied at the waist with a belt, and paired it with loose straight-leg trousers. The fabric was light and soft, and the cut was neat and without any embellishments, which perfectly accentuated his muscular physique when he took off his clothes.

At this moment, he was carrying a large bucket of water in each hand, swaying back and forth in a horse stance with the waves, and occasionally having to pay attention to Lin Daiyu's movements.

To be able to multitask so effortlessly and remain completely calm and composed is truly remarkable; one can only say that the physical attributes of this body are exceptionally supermodel-like.

"Second Master!"

At this moment, Zhao'er said from outside the door, "Two official ships heading south have sent visiting cards, saying that bandits are rampant on Hongze Lake ahead, and they hope to follow us and travel together."

Jia Lian put down the bucket and saw that Lin Daiyu, Zijuan, and Xueyan were all looking over. He waved to them and said, "Don't worry, I'll send someone to inform the river patrol office and ask them to arrange warships to accompany and protect us."

Directly mobilizing warships is definitely not an option, as it would give others ammunition against them.

Therefore, Jia Lian simply had someone take a document from the Rongguo Mansion and inquire whether the river patrol office had recently arranged for warships to patrol the river.

Most people wouldn't get it if they asked, but if the Second Master Lian of the Rongguo Mansion asked, then it would definitely be there.

The Rongguo Mansion's ship only made a temporary stop at the nearby county town's dock for less than two hours when three warships bearing the banner of "Huai'an Guard River Patrol" came upstream in a triangular formation.

Jia Lian specially summoned the ship's inspectors and patrol officers, and spent half an hour talking with them in the front hall. Before leaving, he also gave them one hundred taels of silver on the deck.

The patrol officers were flattered and wished they could bow down to Master Jia Lian. Money was a small matter, but the fact that a nobleman like Jia Lian was willing to humble himself and befriend him was a rare honor that one could not obtain even by ordinary means.

When Jia Lian returned to the middle cabin, Lin Daiyu had not yet gone back upstairs. She was absentmindedly flipping through a book of poems.

"Second Master."

Seeing Jia Lian return from outside, Xueyan asked in confusion, "Those are just minor officials of the seventh or eighth rank. They weren't just following orders to protect us. Why did you bother talking to them for so long, Second Master?"

"Better safe than sorry."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Besides, everyone has a heart. If we are considerate of those below us, they will think of things for us without us even having to ask."

Xueyan suddenly realized: "It's just like us maids, Miss usually..."

"Snow Goose!"

Seeing that the girl was talking nonsense, Zijuan quickly pulled her aside and told her not to say anything carelessly.

At this moment, Lin Daiyu put down the poetry collection in her hand and said with emotion, "Brother has really changed. In the past, although you were impeccable in your dealings with people, you would never have humbled yourself like this and deliberately used vulgar language to please them."

Jia Lian laughed heartily, thinking to himself that he had lived two lives, and although he might not have learned much else, he still had a deep understanding of the thoughts and feelings of people at the bottom of society.

He casually sat down on the futon where Lin Daiyu practiced her exercises, crossed his legs, and asked, "Little sister, you've been practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade for six or seven days now. How are you feeling?"

"I've been sleeping much better these past two days, and my breathing is much more steady," Lin Daiyu said to Jia Lian, stretching her arms. "I've seen so many doctors, but my illness hasn't gotten better. I didn't expect the method you taught me, brother, to work so well."

Jia Lian said, "This Eight Pieces of Brocade is best at regulating qi and blood, strengthening muscles and bones, and balancing the internal organs, so it's not surprising that it can be effective for your condition. However, I think your biggest problem is not your health, but that you are always frowning and depressed."

In the future, whenever possible, we should go out and about more. Firstly, it can broaden our horizons and prevent us from becoming withdrawn and melancholic at home; secondly, being physically tired from walking will naturally lead to a better night's sleep.

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu rose solemnly and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your care and guidance, brother."

Upon seeing this, Jia Lian couldn't help but laugh again: "Your sister-in-law always says you're eloquent and always jokes and teases her, but how come after spending these past few days with you, all I see is impeccable manners and impeccable etiquette?"

"It's all because Sister Feng is good at making fun of people!"

Lin Daiyu pouted and complained, "She hardly ever says anything serious when she sees me. If she were as upright and steady as my brother, why would I bother arguing and getting angry with her?"

"Haha, she likes you."

Jia Lian laughed heartily, "Sister, you don't need to hold back in front of me. Just say what you want to say. It will be good for your illness."

He paused, then added, "Speaking of which, if the Eight Pieces of Brocade doesn't work right away, I've prepared a folk remedy for my sister."

"What kind of folk remedy is it?"

"Swearing."

"Swearing, cursing in the street?"

Lin Daiyu's mouth gaped open in shock, hardly believing her ears.

"Yes, it's swearing, and you have to swear loudly."

Jia Lian explained, "Heartache is most damaging to the lungs and heart, and the simplest and most direct solution is to find an open space and vent all the anger and resentment that has accumulated in your heart!"

"How can this be allowed?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head repeatedly, saying, "It's already unbecoming for a woman to shout loudly, let alone to curse loudly!"

Although she was known for her sharp tongue among her sisters, she was actually the most polite, disciplined, and respectful of social hierarchy.

When they were wronged, they would usually shut themselves in and cry in private (except for Baoyu). As for cursing loudly, they would never even think of doing it, let alone doing it.

"Of course, we must uphold etiquette, but if we become so bored and miserable trying to maintain it, then all that etiquette is utterly worthless!"

As Jia Lian spoke, he stood up and stretched, saying, "Tonight we'll be escorted by warships, so we'll have to travel at night. Why don't you practice the Eight Pieces of Brocade again, so you can sleep better tonight?"

Lin Daiyu did not refuse and sat back down on the warm cushion, but she was still pondering what her second brother Lian had just said.

She originally thought that since her second brother Lian had set lofty ambitions, he would probably be as rigid as his second uncle Jia Zheng in the future. Who would have thought that he would have such unconventional thoughts and words?

This is somewhat similar to Baoyu's usual cynical view of the world.

However, unlike others, Lian Erge did not directly deny the Confucian ethics, but said that if the Confucian ethics made him feel stifled, then the Confucian ethics were worthless.

These words are less rigid and pedantic than Jia Zheng's, and less extreme and fanatical than Bao Yu's. They show that one understands the rules but is not bound by them, and knows the ways of the world but is not bound by them.

Such magnanimity and breadth of mind inspired a genuine sense of admiration in Lin Daiyu.

From then on, the brother and sister became even closer.

Jia Lian also took the opportunity to instruct Lin Daiyu to persuade Baoyu more often in the future. Even if he couldn't change his temper for a while, he should at least restrain himself in front of others.

Compared to Lin Daiyu, Jia Baoyu is significantly more likely to cause disaster, so Jia Lian's actions can be seen as a roundabout way to save the day.

If Lin Daiyu were asked to urge Baoyu to improve himself, she might have some doubts and hesitations, but since Jia Lian only asked Baoyu to put on a show outside, Daiyu naturally had no reason to refuse.

After all, this was not only for the sake of the Rongguo Mansion's reputation, but also for Baoyu's own dignity.