Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 175 Lin Daiyu: Please don’t misunderstand me

……

It was the coldest time of the year when I left Beijing, and the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching when I returned.

It is the day when families reunite.

"After rushing so hard, we finally got back in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival." Jia Rong stood at the bow, looking at the still busy scene at the dock, and sighed.

Lin Daiyu beside her frowned slightly.

You are reunited, but I have to live under someone else's roof again. But she thought to herself, now I am also a member of Ningguo Mansion, right? I am not living under someone else's roof.

I feel a little better.

Lin Daiyu raised her chin: "There is something I haven't asked you yet."

Jia Rong: "What's the matter?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and asked, "What gifts did you bring for your aunts?"

Jia Rong: “…”

A slap on the thigh!
"It's over, forget it!"

He has been so busy lately!

He had been working on his Daxia Taizhou Trading Company, and when he came back, Daiyu pestered him to read books and write novels. Jia Rong could already imagine Xichun's disappointment, anger, and gnashing of teeth.

"Hmph, how can a busy man still think about us!" Lin Daiyu snorted softly and said, "I have prepared an extra gift. Go and see if it suits your taste."

"well!"

Jia Rong went into the room and saw the gifts that Lin Daiyu had prepared for the aunts. They were indeed exquisite and novel.

"Thank you, thank you!"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Thank you very much, thank you very much?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "What else do you want?"

"explain."

"As long as I can do it, I will do it even if it means death."

Lin Daiyu scolded: "Who wants you to die? I just want to ask you, where is my gift?"

After saying this, she stretched out her little hand towards Jia Rong.

Jia Rong: “…”

Everyone else has forgotten, so naturally they haven't thought about you either.

Of course, Jia Rong would not say that.

"Aren't you my sister Lin now?"

Lin Daiyu said, "Sister, can't I accept a gift? Besides, you haven't told Grandpa yet, so I am still your aunt."

Jia Rong defended himself with a smile, "Whether she is my aunt or my sister, we have to make it clear, otherwise it will be difficult to prepare gifts."

The gifts given to elders should naturally be different from those given to peers.

Lin Daiyu said: "When I want to be your aunt, I am your aunt. When I want to be your sister, I am your sister."

Jia Rong: “…”

You are the elder and you have the final say, okay!
"How about I just owe you this time and double it next time."

Lin Daiyu held up two fingers and smiled, "I remember it's two points, you have to compensate four points next time."

"After all, it's not easy for me to be both an aunt and a younger sister."

Jia Rong: “…”

Then wouldn't it be even more difficult for me to be both a nephew and a brother?

You didn't give me any presents, did you?
"By the way, this is for you."

Lin Daiyu took out a jade pendant with a peace knot tied on it from somewhere, handed it to Jia Rong and said, "My aunt gave you this as a Mid-Autumn Festival gift. Wear it well."

Jia Rong took it with surprise and looked at Lin Daiyu: "Anything else?"

Lin Daiyu glanced at it and said, "No more."

"Sister Lin is in a bad mood now and doesn't remember you, so no."

Jia Rong: “…”

As the two were talking, Xue Baoqin came over and said with a smile, "Sister Lin, Brother Rong, what are you talking about?"

Jia Rong: "Let's talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts."

Xue Baoqin's eyes lit up: "Brother Rong, is there any for me?"

"Of course there are." Jia Rong pointed to the box and said, "Please choose one first."

Xue Baoqin looked at it carefully, picked up a pearl-studded hairpin, and asked suspiciously, "Isn't this the Mid-Autumn Festival gift that Sister Lin prepared? The other day we both asked someone to buy it, and I said that my aunt would definitely like this one."

Jia Rong: "This..."

"Actually, I asked Aunt Lin to buy this for me."

Lin Daiyu glanced at Jia Rong and said nothing.

I'll give you a favor today.

Xue Baoqin smiled and said, "I see. That's what I want." Then she took a jade bracelet and put it on her wrist, looking at it from left to right.

"Sister Lin, does it look good?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "It looks good, it looks good!"

Jia Rong looked at Daiyu's empty wrist and felt a little guilty.

However, I can't blame myself for this.

She used to be an aunt.

Is there any nephew who bought a bracelet for his aunt?
"Sister Lin, I also bought a bracelet for you as a Mid-Autumn Festival gift. Please don't despise it, Sister Lin." Xue Baoqin also took out a bracelet from somewhere. The whole bracelet was crystal white in color, and it was obvious that it was not an ordinary item.

The Xue family made a lot of money this year.

Lin Daiyu took it, put it on her wrist and looked at it, then said with a smile: "My sister Baoqin is still the best, not like some people."

Jia Rong: “…”

awkward.

"This is for Brother Rong." Baoqin handed Jia Rong a purse embroidered with plum blossoms.

Jia Rong took it.

"Thank you sister."

After a while, Xiao Xiao came over and said, "Master, the sedan chair is ready."

Jia Rong nodded quickly and said to the two of them, "Let's go home first."

Lin Daiyu pulled Xue Baoqin into the sedan chair.

Jia Rong was riding on a horse.

The group of people went to Ningguo Mansion in a mighty manner.

"Look, it's the Jia Mansion's motorcade. Looking at this, is it possible that some master is returning to the capital?"

"Haha, I'm ignorant. Look at that young man on the horse. He is the eldest son of Ningguo Mansion. He is indeed from a scholarly family. His temperament is not something that ordinary people can have!"

"Oh, is that the leader of the Qing Society? The most talented person in Kyoto."

"I heard she's only seventeen and unmarried!"

"Really? My daughter is still unmarried..."

"Bah, don't you even look at your family background? How dare you dream of that!"

"With this appearance and this talent, what kind of person can be worthy of the eldest master?"

"At least it should be the princess's!"

Listening to the discussions outside, Jia Rong fell into distress.

When did he get the title of the most talented person in Kyoto?
This is not a good thing.

The tree is big and attracts the wind.

It would be better to find more time to let Xu Lian show off.

But there is one good thing.

When people mention Ningguo Mansion, they think of a scholarly family, not the two clean stone lions at the door...

Soon, the carriage arrived at Ningrong Street.

The servants had already received the news, and they lined up neatly in two rows along the entire street. Lai Er stood at the front, bending over. When he saw Jia Rong coming back on horseback, he bent even more and trotted forward to apologize with a smile: "Master, you're back."

"Ah."

Jia Rong jumped off the carriage and asked with a smile, "Aren't you serving the master? Why are you going home again?"

Lai Er's face was bitter: "To answer your question, the master despised my stupidity and sent me back."

Jia Rong laughed and said, "If I chase you away, will you leave? Can't you cry and beg to stay?"

Lai Er: “…”

Jia Rong waved his hand and said, "Go ahead and serve the master well. You will have your own results in the future."

Lai Er hesitated and said, "Master, the result you are talking about is..."

Jia Rong: "The Buddha said, it cannot be explained."

"Anyway, you go and serve well. You must not be careless about the master's every move and take good care of him."

Lai Er: “…Yes.”

After Lai Er left, Jia Rong asked the two groups of people at the door to disperse: "From now on, don't do these empty formalities, just do your work properly."

Everyone: "Your Excellency's orders!"...

Lin Daiyu and Xue Baoqin went straight into the second gate on a sedan chair. After the servant left, they were carried by a maid into the hanging flower gate, where a group of sisters had been waiting for them for a long time and surrounded them.

Tanchun: "Finally I'm back."

Xichun: "Sister Lin!"

Yingchun: "Sister Lin."

Baochai: "Sister Lin."

Lin Daiyu stepped forward with a smile and greeted him.

"Second sister, Sister Bao, Third sister, Little aunt, cough, cough, Sister Xichun."

Everyone suddenly opened their eyes wide and looked at Lin Daiyu.

"Sister Lin, what did you just say?" Tanchun looked at Lin Daiyu and asked suspiciously.

Xichun covered her mouth and sneered, "I heard someone called me little aunt."

Yingchun's eyes were full of confusion.

Baochai's heart skipped a beat.

Lin Daiyu was tidying her temples, not in a hurry, and smiled as if nothing had happened, saying, "I've been listening to Rong'er talking about little aunt all day, and my ears are calloused. That's why I accidentally said something wrong."

"You guys, please don't misunderstand me."

Lin Daiyu added one last sentence.

Tanchun: “…”

Baochai:"……"

Yingchun nodded: "We know."

Xichun was already smiling.

Rong Ge'er really thinks of me all the time.

Originally, she was planning to find Jia Rong and ask him why he came home so late and whether he had forgotten her, but now there is no need to do that.

Baochai looked at Lin Daiyu.

This is a powerful enemy!
She didn't believe in nonsense like "you're used to it" or "it's an accident".

It's obviously...

"elder sister."

Baoqin stepped forward, took Baochai's hand, and said with a smile, "You have lost a lot of weight."

Baochai raised her hand and pinched Baoqin's pretty face, and said with a smile: "I have lost weight, but you have gained weight."

Baoqin pouted: "I'm not fat at all."

Lin Daiyu pulled Baoqin over and said, "Baoqin is not fat, it is Sister Baochai who is scaring you."

"Hehe." Baoqin leaned into Lin Daiyu's arms and said with a smile, "Sister Lin is still the best."

Baochai pointed at the two of them and said with a smile, "Look at this girl. I have loved her for ten years in vain. Now that she has met a new sister, she has forgotten my kindness."

Tanchun smiled and said, "It is true that you have been sisters for ten years, but in the future we will be sisters for life."

After saying that, he covered his mouth and laughed.

Lin Daiyu gritted her teeth and was about to chase after her to make a scene, but Yingchun laughed and said, "What are you talking about? Aren't we good sisters for life? Do sisters have to be divided into the former and the future?"

Lin Daiyu stopped immediately and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes, Second Sister is absolutely right!" Then she looked at Tanchun and whispered, "Just wait and see how I deal with you when I have time!"

Tanchun was not afraid at all. She smiled and whispered, "Pay attention to your future generation. Do you dare to be rude to Third Aunt?"

Lin Daiyu knew that she couldn't hide it from the shrewd Jia Tanchun, so she immediately showed a pitiful expression and said, "Third sister, please forgive me this time."

Tanchun: "Are you still going to treat me?"

Lin Daiyu: "I dare not."

seniority in the family!

My generation!

Woohoo!

Damn Rong Ge'er!

……

"Ah!"

Jia Rong, who was lying on the bed in the study with his eyes closed, sneezed without warning.

Who is thinking about me?

Ping Er asked nervously, "Master, have you caught a cold? I'll go make some ginger soup."

As he spoke, he stood up and went to the kitchen.

Jia Rong waved his hand and said, "I'm fine."

Maybe his aunt missed him.

What Jia Rong didn't know was that Lin Daiyu had inadvertently helped him a lot. The little aunt knew that he was thinking about her all the time and no longer cared about him.

"I just saw two maids at the door. They look familiar, but they don't look like the ones from our house. Are they new?"

Ping Er smiled and said, "It's Caiyun and Caixia."

"Madam went crazy not long ago. She didn't give them any food for three days and asked Mrs. Zhou Rui to chase them out. Aunt Zhao and Mr. Huan San didn't dare to stand up and say a word. So I took the initiative and asked them to come to our house to do some needlework."

"Master, you won't blame me, will you?"

Jia Rong: “…”

"How could that be? Since they are your good sisters, you can help them if you can. Our family doesn't lack a pair of chopsticks. But they are both from the West Mansion after all, and their indentures..."

Ping Er smiled and said, "Don't worry, Master, it's coming."

Safe work!

Nowadays, only those with a bond of indenture can be considered as real friends!
Jia Rong smiled and said, "Then they will follow you from now on. You are in charge of more and more accounts now, so don't get too tired. It's good to have two helpers."

Ping Er smiled and said, "Thank you very much, sir."

After saying that, he called the two people at the door and said with a smile, "Caiyun Cloud and Xia, come here quickly. I agree that you two can stay here."

The two people who had been secretly listening at the door were overjoyed.

"Your servant Caixia greets you, Master."

"Your servant Caiyun greets you, Master."

The two of them kowtowed cautiously in front of Jia Rong.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Get up."

"From now on, follow Miss Ping'er and do your work well. I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

"Thank you, sir."

The two of them saluted again.

Ping Er was both delighted and shy when Jia Rong kept calling her Miss Ping Er. She lowered her head and asked, "Master, how much is their monthly salary?"

"Your people, take care of them yourself."

Jia Rong did not interfere in the matter.

Ping'er felt relieved.

"Then I'll take matters into my own hands."

"You two should go down and get a set of clothes for second-class maids, and also collect your salary for the first few months."

Some time ago, Jia Rong didn't come home. Although Ping'er rescued the two suffering little sisters, she didn't promise them anything. She didn't even give them monthly wages. She only provided them with food and required them to work.

But neither of them had any complaints.

This is also the real reason why Ping'er wanted to accept them both. Otherwise, when Jia Rong came back today, it would be impossible for them to serve at the door.

After a while, Caiyun and Xia went downstairs to change their clothes. Jia Rong sat at the table, took a sip of tea and said, "Let's talk about the salt merchants. In addition to the second branch of the Xue family, how many other families are under our control?"

Ping'er took the notebook and said seriously, "The people under the Second Madam have developed very quickly in the past six months. They can already make tens of thousands of taels of cash every month. The Second Madam even said that she would like to invite you to her house someday."

"Hehe, she didn't say I was cruel?"

The two split the profits 20:80.

Feng Ji accounts for two, and Jia Rong accounts for eight.

Ping Er ate a fruit and said with a smile, "We are all related. It's good that she can have such a business. It's much better than the previous loan."

"By the way, Master Lian found out about this and came to see me too."

Jia Rong asked, "What did you say?"

Ping Er smiled and said, "I didn't see him."

Jia Rong: “…”

What a girl!
"well done."

"He is a son of a duke's mansion, so he is not afraid of being embarrassed by doing this. He can just stay at home and manage the household affairs with the master."

As the two were talking, a maid suddenly came running over and said, "The master has returned home."

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival.

Jia Jing still did not rest, he was sharing the emperor's worries, helping the people solve their problems, and working hard for the country.

I didn't get home until the evening.

……

(End of this chapter)