Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 102: Appointment with Yuan Dai

Chen Siyuan looked at Jia Lian with surprise on his face, but ignored the anger on Jia Lian's face.

By this time, Grandmother Jia had sent someone to call Daiyu, but Chen Siyuan became even more calm and relaxed.

At this point, even if Daiyu denied it, what would it matter? Jia Zheng had admitted it himself before, so the letter was probably true.

There will be a quarrel at that time. Grandmother Jia will use filial piety to pressure others. Although Jia She will surrender on the spot, he will definitely comfort himself afterwards - Jia She is still hoping to use this incident to embezzle the Lin family's property, so how can he let it go?
Even if this fails, it will appear that the Jia family is being disrespectful, but who knows, they might make amends someday. Regardless of whether it's Yingchun, Tanchun, or Xichun, any one of them will be given to me, and this trip will not be in vain!

He knew what she was thinking, because when Lady Jia looked at him with a stern face and resentment, Chen Siyuan actually looked straight into her eyes without avoiding.

Grandmother Jia knew that she was in the wrong, and could only hope that Daiyu would deny it flatly. She felt a little guilty when they looked at each other, so she just snorted coldly and stopped looking at him.

Jia She muttered, "So what if Daiyu is here? What's real can't be fake, and what's fake... can't be real either. To put it bluntly, even if Daiyu denies it, what will mother do if Yuan'er takes the marriage certificate to the government office to file a complaint someday?"

Grandmother Jia was speechless again.

Yes, it seems that Brother Yuan is not a good person. If he really beats the drum to report the matter to the government, I am afraid it will not end well!
Jia Zheng again tried to console him, saying, "Brother, please be quiet. Mother is very angry."

Jia She grumbled, "The truth is supreme, but I can't always do everything Mother wants, can I? If that's the case, Mother, why don't you consider giving us brothers promotions and titles, so that we can look forward to meeting our ancestors in the future."

Grandmother Jia was so angry that she pretended not to hear.

At this moment, Jia She glared at Jia Lian with hatred, which only frightened Jia Lian. Mrs. Xing rolled her eyes at Feng Jieer, who knew what Jia Mu was thinking but couldn't figure out what Second Master Lian was up to.

Whether it was true or false was a matter of debate between the old lady and the eldest master, so how could the younger generation like them get involved? Aunt Wang had always looked down on Daiyu, and Master Jia Zheng had just accepted the letter as genuine, but Second Master Lian had to stir up trouble and jump out to question it.

This is great, I’m afraid that I will have to eat the first bite of the master later!
At that moment, Sister Feng moved over and gave Jia Lian a look. Although Jia Lian realized it later, he was now convinced that the marriage certificate was a fake. His stubborn temper flared up, and he flung away Sister Feng's pull, frowning and muttering, "Don't bother with it."

Feng Jieer gnashed her teeth in anger and whispered, "Okay, I don't care. I'll see how you explain this to the Master later."

He snorted again, looked at Chen Siyuan, and shook his head to indicate that he didn't know. Seeing Chen Siyuan nod slightly, he turned around and stood behind Mrs. Xing.

At this moment, Jia She took a sip of tea, feeling even more pleased. Seeing Chen Siyuan still standing, he frowned and said, "Brother Yuan is neither a stranger nor a prisoner. How can he answer while standing? Yuanyang, move a stool over so Brother Yuan can sit down and talk."

Yuanyang glanced at Lady Jia and saw that she didn't say a word. Then she responded and hurriedly brought a stool for Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan thanked him, lifted his robe and sat down next to Jia Zheng, then bowed to Jia Zheng who was looking at him.

..................................................................

Rongqing Hall.

After not seeing each other for many years, the sisters naturally wanted to reminisce about their separation.

Sanchun and Baochai all knew that Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, had passed away, and fearing that it would upset Daiyu, they avoided talking about it. However, Daiyu was very perceptive, so how could she not sense it even if her sisters didn't say anything?

A year passed, and although she had grown a bit taller, she still looked frail, but her face had lost some of its childishness. This was because during this year, she had to take care of her bedridden father, Lin Ruhai, while also dealing with the ill-intentioned relatives of the Lin family.

Jia Lian, a man of noble character, would handle matters as instructed, but would ignore those he wasn't. For example, when it came to dealing with the Lin clan, Jia Lian avoided them. For a while, he simply returned to his old home in Jinling, and even when he stayed in Yangzhou, he often spent the night on a pleasure boat.

Her half-brother had died young, and her father had long ago dismissed all his concubines, leaving only a concubine by his side. Unfortunately, that concubine had no say in the clan, so Daiyu had to deal with such matters on her own.

Over the course of a year, she cried countless times in secret. After she had cried and wiped away her tears, Daiyu went about her business as usual, taking care of household chores and dealing with relatives who came from afar.

In May of this year, Jia Yucun was promoted to Provincial Surveillance Commissioner and later personally took charge of the matter in Yangzhou. It's unclear what his father, Lin Ruhai, and his teacher were arguing about behind closed doors. However, several officials from the Salt Administration were subsequently arrested. Daiyu, a clever woman, knew that her mother and half-brother had died in quick succession, and even her father was bedridden. She feared there might be something fishy going on.
Later, my father conferred with his teacher and my second brother Lian several more times behind closed doors. In August, when my father, Lin Ruhai, awoke for the last time, he spoke to Daiyu and never awoke again. If it hadn't been for the sage's dispatch of the imperial physician to meticulously care for her, I'm afraid she wouldn't have made it past September.

Because of this year's experience and her father's words, Daiyu is still Daiyu, but she is no longer the Daiyu of a year ago.

In her little mind, there was the Lin family's fortune and some first love.

As they chatted and laughed, Daiyu glanced at Baoyu, who was staring at her blankly, snorted and rolled her eyes at him. She couldn't help but think to herself, "It's as if Baoyu hasn't changed at all in the past year."

When she first lived in Rongguo Mansion, she and Baoyu were just childhood sweethearts, and they had never really developed any feelings for each other. Did she really want to spend the rest of her life with this fool?
What did my grandmother think of what my father said? What did my uncle and aunt think? Now that she had lost her parents, the only people she could rely on were her grandmother and her teacher.

This is a matter concerning the Lin family's ancestral lineage, and is also a matter of one's own life. It must not be taken lightly, and one must get accurate information before making a decision.

Daiyu thought about it and nodded to Zijuan, who then handed over a rare item wrapped in silk.

Daiyu lifted the silk cloth, revealing a rare treasure inside. Others would have been fine, but Xichun let out a cry of surprise, and the three sisters exchanged a look of amazement.

Daiyu handed this to Sister Bao and said, "This is for Sister Bao."

"For me?" Sister Bao smiled and examined it, then saw in her hand a delicate porcelain figurine, just over five inches tall. The figurine was perfectly detailed, waving a round fan, a smile on her face, as if fluttering through the flowers ahead like a butterfly... Why was it so similar to the one Chen Siyuan had given Sanchun earlier?
Daiyu smiled and said, "I found this in my spare time in Yangzhou. I thought it looked like Sister Bao's, so I just brought it back and gave it to Sister Bao." Then she said shyly to Sanchun, "Second sister, third sister, fourth sister, it's a pity there is only one of this porcelain figurine, otherwise I wouldn't have given it to Sister Bao alone."

Sanchun looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Daiyu was surprised and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Tanchun smiled and said, "Even if Sister Lin didn't send it, I'm afraid we would have it."

Yingchun tugged at Daiyu's hand, seeing her puzzled expression, and whispered, "A cousin came in September and said he enjoyed playing with porcelain figurines in his spare time, so he gave me and my sisters a porcelain figurine each. It looks exactly like the one Miss Lin gave us just now..."

"cousin?"

Tanchun said, "He's the eldest lady's nephew, Chen Siyuan. We all call him Brother Yuan."

"Siyuan..." Daiyu pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "His character surpasses Siyuan's, and he can fly like clouds without obstructing the sky. I imagine this elder brother Yuan's family also has a long tradition of poetry and literature."

Baoyu came over and interrupted, "I think it comes from a line in 'Xiao Chuang You Ji': A calm mind leads to clarity, and a high character leads to far-reaching enlightenment."

Xichun was puzzled. Tanchun smiled and whispered something in her ear. Xichun suddenly understood, "Second Brother Bao is cheating. Chen Jiru was from the early Ming Dynasty, but Sister Lin's line is from the Book of Songs. In terms of who came first, Sister Lin spoke first."

Baoyu shook his head and said, "That's hard to say. Chen Jiru's last name is Chen, and so is Brother Yuan. Maybe they're actually from the same family."

Sister Bao said calmly, "Chen Jiru was from Huating, Songjiang. Does that mean one of his descendants moved to Yangzhou?"

Baoyu said playfully, "Sister Bao is right. Let's ask Brother Yuan later. He might be a descendant of Chen Jiru."

Yingchun couldn't help but say, "This is not good for anyone to hear. What's the point of finding an ancestor for Brother Yuan for no reason?"

Amidst the laughter and chatter, the head maid, Amber, flashed over. She bowed and said with a smile, "Miss Lin, the old lady, several masters, and ladies are discussing matters in Rongxi Hall. They sent me to ask you a few questions."

Daiyu was puzzled, thinking she was asking about the conditions in Yangzhou and Suzhou, so she glanced at Xueyan, who hurriedly went with Zijuan to find a coat for Daiyu to put on.

Baoyu, like a monkey, did not want to leave Daiyu even for a moment, so he said, "What are you discussing? Why don't I go with Sister Lin and listen?"

Amber smiled and said, "It's not easy for me to decide. Master is here too. How about Master Bao go with us and ask Master what he means?"

When Baoyu heard that Jia Zheng was there, he was embarrassed and speechless.

Tanchun, standing by, laughed and said, "Second Brother Bao is fearless, so why is he silent now?"

Baoyu said angrily, "I was wronged a while ago, and it hasn't been cleared yet. The master must have heard about it. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable for me to go there now? No, no." Daiyu ignored him, said goodbye to Sanchun and Baochai, took Zijuan and Xueyan, and followed Amber to Rongxi Hall.

After exiting the hanging flower gate, they walked east through the hall, turned north and entered the ceremonial gate. They walked along the winding corridor and entered the porch. Suddenly, Hubei stopped and said, "Only Miss Lin can go in. You two can wait outside."

Amber was a maid of first rank, and Zijuan was a second-rank maid assigned to Daiyu by Lady Jia's side. It was Zijuan who hurried to follow the instructions. Xueyan, who had been with Daiyu since she was a child, was worried about her but had no choice but to wait in the porch.

But Amber led Daiyu inside and turned around the screen. Daiyu looked around and saw that Lady Jia, Jia She, Lady Xing, Jia Zheng, Lady Wang, Jia Lian, and Wang Xifeng were all there. There was also a strange young man sitting on a stool below Jia Zheng.

Daiyu walked gracefully and greeted everyone in the hall.

Chen Siyuan took a quick look and saw she was about ten years old, with a pair of eyebrows that seemed to be furrowed but not furrowed, and a pair of eyes that seemed to be filled with emotion, though they seemed to be weeping but not crying. Her expression betrayed sorrow, and her delicate body was covered with illness. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she gasped softly. When she was still, she was like a beautiful flower reflected in the water; when she moved, she was like a willow swaying in the wind. Her heart was more intelligent than Bi Gan's, and her illness was three times worse than Xi Shi's!
Although she is not yet of full height, she still has an angelic appearance!
No wonder that fool Xue felt so limp after taking a look at her. It turned out that Sister Lin was the reincarnation of the Immortal Crimson Pearl Grass!
Daiyu stammered, turning to Chen Siyuan, and speaking across from Jia Zheng's eldest master, Jia She, she said, "This is the eldest mistress's nephew, Brother Yuan. He's older than her, so he should be called Brother Yuan."

Daiyu called out "Brother Yuan" in a delicate voice, then bowed.

Chen Siyuan stood up and returned the greeting, saying in a deep voice, "Meet Miss Lin."

After they all exchanged greetings, Daiyu looked towards Lady Jia, who was sitting in the hall.

Grandmother Jia then said, "Yu'er, I called you here today because I'm unsure about a letter. Take a look and see if it's Ruhai's handwriting."

Daiyu murmured a response and took a few steps forward. Feng Jieer then handed the letter to Daiyu. Daiyu took it, unfolded it, and examined it. The first glance at it made her brows furrow.

The letter was short, and Daiyu glanced through it in a moment. Yet she did not put it down, nor did she look at Chen Siyuan. She simply stared at the letter, lost in thought.

Before his father, Lin Ruhai, passed away, there were only two things he couldn't let go of. One was Daiyu's marriage. He was afraid that the Lin family would raise Daiyu to death, and he was also afraid that the Jia family would have evil intentions; the other was the Lin family's ancestral lineage!

His half-brother died young, and although his father Lin Ruhai vowed not to remarry, he continued to take concubines into the family. Unfortunately, none of these concubines gave birth to children.

There are three unfilial acts: not having descendants is the worst. If Lin Ruhai were to pass away like this, how would he have the face to see his ancestors in the future?

Because the Jia and Lin families had been arguing with each other, Lin Ruhai insisted on marrying a daughter-in-law at first. But this summer, when he saw that his health could no longer support him, he finally agreed to the idea of ​​inheriting the throne.

Daiyu was extremely intelligent and had her late father's last words to her. Thinking about the Jia family...especially Mrs. Wang's attitude towards this matter, she bit her lower lip and began to ponder.

After a long while, Jia Mu couldn't help asking, "Has Yu'er seen it?"

Daiyu seemed to have just come to her senses. She slowly put the letter down and said to Jia's mother, "I've read it."

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but look at Daiyu hopefully and said, "Is it true... or false?"

Daiyu glanced around, taking in everyone's actions. She especially noticed Mrs. Wang, who was twirling beads rapidly in her hand and glancing at her with a faintly strange look. Although she was young and didn't yet understand the nature of emotions, she could clearly distinguish between good and evil.

Daiyu's heart trembled, and she gradually made up her mind.

Then he looked up at Grandmother Jia and said, "Grandmother, the handwriting and seal on it... are all real!"

Jia She jumped up and said, "What did I say? How could it be fake?"

Grandmother Jia was stunned, still refusing to believe what she had just heard. She asked, "Yu'er...did you look carefully?"

Daiyu nodded firmly and said, "It's true."

Jia She laughed heartily, then leaned back calmly, looking at his mother and asked, "What do you say this time, mother?"

Chen Siyuan frowned, wondering what Daiyu was thinking. Jia Lian was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks, not knowing what to do for a moment.

Mrs. Xing was stunned at first, then she breathed a sigh of relief and secretly gave Chen Siyuan a glare, thinking that this little thief had gotten away with it.

Mrs. Wang breathed a sigh of relief, almost mumbling "Amitabha." It was only a few hundred thousand in property. If the Lin family had it, could it be that the Xue family didn't have it? She had mentioned earlier that she would seek a son-in-law after her death. Mrs. Wang had always despised Daiyu, so how could she possibly swallow this?
Moreover, even before Daiyu's mother, Jia Min, married, Lady Wang and her sister-in-law had always been at odds. Although Daiyu was young, she still bore some resemblance to Jia Min, so it was surprising that Lady Wang could be so tolerant of her.

Now that Yuanchun has been named the Virtuous Consort, Baoyu might become the emperor's uncle in the future. Wouldn't it be a joke if the news got out that the emperor's uncle became someone else's son-in-law and took over the throne?
Grandmother Jia could not hide her disappointment on her face and didn't know what to say for a moment.

At this moment, Daiyu said, "But this is just a letter... I've never heard my father mention it. I guess the Chen family didn't reply?"

Jia She laughed and said, "My niece doesn't know, but Brother Yuan has a pitiful life story..." Then he told her most of Chen Siyuan's fabricated past.

Daiyu's face showed no emotion, and she didn't even look at Chen Siyuan. She nodded and said, "So that's how it is. Since I haven't received a reply, I guess I can't make any decisions for now."

Grandmother Jia's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands and said, "Good! That's right, without a reply, this matter has not been settled!"

Jia She was anxious and said quickly, "Niece, that's not what you said. If it weren't for Yuan'er's stepmother being vicious, she would have delayed the matter for half a year. This matter would have been completed long ago."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Since there has been a delay, whatever the reason, father has never received the reply and naturally has never explained it to me."

"This..." Jia She was choked speechless.

Mrs. Wang's expression suddenly changed. She stopped twirling her beads and stared at Daiyu. Mrs. Xing frowned slightly, but didn't take it seriously. After all, the man was fake, and the marriage certificate was fake. If Daiyu didn't acknowledge him, then so be it. It wouldn't prevent the thief from staying in the mansion.

Jia Lian felt relieved, which made Feng Jieer beside him very surprised.

Unexpectedly, Daiyu said again at this time: "But what my uncle said is true. This letter is my father's order after all, and I can't disobey him."

Daiyu then walked up to Chen Siyuan, bowed, and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, has Brother Yuan ever been to school?"

Chen Siyuan stood up, clasped his fists, and said, "I have decided to study at the Imperial College after next year."

Daiyu asked, "Do you have any plans for the future?"

Chen Siyuan pondered, "First, I'll pass the provincial examination, then the metropolitan examination. A true man, living in this world, must be a hero who gets his name called out outside Donghua Gate."

"Good ambition."

Daiyu glanced at Chen Siyuan, turned around and bowed to Lady Jia.

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but say, "Yu'er, I've asked you to say everything. I don't think Yuan'er's family has replied yet. Why don't we just forget about it?"

Daiyu said softly, "Grandmother, I cannot disobey my father's order. Since ancient times, marriage has always been based on equal status, marrying the lower-class bride and marrying the higher-class bride. My Lin family has been a noble family for generations, but by the time my father's generation came around, the title had long been lost. My father was determined to live up to his reputation, studying hard behind closed doors, and achieved the top spot in the imperial examination. He was then admitted to the Imperial Academy as a Hanlin, and from then on, the Lin family's eldest branch has been a legacy of scholarship."

After a pause, he looked up at Lady Jia and said, "Since the letter makes sense no matter what it says, and the matter involves the Lin family's ancestral line...why don't I make an agreement with Brother Yuan?"

She turned around, bowed, and looked up at Chen Siyuan: "If Big Brother Yuan wastes his youth before I reach the age of 15, and we are not a good match, then this letter will just be a letter. But if Big Brother Yuan passes the imperial examination before I reach the age of 15, then this letter... will be a marriage certificate!"

The young voice was so resounding that it shook the Rongxi Hall to a state of total silence, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

At this moment, Chen Siyuan smiled and bowed, saying, "How can I enter the prosperous world with my life of poverty? How dare I miss a beautiful woman with my clean hands? Sister Lin's words are very much in line with my wishes. This agreement... I accept!"

　The Lin family has been a family of marquises for generations, Lin Ruhai was a top scholar in the imperial examination, and Daiyu was mentored by the Jinshi Jia Yucun. She has been well-read since childhood and possesses a rare talent. She is definitely not an ordinary love-brained person. Only Yu Sanjie can be considered a love-brained person.

　　At this time, Daiyu had to bear the responsibilities of marriage and the family lineage. The Jia family never gave her an accurate reply, and Daiyu had no feelings for Baoyu at this time, so her choice was understandable.

　　I felt so good writing it. This paragraph has been stuck in my head for a while now, and it feels so good to finally write it down!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)