Dream of the Red Chamber: Daiyu and I swapped clothes

Chapter 6 has been switched back?

The Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion was one of the four kings, eight dukes, and twelve marquises among the founding nobles, unlike the Lin Mansion, which was known for its tradition of passing down poetry and books.

There is a natural gap between nobles and officials, and now that the Zhenyuan Marquis's family is not prominent, it must have been quite a struggle for them to find a student to teach them.

After all, the tutor who had been angered and left earlier had not mentioned that he was a student of the Imperial Academy.

The term "lunsheng" refers to someone who has passed the first three examinations of the imperial examination system—the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the provincial examination—and has obtained the title of Xiucai (a scholar who has passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

The students who received stipends were the best among them, and they had to rank at the top in the regular assessments conducted by the education authorities.

Their treatment was also better than that of ordinary scholars, and they could enjoy a shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice provided by the imperial court every month.

There are only eighty such people in the capital.

It can be said that the Marquis of Zhenyuan and his wife put a lot of effort into her, this "Li Chen".

The family was harmonious, and I could read undisturbed every day. I only needed to pay my respects before nightfall. I was free to come and go as I pleased, and I was pampered by the servants in the mansion. This feeling was really quite nice.

Lin Daiyu even felt that if her father and she were not in the same world, she could live a good life as their son, diligently pursue her studies, pass the imperial examinations, and repay their kindness and care.

As a result, Lin Daiyu devoted herself even more to her studies.

Lady Zou, the wife of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, often brought in fruits and candied fruit to visit Lin Daiyu, fearing she was tired. Although these fruits and candied fruit were not as nourishing as the bird's nest that could be easily obtained in the Rongguo Mansion, they were still very delicious to Lin Daiyu, as they were filled with maternal love.

"Chen'er, I'll leave this new outfit here. When your tutor, Mr. Xing, comes tomorrow, please remember to get up early to greet him. You know your father's temper. He went to great lengths to hire this tutor, and if you drive him away, I can't guarantee what he might do."

"I understand, Mother. Don't worry. I won't embarrass you."

"Good boy."

Madam Zou gently stroked the back of Lin Daiyu's head and got up from beside her. "Go to bed early tonight, don't stay up all night."

"Yes, Mother, I'll see you off."

Ms. Zou smiled radiantly; ever since her youngest son's enlightenment a few days ago, the smile on her face had never faded.

A puffiness appeared at the corner of her eye, and Madam Zou quickly raised her hand to smooth it out, letting out a long sigh. "Sigh, if Chen'er had continued to be so well-behaved and sensible, I don't know how many more wrinkles would have appeared on my face every day."

Lin Daiyu smiled and saw her off at the door, saying, "Mother is still young, her hair is not yet gray, she will surely be regarded as a young lady from a noble family when she goes out."

"You're so sweet-talking. Just make a good impression on your husband tomorrow, that's all that matters."

Changing the subject, Madam Zou lowered her head and said, "However, you don't need to be too nervous. I heard from your brother that he has made meritorious contributions at the border and may be promoted. At the very least, he can take care of you in the future."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly and did not argue further.

Watching Zou Shi leave the courtyard, Lin Daiyu secretly cheered herself up.

With just a small assessment, she will amaze her mentor with her knowledge.

Being hailed as a child prodigy before the examination and having his reputation spread among officials makes it easier for him to become a disciple of a more senior Confucian master.

Moreover, with fame comes more patrons and those who want to curry favor, which will alleviate some of the financial burden on the government.

Lin Daiyu's considerations were far more comprehensive than anything she had worried about when she was in the Rongguo Mansion.

Sure enough, with things to do urgently, she didn't even have time to wallow in melancholy.

After trimming the lamp wick, Lin Daiyu lay down fully clothed and silently recited "Elementary Learning Classics" in her mind before drifting off to sleep.

The next day,

Lin Daiyu woke up early in the morning and prepared to wash and dress as usual, change into the new clothes that Zou had specially left for her the night before, and go to greet her teacher. However, when she looked up, her eyes were blocked by the Xiangfei-colored bed curtains.

"I, I'm back?"

Looking down and examining it closely, it really was her own body. The close-fitting clothes were as white as new, as if they had just been changed not long ago.

Lin Daiyu stood there, stunned, her mind a jumble of thoughts, a variety of ideas popping into her head.

Lin Daiyu's throat moved slightly, and she was about to call for someone when Xueyan happily pulled open the beaded curtain.

"Girl, you're awake too? Can you smell the aroma of breakfast this morning? It's your favorite braised pork hock with ham!"

Lin Daiyu's expression froze. She was about to ask if she had contracted some strange illness in recent days and had been lying in bed being looked after by them.

But hearing Xueyan say this completely ruled out that possibility.

Meat was never her favorite food, but Xueyan insisted that it was prepared for her.

I pinched my palm secretly, and the pain was real; it wasn't a dream at all.

"Could it be that the second young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion has switched bodies with me? And I have switched bodies with him?"

Thinking of this, Lin Daiyu felt a chill run through her body, and she hugged her chest tightly, shivering uncontrollably.

"Young lady, are you cold?"

Xueyan scratched her head in confusion, lowered the beaded curtain, and peered under the bed to check if the charcoal brazier was still burning.

Lin Daiyu completely ignored Xueyan's words and hurriedly ordered, "Xueyan, quickly send someone out to inquire whether there is a noble family in the capital called the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and whether there is a good-for-nothing second young master in the household."

If Lin Daiyu's eyes hadn't been wide open like copper bells, Xueyan would have thought she was talking in her sleep.

Why would someone want to pry into what's going on outside?

Seeing her daughter's frightened appearance, and realizing it wasn't just a fabrication, Xueyan had no choice but to obey, putting on her cotton coat and heading outside.

"Then remember to eat, girl, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

"Ah."

Lin Daiyu responded softly.

After tying up her skirt and getting off the bed, Zijuan came over to help her with her hair and makeup. Looking at her own daughter in the bronze mirror, she saw that not only was her face deathly pale, but her eyes were also more dull, as if she had become mentally impaired, lacking the liveliness she once had.

Zijuan was very confused. She recalled that the girl had been very lively lately, often wandering around the garden. She was nothing like the girl she was today.

"girl?"

Zijuan waved her hand in front of Lin Daiyu, trying to wake her up.

Lin Daiyu immediately tensed up and looked up, asking, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Zijuan asked tentatively, "Miss, are you feeling unwell today? Or is something on your mind?"

"No, it's nothing."

Lin Daiyu gave an awkward smile and changed the subject perfunctorily, "What day of the eleventh month is it today?"

"What day of the month? Miss, it's already the twelfth today. That's really strange. You've been so forgetful lately. Could it be that you've forgotten that your aunt invited you to be her guest today?"

"Ah?" Lin Daiyu was taken aback upon hearing this. "No, I haven't forgotten..."

Lin Daiyu opened her mouth, wanting to ask why Aunt Xue had invited her to dinner for no apparent reason, but then she thought that she might arouse their suspicion, so she kept all her thoughts to herself.

With Lin Daiyu's intelligence, she had already made a preliminary judgment about her recent strange and unusual experiences.

This familiar yet unfamiliar Rongguo Mansion is probably the work of Li Chen, the second young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion, who switched bodies with her and caused all this trouble.

But if that's really the case, wouldn't it prove that the man has seen her from head to toe?

Does this count as losing one's virginity?
She was still an unmarried girl, and now she had lost her innocence.

Moreover, even if she told others, no one would believe her; they would just think she was a thief.

Looking down at herself, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but think of that man's body again. He was tall and slender, handsome and elegant, quite different from her.

especially……

Lin Daiyu blushed instantly, shook her head, and tried to shake off the memories in her mind.

But the more she did this, the more vivid the memory became, and slowly Lin Daiyu had no choice but to cover her cheeks with her hands.

Seeing her young mistress's face change color rapidly, sometimes red and sometimes white, Zijuan was completely confused.

"Young lady, why don't you have a meal? If you do, you can take your medicine too."

"okay."

Lin Daiyu covered her face and moved to the table.

Zijuan lifted the lids of the food boxes one by one, and the rich aroma wafted out, but Lin Daiyu felt a little nauseous.

"Braised ham hock, chicken fat rolls, chicken marrow and bamboo shoots, bird's nest porridge, a large meat dish, a small meat dish, a vegetable dish, and a porridge, all of which the young lady specifically requested last night."

"I said yes?"

Lin Daiyu looked at the porridge bowl, which was as big as her face, and felt only sorrow.

Normally she only eats half a bowl of this, or even nothing at all, let alone with so many other dishes.

“Girl, I’ve found out.”

Xueyan rushed back from outside, panting heavily.

"Quick, tell me, is there such a person?"

Now, Lin Daiyu only held onto a last sliver of hope: if she and the second young master of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion were not in the same world, then the two of them would never have any connection in their lives.

As for the body swapping, they just need to tacitly agree not to reveal it to each other.

After all, judging from Zijuan and Xueyan's attitudes, the second young master had been impersonating her and had lived in the mansion for ten days.

"Wang Mama came back and said that among the twelve marquises who were meritorious officials in the founding of the country, there is one Marquis Zhenyuan. There is a second young master in the marquis's mansion. I heard that he is very dissolute and doesn't like to read even more than Master Bao. Not long ago, he angered the teacher in the family so much that he returned to his hometown."

"This matter has already spread among the noble families, and even those who work as servants in other households know about it."

"Girl, what's wrong with him? What does it have to do with us...?"

Xueyan was about to press for more information when Zijuan covered her mouth from behind and gave her a look, signaling her to pay attention to Lin Daiyu's expression.

Given Xueyan's limited knowledge, she could only be described as dumbfounded.

He remained completely still, like a piece of wood, his face covered in a dull gray.

"Miss? Why don't we have our meal first? If there's anything wrong, we can just ask the ancestor. After all, we're all from the same noble lineage."

Lin Daiyu suddenly raised her head, forced a smile, and said, "No, nothing. I only heard Brother Bao mention it before. I didn't know there really were such ignorant and incompetent people."

"Hehe, let's eat. Why don't you eat with me too?"

Lin Daiyu tilted her head, intending for the two of them to share the burden.

Upon hearing that they were to sit down and eat with Lin Daiyu, the two of them both took a step back, as if afraid that Lin Daiyu would eat them up.

"No, no, we've already eaten. Please eat, young lady."

The two spoke in unison, and then each of them consciously went to brew tea and tidy the bedding, one of them doing so.

Looking at the various delicacies steaming on the table, Lin Daiyu had no choice but to pick up her chopsticks.

"Li Chen, are you a reincarnated starving ghost? Eating so much this morning, are you trying to turn me into a pig?"

Lin Daiyu gritted her teeth in anger, cursing under her breath...

(End of this chapter)