Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

On the long corridor outside Rongqing Hall,

"Third brother looks a bit thinner. In just a few months, he's fought in over ten battles, large and small, in the Northwest, traveling thousands of miles. He should go home and rest for a few more days!"

Daiyu suddenly pursed her pink lips, clutching the handkerchief in her sleeve. Her gaze, framed by her delicate brows, fell upon Jia Jing's cold profile, and she spoke softly with a hint of concern.

Jia Jing turned his head and cast his warm gaze on Daiyu's face.

Given Daiyu's personality, it surprised Jia Jing that she could say such intimate and caring words. It seems that Lin Daiyu has matured quite a bit!

He paused for a moment, then replied with a light laugh:

"...It's alright, but Lin Meimei does seem to be in much better health than before."

"Her cheeks were rosy and her complexion was full. Although she didn't walk with a brisk pace, she was no longer as delicate as a willow in the wind."

"Seeing my sister so healthy, I'm relieved!"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu felt a surge of warmth in her heart and gently smoothed a few strands of hair that had fallen beside her ear.

Meeting Jia Jing's gaze, she lowered her eyes slightly and spoke softly and slowly:

"It's all thanks to the amazing doctor my third brother found. After these few months of recuperation, I do feel much more relaxed than before."

"I used to get out of breath after walking just a few steps, but now I can walk like a normal person; I used to have trouble sleeping, but now I can sleep soundly for several hours at night."

"I used to often feel tightness in my chest, but now I can breathe much more easily, as if an invisible burden has been lifted off my shoulders."

"Just listening to the birds chirping and insects buzzing outside the window every day, and watching the wind, rain, sunshine, and rain under the eaves, can inexplicably brighten my mood."

Daiyu used a series of parallel sentences to describe in detail the changes in her physical condition, which shows that she truly experienced them deeply.

Jia Jing nodded, looked at Daiyu whose face was radiant, and said:

"That's good! Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is slow and gradual; you still need to take good care of yourself."

"Eat your meals properly every day, take walks in the yard when you have nothing to do, and reduce your worries and anxieties; things will only get better from here on out!"

As they talked, they soon arrived at Daiyu's courtyard.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and the two characters "Bamboo Garden" on the lintel looked somewhat worn in the sunlight.

Several clumps of green bamboo grow in the courtyard. The bamboo branches are slender and bend over in the wind, then bounce back up, making a rustling sound.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the ground, like someone had accidentally broken a mirror.

Daiyu stepped forward, pushed open the half-closed door, stepped aside, and whispered:

"Third brother, come in and sit down."

Jia Jing stepped over the threshold, crossed the small courtyard, and followed Daiyu into the main room, where he sat down in a chair at the desk by the window.

The room was still the same as before, with calming incense burning in the Boshan incense burner, the smoke curling up and mingling with the scent of medicine and ink.

A pot of jasmine flowers sat on the windowsill, their petals as white as snow, their fragrance intoxicating, faintly visible in the warm afternoon breeze.

Several books and a stack of official gazettes were spread out on the table, with the top one being "Lu Xuan Gong's Memorials," which had been turned yellowed from repeated reading.

Several slips of paper were tucked between the pages of the book, revealing a section of pale blue label.

Besides books and newspapers, there was also a small, exquisitely crafted wooden box on the table.

The box was made of pine wood and carried a dry smell, a unique blend of wind, sand, and leather characteristic of Northwest China.

"Did my third brother just have this delivered?"

Daiyu's bright, clear eyes spotted the wooden box at a glance, and Wen Ning's gentle, watery eyes revealed a hint of joy.

She had overheard Jia Jing and Xiangyun saying in Rongqing Hall that gifts for everyone had been delivered to their respective courtyards.

And now, this beautifully crafted wooden box probably contains the gift that my third brother brought for me!

Jia Jing looked at the wooden box and smiled, saying gently:

"Lin Daiyu, you can open it and see if you like it!"

Upon returning from the Northwest, he brought gifts for everyone in the Jia family, from Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng to Xiangling and Xiaojiao'er.

Although it may be small and inexpensive, it is still a token of goodwill.

Daiyu glanced at Jia Jing, walked to the table, lowered her head, slowly untied the thin rope on the wooden box, and lifted the lid.

Inside the box was a layer of silk, and on top of the silk was a bracelet made of various colored agates.

A package of dried fruits, a specialty of Northwest China, was packed in a plain-colored bag, along with a palm-sized, bluish-green jade stone that resembled a rose.

Daiyu first picked up the agate bracelet and looked at it. She saw that each agate bead was crystal clear, round and smooth, and was obviously a fine piece.

Then he carefully picked up the blue jade stone, which was as thin as a cicada's wing and had a faint blue glow in the sunlight.

Its shape resembles a half-open rose, with layers upon layers of petals, making it quite unique and beautiful.

"Third Brother, what is this?" Daiyu stared at Jia Jing with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Jia Jing smiled slightly and said:

"Locals call it the desert rose, a special type of Tianqing jade stone from the Gobi Desert, which does not wither in the wind and does not dry up when buried in the sand."

"It's said to symbolize resilience and endurance. I found this by chance on a march, and I thought my sister might like it, so I brought it back!"

Daiyu: "..."

Her heart was filled with both shyness and joy, her eyes showing a mixture of reproach and coquettishness!

Does this mean that the third brother was thinking of himself during the march? And what does this symbolism of perseverance and endurance mean?

Are you referring to the feelings between the two of them?

Third Brother is always like this, speaking in a cryptic and ambiguous way, making him hard to understand!

Jia Jing's seemingly unintentional remark, however, contained a meaning that stirred Daiyu's heartstrings, leaving her unable to calm down for a long time.

I wanted to ask, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Daiyu's slender fingers gently traced across the rose petals; they felt hard and cool.

I looked at it over and over again, holding it close to my heart, reluctant to put it down.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, her bright, star-like eyes flickered, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she said softly:

"Did the other sisters receive this gift as well?"

Jia Jing was taken aback, seemingly somewhat surprised, and said:

"What did Lin Daiyu say? I didn't hear you!"

Daiyu stamped her foot and said coquettishly:

"My third brother is not a good person!"

Although he spoke softly, his third brother could not have missed it; this was someone deliberately making fun of him!

Jia Jing smiled slightly and said:

"Each sister received a string of agate beads and a bag of local dried fruit; the other gifts varied!"

Jia Jing wouldn't bring the same gifts for every sister, otherwise how could he show his sincerity?

So he offers a basic set that everyone can have: local specialty dried fruit + agate bracelet, plus a customized set that varies from person to person.

It shows that the gifts are given fairly and impartially, demonstrating thoughtfulness and uniqueness.

For example, Baochai was given a dried Tian Shan snow lotus flower, which can be used as medicine and is also very practical.

What was given to Xiangyun was a decorative miniature jade unicorn horn bow, which suited her personality and was quite precious.

Yingchun received a jade chess set, while Tanchun received a Tao inkstone, one of the four famous inkstones from Taohe, Gansu.

What was given to Xichun was a box of mineral pigments made from lapis lazuli, turquoise, and other materials produced in the Western Regions.

Yuan Chun received a rare Tang Dynasty Dunhuang musical score, while Xing Xiuyan received a small jade carving made of Hetian jade.