Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Three days later would have been Daiyu's birthday. According to the girl's nature, she originally refused to celebrate her birthday, but she could not resist the persuasion of Baochai, Tanchun and others, so she had no choice but to comply. She set up two tables in the garden of Grandmother Jia, invited only a few close elders, and also invited all her sisters and brothers before she stopped.

Although the feast was simple, every dish was exquisite and appropriate, all of which were Daiyu's favorite foods.

Grandmother Jia sat at the head of the table, with Lady Wang and Aunt Xue on either side. The sisters, Baoyu, Jia Huan, and others sat in order below. Fengjie moved among them, making slight arrangements. There was none of the usual noisy banquets, only a sense of elegance and peace.

After exchanging greetings, everyone returned to their seats. Baoyu rose first, holding a small embroidered box in his hands, and walked up to Daiyu with a somewhat solicitous air:

"Today is Lin Daiyu's birthday. I searched all the shops in and around the city before I finally found this hairpin. Please take a look and see if it suits your taste."

After saying this, he opened the box, revealing a red-gold hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers. The kingfisher feathers were bright and beautiful, and the gold threads were intertwined, making it a truly exquisite piece of craftsmanship.

Upon hearing this, Daiyu merely glanced at the box indifferently.

"It's kind of you to think of this, but I don't usually like these gold and jade ornaments. They're heavy to wear and just sitting there unused. I might as well give them to the maids in your room; they'll probably like them."

There was little warmth in his words; though it was a polite refusal, he made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

Baoyu's eagerness immediately faded, and he stammered a few words.

"I thought my sister loves orchids, so I specially sought out this orchid-shaped one, but I didn't know my sister wouldn't like it."

Just then, a servant announced from outside: "Third Master Cong has arrived."

Jia Cong strode in, flicked his sleeves,

"Grandson greets the old lady, wishing her good health and longevity, and also wishes Miss Lin a joyous birthday."

He then greeted Lady Wang, Aunt Xue, and other elders one by one before turning to Daiyu and taking a small plain wooden box from Li Rong.

"It's Miss Lin's birthday. I don't have anything particularly valuable, but I came up with a little something the other day at the manor south of the city. I'm bringing it here as a little something for you."

As she spoke, she opened the wooden box. Inside, lined with plain-colored soft satin, four glass teacups lay quietly on it, their surfaces clear and transparent like ice and jade. When sunlight shone on the cups, the satin pattern on the bottom of the box could be clearly seen. The cups were decorated with a band of Xiangfei bamboo, and the rims were only inlaid with a thin band of gold wire, understated yet elegant.

Daiyu raised an eyebrow, but still retained some of her usual sharp tongue.

"Third Brother is always coming up with novel tricks. This glass is even clearer than the ones sent by Western caravans. But instead of wasting so much effort on these unorthodox methods, you should practice your martial arts more, so that people won't say you're not doing your proper job." Although the words were harsh, there was an imperceptible joy hidden in them.

Grandmother Jia was immediately drawn to the novel teacup and hurriedly called to Yuanyang, "Quickly, bring one here so I can take a look."

Yuanyang took a cup and handed it to her. Grandmother Jia stroked the cup, praising it repeatedly.

"How strange! This clear and clean object is more pleasing to the eye than gold and jade, and it suits Lin's personality perfectly. Cong'er, did you make this yourself?"

Jia Cong turned his head and bowed.

"Reporting to our ancestor, I merely had the craftsmen in the old kiln in the village try firing it a few times according to the method. Fortunately, it succeeded. Only these four pieces were fired in the first kiln. Thinking that my sister has always loved elegance, I took them as a birthday gift."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng's eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly replied with a smile.

"My good brother, you are truly capable! The perfume workshop made a fortune for the manor the other day, and now you've come up with such a rare item, more than ten times more expensive than gold, silver, and jade! In my opinion, this glass item will definitely be a hot seller. With the government arranging the shop and managing the procurement, I guarantee that in less than two months, we'll earn even more than the perfume workshop!"

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was overjoyed and smiled at everyone, saying...

"Look at Cong'er, this child. Although he practices martial arts all day long, he is particularly good at the study of things. He is willing to put his heart into it. He is much better than those who only know how to seek pleasure and are ignorant! He is indeed a person who can accomplish great things."

Madam Wang echoed this sentiment.

"Grandma is absolutely right. Cong'er is making great progress. He is thoughtful and hardworking. He will surely amount to something great in the future." Aunt Xue nodded with a smile, "That's right. Ordinary people can't even see such novel and elegant objects. Even the most ambitious people don't have such exquisite craftsmanship."

Jia Cong quickly cupped his hands and bowed his head.

"Thank you for your kindness, Ancestor. If you are willing to make arrangements, that would be great. However, there is one thing: the materials and workmanship for making this glass must be exquisite. We must not make defective items that would damage our reputation."

Sister Feng's smile was shrewd.

"Brother, don't worry. With me here, I'll make sure everything is arranged perfectly. I'll make sure no defective items reach the market and ruin our reputation!"

Whether it was Grandmother Jia or Sister Feng, everyone present, even Lin Daiyu, understood that once such precious items entered the market, they would bring in far more than just hundreds or thousands of taels of silver!

With a calm expression, Grandmother Jia, served by Yuanyang, picked up her cup.

"Feng girl, speaking of which, you should also give Cong'er a share of the workshop's profits!"

Wang Xifeng hurriedly got up and took over Yuanyang's work.

"What the old matriarch said is true. I was worried that the maids and servants would be too busy before the New Year, which is why we missed the bonus. I will definitely deliver it to Brother Cong myself tomorrow!"

Even Baoyu came over, marveling at the teacup in Daiyu's hand.

"How come it's burned so thoroughly, without a single impurity? It's even better than those from the West..."

Daiyu turned her body slightly to the side, looking slightly disgusted.

"Be careful not to knock over this cup! You're always so clumsy, you've disturbed the peace and quiet."

Jia Cong also timely defended Baoyu, sitting down with a smile.

"If Brother Bao likes it, I'll definitely send it to you first in the next batch!"

Grandmother Jia was even more delighted to hear this.

"You're quite generous, child. Anyway, these glass objects are precious. Feng'er, hurry up with the affairs of the estate. If you're going to do it, do it to the best of your ability. Don't let Cong'er's good idea go to waste."

Baochai sat quietly to the side, smiling faintly upon hearing this.

"The old ancestor is right. Brother Cong's ingenuity is truly rare. Such an elegant and refined object is exactly what Lin Daiyu's personality is like. No wonder she cherishes it so much." Others took it as just ordinary praise, but only those with a discerning mind could sense something unusual.

Sister Feng hurriedly agreed:

"Don't worry, Ancestor. Tomorrow I will send someone to the estate to instruct the craftsmen to prepare more good materials and speed up the firing process. In the future, these glass teacups and glass mirrors will surely become another respectable business for our household."

He glanced at the teacup in Daiyu's hand and smiled, "Even the masters and mistresses in the mansion will not lack these things in the future."

Upon hearing this, Baochai smiled in agreement.

"Second sister-in-law is very thoughtful. It is a blessing to be able to get such a precious one. I think that if Brother Cong gets any new things in the future, he will definitely think of Sister Lin first. No one else can catch up with him."

Daiyu held the teacup in her hand, listening to Baoyu still muttering softly beside her. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she lowered her voice.

"If you find me boring, then go back to your room. Why are you getting in my way here?"

Although the words were sharp, the people at the table were used to the way the two got along, so they took it as normal. They exchanged a few more auspicious birthday greetings, and the atmosphere became even more harmonious.