Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

With his departure imminent, Jia Lian only went over for a short while to attend Xue Baochai's birthday celebration and banquet, which also served as a way to say goodbye to Grandmother Jia and the sisters in the family.

The next morning, amidst the reluctant gazes of Feng Jie, Qing Wen, and others, Jia Lian left the Rongguo Mansion with his confidants and personal guards.

Since it was just a trip to the south to investigate a case, unlike the last time when Princess Zhaoyang was sent to the Oirat Mongols, which was a major national event, there was no scene of a general leading troops to battle. Jia Lian simply went to the Daming Palace alone, received a few words of instructions from the emperor, and then set off.

The East Suburb Wharf is a bustling place year-round.

Jia Lian gave a final briefing to Yang Xun, the Ministry of Revenue official assigned by the court to assist him in his southward investigation, as well as the Imperial Guard captains and Jinyiwei officers responsible for his safety. He then disembarked from the official ship with only a few attendants and boarded the Lin family's Fujian ship.

There were a total of five ships accompanying the voyage.

One was an official ship, and the other two were escort vessels. The official ship was naturally for Jia Lian and other officials, while the two escort vessels were mainly for two hundred guards.

The Lin family rented two Fujian-style boats. The larger one was used to house Lin Ruhai's coffin and Daiyu and others, while the smaller one was used by the other servants of the Lin family who were accompanying the coffin.

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Because of the fear of delaying the process, Lin Ruhai's coffin was transported out of the city and onto a ship last night, so Daiyu also stayed on the ship overnight.

Perhaps it was the hectic pace of life, or perhaps it was the chilly morning breeze and the faint distant chimes on the Grand Canal in early spring that kept Daiyu awake all night.

After getting up early, besides kneeling and burning paper money in front of my father's spirit tablet as usual, I had nothing else to do. I shook off the eyes of Zijuan and the others and went to the deck alone. Looking at the distant green mountains and the misty water, a feeling of loneliness and desolation arose spontaneously.

Reflecting on the busy and tiring days since her father's passing, and considering this trip south, which will not only take at least half a month on the road, but also leave her with no relatives or friends in Suzhou, she wonders how she will arrange her father's funeral, how she will deal with those distant relatives in the clan, and how she will manage the dowry that her father mentioned...

Thinking about all these trivial matters, she couldn't help but feel that life could be really tiring sometimes. So she was glad that Jia Lian had taken care of all these things from beginning to end, so that she could be free from thinking about those complicated matters.

Thinking of Jia Lian, Daiyu turned her gaze to the other side of the dock, to the brightly lit official ship moored in the middle of the dock, which was not disturbed by any of the passenger and merchant ships that came and went from all directions.

Luckily, she spotted Jia Lian leading his men towards them at a glance, and Daiyu was immediately delighted.

But instead of going downstairs to greet him, she quietly hid herself. Staying on the second floor, she heard Jia Lian board the ship, others greeting him, and she also heard Jia Lian downstairs inquiring about and checking the arrangements throughout the ship…

"Where is Lin Daiyu?"

My second brother Lian came upstairs; he's looking for me.

Upon hearing that Jia Lian was looking for her, Daiyu not only did not go out on her own initiative, but instead hid her petite body even further around the corner. She wanted to see what Jia Lian would do if he couldn't find her.

Daiyu thought she was being secretive, but in reality, her every move was being monitored by her maids. It was just that Zijuan and the others knew she liked quiet and didn't disturb her.

Therefore, following Zijuan's directions, Jia Lian easily found Daiyu's trail—right at the corner of the boat corridor, a corner of her garment darted to the other side with lightning speed.

Jia Lian was slightly taken aback, guessing that Daiyu wanted to play hide-and-seek with him. So he gently pushed open the door of the side room next to him, tiptoed over and slipped in, and sure enough, he found Daiyu outside holding her breath.

Seeing her rosy cheeks and the hint of excitement in them, Jia Lian couldn't help but find it amusing; after all, she was still an innocent young girl.

So he quietly opened the door behind her and deliberately laughed loudly, "So you were hiding here! I've been looking all over for you."

Although Daiyu heard the faint sound of the door opening behind her and subconsciously turned around, she was still startled by Jia Lian's sudden appearance and stared at him blankly.

After a short while, she blushed and said, "Who's hiding? I'm just standing here. But you, why are you hiding inside and scaring people!"

Despite his attempts to justify himself, he was clearly guilty and showed a slightly embarrassed expression. He then composed himself, turned around, and leaned on the railing, pretending to look at a merchant ship unloading cargo in front of him.

Suddenly, she felt Jia Lian walk up to her and stand beside her. She didn't move, but her heart started racing for no reason...

It's a strange feeling.

Daiyu was somewhat puzzled. Back in the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Lian often visited her in her room, and she frequently went to Feng Jie's courtyard. At that time, although she felt happy whenever she saw Jia Lian, she only felt comfortable with him and never felt nervous!

Who knew that ever since Jia Lian asked her father for her hand in marriage, she would feel extremely shy and nervous every time she saw Jia Lian.

She thought she had improved a lot by today, but who knew that when Jia Lian got so close to her again, she would still be so spineless...

"What's wrong with you?"

Perhaps noticing something amiss in her expression, Jia Lian turned his head and asked a question. Because of the significant height difference between them, Jia Lian casually put his hand on Daiyu's shoulder, intending only to show concern, but to his surprise, he found that Daiyu's shoulder was icy cold.

Why are you so cold?

When Daiyu felt the warmth of Jia Lian's hand, her body trembled slightly. She inwardly complained, "Didn't Second Brother Lian say that men and women should be different and mindful of propriety? How come he seems like a completely different person now, showing no regard whatsoever?"

Or does it mean that once a man and woman are engaged, they can become closer?

These thoughts flashed through her mind quickly. In order not to reveal her naivety, Daiyu replied casually.

"Perhaps it was blown by the wind."

Daiyu dared not turn her head to look at Jia Lian. She noticed that Jia Lian's hand had left her shoulder. Just as she was wondering and feeling uneasy about whether Jia Lian would do anything else inappropriate to her, she suddenly felt a warmth all over her body and a heavy cloak had been draped over her.

It was warm and comfortable, as if it enveloped her whole body.

She knew that Jia Lian must have taken off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

Daiyu disliked wearing other people's clothes. But at this moment, she found that she didn't dislike this dress, which clearly bore Jia Lian's scent, at all; on the contrary, she felt a faint sense of joy.

Firstly, Jia Lian had excellent taste; his clothes were simple yet elegant. Secondly, because of his status and wealth, even his everyday clothes were of superior quality and very valuable, making them naturally appealing.

Secondly, Daiyu knew that this was a sign of Jia Lian's great affection for her.

These days, it's not fashionable to take off your own outer garment and let a woman wear it. On the contrary, most men consider it a degrading act to take off their own clothes and let a woman wear them.

Because in wealthy families, ladies and young women usually have maids and servants carrying extra outer garments for them to add or remove as needed, so women in such families naturally do not have this need.

Furthermore, in a male-dominated society, women are naturally associated with negative connotations. Wouldn't it be easy for a man to bring bad luck if he let a woman wear his clothes? Therefore, most men are unwilling to let women wear their clothes, and women would not wear men's clothes, as it would appear frivolous and impolite.

Therefore, Daiyu did not find Jia Lian's act of draping a coat over her in a cliché at all; she was only a little shy and warm-hearted.

She thought to herself that if her second brother Lian hadn't loved her so much, he wouldn't have acted this way.

Jia Lian turned her body around to face him again. As she looked down, she saw his hands tying the sash of her cloak at her chest. Daiyu felt her heart leap into her throat. She was both shy and worried that Jia Lian's hands might accidentally touch her chest, which would make her feel mortified.

Not wanting to refuse Jia Lian's kindness, she quickly glanced at him with her watery eyes, then lowered her head and said weakly, "If you give me the clothes, what will you do?"

How can you compare to me?

A seemingly disdainful remark diminished Daiyu's shyness considerably, and a hint of dissatisfaction appeared in her watery eyes.

No one likes to be seen as a "weakling," and Daiyu was no exception; she didn't want to talk anymore.

With Jia Lian facing Daiyu and looking down at her, he could naturally take in most of Daiyu's expressions.

Looking at her pouting and angry expression, she did indeed resemble Qingwen in some ways. However, while Qingwen's pouting gave off a smug and punchable vibe, this girl's pout naturally evoked pity.

"If you're not convinced, then take good care of your health and show me."

"If you're not comparing yourself to me, but to Qingwen, then I won't say such things anymore."

"snort."

Daiyu waited for Jia Lian to finish tying her clothes before hurriedly turning back.

However, as she turned around, she couldn't help but glance at Jia Lian's figure, which had been revealed after he took off his cloak.

He thought to himself, "As expected of my second brother Lian, who has practiced martial arts all his life, he is indeed very strong and much more robust than my father looks."

No wonder, I've never heard of my second brother Lian getting sick, and he rarely even catches a cold.

I remember that year when I was teaching Xiangling in Sister Feng's courtyard, Jia Lian would come home from martial arts practice several times wearing only a thin jacket. His bare arms, covered in fine sweat, were so strong and powerful.

Suddenly, Ji Dong felt uneasy. She was thinking about how, after she married Jia Lian, she would have to face everything about him...

Before, I felt so ashamed just looking at Lian Er Gege's arms. If I saw anything else, wouldn't I be... Oh my god, what am I thinking!

Covered in a warm cloak, and with her mind filled with strange thoughts, Daiyu felt hot all over and her cheeks burning. She could only stretch her neck to face the cold wind rushing towards her from the water's surface, trying to calm herself down.

Because Daiyu had her back turned, Jia Lian couldn't keep track of her expression in real time. He could only see her leaning against the railing, her back looking delicate and slender even though she was covered by his large cloak.

This girl really needs to be taken good care of.

Jia Lian has decided that after returning from his trip to Jiangnan, he shouldn't need to leave the capital again for a while. At that time, he'll definitely take good care of Daiyu, ensuring she's plump and healthy...

Sea cucumber, bird's nest, shark fin—feed her whatever makes her gain weight easily; I bet she'll get fat. I just wonder what Daiyu will look like after she's fattened up?

Thinking about it that way, it seems a bit wicked.

Daiyu had no idea of ​​Jia Lian's malicious thoughts; if she did, she would be furious!

How can a fairy be fat!

Suppressing her shyness, and seeing that Jia Lian beside her wasn't speaking, she mentally prepared her words before asking, "I heard from Zijuan that you had the steward clear out a room on this side of the boat. What's it for?"

"Of course I'll live here."

Daiyu was secretly delighted, but still asked, "Don't you have an official boat? Why are you squeezing in with us?"

Daiyu was actually asking a question she already knew the answer to. She had already guessed that Jia Lian might have prepared it for her when she heard that the room next to hers had been vacated.

But then she thought, since Jia Lian is an imperial envoy, the facilities on his official ship must be much better than hers. Why would Jia Lian leave such a nice place to stay here in such a poor one?

After all, her Fujian-style ship was mainly used to transport her father's coffin, and it was decorated with white everywhere, so its conditions certainly couldn't compare to those of the imperial court's official ships.

"If Sister Lin doesn't want me to squeeze in with you all, then I'll just stay on the official boat and won't come over."

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, Daiyu frowned immediately and replied, "If I'm not coming, I'm not coming. Who cares?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Jia Lian's smug laughter. Daiyu turned around and glanced at Jia Lian's face, and knew that she had spoken too quickly again, fallen into Jia Lian's trap, and exposed her desire for him to come and stay!

"You really don't care? But I've already told my subordinates that unless absolutely necessary, I'll stay on this boat the whole way to keep vigil for my uncle. If Lin Meimei kicks me out, I'll be in a real predicament."

Daiyu hesitated for a moment, then said, "You are a marquis, you can stay wherever you want, I dare not kick you out, so don't try to force me to do anything."

Taking advantage of Daiyu's guilt, Jia Lian placed his hand on her jade-like hand that was gripping the railing and gently stroked it, saying, "It seems that Sister Lin still doesn't understand. This journey south is long, and how can I be at ease if I don't keep an eye on you?"

Daiyu tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't. So she let it go, though she wasn't as calm as she appeared inside.

Lian Ergege's words, were they love words? They probably were. They made me feel both embarrassed and reassured, and my heart felt light and carefree.

Seeing this, Jia Lian raised his hand and placed it on Daiyu's other shoulder, pulling her closer to his embrace so that she could lean gently against him.

To prevent Daiyu from breaking free out of embarrassment, Jia Lian said, "Sister Lin, do you know that the day my uncle agreed to give you to me was the happiest day of my life? Because it meant that from now on, I could rightfully and without reservation take care of you and love you."

So even though your uncle has passed away, you don't need to worry. From now on, entrust the rest of your life to me. I will treat you well for the rest of my life and will never break my promise. My dear sister, do you believe me?

Although Jia Lian had said something similar to her before when they were at the Lin family's house.

However, Daiyu was too ashamed to face Jia Lian at that time and didn't listen at all.

Holding Jia Lian in her arms, her initial sense of shame was immediately suppressed by his sweet words, and for a moment, only Jia Lian's voice echoed in her mind.

Jia Lian's embrace and words warmed her heart and soul, truly dispelling the loneliness and bewilderment she felt from Lin Ruhai's death!

She completely believed that Jia Lian was sincere. If she didn't have this feeling, she wouldn't have wronged herself by marrying Jia Lian as a concubine.

Unlike Jia Lian, who dared to propose to her because of his extraordinary status and position, she only cared about Jia Lian's kindness to her, which is why she was willing to entrust her heart and soul to him.

So, at this moment, not knowing how to respond to Jia Lian, Daiyu could only nestle in Jia Lian's arms and silently shed tears.

Those were tears of emotion, and tears of happiness.

Zijuan took out an outer garment to look for Daiyu. When she saw the two embracing intimately at the end of the corridor, Zijuan couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

Seeing her young lady's delicate body completely wrapped in Jia Lian's cloak, and then shielded and protected by Jia Lian's tall figure, Zijuan felt happy for Daiyu and a smile appeared on her face.

He quietly retreated, found Xiangling, and asked her to fetch one of Jia Lian's outer garments and deliver it to her.

……

Days adrift on a boat are inherently boring.

However, because of Daiyu's presence, everything seemed different for Jia Lian.

Daiyu is sensitive by nature, sometimes preferring quiet and sometimes preferring activity, making her a particularly difficult type to get close to.

Coupled with her innate reserve, even after becoming engaged to Jia Lian, she was not quite sure how to get along with him.

Therefore, the days on the ship were an important opportunity for Jia Lian to open Daiyu's heart.

A Fujian ship is only so big. Living together every day, as long as you are willing, even the trivialities of life can bring you closer and dispel any barriers.

Not to mention, the two of them had to keep vigil for Lin Ruhai every day. So they sat together day and night, and apart from a few maids like Zijuan, they were hardly disturbed. Naturally, their feelings for each other grew stronger day by day.

Secondly, the canal travels northwards, passing through numerous prefectures and scenic spots. Although it was inconvenient to stay and linger too long along the way, the group always needed to stop at some places to resupply. Whenever this happened, Jia Lian would take Daiyu to briefly visit some local scenic spots, which made Daiyu even more attached to him.

As a result, as long as no one was around, Daiyu could accept his gestures of holding her hand or even occasionally embracing her to comfort her.

These were all things that made Jia Lian happy and feel a sense of accomplishment.

For Daiyu, whether she was in the Rongguo Mansion or the Lin family, she always had various concerns when interacting with Jia Lian.

Especially after learning that her father had betrothed her to Jia Lian, Daiyu was even less willing to face Jia Lian. As a result, every time they met, she only dared to respond with some innocuous words, while keeping her true feelings buried deep in her heart.

Now, spending her days with Jia Lian, receiving his meticulous care both physically and emotionally, she naturally feels the warmth of being wholeheartedly loved by someone. And for the first time in her life, she has come to understand the beauty of mutual affection.

This spiritual connection and closeness was of paramount importance to Daiyu, who was about to entrust her life to Jia Lian!

During this time, she also slowly told Jia Lian some things that had been building up in her heart, and the two of them shared some secrets that they could not tell others.

Daiyu felt that this must be the most unforgettable day of her life.

So much so that she wished the boat would travel slower, slower to Yangzhou, so that she could have more time to savor this feeling.

Unfortunately, after only about twenty days, Jia Lian and his party arrived at Yangzhou, one of the most prosperous prefectures in Jiangnan, a city famous throughout the world.

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