Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Qin Keqing had been married into the Ningguo Mansion for more than two months in the blink of an eye.

She had rarely left her room in the past two months, mostly staying in the courtyard. There were still many places in the Ningguo Mansion that she hadn't set foot in yet. Seeing that she was cooped up in her room all day, Madam You was worried that she would get sick from being cooped up. Coincidentally, the weather was fine that day, so she invited her to stroll around the garden together.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked slowly along the pebbled path, followed by several maids and servants. Madam You pointed to the flowers and trees by the roadside and chatted casually with Qin Keqing. Qin Keqing responded politely, but her mind was elsewhere.

Although she hasn't gone out much since marrying into the Ningguo Mansion, she has gradually figured out the situation in the mansion.

Her father-in-law, Jia Zhen, was notorious and undoubtedly a scoundrel, while her mother-in-law, You Shi, was unable to control her husband.

As for Jia Rong, he hasn't entered her room since. Qin Keqing didn't care, and even felt a slight sense of relief. However, this huge Duke's mansion always made her feel an indescribable sense of oppression, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Tianxiang Tower is just ahead." Madam You pointed to a two-story building not far away. "That's where the eldest master usually entertains guests in the mansion. It's cleaned every day."

Qin Keqing looked up and saw that Tianxiang Tower was hidden deep among the flowers and trees, with its flying eaves and upturned corners, which was quite impressive.

As the two were walking, a man suddenly appeared in their path. Jia Zhen appeared out of nowhere, leisurely waving a folding fan.

"Oh, Madam and daughter-in-law are strolling around here." Jia Zhen walked over with a smile, his gaze sweeping over Qin Keqing's face. "Daughter-in-law doesn't look too well. Are you not used to living in my Ningguo Mansion?"

Qin Keqing bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I must have caught a chill yesterday."

Jia Zhen nodded and then said to You Shi, "Someone came by just now. The Rongguo Mansion sent some newly arrived melons and fruits from the south. I had someone deliver them to your courtyard."

After thanking her, Lady You was about to take Qin Keqing back. Jia Zhen waved his hand and said, "What's the rush? It's still early; we can stroll around a bit more. I'm going to Tianxiang Tower to find some old books. Doesn't Qin Keqing love reading? The old master was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and there are many books he left behind in this tower. Would you like to come up and take a look?"

Qin Keqing instinctively sensed something was wrong, and her heart tightened immediately, but she didn't show it on her face. She only said, "I wouldn't dare trouble you, sir. I can come and see you another day."

Madam You's eyes flickered, and she chimed in, "Master, Madam Qin is frail and can't stand the wind for too long. She's already been outside long enough; let her go and rest as soon as possible."

Jia Zhen glanced at You Shi indifferently, and said with a forced smile, "Madam certainly knows how to care for people. Alright, alright, since that's the case, you may go."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bowed to Jia Zhen and then quickly left.

Qin Keqing followed You Shi on the way back, her heart pounding like a drum. Every time she met Jia Zhen's gaze, she felt a chill, as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake, which sent shivers down her spine.

……

Zhou Hui was one of Huang Ying's sisters. Although her martial arts skills were not as good as Huang Ying's, even three or five strong men could not get close to her.

This time, Huang Ying stayed in the capital to run the rouge shop, and entrusted her with taking two sisters to Yangzhou to fulfill Miss Lin's instructions.

Before leaving the capital, Huang Ying specifically pulled her aside and carefully repeated Daiyu's words to her:

"Miss Lin said that Lord Lin may be in danger while serving in Yangzhou. When you go there, just protect him secretly and prevent anyone from harming him. When you pass through Jinling, remember to keep an eye out for a woman with a mole between her eyebrows. If you see her, rescue her if you can."

Zhou Hui kept all of these in mind.

That day, as they traveled to Jinling, they split up to gather information. Zhou Hui was sitting in a teahouse drinking tea when she suddenly heard a commotion not far away. A middle-aged man was dragging a little girl into an alley.

The little girl, disheveled and filthy, cried incessantly, only to be slapped across the face by the middle-aged man: "You brat, if you dare wail again, I'll beat you to death!"

Because she had a mission to complete, Zhou Hui didn't want to meddle, but when she saw the girl's face clearly, her gaze immediately sharpened. Although the girl's face was covered in dirt, a faint red mark could be seen between her eyebrows.

Zhou Hui suddenly stood up, rushed over, and grabbed the man's wrist.

"stop."

The man was startled by the sudden turn of events, but when he saw it was a woman, he immediately relaxed and his menacing expression turned fierce: "Where did you come from, you woman, daring to meddle in my business!"

Zhou Hui, too lazy to waste words with him, tightened her grip on his wrist. The man felt a sharp pain in his wrist, as if his bones were about to be crushed, and screamed as he released the girl.

"You dare to traffic people in broad daylight? Are you going to come with me to see the authorities yourself, or do I have to break your legs and drag you there?"

The man knew he had met his match, so he immediately endured the excruciating pain and put on a smiling face: "Grandma, please calm down. This girl is my distant niece, not someone who was kidnapped."

"Since you say this is your niece, then tell me, what is this little girl's name?" Zhou Hui wiped the dirt off the little girl's face with her hand, revealing a small beauty mark between her eyebrows.

The middle-aged man's eyes darted around, and he stammered, unable to speak. Zhou Hui sneered and twisted his arm behind his back with force.

"what!"

The man screamed like a pig being slaughtered.

"Ouch! Grandma, let's talk this over. Ten taels of silver, and I'll sell this girl to you!"

"Consider this five taels of silver for your treatment. As for this girl, I'll take her with me." Zhou Hui took out a five-tael silver ingot from her bosom and threw it on the ground. Then she kicked the man hard in the back of his knee, and he immediately fell to his knees with a thud, gasping for breath in pain.

The rescued little girl stared blankly at the strange woman before her, her heart filled with fear and confusion: "Who...who are you? Where are you taking me?"

Seeing the panic on her face, Zhou Hui said gently, "Don't be afraid. What's your name? Where do you live? I'll take you home."

"I...I can't remember..."

"In that case, you can come with me for now. My surname is Zhou, you can call me Sister Zhou from now on."

The young girl was now certain that the female knight-errant before her had come to save her. Overwhelmed with emotion, she knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face, and kowtowed repeatedly to Zhou Hui.

"Thank you so much, Sister Zhou, for saving my life!"

"Get up quickly, you're safe now, no one will sell you anymore," Zhou Hui comforted her as she helped her up from the ground.

At the same time, she secretly made a decision. Her mission in Yangzhou was to secretly protect Lord Lin, and it would be inconvenient to bring this young girl along. But if she left her here alone, she feared that she might fall into the lion's den again.

After much deliberation, Zhou Hui finally decided to send a letter to Huang Ying to inform her of the situation before making any further plans.

Across the street, Liu San, who was squatting on the ground eating a sesame seed cake, was completely numb.

He was one of Bai Yutang's men, and he was ordered to keep an eye on the cripple and the little girl with a mole between her eyebrows.

He had just seen the kidnapper dragging the little girl toward the street corner and was thinking of following them when, unexpectedly, someone intervened and rescued her.

He was completely dumbfounded at this point.

What should we do in this situation? There's no advice from above!