Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Inside Rongqing Hall, the old woman was so frightened by Wang Xifeng's questioning that she knelt down in front of Wang Xifeng and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Second Madam, spare me! Second Madam, spare me! It's just that Young Master Gu arrived too quickly. This old servant didn't even have time to send someone back to the manor to report the news before they were already at the gate..."

"Bullshit!" Wang Xifeng spat and cursed, "It takes at least half a day to get from Dongguan Wharf to Rongning Street. Are you all dead? Can't you just send someone back on horseback to deliver a message as quickly as Young Master Gu's carriage?"

The old woman was speechless after being asked the question, and her whole body trembled like a leaf.

Grandmother Jia sat back on the couch, closed her eyes, and those who knew her well knew that the old lady was truly angry.

Seeing this, Madam Wang tried to smooth things over, saying, "Feng'er, now is not the time to pursue these matters. The most important thing right now is to find a way to bring Miss Lin back."

"Second Madam is right." Wang Xifeng immediately changed her expression and turned to Grandmother Jia, saying, "Grandmother, in my opinion, this matter is quite simple. It's getting late, I'll personally go to Princess Anning's residence tomorrow to apologize to Miss Lin and bring her back. No matter what, Her Highness the Princess can't just detain someone's granddaughter and not let her see her, can she?"

Grandmother Jia slowly opened her eyes, and after a long while sighed, "Fine, you can go there yourself tomorrow." Then Grandmother Jia looked at the old woman, "Zhang Mama, you are also an old servant in the mansion. Considering that you have served in the mansion for many years, I will give each of you ten lashes to teach you a lesson. As for selling them off, there is no need for that, so as not to let outsiders say that our Rongguo Mansion mistreats its servants."

Upon hearing that she wouldn't be kicked out, the old woman named Zhang Mama kowtowed repeatedly, expressing her deepest gratitude, "Thank you, Madam! Thank you, Madam!"

Although ten strokes of the cane would probably keep her in bed for a while at her age, at least she survived.

Although she was a servant in the Rongguo Mansion, everyone respected her when she went out by mentioning the Rongguo Mansion's name. If she were kicked out, she would never have such a good life again; who would treat her like a human being?

……

Meanwhile, at the residence of Princess Anning.

Daiyu was led by Princess Anning through the ornately decorated covered corridors to a small, exquisite courtyard.

Princess Anning pointed to the courtyard and smiled, "This is where your mother used to live. Back then, my sisters and I often enjoyed tea and discussed poetry here. Now that you've come, you can stay here, which will fulfill the sisterly bond between your mother and me."

Hearing Princess Anning mention her mother, Daiyu felt a pang of sorrow. Despite being reborn, she still couldn't prevent her mother's passing. Fortunately, her father was still alive and well, so there was still hope.

"Thank you, Aunt Lan." Daiyu lowered her eyes, hiding all her surging emotions.

Princess Anning patted her hand: "You must be tired after your long journey. Rest for a while, and I'll have dinner prepared later so we can all have a good chat as a family."

After saying this, she instructed her maid to serve her attentively before gracefully departing with her maid.

Once Princess Anning was out of sight, Xueyan dared to look around the room more boldly. She saw that the furnishings were all of the highest quality: sandalwood furniture, a display cabinet filled with various treasures, and calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls. Even in a corner, fine sandalwood incense was burning.

"Girl, this princess is so good to you," Xueyan exclaimed sincerely.

Daiyu didn't speak, but quietly walked to the window and stared blankly at the few blooming plum blossoms in the courtyard.

My past life seems like yesterday.

All talk of "preordained love between wood and stone" and "perfect match made in heaven" is just illusion.

only……

Daiyu was thinking about the marriage contract.

Would Gu Jinhong be a good match?

The image of that young man flashed through her mind. He spoke with great enthusiasm, and when he reprimanded the servants of the Rongguo Mansion, he was imposing and awe-inspiring, yet when he faced her, he was polite and well-mannered.

She had never seen a man like this before.

"What are you thinking about, young lady?"

Xueyan leaned closer to Daiyu, winked, and asked, "Are you perhaps thinking about our future son-in-law?"

Daiyu blushed and reached out to pinch Xueyan's mouth: "You brat, if you keep talking nonsense, you'll get your skin peeled off!"

Xueyan giggled and dodged away, "You're still shy, Miss? With Young Master Gu valuing you so much, I think it's a perfect match. Master and Madam's judgment is definitely sound."

The main hall of the Princess's residence.

Gu Huaiyuan and his son Gu Jinhong leaned back lazily in their chairs, looking exactly alike. No one would believe they weren't father and son; they were both equally lazy.

Gu Huaiyuan picked up the teacup beside him, took a small sip, and said, "The Rongguo Mansion has become increasingly outrageous in recent years. Relying on their ancestors' merits, they act arrogantly and domineeringly in the capital. Now they even dare to look down on a scholarly family like the Lin family. It's clear they've gone completely mad."

Gu Jinhong laughed and said, "That's right. But my son's actions today weren't entirely out of spite."

"Oh?" Gu Huaiyuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Is there any other reason?"

"Although the Rongguo Mansion is unworthy, it is still my fiancée's maternal family. If we let her enter the Rongguo Mansion today, she will inevitably be manipulated by those scoundrels in the future. It is better to make our stance clear from the beginning and let those people know that Miss Lin has the support of the Marquis of Duanping Mansion and the Princess's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Gu Huaiyuan's eyes revealed approval: "You have indeed improved a lot. However, your fiancée is also a woman of her own mind. Despite the Rongguo Mansion's disrespect, she was able to remain calm and composed. Such self-control is not something that ordinary young ladies possess."

Hearing his father mention this, Gu Jinhong was actually a little puzzled. He remembered that Lin Daiyu in "Dream of the Red Chamber" wasn't like this. In today's scene, Lin Daiyu remained calm throughout, showing no signs of the unease of having just left her loved ones.

Gu Jinhong thought to himself: Could it be because of his engagement to Daiyu that his future father-in-law, Lin Ruhai, told Daiyu something before he left?

Unable to figure it out for the time being, Gu Jinhong simply stopped thinking about it. Whatever the reason, he felt that Lin Daiyu was perfect as she was.

"It's good to have ideas. Having ideas means you won't be bullied by a place like the Rongguo Mansion. Sooner or later, someone from the Rongguo Mansion will come to invite her back. If she doesn't want to go, then so be it; she can simply stay here. If she wants to live in the Rong Mansion, in that deep mansion, although I want to protect her, I can't be there for her in every way. This is good enough."

"That's what they say. But if your fiancée really suffers some injustice in that mansion, don't hold back. Just bring your men and storm their door. Others might be wary of the Rongguo Mansion's reputation, but it won't matter in our family."

"Do I need you to tell me that? If I can't even protect my own fiancée, then I've wasted being born into this family."

"It's good that you know what's going on. However, there's something I'm curious about. You've only met for the first time today, right? And you're already so interested?"

"What's so strange about that? Does Father think Miss Lin is ugly?"

Gu Huaiyuan laughed and said, "If Miss Lin can be called ugly, then there is no one beautiful in this world."

"That solves it. Isn't this like a windfall? What's wrong with me simply liking pretty things?"

"You rascal," Gu Huaiyuan waved his hand, "Go on, go on. Your mother is probably already preparing dinner. Go check on how your fiancée is settled."

Gu Jinhong chuckled, stood up, bowed, and left. Before long, he arrived at the small courtyard where Lin Daiyu was.