Dream of the Red Chamber: My Daiyu Has Been Reborn

Lady Wang had been observing Grandmother Jia's expression, and upon seeing this, she immediately said, "Bao'er has been sensible and polite since she was a child. Over the years, we have been fortunate to have her by our side to help my sister with household chores."

Aunt Xue said modestly, "Sister, please don't praise her so much. She's just a child; she can't possibly deserve such praise."

Wang Xifeng observed coldly from the sidelines, secretly comparing Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu in her heart. In terms of appearance, Xue Baochai was dignified and elegant, completely different from Daiyu's aloof and otherworldly demeanor.

Her face was full of smiles as she stepped forward and took Aunt Xue's arm: "Aunt, you must have had a long journey. You have no idea how much Madam misses you."

Aunt Xue felt a warmth in her heart from what she said, and warmly took her hand: "I haven't seen Feng'er for so many years, and now she has the air of a matriarch."

"Auntie, you flatter me. I'm just barely managing to hold on. But I like Bao-mei as soon as I see her. You can't find many like her in the whole capital."

Xue Baochai lowered her head slightly, a polite smile on her face: "Sister Feng, you flatter me."

Seeing that the conversation had gone on for a while, Madam Wang seized the opportunity to ask, "Sister, you must be tired from your journey. I wonder if you have made proper arrangements for your lodgings?"

Aunt Xue quickly understood her sister's meaning and sighed, "It was our oversight. We came in a hurry, and although we have an old house in the capital, it has been uninhabited for many years and will probably need some time to be repaired. I have already arranged for someone to find a suitable inn."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia frowned. For a mansion as prestigious as the Duke's to have relatives stay at an inn when they come to visit—what would people think if word got out?

"In that case, there's no need to look for any inns. There are empty courtyards in the manor. If Madam Xue doesn't mind, she can stay here."

Aunt Xue looked troubled: "Isn't this... too much of a bother?"

"There's no need to trouble yourself. How can we not extend hospitality when relatives come to visit? Let's settle this matter here." Grandmother Jia turned to look at Madam Wang. "I remember that the pilgrim's courtyard is still empty. That courtyard is right on the street, and it's convenient for the young master to come and go on weekdays. You can take your sister there and settle down first."

Madam Wang nodded in agreement. With Xue Pan present, the only suitable place in the mansion was indeed the Incense Reception Courtyard. The Incense Reception Courtyard was also located in the northeast of the Rongguo Mansion, not far from the Pear Fragrance Courtyard, but its scale couldn't compare. Originally, she had prepared the Pear Fragrance Courtyard for the Xue family, but Lin Daiyu had taken it for herself. Just thinking about it made her grit her teeth in resentment.

Aunt Xue's face remained unchanged, but she was secretly muttering to herself.

Although she was new to the Rongguo Mansion, she knew that those courtyards labeled "guest courtyards" were mostly used to receive distant relatives and guests during festivals, and the buildings were bound to be old and dilapidated. She had originally thought that with her relationship with Lady Wang, she would at least be allocated a proper courtyard. Unexpectedly, with a single sentence from Grandmother Jia, they were sent to such a place.

After the Xue family left Rongqing Hall, Madam Wang took Aunt Xue's hand and whispered:

"Don't take it to heart, sister. I originally wanted you to stay at Pear Fragrance Courtyard. I had it renovated long ago, just waiting for you to come and stay. But now it's been taken by that girl from the Lin family. She's the future daughter-in-law of Princess Anning, and the old lady dotes on her, so I can't say much."

Along the way, Madam Wang recounted the most important details about Lin Daiyu.

Aunt Xue was shocked and incredulous: "Sister, are you saying... that Miss Lin is the future daughter-in-law of the Eldest Princess?"

Madam Wang nodded with a gloomy expression: "That girl is lucky. Her mother and the Princess were very close friends and arranged this marriage before she passed away. Now the Princess dotes on her like the apple of her eye. A few days ago, at the flower viewing banquet, she publicly announced the marriage in front of a group of noble ladies and even specially invited two governesses from the palace to be her tutors."

Aunt Xue was in turmoil, but she showed no sign of it on her face. She had always thought that her elder sister was in charge of the Rongguo Mansion, but she never expected that there was such a powerful figure in the mansion.

"Does the eldest princess value her so much?"

Madam Wang's tone was bitter: "Nowadays in this mansion, the old lady dotes on her, the palace maids protect her, and the Princess outside has her backing. Don't be fooled by her quiet demeanor; Pear Fragrance Courtyard is now impenetrable."

"Is this Miss Lin currently in the manor?" Aunt Xue asked tentatively.

Madam Wang snorted coldly: "You won't see her today. It's quite a coincidence, just before you arrived, the Princess sent someone to invite that girl Lin away."

Xue Baochai listened from the side, her mind racing with calculations.

Although she had never met Lin Daiyu, she could glean some information from her aunt's few words. Her mother was the legitimate daughter of the deceased Rongguo Mansion, and her father was the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai, engaged to the son of the Princess. She also had palace maids who taught her manners. With such a family background, she was among the most prominent not only in the Rongguo Mansion but also in the entire capital city.

"Aunt, is this Miss Lin often invited by the Princess?"

"That's right, we get invitations every few days."

Xue Baochai stopped asking questions and quietly followed behind her mother.

The pilgrim's house was soon reached.

Just as Aunt Xue had predicted, although the courtyard was fairly tidy, it was indeed much older than the proper courtyards in the mansion.

Madam Wang looked ashamed and took Aunt Xue's hand, saying, "Sister, please bear with it for a few days while I think of a solution."

Although Aunt Xue felt a sense of disappointment, she knew that now was not the time to be picky, so she quickly smiled and said, "Sister, what are you saying? This courtyard is quiet, which is just right for us to live in. Pan'er is impulsive, so living in a courtyard that faces the street will make it easier for him to come and go, and will prevent him from bumping into the women of the household."

Hearing her say this, Madam Wang felt somewhat relieved. She gave a few more instructions before leaving with her entourage.

After Madam Wang left, Aunt Xue dismissed the servants, leaving Xue Baochai alone in the room.

"Bao'er, what do you think of this mansion?"

Xue Baochai sat down by the window and said slowly, "Mother, the Rongguo Mansion is probably not as peaceful as it seems on the surface. Aunt seems to harbor resentment towards that Miss Lin."

Aunt Xue sighed, "Who says otherwise? Your aunt was complaining about that Miss Lin the whole time, but what is her status? She's the future daughter-in-law of the Princess. That title alone is enough for her to act with impunity in this mansion."

Xue Baochai comforted her, saying, "Mother, there's no need to worry. Aunt is Aunt, and we are us. We're just guests here, and it's already a blessing to have a place to stay. As for other things, there's plenty of time in the future, so we'll see how things go. Right now, the most important thing is to make sure my brother behaves himself. This place is not like Jinling; he mustn't cause any trouble in the capital."

Mentioning Xue Pan brought another headache to Aunt Xue's head. She rubbed her temples and said, "That wretched boy, I just hope he can really rein in his temper. Now that he's in the capital, if he causes trouble, your uncle, who has been promoted to a provincial post, will be too far away to help."