Chapter 44 Daring to Speak and Act is the Real Way to Live "She mocked me! She..."

The next morning, Lin Daiyu got up full of hope. She lifted the curtain and saw: "What a wonderful day! It's a bright sunny day again. Zijuan, wear a bright color today. Bring out that bright red long coat with a pleated skirt that Uncle Zhongyong gave us and tidy it up. We'll wear that for the New Year."

As her maidservant helped her get up and dress, she couldn't help but wonder if her third brother would send her any other treats, since it was the eve of the Lunar New Year.

But when she finished dressing up and was about to go to her maternal grandmother's room for breakfast, not only did Zhou Rui's wife not come to pay her respects, but Shen's mother was also nowhere to be seen.

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, and followed behind listlessly all the way to Grandmother Jia's room.

Yingchun was not a talkative person to begin with, so it was fine when she didn't speak. Xichun also didn't like to talk, and being younger, she didn't bother her. Tanchun was even more perceptive; since she didn't want to talk, why bother trying to make things interesting?

Only Jia Baoyu felt that everyone should be having a lively time, so he pressed on and asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Did you not sleep well last night? I remember last year my sister would wake up coughing three or four times a night, why didn't she tell me this year? If you are still feeling unwell, I might ask Grandmother to call a doctor for you."

"Can you please be quiet?" Lin Daiyu said irritably. "People are here enjoying the scenery, and you're making a racket."

Jia Baoyu chuckled twice, not minding at all: "Then I won't say anything either, I'll accompany my sister to enjoy the scenery."

Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun chuckled softly, then whispered, "Thank you for your hard work, Brother Bao."

Lin Daiyu then said to Jia Baoyu, "Go and keep your sister Bao and sister Yun company. No matter what you do while you're with them, no one will say you're working hard."

The three sisters walked in front, Lin Daiyu walked alone in the middle, Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun followed behind, and Jia Baoyu was alone. He would say a few words to the front, a few words to the back, and then walk silently in the middle.

"No wonder people say you're always busy with nothing," Lin Daiyu scoffed.

Upon arriving at Grandmother Jia's room, everyone washed their hands and headed towards the main hall. Wang Xifeng gently took Lin Daiyu's arm, pulling her to walk at the back, and asked, "What does the Earl of Zhongyong like to eat? What kind of wine should we prepare?"

Lin Daiyu chuckled: "He doesn't like sweets. Prepare more meat, but don't overcook it. As for wine... I think we shouldn't prepare anything too strong, since he won't get drunk anyway."

Wang Xifeng nodded, but suspicion was already creeping into her mind. This demeanor, this expression... his eyebrows were raised and his face was all smiles. The old lady definitely wouldn't like that.

But no matter what, at least she said that the Marquis of Zhongyong would definitely come tomorrow. Wang Xifeng brought Ping'er with her when she came over in the morning, and then called Ping'er over and said with a smile, "Go back and put your master's mind at ease."

Everyone sat down, and Grandmother Jia said with a smile, "It's the end of the year, so you daughters-in-law don't have to stand anymore. Our family isn't a stingy one, so let the maids and servants take care of you."

There was no other way. The eldest son was useless, and the second son's future was uncertain. The only ones who could handle things at home were Lian'er and her husband. But if they asked her to sit down, they couldn't refuse Li Wan's request. What would that make her look like? If word got out, she would be seen as a widowed old woman who had been widowed for many years, and a mean-spirited granddaughter-in-law.

Soon, the old woman in the kitchen brought out plum blossom cakes again, and said with a careful smile, "These are the plum blossom cakes that Miss Lin ordered yesterday. The taro was steamed, and some milk was added and mashed into a paste. Then it was mixed with cooked barley rice to make the filling. After baking, it was also drizzled with osmanthus syrup."

Upon hearing about the ingredients, Lin Daiyu was very satisfied. She said, "Don't leave yet, let me try it first."

Everyone is watching Lin Daiyu again.

Xue Baochai couldn't help but look away, focusing only on the plate in front of her. Only Xue Baoqin could truly understand the feelings she was going through.

"It's alright. The milk flavor is a bit bland. Next time, boil a bowl down to half a bowl before mixing it in. The flavor is a bit monotonous. You could add some raisins—no, no, add some flat almonds, grind them first. Also, add a little orange peel, just a tiny bit, to enhance the aroma. Don't add sesame seeds, they clash with the osmanthus flavor."

After she finished speaking, Grandmother Jia breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Did you hear what your Miss Lin said? Hurry up and write it down, and do it the same way tomorrow."

"Grandmother," Lin Daiyu called softly, "I don't want to eat this tomorrow. I've had sweet food for two days in a row. I want something salty tomorrow."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Just tell me what you want to eat. With such a big kitchen, surely you can make whatever you like?"

"Crab roe noodles, please. I haven't had them in a long time. I also want some savory soy milk."

Seeing that the cook was slow to react, Grandmother Jia deliberately put on a stern face and asked, "Did you hear me?"

The cook hurriedly responded, and seeing that her masters were all enjoying their meal, she backed away and went out. Only when she was outside and no one was around did she dare to sigh, "...Miss Lin is too difficult to serve."

After the meal, Lin Daiyu was not in a hurry to go back. Everyone sat in Grandmother Jia's room chatting, each with a cup of hot tea in hand.

Shi Xiangyun asked with a smile, "Isn't Sister Lin busy today?"

"Not busy." Lin Daiyu gave her a gentle rebuff, along with a subtle reminder that someone had let slip, "I never do needlework until midnight."

Unfortunately, Shi Xiangyun only heard the rebuff and not the warning. Instead, she stood up for Xue Baochai and even boasted a bit: "Sister Bao has worked so hard. She is also good at needlework. I learned many needlework techniques from her."

Lin Daiyu smiled and dropped the subject: "We're waiting for the people from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion to deliver the gifts, what are you waiting for?"

Shi Xiangyun's eyes darted around: "I'm waiting for dinner. It's the eve of the Lunar New Year today, the food must be delicious."

Grandmother Jia was amused by her: "You need to go out for a walk so you can eat more at noon."

Grandmother Jia then gave Wang Xifeng a meaningful look. Wang Xifeng had just pulled Lin Daiyu aside and asked her privately, because she didn't want to talk about the Earl of Zhongyong in public.

Although the old lady always pretended to be profound, her thoughts were not hard to guess, especially as she got older, she became more stubborn and more prone to self-deception. Saying it in public might be better now, but she would inevitably be blamed later when she realized what had happened.

Wang Xifeng then leaned closer and whispered in Grandmother Jia's ear, "I've already asked. Don't worry, Grandmother."

Since she said it with a smile, it must be good news. Grandmother Jia patted her hand with satisfaction and nodded.

But Jia Baoyu caused a stir at this moment. He was sitting on the other side of Grandmother Jia. Wang Xifeng's voice was soft and others couldn't hear it, but he could. He asked, "What have you asked? Why are you keeping everything from me these past two days? You want to reassure Grandmother, but you also want me to hear it."

Tan Chun wanted to sigh again. Even Shi Xiangyun could see that he was clueless about worldly affairs and told him to work harder on his career and business. It was clear that he was truly clueless.

It was fine when she was young, but now that everyone is older and she has some experience managing the household, especially with the garden's profits last time, Tan Chun has come to understand that right and wrong, good and bad, and stances are not so easy to distinguish.

Looking back now... on the bright side, Baoyu is still like a child. To put it bluntly: how can he still be like a child? Can't he see the turmoil and the anxiety in people's hearts?

Wang Xifeng laughed and patted him on the shoulder, then laughed it off: "Good brother Bao, you have sharp ears."

This is a great opportunity to demonstrate one's sense of the bigger picture. No one else would be missing, but Xue Baochai would be. She smiled and said, "Brother Bao, please stop asking. You can't handle this matter."

For the first time in her life, Lin Daiyu felt that Xue Baochai's words made perfect sense.

She glanced at Jia Baoyu, then quickly looked away.

He himself said: "With the old lady here, the two of us won't be short of food. So why bother with anything else?"

What good would it do to ask?

The maid dared not utter a word while she was alive, watching as she was driven out and jumped into the well. But after she died, they dressed her in mourning clothes and lied, choosing to hold a memorial service specifically on Sister Feng's birthday. What was the point?

For a moment, Lin Daiyu felt somewhat dejected.

It wasn't until the old woman at the second gate came in to report: "The old woman from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion has arrived, saying she's bringing something for Miss Lin."

Lin Daiyu recovered in an instant. She stood up and said with a smile, "Grandmother, I'll go back now." Then she quickly curtsied and even lifted her skirt slightly to walk faster.

Grandmother Jia didn't get a chance to say those two things about tomorrow's banquet.

She chuckled twice, looking at Lin Daiyu's retreating figure with great affection, and then called out, "Watch where you're going, don't fall!"

Of the ten people in the room, eight were curious about what the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion had sent this time, while two others were not only curious but also a little jealous.

Xue Baochai smiled and said to Tan Chun, "It's good that she has such a good brother who sends her things every few days. He has surpassed everyone else."

Tan Chun originally intended to tolerate it, since she couldn't say anything in front of the Madam.

But then I thought, who is her brother?

Jia Baoyu.

Who is Jia Baoyu?

That was the wife's only son.

Tan Chun frowned, first feigning caution, then glanced at Madam Wang. Once Madam Wang noticed her, she politely smiled at Xue Baochai and said, "No one's brother can compare to Sister Bao's brother. Only Sister Bao's brother is a full brother from the same mother. It's truly enviable."

It wasn't entirely without flattery, as it did hint at wanting to be born of the same mother as Jia Baoyu; however, it was also undeniably sarcastic.

To point at Xue Pan and express envy would be the greatest irony.

After all, everyone knew perfectly well why the Xue family had come to the capital. Xiangling, the person involved, even stayed in the Grand View Garden for a while before Xue Pan returned to the capital, and only then did she go out to serve him again.

Madam Wang smiled, said a few words about "family harmony," and that was the end of it.

Lin Daiyu hurried back to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, where Granny Shen was already waiting. There was a food box on the table, a large pile of food on the ground, and a pot of seemingly ordinary flowers and plants.

As soon as Lin Daiyu entered, she ordered her maid to serve tea.

Granny Shen laughed and said, "Tea has already been served. The maids in the young lady's room are all very good."

Lin Daiyu sat down and asked her, "Why are you so late today? Yesterday you were saying you wanted to meet Zhou Rui's wife, but it's a pity she didn't come this morning, otherwise I would have kept her here."

"I was ready to come out early this morning," Granny Shen explained. "But the two Miss Songs happened to deliver the New Year's gifts to the young lady, which delayed me a bit."

"Oh? What gift did they give me in return? Let's look at what the general gave me first."

“These are just ordinary items,” Granny Shen smiled, first opening the food box on the table: “These are festive candies. The general sent people to all the guild halls, big and small, in the capital to order specialties from various places, and after they were all prepared, he asked me to deliver them.”

The gifts her general gave to Miss Lin were either very expensive or involved a great deal of effort. The general wasn't one to fawn over others; he did things quietly behind the scenes. For example, he used to teach them to read and write every day, as well as arithmetic and local customs. They didn't realize it then, but now it's proving useful.

None of the people from Pingnan Town were intimidated when they came to the capital.

The general doesn't like to talk, but she can talk for him.

"There are eighteen items in total, all of them are here," Granny Shen said with a smile, then asked, "Do you like them, young lady?"

"Of course I like it," Lin Daiyu nodded, picked up a sesame seed-coated one and ate it first: "It's really sticky."

"Of course!" Granny Shen laughed again, "We're counting on this to stick the Kitchen God's teeth on."

Lin Daiyu ate one piece, then carefully put the lid back on, saying, "I'll save it to eat slowly." She wouldn't give it to anyone else.

"Anything else?"

"Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year. These are fireworks from the palace, specially prepared for princes and princesses. They can be held in your hand and set off. They are wrapped in fireproof cloth to prevent fire. Just don't put them indoors, keep them away from the house."

Lin Daiyu was not very satisfied. She was frail and in her younger years, she didn't dare to stand close to watch the firecrackers during the New Year. This year, she had finally recovered, but her third brother still treated her like a child.

"Hold it in your hand? That's too embarrassing. I'm not a child anymore." Lin Daiyu muttered softly, then asked him, "Does the General also put this?"

Granny Shen replied, "The general tried two and thought they were good before he brought them to you, young lady."

Lin Daiyu chuckled twice, thinking about when she could ask her third brother to show it to her in person; the scene would surely be very harmonious.

Thinking about it this way, she was very happy. Lin Daiyu then asked, "What did Miss Song give me?"

Granny Shen opened a small wooden box on the table: "This is a set of handkerchiefs for the New Year."

When Lin Daiyu opened it and took a quick look, she saw that it was embroidered according to the folk saying "On the 23rd, the sugar melon sticks; on the 24th, sweep the house," and it was exactly one piece for the day.

The design was quite novel, but the craftsmanship... well, it matched what Song Qingfu said last time: "My sister and I aren't very good at needlework. You know, we're the Empress's nieces, and needlework isn't fun. Who would want to put in so much effort to learn this? It's not like we don't have embroiderers in the family."

"And this too." Granny Shen pointed to the unremarkable potted plant on the ground: "This is an epiphyllum. I arrived late because of this. The person who delivered the gift specifically instructed that it already has buds and will definitely bloom within three days."

"Is this the epiphyllum?" Lin Daiyu hurriedly leaned closer to take a look: "I read in the book that it blooms in summer and autumn."

"Well, it's always been kept in a greenhouse, so autumn and winter don't really matter to it. It was transported here in a box, just in case it gets cold. So don't put it outside, it's best to keep it indoors, but not in direct sunlight. That's about it. In winter, it's dry indoors, so water it at night."

Zijuan, who was standing nearby, quickly replied with a smile, "Since it's about to open, I'll arrange for a maid to keep watch tonight."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Granny Shen smiled and took out the new silver ingots that had been delivered yesterday: "Granny, pick out two more."

Granny Shen declined, saying, "I already took so much yesterday, it would be impolite to take any more."

The main thing is to wait for the existing silver ingots of the Marquis of Zhongyong to be used again, otherwise the general might not be able to take care of it.

After leaving Lin Daiyu's room, Granny Shen went all the way to the gatehouse, where she took out the reply and handed it to the gatekeeper, saying, "This is the reply from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion."

The gatekeeper then hurriedly sent the note to the accounting office to make a copy for filing, and then the accounting office arranged for someone to deliver it to Grandmother Jia's room.

Grandmother Jia received the invitation just before lunchtime. Yuanyang held the invitation but didn't read it from beginning to end; she only read, "Arriving tomorrow at 3:45 AM."

After her initial joy subsided, Grandmother Jia became somewhat dissatisfied: "The person who invited him said it would be a dinner party, so why did he come at noon?"

On that day, he invited the Earl of Zhongyong to dinner, and Yuanyang was also there. During the banquet, drinking, and with Second Master Lian accompanied by his eloquent servants, it was clear that he was thinking, "It's too late, why not let him stay overnight?"

But she couldn't say it outright, so Yuanyang said, "Perhaps it's close to the New Year, and the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion has a lot of things to do. They've just established their mansion, and it's their first New Year. They probably have other things to do when they get back tonight."

This reason is quite plausible. Grandmother Jia said, "Ah, I just want to invite him to have a nice meal."

The Xue family had spent money in various places in the Jia household, including several of the second master Jia Zheng's guests who often went to the Xue family for drinks. It was only then that the news reached the Jia matriarch's side, and the Xue family also found out.

Aunt Xue summoned Xue Baochai back under the pretext of writing a letter to the Xue family in Jinling. As soon as she entered, she said, "Your idea was good, but unfortunately, the Marquis of Zhongyong refuses to see your brother. You've sent ten invitations by now, haven't you?"

Xue Pan, looking dejected, hummed in agreement: "They won't listen to reason. We've accepted the gatekeeper's money and the gifts from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. We've been waiting for almost three months."

Xue Baochai pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Could it be that we gave them too many things, making them think we're easy prey? They just want to squeeze more money out of us?"

Aunt Xue and Xue Pan both fell silent. It's actually quite possible.

"That can't be right..." Aunt Xue tried to salvage the situation: "After all, we live in the Rongguo Mansion. Maybe they want to put us on the defensive? Or test our resolve?"

Xue Pan coughed and said, "The Rongguo Mansion sent the invitation yesterday and is hosting a banquet the day after tomorrow. They're in such a hurry, but they didn't say no."

"From what I heard over there, they're hosting a dinner tomorrow, and it seems like they want Second Master Lian to accompany them. But having only him accompany them seems a bit too stingy. I haven't heard the Old Madam mention the Ningguo Mansion either. If they don't come, then it'll just be the First Master and Baoyu."

“The lord won’t do,” Xue Pan also helped to eliminate one candidate: “The Marquis of Zhongyong is not even half his age. It would be embarrassing for him to accompany him.”

"That must be Baoyu."

Xue Baochai thought it didn't seem likely either. Given Baoyu's personality, if he were really with him, how could he not reveal anything?

However, she thought again that if she told him first, he would definitely feel uncomfortable. If she just told him to go, he would not have a reason to refuse.

Xue Baochai then said, "Then brother, find Baoyu tomorrow morning and stay with him. Perhaps you can find a reason to see him?"

Xue Pan agreed, and Aunt Xue sighed, "These days, life is getting harder and harder."

The family of three looked worried, but Xue Baochai smiled and said, "The New Year is approaching, don't look like this."

"There's one more thing..." Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment: "A message from Aunt Liu in the small kitchen."

Aunt Liu, who manages the small kitchen in the Grand View Garden, was originally a cook at Pear Fragrance Courtyard. She not only had a good relationship with Fangguan, but also with the Xue family. Especially after she took over the small kitchen, Aunt Xue never lost contact with her.

It's also quite important to know what the young masters in the Grand View Garden like to eat and whether they've been eating well lately.

She was simply moved from the Pear Fragrance Courtyard to the Small Kitchen, from managing the actors' meals to cooking for the young ladies and gentlemen. Especially with the Second Master Bao among them, the pay increased considerably, and she no longer cared about the meager salary she had earned before.

"It is said that Tan Chun wants to manage the small kitchen, and she has already spoken to Feng'er about it." Aunt Xue said with a smile, "Feng'er sent Ping'er to instruct the small kitchen to be obedient."

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "The small kitchen is in the five large rooms behind the back gate of the Grand View Garden, which is the closest to Hengwu Garden. It will be convenient for me to go and take a look."

"It'll be good to show your aunt how you manage the household." Aunt Xue smiled and patted her daughter. "Let's find an opportunity to talk about it in a couple of days, but don't get Aunt Liu involved."

Because the Earl of Zhongyong was coming tomorrow, dinner was quite peaceful. Xue Baochai didn't say anything. Lin Daiyu not only had to think about her third brother, but she also had to think about how to embroider the wild cursive script of "Man Jiang Hong".

She could write cursive script, but her embroidery skills... to embroider with vigor, especially the sharp, angular strokes and the rich sheen of the ink, was a bit difficult. She could roughly imagine splitting the silver thread into very fine pieces and then mixing it with the black thread for embroidery, but her nails were definitely not as good as Qingwen's, and she didn't think she could split them that finely either.

It needs to be precise, but without any burrs.

"Alas... needlework, needlework, you only realize how little you know when you need it."

"This is really rare today, to actually hear the word 'needlework' from Sister Lin's mouth." Shi Xiangyun laughed so hard she almost fell over: "Don't you usually not do needlework?"

Lin Daiyu sneered: "When have I ever not given you a needlework gift for your birthday? Fine, there won't be any next year."

"Why are you still angry?" Shi Xiangyun whispered. "It was just a joke." Her voice trailed off. "Now that you have an older brother who is the Earl of Zhongyong, you're getting more and more arrogant."

Lin Daiyu ignored her and turned to Grandmother Jia, saying, "Grandmother, I would like to borrow Qingwen for a while."

Before Grandmother Jia could speak, Jia Baoyu said, "It's alright, why bother asking Grandmother? I'll just have her come to your room."

“We still need to go through the proper channels. Besides, these are people that your maternal grandmother gave you,” Lin Daiyu said. “Everyone has a fixed number of people in their room, so we need to make that clear. If I suddenly have one more person in my room, then you won’t have enough people in your room.”

Moreover, in the entire Rongguo Mansion, apart from Baoyu who dared to break the rules, who else would dare to cross the line?

After Lin Daiyu finished speaking, she asked Grandmother Jia, "Grandmother, I need to practice my needlework. I'd like Qingwen to teach me."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "It's nothing serious. Let her have three months first, and we'll talk about it later if that's not enough."

Three months is definitely too long. Lin Daiyu didn't believe that she couldn't learn it in three months, but she didn't refute it. Instead, she smiled and said, "Thank you, Grandmother."

Wang Xifeng also laughed and said, "Just use whoever you want. If you see someone in Brother Bao's room who you like, just tell me and I'll arrange it for you. He has so many people in his room that we can't even use them all."

Jia Lian constantly complained that Jia Baoyu's room had too many people and was too high-class, which also influenced Wang Xifeng to develop some dissatisfaction.

"Speaking of which, I have a girl named Xiao Hong in my room. She used to be one of Brother Bao's people. I thought she was smart and quick-witted, and most importantly, she spoke clearly, so I wanted her to help me run errands. Guess what Brother Bao said?"

"What?" Lin Daiyu was the first to respond.

"Xiao Hong? Who's that? From my room?"

Everyone in the room laughed, and Grandmother Jia laughed too: "We won't add any more people for him next year."

Everyone was laughing happily, and Jia Baoyu was happy too when he saw that everyone was happy.

But Madam Wang's smile was forced. What kind of nonsense was that damned daughter left behind by her deceased sister-in-law spouting?

It still has to be done openly... Doesn't this mean she secretly changed Xiren's house?

Besides, this is someone your maternal grandmother gave you... Xiren was given to Baoyu by the old lady!

There's a fixed number of people in each room... Isn't this an irony that she put Xiren in her own room instead of taking up the number of people in Baoyu's room?

Was she mocking me?

Lady Wang's gaze toward Lin Daiyu grew increasingly hostile.

She was being sarcastic!

Because of the old lady's words, Wang Xifeng specifically asked Ping'er to go to Yihong Courtyard to tell her about this matter.

Xi Ren's smile was a bit greasy: "Congratulations, Xiaoxiang Pavilion is a great place. There's not much to do there, so you can go and rest."

Seeing that she could avoid this person, Qingwen didn't care about her sarcastic remarks: "I also think that place is quite nice. Miss Lin is kind and gentle, and Zijuan and Xueyan are not arrogant. There are many good things in the house, and every now and then, Uncle Zhongyong can send some things that are not commonly seen. I can also benefit from it and broaden my horizons."

"When you go over there, don't act like you're still here, giving a long list of questions every time you're asked. The master won't like that."

"Since you know, why did you still say it?" Qingwen sneered, "You haven't even become a mistress yet, and you're already putting on airs. Alright, alright, I know, you and Master Bao are 'us,' I'm not."

Qingwen turned and left.

Because she was to serve Miss Lin in her room, Qingwen excused herself to pack her things and naturally postponed her night shift. Xiren hesitated and said, "Since there's no one else here, I'll do it."

Of course, that night she crawled into Jia Baoyu's bed again to complain.

"...When she heard that she was to go to Miss Lin's room, she was overjoyed. Second Master usually treats her so well, I felt sorry for him."

“Anyway, she’s fine.” Jia Baoyu placed his hand on Xiren’s back, his touch gentle and warm. “Besides…”

I also want to go to Lin Daiyu's room.

She didn't say it aloud, but Xi Ren's character was revealed. She felt a pang of jealousy, thinking: At least the Second Master knows that Qingwen isn't doing any work anymore.