Chapter 50 My second aunt is so bad at asking for favors; anyway, I wasn't planning on giving her anything...

The arrival of Granny Lai seemed to be the beginning. The next morning, two more stewardesses came to pay their respects to Lin Daiyu. They were very well-behaved and not noisy at all. After paying their respects, they put down their things, said a few words, and left.

Lin Daiyu had lived in the Rongguo Mansion for more than ten years, and this was the first time she had ever seen the old women of the Rongguo Mansion so well-behaved, without the slightest hint of showing off.

In the afternoon, more news came from the front yard.

During the Lunar New Year, it's customary to set off firecrackers to celebrate. Although winter is cold, it's also very dry, so many red ribbons and colorful decorations are hung throughout the Rongguo Mansion to add to the festive atmosphere. Even more red lanterns are hung than usual.

Fearing a fire, Steward Lai led a patrol last night and arrested four old women who were drinking and gambling.

"It wouldn't be a big deal under normal circumstances, but I heard that those four old women were arrested while they were on duty."

Tan Chun spoke to Lin Daiyu with a smile, glancing at Xue Baochai as she spoke.

“One is the old woman at the second gate, one is the old woman patrolling the garden at night, another is the old woman guarding the northeast courtyard where Aunt Xue lives, and yet another is the old woman guarding Hengwu Garden.”

Lin Daiyu had actually heard about it, but Tan Chun's description was so interesting, and Lin Daiyu was the most cooperative. She exclaimed considerately, "How did these four people end up together? They're quite far apart. Where are they gambling?"

Needless to say? Tan Chun glanced at Xue Baochai again. Both of them were related to the Xue family, which was nothing but a gambling den!

Although Tan Chun usually looked down on Jia Huan, he was still her own brother. As a result, her brother was lured by Ying'er to gamble away any spare money he had, and he didn't even do his homework properly. She couldn't swallow this.

“At the gatehouse in the northeast courtyard,” Tan Chun said with a smile. “I heard that the old woman thought that since Aunt Xue was a relative, even if they were investigating gambling, they wouldn’t find her here. Besides, Master Xue is back, so they have to avoid suspicion.”

Xue Baochai originally didn't intend to pay attention, but as she listened to her getting more and more excited and even dragging her brother into it, she spoke up: "We're all old women from the same family, we grew up together, so our relationship is naturally extraordinary. It's common for us to rest our feet at night when we're tired, there's no need to be so formal."

"Are you talking about gambling?" Xichun countered.

"You mean it's common?" Tan Chun asked back, but just as she was about to continue, Madam Wang and Aunt Xue came in. Tan Chun couldn't say anything more, so she stood up dejectedly and waited to perform the proper etiquette.

Aunt Xue bent down and didn't get up, saying apologetically, "It was all my fault for not watching them properly last night, letting them drink and gamble in the gatehouse. The old lady should blame me and punish me."

"Quickly help your sister up," said Grandmother Jia. "You need to sleep at night too. Those old women are awful; they always know how to take advantage of others. Since they're relatives, how can we blame you?"

Madam Wang smiled and said, "I told you not to worry too much. The old lady is always very perceptive and would never dislike you for this."

Tan Chun couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed in Madam Wang.

She thought this was a perfect opportunity to discipline the servants, but little did she know that the mistress would just let it slide.

But she couldn't say it directly, and she certainly couldn't contradict her mistress, yet she also felt that her mistress wasn't as good as she thought. Tan Chun instantly wilted, her whole demeanor becoming listless.

Aunt Xue apologized again before sitting down.

Madam Xing muttered under her breath, "That's not what you said last time."

Grandmother Jia was lamenting that her children and grandchildren had gotten out of control and each had their own ideas. She was seething with anger. Now that even Madam Xing dared to talk to her to her face, how could she possibly calm down?

Grandmother Jia said coldly, "Tell me where I'm wrong!"

When her stepmother and grandmother got into an argument, Yingchun dared not sit any longer and quickly stood up. As soon as she stood up, everyone in the room followed suit.

Madam Xing was indeed afraid, after all, she was an old lady, but after enduring for so many years, there was bound to be a time when she couldn't bear it anymore.

Besides, their main branch and the Rongguo Mansion don't share the same main gate. If the old lady can reach in, why can't she?

Madam Xing said, "Last time when Master was drinking, you scolded him for not learning good ways and even gave each of his servants five lashes. Today, this same man was drinking and gambling while on duty. You just let it go like that because they're all relatives? Our Master is still your son, the son you carried for ten months."

"Why aren't they being punished!" Grandmother Jia's voice trembled with anger. "Ten strokes for each person, and after that, send them to the estate immediately! No one is allowed to plead for them! Yuanyang, why aren't you going yet!"

Yuanyang agreed and ran out meekly.

Grandmother Jia looked around and softened her voice: "Sit down, everyone. From now on, any servant from any of the households who commits the same offense will be punished in the same way!"

Madam Xing was delighted: "This is the way to establish strict rules and regulations and to revitalize the dynasty."

Aunt Xue lowered her head and remained silent. Madam Wang smiled and changed the subject: "My niece is already engaged and will be getting married in a few months. I was thinking of going back with Sister Feng tomorrow to see if she needs anything in her dowry and lend a hand."

Grandmother Jia knew they were going back because of Zhou Rui's matter, and she wanted them to go back as well.

The Rongguo Mansion is such a prestigious place, yet it can't even handle such a small matter. If Zhou Rui were to spend the New Year in jail, it would lose all face and dignity.

“Come back soon after you go,” Grandmother Jia said with a smile. “The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, so let’s prepare to go to the palace as soon as possible. Although you are much younger than me, going in once is not a trivial matter.”

Madam Wang smiled and agreed.

The atmosphere became awkward because of Madam Xing's unexpected move, and no one dared to stay any longer, so they all said their goodbyes.

Lin Daiyu had only been sitting for a short while when she added two more lines to the "Instructions for Third Brother's Calligraphy Practice" when Zijuan came in and said, "Miss Baoqin is here."

What is she doing here? Lin Daiyu was a little puzzled. She and Baoqin were only casual acquaintances. They would nod and greet each other when they were face to face, and they could chat for a few words, but that was all.

"Please come in, and have some tea and snacks."

Xue Baoqin was a little restless. When she saw Lin Daiyu come in, she quickly stood up and said, "Sister Lin, I've wanted to come for a long time, but my cousin has been watching me closely these past two days. I finally had the chance today, so I came right away."

Lin Daiyu said calmly, "Sit down and talk, it's no big deal."

Xue Baoqin hesitated and stammered before recounting what Xue Baochai and Shi Xiangyun had said to each other at the Longcui Nunnery last time.

"I'm not doing this for anything else..." This was even harder to say, Xue Baoqin thought of what the old women had said about Lin Daiyu in private.

...indifferent, not particularly concerned with empty fame...

...the rewards were given out very generously...

...No need for excessive flattery or compliments, just speak politely and respectfully...

Then I thought about what kind of reputation Lin Daiyu had in public.

Xue Baoqin simply closed her eyes and said, "Rather than let it get out and become my fault in the future, I'd better say it now."

Her frightened look amused Lin Daiyu: "It's nothing." Ever since she met her third brother, Lin Daiyu felt that she had become much more open-minded, or perhaps it wouldn't be so much as open-minded, but rather clear-headed.

“It’s normal that you don’t want to bear the blame. Now that you’ve told me, don’t even think about it anymore. You must have been feeling terrible keeping it all inside these past few days.”

Whether it was out of fear of taking responsibility, guilt, or something else, she appreciated it.

"Have some snacks before you go." Lin Daiyu went to get a headband, which she had asked Qingwen to make for the old lady. "I can take this back with me; it'll give me an excuse."

After saying this, Lin Daiyu's attitude was no different from before, and Xue Baoqin finally relaxed, thinking that this little trouble was over. She should be more careful in the future and stay away from her cousin.

In previous years, Lin Daiyu, like Jia Baoyu, was bored out of her mind during the Lunar New Year, but this year, with her third brother around, she was incredibly busy.

Lin Daiyu was deeply moved by her third brother's terrible handwriting, especially after she made a grand vow a couple of days ago to help him master Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy. However, after comparing it with Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy and considering her third brother's age and the childlike handwriting of a young student, Lin Daiyu quietly lowered her goal.

"It's good enough if he can write neatly. He's a military officer. As long as he can write neatly in regular script and has a neat official script, that's enough. We can't expect too much from him."

Lin Daiyu was organizing his teaching materials, explaining how to write single-component characters, how to plan the structure of radicals and components, what the main stroke is, and how to align the characters in a whole piece to make it look neat, when suddenly Zijuan rushed in, very nervously saying, "Second Madam is here."

Lin Daiyu was also taken aback. Apart from the time when the Imperial Concubine visited her family, there was also the time when Granny Liu came the year before last. Over the years, her second aunt had only visited the garden a handful of times. Why did she suddenly come here?

But when she thought of Zhou Rui's wife, and then of Granny Lai and the old women who had become increasingly respectful these past two days, as well as the head steward Lai Da, and the exquisite skills of the large and small kitchens that seemed to have just been learned in Suzhou, she understood.

"Prepare the finest tea and snacks."

Lin Daiyu went out to greet them, and from afar she saw Madam Wang standing under the gate of Xiaoxiang Pavilion, accompanied by Zhou Mama.

Lin Daiyu walked over quickly: "Second Aunt".

Madam Wang found the smile on her face irritating and was startled by her affectionate attitude. What was she trying to do to me like that?

"What are you doing out here? It's cold outside." Madam Wang held out her hand.

Lin Daiyu didn't help her up, but instead took her arm. If the two were closer, it wouldn't be a problem to take each other's arms, but how could the two of them be close?

"My second aunt isn't coming in, and I'm afraid you'll catch a cold if I don't come out to greet her."

The content was somewhat sarcastic, but the tone was soft and cute. Madam Wang had never seen anything like it before, and she was stunned for a moment.

Lin Daiyu gently pulled the person inside, saying, "Second Aunt, come in quickly. We're going to the palace to pay New Year's respects tomorrow."

"Yes," Lady Wang said, lifting her foot. She had to go to the palace to offer congratulations tomorrow and to celebrate the Empress's birthday the day after. She didn't have time to argue with her here.

They said they would enter the palace tomorrow afternoon, but in reality they would have to leave after breakfast in the morning, and they wouldn't be allowed to drink water from tonight onwards. Tomorrow morning they would only have half a cup of strong ginseng soup.

There was no one in the palace to help them change clothes, and with full makeup on, there was no way to change at all.

Lady Wang followed Lin Daiyu into the inner room, where it was warm and comfortable.

Just as Madam Wang was about to start a conversation about the fine red charcoal, she heard her wretched sister-in-law's orphaned daughter laugh and say, "I couldn't see clearly from outside just now, and I didn't dare to ask. What happened to Madam Zhou's face? It's all red."

Yes, there's a clear handprint with five distinct fingers, red, swollen, and quite shiny. I wonder who hit me with such force; their hand must hurt.

Zhou Rui's face was already red, and upon hearing this, it turned even redder. She stammered, "I bumped into something by accident."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Aunt Zhou isn't that old, how can she walk so carelessly? Please be more careful next time."

Madam Wang turned her head and glared at her fiercely.

But then I thought about what my older brother had said…

"You think you can get away with offending a first-class earl just because of my connections? Who do you think I am! It's been months already! If you had sent some gifts and apologized earlier, things wouldn't have come to this! I think you've been far too arrogant! Forget about that servant; the land deed has his name and his fingerprint on it. It's already a miracle that you haven't been implicated!"

Lady Wang had no choice but to endure it.

“She’s too old and useless!” Madam Wang said curtly. “I came here today just to see you.”

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Second Aunt. Second Aunt, please have some tea. This tea was a gift from the daughter of the Marquis of Dingnan. It's called Qing Shuang Gu Teng Tea, and it can also calm the nerves. You won't have trouble sleeping if you drink it at night."

Madam Wang picked up her teacup to hide her discomfort, slowly drank half a cup of tea, and finally managed to organize her thoughts.

“Your mother, Zhou, has served the Rongguo Mansion for most of her life and is a respectable housekeeper. Zhou Rui is also very capable. I think you wouldn’t have the heart to let him spend the New Year in jail.”

You're mistaken. I really wouldn't have the heart to do that. Besides, if he doesn't spend the New Year in jail, he'll have to spend it on the way to Pingnan Town, which will be even worse.

Lin Daiyu lowered her head, pretending to be unwilling. She also felt that her second aunt's family was not as good as Granny Lai. Granny Lai at least sent some suitable and good things and had Steward Lai deal with a few gossipy old women. Her second aunt really only had a mouth.

Sister Feng also has the surname Wang, but she's not like her.

Madam Wang continued, “You’ve lived in the Rongguo Mansion for so many years, and your Zhou Mama has served you a lot. She’s done a lot, even if she hasn’t done anything special. Just be considerate of the old lady and go tell the Earl of Zhongyong. It’s not a big deal.”

Lin Daiyu didn't like hearing this: "Second Aunt makes it sound so easy, but how am I supposed to ask? It's all empty words. If someone apologizes, they have to give me something in return. I can't exactly offer myself up, can I?"

Lin Daiyu didn't mean anything by it. Besides, she was close to her third brother, and he had said more than once: "Put all the blame on me."

But what Madam Wang didn't know was that she wasn't just listening with interest; she was extremely interested!

She's not pretending anymore! She's not pretending anymore! Madam Wang was so angry her chest ached. What was she saying?!

She used to cling to her son all the time, encouraging him to neglect his studies and spend all his time hanging out with women. Now that she's found someone better, she's abandoned her son. How dare she do that!

"I called you—" Madam Wang paused, then changed to a more tactful way of saying it, "I will naturally offer an apology. Consider it as a gesture of repentance, and it will also help to preserve your good reputation."

Lin Daiyu burst out laughing; she really couldn't help it.

"The story of Lian Po carrying thorns to apologize refers to Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. Lian Po was a great general of Zhao, with outstanding achievements, and was appointed as a high-ranking minister. Lin Xiangru was also a famous minister of Zhao, and he became a high-ranking minister even earlier than Lian Po. The story of returning the jade intact to Zhao refers to him. At that time, a high-ranking minister was actually equivalent to a prime minister, with more authority than a Grand Secretary in the current cabinet, Aunt Zhou—"

Lin Daiyu laughed a few more times, then carefully examined Zhou Rui's wife: "She doesn't look like a thorn tree at all. Oh dear, I'll get up and write a letter now. Zhou Mama, please wait a moment, and I'll send someone to deliver it to you once I've finished writing it."

Madam Wang breathed a sigh of relief, "Go ahead and write it. This tea is good; I'll finish it before I leave."

Lin Daiyu asked Xueyan to grind the ink, and after thinking for a moment, she quickly finished writing the letter.

It is not only well-behaved but also very literary, with many obscure ancient words written in it. It is as if two words can be a story when separated and a third story when put together.

In short, you can roughly understand the meaning at first glance, but you can't think about it in detail. If you think about it in detail, you'll think: I'm afraid I can't read.

However, the letter clearly explained how to handle Zhou Rui's lawsuit. Madam Wang was very satisfied after reading it, and after putting the letter away, she smiled and said, "Seeing you reminds me of your mother."

To be honest, Lin Daiyu felt that her second aunt's words were spoken with such clenched teeth, and her emotions were even more sincere than those of her maternal grandmother.

"Your mother used to live in the old lady's courtyard, occupying a whole courtyard of houses. She lived in the five-room main house, and the left and right wing rooms were used as a storeroom for her valuables and for her maids. Of course, three rooms were not enough for her maids. Wherever she went, she was always accompanied by four maids. It was quite a grand affair."

Madam Wang sighed deeply, glancing at Lin Daiyu out of the corner of her eye. She was furious, and since she had the letter, she decided to sow discord: "Don't think that the old lady likes you that much. You're staying in a side room, and there are only five rooms in this courtyard now, which is far from enough."

Lin Daiyu sighed, "He sounds even more imposing than Baoyu."

Madam Wang narrowed her eyes, reached out her hand, and Zhou Rui's wife helped her up. Madam Wang said, "I have to go to the palace tomorrow, so I won't stay any longer. You should get some rest too."

Lin Daiyu saw Madam Wang off and saw Baoyu hurrying over from afar.

"Madam." Jia Baoyu stood respectfully and bowed to Madam Wang.

Madam Wang looked at her son with a face full of relief: "I came to see your Lin sister. If there's nothing else, you should go back early and be careful not to catch a cold."

"I'll see my wife off."

"No need," Madam Wang said with a smile. "It's not like I can't walk."

“Then I will escort my wife to the intersection ahead. Once she leaves the garden, I will return to the Grand View Garden.”

Lady Wang then agreed. Lin Daiyu hesitated for a moment, then followed along. She was very curious and wanted to ask Baoyu.

Before long, the group arrived at the intersection. Madam Wang headed south, and Jia Baoyu asked Lin Daiyu with a smile, "Are you bored too? Tomorrow at noon, the old lady and madam will both be out. What shall we do? Or shall we invite them all to my Yihong Courtyard for a get-together?"

"I want to ask you something. Your maternal grandmother and second aunt always say that you are the most filial. But do you know that your second uncle's greatest wish in life was for you to study hard, and your second aunt felt the same way? Your maternal grandmother always says that you are just like your maternal grandfather, and hopes that you can revitalize the family business. Do you know any of this? And what do you think about it?"

Jia Baoyu was stunned; he had absolutely no idea what to say.

Lin Daiyu patiently stayed and waited for his reply.

Jia Baoyu hesitated, "Why... are you also trying to persuade me to study? You weren't like this before."

"You came to ask her," Lin Daiyu said. "You offered incense to my father a few days ago. My father passed the imperial examination at a young age and became a third-ranked scholar. He spent three years in the Hanlin Academy. As you know, my first teacher was Jia Yucun, a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). I studied the Four Books back then."

Yes, she said that in her early years, partly out of necessity, but later she became indifferent, and perhaps it was also somewhat intentional.

But things are different now; the Third Brother has become the norm.

“You despise the eight-legged essay, are ignorant of practical affairs, disdain officialdom and economics, and think that taking the imperial examination to establish yourself and make a name for yourself is just seeking fame and fortune, and is a traitor to the country and a greedy official. What about my father?”

Jia Baoyu remained silent.

Lin Daiyu pressed on, "What do you plan to do in the future?"

Even in the dead of winter, Jia Baoyu was sweating profusely.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived together in the Grand View Garden? We’d have Second Sister, Third Sister, and Fourth Sister to keep us company, and Sister Bao and Sister Baoqin to write poems together. We could also keep Grandmother company from time to time. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Lin Daiyu frowned: "Baoyu, you—" She turned and left.

"Sister Lin," Jia Baoyu called out, wanting to chase after her, but afraid that she would continue to ask questions.

He stood there for a while, then returned to the brothel, dejected and lost.

Perhaps he was too nervous, or perhaps he subconsciously felt something was wrong, he chuckled twice and pretended not to care: "Today is really strange, Lin Daiyu actually advised me to study."

Xiren brought over tea and said with a smile, "Last time when Miss Bao advised Second Master to study, you said that Miss Lin would never say such nonsense, otherwise you would have distanced yourself from her long ago. Do you still remember, Second Master?"

Jia Baoyu's face changed, and he said angrily, "I ask you, why is the Yihong Courtyard in such a mess these past two days? Yesterday was the 28th, the day before the Spring Festival couplets were to be put up, but the doorframes were still dirty. The 24th was supposed to be the day the houses were to be swept, but why hasn't it been swept? You keep calling me out, are you taking people out to slack off?"

Xi Ren's face flushed red: "How can you say such a thing to me, Second Master? I'm busy until the third watch of the night every day. Do you think I don't see that? There are dozens of people in Yi Hong Courtyard. It's not uncommon for some to slack off. Besides, Qing Wen just arrived. They see that she has climbed to a high position, so naturally they become complacent and only think about how to stand out. Qing Wen is the apple of your eye, Master. She will be back in just a few months. What am I supposed to say?"

Speaking of Qingwen, Jia Baoyu suddenly had another idea. He thought that since no one would be home tomorrow, he could go and ask Qingwen. She had been serving Lin Daiyu in her room for the past few days, so she should know why Lin Daiyu suddenly said these things.

When Xiren saw him turn back, she said, "I guess it's still the Earl of Zhongyong. Master knows what Miss Lin was like before, and I know it too. She regarded fame and fortune as dirt. Now she's like this, probably because she recognized the Earl of Zhongyong as her brother, and she can't help but compare herself to him."

"Can the Earl of Zhongyong stay with her for the rest of his life?"

Xi Ren sighed: "Second Master has also been to Miss Lin's room. Each item there is better than the last, all of them are exquisite, each one could support an ordinary person for a lifetime."

"No matter how good it is, it can't be better than the old lady's stuff?"

Xiren comforted her again, "Of course it can't compare. But the old lady's things don't belong to Miss Lin, and we still have so many people in our family."

“Whatever she likes, I’ll get it for her. I told her before that we’d never lack anything, but she didn’t believe me,” Jia Baoyu sighed.

Xiren found it amusing yet comforting. She offered a few hasty words of comfort, saying, "The old lady is going to the palace tomorrow. I heard from Yuanyang that she's been busy since she got up this morning. Second Master, you should go see the old lady. You might not have time to pay your respects tomorrow."

As dusk approached, Mu Chuan received a letter from the Rongguo Mansion, supposedly written by Lin Daiyu herself, along with several New Year's gifts.

Judging from this New Year's gift, you can tell that there's probably something wrong with this letter.

First came the Chinese almanac for next year, followed by a set of Spring Festival couplets and paper-cut window decorations, along with Tusu wine and two spores—a standard New Year's gift.

Mu Chuan opened the letter again. Although it was written in a very literary style and he couldn't understand half of it, for some reason, he felt that Lin Daiyu must have had ill intentions when she wrote it.

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "Just like the Xue family, leave the things behind, keep the letter safe, and pretend nothing happened."

Zhao Jingcheng had seen the gift list. The accountant had to keep a record of everything, otherwise they wouldn't know who sent what, and they wouldn't be able to reciprocate in the future.

He laughed and said, "The Xue family's gift is much more generous."

"They delivered it again?"

Zhao Jingcheng nodded: "We can probably prepare about ten gifts for the Jia family."

Mu Chuan sighed with schadenfreude: "It's a Duke's mansion, after all. I wonder who's in charge, that they're so stingy. To be honest, if it weren't for Miss Lin's letter, I would have thought someone was playing a trick on the Rongguo Mansion."

The next day was New Year's Eve. Early in the morning, after drinking ginseng soup to invigorate herself, Grandmother Jia, Madam Xing, and Madam Wang put on their full makeup and were helped into a carriage by their maids to go to the palace.

Lady You, accompanied by Jia Zhen's concubine Pei Feng and a long string of maids, arrived at the Rongguo Mansion.

She went to find Wang Xifeng first and said with a smile, "I know you're busy, so you don't need to worry about me. I'll go to the garden to see our young lady after I've told you."

In fact, Madam You was not very willing to visit Xichun. Every time she went, Xichun would interrupt her, without exception.

But since the master said to "take a stroll in the garden," she had to bring all these people to the garden.

Cherishing spring is the best excuse.

Wang Xifeng was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground, and she didn't care about anything else: "I won't entertain you. If you don't want to, you can go sit in Daoxiang Village."

Lady You strolled leisurely into the Grand View Garden. Once inside, she instructed Pei Feng and the others, "I'm going to see the young lady. The garden is so big, you can wander around wherever you like."

The old woman at the gate flattered her, saying, "Miss Peifeng always raves about the garden whenever she comes. It's a good day to take a good look around. Yesterday, Steward Lai even brought over some new lanterns that you can't find anywhere else."

"Then I'll have to take a good look," Pei Feng said with a smile, and then instructed the maids, "I'll let you relax a bit, but don't get too carried away with playing. Madam has a lot of things to do, so she might not be able to find you when she leaves."

At the same time, Jia Baoyu, who wanted to see Qingwen and ask Lin Daiyu what was wrong, also went out.