Chapter 81 Everyone knows, except for Jia Baoyu, "It was I who dragged her down..."

After waiting a while, Lin Daiyu had a lot to say, but she was a little hesitant to say hello to her third brother in person.

Finally, Lin Daiyu placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, turned to Mu Chuan and said, "Shall we go?"

This time, Mu Chuan didn't get on the carriage. Lin Daiyu even went inside to sit. She waited for a long time, but instead of her third brother getting on, the carriage started moving.

She subconsciously lifted the curtain and looked outside, only to meet Mu Chuan's gaze; he was still smiling.

"It was intentional, Third Brother did it on purpose!" Lin Daiyu's face flushed, and she glared at him. Before she could speak, Mu Chuan said, "I was afraid you were hungry. I'll see if there are any good restaurants on the way back."

Although Lin Daiyu kept a straight face, she couldn't stop smiling. Her dimples were faintly visible on her face: "Afraid I'm hungry? I'm not going to eat you, so why are you avoiding me?"

Before Mu Chuan could answer, she lowered the curtain again, her heart pounding for a while.

The two were hurrying towards the capital, and in the Rongguo Mansion, to some extent, there were also people on their way.

Madam Wang only talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. Yuanyang gives instructions to the servants, while Wang Xifeng gives instructions to the young ladies.

"This is truly a difficult task," Wang Xifeng sighed. "Fortunately, Baoqin is quite clever."

This kind of thing wouldn't have been a big deal for the once spirited Wang Xifeng, but now she's been bent over by the mess that's been made in the Rongguo Mansion, and she's not as confident as before. There are some things she really can't say.

Ping'er praised, "Miss Baoqin is indeed sensible, much better than the eldest daughter of the Xue family."

As soon as the second mistress spoke, Baoqin nodded: "I know it's not good to be too ostentatious. When I got engaged, I didn't tell anyone, because the groom's family was of very high social standing."

As soon as she mentioned the name of Master Bao, Baoqin nodded again: "Master Bao is urging Master Bao to study. I heard that he will be taking the imperial examination next year. He really shouldn't be distracted by such things."

After the two reminisced for a while, Ping'er asked, "Back then... did the old lady really want to marry Baoqin?"

Wang Xifeng scoffed, "Haven't you figured it out yet? Think about how your Second Master usually addresses Baoyu?"

Phoenix eggs? Ping'er chuckled: "Neither of the two young ladies from the Xue family are worthy of them."

The two then went into the garden.

Xiaoxiang Pavilion and the residences of the three sisters were on the same side. Wang Xifeng walked over by the main road and looked over there. She saw several old women still cleaning up Xiaoxiang Pavilion. The stone slabs were all cleaned and polished.

It's called a stone slab, but from a distance, it could easily pass for white marble.

Wang Xifeng sneered: "The servants in our household are always good at changing their tune. Believe it or not, in a couple of days, some old women will be begging me to become Miss Lin's maid."

“I still remember the last time we filled the vacancy for Jin Chuan’er in Madam’s room,” Ping’er said with a smile. “In any case, marriage won’t happen so soon. Let’s choose a time in three to five months to make up for the shortfall.”

After experiencing the Zhou Rui and Lai family incidents, Ping'er realized just how wealthy the stewards of the Rongguo Mansion were. She used to worry about others, but now she just felt ridiculous.

As the spring festival approached at Zilingzhou, Wang Xifeng paused in her tracks: "Why do I feel like Baoqin is reminding us? What about the Second Master? If we want to keep it from Baoyu, we have to tell him that Baoyu and Miss Lin have something going on. But if we don't tell him, what if the Second Master finds out one day?"

Hearing this, Ping'er also became anxious. She thought for a moment and said, "The Second Master is not from our branch of the family, and there is also the Second Madam. It is not our place to speak."

Although Wang Xifeng still wanted everyone to speak well of her, her health was failing, so she had to give up.

"No matter what, it's the second branch of the family making a scene. The old lady likes the second master and also likes Baoyu, so you can't blame me for making a scene."

The two entered Zilingzhou, and Yingchun busied herself welcoming them.

Once she thought about what to say, Wang Xifeng had no interest in small talk. She gave Ping'er a wink, and Ping'er pulled Siqi out. Siqi was in charge of all the big and small matters in Zilingzhou, so talking to her would be more effective than talking to Yingchun.

When Wang Xifeng mentioned the Empress's bestowal of a marriage, Yingchun was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up and said, "We should go and congratulate her."

This reaction lessened Wang Xifeng's embarrassment somewhat: "No rush, I have something else to say. Your brother Bao is studying, he shouldn't be distracted, don't let him know."

Wang Xifeng used Xue Baoqin's excuse to start a conversation.

Yingchun paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand."

Although Wang Xifeng didn't have much contact with this younger sister, judging from her expression, she seemed no different from before.

This left Wang Xifeng undecided; did she understand or not?

After finally finishing their discussion, Wang Xifeng waited for Ping'er to come in before getting up and smiling, "Take a good rest." She glanced at Ping'er again, and Ping'er nodded. Wang Xifeng was relieved; as long as Siqi understood, that was enough.

The two then went into Tan Chun's room.

Inside Yingchun's room, Siqi and the other maids carried out teacups and other items. They then took two steps toward Yingchun and whispered, "Miss, Miss Lin already has a husband. You should prepare some congratulatory gifts."

Yingchun seemed a little absent-minded and only hummed in response.

Siqi then reminded her, "Miss, don't let anything slip in front of Master Bao, lest he make a scene and it doesn't look good for anyone."

"Are you alright?" Her absent-mindedness turned into irritation. Yingchun got up and, as if to avoid Siqi, moved to a seat under the window.

"What kind of gift can I prepare? It's nothing more than handkerchiefs and purses. There are a lot of them in that box. I'll just pick a couple to send."

Siqi, who had taken care of Yingchun since childhood, sensed that Yingchun was in a bad mood and advised her, "For such a joyous occasion, preparations should be made in advance, and the patterns should include mandarin ducks or double happiness symbols."

"I'm not engaged yet, how can I embroider these things? What if someone sees them?"

Again, Siqi couldn't bring herself to say, "Miss, if there's nothing else, let's go visit the master and mistress." She sighed, changed Yingchun's teapot to a hot one, and then went out.

When Wang Xifeng arrived at Qiushuangzhai again, she felt very comfortable talking to Tanchun. The two were very polite to each other, and the conversation ended in just a few words.

But once Wang Xifeng left, Tan Chun's smile vanished. She remembered that during the New Year, Aunt Zhao had said that Sister Lin was going to marry into the Zhongyong Earl's mansion.

Tan Chun took two steps forward and realized with a start that she wanted to go to Madam's courtyard to look for Aunt Zhao again.

She snorted and sat back down. In any case, Aunt Zhao would definitely come looking for her once she got the news.

Once you leave Qiushuangzhai, only Ouxiangxie remains.

Wang Xifeng sighed as she looked at the house: "In the past, Fourth Miss always gave the neighbors a hard time, and I thought it was Fourth Miss's fault. But now that they are moving out, no one pays any attention to Fourth Miss. Could it be that they plan to keep Fourth Miss here?"

The two entered the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion and saw a large pile of things on the table, where Xichun was painting.

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "I've come to see the young lady."

Xi Chun put down the handful of paintbrushes in her hand, washed her hands, and waited calmly for Wang Xifeng to speak.

When Wang Xifeng recounted the Empress's visit that morning to bestow the marriage upon them, and then brought up Jia Baoyu's studies, Xichun politely smiled and said, "Congratulations, Sister Lin."

Her actions, in turn, rendered Wang Xifeng speechless.

But having said all that, and having already incurred the wrath of Lady You, what was there left for Wang Xifeng to say?

The two women, mistress and servant, came out. Ping'er whispered in Wang Xifeng's ear, "I just saw Fourth Miss. Her paints and everything else were half-dry, and there wasn't a drop of moisture on her brush. Perhaps she was just putting on an act."

Wang Xifeng had been sighing all morning, and now she sighed again: "Nobody has it easy."

Although there was also Miss Xue, Wang Xifeng had never interacted with her and could barely exchange a few words with her. Besides, she was the sister of Lady Wang, so why should she have a say?

"Go back and rest, my back is starting to ache again."

Having walked through most of the garden with Wang Xifeng, I felt both awkward and a sense of the Rongguo Mansion's gradual decline. Unlike others, Madam Wang felt that it was a great thing for the people she disliked to get out of the Rongguo Mansion.

She sent someone to summon Xiren, and kindly instructed her, "Don't let Baoyu know about Lin's engagement."

Xi Ren subconsciously looked up at Madam Wang, her eyes filled with shock and a hint of audacity.

Fortunately, she quickly regained her composure and smiled, saying, "Miss Lin has lived in our house for so many days, and she is finally going to get married. Amitabha."

Madam Wang was amused by her and said, "If you keep chanting Buddhist prayers like that, Buddha might be angry with you."

Xiren added, "If you ask me, Madam, there's no need to worry. Master is keeping an eye on Master Bao's studies. How could Master Bao have time to concern himself with such trivial matters? Although Master Bao values ​​relationships and Miss Lin is his childhood playmate, he also knows what's important and what's urgent. Studying is the most important thing."

These words were exactly what Madam Wang wanted to hear. She smiled and said, "With you watching over her, I'm at ease. But Lin girl... she asked Qingwen to leave earlier, do you know why?"

Madam Wang had considered this question. At first, she wondered if the old lady wanted to challenge her, so she encouraged Lin to ask for people.

But... once it's over, there's no follow-up. It seems like it was really just for learning needlework.

However, now that the palace has bestowed a marriage upon her, Lady Wang has come up with another idea. Qingwen, that maid, does bear some resemblance to Lin Daiyu.

Baoyu used to live in Grandmother Jia's courtyard. Every morning and evening, she would visit his room to check on him. That's when she noticed the maid Qingwen.

Not only does she resemble Lin Yatou in appearance, but her temperament, especially her raised eyebrows and glaring eyes, is also so annoying.

So, did Madam Wang think that this was the girl Lin wanted to take as a concubine?

Lin Yatou is a consumptive, so having a maid who looks and has a similar temperament to her is perfect as a substitute.

Although Madam Wang thought this way, she couldn't say it, especially in front of the servants.

She asked cautiously, "Is Qingwen the maid who looks somewhat like your Miss Lin? I've only heard that she's good at needlework, is there anything else about her?"

Xiren was also wondering why Madam Wang was asking this. The answer wasn't hard to guess: when Miss Lin got married, not only would the Rongguo Mansion provide her dowry, but the Rongguo Mansion would also provide her with the maids and attendants who accompanied her.

Thinking about it this way, Xiren felt a tightness in her chest and her head began to spin.

If you really want to be precise, Qingwen was the head maid in Bao Er Ye's room, and she was the one who actually received her monthly salary in Bao Er Ye's room.

She, Xiren, was never counted under Bao Erye's name from beginning to end. At first, she was under the old lady's room and received her monthly allowance, and later she received her monthly allowance under the madam's name.

However, Qingwen was not as good at interpersonal relationships as her, and within half a year, she was suppressed by her and became her maid. The entire Yihong Courtyard was also under her control.

But now that the Earl of Zhongyong has arrived, if Miss Lin marries him, wouldn't Qingwen become the Earl's concubine?

Xiren pinched her palm: Bao Erye is gentle and kind, he is the best.

“Qingwen.” Xiren hesitated, looking troubled. “She’s a light sleeper and a great night watchman, but she has a bit of a temper… She never suffers a loss.”

Serving at night? What good things can happen at night? Madam Wang sneered twice: "I understand."

After leaving Madam Wang's courtyard, Xiren wanted to find Qingwen to ask her a few questions, but Qingwen had now moved to the main house of the Grand View Garden with Miss Lin, and Bao Erye had moved out. What excuse could she use?

The news of Lin Daiyu's engagement to the Earl of Zhongyong spread quickly throughout the Rongguo Mansion, with a repeated emphasis: "Don't let Master Bao know!"

Others may not know what happened, but Aunt Zhao was delighted. How could such a thing really be kept secret? Putting aside everything else, no one would dare to tell the master not to tell Baoyu.

Moreover, she had heard her father-in-law mention twice in her younger years how wonderful his brother-in-law, surnamed Lin, was.

But we definitely can't start trouble ourselves at the beginning; we have to wait for the news to leak before we do anything.

There are many Shandong cuisine restaurants in the capital, but Lin Daiyu prefers the flavors of Jiangnan, so in the end Mu Chuan found a Suzhou restaurant.

Although this place is not as elegant as the Wuyue Guild Hall, and the place is not as big, the main building is a three-and-a-half-story building. Mu Chuan booked the top floor, and looking down from above, it was quite interesting.

After all the dishes were served, Lin Daiyu tasted a few and said with a smile, "This restaurant's flavor is more like that of the capital, and it's saltier and more fragrant."

"I couldn't taste it," Mu Chuan said, pausing to savor it carefully. "But it's definitely not as sweet as the one from Wu Yue Guild Hall."

As they ate and chatted, Mu Chuan said, "The betrothal gifts are for the Lin family, so you can keep them yourself. The dowry is also yours, so you can keep it yourself too."

Lin Daiyu dropped her chopsticks: "Third Brother..." Why did he suddenly say this? But thinking about his personality, it wasn't surprising that he could say such things so bluntly. "He's so frank, it's hard to know what to say."

Mu Chuan then asked, "How much wealth did the Lin family possess back then? I'll make the Rongguo Mansion hand it all over."

For a moment, Lin Daiyu didn't know whether to be shy or sad.

"I... I'm afraid the Rongguo Mansion can't afford to produce that many items."

“It’s not a big problem. With His Majesty and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they can squeeze oil out of the bones. Besides, the Rongguo Mansion still has so many servants. Zhou Rui’s house was searched and they found no less than 50,000 taels of silver. The Lai family had even more. All sorts of things, gardens, and antiques, when converted, amounted to more than 500,000 taels.”

Lin Daiyu thought for a moment and said, "I was only six years old when I left home, so I didn't know about all the family's assets. I can only tell you what I heard before, and what I knew later when my father was seriously ill."

Mu Chuan nodded: "I will also ask His Majesty to investigate later, such as the dowries of the matriarchs of the Lin family throughout the ages, which can give us a rough estimate."

“When I was a child, I heard my father and mother talk about land rent. If the harvest was good, it would be a little over 30,000 taels a year, and if the harvest was bad, it would be nearly 20,000 taels.”

Mu Chuan nodded: "The land in Jiangnan yields two harvests a year, and my father-in-law's land—"

Lin Daiyu glared at him.

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "We're already engaged, isn't it a bit too formal to still call him Lord Lin? If you're not used to it yet, I'll call him that a few more times. Father-in-law, my father-in-law, my old father-in-law."

"We're talking about serious matters," Lin Daiyu said reproachfully. "You keep calculating, I'm listening."

“My father-in-law’s land was passed down from the Lin family ancestors, so it must be good land. Based on the yield of one tael of silver per mu per harvest, two harvests a year would yield two taels. Thirty thousand taels would be equivalent to fifteen thousand mu of land. With three days of planting and one day of rest, there must be at least twenty thousand mu of land.”

Lin Daiyu nodded: "And there's the rent, which is less than two thousand taels a year."

“My father-in-law’s house must also be in a good location. If we calculate it at about fifteen times the price, it would be a house worth thirty thousand taels.”

"Hmm... My mother's dowry amounted to eighty thousand taels."

"The dowries of matriarchs throughout history couldn't have been less than this, could they? There are titles to consider. But my mother-in-law is also the daughter of a duke, so even if she did, there's a limit. How about we calculate it at 600,000 for five?"

Lin Daiyu nodded: "Pretty much. And the old house, Third Brother, all my toys when I was little were made of ivory. All the things that my Lin family collected over generations, antiques and calligraphy and paintings, are gone."

Mu Chuan thought for a moment and said, "There are some things they may not sell, and selling too many will affect the price. The Jia family also has an old house in Jinling, and maybe some of them are still hidden there. We might be able to find some of them. But we can't just send servants to sell these things."

Lin Daiyu felt a little better and mustered up her courage to say, "The Rongguo Mansion has never taught us girls how to manage the household. Sometimes I feel that I am the one who has dragged them down, because if they had taught me how to manage the household, I would know how much they have taken."

"Don't think like that," Mu Chuan comforted him. "It's clearly all the Rongguo Mansion's fault. If they didn't have the desire to steal your money, they wouldn't have made those foolish moves later."

Lin Daiyu chuckled, "I was just imagining things, why do you believe everything, Third Brother?"