Chapter 71 Daiyu Gives Gifts

Lin Ruhai was not usually a high-profile person, but this time he couldn't help but show off to his colleagues the new clothes that his sweet little girl had sent him from the capital.

It seemed that because he was dressed warmly, Lin Ruhai felt that his body was also much stronger, and he rarely got sick that winter.

Lin Ruhai's letter brought joy to Lin Daiyu in Rongyue Courtyard.

After putting down the letter, she went to see what good things her father had sent her this time.

As the weather gets colder, both father and daughter are thinking of each other.

Daiyu sent her a cotton-padded coat, and Lin Ruhai sent his daughter fashionable fabrics from Yangzhou, as well as several silk quilts and other trinkets.

Fabric is one thing, but a silk quilt is truly rare.

Yuan Hongqu immediately had it taken out and sun-dried, and then that very night she had Daiyu use a silk quilt.

Although silk quilts are lightweight, they have excellent warmth retention, making them extremely suitable for children like Daiyu who are born with weak constitutions.

Although Lin Ruhai sent gifts to Daiyu and also gave some gifts to other people in the Rongguo Mansion, Daiyu still divided the cloth and gave one bolt to each of the three sisters according to their preferences.

In addition, Madam Xing and Madam Wang, the two maternal aunts, each sent two bolts of silk.

Wang Xifeng and Li Wan each received a bolt of cloth and a small hand warmer made in Yangzhou. The hand warmer was exquisitely crafted, only slightly larger than a sachet, and fit perfectly in the palm of one's hand.

As for Grandmother Jia, Daiyu divided the silk quilts into two pieces and sent them to Grandmother Jia.

Thinking of the new Baochai sister who had arrived at Pear Fragrance Courtyard, Daiyu originally planned to send a bolt of cloth over, just like the three sisters, but Yuan Hongqu stopped her.

"She's new here and hasn't spent much time with you. You don't know her preferences. If you send her something she doesn't like, you'll end up giving her a gift but getting complaints instead."

"Granny, what should we do? All the sisters have been taken. It would be bad if she were left out." Lin Daiyu felt a little troubled, as she was not very familiar with Baochai.

When they went to school, Baochai didn't go with them. After school, they would play together, but only two or three out of ten times would Baochai be with them.

But she didn't talk much; she was mostly quiet.

Daiyu really didn't know what Baochai liked. If you give a gift that the recipient doesn't like, it's better not to give it at all!

Yuan Hongqu glanced at the items Lin Ruhai had brought this time. Among them were two sets of root carving tea trays. One set was in a simple and cute style, while the other set featured a landscape of mountains and flowing water, which was very elegant and grand.

"Let's give this as a gift." Yuan Hongqu took the root carving tea tray with the image of flowing water and mountains.

“I heard Aunt Xue say last time that their Miss Bao doesn’t like perfumes or powders, nor does she like flowers. So why don’t we give her a set of root carving tea trays? No one can find fault with that. We can also pick out a piece of cloth for Aunt Xue.”

“This is indeed quite nice,” Daiyu’s gaze was also drawn to the carved tea tray. She found the simple and unadorned design quite interesting.

"This kind of tea tray isn't something children like to play with, so why was this sent over?" Yuan Hongqu asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I guess it was because I mentioned in my letter that I had recently come across the tea ceremony from the Song Dynasty and found it interesting. That's when Father found this," Lin Daiyu said with a smile. "I just had that thought and mentioned it in the letter, but I never expected Father to remember every single word I wrote so clearly."

“I knew it.” Yuan Hongqu smiled knowingly. This kind of Kung Fu tea set didn’t seem to suit children at all, but this simple and cute set was full of childlike fun.

Parents all over the world truly love their children!

Alas, if Lin Ruhai had lived a long and healthy life, Daiyu would probably have been the most beloved child in the world.

"Granny, where's Baoyu? I think he's been obsessed with copying books lately. How about we send him some little gadgets to cheer him up and help him relax?"

Daiyu was holding a box of Luban locks. Although they were mentally taxing, they were excellent for passing the time and relieving boredom.

Yuan Hongqu disagreed.

"Second Master is currently trying to understand Baoyu's character. If you give him a toy now, Second Master won't say anything, but others might overthink it. It would be better to give this to Jialan to play with. He hasn't started his education yet, so it's a good opportunity to develop his intelligence."

Daiyu agreed and then chose another gift for Baoyu.

Before long, the maids and servants who had gone to deliver gifts to the various rooms all returned to Rongyue Courtyard.

Pear Fragrance Courtyard is located in the northeast corner of Rongguo Mansion, quite far from Rongyue Courtyard. Everyone else had returned quite a while before the two maids who went to Pear Fragrance Courtyard finally came back.

“Miss, Madam Xue and Miss Bao thanked you. Madam Xue gave you a box of gauze flowers, saying they were a new style from the palace, and told you to wear them and play with them.”

As he spoke, he presented a box.

Daiyu opened the box and saw twelve different styles of gauze flowers. Their beauty lay in their colors, though the designs themselves weren't particularly novel. After looking at them, she closed the box again and pushed it towards Yuan Hongqu, pouting sweetly.

"Granny, Father sent thirty-six pale-colored velvet flowers, and I can't even wear them all. Aunt's flowers are so brightly colored, it's a pity I only have one head..."

Everyone in the household knew that Daiyu was still in mourning, and although such bright red and purple colors were beautiful, Daiyu could not wear them.

Daiyu's words were subtle, while Yuan Hongqu's were much more direct.

"Mrs. Xue is kind, but our daughter can't wear such bright colors now. It's a shame to leave them lying around. You can take them and divide them up."

Yuan Hongqu casually handed the box to Xueyan, telling them to take it and distribute it herself.

Daiyu played with the tea pets on the root-carved tea tray, while Yuan Hongqu had the tea tray washed with great interest, preparing to follow Daiyu's lead in a bit of refined taste.

However, before the tea could be brewed, Amber from the old lady's side came to deliver a message.

“Miss Lin, the Ning Mansion in the East is saying that the plum blossoms are in bloom, and they want to invite us to go and admire them tomorrow. The old lady, the first lady, the second lady, and the second mistress are all going. The old lady said that Baoyu and the young ladies can also come and enjoy themselves for a day tomorrow.”

"Sister Amber, please tell the old lady that we won't be going." Before Yuan Hongqu could speak, Daiyu immediately refused.

Amber asked in confusion, "Miss, do you have something else to do? All the other girls will be going over, and even Master Bao doesn't have to copy books tomorrow. The Second Master has granted him a day off so he can relax for a day."

“Amber, our house has been cleaned up. Daiyu hasn’t been back to see it yet. She’s decided to go back tomorrow, but she hasn’t had a chance to tell the old lady. Since you’re here, let’s go tell the old lady together.” Yuan Hongqu said with a smile.

Amber suddenly realized that this was the reason.

"Miss Lin, are you going home? I'm afraid the old lady won't let you go."