Chapter 64 Why do I feel like this is a romantic relationship? "Let's go back..."
The carriage couldn't possibly escape, so once they were outside Guang'an Gate, Mu Chuan helped Lin Daiyu down and gave her a curious, perhaps even provocative, look.
Lin Daiyu curled her lips, looked away, and pretended nothing had happened. Her third brother, so mature and composed, was actually quite "vengeful."
But it's quite fun to discover a little quirk of Third Brother's personality every day.
"Where is Aunt Zhou? Is there a small number of vehicles in the convoy heading to Pingnan Town?"
Mu Chuan sent his men to find Zhou Rui's wife. He explained to Lin Daiyu, "Not everything was sent from the capital. Some were added along the way, otherwise the losses along the way would be too great."
Lin Daiyu hummed in agreement, took the purse hanging from her waist, opened it, and showed it to Mu Chuan: "Third Brother, do you have any loose silver? I only have five taels here."
Although she stayed in the Rongguo Mansion and didn't go out, money was still necessary, and she might need to give rewards at any time.
Mu Chuan also took off his purse, and Lin Daiyu laughed as she held it in her hand: "Although it's not the first time I've seen it, Third Brother's purse is too big. It takes more effort to make than the usual ones."
Mu Chuan then took Lin Daiyu's delicate pink purse and hung it around his waist: "Do you think this is appropriate?"
Lin Daili's smile never faded. She glanced at Mu Chuan again before opening her purse and taking out a gold ingot worth about one tael: "That's enough."
Zhou Rui's family was sentenced to exile in Pingnan Town, which required official escort. Although in most cases, once sentenced, they had to leave, the journey to Pingnan Town was five thousand li, and many places along the way were poor and remote. It would be safer to follow Mu Chuan's caravan.
Soon, his men brought Zhou Rui's wife over, along with an official.
The official bowed first.
It had only been a month since I last saw Zhou Ruijia, and her round face had become somewhat sunken. Her hair, which used to be styled with hair oil and always neatly combed, was now a mess, covered only by a cloth.
Her eyes darted away, and she called out softly, "Miss Lin."
Lin Daiyu said, "I asked my second aunt, and she doesn't want to come see you."
Zhou Rui's wife was taken aback. Lin Daiyu then gave the silver ingots and the loose silver from her purse to the officer next to her, and said to Zhou Rui's wife, "You can't keep this silver anyway. You might as well hand it over to the officer. At least you can use some of it."
After saying that, she looked at Mu Chuan and said, "Third Brother, let's go."
Well, it's so simple and clear. He only said one sentence, but it really fits his impression of Lin Daiyu.
The two turned to leave, but Zhou Rui's wife suddenly shouted, "Be careful, Madam! She's up to no good! She switched you to Physician Bao because she wanted you dead! She wants you dead! You can't let her get away with this! You can't let her get away with this!"
Neither of them turned around.
"Sigh." Lin Daiyu sighed, "My maternal grandmother was so good to me back then... Actually, I don't even know if she was really good to me. I only took Doctor Bao's medicine for less than a month before switching back to Doctor Wang. But—"
Lin Daiyu glanced at Mu Chuan: "If it were Third Brother, I wouldn't even be able to see Physician Bao, would I?"
"What do you mean by that 'de ba'? Are you doubting me?" Mu Chuan's response was also very straightforward. Lin Daiyu laughed and said, "As long as Third Brother says it's good."
"Your third brother not only says good things, he also pays the bill." Mu Chuan lifted the carriage curtain. "What do you want to eat today?"
"Shall we go eat Hunan cuisine? I suddenly have a craving for steamed assorted preserved meats."
The carriage then headed towards the capital.
In the Rongguo Mansion, Xue Baoqin followed Xue Baochai to the northeast courtyard where Aunt Xue was staying.
After Xue Baoqin bowed, Xue Baochai pulled her to sit down. Aunt Xue said, "Ke'er went to look at the shop and hasn't come back yet. Wait a moment, let's talk."
The maidservant served tea, and Xue Baoqin took a couple of sips. Xue Baochai smiled and said, "You've been doing very well these days, and very well-behaved. But there are a few things I need to tell you."
Living under someone else's roof and being her cousin, Xue Baoqin put down her teacup: "Please speak, sister."
“The Rongguo Mansion is not like other places, and this is the capital, where the rules are even stricter. I know you used to always go out with me, but since you are staying at someone else's house, you should naturally be careful. Look at me, when have I ever mentioned the past? When have I ever said I was going out?”
Xue Baoqin lowered her head and whispered, "Sister is right. I'll go back now."
Xue Baochai paused, "I've already told the old lady, what am I supposed to say when I go back now?"
My cousin won't let me go out? What does that make her?
Xue Baochai forced a couple of laughs: "I've already told the old lady. Besides, you're going to pick out some embroidery thread. Needlework is a woman's duty. I'm just giving you a few words of advice. Just be careful in the future."
Xue Baoqin didn't look up, but simply agreed with her: "Sister is right."
Just as Aunt Xue was about to speak, a servant woman came in and said, "Young Master Ke has arrived."
"Quickly, let him in." After the old woman brought Xue Ke in, Aunt Xue laughed and said, "You're such a simple-minded child. We're all relatives, why bother with formalities? Just invite him in."
After Xue Ke bowed, he looked at his younger sister, Xue Baochai, and said, "Go and come back soon, so that the old lady won't worry about you."
Xue Baoqin responded with a "yes" and followed behind Xue Ke out of the small courtyard where Aunt Xue was staying and out of the Rongguo Mansion.
This way leads to a long private alley, with the Rongguo Mansion's courtyard wall on one side and the Ningguo Mansion's courtyard wall on the other.
Both families were dukes, and even the founding dukes, so their mansions were much grander than ordinary ones, with high and thick walls. Walking through this private alley, the sun couldn't even shine in. But Xue Baoqin felt that even in this sunless place, it was much better than the Rongguo Mansion.
"Brother, shall we go home?"
Xue Ke turned and glanced at her: "Too many people will talk too much. Let's go outside and talk."
Upon arriving at Ningrong Street, Xue Ke led her to a carriage not far away: "It's almost noon, let's go get something to eat first."
The coachman was a member of the Xue family, so Xue Baoqin didn't dare say anything in the carriage. She only asked her brother how he was doing, and then happily told him what good things she had received and how much the old lady of the Rongguo Mansion liked her.
Before long, the carriage arrived at Du'an Hutong. Xue Ke helped Xue Baoqin down and said to the driver, "You rest for a bit, let's go—"
“It will take half an hour,” Xue Baoqin smiled. “Choosing the embroidery thread takes some effort.”
The driver bowed and said with a smile, "Then I'll be waiting for you here in half an hour."
After the driver left, Xue Baoqin's smile faded, and she said again, "Let's go back."
Xue Ke was still somewhat hesitant.
Xue Baoqin said, “It’s not like we don’t have a home. Your uncle’s good-for-nothing son killed someone, and you don’t have one. We were doing well before, you had a house, and I had a house. But now? You live in someone else’s small study, and although I live in the old lady’s room, it’s not even as big as the old lady’s maid Yuanyang’s. People just treat me as a pastime, and it was fine when they did, but now they won’t even let me near them.”
Xue Ke hesitated and said, "But your marriage... what if Mei Hanlin's family breaks off the engagement if we go back now?"
“Then let him back out. Brother, we don’t know how much longer Mother can hold on. We’re both out there, are we just going to rely on the maids and servants to take care of her? Besides, since Mei Hanlin wants to break off the engagement, even if I risk my life to marry him, do you think I’ll have a good life?”
Xue Ke looked at Xue Baoqin and said, "With your looks, temperament, character, and virtue, how could you not live a good life?"
Xue Baoqin chuckled and changed her tune: "What about the Rongguo Mansion? Can't you see that it's in dire straits? Their second master has lost his official position and only has a hereditary title. Brother, how long do you think they can hold on given their current expenses?"
"this……"
Both siblings had traveled all over the country with their father. Even if they didn't have a deep understanding of officialdom and aristocratic families, they could still make a rough estimate of accounts with just a glance.
“…They have a concubine in their palace, and perhaps they are favored by the emperor.” Xue Ke also hesitated. He didn’t know this before he came. After living in Rongguo Mansion for a year and a half, it really didn’t seem like it could last long. “But if we don’t marry Mei Hanlin, our reputation for breaking off the engagement when we go back to Jinling won’t be good.”
"It's difficult to marry into a higher social class, but what about marrying into a family of similar means? We can find a family similar to ours and live a comfortable life there, treating each other as relatives, and we won't feel inferior because of our merchant background. Brother, since Mei Hanlin wants to break off the engagement, it proves that his family is of bad character. If I marry into such a family, and you go back to Jinling, I won't even have anyone to talk to. Am I supposed to associate with my uncle's family? Wouldn't that make me even more looked down upon? What if they torment me and I die there? Brother, by the time you find out, I'll already be buried."
As Xue Baoqin spoke, her eyes reddened. Living in the Rongguo Mansion had been too oppressive and unbearable.
"Don't cry." Xue Ke quickly took out a handkerchief and gave it to her. "Let me think about it. Let me think about it carefully. Actually, I can tell that the Rongguo Mansion isn't doing well. If they were really capable, the marriage would have been settled long ago, since we've lived here for a year and a half. Although my aunt said she would handle things once the Mei family returned to the capital, in the past year and a half, the Mei family hasn't even sent a letter, showing no respect to the Rongguo Mansion at all. It's probably not going to work out."
Xue Baoqin nodded: "We're waiting in the capital because we're anxious. Once we return to Jinling, it'll be Hanlin Mei who's anxious. His family are Hanlin scholars, and he considers himself a member of the 'pure stream,' while we're just merchants. He values his reputation even more than we do. Besides, in the capital, we're outsiders, but once we return to Jinling, they'll be outsiders too."
That's certainly the truth.
“Now that we’re in the capital, we’ve put our own business aside and are helping my aunt manage theirs. My cousin is getting all free. Brother, why bother? If it weren’t for my cousin, and you were the heir, I would have no complaints, and I would be dutiful to my aunt. But now… you’re not even as good as their manager. Isn’t this just using you as a laborer?”
Xue Ke frowned. He wasn't like Xue Pan, that good-for-nothing. He had traveled all over the country with his father since he was a child and had a lot of experience with the family business. He was also shrewd. The shopkeeper and the shop assistants used to be very obedient, but he had been away for a year and a half. If he didn't go back soon, he couldn't guarantee that the shop assistants wouldn't have any ulterior motives.
Seeing that her brother was interested, Xue Baoqin said, "Let's just say that we received a letter from home that Mother is seriously ill and we must go back. They won't be able to stop us. Don't tell Auntie yet. I'll tell the old lady that the Rongguo Mansion is in complete chaos right now, and they won't let us stay."
"That works..." Xue Ke hesitated before nodding, "What about Miss Xing?"
Xue Baoqin said, "When my aunt arranged this marriage for my brother, she must have had her own selfish motives. Miss Xing is the niece of the first wife, and my aunt has always wanted to marry my cousin to the second wife. My aunt clearly wanted to have both sides."
As she spoke, she watched Xue Ke's expression. Seeing his troubled look and his furrowed brows, Xue Baoqin smiled and said, "But we've come all the way to the capital, and Miss Xing is indeed very good. I think it would be better to take her back with us so that we can meet my mother and get married."
Xue Ke then realized he had been tricked by his sister. He sighed helplessly, "You... I understand. I'll go back and make arrangements right away."
Xue Baoqin sighed again, "Miss Xing is also a pitiful person. The maids in the Second Miss's room are all arrogant and incompetent, and the old women always bully her because she is an outsider. Not long after, she moved to live with Master Miaoyu. Her cousin always tells her to save money. Rongguo Mansion is really not a good place."
“Then let’s go back!” Xue Ke said decisively, but then hesitated: “My aunt said that Uncle Zhongyong and Miss Lin…”
“My brother isn’t in the inner quarters, so he doesn’t know many things. Our dear cousin used to only know how to bully Miss Lin, but she’s only recently become a little better. However, Miss Lin never pays her any attention. If Miss Lin really marries into the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household, it’s only because she’s kind-hearted that she ignores her cousin. Besides, with this kind of relationship involving several families, what benefits could we possibly gain?”
“Sigh…” Xue Ke sighed, “Since we came to the capital, I’ve been run around by my aunt, but you’ve been much more clear-headed than me inside. Let’s go now.”
"Don't let Auntie see through it." Of course, there was another reason. They left without warning, and at a time when the Rongguo Mansion was in trouble. It was obvious that they wanted to avoid trouble and did not trust the Rongguo Mansion's abilities. So who would be unlucky?
What do you think, my dear cousin?
After saying this, Xue Baoqin felt much more relaxed. She smiled and said, "Shall we take a good look around? I've lived in the Rongguo Mansion for a year and a half, and this is the first time I've gone out."
My younger sister has been to almost half of the Great Wei Dynasty and lived in the Rongguo Mansion's inner quarters for a year and a half.
Xue Ke couldn't help but feel guilty: "I should have realized it sooner."
They felt relieved, but Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai felt increasingly heavy-hearted.
“You don’t know, Lin’s daughter is getting more and more powerful these days.” Aunt Xue sighed: “The other day, your aunt was so embarrassed by what she said that she was red in the face and pinched my hand—look, there’s still a mark on it now.”
It's hard to say what Xue Baochai was feeling.
They sent countless invitations to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, but the Marquis of Zhongyong ignored them completely.
And what about Lin Yatou? She takes her out every day and brings all sorts of things to her room as if they're free.
The once mild-mannered Lin girl has been spoiled and developed a temper. Before, she only argued with Baoyu, but now she hardly even pays attention to him anymore.
"Lin's temper is bad, and she looks down on everyone," Xue Baochai said with concern. "The Earl of Zhongyong is good to her now, but he still has parents at home, and they are both from poor families. How can they stand to see Lin wasting money like this? Besides, the Earl of Zhongyong also has a younger sister. How easy is it to get along with a sister-in-law?"
"Sigh..." Aunt Xue sighed as well, "Everyone has their own destiny, and besides, she doesn't listen to advice. If you say anything, you'll only make her dislike you for no reason, and she'll gossip about you later. Just let her be."
"The Earl of Zhongyong has amassed such a large fortune at such a young age. If Lin girl continues to act like Baoyu, throwing tantrums and being childish in front of him, even if she is beautiful, how long can she maintain that?"
The two lamented how unhappy Lin Daiyu's married life would be, and their mood improved considerably.
Aunt Xue suddenly said, "You said your uncle's official position... is it still possible?"
Xue Baochai didn't know either, but what could she do besides offer comfort? They had lived in the Rongguo Mansion for seven or eight years, and now they were leaving... How old was she? What would happen to the money they had spent?
"There are still empresses in the palace," Xue Baochai said with a smile. "The birth father of the Imperial Concubine should have been granted a title, or at the very least, the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Originally, her uncle held an official position, so it was difficult to bestow a title upon him. Now that he has lost that position, once this storm passes, he will have everything he is entitled to."
Aunt Xue was slightly relieved. Xue Baochai thought for a moment and then added, "Last time, my brother said that the Empress's family was impeached by the censors every now and then for things like abusing their power and oppressing the villagers. But the Empress is still fine, isn't she? Imperial relatives are imperial relatives."
The mother and daughter looked at each other and smiled.
"The Imperial Concubine likes you!" Aunt Xue said with a smile. "Your gifts are always the same as Baoyu's, and Lin Daiyu can't compete with you."
What is that Lin girl they're talking about doing?
Eat steamed assorted preserved meats.
Hunan cuisine is very spicy; out of ten dishes on a table, seven are spicy. Of course, it has been modified when it came to Beijing, but it is still quite spicy.
Mu Chuan saw that her face was red and there was a little sweat on the tip of her nose, but she was still able to hold back her hissing. He found it quite funny: "Another glass of sugarcane juice?"
Lin Daiyu nodded and said demurely, "The sugarcane juice is quite good. It's cool and sweet. Would Third Brother like a glass?"
Mu Chuan didn't call the waiter in, but went out to give instructions.
A short while later, Lin Daiyu saw him enter, carrying a tray with not only sugarcane juice but also—
"Milk?"
Mu Chuan kept a straight face and didn't laugh. Instead, he said seriously, "Rinse your mouth with milk to relieve the spiciness."
Lin Daiyu said, "It is indeed time to rinse your mouth. This rock sugar lotus root has a light flavor, and rinsing your mouth will bring out its true taste."
Seriously.
Lin Daiyu felt a little uncomfortable after she finished speaking.
I used to treat him like an older brother, and I dared to say and do anything. Now that I treat him like... well, I'm not so sure anymore.
Even rinsing your mouth or burping has to be done in secret from him.
Even after eating spicy food, I'm afraid of making a mistake, so I have to pretend it's not spicy.
But the third brother's attitude did not change, which shows that he had no good intentions from the beginning.
Lin Daiyu glared at him again.
This time, he really couldn't resist. Mu Chuan laughed and said, "Why don't you eat your steamed assorted preserved meats, or shall we come and eat it a few more times? You're not afraid of spicy food anymore."
"Third brother, you're so mean," Lin Daiyu said reproachfully, "You know perfectly well that I can't eat spicy food."
"It was my fault," Mu Chuan admitted with a smile. "Would you hit me a couple of times?"
"No." Lin Daiyu's heart skipped a beat, but she smiled and said, "We can't be disrespectful to elders."
Mu Chuan sighed regretfully.
After dinner, the two went to an antique shop to browse. Lin Daiyu picked out a purple clay inkstone and a set of two paperweights for him, saying, "Practicing calligraphy is quite tedious. Changing your things will make you feel better."
Seeing how others say that poor students have too many stationery items, Mu Chuan said, "Then I'll pick out a couple for you too?"
Lin Daiyu glanced at him and said, "I have a pen that I'm familiar with, and it's easier for me to write with that."
Seeing the helpless expression on his face, Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Third Brother is making great progress. As long as you practice hard, I guarantee that you will be able to write regular script well this year."
Lin Daiyu didn't want to go back, and Mu Chuan always thought that they needed to spend more time together to see how things would go. By the time the two of them arrived at the gate of Rongguo Mansion, it was already late afternoon.
They also happened to run into the Xue siblings.
To be precise, it was the Xue siblings who saw them, but they didn't see the Xue siblings.
After all, the Xue family's carriage was parked at the street corner, and the two of them could not enter or exit through the main gate. Instead, they had to walk through the private alley next to it and enter Aunt Xue's courtyard through the side gate first, so that Xue Baoqin could return to the Rongguo Mansion.
Upon seeing the Earl of Zhongyong riding a horse, followed by several carriages, Xue Baoqin quickly hid behind her brother. Although the Earl of Zhongyong had never seen her before, she was afraid that Sister Lin would recognize her.
“That must be the Earl of Zhongyong,” Xue Baoqin sighed.
Xue Ke looked at the other person, then at himself, and sighed as well: "There are many powerful and influential people in the capital. You're right, you might as well go home. What good is marrying into an official's family? Everything that isn't earned by yourself is meaningless."
Lin Daiyu returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and was washing up when Zijuan asked, "Sister Yuanyang came by just now and asked if you wanted to have dinner in the old lady's room, Miss?"
To be honest, Lin Daiyu didn't eat much at noon, mainly because she overestimated her ability to handle spicy food, and secondly... well, it's all the fault of her third brother.
Lin Daiyu glanced at the clock in the room: "Go."
When she arrived at Grandmother Jia's room, everyone was already there, gathered around Xue Baoqin, looking at something.
Upon seeing Lin Daiyu arrive, Tan Chun first greeted her as "Sister Lin".
Lin Daiyu then went over and asked, "What's all this commotion about? It's so lively!"
Jia Baoyu stepped aside and said with a smile, "I never knew that Baoqin's newly bought embroidery thread came in so many shades of green, purple, and pink."
“Exactly,” Tan Chun said. “I pride myself on my needlework skills, but to me, there’s not much difference between ginger red and water red.”
Lin Daiyu also went to take a look: "The ginger red has a hint of yellow."
“And I don’t think there’s any difference between this ‘autumn fragrance’ color and this ‘fragrant’ color,” Xichun continued.
"I can't tell either," Lin Daiyu said with a smile.
The honest Yingchun sighed, "No wonder you have to go and choose in person. Who can guarantee that someone will actually sell you what you want?"
Xue Baoqin finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Daiyu suddenly remembered the large purse on her third brother's waist. Perhaps... she could embroider a purse for him?
Thinking back to what she had said that morning—that it would take much more effort than usual—she laughed at herself, not realizing she had shot herself in the foot.
Third Brother is a first-class earl. His official robes are blue with red trim. When he goes out, except for the few times he wore armor at the beginning, his clothes are mostly blue and green.
Then—
"Lin Daiyu, Lin Daiyu?" Jia Baoyu suddenly called out to her.
He interrupted her thoughts, and Lin Daiyu was quite displeased: "What are you doing?"
"It's time to go eat."
Lin Daiyu looked up and saw that almost everyone in the room was looking at her.
Unexpectedly, it really was because of her third brother, but she couldn't very well push the blame onto him. Lin Daiyu stood up nonchalantly and said, "I'm a little tired."
Now that she could save face herself, Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "As the saying goes, spring brings drowsiness, autumn brings fatigue, summer brings naps, and winter brings three months of endless sleep. It's only natural to be sleepy in spring."
Lin Daiyu was preoccupied, and although she wasn't exactly absent-minded during the meal, she didn't talk much either. After the meal, she was the first to take her leave, and Grandmother Jia even said, "Get some rest, don't overwork yourself."
She looked just like when she first entered the manor.
Back in the room, Lin Daiyu sent someone to summon Qingwen. Qingwen was now her personal head maid, and she didn't have to do anything else except embroidery.
"I'd like to make a purse," Lin Daiyu said. "Blueish-green, perhaps with a touch of crimson? A ruyi pattern, or a qilin pattern?"
Although she thought no one would be so blind as to touch her third brother's purse, his dark-colored clothes made it inappropriate to give him a light pink or bright yellow purse.
Qingwen thought carefully: "If it is a Qilin pattern, use crimson to embroider it. If it is a Ruyi pattern, choose an embroidery thread that is slightly darker or lighter than the background color and embroider it into a dark pattern."
As Qingwen spoke, she looked for a similar color in the embroidery frame to show her: "That's about the same effect."
"Then let's embroider a qilin pattern," Lin Daiyu said with a smile. "Draw me a pattern first, and I'll try to embroider it."
She wasn't usually this careful when doing needlework, but now I don't know what's wrong with her—it's all Third Brother's fault.
Mu Chuan sneezed.
Sigh... When we went out today, Daiyu gave him those two demure glances, which really gave me a sweet yet tantalizing feeling, like being in love.
Wait a moment--
fall in love?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com