Chapter 73: This is what Master Bao gave the young lady—to have Zijuan sweep the floor at the Yihong Courtyard…
Lin Daiyu did not deny that her maternal grandmother treated her better than the three sisters.
But what about their personalities? If they were truly good, who would develop such a personality?
Everyone is equally sensitive and suspicious; even Tan Chun has to deliberately act tough.
Besides Jia Baoyu and Shi Xiangyun, who else can be called innocent?
As for Jia Baoyu—
"I advise you not to trust your Second Master Bao too much. Do you still remember how Jin Chuan died? Even if it was kept secret at the time, it's been several years, and I can still hear about it. You couldn't possibly not know."
"Yes... Madam only warned her that she would be called back in a couple of days."
"I won't talk about Madam!" Lin Daiyu said sternly. "I'll only ask you, has your Second Master Bao ever said a word for Jin Chuan?"
Zijuan retorted, "Madam is in a bad mood right now. If Master Bao says something, who knows if Madam will take it out on Jin Chuan? Wouldn't that make things even more difficult for Jin Chuan?"
Lin Daiyu felt that she wasn't angry. If Zijuan thought the same way, then she really had nothing to be angry about.
"And then what happened? Madam asked Yuchuan to serve your Second Master Bao meals, and what did he do?"
Zijuan hesitated and refused to speak.
“You also think it’s inappropriate,” Lin Daiyu said, enunciating each word clearly. “He coaxed Yu Chuan into having a sip of soup first. He just caused the death of her sister, and he never apologized or repented. He just thought that as long as he made Yu Chuan laugh and gave her a sip of soup, the matter would be over.”
"No, Miss, you've misunderstood Master Bao. He was just worried that Yu Chuan would be sad, and he did go to pay his respects to Jin Chuan later."
"Do you even believe it yourself?" Lin Daiyu asked her. "Yuchuan just lost her sister. Do you think it's right for him to treat Yuchuan like this?"
“If Master Bao does anything wrong, Miss, just tell him. He always listens to what you say,” Zijuan said hurriedly.
Lin Daiyu turned and went to the inner room: "I need to rest. Today is the last time. If you dare to say anything more, I will never tolerate you again."
Zijuan was caught up in her emotions and didn't listen to any of this. She only thought that her mistress had been deceived by the Earl of Zhongyong, which was why she had become estranged from the Rongguo Mansion and misunderstood Bao Erye's true feelings. She knelt all the way and followed Lin Daiyu into the inner room.
“Miss, Master Bao is still young, but the Marquis of Zhongyong has already set his mind on things. He is the one who doesn’t keep his promises. Don’t be fooled by him. Even if he has power and influence, how can power compare to sincerity? He sent all these things to you just to deceive you.”
Lin Daiyu chuckled. She suddenly realized that Zijuan was quite naive; no wonder she admired Jia Baoyu so much.
Her daily necessities, whether food, clothing, or other items, all cost a fortune. Otherwise, why would the servants call them "Miss Deputy"?
"Let me ask you first, has your Second Master Bao fulfilled the promise he made to you?"
Zijuan opened her mouth and said, "Master Bao said that if we live, we live together; if we die, we turn to ashes and smoke together."
Lin Daiyu's sneer turned even more mocking: "Jin Chuan'er is dead, but he's still alive and well, isn't he?"
“Jin Chuan’er is different from the young lady,” Zi Juan explained.
"There's nothing different; it's all in his heart."
Lin Daiyu recalled that Ouguan was caught burning paper money in the Grand View Garden by the old woman, but Jia Baoyu covered it up. Later, fearing that others would be implicated, Ouguan told her everything, including what Jia Baoyu had said that Fangguan had told her.
In short, remarrying and reminiscing about one's ex are not mutually exclusive.
Even without Lin Daiyu, there is still Xue Baochai; even without Xiren, there is still Sheyue; even without Qingwen, there is still Yuwen.
"Even if you, Zijuan, are gone, there's still Dujuan."
“Miss?” Zijuan didn’t understand, so she simply ignored it and focused on saying that Zhongyong was bad. “I asked Zhongyong before, and he promised to take care of the young lady’s marriage and to match the young lady with Master Bao. He is so untrustworthy. How can he be a gentleman?”
“I know.” At this point, Lin Daiyu was no longer sleepy. “You must have been deceived by the Earl of Zhongyong. He would never have agreed to match me with Jia Baoyu. He must have agreed to test Jia Baoyu.”
Although Zijuan couldn't understand the underlying sentiment, she heard the words, "You've definitely been deceived by Lord Zhongyong," and "Girl! Since you know Lord Zhongyong is a liar, you should sever ties with him!"
"You can leave now." Lin Daiyu was already sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm sleepy."
Seeing that even this couldn't move the young lady, Zijuan became increasingly anxious. In the past, no matter what she said or how she advised the young lady, the young lady would always listen to a few words. But today, no matter what she said, the young lady always had a reason to refute her.
...But she was doing it for the girl's own good.
Bao Erye, who grew up with her since childhood, knows her inside and out. The Rongguo Mansion is the young lady's maternal grandparents' home, her sister-in-law is her cousin, her mother-in-law is her second maternal uncle's wife. The young lady has lived in the Rongguo Mansion for more days than in the Lin family. It is a first-class Duke's mansion. Her eldest cousin is still a concubine in the palace. How come she... doesn't like it?
Zijuan leaned closer, lowered her head, and dared not look into the girl's eyes. Instead, she said in a desperate tone, "Miss, Lord Zhongyong has ill intentions. He took you out without any proper status, clearly intending to ruin your reputation. Think about it carefully, Lord Zhongyong has a mother and a sister at home. Why couldn't he use someone else's name? Why did he have to parade you around in the city and let everyone see you?"
"Reputation?" Lin Daiyu sneered. "It's especially laughable to hear that word from the mouth of someone from the Jia family!"
Lin Daiyu grabbed a robe from the bedside and put it on, then called out, "Who's outside? Call Yuanyang over! Go quickly!"
When she heard the sound of a door opening and closing outside, Lin Daiyu turned her attention back to Zijuan.
Zijuan was trembling all over, but since things had come to this point, she would accept it even if the girl chased her away.
...The young lady might not necessarily chase her away. She was given to the young lady by the old lady, and the young lady had a special relationship with her. The two often slept in the same bed. Although they were mistress and servant, they were as close as sisters.
“If the young lady doesn’t break off her relationship with him soon, and he ruins her reputation, then… even without a dowry, she’ll have no choice but to go to the Marquis of Zhongyong’s mansion.”
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Lin Daiyu was genuinely angry for the first time tonight. "I'm asking you, have you seen the gifts I've received these past two days?"
Zijuan nodded.
Lin Daiyu asked again, "Who sent it?"
“Is it… Lord Ran?” Zijuan recalled, “There was also a high-ranking official from the Hanlin Academy, and I can’t remember the other one.”
That's a completely irrelevant answer.
“They are my father’s colleagues!” Lin Daiyu asked again, “Why didn’t they come before? Why did they have to come now?”
Before Zijuan could answer, Lin Daiyu continued, "Because they had come before, but the Rongguo Mansion politely declined, saying that I was ill. Even when the Earl of Zhongyong just came, the Rongguo Mansion said that I was ill."
When people are angry, they use up their breath very quickly. Lin Daiyu took two deep breaths and said, "They are coming now not because I am cured, but because the Earl of Zhongyong took me out so that people in the capital would know that there is still a me, that Lin Daiyu is still alive. Everyone in the capital knows him, and slowly, everyone will know me."
"But we can't disregard the young lady's reputation," Zijuan said anxiously. "There must be other ways. What would people think if word got out and they saw this?"
"Tell me, what's the solution?" Lin Daiyu countered.
"Yes...we can send the invitation!"
"How should it be sent? To whom should it be sent? How should the invitation be written? I originally had no idea how many colleagues or old friends my father had. Now, ten years have passed, how many of these people are still alive, and who is in the capital? I don't know, so how could you?"
Moreover, the Rongguo Mansion even dared to forge replies.
“You’re talking to me about reputation? When Jia Baoyu wanted to come into my room, why didn’t you mention your reputation? When he made frivolous and offensive remarks, why didn’t you mention your reputation either? Not only did you not mention it, you even laughed on the side, served him tea, and told me not to take it to heart.”
Lin Daiyu slowly sat down: "I've lived in the Rongguo Mansion for over ten years and didn't know a single person. But since I met Third Brother, I've gotten to know quite a few girls. My father's colleagues and old friends have also come looking for me, and I'm able to go out again. Zijuan has also gone out with me a few times. Are there not even half a woman on the street?"
Zijuan cried softly.
Lin Daiyu then asked, "Your eldest aunt, second aunt, and Sister Feng often go out to socialize, don't you see that?"
Zijuan sobbed, "But they are ladies, and the young lady is an unmarried girl."
"If you don't learn when you're a young girl, do you think you can become a natural once you get married? I didn't live this kind of life before, and I shouldn't be living this kind of life. Zijuan, I can't keep you here anymore. When Yuanyang comes, you should go with her."
Lin Daiyu fell silent, while Zijuan knelt on the ground and sobbed.
It was quiet outside until the mandarin ducks came over.
"girl?"
Lin Daiyu stood up and said coldly, "I don't like this maid, Zijuan. My second aunt also thinks it's improper for me to have another maid in my room. Where do you think I should put her? I'll take her too—"
"Miss!" Zijuan suddenly burst into tears. "Miss, please don't chase me away. I promise I'll never do it again, and I won't speak ill of Marquis Zhongyong anymore, Master Bao—"
Yuanyang quickly stood in front of her to block the person, then turned around and shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about! What do you mean the young lady chased you away? When you were in the old lady's room, did you dare to be so angry with her?"
Zijuan cried so hard she could barely breathe. Yuanyang pulled her up and scolded her with exasperation, "Just for making the young lady angry before she went to sleep, you're not a good maid!"
"Don't scold her anymore," Lin Daiyu said coldly. "Even if you scold her again, I won't keep her here."
Yuanyang looked troubled: "Miss... after all, Zijuan has served you for many years and knows your needs well—"
"Can't I just say whether I'm cold or hot?" Lin Daiyu retorted. "Who in this room is a fool? Besides, she doesn't even know whether I'm cold or hot."
Yuanyang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Miss, I'll take her with me now. You should rest well. If you need anything else, just send someone to call me."
Lin Daiyu nodded: "It's getting dark, be careful on the road."
After seeing the two off, Lin Daiyu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, even feeling a little relaxed.
She was truly terrified of Zijuan.
Zijuan often advised her: "Miss, don't be sad. You have Master Bao to keep you company, and the other girls to keep you company. The old lady also cares about you. What is there to be sad about?"
At first glance, this statement seems fine, but upon closer examination, it makes it sound as if she is ungrateful.
That's fine, anyway, after hearing it a few more times, it will just go in one ear and out the other.
What she feared most was that Zijuan and Jia Baoyu were too close, especially in the last two years, as Zijuan was determined to marry Jia Baoyu.
So what did Zijuan do? She drove Jia Baoyu mad, and even made him beg his maternal grandmother for help, and even went to Aunt Xue for help.
Especially Aunt Xue, hadn't she ever heard of a perfect match?
She even had to ask her third brother for help.
It's true that her maternal grandmother could barely manage to arrange her marriage, but when it came to Jia Baoyu's marriage, it was his second maternal uncle who truly made the decisions, even the old lady had to take a backseat.
Lin Daiyu lay in bed, the blanket pulled up to cover her chin, when she remembered something else.
Yuanyang didn't put much effort into persuading her today and quickly took Zijuan away. Was it because she was afraid of Third Brother, or because she was afraid that Zijuan would say something?
Yuanyang pulled Zijuan out, wanting to ask what had been said, but Zijuan just cried and repeated the same few sentences over and over.
"The girl doesn't want me anymore."
"I was clearly doing this for the girl's own good."
"The Marquis of Zhongyong is not a good person."
Yuanyang breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from the situation just now and hearing what she said, she probably didn't say "I heard from the old lady" or "I heard from Sister Yuanyang".
However, Yuanyang wasn't too worried. Zijuan was a bit stubborn and a bit silly. Yuanyang had given her very clever advice, but it was just the beginning. After that, Zijuan would think that everything else was her own idea.
Yuanyang led her all the way to Grandmother Jia's courtyard, arranged for her to sleep in a half-empty room in the back building, and then returned to Grandmother Jia's room.
Grandmother Jia was still awake, especially after Yuanyang came back saying, "Miss Lin wants me to come over." This made it even harder for her to fall asleep.
Yuanyang went in, bowed, and sat down next to Grandmother Jia. She whispered, "Zijuan probably said that Miss Lin wants to kick her out."
Grandmother Jia sighed, "Yu'er and I have grown distant..."
“Miss Lin is still too young, and she has always been too well protected by the old lady,” Yuanyang comforted her. “When she gets older, she will naturally understand the old lady’s good intentions.”
Grandmother Jia hummed in agreement and asked, "What are your plans for arranging that maid?"
After pondering for a moment, Yuanyang asked, "Let's arrange for her to stay in the back room for two days. After Miss Lin's birthday, we can take her to pack her things slowly and see if she will change her mind. If not, we can arrange for her to sweep the floors at Yihong Courtyard."
"You little rascal," Grandmother Jia chuckled. "Let's do it this way."
Yuanyang came out and breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew that the old lady still held a grudge against Zijuan, especially after she had tested Bao Erye and made the whole family know that Bao Erye couldn't live without Miss Lin.
The old lady didn't want anyone to know that Master Bao and Miss Lin were a couple, no matter what the reason was.
She was afraid that the two would develop feelings for each other and ruin their reputation; or perhaps she didn't want to settle things so early, and the old lady had other plans for their marriage. In any case, the old lady was unwilling.
Zijuan's attempt ruined the old lady's plan, but the old lady couldn't show her anger at the time, because if she did, she would only confirm the rumor.
Zijuan, that simple-minded fool, should have had a bright future. At first, she did her job very well, and she spoke highly of Master Bao and the old lady to Miss Lin. But who made her go and test Master Bao?
The old lady remembered her from then on.
As for sending him to sweep the floors at the brothel, that would be even better.
Zijuan and Bao Erye had a special relationship, but the Yihong Courtyard was a place where... Lin Zhixiao and his wife, the upright stewards of the Rongguo Mansion, were only ranked after Lai Da—now that the Lai family was all dead, Lin Zhixiao had become the head steward of the Rongguo Mansion.
Even their daughters would be ostracized in the brothel.
Zijuan was kicked out, and since Master Bao still liked her, her situation was even more precarious.
Besides, sweeping is a job that involves being exposed to wind, sun, and rain. After two months, your face will become rough and your hands will develop calluses.
Throughout his life, Master Bao has only ever been close to the skilled maids who serve him in his room. Who has ever seen him go out and play with the rough maids outside?
When the time comes and Master Bao's favor is gone, Zijuan herself will be the first to suffer.
Yuanyang sighed. Who could blame her for being so stubborn and foolish?
"Sigh..." Grandmother Jia also sighed. She asked Zijuan to speak ill of the Marquis of Zhongyong, but Yu'er chased Zijuan away.
It is clear that Yu'er has drifted apart from her and is wholeheartedly devoted to the Earl of Zhongyong.
The Earl of Zhongyong was a farmer by birth. He was vulgar and domineering. When he got angry, he even dared to demolish the main hall of the Ministry of Revenue.
Such a person, if suddenly encountered by a young woman from a secluded family, would indeed be bewitching.
Moreover, she always disciplined Yu'er strictly because she wanted what was best for her.
But if they really got married, Yu'er, a delicate and well-educated woman, would not be able to live with someone who could barely read.
But it doesn't matter. She has already planted a seed through Zijuan. Now she needs to consider which maids to give to Yu'er as part of her dowry. She can then offer advice when Yu'er is in a bad situation, so that she can keep her distance from the Earl of Zhongyong and remind her of her loving grandmother.
"Sigh..." Grandmother Jia sighed again. Actually, Zijuan was also a good candidate. She was a servant born into the Jia family and could find more than twenty relatives in the Ning and Rong mansions.
"What a pity. She may be a bit clumsy, but she's a useful maid." Grandmother Jia said this with regret, but her words were full of satisfaction. "And the Marquis of Zhongyong, he offended the Rongguo Mansion, so he deserves to live a bad life."
Lin Daiyu got excited when she should have been sleeping, and by the time she fell asleep again, it was already quite late, so she naturally woke up late the next morning.
The maids originally wanted to call her, since the manor was still celebrating her birthday today, but Xueyan stopped them: "Tell the young lady to sleep a little longer."
Since someone had made the decision, these people stopped talking.
Lin Daiyu slept until the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM) before getting up. She felt refreshed and seemed to have had a dream, but she couldn't remember it. However, it must have been a good dream.
After dressing up and having breakfast, she changed back into her light green dress. As usual, she wore the twelve flower goddess velvet flowers given to her by the Empress, but today she wore peach blossom ones.
When they arrived at her maternal grandmother's main hall, everyone was seated again. Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Yesterday I said I wanted to rest, and you all agreed. It seems I'm the only one who's tired, while you all arrived earlier than the other."
"They just arrived too," Grandmother Jia said with a smile.
“How can listening to opera be tiring?” Tan Chun laughed along. “Thanks to Sister Lin, I can listen to opera for three days straight. I suddenly feel that the two handkerchiefs I gave you were a bit too thin.”
Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Grandmother, how about we put on a three-day opera performance every year for whose birthday it is? I remember that my second aunt's birthday is on the first day of the third lunar month—"
Madam Wang interrupted her with a smile: "I don't celebrate my birthday; I'm going to eat vegetarian food that day."
"It's alright," Lin Daiyu said with a smile. "Second Aunt, just eat vegetarian food and we'll enjoy ourselves."
Grandmother Jia laughed loudly, "That's right, I'm just using your name to have some fun. It doesn't matter whether you come or not."
Lin Daiyu continued, "The second day of the third month is the birthday of Sister Tanchun, as well as Brother Lian, Sister Yun, and Aunt Xue."
She paused for a moment: "Sister Yun should have gone home by now. It's Brother Lian's birthday...Sister Feng should hire an opera troupe, right? Aunt Xue has been staying at the Rongguo Mansion for quite some time now, shouldn't she hire an opera troupe to thank her host?"
You've said everything!
You're actually taking charge now!
The Wang sisters may have had their complaints, but neither of them dared to spoil the mood.
Madam Wang laughed and said, "That's right. You've called her Sister Feng for over ten years, so it's time to ask her to contribute some money."
Aunt Xue added, "Whenever the old lady has time, please do me the honor of coming."
"I'm an old lady, all I do is eat and sleep, I'm free every day! Once you've discussed it, just send out the invitations. Hmm, it would be best if it were around the middle of the month."
Lin Daiyu turned her head away and winked at Sanchun.
The room was filled with a joyful atmosphere, as if the maid Zijuan didn't exist.
After lunch and half a day of opera, Lin Daiyu's birthday celebration was over.
But she couldn't help but feel a little excited, wondering what it would be like to go out with her third brother.
My third brother gets to celebrate two birthdays a year, so can she.
On the morning of February 14th, Lin Daiyu was practicing calligraphy when she saw Yuanyang bringing Zijuan over.
Zijuan's eyes were red, and her face was swollen.
Yuanyang came over and replied, "Miss, I brought her here to pack her things."
Lin Daiyu put down her pen, nodded, and said, "Xueyan, you decide who to arrange to accompany them."
"I'll keep an eye on things," Xueyan said. To avoid any future disputes, the maid needed someone to watch over her as she packed up and moved out. But Zijuan was the head maid, and it wasn't appropriate for anyone else to do it, so only she could manage it.
Lin Daiyu nodded: "Tell her to leave after you've finished packing. You don't need to tell me."
Xueyan responded and went out to watch Zijuan pack her things. Yuanyang saw her off and then left.
Xiaoxiang Pavilion is not a large place. Although Zijuan is a senior maid, she always keeps her things carefully stored away, otherwise there would be no room for them.
Before long, she finished packing her things, then brought another package and said to Xueyan, "This is for you, Miss."
Xueyan looked at what she had packed and said, "Don't make things difficult for me. These don't belong to the young lady; they belong to Master Bao."
Zijuan, who was already wiping away tears from time to time, started crying again. With a burst of strength, she pushed Xueyan aside and rushed into Lin Daiyu's room, where she knelt down with a thud.
"Miss, this is a keepsake from Master Bao." She held the package up, but her hands trembled, and the loosely packed package quickly fell to the ground.
Lin Daiyu took a look and saw two name-carrying talismans that she had obtained from Qingxu Temple and used, as well as a sash from her belt, and some purses and fan covers, all of which had been used by Jia Baoyu.
"For me? No wonder Xiren always says that Master Bao can't find his things. Since you picked them up, why don't you take them to her?" Lin Daiyu sneered.
"This was clearly left by you. Name-binding talismans are replaced every year, and used ones are burned and buried in the ground. And what's the belt for? It's something you tie around your waist to fasten your clothes. You dare to keep something like that? And now you're trying to pin it on me! And this purse and fan cover, are they for me? I've been here for over ten years, and everyone knows I don't like old things! It's a good thing I chased you away, otherwise I wouldn't have any reputation left! Xueyan, go get a brazier!"
"Girl! Girl!" Ziju cried out.
There were many old women in the courtyard during the day, and Lin Daiyu called two more old women to stop Zijuan and burn all those things.
"You've reminded me," Lin Daiyu said, taking out several old handkerchiefs from the trunk. "See these? These are the things he gave me. I can accept them myself. Don't think I don't know. You went to take care of him once, and you left him the mirror too. Don't tell me you don't know what giving a mirror means? You don't care about your reputation, but you'll ruin mine!"
Lin Daiyu also threw the old handkerchiefs into the brazier.
Zijuan watched the wisps of smoke rising from the brazier and cried out in a deafening voice, "Miss! Miss!"
Since things had come to this, the old women dared not wait for Lin Daiyu's orders to act. They quickly helped Zijuan out and sent her back to Grandmother Jia's backyard, subtly advising her, "You are, after all, just a maid. How can you make decisions for a young lady?"
After seeing Zijuan off, Lin Daiyu didn't care what they were saying in private. In short, she had a very leisurely two days until February 16th, when she had to go teach her third brother.
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