Chapter 22 I did something rude to my third brother: "I want to eat red date stew..."
"Once you feel better, I'll teach you Five Animal Frolics, Tai Chi, or Eight Pieces of Brocade, and see which one you prefer."
"I...I don't know either. Maybe I'll like them all," Lin Daiyu replied. She didn't know if that day would ever come, or if her grandmother would agree, but she felt that as long as she didn't have to interact with anyone from the Rongguo Mansion, it didn't matter who it was, and the more time she spent with them, the better.
Perhaps... he is the Marquis of Zhongyong, he has a way.
“Then let’s all practice.” Mu Chuan said gently, “Practicing once a day won’t take much effort.” Practicing is also a way of spending time together.
"But you need to eat more," Mu Chuan advised again. "You've lost some weight. Practicing those exercises also consumes your qi and blood. Do you prefer lamb or beef? Ribs or fish? A stew of black-boned chicken would be excellent, with some yam and red dates to replenish qi and blood and strengthen the spleen."
Lin Daiyu thought for a moment: "There's nothing I really like to eat, but I had a dish of red dates and pork ribs stewed at home before, and I'm actually craving it."
Yuanyang, who had been standing in the corner, suddenly said, "Miss, when you have a cold, you should mainly fast."
She meant well, after all, once she got back, she would have to tell Grandmother Jia everything they had said. Grandmother Jia had been unusually sensitive these past few days; what if she heard something about "previously at home" and felt that Miss Lin had become distant from her?
Upon hearing this, Mu Chuan frowned, stood up, and his height and build were unique even in an open space. The sense of oppression he exuded in the room was even more terrifying. He picked up the teapot on the table and walked over to Yuanyang.
Yuanyang shrank back in fright, thinking that Uncle Zhongyong was going to hit her with the teapot.
"Go and get some black tea. I don't drink this. Da Hong Pao or Qimen black tea are fine." His voice was extremely cold, and his face was completely expressionless.
The mandarin ducks were terrified and quickly grabbed the teapot and left.
Mu Chuan glared at the maidservant in the room. The maidservant's legs went weak with fright. She thought to herself, "Master Bao is gone, and Sister Yuanyang is gone too. What am I supposed to do here?" Without saying a word, the maidservant stammered, "This servant will go and bring tea and snacks," and left.
Mu Chuan sat down in the chair next to Lin Daiyu and said, "Don't listen to that maid's nonsense. What does she know? You're so thin. Getting sick is already exhausting. If you starve, you'll starve to death."
He also wanted to put Jia Baoyu down, for example: with his physique, he could go hungry for ten days or half a month without any problem if he got sick.
But then he felt that since it was only the second time they had met, saying such a thing would make him seem neither dignified nor respectful of his elders.
I had no choice but to endure it.
But there was no one with the surname Jia in the room, and Lin Daiyu suddenly felt a sense of relief.
An unprecedented sense of ease.
She took a deep breath, smiled at Mu Chuan, and didn't know why she said this: "...Third Brother, they always let me go hungry."
This was actually a lie. Her appetite was indeed not very good, and the medicine was also unpalatable. She had to take three bowls of medicine a day, and since she didn't go out much in the winter, she had no appetite to eat.
To her surprise, Mu Chuan's response was completely different from what she had expected.
"Your cooking skills are terrible. If I made your favorite dishes every day, you would eat half a bowl more."
Is that so? Lin Daiyu subconsciously looked at him. Mu Chuan nodded firmly.
Who decides on the dishes for the kitchen?
Lin Daiyu thought for a moment: "Some of the seasonal fresh vegetables were sent over, and some dishes... were arranged by my maternal grandmother, my second aunt, and my second sister-in-law Lian, who were in charge of the kitchen."
"That settles it. The menu they decided on must be something they like; they've already gone through a round of selections."
That...sounds really reasonable.
So it's not that I'm picky about food? Or that I'm difficult to please?
Mu Chuan chuckled indulgently, "Everyone has their own preferences, that's normal. You just can't choose what you like." He quickly added, realizing his words were a bit out of line, "I just love red radishes, they're sweet and crunchy and not spicy at all. My kitchen has shredded radishes every few days."
Lin Daiyu smiled, revealing two small dimples: "I don't believe it. You can't have grown so tall by eating radishes."
"I also love beef ribs, lamb legs, pork ribs, and beggar's chicken."
This time, Lin Daiyu smiled and revealed eight pearl-like teeth: "That's more like it."
Her smile was incredibly beautiful. Mu Chuan, who was still the elder at the moment, casually looked away, as if he didn't care at all.
"Look what I brought you this time." Mu Chuan took out a rather large wooden box and pushed it in front of Lin Daiyu.
Lin Daiyu opened it and was both surprised and disappointed: "It really is a rattle drum."
Mu Chuan took out the largest one and spun it around a couple of times: "It has a crisp sound. I was the one who played the war drums when we went to war. This one can be used to practice rhythm."
The thought of such a tall and mighty general spinning a rattle drum on a daily basis made Lin Daiyu quite amused.
She also knew a few musical instruments, and based on her experience, she thought this was nonsense, but Mu Chuan's face didn't seem like someone who could talk nonsense.
"Let me try." Lin Daiyu took one out with some skepticism, turned it around a couple of times, and suddenly froze.
She recalled things she seemed to have forgotten long ago, or rather, things she deliberately dared not recall.
She had several rattles when she was a child.
I seem to remember a scene like this.
—Yu'er, this is a new rattle drum that your father made for you. Do you like it?
—How can you use ivory to make a rattle for a child? What if you can't lift it and it gets smashed in their face? I won't stand for that.
—Oh dear, look at my brain, I'll change to a wooden handle tomorrow.
The sunshine was warm, the laughter was warm, even the sound of the rattle drum was warm.
Lin Daiyu looked up at Mu Chuan, and tears streamed down her face.
Mu Chuan was so startled he almost jumped up. He stood in front of Lin Daiyu and asked, "What happened?"
The next second, Lin Daiyu buried her face in his waist and abdomen and began to sob softly.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Mu Chuan said helplessly. He tore off the outer half-body armor, stood back up, and gently patted Lin Daiyu's back.
In winter, Mu Chuan also wears a padded coat underneath, which is soft and warm.
Because I wore armor over it, and this outfit was very warm.
Lin Daiyu silently shed tears as she remembered everything she had deliberately forgotten.
It's all gone...
The Xiaoxiang Pavilion has three rooms, one bright and two dark, and two small retreat rooms in the courtyard, where all her maids live and all her belongings are kept.
There was nothing else.
"Third Brother..." Lin Daiyu called out, remained silent for a long time, and finally said, "Being sick is really uncomfortable."
Noticing Lin Daiyu gently nudging him, Mu Chuan sat back down in his chair, slightly lifting his sleeve to show her the scars on his arm.
“I know. I have a scar on my chest that's even bigger than this. I was almost unconscious for the first ten days and stayed in bed for a month before I could get up. So you need to eat well, you need to—”
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside. Mu Chuan paused, but Lin Daiyu was a little nervous. She subconsciously glanced at the nail polish he had taken off on the chair next to her. It was the same style as the one she had given to Baoyu last time, except that it wasn't gilded.
Yuanyang returned, carrying a teapot. She had just been startled by Mu Chuan and hadn't noticed that there wasn't a single maid in the room.
Returning so late was not her wish, mainly because the tea that Uncle Zhongyong wanted was too picky.
If they wanted a red robe, they could only wait for the emperor to bestow it upon them; the Jia family did not have one.
Qimen black tea is not easy to obtain. The old lady in my family prefers Lu'an melon seed tea, and Qimen black tea is not available to her.
Finally, I found some Lapsang Souchong to brew.
Mu Chuan wasn't nervous at all, and he certainly wouldn't make Miss Lin nervous.
“That one—” He deliberately paused to think of a name: “Where did Baoyu go?”
Yuanyang placed the teapot on the table and poured Mu Chuan another cup, only to find that no one was in the room.
Mu Chuan raised his chin slightly and pointed to the Ming armor on the chair: "The one I gave him last time was for important occasions. This one is for practicing riding and archery on ordinary days. Call him over and I'll test his horse stance."
Lin Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief, her rationality returning, and she realized how rude she had been. She kept her head down, not daring to look up, and her cheeks burned.
Yuanyang found his submissive and silent demeanor quite reassuring.
Furthermore, the fact that she brought up the topic of Master Bao when she came in made everyone feel even more at ease, and it also made it easier to explain to the old lady: "Miss Lin mentioned Master Bao to Uncle Zhongyong."
Doesn't this subtly align with the old lady's wish that Baoyu would take the opportunity to go out and broaden his horizons, and also get to know more powerful and influential people?
Besides, Miss Lin didn't know what was written in the letter, which proved that she was still on the same page as the old lady. The old lady hadn't been very fond of Miss Lin these past two days, so this report would hopefully reduce the amount of grievances she suffered.
The problem is... where is Master Bao?
Yuanyang frowned and lowered her head: "This servant will go find Master Bao right away."
She ran out, beckoned several maids and servants, and said in a low but stern voice, "Go find Master Bao, quickly!"
Where is Jia Baoyu right now?
When he went out, he felt as if he had been pricked, and his whole body felt uncomfortable. No one knows what he was thinking. He took a turn and went to his master's, Jia Zheng's, study.
—A place he would normally avoid at all costs.
Compared to the unusually robust and loyal Earl, the master didn't seem so scary.
As soon as he entered, he remembered his wife's instructions: "Tidi up your husband's study, so as to show your filial piety."
But the most household chores Jia Baoyu ever did were pouring tea for the maids and combing their hair when he was in a good mood. He didn't know how to tidy up, so after standing in the middle of the room and looking around, he lay down on the soft couch.
After hearing voices calling for him outside, he dared not go out. So he simply closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Who would have thought that Jia Baoyu was hiding in the second master's outer study?
They even searched the stables and looked for maids and servants, but no one thought to go and check on the second master's study.
Yuanyang waited outside for news. Lin Daiyu had cried, but she felt much better after being comforted.
Moreover, this was the first time she had ever seen someone not treat Jia Baoyu as a treasure, and the first time she had ever seen someone not take Yuanyang seriously.
There's a sense of exhilaration, like finally being able to take control after being suppressed for so long.
Lin Daiyu whispered to Mu Chuan, "Third Brother, when will you come to see me next time?"
"Two—" Mu Chuan paused after saying just one word. Two days was definitely not enough; he would have to be on the road all day.
“I can come every three to five days,” Mu Chuan explained. “After the ancestral hall is repaired and the ancestral worship is held, I will live in the capital permanently.”
Lin Daiyu was somewhat disappointed and pressed on, "Then shouldn't we choose a date for ancestral worship?"
Mu Chuan smiled and said, "I don't believe in that. Since they are our own ancestors, any day is a good day for worship."
This sounded quite reasonable. Lin Daiyu suddenly felt that this third brother was indeed worthy of being an elder. Although his words were always surprising, they were exceptionally convincing.
Although I'd like to continue the conversation, there's still a blame to be placed on Jia Baoyu.
Mu Chuan stood up: "I'll take my leave now."
"I'll see my third brother off."
Hearing a noise inside, Yuanyang came in again. In the dead of winter in the capital, the north wind was howling, and Yuanyang was covered in sweat.
"grown ups--"
"No need to say anything more." Mu Chuan interrupted her, picked up the tea poured by Yuanyang, smelled it, and said coldly, "This is neither Da Hong Pao nor Qimen black tea. This is just the Rongguo Mansion's way of treating guests!"
The reason is simple: although Mu Chuan can only distinguish between black tea, green tea, and flower tea, he definitely doesn't have Da Hong Pao from Rongguo Mansion. Qimen black tea is also very fragrant, while that cup of tea has no aroma at all.
Mandarin ducks were sweating profusely.
Mu Chuan turned and left the main hall, with Lin Daiyu following behind. As she passed Yuanyang, she whispered a sarcastic remark: "You should prepare something, don't try to fool the guests."
After saying that, her heart started pounding again; she was so wicked.
After leaving the main hall, Mu Chuan was waiting for her ahead. Lin Daiyu followed him to the ceremonial gate, and this was the second time she had seen what the outside of the ceremonial gate looked like.
Seeing that Mu Chuan was about to leave, Lin Daiyu mustered up her courage and said, "Third Brother, you should think about what to give Baoyu next time."
Mu Chuan chuckled, only to see that Lin Daiyu had already turned and left.
"That's really...good."
Lin Daiyu returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion in a good mood. It was almost lunchtime. When Zijuan saw her return, she asked with concern, "Are you tired, Miss? Would you like to rest for a while?"
Lin Daiyu shook her head: "Tell them to bring me food, I'm hungry."
Zijuan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to go out when Lin Daiyu called her back.
"Also, I'd like a plate of finely shredded red radish and a bowl of clear chicken soup, with the oil skimmed off and only the meat from the leg."
Zijuan said worriedly, "Miss, you're not fully recovered yet, so you shouldn't eat too much oily food. Master Bao also said that if you eat too much, your pulse will..." She couldn't remember what he meant, so she said, "You shouldn't eat too much."
Lin Daiyu said coldly, "I can't order you around anymore. How about I ask the old lady to let you serve Baoyu?"
“Miss…I’ll go right away.”
Lin Daiyu sat by the window and picked up a rattle drum to spin it. The rhythmic thumping sound made her lips curl up.
She had only been at peace for a short while, and had barely eaten two bites of food when someone from Grandmother Jia's side came to fetch her.
Lin Daiyu followed the maid inside, and as soon as she entered, she saw Grandmother Jia anxiously asking, "Where has Baoyu gone? Do you know?"
Oh no! She's completely forgotten about Baoyu.
Lin Daiyu didn't lie at all, nor did she cover for him: "Baoyu said he was going to hurry up with the tea, and he never came back after he left. Later, Sister Yuanyang even sent someone to look for him, but they couldn't find him. The Marquis of Zhongyong was a little angry and left before Baoyu could wait. I originally wanted to invite him to stay for dinner, but it was Baoyu's turn to speak, and it wasn't appropriate for me to do so."
Similar to what Yuanyang had said, Grandmother Jia sighed and complained to the Marquis of Zhongyong: "He must have frightened Baoyu! He even left a Mingjia for Baoyu. Baoyu is weak-willed and frail. If he frightens Baoyu, I will definitely not forgive him!"
In a daze, Lin Daiyu recalled the time when she was reading to Baoyu, and it seemed that her maternal grandmother had also scolded her second maternal uncle in the same way.
Perhaps because she had just met with the Earl of Zhongyong, Lin Daiyu felt no sadness at all. She even had the quick wit to comfort Grandmother Jia: "Baoyu is always the most filial. He certainly won't keep you waiting long, Grandmother. He'll probably be back soon."
No sooner had the words been spoken than Yuanyang's joyful voice came from outside: "Grandmother, we've found Master Bao!"
Soon, a dejected Jia Baoyu followed Yuanyang in. Grandmother Jia was so anxious that she stood up herself: "Come here quickly and let me see! Where have you been hiding? We've been looking for you all this way!"
He fell asleep in the master's study, and then woke up hungry.
Of course, the truth cannot be told.
Jia Baoyu lowered his head and said meekly, "...I went out to urge the tea and waited for a while, otherwise it would be impolite to go in alone. The master's study is right next door. I remembered that the madam asked me to tidy up the master's study last time, so I went in to take a look. When I thought about how the master has been sent to a place for more than two years, and in such a place, I wondered how much suffering the master had endured. I was a little absent-minded and did not hear them calling me."
Hearing him say this, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but sigh: "Your father treated you so badly, yet you are still so filial. That's very good!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu raised her eyebrows. Could her grandmother really believe it?
In the past, she was never very active when faced with such matters and never thought about them much. But today, for some reason, she felt that... everything in the Rongguo Mansion was out of place.
"Hurry up and eat, eat here!" Grandmother Jia said in a deep voice first, then added gently, "Don't do this again, it makes me worry."
The food in Grandmother Jia's room was always the best, and it was specially reserved for Jia Baoyu, making it even better.
The maids in Baoyu's room ate better than Yingchun.
Lin Daiyu had only taken two bites when she was summoned. She was so hungry... she had never been so hungry before. And considering that she would have to walk back to eat, she sat down next to Baoyu and smiled at him: "I'll eat with you. Eat well and don't think about anything else. Don't make the old lady worry."
Upon hearing this, and recalling Yuanyang's earlier words, Grandmother Jia nodded and smiled, saying, "The two Yu'ers are still the most considerate."
Mu Chuan has returned to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
He first summoned the spies he had sent to the Rongguo Mansion to gather information. After lunch, when the spies returned, Mu Chuan asked, "Did you find out anything? What does Miss Lin like and dislike?"
The spy was an ordinary man in his thirties, the kind you'd easily lose in a crowd, and his name was also quite ordinary: Zhang Qiang.
He frowned slightly and said, "Something's not right about the Rongguo Mansion. Miss Lin... They say Miss Lin is temperamental, picky, doesn't give people a friendly look, is difficult to serve, looks down on servants, and doesn't even respect the respected nannies."
“General, let’s just talk about being picky. For example, our strategist absolutely refuses to eat ginger, even if he’s starving. Can that be called being picky? Or you love red radishes, and you have the choice to eat only those. But Miss Lin doesn’t. She’s just picky.”
"If you ask any further, they'll say that Miss Bao is better than her, that Miss Bao isn't picky and is kind to people. General, this isn't Miss Lin being picky; it's just a rumor spread by Miss Bao."
Mu Chuan felt he deserved to die. He hadn't even sent the finished product directly, but had just let her tell the servants what to eat. How could she possibly give such instructions?
“There’s one more thing…” Zhang Qiang hesitated for a moment: “They say Miss Lin is stingy; she got the best charcoal but refused to share it with everyone.”
"Alright, no need to go." Mu Chuan waved his hand: "You should take your men and guard the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence."
Speaking of this, Zhang Qiang added, "A few days ago, we discovered a guy who always loitered around our gate. My men followed him all the way to the side gate of Rongguo Mansion. Apparently, the master of the house is surnamed Xue, and he has been living in Rongguo Mansion for almost ten years."
Mu Chuan was genuinely shocked. How dare they come to his residence to inquire about news?
"Do I need to teach you what to do? Just handle it the same way you handled it in the military camp before. Linjia Village is near the mountains—forget it, send them to Pingnan Town to work as laborers, there's a labor shortage."
Zhang Qiang took his leave as ordered, and Mu Chuan had only one thing on his mind: Miss Lin had lived in the Jia family for ten years and didn't even have a hobby.
He breathed a sigh of relief and went to find the kitchen manager.
"Do you know how to make red date and pork rib stew?"
The people brought back from Pingnan Town are good at roasting ribs, but they are a little lacking in stewing ribs, and sweet dishes are a completely new area for them.
Mu Chuan hurried to the Marquis of Dingnan's residence. Since the cook at General Li's residence didn't know how to cook, he ended up going to the Wuyue Guild Hall and ordering a Suzhou-style dish of red date stewed pork ribs.
Mu Chuan then summoned Granny Shen, whom he had brought back from Pingnan Town, and asked her to deliver the item to Rongguo Mansion and personally hand it over to Miss Lin. Only then did he return to Dingnan Marquis's Mansion to discuss with General Li which guests to invite.
At the end of the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Grandmother Jia heard that name that gave her a headache again.
"Lord Zhongyong has brought food for Miss Lin."
Grandmother Jia had no interest in investigating such matters. She waved her hand and said, "Send it to her room. Yuanyang, go and do it."
Yuanyang came out and heard the old woman who had reported back say, "At the front gate."
She couldn't help but feel a bit resentful towards the Earl of Zhongyong.
Ordinary servants, like those from the Wang or Zhen families, would wait at the back door. But this servant from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was different; she came to the front door. It's unclear who taught her this custom.
As Yuanyang walked along, she saw a burly, sturdy old woman waiting inside the side gate, which was very much in the style of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.
She recalled being frightened that morning, and her tone softened considerably: "Madam, just give me the things, I'll take them in."
Granny Shen returned from Pingnan Town. Her husband and children all died at the hands of the Beili people, and she also had several Beili people's lives on her hands.
She glared at her and said, "This is meant for Miss Lin. Are you Miss Lin?"
That's impossible.
Before Yuanyang could speak, Granny Shen continued, "Or should I ask the general to come and talk to you?"
Yuanyang was extremely aggrieved. She stepped aside and said, "This way, Mom, please. I'll take you inside."
Granny Shen carried a huge food box and walked faster than the mandarin ducks.
After entering the Grand View Garden and arriving at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Granny Shen finally saw Miss Lin.
No wonder she is Miss Lin, whom everyone in the Marquis of Zhongyong’s mansion is curious about. It’s no wonder that the General spent almost an hour running around all afternoon to order this pot of red date stewed pork ribs for her. If it were her, running around for an hour would be no problem for her too.
A fairy, this is a true fairy.
Granny Shen greeted her with a smile, softening her tone and saying gently, "May Miss Lin be blessed with good health and happiness. I am a servant from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, here on the General's orders to bring you stewed pork ribs with red dates."
Lin Daiyu felt both moved and bittersweet.
It was just a casual mention in the morning, or maybe not so casually, but the food arrived in the afternoon.
Although it was the name of the Wu-Yue Guild Hall, she had never received such a sentiment since she left home for the capital.
"Please thank the general for me." Lin Daiyu then instructed Xueyan, "Take some reward money for this mother."
Although the servants of the Jia family all said that Lin Daiyu was stingy, she was actually the most generous when it came to giving rewards.
Xueyan directly gave Granny Shen a one-tael silver ingot.
Granny Shen initially wanted to refuse, but then she thought, if she returned the silver ingot to the general, then he could choose whatever he wanted.
Granny Shen accepted the tip with a smile: "I'll be going now, please enjoy your meal, young lady."
Yuanyang took her out again, wanting to find out some information, but Granny Shen just pretended to be stupid and knew nothing else, which angered Yuanyang.
Inside the room, Xueyan had already opened the food box.
—The aroma is enticing.
This is a food box specially delivered by Wuyue Guild Hall. The large box has a double layer, with hot stones placed inside and a layer of fireproof cloth to ensure that the food is still hot when it arrives.
Xueyan then lifted the casserole dish out by the handle that was specially wrapped in thick cloth, and exclaimed in surprise, "That old woman is really strong, no wonder she is from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion."
Lin Daiyu laughed out loud. To be honest, she didn't know how strong the Marquis of Zhongyong was; she had never seen it before.
Lin Daiyu smelled the aroma; it was indeed pork ribs stewed with red dates. Although it had been modified somewhat by the tastes of the capital, her tastes remained the same, and she was no longer so Suzhou-style.
Just as Lin Daiyu was feeling satisfied, Zijuan, who had gone to the small kitchen to serve the meal, returned.
In her hand was a food box containing light and thin rice porridge, which she had specially cooked a little thinner to prevent the girl from getting indigestion. There were also two small dishes of pickled vegetables with vinegar, which were appetizing and refreshing.
Upon seeing the large pot of pork ribs in the room, Zijuan became a little anxious: "Miss, you should eat something lighter."
Lin Daiyu rolled her eyes. "Who wants to eat anything else when there are spare ribs? Don't spoil the fun."
Although she really wanted to hide the pot, Lin Daiyu knew that she could never finish it all.
She smiled and said to Xueyan, "Let me serve you a bowl too, I remember you like this too."
Zijuan hurriedly said, "How can you eat in front of the young lady?" She pulled Xueyan and went to the outer room.
"Never mind all that."
Lin Daiyu smiled and served herself a bowl of pork ribs.
The red dates are sweet and soft, and the pork ribs are tender and melt in your mouth, with a very prominent original flavor. It is a delicious combination of meaty aroma and bone aroma.
"Thank you, Third Brother."
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