Chapter 19 Third Brother is truly a good brother. "I've always stood by you..."
The next morning, Mu Chuan's caravan left the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion together with the carriage that was going to the Jia family to deliver things to Lin Daiyu.
Linjia Village is more than 120 li away from the capital. If one were to ride at full speed, it would only take an hour. However, Mu Chuan was carrying a lot of things, and with several horse-drawn carriages and mule carts following behind, it would take almost half a day.
Almost half an hour after they left, the person delivering the gift arrived at the Rongguo Mansion first.
Lin Daiyu was in Grandmother Jia's room. Not only her, but almost all the girls were there, and of course, Jia Baoyu was also there.
Yesterday, Yuanyang told Grandmother Jia that the young ladies had quarreled. Grandmother Jia is getting old now and wants harmony and kindness even more. At least on the surface, the reason she gave Yuanyang was this: harmony in the family brings prosperity. They are all sisters in the same family. Quarrels hurt feelings. In the future, they should support each other and live in harmony.
Grandmother Jia frowned: "They're doing just fine here with me, so why do they start arguing again as soon as I'm not watching them? We're all sisters in the same family."
Yuanyang had served Grandmother Jia for over a decade and knew her temperament well, especially the changes in recent years. She immediately smiled and said, "Perhaps you were worried about Grandmother and that's why you lost your composure. Why don't you call the young ladies to have breakfast together today? You got up late yesterday, and they—especially Bao Er Ye—were all very worried."
After Baoyu was brought out, Grandmother Jia did not pursue the matter further and said, "Send someone to tell him to have breakfast here tomorrow morning. Amber, go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare more food for tomorrow morning."
Of all the people who enjoyed breakfast the most, it was Jia Baoyu.
The food was delicious, the sisters chatted and laughed in harmony, the old lady was also happy, and he was naturally fine too, even drinking half a bowl more porridge.
"Grandma, the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion has sent something to Miss Lin."
Lin Daiyu's smile immediately deepened. "Lord Zhongyong... Third Brother isn't just saying that to appease her, that's good."
Jia Baoyu sat right next to Lin Daiyu, and he could clearly see the upturned corners of her mouth and the dimples on her face. Jia Baoyu felt a pang of sadness.
"What do you like? I'll go out tomorrow and find some for you."
"How many things have you promised to give away?" Lin Daiyu glanced at him. "Besides, we grew up together. How could you not know what I like?"
Jia Baoyu chuckled twice and said, "Since the Marquis of Zhongyong sent you something, you should reciprocate. Otherwise people will say we don't know etiquette. What do you want to give back? I can give you some advice. Or we can go find Sister Feng; she has lots of good things there."
"Do you need to tell me?" Lin Daiyu retorted. She was a little worried. The things provided by the Jia family were not enough, but giving her old things brought from home seemed inappropriate.
Everyone else was used to their conversation like this, but Madam Wang was different. She always felt that it was being said specifically to her, and she was seething with anger.
Madam Wang cleared her throat, pretending not to hear what they were saying, and said, "Your father's birthday is in a couple of days. You should go and tidy up his study and his things to show your filial piety. The New Year is also approaching, so you should visit your friends outside. I remember you are on good terms with Prince Bei Jing. Prepare some gifts and go visit him. Don't let your relationship become distant."
With this arrangement by Lady Wang, Jia Baoyu was scheduled to spend the New Year.
Although Lin Daiyu was already used to it, since she entered the house, Madam Wang had been constantly giving her a hard time, and even the maids from the second branch of the family had to pay attention to her openly and secretly.
But even though I'm used to it, I still feel uncomfortable.
She used to get angry, but after so many years, and since they're her elders, what could she do?
Lin Daiyu couldn't help but think of her new third brother. As the Marquis of Zhongyong, he must be the one who had the final say at home, and no one would dare to give him a hard time.
After the old woman finished speaking, she took the things and was about to give them to Grandmother Jia.
Grandmother Jia's eyelids twitched. Although she said on the surface that she wanted the family to be harmonious and prosperous, she knew perfectly well why these girls were arguing. She had been a girl herself and had grown up in the large Shi family.
Grandmother Jia dared not be too serious, nor too nonchalant. She forced a smile and pointed at Lin Daiyu: "You're not old yet and your eyesight is already failing? Your Miss Lin is over there."
The old woman walked over with an awkward smile and put the things down; they were two wooden boxes, one large and one small. This time, the boxes were made of rosewood, not as precious as the golden nanmu wood from last time.
Lin Daiyu had just placed her hand on the clasp and hadn't even unbuttoned it when she heard Xue Baochai laugh and say, "Shall we guess what the Marquis of Zhongyong sent to Daiyu? It's only been a few days and he's already sent so many things. When we acknowledge her as his sworn sister, I'll definitely have to drink a few more cups of wine."
Actually, she originally wanted to talk about the wooden box, but last time she mentioned its value and got a few sarcastic remarks, and her status as a royal merchant was brought up again. This time, she simply brought up her sworn sister directly, since the news had already spread.
If we were to say who in the entire Jia family is most sensitive to words like "parents," "brothers," and "orphan girl," it wouldn't be Lin Daiyu, but Shi Xiangyun. In the past two days, she had thought a lot about various scenarios of recognizing her younger sister, and even how to say it and what to say after the other side responded. Unfortunately, before she could speak, Lin Daiyu spoke first.
"What's there to guess about two wooden boxes? Sister Bao is too much of a gambler."
One sentence made even Madam Wang's face change. Last time, she entrusted Xue Baochai with the management of the household, but in the end, it was a complete mess. In particular, the old women who drank and gambled not only failed to control one of them, but also became more and more rampant.
But... Madam Wang glanced at Lin Daiyu discreetly; she certainly knew how to expose someone's shortcomings.
Lin Daiyu opened the wooden box: "It's a red leaf bookmark." She was overjoyed.
Someone listened to her properly and took it to heart. With just a simple "I've never been there," she sent over this whole box of bookmarks. It really was a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time.
Although he looks a bit older, Uncle Zhongyong is really a good older brother.
The three sisters of Chun were not very bold in teasing Uncle Zhongyong. They would just say a few words of praise for his good looks, and Xue Baochai would usually only say how good Daiyu was. Shi Xiangyun was the boldest.
Although she always presented herself as an orphan, her words and actions made her act as if she were the daughter of a nobleman.
"Where do you get so many bookmarks?" Shi Xiangyun laughed. "This gentleman is too funny."
Lin Daiyu's face darkened, and she slammed the lid shut: "It's not a gift for you, I like it as long as I like it."
Xue Baochai's actions were quite obvious, her expression slightly exaggerated. She tugged at Shi Xiangyun, telling her to stop talking.
Grandmother Jia quickly laughed it off: "If Yun'er likes it, we can ask them to make it for you later. We have quite a few ginkgo trees at home, those are golden yellow, they look beautiful too."
Tan Chun smiled and said, "Take another look at that big box."
Lin Daiyu then opened the box below.
A bright yellow cloisonné enamel jar, so bright yellow! It wasn't just something for the palace; it had to be something for the emperor.
How much favor did the Marquis of Zhongyong receive from the emperor?
Lin Daiyu smiled at Xue Baochai, then said to Shi Xiangyun, "There are three jars in total, large, medium, and small."
She unscrewed the smallest jar, and a faint fragrance wafted out. The lid had a woman's profile printed in gold.
“It’s a beauty cream,” Lin Daiyu said, screwing the cap back on. “The other two must be for rubbing on my hands and body.”
Before anyone else could react, Jia Baoyu burst into laughter.
"This scent is fresh and delicate, like a floral fragrance with a fruity aroma—" He sniffed it several times. "It also seems to have a hint of herbal fragrance. I wonder how it was made. Dear sister, please give me some."
Jia Baoyu was spoiled from childhood. Apart from Jia Zheng, no one else had ever said a harsh word to him. He had no idea how to write the four words "be cautious in speech and action".
Madam Wang's eyelids started twitching again.
“That’s for women.” Although it was meant as advice, she smiled and spoke in a very gentle tone, so it’s no wonder Jia Baoyu didn’t take it to heart. “It’s nothing, don’t take your sister’s things. Let her use them properly.”
"What you say is true, Madam. I was being presumptuous." Although Jia Baoyu said this, he still wanted to go back to Lin Daiyu. There was nothing she wouldn't do. Besides, Madam couldn't keep an eye on him all day long.
Lady Wang could naturally see through Jia Baoyu's thoughts, but she was helpless. As long as she didn't make any mistakes in public, it was fine. But in private... her sister-in-law had died, but she still had a daughter to bring her bad luck!
After a long chat, discussing what they wanted to eat and what they wanted to eat during the New Year, they finished digesting their food.
Grandmother Jia said, "You should all go for a stroll in the courtyard and soak up some sun."
Shi Xiangyun smiled and said, "It's a good opportunity to get some exercise so we can eat more at noon."
Everyone came out together, and Xue Baochai held Shi Xiangyun's hand the whole time, until they were almost at the entrance of the Grand View Garden, when she finally let go.
Before Shi Xiangyun could even speak, Xue Baochai let go of her hand and took two steps to stand in front of Lin Daiyu, smiling as she said, "Sister Lin, when will the Marquis of Zhongyong hold a banquet to formally recognize you as his younger sister?"
Lin Daiyu's face darkened, and Jia Baoyu quickly pulled Shi Xiangyun back. Grandmother Jia had once told him that the Lin family was all dead and that Lin Daiyu would live in their house forever and never leave. Now that there was an additional Earl of Zhongyong, Jia Baoyu was actually the most uncomfortable.
Lin Daiyu could only have one brother.
"I'm going out in a couple of days. Do you still want that little gadget you mentioned last time?"
Shi Xiangyun glared at him with great dissatisfaction.
Xue Baochai spoke first. It was she who brought up the matter of recognizing a younger sister; Xue Baochai had subtly guided the conversation quite a bit over the past few days, and now it was her turn to speak.
"It won't be that quick," Xue Baochai said, while also advising, "Didn't you say last time that the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion wasn't even fully renovated yet, and he himself was still living in the Marquis of Dingnan's mansion? He can't be recognizing a younger sister while he's staying at the Marquis of Dingnan's mansion, can he?"
Her face was full of "I'm doing this for your own good" expressions: "I heard that the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion is a little smaller than our Rongguo mansion. Even if it was well maintained in the past, it would still take until the New Year to furnish things like curtains. From the Laba Festival to the second day of the second lunar month, it's all New Year's. Usually, no one recognizes relatives during this time. I estimate it will be at least February."
After saying that, Xue Baochai looked at Lin Daiyu and added, "Pin'er, don't worry. The Marquis of Zhongyong is a first-class marquis and a great general. He certainly won't go back on his word."
Lin Daiyu was amused and exasperated: "I never knew you two cared about me so much. Well then, next time Third Brother comes, you can ask him about it, and that will fulfill our sisterly bond."
Seeing that Lin Daiyu was truly angry, Shi Xiangyun became slightly timid. She didn't care at all whether Lin Daiyu could acknowledge her brother. She turned her head away and remained silent.
But Xue Baochai was much stronger mentally. She added, "I heard that the Earl of Zhongyong has returned to his hometown. I don't know when he will come back next."
Since things had come to this point, Lin Daiyu could naturally tell that her conversation with the Earl of Zhongyong had been thoroughly investigated. Not only that, the Xue family had probably even gone to the Earl of Zhongyong's residence, otherwise how would she have known about the progress of the house renovation?
"I don't know," Lin Daiyu said coldly. "Your family has many idle people, and you're always meddling in other people's business. Go and find out!"
After saying that, she flicked her sleeves and left.
Anger surged through her chest, churning within her. Lin Daiyu hurried back, and upon seeing the two gifts on the table, tears streamed down her face.
...Everyone bullies me...
Once she started crying, she couldn't stop.
Zijuan and Xueyan waited a while longer, because their daughter always burst into tears for no reason, and they couldn't get any answers from her, nor did they know how to comfort her.
In the past, she would only shed a couple of tears and then be fine, but today she cried quite a lot, and the two of them were afraid that she would hurt herself, so they hurriedly went to the inner room.
"Don't be sad, girl. If the old lady finds out, she'll worry about you again."
If Lin Daiyu were healthy, these words wouldn't be so bad, but now that she's crying so bitterly, they sound like a threat. In an instant, she was even more breathless.
"What's wrong with my sister?"
Jia Baoyu's voice came from outside, and Zijuan hurriedly went out to greet him: "Second Master, please come and comfort her. I don't know why the young lady is crying again."
Jia Baoyu went in and bowed deeply: "Sister, please don't be angry. If they did anything wrong, I will apologize on their behalf."
Lin Daiyu cried even harder. She jumped off the bed, without even putting on her shoes, and pushed Jia Baoyu towards the door, saying, "Go away! Don't come looking for me unless it's important! Otherwise, people will say I'm a burden to you and that I'm teaching you bad habits!"
"Little sister, be careful not to catch a cold! I didn't say anything, why are you getting angry with me too? I've always been on your side, how come you can't even recognize a good person?"
"You're on my side? I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy to be on Second Master's side!" Lin Daiyu was extremely angry, and she used considerable force. Jia Baoyu was not a strong or powerful person, and with repeated shouts of "Get out!", he was pushed out by her.
"Close the door!" Lin Daiyu looked around, but none of the maids moved. "I can't even order you around anymore!"
She closed the door herself and bolted it. After all that fuss, she was sweating a lot, and her anger had subsided considerably. Calming down, she noticed her feet were cold, so she quickly put on her shoes, picked out some old things she'd brought from home, and went to grind ink, intending to send some return gifts to her third brother.
This was the only thing she didn't find offensive at all, but it still carried a hint of resentment, which was reflected not only in the letter but also in the gift.
Jia Baoyu stood in the courtyard, still instructing Lin Daiyu's maids.
"If anyone asks, just say that I offended the young ladies. Don't make wild guesses, and don't tarnish their reputations." Jia Baoyu took on all the blame, thinking he was being considerate.
In the afternoon, Lin Daiyu's things were ready. She asked Zijuan to take the reward money and send it to the servants in the outer courtyard.
However, Zijuan was a maidservant to the young ladies in the inner courtyard; she couldn't even leave through the second gate, let alone the main gate. Zijuan took the things directly to Yuanyang, and then the letter and gifts appeared on Grandmother Jia's table.
Grandmother Jia came up with a whole bunch of excuses.
“These young girls have no taboos about writing letters and sending gifts. I was young once too, how could I not know? When you grow up and learn about social etiquette and how to give gifts, you will regret it later. Fortunately, she has me as her maternal grandmother. Her mother is my most beloved youngest daughter, and her father entrusted her to my care. I have to help her keep an eye on things.”
With this inspection, all the wrinkles on Grandmother Jia's face drooped down.
What do you mean by "Everything else belongs to the Rongguo Mansion, only this one is mine"?
And this line: "It's my first time being a younger sister, and also my first time having a older brother."
Grandmother Jia was so angry that her hands were trembling: "I raised her like my own granddaughter, providing her with the best food and drink, and she actually wants to be so clear about things with me? Isn't Baoyu her brother? Isn't Lian'er her brother? Wasn't it Lian'er who accompanied her to the Lin family for the funeral? Where did she learn to be so ungrateful!"
Yuanyang was terrified as she read the letter, and quickly explained after finishing. In short, she wanted to pin all the problems on Miss Lin, and that the old lady's good intentions had been misunderstood.
However, the old lady had already secretly planned to arrange a marriage between Miss Lin and the Marquis of Zhongyong, and she kept mentioning the Marquis of Zhongyong's intentions, so Miss Lin could not have been scheming.
“Miss Lin… The old matriarch also said that they are young and perhaps immature. Just like Miss Shi, she can’t distinguish right from wrong. When she suffers a little grievance, she takes it out on her own people because she knows that the old matriarch can’t bear to hit or scold her. If she cries, the old matriarch will feel sorry for her. I apologize on behalf of Miss Lin. She has always been the most sensible. Please don’t blame her, old matriarch. Putting aside everything else, Miss Lin is weak and has only just recovered after a long time. If she gets sick again, the old matriarch will also feel sorry for her.”
Having been by Jia Mu's side for many years, Yuanyang understood Jia Mu's thoughts very well, and her words indeed made Jia Mu's expression change.
"You can't just give old things as gifts," sighed Grandmother Jia. "How can you give old things to a man from outside the family?"
Grandmother Jia thought for a moment and said, “Go to my storeroom and find a plaque with the inscription ‘Housewarming Celebration,’ ‘Abundant Wealth and Prosperity,’ or ‘Radiant Splendor.’ Also, have someone outside write a new letter saying that we would like to have a drink with you, but it is not appropriate for a woman to go out. Please ask my cousin to do it for us.”
Yuanyang responded with a "yes." Grandmother Jia looked at the letter in her hand and the small, exquisite three-sided table screen, and said, "Letter... Once they've made a copy, bring it back exactly as it was and keep it safe. Don't let anyone else see it; it will be useful later."
Yuanyang said "okay" again, held her breath, and backed out.
Grandmother Jia sighed softly, but no one heard her.
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