When Jia Zheng returned home that evening, upon hearing that his niece, whom he had never met, had visited, he casually asked, "How is the child?"
Lady Wang thought she was asking about Baoyu, and replied with a smile, "He's so clever. Today, my old ailment flared up, and he even went to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva for me."
Jia Zheng was taken aback. His niece had traveled a long way to come, and on her very first day, she hadn't cared about anything else but going to the temple to ask for a peace charm for her second aunt.
"How will the old lady say something about such a lack of manners?" Jia Zheng sighed. Everyone said that the Lin family had been noblemen for four generations and was a family of scholars. How could they have raised such an unruly girl?
Madam Wang was taken aback. Her son was praying for her safety and worshipping the Buddha, so why was he so ignorant of etiquette? Was it because his good niece hadn't come to greet him?
"The old lady was praising him too." Madam Wang said angrily. She was already upset about being wronged and mocked both openly and subtly today. Now that he came back, he was looking down on Baoyu. What was the point of the day if he continued like this?!
Jia Zheng then realized something was amiss, "Wasn't my niece coming today?"
Madam Wang nodded, but seeing that Jia Zheng's gaze was appraising, she felt a pang of doubt, fearing that she had misunderstood. "He is a good child. He is very handsome and well-mannered. He has an air of authority and looks like the old lady's own granddaughter."
Jia Zheng nodded, then remembered that Lin Ruhai had married someone else and his sister had passed away long ago, so they were now estranged. "How is her mother?" he asked.
It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because the mere mention of it made Madam Wang feel her blood boil. Recalling the humiliation of today, she gritted her teeth and said, "She's not easy to get along with, and she doesn't speak the truth. My niece... I'm afraid it's not good to keep her around for too long."
"She's not my biological mother, so it's fine if she can discipline me properly. If there's no other way, it's also acceptable for me to raise her with the old lady."
Madam Wang nodded. "Sir, you've thought things through very carefully. I'm afraid it's not that simple."
"If you want, it's simple."
"It depends on what the old lady thinks."
Although he said he would consider the old lady's opinion, he turned around and said, "My sister will be coming to the capital soon. As you know, my brother has been promoted and is now working in another city. The whole family has gone with him. Now I am the only relative left in the capital. I was thinking of having my sister bring her children to our home so that it can be lively."
Jia Zheng nodded, "You can make the decision."
After saying this, he got up and went to rest in the room of his concubine, Aunt Zhao.
Madam Wang gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly, "You vile woman!"
She turned and wrote a letter under the lamp, and had someone deliver it to her widowed sister who had married into the Xue family that very night.
...
"Have we found the classics?"
“Miss, I have been busy all day at the Jia mansion, but I have not been able to find the person named Jingdian.”
Lin Daiyu leaned lazily against the couch, her jade-like hand lightly tapping the edge of the bed, and said casually, "Have both the men and women been questioned?"
The young maid nodded, then asked doubtfully, "Is she not at the Jia residence, but simply in the capital?"
"It's not impossible. Let's check again. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman, young or old."
"yes."
"And... how's the situation at your residence?"
The maid glanced quickly at her mistress. She was much younger than her, but the aura emanating from her made it hard for her to breathe.
"As you predicted, young lady, Jia Baoyu is still... still in the inner courtyard, eating and living with the old lady, eating... eating the rouge off the maids' lips, loving to read, but it's all sorts of books, spending his days in the inner courtyard making cosmetics, and indulging in all kinds of pleasures like visiting prostitutes..."
"Yes, I know all that. Now tell me about the others."
"The first wife, Lady Xing, came from the Xing family of Jinling. Her ancestors had served as vice ministers, but the family had declined and no one in the family held official positions. She had no children. Her first wife had a legitimate son, Jia Lian, and a legitimate daughter-in-law, Lady Wang. Their relationship seemed harmonious, but there was no real care between them."
The second wife, Wang, was the aunt of the eldest wife, Wang. They had always been close. These two were in charge of the household affairs. Although it seemed that Wang Xifeng was in charge of the household affairs, in reality, it was Madam Wang who privately took charge of all matters, big and small.
The eldest maternal uncle inherited the rank of first-class general. He was lecherous by nature and had more than ten concubines.
My second maternal uncle was a sixth-rank official, known for his courtesy to scholars, his willingness to help the weak and needy, and his numerous retainers.
...
"How is my maternal grandmother?" Lin Daiyu asked after thinking for a long time. For some reason, she recalled Shen Ajiao's inexplicable hostility and her dislike for Baoyu and her second aunt.
If today alone wasn't enough to make the wife so bothered, then they must have done many disgusting things later.
Although they are all my close relatives, we haven't seen each other for many years, so there's no real kinship between us. Just listen to them and don't take it seriously.
It seems I still need to be more vigilant in the future and not let my guard down. Fortunately, I didn't have too much longing for my maternal grandmother's family, so I'm not too heartbroken. But if my mother knew this in the afterlife, would she be sad?
She chuckled lightly. When a person dies, the lights go out. What's there to be sad about? It's the living who should be sad. She's not sad, so this matter can't hurt her in the slightest.
Since I live in the capital, I'll inevitably have to come into contact with people, so it's best to find out more details.
Shen Ajiao was naturally unaware of Lin Daiyu's plans. In her sleep, she even cheered when she saw Lin Daiyu slap Baoyu.
The next day, a sweet milky aroma wafted into Shen Ajiao's nose. She sniffed and sniffed...
Wow, I can't believe it! How happy I would be if I could actually eat something this delicious.
[It will truly be a happy experience~]
Lin Daiyu: If you want happiness, please open your eyes and look at me.
Shen Ajiao initially thought it was a dream, took a deep breath, and tried to go back to sleep. However, the sweet scent lingered in her nose and mind, preventing her from falling asleep for a long time.
[It's so hard, it's so hard to get some sleep, boohoo, I'm unhappy because I can't eat.]
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