Chapter 148 Three Invitations to Daiyu
However, this atmosphere didn't last long. Footsteps could be heard outside, and then Amber lifted the curtain.
"Grandma, the Lin family's holiday gifts have arrived, and the maids are carrying them over here."
"Where is the Lin family? Why don't they invite them in? It's so cold outside, Lin Daiyu can't stand the cold. I'll go out and greet them." Jia Baoyu clenched his fist and turned to leave.
"Master Bao, please wait a moment," Amber hurriedly called out, "Miss Lin has not come."
"My sister didn't come?" Jia Baoyu seemed incredulous.
It's been so long since Lin Daiyu last came back after that brief meeting.
He thought that Lin Daiyu must have been held up by something, otherwise why would she not come for so long?
Jia Baoyu waited and waited, until the New Year was approaching, thinking that the Lin family would definitely send gifts before the New Year, and then he would be able to see Lin Daiyu.
Therefore, he studied diligently every day, memorizing even the Four Books and Five Classics, which he disliked intensely, all in the hope of earning praise from his master so that he could take the opportunity to make a request and meet Lin Mei when the Lin family sent gifts recently.
If he were to see Lin Daiyu, he would definitely apologize to her properly. He had frightened her last time, and he was terribly wrong. He only begged that she would not ignore him.
However, what did Amber just say that Miss Lin didn't come?
What was the point of all that hard work?
Jia Baoyu looked dazed and his expression was somewhat gloomy.
"Sister Amber, is Lin Daiyu behind us? I know Lin Daiyu is usually the most mischievous. Is she deliberately not letting you speak, and then suddenly appears after a while?"
Before Amber could answer, the curtain was opened again, and the head maid of the Lin family who had come to deliver gifts and Zijuan came in to pay their respects to the masters of the Jia family.
"Greetings to the old lady, the madam, the second mistress, and Master Bao."
The people who came to deliver the New Year's gifts were Aunt Jin from the Lin family, along with Zijuan and others.
Madam Wang and the others knew that Granny Jin was a very respected woman in the Lin family, in charge of the gift-giving and exchange of gifts. It was not impolite for her to lead the way.
"Prepare a seat for Granny Jin," Grandmother Jia instructed, and servants went to prepare it.
Zijuan kowtowed to Grandmother Jia on Daiyu's behalf before getting up to reply.
"Zijuan, where is Lin Daiyu? You've come, how could Lin Daiyu not be here?" Upon seeing Zijuan, Jia Baoyu was even more convinced that Daiyu must have come as well, but was simply hiding.
Seeing Baoyu's eagerness, Zijuan had no choice but to reply first.
"Reporting to Master Bao, the young lady has very important business to attend to today and is unable to come."
"My sister must still be angry with me, still upset with me..." Baoyu looked left and right, then suddenly pulled Grandmother Jia along.
"Grandmother, please send someone to fetch my sister quickly. It's been so long since she came home. If you send someone to fetch her, she will definitely come."
Grandmother Jia frowned, thinking to herself: Since Daiyu returned to the Lin family, she has become quite estranged from this place. I have sent people to invite her to the mansion for the New Year several times this month, but she always makes excuses. Later, she even said directly that she is still in mourning and it is inconvenient for her to spend the New Year at someone else's house.
Sigh, when did she become so distant from our family!
Look at those who have no blood relation to my family, living so casually. But Daiyu is my own granddaughter, so this place is exactly the same as hers.
"Amber, take some men to the Lin family and invite Miss Lin over for a day. Tell them that this old woman misses her granddaughter. Sigh, that heartless Lin girl, she forgot about me as soon as she got home..." Grandmother Jia gave instructions while sighing.
Amber took her task and immediately left. Before Zijuan could stop her, the curtain had already fallen. Amber left so quickly.
It's just that the young lady went to Kongyun Temple to perform a ritual for the late madam. There are many taboos during the New Year, and it's not appropriate to mention such things in other people's homes.
"Grandmother, let's call Amber back. The young lady isn't home today," said Granny Jin.
Grandmother Jia was puzzled.
"I didn't even know the Lin family had other relatives in the capital."
Grandma Jin shook her head. "Your Majesty, the young lady is not visiting relatives. She has something important to discuss."
"You old hag, you're so hesitant! Why did Lin Daiyu waste time? You can't even explain!" Jia Baoyu was anxious. He hadn't asked his father for leave today and had been dawdling in Rongqing Hall until now, without doing anything he wanted to do... If his father found out that he hadn't been studying and had been here for so long, he would probably be punished again.
The old woman was speaking unclearly, and Jia Baoyu was really getting anxious.
"Reporting to the Ancestor, Second Master Bao, Miss Lin has gone outside the city," Granny Jin replied.
"Did they go to Mr. Yuan's estate?" Wang Xifeng asked only now.
"Second Madam Lian, the young lady and Mr. Yuan have gone to Kongyun Temple," Granny Jin had no choice but to say.
"What are you doing at the Taoist temple during the New Year?" Madam Wang couldn't help but wonder. "Does the Lin family have relatives practicing at the Taoist temple?"
Granny Jin glanced at Grandmother Jia first, noticing her anxious look, and guessed that she was also eager to know why the young lady had gone to Kongyun Temple.
But if she were to say these words, it would surely cause Grandmother Jia to weep bitterly, and Granny Jin felt she couldn't bear it.
"Reporting to Second Madam, my young lady had a dream last night, and she is determined to go to Kongyun Temple today to fulfill her vow," Granny Jin hurriedly said.
"How long will it take to fulfill this vow? Kongyun Temple isn't far. Yingluo, you should also go to the Lin family. When you see Miss Lin return, bring her home!" Grandmother Jia instructed Yingluo, the maid beside her.
Yingluo agreed and went outside.
Granny Jin didn't stop her; at most, she would just let her make a wasted trip.
Seeing that Grandmother Jia had sent two head maids to fetch Daiyu, Jia Baoyu assumed that Daiyu would surely be brought over today, and felt much more at ease. Therefore, when Lady Wang teased him, he immediately composed himself and prepared to go to the outer study to read for a while.
Inside Rongqing Hall, before the gifts sent by the Lin family had even been fully counted, Amber returned.
On her way back, she met Yingluo. They had received the same orders, but Yingluo's orders had one more sentence.
In the afternoon, Jia Baoyu still hadn't seen his Lin sister, and he couldn't help but feel unhappy.
Despite Shi Xiangyun's visit today, Baoyu's mood remained completely unchanged.
Even after the Lin family left in the afternoon, the Rongguo Mansion sent people to follow them: Miss Lin had been at Kongyun Temple outside the city for a whole day, and they had to see with their own eyes whether she had returned home safely before they could report back to Grandmother Jia.
In his later years, the servant who had gone to the Lin family returned to report...
"Miss Lin dreamt of her late great-aunt, so she went to Kongyun Temple today to perform a Buddhist ceremony for her. Since it's the Lunar New Year, the Lin family was worried about our household's taboos, so they haven't told us directly..."
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