Chapter 255 Difficult Matters
"Father will know when he sees it. I'm always hesitant to comment on my cousin." Daiyu smiled and turned to leave.
Lin Ruhai remained lying down, unable to get up.
When Jia Lian and Bao Yu came to visit, they were shocked to see that Uncle Lin looked haggard and sickly.
When Jia Lian brought Daiyu to the capital, he met Lin Ruhai. At that time, Lin Ruhai appeared to be both authoritative and charismatic, yet gentle and refined, making him the most eye-catching presence among the crowd.
Although this was the first time Baoyu had met Lin Ruhai, he had heard others mention him many times, saying that Lin Ruhai was a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations.
The first requirement for someone to become the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations is outstanding appearance.
Judging from Lin Daiyu's appearance, Lin Daiyu's uncle must have been quite handsome.
But now, Uncle Lin on the bed is pale and thin, and he barely has the strength to speak.
Although Baoyu knew that his uncle Lin was ill, which was why he acted this way, he was still somewhat disappointed.
When Daiyu returned to Jiaoyun Garden, Wang Xifeng was already sitting in the living room.
Even without Daiyu's presence, Wang Xifeng felt extremely at ease, completely at ease with herself.
Before she came here today, she heard that Lin Ruhai was terminally ill and might not live much longer.
I rushed over, only to find that the Lin family was still the same as always, with no major disturbances.
The only difference is that the main courtyard, which used to be closed, is now wide open.
Yuan Hongqu invited her to Jiaoyun Garden and had someone take Jia Lian and Baoyu to the main courtyard.
"Sister Yuan, how is Uncle Lin's health? I heard the news this morning..."
"It's fake, don't believe it." Yuan Hongqu said calmly.
Wang Xifeng was skeptical. "Don't try to hide this from me. I remember you told me that if Uncle Lin's condition worsened, someone from the Rongguo Mansion might come and bleed Daiyu dry. Are you afraid I'll leak this out?"
"It's nothing, I just caught a bad cold and got seasick. I'll be fine in a few days. Don't worry about it."
"I was just worried about Lin Daiyu!" Wang Xifeng stubbornly insisted, but she was relieved to hear Yuan Hongqu say that.
She truly loved Daiyu. Daiyu was already pitiful enough without her mother, but if she lost her father too... sigh, this young girl's life would be unbearable.
Yuan Hongqu curled her lips slightly and said sarcastically, "You've finally got a brain today, but it's in the wrong place."
"Sister, what are you saying!" Wang Xifeng retorted, "I'm really worried. I can't control everything in that mansion. There are still some powerful figures above me. If something were to happen to Uncle Lin, the old lady over there is Daiyu's closest relative. She's not an adult yet, so it's only right and proper that she move there and be raised by the old lady."
"You can rest assured, my Daiyu won't go to live in your house. Even if Lin Ruhai really dies, she won't end up like before." Yuan Hongqu gave Wang Xifeng a cold look, clearly displeased.
"Have you all forgotten that, given Daiyu's current status, can your family afford to support her?"
Wang Xifeng said awkwardly, "I haven't forgotten, but the old lady often says that no matter what Lin Daiyu's status is, she's still her granddaughter..."
"Hmph, logically speaking, when Daiyu comes to your house, everyone in your family who is her peer, including you, should bow to her and serve her according to the standards for serving your matriarch. If that rule is strictly enforced, can you handle it?" Yuan Hongqu said sarcastically.
Wang Xifeng thought about the scene for a moment, then shook her head.
“I’ve always disapproved of Lin Daiyu’s past; that family had all sorts of people. A few days ago, that fool Xue wanted to take Xiren as a concubine, and Xiren almost banged her head against the wall. After being rescued, she wanted to go back to serve Baoyu…”
"After this incident, the Second Madam also disliked Xiren. Originally, the Second Madam intended to leave Xiren with Baoyu, but later Xiren went to Pear Fragrance Courtyard, and the Second Madam's interest waned. After this incident, the Second Madam felt that Xiren was not a good person either. If she were honest, no man would have taken a liking to her. So she called Xiren's family to come and take her home."
“That’s not surprising. If Xue Da Shazi hadn’t broken his leg, this would have happened much earlier.” Yuan Hongqu didn’t find the matter surprising at all.
The maids who served Baoyu were all carefully selected, and they would be considered young ladies in the outside world.
Xiren, oblivious to her own mortality, went to Pear Fragrance Courtyard. With someone like Xue the Fool around, what good can come of it?
"Sister Yuan, you knew all along?"
Yuan Hongqu looked at Wang Xifeng as if she were an idiot, "You can't guess?"
Wang Xifeng shook her head awkwardly.
Yuan Hongqu sighed, thinking to herself, "Luckily, Jia Lian changed his ways. If he hadn't, Wang Xifeng wouldn't have survived three episodes."
Since they were from the same place, Yuan Hongqu couldn't help but offer Wang Xifeng some advice.
"Mind your own business. But you, if you don't separate yourself from them soon, no matter how much you earn, you'll have to use it to pay off their debts. Are you willing to accept that?"
Wang Xifeng's face fell.
"In the palace, Consort Yuanchun has managed to curry favor with the Dowager Consort and has even made a few appearances before the Emperor Emeritus, which has brought her some good fortune."
Wang Xifeng was listless.
"The Second Madam took a lot of silver from the public funds, saying she was sending it to the palace to bribe the Empress! All the silver that Jia Lian and I worked so hard to earn has been thrown away by them... They say that once the Empress is promoted, everyone in the family will be related to the Emperor, and no amount of silver will be returned. Bah!"
Wang Xifeng was very disdainful, yet somewhat helpless.
With the old lady's support, the second wife went to withdraw money and used it with a clear conscience.
Xue Pan of the Xue family no longer needs "medicinal ginseng," and Wang Xifeng has lost another way to make money.
Relying solely on the harvest from the farm, they always felt that the financial hole in their home was difficult to fill.
Some people even came to her for help, offering her a considerable sum as a reward for their efforts.
However, she didn't have the guts. In Wang Xifeng's mind, anyone who paid her to do something was definitely in the wrong!
If you are in the right, just go to the Shuntian Prefecture to file a complaint. Why would you need to find her?
Therefore, no matter what the people who came to her said, she not only refused them all, but also turned around and asked Jia Lian to investigate in detail, and then go to Shuntian Prefecture to help with the case, which made Jia Lian gain a good reputation in Shuntian Prefecture.
“Everyone has their own ambitions, and your second wife has lofty aspirations!” Yuan Hongqu patted Wang Xifeng’s shoulder reassuringly.
"Sister Yuan, when you see the Empress next time, please ask her to keep an eye on things. We absolutely cannot let the eldest daughter's rank rise any higher. If she does, will she have to go on a trip home and build the Grand View Garden? Where are we going to get those millions of taels of silver?" Wang Xifeng cried with a mournful face.
"What's coming can't be avoided. Let's just listen to what's happening in the palace and not say anything or cause any trouble! I still need to stay alive to take care of Daiyu!"
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