Chapter 441 Remarriage is a Difficult Matter
Watching Qiu Hui's departing figure, Lin Ruhai stood under the corridor for a long time without leaving.
Snowflakes fell on his shoulders, staining the embroidery on his clothes white, but he was completely unaware.
"Is Father stunned?"
Daiyu appeared beside him without his noticing, holding an umbrella to shield him from the snow.
Lin Ruhai snapped out of his daze and coughed somewhat sheepishly, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Daiyu smiled and said, "If Father really has feelings for Sister Qiu, he should pay more attention to her. I think Sister Qiu doesn't dislike Father, she just has too many concerns."
These words struck a chord with Lin Ruhai.
Over the course of their time together, he grew to appreciate Qiu Hui’s intelligence and competence even more. What was even more remarkable was that she was very tactful in her dealings with people and managed the affairs of the household in an orderly manner without ever overstepping her bounds.
The next day, Lin Ruhai got up very early and instructed the kitchen to prepare several Suzhou-style breakfast dishes.
When Qiu Hui arrived at the flower hall, she saw crab roe soup dumplings, osmanthus lotus root, and jujube paste pastries on the table, all of which were her favorite foods when she was a child.
"I heard that Miss likes these things, so I had the kitchen try making some," Lin Ruhai said gently. "I wonder if they suit your taste."
Qiu Hui looked at the exquisite breakfast on the table in surprise, feeling touched: "Thank you for your trouble, sir..."
"It's alright." Lin Ruhai served her food. "Although I'm from Suzhou, I don't eat much pastry. May I ask if these pastries are authentic, Miss?"
This thoughtful and meticulous care gradually melted Qiu Hui's heart. She took a bite of the xiaolongbao, and the delicious soup spread in her mouth, revealing an authentic Suzhou flavor.
“Very authentic,” she said softly. “Even better than the restaurants in Suzhou, Beijing.”
Lin Ruhai smiled: "That's good then. If Miss wants to eat it again in the future, just tell the kitchen."
From then on, Lin Ruhai paid more and more attention to Qiu Hui.
Knowing that she was sensitive to the cold, he had a heater added to her room; hearing that she was skilled in painting, he found the finest Xuan paper and brushes; he even noticed that she always wore an old silver hairpin in her hair, so he specially asked a skilled craftsman to make a similar jade hairpin, under the pretext of thanking her for managing the household affairs.
Qiu Hui noticed all these small acts of care. She had to admit that this man, much older than her, possessed a thoughtfulness and tolerance that younger people lacked.
Seeing her father's changes, Daiyu felt both gratified and bittersweet. She was gratified that her father finally had someone to keep him company, but bittersweet because she was about to "lose" her unique fatherly love. However, she quickly adjusted her mindset and often spoke well of her father to Qiu Hui.
"Sister Qiu, you don't know, but Father was a famous scholar in Suzhou when he was young." Daiyu pulled out an old collection of poems. "Look, these are poems he wrote when he was twenty..."
Looking at the elegant handwriting in the poetry collection, Qiu Hui found it hard to imagine that the serious Lord Lin also had such youthful sentiments.
Just as the two were growing closer, a letter arrived from the Jia family in the capital. And it was written personally by Old Madam Shi.
The letter began with concern for Daiyu's well-being, then subtly inquired about Lin Ruhai's remarriage. A sense of dissatisfaction lingered between the lines, suggesting that Lin Ruhai shouldn't have forgotten Jia Min so quickly.
After reading the letter, Daiyu felt displeased. She remembered her mother's dying words to her father, holding his hand: "After I'm gone, if you meet someone suitable, don't wait for me..."
Father has waited for Mother for so many years, and now that he has met the right person, why should the Jia family stop him?
What angered Daiyu even more was that, just a few days later, Jia Lian actually came to Suzhou in person.
If it were anyone else from the Jia family, it wouldn't be a problem, but they actually sent Jia Lian, accompanied by his personal servants Wang'er and Changxing.
“Uncle, you’ve done something inappropriate,” Jia Lian said bluntly as soon as they met. “Aunt Min has only been gone a few years. You’re already in such a hurry to remarry. What will outsiders think of the Jia family?”
Lin Ruhai's face darkened: "This is my family matter, no need for Lian'er to worry about it."
Jia Lian persisted, "Uncle, you make it sound so easy. If you remarry, what will happen to Yu'er? Miss Qiu isn't much older than Yu'er; can she be a good stepmother?"
Daiyu couldn't help but speak up: "Second Brother Lian is overthinking it. Sister Qiu treats me very well, and we get along very well."
Jia Lian glared at her: "What do you know, you're just a child! You'll know what hardship is when you have a stepmother!"
These words were harsh, and Lin Ruhai's face immediately turned cold: "If Lian'er is here as a guest, I welcome her. But if she's here to boss me around, please leave!"
Jia Lian was rebuffed, but he didn't give up. He privately approached Daiyu and earnestly said, "Yu'er, think about it. If your uncle remarries and has his own children, will he still treat you this well? Our Jia family is your maternal family. You have to think about us!"
Daiyu felt a chill run down her spine. It turned out that the Jia family wasn't thinking of her, but rather afraid of losing the Lin family as a marriage partner.
"Second Brother Lian," Daiyu said solemnly, "Father has worked so hard for me all these years, and now he has a confidant by his side. I am overjoyed for him. As for the Jia family... if Grandmother misses Yu'er, Yu'er will naturally visit her often. What does it have to do with whether Father remarries or not?"
Seeing that she was unmoved by his words, Jia Lian had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
After that, he didn't visit again, and his mission was accomplished. He continued to spend his days exploring Suzhou under Jia Baoyu's guidance, while an unfamiliar old woman who had been following him returned to the capital first.
The Jia family's opposition made Qiu Hui back down. That day, she said to Daiyu, "Yu'er, I've thought about it, and I think I should go back to the academy. The Jia family is right; I'm not much older than you, it's really not suitable for me..."
"Is Sister admitting defeat?" Daiyu interrupted her. "Just because of a few gossips from the Jia family, you're going to give up your own happiness?"
Qiu Hui smiled bitterly: "This is not a matter of admitting defeat. If I really marry your father, I will inevitably fall out with the Jia family. This will not be good for you or for Lord Lin."
Daiyu held her hand: "Sister, don't worry, I have a way to deal with the Jia family. As long as you and Father are in love, nothing else matters."
To put Qiu Hui at ease, Daiyu specially wrote a letter to Yuan Hongqu in the capital, asking her to help mediate.
Upon receiving the letter, Yuan Hongqu immediately visited the Jia family. Instead of directly mentioning Lin Ruhai's marriage, she brought Daiyu's recent poems and paintings to show Old Madam Shi her granddaughter's progress.
“Yu’er is becoming more and more capable these days,” Yuan Hongqu said casually. “I heard that she has established an academy and an embroidery workshop in Suzhou, helping many unfortunate women. It’s a pity that she is too busy and has not even had time to think about marriage.”
As expected, Old Madam Shi's attention was diverted: "This won't do! Yu'er is already so old, it's time to find her a husband!"
Yuan Hongqu sighed, "Indeed! But how could Lord Lin, a man, understand these things? If only there were a lady in the household to help with the arrangements."
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