Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 65

Gu Yu finally got her revenge, vented her anger, and immediately took her leave triumphantly, not even glancing at Li Wensong's heartbroken expression, and went back to carefully select jewelry.

Chapter Sixty-Six: One for Everyone

It's only now that he realizes he's never actually given any small gifts to his sisters. The things he used to have in Daiyu's room don't really count. He needs to think carefully about what to give them.

Although he told Li Wensong that he would send him some personal items, how could he possibly give them all to his many good sisters? It wasn't until they got home that Qin Keqing, who came upstairs, noticed something on his face and asked him a question.

“In ordinary households, there are usually pieces of jewelry passed down from the previous generation. Why don’t you find them, sir? These pieces have special significance and can be distinguished from ordinary jewelry.”

Gu Yu suddenly realized what was going on, and happily cupped Ke Qing's face, rewarding her a few times. Then he put her soft body down, turned around and went into the storeroom. A moment later, he came out carrying a small wooden box.

When the wooden box was opened, Qin Keqing blushed and moved gracefully, unable to resist taking a look at the Gu family's treasures. However, she found that there were only dozens of small wooden plaques inside, which made her a little puzzled.

Gu Yu coughed lightly, his eyes darting around. In fact, he only realized after he went inside that there were only eight sets of jewelry passed down from the matriarch of the Gu family. Whether for the future or for urgent needs, it was not enough. He did not want to wrong any of them, so he suddenly thought of this wooden plaque and simply took it out and used it.

These wooden plaques were made from the finest part of a thousand-year-old golden nanmu tree used in the Gu family's 500th anniversary memorial service. There are about forty plaques in total, each only two inches long and one inch wide, exquisite and small, with the character "Gu" lightly engraved on them.

These were originally amulets given by the master to the young masters and ladies as protective charms. Now, more than two hundred years later, the direct descendants of the Gu family have become increasingly rare, and by the time the family reached this dynasty, it had been passed down through generations of single heirs. As a result, these wooden plaques have been sealed in the storeroom ever since.

Since he's the only one left in the Gu family, no one can say anything wrong with him. What's wrong with him using it as a token for his wives?! Thinking of this, Gu Yu suddenly felt righteous and picked up one of the tokens, smiling as he was about to put it on Ke Qing.

Just as she wrapped her arms around that slender, fair neck, before Gu Yu could make any further movements, a maid outside announced that someone had brought something.

Gu Yu cursed inwardly for not being able to read the room, but could only take the hairpin in first. After thinking for a moment, he picked out a purple jade hairpin for Ke Qing and helped her put it in her hair. Then Gu Yu took two steps back, gesturing for her to walk a few steps and take a look.

Keqing touched the hairpin in her hair and the wooden plaque on her chest, feeling a sense of satisfaction. She wasn't a formally married bride of Gu Yu, but the fact that she had received a token from the Gu family already showed her status in Gu Yu's heart.

With her beautiful eyes sparkling, Ke Qing glanced at Gu Yu, then swayed her slender waist and walked around in a circle. As her lotus-like steps swayed, the jade hairpin and golden butterfly on her head fluttered as if in flight, making a soft and pleasant clinking sound, which made her stunningly beautiful face under her black hair even more ethereal.

Before anyone knew it, Gu Yu had walked up to Qin Keqing, reached out and stroked the hairpin down from the back of her head, finally embracing Keqing's slender waist and bending down to find her cherry-like lips.

Normally, Qin Keqing is like an antique shop owner—she might not open for three years, but when she does, she's set for three years' worth of business. Gu Yu rarely stays at home, but each time he does, he manages to keep Qin Keqing up for days. So even though it's broad daylight, she suppressed her shyness, not wanting to miss this rare moment of Gu Yu's affection.

However, after she was obediently held in Gu Yu's arms and carried to the bed, Gu Yu stopped her from trying to strip him naked. She was still wearing all her clothes and jewelry, only her front was open and pressed together.

"Sweetie... this hairpin makes a pretty sound, move it around a bit..."

Gu Yu kissed her earlobe, then lay down on the couch, kneading her pert buttocks with both hands, watching with a smile as he waited for her to walk right into his trap.

For the first time, Qin Keqing felt more ashamed of being clothed than naked, but she couldn't resist Gu Yu's burning gaze, so she could only blush and tremble as she took the initiative to sit on him...

For a moment, the sounds of gold and jade echoed incessantly in the room, as if accompanying this rare and enchanting melody. Gu Yu also found this state particularly stimulating, and in the end, he couldn't help but intensify his offensive, utterly defeating Qin Keqing.

"Grandpa... um! I can't take it anymore... um... I have no strength left, sob sob..."

With Gu Yu's final thrust, he finally lowered Qin Keqing's two jade-like legs that had been resting on his shoulders. Qin Keqing lay limply on the bed, her face flushed, struggling to breathe. Her two slender legs were bent to the side, too weak to close, and trembled slightly. Gu Yu had to help her lower them to prevent them from twisting, and then carried her down to clean her up.

Seeing that it was still early, Gu Yu stayed with her until she caught her breath, then had lunch with her and spent some time being affectionate before entering the garden.

He knew he hadn't spent enough time with Keqing, but if he didn't take advantage of the time he still had to get a few more girls from the Jia family to come over, it wouldn't be so convenient in the future. He could only make do with her for now.

As soon as Gu Yu entered the courtyard, he saw Qingwen and the others sitting in the pavilion talking. Before he could speak, the two girls looked over as if they were telepathically connected. When they saw Gu Yu standing there, they immediately stood up with bright smiles to greet him.

As soon as she got close, Qingwen smelled the fresh scent of Gu Yu's body after his bath, and knew what he had been up to again. She pouted slightly and gave a dissatisfied snort.

"Grandpa said he was going out to meet up with some friends, how did things turn out like this..."

She and Xiangling already knew that Gu Yu was hiding a woman in his house, and even knew that it was Rong Da Nai Nai, who had died in the East Mansion. However, after hearing Gu Yu's explanation, they accepted the fact, but they still felt a little resentful.

She and Xiangling, those proper maids, hadn't even had a proper chance to live at home yet, and then Qin Keqing suddenly appeared, now living freely in the Gu family like the matriarch.

However, if you really asked her to switch places with Qin Keqing, she definitely wouldn't agree. Now that she's back in the Gu family, where can she see Gu Yu? Putting aside those blush-inducing bedroom activities, just not being able to see Gu Yu's face makes her feel empty inside.

"Miss Lin and the others came by this morning, but they left when they saw that you weren't here. Are you going to go and check on them now?"

Gu Yu thought for a moment, and since she had nothing else to do, she decided to go and take a look. Seeing that it was almost noon, she couldn't bear to let the two of them run around with her, so she urged them to continue to enjoy the cool air, and then leisurely left the courtyard and headed towards Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

He didn't really like going to Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Firstly, it was connected to Qiushuangzhai, and it wouldn't be right to favor one over the other, only going to this place and not that one. Secondly, Baoyu's Yihong Courtyard wasn't far away either.

Given his favored status, he frequently visited unrelated maids and servants. Considering the nature of the servants in the Jia family, he didn't want to be gossiped about. So he simply waited in his own courtyard each time, keeping the door closed so that no one could see how close they were. Wasn't that wonderful?

As Gu Yu walked along the path to the entrance of Xiaoxiang Pavilion, he discovered that neither Zijuan nor Xueyan were outside. Only the maidservant from his own family, whom he had sent to serve Daiyu, was dozing off out of boredom.

Hearing someone approaching, the maid looked up and immediately tried to rise to greet them, but Gu Yu gestured for her to be quiet and then asked in a low voice:

"Is Miss Lin inside? Where are Zijuan and Xueyan?"

The maidservant, blushing and stammering, replied—this was the first time she had been so close to Gu Yu.

"The weather is lovely today. Sister Zijuan and the others are helping the young lady with her hair care..."

Although there were no industrial products like shampoo and conditioner at that time, the wisdom of the working people led to a variety of remedies. Gu Yu was generous with these things, even buying century-old He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) just to maintain their hair.

Hearing that Daiyu was washing her hair, Gu Yu's heart stirred. She gestured for the maid to continue resting, and quietly went to Daiyu's room.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Ultimate Guide to Getting People to Sleep

As soon as Gu Yu lifted the curtain, she saw Daiyu lying on a chair, with Zijuan tying her hair up, and Xueyan carrying a basin of water walking out. Suddenly, someone barged in and almost bumped into her.

Xueyan was startled and was about to speak when she suddenly realized that the person who came was Gu Yu. Her face lit up with joy, but he gestured for her to be quiet, so she went downstairs with a smile.

Daiyu was taking a nap with her eyes closed when she heard Xueyan's soft call. She turned her head slightly but didn't get up. She asked:

"Xueyan, what's wrong?"

"It's okay, it's okay. I almost spilled the water. I'll go out now."

Xueyan stuck out her tongue, picked up the basin, and went out. Zijuan naturally saw Gu Yu come in. When he quietly took the comb from her hand, she understood what was going on, smiled, and quietly withdrew.

Her freshly washed black hair exuded a rich, refreshing fragrance, mixed with the girl's subtle body scent. Gu Yu couldn't help but take a deep breath, then leaned closer, dipped the comb into the prepared medicinal liquid beside her, and gently combed her hair from the roots.

After only a few strokes, Daiyu stiffened, finally realizing something was wrong. This pressure was not Zijuan's style... Considering Xueyan's strange behavior earlier, she knew without asking which deity had come.

It was midday and the weather was hot. She was afraid of getting her clothes wet, so Daiyu changed into a green gauze dress, and her light blue undergarment was visible through it, making her look exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

Seeing the two blushes on Daiyu's face and her slightly rapid breathing, Gu Yu knew she had been discovered, so she no longer concealed it and chuckled softly:

"Is my sister satisfied with this force? Hmm?"

Daiyu felt both touched and shy. She pursed her lips, but couldn't suppress the smile. She softly hummed in agreement, feeling a sense of peace in her heart.

Her parents were so loving, yet she had never seen her father comb her mother's hair. Of course, it's also possible that they wouldn't let her see it. However, combing hair now carries another meaning, so it's no wonder Daiyu felt shy.

Combing hair and drawing eyebrows are intimate matters between husband and wife, and now that Gu Yu is doing it so skillfully, how could the young girl not be captivated? Just then, a cool breeze blew in from outside the window, and along with the faint birdsong, it was like a lullaby, making Daiyu drowsy again.

Gu Yu waited for Daiyu's hair to dry a little before gently massaging her head. She originally wanted to talk to her, but unexpectedly saw that Daiyu had a faint smile on her lips and was breathing heavily, and had actually fallen asleep.

Looking at her peaceful sleeping posture, Gu Yu couldn't help but smile, and the pressure on her hand became even lighter. Suddenly remembering something, she picked up the comb and gently began to comb her hair.

Daiyu was somewhat surprised to hear Gu Yu making strange noises in her ear, but she was too lazy to ask questions. Instead, she playfully grabbed Gu Yu's hand, teasingly hooking his palm before letting go and only holding onto his sleeve.

Encouraged, Gu Yu became even more playful and stopped focusing on the comb. She picked up two pens from the nearby table and gently rubbed them together, or gently covered Daiyu's small ears and breathed on them. This left Daiyu feeling both comfortable and itchy.

Finally, when Gu Yu gently licked her delicate earlobe, Daiyu couldn't help but open her beautiful eyes, weakly reaching out her small hand to block him, and glaring at him with her watery eyes.

"Where did Brother Yu learn this from? Did he deliberately learn to bully people again?"

Gu Yu chuckled, then lowered his head and kissed the back of her fair hand. He then took out the green jade and gold butterfly hairpin that he had long admired and waved it at Daiyu like a treasure.

"Does your sister like it?"

In fact, Daiyu had countless baskets of jewelry, and Gu Yu sent her new styles every month without stopping. But since it was a newly released style, and Gu Yu had personally bought and delivered it, Daiyu felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She propped herself up and sat up sideways, taking the hairpin and examining it closely.

"...I wonder if this is just for me, or if all of you sisters received one?"

Daiyu's beautiful eyes sparkled, and after smiling, she stared at Gu Yu with a half-smile.

Gu Yu's expression stiffened, then he chuckled and brushed it off:

"Little sister, get up quickly. I just learned a trick from Qingwen the other day. Let me do your hair in a bun. This hairpin will match perfectly."

A hint of shyness flashed across Daiyu's face, but she still obediently got up and sat in front of the dressing table. Looking at Gu Yu in the mirror, she saw Gu Yu clumsily tying up her hair, barely managing to create a "Suiyun" bun, so fluffy that it seemed like it would fall apart at any moment.

Gu Yu glanced at the dangerous hairstyle and was about to declare her skills bankrupt when she called Zijuan and the others in to help Daiyu comb her hair. But Daiyu grabbed her hand instead.

Daiyu blushed, her watery eyes gazing affectionately at Gu Yu's face through the mirror. She slowly handed over the hairpin in her hand, her voice trembling with shyness.

"Brother Yu... please put it in my hair..."

Gu Yu felt a shiver run through her heart. She hadn't thought much of it before, but now it seemed as if this action had been given a special meaning. She couldn't help but hold her breath and gently insert the hairpin into the fluffy hair bun, then slowly let go.

When he finally let go, one second, two seconds… Gu Yu suddenly gasped for breath and couldn’t help but look down to find Daiyu’s pretty face. The two looked at each other in perfect unison, and Daiyu, who was no longer shy, obediently and proactively tilted her head up slightly, and in an instant they were gently entwined.

But with this movement, the disheveled hair finally gave way and came undone completely. Gu Yu, who was already mentally prepared, gently pinched the hairpin and was about to place it on the dressing table.

Daiyu leaned back slightly, temporarily signaling the end of the game, and gave Gu Yu a reproachful glare, saying:

"Your hair is messed up again after I just combed it~ I'll have Qingwen punish you later. She has such excellent skills; we can't let you ruin her reputation..."

As for the loosened hair, it had already fulfilled its purpose, and neither of them cared. Gu Yu leaned closer and nuzzled Daiyu's delicate nose, eliciting a protest, and couldn't help but laugh:

"Well, I need a place to practice too. Little sister, why don't you take pity on me and lend me your hair?"

Daiyu gave a soft snort, first putting the jade hairpin on the table into a delicate little box, her eyes full of sweetness, but her mouth still protesting.

"Aren't all the maids in your courtyard enough for you to mess with? If you ruin my hair, what are you going to do to compensate me?"

Gu Yu grabbed a handful of her black hair, and couldn't help but bury it in her nose and take a deep breath, feeling a sweet intoxication in her heart.

"If I break it, how about I compensate you with myself?"

"Pah! Such a smooth talker!"

"Huh? My sister just tasted it, why are you accusing me of being glib again? My mouth isn't greasy at all, it smells delicious... You should try it if you don't believe me—"

"Hmm—~"

Two turtledoves under the eaves, seemingly stimulated by something, suddenly began to coo in unison, adding a touch of liveliness to the early summer.

……

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Is Baoyu Going to Smash the Jade?

After playing around for a while, Gu Yu noticed that Daiyu's flushed face was starting to glow. Afraid that she would sweat, Gu Yu pulled her down to sit and stopped teasing her.

Gu Yu's body was like a piece of warm, cool jade. Daiyu didn't want to move from his embrace. She couldn't help but snuggle closer, but Gu Yu held her tightly and wouldn't let her move.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. In the silence, Gu Yu's hand slowly climbed upwards, and just as she was about to touch something extraordinary, Zi Juan's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Miss, Master Bao is here—"

Daiyu was startled and quickly blushed as she slapped Gu Yu's hand away, jumped out of his arms, and tried to push him away.

But hearing the outer courtyard gate open and the voices of Baoyu's maids and Zijuan greeting him, it was too late to get Gu Yu to leave now.

If those young maids were to see Gu Yu alone in a room with him, who knows what gossip would spread throughout the manor!

Seeing this, Daiyu could only signal him to behave himself with her eyes. She was about to go out to greet him, but before she had taken two steps, Gu Yu tugged at her hand, and she couldn't help but look back in confusion.

Gu Yu glanced at Daiyu's thin clothes. Although she was wrapped up tightly, the color of the inner layer was faintly visible. But when she thought of Baoyu, that dissolute man, outside, she felt unhappy and whispered to her to change.

Daiyu chuckled. She hadn't expected Gu Yu to be so petty, finding fault even with such normal clothes. Did she expect Gu Yu to wear winter clothes every day?

However, she vaguely guessed what Gu Yu was thinking. What did it have to do with her what Master Bao was? She obediently went to find another gauze dress to put on, then pouted at Gu Yu with a coquettish expression. She couldn't help but laugh at Gu Yu's childishness before leaving.

Since Baoyu recovered from his illness, he found that his sisters had become more distant from him. It seemed that only Xiangyun was still as close as before. Not to mention Lin Daiyu and Baochai, even Tanchun and the others rarely left the house. It was truly frustrating.

What fun would it be for him to wander around such a large garden alone? After lying in the Yihong Courtyard for a few days, he couldn't resist heading towards the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Although Baochai was also incredibly beautiful, he always felt that Lin Daiyu was the most beautiful woman in the world, and no other woman could compare to her. Although she didn't pay much attention to him now, and he didn't know what she had done to offend him, he believed that as long as he continued to show her concern and care as before, the two of them would definitely reconcile.

Baoyu sat in the outer room for a long time, but Zijuan and the others only came up to pour tea and then left. He only let the other maids in the room serve him. Looking at these maids, who were only somewhat pretty, their looks were far inferior to those of Mushe and the others, and he felt angry.

After downing another cup of tea, Baoyu couldn't help but get up to go inside and check on things. Just then, he saw Daiyu come out, and his anger instantly vanished. He greeted her with a bright smile.

“It’s been a few days since I last saw my sister. She’s been sitting at home without moving around. Now that the weather is getting warmer, she should get some exercise.”

Daiyu subtly shifted her body and sat down on a nearby chair, responding casually.

"I exercise every day, but Brother Bao probably doesn't know that. Besides, why should a young lady like me go out and about? Wouldn't that be impolite?"

When talking about daily exercise, Daiyu's face flushed slightly, but she became impolite towards the end and couldn't help but glance at Baoyu, whether he was aware of it or not.

Unexpectedly, when Baoyu saw her blushing face glance over at him, he was overjoyed. He subconsciously interpreted it as Daiyu being shy and embarrassed to take the initiative to play with him, and quickly said:

"It's alright, it's alright. My sister can't go out easily, so I'll come to visit her more often in the future."

"???"

Daiyu endured it all, but finally couldn't help but sneer:

“Brother Bao is getting old now, how can he go to see any of the sisters alone? Besides, he is in the prime of his life, how can he indulge in playing and having fun? Studying and understanding principles is the right path. In the future, we will need Brother Bao to support us in this household.”