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

Page 34

Lin Hai and Jia Zheng had a meal together with Bao Yu, but Lin Hai declined Grandmother Jia's invitation to stay.

"Thank you for your concern, Mother-in-law. However, Ru Hai is currently carrying out imperial orders and is ready to be summoned at any time. It is really not appropriate for me to disturb your peace and quiet."

Seeing how serious Lin Hai was, Grandmother Jia had no choice but to let him go, and told him to come and chat with her more often when he had nothing to do.

After leaving Rongxi Hall, Lin Hai, led by Gu Yu, went to check out their courtyard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Lin Hai saw Xiang Ling and Qing Wen coming to greet him. As someone with experience, he could naturally see the hint of lust in their eyes. He couldn't help but glance at Gu Yu and let out a faint hum.

Gu Yu gave a dry laugh and quickly sent the two men to serve tea in the study. He and his group went to Daiyu's room to talk first.

Lin Hai looked around at the furnishings in Daiyu's room. His expression softened. Gu Yu hadn't kept anything from him, but he hadn't actually seen it with his own eyes.

Seeing that Daiyu's room was decorated even more meticulously than it had been in Yangzhou, Lin Hai knew that Gu Yu had put a lot of thought into it. He couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, feeling that the two of them had such a deep relationship that they would not be affected by any princesses or the like.

After touring Daiyu's room, Lin Hai saw Gu Yu standing there obliviously, so he snorted, making Gu Yu realize what was happening. Gu Yu then hurriedly took her leave, looking dejected.

For a moment, only the father and daughter remained. Lin Hai no longer needed to suppress his feelings and lovingly took Daiyu's hand to sit down on the kang (a heated brick bed) to talk about their father-daughter relationship.

"...Have you been content all these years?"

"Father, don't worry. My maternal grandmother has many sisters, so I'm not lonely at all. My cousins ​​and their wives love me dearly, and my maternal grandmother is also very kind to me. It's just that you're all alone in Yangzhou, so please take good care of yourself."

Looking at her father's thin face, Daiyu was filled with worry.

Looking at his two uncles, Jia She and Jia Zheng, whom he had met a few times in the mansion, they were about the same age, but the latter had rosy complexions and well-proportioned figures, unlike his father who was so thin.

"Yu'er, don't worry. I'm perfectly fine now. The only thing I'm concerned about is you."

"Your birthday is coming soon, and Yu'er will be twelve years old then, and you'll be ready to get engaged. Sigh, you were just such a tiny little bundle of joy back then, and now you're all married. If your mother knew this from beyond the grave, she would surely be at peace."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu felt both saddened and embarrassed, and could only blush and refuse to respond.

Seeing this, Lin Hai coughed twice and could only press on:

“Yu’er is getting older. Does she have any preferences? Since your mother is not here, I have to make the decision. Tell me about it so I can find you a good marriage.”

Upon hearing this, Daiyu immediately pictured someone's smiling face, blushed, and clung shyly to Lin Hai.

Seeing his precious daughter so shy, Lin Hai could only sigh inwardly. Countless wolves were eyeing Gu Yu, this tempting catch. Daughter, if you don't hurry, you'll miss your chance and it'll be too late to cry!

"You lived in the Jia family for several years. What did you think of Baoyu, the son of your second aunt, as a person?"

Seeing that her father no longer mentioned her marriage, Daiyu breathed a sigh of relief and replied with a smile:

“What Mother said back then was both right and wrong. Although Brother Bao dislikes reading, he only dislikes those who are focused on pursuing an official career. He also dabbles in the Book of Poetry and the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi.”

"As for the idea that he likes to roll around in piles of rouge, that's just hearsay. Although Brother Bao is a bit unrestrained, he is still well-mannered and a very kind person."

As for the fact that Baoyu actually ate the rouge from the lips of a few maids, firstly, Daiyu was too embarrassed to discuss it, and secondly, such things were actually quite normal among children of prominent families.

However, Baoyu was quite unconventional in his behavior, disliked reading, loved women, and was close to girls while keeping away from men. All these peculiarities combined made him difficult for outsiders to understand, who only saw him as an unambitious playboy.

Seeing his beloved daughter's happy face as she talked about how considerate Baoyu was to her and her sisters, Lin Hai's heart stirred, and he asked about Gu Yu.

“Cousin Yu… he’s very kind. He takes care of all my daily needs.”

When Daiyu heard Lin Hai ask about Gu Yu, her heart tightened, and she stammered for a long time.

Thinking of Gu Yu's subtle distancing over the past few days, she felt a pang of bitterness and decided not to mention that despicable scoundrel.

Lin Hai's heart skipped a beat. Although he and Jia Min fell in love at first sight, their marriage was arranged by their parents and matchmakers, and they got married and started living together. Naturally, he didn't know about the troubles between young lovers.

Nowadays, Daiyu speaks of Baoyu with great enthusiasm, but when she talks about Gu Yu, she becomes a little temperamental, which inevitably makes him think the wrong thing.

"Could it be... Yes, Yu'er had only spent less than half a year with Yu'er before. She stayed at the Imperial Academy for a long time after arriving in the capital, and later even went out of the capital to collect folk songs."

"Given Baoyu's usual thoughtfulness towards his sisters, it's entirely possible that his affection for Yu'er deepened over time..."

"Alas, it seems my mother-in-law was hinting at Baoyu and Yu'er earlier, but I was so oblivious that I didn't realize it..."

Seeing her father's blank expression, Daiyu called out twice to bring Lin Hai back to his senses.

Lin Hai forced a smile at Daiyu and chatted with her for a while. Feeling irritated, he walked towards Gu Yu's room.

Back then, when Jia Min mentioned marrying Daiyu to Gu Yu, he felt a little uncomfortable, but now that the match might not happen, he's getting anxious.

In terms of personality, appearance, family background, and so on, Lin Hai couldn't think of anyone more suitable to be his son-in-law than Gu Yu.

What do you mean by being considerate to his sisters? Does Gu Yu really fall short of him in every way? It's obvious that this is his only redeeming quality, which is why he's praising him so vehemently.

Seeing that he couldn't even continue writing a few simple classics, Lin Hai knew that no matter how talented this person was, he was not a promising talent.

Unless one day the Jia family is destroyed and he is spared, allowing him to rise from the ashes, but how is that possible? So he is destined to be a sentimental fool for life.

Her own Yu'er was born intelligent and had been raised as a boy since childhood. Even if they only talked about common topics, she was compatible with Gu Yu. Could it be that she spent her days discussing rouge and powder with that damned Bao Yu?

Sun Lingxu's ridiculous idea of ​​yin and yang fusion back then allowed that brat Gu Yu to sleep with his daughter for so many days. If it really doesn't work out now, Lin Hai can travel a thousand miles a day back to Suzhou to settle accounts with him!

After calming down outside, Gu Yu finally regained his composure. He hadn't done anything wrong, so why was he so afraid of Lin Hai?

But when Lin Hai walked into his study with a stern face, Gu Yu's heart still trembled involuntarily, and she couldn't help but swallow her saliva, and went up to pour him tea in a rather obsequious manner.

Chapter Sixty-One: My bank card password is...

Lin Hai sat with his head down, drinking tea without saying a word. Gu Yu could only stand respectfully to the side with her hands clasped, staring at the ground, frantically trying to recall if she had overlooked anything during this period.

This doesn't seem like a reunion of family members; it's more like a revenge mission. But Gu Yu thought through all her actions and couldn't see anything wrong with them.

After Lin Hai slowly finished his tea, what he wanted arrived.

Hearing someone enter the study, Gu Yu couldn't help but look up. It was Granny Li from the courtyard who came in carrying a jar of wine.

Lin Hai stood up and took it, looking at Gu Yu with a half-smile, and said:

"I heard that you made some rather unusual remarks a while ago, and someone has already told me the details. After the news reached Suzhou, Senior Sun analyzed it and specially prepared this jar of wine for you, which can cure your easy intoxication!"

Gu Yu broke out in a cold sweat. In fact, his memory of that day only went as far as drinking the second cup of wine that the maid handed him.

Gu Yu's memory of what happened after that was too hazy. It was only after secretly asking Kong Chengli and the others that she learned that she had dared to say in public that she wanted to marry several princesses and have sons just for fun.

Fortunately, no one was named directly at the time, so not many people made that connection.

Looking at the small, dark jar on the table, Gu Yu chuckled dryly, wanting to refuse. He didn't know what questions Lin Hai would ask if he got drunk. He didn't want to feel like he was being stripped naked!

Before he could speak, Lin Hai flipped over a wine glass and filled it for him, then slowly asked:

"What, is there some shady secret you're hiding? Have you committed murder or arson? Or abducted a woman?"

"Don't you dare!"

Gu Yu cried out his innocence, but seeing the wine glass being pushed towards him, he had no reason to refuse. He could only stretch out his trembling hand and accept the 'truth serum,' praying in his heart that all the gods and Buddhas would spare his pants.

After drinking a cup of wine, Gu Yu's face became rosy, but he was not as energetic as usual. Granny Li quickly stepped forward to help him sit down on a chair.

After settling Gu Yu in, Granny Li tactfully withdrew, closed the study door tightly, and personally stood guard not far from the doorway.

Seeing that Gu Yu was still stubbornly keeping her eyes wide open, trying her best to prove that she was sober, Lin Hai couldn't help but laugh and handed her another cup.

This time, Gu Yu finally calmed down, half-closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair, half-asleep and half-awake.

After patiently waiting for the medicinal wine to take effect for a while, Lin Hai asked his first question in a low voice.

"Yu'er, are you ready for the imperial examination this year?"

"What imperial examinations...even a dog wouldn't go...I don't want to be an official anyway, having the title of a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations) is enough..."

Gu Yu's speech was still relatively clear, but what she said made Lin Hai's face darken.

"Hmph! As a member of the Gu family, how can you indulge in pleasure and neglect your ambitions?"

"Ambitious... Hmph, ambitious enough to enter the Eastern Palace, only to be beheaded again? In the future, I will peacefully marry a few wives and concubines, leisurely travel through mountains and rivers, and publish a few masterpieces. Naturally, I will not tarnish the reputation of the great Confucian scholars of the Gu family."

"..."

Lin Hai looked at Gu Yu across from him with pity. After receiving the news in Suzhou, Sun Lingxu analyzed the situation and concluded that Gu Yu was under too much pressure and could only let loose when drunk.

But where did he get so much pressure at such a young age? Sun Lingxu pointed upwards, and Lin Hai understood.

Now that Gu Yu clearly doesn't want to get involved in politics, Lin Hai fell silent for a moment.

How many things in this world are truly perfect? ​​Gu Yu must know why the palace wants him to make a name for himself this time, but since Lin Hai is involved on the other end, Gu Yu can only obey.

But once it happens once, it will happen countless times. Does Gu Yu think that after transferring all her resources to him in officialdom, she can be free of trouble? That's just wishful thinking…

Shaking his head to stop thinking about it, Lin Hai asked a few more questions to thoroughly understand his nephew's psychological journey before turning to today's main event.

"...Did you enjoy your time with the sisters in the Jia family?"

"Hehe... Of course I'm happy! I'm going to marry them all! And Baochai and the others... Hmm, there are a few more later, no rush..."

Gu Yu smiled slightly, while Lin Hai, not hearing the answer he wanted, couldn't help but frown.

When Lin Hai heard that Gu Yu was actually thinking about so many girls but hadn't mentioned his precious daughter, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Humph!"

Seeing Gu Yu's smug look, Lin Hai wanted nothing more than to slap him. What a fickle little rascal!

Back in Yangzhou, he doted on his daughter every day and shamelessly wanted to sleep next to her. Now, however, any girl can surpass Yu'er. What a scoundrel!

Having failed to get an answer in Yu'er's room, Lin Hai decided to get to the bottom of it with Gu Yu today, so he went straight to the point.

Do you like Yu'er?

"... "

Gu Yu's smile gradually faded, and he muttered something under his breath. Lin Hai couldn't hear him clearly at first, so he had to lean close to his ear to finally understand.

"...I only ever saw her as a younger sister...Since she doesn't like me...why create more trouble..."

After listening to it several times, Lin Hai finally understood what Gu Yu meant.

It turns out that Gu Yu liked Daiyu, but Daiyu didn't like him anymore and only regarded him as an older brother, so Gu Yu had to force himself to give up his feelings.

Lin Hai couldn't help but sigh. He thought that Gu Yu had changed her personality after seeing too much outside, but he didn't expect that his daughter didn't like him and instead took a different look at Bao Yu in the mansion.

Although he believed that Gu Yu was the most ideal son-in-law in his heart, he also wanted Daiyu to be satisfied.

He probably only has this one daughter in his entire life, so naturally he hopes that his daughter can choose for herself.

Seeing that this was the truth, Lin Hai sighed softly, feeling somewhat indifferent.

If Yu'er doesn't like Gu Yu, Gu Yu is already twelve years old. As Gu Yu's only close relative, I should start looking for a good marriage for him.

Thinking of this, Lin Hai first thought of the girls Gu Yu had mentioned earlier. In terms of status, the most suitable one was Xi Chun, the legitimate daughter of Ningguo Mansion. However, he had not investigated her carefully yet and could not make a decision rashly.

Fortunately, he can stay in the capital for a while longer, and then he can carefully investigate the daughters of various families and arrange a perfect marriage for Gu Yu.

Having asked all the questions he needed to, Lin Hai sat quietly for a while, tidied up the wine jars, and then relaxed before going out to call Granny Li to arrange for someone to go in and serve Gu Yu.

Xiangling and Qingwen had been eagerly going in to help Gu Yu lie down on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the study to rest. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Gu Yu was alright.

After all, Li Mama's words about treating the illness and some secret had startled them. Xiangling even thought they had ruined Gu Yu's health and almost went to apologize.

Chapter Sixty-Two: The Self-Examination of the Color Embryo

Lin Hai hadn't had a chance to talk to Daiyu any longer before he was asked to leave. Poor Daiyu had only exchanged a few words with her father before she had to see him off with a heavy heart.

Seeing the reluctance on his beloved daughter's face, Lin Hai smiled wryly and promised to visit her at the Jia Mansion every day for the next few days, which finally turned Daiyu's sorrow into joy.

Unfortunately, this trip to the capital was too rushed, and I didn't expect to stay for more than a few days. Therefore, the house in the capital is unprepared and uninhabitable. I can only temporarily stay at Gu Yu's main residence in the capital; how can I possibly take Daiyu out to enjoy a few days of family time?

Moreover, seeing that Yu'er was quite comfortable at her maternal grandmother's house, Lin Hai had even less intention of causing any trouble. He could take this opportunity to visit more relatives and friends and do some work to arrange marriages for his two children.

Gu Yu slept until dusk before waking up, feeling refreshed all over, without any of the headache from drinking. It was as if all the dust had been washed away, and she felt much lighter.

Xiangling was standing nearby watching Gu Yu, who was lost in thought. When she saw Gu Yu sit up, a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Master is awake! Qingwen—Qingwen! Quickly bring in the food."

While calling out, Xiangling helped Gu Yu put on the outer clothes that the two of them had taken off for him earlier.

He gently kissed Xiangling's forehead, eliciting a sweet, adoring laugh. Gu Yu was also infected by her smile and felt his appetite return.

Seeing Qingwen come in and set the table, Gu Yu asked about Lin Hai again. Qingwen was serving him food when she heard this and playfully scolded him:

"Master Lin is the old lady's ideal son-in-law. Why should we wait for you to fawn over her? You should fill your own stomach first."

"Master Lin is really something. He got me drunk as soon as he arrived. Doesn't he know that this will hurt my stomach?"

Gu Yu coughed twice, but didn't say anything to Qingwen. After all, explaining it would be a bit complicated, so he simply skipped the matter.

Seeing that Gu Yu had 'expressed his opinion', Qingwen pouted and said no more, feeling even more dislike for the person in the other room.