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

Page 144

Halfway through the conversation, they suddenly heard a commotion outside. It turned out that the stable in the south courtyard had caught fire. Startled, Grandmother Jia rushed out to check on it and ordered someone to burn incense in front of the fire god statue. She only breathed a sigh of relief after watching the fire go out.

After this incident, everyone lost interest in listening to the story. Only Baoyu kept asking for more details, so Granny Liu made up two more stories about gods and Buddhas, which actually managed to get Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang to listen.

Seeing that it was getting late, Daiyu and the others said goodbye and headed into the garden, chatting about Granny Liu along the way.

"The old lady said that Granny Liu can come to the garden for two more days tomorrow. Should we get ready?"

Upon hearing this, Daiyu frowned. Her room contained quite a few things that shouldn't be seen by others, such as those small items that should have been displayed amidst pear blossoms and spring rain. She couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance.

"Who is she, Granny Liu? Listen to what she's saying? — Bring some fruits and vegetables, pshaw."

Upon hearing this, Baoqin couldn't help but turn her head to look at Daiyu, feeling somewhat taken aback. She felt that such a slightly harsh tone should never have come from Daiyu's mouth.

Yingchun, being kind and gentle, still softly advised:

"After all, it's a token of affection..."

Seeing that the Li sisters and Xing Xiuyan looked uncomfortable, Xichun quickly interrupted:

"How could Second Sister be so confused too? It's almost late autumn, what fresh fruits and vegetables are being delivered at this time? Have you forgotten about the past two months...?"

"They must have gotten a 20-tael bargain last year, so they're back again this year."

Tan Chun echoed her sentiment; she had chatted with Feng Jie before and naturally knew her better.

"Alright, let's just ignore her. It'll only be a couple of days anyway. If we can cheer up the old lady, what's wrong with giving her another twenty taels?"

These words made sense, and everyone nodded in agreement. They then changed the subject and went home.

Chapter Thirteen: A Visit to the Grand View Garden

The next day, following Grandmother Jia's instructions, Li Wan, who was the highest-ranking woman in the garden, naturally got up early and led a large group of maids and servants to sweep the courtyard, wipe the tables, and prepare tea and wine.

They then brought out the folding screens and lanterns stored in the Zhuijin Pavilion one by one to air them out, preparing to give Grandmother Jia a good pat on the back.

Daiyu and the others went to Grandmother Jia's room early in the morning. After having tea, they accompanied Grandmother Jia inside, enjoying the scenery along the way.

Although it was late autumn, the garden was still full of flowers and plants. Chrysanthemums, osmanthus, hibiscus and other flowers of all colors were everywhere, dazzling the eyes. It wasn't until we reached Qinfang Pavilion that we came to our senses.

Sister Feng mischievously picked some chrysanthemums to put on Granny Liu's head, and then laughed:

"Grandma Liu, what do you think of this garden?"

"Amitabha! We country folk come to the city to buy New Year pictures at the end of the year. They're so beautiful that people say they're from a celestial palace. I always thought that no matter what, those pictures were just fake, but who would have thought that I would actually see them for myself today!"

Granny Liu's words, coupled with her expressive face, made Grandmother Jia laugh heartily. In her excitement, she pointed at Xichun and said:

"My granddaughter can also draw. How about I have her draw one?"

Xi Chun stood up with a bewildered look on her face, made a few perfunctory responses, and then sat down again. She nudged Tan Chun next to her in confusion to ask what was going on.

She was just thinking about Yu-gege's return and had no idea what had happened.

"What? You want me to draw a picture of the garden? This..."

Xi Chun, who had been given an extra big pot for no reason, bit her lip in anger. She didn't even have enough time to spend with her brother Yu, so who had time to draw this damn garden picture? How infuriating!

After everyone rested for a while, Grandmother Jia originally wanted to lead everyone to visit Xiaoxiang Pavilion first, but when she saw Baoyu on the side, she suddenly changed her mind and deliberately went down a section to visit Yihong Courtyard first.

When the group arrived at Yihong Courtyard, they saw a row of maids lined up on both sides, with Musk Moon and Golden Blossom, who had not yet come to serve, crowding around them to pay their respects.

Grandmother Jia nodded in satisfaction and led the crowd inside for a tour. As soon as they entered the room, Granny Liu couldn't help but gasp in amazement:

"I can't believe there's such an exquisite embroidery workshop in the world! I thought I'd arrived in a heavenly palace. I'm so mesmerized I can't even move!"

This was the first time she had ever seen such a delicate room. It was not clearly visible from the outside courtyard, but the scenery with mountains, water, flowers, and grass was already beautiful. Now that she had actually seen the interior of the room, she could no longer express any words of praise.

If it weren't for the large group of people standing in the room, which diluted the atmosphere, if she had come in alone, the emerald green jade bricks carved into the floor, the precious vases and treasures radiating light on the walls, and the colorful soft curtains, she probably wouldn't have been able to recognize the way out immediately.

When Granny Liu mistook Baoyu's room for his boudoir, Grandmother Jia was quite pleased. Her precious grandson was so handsome that he deserved such a fine arrangement!

Baoyu, standing to the side, also had a shy and smug look on his face. He always liked girls who were made of water and hated men who were made of mud. Now that this old lady had just met him, she called him "boudoir" (a term of endearment for women in their boudoirs). Wasn't that exactly what he wanted?

Unfortunately, in his joy, he failed to notice the different expressions on the faces of his sisters beside him, with Xiangyun and Tanchun even frowning.

When Baoyu lived in the Bisha Pavilion, it wasn't this flashy. After moving to the Yihong Courtyard, the sisters basically didn't go into his room to look. They thought that he would restrain himself as he got older, but who would have thought that it would get worse and worse now?

All the sisters in the garden combined couldn't compare to his room, which resembled a woman's boudoir, yet he was still quite pleased with himself.

Compared to Tan Chun, who had long given up hope, Xiang Yun looked even more displeased. The thought that she had actually had the mind to persuade such a hopeless Bao Yu to improve himself was truly a waste of her time!

"Haha, my dear in-law, you've guessed wrong. This is my Baoyu's room!"

"Oh my goodness! He really is the old lady's grandson. He's handsome, and his house is beautiful too. Only a young master like him deserves to live in such a place!"

Listening to Granny Liu's straightforward flattery, Grandmother Jia happily spoke a few more words, introducing the items in her grandson's room, before finally leaving amidst the crowd, feeling satisfied.

For the rest of the journey, Granny Liu racked her brains but still couldn't figure out the Jia family's style. Why was the young master's room decorated like an empress's palace? And why was that so-called Xiaoxiang Pavilion, which looked like a scholar's residence, actually a place where a delicate little girl lived?

So much so that when they arrived at places like Lotus Fragrance Pavilion, which seemed more normal, Granny Liu was completely unsure of what was going on. When she tentatively asked which young master lived there, it amused Daiyu and the others, and the place became quite lively.

When they reached Zilingzhou, it was already noon. Grandmother Jia was getting old and was feeling tired, so she rested and had lunch there.

Yesterday morning, Sister Feng arranged for people to prepare lunchboxes and line them up downstairs at Zhuijinlou. Facing the lake surface rippling in the breeze not far away, she arranged for people to sit down in an orderly manner.

As for the time during the banquet, after Grandmother Jia drank a couple of cups of wine, she got into a good mood and wanted to let Granny Liu see the talents of her grandchildren. So she ordered Yuanyang to play drinking games, and everyone had a great time.

After lunch, Grandmother Jia felt sleepy and went to Daoxiang Village to rest. She only instructed them to accompany Granny Liu to visit the other sisters' courtyards, and then take a boat trip to the Jade Emperor Temple in the afternoon, which would be considered a complete success.

Aunt Xue rarely visited the garden, and thinking of visiting Hengwu Garden where Baochai lived, she volunteered to lead the young ladies on a walk, while Lady Wang went to rest.

After touring Sanchun's courtyard, the group had just passed Daoxiang Village and crossed the pebble path when Granny Liu, chatting and laughing with Baoqin beside her, happened to see a rooftop faintly visible at the end of the fork in the road and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

"Why are there houses in the woods above? How can anyone live there?"

Baoqin curled the corners of her lips, gracefully stepped back half a step from Granny Liu's side, glanced at her, and then turned back to explain with a smile:

“Of course, people live here, but Granny Liu, you’ll have to guess again, who lives here?”

Today, Granny Liu is a guest. After asking Ying'er, Aunt Xue also learned that Yu Ge'er's residence was just ahead. She was also eager to see it, so the group could only go to Pear Blossom Spring Rain first.

Daiyu twisted her handkerchief, secretly watching Baoqin from behind. She felt that something was wrong just now, but it was Granny Liu who asked the question, so there was really no flaw.

"Could it be that I'm just being paranoid... No, no! Her smile is so obvious, there's definitely something wrong!"

Baoqin followed the crowd back into Pear Blossom Spring Rain with a smile. Qingwen and Xiangling, who had already received the news, came out to greet them and politely bowed to Aunt Xue and the others.

After all, it was the Jia family's garden, and they couldn't stop their guests from taking a stroll, especially since there were so many future mistresses and elders there.

Fortunately, there were no secrets in Pear Blossom Spring Rain. She simply tidied up the bedroom a little and put away the booklets on the desk. The maids on the outside finished their instructions and everything was ready.

Wow! So many books!

After seeing so many courtyards, Granny Liu was getting a little tired of the sights. She only looked around the ordinary main house once before leaving, but she was immediately amazed when she entered the study.

The rows of bookshelves, each over ten feet long, were packed full of books, looking like walls that could collapse and crush a person, creating a striking visual impact.

Chapter Fourteen: Daiyu Presents a Book

Even though they had been here once before, Baoqin and the others had never been inside the study before. Now, they couldn't help but widen their eyes and spread out with Granny Liu to examine it carefully.

Grandma Liu looked at the several open books on the table with envy in her eyes. These were precious things!

Although their family wasn't starving, they were just barely making ends meet and didn't even have enough money to prepare for winter. How could they possibly have seen so many books?

Previously, in Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Ouxiang Pavilion, although there were some books, they were merely decorations in a wealthy household. Now, in this pear blossom spring rain, they are overwhelmingly eye-catching.

"My goodness...whose residence is this? Are they preparing for the imperial examination? There are more books here than I've eaten a meal!"

Unable to resist, she reached out and stroked the pages of the book. Reluctantly, she withdrew her thin hand, thinking of her own Ban'er, feeling both envious and bitter.

Daiyu looked at her aged and thin face with envy, and the bitterness in her slightly cloudy eyes was particularly obvious.

Although she had just said that it was some kind of angry remark from Granny Liu, Daiyu couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion when she thought of the previous remark about families who couldn't afford to study. After thinking for a moment, she took down a few copies of the Book of Poetry and the Analects from the side and handed them to Granny Liu.

"Grandma, please accept it. In a couple of years, Ban'er will be able to read. Consider it a little gift for him; it's not worth much money."

"Girl, this is out of the question! I don't think you can buy a single book like this for even a tael of silver!"

Grandma Liu was taken aback. After realizing what was happening, she quickly suppressed her reluctance and tried to return the item, but Zijuan and the others persuaded her to stop. After several attempts to refuse, she finally accepted it with gratitude.

Seeing the genuine smile and heartfelt gratitude on her face, Daiyu felt a sense of joy. Originally, she had only thought it was a blessing for passing the imperial examination, but seeing her reaction, she felt gratified that she hadn't misjudged her.

"With Brother Yu not home, this pear blossom spring rain is nothing special!"

Just as she was about to urge everyone to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible, Daiyu glanced over and happened to see Baoqin walking to the bookshelf at some point, looking at the books on the shelf with great interest. She was so frightened that her voice trembled.

That row...aren't those books about things like "White Tiger Famous Tools"?!

Her shout immediately drew everyone's attention. Following the sound, they looked on in confusion. What was that?

"what happened?"

Baochai, being perceptive, quickly noticed that Daiyu's expression was off. She kept this in mind, gave a signal, and then quickly pulled Daiyu over to cover for her.

"What is your sister looking at?"

When Baoqin saw Daiyu approaching, her eyes lit up, and she quickly smiled, pointed to the book in front of her, and said coquettishly:

"I've traveled all over the country since I was a child, and I've read a lot of local chronicles. Today I suddenly came across a travelogue that I've never seen before. Lin Daiyu, could you let me take a look?"

When Daiyu saw that the books she had read were still in a corner, she breathed a sigh of relief. After hearing Baoqin's words, she hurriedly pulled them out and stuffed them into Baoqin's arms. Then she pushed Baoqin, wanting to get away from this place as soon as possible.

“Sister Baoqin, if you want to see, then see! Let’s go over there and take a look. We can sit down and have some tea to rest. Zijuan, go quickly and pour some tea for Qingwen.”

"Hey."

Baoqin eagerly opened the book on the table, but upon opening it, she couldn't help but pause in surprise, staring at it for a long time before tilting her head slightly and asking for help:

"Sister, what are these words? I feel like I've seen them somewhere before, and they're quite pretty..."

Baochai glanced down and chuckled softly:

"This is the Slender Gold style of calligraphy, which has been circulating for some time now. It's understandable that you've seen it somewhere before, but not here—this was written by Brother Yu himself?"

Halfway through her sentence, Baochai finally realized what was happening and instinctively reached out to take the book and close it. Unexpectedly, seeing her little action, Baoqin also triggered a passive reaction from her childhood, reflexively hiding the book in her arms. The two sisters stared at each other, and the whole scene suddenly became awkward.

"What? This is Brother Yu's travelogue? -- Could it be that they wrote it during their study tour at the Imperial Academy? Take a look!"

Upon hearing that it was Gu Yu's notes, the sisters couldn't sit still any longer. They all stood up and gathered around, chattering and urging Baoqin to quickly open the notebook in her hand.

"...On my way to Huayin County tonight, I met an old farmer..."

"This place is secluded in a quiet valley with lush bamboo groves, refreshing and pleasant. You can bring your family here for a visit sometime..."

"We were suddenly attacked by a tiger today. In this emergency, Wen Songchengli and I were preparing to shoot it down, but it turns out it already had an owner! Truly formidable!"

"The tiger's fur is really stiff. I was thinking of asking if they sold tiger penis, but unfortunately I left in a bit of a hurry..."

"..."

Leisure stories along the way, humanistic insights, and beautiful scenery are all vividly depicted on paper. There are also simple line drawings that Baoqin has never seen before, which are so easy to recognize that they are exquisite.

"Excellent calligraphy! Excellent painting! Young Master Yu is indeed exceptionally talented. It's just a pity that I've been in Shu for the past two years and haven't been able to keep in touch with anyone, so I haven't heard of his great name."

Baoqin nodded with a sigh, and was sitting in her chair smiling as she looked up to express her thoughts, only to find that the topic of conversation among her sisters seemed to be somewhat different from what she had expected.

"Brother Yu even encountered a tiger! He never mentioned it..."

"They've been without food for two days... they must be starving..."

“He always reports good news and never bad news, so he would never tell us this.”

Looking at the hint of heartache on Baochai's face, Baoqin opened her mouth, feeling a bit dazed.

The hardships of traveling, lack of water and food, and the encounters with wild beasts and strongmen on the road—other sisters may not know, but cousin, don't you know?

Even I encountered bandits once, though I only hid in a carriage and soon heard that they had been repelled. But that's still an experience. What's with that look on your face, like you're hearing this for the first time? Didn't you write to tell me?

Aunt Xue hadn't originally come to join in the fun, but seeing them gathered together discussing Gu Yu's notes, she noticed Baochai's expression seemed a little off. Her heart sank, and she quickly changed the subject with a smile:

"The girls don't understand the reasons behind this. This is a common occurrence when you're out and about. There's really no need to worry. Look at Yu-ge'er, he's still lively and energetic."

"Since he doesn't want to say it, it's naturally to avoid making the girls worry. It's better not to care."

As she said this, Aunt Xue glanced at Baochai and saw that she seemed to be in normal condition again, as if it was just her imagination. She was puzzled, but at least she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yu-ge'er, you'd better come back soon. Only after introducing Baoqin to us can this stubborn girl give up..."

A perfectly good appreciation of calligraphy and painting inexplicably went astray. After Xing Xiuyan and the others who were interested had also passed it around, Grandmother Jia happened to wake up from her afternoon nap. So everyone said goodbye to Xiangling and the others and rushed to Daoxiang Village to pick up Grandmother Jia.

"Miss Lin is too kind-hearted. Those books are all annotated by Lord Lin. Could it be that Miss Lin will silently write out a copy later?"

After taking stock of the damage in the room, Qingwen pouted, but didn't say anything bad, only grumbling.