A Crossover of Film and Television: Miao Miao's Life Transmigration

Chapter 171 Lin Daiyu's younger brother in Dream of the Red Chamber 4

At lunch, Lin Jiyu and Lin Daiyu ate a simple meal. The food in the capital was heavy on oil and salt, while he and his sister had always preferred Huaiyang cuisine, which was light and refreshing.

Lin Jiyu knew the rules of the Rongguo Mansion, that every meal had to be taken from the main kitchen, but Lin Jiyu would not make herself suffer. Moreover, her sister's health was not very good, and she was more suited to eating light meals. In addition, the two siblings were still in mourning and could not eat meat. It would be great if they had a small kitchen.

Every evening, Lin Jiyu would have Zijuan take Shuangyue to Wang Xifeng to tell her his needs and see if they could get a small kitchen.

Shuangyue followed behind Zijuan, keeping a steady pace of about two steps away.

Zijuan was very nervous. Shuangyue was the maid of the eldest master of the Lin family. It could be said that the eldest master of the Lin family was the person in charge of the Lin family. She was now Miss Lin's servant. If she offended the maid by the eldest master's side, things would be hard to say.

After passing through several doors, Zijuan led Shuangyue to Wang Xifeng's courtyard. She asked a maid in the courtyard to report to Wang Xifeng, and only after receiving Wang Xifeng's instructions did the two of them enter the inner room.

"Are you young master and young lady of the Lin family? What brings you here?" Wang Xifeng asked directly.

Shuangyue stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings to Second Madam Lian. I am a maidservant by Master Lin's side. Master Lin instructed me to consult Second Madam Lian if there are any matters."

"Tell me in detail!"

"The master said that it is not proper to trouble Second Madam Lian, but since the master and young lady have come from the south to the capital, they are not used to the food in the capital. Also, since the master and young lady are still in mourning and cannot eat meat, they would like to trouble Second Madam Lian if she could arrange a small kitchen," Shuangyue said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Oh, I thought it was something big. It's just a small matter. I agree. Ping'er, go and arrange for the craftsmen to build a small kitchen for Changju Courtyard tomorrow." Wang Xifeng made the arrangements cleanly and efficiently.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Shuangyue dared not disturb Wang Xifeng any further.

Wang Xifeng smiled and asked Ping'er to go out and see Shuangyue off. Once the three of them were out of sight, Wang Xifeng rubbed her forehead with her hand. Ping'er came in and quickly helped Wang Xifeng rub her forehead.

"I've been so busy every day that I almost ruined something big. The Lin siblings are still in mourning, and the kitchen is cooking according to the rules," Wang Xifeng said worriedly.

If she does something bad, wouldn't that leave the old lady with the impression that she's incompetent? How would she be able to get things done then?

Fortunately, the Lin siblings came to tell her about this without making a sound. As long as she told everyone that it was a small kitchen she had arranged, but that it was just a few days ago when construction was not going to begin, she could cover it up.

After Shuangyue returned, she told Wang Xifeng that she had arranged for the craftsmen to build a small kitchen the next day.

In the evening, a maid from Rongqing Hall came and told the siblings to have dinner with the old lady. Normally, Lin Jiyu should not have dined with the people from the inner courtyard, but since it was Lin Jiyu's first time at Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia invited him to dine with her.

Rongqing Hall was a bit far from Changju Courtyard. The two walked for half an hour. Seeing that Lin Daiyu's face was slightly sweaty, Lin Jiyu nodded. He didn't know how to get his sister to exercise. If she went to pay her respects to the old lady every day, walking for half an hour would achieve the effect of exercise.

When the two of them arrived, Grandmother Jia was already seated above them, surrounded by maids coming and going.

Li Wan was setting the table for Grandmother Jia, while Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun stood to one side, and Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and Wang Xifeng stood behind Grandmother Jia.

Lin Jiyu frowned slightly. Before his mother, Jia Min, passed away, she did not allow any concubines to serve her meals. However, he then smiled. After all, this was someone else's home, and guests should have the manners of guests. There was no need to gossip about the host.

"Master Lin and Miss Lin are here!" came the voice of a young maid.

"Daiyu, sit here. Jiyu, come sit here." Grandmother Jia looked up and saw the two siblings arrive, and cheerfully invited them to sit down.

Lin Daiyu looked up and glanced around. Madam Xing and Madam Wang hadn't taken their seats yet. How could a junior like her sit down?

Lin Daiyu gently tugged at Lin Jiyu's sleeve, worried about her younger brother.

Wang Xifeng quickly came over and invited Lin Daiyu to sit down, "What are you waiting for, sister, please sit down!"

Grandmother Jia noticed Lin Daiyu's restraint and explained, "Your aunt and sister-in-law don't eat in this room. You are guests from afar, so you should sit here."

Wang Xifeng quickly urged, "Yes, sit down, sit down."

Lin Daiyu bowed, said "Yes," and sat down to the left of Grandmother Jia with her younger brother.

After the two women sat down, Li Wan invited Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun to sit down as well.

After everyone was seated around Grandmother Jia, the dishes began to be served one after another.

Lin Jiyu noticed that the dishes in front of him and his sister were all vegetarian, with a light flavor. Whether it was arranged by Grandmother Jia or Wang Xifeng, Lin Jiyu naturally appreciated their kindness.

They ate quietly for about half an hour. After Grandmother Jia put down her chopsticks, everyone else immediately put down theirs as well.

Then the maids stepped forward in an orderly fashion, cleared away the leftover food on the table, and brought some water and handkerchiefs.

Lin Daiyu glanced at Yingchun and Tanchun out of the corner of her eye, and followed their example to rinse her mouth. When she was about to take the last sip of tea, Lin Jiyu tugged at her sister's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, you shouldn't drink strong tea."

Grandmother Jia noticed the commotion on the left and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Jiyu stood up and said softly, "Grandma, my sister has just recovered and shouldn't drink strong tea."

Grandmother Jia nodded and said calmly, "We should be careful."

After several years of recuperation, Lin Daiyu no longer showed any signs of needing medication, so when they first met, Madam Wang didn't mention anything about what kind of medicine she was taking.

However, after Jia Min passed away, Lin Daiyu fell ill during the days she kept vigil and had only just recovered. Therefore, Lin Jiyu reminded her sister not to drink strong tea.

When dinner time was over, Grandmother Jia said, "You may all leave now. Let us have a chat here in peace and quiet."

Madam Wang summoned Yuanyang and instructed her not to trouble the old lady, then returned home with her maid.

"Let's go sit in the flower hall."

After they sat down, Grandmother Jia began to ask Lin Daiyu, "What books have you read?"

Lin Daiyu was very confident in her life, and since she usually attended classes with her younger brother, she calmly replied, "I have thoroughly read the Four Books and Five Classics. What books have you sisters read?"

Grandmother Jia said with a smile, "What books have they read? They're just not blind."

Lin Daiyu felt a little embarrassed by what Grandmother Jia said. After all, you just said that you had read the Four Books and Five Classics, but it turns out that the education in Rongguo Mansion only taught Yingchun and the others to recognize characters. Although there was an element of modesty in it, Lin Daiyu was embarrassed. Lin Jiyu naturally had to take over the conversation.

Lin Jiyu replied, "My sister studied with me. When I was little, I didn't like reading, so my sister stayed with me, and I gradually came to like reading. Now I have read through the Four Books and Five Classics."

Lin Jiyu's reply made the atmosphere even more awkward. Fortunately, a maid came in and said, "Grandma, Master Bao has arrived."

When Grandmother Jia saw that her beloved Jia Baoyu had arrived, she quickly waved her hand and said, "Go quickly and call him in."

Lin Jiyu's eyes lit up. He was finally going to meet the beloved Jia Baoyu. He wanted to see what kind of person he was.

A young man dressed in red walked in. His face was as bright as the Mid-Autumn Festival moon, his complexion as beautiful as the flowers of spring dawn, his eyebrows as dark as ink paintings, and his face as delicate as peach petals. He was indeed a handsome young man.

He stepped forward, knelt before Grandmother Jia, and said, "Greetings to Grandmother Jia."

"What? You haven't even met the guests yet, and you've already taken off your clothes? Come on, hurry up and greet your younger brother and sister."

Grandmother Jia's smile deepened noticeably, showing how much she doted on Jia Baoyu.

Lin Daiyu and Lin Jiyu got up and came to Jia Baoyu. Jia Baoyu bowed to Lin Daiyu, and Lin Daiyu quickly returned the bow. Seeing this, Lin Jiyu did not want to make an exception, so she bowed to Jia Baoyu as well.

In the blink of an eye, Jia Baoyu stared straight at Lin Daiyu for a while. Lin Daiyu frowned slightly, and Lin Jiyu quickly stepped in front of Jia Baoyu. It was their first meeting, and even modern people wouldn't stare at someone for so long; it was a bit impolite.

Lin Jiyu pulled Lin Daiyu to sit on the right side of Grandmother Jia, leaving the left side empty for Jia Baoyu, since the left side is the place of honor.

Lin Jiyu blocked Jia Baoyu's path. After regaining his senses, Jia Baoyu said wistfully, "I've seen this younger sister before."

Grandmother Jia quickly said, "You're talking nonsense again. How could you have seen her?"

At this moment, Lin Jiyu interrupted Grandmother Jia and Jia Baoyu's conversation and explained, "Cousin thinks that Sister looks familiar, but it's because Sister looks like Mother, and Mother looks like Grandmother, so that's why Cousin thinks she looks familiar."

Grandmother Jia wanted to hold Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu's hands, but Lin Jiyu interrupted her, so she stopped paying attention to them.

Jia Baoyu stared at Lin Daiyu and asked, "What books have you read, little sister?"

Lin Daiyu repeated what she had read in the Four Books and Five Classics, and Lin Jiyu added, "When I grow up, I want to take the imperial examinations like my father, become an official in the court, and stand up for the people."

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu's face darkened, and he muttered, "Such a good younger brother, yet he wants to learn those corrupt practices and take the imperial examinations. I hope he doesn't lead my fairy-like sister astray."

Although Jia Baoyu still wanted to ask Lin Daiyu her name and courtesy name, Lin Daiyu kept talking about the Four Books and Five Classics and the imperial examinations.

His face remained gloomy, behaving like a naughty child who needed attention. Grandmother Jia noticed Jia Baoyu's unhappiness and changed the subject.

The atmosphere became pleasant again, and suddenly, Jia Baoyu asked, "Does my sister have any jade?"

Lin Daiyu smiled politely, thinking that her cousin might be showing off that she was born with jade. She nodded slightly and said, "My brother gave me a piece of warm jade five years ago, but mine is just an ordinary thing and can't compare to yours, brother."

Jia Baoyu suddenly stood up, and Lin Jiyu shielded Daiyu behind him. Jia Baoyu then took off the jade pendant from his neck and smashed it hard on the ground.

The jade stone made a "bang" sound and disappeared before their eyes.

Lin Jiyu was full of questions. As for why he didn't speak up for his sister, it was mainly because Jia Baoyu suddenly lost his temper, not giving him any time to react. He really didn't know what he had done to Jia Baoyu.

Everyone around tried to persuade Jia Baoyu, and even Grandmother Jia got up and lightly punched him a few times, saying, "You naughty boy, you naughty boy, it's easy for you to get angry, hit people, and curse people, let alone throw away your manhood, that's your manhood."

The maids all went to search for the jade stones that had fallen to the ground. Seeing the chaotic scene, Lin Jiyu was worried that her sister was upset, so she gently patted her sister's back to reassure her.

Lin Daiyu wore a wry smile. She didn't understand why her cousin had suddenly lost his temper. Seeing her younger brother's worried eyes, she gently shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

Jia Baoyu said angrily, "I have no sisters or cousins ​​at home, not even a fairy-like sister who came to visit. Why should I want this broken stone?"

After the maid found the jade and placed it in the old lady's hands, Grandmother Jia persuaded Jia Baoyu several times, and even mentioned that Lin Daiyu had jade, saying that the warm jade was not an ordinary thing, and that both of them had jade.

Grandmother Jia pulled Jia Baoyu back to sit on the couch and said affectionately, "Stop fooling around, or your mother will find out."

This was a matter for their Rongguo Mansion, so Lin Jiyu naturally wouldn't interfere or offer any advice. She simply treated it as a show, but she wanted to comfort her sister, who had been frightened.

After this incident, Grandmother Jia lost her desire to chat, and everyone dispersed. Lin Daiyu returned to Changju Courtyard with Lin Jiyu.

On her way back, Lin Jiyu noticed that her sister was in a bad mood and worried that she was overthinking things, so she accompanied her to the backyard.

Lin Jiyu handed over a glass of honey water, which Lin Daiyu took with a slight smile on her face.

“Sister, if you don’t like Jia Baoyu, just avoid him. We live in the northwest corner, and as long as we don’t deliberately run into each other, we won’t see each other more than a few times a year. Why should you worry about him?”

Lin Jiyu comforted Lin Daiyu for a while before she regained her smile. Then she instructed Bai Qing, "Bai Qing, I suffered a great injustice tonight. Be careful, you might have nightmares. If you do, be sure to come and ask me for help."

Bai Qing bowed and replied, "Don't worry, young master, I understand."

After the incident of the broken jade, Lin Jiyu and Lin Daiyu stayed in this small courtyard for a period of time. Apart from going to pay their respects to the old lady in the morning, Jia Baoyu also needed to study on weekdays. Especially after Lin Jiyu was tested on her studies by Jia Zheng, Jia Baoyu's studies were doubled, so he had even less time to go to see Lin Daiyu.

A year passed uneventfully. Lin Jiyu would occasionally visit Rongxi Hall to pay his respects to Jia Zheng. Every time he did, Jia Zheng would test him on his studies and compare him to Jia Baoyu. Naturally, Jia Baoyu had no time to think about this or that.

The only opportunities for Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu to meet were when they paid their respects to Grandmother Jia. In addition, since Grandmother Jia did not have dinner with everyone every day, the Changju Courtyard with its small kitchen was more comfortable for him. He carried the silver notes given to him by his father.

This time when I went to the capital, my father gave me 30,000 taels of silver notes. 10,000 taels went to the Rongguo Mansion, 10,000 taels went to him, and 10,000 taels went to my sister to keep.

Suddenly, servants began to spread the word that Xue Pan, the son of Aunt Xue of the Xue family in Jinling City, had killed someone and was saying he wanted to bring his aunt to the capital.

Lin Jiyu heard it once but didn't take it to heart. After all, he needed to study every day. His mourning period was over. Some time ago, Lin Jiyu visited his father's classmate, who had passed the imperial examination but did not become an official.

He is now studying under this gentleman and has begun practicing policy essays; he is very busy.