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

Page 109

Feeling a pang of jealousy, Daiyu pinched her handkerchief, gave a soft snort, turned her head and saw the two girls with smug, silly expressions on their faces, and couldn't help but poke each of them, saying:

"You didn't bring any of the things I told you to pack, all you do is play!"

Xueyan, who was originally guarding the house, quickly smiled ingratiatingly and explained:

"Don't worry, young lady. Everything has been arranged by Young Master Yu. I've handed the things over to the old woman who came over, and she said she'd bring them over soon."

"... "

Without a reason, Daiyu stopped working, feeling embarrassed. Suddenly, she heard Baochai's voice behind her and couldn't help but lift the curtain to peek. Although she didn't see anyone, she heard Miaoyu's voice, and her expression became somewhat strange.

"When did Brother Yu become able to persuade this young lady to come?"

She knew that this person was a lay Buddhist who practiced Buddhism while still keeping his hair, and could be considered half a Buddhist. But now he was on Gu Yu's carriage. Considering Gu Yu's abilities, she didn't know whether to be jealous or happy.

Regardless, another carriage was missing, and the number of sisters outside the mansion had decreased. Daiyu comforted herself, and before long, the caravan suddenly started moving slowly. Just as they left the street corner, they were followed by another caravan, whose owner was not visible.

The streets were bustling in the morning, and the huge convoy inevitably got caught in the crowd. Although it wasn't hit, its speed was slowed down considerably.

Hearing the voices of people just two or three meters away, Daiyu couldn't help but secretly lift a corner of the window to take a closer look, just like when she entered the Jia Mansion years ago. Watching the people on the roadside hawking their wares, she felt much more relaxed, as if everything was so interesting.

Baochai, who was lagging behind, was somewhat oblivious to the commotion outside, but she still kept an eye on the caravan. Just as she turned the corner, the three carriages behind her broke away from the caravan and headed in the other direction. Baochai knew that they were going to pick someone up, but she couldn't figure out what was going on by looking at the street corner where they separated, so she had to give up.

Turning her head to look at Xiangyun, who was lost in thought, Baochai gave Ying'er a wink. The two of them worked together to distract her, and the carriage became lively, making Xiangyun forget about her fears on the way to the manor.

The three carriages broke away from the group, moved around and separated again, and finally the two carriages stopped in front of the Gu family's side gate. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they picked up the people and headed to the city gate according to the pre-arranged route.

Almost an hour later, the long procession passed through the city gate. The women put away their seals and got back into their carriages. Their carriages followed the caravan ahead for a while before turning and heading off at an almost 120-degree angle toward another side road.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of the city, Baochai heard the three carriages behind her returning without her noticing. She resisted the rudeness of peeking out and suddenly felt that the journey was going to be even more difficult.

"I wonder what kind of personality he has... what if he gets into a tantrum..."

Amidst the women's thoughts of novelty and worry, the caravan sped along the road. The seemingly ordinary carriages, now accelerating, still felt remarkably smooth. When Tan Chun noticed this and spoke up, the other women suddenly fell silent, sitting quietly in their seats, seemingly lost in thought, their eyes shining even brighter.

As noon approached, the old woman accompanying the carriage suddenly announced that they were almost at their destination. With no one around, Xichun lifted the curtain and peeked out. She could see a verdant mountain not far ahead, with various palaces and courtyards scattered among it. At the foot of the mountain, a manor was nestled, with only a few rooftops visible, the rest of which were blocked by an outer wall.

Seeing that there were people, Xichun lowered the curtain and turned back to sigh:

"I never imagined that Brother Yu's family had such a large estate. I can't even see the end of it! We probably wouldn't be able to see it all in a year."

Tan Chun's focus was completely different from hers. She had also secretly looked around and saw that there seemed to be several palaces on the other side with an extraordinary style. She had some guesses in her heart, but still couldn't believe it.

The Rong and Ning families, with two dukes, only occupied Rongning Street. They even dared to divert a section of the only flowing water in the city besides the palace to Huifang Garden. Despite all this, they didn't own even a small estate in Xishan.

She had only heard that there were royal gardens in Xishan, but she had never heard of any other manor, let alone one that Xichun described as stretching as far as the eye could see. Could it be because of that princess?

Thinking of this, Tan Chun's thoughts turned to the princess she had not yet met. It was as if she had been given a warning before they even met, and a faint shadow fell over the girl's heart.

Chapter 44 First Edition Family Portrait

As the caravan entered the manor gate, they heard the guards talking outside. The women sat obediently in the carriages and waited for them to continue inside. It took another quarter of an hour before they stopped.

After the coachmen jumped off the carriage and backed out, the accompanying old women helped them out one by one. There was another row of sedan chairs next to them, and judging by the number, even a maid like Xueyan probably had one.

Daiyu wanted to linger a little longer to see what the new sisters looked like, but seeing that the old women wouldn't continue to fetch them if they didn't get on the sedan chair, she had to give up that idea and wait until later to see their true faces.

I didn't dare look out before entering the courtyard, but now, after casually taking a look around, I found that the surrounding courtyards were quite elegantly built. Although they looked quite old, they didn't appear dilapidated and were clearly well-maintained.

Before they could linger for even a moment, the sedan chairs, carried by the strong women, floated deeper into the interior, winding around countless walls before finally coming to a stop.

As soon as she felt the sedan chair land, the outside lifted the lid. Daiyu instinctively reached out and saw that it wasn't the old women, but a mischievous smiling face.

With a slight pull, Gu Yu led Daiyu out. The old women had already unloaded their loads and left, leaving only a few maids standing at a distance to serve her. The courtyard was spacious and clean.

Gu Yu squeezed Daiyu's hand, smiled gently, and then walked to the next sedan chair, leading her sisters out one by one as if opening a blind box.

Xiangyun wanted to walk out on her own, but after being glanced at by Gu Yu, she obediently pursed her lips and used his strength to pull herself out. Then she quickly let go of his hand and hid behind her sisters.

When they arrived at the back, Miaoyu, her face slightly flushed, pretended to be nonchalant as she came out. Seeing the menacing gazes of the crowd, she quickly pulled away from the hand she hadn't yet let go of, silently chanted "Amitabha" in her heart, and went to the side.

Now that all the ladies in the garden had been invited out, Daiyu and Baochai's eyes flashed with caution as they watched the remaining sedan chairs with bated breath. Gu Yu's lips twitched as she saw someone impatiently poking at the curtain of one of the sedan chairs from inside. Not daring to waste any more time, she quickly went over and invited them out one by one.

"This is Madam You's second younger sister from the East Mansion. Now, cough cough... since this is our first meeting, please call her Second Sister."

"This is Madam You's third sister... Just call her Third Sister. Yes."

Looking at the two sisters standing side by side, they have four or five similarities in their eyebrows and eyes, but one is gentle and silent like Yingchun, while the other looks cheerful and handsome like Tanchun. They do look somewhat similar to these two sisters.

Xi Chun looked them over, and the two groups bowed simultaneously, breaking the silence. Seeing Gu Yu go to fetch the third sedan chair, Xi Chun smiled and interjected:

"Could it be another elder sister from the East Mansion, perhaps the Fourth Sister?"

"... "

Gu Yu stiffened, awkwardly touching his nose, somewhat hesitant to look in their direction, but still led Ke Qing out.

"This is from the East Mansion... um... you've met her before, from now on you can call her Sister Keqing..."

"Grandma Rong!"

Daiyu and the others were startled and took a half step back in unison. Miaoyu and the others on the side looked on with puzzled expressions. The You sisters were stunned for a moment before they realized what "Grandma Rong" meant, and their eyes widened in surprise.

They only came into contact with the Ningguo Mansion because of the death of Madam Rong of the East Mansion. Not long after they returned, they followed Old Madam You back to her side, and within a few days, Gu Yu took them back.

Now that he heard that the familiar older sister in front of him was actually the long-deceased Grandma Rong, he felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but shiver. Could it be that he had been living under the same roof with some unclean thing all these days?

Baochai was the first to react. Seeing Qin Keqing's shy and hesitant expression, she composed herself, stepped forward to greet her, and then asked Gu Yu:

"What happened? It wasn't like that day..."

"... "

Seeing that her sisters had recovered, Gu Yu stammered and briefly explained the inside story of Qin Keqing's faked death, then quickly walked to the last sedan chair and slowly brought out the last person in question.

As the final boss was about to appear, Daiyu and the others no longer cared about being surprised that their former niece-in-law had become a sister. They all held their breath and looked over. They saw a petite figure leaning against Gu Yu, hesitantly sticking close to Gu Yu and not daring to turn her head.

Tan Chun couldn't help but frown, exchanged a glance with Baochai without making a sound, and then secretly looked at Daiyu's expression, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

"She's already showing off her relationship with Yu-gege before even meeting him... Looks like she doesn't have a good temper..."

Gu Yu felt Meng Zhi's slight trembling and his heart softened. He quickly and tenderly stroked her head, leaning closer to coax her softly:

"Don't be afraid, Zhi'er. Your sisters are all very kind. Once you get to know them, I guarantee you'll like them. Go up and say hello!"

Seeing the increasingly intimate posture of the two, Daiyu finally couldn't hold her breath any longer. Just as she was about to catch her breath and cheer herself up, the girl in Gu Yu's arms finally raised her head timidly, took a deep breath, and tried her best to maintain her demeanor as a princess.

"Mengzhi greets all the older sisters and younger sisters."

After hearing what her mother had said, Mengzhi was restless and unable to eat or sleep. She had thought that she was the only one who enjoyed Yu-gege's favor, but later she learned that Lord Lin's beloved daughter was also in love with him, and that she might have to share him with several of the sisters in the Jia family.

She wasn't worried about not receiving Yu-gege's affection, but the thought of having to meet Yu-gege's sisters with these glasses made her want to run away, afraid of being disliked by them.

In Wenjuan's room, after the two discussed escaping the summer heat, Mengzhi hesitated for a moment before whispering:

"How about we live alone from now on? Brother Yu just needs to remember to come visit me..."

After hearing this, Gu Yu remained silent for a long time. Meng Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that her brother Yu had agreed with her idea. However, she did not expect that as soon as she looked up, she was suddenly hugged tightly.

"...Just follow my arrangements. A girl as wonderful as Zhi'er will surely be liked by Lin Daiyu and Baochai."

"But--"

She didn't dare to think about the rest of the conversation. She felt her face getting hot, and the corner of her mouth that had been kissed felt faintly tingling again. Unfortunately, because she was afraid that the other two would see it, it was just a fleeting touch, leaving Mengzhi feeling like something was missing.

Now that she has mustered the courage to stand up, Mengzhi is no longer afraid of their surprised or disgusted looks. As long as her brother Yu is happy, she is willing to endure some exclusion.

Surprisingly, aside from the initial gasp upon looking up, she didn't see any of the girls display the same ominous fear or dread as if they had seen something ominous. Instead, they seemed to be curious and interested, as if they had found some kind of treasure.

Seeing that she seemed to understand, Daiyu felt a little ashamed and quickly took the initiative to talk to her, while also giving Gu Yu a reproachful look.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Sister Lin, there's no need to be so polite. Just treat me as an ordinary sister."

Daiyu glanced at Mengzhi, who was a little shorter than her, and after a moment of silence, she still gave her face and took Mengzhi's hand to introduce her to the other sisters.

"The princess is so beautiful, she looks like she stepped out of a painting!"

Before Gu Yu could speak, Yingchun suddenly realized and said:

"So, Brother Yu drew a princess! No wonder—"

Baochai quickly covered Yingchun's mouth, utterly speechless at the girl's dull and slow reaction. Mengzhi blinked, her questioning gaze shifting to the bewildered Gu Yu to the side.

"..."

Seeing the gazes directed at her current family portrait team, Gu Yu swallowed hard and chuckled dryly twice, saying:

"Let me explain clearly, the situation is..."

"It's hot standing here, everyone let's go inside! The food's all ready now, let's eat first, let's eat first! Hehe—"

Take a day off

I'm home, I'm home, I'm home. I'm going to rest and finish tomorrow, okay?

Chapter Forty-Five: Fairness, Justice, and Transparency

With some kind of foresight, Gu Yu had long ago replaced all the tables in the room with round tables. However, looking at the group of beauties staring intently at him and waiting for him to arrange the seats, Gu Yu couldn't help but feel a tightness in his face. He inexplicably recalled the seating arrangement he made that day in the pear blossom spring rain.

Now that Mengzhi and Keqing have joined the group, Mengzhi, being a princess, should rightfully sit in the main seat. But how should the other seat be divided?

Last time Daiyu got the advantage, so to be fair, shouldn't we give it to Baochai this time too? But Tanchun was appeased not long ago, and I'm afraid she'll be suspicious if she sees the real person this time. Yingchun has already been devoured by me... The more Gu Yu thought about it, the more numb she became. For the first time, she regretted not making a hole in the middle of the table so she could crawl into it.

But standing still wasn't an option. Gu Yu, under the watchful eyes of the women, racked her brains, then suddenly her eyes lit up. She coughed twice and said:

"Did you bring your name tags, sisters? This is the first time we've all gotten together, so how about we draw lots to decide who sits in order? That way we can get to know each other better, okay?"

Apart from the You sisters and Xiangyun and Miaoyu, the other girls present realized what was being said. After exchanging glances, they all blushed slightly and took out a wooden plaque from their collars.

Xiangyun stared blankly at her sisters, who all carried them, even the princess. She was momentarily stunned. Gu Yu glanced at her with a smile, then took one out of his pocket and handed it to her.

“Sister Yun has never visited me before, and I’ve forgotten to give her this little gift several times. Now that it’s happened, you should accept it.”

Now he is still using the three sisters to 'threaten' Xiangyun, so naturally he can't let Xiangyun understand. Ying'er received a glare from Baochai, and quickly stepped forward, took out her own wooden plaque, and said with a charming smile.

"Won't Young Master Yu have to share some with us maids later? If he decides to give Qingwen to us, I won't stand for it. I'll push Xiangling to the arena to compete!"

Upon hearing this, Xiangyun subconsciously looked at Ying'er and Zijuan, and seeing that each of the maids also had one, she inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, dispelling her previous absurd guess.

"It's probably just some small trinket like a peace charm..."

With her eyes downcast, Xiangyun silently accepted the small wooden plaque handed to her by Gu Yu, gave a dry thank you, fiddled with the plaque in her hand for a couple of moments, found it to be quite nice to the touch, and then handed it back to Gu Yu.

Gu Yu collected all the sisters' wooden plaques and put them in her sleeve pocket. She then called on Xiang Ling to touch the plaques, indicating that she had not faked them.

Xiangling took out the wooden plaques one by one and placed them on the seats. The women eagerly went forward to identify their seats, and the matter was settled in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Gu Yu glanced at the empty seat between Xiangyun and Tanchun, and could only pretend not to see the disappointment in Daiyu and Mengzhi's eyes, and went over to sit down with a normal expression.

The maids entered in an orderly fashion, moving back and forth in perfect unison like flocks of geese. Mengzhi watched them serve the dishes with great interest, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

Such processions are not seen in the palace; there is only the unchanging solemnity and the meticulous manners of the palace maids.

Such a lively dining scene is usually only seen at the banquets of the Emperor and his family. I can only sit in my seat and watch them. No matter how much my mother dotes on me, she would never hug me in public.

But now she could sit near her brother Yu, surrounded by sisters of the same age. Judging from the wooden plaque, they were basically sisters for life. They didn't shy away from her unusual appearance, huddled together intimately, chatting and laughing. It was so different from the warmth of her mother holding her in her arms when she was a child.

"Come, come, you've all been busy this morning, sisters, you've worked hard too. Please drink this cup together! My estate may lack many things, but it has no shortage of food and drink. If there's anything you want to eat or play, just tell the servants, don't be shy."

“Zijuan and Ying’er, you should also have a drink. We can’t miss such a moment.”

The maids serving behind their respective girls looked at Gu Yu with gratitude, their hearts filled with happiness. They had never seen their masters respect them so much. Xiang Ling had already stepped forward with a smile to pour wine for her friends. Gu Yu's words were like a royal decree to her, and she would support him no matter what!

Xiangyun stared blankly at Gu Yu, who stood up beside her, as if she were a far cry from the image of him who had threatened her with the chastity of his sisters and had even gone so far as to ruin her own reputation.

Silently raising her glass with her sisters, Xiangyun felt the sweet wine tasteless in her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on the sleeve of the person next to her. The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. After the banquet, she felt depressed and absent-minded.

"It's getting hot now, let's go pick a room and take a nap. I'll tell the servants to move the luggage in later."

After lunch, Gu Yu stretched lazily and then led them through the carved corridors to the mansion to choose a house. Unlike the style of this estate or even all the other mansions, the mansion that Gu Yu brought them to had only detached houses, with no side rooms at all.

Like a miniature version of the Grand View Garden, each person's room is independent, with a large, spacious courtyard in the middle. The rooms on both sides are arranged in a winding and crooked manner, and the tallest one at the very end is obviously the main house.

Looking at the well-arranged layout, the women exchanged glances, each wanting to seize the opportunity to claim the room closest to the main house, but none of them dared to take the plunge, too embarrassed to make it too obvious.

Seeing that Mengzhi remained silent, clearly not wanting to rely on her status to settle down, Baochai felt much more at ease. She had been worried that this princess, spoiled and pampered, would cause trouble for Gu Yu later. But now, after spending time together, she was surprisingly well-behaved, which was truly unbelievable.

"How about... we draw lots?"

Gu Yu's lips twitched, but after secretly glancing at the women's excited expressions and the way they looked at Meng Zhi, he understood that they were hesitant because of Meng Zhi's status, but they didn't want to give up the opportunity. So he decided to take the opportunity to let Meng Zhi make friends with them and quickly made the final decision.