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

Page 106

As for the daughters of the Jia family, she was not unfamiliar with them and had met them several times in recent years. The fact that they would form a group of close friends in the future made her feel more embarrassed than anxious.

Living in the house without having to walk on thin ice with an unfamiliar wife and colleagues is probably the biggest wish in the hearts of most women, so what else does she have to worry about?

Thinking this, Keqing's smile grew even warmer. She sat virtuously to the side, serving Gu Yu and watching him eat the food she had picked for him, feeling completely satisfied.

"How about learning a couple of dishes sometime?"

……

The meal lasted until the city lights came on. Gu Yu insisted on returning to the garden, turned around and left her house. The smile that had just appeared on Gu Yu's face immediately fell, and she rubbed her face hard a few times.

"...It's Mengzhi again, and Keqing too, what should we do?"

Feeling somewhat numb, he even despaired and thought it best to abduct Miaoyu as well. But now, even abducting the sisters of the Jia family had left him helpless. How could he possibly carry out his plan?

Back in Pear Blossom Spring Rain, two observant girls came up to serve tea and water. Xiangling blushed as she helped Gu Yu sit down, letting him rest his head in her arms and gently massaging his shoulders, not daring to disturb him in silence.

After enjoying the beauty pillow, Gu Yu finally felt a bit lighter. He perked up and took out the letter from his pocket, which only had one line written on it.

The following day, Jia Zheng was appointed as the educational commissioner of Jiangxi.

Looking at these words, Gu Yu fell into deep thought. After carefully considering the impact of Jia Zheng's appointment as the education commissioner of Jiangxi, he finally came to a rigorous conclusion—it has nothing to do with me!

Perhaps the only connection is that Jia Zheng is gone, and Bao Yu might get restless again and want to go out for a stroll? Then he'll definitely have to pack up the young girls and take them with him!

But a king would obviously not give a message for amusement. Gu Yu stared at it for a long time and even suspected that there might be some kind of secret message that needed to be roasted or submerged in water to be revealed.

However, she quickly realized that it wasn't a top secret, and it was a message personally delivered by her beloved Mengzhi, so why go to all this trouble?

After thinking about it for a long time, Xiangling's hands were sore from kneading. Just as she was about to go out and find Qingwen to take over, Gu Yu suddenly stood up, his face full of surprise. He couldn't help but turn around, hug her, and kiss her a few times.

"I see! My dear Xiangling, you've worked so hard..."

Now that he hasn't entered officialdom, this news, which has a time lag, is basically worthless. So why would Jiang Ming specifically tell him this?

After thinking it over, Gu Yu could only come up with the idea of ​​"borrowing the tiger's power." After all, if he couldn't fool others, surely he could fool this bunch of good-for-nothings in the Jia family who were living a life of debauchery?

Moreover, he didn't need to fool everyone. He only needed to deceive Grandmother Jia with half-truths. Who would care where the young ladies of the Jia family were escaping the summer heat?

The more Gu Yu thought about it, the more she felt it was right, and finally a huge weight was lifted from her heart. Now all that was left was... well... there were still several bigger problems to solve as soon as possible.

However, at least she had figured out a way to solve the most urgent problem. Gu Yu could no longer bear the exhaustion of the day and closed her eyes to rest.

As for Wenjuan's reply, it seems that it can only be sent back by the servants. However, it seems that something has been forgotten.

Gu Yu propped his head up and thought for a while but couldn't figure it out. In the end, he gave up thinking, yawned heavily, and fell into a deep sleep while holding Xiang Ling's soft body.

……

The next morning, Gu Yu, unusually early, got up and left the garden. In front of Grandmother Jia's skeptical gaze, he calmly stated that this was a secret operation.

In order to cover up the princess's itinerary, not only did the daughters of the Jia family have to act as a cover, but an even bigger smokescreen had to be released in the mobilization of carriages and horses, namely, the urgent appointment of Master Jia Zheng to a post outside the capital.

Grandmother Jia rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. She was getting on in years and just wanted to enjoy her golden years with her family. She really didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the imperial family, but it seemed that she had no choice but to comply now.

Wang Xifeng, who was serving nearby, glanced at Gu Yu's ambiguous gaze below, her heart skipped a beat, and she took the opportunity to step forward and massage Jia Mu's temples, smiling as she said:

"Grandmother is overthinking things. Regardless of whether it's a princess or a prince, it's only right for Brother Yu to take the sisters to the estate for a visit. Besides, it's just a matter of covering up along the way. If it weren't for the fact that I couldn't bear to part with Grandmother and was afraid that Brother Yu would find it distasteful, I would have had to swallow my pride and go along for a bit!"

"You! When have I ever wanted to keep you around to serve me? If you're so capable, go have some fun. As long as Yu-ge'er agrees, I certainly won't keep you here—"

Grandmother Jia jokingly scolded Fengjie for her mischievous antics, and Fengjie, upon hearing this, couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time:

"Grandmother, you're undermining me again. I finally found an excuse to avoid losing face, and you're forcing me to take the blame for Brother Yu. Oh dear!"

After the lively scene, although Grandmother Jia did not express her opinion in the end, she at least did not object. After receiving a signal from Sister Feng, Gu Yu quickly got up to take her leave, lest the old lady change her mind again.

Before long, Jia Zheng, who had gone to court, had returned, the messenger boy excitedly ran back to claim his reward:

"The master has been promoted! The master has been promoted!"

Listening to the servant kneeling outside the door repeating himself incoherently, Fengjie hurriedly went out to question him. Not long after, she came back in with a look of surprise and reported to Grandmother Jia.

"I heard that the Second Master is going to take up a post as an educational commissioner in another province? I don't know if that's accurate. The servants below didn't understand either. Perhaps we should wait until the Second Master returns before asking him, Your Majesty."

"Academic administration?..."

Grandmother Jia's expression changed. She suddenly remembered Gu Yu's words and sat in her seat for a long time before finally letting out a sigh of relief. Feng Jie, seemingly unaware, continued to serve and chat as usual, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in her eyes.

"Stable!"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Surrender

Back in the courtyard, looking at the lively scene before her, Gu Yu smiled at first, but then, thinking of the several problems that lay ahead, her joy vanished.

Sitting in the pavilion, Daiyu suddenly turned around and happened to meet Gu Yu's gaze at the entrance of the courtyard. With just a glance from her beautiful, expressive eyes, Gu Yu understood her thoughts and obediently stepped forward.

"What did Brother Yu say to the old lady?"

Waving away Xueyan, who was serving nearby, Gu Yu smiled and took the opportunity to sit on the stool next to her, slowly saying:

"This matter is highly confidential, and there will likely be a great commotion in the garden, sister—oh dear!"

Daiyu released her two outstretched fingers, amused as she watched him act up, yet still urging him on:

"What exactly happened? Why all the secrecy? Running off so early in the morning makes us, the proper granddaughters, seem unfilial."

Although it was Jia Mu's pity for them that made it unnecessary for her to visit them every morning and evening, they just happened to be away today, but Gu Yu went over instead. How could they feel at ease?

"My sister and I were the same in the past—"

Gu Yu chuckled and then deliberately teased her with a question, but seeing that she was really getting anxious, she quickly stopped and honestly confessed:

"I'll go talk to the old lady and say that in a few days I'll take you all out of town to my family's estate to escape the summer heat. Would you like to go, sister?"

Daiyu's eyes lit up. Come to think of it, she'd only visited the Gu family ancestral home a few years ago when she came to the capital, and hadn't moved since then, staying at the Jia family mansion. Although the Jia family was her maternal grandmother's home, how could it compare to the allure of her future husband's family? However…

Daiyu tilted her head, her eyes blinking as she stared at Gu Yu and said:

Are all the sisters going?

Gu Yu nodded with a wandering gaze. Daiyu smiled and was about to call her sisters to share the good news when Gu Yu stopped her.

A blush crept across Daiyu's face; they were still in the courtyard! She quickly stood up and grabbed a pillar for support, nervously glancing around to see if any of her sisters had seen them, then turned back and gave them a reproachful look, saying:

"Who's going to get all tangled up with you? Aren't they afraid of being seen?"

Normally, Gu Yu would have already come up with a flirtatious grin and taken advantage of the situation, but now, contrary to his usual behavior, he coughed twice, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Besides that, um... there might be a few other ladies who want to get to know me..."

"?"

Daiyu turned around abruptly, her face showing surprise. Looking at Gu Yu's expression, she seemed to understand his meaning and couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as she sneered:

"How many? Brother Yu is in high spirits, bringing so many ladies over without a word..."

Daiyu glanced at the guilty-looking Gu Yu with a resentful look, and felt a little better. She knew that he still respected her feelings. Besides, she had expected this situation. After drinking a few sips of vinegar, she calmed down.

"The lady who gave you the purse probably can't come, right? Otherwise I'd have to apologize for messing up the keepsake she gave you."

"Ahem—she'll be here too."

Gu Yu tilted her head slightly, then quickly assured him:

"They are all very nice, so don't worry about your younger sister."

Daiyu snorted inwardly, tugged at her handkerchief, and turned her head away as if she didn't care, not wanting to look at that hateful big pig's trotter.

"We'll be meeting soon, but I wonder which family's daughter she is? Brother Yu, why don't you tell me so I can prepare a gift for our meeting?"

Gu Yu took a deep breath and decided to lay all these problems bare, rather than trying to put them out there later.

"Yes, she is the daughter of the current emperor. She has not yet been given a title, and her name is Mengzhi."

Daiyu was stunned for a moment, as if struck by lightning. Suddenly, she began to sort out her thoughts from her unreliable father's words and actions before and after leaving the capital that day, and some of her doubts seemed to make sense now.

"So it's a princess..."

Gu Yu, still staring at the back of Daiyu's head, hadn't reacted yet and was still typing away:

"There's another person you've met before, um... you'll find out soon enough. The other two... are the two younger sisters of the You family in the East Mansion. The situation was urgent, and I helped them out of a moment of need, and then..."

If it weren't for what he said earlier, Daiyu would have given him a reproachful look, but now her mind was filled with the idea that the princess was coming to steal Yu-gege from her, so she ignored that for a moment.

It took her a long time to calm down. Daiyu bit her lip, and then a question suddenly came to mind. A sense of grievance welled up in her heart, but she kept her head down and said:

"Have you told these things to Sister Bao and the others?"

Gu Yu finally noticed that Daiyu seemed a little off, and upon hearing this, she quickly put on a useless, ingratiating smile and said:

"No, of course I'll go first—oh! Lin Daiyu!"

Before she could finish speaking, Daiyu's eyes reddened, and her beautiful eyes, brimming with tears, glared at Gu Yu with a look of grievance and bitterness. Without turning her head, she quickly left. Gu Yu, who was stunned, hadn't reacted yet. It wasn't until she had walked more than ten steps away that she came to her senses and hurriedly tried to catch up with her to ask what was going on.

Just as he started to move, Daiyu seemed to have eyes in the back of her head and glanced back at him. That look immediately stopped Gu Yu in his tracks, and then she quickly walked towards the door. Xueyan, who was not far away, saw this and hurriedly followed. The commotion also startled Zijuan and the others in the study, and even Tanchun and the others in the flower bushes hurriedly came out.

"Brother Yu?! Why are you back? I think I heard Xueyan's voice just now. Oh, where's Sister Lin?"

Gu Yu looked at the sisters who had gathered around him in an instant and forced a smile. He wanted to ask what was wrong. The biggest bomb had exploded before and nothing happened, so why did they suddenly run away at the end?

"She went back first. It's so hot today, Third Sister, you all need to be careful not to sweat too much. Go inside and rest."

Seeing his strange expression, the women knew something was wrong, but they tacitly refrained from asking further. They went back to their rooms together for a cup of tea, while Baochai lagged behind, remaining motionless until they were far away before softly asking:

"What's wrong? Lin was perfectly fine just now. — Is she upset that you haven't spent enough time with her these days?"

These days, Gu Yu has been spending more time with Baochai and Miaoyu, and indeed less time with Daiyu. Although Daiyu still takes up the majority of her time, Baochai doesn't want to dwell on it and simply teases her about it.

Unexpectedly, Gu Yu still shook her head. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to ask the exceptionally intelligent Baochai, who might be able to give the correct answer since they were both girls.

"..."

After hearing the whole story, Baochai stood there in a daze for a long time until Gu Yu called her twice before she came back to her senses, but her breathing was already disordered.

"Why do you think this is, Sister Bao?"

"Because from beginning to end!"

Baochai opened her mouth but didn't say anything. It was as if she suddenly understood Daiyu's feelings just now. Even she couldn't help but feel a little upset, let alone Lin girl.

Seeing Gu Yu's furrowed brows, Baochai's heart softened, and unwilling to add fuel to the fire, she spoke up:

"You didn't tell anyone about this, but you specifically told her. Do you think that out of all your sisters, only she's prone to being temperamental and jealous? What do you expect Lin to think? Do you also think she's unreasonable and can't tolerate the other sisters?"

Gu Yu hurriedly waved his hand, trying to explain, but Baochai pushed him away, saying:

"Alright, alright, save your words for comforting Lin Yatou. I'll go tell Er Ya and the others about this first..."

Without looking back, he went into the study, leaving Gu Yu standing outside, on the verge of tears.

"This...sigh..."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The All-Powerful Kisses (Limited Edition)

After considering the various discussions inside the house and the urgency of the heartbroken beauty in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Gu Yu decisively rushed towards Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

As Gu Yu ran, she saw Daiyu stepping into the courtyard from afar. She quickly quickened her pace and waved to Zijuan, signaling her not to close the gate yet.

Zijuan was halfway through pushing the cart when she sensed something and looked up at Gu Yu. She saw him waving in her direction, then glanced back at Daiyu, who was about to enter the house. After hesitating for a moment, she stopped what she was doing.

Now that the main person has arrived, why make the girl cry again?

Having rushed to the courtyard gate, Gu Yu calmed her breathing and then quietly went inside. Daiyu had entered in such a hurry that she hadn't closed the door, so she hadn't noticed Gu Yu reaching the inner room. She simply sobbed softly, clutching her handkerchief, and collapsed onto the bed.

Gu Yu walked up to her quietly, and Daiyu, as if sensing something, was about to turn her head when she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

"Don't cry, little sister, if you keep crying you'll make your eyes all swollen..."

Daiyu was stunned for a moment, then fiercely resisted, trying to push away this bad man. Unfortunately, her weak fists were useless, and soon she was panting and was held even tighter by Gu Yu with pity.

Before she could shed a tear or utter any sarcastic remarks, Gu Yu lowered his head and forcefully kissed away her tears, gently rubbing her soft cheek as he apologized:

"My sister has completely misunderstood me. I—"

"Then what do you mean? I know I have a bad temper and am always jealous. Are you afraid they'll offend me, or afraid I'll give the princess a hard time? Baochai and the others are all generous and proper; they don't need you to give them special instructions..."

Daiyu trembled slightly, hiding in Gu Yu's arms, trying to regain her usual tone. However, her soft words, tinged with tears, made Gu Yu both amused and heartbroken. He lowered his head and punctured her stubbornness.

"Woo-!"

Ignoring the girl's disgruntled punches, Gu Yu turned all his feelings into action, his passionate and unwavering words making Daiyu clearly understand his thoughts.

In a short while, the girl's soft body melted into a pool of spring water. She responded to Gu Yu's actions with a slightly proactive tongue, and her small hands tightly hugged his waist, no longer feeling awkward as before.