Dreams of Jianghu

Chapter 8 – Red Chamber (8)

Lin Yu Tong heard the report from the servant girl that the master was requesting her. She did not hesitate and stood to go to the study. When she arrived, her brother was already there.

Seeing that her brother’s expression was slightly dark, her heart jumped. This child rarely had a temper. If he was showing such an expression in front of their father, she knew that he must be very displeased.

“What is it?” Lin Yu Tong hurriedly asked.

Compared to Lin Ru Hai, she was more concerned with her brother.

“Sister!” The voice carried hurt.

“Speak properly. You are a man. Do not sigh and waste time like this,” Lin Yu Tong frowned and said.

Lin Yu Yang handed the letter in his hand to his sister. “Read this and you will understand.”

Lin Yu Tong took the letter and scanned it. So the old mistress of the Jia Family had written a letter to Lin Ru Hai. The general meaning was that she, the grandmother, was very happy the children had been found. She was not just happy, she was also happy on behalf of her deceased daughter. She was happy that the Lin Family had an heir. She was happy that her granddaughter Dai Yu had siblings. She said that she dreamed of Jia Min who had cried frequently in her dreams that she did not have a son and lacked worship. So, she sincerely suggested for the siblings to be recorded under Jia Min’s name and would take them to the Rong Ducal Establishment to be raised.

After reading this, Lin Yu Tong admired the old mistress’s thoughts and shamelessness.

She smile scornfully. Not caring that Lin Ru Hai was right there, she said straightforwardly, “Just this is worthy of you being unhappy?You do not need to think more of this. The old mistress wants to win us over, she also wants to put a rope around our necks. If we are her grandchildren, what does she want to do? Raise us up and then kill to sell for meat.”

“Ha-ha!” Lin Yu Yang could not stop but laugh out loud.

Lin Ru Hai was helpless. It was good for the child to have such a mind, but such directness was hard to take.

“What are you laughing about!” Lin Yu Tong glared. “Just this trifle and you have such an expression. You need to practice not having your expressions on your face.”

Lin Ru Hai could not let her keep going like this and said, “You have thoughts about the mistress, this father knows that. But being recorded under adi-mother is good for your future.”

“Today, we can ignore the wrongs done to our birth mothers for our future. Then, what will we do tomorrow for the future? Do you dare to trust such people? Do you dare to entrust them with important matters?” Lin Yu Tong did not argue with Lin Ru Hai but used a view of her brother’s future to express her refusal.

Lin Ru Hai stilled. Yes! Today, if the two ignored the wrongs done to their birth mother, could the children be trusted? A person that could abandon their own mothers, what couldn’t they give up?

Never mind Yu Tong, she was a girl. But Yu Yang was going to be an official. The emperor may use such a person, but not trust them. Then, for his entire life, he could only be a sword for the ruler, and not a trusted official.

After thinking through this, he looked at the two differently.

Yu Tong, a girl, had insight and foresight. Her refusal was also so direct and clever that people could not get angry at her.

He truly started to feel pity! Pity that this child was only a girl.

“This father knows.” Lin Ru Hai immediately stated, “I will send a message back to the capital to drop the matter.”

Lin Yu Yang finally showed a smile.

Lin Ru Hai took the opportunity to say, “However, there are some things that we need to do using this opportunity. First, it is you being recorded in the genealogy. Second, the graves of your mothers should be moved to the Lin Family’s graveyard. We need to go back to Gusu to do this. This father thinks to send someone to bring Dai Yu back first, and then we will go together to Gusu.”

Lin Yu Tong took a deep breath. They had to be recorded in the genealogy. Then, they would be officially recognized. As to moving the graves, she did not care, but she knew that her brother would care greatly about this. Also, the mother of this body likely hoped to see such a thing occur.

She nodded silently. “Let’s do as Father says.”

Seeing Lin Ru Hai’s expression relax, she knew that he was more nervous than she was. Therefore, she changed the topic. “Also, Father, please hire two grannies with good etiquette. Brother and I grew up outside and a lot of our manners were copied and rough. In our home, it is not much, but if we are meeting others, it will likely be an embarrassment. Before returning to Gusu, we will study etiquette. We do not have to learn all of it, but it needs to be acceptable.”

Lin Ru Hai had thought about this problem already, but feared that the two children would have great self-respect, fearing that the two would think he scorned them if he mentioned learning etiquette.He had planned to wait a while until they were familiar with each other before mentioning it. He hadn’t expected his daughter to mention it first. Also, his son had an expression of agreement without any dislike. He had mistakenly thought the two were more narrow-minded.

Lin Ru Hai’s gaze was so obvious it was hard for Lin Yu Tong to not know what he was thinking. She said with a smile, “This is called “when you enter a village, do what the natives do” and “when you reach a mountain, you sing their song.” Do not ever let you become unusual in the group, and you will do no wrong.”

Seeing his son look understanding, Lin Ru Hai thought, a grasp of mundane affairs is genuine knowledge, understanding of worldly wisdom is true learning. ¹It appeared, knowing the world did not depend on how much education one had.

The days passed in the studying of etiquette. Lin Ru Hai’s letter and the people who came to bring Lin Dai Yu back arrived at the capital.

Mother Jia sat at the top, accompanied by Madam Xing and Madam Wang, her two daughters-in-law. Wang Xi Feng silently stood at the side.

“If I have a say, whether or not he is recorded under Aunt’s name, he still will be Aunt’s son,” Madam Xing looked around, saw that Madam Wang was silent, and spoke first.²

Fool!

Mother Jia didn’t even flick an eyelid.

Wang Xi Feng sneered inside. Her mother-in-law was such a foolish person, but always pretended to be smart. When she spoke, she would surge with stupidity.

Madam Wang nodded, agreeing. “Eldest Mistress is right.” It could not be seen if she truly agreed, or was just giving Eldest Mistress face.

Mother Jia sighed inside. In the end, this was a matter for the Lin Family. When Son-in-law Lin was healthy, all plans were for nothing. She just did not know the true state of this Son-in-law Lin. He was in a hurry to come get Dai Yu and also to bring her back to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. She feared that he was at the end of his rope.

No news had come from Yangzhou for a long time. She did not know if something had happened to the people, or nothing had changed.

But regardless, she had to have her own people go see in person before making plans. The maternal family could not stop a father from coming to get his daughter.

“Who did the Lin Family send for Dai Yu?” Shi-shi turned to ask Wang Xi Feng.

“Forebearer, four grannies, four matrons, four first-rank servant girls. Also, the vice steward of the Lin Residence, and dozens of adult servants.” Wang Xi Feng responded with a smile. “It can be seen just how much Uncle Lin values Sister Lin. Ordinary families do not have such a show.”

Shi-shi nodded. In the past, Son-in-law Lin did not care about this, but this time, he put on a show. Maybe he was discontented with the residence.

She looked at Wang-shi. This daughter-in-law’s temper was hard and bad. She looked friendly and dull, but in reality, she had her ideas. If she made up her mind, she would never change it.

Her view on Dai Yu was the same. She looked down at Dai Yu but why did she not think whether Son-in-law Lin would want Bao Yu? Even though she was partial to Bao Yu, she was not muddle headed. She knew that others may not want her family’s child.

“It is a show, but they are just servants. This old woman is not assured. I love the two jades the most.³ Anything wrong will kill me.” Shi-shi asked Wang Xi Feng. “Where’s Lian’er?⁴ Have him go to Yangzhou, send your Sister Lin off, and also visit your Uncle Lin along the way. After Yangzhou’s matter is done, then have him bring Dai Yu back to me. Also bring back my granddaughter and grandson who I have never met before.”

When Lin Dai Yu heard that her father had sent people for her, she was overjoyed.

When she saw the servant women of the Lin Family, she first asked about her father’s health. Learning that she knew her father was healthy mostly because of the care of her elder sister who had just returned, she could not help but feel grateful.

That servant woman was a clever one. She knew Second Miss’s thoughts. She spoke in detail of Lin Yu Tong and Lin Yu Yang. “Eldest Miss is a refreshing person, and has managed the household well. Eldest Master is one who can study, and each day, speaks of essays with the Master. The servants do not see him often. Eldest Young Master is in charge of outside matters and will not speak to the servant girls and women in the inner courtyard unless it is necessary nor enter the courtyard unless needed.”

Lin Dai Yu stilled and felt there were words within words.

She was a smart person to start with. Thinking of when they entered and had met Bao Yu who had left with an unhappy expression, she feared that these people felt that Bao Yu was inappropriate.”

But Bao Yu was different from others. He was always like this. Her family’s servants did not know the situation, and so it was nothing to make a fuss.

The woman saw this second miss not care, and noted it. When they returned, she would have a talk with Eldest Miss.

When Bao Yu left Dai Yu’s room, he was unhappy on the way. Zi Juan was coincidentally coming out of Shi-shi‘s place and she had thoughts when she saw Bao Yu.

Translator Ramblings: Mother Jia is technically a duchess (or duchess dowager) but the amount of power/significance has decreased significantly since her husband is dead and her son is not that capable. However, she definitely has a stronger say than her daughter in law, Madam Xing, who is actually the second wife of Jia She as his first wife had died. So Madam Xing is more accurately Wang Xi Feng’s stepmother-in-law.

• Grafting Life Chapter 7 Red Chamber (7)
• Grafting Life Chapter 8 – Red Chamber (8)
• Grafting Life Chapter 9 – Red Chamber (9)

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