Dreams of Jianghu

Last time on Grafting Life: Jia Lian learns what happened with the medicine and leaves rather than staying to cause trouble.

This chapter has been brought to you by me and Smash10101.

Chapter 14 – Red Chamber (14)

Lin Yu Tong did not enter. She wanted to see how Sister Lin would respond.

Lin Dai Yu heard Zi Juan’s words. She first stilled, and then she paled. She was slightly angry, “If he fusses, he fusses. Who am I to him, was I sold to his family? What does it have to do with me?”

Zi Juan knew that she had misspoke and lightly slapped her own mouth. “My miss, I was just chatting, how come you are angry? Other people may not know what kind of person Bao Yu is, and may misunderstand him, but Miss, you are different. Miss, you grew up with Bao Yu, you know his personality. He cannot have any bad intentions.”

The words hit Dai Yu’s heart. Bao Yu’s conduct had many flaws in the eyes of others. Just like Eldest Sister said, there were countless shortcomings to be found. Even though he had said some bad things, she knew that he definitely did not have the bad intentions. She knew this. If there was anyone in the residence she missed, it was the old mistress and Bao Yu.

They had seen each other every day for several years. The old mistress cared for her. Sister’s words were the truth, but even if her maternal grandmother had her own selfish desires, she still had good in her.

Sister was not a participant, and it was understandable that she did not know. But if she refuted everything in the blink of an eye, she was just an ungrateful person.

Bao Yu always had a bit of an obsessive personality. He was innocent. She would believe that others had bad intentions, but for Bao Yu, definitely not.

But just like Eldest Sister said, even if this was the case, so what? There was still the separation of the genders. She had already made a mistake, could she continue to make the same mistake? In the past, people could say that she had been young and did not know as no one had taught her. But now, Eldest Sister had explained to her. If she made the same mistake, she would be too ashamed to meet others.

Zi Juan saw that Dai Yu had not spoken and knew that she was touched to some degree. She was about to say more but Dai Yu stood up and walked towards the inner rooms. “How come you have become so chatty now?” She appeared to not want to listen.

Lin Yu Tong heard this and sighed inwardly. She did not enter and turned to leave.

Lin Dai Yu’s feelings towards Jia Bao Yu could be understood as a confused first love. She did not know whether this was the right understanding, but she knew that no one could explain this kind of feeling. No one could make the decision for another. The stronger the opposition, the more rebellion it would arouse.

Maybe, during Lin Dai Yu’s growth, she lacked a male example. In the Jia Family, maybe only Jia Bao Yu gave her the most flawless feeling and care. So, in her heart, it was very precious.

Lin Yu Tong could not cruelly destroy what was to Lin Dai Yu the only beautiful feeling. However, fortunately, they were still young. The feelings were still very innocent. If one carefully guided her, maybe it would change, becoming a sibling love, a friendship. If nothing could be changed, then she could only say that it was fated. Could someone be responsible for another for their entire life?

She, a sister who had just been recognized, could not possibly replace a relative one had lived with for several years.

Lin Yu Tong left. She was thinking of this Zi Juan.

Lin Dai Yu was a smart person. However, this smart person could not resist the interference from a servant girl who thought they were loyal, especially one who forced their own way of thinking onto their mistress with the excuse of it being good for her.

This servant girl could not stay!

But it was a troublesome matter to take care of her. People would overthink if an elder shu-sister wanted to interfere in the matters of a younger di-sister. Also, this Zi Juan had been with Sister Lin for several years, and the feelings between them were likely greater than with her, a sister who had just come.

She noted this matter down. She was not in a hurry. Slow matters came true. She told herself to not be impatient.

Returning to her own courtyard, she had Chun’er go tell Lin Dai Yu that she would be with her tomorrow morning to take care of the matters of the home.

Lin Ru Hai was preparing to go back to Gusu to worship the ancestors before year’s end. If they left before the Laba Festival on the eighth, they could return in time. It was a troublesome matter figuring out what they had to bring on the trip and how to arrange the itinerary.

If Lin Dai Yu watched, she could learn some things. Also, this would count as a response to Lin Ru Hai’s exhortations.

Lin Dai Yu heard the message that her sister had the servant girl pass along and stilled. How come she was asked to help manage the household right after returning?

She could not help but think of the second sister-in-law of the Jia Family, Wang Xi Feng.

Wang Xi Feng was obsessed with being in charge of the household. She knew that the power had a certain meaning. Now, she had just returned, and the other was calling her to help manage the household. Was this sincere, or a test?

Lin Dai Yu did not have a restful sleep, and felt that she could not understand her elder sister’s thoughts and intentions.

If Lin Yu Tong knew of this, she would definitely say that Sister Lin thought too much.

This was something not good about people who liked to think too much. She would not directly ask, and would slowly ponder over it inside. She would be distressed over not understanding. In reality, maybe that person had just spoken casually and forgot about it after turning around.

Such a person had a small mind! Not that they were narrow-minded, but more like people said, “a worrier.”

Usually, they would be tormented by the things they had dreamt up.

Ordinary people were helpless when they met such a person. Even if they were careful in what they said, who never misspoke? Who knew what they would think because of some words?

The next day, Lin Yu Tong saw that Lin Dai Yu was pale and thought inside, as expected of Sister Lin, even after using so much spring water, she was still unable to recover.

She even started to suspect that Celestial Jinghuan¹ had done something so that Sister Lin was forever the weak and sick Sister Lin.

For the sake of Lin Dai Yu’s health, Lin Yu Tong quickly took care of matters. During this time, she spoke much of the techniques to manage the accounts. However, seeing the other’s color was really not good, she told the other to go rest.

After Lin Dai Yu returned to her rooms, she still did not feel right.

What did Eldest Sister mean? What did she want to communicate through this matter?

Regardless of what Lin Dai Yu thought, Lin Yu Tong felt that she had fulfilled Lin Ru Hai’s request.

After everything was prepared, the family departed for Gusu.

The weather was cold. Even though this was Jiangnan, there was no stunning scenery.

Lin Yu Tong and Lin Dai Yu sat in the same carriage. The carriage had everything. Other than the two misses, in the “guest hall” separated by a screen, two servant girls were able to sit.

For Lin Yu Tong and Lin Dai Yu, each leaned against a wall, sitting sideways on the couch. Braziers were set up below the couch. The pair were also covered with blankets and naturally were not cold.

Lin Yu Tong wanted to sit with her brother so the two could talk and not be bored. With Sister Lin, this lofty and talented girl, Lin Yu Tong was unable to immediately find a suitable topic.

After traveling in silence for half a day, Lin Yu Tong heard quiet sobs from beside her. Her dizzy head finally cleared up some. She looked and Sister Lin was crying.

Crying for what? What was it now?

“What are you crying about?!” Lin Yu Tong’s tone could not be said to be good. “Nothing is wrong, who did something to you?” She was a bit irritated.

“Eldest Sister does not like me.” Lin Dai Yu covered her mouth with a handkerchief. This kind of suppressed voice was the most uncomfortable.

Lin Yu Tong lost her anger after being asked so directly. “How is it that I do not like you?” This was baseless.

Lin Dai Yu’s tears came down. “Sister, do not lie to me. After you came into the carriage, you did not even look at me.”

What nonsense reason was this?

She heard Lin Dai Yu say, “I know that Sister does not like my mother, so……”

Just how far did she get off the path?

Lin Yu Tong hurriedly stopped her. “What are you thinking about?” She was really frightened of the girl.

She looked at Lin Dai Yu’s red eyes. When Lin Ru Hai saw this later, he would think that she had bullied his precious daughter. How to explain to her? Say that you and I do not have any mutual topics to talk about? If she said this, Lin Dai Yu would definitely faint.

Lin Yu Tong rubbed her temples and sighed, “I felt motion sickness right after getting on. I finally managed to doze off and not have to feel the discomfort, and you woke me up with your crying. Sister, it is not that this eldest sister does not like you, it is you who does not like this eldest sister. What sufferings I have.”

Lin Dai Yu immediately stopped crying and hiccuped. Her eyes went wide as she looked at Lin Yu Tong appearing to try to tell the truth.

Lin Yu Tong turned around, leaving her back to the other. “Do not cry. If you cry, I will truly cry. You know that this motion sickness is not comfortable. It is not that I do not want to talk to you, but I want to vomit.”

Today, even if she was not motion sick, she had to be. This explanation was the easiest. She said to the servant girls through the screen. “Are you dead? Do you not know to comfort your miss?” Then she said to Dai Yu, “Have them wipe your face and cool your eyes. If you really care for your sister, be good and let me rest for a while.”

When the other side finally quieted down, Lin Yu Tong sighed inside.

This Sister Lin was not a goddess, but a forebearer!

She could not afford to provoke the other.

But the excuse of motion sickness was pretty good. On the way, she did not need to find topics to talk with Sister Lin. She really feared accidentally saying something wrong.

Lin Yu Yang came to inquire during the trip. He was confused. His eldest sister had never had the problem of motion sickness, so how come she was afflicted this time?

When he saw Lin Yu Tong’s expression, he understood to some degree. He explained to Lin Ru Hai, “My sister’s motion sickness comes in bursts. It depends on what is happening. I remember a time when I had a fever, Sister was in a hurry to go to town to get medicine for me, she was not afflicted at all.”

It was true that she was in a hurry to get medicine for him, but she had not been motion sick. She used a kitchen knife in the middle of the night to force the carriage driver to make the trip with her……

Translator Ramblings: So this chapter mentions Jinhuan, which brings us to why Lin Yu Tong is so hard on Lin Dai Yu.

The “mythology” in Dream of the Red Chamber starts with a Great Void Illusory Realm controlled by an immortal called Jinhuan. There is a Crimson Pearl Flower which grows by a spirit river. The flower is watered by Attendant Shen Ying, managing to live for many years and she grows to the point of taking human form as a woman.

Attendant Shen Ying learns the mortal world is prosperous and wishes to re-incarnate to experience life. The flower learns of this and says that she will also reincarnate and repay him for his “favour of dew” with all the tears of her life. The flower becoming Lin Dai Yu was essentially due to the connection with the attendant, who became Jia Bao Yu.

The tragedy is, of course, she and Jia Bao Yu did not end up getting married. Lin Dai Yu died alone, depressed, while Jia Bao Yu married Xue Bao Chai.

So essentially, the easiest way to prevent Lin Dai Yu from dying as a transmigrator is to stop her from falling in love with Jia Bao Yu.

Table of Contents

• Grafting Life Chapter 13 – Red Chamber (13)
• Grafting Life Chapter 15 – Red Chamber (15)
• Grafting Life Chapter 16 – Red Chamber (16)