Last time on Grafting Life: The Lin Family heads to the Jia Family’s residence.
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and Smash10101.
Chapter 21 – Red Chamber (21)
Entering the inner courtyard of the Jia Family, maybe because it was dark, but other than the path lit by countless lanterns, it was not possible to see other things clearly.
If she had to describe her feeling, it was one word, messy!
Some of the valued servant girls and matrons came over to look, all of them dressed in gold and silver. None of them were dressed according to etiquette. Some even came over to give greetings and then quickly ran away to report.
If it was someone who was ignorant, they would see this and sigh at the prosperity of the family. But which aristocratic family would be like this? Honored guests had come, but the masters were not present, and the servants were running everywhere.
Lin Yu Yang’s face was black! If Eldest Sister had not spoken of the situation of the Jia Family, he would think that they were looking down at them.
From far away, he heard a servant girl report with a smile, “The cousins of the Lin Family have arrived.”
Another servant girl eagerly lifted the curtain. “The old mistress is waiting for you.”
None of them were properly standing there, bowing when they saw guests, and then attending to their duties.
The Lin Family and their servants were all dumbstruck. What kind of protocol was this?
The curtain lifted and it was bright with light inside.
Lin Yu Tong walked in with a smile. She saw the old mistress sitting at the front and knew it was Shi-shi.
“Greeting to the old mistress.” Lin Yu Tong curtsied. In any case, since the Jia Family had no rules, then she would spare the kneeling.
Lin Yu Yang and Lin Dai Yu greeted the old mistress as well.
“Good good good!” Shi-shi saw Lin Yu Tong and Lin Yu Yang and was shocked. They did not look like they would be easy to deal with. She reached out with a hand, wanting to pull Lin Yu Tong, but did not expect Lin Yu Tong to push Lin Dai Yu over. “I know that Old Mistress misses Sister Lin. I have brought her back to you. Look, has she lost weight?”
The people in the room laughed.
“No! No!” Before anyone else could speak, Jia Bao Yu said, “I see that Sister seems to have a better complexion. It can be seen that she feels better with someone keeping her company.”
“This is very true.” Shi-shi had Jia Bao Yu with one of her hands and pulled Lin Dai Yu with the other. “I care for these two jades the most. Looking at them, this old woman feels comfortable.”
Lin Yu Tong thought inside, such clear bias. She just didn’t know what the grandchildren seated here thought.
Wang Xi Feng came out and introduced everyone to Lin Yu Tong and Lin Yu Yang.
“I know you.” Lin Yu Tong looked at this madam dressed in an old-fashioned manner with gold hair pins but who was not very old at all. “You must be the eldest madam. Sister said that you are the most kind. Now that I meet you, you are just as she said.”
Madam Xing was the second wife as the first one had passed away. She was in old-fashioned attire, and sat at the top. She immediately recognized this person.
“You child.” Madam Xing was surprised that Dai Yu had praised her back home and felt very proud. She smiled and helped the Lin siblings stand up. “You are all this family’s children. I am happy just looking at you. Now that you have come, live here like it is your own home.”
Lin Yu Tong responded with a smile, having a servant girl present a gift and opening the box right there. “I am a common person, please do not disdain this.”
Madam Xing would not do so. The gift was truly to her taste. “You child, you are too polite.” She smiled and had a servant girl accept it.
She saw another madam sitting there who would primly purse her lips and occasionally smile. She was very reserved. This should be Madam Wang.
Lin Yu Tong gifted her a box of scriptures. “I heard Sister speak of your preferences and requested this especially for you from the Jiangnan Buddhist Treasure Temple.”
Madam Wang’s smile froze. “You have great heart.”
Lin Dai Yu was truly grateful to her elder sister. She had never said such things. Now that Sister was doing her a favor and bettering her reputation.
She was very embarrassed.
Lin Yu Tong thought, right now, Madam Wang likely dislikes you even more.
This was better. She could not change Sister Lin and did not want to change her. But marriage with the Jia Family was really not a good idea. She did not want to be a person to ruin people’s marriage prospects. She did not truly have to split up the pair. However, she could not tie the Lin and Jia families together. With the conduct of the Jia Family, if something happened, would they not drag down the Lin Family?
The Lin Family was not just Lin Dai Yu’s Lin Family, but also her Lin Family and her brother’s Lin Family.
She would not do anything, and just watch and see if Madam Wang wanted such a daughter-in-law.
Each person got a respectful gift. The old mistress got a walking stick made from old cane.
Wang Xi Feng got a ruby hairpin set. Li Wan got a white jade set. The three Springs got gold-edged jade hairpins.
Jia Lian got a pair of jade pendants. Jia Bao Yu got a set of Four Books and Five Classics. Jia Huan, Jia Lan and Jia Cong all got an ink brush set each.
The concubines of the residence were all given cloth and silver jewelry.
“I did not know that there were relatives with the family and I will make up the meeting gifts later.” Lin Yu Tong smiled. She had not prepared for Aunt Xue, her daughter, and Shi Xiang Yun.
Who had to recognize the relatives of relatives when visiting their relatives?
Wang Xi Feng’s eyes moved and she understood. This one was dismissive of the Xue mother and daughter for their status.
Lin Yu Tong did not look down on them. She just did not want to be in contact with them. Xue Pan was a troublemaker.1 Who dared to be close to him? They may end up cleaning up after him all the time.
If Lin Ru Hai could get past this obstacle, he would go even higher. This was good for her brother’s future. It would be good if they were not dragged down by distant relatives. If they were too close, they would be seen as ruthless if they did not help. It was better to not be close from the start.
It was human nature to get close to luck and avoid misfortune. Lin Yu Tong did not feel that she was a snob.
As for Shi Xiang Yun, she did not dislike the other. But she could not like someone like this, who would use her straightforwardness as a special right. You are straightforward, so you can casually speak, and qualify to be forgiven by others. If other people did not forgive you, they were unhappy, it meant they were petty and narrow-minded. This was a bad habit.
If we could not afford to provoke, could we not hide?
Lin Yu Tong had servant girls bring in a box from outside. “This is two thousand taels of silver.” As she spoke, she opened the box. “Old Mistress, please accept it.”
Shi-shi‘s expression froze. “What is this? You are not outsiders, you are my grandchildren, would you eat me out of house and home?”
Lin Yu Tong said with a smile, “Relatives must interact correctly in order to have a lasting relationship. Otherwise, people will think we are poor relatives coming to ask for a hand-out.” She giggled like she was making a joke.
Shi-shi‘s smile froze. She thought, the Lin Family knew of Dai Yu’s matter.
She glanced at Wang-shi. Wang-shi would not say such things, but her dislike of Dai Yu was the root of the problem. The servants knew to observe their masters, and knew what to say to gain favor. It seemed that these servants had to be tidied up.
In the room, there were some like Jia Bao Yu who were confused. They could hear the tone and knew that this eldest miss of the Lin Family was accusing something.
Lin Dai Yu glanced at Lin Yu Tong, begging with her gaze. She felt that Eldest Sister being like this was making it too hard for her grandmother.
People could not slap others in the face like this.
Lin Yu Tong sighed inside. Sister Lin was still closer to Mother Jia.
She gave a small smile. “This is the same as the Xue Family.”
Everyone stopped. This was right. Two relatives were living here, one could not have two standards for them. But the Xue Family had not given silver, just said that they were going to make their own food. Then why did Miss Lin say that the Xue Family was giving silver? Had the Xue Family said this to others?
Aunt Xue’s smile froze. Xue Bao Chai flushed red……
Translator Ramblings: Ironically, Jia Bao Yu got the most useless gift in the form of books. There’s no way the family doesn’t have copies of the classics already, and the books cannot be used like brushes.
- Grafting Life Chapter 20 – Red Chamber (20)
- Grafting Life Chapter 22 – Red Chamber (22)
- Grafting Life Chapter 23 – Red Chamber (23)
- The first chapter of the novel starts with Zhen Shiyin, a character who lost his wife and daughter. His daughter, Zhen Yin Lian, was kidnapped as a child, and then sold to a young master. Later, Xue Pan saw her after she grew up, now named Xiang Ling, wanted her, and beat her owner to death in order to obtain her. The manslaughter case is one reason the Xue family has come to the capital. ↩
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