Survive in the world of Red Mansions

Time flies so fast, and it's New Year's Eve again, Lin Hai also put aside the troubles at work, chatted with Lin Rui and his brother, and kept vigil by the way.

Men in their 40s in this era will call themselves old men, and feel that people are already getting old at this age.Lin Hai is also 42 years old this year, but it may have something to do with his mentality. In modern times, a 42-year-old man is at his most attractive. Lin Hai really doesn't feel that he is old.So the 42-year-old Lin Hai now looks younger than a few years ago. In addition, he insists on exercising every day and pays attention to health preservation in the past few years. On the contrary, he looks younger and more energetic than before.

More than two years have passed, and Lin Rui will be 7 years old after this New Year's Eve. Although he can't be called a child prodigy, Lin Rui, a pseudo-child, in the eyes of two gentlemen, one literary and one military, is indeed Can afford to be smart, well-behaved and sensible, and able to endure hardship and so on.

In this world where imperial power is paramount, Lin Hai doesn't think about his own son. Where are prodigies and geniuses that are too conspicuous? It's not as serious as it is here, maybe just a word from the superior will kill a person.

From the beginning when I came here, I mainly played in the mansion every day, listening to gossip to pass the time every day, and now I started a regular study life every day.

Get up at Yin time every day, learn martial arts with the martial arts master for half an hour, take a rest after washing up, and start breakfast time.In the morning, I studied literature with Mr. Zhou for two hours. In the afternoon, in addition to doing the homework left by Mr. Zhou, I studied martial arts with Master Wu for half an hour.

8-year-old Lin Daiyu, after several years of careful nursing, although she still looks thin and her figure is still graceful and slender, she seldom gets sick, and she has already seen the beauty of a girl for the first time.

Since last year, she has taken over the daily affairs of the Lin Mansion from Nanny Li, and under the guidance of Nanny Fang and Mr. Qiu, the back house of the Lin Mansion is now well-organized.

It can be said that Lin Hai and his family are very courteous to the nuns and husbands in the mansion, but they have always abided by etiquette and never crossed the threshold.Lin Hai thought that during the New Year's Eve, it would also make them feel more relaxed. After everyone's affairs are handled properly, they don't have to watch over Daiyu all the time. Especially tonight on New Year's Eve, let them have another banquet and watch the night by themselves. Go have fun, it's easier that way.

Lin Hai leaned on the pit table, drank tea, and watched Lin Rui and Daiyu solve the Nine Links in the competition.Lin Rui, a pseudo-child, competed with Daiyu a few times, and it turned out that they both won and lost, which was a big blow.

"Ruirui, I think you should be able to solve it faster than your sister this time, so don't be sad!"

"Father, I've been hit!"

"Brother, you have also won a few times. It is right that your sister is older than you. You will be faster in the future!" Daiyu looked at Lin Rui's shocked face and hurriedly comforted him.

"Oh, you don't understand, your brother and I have a hurt heart!" He said while covering his chest with one hand, with a funny expression on his face.

Lin Hai watched from the side and couldn't help laughing. Lin Rui had always been exaggerated when he grew up. He learned to read early, and he was never in the top five grades in school.

Lin Daiyu deserves to be hailed as the Crimson Pearl Fairy. She is sensitive and thoughtful, and she will be sad for a long time when she sees falling flowers and flying snow, but it cannot be denied that as a person who is not time-traveling or reborn, Sister Lin is really very smart.Lin Rui, as a reborn pseudo-child, was sometimes inferior to Lin Daiyu, which really hit his "pure boyish heart" (in Lin Rui's words).

Lin Rui said to Lin Hai several times that it's a pity that women in this era can't take the imperial examinations, otherwise Lin Daiyu might be able to be a Jinshi and landed, and come back with a number one, second place, or a flower, and she will definitely not be worse than a man like him .

"Come on, are you still hurting your heart? It's so funny. After the new year, you will have three years of filial piety. Daiyu is 9 years old. In the future, there will be female relatives in the mansion. Daiyu will also learn to receive guests. Some They have girls who are about the same age, and they can hang out more at that time, and they have a few girlfriends who are about the same age, and they can pass the time. As for how to give gifts and how to deal with these female relatives, you can ask Qiu more gentlemen."

"As for you," Lin Hai nodded to Lin Rui and said, "I will take you out to socialize in the future. In this day and age, 7 years old is already treated as a half-adult. I didn't expect you to take the imperial examination early. , but some aspects of interpersonal communication, although your husband and I will teach you, but you still need to learn more, watch more, and ponder more on your own, so that you can understand it yourself."

"My son knows. By the way, after the Chinese New Year, my grandfather's family will definitely send someone to pick us up again. Doesn't their family know that they are annoying?"

"Hmm..." Lin Hai glared at Lin Rui, "How do you talk? Rui Rui, you should be careful when you speak in the future. This is at home, and you are so open-mouthed outside that you don't even know you're causing trouble."

"Obey!" Lin Rui hurriedly raised his hand, put his two fingers together, imitating a western military salute.

Lin Daiyu sat beside her, seeing her younger brother being so funny, she also laughed.

The habits of Chinese people will not change for thousands of years. The most important activities during Chinese New Year are visiting relatives and friends, eating and drinking.

The sixth day of the next month will be the end of the three-year period of Jia Min's death. The ancients still attached great importance to this ceremony. Lin Hai considered that Lin Daiyu was still young. As the master of my own house, I thought about asking people from the Lin family to help.

Lin Yun from Suzhou Sifang came to Yangzhou a few years ago. After Lin Hai observed for a few months, he saw that although this nephew was not as clever and resourceful as others, he was better at being obedient and honest, so he was assigned to work in the Yanzheng The yamen is a book office, mainly to help me do things.

Lin Yun took his widowed mother, wife and children to Yangzhou last year, and rented a small courtyard not far from the Yanzheng Yamen, and the family has settled down.

This time, Lin Yun's wife, Mrs. Lu, was invited to entertain her. Originally Mrs. Lu was not very suitable, and asked a white body and Daiyu to receive the imperial wife, but the Lin family really did not have any other relatives in Yangzhou. It's not good to ask other official women's family members to help, there is no way.

The removal ceremony this time was relatively successful. Lin Daiyu, the young lady of the Lin family, reappeared in front of people after a gap of three years, which definitely made people's eyes shine.

After three years of careful teaching by Mr. Qiu, Nanny Fang and others, what appeared in front of people again was a graceful, calm and decent girl with bright eyes and white teeth, and a beautiful and lovely girl. The young lady's family members have significantly changed their views on Lin Daiyu, who was frail and sick back then. This is really a very good change.This is also Lin Hai's purpose, to let these officials' wives take a look, and let them know that the young lady of the Lin family is in good health now, and is no longer the sick beauty she used to be.

After Xiaoman's removal ceremony, the Lin Mansion did not change much. The plain curtains everywhere were replaced with brighter colors, and the lives of the two Lin Rui brothers and sisters did not change much either.

In the past two or three years, Mother Jia also sent people over several times, saying that she really missed her two granddaughters and grandsons whom she had never met, and wanted to take Daiyu and her brother to Rongguo Mansion. .

Thinking of this removal ceremony, the Jia family should send someone over early to participate in the removal ceremony, and then pick up Lin Rui and his brother by the way.Lin Hai didn't expect that he was wrong. The Rongguo Mansion didn't send anyone to come except for the salute. Could it be that he forgot?I still don't care, but my aunt, it's impossible, isn't it?

Lin Hai really guessed right, Mother Jia had indeed forgotten, as for the others, they don't know.Rongguo Mansion, starting from the old matriarch, is always luxurious and lively. The yamen has to open for work early, but the entire Jia family also has Jia Zheng going to the yamen. It is still the kind that can go or not, so almost the whole In the first month of the first month, the Jia family came and went, and the banquets did not stop much.

Maybe Mrs. Wang, Jia Lian, Wang Xifeng, etc., some of them remembered that the third anniversary of the deceased aunt in Rongguo Mansion was approaching, but as Jia Min's mother-in-law, they didn't mention it, and others took it for granted that they didn't know about it. .

One day, when Jia's mother looked at Jia Baoyu who was rolling and acting coquettishly, she thought of her granddaughter Daiyu, and thought about what would happen if Lin Daiyu married into Rongguo Mansion in the future, she suddenly thought of her beloved daughter, and thought of After the granddaughter has finished keeping her filial piety, the son-in-law has no reason to reject her, so she can take over, so that she can play with Baoyu and cultivate their relationship early.

Only then did I realize that it was almost the third anniversary of my daughter's death, and my natal family should send someone to attend the baby girl's funeral, but no one had mentioned this to me.

Mother Jia called Mrs. Wang, the wife in charge, and scolded her, and asked her to arrange for someone to go to Yangzhou. She didn't say that she was going to attend Aunt Min's funeral ceremony, but that she was sending someone to send a special gift for Daiyu's birthday. After taking Daiyu to Beijing, now that Daiyu's siblings have finished observing their mother's filial piety, they can go out to visit relatives.

Since it wasn't for the ceremony, there was no need to send any masters there. Mrs. Wang was scolded by the old lady because of this, and she was so angry that she sent a few wives to Yangzhou.

By the time the women arrived in Yangzhou, Lin Daiyu's birthday had been a few days away.

After all, the wives are also at that age, and after a long journey, they can't rest well on the road, so after arriving at Lin's house, Lin Daiyu didn't see her, so she asked them to arrange a group of them to rest, wait for them to rest for a night, and see you the next day they.

Although Lin Daiyu is still in charge of the house now, she has always been kind to others. If there is something sneaky and sneaky, Lin Daiyu is not easy to deal with. There is also the big housekeeper and Lin Hai behind. What a reputation for being mean and not easy to get along with, so that when those wives and wives see each other in the future, they will also have scruples.

After dinner, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but said to Lin Hai, "Father, this time the ancestors sent people, shouldn't they have come earlier, even if they came, they should have come to attend mother's funeral ceremony, now so……"

Lin Rui curled his lips while listening, thinking to himself, he didn't come over for the third anniversary, so he probably had too much fun during the Chinese New Year. Who remembers the married aunt who died a few years ago?He also wanted to pick up his two siblings to Rongguo Mansion early, but now that he was late, he had no choice but to give Lin Daiyu a birthday present.

Coming here now, it must be the old tune again, and this time there is a reason to say that they don't have to be filial, so they can go to their grandparents' house, and they don't stay at home to live in relatives, what's the reason?

Lin Hai smiled, "When you're here, tell someone to treat you well. It's always good to send someone over to give you a present on your birthday!"

"Grandmother sent someone this time because she wanted to take me and my younger brother to the capital. Father, how do you reply? Don't say that my younger brother is going to school. Now I don't have to leave home for a long time to visit the capital."

"According to the actual situation, just say that when I return to the capital, I will naturally bring you to visit your grandfather's house."

The whole south of the Yangtze River is currently undercurrent, and something will happen at any time. If possible, Lin Hai really wants to send Lin Rui and brother away.But after mentioning it to his son, Lin Rui resolutely opposed it, saying that he must stay with him. If he was afraid that he would be in danger, he would not go out to play in the mansion for a year, and would stay in the mansion obediently.

Besides, if someone really wanted to harm him and put his hand into the mansion, it must be done secretly. How can the Lin family be so strict now, it should be safer than the Jia family.Seeing that everything about the master of the Jia family has been reported by his subordinates, we know that the management of Rongguo Mansion is very chaotic.If anyone dared to send a killer directly to the Lin Mansion to kill, it would be useless to hide anywhere, the Lin family and the Jia family would be the same at that time.

Lin Hai thinks about it too, if someone really comes to assassinate them blatantly, what's the use of simply hiding?

In the two prefectures of Rongning and Ningxia, there is not a single man who is regarded as a pillar.In the past few years, the reputation of Rongning and Ningfu has become worse and worse.If Lin Daiyu is sent alone, not to mention whether she wants to or not, but thinking of the news from the capital, they are in it now, and they feel more intuitive and terrible than what she understood from reading novels back then.

Shi Xiangyun, who has stayed in Rongguo Mansion for a long time, and Xue Baochai, who just arrived last year, have already had romantic rumors, but the Jia family has always stayed in the mansion and does not go out, so they don't feel deeply about these rumors.

In fact, if two cousins ​​who are so young get along for a few years in modern times, no one will say anything, but in this era, girls' reputations are overestimated, and girls' sachets and handkerchiefs should not be given away casually. If Lin Daiyu After staying in Jia's mansion for a long time, how will she have any reputation at that time, should she still plan to get married?

In the morning of the next day, after breakfast, the nuns from Jia's house didn't wait for the master of Lin's house to greet them, so they couldn't help asking the little maid who came over to deliver the message yesterday.

"We are people sent by the old matriarch of the Rongguo Mansion in the capital. Why hasn't anyone in the mansion seen us so far?"

The little maid hurriedly smiled and said: "Sisters, wait a moment, it's not that I don't see you, but the masters don't have time at this time. The master is going to the yamen early in the morning, and the uncle is also studying at this time. The eldest girl is at this time in the morning. It also needs to be a director."

"Eldest girl is in charge? Eldest girl is only old now, don't you, a little girl, deceive us?" said one of the nuns.

"How could I lie to you with this kind of thing? The nuns will know after a little inquiring. Our eldest girl has officially started housekeeping since last year. It's no secret. The nuns wait a little longer, about half In an hour, the matter of the eldest girl is almost finished."

Sure enough, after half an hour, the little maid beside Daiyu came to invite some nuns to come over.The nuns walked forward with the little maid and looked around, feeling that Mrs. Lin's house really couldn't compare to their Duke's mansion.

Because it is a courtyard attached to Xunyan Yushi's Mansion, and it does not belong to his own place, each official will naturally not spend a lot of money on the decoration of the courtyard, and at most put some thought into the flowers and plants.Furthermore, this place belongs to the south of the Yangtze River, and the decoration of the house reflects the charm of a small bridge and flowing water, which is completely different from the luxury of pavilions, terraces, pavilions, carved beams and painted buildings that have gone through a hundred years in the capital.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw a little girl wearing a homely moon white embroidered brocade skirt sitting at the head, covered with a purple beige, wearing a double flat bun, a pair of pink pearl earrings, and a silver necklace hanging around her neck. Made of longevity locks inlaid with jade, with a pair of jade bracelets on the wrists.

Although it can't give people a sense of wealth and luxury, but sitting there, people can't ignore it.The nuns of Jia's mansion also had to admit that this cousin was more imposing than the girls in their own family.

"Greetings to Miss Biao!"

Daiyu saw a few nuns coming from her grandparents' house, as her mother said back then, her grandparents' home is different from other families, and the cost of food and clothing is extraordinary. Look at the clothes on these nuns, although the patterns are different from time to time. It's new, but it's also made of satin.

"Xueyan, please sit down a few mothers. The mothers have come from afar, you have worked hard! Grandma, two uncles, aunts, and other cousins ​​are all right? I don't know how many mothers came to my grandmother this time. What are your orders?"

"I originally wanted to congratulate Ms. Biao on her birthday. I didn't expect to be delayed on the road, so I'm late. I'm sorry Ms. Biao. The old lady often talks about Ms. Biao and Master Biao. I miss you very much. Let us come here this time." I also hope to pick Miss Biao and Master Biao to go to the capital together, here is a letter from the old lady to Uncle Lin."

Xueyan took the letter from one of the nuns, handed it to her own lady, and then returned it.Lin Daiyu took it, and said to several nuns on the table:

"Several nuns are people who are needed by my grandmother, and they are not free at ordinary times. This time, it is better to rest for a few days in Yangzhou and take a walk in Yangzhou. If there is a place where the hospitality is not good, send a little girl to tell me. , I will not let you off lightly. As for how to arrange other things, it depends on my father's decision. I will go to school later, so I won't keep a few more nuns."

After the nuns left, Daiyu remembered what her younger brother Lin Rui said last night. They were very curious about her grandma's cousins ​​and didn't know what kind of people they were, so she said to Xueyan, "Xueyan, You ask some clever maids and mothers to inquire about the situation of the grandfather's family, especially the situation of the cousins."

"Yes, girl! I know who is the best at this matter, just wait, girl, hee hee."

After Lin Hai came back at night, he saw Jiamu's letter and couldn't say anything.Lin Rui waited for Lin Hai to finish reading, then picked up the letter and read it.

"It's the same every time, nothing new!"

After Lin Rui put down the letter, he curled his lips and said, "Our house is not very close to my grandfather's house. How long does it take to go back and forth this time! I thought everyone was like their sweetheart." Little one, don’t tire him out, why do people like us have to compete with some poor children, don’t rush to study’, probably that’s what my grandmother said, I have to go to school every day.”

"What did you say that you are not in a hurry to study? You have classes to attend every day, Mr. Wen and Master Wu. Do you want to be lazy?"

"My sister, when did I get lazy in class?"

"Okay, you two don't need to say any more. Daiyu, the group of people who came this time, you just treat people well and don't let people talk about it. But, it's not right to keep the people in the house shut up. Don't say too much, and let people pay more attention to whether they have any contact with anyone in the mansion. Let people pay attention. As for the rest, I will write a letter to your grandmother, saying that you are now You have to go to school, housekeeper, and it’s not convenient to go to the capital, so don’t think too much about it!”