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

Page 129

……

As the sun set, Daiyu and the others, who had been chatting idly in Gu Yu's room, saw Gu Yu leading Mengzhi slowly in and couldn't help but tease her:

"Why are you only coming back now? Did something trip you up?"

“Mengzhi has worked so hard all this time, and Lin is still making fun of her like this. Why don’t you go and do it for her tomorrow?”

Gu Yu helped Meng Zhi sit down, and the other women then noticed that Meng Zhi's face did indeed show a faint look of fatigue, making them feel a little embarrassed.

"Hmph! It seems that Brother Yu is disgusted that we ate his food for free, and he's going to drag us over to do hard labor."

Daiyu rolled her eyes and immediately switched sides to Mengzhi's side, righteously and sternly stirring up trouble, trying to drag her sisters into the fray and have them all condemn this villain.

Before they could even muster any support, Gu Yu's amused gaze swept over them, and they immediately fell silent, unable to make a ripple, leaving Daiyu alone to fight the battle.

"So that's what Lin Daiyu was thinking... Look at the other sisters, none of them thought of people in such a lewd way as you. We can't let this infamy go unpunished. How about we have Lin Daiyu do all the hard labor tomorrow, so she won't have to eat this—handout? What do you say?"

"oops!"

Seeing a group of people suppressing their laughter and watching her make a fool of herself, Daiyu stomped her foot in embarrassment, gritted her teeth, and was about to come up and hit Gu Yu, making a scene for a while.

"We've been playing for over a month now, the summer heat has subsided, and the old lady is urging us to go back to the city more and more. I think we should head back in five days!"

Although he was reluctant to part with Mengzhi and his two older sisters, Keqing, he had already stayed long enough. News had arrived that Jiang Ming's imperial carriage had already passed Puyang and would be arriving in the capital in a few days; he would then be sending the girl back.

Leaving aside the disappointed Keqing and the others, even the Jia family sisters, such as Yingchun and Xichun, had faces full of reluctance.

In the Jia family mansion, one must be cautious in everything one does, and be watched by old women and maids whenever one comes or goes. There are rules for walking, sitting and lying down.

Entering the garden was a bit more pleasant, but not much better. Only when there were pear blossoms and spring rain, and no one to restrain them, could they laugh and talk freely for a while.

Now, in this manor, everyone knows the truth, so they can laugh freely, be shy and affectionate with Gu Yu, and enjoy romantic moments under the flowers and moon without worrying about being discovered.

How could such a beautiful, dreamlike day have passed so quickly?

The thought of returning to that home where I had to suppress my thoughts and behave meekly suddenly made the word "home" less joyful...

Chapter Ninety: Home

Gu Yu and his group played until July 10th after leaving the city, and then reluctantly prepared to return.

To divert the girls' attention, Gu Yu simply assigned them tasks, letting them discuss the things to prepare for the Ghost Festival.

This has really stirred up a hornet's nest. The Ghost Festival on the 15th of the seventh lunar month is also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival. Although it is not as solemn as the ancestral worship during the Lunar New Year, it is still an important activity for worshipping ancestors.

Daiyu and the others suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable power within them, and they spent their days meticulously checking and filling in any gaps in the old nannies' work, determined to handle the matter perfectly.

Even Gu Yu, who felt that she had reduced her closeness with Daiyu and the others these days because she had to make up for it with Ke Qing and Meng Zhi, and thought of coming over to talk to them, was dismissed by the girls with a few sweet kisses. She turned her head and focused on calculating the bill, which made Gu Yu both laugh and cry.

Fortunately, under his strong pressure, he didn't go so far as to stay up all night. Otherwise, Gu Yu really wouldn't know what to say. Tormenting his good sisters over some dead people? What a joke!

On the thirteenth day, as usual, a row of carriages and horses stopped inside the second gate, and the women were invited to get into their sedan chairs one by one, and they walked in an orderly manner toward the outside motorcade.

Compared to when they arrived, there were a few more trucks following the convoy, which was a small token of appreciation for Grandmother Jia. In any case, they were all fruits and vegetables that were cheap and inexpensive, so Gu Yu happily loaded several trucks with them, which looked quite generous!

The group set off before sunrise, but by the time they left the village and reached the main road, the sun had risen and it was already quite hot.

Even though she was sitting in the cool carriage with a small ice chest in front of her, it was still quite hot and humid in the early autumn heat. She couldn't help but quietly lift a corner of the curtain to let the air out a bit.

Gu Yu was riding his horse when he happened to wander near Baochai's carriage. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the curtains on the side moving. He turned his head and saw Baochai's beautiful eyes looking over. He quickly pulled on the reins and went over.

"What's wrong with Sister Bao?"

Although Gu Yu was impervious to heat and cold, finding comfort in both winter and summer, he wasn't a superhuman. Under the blazing sun, a thin layer of sweat inevitably appeared on his forehead. Baochai, feeling sorry for him, reached out her hand, but realizing it was inconvenient, blushed slightly and whispered:

"You come up first..."

Gu Yu's eyes lit up, and with a chuckle, without waiting for the caravan to stop, he stepped on the carriage shaft, lifted the curtain, and slipped inside.

"Is there something you want to say to me, Sister Bao?"

Just like when they left the city, Xiangyun was still riding in the same carriage as Baochai. However, their situation was very different now, so Gu Yu unceremoniously sat between them, as if he were embracing them on both sides.

"It smells so good!"

“So comfortable~”

Perhaps it was because Baochai and the other woman were also slightly sweaty, but Gu Yu felt that her nose was filled with the fragrance of the two beauties, as if the heat outside had been swept away, and she couldn't help but take a few deep breaths of enjoyment.

Baochai and Xiangyun, on the other hand, felt as if a piece of cold jade had been placed next to them. Although it was not very obvious, it was definitely more comfortable than sitting in the stuffy heat just now. They subconsciously wanted to press themselves against it to feel more of the coolness.

Baochai narrowed her eyes and then remembered her original intention in inviting Gu Yu into the carriage. She quickly picked up a handkerchief to wipe him. Ying'er stood there for a long time, then could only shake her head helplessly. She had a sense of crisis that she might lose her job.

Xiangyun was still a little uncomfortable in front of Baochai. After she came to her senses, she wanted to step back, but before she could move, she was suddenly embraced by Gu Yu.

"Eh?!"

The spacious carriage was large enough for Gu Yu to lean to one side, so he simply picked up Xiangyun and lay down, resting his head on Baochai's round thighs. He snuggled against her comfortably, which made Baochai straighten her back. It took her a while to regain her composure, her face flushed.

"If Sister Bao doesn't mind, how about you rub my head? There's no shade on this road. It's not very hot for me, but I'm getting a little dizzy from the sun."

"As for Sister Yun... I always like to hug something when I sleep, so I'm afraid I'll have to make do with you for now."

Hearing Gu Yu's insincere excuse, Xiangyun's face turned bright red. She could almost see Baochai and Ying'er's teasing glances. But if she made a scene now and all the sisters stopped to watch, would she still have any face left? She could only close her eyes and pretend she was dead.

In another carriage not far away, Daiyu estimated the time it would take for Gu Yu to ride past her carriage, then peeked through a corner of the carriage. Not seeing Gu Yu, she nudged Zijuan beside her:

"Zijuan, keep an eye on him. When he comes over later, invite him up. It's so hot outside..."

Zijuan was whispering to Xueyan when she was assigned a task. She immediately stopped chatting and agreed. Seeing that it was indeed even sunnier outside, she quickly peeked out and looked around. Finally, she saw the horses that were slowly frolicking with the caravan not far away, but there was no one on them.

Seeing this, Zijuan was startled and quickly lifted the curtain to ask the old woman driving the carriage:

"Where did Young Master Yu go? We only see his horse."

Daiyu's heart tightened. Although she couldn't see anything, she still turned her head to look in that direction. Even though she knew nothing could possibly happen, she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Hearing a commotion behind her, the old woman driving the carriage turned around and, startled, quickly persuaded Zijuan to go inside.

“Miss, you must be careful. Your skin is so delicate. The sun is very strong outside. If you get sunburned, it would break our hearts. Young Master Yu must have gone to rest in one of the carriages. Ladies, there’s no need to worry.”

Having received an affirmative answer, Zijuan and Daiyu inside breathed a sigh of relief. Zijuan blushed and lowered the sedan curtain, smiling as she said:

“I’m just a maid, how could I be considered a young lady? Mother is being too polite.”

"Hey~ No matter what, young lady, you are still more noble than this old woman. Besides, the young master relies entirely on you to serve him and dotes on you. Ordinary young ladies can't even compare to you!"

Daiyu withdrew her head, which had been peeking out, and after thinking for a moment, raised her voice and asked:

"Does this mother know which of my sisters is in the second car behind?"

Hearing the person inside ask a question, the old woman driving the carriage quickly leaned back and glanced around, then immediately smiled and said:

“I happen to know this. The young master called her ‘Sister Bao’ back then, so one of them must be Miss Bao. I don’t know about the other one.”

"..."

Daiyu pouted. She had seen the horse following the carriage the whole time, so Gu Yu must be on it. It turned out that Baochai and Yunmei were on the carriage!

At this moment, Daiyu only regretted that she hadn't thought of this sooner. She had to wait until Gu Yu passed by her and Baochai saw him before she could rest. Her momentary hesitation had caused him to suffer for a while longer. She deserved to die!

When Zijuan saw that Daiyu was in low spirits, she thought that she was just being a little grumpy because she couldn't get Gu Yu's help. She quickly went to comfort her, but this only made Daiyu feel more heartbroken.

“Even Zijuan could see my stinginess, but Brother Yu always respected me and wouldn’t let me be in a difficult position, while I…”

This must never be repeated!

……

"I wouldn't trade it for an emperor!"

With her head resting on a beautiful woman's lap and her arms filled with warm, soft flesh, Gu Yu comfortably squinted her eyes and thought to herself.

Chapter Ninety-One: The Wonderful Holiday Has Ended

Although Baochai's lap pillow was unforgettable, as the caravan gradually approached the city gates of the capital, Gu Yu still had to find the right moment to jump out of the carriage.

Although he wasn't a martial arts master, the carriage wasn't fast either. He deliberately showed off in front of Baochai and the others, then mounted the horse and leisurely wandered off to another place.

Before long, the wide city gate came into view. An old woman with a waist token stepped forward to negotiate, and when the women's carriage arrived, they entered the city without stopping.

Now that news of Jiang Ming's great victory in his personal campaign has gradually spread, the undercurrents in the city have long since dissipated. Ordinary people are hardly aware of the major events in the court, and only a few households are talking mysteriously about the rumors of hearing the sounds of armor and weapons at night.

As planned, Gu Yu first returned to the Gu family with the diverted convoy, letting Daiyu and the others go back to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia first, while she herself had to send Mengzhi back, which was the most important thing.

Once the carriage entered the inner courtyard, Mengzhi got out of the carriage, not even bothering to get into the sedan chair. She immediately hugged Gu Yu's waist tightly, her eyes red with tears. The old women nearby quickly and tactfully withdrew, and Keqing and the others also smiled and left first.

"Brother Yu... I can't bear to part with you..."

Hearing the girl's tearful, aggrieved voice, Gu Yu's heart melted. Stroking Meng Zhi's soft, long hair, she earnestly promised:

"Don't be sad, Zhi'er. I will definitely come to see you often in the future... After I finish my exams, I will ask His Majesty for your hand in marriage!"

Mengzhi suddenly raised her head, her eyes reddening, her clear blue heterochromatic eyes filled with shyness, joy and emotion. She bit her lip, unable to say a word, and only tugged at Gu Yu's belt with her two small hands. Then she closed her eyes tightly and tilted her head back.

Gu Yu lowered his head knowingly and gently captured her delicate lips with his own. He changed his previous domineering manner and it was as if they had returned to the time when they first kissed. There were small rubs and light pecks, but he held her tighter and tighter.

"No~"

……

"Grandmother! Your beloved granddaughters are back! They're on their way here!"

In Rongqing Hall, Wang Xifeng entered loudly and laughingly to announce the good news to Grandmother Jia. Grandmother Jia, who had been listlessly reclining on the couch while Yuanyang was massaging her legs, suddenly perked up. Her kind face lit up with joy, and she immediately sat up and instructed Yuanyang to go and greet her.

"Please come in quickly!"

"Grandmother doesn't know yet, but Lin Daiyu and the others are thinking of you. They heard that in your last letter you praised the fruits and melons they sent for being sweet and thirst-quenching. So this time they brought back several cartloads, probably ransacking Brother Yu's estate!"

Although Sister Feng was exaggerating—a village couldn't possibly have only this much stuff—the old man loved her words and laughed so hard his eyes were almost closed. Suddenly remembering something, he quickly raised his hand and said:

"Quickly go and invite the concubine over, and also call Baoyu over."

"Don't worry, Ancestor, I sent someone over early this morning!"

Grandmother Jia nodded approvingly. Feng'er really was thorough in every aspect!

Not long after, they heard a commotion outside. The maids lifted the curtain and invited Daiyu and the others in. Then they all came over to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia.

"Get up! Get up!"

With a look of joy and longing, Grandmother Jia quickly pulled Daiyu up, then gestured for Baochai and Yingchun to dispense with the formalities. She led Daiyu back to her seat, carefully examining her from head to toe, and said:

"You look even taller... I wonder if you're still having fun at the manor? Hahaha—you've become quite the wild child, Yu'er needs to settle down!"

Daiyu belatedly touched the hairpin in her hair, only then realizing that she had only worn the one Gu Yu had given her, simply adorned with some pearl flowers, and had forgotten to change it now that she was back.

Because Gu Yu prefers their natural, unadorned appearance except when they're in bed, so she doesn't have to go through the hassle of drawing eyebrows and putting on hairpins every day, she had almost forgotten about it for over a month.

Fortunately, all the sisters were like that, so she didn't feel out of place. She also knew that Grandmother Jia just liked lively celebrations and disliked plain attire, so she just casually dealt with it.

Just then, Aunt Xue was invited over. Baochai hurriedly came over to greet her, but before she could even stand up, Baoyu also entered. Before he even saw her, he shouted:

"Lin Daiyu and Baochai are back?"

His mood these past few days has been extremely volatile. After comforting Jin Chuan, he heard about Daiyu and the others' financial management and found it hard to accept that his pure and innocent sisters had become so vulgar.

But just two days after he went back home after his hysterical episode, Jin Chuan and Mushe practically woke him up. He propped himself up and went to the window to listen to their heated argument, and was so shocked that he was speechless.

Are these still those bright and beautiful girls? How could they be so...heartless? I thought married women would gradually lose their charm, but why are unmarried women like this too?

At this moment, he missed his sisters who had left the city. Unexpectedly, he heard the news that they had returned. He rushed over with joy and no longer wanted to stay in the room in a daze.

Upon arriving at the inner hall, Baoyu saw Daiyu being embraced by Grandmother Jia, Baochai accompanying Aunt Xue, and the remaining three sisters sitting to one side. Although they hadn't seen each other for over a month, their beautiful faces, unadorned, still seemed as vibrant as ever. He stood there stunned for a moment, forgetting to bow to Grandmother Jia.

Fortunately, Grandmother Jia's greeting quickly brought him back to his senses. After hurriedly finishing his greetings, he had just raised his head when he heard Daiyu and the others greeting him, and he immediately beamed with joy.

"Greetings, Brother Bao Er."

"Hello, Lin Daiyu! Hello, Baochai! Hello, Second Sister!"

Is Lin Daiyu finally forgiving me for my angry words?

In high spirits, Baoyu was about to strike up a conversation with Daiyu, but Daiyu turned to chat with Grandmother Jia, and Baochai was talking to Aunt Xue. Suddenly, no one paid him any attention, and he felt a little embarrassed.

Although he and Daiyu sat on either side of Grandmother Jia, Baoyu felt as if he was being ignored. He managed to get a few words in, but Daiyu just brushed him off indifferently. Could it be that she was still angry with him?

Even after Lady Wang arrived at Rongqing Hall after receiving the news, Baoyu was unable to speak with any of the sisters, and his excitement had subsided considerably.

"...Hahaha...You guys really know how to have fun! Although I went on autumn hunts with my late father back in the day, I never fished. I usually just sat by the pond, never had a boat to play with like this!"

"Autumn hunting? Our ancestors, please tell us about it!"

"What's so special about that? It was just the men going into the mountains for an autumn hunt. We women were just accompanying the Empress and Princess. It was so boring. How could it compare to how carefree you sisters were?"