The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 352: Late Monthly Payment

In the early morning, the autumn rain outside the window was dripping, adding a bit of coolness. As the saying goes, autumn brings sadness to the heart. At this moment, Lin Daiyu sat on the bed with her knees hugged, listening to the sound of rain hitting the leaves outside the window. She felt extremely lonely and desolate, and her heart was empty, as if she had lost something.

At this time, Xueyan came in with a basin of water for washing her face. Seeing Lin Daiyu lying on the bed in a daze, looking a little bored, she asked worriedly, "Are you feeling unwell, young lady?"

Lin Daiyu just shook her head. Seeing this, Xueyan put down her wash basin and walked forward. She reached out and touched her forehead. She felt it was cold, so she quickly took out a thin coat and said, "It's autumn now, and the weather is getting colder. Be careful that your respiratory disease has come back. Put it on quickly, young lady."

Lin Daiyu said indifferently, "I'm still covered with a quilt, so I'm freezing. But you're so nervous, you're just imitating Zijuan's nagging temper."

Xueyan stuck out her tongue and laughed, "Young lady, you said I was nervous, but you didn't know there were people who were more nervous than me."

Lin Daiyu asked doubtfully: "Who?"

"Master Huan San," Xueyan said with a smile, "Master Huan San came to bid farewell to the young lady last night. When he left, he specifically told me that the weather was getting colder and it might rain in the second half of the night, so he told me to remember to add more quilts and clothes for the young lady. As a result, it really rained in the second half of the night and has been raining until now. Could it be that Master San is good at predicting the future?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu silently got up from bed, put on a thin coat, washed up, and ate a bowl of millet porridge and two pieces of cakes.

Seeing this, Xueyan covered her mouth and smiled, "It seems that Third Master's words are still effective. He says it once, which is better than me saying it a thousand or ten thousand times. I remember this spring, Third Master told Miss that living in a good place can improve your qi and body. Miss took it to heart and walked around the garden every morning and took a walk after dinner. Now she is obviously much healthier and seems to cough less. If the root of the disease can be cured in the future, it will be Amitabha."

After Xueyan finished speaking, she clasped her hands together as if praying.

Lin Daiyu's face was slightly hot, and she said, "You are such a talkative person, go get the zither and I will entertain you for a while."

"It's just right. It's raining outside." Xueyan hurried to get the zither, placed it by the window, added a pinch of sandalwood to the golden toad and lit it. After a while, wisps of light smoke came out of the mouth of the golden toad, which was like lingering clouds and had a unique fragrance.

Lin Daiyu washed her hands, sat down in front of the guqin, and stroked the strings with both hands, with an indescribable grace. After a while, her ten slender fingers began to play:
Hearing that you are far away, I set out to travel thousands of miles.

Chasing the scenery along the way, taking your breath away.

It is really unforgettable to hear the news about you.

I will accompany you from north to south, east to west, and we will never part...

I have blown the wind that you have blown, does this count as embracing?
I have walked the path you have walked, does this count as a meeting?
I still like you so much and want to grow old with you.

I still like you just because of your gentleness...

Lin Daiyu played the piano while reciting the lyrics silently. Before she knew it, her cheeks were flushed. The gentle and graceful sound of the piano was carried by the wind, as if adding a bit of lingering emotion to the cold autumn rain.

Just as Lin Daiyu finished playing her piece, Ping'er lifted the curtain and walked in. Her skirt was slightly wet by the rain. She smiled and said, "You play very well. Miss Lin is so elegant that she burns incense and plays the zither so early in the morning."

It turned out that Ping'er had been there for a while. When she heard Lin Daiyu playing the piano, she did not come in immediately. She just listened quietly under the eaves with an umbrella. She did not come in until Lin Daiyu finished playing the song.

Lin Daiyu stood up and smiled, "My dear sister-in-law is here. Come and sit down. Xueyan, why don't you go and pour some tea?"

Xueyan went to pour tea with a smile, and Ping'er said with a red face, "Miss Lin, please stop teasing me. I can't bear this false reputation."

At this time, Xueyan also brought tea and said teasingly, "Madam Ping, please do me the honor of drinking some hot tea. At least let me get some glory from it, haha!"

"Xueyan, you bad boy, you come and try to join in the fun by pulling my dirty stuff. Just wait and see if I am going to tear your mouth." Ping'er pretended to tear Xueyan's little mouth, but the latter ran away laughing.

Lin Daiyu took Ping'er's hand and said with a smile, "Sister, please forgive her for my sake."

Ping Er pretended to be annoyed and said, "It was you, Miss Lin, who instigated it. Now you are pretending to be a good person."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Well, it's my fault. I apologize to Sister Ping'er. Please forgive me for this. When you have a legitimate status in the future, I will congratulate you again, hehe!"

Ping'er's face immediately turned red again, and she laughed and retorted, "Miss Lin, please don't laugh at me for now. Don't forget that our Third Master loves Master Lin very much. Be careful that Master Lin suddenly gets the urge to marry a relative. If that happens, I'm afraid I'll have to make the bed for you."

Xueyan immediately covered her mouth and laughed. Ping'er pointed at her and said, "Don't laugh either. Miss Lin is coming. Don't you want to come and serve our Third Master?"

This time it was Lin Daiyu and her servant's turn to blush and feel hot. They teamed up to tear Ping'er's mouth, while the latter ran away laughing. They played around with each other for a while before stopping.

At this time, the autumn rain outside finally stopped, and a ray of bright autumn sunshine shone in from the window, sweeping away the desolate loneliness in the yard.

"When did Brother Huan leave?" Lin Daiyu asked Ping'er.

Ping Erh replied, "She left home at the fifth watch. The boat at the south city pier must have reached the Guazhou ferry by now."

Lin Daiyu let out a soft "oh" and said no more.

Since they had said goodbye the night before, Lin Daiyu did not see Jia Huan off when he left this morning. It was not because she was lazy, but because she was afraid of delaying Jia Huan's journey. At the same time, she was also a little worried that she would be reluctant to leave and cry, which would only make others laugh and even cause gossip.

"Who is following Brother Huan?" Lin Daiyu pondered for a moment, but finally couldn't help asking.

"In addition to the two servants Jinbao and Muye, there are also Mandalin and Yuanyuan." Ping'er replied.

Lin Daiyu looked at Ping'er with some surprise and said, "I thought Huandi would take you with him."

Ping'er smiled and said, "Yuanyuan was originally going to return to Suzhou. After the provincial examination results are announced, Third Master can take her home. Sister Mandalin is good at martial arts. With her guarding Third Master, his safety will be more guaranteed."

Lin Daiyu nodded and said, "That's true. Although the Jinyiwei have arrested all the criminals they can, there are still some who have escaped. It is said that the leader of the criminals, Li Hongji, is still at large. Brother Huan is the one who has attracted the hatred of those people. It is not too much for him to be cautious."

Xueyan complained, "That being said, it wouldn't be too much to bring Sister Ping'er with you. Besides, Sister Ping'er has served Master Huan for so many years, and she knows how to take care of him. Isn't she better than that foreign maidservant? It shows that Master Huan is also a person who gets bored with the old and loves the new."

Ping Erh hurriedly said, "You misunderstood. The Third Master wanted to take me with him, but I decided to stay." Xueyan widened her eyes and asked curiously, "Why?"

Ping Er blushed and said, "Wouldn't it be good for me to stay and accompany you and Miss Lin?"

Lin Daiyu glanced at Ping'er, whose cheeks were becoming more and more rosy and whose skin was plump, and her heart was moved. Xueyan seemed to have thought of something and blurted out, "Ping'er, could you be...?"

Xueyan covered her mouth halfway through her words and stared at Ping'er's belly with wide eyes, with a rather strange expression on her face.

Ping'er's sweet face flushed instantly, and she laughed and scolded: "You slut, your mind is full of filth. I'm just a little inconvenient these few days."

Xueyan stuck out her tongue embarrassedly, and Lin Daiyu was also a little embarrassed.

In ancient times, both men and women matured relatively early, and it was normal to get married and have children in their teens, especially the sons of wealthy families. They had maids to serve them since childhood, and they lived with them all day long. If they had the ability to enter the country, how many people could restrain themselves? It is no wonder that Lin Daiyu and her servant would have wrong thoughts.

Just when the atmosphere was a little awkward, a maid came in and said with a smile: "Just now, there was a message outside saying that someone from the uncle's family has come. Miss Ping, please go to the second gate to meet him."

"See me?" Ping'er was stunned for a moment before she reacted. It turned out that someone from the Jia family had come and wanted to see her. This was really strange.

Lin Daiyu was also a little surprised and asked, "Who is coming?"

The old woman replied, "I heard from Housekeeper Xiao that the man's name is Lin Zhixiao, the housekeeper of the West Mansion."

Lin Daiyu had lived in the Jia Mansion for several years, so she naturally recognized Lin Zhixiao and said in a daze, "It turned out to be him. He must be here to look for Huandi."

Ping Er frowned and said, "How strange! Third Master is not here, why do you want to see me?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "It should be a good thing, go and meet him."

Ping'er hesitated for a moment, but finally left Lin Daiyu's residence full of suspicion and went to meet Lin Zhixiao.

To be honest, after three years away from the Jia Mansion, the Jia family had faded a lot in Ping'er's mind, and sometimes she even forgot about it, so that she had an illusion that she would never have any intersection with the Jia family again. At this time, Lin Zhixiao suddenly came to her house, and Ping'er suddenly realized that she was still a maid of the Jia family, and even the indenture was still in Wang Xifeng's hands.

Thinking of this, Ping'er couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Ever since the Third Master's coffin was carried south that year, the Jia family had ignored the Third Master for three years, as if he had been exiled, leaving him to fend for himself. They almost issued a statement to expel the Third Master from the family. Now that he suddenly came to their doorstep, she didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

However, when she thought of the Third Master's recent achievements and the fame he had gained, and even the fact that the Emperor had issued an edict to praise him, Ping'er couldn't help but feel more confident and slowly calmed down. She went back to her residence to pack and dress herself up before leisurely heading towards the second gate.

As the saying goes, people fight for a breath, Buddhas fight for a stick of incense. Since she is the Third Master's person, she naturally cannot bring shame to the Third Master and let the people of the Jia family look down on him. She wants everyone in the Jia family to know that even without the protection of the Jia family, the Third Master can still live well, gloriously and decently.

Ping'er arrived at the second gate and saw the housekeeper Lin Zhixiao waiting there, accompanied by two young servants in green clothes and small hats.

Lin Zhixiao was about 40 years old and was the steward of the treasury of Rongguo Mansion. As Ping'er was Wang Xifeng's right-hand man, she had naturally dealt with Lin Zhixiao before. Moreover, when Jia Huan's coffin was carried south, it was Lin Zhixiao who accompanied him and made arrangements, which saved Jia Huan a lot of trouble.

As for the housekeeper Lin Zhixiao and two young servants, they were all a little surprised when they saw a slender beauty walking towards them from afar. One of the young servants even asked in a low voice: "Is this Miss Ping? She is so charming!"

Lin Zhixiao's face darkened and he shouted in a low voice: "Shut up!"

The two young servants lowered their heads and dared not look or say anything else.

A moment later, Ping'er had come closer. She was wearing a silk skirt and pearl hairpins, looking dignified and proper. She bowed and said, "Hello, Housekeeper Lin. It's been a long time since we last met. How is Madam Lin?"

"Hello, Miss Ping. Thanks to you, I have been healthy and well in the past few years. I often think of you, Miss Ping." Lin Zhixiao hurriedly returned the greeting, thinking that this maid's demeanor now seems to be even better than when she was with the Second Madam.

Ping'er was originally very good-looking and sweet. After being nurtured by Jia Huan these days, she became even more radiant, with a rosy complexion. She also dressed up specially, and looked gorgeous and elegant, not inferior to the young ladies of wealthy families.

Ping Er smiled and said, "It's amazing that Aunt Lin still remembers me. When did Steward Lin come to Yangzhou? Was it for business or personal matters? Has he met Uncle Lin?"

Lin Zhixiao smiled and said, "I was ordered by the master to go to Jinling to do some business. I entered the city yesterday afternoon. Seeing that it was getting dark, I did not go to disturb Master Lin. I only came to visit him early this morning and I have seen him just now."

Ping'er said "oh" and waited for Lin Zhixiao's next words.

Lin Zhixiao hesitated for a moment and said, "I originally thought that Master Huan San was still here, but I didn't expect him to go to Jinling early in the morning. If I had known, I would have visited him when I entered the city yesterday and would not have missed him."

Ping'er said calmly, "The Third Master was scheduled to go to Nanjing to take the imperial examination today. I wonder why Steward Lin wants to see the Third Master?"

Lin Zhixiao turned around and sent the two young servants far away, then smiled and said, "It's a good thing, a great thing!"

Ping'er's heart moved: "Oh, what's the good news?"

Lin Zhixiao smiled and said, "Our dynasty governs the world with filial piety. Third Master Huan built a hut to observe mourning for his biological mother for three years. This act of pure filial piety has been heard by the emperor and has been praised by the emperor. Even the old lady, the mistress and the master have been praised for their good teaching. It is really a supreme honor. As servants of the Jia family, we are also proud of it. Miss Ping has served Third Master Huan for the past few years and has worked hard and made great contributions. Therefore, the old lady asked me to tell Miss Ping that she is doing well. In addition, the old lady and the mistress also rewarded Miss Ping with fifty taels of silver each."

Ping Erh said quickly: "How can I bear this?"

Lin Zhixiao untied the chain on his back and handed it to Ping'er, saying with a smile, "There are a total of three hundred taels of silver in here, one hundred taels of silver is the reward from the old lady and the lady to Miss Ping; one hundred and eight taels of silver is the monthly allowance for the third master and Miss Ping for the past three years. According to the rules of the mansion, my brother has to spend eight taels of silver on pens, ink and paper every year, plus twenty taels of silver as New Year's money, a total of eighty-four taels, and the remaining eight taels of silver is for the third master Huan to buy some small things on a daily basis."

Ping'er sneered in her heart. For more than three years, the Jia family had ignored the Third Master and let him fend for himself. You have to know that the Third Master was less than ten years old back then. How could they bear it? Now that the Third Master has made a difference and has been rewarded by the Emperor, his name has spread all over the world. These people suddenly care about the Third Master, giving him silver as a reward and monthly allowance. It is really ironic!

However, although Ping'er was resentful in her heart, she was still very happy at the moment, and she was kind by nature. When she worked for Wang Xifeng, she was fair in her dealings and often covered up the mistakes of those below her. She was not a cruel person who held grudges, so when she saw this, the resentment in her heart had been reduced by more than half. In addition, as a servant of the Jia family, her indenture was still in the hands of others, so even if she was resentful, she could not show it openly.

Therefore, Ping'er refused for a moment, but finally took the silver handed over by Lin Zhixiao, knelt down and kowtowed to the north to thank the old lady and the lady for the reward.

(End of this chapter)