Chapter 9: The Traveler's Pack is Heavy and His Heart is Reluctant to Leave

  "Brother is comforting Daiyu: 'Sister, don't be afraid. Although Huang Yuanshi may make things difficult for our family, I have already invited the son of the Duke of Dongping to stay at our house and keep watch. That Huang gentleman will surely give us some face and let us complete the seven-day mourning period before leaving. However, it's a pity that sister will have to be inconvenienced now. Quickly pack up some necessary things. I have already instructed Lin, the steward, to start making an inventory of the gold, silver, and valuables in the inner quarters. When the time comes, we will check them one by one. As for the maidservants in the house, let's discuss it with sister later, but when the time comes, we can't avoid dismissing some of them.'"

  Daiyu has been away from home for two years since she was eleven, and her mother used to take care of all the household chores. When her mother's health was poor, her father would also help with household matters, and Bai Niang and Qian Niang would assist in managing the affairs. To be honest, Daiyu didn't know how many maids or servants there were in their household. Now that her brother mentioned dismissing some of them, she suddenly remembered what a little maid said to her in the garden that day, and realized that some of the older servants who knew the inside story had already begun to look for ways out.

  Daiyu said to Zhiyuan, "Brother, whatever you think in your heart, just do it. To be honest, sister is ashamed that she doesn't know anything about the family affairs. If brother wants to keep those people or wants to get rid of someone, just do it. Just please consider giving a good impression to the few old stewards who have followed father for many years."

  Zhiyuan knew that Daiyu was clever and had already understood his meaning. In fact, based on his observations at the Second Uncle's house recently, not everyone in the Lin family was loyal, but he didn't know if the Second Uncle was aware of it. After the seventh day of mourning, they would all return to their old residence in Suzhou, and Zhiyuan had already sent servants to prepare the old house. The Lin family had many maidservants in Yangzhou, but Zhiyuan did not want to rehire these people. However, it was not good to dismiss them all, so he could only keep those who were born into the household. As for the people that Lady Lin had bought in Yangzhou, they would select the good ones and let the rest go after giving them some silver.

  It's just that these people are really hard to deal with. Daiyu thinks that these few people have been in the Lin family for most of their lives, and many were even brought into the family by Old Lady Lin as children from a subordinate household. Now they manage most of the Lin family's business. Most of the older generation in the Lin family experienced the event of the Lin family's eldest son being driven out of the house, so Zhiyuan's attitude towards them is unclear. Because of this, Zhiyuan also doesn't want to use these people.

  The best way is to spend some money and let them get rid of their slave status and live a good life.

  There is another way to let some of them continue to manage Daiyu's dowry shop, but he doesn't believe in these people.

  Look at Daiyu, her expression is gloomy, such an expression should not appear on the face of a young girl like her. Zhiyuan suddenly thought of the young ladies from the Dongping Hou's family, who were also in their blooming years, but were innocent and cheerful, with loving parents above them and siblings supporting them below. In contrast, Daiyu had lost her mother at a young age, and her father when she was a teenager, and had been living in her grandparents' house in the capital since childhood, not daring to say an extra word or take a wrong step, afraid of being ridiculed and looked down upon. Zhiyuan couldn't help but think of his own past life, where he too had lost his parents at a young age and grew up like an orphan, wanting to be filial but with no parents to receive it, a tragic tale in the mortal world.

  "Sister, don't worry, I will take care of the several people in charge at the Lin's house."

  Zhiyuan had finished dinner and continued to work in the front yard.

  On the second day, early in the morning, Zi Juan and Xue Yan began to busy themselves with packing. Seeing that several large trunks were still in the hall and had not been opened, Zi Juan said to Dai Yu: "Miss, when we came back, we didn't bring many luggage, only five boxes, now there are still three unopened ones, but I don't know what else needs to be packed?"

  Daiyu took a glance around the room, this was where she had lived two years ago, her mother had carefully arranged everything here, it couldn't be compared to that small green silk window in Beijing. For a moment, Daiyu wanted to take all of these things away with her, but she knew it was impossible.

  "Never mind, don't touch the big things for now. Zi Juan, you make a list of all the small trinkets inside the house and pack them in boxes. Ask Lin to prepare several large chests, but tell him not to make a fuss about it." Daiyu didn't want to alarm the servants, thinking that if even the masters were starting to pack up their belongings, the servants would become even more unruly.

  Zi Juan, Chun Xian and several third-class maids started packing things up. However, Zi Juan was illiterate, so Dai Yu had to call in Bai Niang and Qian Niang, asking Qian Niang to help Zi Juan write a list, while she herself took Bai Niang and Xue Yan to her parents' room.

  Bai Niang was Jia Min's personal maid when she got married, and since Jia Min had not left the house for many years, she could only endure the hardships and made Bai Niang her concubine. Bai Niang was a servant born in the Jia household, originally named Bai Lan, whose parents had passed away early on, leaving behind only a younger sister. When she followed Miss to Jiangnan, she begged Miss to let her younger sister go. Later, it was said that her parents had arranged for her sister to marry an owner of a rice shop, and they lived a happy life. After Bai Niang's parents passed away, there was no more news from her sister, and they lost contact.

  Daiyu knew that her mother had trusted this Bai Yiniang very much before she passed away, and it was also Bai Yiniang who had been by her side when she was ill. So today, when cleaning up her parents' room, she brought her along. Seven or eight people were busy for a whole day before they finally finished sorting out the things in her parents' room. Seeing this somewhat empty room again, Daiyu still couldn't quite believe that her parents had all left her so far away.

  "Take care of yourself, girl, and don't be sad anymore." Xueyan handed the handkerchief to Daiyu's hands, supporting her to sit on the bed, Daiyu gently stroked the soft quilt, the red embroidered quilt cover was extremely out of harmony with this room full of white curtains. However, Daiyu insisted on keeping everything in this room and tidying it up herself.

  Lin Ruhai had recently handed over most of the antiques and calligraphy in his home to Zhiyuan. Daiyu had also seen that list, which included some things Lin Ruhai had accumulated over the years, as well as gifts from local officials. Daiyu had never cared about these things, and her own room had never lacked them. Even during the two years she lived with her maternal grandmother in the capital city, her grandmother had always provided for her needs, and although her second aunt didn't get along with her, she was still treated to food, clothing, and other necessities comparable to those of the three young ladies of the Jia household.

  These large pieces of furniture are absolutely impossible to move, and yet Daiyu and the others packed up seventeen large trunks, all filled to the brim, and placed them inside the house. White Auntie took a look at these things and saw that there were many fine silks, most of which were tributes from the palace. The mistress had originally intended to keep them for her daughter's wedding, having saved them up over many years. There were also some pearls and jewelry, which the young lady had already packed separately in boxes: fish-shaped hairpins, gilded chrysanthemum hairpins, gold-inlaid jade pendants, emerald-studded gilded earrings, gilded silk tassels, small flower pins, large flower pins, emerald-tipped hat flowers, four-butterfly hairpins, coral necklaces, and full-water jade necklaces of all kinds, dazzling the eye.

  The white aunt took out a sandalwood box and pointed it to Daiyu: "Miss, look at this, it's called Huiwen pattern. The lady only has one piece like this, saying that she wants to leave it for Miss as dowry. This thing is probably only available in those big households in the entire Jiangnan region, please keep it well."

  Daiyu suddenly remembered that her maternal grandmother's house seemed to have one or two pieces of Huiwen, which were only taken out on special occasions in the Jia household. Even doting on Baoyu as they did, no one had ever mentioned giving it to him. The small box contained a pattern of the Three Friends of Winter, and after all these years, it still looked like new, showing how much her mother had treasured this thing back then.

  As I thought about it, tears just flowed down.

  Although Daiyu said not to make a fuss, Lin HuaiDe ordered the servants to carry more than twenty trunks to Daiyu's room and the house of Lin Ruhai and his wife. Along the way, they were still seen by many maids and women, who were all clever and immediately realized that the master was packing up to return to their old home in Suzhou.

  Everyone suddenly became anxious and took advantage of the fact that Young Master Lin was busy in the front yard, while the young lady was packing things up in the backyard, each looking for a way out.

  At this time, Qian Yiniang's house was bustling with people coming and going. Only two big maidservants were attending to her, one named Runan, who followed Yiniang to Daiyu's room to help out, leaving the other one, called Qiaorui, who was only fifteen years old but very capable, Qian Yiniang specially kept her back to tidy up the household goods in the house.

  Cui Rui looked at these little maids who came to beg for mercy with some impatience: "I said you are not good at serving in the front yard, why did you run to your aunt's house? In the past, the old ladies told you to learn well, but you all only knew how to be lazy and play around. Now you come to me, what do you want?"

  What Cui Rui said was indeed a bit exaggerated. Although the Lin family had lost its housekeeper's wife two years ago, Lin Ruhai had always been strict with his servants. These little maids who came to beg for mercy were mostly bought from Yangzhou, and the slave traders knew they were selecting people for the Salt Inspector's household, so how dare they choose inferior ones?

  The little girls all smiled and flattered, saying: "Who among us doesn't know that Auntie trusts Eldest Sister Cui the most? Even when it comes to managing the household finances, it's all handled by Eldest Sister herself."

  "What nonsense! Auntie said that the house has been too chaotic in recent days, and asked me to tidy up properly, lest those careless things get stolen away. I also know you people, listening to rumors, our Lin family is a wealthy household, how can we mistreat you little maids? When the time comes, we will naturally give you a place to go. Alright, alright, disperse now! If Auntie comes back and sees you all here, won't she scold you? It's just the front yard, Young Master is calling for someone, no one is serving tea or water, if investigated, how will you explain yourselves?" Cui Rui's words scared off a group of people, these 11-12 year old little girls quickly lifted the curtain and ran out in a hurry.

  Qiaorui smiled and asked the little girl who was following her: "Sister Qiaorui, are we really going back to Suzhou? Can all these people in Aunt's house follow us too? Sister Qiaorui!"

  "Hey, I'm telling you, young ladies, we're busy rushing around in our house. If Auntie comes back and sees that it's not tidy, she'll scold you guys." Chao Rui said with a smile.

  The maids didn't believe it: "Auntie's temper is the best, she wouldn't hit us. Unlike that Jiang auntie who left, she loved to scold and beat the little maids around her." Jiang auntie was a maid given by the former governor of Yangzhou, who loved to cause trouble and stir up jealousy. The master and mistress disliked her extremely. Later when the master fell ill, Jiang auntie couldn't bear the loneliness either, so she begged the master to let her go.

  Qiaorui followed Qian Yiniang, often interacting with Jiang Yiniang, and knew that she was not a good person. Upon hearing the young maid's words, she became somewhat displeased: "Alright, alright, just do what you need to do!"

  In the aunt's room, there was a second-class maid named Zixiang. She had the best relationship with Qiaorui and was also fifteen years old this year. She didn't speak much and her appearance was ordinary, so she could only be a second-class maid. Every day, she swept the yard and fetched water. The second-class maids in the aunt's room were no match for Chunfen in Daiyu's room. Although they were both second-class, the work they did was different. Zixiang knew that the maids in the aunt's room would have to be dismissed, so when she saw no one around, she quietly asked Qiaorui: "Qiaorui, I'm asking you, can our aunt really take all of us maids away?"

  Qiaorui pointed at Ziteng's forehead with her finger: "You silly thing! I'll tell you the truth, Auntie is a second-rate mistress, but she has no children and will have to rely on Master and Miss in the future. At this critical moment, of course, we should try to reduce Master's burden as much as possible, so that he will remember Auntie's kindness!" Qiaorui saw Ziteng's face turn pale, so she smiled: "But don't worry, no matter what, Auntie won't just take me and Rusnan back to our old home in Suzhou. That would be too embarrassing! Even the servants in Suzhou would look down on us. So I'm sure you'll come with us, but for the next few days, you must serve Auntie well and not mention going back to Suzhou again, got it?"

  The purple butterfly let out a sigh of relief, "Scared me to death! You said that and I've put down 120 worries. Alright, I won't idle chat with you anymore, there's still work to be done!"

  The purple butterfly turned around and ran away laughing, leaving Cui Rui behind to scold and laugh.