Chapter 1 Lin Xiao Xiang's Wind and Rain on Yangzhou Road

  Lin Daiyu suddenly received the news of her father's serious illness, almost fainting, and with great difficulty suppressed her grief. With the help of her maternal grandmother, she hastily packed her luggage and followed Xue Pan, her second elder male cousin, hurrying back to Yangzhou. It was already late winter, but in Jiangnan, there was still a steady drizzle of rain, as if accompanied by snowflakes, with fierce winds blowing. The withered grass on the riverbank seemed to be drifting away, giving off a desolate feeling.

  It's been just a year or two since I came to Beijing, and Father's body can't hold on anymore. Who knows what will happen next?

  Yinglian stood behind Lin Daiyu, holding a dark green cloak in her hand, and gently wrapped it around the young lady's shoulders. She whispered: "Miss, it's cold outside, why not go into the cabin?"

  Daiyu wiped away the clear tears from her eyes, "Zijuan, go and tell someone to inform Erge about this, see if we can get the boatmen to hurry up a bit." Zijuan listened and slowly helped Daiyu turn around and enter the cabin, "Miss, Erge said that by tomorrow we'll be able to reach Yangzhou, you should relax, Old Master will definitely have good fortune, nothing bad will happen."

  "Orchid, I obeyed my father's words back then and went to my maternal grandmother's house. It seems that was a mistake. A child cannot fulfill their filial duties by being away from their elderly parents, it is truly unfilial. If anything were to happen to Father, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life!" Daiyu said, wiping away her tears with a silk handkerchief as she spoke wistfully.

  Zi Juan couldn't help it, and after a few more words of persuasion, she helped the young lady lie down on the bed and quietly walked out of the cabin.

  Xueyan, the little maid who had originally come from Yangzhou with Daiyu, was sitting in the outer room, intently embroidering a lily flower by the light that came through from outside. When she saw Zijuan come out, she hastily stood up and yielded her seat. To speak of it, although Xueyan had been brought along from home, she wasn't actually Daiyu's most favored maid; on the contrary, it was the parrot who had originally been a second-rate maid that Grandmother Jia had given to her, and who had become her first-rate confidante. Nowadays, the parrot had become Zijuan, and this family of hers, relying on their daughter's influence, also occupied a certain position among the lower servants in the Jia household.

  This time, Zijuan came to Yangzhou with a mix of emotions in her heart. She still remembered the words her mother had entrusted to her on their way here: now that she was Lin's daughter-in-law, she would have to follow Lin for the rest of her life. This trip to Yangzhou made her wonder if she could ever return home. If Old Master Lin were to pass away, the Lin family would be left with no one, and naturally, the young mistress would have to return to the Jia residence. But if Old Master Lin was only using illness as an excuse not to let their daughter-in-law return to Beijing again, wouldn't she be stuck in Yangzhou for the rest of her life?

  It's not that Zǐjuān and her family are cursing Lín Lǎoye, but rather it's the deep affection of flesh and blood, which every family finds hard to let go.

  Xueyan poured clear tea from the table and walked gently to Zijuan's side, "Sister, have some tea." After speaking, she also sat down on a footstool beside her. "Has the young lady rested already?"

  Zi Juan seemed a bit distracted, and after listening to Xue Yan's words, she didn't come back to her senses for a long time. Putting down the porcelain tea bowl, "Xue Yan, I'm asking you, does Lin Niang's family in Yangzhou have any other relatives?"

  "Relatives?" Xue Yan lowered her head and thought for a moment, but still shook her head. "I was too young when I left the Lin family, so I don't remember much. But in recent years, from what Wang's nanny said, our hometown is empty. Master has always been honest and upright, and doesn't have many relatives coming and going, just afraid that they will take advantage of Master's name to act recklessly outside."

  "Is that so!" Zi Juan paused for a moment, and then asked with some unease, "Miss had said that her ancestral home was actually in Gusu, but doesn't the old family in Gusu have any relatives coming and going?"

  "I don't know about that, Sister Zi Juan knows. I was brought into the Lin household as a child, and I've already forgotten what my own parents were like. As for these relatives of the Lin family, I don't understand much either. Why don't you go ask Mother Wang?" Xue Yan pointed to Mother Wang's cabin.

  The old woman was getting older, her body more and more lazy, as soon as she got on the boat, she lay in her own cabin, saying that she had a severe headache, and threw Lin Niang to several small maids to serve.

  It's not that Wang Xifeng is bullying the master, but rather she has grown older and with all that she has seen and heard in the Jia household over the years, her thoughts have become more and more active. In the Jia household, which of those high-ranking servants doesn't have a wealthy family background? Not to mention the stewards, even the attendants by the madam's side are people that everyone tries to curry favor with. But looking at herself, she came alone from Yangzhou to Beijing, her husband passed away early, and now all she has left is her son and brother- and sister-in-law to rely on for a living. Calculating it out, it's already been two years since she last saw her son.

  However, if she doesn't follow the young lady, Master Wang Fu won't be able to reuse their house. Now her son can recognize characters, use an abacus, and has a honest face, with a bright future ahead of him! So this time when returning to Yangzhou, she begged Master Wang to let her stay in her hometown, following her son and enjoying the blessings. It's not that she doesn't want to think about the young lady, but now that the girl is grown up, what use does she have for an old fellow like herself?

  At this time, Wang's nanny had subconsciously thought that she had paid too much for her daughter over the years. It was only natural that Master treated his son, Wang Fu, well!

  It can be seen that people's hearts are changeable. Who knows, the person who originally stuck to their duties might suddenly become a cruel killer who strikes at a critical moment.

  Not to mention the different thoughts of the people on this boat, let's just talk about the first one, which is actually the boat of Jia Fu's second son, Jia Xian.

  Unlike Lin Daiyu and others, Jia Lian was lying on the soft couch, feeling complacent in his heart, holding a Yixing teapot made of purple sand, drinking Da Hong Pao from Wuyi. If it weren't for rushing on the road at this time, or calling up a few Qing officials to sing a small song, without the old tigress at home, and with the idle money given by the old lady in hand, this day would also be easy to pass.

  Jia Lian's personal servant, Zhao Er, quietly walked in and said, "Second Master, I've already told the boatman, we won't be stopping tonight, so we'll arrive in Yangzhou tomorrow."

  Jia Yun listened and nodded. The little servant hastily came forward, massaging Jia Yun's legs, "This whole journey has been a hardship for the second master, with no one by his side to share the joys and sorrows. Once we arrive in Yangzhou, I will definitely find a beautiful woman for the second master."

  "Nonsense!" Jia Lian cursed with a smile, "What are we doing here? We're going to do something serious. If others hear this nonsense, how can I get anything done in the future?"

  Although Jia Lian scolded, Zhao Er, who had always understood her master's thoughts, knew that she had touched Jia Lian's weak spot. So she didn't fear and instead pressed on, "It's right for you to scold me, but I beg of you, sir, to have mercy on me for my loyalty to you, and spare me."

  Although it's been a bumpy road, everyone has given face to our Rongguo House, so it's been smooth sailing. On this trip to Yangzhou, we must also earn some respect for the elderly ladies of our household, we can't let people look down on us! Jia Lian put down the purple clay teapot, called Shao'er to bring over a short-haired cloak and wrapped himself in it, then stood up and walked out of the cabin.

  The moonlight was sinking, the rain and snow had stopped, but there were only a few scattered stars in the sky. Jia Lian stood with his hands behind his back, thinking about what the second wife had said on their way here.

  Although I am a member of the first house, I have been following the second house's actions. The second madam said that Lin Gong Lao Ye is not doing any clean business, but rather a profitable one - he is the Salt Transport Commissioner. This time, the letter may not be good news, it might be his last days. At that time, we must bring back those family assets and money, the old house in Gusu has been bought, and if some things cannot be brought back, they will be temporarily stored at the Zhen's house for future arrangements.

  Second Mistress said well, then Lin Ye Old Master only had one Lin Girl left, all of these will be her dowry in the future, and it's reasonable for the maternal grandparents' family to take care of them. However, Lin Girl is still young, so don't let her know about these things, wait until the future to talk about it.

  Jia Lian has been following the second lady for many years, and he is clear about this woman's ruthless tactics. Once the money gets into her hands, what reason would she have to let it go? I'm afraid that by then, even the daughters of the palace officials will be serving as maids in your mansion.

  They all in the Jia family, from top to bottom, are keeping an eye on this money. Even their master is repeatedly reminding himself that he should know who his son is and whom he should turn to. Isn't it because Old Master Jia fears that his own share will be insufficient?

  It's just the old lady, although she loves Lin'niang dearly, but on this matter, she also maintained a consistent attitude, first get the money back and then talk. Jia Xian himself was also waiting to muddy the waters and make a fortune, even if he couldn't compare with the old ladies, at least he could save some private money for himself, all matters had to be listened to by the mother-in-law at home, not having any spare money.

  As for Lin's daughter, the old lady said that in the future, the girl's dowry would all come from her share, and no one else needed to worry about it. This indirectly gave everyone a hint that dividing the money was also reasonable. Jia Lian couldn't help but speculate about the family property accumulated over the years by Lin's father, who held an official position. The Lin family had few descendants, and by the time of Lin's father's generation, there were hardly any people left. This was also why the old lady would marry her daughter to the Lin family. When the Lin family's old lady passed away, there would be even fewer people, and the Jia family wouldn't have much expense either, leaving only the accumulated wealth. Thinking of this, how could Jia Lian not get excited?

  He looked at the affairs of the mansion with a cold eye, and Old Lady Wang was thinking of arranging a marriage between Lin Daiyu and Baoyu, but Second Mistress had always looked down on Lin's mother, and this matter wasn't anything new among the older generation. This marriage might stir up a lot of trouble for no reason. The younger ones just lived together in a mess, playing and laughing every day, just to amuse Old Lady Wang.

  If it were up to him, this final victory would still be uncertain as to who it belongs to. He and Feng Jie are like the grass that grows on a wall, whoever is stronger they will follow, this is also a helpless move!

  Before I left, I heard that Feng's sister had already sent a letter to Aunt Xue in Jinling, calling for the reunion of sisters in Beijing. Although this is what was said, Jia Lian knew that the Xue family had a 14 or 15-year-old girl named Xue Baochai, who was just at the age when marriage would soon be discussed.

  In this way, even if Lin Niangzi returns to Beijing in the future, who can still guess what Old Lady's intention will be?