Chapter Fifty-two: A Lucky Encounter While Eating Cherry Candy

  Madam Wang grasped Zheng Zhu's hand and repeatedly praised him to Aunt Zheng: "This child is born so handsome, with an added air of heroism. Such a rare good child, can you bear to let him practice military drills every day?"

  "This is nothing, our old master has been personally teaching this child since he was a kid, and he himself is also willing to do these things." Zheng Shu said with pride.

  Wang Xifeng saw Jia Mu's excitement and chimed in, "Old ancestor, I've finally seen the light. I thought our family's Baoyu was a rare find in this world, but yesterday Lin Ge came and his entire demeanor is not even worth mentioning. Today, Zheng's nephew arrived and he's also so heroic and handsome that it's made me realize how shallow my eyes are."

  "You rascal, be careful or I'll scold you in front of your cousin Zheng!" Old Lady Jia said with a smile, her tone full of doting fondness.

  Aunt Xue heard Wang Xifeng's words and hastily asked: "Is this Lin family's brother the older sister's brother?"

  "It's true, yesterday they came to our place, and are now busy preparing for next year's Spring Festival! Aunt Wang didn't see this person, he's really a rare talent, with good looks and knowledge," Wang Xifeng deliberately glanced at Baoyu and Zheng Qing, "I think these three people standing together look like three brothers."

  Everyone followed Feng's words to take a look. Although it didn't seem as exaggerated as she said, Baoyu and Zheng Qing really had some similarities.

  "Since both of you are saying this, I'd like to meet this Lin family's son. When we return to Yizhou, I'll tell our old lady about it too."

  Lady Wang naturally agreed and turned her head to tell Xue Baochai: "Go call a few young ladies out, they are all relatives of our own family, no need to talk about these empty courtesies."

  Feng Qiang called out the hidden Ying Chun sisters from behind, while Dai Yu deliberately walked at the end.

  Sisters and Zheng Zhuang greeted each other, although Zheng Zhuang was a martial arts practitioner, he understood etiquette and didn't take liberties with the several young ladies of the Jia household.

  Mrs. Jia asked Daiyu, "What is your brother doing? Is he studying again? Today there are guests at home, let him relax a bit, it's not late to study tomorrow. Your aunt Zheng also wants to see Lin Ge, and sent a little maid to call your brother over."

  "Brother, today is the day you are going to personally pay your respects to Grandmother, but unfortunately, Brother received an invitation from Lord Tong and went to visit him early this morning."

  "Lord Tong? But isn't it Grand Tutor Tong?" Lady Jia asked in surprise.

  "That's right."

  Madam Wang secretly had a low opinion of Lin Zhiyuan. He entered the capital just the other day, and today he can already go to Lord Tong's mansion for a meeting. This is quite an accomplishment! Although she asked her second son to take Lin's brothers out to see the world that day, it was just a polite remark. Who doesn't know that Lord Tong is a noble and unsullied master? She didn't expect Lin Zhiyuan to establish connections with the powerful people in the capital so quickly.

  Daiyu apologized to Aunt Xiang and said, "Please forgive me, Aunt. Another day, my brother and I will come to visit you."

  "Hey, hey, don't rush, we all live close by now, it's easy to meet up whenever you want. Your brother's studies are important, and I've heard that Taifu Tong is a great scholar, if Lin's son can get his recognition, he'll have a bright future ahead of him."

  Before Aunt Zheng came to the capital, she had made it a point to clarify the relationships between people in Beijing with her husband. So when Daiyu mentioned Mr. Tong, she immediately knew who he was. Aunt Zheng couldn't help but glance at her son, Zheng Huan, who was chatting with Bao Yu. She loved her eldest son dearly and naturally hoped that he would make a great name for himself in the future. However, the Zheng family had lived in seclusion in the southwest for generations, and apart from the Rongguo Mansion, they didn't know any other prominent families in Beijing. If it weren't for this time when her husband had made great contributions to the country, their eldest daughter wouldn't have been able to marry into the imperial family either. Aunt Zheng sighed, wishing that Huan could be as cunning and resourceful as Mr. Lin.

  Zheng's aunt left the Jia mansion after lunch, escorted by Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang to the gate. Lady Jia was old and tired from accompanying her guest for a whole morning, so Yuanyang attended to her as she took a nap.

  Daiyu couldn't sleep and was thinking of Rongzhe and Xueqi in her courtyard, wanting to return to the west wing, but was stopped by Yingchun and Tanchun.

  "Lin sister, let's go to your courtyard and take a look. Yesterday I saw your little nephew and niece, they are really lovely." Tan Chun pulled Xueyan's hand, wanting to go to the west wing with her.

  Daiyu was just about to send someone with the Suzhou specialties for the three sisters, when Tan Chun said this, and it so happened that there were still many things left over. "All right, my place is now almost cleaned up, and if the sisters go, Daiyu will certainly welcome them, only please don't laugh at my lazy ways."

  The sisters happily went to the west wing, and right in front of them was Phoenix's courtyard. From a distance, they saw a plump and beautiful woman walking towards them with only an 11 or 12-year-old maid by her side, forming a striking contrast with the number of people on Lin Daiyu's side.

  Daiyu thought she was just some aunt from the mansion, newly married to one of her uncles, otherwise why would she be so poorly dressed. But upon closer inspection, the woman seemed to still be wearing a maiden's attire. Suddenly, she remembered the osmanthus jelly that had been sent over this morning and wondered if this wasn't actually Xue Baochai from the Rongguo household. If they were so wealthy, why did their attendants look so shabby?

  "Where are you going, sister Bao?" Xiangyun called out to Baochai because of Madame Wang's relationship with her, so she was particularly close to Baochai and stopped her as soon as she saw her figure.

  Baoyu walked up to the crowd, smiled and said: "It turns out that it's a few sisters, I originally wanted to go to Erniang's place, but she wasn't there, and coincidentally met you. Who is this?" Baoyu clearly knew that the beauty in front of her was Lin's daughter, but still pretended not to recognize her.

  Just then it occurred to Lin Daiyu that she had never met her sister-in-law, and hastily introduced them to each other.

  Baoyu smiled warmly, "I wanted to visit my sister yesterday, but Mother said she had just arrived and the courtyard must be busy. We didn't want to disturb her, but now we've run into each other today - isn't that fate?"

  The girl from the Xue family always spoke with a flattering tone, and Daiyu could hear it clearly. The good impression she had initially was reduced by three points. However, since they had met, it wouldn't be polite not to invite her, "Sister Bao, if you have time, please come visit us in our courtyard too. I brought some high-quality Bi Luo Chun tea from Suzhou and would like to invite the sisters to taste it."

  Xue Baochai was secretly pleased, she had known that today was the day the Zheng family from Yizhou would be visiting. She had originally planned to go with them to pay her respects, but Lady Wang had sent someone to the Li Xiang courtyard to inform her mother that there were guests arriving at the mansion today and that Ying Chun and her sisters wouldn't be able to study or practice calligraphy together. Baochai clenched her teeth in anger when she heard this, thinking that it was clear they didn't want her to go to the main house, fearing that the mistress of the Zheng family would see her. Lady Wang only thought of her own granddaughter and had abandoned her. Baochai ordered her maid Wen Xiang to keep an eye on the west wing from a distance, watching for any movement from the Lin family. As expected, soon after breakfast, Lin Daiyu took her maid and went to visit Lady Wang.

  Since I couldn't meet anyone from the Zheng family, visiting Lin Niangzi wasn't bad either, so that's how this "chance encounter" came about.

  Thus, the team has two more people. Daiyu is not a talkative person, but it was found that Xue's daughter is eloquent and has been talking all the way without cold field, specializing in words that care about Daiyu, and also taking care of Yingchun who is not good at speaking, and Tan Chun talked with each other, even the cold-tempered Xichun was amused by her several times.

  Arrived at the Western Courtyard, Bi Die was already waiting by the entrance.

  "Lin sister, where did so many flowers in your yard come from?" Xichun asked curiously as she saw several maids moving flowers and grasses in and out.

  Daiyu replied, "I'm afraid it was bought by the housekeeper from somewhere! Let's go in and take a look." She then led her sisters inside.

  The courtyard is neither big nor small. Mrs. Wang didn't bother to see Daiyu, and this yard wasn't well-received either. Besides the original stone table and stools, there was only a lotus pot, with some trees, flowers, and grass. Daiyu had someone go to the flower market early in the morning to buy these fresh flowers and potted plants, so that the courtyard wouldn't be desolate.

  As soon as everyone entered Daiyu's room, they felt that the interior decoration was extremely elegant. There were not many things, but everything was of high quality, and although there was no incense burning, there was a faint sweet fragrance in the air.

  Welcoming Spring sniffed her nose and saw a pot of white jasmine on the windowsill, saying: "What a fragrant flower!"

  They had seen the flowers early in their spring outing, but hadn't expected such a fragrance to be so captivating. She couldn't help but ask Daiyu, "We often see jasmine at our place too, and Lin's mother sent over two pots this morning, but why does it smell better here than ours?"

  "What's the difference? It's just that my pot has bloomed a few more flowers, and you can smell the fragrance." Daiyu didn't mind much, and invited everyone to take their seats. "I don't have anything good here to entertain you with, sisters, please don't be disgusted."

  San Chun and Bao Chai looked at the table, on which were placed a plate of fruit pastry, a plate of top skin crisp, a plate of fried chestnuts, a plate of dried dates, a plate of melon seeds, a plate of snow pears, a plate of water caltrops, a plate of wind lotus, and another plate with something unknown, black and round.

  Xī Chūn stretched out her slender fingers and pinched a handful. "Lin sister, what is this thing? It's so special?"

  Before Daiyu could speak, Baochai, who was sitting on one side, hastily said: "I think it's more like the special product of Jiangnan - cherry sugar, Lin sister, isn't it?"

  Daiyu's eyes rolled over once, but she didn't respond to Baochai. Instead, she picked up the small sweet ceramic plate and said, "Everyone try some first."

  Welcoming spring, several people also took one in their hands, which was wrapped with dry leaves. It smelled pungent and fragrant, and when eaten, it tasted like honey, with a delicate sweetness that was beautiful.

  "Baoyu's sister, what is it that you've brought out?" Daiyu asked cutely.

  Baoyu was instantly embarrassed, secretly annoyed with himself for showing off. This thing that had been eaten into his mouth was clearly not a cherry, but a plum, yet on her face there was calm and no waves, unable to see what was wrong. "I must have made a mistake, eating it seems like the sweetness of Yangmei."

  "Ah, yes! It's just like the taste of bayberries! Lin sister, quickly tell us, how did you make this?"

  "This thing is called Yi Mei, it's made from various medicinal materials that have been refined with honey and then rolled onto a Chinese bayberry. It's wrapped in mint leaves and dry leaves on the outside, which gives it such a nice flavor. If you put one in your mouth every day, it can help produce saliva, nourish your lungs, get rid of bad tastes, and clear away phlegm fire. It's much better than other types of sugar." Daiyu didn't mention cherry sugar, but when she said the last sentence, she smiled at Xue Baochai with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

  New chapter is here! Yesterday I was a bit lazy and updated late, but today it's earlier! (⊙o⊙)

  Thank you Chieh-g, Man Tian Pao Pao Er, and Ye Huang Oh!