Daiyu lived up to her reputation as a delicate girl, and she fell ill not far from Yangzhou. Therefore, the team carrying the spirit had to make do with her and slow down even more.
Daiyu didn't say anything about this, but she actually felt quite guilty in her heart.
But because of her illness, there was nothing we could do.
Stopping at a farm that day, Daiyu was forced to eat half a bowl of soup while being dressed up by Grandma Wang and others. The pain in her mouth and heart kept attacking, making her even more depressed.
Suddenly, outside some simple windows, snow geese were jumping over.
"Girl, are you feeling better?"
After Xue Yan entered the house, when he saw Dai Yu's expression, he immediately lost his happy look and asked with some worry.
Daiyu didn't look at her, only stared at the bamboo cage she was holding.
Xue Yan patted her head: "Do girls like this too? Hehe, here, this is for girls! I heard that Mr. Lian just bought it from a farmer on the roadside for one tael of silver each! "
Daiyu's wet nurse, Grandma Wang, who had just turned her head and saw it, also made a noise: "What a well-behaved stone mouse."
Stone rat is the local name for squirrel. The little squirrel in Xue Yan's hand was originally taken out by a farmer from a tree in the field. It was still very young. When he saw the procession of supporting coffins passing by, he tried to put it on the roadside to exchange for some money. It happened that Jia Lian saw it and bought it.
Daiyu frowned slightly and asked Xueyan: "Why did he give it to me?"
"The girl is asking this question. It must be that Second Master Lian saw that the girl was depressed when she was ill, so he bought it specially to relieve the girl's boredom. It's hard for Second Master Lian to be so thoughtful, unlike those ignorant people in the clan. In the past two days, because of If you walk slower, you will be full of complaints!
It can be seen that the ancients are right, the world is big and the earth is big, and my uncle’s family is the biggest. Fortunately, they are still uncles, aunts, and cousins. Together, they are not as caring as an uncle and cousin.
I heard from the housekeeper that because the girl was ill, Mr. Lian was afraid that the country doctor would not be used, so he specially sent someone to the good doctor in the city to invite him. He said that he had sealed a bag of silver before he agreed to follow her to Suzhou. Woolen cloth. "
Grandma Wang said seriously.
Daiyu was silent and waited for Xueyan to put the cage next to the kang. She tried to reach out her hand to tease the two cute baby mice. Seeing that they were scared, she took back her hand and told Xueyan: "See you later." Brother Lian, thank him for me, thank you for your trouble."
Grandma Wang had already received instructions from Lin Ruhai. Seeing that the time was right, she continued: "Speaking of the girl's uncle's house, it is really not an ordinary mansion.
The dignified founder of the Duke's Mansion, the current girl's direct maternal grandmother is the old lady of their family. It is said that she is a person who loves her children very much.
Since she has personally written to the master to take you to Beijing to stay temporarily, it can be seen that she sincerely wants to see the girl.
Now seeing that their brother loves the girl so much, there must be nothing wrong with him, so even if the girl has nothing else but to see the old lady’s painstaking efforts, she should go to Beijing to see him. "
After hearing this, Daiyu's tears couldn't stop flowing. Grandma Wang knew she could no longer persuade her, so she could only sigh softly and go out with the medicine bowl.
Xue Yan looked left and right, and then looked again. He wanted to stay and accompany the little squirrels, but was afraid of annoying the girl even more. After hesitating for a long time, he went out with his head hanging down.
Daiyu was left sitting alone on the kang, crying silently to the window.
Thinking back to what my father, nanny and others said, I couldn't help but think about it secretly.
The second brother Lian was born in the Duke's palace, so he naturally enjoyed wealth and honor in the capital. It was rare that he was willing to travel thousands of miles to express his condolences to his mother. Not only did I express my condolences to Qianli, but I also felt very fond of him based on his words and deeds. I think one of them was being warned by his grandmother, and the other was that he cared about his blood and family ties.
Come to think of it, family ties and ideals in this world really differ from person to person. Although my uncles and aunts also had words of concern for me, they were nothing more than vain and perfunctory, and they were also expressed in front of my father for their own gain. As a result, the family ties between members of the same clan are not as pure as those between people from other clans.
Then I thought that after I went to the capital alone, my father was left alone in Yangzhou. From then on, they were two lonely people separated by thousands of miles. I couldn't help but feel sad and couldn't help myself.
…
It took more than ten days of walking and stopping before we finally arrived in Suzhou.
After entering the city, we came to the Lin family's old house.
The whole family, including men, women and children, had already gathered at the door. When the coffin appeared, they burst into tears.
Jia Lian originally thought that the Lin family was small, but only now did he realize that he should not underestimate any big family that has lasted for hundreds of years!
The Lin family members who were kneeling on the ground were at least one or two hundred!
It can be seen that here are all the Lin family members, and those who went to Yangzhou for funerals are only twenty-three out of ten.
With so many people mixed together, it was inevitably chaotic for a while. Jia Lian had to contract with the old housekeeper and others to arrange and disperse them one by one.
Here Daiyu sent her mother's tablet to the ancestral hall, cried again, and with the support of her wet nurse and two or three maids, she prepared to go back to rest.
"Girl, the servants have tidied up a room in the main house and cleaned it. Girl, just move in."
The housekeeper's wife greeted him with a smile.
Daiyu frowned, and after a while she said, "I still want to live in my original house."
The housekeeper's wife was a little embarrassed when she heard this. She turned around and glanced behind her, and advised: "The girl is nostalgic. But we also consider it for the girl's sake. The girl has always been weak. Living here is closer to the mourning hall, girl. It’s easier to sit up.”
"Yes, little niece Daiyu, please don't refuse. Just live in the main house here. Anyway, your mother has gone and your father has not come back this time. It is the right time for you to live in the main house."
As soon as the housekeeper's wife finished speaking, a young woman came up from behind and persuaded her in the same way.
Daiyu never liked arguing with idlers, so she didn't say anything else.
But Grandma Wang was not that easy to fool. As soon as she heard the words of the wife and the housekeeper's wife, she had already guessed a lot, so she scolded the housekeeper's wife and said: "The girl is the master's daughter, so she can live wherever she wants." , is there any reason for you to forcefully arrange things according to your wishes?
Girl, ignore them, let's stay in the old house. "
The housekeeper's wife did not dare to retaliate even after being scolded, so she could only smile helplessly.
But a girl who was next to the woman couldn't help it anymore and took her arm and said anxiously: "Mom, I like living there too, and I don't want to move out, mom~~"
"Don't make any noise~!"
The woman hit the girl and saw everyone looking at them. They were a little embarrassed at first, but then she looked relieved and said: "To tell the truth, my nephew, don't blame us. Let's go in and help your mother set it up first." In the mourning hall, when entertaining relatives and friends, I was worried that your sister Jiaojiao would be alone at home, so I took her to the house to settle her, which is where you used to live.
When we heard that you were coming back, we originally wanted to ask her to move out, but because things were so busy outside, and secondly, your sister Jiaojiao was frail like you since she was a child, so it was delayed, so now the house is for you Jiaojiao. My sister lives here. "
Daiyu originally thought it was because the servants were lazily moving, but she didn't expect it to be like this. She was stunned for a moment and said weakly: "Auntie, but that is my house..."
"We also know that it's your house, but it's too troublesome to move and clean it up now. Anyway, there are so many houses in this house, and it will be the same wherever you live. If you don't want to live in the main house, you can live in other places. Okay, I’ll ask them to help you clean it up immediately!”
Grandma Wang was a responsible person, but she was irritated at this time. She said angrily: "Grandma Hong is too inconvenient. Your daughter Jingui, do we girls deserve to be bullied by you? What if the master is here? , you dare to do this to our girl?"
Grandma Hong’s real name is Chen, and she is Lin Lao’s mother. Because Lin Fu's father had the reputation of being a scholar, their family was considered a prosperous family in the clan, so they behaved in a more public way.
How could she put such a servant in her eyes?
"Mama Wang's words are too unpleasant. Who dares to bully a girl? Who has bullied you girls? My eldest sister-in-law has gone, and everyone in the family has been very busy. They always inspect the province wherever it is necessary. Wherever it is necessary, the provincial inspection will be carried out. Let's make do, why worry so much at that moment?
Not to mention that her uncle is not here, even here, even if we come here day and night to help take care of these things, he will not treat us harshly. How can he still be in trouble with his relatives over the matter of a room?
You girls didn't even say anything, but you are here to sow discord. I think she is obviously a good girl, but you, the slaves, just love to cause trouble. "
Mrs. Chen's words made Grandma Wang so angry that her lips trembled, and she wanted to talk to Mrs. Chen properly.
Daiyu was really disgusted, so she grabbed her and said, "Forget it, Mom, I'll just live in the main room here."
Grandma Wang also thought that it was Jia Min's funeral, so she could hold back her anger, but she couldn't help but say a few words in return.
"what happened?"
A strange young man's voice sounded, stopping Mrs. Chen who was still about to mock Grandma Wang.
She turned around and looked where she came from, and then she couldn't help but sigh to herself: What a handsome young man!
After looking at him for a long time, he couldn't recognize him. He felt that he was not from the Lin family.
Jia Lian settled things in the mourning hall and originally wanted to see Daiyu. Hearing the noise here, he came over to take a look.
When Grandma Wang saw Jia Lian coming, she immediately felt confident and told the whole story without hesitation.
Jia Lian was followed by several housekeepers and Lin clan disciples. Among them, Lin Lao seemed a little anxious after hearing what Grandma Wang said.
He pulled his mother's arm and complained: "Mom, before dad and I left, didn't we tell you to move my sister out? How come you forgot?"
Mrs. Chen knew that she was wrong, but she could not admit it in front of her son. She cursed, "How could I forget? It's just that your sister doesn't want to move out. What can I do?"
Just seeing more and more tribesmen surrounding her, many of them pointing fingers at them, Mrs. Chen felt a little regretful that she shouldn't have indulged her daughter for a while and caused trouble.
But I’m not afraid.
It would be difficult if his uncle also came back. Now that Lin Ruhai has not returned to Suzhou, who else can bully them?
Lin Hong, Lin Hong's father, is a middle-aged scholar who does not want to be criticized. He scolded his wife in his heart, then shook his head and sighed, "It's an insult to politeness", "It's an insult to politeness", and then pretended not to see her and left.
Jia Lian knew that Lin Ruhai had been an official abroad for many years and had taken away all his family members. Therefore, some tribesmen would definitely be unable to resist moving in to this huge old residence of the Marquis Mansion, calling it "borrowing".
This is basically the case for wealthy families all over the country. Some houses without owners are even rented out privately to outsiders for profit by the slaves under supervision!
Therefore, the Lin family's situation is not unique in Jia Lian's opinion.
The only thing that puzzled him was that now that the wife of the head of the house has died and the coffin has been sent back, you still dare to occupy the house of the head of the house and not leave?
Where does the courage come from?
Seeing that Daiyu was obviously aggrieved but tilted her head and said nothing, Jia Lian felt three levels of anger rising for no reason, and looked at the housekeeper who stayed behind in the old house with a sullen face.
The housekeeper knew that the matter could no longer be dealt with, and also learned about Jia Lian's origins from the old housekeeper. He did not dare to make any mistakes, and hurriedly knelt down and explained: "Second Master Lian, please calm down. The servants have actually advised you, but Grandma Hong and the others are determined not to do it." Listen, I don’t want to move away, and there’s nothing the slaves can do..."
In fact, the people of the Lin clan were able to move in because they benefited the housekeeper and the servants, so there was no trouble for several years.
What a shame, Grandma Hong. When everyone else knew that the master’s family was coming back, they packed up their things and moved out in advance. She was the only one who refused to move out because of her power. Now something has really happened, right?
If this is implicated in what happened in the past few years and affects so many people, then let this stupid woman die!
"What are you still doing? Didn't you hear that your girl wants to live in her old house? Don't let your wife bring someone to clean up the house!"
The housekeeper was still a little hesitant. Looking at the old housekeeper who had been sullen for a long time, he gave him a stern look and immediately stood up and yelled at his mother-in-law: "Go quickly, why are you still standing there!"
"Throw all irrelevant things out of the house."
Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, the "jiaojiao girl" who was a little scared at first got the courage from nowhere, ran to the housekeeper's wife, stretched out her hand to stop her: "You are not allowed to go, and you are not allowed to touch my things!"
After being stunned for a long time, Mrs. Chen hurried over to protect her daughter and cursed: "Are you rebelling? Or are you fooled by lard? Who is he? Why do you listen to him so much? How dare you throw away my daughter's things? I’m not done with you!”
Lin Biao's face was not good-looking either. He looked at Jia Lian and said, "You don't have to be like this, cousin Lian. Don't say that this is our Lin family's family matter. You shouldn't interfere. Besides, even if sister Daiyu really wants to live in her old house, , we will just move out on our own, why do you show off your power here and even throw away my sister’s things? It’s too bullying!”
As soon as Lin Wei said these words, many people expressed their hatred and hatred.
Obviously, everyone is somewhat dissatisfied that the Lin family has to obey the orders of an outsider.
"Brother Lian, forget it, I don't want that house anymore. For now, it's better to let my mother bury her in peace and don't interfere with other matters."
Daiyu didn't cry before, but now that Jia Lian came to help her make the decision, she cried instead.
She didn't want Jia Lian to conflict with the family members, so she pulled Jia Lian's sleeve and tried to persuade him.
But Jia Lian knew a little bit about Daiyu's mood. He heard that she said "I don't want that house anymore" instead of "I don't live in that house anymore", so he guessed that even if he really vacated the house for her now , Daiyu will not live in it again.
What kind of character is this?
It was probably something that others had touched, and she no longer cared about it.
Or like Miaoyu, she would rather smash the tea cup that the dirty woman drank from than take it back. However, Daiyu's cleanliness is a little less aloof than Miaoyu, and a little more free and sincere.
Perhaps, she would never look back on the boudoir that had been with her for many years.
Following Daiyu's wishes, she did not waste any time arguing with the country woman, and asked Grandma Wang to send Daiyu back to the main room to rest. Then she said to Lin Lao: "It will take one day to restore Sister Lin's house to its original state, otherwise, don't do it." Blame me for not caring about our feelings."
Even if Sister Lin doesn't want anything, others can't appropriate it at will.
Jia Lian put down these words, glanced at Chen and others, turned and left.
The old housekeeper admired Jia Lian's magnanimity and was stunned from beginning to end without answering a word from Chen's shrew.
But seeing that Jia Lian had already left, Chen still cursed and cursed to gain sympathy from others. He finally said coldly: "If the second master Lian hadn't been generous and didn't care about you, you wouldn't have even died if you just scolded him like that." have no idea.
If Grandma Hong doesn’t believe it, just ask Young Master Lian who he is!
I will explain all the matters in the house today to our master after I return to Yangzhou. As for how the master will deal with it, you just have to wait. "
The old housekeeper has served two generations of Lin family patriarchs and is highly respected in the family, so his words have some weight.
Mrs. Chen originally wanted to retaliate, but seeing that her son, who had always been eccentric, could only grit his teeth and endure it when faced with Jia Lian's threat, she realized that there might be something wrong.
Seeing this, the old housekeeper glared at the anxious housekeeper next to him, snorted coldly, and followed Jia Lian's footsteps.
