The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 51 Entering the Mansion 3
Li Hu was at the top and Lin Daiyu was on the left. There were twenty or thirty bowls of various dishes, large and small, on the square table.

Li Hu smiled and said, "I am a military commander. I don't have any requirements for food. I just want to be full. Of course, I can't finish such a large table of food. It's my sister's first time eating at home, so naturally it has to be more sumptuous.

From tomorrow on, if you want to eat something, ask Nanny Wang to tell the kitchen and let them make it. If you want to eat or play with something, just tell me."

Lin Daiyu smiled and nodded.

Li Hu: "When my sister was coming, my uncle tried all the restaurants in Qianmen Street and the East and West Markets. Finally, he invited a Suzhou chef from the East Market. His best dishes are squirrel mandarin fish and green snail shrimp, but it's a pity that they are not in season yet."

Lin Daiyu smiled slightly, she liked both dishes.

At this time, Nanny Wang brought over a pot of warm wine, poured it for Li Hu, and looked at Lin Daiyu again.

Lin Daiyu: "It's cold today, let me drink something to warm myself up."

Xueyan brought a small wine glass and Nanny Wang poured half a cup.

Li Hu picked up the wine glass and said, "Please." Then he handed the glass over.

Lin Daiyu was stunned for a moment, then picked up the wine glass with a smile.

"when!"

The two of them clinked glasses and Li Hu drank it in one gulp without blushing or feeling nervous.

Lin Daiyu took a sip and underestimated the strength of the wine, which was so spicy that she stuck out her tongue.

Li Hu quickly picked up a piece of steamed vegetarian meatball for her and said, "Eat some vegetables and press it down."

Lin Daiyu blushed but did not refuse. She picked up the chopsticks and ate.

Li Hu also reacted, but he was thick-skinned. Seeing Lin Daiyu eating, he picked up another piece of meat with chopsticks and said to her, "This meat is delicious, you try it."

Lin Daiyu blushed, said "hmm", and lowered her head to eat.

Nanny Wang and Xueyan looked at each other and stepped aside.

Li Hu stopped serving her food and said as he ate: "I have to go to the palace early tomorrow morning, so I can't have breakfast with you."

Lin Daiyu raised her head and said, "It's okay. You should focus on your work."

Li Hu thought about it and decided to tell her about Jia Yucun.

Lin Daiyu was silent for a moment, then said, "Don't force yourself because of me. If you can use it, use it. If you can't use it, just refuse it. It's okay."

After a pause, he said, "I know the prince is in a bad situation right now."

Li Hu was surprised: "How did you know?"

Lin Daiyu lowered her voice and said, "The gifts sent by the Queen and the Crown Princess are too expensive."

Li Hu put down his wine glass. This was beyond his expectation, so he began to look at her carefully.

Lin Daiyu felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by him, and couldn't help but scolding: "What are you looking at!"

Li Hu smiled and wanted to say "It's up to you" but was worried that she would be embarrassed, so he picked up a piece of food for her with his chopsticks and said with a smile: "Eat, eat."

Lin Daiyu glanced at this man whose face was as thick as a city wall with a slight frown, and then started eating.

Li Hu poured a glass of wine, drank it in one gulp, and looking at Lin Daiyu who was concentrating on eating, he thought: Maybe this girl can give me some advice in the future.

The meal was carried out in a subtle atmosphere until the end.

After dinner, Li Hu chatted with Lin Daiyu for a while, then left quickly. Li's military strategy says, know when to stop.

The night passed.

Rays of sunlight shine through the window onto the desk.

The door curtain was lifted, and Xueyan came in carrying a copper basin. After putting it down, she lifted the gauze curtain and closed it, then entered the inner room.

The inner room was quiet. Xueyan walked to the bed and said softly, "Miss, it's time to get up."

After a while, Lin Daiyu's sleepy voice came from the bed: "Oh, what time is it?"

Xueyan glanced at the clock in the corner and replied, "It's almost the morning hour." She tied up the gauze curtain outside the bed and went into the corridor.

A slender, white hand lifted the curtain, revealing a little head.

Xueyan came out from the back of the corridor carrying a toilet and said to Lin Daiyu, "Miss, please get up quickly. Nanny Wang has gone to the kitchen."

Lin Daiyu looked towards the south window: "Is the sun out?"

Xueyan: "The snow stopped at night and the sun is shining brightly." After saying that, she walked out carrying the toilet.

Lin Daiyu lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze for a long time. Suddenly, she pulled the quilt over her head, then suddenly pulled the quilt open again. Although she had no problem choosing her bed, she was sensitive to new environments. She had followed her father Lin Ruhai to work since she was a child, and it was difficult for her to fall asleep every time she changed places. But she fell asleep not long after last night, and slept soundly.

As she thought about it, her face suddenly turned red, realizing that she had regarded this place as her home from the bottom of her heart.

At this time, footsteps were heard from the warm room.

Lin Daiyu immediately sat up on the bed, picked up her undershirt and put it on. The footsteps stopped outside the bed, and then came Wang Ma's voice: "Miss."

Lin Daiyu stuck out her tongue, reached out to draw aside the curtain, and said to Nanny Wang, "Nanny, I'm up." Then she got off the bed.

When Lin Daiyu came out of the wash, breakfast was already set on the square table in the dining room. There were four home-cooked dishes, two trays of steaming dumplings, and a bowl of red bean porridge.

Lin Daiyu was genuinely surprised and looked at Nanny Wang.

Nanny Wang smiled and said, "The chef in the kitchen got up early and made sweet porridge specially for the girl."

Lin Daiyu smiled happily, sat down at the main seat, picked up the spoon in the bowl, scooped half a spoonful and put it into her mouth. Then her eyes lit up, and she slowly swallowed it, smiling and said, "The soup is thick, smooth, and sweet. It's authentic Suzhou sweet porridge."

Nanny Wang: "The old chef lives in Shili Street outside Changmen. He knows how to cook all kinds of Suzhou delicacies. I heard that the second master personally drew up a list and gave it to him, asking him to prepare meals for the young lady according to the list. I took a look, and they are all the young lady's favorites."

At this point, she remembered, "Oh, by the way, I met Third Uncle on the way back. He said that before Second Master left, he told me to prepare clothes for the New Year and spring and summer for the young lady, and that the embroiderer would come over after dinner."

Lin Daiyu said "hmm" and drank the porridge silently.

Just then, a maid hurried in and whispered something in Wang Ma's ear.

Nanny Wang was stunned for a moment and asked, "Where is the person?"

Maid: "Please go sit in the meeting room."

Nanny Wang nodded, turned to Lin Daiyu and said, "Miss, someone from Rongguo Mansion has come, saying that they are here on the orders of the old lady to bring you breakfast."

Lin Daiyu was also slightly stunned, and then said, "Please come in."

The maid said: "Yes." and walked out quickly.

Lin Daiyu couldn't eat anymore, so she put down her chopsticks and looked at Nanny Wang.

Nanny Wang understood, thought for a moment, and said, "As usual, the maidservants who came with us will be rewarded with 500 coins. The one in charge should be the maidservant next to the old lady. Since this is her first visit, we should reward her with a piece of cloth."

Lin Daiyu nodded.

After a while, the maid brought in another maid who was well-dressed, pretty, and had an extraordinary demeanor.

Lady Jia's maid represented Lady Jia, and Lin Daiyu stood up to greet her.

When the maid saw her, she quickened her pace, bowed and said, "I, the servant Niaoge, pay my respects to Miss Lin."

Lin Daiyu stretched out her hand and said, "Sister, please stand up."

Parrot: "Miss Xie Lin."

Lin Daiyu: "Please sit down, sister." As she said this, she extended her hand as a gesture of invitation.

Parrot waved his hands quickly: "No, no, I can just stand and answer."

Lin Daiyu looked at her and said, "Sit down and have a cup of tea."

Looking at Lin Daiyu's eyes full of sincerity, Parrot felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity in his heart and nodded subconsciously.

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Bring tea."

The parrot finally woke up, but didn't know what to say. He bowed slightly to Lin Daiyu and sat down in the lower seat.

Nanny Wang nodded with satisfaction.

Yingge took a sip of tea, put it down, stood up, and said, "The old lady is worried that the young lady can't get used to the food in Beijing, so she ordered someone to make breakfast from Yangzhou. There is no other meaning, it is just the care of the elders for the younger generation. Please tell General Li about it."

Lin Daiyu smiled lightly and said, "It's okay." Then she said to the maid, "Bring it in."

The maid: "Yes. Bring in the breakfast."

A woman from the Lin family came in carrying a food box.

Breakfast was on the table: two trays of steaming soup dumplings, a bowl of four-happiness dumplings, and two plates of exquisite side dishes.

The parrot walked up to Lin Daiyu and said, "Miss, please try it." Then he picked up the chopsticks and handed them to Lin Daiyu.

Lin Daiyu smiled and looked at it, then took the chopsticks and tried the soup dumplings and rice balls, as well as some of the two side dishes. Then she smiled and said, "It's much more authentic than what the chefs in the government office make."

"As long as the girl likes it."

The parrot secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then said: "The old lady also said that the food that the girl likes is ready and waiting for the girl."

Lin Daiyu was silent for a moment, then said, "Sister, please tell my grandmother that I will go and kowtow to her tomorrow to apologize."

Parrot: "Yes. I won't delay your meal."

Xueyan came over at this time holding a tray with a piece of palace silk and a few strings of money on it.

The parrot was surprised but did not refuse. He bowed to Lin Daiyu and said, "Thank you for the reward, young lady." He took the tray and walked out.

Looking at the back of the parrot, Lin Daiyu blinked her eyes a few times. She liked this maid.
(End of this chapter)