[Red Chamber] Jia Lian has an ancestor system

On the ninth day of May, Jia Lian went to ask the old lady about Lin Hong's birthday.

Jia Mu said: "Since they are uncles and nephews, the niece celebrates her birthday, the uncle gives presents, and the uncle celebrates his birthday, so there is no reason for the niece not to celebrate."

Jia Lian took the words: "That's what I mean too."

"You let Feng girl go to the storeroom to pick some cloth, and pick some gifts, and send them together, which is a little kindness from our house."

"Yes."

After so many years, it was the first time for Lin Daiyu to visit her relatives.Lin Daiyu chose a desk decoration of a shepherd boy grazing cows carved from agarwood, and planned to give it to her uncle as a birthday gift. She also prepared a set of rouge powder for her aunt. After hearing that there was another cousin, she brought them a few more. A small gadget like a sachet bracelet.

Lin Daiyu brought Zijuan and Xueyan to Lin's mansion under the escort of Jia Lian.

As soon as he entered Lin's mansion, he just passed the screen wall, and a young looking woman greeted him warmly.

Standing beside her, Lin Hong smiled and said, "This is your aunt."

Lin Daiyu said blessings and called out: "I have seen Uncle and Aunt."

Zijuan and Snow Goose held the wrapped presents behind them and blessed Lin Hong and his wife.

A girl about seven or eight years old and a boy about four or five years old stood beside them, obediently calling out, "Sister."

Mrs. Zhu took Lin Daiyu's hand, and said as if she couldn't get enough of her: "I have heard your uncle say that our girl is a rare person all the time, and I always look forward to seeing her. Today, she is even more beautiful than I imagined. How much more beautiful, how much better."

Lin Hong hurriedly said: "Come into the house quickly, don't stand here. Our family is small, and there are not so many rules, so don't look outside when you come here."

Lin Daiyu was in the main room, presenting the gifts she had given one by one, and Zhu Shi greeted them politely.

Lin Hong's eldest daughter, nicknamed Yao'er, kept pulling Lin Daiyu's sister and her sister and screaming non-stop.While Jia Lian was chatting with Lin Hong, he dragged Lin Daiyu into the yard and said, "Sister, I'll show you around our little garden."

Mrs. Zhu said: "It's very sunny outside, don't go out."

Lin Daiyu saw Yaoer's whiteness and dexterity, she liked it, and said: "It doesn't matter, I will come back after walking."

Zijuan and Xueyan also followed behind, and Mrs. Zhu hurriedly ordered a maid named Xiaolian to follow.

The Lin house is indeed very small. Some flowers and plants were planted in the small garden, a rockery was piled up, and a small fish pond was built. You can walk around in a few steps.

Yao'er is a girl who talks a lot, she has been staring at her cousin's knotted hair, and finally said: "I want to wear hair like this too."

Xiao Lian smiled and said, "Girl, your hair is not long enough to make a bun like this."

Lin Daiyu coaxed: "Then how about changing your hairstyle to a better one?"

Yao'er exclaimed happily: "Good wow, good wow."

Right now, Xiao Lian went to the house and brought out combs, mirrors and other things. Zijuan patiently combed Yao'er's pair of short double buns. After combing, Daiyu put a pair of silk flowers on her buns. , making Yaoer happy like something.

"Does it look good?" Daiyu asked with a smile.

"It looks good!" Yao'er was very excited.

Jia Lian said a few words to Lin Hong in the hall, and got up to leave.

Lin Hongdao: "They've all come here, and with so many presents, it would seem strange to leave without a glass of wine."

Jia Lian said: "We should have a cup of birthday wine, but today we have to go to work with the housekeeper, so you stay together, and we will have a drink and talk together some other day."

Seeing that Jia Lian had something important to do, Lin Hong couldn't stop him, so he had to send Jia Lian out in person.He said as he walked, "It has been raining for a month in the southwest, and there is flooding. Although it did not cause floods, it also destroyed many houses and fertile fields. A lot of money is needed for disaster relief."

Jia Lian replied: "I have also heard that the emperor wants to send the prince to inspect?"

"The left is just that the third prince went to the southwest to provide disaster relief. But the treasury is empty. I heard that many officials borrowed money from the Ministry of Households but did not return it."

It is too common to borrow silver and not repay it.Even the second master of the mansion borrowed it during his tenure. When the imperial envoy made an inspection last year, the second master sent a letter in a hurry, asking the mansion to send money, just to make up for the loan.

At that time, in order to make up for the shortfall of the second master, Jia's already difficult situation was made worse, and now it has not recovered.For this matter, Sister Feng often complained about the second master.

Jia Lian couldn't help asking: "Then how to solve it?"

Lin Hong lowered his voice, and said: "According to news, the emperor will send a prince to collect money first this time, and all the wind in the direction of the wind will point to the fourth master."

Jia Lian recalled what he said last time, and suddenly said: "Could it be that fundraising is what the fortune-teller said, 'something must be done this summer'?"

Lin Hong shook his head, twitched his beard and said, "I'm afraid that's not the case. I heard that the last time the Yellow River flooded raised money from Zhejiang merchants. This time, the two Huaihe Rivers are the places I'm looking at."

"If the fourth master is appointed to go forward, wouldn't Mr. Zhang want to accompany him?"

Lin Hong said meaningfully: "Master Zhang said that if the third master is determined to go to the southwest for inspection, it is best for the fourth master to recommend himself to raise funds for disaster relief this time. If Master Zhang goes, I will naturally go too. This opportunity should not be missed. "

Jia Lian bowed his hands and said: "In that case, I will wait for the good news of Brother Yansheng for my brother."

Lin Daiyu and Yao'er were having fun when a servant girl came over and said, "Miss Lin, the birthday banquet is ready, please take your seat."

When they were seated, Yao'er specially sat next to Lin Daiyu and talked a lot with Lin Daiyu.

Seeing this, Mrs. Zhu said helplessly: "Yao'er is a chatterbox, and she keeps arguing as soon as she gets acquainted. I wonder if she is bothering the girl?"

Daiyu replied: "Where is Auntie, Yao'er is clever and clever, and people like her."

Yao'er said obediently: "I didn't bother my sister, and my sister even asked someone to comb my hair, Mom, does it look good?"

"I said your hair seems to be different."

Lin Hong held the wine glass and said: "After I came to Beijing, I have few relatives and friends, and the whole family is not used to eating at separate tables. Today is a family banquet for my birthday, girl, don't treat yourself as a guest."

After the luncheon, Lin Daiyu moved to the flower hall, where Lin Hong and Mrs. Zhu drank some tea and chatted with each other.

Most of the time, Lin Daiyu was listening to Lin Hong talking about how he followed his father in the mansion back then. Occasionally, Mrs. Zhu would also chat about the customs of Gusu.

Although Daiyu didn't say much, she didn't feel embarrassed either.

What's more, there are two children around, making troubles from time to time, which is very enjoyable.And Lin Hong and Zhu Shi seem to be a very loving couple.

This kind of scene has never been seen in Jia's mansion, which has many rules.

Lin Daiyu silently thought that if her father, mother and younger brother were still alive, her family would be as harmonious as theirs, and her parents would be as loving and congenial as her uncle and aunt, and the family would be full of warmth...

It was not until the application time in the afternoon that Jia Lian came to take Daiyu back to the mansion.

Mrs. Zhu kept saying to Lin Daiyu: "Although your uncle often has to go out on business, our mother and I have always lived here. If you want to come over, you can come anytime. Although the house is small and shabby, it is more or less a home. "

The last sentence touched Lin Daiyu a little, she endured it, and replied: "Thank you for your warm hospitality, Auntie, I will definitely come again when I have time."

Back at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Zijuan said: "Uncle and aunt of the Lin family seem to be very good-natured people, and the two children are also very cute."

Lin Daiyu didn't reply, but thought in her heart, like in her uncle's house, men and women sit at the same table, father and son, husband and wife, uncle and nephew talk together, the atmosphere is very warm, I think this is the life of an ordinary family.Although the house is small, the husband and wife are harmonious and the children are obedient, which is desirable.

Xueyan counted the gifts that Mrs. Zhu had prepared in return, and said pleasantly, "Girl, here is this." After finishing speaking, she put the box of snacks on the table.

Lin Daiyu glanced at it. It was the box of Gusu assorted dim sum that Mrs. Zhu had told her. There were jujube cakes, crabapple cakes, plum cakes, osmanthus cakes, cloud cakes, etc., which were specially made small and exquisite, and each one was one or two pieces.

"Auntie still has the heart after all." Lin Daiyu said, "Zijuan, go and call the old lady, and tell her that I have come back, let's take a rest first, and I won't be there for dinner."

Jia Lian went to the jewelry shop that day to get the crimson pearl hairpin.

Seeing that the gold thread of the hairpin is shining but not tacky, the twelve small red beads carved out of Nanhong agate, supported by the gold thread, gather into four like exploding fireworks, and the hairpin is placed on the hairpin. The beads trembled slightly, and the atmosphere was very beautiful. (Note 1)

Jia Lian was full of praise and said: "Master, your craftsmanship really lives up to the trust."

The old craftsman said humanely: "It's all due to Second Master Lian's good vision that he can come up with this kind of hairpin, which is a bit more attractive than that golden phoenix."

Jia Lian glanced at the old craftsman and said, "I'm going to give this hairpin style to an important nobleman. You are not allowed to imitate it, at least for the past two years. If everyone on the street wears it, I will definitely regard you as the ask."

The old craftsman quickly agreed: "How dare I disobey the orders of the second master."

Only then did Jia Lian pay the money, adding a few taels, which was regarded as a hush money for him.

After returning to the garden, Jia Lian went straight to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

While waiting outside the door, Zijuan came out and said, "Second Master Lian, our girl is resting, do you have any orders?"

Jia Lian handed a box to Zijuan and said, "This is a hairpin for your girl. Only Miss Lin knows its name in the whole garden. Only by giving it to Miss Lin can I live up to the entrustment of Fairy Gu's dream."

Zijuan didn't understand. Jia Lian said, "You can give it to Miss Lin. She will understand as soon as she opens it."

Zijuan returned to the house with the small square box. Lin Daiyu lay sideways on the couch and looked at Zijuan: "Who is outside?"

"It's something given to the girl by the second master Lian. He said that the girl will understand when she opens the box."

After hearing this, Daiyu sat on the couch and said, "What is so mysterious, let me see."

After taking the box and opening it, Lin Daiyu was stunned!

Putting the box on the couch, he took out the hairpin with both hands, held it in his hands and looked at it carefully, his mouth full of amazement.

"It turned out to be a crimson bead hairpin!"

When Daiyu got excited, she couldn't breathe well, she quickly put the hairpin back into the box, and then coughed violently.

Zicuckoo was startled, and quickly said: "Girl, don't worry, this hairpin..."

"What did Brother Lian say?"

"Second Master Lian said that only the girl in the whole garden knows its name, and the hairpin must be given to Miss Lin, so that it will live up to the entrustment of Fairy Gu's dream..."

Lin Daiyu stared at the contents of the box, remembering that Xichun said that this was dreamed by Lian's second elder brother, and today she heard him say that the name of the object was indeed "Crimson Pearl"...

"Crimson bead grass, crimson bead hairpin..." Lin Daiyu murmured twice, as if fragments of her previous life flashed through her mind...

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Note 1: Thank you for "Sit and watch Yunjuan Yunshu" comment on Nanhong Agate. I have adopted a few key words in the comments here... Thank you, thank you...