Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 22

Gu Yu felt a flutter in her heart, swallowed hard, and boldly sat down next to Yingchun, taking her hand in hers.

"My chess skills are not very good. How about Sister Yingchun teaches me how to play chess?"

The two sat side by side on the same side of the chessboard. Startled, Yingchun gasped and was about to get up, but Gu Yu pulled her back down.

As she got closer, she could almost feel Gu Yu's warmth. Yingchun's heart pounded like a rabbit's, as if the heat of a heater was about to scorch her, and she felt dizzy.

Gu Yu squeezed her hand to bring her back to her senses. Yingchun hesitated, then, suppressing her embarrassment, said, "Brother Yu, you're going too far... too far..."

Gu Yu pretended not to understand her words and interrupted her before she could finish, saying, "What's wrong with being closer to relatives? Or does Second Sister look down on me because my family is so small and humble?"

Yingchun shrank to the side, glanced at the gap between the two, and hesitated before speaking.

Whose relatives are this close? Especially since you're a so-called relative who's practically unrelated to them. Even her brother, Baoyu, wouldn't be this close.

At this moment, her brain reacted faster than ever before, and she immediately understood Gu Yu's implied meaning, but Yingchun wished she hadn't understood it.

What was there to look down on or dislike? How was she supposed to answer that? Her grandmother's meaningful words echoed in her mind again, and her heart was in turmoil.

Seeing her lower her head and remain silent, Gu Yu chuckled inwardly, taking advantage of her taciturn nature. He took her hand and picked up the chess pieces from the board with his other hand.

With Yingchun between Gu Yu and the chessboard, it looked as if Gu Yu was holding Yingchun in his arms, making Yingchun's nerves taut.

If you say he's being too presumptuous, he's only holding one of her hands right now; if you say this is normal intimacy, Gu Yu would almost be holding her whole in his arms.

Yingchun couldn't refuse, so she could only deceive herself: if she didn't bump into him, it didn't count; if she did bump into him, she would immediately shout it out.

After tidying up the chess pieces, Yingchun had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, and her other hand was tightly gripping her sleeve, her whole body stiff.

Gu Yu still didn't hug her tightly, but leaned forward a little more, intertwined their fingers, and picked up the white pieces to place them, holding Yingchun's hand.

"Why don't you take a look at my chess moves first, Sister Yingchun, and then give me some pointers?"

Yingchun didn't hear clearly; her attention was entirely focused on what was behind her. The sense of urgency, like the imminent arrival of a powerful force, almost made her faint.

She could almost feel Gu Yu's hot breath on her ear, which made her feel even more ashamed.

"By the way, Second Sister is not young anymore. Has the Old Madam made any plans?"

Gu Yu glanced at Yingchun's slightly plump figure and gave her an approving look.

Yingchun was startled and subconsciously turned her head to ask, but before she could open her mouth, she lost the courage to ask when she saw Gu Yu's smiling gaze.

Gu Yu didn't mind that she was playing the wooden figure again. He had actually guessed some of Jia Mu's thoughts, otherwise he wouldn't have let her stay and get close to the Jia sisters before.

Leaning forward, the two pressed close together, Gu Yu asked first, "What does Second Sister think of me?"

This closeness had crossed Yingchun's bottom line, and it was unacceptable for a young lady like her. She was about to stand up and shout, determined to stop this lecherous behavior, even if it meant being laughed at by her sisters.

But then Gu Yu's words reached her ears, causing her to lose her ability to think.

What did that mean? Her mind, as always, couldn't process it.

A person who could be valued by Grandmother Jia must have come from a noble family, and given her status as an illegitimate child, any family of any higher status would only offer her the position of concubine.

Her own father and stepmother wouldn't care about her. Although Grandmother Jia and the others doted on her, her marriage still had to go through Jia She and Madam Xing. If she could marry into a decent family as a concubine, she would be lucky.

Gu Yu was undoubtedly the best in her mind. Not only was he incredibly handsome, even surpassing the beloved Bao Yu brothers in the entire household, but he was also exceptionally learned, skilled in calligraphy, and appeared to come from a wealthy family. He was undoubtedly a perfect match.

She also had a good impression of Gu Yu. Although she didn't know if it could be considered love, in an era of arranged marriages, this understanding and affection were a hundred times better than opening a blind box, especially since the blind box was arranged by her unreliable parents.

Now, after being teased by Gu Yu for a long time, Yingchun finally realized what Gu Yu meant, and her face flushed instantly. She didn't know how to respond.

"...You...you're still young..."

She'd barely uttered half a sentence when Yingchun wished she could just faint. What did that mean? It made it sound as if she'd been lusting after him for a long time.

Gu Yu chuckled and, drawing upon his extensive theoretical knowledge and experience, began to put it into practice without any formal instruction. Dealing with a blockhead like Yingchun required a strong approach.

With a forceful pull, he lifted Yingchun up and placed her on his lap. Before Yingchun could even cry out, he covered her mouth with his own, his fair face flushed a deep rose-red, making her exceptionally radiant.

She didn't dare struggle while being held by Gu Yu. If she had stood up earlier, it would have been fine, but now that she was being held in Gu Yu's arms, if she cried out and someone saw her, she might as well hang herself on the spot.

The servants throughout the Jia family were all very attentive to their masters' every word and action. They could find out about anything within half an hour, even from those outside the main gate.

However, she didn't know that not all servants in the world were like those in his family, at least not the Gu family.

Gu Yu knew she was wary, but didn't expose it. He didn't move his hand, but simply held Yingchun's hand and said gently:

"Although my second sister doesn't come often, I still think about her. A while ago, the old lady mentioned that she wanted to find you a good family. I was a little unhappy when I heard that. After thinking about it for a long time, I realized that I like you, but I don't know what my second sister thinks?"

Seeing that he was looking at her sincerely and that his hands were behaving properly, Yingchun automatically ignored the mischievous hand that was still kneading her little hand, and stammered:

"I... I can't do this... You're still too young..."

"As the saying goes, 'A woman three years older than a man is like a gold brick,' so why can't it be? I'll go to the old lady tomorrow to propose marriage."

Yingchun was taken aback and felt a pang of emotion; it turned out that Gu Yu was truly sincere towards her.

Thinking this way, she unconsciously romanticized her previous somewhat abrupt actions as gentlemanly expressions of emotion that were restrained by propriety.

Yes, that's right. They didn't hug her right away upon meeting; they really kept to a proper distance. A ripple of emotion stirred in Yingchun's heart, which had been barren and neglected since childhood. Her tense body softened.

"No!—Don't...I...I haven't agreed yet, please don't do this..."

Gu Yu heard this and felt a sense of reluctance, but knowing that Yingchun was quiet by nature, it was not good to push her too hard today, so she let the matter drop.

"Okay, okay, I promise you, but you have to teach me how to play chess first, right?"

He didn't put Yingchun down, but just sat in her original spot, tossing chess pieces between his fingers.

Yingchun was worried that someone would break in and ruin her reputation. Gu Yu didn't want her to suffer, so he told her that the maids in the courtyard were all trained by his family and that nothing would be revealed to outsiders, so she could rest assured.

Hearing this, Yingchun was skeptical, but she relaxed a little.

As the rain continued, the atmosphere became even more ambiguous, and Gu Yu finally wrapped his other arm around Yingchun's waist, pulling her completely into his embrace.

Yingchun struggled gently a few times, but seeing Gu Yu hug her tighter and tighter, she blushed and pretended not to know anything. The two of them then "concentrated" on studying the pieces on the chessboard.

"Such a supple waist, almost as supple as Xiangling's..."

Through scientific field investigation and personal practice, Gu Yu rigorously arrived at the above conclusions.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Retsuji

As the two rearranged the chessboard repeatedly, their feelings for each other quickly intensified.

Gu Yu wanted to linger a little longer, but when she heard faint laughter coming from Daiyu's room, she knew that Tanchun and the others had come out and were about to leave.

He could only regretfully let go of Yingchun and pick up the handkerchief he had handed her earlier to wipe away her sweat.

Yingchun didn't have Gu Yu's keen hearing, so she was a little confused. But when she heard the faint laughter coming from the courtyard, she realized what was happening and blushed as she was about to go out, but Gu Yu grabbed her arm.

"Let it cool down first, otherwise Tan Chun and the others will definitely make fun of you."

Yingchun was not as slow-witted as usual this time. She quickly reacted, gently fanning herself with her small hand, and did not look at him. It took her a while to return to normal.

"Remember to take a shower and wipe away the sweat as soon as you get back, otherwise catching a cold is no joke."

Although it's a sunny day, the young ladies are quite frail. For example, even though Daiyu has been taking medicine to treat her ailment and has eliminated the root cause, she is still somewhat weak.

He had spent most of his time with Daiyu these past few months, naturally paying attention to her health, but he never expected that she would fall ill several times.

Yingchun dared not reply to him, fearing that the blush that had finally faded would be stirred up again by him, so she quickly walked out.

Tan Chun and Xi Chun, who were in the courtyard preparing to say goodbye, saw her come out but didn't say anything, as they were already used to it. After saying goodbye to Gu Yu who was standing at the gate, the three of them went back together.

Gu Yu watched the three figures leave, a hint of regret on his face. At this moment, he envied those fans who could reach home run on their first meeting in the fanfiction he had read.

He held so many cards in his hand—the favor of Grandmother Jia, the Gu family, and Yingchun herself—but he could only touch her hand; no matter how much he coveted the rouge on her lips, he couldn't be too forward.

It's truly unimaginable how one could completely win over a young lady from a wealthy family in feudal society in less than half a day.

Thinking about this, Gu Yu couldn't help but lose his composure. Daiyu turned around and saw this hateful fool staring longingly at the backs of Sanchun and the others, and she snorted angrily in her heart. She turned around and went back to her room, ignoring him.

The sound of the curtain being drawn aside startled Gu Yu. Seeing that everyone had left, he turned around and went inside. However, thinking about the good thing that had just happened, he felt a surge of excitement and couldn't help but adjust the trajectory of his shot.

"A wise man keeps his talents hidden, waiting for the right opportunity to act..."

No matter how hard things get, I can't let my younger brother suffer! With that thought, Gu Yu called out loudly to his beloved.

"Xiangling—! Qingwen—! Someone come quick!"

……

After Yingchun returned home, she didn't even have time for dinner before instructing her servants to prepare hot water, which surprised the maids and servants in the courtyard.

This guy is known as "Second Wooden Head" in private. He's usually arrogant in front of her, and she doesn't dare to discipline him. But this is the first time she's assigned him to do something like this.

Siqi was feeling unwell, and seeing everyone dawdling around, she had no choice but to sit up and give them a good scolding before anyone would start doing anything.

“Miss, you still need to act like a mistress. These shrewish servants are good at judging people by their status. If you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. They’re getting more and more arrogant now, and you can’t even order them around. We should complain to the old lady tomorrow and give them all a piece of our minds.”

Siqi raised her voice, half advising and half warning the people in the courtyard, though she had said this many times before with little effect.

The second young lady is too tolerant. Every time she is bullied, she will advise a servant to let it go, which is both touching and heartbreaking.

However, although Yingchun advised her to give up as usual, the bitterness in her eyes was gone, and she seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Siqi was a little confused. After serving Yingchun into the bathtub, she picked up the clothes she had changed out of and prepared to give them to Xiuju to wash.

She casually rummaged around, afraid of missing any small items, and pulled out a handkerchief. Judging from the pattern, it wasn't her daughter's own.

Siqi was startled and quickly tucked the clothes into her bosom, afraid that someone would see them. After carefully checking them to make sure there were no omissions, she handed the clothes to Xiuju.

After much deliberation, she realized there were only so many people in the Jia family, and quickly focused her attention on the young master Yu. She went inside to serve Yingchun during her bath while discreetly gathering information.

……

Jia Zheng's praise spread throughout the entire Jia family within a day. Almost everyone knew that the young master Yu in the mansion was already a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) at a young age, and was quite talented. He was even close to becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), truly a person descended from the God of Literature!

Jia Lian's information was obviously more detailed. Wang Xifeng didn't notice Jia Lian's envy when he talked about how Gu Yu would pay extra to visit brothels. She only heard that Yingkexuan belonged to Gu Yu's family, and her heart felt like it was on fire.

She has been managing household affairs for the past few years and is not a sheltered young lady who is oblivious to the world around her. She is very clear about the reputation of Yingkexuan.

Jia Lian visited several times, spending a considerable amount of gold and silver, and it is said that this was still considered low-end consumption.

Although Jia Lian repeatedly emphasized the ingredients, dishes, and taste of his restaurant, Wang Xifeng still understood the ins and outs. No matter how you calculate it, the net profit of such a high-end restaurant would not be less than 20% of the selling price.

Then you think about it, the starting price for a discounted table is ten taels of silver. To say that it makes a fortune every day would be an understatement!

She truly hadn't expected Gu Yu's family to be so wealthy, and that he could afford such a large establishment in the capital, implying he wielded considerable power.

In addition, Gu Yu is not only handsome, but also a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, making him a perfect catch, almost on par with the princes and grandsons of the emperor.

Only now did she understand Grandmother Jia's plan, but she didn't have a daughter old enough to join in the fun, so she could only watch longingly.

"If I were to act as a matchmaker more often, I might be able to gain some advantage in the end..."

Upon realizing this, Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up. Since she already knew Grandmother Jia's plans, why not do her a favor? Pleasing both sides and gaining benefits was her way of dealing with the world!

After Jia Lian finished speaking, his mouth dry, Wang Xifeng, unusually, took the initiative to get up and pour tea, which surprised Jia Lian, who was then filled with pride.

He rarely received such service from this strong woman, and was just about to put on airs and enjoy it when Ping'er suddenly walked in.

"Grandma, Madam Rong from Ningguo Mansion is looking for you to keep her entertained, and you—bah! Here in broad daylight…"

Jia Lian was somewhat displeased at being interrupted. When Wang Xifeng heard that someone was looking for her, she ran away. Ping'er pouted and wanted to leave as well, but Jia Lian stopped her.

"Grandpa! Grandma won't allow you to lay your hands on me like that..."

"Bah! Now that you're in my room, you have no chance to escape. I'll explain everything when she gets back!"

"If you dare say that to her face, I'll submit to you."

"..."

When Jia Lian saw that she was actually using Wang Xifeng to ridicule him, he was anxious for a long time but couldn't get completely calm. He could only reluctantly let go of Ping'er, not because he was a little cowardly, but because someone else was coming to see him.

It was indeed inconvenient to do it in broad daylight, so Ping'er took this opportunity to escape, leaving him alone in the empty room.

"...Damn it, I might as well go check on Xue the Fool. I heard he had two ribs broken and they still haven't caught the culprit."

……

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Heading to Ningguo Mansion

Before they knew it, it was time for the Ningguo Mansion's birthday banquet. Early in the morning, Ping'er came over to invite Gu Yu.

She thought she would have to wait a while, but to her surprise, Gu Yu had already gotten up and was practicing calligraphy. When Gu Yu came out, her eyes lit up slightly.

Today, because we are going to Ningguo Mansion, Ping'er is dressed more brightly and expensively than usual.

Although she couldn't compare to the delicate beauty of the three sisters, nor to the flamboyant aura of her mistress Wang Xifeng, she possessed a gentle yet firm temperament that made people unconsciously relax.