Chapter 292 Return Home
"Your Highness, I, Lin Ruhai, pay my respects to you, Your Majesty!"
In the back hall of Longshou Palace, Lin Ruhai knelt on the ground with some emotion. Emperor Longxing also stood up and personally helped Lin Ruhai up. "Mr. Lin has been managing the salt administration in Jiangnan for many years. Now he is finally back!"
The emperor and his minister sat down arm in arm, and after chatting for a while, Emperor Longxing said, "The old concubine has passed away. You should wait for Ru Hai to come back. After this period of time, I will give you a new appointment."
"Also, I originally wanted to give you a house, but since you have this idiot helping you, I think he will put in the effort. Ru Hai, you can live here first. When you get tired of living here, I will give you another one."
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"
"Okay, you can leave first. I am busy these days. If you need anything, just tell this guy to do it. He is now walking around the palace and is more convenient than me."
Lin Ruhai agreed, and then left the Longshou Palace with Jia Cong.
Three days passed in a flash, and on the fourth day, after everyone had performed the ceremony, the nobles and officials from various mansions left the palace.
Outside the palace gate, when Jia Cong came out, the old lady and the others had already boarded the carriage and were waiting! Jia Cong said hello to Wang Ziteng and his group, and asked Lin Ruhai to board the carriage as well. The group returned to the Jia Mansion in a mighty procession.
Everyone finally returned, which made the girls in the family and Wang Xifeng and others feel relieved.
The old lady and others' carriages entered the back house first. Jia Zheng, Jia Cong and Lin Ruhai got off the carriages outside the mansion and entered the mansion together.
After having a cup of tea in the front hall, a maid came over and said that the old lady had invited him.
The three of them walked all the way to the old lady's yard and entered the main hall. Without saying a word, Lin Ruhai bowed to the old lady and said, "My son-in-law greets my mother-in-law!"
"Quick, Cong, help your uncle up!"
"You are of this age now, there is no need to be so polite at home!" Tears appeared in the old lady's eyes.
Seeing Lin Ruhai, she thought of her beloved daughter. It was a pity that after so many years, she did not even see her daughter for the last time.
“Daddy!”
As they were talking, all the girls came rushing over. As soon as they entered the room, Daiyu saw Lin Ruhai. She could not help but step forward and kowtow to him, weeping.
"Sister Lin, get up quickly!" Jia Cong said with a smile, "Now that Uncle has returned, sister and father are reunited. This is a great joyous event, but you cannot cry."
Daiyu stood up, and all the sisters came forward to greet him, calling him "uncle".
After everyone was seated, Grandmother Jia said, "Now that you are finally back, our family is reunited! How about you stay at the mansion first?"
Lin Ruhai smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, mother-in-law. However, I have already asked Cong'er to help clean up the house, so there is no need to bother mother-in-law at home."
As a granddaughter, Daiyu came to the capital alone, so it was natural for her to stay at her grandmother's house. However, since he was only a son-in-law and a senior official in the court, it was inappropriate for him to stay at the Jia Mansion.
Hearing this, Jia's mother could only nod her head and said, "In that case, then I'll do as you say. However, you don't have many people in your house, and Yu'er can't follow you to suffer, so let Yu'er continue to live in the house."
Without waiting for Lin Ruhai to speak, Daiyu stepped forward and bowed, "Grandma, I appreciate your love for me, but I was separated from you before. Now that you are finally here, I should show my filial piety to you."
The old lady hurriedly pulled Daiyu up and said with tears in her eyes, "You little girl, are you going to abandon your grandmother?"
"Sister Lin, it would be best if you could live in the mansion and have fun all day long!" Baoyu, who was standing aside, stood up to stop her when he saw Daiyu was about to leave.
"The old lady and the sisters are all here, how can you bear to leave?"
Jia Cong on the side said, "Madam, there is no need to do this. My uncle's mansion is not far from our home. It only takes about 25 minutes by car!"
"Now that my uncle has returned, it is indeed inappropriate for Sister Lin to continue living in the mansion. However, Sister Lin usually shows filial piety to my uncle, so it is very convenient for her to come back and stay for a few days from time to time. Just like Sister Yun, wouldn't it be the best? Moreover, if the old lady is bored staying in our house, she can just go to my uncle's house and let my uncle pay her respects for a few days."
"It's like walking around these two places, and it's like having one more place to go."
"You are a black-hearted Third Brother Cong!" Seeing Jia Cong agree with Daiyu's departure, Baoyu immediately became angry, "What's wrong with Sister Lin that you despise her so much and wish she could move out of the mansion! I won't let Sister Lin move out. She will live in the mansion. No one can take Sister Lin away."
"Second Brother Bao!" Jia Cong said with a smile, "Before Uncle Lin was in Yangzhou, it was naturally fine for Sister Lin to stay in the mansion, but now that Uncle Lin has returned, how can father and daughter be separated?"
"Anyway, I won't allow it! Sister Lin usually speaks well of you, but now it seems that you don't care about anyone. Maybe you are annoyed by seeing Sister Lin and wish she is not at home. What are you thinking?"
I have to say that Baoyu is now also an expert at green tea. Look at what he said, it's as if he is showing how much Jia Cong hates Daiyu.
"Old lady, let's not let Sister Lin go!" After saying that, Baoyu ignored Jia Cong and fell directly into Grandmother Jia's arms, crying and begging.
Lin Ruhai's eyes twitched as he watched. How could his mother-in-law spoil Baoyu like this? He looked at Jia Cong, who was the same age as him, but now they were so different... Fortunately, he did not directly agree to Jia's mother's proposal to marry him. Otherwise, if he had such a husband, wouldn't his daughter suffer for the rest of her life?
Grandmother Jia held Daiyu in one hand and Baoyu in the other, and she was also feeling complicated. She really loved Daiyu, although not as much as Baoyu, but she was also very caring. However, after listening to Jia Cong's words, she couldn't let Daiyu have a reputation of being unfilial, so although Baoyu begged hard, she had no choice but to agree.
"Your sister Lin is only going back to be filial to your uncle for a few days. She will be back soon." After comforting Baoyu, she turned to Daiyu and said
"Yu'er, like Yun, should come and stay with me from time to time, otherwise I will miss you too much!"
Daiyu nodded and said, "Yu'er also misses her grandmother and her brothers and sisters at home. She usually serves her father at home, and whenever she has free time, she will come to the mansion to stay with her grandmother."
“Okay, okay!”
Then, Grandmother Jia turned to Lin Ruhai and said, "Originally, we should have a big banquet for your return, but now banquets are prohibited in all the mansions, so let's just have a simple vegetarian meal. After these days, I will host a banquet to welcome you."
Lin Ruhai had no objection.
Soon, Wang Xifeng prepared a banquet. Although there was no wine, it was still sumptuous. Moreover, the family had been uneasy in the past few days, and now that the whole family was back, they naturally relaxed a lot.
