Chapter 56 Lin Ruhai is seriously ill
Baochai burst into laughter when she saw what Jia Cong wrote at the end. She could almost imagine Jia Cong happily polishing it bit by bit, originally full of confidence, but finally looking at the strange hairpin, his face was full of regret.
"No matter what it looks like, it's my favorite gift!" Baochai said to herself.
I folded the letter and gently placed it in the box beside my bed. Having such a letter with me every night when I go to sleep will make me happy even in my dreams.
"girl…"
Baochai opened the door, and the two little girls on the left and right looked over with great curiosity, "Miss, what did Master Cong write in the letter?"
"It's just some trivial matters!" Baochai pretended to be calm and said, without waiting for the two maids to ask again, she walked out the door. Ying'er hurriedly brought the cloak and put it on Baochai, "Miss, where are we going?"
"Go take a look around the sisters' rooms!"
Baochai wanted to know what Jia Cong said to other people so as to know more about them. She also wanted to know what Jia Cong gave to the sisters and whether she was the most unique one. The thoughts of this little girl are really not to be told to outsiders...
She first walked around Sanchun's room, and when she came out of Xichun Courtyard, the corners of her mouth were visibly raised, and the joy in her eyes almost overflowed.
Whether it was the content of the letter or the gift given, I was indeed the most unique one.
Then she went to Xiangyun's place and saw that it was indeed the same. Finally, she walked towards Daiyu's courtyard!
"Bao girl, why are you here?"
"Aren't you just bored and here to talk to Miss Lin?"
Daiyu's eyes rolled, and she immediately understood the purpose of Baochai's visit. She looked at Baochai with a smile, "Bao girl, tell me the truth, what did Third Brother say to you in the letter? What gift did he give you?"
Baochai looked calm and said without hesitation, "What can I say? It's just an interesting story at the border. As for Li'er, it is said to be a jade ornament!"
"Is it true?" Daiyu asked suspiciously, "Then can you show me your letter?"
"I left it at home!"
"It's okay. I have nothing to do and I just want to visit my aunt!"
Baochai twisted her handkerchief and gritted her teeth, saying, "You, little girl Lin, are really not a good person. You ask this question because the letter that Brother Cong wrote to you is different from the letters that he wrote to other sisters? Oh? Did he write about "senior sister" or "junior brother" or did he write about asking our sister Lin to take care of herself?"
Baochai's words made Daiyu so angry that she immediately pulled her handkerchief and refused to argue with Baochai. There was no other reason, but the letter really contained what Baochai said.
Of course, Jia Cong only mentioned that Lin Ruhai was knowledgeable and that he would definitely ask for advice when they met. The rest of the things he said were to ask her to take care of herself and that he was thinking of ways to treat her.
Daiyu's reaction made Baochai's heart move. The letter to Daiyu was indeed a little different...
The New Year's Eve in the Jia Mansion was just as lively, and there was no change due to Jia Cong's absence. Instead, Baochai took several maids to Lixiang Courtyard in the name of Xiangling to celebrate the New Year together. As for Jia Cong, he lived a rather simple life in the army. The whole army had a big meal, and they didn't care about anything else.
Not long after the Chinese New Year, something big happened.
A letter came from Yangzhou, saying that Lin Daiyu's father Lin Ruhai was seriously ill, and Daiyu needed to go back to take care of her father to fulfill her filial duty! Originally, Jia's mother wanted Daiyu to wait for two or three months until the canal was thawed before taking a boat back, but how could Daiyu wait? Under Daiyu's pleading, Jia's mother could not stop her, so she ordered Jia Lian to personally take people to send Daiyu back to Yangzhou.
Daiyu bid farewell to Jia Mu and her sisters in tears and rode south in a carriage! Daiyu was weak and Jia Lian did not dare to travel fast, so they did not enter Shandong until the end of March. Fortunately, after passing Jinan Prefecture and heading south, the canal had already thawed, so the group switched from land to water and finally arrived in Yangzhou in mid-April.
After getting off the boat at the pier, we took a car all the way to the Lin Mansion.
The carriage stopped, Jia Lian went forward and knocked on the door. Soon an old servant opened the door and said, "I wonder where the distinguished guest has come from!"
Jia Lian bowed and said, "I am Jia Lian, the eldest son of the Jia family in the capital. Because my uncle is seriously ill, I have come to send my cousin Daiyu back!"
"Ah!" the old servant exclaimed, "It turns out to be Master Lian from the Jia family. Our eldest daughter is back too? Come in, come in!"
As he said this, he let the carriage and others enter the mansion, and sent someone to pass the message!
Jia Lian was welcomed into the front hall for tea, while Daiyu's carriage went straight to the Chuihua Gate before stopping.
"Welcome young lady!"
Xueyan opened the curtain and helped Daiyu down from the carriage.
"Where is Daddy?"
"My lady, the master is waiting in the back hall!"
Without saying anything more, Daiyu hurriedly passed through the hanging flower door and the corridor, and went directly into the back hall!
In the back hall, a middle-aged man in plain robe and with a short beard was sitting upright. This was Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, the top scholar in the imperial examination at that time.
"Daddy!" Daiyu walked in and finally saw her father. She immediately knelt on the ground and burst into tears.
"Quick, help Yu'er up!" Although Lin Ruhai still maintained the demeanor of a strict father, his eyes were red and his hands were trembling slightly.
The father and daughter haven't seen each other for three years, how could he not miss them?
After a while, Daiyu stopped crying and asked hurriedly, "Father, you said you were seriously ill before, are you better now?"
Lin Ruhai waved his hand, and after all the maids and servants had left, he smiled and said, "Do you think my father is ill now?"
Daiyu stepped forward and looked at him carefully for a long time. Sure enough, her father's face was rosy and he did not look sick at all. Only then did she feel relieved.
"What illness did father have before? Why was it so sudden?" Daiyu knew that if it was a minor illness, her father would definitely not pass on the message. Since he wrote a special letter, it must be a serious illness, even to the extent that it was unbearable to describe.
"Is Yu'er familiar with Cong'er from the eldest branch of the Jia family?" Lin Ruhai did not answer, but asked instead.
Daiyu was stunned for a moment, then she said, "Father, you mean the third brother? Yu'er is indeed familiar with the third brother. Before the third brother took the imperial examination, he borrowed books from Yu'er. The third brother has excellent literary talent and won the third place in the imperial examination. However, later the court ordered all prefectures to send students to guard the border!"
"Second brother Lian is not very capable, and Baoyu has hysteria, so third brother has to go to war. However, third brother is really amazing. Before the New Year, I received a letter saying that third brother led the army to victory and was promoted. But my daughter is in a hurry to come back, and I don't know what the gift third brother gave her is like..."
Seeing his daughter's beaming face when she mentioned Jia Cong, Lin Ruhai's heart couldn't help but beat fast. Why did his little cabbage feel a little dangerous?
"Huh? What did Daddy mention about Third Brother?"
Lin Ruhai also came back to his senses and sighed, "Daddy is fine this time, thanks to Cong'er's concern. Otherwise, it's hard to say whether Daddy can see you again..."
