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

Page 132

Following Gu Yu's rhythm, Miao Yu cried out incoherently. In the vast Buddhist hall, the girl's slightly lewd moans grew louder and louder, as if dimming the candlelight...

……

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Prodigal Son Returns?

Under the cool moonlight, a figure darted out of the Green Bamboo Nunnery, quietly closed the door, and hurried towards Pear Blossom Spring Rain.

Touching the handkerchief in her sleeve, Gu Yu looked up at the starry sky and couldn't help but shake her head, sighing at her own hard work.

What other man would do a good deed and then run away in the middle of the night? I'm even more pathetic than Old Wang next door.

But thinking of the exhausted girl sleeping in the Green Bamboo Nunnery behind him, this little bit of hardship didn't seem so unacceptable... If he waited until dawn to leave, there might be a risk of being exposed. He couldn't bear to see Miaoyu attacked by rumors, so it was better to be careful.

When Gu Yu returned to Pear Blossom Spring Rain, she originally wanted to find a side room to rest for a while, but she was surprised to see a light coming from her room. She was stunned for a moment, and after thinking for a while, she walked to the door and gently knocked. The next moment, Qingwen came out to greet her wearing an outer robe.

"Qingwen? Didn't you say you didn't need to wait for me? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Gu Yu was both touched and angry. He wanted to give her a good scolding, but seeing the joy and sleepiness on Qingwen's face, he couldn't bear to say anything harsh.

"Master, I overslept and only woke up recently. I got up to wait for you when it was almost time... The dew is heavy now, Master, please change your clothes quickly."

Qingwen helped Gu Yu into the house, touched his wet clothes, and hurriedly served him. She brought him a towel to dry his hair and even tried to wake Xiangling, who was sleeping soundly.

"Hey—just let her sleep... We're all done with our work now, why bother waking her up?"

Gu Yu quickly pulled her back and chuckled softly:

"If she's asleep, then let her sleep. I'll just give you one as a bonus—"

As they spoke, Gu Yu scooped Qingwen up in his arms, walked around the cot outside, and tucked her into his own bed, then scolded her helplessly:

"Now that it's autumn, you can't just come out like this. I saw you were shivering just now. If you catch a cold, how will you take care of me?"

Qingwen blushed and snuggled closer to Gu Yu, letting out a soft "Mmm," her heart filled with contentment. Seeing that there was still some time before dawn, Gu Yu didn't bother to blow out the lamp, and simply leaned over, holding Qingwen as they drifted off to sleep.

Did I forget something?

Half-asleep, Gu Yu had this thought for no reason before drifting back to sleep.

……

"My two sisters should go and rest... The deceased is gone. Even if you don't think about yourselves, you should think about the master. If the master knew that you were suffering like this, he would be heartbroken."

In the Gu family courtyard, Qin Keqing comforted You Erjie and You Sanjie with concern. The two sisters readily got up from the ground and went to rest, looking exhausted.

Back when they were in the village outside the city, they had already received news that their own mother had been indulging in pleasure during this period and had accidentally fallen ill with an acute disease. She had also contracted an unknown epidemic and died of a fire that same day.

Although Mother You was their biological mother, a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup. Now they were young wives who cared about their families. Besides, they didn't have a deep mother-daughter relationship with Mother You. This old woman often hoped to sell her daughters to live a life of luxury!

Now that Mother You has indeed achieved this, she is not destined to enjoy it. The sisters saw Mother You's smug look when they came over for two days, but they had no doubts. They just shook their heads helplessly, and the sadness in their hearts came and went quickly.

Now that she's back home, and considering they're her own daughters after all, she came to pay her respects. Suddenly, she remembered the affection they shared in their childhood, and moved by the memory, she kept vigil for her spirit for the night as a gesture of comfort.

At this moment, Qin Keqing came to persuade them, so the two of them went along with it, got up and went back to their room to rest. As the servants came in and removed the last traces of Mother You, the last traces of her disappeared.

……

Early in the morning, Xiangling opened her eyes refreshed and was surprised to find that Qingwen was nowhere to be seen beside her. She hadn't expected her to get up so early.

Just as Xiangling got dressed, slipped on her shoes, and got out of bed, she suddenly looked up at the familiar clothes beside her. After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly walked in and happened to see Qingwen's little head buried in Gu Yu's chest, pretending to be asleep. Gu Yu had already opened his eyes and was looking over with a smile.

"Master..."

Xiangling felt both ashamed and guilty. She hadn't expected that Gu Yu would return and she hadn't even woken up yet. It was truly a dereliction of duty!

Gu Yu called her over, chuckled, and pinched her cheek, comforting her:

"I told you not to wait for me, and when I got back I made sure no one woke you up. Why are you getting anxious before I even said anything?"

"If you also stay up all night waiting for me like Qingwen, both of you will have to be punished."

Qingwen, who was pretending to sleep in Gu Yu's arms, raised her head and pouted, shaking Gu Yu's arm as she said:

"Master, you can spoil Xiangling as much as you want. She's just a maid who sleeps soundly and has neglected her duties. Why should I be punished too?"

Gu Yu reached up from under the quilt, rubbed her breasts a couple of times through her undergarment, and looked at Qingwen, whose face had suddenly turned red, with a mischievous smile:

"You really don't want to be punished?"

"...You're bullying me~..."

"Hahaha!"

Seeing that it was already dawn, two beautiful maids helped Gu Yu get up. Just as she finished washing up, she saw Baochai slowly walk into Pear Blossom Spring Rain, a hint of hesitation on her face. After a moment, she seemed about to turn back, so Gu Yu smiled and called out to her from under the window:

"Why is Sister Bao coming and leaving again? Does she dislike me so much?"

Baochai quickly turned around and saw Gu Yu walking out and standing under the corridor. Her face flushed, she tiptoed over hesitantly, but didn't know how to speak.

Gu Yu glanced at her face, then deliberately sighed and tilted her head back, saying:

"Thinking back to the last time I was with Baochai, enjoying a romantic stroll under the moon and flowers, it felt like just yesterday. I never expected that she would deliberately ignore me as soon as I got back. How unpredictable life is..."

"?"

Baochai felt as if she had just heard something strange, but before she could think about it, she quickly explained:

"That's not it... I... my brother needs to speak with you. He sent the maid in early this morning to inform you. As I see it..."

Although the maid said it was a serious business matter, how could her own sister not know what Xue Pan was like? He was always so irresponsible; if it really was business, then she couldn't let him have his way, otherwise she would be watching Gu Yu go into a fire pit.

But he was still her own brother, and she still harbored a sliver of hope. What if he really did turn over a new leaf? Besides, with Gu Yu leading him, it was a perfectly reasonable thing to do. If this really guided her good older brother onto the right path, her mother probably wouldn't think of relying on a marriage alliance with the Jia family to preserve the family fortune anymore…

After listening to Baochai's hesitant confession, Gu Yu couldn't help but smile and gently pinch her soft hand, pulling her into the study as they walked, laughing as they went:

"Sister Bao is not even married into the family yet, aren't you afraid that your own brother will suffer but I will? Such deep affection, I have no way to repay you, how about I immediately offer myself to you?"

"spit!"

Baochai blushed and joked with him for a while, but still looked somewhat doubtful. Gu Yu then stopped joking and comforted her with a slightly more serious expression:

"Why do you think so much, Sister Bao? Anyone can do business, and Brother Xue has this connection, so I'm definitely happy to welcome him."

"Besides, business is business. Sister Bao, don't think that I'm willing to lose money to please Brother Xue because of you. If we can't reach an agreement, I will refuse."

Seeing that Gu Yu was serious, Baochai finally breathed a sigh of relief. The worst thing for a young girl's feelings is to have something impure mixed in. What she feared most was that Gu Yu would be willing to give money to Xue Pan for her sake. Where would that leave her? She would have no face to see him in the future!

Chapter Ninety-Seven: My Brother-in-Law is Good

They just returned yesterday, and Grandmother Jia is missing her granddaughters terribly. I'm afraid the girls won't have time to come to Pear Blossom Spring Rain these next few days.

After seeing Baochai off, who happened to be passing by, Gu Yu decided to go see Xue Pan as arranged. When she arrived, she noticed that Xue Pan seemed to have gained weight in the two months since she last saw him, indicating that he had become increasingly well-fed during this time.

"Brother Yu, you've finally arrived!"

Upon seeing Gu Yu enter, Xue Pan quickly waved away the singing girl pouring wine and stood up to greet her with great enthusiasm.

Gu Yu returned the greeting warmly, addressing him as "Brother Xue," and after taking his seat, he went straight to the point without any formalities:

"I heard Brother Xue wanted to talk business with me?"

Xue Pan was taken aback, then slapped his thigh and laughed:

"Brother Yu is indeed straightforward! I don't like people who dawdle."

"Actually, a few days ago, Lian Er invited me to have a drink—a small get-together. He said that he and Brother Yu had a business deal to do in Ping'an Prefecture. I was also interested in getting involved. Lian Er said that my family has a wide network of connections there, and as long as Brother Yu agrees, we can naturally partner up."

"As soon as I heard Brother Yu was coming back, I immediately came to wait for him!"

Xue Pan chuckled and poured Gu Yu a glass of wine, eagerly awaiting her reply. He knew exactly how thriving the Gu family's business was; as long as you could get a stake, it was practically like making money while lying down!

That Lian Er, who usually indulges in a life of debauchery just like him, how did he manage to land this deal? Wasn't it just because his sisters had a good relationship with Gu Yu? He also has a younger sister!

Gu Yu lowered her head and took a sip, looking puzzled. These two seemed to have a really good relationship; they could even share profitable deals. Could it be... huh?

A chill ran down her spine, but Gu Yu smiled and said:

"A bountiful year brings abundant snow, and the Xue family is naturally very capable. If the Xue family were to get involved, business in Ping'an Prefecture could certainly take off even faster, but—"

"Just what?"

Xue Pan sat up straight, feeling quite nervous. This was a rare opportunity for him to save face and show off in front of his mother.

"However... business is business, Brother Xue, please don't blame me for being ruthless. You can probably tell how thriving this business is by looking at the shops in the capital. Although Ping'an Prefecture is not as wealthy as the capital, it is probably making quite a bit of money."

"My initial agreement with Brother Lian was mainly to do him a favor, which is why I allowed him to participate. Otherwise, if I had done it all myself, the profits would have been just as good."

Although Xue Pan was uneducated, he wasn't stupid either. He naturally understood the meaning behind Gu Yu's words and hurriedly revealed the truth:

"Brother Yu, don't worry, you won't be shortchanged by a single cent! Lian Er and I will discuss the rest. Consider it a favor I owe you, please help your elder brother out."

Quick-witted, Xue Pan rolled his eyes and added:

"If I achieve something, my mother won't be so focused on currying favor with that old matriarch anymore, and my younger sister won't be constantly suppressed by my mother!"

Seeing that Xue Pan had finally realized this, Gu Yu smiled to himself. Wasn't the reason he agreed to come here just because of this jealousy?

However, outwardly she appeared hesitant. Under Xue Pan's expectant gaze, Gu Yu seemed to recall Baochai's good qualities. After struggling for a moment, she gritted her teeth and finally made her decision:

"In that case... I have no objection. As long as Brother Xue and Brother Lian have reached an agreement, the business in Ping'an Prefecture will be handed over to you."

"Brother Yu, you're truly a man of great spirit! I'll toast you again!"

Xue Pan's eyes lit up, and he was so excited that he almost stood up. He thought to himself that his sister had a lot of influence, and that he had just picked up a mountain of gold!

Who doesn't know that perfume shops in the capital make a fortune every day? The servants of noble ladies and young women all over the capital line up early every morning to buy perfumes, but the supply still can't meet the demand.

Even if Gu Yu's share is untouchable now, the remaining profit shared between him and Lian would still be a significant source of income!

In his excitement, Xue Pan repeatedly toasted Gu Yu, getting quite drunk and even calling him "brother-in-law." Luckily, Aunt Xue wasn't around, or she would have definitely beaten him to death.

Since there was nothing else to do today, Gu Yu patiently drank a few cups with him, which could be considered as infiltrating the enemy's ranks in advance. However, not long after, the door was opened again, and Gu Yu turned his head to see that it was Gu Yi who had arrived.

If it weren't for the fact that Gu Yu had stayed at the Lin and Jia mansions in his childhood, and Gu Yi had been his study companion, this would have been a huge honor for Gu Zhong's family.

Unfortunately, things are unpredictable. Gu Yu is about to take the imperial examination, and Gu Yi is almost seventeen or eighteen years old. Naturally, he has lost his chance to be a study companion. Fortunately, he recently indicated that Gu Yi could take over Gu Yong's position in the capital, which can be regarded as a continuation of the Gu Zhong family's status.

Seeing Gu Yi approaching with such urgency, Gu Yu was taken aback. Her mind raced, and her face immediately darkened.

"Could something have happened to Uncle Zhong?"

Before Gu Yi could speak, he was taken aback, then shook his head with a wry smile and bowed, saying:

"Young master, you misunderstand. My father sent word yesterday that he was arriving soon and safe. I'm just here to deliver a message: Master Kong has sent someone to invite you."

Gu Yu's face tightened, like a primary school student being called on. She kept thinking about whether she had overlooked anything in the past few months. When she found nothing wrong, she relaxed a little.

Xue Pan, who was standing to the side, smiled knowingly:

"Since you're busy, Yu-ge'er, go ahead and do your thing! I'll have some fun by myself, hehe~"

"In that case, I won't disturb Brother Xue's enjoyment any longer."

Gu Yu smiled and bowed in farewell, but once outside the door, her smile faded and she frowned, asking:

"But what is it?"

"I didn't say it."

As a newcomer, Gu Yi naturally wanted to do his best to perform well and not embarrass his father and brother, but he really had no more clues and could only shake his head helplessly.

However, he quickly added:

"Judging from the man's serious demeanor, it must not be something joyous."

Gu Yu nodded slightly. After he went out, a servant led his horse to the side and gave Gu Yi an approving look. Then he mounted his horse and headed towards the Confucius Mansion without delay.

"Young Master smiled at me just now!"

Gu Yi clenched his fist excitedly. It seemed that he had completed this first task to the young master's satisfaction. He should continue to maintain this level of performance.

"Go back and continue cleaning the courtyard, then prepare the sedan chair to wait at the dock."

It's a pity I can't go and bring my father back, but it's all for the young master, and I'm sure my father will understand.

Gu Yi put aside his thoughts and decisively led his servants back, already showing some of the stern and authoritative manner of Gu Yong.

"I wonder what business Grandpa Kong has with me?"

Gu Yu rode his horse at a brisk pace toward the Confucius Mansion, his mind filled with doubts.

He's been staying on the estate obediently all this time, and hasn't done anything wrong—if it were that time he sneaked into the Kong family to act as a matchmaker, they should all know about it, and they certainly wouldn't bring it up again today…

"Could it be that Kong Chengli was caught having a secret rendezvous? But what does that have to do with me?"