The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

Xie Ruozhen felt that her sudden idea was truly brilliant.

Her son is her biological child, whereas Luoyu is the illegitimate daughter of her cousin.

Originally, she wouldn’t consider marrying an illegitimate daughter into the family due to insufficient upbringing, but her cousin’s situation is different.

Her cousin has only one legitimate daughter, who is only four or five years old.

It seems her cousin does not plan to remarry, so Luoyu will undoubtedly be the heir to her cousin’s estate.

Luoyu and Chenyu are twins, and with the strong support of her cousin, it is foreseeable that Chenyu’s future will be bright.

In this case, when her son enters the officialdom, having such a brother-in-law will ensure he has support.

After all, her aunt is not young anymore, and once her aunt is gone, her relationship with the Lin family will not be as close as it is now.

Becoming in-laws with the Lin family would make a difference.

Although her son is interested in Yingyu, she would never consider Yingyu. If he married her, he would likely forget his mother.

Therefore, Luoyu is the best choice.

She looked at her aunt confidently and said, “Aunt, don’t worry. I will definitely treat her as if she were my own daughter!”

The old lady nearly blurted out to tell her to leave.

She was so angry that she became calm instead.

It had been many years since they had last met, and she didn’t know what kind of person her niece had grown into.

She used to think her niece was not so short-sighted, yet she had raised her child this way without realizing there was a problem.

She still considered her as she was before.

It was her own assumption.

The old lady, having thought it through, felt a bit disheartened and no longer wanted to continue the conversation. She bluntly refused, saying, “Don’t bring this up again. I will not agree to it. You must be tired from your journey, so go back and rest.”

She didn’t directly say that the young man was not worthy of her granddaughter, but she had been quite polite.

However, Xie Ruozhen could still sense the underlying meaning in the old lady’s words and her face clearly showed some dissatisfaction.

Her Wenyi is so good and he is her legitimate son; how could he be unworthy of a legitimate daughter?

Moreover, they are only a year apart in age, so their ages are close…

She wanted to say more but, seeing the faint look on her aunt’s face, she instinctively closed her mouth. “…Then I will go back and rest.”

Meanwhile, Lin Ruhai also felt somewhat exhausted.

He knew that her cousin-in-law was inherently somewhat aloof. It was said that he had been forced to study, and after he passed the exams, he was left alone while his family provided him with assistants and advisors, allowing him to live comfortably without much effort.

But this was not a long-term solution.

In the northwest, there aren’t as many influential families or deeply-rooted clans, but in the culturally rich south, even an ordinary county might have many high-ranking officials and well-connected gentry.

A single move can affect everything.

Once there, his advisors and assistants would have to start from scratch and it would take time to adjust.

As a result, though Dong Gaocheng’s posture showed he was still listening, his eyes revealed that he had already zoned out.

Lin Ruhai felt a headache coming on, rubbed his temples, and looked at his son, who was standing obediently nearby, which slightly improved his mood.

At this moment, Dong Wenyi arrives to pay his respects to the old lady.

He was the legitimate son of Lin Ruhai’s cousin, and the only legitimate son.

Lin Ruhai looked at the young man with a smile and couldn’t help but start comparing.

Chenyu was twelve years old, while Dong Wenyi was thirteen—an older year. Despite this, Chenyu was taller by half a head and had a more upright posture.

In terms of appearance and demeanor, Chenyu was much more outstanding, which made Lin Ruhai, as the head of the family, feel somewhat pleased.

However, despite feeling pleased, he kept a neutral expression and only showed affection for this younger generation.

After giving Dong Wenyi a pair of jade pendants as a greeting gift, he asked, “Have you paid your respects to the old lady?”

Dong Wenyi replied, “Yes, I have paid my respects to my great-aunt. She was very kind and gentle. I only regret that I can’t always be by her side to enjoy her company.”

Dong Wenyi seemed a bit distracted, still savoring the beauty of his cousin. However, he behaved properly in front of his father, answering questions honestly and displaying his usual charm.

It is quite common for families to compare their children and grandchildren in such situations.

Lin Ruhai asked a few questions and quickly realized that Dong Wenyi’s education was not as solid as Chenyu’s.

Nevertheless, he still offered some praise.

In contrast, Dong Gaocheng’s praise was much more sincere. When he turned to look at his own son, his face took on a stern expression.

Dong Wenyi nearly fidgeted with embarrassment.

Later, Lin Ruhai heard from his mother about Dong Wenyi’s performance in the inner court and his face darkened immediately.

The old lady waved her hand and said, “I have already refused. This matter is not possible.”

Although the old lady had considered finding suitable matches for her two granddaughters, she had never thought of marrying them off to someone like this.

What’s the difference between Dong Wenyi and Jia Baoyu?

She is most disgusted by such people!

Moreover, her niece is someone who is clueless, only knowing how to pamper her son. Such individuals often make life difficult for their daughters-in-law after they enter the family.

When choosing a suitable husband for her granddaughter, it’s important not only to consider the groom’s personal qualities and his family but also to observe the character of the mother-in-law, who will be the most involved in daily life.

The old lady did not disclose the matter of her niece proposing to her granddaughter to anyone except Lin Ruhai. Even if the details were unknown, both Yingyu and Luoyu’s impressions of the Dong family quickly diminished.

After walking with her cousins in the garden, they dispersed, with no one feeling inclined to chat.

Even Daiyu didn’t like her cousin and appeared listless when they left the garden.

Once the others had gone, Luoyu consoled Yingyu, saying, “Sister, don’t worry about it. We won’t have many chances to meet in the future.”

There are gender differences, and they are of an age where it is important to avoid misunderstandings.

Yingyu understood this principle. They were in the inner courtyard while her cousin was in the outer courtyard. As long as they paid attention at their grandmother’s place, they wouldn’t run into him again. However, thinking of his rude gaze earlier still made Yingyu feel uncomfortable.

She encounters more women when going out, but occasionally she does run into men.

Most people are polite and orderly, not directly staring at her. Those who seem distracted usually quickly regain their composure, and knowing their behavior is impolite, they avert their gaze or even apologize with a flushed face, so she doesn’t feel they are intrusive.

Unlike today’s cousin, who had no sense of restraint and, even when reminded, came closer. If her grandmother and others hadn’t been present, she shuddered to think if he would have been even more outrageous without so many witnesses.

Luoyu became more determined to teach Dong Wenyi a lesson and told her brother about it.

Chenyu nodded without hesitation, “I understand. Just wait.”

Their family planned to stay here for a while, waiting for the right opportunity.

After learning of Chenyu’s plan, Lin Ruhai didn’t object and even facilitated it.

So, when Dong Wenyi went out for a stroll and walked into a small alley, he was suddenly dragged into the alley and thrown into a sack. His servant was also bundled up, and both were knocked around and had their money bags, ornaments, and fans stolen.

When Dong Wenyi limped back with a bruised face, crying out in pain, Xie Ruozhen nearly fainted. She screamed, “My son! What happened to you? Who has such audacity? Doctor! Doctor! Come quickly and check on my son; he’s been seriously injured!”

Dong Wenyi groaned in pain, and the maid quickly called Dr. Zhou, who prescribed some medicine and said, “These are just flesh wounds, not serious. With some medication and rest, he will recover.”

Dong Wenyi was dragged over, thinking there was some urgent situation.

Xie Ruozhen didn’t believe it. “My son is beaten up like this, and you say it’s not serious? He has never been injured like this before. You’re just a quack!”

A quack?!

This was the first time Dr. Zhou had ever been called a quack to his face. He thought about the increasing annual stipend from the Lin family and wondered if they were paying so much just to hire a quack.

Dr. Zhou was both angry and amused. He never expected to be called a quack for merely speaking the truth. Did she expect him to say the injuries were more severe?

Seeing him smile only made Xie Ruozhen angrier. She threw his medicine away and said, “Go, go call another doctor! This matter must be reported to your master. In this clear and upright world, my son has been beaten like this. Such villains must not be spared!”

Dr. Zhou ignored her, shook his head, and left.

He decided that if the Dong family needed a doctor again in the future, they should seek someone more capable. He, as a so-called “quack,” would not be of help.

The matter eventually ended in a deadlock. Xie Ruozhen insisted on reporting it to the authorities and capturing the culprits, but Dong Wenyi and his servant had no idea who was responsible, not even their gender or number. It turned into a case with no leads.

—

Luoyu had deeper interactions and found that both her cousins were easy to get along with, though they both lacked strong personalities and were somewhat indecisive, including the legitimate cousin.

She was nothing like Daiyu. Although Daiyu had a frail constitution, she had been pampered since childhood. When faced with dissatisfaction, she had a bit of a temper, making it hard for servants to control her.

In contrast, her younger cousin, despite her age, would first try to endure any reasonable grievances rather than confide in her mother.

Because her mother’s attention was mostly focused on her brother, she grew up under the care of an old nanny and maids.

Though her younger cousin had her biological mother around, her life was not much different from that of a neglected illegitimate daughter.

Luoyu saw this and couldn’t help but sigh, while the old lady’s expression grew even colder.

This niece not only indulges her son but has also shown no concern for her daughter, allowing the servants to control her. What has she been doing all these years?!

—

When the Lin family welcomed the Dong family as relatives, Qinghuan received reports from the leper monk and the lame Taoist, and she became anxious.

The Jia family was doing fine, everything proceeding as planned, but what about the Lin family? The old lady, who should have passed away long ago, was still holding on, and it seemed she could live for a few more years.

Jia Min had already passed away, but with the old lady still alive, Daiyu had no reason to visit the Jia family, and she also had her brother and sister with her!

To ensure that the two children could grow up together, the old lady must not survive. She was the greatest obstacle preventing Daiyu from going to the Jia household.

As long as she is gone, and since Daiyu is still young and has no one to guide her, it would be natural for her to go to the Jia family.

How should she ensure that the old lady dies?

Qinghuan calculated and found that the three additional people mentioned by the divination were not fated to die young. Moreover, they were already twelve years old, not ignorant children. She couldn’t help but curse the leper monk and the lame Taoist for being useless. If they had informed her of any accidents earlier, it would have been easier to manage. Now that these individuals are so old… would she have to take matters into her own hands?

If discovered, she would be finished.

Additionally, she worried about another issue: if she made any arrangements, would Master Zhie Liao appear and catch her in the act?

What she is doing now must not be discovered; if it is, her efforts will be in vain.

She searched for everyone with the title of Zhie Liao but found no one.

Those using this title in the world are not truly skilled individuals, and it does not match the situation of the expert whom the old lady encountered.

Even now, many remember him, and many powerful families have been searching for him, but no one has been able to find out who he is or where he has gone.

Is this Zhie Liao trying to guard against her?

Does he already know her plans?

But after such a long time, everything here seems normal. Could it be just an accident?

After much deliberation, she decided to test things out first.

Although every time she did this, she used up quite a few valuable items, she couldn’t afford to be concerned about that now.

She wanted to enter dreams unaware and unfeeling, but she failed each time.

The Lin family’s fortune is currently thriving, protected by the dynasty’s luck, making it impossible for her to enter.

In her frustration, she saw the Dong family visiting the Lin residence. Watching them, Qinghuan let out a light laugh. Since she was already here, she couldn’t leave empty-handed.

Dong Wenyi, who was insisting on marrying his cousin, faced his mother’s reluctance and refusal. Upset, he left the Lin residence.

This time, having learned from his previous experience, he brought plenty of people with him.

While strolling around, he came across a theater, went in, and watched the performance. As he watched, he fell asleep and had a dream.

It was an enchanting dream that left him spellbound.

In the dream, he and his cousin Yingyu engaged in all the intimate acts that only a married couple could.

When he woke up, he was startled by the stickiness in his pants. Recalling the vivid and lifelike details of his dream, his eyes sparkled with excitement.

The cousin in the dream was irresistibly endearing.

Yet his mother refused to agree to the marriage.

If only he could make the dream a reality, his mother would surely have to accept it.

Dong Wenyi’s heart immediately began to stir with eagerness.