Chapter 156 Lin Daiyu: Don’t you know that you are engaged?
……

The Spring Festival of the fourth year in Anping is here.

Some are angry, some are frightened, and some are busy.

Jia Rong and Lin Daiyu were quite free, reading and writing in the back office, occasionally writing novels. The hustle and bustle outside seemed to have nothing to do with them.

“Brother Rong.”

“Ok?”

“New Year’s Day is tomorrow. Are you going back to Jinling?” Lin Daiyu said as she sat under the window, supporting her chin with her hands.

Jia Rong thought for a moment and said, “Probably not going back. I heard that Master Tai is very busy lately.”

“correct……”

“When did Sister Baoqin leave? I haven’t seen her in the past few days.” Jia Rong suddenly remembered that he hadn’t seen Baoqin in the past two days since he came back, so he asked.

Lin Daiyu bit her teeth and glared at Jia Rong.

Don’t you know you’re engaged?
Are you still thinking about other sisters?
“what happened?”

When Jia Rong saw Lin Daiyu suddenly look angry, he was a little confused.

Lin Daiyu said, “She left when you were not here a few days ago, and her brother personally took her back.”

“So don’t dwell on it.”

“You might as well think about those things…”

Jia Rong: “Aunt?”

Lin Daiyu blushed.

“Pooh!”

“Who told you to miss me!”

“I’m asking you to think more about how to study!”

Jia Rong listened and said seriously: “You are right in front, why do I miss you? As for studying, it’s almost the New Year, can’t you take a break?”

“I miss my aunt at home.”

Jia Rong’s tone was full of melancholy.

Lin Daiyu: “…”

As long as it’s not Aunt Bao or Sister Bao, it’s fine.

“Well… I miss my aunt too.” Lin Daiyu said unconsciously.

Jia Rong: “……?”

Lin Daiyu: “Ah? No!”

“I miss my sister Xichun.”

“I just accidentally followed you and said the wrong thing.”

“Please don’t misunderstand me.”

After saying this, Lin Daiyu winked at Jia Rong.

She hoped that Jia Rong could understand what she meant and that they could keep their agreement tacitly.

Sometimes, it’s very uncomfortable to keep a secret alone, especially when Rong Ge’er has so many good aunts, and he misses one today and another tomorrow.

It makes people feel sad.

Jia Rong immediately understood what Lin Daiyu meant, and patted his chest to assure her, “I understand.”

Lin Daiyu was delighted.

We really are in sync with each other!

Jia Rong then said, “Even gods take naps. Don’t worry, Aunt Lin. I won’t tell my aunt about this, so she won’t laugh at you.”

Lin Daiyu: “…”

You…you, why aren’t you so stupid!

Do I have to say it out loud for you to understand?
Lin Daiyu covered her forehead with one hand, speechless.

Jia Rong was puzzled.

“Aunt Lin, what’s wrong?”

“nothing.”

Lin Daiyu shook her hand.

“Go and pour tea for Auntie.”

Since you want to be a junior so much, I have no choice but to let you satisfy your desire to be a junior.

Jia Rong: “…”

“Isn’t there Zijuan outside?”

Lin Daiyu said, “I like the tea poured by my nephew, is that not okay?”

Jia Rong: “Okay!”

“Auntie, have some tea.”

Jia Rong went outside to pour tea.

Lin Daiyu took the tea seriously, and then seemed to remember something funny and burst out laughing.

He laughed so hard that he fell on the table and couldn’t get up.

Jia Rong tapped the table with his hand.

“Aunt Lin, you don’t want tea?”

Lin Daiyu leaned on the table and raised her head, smiling: “Aunt doesn’t want to drink tea now~”

“well.”

Jia Rong rolled up his sleeves, stepped forward and said with a smile: “Aunt Lin, do you think your nephew is easy to bully?”

“what are you doing?”

Lin Daiyu said with a straight face: “I am your aunt!”

“Ah, ha ha, you’re bullying me!”

“I, haha, giggle, I’m going to tell Grandpa that you bullied me, aunt!” Lin Daiyu was naturally ticklish, and after being tickled by Jia Rong a few times, she was already bent over and out of breath.

Jia Rong withdrew his hand and smiled slightly.

“You were the one who bullied me first, so you are not in the right to sue me.”

Lin Daiyu bent over and took several deep breaths. After she had rested, she straightened up, smoothed her slightly messy temples, and glanced at Jia Rong:

“Humph……”

“What are you doing again?”

Jia Rong said, “I’m having tea.”

Lin Daiyu: “That’s my tea!”

Jia Rong: “Aunt said she didn’t want to drink tea, so I can’t pour it for nothing, right? It’s reasonable for me to drink the tea I poured myself.”

“you!”

Lin Daiyu gritted her teeth.

You bullied me and you drank my tea!

“Purple Acorn!”

“girl.”

“There was a bully in our house, and you helped me chase him out.”

Zijuan came in and said with a smile: “Miss, how can you chase people away during the New Year? Besides, something was not right with you in the first place. Master Xiaorong has already poured you some tea, and you still…”

Lin Daiyu said coldly: “Okay, you speak to him, and from now on you will follow him!”

Zijuan said hurriedly: “I won’t dare to do it next time.”

Jia Rong put down his tea bowl and coughed.

“Aunt, I won’t dare to do it next time.”

Lin Daiyu: “Hehe…”

“Do you really know you’re wrong?”

Jia Rong: “Really!”

Lin Daiyu said, “Then after dinner, I will punish you to stay here tonight to read and stay up until the New Year. You should also write two novels. Your aunt will check whether your studies have declined recently.”

Jia Rong said, “I was just thinking of trying your Yangzhou New Year’s Eve dinner.”

There’s nothing to do when I go back anyway.

Let’s stay up all night with my aunt.

Only then did Lin Daiyu feel satisfied.

“Xueyan, go to the kitchen and get some of the New Year’s Eve dinner and wine that we’ve prepared. I’ll put it in my room, and I want the osmanthus wine.”

“Is it placed here?” Jia Rong asked in confusion: “When I came here just now, I saw Master Tai and Master Lin were still handling official business in front. They…”

“They don’t have to wait.” Lin Daiyu said, “In previous years when I was at home, every New Year’s Day, my father would handle official business in the front, and I would eat New Year’s Eve dinner in the backyard. This year, with Grandpa here, he will miss us even less.”

Jia Rong nodded.

How pitiful.

“We are all the same.”

“When I was at home, I couldn’t see my great grandfather during the Chinese New Year. I always stayed up with my aunt.”

Lin Daiyu pouted her lips: “You still have your aunt, but I am all alone.”

Jia Rong smiled and consoled her, “We are celebrating the New Year together this year. My poor aunt is all alone now.”

Lin Daiyu chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about your aunt. Sister Bao is at home. She is beautiful and eloquent. Your aunt has probably forgotten about you, her nephew.”

Jia Rong nodded slowly: “You are right, Sister Bao is really very good.”

“Ok?”

Lin Daiyu narrowed her eyes and looked at Jia Rong.

Jia Rong: “No, you can praise her, so why can’t I praise her as you wish?”

Lin Daiyu: Am I praising her?

How can you be so stupid?

“I feel like your provincial exam is going to be difficult!”

Lin Daiyu suddenly said.

Jia Rong couldn’t keep up with Lin Daiyu’s thoughts for a moment, and asked in confusion: “What do you mean?” Lin Daiyu smiled and asked: “Let me ask you, which of the Five Classics was selected as the main scripture?”

Jia Rong asked casually, “What’s wrong with the Book of Rites?”

Lin Daiyu nodded and said, “I suggest you read the Spring and Autumn Annals more.” Then she sneered, “Of course, just reading it is fine, but don’t change the book. The Spring and Autumn Annals is not suitable for you.”

Jia Rong: “…”

“aunt.”

“I’m saying something that takes advantage of my age.”

“Don’t be angry when you hear that.”

Lin Daiyu: “Hmm?”

Jia Rong: “When I was reading the Spring and Autumn Annals, you were still wearing open-crotch pants.”

“what!”

Lin Daiyu went crazy and looked around for something. She saw a feather duster standing upright by the window and picked it up.

Jia Rong looked at this and quickly took two steps back.

“Aunt, calm down.”

“I was just joking.”

“Ah, I was wrong!”

“Brother Rong, stop!”

Seeing the two of them quarreling, Zijuan and Amber hurried into the room to stop Lin Daiyu.

Amber said anxiously: “Girl, why can’t you just talk it out nicely?”

Zijuan also said anxiously: “Yes, girl, how can you be violent?”

You are a rich lady!
Lady!
Lin Daiyu bit her teeth lightly.

I want to be a lady too!

But I can’t bear it!

Jia Rong: “It’s okay, I was just playing a joke on you girls, you guys can go down and play.”

“correct.”

Jia Rong pointed at the thing in Lin Daiyu’s hand and said, “Take this away.”

“Pfft.”

Lin Daiyu dropped the thing and laughed, covering her mouth.

“Are you scared?”

“If you weren’t mad at me, I wouldn’t be so…powerful.”

Jia Rong nodded: “I know!”

“Aunt Lin is the most gentle.”

“Gentle as water, Aunt Lin.”

At this time, the snow goose ran in.

“Uncle, girl, the New Year’s Eve dinner is here!”

Several daughters-in-law and old women behind came in one after another, carrying food boxes.

Lin Daiyu pointed.

“Put it there.”

“Yes, girl.”

Several people arranged the dishes in an orderly manner and placed two pots of osmanthus wine on the stove to warm them.

“Okay, you go down.”

Lin Daiyu waved her hand.

The wives and old women hurriedly bowed again and then left.

“Brother Rong, please sit down.”

Lin Daiyu pointed.

Jia Rong said, “Is it inappropriate for me to sit on it?”

Lin Daiyu said, “You have come to Yangzhou, you are a guest, just sit down.”

“This is the custom in Yangzhou.”

“Well, I’ll do as the Romans do.”

Jia Rong sat on it.

Lin Daiyu was accompanying him below.

It was the first time that the aunt and niece had dinner together.

It’s still New Year’s Eve dinner.

Stay up late.

Lin Daiyu poured Jia Rong a glass of wine: “Try it, our Yangzhou sweet-scented osmanthus wine.”

After saying that, he poured himself a cup.

Jia Rong asked, “Oh, aunt, do you want to drink too?”

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, “You are the guest, so I have to accompany you.”

“But I’ll just have one drink.”

“When you get inspiration later, don’t forget to write more novels.”

“it is good.”

Jia Rong picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

Lin Daiyu: “How?”

Jia Rong: “It is indeed very fragrant.”

“It’s not the wine that makes you drunk, it’s you who makes you drunk.”

Lin Daiyu took a sip of wine, her face slightly red as she lowered her head: “Don’t try to fool me with nice words.”

Jia Rong said, “I tell the truth.”

Lin Daiyu: “Hmph…”

“Do you know everything? Did you do it on purpose just now?”

Jia Rong nodded: “I know.”

Lin Daiyu’s face turned even redder, she lowered her head even lower, and clutched her handkerchief, not knowing how to continue.

The room was a little quiet for a while.

after awhile.

Jia Rong took another sip of wine and said, “Don’t worry, aunt. I know you are doing this for my own good. I will study hard, read the Spring and Autumn Annals carefully, and write my novel well.”

Lin Daiyu: “…”

Jia Rong: “What’s wrong?”

Lin Daiyu: “Humph, eat your wine!”

……

Compared with the other two’s leisure time during the New Year holidays, Jia Jing was not just very busy, he was simply working like crazy.

There is no rest during the New Year holidays.

In addition to the Yangzhou prefect, Jia Jing ruthlessly killed two county magistrates who were bewitched and more than a dozen big salt merchants who gathered to cause trouble.

For a time, Lord Jia was notorious for his evil deeds, and the entire Jiangnan officialdom was terrified.

Under such strong pressure, the salt administration reform was finally implemented in an initial stage.

The streets and alleys were filled with small vendors selling salt, and the price of salt dropped to only 30% or 40% of its previous price. Many poor families who could not afford salt or could only eat a little bit of salt throughout the year could finally afford salt.

As more people eat salt and more salt is sold, the salt tax naturally goes up. In just the few days during the New Year, the salt tax distributed is almost as much as in a normal month.

Front yard study.

There were two pots of warm apricot blossom wine on the table, and Jia Jinglin and Ruhai were sitting opposite each other.

Lin Ruhai sighed, “The salt tax reform has come a long way, but now we have finally achieved some initial results. Everything is difficult at the beginning, and I think it will be much easier in the future.”

Jia Jing shook his head and said, “We can’t let our guard down. I’m afraid that after I return to Beijing after the New Year, our efforts here will be in vain, especially since Lianghuai still needs someone to watch over us.”

“Ruhai, after returning to Beijing, I will make a memorial to the Emperor, recommending you as the Governor-General of Zhili and Zhejiang. You will be in charge of the overall situation here.”

Lin Ruhai smiled bitterly: “The Governor-General of Zhizhe is a second-rank official. I am afraid that my qualifications are not enough. Elder, please do not embarrass the Emperor, so as not to give him something to blame.”

Jia Jing shook his head slowly: “The Emperor needs me to preside over the commercial tax reform. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the most important regions. Although we have seen initial results, they are just a drop in the bucket. In order for the reform to proceed smoothly, even if I don’t make a memorial, the Emperor will let me recommend someone to come to Zhejiang.”

“Besides, the imperial court is going to open the sea. Fighting against pirates is a pressing matter. Salt tax is a pressing matter. Commercial tax reform is another pressing matter. Without you to preside over the overall situation, I will be powerless even if I have all the abilities in Kyoto.”

“Besides, Jia Yucun has made great achievements in the Jinling government in the past few years. He is a rare talent. Transfer him to your side, and then you two can manage the overall situation of Zhizhe together.”

“Wait a few years until things stabilize here, then you two can come to Beijing.”

Jia Jing said a lot in one breath and described almost all his future plans.

Lin Ruhai thought about it.

“It all depends on the court’s arrangement.”

Jia Jing smiled and looked out the window.

Big red lanterns are hung high, the Spring Festival couplets and door gods are brand new, and some families have already lit firecrackers, and the crackling sound can be heard from afar.

Before I knew it, the New Year has arrived.

“Ru Hai, sorry to bother you this year.”

“Haha.” Lin Ruhai smiled: “We are a family, what’s the point of disturbing you? I have asked someone to prepare wine and food, let’s go and have a drink.”

Jia Jing asked, “Call those two youngsters?”

Lin Ruhai waved his hand and sighed, “I don’t think it’s necessary. They have already prepared wine and food. They can read and drink at the same time. They are much more free than us. Why bother to annoy others?”

Jia Jing said with emotion: “It’s good to be young. I think we went through the same thing when we were that old. We read books, drank wine, and had romantic affairs. But once we passed the imperial examination, we were burdened by fame and fortune, and worked hard at paperwork all day. Now we are even more lonely, with no one to talk to. “

Lin Ruhai was silent for a while after hearing this. Thinking of his late wife, he finally sighed, “It’s fine for our generation. I just hope that they can live together peacefully until old age.”

Jia Jing laughed and said, “So we two old guys have to stand in front for another twenty years to pave the way for them!”

“The road ahead is long and arduous, like the sea!”

……

(End of this chapter)