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

Page 80

Gu Yu was planning to write about Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in his study when he had nothing else to do, but before he could even begin, Wang Xifeng sent Ping'er to invite him over.

"Young Master Yu, are you busy? My mistress asked me to tell you that the matter you entrusted to us is only half completed, and the other half must be resolved by you personally. She is currently at the East Mansion, waiting for you."

Gu Yu was taken aback by these words. She looked up at the sky outside the window, pondered for a moment, then stood up and smiled:

"In that case, I'll trouble Sister Ping'er to accompany me again."

After summoning a maid and instructing her not to stay for a meal, the group left the garden and boarded the carriage. Gu Yu leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes to rest, but was still thinking about how to deal with the situation later.

He had a general idea of ​​what was going on. Second Sister You was gentle and docile, and with Sister Feng and the others mediating, it would probably be no problem. However, Third Sister You was strong-willed, and that was probably where the problem lay.

Indeed, when Fengjie arrived, Madam You was urging You Erjie to curry favor with Jia Zhen and his group. After all, although she had only been there for two or three days, Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, and their entourage had been coming over frequently, subtly hinting at things to her mother, which showed how eager she was to please them.

However, after only a few days in the Jia family, Madam You was completely captivated by their extravagant lifestyle. She was determined to stay there for the rest of her life and never wanted to go back to her impoverished life.

She was just a stepmother, and it was fine for her to stay temporarily with Madam You, but what reason did she have to stay for long? Now that Jia Zhen, the head of the Ningguo Mansion, had taken a liking to her daughter, Old Madam You was immediately tempted and secretly signaled to Second Sister You and the others to agree.

It's just a few pieces of flesh on my body, what difference does it make who gets to play with them?! Being able to live this comfortable life, that's what makes it worthwhile!

Second Sister You was easily swayed and couldn't bear to listen to her mother's earnest teachings. Madam You didn't dare to ruin Jia Zhen's plans, and with the support of several parties, the two sisters, no matter how wronged they felt, dared not openly disagree. Just when they were in agony, Wang Xifeng arrived.

Compared to Jia Zhen, Gu Yu has a huge advantage. Moreover, You Shi is middle-aged and cannot compare to the youth and beauty of You Erjie and You Sanjie. Now that these two sisters are sent away, wouldn't she be able to have some peace and quiet?

In this scheme, Madam You was quite attentive in introducing Gu Yu to the mother and her two daughters, praising him to the skies and subtly mentioning some of the messy and troublesome things that happened in the Ningguo Mansion, which made Old Madam You hesitate.

If what Madam You said is really so good, then going to the Gu family is naturally more worthwhile. After all, with Madam You's connections in the Jia family, it's impossible to break off the relationship, and with the Gu family, there's another path to take.

When You Erjie and the others heard that there was such a suitable husband, their hearts naturally swayed completely towards him. After all, no matter how proper Jia Zhen and the others pretended to be, they were still old men in their fifties, and they couldn't hide their lustful desires.

However, Sister You was unwilling to be so hasty and insisted on meeting Gu Yu before making a decision. She didn't believe in the idea of ​​something falling from the sky.

Besides, they've only just arrived, and they're already being asked to come over tonight? How can anyone treat people so disrespectfully? If we just listen to their boasts and end up falling into the lion's den, who will we complain to then?

After much commotion, Lady You finally gave in. She didn't want any of her stepsisters to compete for her favor, especially since it was a situation she was bound to lose! So she had no choice but to ask Wang Xifeng to invite Gu Yu to come and take a look.

Once Gu Yu entered the East Mansion, he didn't bother visiting Jia Zhen and his gang of lecherous old men. Instead, he followed Ping'er straight to the courtyard of the You sisters.

Inside the room, wine and dishes were laid out. Wang Xifeng and You Shi were chatting with an old woman when they heard the maid's announcement and stopped talking.

Wang Xifeng got up and went out to greet him, just as she bumped into Gu Yu at the door. She quickly took his arm and turned back with a smile:

"Look, look! When have I ever told a lie? Is there anyone in the world as handsome as him?"

Gu Yu glanced around the room, then, with a quick glance at the indistinct figure behind the screen, calmly smiled and said:

"Sister Feng has seen countless talented young men, but I dare not admit it. I just don't know why you called me here? I still have a debt of 200,000 taels to settle. If I'm delayed, I'll have to ask Sister Feng to fix it."

"Oh my god—two hundred thousand taels! You might as well just strangle me with a rope to settle the debt; that's not the kind of money you'd find to shut your mouth!"

Sister Feng laughed loudly as she chatted with Gu Yu, while Old Madam You, standing to the side, breathed heavily, her eyes even reddening. Two hundred thousand taels!

She hadn't even recovered from Gu Yu's imposing presence and appearance when she subconsciously felt that her daughter was truly out of her league. Unexpectedly, she suddenly heard such a bombshell, and the fire in her heart almost burned her to ashes.

"If my two daughters were to enter the Gu family...wouldn't they be much happier and more carefree than staying in the Jia family?!"

After the group finished greeting each other, Old Madam You couldn't wait to step forward and try to establish a connection, subtly checking Gu Yu's household registration based on her unique life experience.

However, this old woman was so ignorant that even Sister Feng couldn't help but turn her head away and look away. How could she possibly find out anything about Gu Yu?

However, after glancing at the screen over there, Gu Yu still said a few words: he now runs a Yingkexuan restaurant and several shops, and he passed the imperial examination... but these are all well-known facts.

Even so, Old Madam You was extremely excited and quickly gestured for Second Sister You and the others to come out and greet them. Seeing two figures emerge from behind the screen, Gu Yu put down her wine cup and looked them over.

One woman had almond-shaped eyes, curved eyebrows, and a delicate nose, exuding the gentle and frail demeanor of a woman from Jiangnan. The other woman's face resembled hers by a few points, but her eyebrows were slightly raised, and her eyes had a slight phoenix-like curve, making her somewhat similar to Xiangyun in appearance, except that she lacked some of the girlish charm and had more of a resolute and heroic air.

Both women were exceptionally beautiful, with slender figures. Gu Yu was unconsciously captivated by their beauty, his gaze becoming somewhat forceful. You Erjie, unable to withstand his gaze, blushed and turned her head away, but still managed to suppress her shyness and bow in greeting.

Sister You bravely met Gu Yu's gaze, but after a few breaths, her pretty face inexplicably turned red, and she too gave in.

Seeing the two young girls bow to him, Gu Yu finally came to his senses and quickly gestured for them to get up. Wang Xifeng and the others next to him knew that the good thing had been done and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Brother Yu, what are you still standing there for? Didn't you just say you had something else to do? You can look at it however you want later, what's the harm in taking a little while?"

Gu Yu calmly watched the two women return to their room, then raised his wine cup to thank Wang Xifeng and drank it all in one gulp.

"I am truly grateful to Sister Feng for this matter, and I will certainly repay her in the future. However, since we have already made arrangements, it is not appropriate for me to linger at the East Residence and disturb them any longer. I will send a carriage to pick them up and take them back to stay later. It would be more appropriate to choose an auspicious day afterward. What do you think, Madam You?"

"That's right, that's right. Now that my daughter has been promised to your Gu family, it's really not appropriate for her to stay at Ningguo Mansion and cause any more trouble. We'll pack up right away, we'll pack up right away!"

With the dust settled, Madam You was even more eager to leave than Gu Yu. After all, Jia Zhen and the others had sent her many nice gifts these past few days in an effort to please her. Now that she had lost both of her daughters, how could she repay them?

With both daughters now in Gu Yu's possession, he can handle the mess when the time comes, and I can finally enjoy a peaceful and carefree life!

……

Chapter 100 Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise

As dusk fell, the You family mother and daughter quietly left the house under the arrangement of Madam You. Once they were in the carriage, a weight was finally lifted from their hearts.

Touching the luxurious interior of the car, Mrs. You almost wanted to pluck off a few pieces, but she remembered her limits and only stroked the interior with reluctance.

"My dear daughter, isn't this marriage quite good? How could your mother bear to let you suffer a loss? This is much better than staying in the Jia family!"

Sister You couldn't stand her mother's attitude. After glaring at her for a while, she turned her face away and said bitterly:

"As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Mother, you asked me to agree before you even saw me. When did you ever consider my sister's and my feelings? You came over at noon to make peace, and by evening you want... Are we just destined to be worthless?!"

"Hey, hey, you can't say that. Just look at this marriage; it's a good choice, isn't it? Besides, Young Master Gu said he'd choose another auspicious day to marry you. Asking you to go earlier is just to avoid suspicion. It's often said that the Ningguo Mansion, apart from the two stone lions outside, isn't a single clean person there!"

"My mother even wanted to push my sister and me into a pit of fire!"

Sister You opened her mouth, but couldn't say the words. Her nervousness and anticipation about entering the Gu family were inexplicably lessened, replaced by a touch of depression.

"Could it be that my sisters are destined to be concubines...?"

When she first came to Ningguo Mansion, she had fantasized about staying in such a grand house for a few more days. After all, as the head mistress's family, she would receive first-class treatment.

The next day, when her brother-in-law Jia Zhen came over, his strange gaze was chilling and sent shivers down the spines of the two sisters. Before they could even complain to their mother, they were surprised to find that in just a few days, their mother had already fallen for the riches and was now subtly hinting that they should accept the advances of Jia Zhen and his associates.

She was strong-willed and naturally couldn't stand such disgusting nonsense, but Second Sister You, being the older sister, was gentle and weak, and her inner torment was even greater than hers.

Mother You repeatedly played the victim, saying that no one would want to continue living such a hard life. If a widow and her child didn't find a good family, wouldn't they be bullied to death? Moreover, given their status, even becoming Jia Zhen's concubine would be a step up for them.

If it weren't for the Ningguo Mansion's bad reputation, and the fact that Jia Zhen gave them such a disgusting first impression, ordinary families would have long been eager to climb into his bed and curry favor.

Although we no longer have to suppress our disgust and rush to fawn over Jia Zhen, is the person Wang Xifeng is introducing really a good person? No matter how much she praises him, we've only seen his words. Just based on his statement that he wants her sister to marry into the family in less than half a day, he's even more outrageous than that lecherous Jia Zhen!

If it weren't for the fear of offending Wang Xifeng and embarrassing her, You Sanjie wouldn't have even uttered the excuse of wanting to meet her. But unexpectedly, Wang Xifeng didn't deceive them at all, and now it's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse.

The carriage fell silent again. The two sisters hung their heads, each lost in their own thoughts, while only Mother You remained, her eyes fixed on the jewels and ornaments, wishing she could fly to the Gu family immediately to enjoy such a life.

As the group entered the Gu family's main residence, servants led them in methodically and respectfully, with strict discipline, a stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere of the Ningguo Mansion.

Mother You subconsciously lowered her voice and held her breath, and her previous arrogance and joy subsided considerably. After meeting Qin Keqing, who was hosting them, she didn't dare to breathe loudly at all.

Good heavens! There are such divine concubines in the world! She originally thought that her two daughters were both beauties of the highest caliber, not much different from the Second Mistress of Rongguo Mansion. Moreover, she knew the filthy thoughts of men. With the two sisters going together, how could she not be able to control them?

Unexpectedly, now that she has arrived at the Gu family and met this mistress, regardless of her wealth and splendor, just looking at her captivating face, Madam You is not sure whether her daughter can completely bewitch Gu Yu.

Qin Keqing had received Gu Yu's message long ago. After dressing up in a dignified and luxurious manner, she met with You's mother and then moved her to a separate courtyard, separating her from the You sisters.

Although the courtyard arranged by the two sisters was spacious, the two were newcomers and their mother was nowhere to be found, so they just slept together and chatted that night.

Qin Keqing was still thinking of coming over to appease them, after all, they were both Gu Yu's concubines, and she was only there because she had arrived first—it was a case of "when the cat's away, the mice will play." If the two sisters were too shrewish, it would cause trouble at home and give Gu Yu a headache.

Before she even got close, Qin Keqing heard faint voices inside. Her heart stirred, and she stopped by the window, not intending to go in without making a sound.

"...Since you've already agreed, little sister, you should put aside your temper."

"But I just won't accept it! My mother accepted that old hag Jia Zhen's things and doesn't care whether we live or die. Now the price here is even higher, and she wants to send us over without even asking."

"If I hadn't insisted on seeing you, would you still be so at ease now, sister? Who knows what might happen if you were trapped in this house, unable to find anyone to help you? What would you do then?"

"Now that we've met him, we can rest assured... Sister, you've always said you'd marry someone with both talent and good looks, and I think that Young Master Gu..."

"These are two different things! Why can't you understand, sister... Do you have to make you suffer a huge loss before you understand?"

"..."

Hearing the increasingly agitated conversation inside, Qin Keqing decided it was best not to eavesdrop any longer. She walked heavily to the door and knocked.

"Are the younger sisters asleep yet?"

The sounds inside stopped abruptly, and then footsteps came to open the door; it was Sister You San.

"Why are you here, sister? Come in, come in! We sisters are having a chat, how can we be asleep so early?"

Sister You quickly poured tea and offered it to Qin Keqing, who took it but did not drink it. She only looked at the expressions of the two women and then smiled and pulled them to sit down and talk.

"We'll be family soon, so I came to visit since I had nothing else to do. I don't even know how old my sister is?"

"I'm fifteen this year, and my sister is sixteen."

"You seem to be younger than me. I'm already seventeen. If you don't mind, you can just call me 'elder sister' from now on."

……

While Qin Keqing was chatting with the two sisters, Madam You was so happy she almost forgot about her own two daughters. In the Ningguo Mansion, she was a guest, not a proper relative, but in the Gu family, she was practically a mother-in-law, so how could she not indulge them in their food, drink, and daily necessities?

The old women were all cunning, and after a few words, they flattered her so much that she became completely carried away and soon fell asleep, drunk.

The old women exchanged glances, cleaned up the mess, and went back to rest together, with only whispers drifting through the darkness.

"...The young master instructed that the two sisters must not be killed before they marry into the family... It would be a blessing for them to be cared for in bed afterward..."

……

Chapter 101 Attempted Crime (Currently Unsolved)

After arranging the matter, Gu Yu didn't linger and headed straight home. As for angering Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, and the others? Let's not even talk about it; they weren't even in his hands yet. Did they really dare to come looking for trouble?

Looking at the still relatively bright sky outside the car, Gu Yu squinted her slightly hazy eyes and instructed the servants to park the car directly at the main gate of the garden, intending to visit Xiaoxiang Pavilion on the way.

Whether it was because of her or because of her, the sisters always liked to get together. When Gu Yu entered the courtyard, she found that Tan Chun and Xi Chun were there.

Seeing Gu Yu enter, the three women were delighted and stood up. However, Tan Chun blushed and slowed her pace, while Xi Chun was the most impatient and quickly took a few steps to greet him.

"Why is Brother Yu here?"

Gu Yu took Xi Chun's small hand, chuckled twice, and didn't reply for a moment.

Daiyu came up and saw a hint of nonchalance in his eyes, so she quietly leaned in to sniff him. Sure enough, she smelled a faint scent of wine. She could only glare at him and then went to call Zijuan to pour tea.

"Where did you go to perform some kind of ritual? Now you're here causing a drunken scene."

"I'm not drunk, so how can I be acting crazy? I just missed my sisters, so I came to see them. I noticed it's been raining and windy these past few days. How about coming to my place to fly kites for a few days? You won't be able to do it once it gets into May."

Seeing Tan Chun standing beside him, not daring to meet his gaze, Gu Yu's heart stirred, and he quickly invited them to play in his courtyard.

"Great idea! It's been so many days since we flew kites. Yu-gege's place is spacious, Sister Lin, let's go over there tomorrow."

Daiyu turned her head away, her ears turning slightly red. She could easily see the smile on Gu Yu's face; he was definitely up to no good. If she agreed, wouldn't she be playing into his hands? But she couldn't bear to refuse, so she could only let Xichun take the lead and agree, so that it wouldn't be considered that she was eagerly trying to get close to him.

"Okay, okay, I have lots of different kinds of kites. My little sister can have a lot of fun with them tomorrow. It's getting late, so I'll head back now."

There's still about an hour before curfew, so he needs to hurry back and send someone to buy kites.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Gu Yu didn't even have a sip of water before immediately giving orders and sending a maid to invite Hengwu Garden again. Only after finishing this matter did she finally rest.

Since Xiangling and the others were unable to move easily, they naturally couldn't escape Gu Yu's clutches. He held them on either side, and they fell into a sweet sleep in his slightly tipsy state, which was quite comforting.

The next morning, Gu Yu slept in late, a rare occurrence. Even though the two girls were already up, he only blinked slightly before falling back into a deep sleep.

In his dream, Gu Yu felt increasingly short of breath, and it felt as if insects were crawling into his ears, causing a ticklish sensation. Growing increasingly uncomfortable, he suddenly opened his eyes, only to be met with a stunningly beautiful face, smiling warmly at him. Who else could it be but Daiyu?

At that moment, Daiyu leaned down and gently pinched his nose, even tickling him with her hair. No wonder he had difficulty breathing. In an instant, all he could see was Daiyu's smiling face, and he could faintly smell the soft fragrance of a young girl. Gu Yu smiled mischievously, suddenly reached out and pulled her onto the bed, hugging her tightly like a pillow.

Daiyu was laughing a few times and was about to make a joke when she was suddenly pulled up onto the bed by a tight grip on her waist. Her mind went blank for a moment, and then she realized what was happening and struggled to get off.

Before Daiyu could even cry out, Gu Yu knew something was wrong. There was more than just Daiyu by the bedside; Xichun and Baochai were also there, their eyes slightly wide as they looked over, with a hint of...envy in their eyes?

Daiyu bit her lip and jumped off the bed silently, her head down, not daring to look at anyone. Her heart was filled with shame and relief, and her face was burning hot.

Thankfully, Xiangyun wasn't the one who came in to call Gu Yu... But even though her close friends saw her, Daiyu was still so embarrassed that she wanted to cry. However, she didn't dare to look at Gu Yu anymore and could only walk out of the room by herself to calm her emotions.

An awkward atmosphere filled the room. Gu Yu got up with an unnatural expression. Baochai, as if startled awake, quickly pulled Xichun out to give Gu Yu some space, and prepared to call Qingwen and the others to come in and serve her.

Gu Yu, who had just woken up, was now fully awake, but he quickly put this little matter out of his mind. After all, she was his wife, so what was the big deal?

After washing up, Gu Yu greeted everyone as if nothing had happened. As for Xiangyun, who had come along, he remained distant, but he didn't care. Anyway, they were all in his own pot, and they would be cooked eventually if he simmered them a little longer.

The weather was quite cooperative today, providing a few extra clouds to block out the sun, and the cool morning air prevented us from sweating too quickly while playing.

This time, Xichun and the others didn't bring Shishu and Ruhua with them. Apart from Xiangyun and a few maids from the courtyard, all the women present were Gu Yu's wives, which had already made Gu Yu very eager. He quickly told the women to go fly kites.