Chapter 141: The Proper Way to Open Lin Duoduo

Meanwhile, Lin Daiyu, standing to the side, saw the two exchanging remarks; her curved eyelashes drooped, her bright eyes focused, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

When it came to political sensitivity and career prospects, she wasn't skilled, but she was naturally better than Baichai and San Chun.

After all, her father was the current third-place finisher in the imperial examinations; from childhood she had been exposed to it, and having read some of Lin Ruhai's current-affairs books and the Four Books in his study, she understood a bit.

But this time Baichai came prepared, and moreover she was ill, weak and short of breath, so she couldn't pick up the conversation for a moment.

Here, listening to Baichai again extolling the benefits of the New Policies, Daiyu's bright eyes flickered; she pretended to be casual and swept her hand over the teacup that Jia Jing had placed on the small table beside the bed.

"Crack!"

The teacup tipped from the small table, rolled onto the floor, and gave a clear crisp sound.

In the room, Baichai's voice stopped accordingly, and she fixed her gaze on the teacup that had fallen to the floor.

Zi Juan hurried forward and asked solicitously:

"Miss, are you alright?"

Then she also looked at the teacup by Jia Jing's feet; there wasn't much water in it, and it was some distance from his legs, so it hadn't splashed onto him.

Daiyu's starry eyes beneath her furrowed brows were now as bright as ink dots, and she spoke softly:

"I'm fine; I just got lost listening to Elder Sister Baichai's lofty talk, didn't pay attention for a moment, and knocked over the teacup on the small table."

"I interrupted Elder Sister Baichai and Third Brother's conversation; it's my fault!"

Baichai's snow-white pretty face tightened; her watery almond eyes glanced at the small table some distance from Daiyu, her delicate brows rose, and she said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Jia Jing faintly felt that Lin Daiyu had given him a backhanded compliment.

Even while sick, she dares to subtly jab at me!

If she got better, what Lin Daiyu might do—he dare not even imagine.

However, being able to recover a bit of her former self shows that my earlier consolation still had some effect.

Thinking this, Jia Jing's heart eased a little.

After Zi Juan had cleaned up the broken porcelain shards on the floor, at that moment the voices of Yingchun, Xichun, and Xiang Yun came from outside the courtyard.

Xiang Yun walked in first, smiling, and upon seeing Jia Jing, Baichai, and Daiyu, she said:

"Third Brother, you're here too! Elder Sister Baichai, you walked off too quickly; why didn't you wait for us?"

Xiang Yun wore a smile, as if she had always been this happy.

Afterward, Yingchun and Xichun also walked in.

"Hehe, Third Brother!"

Xichun smoothed her air bangs, her features picturesque; the initial coldness on her face was gone, and she greeted Jia Jing with a clear voice.

Behind her followed the two maids Ru Hua and Cai Ping.

"Fourth Sister, why are you so happy today? And is your hehe caught from Xiao Jiaoer?"

Jia Jing rubbed the hair of Xichun, who had come to his side.

Xichun blinked her small eyes, smiling, and said:

"Yes! Xiao Jiaoer promised that when her little colt arrives, she'll also let me ride it."

"Oh, you also want to ride the little colt?"

Jia Jing asked with a smile.

Seeing Xichun gain a bit more of the innocent liveliness of her peers, he felt quite relieved.

Although he hasn't deliberately done anything, subtly the fates of those around him are gradually improving.

In the original work, Xichun is described by Lady Yu as "cold-mouthed, cold-hearted, ruthless and malicious."

This is not Lady Yu being prejudiced against Xichun and speaking nonsense.

When the original work searched the Grand View Garden, Xichun's maid Ru Hua was punished for privately passing items.

At this point, Xichun not only did not defend Ru Hua or plead for her, but instead urged, "Beat her, kill her, or sell her—quickly take her away."

She said, "The ancients said it well: 'Good and evil, life and death, fathers and sons cannot help each other.'... I only know that keeping myself safe is enough; I don't care about you."

She also said, "Not being a ruthless person makes it hard to be a self-sufficient man. I am a pure individual; why would you teach me to become bad?"

Is this something a half-grown child could say?

However, Xichun's personality wasn't born so solitary and cold; it was the special environment of the Jia Mansion that caused her tragedy.

In chapter 40 of the original work, Liu Laolao said, "Old Liu, old Liu, appetite as big as an ox, eating an old sow without raising her head."

Everyone laughed; Xichun left her seat, pulled her nursemaid, and called for her abdomen to be rubbed.

This was her only instance of acting coquettish, showing she also has an endearing side.

Xichun gradually became cold-hearted because she lacked parental affection from childhood.

Her birth father Jia Jing went off to cultivate the Dao and ignored her; her mother died early; her elder brother Jia Zhen is a good-for-nothing and also ignores her.

Although she had been raised by Jia Mu since childhood, Jia Mu had never truly paid much attention to her.

Nominally a miss, she was in fact just an expendable transparent figure in the Rong Guo Mansion, even less important than Yingchun and Tan Chun.

After all, she wasn't a person of the Rong Guo Mansion, her blood relation to Jia Mu was rather distant, and a miss from the Ning Guo Fu residing in the Rong Guo Mansion was neither proper nor appropriate.

Moreover, after seeing the tragic ends of her elder sisters Yingchun and Daiyu, her disposition grew ever colder for objective reasons.

Finally, having personally experienced the great upheaval of the Jia family's confiscation, she chose to become a nun amid sorrow and hardship.

Her taking the veil may not necessarily be from seeing through the mortal world; rather, it is more a passive, helpless escape.

At this moment, hearing Jia Jing's question, Xichun lifted her lovely, charming little face, smiled, and replied:

"I want to ride! But only Xiao Jiaoer has one……"

Having said that, she furtively glanced at Jia Jing, her little face stiffened slightly, she twisted her body, wanting to speak but stopping.

Jia Jing spoke gently:

"Since Fourth Sister also likes it, how could Third Brother not fulfill your wish? Consider it my new-year gift to you; I'll have them send a few more horses over shortly, and they should arrive the day after tomorrow."

From now on, every New Year, you can go to your brother and ask for a wish gift, okay?

Pa! Third Brother, you're so nice! Xichun, upon hearing Jia Jing's words, was overjoyed and kissed him on the cheek, laughing as she spoke.

Jia Jing didn't expect that for a moment, and was somewhat stunned.

However, Xichun is still young, so such a childish act is quite normal.

Daiyu, Xiang Yun, and the others seeing this scene of deep sibling affection all laughed, and Xiang Yun said:

Third Brother, you can't play favorites; we have so many sisters watching here!

Besides, last time you only composed snow poetry with Lin sister and Bao sister, letting them secretly get a good poem; this time you can't do that.

I've already told my family I'll stay to keep the grandmother company for New Year and not go back; then we'll take advantage of the holiday to hold a poetry gathering, and I'm now inviting you in advance to join.

Jia Jing, hearing that, thought for a moment and said:

The colt is no problem; when the time comes, each of you will get one, which I'll count as my New Year gift to you.

However, regarding the poetry gathering... I have to attend the grand court ceremony and banquet held in the palace on the first day of the first lunar month, and on the second and third days I need to attend the mutual New Year greetings among military officials.

Also, some relatives and friends at home need to be visited; I might not be able to free up time...

Xue Baichai beside them lightly opened her vermilion lips, smiling as she advised Xiang Yun:

Third Brother is a high-ranking state official, his duties are busy; Sister Yun, you shouldn't insist on him.

Daiyu glanced at the two, called Xiang Yun over, and said with a mischievous smile:

Sister Yun, I already said Third Brother is a very busy person; you can't persuade him to join our lively inner-court poetry gathering!

I told you and you didn't listen; now even your Third Brother and Sister Bao have said so, and you still won't listen?

Jia Jing: "……"

This line also sounds very familiar!

I feel like I'm being teased again by the clever and mischievous Little Sister Lin!

Baichai's smile also faltered a bit; Little Sister Lin's mood today seems different from usual!

What's going on?

Could it be because she's sick?