The Hairpin of the Red Chamber

Chapter 152

Baochai's preoccupation was finally resolved, and she was sitting alone in front of the dressing table in front of the mirror, thinking about how to persuade Aunt Xue to let her leave the capital. Suddenly, she heard a commotion at the door, and when she looked up, she saw Xue Pan's face was covered with tears. , rushed to Baochai in a hurry, shouted "sister", stretched out both hands, and held Baochai's hand tightly.

Baochai was startled, stood up quickly and said, "Brother, what's the matter?" Seeing that his head was sweating profusely, he asked someone to wipe it off for him. Xue Pan took the veil and wiped it on his face carelessly. He stepped down and asked loudly, "Sister, do you want to marry Baoyu?"

Baochai was dumbfounded by his words, blinked and said, "Why did brother suddenly remember to ask this question?"

Xue Pan stared, gritted his teeth and said, "Just tell me, do you want to marry him?"

Seeing his appearance, Baochai thought, sighed quietly, and said, "It's not necessary to marry him, I just want to see him often, that's all."

Xue Pan stumbled and said: "Silly sister, what's the use of looking at him? If you like someone, of course you want to be with him - you just say whether you like him or not, as long as you say yes, I will find a way Tell him to marry you."

Baochai raised her eyebrows and said, "How can my brother ask him to marry me?"

Xue Pan was startled, then raised his head and said, "Don't worry about it, anyway, if you are willing, I will definitely find a solution."

Baochai smiled wryly and said, "I appreciate my brother's kindness, but... I don't want to marry him, so my brother doesn't have to worry about it, but how is my brother's own affairs? What does Uncle Lin say?"

When Xue Pan heard about Zhang Jing's question, he unconsciously lowered his voice, and said in a low voice, "Uncle Lin said that he needs to think about it for a while, so there's no rush."

Baochai frowned and said, "You should have done this sooner—Zhang Jing is not too young, and soon the capital will be full of new Jinshi, and if there are one or two young men among them, Uncle Lin will take his fancy." But what should I do? Speaking of which, my brother has been in prison for a year, and there is no confirmation letter at the other end. I should send someone to Heping'er to talk about it and urge Sister Feng. This year, four new counties were separated in Suzhou. I asked her to donate to my brother the real shortage over there, but she agreed, but nothing happened."

Xue Pan curled his lips and said: "Now she is very prestigious. I went to my uncle's house with my mother a while ago, and saw that there were more people on her side than in the main room. I saw that she was not looking good, so I whispered to my cousin. Instead, he said that I was worrying about nothing, hum!"

Baochai didn't expect him to say this, grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Why do you think it's not good, brother?"

Xue Pan scratched his head and said: "You think that when Uncle Lin was in Yangzhou, anyone who asked him to do something would have to go back and forth a few times, and he would never go straight to the door like this, otherwise, if I saw a busy traffic outside your mansion outside, I would definitely pass it on. Gossip. Besides, my uncle and eldest cousin are both officials, and some people ask them to do things easily. My aunt and cousin are all official orders from the court. She is neither the host nor the guest at home, nor is she a man. When she needs to be cautious and introverted, she opens a branch shop at home, openly accepting entrustments and doing things for others. I don't think she is a woman. A long-term solution—what do you see me doing?"

Baochai smiled and said: "When my brother rushed in just now, I thought you would never change your temper, but looking at it now, I feel that my brother has actually changed a lot, but I see you every day. I don't think so."

Xue Pan said: "I don't want to change it, haven't I always been like this? At most, I just mixed it with a green shirt, and I didn't know a lot of words--Oh, I almost told you to get out of the way." Sister, tell me quickly, do you want to marry Baoyu?"

Baochai saw that he was going back, so she stamped her foot and said, "Brother, don't mention this matter any more. As long as Daiyu is alive, I won't rob her."

Xue Pan flicked his sleeves angrily and said, "I don't know what's so good about Lin Daiyu, I think you care more about her than your own marriage!"

He said it unintentionally, but Baochai was terrified by what he said, and she hurriedly smiled and stepped forward to hold Xue Pan's hand, comforting him and said: "I know how good my brother is to me, but let's not say that my brother's way of doing things will make you feel better." It can't be done, just talking about the relationship between Daiyu and me, I can't hinder her future for my own selfishness."

Xue Pan said angrily: "So you just stay at home like this, neither get married nor have children, just live your whole life with self-pity? Even if you are willing, my mother and I can't bear it!"

Baochai coughed, raised her sleeves, covered half of her face, and said softly, "Isn't it great to be free like this? Brother, if you really love me, please tell me and Mom and let me out." Do business, gain knowledge, don't hold back in this place." Seeing Xue Pan's face full of disapproval, he quickly said: "I'm trapped here, and what I think and see are all related to Baoyu. The obsession will only get deeper and deeper. If I go out and see the strange and interesting things outside, I won’t care so much about the love of my children—anyway, in my life, it will never be worse than this moment Worse."

Xue Pan heard her last sentence, tears fell unconsciously, and sighed: "You have never run outside, I don't know how hard it is outside, you are a girl, how can we let you go out alone?"

Baochai was just saying something casually first, which meant "asking all over the sky and sitting on the ground to bargain". Seeing that he refused, she didn't care much, so she just smiled and said, "Then I'm going to join my second uncle?"

Xue Pan was startled, and said, "Second Uncle?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Yes, Second Uncle has been doing business all year round, so I want to go out with him to see and see."

Xue Pan said, "Second Uncle has been in poor health for the past few years and has no fixed place to live. How are you going to find him?"

Baochai said: "Baoqin and I have been communicating with each other. Last time we said that we were in Shandong. I guess we should go to Yangzhou in a while. The second brother Lian just happened to go to Yangzhou again. I will go with him. My brother should go to Yangzhou soon." Are you relieved?"

Xue Pan scratched his head and said, "How do you know that Jia Lian is going to Yangzhou?"

Baochai coughed, and said, "I just heard that he was going there to do business, because Baoqin once said that they would go there too, so I paid attention to it - when the old lady of Jia's house was there, she was called Lian Er Brother escorts Daiyu back, the whole family is very relieved, I will follow him, brother will not be worried, will he?"

Xue Pan said: "No, you'd better wait until I donate an official and go out with me."

Baochai is anxious to meet Daiyu, how can he wait?He hurriedly said: "Let's not say that there is no certainty about donating an official, just say that Zhang Jing is still in Beijing and can't be free, brother is willing to just let her go and send me away first?"

When Xue Pan heard her talking about Zhang Jing, he suddenly felt embarrassed again. He stood there, his face changed color, and he didn't make a decision for a long time. Go to fight with Uncle Lin angrily, he didn't refuse on the spot, there is probably hope for this matter, brother just use your hard work to pester him, and try to get Zhang Jing to cry himself, and the matter will be settled gone."

Xue Pan's mouth opened and opened, opened and opened again, but he didn't tell her about Lin Hai's reply, he just said slowly: "If you really want to go out for a walk, I'll just talk to my mother."

Baoyu and Daiyu set off early, but they were leisurely and not in a hurry.Fearing that they would miss the time limit, several big servants urged them several times, but Baoyu said instead: "Xiao'er is not in good health, hurry up, don't rush out of illness."

When Li Gui saw that he was talking about Daiyu's body, they had nothing to say, so they had to follow Baoyu's wishes and walked slowly, not more than thirty miles a day.

However, even with such a slow pace, Daiyu still couldn't bear it, and she couldn't keep her spirits up—at first, when she heard the sound of carriages and horses nearby, she would lift the curtain to look outside, but later Gradually, even the curtains refused to be lifted, and every day she was sleepy, lazy to eat and sleep, Baoyu stopped at a post station more and more. On the third day of her stay, Daiyu suddenly felt something, and she came out in the morning , looking out, a light carriage galloped in the distance, and the driver looked familiar from a distance, but it was Jia Lian's servant Wang Er when he saw it up close. However, the people in the car didn't seem to be shaking at all, they pushed the door straight out, jumped out of the car in one step, looked up, and saw Daiyu standing at the door, tears streaming down their cheeks.