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

Page 53

But if someone like Xiangyun, who is not familiar with them, were to see this, it would be a loss of their dignity as girls, so Gu Yu naturally wouldn't take that risk.

However, Gu Yu wouldn't be so easily subdued by Daiyu. She leaned close to her ear and whispered with a smile:

"How does my sister know I wouldn't dare? Does seeing is not believing?"

After he finished speaking, he gently kissed Daiyu's earlobe, then smiled and took two steps back.

Daiyu was startled by his words. After a long while, she suddenly trembled all over, her face burning up. She cried out in alarm and ran away, covering her face, not even caring about Zijuan.

Seeing that Zijuan and the other maids were staring at her with puzzled expressions, Gu Yu simply shrugged and didn't explain. She only instructed Zijuan to take some more snacks back with her so that Daiyu could have some to eat when she got hungry that evening.

Zijuan's doubts deepened. They were about to go back and have dinner, so why was she saying she was hungry? Could it be that the young lady didn't have an appetite and was saying she wouldn't eat dinner tonight?

Seeing that she couldn't get any answers from Gu Yu, Zijuan had no choice but to agree. She picked up a basket of various pastries and went out to chase after Daiyu.

After Xiangling saw Zijuan off, she turned around and saw Gu Yu smiling and extending his hand to her.

"Good Xiangling?"

Xiangling looked at Gu Yu pleadingly, but she couldn't refuse his order, so she could only hand over the small cloth bag in her hand, which contained the few candied fruits that Zijuan had just given her.

Gu Yu couldn't stand her gaze, but thinking that she had been seen by someone for no reason, she handed it back to her, though she repeatedly warned her not to.

"After eating, you must rinse your mouth immediately, and don't eat too much, understand?"

Xiangling didn't actually like these foods to an extreme degree; it's just that she was well-off and had no worries about food while living with Gu Yu, so it was rare for her to be interested in anything, and coincidentally, Gu Yu...

"Then... Master, will you supervise me?"

Gu Yu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. This kind of supervision was not the same as that kind of supervision. As a strict inspector, he also had to check various data of the food.

Thinking this, it was as if a sweet taste was already in her mouth. Gu Yu pinched Xiang Ling's soft and charming face, her heart filled with admiration.

These girls are getting better and better at seducing people, but they can't completely extinguish the fire. It's driving me crazy!

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Qingming Festival Arrives

When Zijuan returned, she indeed didn't see Daiyu eat. She just stayed in her room with a blush on her face. When Zijuan brought out the food that evening, Daiyu knew what was going on without even having to guess, and her heart almost melted.

Where in the world can you find such a thoughtful and meticulous person? That night, in Daiyu's beautiful dream, she found herself transformed into Xiangling, who had been pinned down by Gu Yu that day. Lying on the bed, she couldn't help but clutch the quilt tightly and unconsciously let out a soft moan.

Zijuan was sleeping by the bedside outside, and her hazy humming didn't wake her up, but it did make her dream along with her.

In the following days, Daiyu dared not see Gu Yu again, and was also worried that he would really be seen with Baochai, leaving her behind, so she hesitated.

Until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Qingming Festival, a light rain fell early in the morning. Daiyu felt a little depressed on this festival, so she still went to Gu Yu's room to talk to him.

There are some things that are inconvenient in the Jia family, such as the Qingming Festival memorial service. Although Daiyu has recovered from the pain of losing her mother, she still misses her from time to time.

Gu Yu had also been cared for by Jia Min for a period of time, so Daiyu's first thought was of him, not Jia Min's biological mother, Grandmother Jia. The air after the rain was exceptionally fresh, and Daiyu felt much more relaxed after going out. She didn't want Xueyan to follow her and walked towards Gu Yu by herself.

Today is Qingming Festival, and even Baoyu has to go to the ancestral hall. The only people left in the entire garden are her and Gu Yu. When Daiyu thought of this, her desire to lean on each other became even stronger, and she quickened her pace.

Unexpectedly, when Daiyu entered Gu Yu's courtyard, she saw him eating the rouge off Xiangling's lips under the window. Daiyu blushed and quickly avoided him. Only after the kiss inside was over did she deliberately make some noise and enter the room.

When Xiangling saw Daiyu enter, her face flushed even more. She quickly withdrew from Gu Yu's embrace and ran away. Daiyu greeted her with a smile, but turned back to give Gu Yu a cold sneer.

"Brother Yu is in a good mood today, always teasing Xiangling's good nature. He started tasting rouge first thing in the morning. When did he learn Bao Er's tricks?"

Gu Yu coughed lightly, but in her heart she was thinking about whether to inform the maids again that Daiyu and the others should be notified when they came in the future. But she was afraid that they would overthink it, so she gave up the idea.

He originally wanted to laugh it off, but unexpectedly Daiyu's eyes reddened, she slapped Gu Yu's hand away, and turned to leave.

"I won't bother you here. I'll just find a quiet place to do my own thing and not get in your way."

She was already in a bad mood, and when she arrived and saw Gu Yu being all lovey-dovey with another woman while he was still grinning, her girlish thoughts suddenly came over her, and she didn't want to stay here anymore.

Gu Yu was startled and rushed up to stop her from leaving. Daiyu tried to turn left and right but Gu Yu blocked her every time. She couldn't help but glare at him, her voice filled with grievance and anger.

"Step aside!"

"No!"

"You! You're always bullying me... I'm going to tell Daddy! I'm going!"

I won't mail your letter.

"you!!"

Daiyu never expected Gu Yu to be so shameless. She stammered for a long time but couldn't get a word out. She was so angry that she was about to cry. When Gu Yu saw that she was no longer making a scene and wanted to leave, he quickly stepped forward to explain.

“My sister has misunderstood me. Xiangling is also missing her family today. I was afraid she would be heartbroken, so I teased her a little.”

Although he obtained clues about the gourd monk in Nanjing back then, when he went there, for some reason, Zhen Fengshi had fallen ill from longing for him, and her husband had already passed away due to poverty and illness while traveling. He was buried in a famous local nunnery.

As a result, Xiangling became completely homeless. Although Gu Yu was doing very well, she couldn't help but feel nostalgic and sentimental when festivals like Qingming Festival came around.

Although she was abducted by human traffickers when she was a child, she still remembered some of her childhood experiences. Although she could no longer remember her parents' faces, the sweet taste of being held in her father's arms and laughing loudly seemed to linger on her lips.

This is also why she likes to eat sweets at Gu Yu's place; the sweetness always easily satisfies her little heart.

After hearing Gu Yu's explanation, Daiyu didn't say anything more, automatically skipping over why Gu Yu teased Xiangling by eating rouge, and began to empathize with her.

"Xiangling is also a pitiful person. She was separated from her mother at a young age and was beaten and abused by kidnappers for so many years..."

Although she lost her mother at a young age, she still had a father. Gu Yu had come to her side before that, so she was much better off than Xiang Ling.

Gu Yu secretly observed her expression and guessed why Daiyu had come looking for her. She then offered some advice:

“The past is gone, sister, you should look to the future. Confucius said that joy should not be excessive, and when we remember our relatives, we should grieve but not be overly sad. Look at you, your eyes are almost swollen.”

Daiyu rolled her eyes at him, then turned her head away in embarrassment. Although she was sad, she hadn't shed any tears. His exaggerated words made her feel a little embarrassed.

Seeing that she had gotten away with it, Gu Yu realized that it had stirred up some of her own emotions, and she couldn't help but look out the window in a daze, speechless.

In his view of time, his mother from his previous life was a memory of nearly thirty years ago, and had long since become blurred. His parents in this life lived only in fragmented memories from his childhood.

Although Jia Min took meticulous care of him, making him feel the long-lost love, she passed away after only a few months, and even Daiyu could no longer enjoy her company.

Daiyu was exceptionally intelligent. When she looked up and saw Gu Yu's expression, she remembered his family background and couldn't help but take his hand to comfort him.

"Brother Yu was just criticizing me, and now you're acting like this again... making me feel sorry for you."

Gu Yu looked at her tender, affectionate eyes, everything understood without words, and felt a warmth in his heart. He gave her a big smile and said:

"It seems I could make a living as an actor someday. I can even fool Lin Daiyu, which shows I can now pass for the real thing."

Daiyu naturally didn't believe his nonsense, but for the moment she just went along with him and continued talking, turning the page on this.

The two exchanged a few more words, but felt all their pent-up frustration dissipate, and Daiyu finally put on a smile again.

"Now that Uncle Lin is still alive, sister, please take good care of your health. Your family's greatest wish is for you to live a long and healthy life."

Daiyu turned her head to the side, touched by his words, but looked at Gu Yu with a half-smile and said:

"Brother Yu, you still have me now..."

Before Gu Yu could even smile broadly, Daiyu started counting on her fingers again:

"And there's Xiangling, Qingwen, and Sister Yingchun, Sister Bao, oh? I think Sister Xichun is also longing for you, and some of the sisters raised outside..."

Gu Yu's body trembled, and the smile that had just appeared on her face froze completely. Her young heart was pierced by Daiyu's words.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Men Will Never Play the Flute!

The two spent most of the hour together, and when Daiyu got up again, there was no rouge left on her lips.

Although the process was a bit tortuous, only Gu Yu's words, "I have many sisters, but none of them are like you," made Daiyu feel sweet inside, and she didn't care about anything else.

After all, even her own father had several concubines. She had already secured the victory, so what was there to worry about?

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the sisters will also be coming to Gu's house together. Even if there are unfamiliar "colleagues" there, I won't be afraid.

However, the Qingming Festival seems to always be associated with rain. Although it had just stopped this morning, it has started to drizzle again now.

Daiyu reached out to feel the dampness outside the window, then suddenly turned around abruptly, wanting to splash water on Gu Yu's neck. Unfortunately, her hand was only halfway out when Gu Yu grabbed it, and the little rainwater that had accumulated in her palm dripped to the ground along her slender fingers.

"Sister, do you know that on Qingming Festival, the rain from the sky represents the longing of loved ones, and the rain that you can catch is even more precious? Now you are wasting it; aren't you wasting someone else's heartfelt sentiment?"

"You're making up more nonsense to fool me again!"

Daiyu gave a soft snort, not falling for the trick. Gu Yu blinked, looking puzzled, and asked:

"How can this be nonsense? I know very well that this is my true feeling! I never expected that my sister would not care at all, really... sigh!"

Daiyu suppressed her laughter, raised her head and looked at Gu Yu with a 'surprised' expression, then apologized to him.

Gu Yu shook her head, ignoring her, and only said:

"Alas! My sincerity has been abandoned. What's the point? I'd better take it back."

"?"

Daiyu looked puzzled, unsure of Gu Yu's meaning, but the next second she understood Gu Yu's scheme. Gu Yu slowly enveloped her small hand, their fingers gradually intertwining, making Daiyu's heart race, and she found it hard to resist the feeling of being manipulated.

Stroking Daiyu's delicate hand until the slight moisture seemed to evaporate with the heat between them, Gu Yu then slowly smiled at Daiyu:

"Next time my sister wants my heart, it won't be so easy."

"Humph!"

Daiyu blushed and didn't respond to his comment. The two fell silent for a moment, watching the delicate flowers outside the window tremble slightly in the rain and dew.

Feeling lazy today, Gu Yu didn't want to study. After thinking for a moment, she turned around, took out a long box, and pulled out a bamboo flute. She only tested the sound slightly before attracting Daiyu's attention.

"What kind of flute is this? The tone... it sounds so much like a xiao (vertical bamboo flute)?"

Gu Yu handed the flute to Daiyu to admire, and introduced it to her with a smile.

"This is a bitter bamboo flute from Tongling Bridge in Hangzhou. It was originally a tribute to the palace, but most of them were bought by people. My family buys the best quality flute of the year once every five years. This is the 'Flute King' from three years ago."

The flutes from Tongling Bridge were famous even in their previous lives. Because the area produces copper mines, the bamboo absorbs metal ions from the soil during its growth, resulting in high density and superior quality flutes.

Daiyu weighed the flute in her hand and found it quite heavy, almost as heavy as an iron rod, so she returned it to Gu Yu, though a hint of curiosity remained on her face.

"Since this flute sounds so much like a xiao, why not just play the xiao directly?"

Gu Yu's lips twitched slightly. She really wanted to shout, "A real man never plays the flute!" But they wouldn't understand the joke, so she just laughed it off.

"I'll play a new tune on my instrument. Do you think my sister will like it?"

Gu Yu thought about the mix of ancient and modern music in her mind and decided to play a modern piece for Daiyu.

His music theory was influenced by modern times, and he didn't know if the ancient people's views could accept the modern style, so he simply took this opportunity to give it a try.

When Gu Yu thought of a piece of music that was close to the Qingming Festival, the first thing that came to mind was the flute piece "Rain on Qingming Festival". After a moment's thought, Gu Yu stood by the window and began to play the flute.

He grew up listening to these songs in his previous life, so apart from the first few syllables being a little obscure, he became more and more skilled and engrossed in playing them, even forgetting about Daiyu's reaction.

Daiyu initially thought it was some kind of tune she had never heard before, but when Gu Yu started singing, the style was completely different from what she knew, and none of the songs matched. She couldn't help but listen intently.

The tune played by Gu Yu had a very different rhythm, but Daiyu could immediately feel the faint sorrow contained in it. It reminded her of the couplet "The rain falls in torrents on Qingming Festival, and the travelers on the road are heartbroken" and she couldn't help but be a little lost in thought.

One played by the window, while the other listened attentively, leaving only the sound of the flute echoing in the room. As Gu Yu played, she suddenly recalled her own experiences, forgetting the original score and simply letting her emotions flow freely, completely letting go.

When the music ended, Daiyu took a long time to recover, and looked at Gu Yu with a surprised expression, saying:

"This strange melody, could it be that it was created by Brother Yu?"

Thinking that the talented scholar seemed to be a figure from hundreds of years in the future, and that even his great-great-great-grandfather was nowhere to be found, not to mention that he had changed his style in the latter half of the story, Gu Yu admitted it without batting an eye.

Seeing him nod, Daiyu's admiration deepened, and she frowned as she began to give her serious comments.

"The melody of this piece feels somewhat rushed, yet the emotions expressed are simple but clearly conveyed; even young children can understand it, which is quite strange..."

Gu Yu naturally knew what she was wondering about. Ancient Chinese opera emphasized subtlety and restraint, with emotions flowing through the performance like a hidden thread. It required not only high skill from the performers but also a high level of appreciation from the listeners. It was essentially a refined art form for the upper class.

Modern art in later generations emphasizes wider dissemination and focuses on making musical emotions easy to understand and catchy. It is difficult to say whether it is superior to classical art, and it can be described as highbrow art and lowbrow art respectively.

Seeing that Daiyu seemed genuinely interested in summarizing things for him, Gu Yu quickly smiled and dissuaded her from doing so.

“Why do you think so much, sister? I just listened to some foreign music and had some insights. Although this kind of music is not highbrow, it has its own unique charm.”

"For example, banquets and celebrations, or expressions of grief, these kinds of pieces can better express the emotions, which is different from what we learn. There is no need to force a categorization."

Seeing that what he said made sense, Daiyu stopped delving into the music theory and instead pestered him to play it a few more times. After all, Gu Yu's comments were just right; although the style of music was simple, it was perfectly suited for this occasion.

Fearing that it would stir up Daiyu's sorrow, Gu Yu stopped after playing the tune only twice and changed to another piece to relax her. Daiyu listened to his different tunes, as if she had discovered a treasure, and kept coaxing Gu Yu to play another one.

Gu Yu wasn't a horse with a bridle, blindly obeying whatever Daiyu said; he wanted to stop after playing a few tunes.

But he couldn't resist Daiyu's coquettish gaze, which could melt his bones. He shamelessly begged for a few kisses and then worked hard for Daiyu again.