Chapter 4

Lin Ruhai recalled that his term would end early next year, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles. After much contemplation, he decided to resort to the old method: continuing to use illness as a shield against dismissal. After all, his health had indeed been poor these days, and even Old Doctor Qin had remarked that he was overthinking. Thus, he resolved to submit a memorial requesting retirement. He stated that he was nearing fifty, his health was increasingly failing, and he was truly unfit for the responsibilities. He wished to return to his hometown after the end of his term, seeking the Emperor's gracious approval.

On the other hand, Lin Ruhai gritted his teeth and continued to shamelessly feign illness. He wrote another letter to the Rongguo Mansion in the capital, stating only that he was unwell and wished to see his daughter. He directly sent the younger brother of the old steward and his wife to fetch her. Meng Yiniang secretly called the wife aside to instruct her: let her see the young lady and remind her to bring back all her favorite belongings when packing. As for clothes, they could be discarded since they would only grow larger each year, and losing them would not be a great loss. However, important jewelry and books should definitely be brought back; the less valuable items need not be packed. It was essential to inform the young lady that the master’s health was not a serious issue, he simply missed her, and she should not worry. If the young lady were to fall ill from anxiety, that would be a serious matter. These words were to be conveyed privately to the young lady, so she should not mention them to the old lady, lest the old lady feel reluctant. It was truly a last resort; the master missed his daughter dearly, and it would be inappropriate to directly bring her back without this pretext. In any case, the master would return to the capital in a few years, and the young lady need not feel too attached to everyone, as they would meet again in the future.

Only after these two groups of people left did Lin Ruhai manage to calm himself down a little

"You are speaking nonsense. How could you bring the lady over when her mother-in-law was still alive that day?" In recent days, Lin Ruhai has not been so morose, and Aunt Meng has also become much more lighthearted in her speech.

Lin Ruhai merely stroked his beard and smiled, yet he was unwilling to go out. At that moment, he suddenly saw a servant come to report:

Lin Ruhai is genuinely afraid of the position of the Salt Inspector. Not only does it offend people, but he is also closely monitored by a group of individuals, requiring him to be cautious in all his actions, which is truly nerve-wracking. As for retiring to his hometown? Who would want to retire in their forties? This is precisely the opportune moment to push into the first power group! It is merely a strategy of retreating to advance. Given his age, the emperor is unlikely to allow him to retire; he will send someone to take over his position while also reassuring him to take good care of his health. This is indeed the right time to push into the first power group! It is merely a strategy of retreating to advance. Given his age, the emperor is unlikely to allow him to retire; he will send someone to take over his position while also reassuring him to take good care of his health. If all goes well, after he "recovers," he can return to a normal life as a Minister of the Lantai Temple, returning to the capital, which is Lin Ruhai's ultimate goal! Lin Ruhai was appointed as a top scholar at the age of 28 and became a Minister of the Lantai Temple at 39. In just twelve years, he rose from a seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy to a third-rank Minister of the Lantai Temple; it was like riding a rocket! Although the position of Salt Inspector does not carry a rank, it is evident that Lin Ruhai is truly favored by the emperor. By gaining experience outside, he will only rise more smoothly upon returning to the capital. Lin Ruhai's intellect is certainly not comparable to that of ordinary people; he calculates everything clearly. He is determined, and without a son, he will live with his daughter! With his official position secure, he can also find suitors for his daughter, and there will be plenty of handsome young men eager to become her husband.

Thus, Lin Ruhai also ran to his daughter's courtyard, first saying, "The curtains should be red for a more festive atmosphere!" Then he added, "In my opinion, planting a cluster of roses here would be wonderful, it would be so lively!" He even brought over two of the fine inkstones from his own room. Aunt Meng found him bothersome and soon sent him back to his study, saying, "You should refrain from interfering; we will finish tidying up more quickly without you!"

Auntie is back!

In recent days, Lin Ruhai has come to a realization; he no longer dwells on the sorrows of spring and autumn. Otherwise, even with the courage borrowed from Aunt Meng, he would not dare to mention Jia Min. If not, it would be troublesome if that old man started reciting poetry and lamenting by the window again, which would truly be a source of great sorrow.

Having lost her father at a young age, with a frail and sickly mother, it was almost entirely her elder sister who supported the family for over a decade. In order to wait for her to grow up, she resolutely set aside her own marriage, only to marry in her twenties, and that union was not particularly fortunate. Her husband was in poor health, and for many years after their marriage, they had no children, finally having a son when they were nearly forty. The couple cherished their child dearly. However, when he was just two years old, he was abducted. Upon hearing this news, Mrs. Lin's husband fell ill and passed away within two years. She spent many years in companionship with her widowed mother-in-law, who also passed away not long ago. She had once written to her sister, suggesting that she come to stay with her, but her sister declined, stating that her husband's family was taking care of her and that everything was fine. Yet, recalling a dream from a few days ago, she suddenly realized: her sister, all alone, how could she possibly be well? It was clear that she simply did not want to add to her troubles.

Thus, when Lin Ruhai encountered such an extraordinary situation this time, after much contemplation, he decided to discuss it with her, for there was no other reason than the bond of thirty years of affection

Lin Ruhai increasingly felt that it made sense, and he became more convinced that he needed to live to a ripe old age so that his daughter would have support. Thus, he hurriedly called for someone to prepare washing water and went to bed at 7:15 PM. This surprised Concubine Meng, who specifically came to check if he was unwell, wondering why he was sleeping so early today. As a result, she heard Lin Ruhai calmly stating that he wanted to cherish his blessings and take care of his health, to rest more, and strive to live to be a hundred or so, to see his daughter give birth to ten or eight sons, and to take half of them from his son-in-law to carry the Lin surname. Hearing all this, Concubine Meng was both amused and exasperated, realizing that he had been quite startled these past few days, suddenly coming to a realization, and feeling a sense of relief. Thus, he seemed a bit deranged, and she decided to ignore his ramblings, tucked him in, and went back to her room to sleep.

This Aunt Meng is indeed a remarkable person. Almost all her relatives have died, and she once sought death herself but was saved by someone. Later, she stopped seeking death and truly let go of her feelings to live her life well. Every first and fifteenth day of the month, she must go out to pay respects to her parents and her deceased husband’s son, but upon returning to the Lin residence, she never cries or wails. There are people outside who say that she and Tu Shu secretly covet wealth and are shameless, that a widow would actually become a concubine. However, within the Lin household, no one truly says such things. If she wanted to be a concubine, she would not have married in the first place. Old Lady Lin particularly likes her and has specifically mentioned wanting her to stay and be a concubine to Lin Ruhai. It is simply that she herself does not wish for it! Later, her husband and son died unjustly, and she was deeply hurt by her in-laws, nearly dying herself. It was Jia Min, who learned of the news, that brought her back, and only then did she return to Lin Ruhai's side.

Old Zhang from Dog Eye Alley has passed away

A single phrase awakened the dreamer! Lin Ruhai pondered for a moment and understood the key to the matter! This not only resolved the issue of having no one to care for his daughter upon her return home, but it might also prevent the unfortunate incident of his sister's passing! ... Recalling that his sister lost her mother-in-law years ago, he was busy with official duties in his dreams, fully aware that his sister, a widow without children, had lost her only companion, her mother-in-law, yet he had no time to visit her, merely sending gifts through others during the festive season...

Lin Ruhai was in a state of confusion, seeing her running around without time to attend to herself, he fell into a state of old age madness and called her over, saying: "There are still two months to go, what are you fussing about now?" Aunt Meng shot her a glare and said resentfully: "You still say you care for your daughter, how old is your daughter now? Can she still wear her old clothes? You don’t even know how tall she is now; we need to make a few more outfits. When she left, she only had a few days' worth of things, how many pieces of jewelry could she take? Are we supposed to let a half-grown girl wear the hairpins of a lady? The lady is in mourning; although she herself lacks for clothes and jewelry, we should prepare some to make her feel at ease. And then there’s the lady’s room; that Apricot Garden hasn’t been occupied since the last Master Yan, and our family has even less reason to stay there. It has been empty for nearly ten years; how can we not tidy it up properly? The girl will eventually get married; if the lady were here, she would have already started preparing the dowry! Fortunately, the lady has come, so we can finally begin to make arrangements.

Lin Ruhai did not elaborate in the letter, fearing that his sister would worry about being left alone without anyone to care for her. He merely expressed his own loneliness and poor health, fearing that if his sister did not come soon, he might never see her again in his lifetime. He mentioned that although his daughter had been sent to another family, the pain of missing her had become increasingly unbearable. He wished to bring her back but was concerned that she would be labeled as uneducated and would not find a good marriage. He only asked his sister to have compassion for him, to come and accompany her brother, and to help take care of his daughter, so that he could enjoy a few years of familial happiness before his death. He reiterated his feelings about his daughter being sent away and the unbearable longing he felt, wishing to bring her back while fearing the consequences of her being seen as uneducated and unable to secure a good match. He pleaded with his sister to show him mercy, to come and be with her brother, and to assist in caring for his daughter, allowing him to experience a few years of familial joy before he passed away.

Suddenly recalling the issue of my term, I couldn't help but silently lament. The reason my health deteriorated so much in my dreams was simply because I had sat in this cursed position of Salt Commissioner for too long, burdened by too many troubles. This Salt Commissioner position is originally held concurrently by the Grand Censor (the Grand Censor is the same as the Grand Minister of the Lantai Temple, as mentioned in the first chapter), and it is stipulated to serve only one term, fearing that one might become too close with those involved in salt administration. However, I have been favored by the Emperor, and as a result, after three years (in the early Qing Dynasty, this position had a term of one year; it is evident that this is a nominal term, as there is no mention in the original text of Lin Ruhai changing jobs, clearly having served for more than one year, so I calculated it based on the general official system of three years, as emphasized in the first chapter, to avoid being criticized by textual critics... cough cough), I insisted that he handle matters to my satisfaction... and extended it for another three years. In such a position, akin to being scorched by fire, I was surprisingly allowed to continue in office; no wonder I met my ancestors in just a few years... cough cough.

Given Lin Ruhai's consistent character, how could he write such a shameless letter, threatening his life? After a fright, he truly felt that nothing was more important than the lives of his family. What does it matter if he loses face? Ultimately, his sister would surely feel heartbroken upon reading the letter, and despite any difficulties, she would come. Indeed, later, Mrs. Lin received the letter, cried bitterly, and without a word, summoned her husband's relatives. She simply stated that she was getting older and no longer intended to adopt a child. If heaven showed mercy and allowed her to find her little son, her modest dowry would be enough to support him, along with the remaining possessions, as a widow had little of value. Subsequently, Mrs. Lin received the letter, cried bitterly, and without a word, summoned her husband's relatives. She simply stated that she was getting older and no longer intended to adopt a child. If heaven showed mercy and allowed her to find her little son, her modest dowry would be enough to support him, along with the remaining possessions, as a widow had little of value. She divided the family property as necessary and distributed what should be sent, leaving only the old residence and several hundred acres of land to support a few elderly relatives. Her dowry, land, and shop were naturally well-managed with proper contracts, and the items she had brought to the Xu family were either taken away or sold off. She rented a boat and set off grandly towards Yangzhou, but that is a story for another time.

Aunt Meng had someone meticulously clean Lin Daiyu's courtyard. She also assessed her measurements, and since there were few people in the household, she specifically invited four seamstresses to the house to make clothes for the young lady, estimating to prepare six sets of garments for each season in various sizes and thicknesses. The elder lady needed to observe mourning for her mother-in-law and could not come empty-handed; thus, preparing the clothes was relatively easier, as two sets of plain garments for each season would suffice for the formalities. She also instructed someone to melt down gold and silver, and took the family's jewelry to invite an old craftsman from the Rare Treasures Workshop to specially make jewelry for the little girl and silver ornaments for the women in mourning. Additionally, she mentioned that the trees in the courtyard needed pruning, and that more flowers should be planted in the girl's courtyard. Soon, she planned to replace all the curtains and screens in Daiyu's room. Remembering that the elder lady could not tolerate the scent of peonies, she hurriedly had the peonies prepared for the elder lady's courtyard dug up, leaving her extremely busy.

Upon reaching this point, I was even more resolute and hurriedly wrote a letter, sending a trusted person from my hometown to fetch my sister

Lin Ruhai was indeed overwhelmed by sorrow; this time, it was not a lament for the spring or autumn, but rather a self-reproach: "Indeed, I have no idea how tall Yu'er has grown! I am truly heartless to have sent her away like this without a care! I should have brought my sister back long ago..."

This is also the arrangement of fate. Had she directly become Lin Ruhai's concubine back then, she would undoubtedly have endured considerable trials within the inner chambers, and today she would likely be nothing more than a submissive old maid. However, having experienced so much in the outside world, upon returning to the Lin residence, she harbors no desire to compete for Lin Ruhai's favor. Instead, she can calmly regard him as the young master he once was and take good care of him.