Chapter 9

I grew serious. I knew we were about to set the original plot in motion.

Little Daiyu lowered her eyes. “I shouldn’t speak of these things to you, Mother. But although the Jias are wealthy, they spend far more than they take in. It doesn’t seem likely to last.”

I feigned surprise. “How can that be? Your cousin and his wife both seem so capable.”

She smiled bitterly. “Cousin Lian and his wife are the only capable people in the entire house. To tell you the truth, Mother, with them away this time, I fear everything there must already be in chaos.”

True enough. Given the state of the Jia household, neither Lady Wang nor Yingchun or Tanchun would find it easy to take over.

I frowned thoughtfully and ventured, “In that case, why were your cousin and his wife willing to spend so long bringing you back?”

Daiyu hesitated. Soon, her eyes began to redden.

“I think… it’s only because the Jias have so little left to rely on. They want to use me to keep Father’s support.”

Speaking so plainly of her relatives’ calculations hurt her and made her feel guilty. Tears fell steadily.

I put an arm around her. Without saying anything, I gently patted her back to comfort her.

Painful as it was, it would do her good to look beyond their splendid facade and face the mess the Jia household had become.

I knew exactly where every Jia character’s story was headed. But from my position, I couldn’t simply say it.

So I took little Daiyu to the Shen residence often. There, she could see everyone working together, studying when they ought to study and managing business when they ought to manage it. I also gently guided her to keep a proper distance from male cousins, however closely related they might be.

I cared nothing for the old rule that boys and girls shouldn’t even sit together after seven. I only wanted to nip any prospect of a marriage between those cousins in the bud.

Things were going smoothly on my side. But there were still those two people staying with the Lins.

One day, while Daiyu was going through the accounts with me, Lin Ruhai came in looking thunderous.

She started, glancing fearfully from her father to me. Thinking we had quarreled, she caught my sleeve and wouldn’t let go.

At the sight, his expression eased a little. “If only your mother had taught you sooner. Then it wouldn’t have come to…”

He stopped, unwilling to continue in front of his daughter.

Only after little Daiyu returned to her courtyard did he loosen his collar and burst out, “Ah Min told me long ago that the Jias’ little terror was no good. Now they’re setting their sights on Yu’er!”

I understood. “They couldn’t get anywhere with you, so they’ve turned to Yu’er as their excuse, haven’t they?” I asked with a smile.

Even before our wedding, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng had privately sounded Lin Ruhai out about marrying a concubine-born daughter of the old matriarch’s concubine-born younger sister.

Her standing might have been low, but through those tangled family ties she would still have been one of the matriarch’s people.

Lin Ruhai had flatly refused. Knowing the Shens saw things clearly, he hadn’t kept it from me either, but had written well in advance.

Even after our marriage, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng hadn’t abandoned the idea of putting one of their women beside him. He disliked it, but for the sake of their relationship had said little.

Today, having realized they could make no headway with him, the couple had dragged Daiyu into it instead.

Daiyu was at an in-between age, neither quite little nor grown, and she did have some affection for Jia Baoyu.

It was precisely because Lin Ruhai knew this that he was so furious.

I, on the other hand, had been ready for a while. I was rubbing my hands, all set to take on the original plot.