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

Page 27

Blinking, forcing back the tears welling in his eyes, the man bowed solemnly, turned and disappeared around the street corner, leaving Gu Yu watching him go.

"..."

"Can you really move them this much just by buying them a drink?"

Gu Yu stroked his chin, gaining a new understanding of the mentality of people in ancient times.

"...No wonder Zhuge Liang could verbally abuse Wang Lang to death; people without a flexible bottom line are easily taken advantage of..."

Looking down at the two receipts again, Gu Yu tucked them into her bosom. She felt even more relieved.

"The chess pieces have been placed; after getting closer to Ke Qing a few more times, we can pull her out!"

"However, Xiangling and she do share some similarities in their eyes and brows, only their temperaments are completely different. I'll go over and compare them properly after I've eaten Xiangling, hehe~"

……

Chapter Forty-Six: Birthday

On her birthday, although Gu Yu didn't want to make a fuss, she still had to exchange pleasantries with everyone in the Jia family.

However, fearing that Xiangling and Qingwen would get tired, he only asked them to invite the sisters.

Aside from Grandmother Jia, who visited in person, even Baoyu's visit was only made by a capable old woman from his courtyard.

It was still very cold, and with the end of the year approaching, Wang Xifeng and the others were extremely busy. Grandmother Jia, wanting the younger generation to get closer to her, let them play by themselves.

Fortunately, not many people came, and the room could barely fit three tables.

Daiyu, Baochai, and the three sisters (the three sisters) sat at one table; Xiangling led Xueyan, Ying'er, and Siqi at another table; and Gu Yu led Baoyu and Jia Lan at yet another table.

Li Wan was initially worried that her son would drink too much, but seeing that their table was full of fruit wine and other similar drinks, she felt relieved and settled down to keep company with the large group of her sisters-in-law.

Although Baoyu was dazzled by the table full of delicious food, he could only barely muster his energy.

During this time, the sisters who used to play happily together all became like different people. They not only visited each other less, but also stopped joking and laughing with him as much.

Although Sanchun was his sister, he didn't care much about her, because he usually ate the rouge from the maids, so his relationship with them was naturally closer to that of the women in the courtyard.

Later, Lin Daiyu and Baochai arrived. Both were exceptionally beautiful. Although they didn't interact much at first, they became familiar with each other later. Every time they gathered at Grandmother Jia's place, it was as if all the beautiful women in the world were surrounding him, making him so happy that he forgot all about home.

But after Gu Yu returned, Baochai hardly went out anymore. Not only was she physically unwell, but her eldest brother Xue was also recovering from his injuries, so he could only feel sorry for her.

Lin Daiyu was also a completely different person. It was as if the sisterly relationship that had gradually improved over the years was just a dream, and everything had returned to the time when Lin Daiyu first came to the Jia family.

Although we would still joke around when we occasionally bumped into each other, I never took the initiative to greet him again.

She didn't stay indoors to recuperate all day; when she went out, she only went to play with her sisters. He could only find her in her sisters' rooms.

Gu Yu picked up the fruit wine and went to Daiyu's table to offer a toast. Baochai and Daiyu had both come early to sit down, but he was busy going to see Grandmother Jia and the others. He wondered if the two of them were bored sitting there.

Starting with Li Wan, the toasts were made to everyone from the oldest to the youngest. Li Wan was fine; everything seemed normal.

But Daiyu noticed that Baochai's face was flushed with a suspicious rosy hue, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized that something was amiss.

When the salute reached Yingchun, the naturally reserved Yingchun was no match for Baochai's composure, and even stuttered a little when she spoke. The sisters, who had played together for several years, immediately noticed something was amiss.

The atmosphere on the scene suddenly became strange. Gu Yu's eyelids twitched, and she forced herself to remain calm as she walked up to Daiyu to offer her a toast.

He didn't blame Yingchun for being too obvious, but he was a little troubled about how to cover it up, since Li Wan was still around.

Daiyu clenched her hands tightly beneath her clothes, her heart filled with bitterness and sorrow, as if her treasured possessions had been stolen and then flaunted in public.

After wallowing in self-pity for a while, seeing Gu Yu come to pour her wine, Daiyu took a deep breath, picked up the wine cup, and said in a slightly coquettish voice, "I'm not feeling well today, Brother Yu, please drink it for me~"

Before Gu Yu could speak, a cup of wine was brought to his lips. Gu Yu smiled helplessly, looking into Daiyu's bright eyes, he couldn't refuse and had no choice but to drink it.

Daiyu sat down contentedly, but while she was pleased, the others had different thoughts.

Tan Chun recalled how she had been held in Gu Yu's arms and made to practice calligraphy these past few days, and her mind was in turmoil, causing her behavior to deviate from its usual standard.

Although Xichun doesn't understand romantic love, she is very willing to be close to Gu Yu.

Having lived in the Rongguo Mansion since childhood, she was very good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that her sisters seemed to be competing with her for Gu Yu, she took the initiative to 'compete for favor' and let Gu Yu feed her.

After toasting everyone in the circle, Gu Yu felt a bit sweaty on her forehead.

Seeing that the sisters at the table were chatting and laughing again with normal expressions, she could only comfort herself that the only good thing was that Li Wan wouldn't have any thoughts about it, since everyone got a share.

Baoyu didn't think too much about it, but he was a little envious and jealous. Why wasn't he the one toasting the sisters? Feeling annoyed, he drank a few more cups.

Once back in her seat, Jia Lan obediently stood up and bowed to Gu Yu to congratulate her on her birthday.

"May Uncle Yu achieve academic success and excel in the imperial examinations, eventually becoming a high-ranking official."

"Lan-ge'er, you are very thoughtful. You have always been diligent in your studies, and you will surely pass the imperial examination in the future. Your mother's efforts will not have been in vain."

As for bringing glory to the family, that's all nonsense. Ordinary scholars can't even get into the Rongguo Mansion, let alone bring glory.

Baoyu was already unhappy, and hearing this talk about official careers and economics made him even more frustrated. He looked at Gu Yu's handsome face as if it had been defiled.

However, when recalling their playful interactions, Baochai had mentioned several times how she was troubled about how to persuade her brother to be more ambitious, which made him quite uncomfortable, while Lin Daiyu had never mentioned such a thing.

Thinking of this, Baoyu, wanting to please Daiyu, no longer held back and said:

"Lan'er is so young, why is she so focused on pursuing a career in government? Those who study hard and strive for advancement are nothing but parasites who are all hypocritical and sanctimonious in public, but who knows how many shady things they do behind the scenes."

Jia Lan opened his mouth, glanced at Li Wan, then lowered his head, still not refuting her.

Gu Yu smiled but didn't respond. Instead, she gestured for Jia Huan, who was eating heartily next to her, to drink some wine.

Seeing that no one paid any attention to him, and that Lin Daiyu didn't even turn her head, Baoyu became anxious and was about to lose his temper.

Gu Yu was still hoping to save her good mood for the evening, so she naturally couldn't let Bao Yu go on a rampage. She coughed lightly and said:

"Brother Bao, do you know how much your mansion costs every year?"

Why would I care about such trivial matters?

Baoyu pursed his lips, not expecting Gu Yu to pay attention to such trivial matters. He felt even more that studying for the imperial examinations was a harmful thing, ruining even such an unconventional brother as his brother Yu!

Gu Yu put down his wine glass, his expression becoming even more amiable, and stood up to say:

"If that's the case, you probably don't know about the annual income, right?"

“Since the passing of the late Rongguo, neither Master She nor Master Zheng have held high-ranking positions or received generous salaries. If Brother Xianzhu were still alive, Baoyu, you could naturally disregard worldly matters and simply spend your days chatting and laughing with the maids and sisters.”

“But now, Brother Lian and Sister Feng are doing their best to manage the household affairs. Lan’er is still young, and Huan’er is not as smart as you in his studies. It is the time for you to support the Jia family’s cause. How can you do something like deserting your post?”

Baoyu's temper flared up, and he sneered:

"Why bother with such sordid matters? No matter how difficult things get, we will still have enough to eat and wear. Why should we deal with those sycophants? Besides, with the Jia family's wealth, I don't need to strive for a Jinshi degree."

Although this statement was somewhat unambitious, others still agreed with it to some extent. After all, the Jia family had two dukes, and although they were currently in a slight decline, they still had a hundred years of wealth and prosperity to enjoy.

Daiyu looked at him with pity, thinking that Gu Yu was thinking of her family.

Thinking that her brother Yu could have been as carefree as Baoyu every day, but had suffered so much hardship at such a young age, how could she not feel sorry for him!

Baochai and Tanchun, who were standing nearby, also felt somewhat disgusted by these words, but they didn't say it aloud. Instead, they admired Gu Yu's character even more.

Gu Yu was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "It would be better if you told Sister Feng this, she knows the accounts very well."

"If all good men in the world thought like you, wouldn't the court be left with only incompetent rulers and wicked ministers? At that time, let alone preserving the Jia family's wealth, it's possible that the entire country would be engulfed in war..."

Fortunately, the people in the house were all reliable and not very old, so Gu Yu stopped there.

Although Baoyu despised officialdom, he had read quite a lot of books and naturally understood the reasoning Gu Yu was making, leaving him no room for rebuttal.

Feeling somewhat resentful, Baoyu hastily finished his meal and didn't even bother to get close to Lin Daiyu. He then led Xiren back home.

After dinner, there were no more activities like watching opera at Gu Yu's place, so everyone had to go and have fun on their own, because Gu Yu still had to go to Yingkexuan to catch the second half of the performance.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Wishes Fulfilled

After Gu Yu left, Xiangling and Qingwen became restless, feeling that the day had been exceptionally difficult to endure. Even when Zijuan and Xueyan came to visit, they were somewhat distracted.

Seeing the two of them like this, Zijuan wanted to find out more, but no matter how Xiangling stammered, she didn't utter a single word.

Not only because this matter was somewhat improper, but also because she felt a touch of girlish shyness in her heart.

After all, Gu Yu had always respected them. If it were a more dissolute young man, he could have forced himself on them upon his return and no one could have said anything. Only Qingwen might have been able to get a few taels of silver in compensation, and then the matter would have been dropped.

Gu Yu had already been holding back so much that they took turns using their hands, but he didn't force himself on her, which really touched them.

Gu Yu didn't return until after 7 PM, almost missing the curfew and not being able to get back.

Qingwen hurriedly went to serve him, and smelling the refreshing fruit wine scent on Gu Yu, she couldn't help but glare at him angrily.

"Sir, you really are something, drinking so much fruit wine. It's amazing that you managed to make it back in time."

Looking at Qingwen's beautiful face, now veiled in a hazy glow under the candlelight, and thinking of tonight's main event, Gu Yu, already feeling a bit tipsy, felt a surge of heat in his heart. Without answering, he grabbed Qingwen, who was helping him change, and kissed her.

Caught off guard by Gu Yu's attack, Qingwen felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She let him kiss her haphazardly a few times before pushing him away, slightly out of breath.

"I reek of alcohol, you should take a bath first... Xiangling has already prepared hot water and is just waiting for you."

"I need you to help me wash."

Gu Yu's burning gaze was fixed on Qingwen's pretty face, and he didn't let go of her hand, pulling her into the house.

Qingwen's heart pounded like a drum, and her face burned. Although she usually served Gu Yu during his baths, the way Gu Yu looked at her now...

However, she suppressed her shame and walked in with Gu Yu with her head down, while Xiang Ling was pouring hot water with her back to them inside.

Gu Yu smiled slightly, walked over and patted Xiangling's pert buttocks twice. When she saw her usually adorable Xiangling turn her head, her face was flushed just like Qingwen's.

The girl's youthful innocence was tinged with a seductive charm under the candlelight, making Gu Yu's heart race and feel that the heater in the room was a bit too hot.

The two men stepped forward, one on each side, to help him undress. The next moment, they gasped and looked at Gu Yu's lower body with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

Although I had touched him with my hands and even my mouth during this time, it was all in the dark, under the covers, and I had never seen the true face of Gu Yu's thing.

Unexpectedly, it was so obvious even through the pants. The two girls exchanged a glance, and Qingwen blushed and gritted her teeth as she pulled down Gu Yu's pants, only to see a huge dragon almost bounce off her hand.

Before Qingwen could react, Gu Yu grabbed her and quickly stripped her half-naked, then picked her up and threw her into the bathtub. He then stripped naked himself and entered the water.

Qingwen let out a soft cry, but fortunately, Gu Yu's inner room was excellent in terms of soundproofing and warmth, so it wouldn't wake up the others in the courtyard.

Seeing Qingwen sitting in the water wearing only her undergarments and panties, her hands unconsciously covering her chest, revealing a hint of her fair skin, made Gu Yu's heart burn even hotter.

Normally, they have to cover themselves with their undergarments, and most of the time they can only grope through a layer of fabric, but today they can finally taste it!

Gu Yu pulled Qingwen into his lap, the two small pieces of clothing doing nothing to conceal the smoothness of her skin.

Even in the water, Gu Yu seemed to be caressing a piece of silk. With a slight movement, her hand seemed to be unable to stop, sliding from her shoulder to the ravine below.

Xiangling served him with a mixture of shyness and envy, watching Gu Yu tightly embrace Qingwen, the two making smacking sounds as their lips intertwined.

Gu Yu's large hand reached under Qingwen's undergarment, and Qingwen's two full breasts kept changing shape under the fabric.

Hearing Qingwen's increasingly seductive moans, Xiangling couldn't help but squeeze her legs together, feeling like her head was about to explode. She turned around and wanted to go out for some fresh air.

Before she could take a step, she heard the devilish, seductive voice of the villain behind her.

"Good Xiangling, quickly take off your clothes and come in to wash with me..."

...

Qingwen was so engrossed in Gu Yu's kneading that she completely forgot where she was when someone suddenly leaned close to her and snapped her back to reality.

When Qingwen saw that it was Xiangling who had come in, her eyes widened. She wanted to say something, but her mouth was sealed shut the next moment.

Looking at the face of that incredibly handsome man, who would be the most important person in her life, so close to her, Qingwen's eyes flashed with deep affection. After a slight hesitation, she put the matter from her mind.

……

The three of them took a bath for almost half an hour, and only came out when the water had cooled down. Gu Yu, who couldn't hold it in any longer, had the two of them take turns diving underwater to help him release himself.

The bedroom was already warm and cozy, so they weren't made to wear clothes. After drying themselves off, Gu Yu personally carried them and tossed them onto the bed.

Having seen everything they needed to see in the bathtub, the two no longer covered themselves and lay side by side on the bed. Their fair skin was flushed from the bath, making them look quite attractive.

Looking at the precious and beautiful scenery that belonged exclusively to him, Gu Yu's lower body was already as hard as iron. After considering for half a second, he decided to pull Xiang Ling over first.

A hint of envy flashed in Qingwen's eyes, but she hid it behind her shyness. After all, she had already expected Xiangling to go with Gu Yu first, and besides...

Seeing the two of them pressed together, Qingwen gasped, feeling both scared and worried.

"Can we really go in? Xiangling won't die, will she...?"

The first close contact made both of them tremble. Gu Yu was also unsure if she could go in, so she took a moment to prepare herself.

These two girls are both over fourteen, but they still only have a few sparse hairs down there, which makes it even more exciting.