Before returning to my uncle's home, Cousin Jia Lian and I went to Yangzhou.
Father's concubines and some old servants had been arranged for by him when he was still alive. They had all been sent back to their respective places with money.
All that was left were some plants that had withered long ago.
I walked through the withered branches and withered leaves in the garden, looking at the places where my grandfather, father, mother, brother, and uncle used to live, and the places where I used to play.
Finally, I came to my own room. With tears in my eyes, I locked them one by one.
— — What else was there to see?
They were all empty.
When I bid farewell to Yangzhou, I looked at the willows along the coast that were gradually fading away.
My ancestral home was Gusu, but I grew up in Yangzhou, so I could be considered a Yangzhou citizen.
Li Taibai wrote that fireworks went down to Yangzhou in March. Yangzhou was the most beautiful in March. The water was the clearest, the wind was the calmest, the mountains were the greenest, and the willows were the most smoky. The city was filled with the fragrance of flowers.
When I took the boat to the north, it was the beginning of March.
On the shore, my father and uncle bade farewell.
They bade farewell to the returning guests.
This time, I didn't go north in March, and there was no one else to bade farewell.
I also won't be coming back.
The March of Yangzhou was probably a long time ago.
.....
When we arrived in Jinling, Cousin Jia Lian said there was something urgent and asked the servants to accompany me to my uncle's home. I looked at the door of my uncle's house and saw that it was white and numb. It looked like a funeral. I couldn't help but be surprised. I didn't know the reason, so I told the servants to quietly enter the house and arrange the things I brought from home.
They were all big boxes of books. Other than the Lin family's ancestral books, my father's savings, my mother's collection, and the Westerner's uncle's belongings, most of them were books.
At that time, I didn't really trust the Westerner. But among the things he brought, there were not only books, but also my uncle's notes. Indeed, most of them were written by my uncle, and there were also many old items of the Lin family that my uncle took from home.
What my family left behind, what would accompany me for a long time in the future, were these boxes of books.
After settling down, he asked around and heard that Young Mistress Rong from the East Mansion had gone there.
Originally, from the time I came from Yangzhou, I was filled with grief. When I arrived at Jiujiu's house, I did not expect to be separated by life and death. Remembering Rong Da Granny's usual voice and appearance, I could not stop my tears from falling. I cried for a while, my heart was filled with bitterness. I only wanted to talk to a few people who were very close to me. He went to look for Baoyu.
Because Biao-ge Lian came back in a hurry for some unknown reason, he came back a month earlier than the originally scheduled date, so I didn't have time to report to Feng jiejie. When the servants saw me along the way, most of them were astonished and said, "Miss Lin has returned?" There were even some who hurriedly stopped what they were doing and went to report.
It turned out that Sister Feng was with Baoyu.
I shook my head and stopped them. Anyway, I'm going to see Baoyu. Since Elder Sister Feng is also there, I don't need to wait. Wouldn't Elder Sister Feng know when she sees me? There's no need to report the details.
When I arrived, Feng jiejie and Baoyu were in the middle of a conversation. I had just walked to the window screen when I heard someone inside report the time of my father's death and my uncle's shipwreck. I heard Feng jiejie laugh and say to someone, "Are you happy? From now on, your Lin meimei can stay with us for a long time. "
Another voice sounded. It seemed to be Baoyu. He didn't laugh, but I didn't really hear what he said.
I retreated a few steps. Like thunder, I suddenly felt cold all over. Wrapping my arms around myself, I floated back to the room.
Zi Juan walked over. Seeing me sitting on the bed in a daze, she was shocked. "Miss, why is your face so pale? Didn't you say you went to see Second Master Bao? Did you make a fuss again? "
After a long time, I replied, "… Zi Juan, are you a servant here?"
Zi Juan nodded.
I asked her, "Do you think it's good for me to stay here for a long time?"
Zi Juan smiled. "The matriarch dotes on you, the madams are kind, Second Master Bao respects you the most, and all the sisters love you. What's wrong with you staying here?"
I did not say anything. Zi Juan seemed to think for a while and said, "I heard from Xiren that when you weren't here, Second Master Bao was in a daze. The matriarch even ate less. If you stay here for a long time, the matriarch and Second Master Bao can eat a few more bowls of rice."
What's wrong with that?
I'm staying here for a long time. The premise that makes you all happy is that the rooms in my house are empty and cold. There are new graves in the ancestral land.
I did not say anything. I told Zi Juan to close the door. Tonight, no one is allowed to come in. She did not allow anyone to come in. Baoyu did not allow anyone to come in. Even if my grandmother asked, I only said that I was tired from the journey.
I hugged the book I brought from home and cried for half the night. The next day, when Baoyu knocked on the door, I did not open it.
I sat down and opened the box in the room. I took out my uncle's Western book that was placed at the bottom of the box because of my grandmother's instructions, and placed it neatly on the table.
With a bit of disrespect, I thought, what does it have to do with me whether you like it or not?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
