Jia Yujing of Red Mansion

Chapter 60 Letter to Daiyu

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, the day before the Spring Festival, dozens of students from Wansong Academy went down the mountain early in the morning again.

But this time they didn't come down the mountain to learn horseback riding. Instead, they came down the mountain to help the common people write Spring Festival couplets with pens, inkstones, and knives of red paper.

In the years when Wansong Academy was first established, the academy had no reputation and limited financial resources.

The first mountain chief did not want to accept the help of poor students, so most of the funds came from the support of the people of Wutong Town.

So every day before the Spring Festival, the mountain chief would lead the students down the mountain to help the people in the town write Spring Festival couplets.

If the common people have money, they can spend some money to buy it. It doesn’t matter how much they give. Those who don’t have money can give it away for free.

This is done firstly to raise some funds, and secondly to thank the people for their support.

Later, as the academy became more famous and had more and more funds, there was no need to raise funds in this way.

However, this activity has been retained. It has become a tradition of the academy to write Spring Festival couplets for the people in the town for free every year, and this day has also become an important festival in the town.

Gradually, people from all over the country came here to ask for Spring Festival couplets. Some even came all the way from Hangzhou to ask for Spring Festival couplets.

Not because I couldn't afford it, but because I wanted to get involved in the academy's culture.

In addition to those who come to ask for couplets, there will also be many vendors setting up stalls around this time to sell some New Year goods, and business is very good.

Of course, this makes the workload of writing Spring Festival couplets more and more heavy. Often all the students who are staying in the hospital for the New Year have to work together, and it takes more than half a day to write the couplets.

Jia Qiong came home to celebrate the New Year, so naturally she didn't need to participate in this event.

After breakfast, he had nothing to do, so he took Wei Rui and Ping An to visit the market and watch the excitement.

Still at the pavilion at the foot of the mountain, groups of people were waiting nearby, and nearby businesses had already set up a long row of tables and chairs.

Some of the academy students were cutting paper, some were maintaining order, and some were splashing ink. They were really busy.

It was the first time for Jia Qiong and the three of them to witness this lively scene. The huge crowds could compete with Chang'an's Lantern Festival Lantern Festival.

Xu Weirui liked to join in the fun. She walked in front and wanted to squeeze in. Jia Qiong quickly stopped her.

"Weirui, come back. Let's just go out and stroll around the market. Don't go over there and join in the fun."

Xu Weirui turned around and asked strangely: "Why, second brother, don't you go say hello to your classmates?"

Jia Qiong smiled and said, "You must not go. It's rare for me to have a free day. If they see me, they will definitely ask me to write Spring Festival couplets here."

Xu Weirui looked at the two scholars who suddenly appeared behind Jia Qiong and looked at him with half-smiling faces. She suppressed a smile and said, "Isn't this bad?"

Jia Qiong said nonchalantly: "What's wrong? It's about honor, do you understand?

Look how happy these people are, with the bright smiles on their faces.

My classmates must be enjoying this kind of time now, so I won't join in the fun. I'll leave the opportunity for them to express themselves.

Come on, let's go for a walk somewhere farther away, so they don't accidentally discover us. "

After Jia Qiong finished speaking, he turned around and saw Lu Yu and Chen Menglong standing not far from him with unkind expressions.

After a brief silence, Jia Qiong smiled awkwardly and said: "Hahaha, what a coincidence.

Jiuyuan, Nanting, why are you two here? "

Lu Yu smiled and said, "What a coincidence. It's convenient for the two of us to come out."

Chen Menglong asked: "Yu Jing, where are you going?"

Jia Qiong laughed and said: "Me, the Chinese New Year is tomorrow, and I haven't bought any New Year's wine at home yet, so I'll take my sister out to buy some.

You guys get busy, I have to leave quickly, I'm afraid I won't be able to buy good ones if I'm late. "

Xu Weirui was afraid that Jia Qiong didn't know, so she reminded: "Second brother, mother bought it yesterday."

"..."

Lu Yu and Chen Menglong looked at each other, then took one of Jia Qiong's arms and left.

"Hahaha, then you are fine.

It just so happens that we are too busy. Yu Jing, your cursive script is the best in the academy. Come and help. "Chen Menglong.

"Yu Jing, as the president, you have to share the joys and sorrows with us." Lu Yu.

"Second brother, I can help you grind ink." Xu Weirui.

"Come on, young master!" Ping An.

"..." Jia Qiong.Chang'an City, Rongguo Mansion.

In a blink of an eye, the spring season is here again.

Lin Daiyu has arrived in Beijing for more than three months and is still living in the blue gauze cabinet in Jia Mu's courtyard.

She has a sensitive mind. When she came from Yangzhou to the Duke's Mansion, which had a complex population and great influence, she would inevitably feel like she was being dependent on someone else.

She is naturally very cautious on weekdays, not daring to make any mistakes.

Fortunately, Jia's mother dotes on her very much, and her sisters are also friendly with her.

Jia Baoyu often came to play with her to relieve her boredom, so that Lin Daiyu could ease her longing for her father.

On this day, sisters Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu and Sanchun were chatting and laughing in Jia's mother's room, when Wang Xifeng walked in quickly from outside.

Before the person arrives, the sound arrives first.

"Ancestor, you are still so lively. You are all here."

When Jia Daichun and others saw Wang Xifeng coming, they all stood up and saluted.

"sister in law."

Jia Mu asked, "Girl Feng, why are you here at this time?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said: "Ancestor, I am here as a messenger for Sister Lin."

Mother Jia suddenly said: "But there is a letter from Yu'er's father?"

Wang Xifeng shook his head and said with a smile: "You must have guessed wrong. This is from Brother Qiong, along with the letter to the Second Master."

Lin Daiyu asked in surprise: "Brother Qiong wrote me a letter?"

"Yes, sister, take a look and see if it's written for you."

Wang Xifeng stepped forward with a smile and handed the letter to Lin Daiyu's hand.

Sanchun and Jia Baoyu came over curiously and saw that the envelope did contain the words: Sister Daiyu personally writes, Brother Jia Qiong.

Jia Tanchun asked curiously: "Sister Lin, how did you and Brother Qiong meet?"

Lin Daiyu said with a happy face: "Brother Qiong passed by Yangzhou at the beginning of the year and visited my home once."

Jia Baoyu asked curiously: "Does Brother Qiong often write letters to his sister?"

Lin Daiyu shook her head and said, "Brother Qiong often corresponds with my father, but he has never written to me alone."

Jia Baoyu said eagerly: "Sister, let me help you see what Brother Qiong has written?"

Jia Tanchun pulled Jia Baoyu and said, "Second brother, this is a letter written by Brother Qiong to Sister Lin. We don't like it."

Only then did Jia Baoyu come to his senses, smiled and said, "It's not my fault anymore. My sister should go back to her room and take a look."

Lin Daiyu nodded shyly, put the letter away and went back to her room.

Jia Mu and others didn't think much about it. After all, Lin Daiyu was still young, while Jia Qiong was already engaged and considered an adult.

In fact, there is indeed nothing shameful in Jia Qiong's letter.

Jia Qiong previously learned from Lin Ruhai's letter that Lin Daiyu had left for Beijing.

So I wrote this letter to Lin Daiyu, and also wrote one to Jia Zheng.

The letter to Jia Zheng mainly expressed his greetings to Jia Zheng, as well as some of his feelings after entering the academy.

He told Jia Zheng some bad phenomena in Jia's private school and suggested that he should vigorously rectify it.

At the same time, he mentioned Jia Baoyu's question by the way, implicitly pointing out that Baoyu was getting older and should concentrate on his studies and should not continue hanging around at home.

Moreover, Daiyu is a cousin, so the two of them should not get too close.

In the letter to Daiyu, he just expressed his greetings as an elder brother and told her to take care of her body.

Remind her to write to Lin Ruhai often. If she encounters any difficulties, she can also write to him.

Although the content of the letter is ordinary, for the delicate-minded Sister Lin, this letter is definitely very precious.

Maybe it can help her feel some warmth in the future days when "the wind, sword, frost and sword are facing each other 360 days a year" and no longer develop that sentimental character.

　It’s the beginning of the month. Please cheer me up and support me. Thank you.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)