In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Jia She Acquires A Plant-Based Superpower. - Chapter 18

Lin Zhixiao personally brought in a food box and took out a small bowl of ginseng chicken soup. Jia She handed the bowl to Lin Daiyu, but she shook her head and said softly, “Great Uncle, it is past mealtime.”

Jia She disregarded this, placed the warm bowl in her hands, and said in a gentle voice, “The servants say you ate little this morning and did not have a proper meal at noon. Even a body made of iron cannot endure such strain, and yours is certainly not made of iron.”

“Eat when you are hungry; never mind the hour.”

Lin Daiyu had never heard such words before; the etiquette she had been taught was quite different.

Jia Min leaned against her soft pillows and laughed. “I used to be so annoyed by your casual nature, Brother. I thought you were a boor who understood nothing of propriety. Only now, living at death’s door, do I see it clearly. A person only has a few short decades; one should live freely and unburdened.”

“Yu’er, listen to your Great Uncle and drink the soup.”

She was gravely ill and bedridden. Although she urged the servants to look after her daughter, they only acted according to rigid rules. For instance, today, she had not even known that Lin Daiyu had skipped lunch. Surely, Lin Daiyu must have instructed the maids not to tell her.

Lin Daiyu held the warm porcelain bowl, her eyes reddening as she looked at Jia Min and Jia She, and slowly drank half the soup. Seeing that she could drink no more, Jia She urged, “If you cannot finish it, leave it for now. I will have the servants keep the soup simmering; you can drink a little whenever you wish, regardless of the time.”

Lin Daiyu’s emotions were stable today, and the amount of spiritual energy leaking from her body had decreased significantly. Jia She felt a heavy weight in his heart, thinking of this energy as her life force.

Jia Min forced herself to stay awake for a while longer, but she could not overcome her exhaustion and eventually fell asleep. After she fell asleep, Jia She took Lin Daiyu’s hand and followed Lin Ruhai out. Lin Daiyu wanted to stay and accompany her mother, but Jia She asked, “How long has it been since you have eaten properly, and how long has it been since you have had a good rest?”

Lin Daiyu’s eyes were bloodshot, and her frame was unnaturally thin. The constant leakage of spiritual energy from her body must be affecting her lifespan. Lin Daiyu was sensitive and could perceive others’ emotions from a very young age. She could feel that Jia She’s concern was genuine, unlike those who only cared for her with empty words. In Jia She’s eyes, she saw nothing but deep concern. She could not help but squeeze his hand, thinking, Great Uncle’s hand is as warm as his voice.

Ahead of them, Lin Ruhai saw that Daiyu did not reject Jia She and smiled from the bottom of his heart. He knew his daughter well; she would not let anyone get close unless they truly cared for her. Jia She personally escorted Lin Daiyu back to her room, instructing the maids to prepare easily digestible food.

Lin Ruhai invited Jia She into the study, and the first thing he said shocked him. “I will not hide it from you, Brother. Min’er’s frailty is not natural; it is due to my own failings. We were both poisoned by a rare, foreign toxin. Because she was already weak, the poison acted rapidly, and there is no hope of recovery.”

Jia She had suspected as much upon arrival. Lin Ruhai was the Imperial Salt Commissioner. Although only a seventh-rank official, the power he held intimidated the salt merchants because he was the Emperor’s confidant who submitted secret memorials directly. Jia She understood the corruption of officialdom; Lin Ruhai’s existence threatened the profits of the great salt merchants, so they would naturally seek to eliminate him. It was a difficult position; to side with the salt merchants was to betray the Emperor, but to assist the Emperor was to become a target for the merchants.

Jia She promised earnestly, “Since you both wish for me to take Daiyu back, I agree to the arrangement.”

Lin Ruhai had Lin An bring a small box and told Jia She, “This contains 200,000 taels in bank notes. Please accept this, Brother, and I will entrust my daughter to you.”

Jia She glanced at the small wooden box, but instead of joy, his brows knitted. “200,000 taels is no small sum. Rather than giving this to me, you would be better off giving it to the Emperor to seek his protection for Daiyu.”

Lin Ruhai was surprised and laughed. “I have already given the Emperor 3 million taels.”

Jia She gasped, unable to resist asking, “Just how much money do you rake in every year?”

Knowing his time was short, Lin Ruhai spoke freely: “I hand over at least 5 million taels to the Emperor every year; the rest is my own. I have not dared to save much; the wealth I have gained was all permitted by the Emperor.”

Jia She fell silent. Lin Ruhai was merely a Salt Commissioner, yet he could generate 5 million taels for the Emperor in a year; the immense wealth of those salt merchants was staggering. If he were Situ Xuan, he would also want to dismantle them. Dismantling them would not only pacify the realm but also fill the national treasury, allowing the country to pursue water conservancy projects without financial constraints.

Jia She eventually accepted the 200,000 taels, vowing to spend every cent of it on Lin Daiyu. Seeing Jia She’s troubled expression, Lin Ruhai had the servants lead him to his room to rest. After Jia She left, Lin An whispered, “I just went to inquire; the General has been severely seasick, and in the last year, he has changed significantly. People in the capital say he has gone mad. On New Year’s Eve, he lost his temper and flipped the dining table in front of the Old Matriarch, and afterwards, he did not even inquire about her condition when she fainted.”

“Master, can we truly entrust the young lady to him?”

Lin Ruhai found it amusing. Jia She’s eyes were clear; he was not mad. “He is not mad; he has simply seen the truth. If the Jia family continues on this path, they will eventually be liquidated by the Emperor.”

“I know the Jia mansion is not an ideal place, but only by sending Daiyu there can she survive. If she remains here in Yangzhou with me, I fear she will pass away before I do.”

Lin An still felt uneasy, worrying, “General Jia accepted the 200,000 taels. As long as you are alive, he will naturally look after the young lady. But if you are no longer here, will he still remember his promise?”

Lin Ruhai was no longer as anxious as before. Before meeting Jia She, he had doubted he would take good care of Lin Daiyu. After meeting him, he trusted his character. A person’s heart could be seen in their eyes; when Jia She looked at the 200,000 taels, there was no greed or joy. How could someone with such clean, clear eyes be a man who broke his word?

Lin Ruhai instructed Lin An, “Send someone to follow the General. I feel he does not have enough people with him. Keep an eye on his movements.” Even the best pretender would accidentally reveal habits. She was his only daughter; he could not afford to be careless. He had also made arrangements in the capital; if the Jia family treated her poorly after his death, the entire Jia family would be buried with her. Lin Ruhai took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the surging murderous intent in his heart. He only hoped the Jia family would be worthy of his trust.

That evening, Lin Ruhai waited for Jia She to join him for dinner, but Lin Zhixiao came running over. “Great Uncle, my Master is seasick and says he will skip dinner.” Jia She had instructed him before sleeping that if he could not wake up, he should tell Lin Ruhai, as he guessed he would be waiting for him. Lin Ruhai asked after his health, and upon learning it was just seasickness, he ordered the servants to take good care of him.

Jia She slept until nearly noon the next day. Only then did the sense of instability from the ship fade, and his hunger returned. Without being prompted, Lin Zhixiao brought over the rice porridge that had been kept warm on the stove. After breakfast, Jia She enjoyed a refreshing bath, feeling as though he had been reborn.

“Did Daiyu eat this morning?” Jia She had instructed Lin Zhixiao to keep an eye on her diet and well-being before resting the night before.

Thinking of the young lady, Lin Zhixiao was filled with concern. “Miss Lin had a small bowl of chicken soup yesterday, but she was so distraught she vomited it up before sleep. This morning, she only had a little porridge, and she had a piece of pastry at noon, but has not yet had a proper meal.”

Jia She frowned. Lin Daiyu’s health was already frail, and the continuous leakage of spiritual energy—whatever its source—would certainly affect her physical well-being. Jia She dressed and instructed Lin Zhixiao, “Go to the kitchen and have them brew a nourishing soup. Do not wait for meal times; have her drink some periodically.”

Jia She went to see Jia Min. Lin Ruhai had left early that morning, so only Lin Daiyu and Jia Min were in the room. Jia Min was awake, and seeing Jia She, a smile appeared on her withered face as she spoke with immense weakness.

“Brother is here. Min’er heard that your complexion was poor yesterday; was it due to the change in climate?”

Jia She stepped forward and gently stroked Lin Daiyu’s hair. Seeing her blush and look up at him shyly, he returned a faint smile. A servant brought a stool, and Jia She sat by the bed. “Daiyu is very observant. It has been a long time since I traveled far, and my health has been frail in recent years, making the trip quite difficult.”

Jia Min asked the question closest to her heart: “Then when do you plan to return to the capital?”

Hearing this, Lin Daiyu could not help but show panic, but fearing to anger her mother, she gripped her handkerchief tightly. Jia She laughed, “I have no real business to attend to; I can return whenever I wish. I have only arrived for a day; is my sister already trying to rush me away?”

Jia Min felt relieved. She had been afraid that Jia She would be in a hurry to leave, and even more afraid that she would not be able to see Daiyu before she passed away.