In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Jia She Acquires A Plant-Based Superpower. - Chapter 19

Jia She dared not instill too many modern perspectives in Lin Daiyu all at once. One cannot become fat in a single meal, and rushing would only cause harm; he needed to influence her subtly. Lately, he had been bringing her out to exercise, but Lin Daiyu still gave him the impression of a walking corpse. Beyond her parents, she seemed indifferent to everything else. She did not care what she ate, what she wore, or even the state of her own health. Perhaps even she had not realized that she no longer cared whether she lived or died.

Just the illness of Jia Min alone had brought Lin Daiyu to such depths of sorrow. Lin Ruhai did not have many years left either; how much more grief and despair would she face when that day came? Jia She wanted to set a goal for her to live; even if life were difficult, she needed a reason to carry on.

After hesitating for a moment, Jia She asked seriously, “Do you want to learn martial arts?”

Lin Daiyu was shocked. Seeing the absolute seriousness in Jia She’s eyes, she thought for a long time, then replied firmly, word for word: “Great Uncle, I will learn.” She did not say she wanted to; she said she would.

Jia She stroked her head with a look of satisfaction and promised earnestly, “Very well. I will hire the best master for you and find the best medicinal herbs.” Once they returned to the capital, he would find Situ Ruo and surely find a suitable female master for her. With the secret help of the spiritual tea he cultivated, he was certain he could help her develop internal energy.

Before he had awakened his own ability, he had often felt anxious about his future. Once he possessed power, that anxiety vanished. Personal strength was the greatest source of confidence, and he wanted Lin Daiyu to have that same foundation. If Lin Daiyu knew martial arts, she would surely be able to rewrite the ending where she withered away in sorrow.

Lin An, hearing this conversation, was so anxious he pulled out chunks of his own hair. How could the Eldest Master say such things to the young lady? Martial arts and vengeance were not things a young lady should concern herself with. He resolved to tell his Master that Jia She was leading her astray.

Jia She took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from Lin Daiyu’s face, determined to raise her into a firebrand rather than a delicate flower who only knew how to pity herself when things went wrong. He took her to see the peasant families living on the tea plantation and had the steward tell her about their lives. The steward was elderly and initially trembled in the presence of such noble figures, but seeing Jia She and Lin Daiyu’s gentle manner, he gradually loosened up.

“The Heavens have been kind these past few years, and the harvests of tea have been good. The previous owner only cared about the tea and left us to grow crops in the gaps between the trees. We can afford meat once a month, and everyone in the surrounding villages envies our lives here.” The steward was anxious, fearing that if the new owner disliked him, he would be cast out with no land or home, and he would have to sell himself into slavery to survive.

Lin Daiyu pondered this. She had never imagined that being able to eat meat once a month would make people in the surrounding villages envious. Seeing that the steward was honest and hardworking, with hands calloused from labor, Jia She nodded at Lin Zhixiao, who understood and went to negotiate the price with the old steward.

Jia She saw the steward’s anxiety and said, “Just continue to cultivate the tea well. I will only take a set amount each year. You may sell the surplus yourself and cultivate any extra land.” He decided not to visit the other two plantations; seeing the steward’s face light up with a genuine smile upon learning he would not be fired made his own visit worthwhile.

Lin Daiyu saw some young children squatting by a stream playing with mud, while a woman nearby embroidered. She asked the steward curiously, “Why not let them play in a more open area?”

The steward’s expression turned grim as he shook his head. “The young lady may not know, but there have been many kidnappers lately. A child in the next village was stolen and found with his hands and feet hacked off so he could be used to beg for money. When his parents reported it to the authorities, the entire family was murdered, and their house was burned down. I fear the children will be targeted, so I keep them restricted to this area.”

Jia She’s expression hardened. He had seen such things in the modern world; in ancient times, this was called harvesting living limbs. It was the most venomous method of begging, turning healthy, living people into monsters to attract attention and exploit others’ sympathy. Organizations that engaged in such acts deserved to rot in the eighteenth level of hell.

Lin Daiyu, having never encountered such lawlessness, covered her mouth in horror. Seeing that he had frightened her, the steward knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy. Lin Daiyu hid behind Jia She, who gently held her hand and told the steward, “Get up. Keep a close watch on the children and do not let them run too far.”

Jia She spent most of the day touring the plantation with Lin Daiyu. It was the first time she had truly felt the vast difference between people. All were human, yet she lived in comfort while those on the farm had no food or clothing, waiting for the holidays to eat meat. Recalling how she would often feel sentimental over fallen leaves, she now felt deeply ashamed of her own fragility. Compared to the people on the farm, what did her own suffering even amount to?

On the way back, Lin Daiyu asked, “Great Uncle, do the common people all live such miserable lives?”

Jia She did not want to lie to her. “Of course not. Ordinary folks live even harder lives than those on the plantation. A few years ago, when the weather was bad and they couldn’t harvest their crops, entire families were forced to flee. Ten people might flee, and only one or two might remain by the time they reach the south.”

“Yangzhou is prosperous, and most people can eat their fill, but in barren lands, people work hard all year and still cannot afford to raise their children.” Jia She feared the harsh reality would frighten her further and stopped there.

Even so, Lin Daiyu’s heart ached. Thinking of the food she had wasted, she bowed her head and wept. Jia She sat up straight to wipe her tears. “Do not be so sad. If your mother learns I made you cry, she will certainly not give me a pleasant look.”

Lin Daiyu looked at him through teary eyes, striving to compose herself. After calming down, she said, “My mother would never give Great Uncle a hard time. You are so good; she likes you just as I do.”

Seeing her composure return, Jia She said earnestly, “I brought you to the plantation to get you out, but also to show you that countless people in this world use every ounce of their strength just for a single meal. We were born into a wealthy family, never lacking food or clothing. We have received more than enough. Heaven cannot favor us forever, so we are destined to lose some things.”

Lin Daiyu understood some, but not all of it. Jia She did not care if she fully grasped it yet; as long as she listened, it was a start. Lin Daiyu had been raised on feudal thoughts since childhood; changing her would not happen overnight. He needed to keep planting seeds of doubt and wait patiently for them to bloom.

Jia She did not return directly to the manor but took Lin Daiyu to a tavern to eat, then to listen to storytelling, experiencing the bustle of Yangzhou’s streets. Lin Daiyu marveled at the variety of life; the farmers worked for food, the people on the streets worked for a few copper coins, and others threw away vast fortunes in idleness.

Seeing the leakage of spiritual energy from Lin Daiyu decrease, Jia She thought that bringing her out to see the world was indeed effective. A person’s heart was limited; when filled with the affairs of the world, those tragic thoughts would naturally be pushed into a corner. He decided then and there to bring her out for walks every few days.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Min had been worried about Lin Daiyu. They rarely took her out because her health was poor and the outside was dangerous. When Jia She brought her back, Lin Ruhai saw the faint smile on her face from afar and was momentarily dazed. Ever since Jia Min was poisoned, he could not remember the last time he had seen her smile.

Seeing her father, Lin Daiyu stopped and curtsied. Lin Ruhai suppressed his excitement, walked up to them, and bowed respectfully to Jia She. Jia She immediately stepped aside, declining the gesture. Seeing Daiyu looked exhausted, he had a maid take her to rest, then invited Lin Ruhai to the study.

“I heard something at the tea plantation today about kidnappers who mutilate children for begging.”

Lin Ruhai’s expression grew grave. “I know what you wish to ask. There are several salt gangs in Yangzhou; the most prominent is called the Crossing Dragon. One of their sub-leaders is cruel and takes pleasure in torturing children. He maims them before sending them to beg, treating it as a business.”

Jia She’s brow furrowed. “Are the authorities doing nothing about such monsters?”

Lin Ruhai sighed with resignation. “Initially, the people reported it, and the authorities took action. But that man is cunning, and his subordinates would not betray him. The authorities could find no evidence to arrest him. Salt gangs involve significant interests, and that man has backing and high-level martial arts. Every time the authorities approached, he would torture the children even more viciously, and eventually, the authorities stopped interfering.”

A murderous intent stirred in Jia She’s heart; such vermin deserved to be sent to hell. Lin Ruhai, having spent years in officialdom, had seen enough injustice to have his sense of justice dulled by reality. Jia She asked for a portrait of the sub-leader. Not knowing Jia She’s intentions, Lin Ruhai ordered Lin An to find one.

Lin Zhixiao took the portrait and held it up to Jia She. Others might not know Jia She’s intent, but he did. Jia She looked at the abstract drawing and frowned; could anyone truly identify someone from such a sketch? Jia She returned the portrait to Lin An and told Lin Ruhai he was tired.

Upon returning to his courtyard, Jia She ordered Lin Zhixiao to gather information on the Crossing Dragon gang. Thinking of the tortured children, Lin Zhixiao was filled with zeal. “Rest assured, Master. I will find out everything there is to know about that sub-leader.”

The following evening, Lin Zhixiao reported the news. “That man relies on his martial arts and is arrogant; he goes to the Zhuangyuan Tea House on the first of every month to drink tea.”

Jia She could not wait until the first of the month; for every day that beast lived, more victims would suffer. “Prepare a night-walking suit for me. Do not let anyone know I have left.”

Lin Zhixiao pulled a chest from under the bed, beaming. “I guessed as much, Master; I had it prepared long ago. Rest assured, I bought it in secret; no one knows.”