2.17 New Home

Watching Jia Lian sprint away as if his tail was on fire, Lin Rui alternated between amusement and exasperation.

He had known the man was unreliable, but he never expected it to reach this degree.

Walking as he pondered, he entered the main parlor. The banquet table had not yet been cleared, and the chaotic state of the room was even more telling. Without needing to look for outsiders, the scattered pieces of shredded fabric and nearly intact undergarments left on the floor made it glaringly obvious what kind of deeds had taken place here.

And it must have happened just this afternoon, given how fresh the leftover feast still looked.

Without a doubt, Jia Lian had skimmed a tidy profit from the recent renovations, and in his elation, he had summoned a group of good-for-nothing drinking buddies to celebrate. Since he happened to be away from the Rongguo Mansion, the company had thrown all restraint to the wind.

Silently shaking his head, Lin Rui could only instruct the servants to clean up before reporting to Jia Min.

Even though they were exhausted from the journey, the borrowed servants of the Xue family eagerly set about clearing the tables. The lavish dishes of meat and fish piled high on the table had barely been touched, and there was enough food left to feed them for days.

Lin Rui walked all the way to the inner courtyard, where the female members of the household—especially the younger generation—were cheerfully discussing and "assigning" their living quarters. The estate was vast enough that everyone would have their own rooms.

Well... actually, Jia Min was quite young herself.

"Where is Lian-ge'er?" she asked with a trace of displeasure as she saw him enter.

"He said he had to go back and report the news, and since it was getting late, it wouldn't be proper to continue intruding," Lin Rui said with a smiling evasion. After a moment of thought, he selectively mentioned the leftover banquet, though he prudently omitted the torn fabric and undergarments. "I expect we'll have formal visitors very soon."

The amount of leftover wine and meat being cleared out could hardly be concealed.

"That Lian-ge'er!" Jia Min sighed in helpless exasperation. Even though Lin Rui spoke lightly, how could she not guess the undercurrents at play? Lin Ruhai also had his social obligations, which inevitably involved visits to pleasure boats and literary academies. "How on earth does eldest brother manage him? He wasn't like this back then!"

Had Jia She and his son ever possessed a proper demeanor?

Lin Rui certainly harbored no such illusions.

"Perhaps it was just a few friends gathering together." Naturally, he understood the principle that distance should not be driven between blood relatives, and he was not foolish enough to add fuel to the fire with sarcastic remarks. "Madam, we've only brought a fraction of our household so far. Many more are still on the road, and most importantly, the majority of our luggage hasn't arrived yet."

"What did Miss Qin say?" Jia Min asked softly.

"She plans to stay in Tianjin for at least half a month to dispose of the cargo. Fortunately, their family has connections, and since they were traveling with us, they mostly loaded light goods like silk, which are easy to sell," Lin Rui recalled the instructions given right before disembarking from the ship.

"Such a pity that girl was born a woman," Jia Min said, having truly taken a liking to her.

"She's far from the only one worth pitying," Lin Rui chuckled in spite of himself.

Among the Golden Hairpins of the Dream of the Red Chamber, could any of them truly escape regret? Take the Jia family, for instance—if even one of the Four Springs had been born a male, their ultimate fate would have been far better. Had Tanchun and Yuanchun both been men, there might even have been hope for the family's revival.

But reality offered no "what-ifs."

Whatever thoughts his words had stirred, Jia Min's expression suddenly turned complex.

"Never mind!" After a long silence, she dropped those inexplicable words, quickly changing the subject. "Aside from Miss Qin, most of the others haven't entered the city yet either, so our courtyard is going to feel rather empty for the next few days."

"It can't be helped, this is the capital," Lin Rui frowned, abandoning any intention of pursuing the topic further.

He had brought a considerable number of people, but entering the city all at once was out of the question.

For instance, nearly eighty personal guards—elite veterans who had undergone over two years of rigorous training—all looked more formidable than the last. If they were to mass together and announce their entry into the city, the city gate guards would likely mobilize and surround them on the spot.

And that was assuming they were empty-handed. One couldn't forget that they carried weapons, equipment, and even firearms.

"The family owns a small estate in the suburbs—our only one. It's not large, just over a thousand mu or so. Send them there for now," Jia Min murmured, her brows slightly furrowed. "Our most pressing task is to recruit some servants for the house as soon as possible, lest it remain completely empty."

In truth, as a household of mistresses and young ladies, none of them knew how to cook or manage domestic chores. Maidservants? Those were meant to be personal attendants functioning as "secondary young ladies," enjoying a status that easily surpassed the legitimate daughters of ordinary wealthy households. To expect them to cook and wash clothes was sheer wishful thinking.

"Actually, it's not that troublesome," Lin Rui said after a moment of reflection. "Although I have many men under my command, I didn't bring them all here. I left twenty with Sister Qin and specifically assigned Lin Yu to accompany her to prevent any trouble, and we must keep an equivalent number of guards here for ourselves.

That leaves fewer than forty people who need to stay at the suburban estate, which won't look conspicuous on a thousand-mu property. As for the servants you mentioned, no matter how deserted this residence is, we still need people to look after it. How is it that I haven't seen a single one?"

"It hasn't been officially occupied since it was purchased, so where would any servants come from?" Jia Min shook her head helplessly. "They were only temporarily hired as caretakers, and all these years they've taken their orders from the Rongguo Mansion. No doubt Lian-ge'er drove them out before starting the renovations."

"Since we're speaking of the Rongguo Mansion—" Lin Rui smiled. "There must be some trusty servants you're used to using, aren't there?"

"Hmm?" Jia Min's expression shifted, a gradual smile blooming on her face. "Indeed, there are a few people I used to rely on back then. By now, they've likely been relegated to the cold benches. We might as well take the opportunity to ask for them back. It would be convenient for everyone."

"And supplement them with some newly hired rough-service domestics; that should be more than enough," Lin Rui nodded.

"What about you?" Jia Min suddenly looked at him. "Aren't you going to keep anyone to wait on you?"

"What about me? Don't I have people?" Lin Rui didn't understand. "The You family—"

"Those two are concubines; they can't wait on you hand and foot all the time," Jia Min interrupted unceremoniously. "When the time comes, I'll request a few maids as well, and you can pick two to use. By the way, Miss Pan is also here—how do you plan to settle her?"

"Can my courtyard not accommodate her?" Lin Rui made no attempt to conceal his intentions.

Jia Min rolled her eyes in exasperation and turned away, presenting him with her back.

Yet as soon as she did, both of them froze.

Without them noticing, their conversation had grown increasingly casual. The formal address of "Madam" was now mostly reserved for formal occasions, while in private they casually used "you" and "I." Their topics had become unrestricted, discussing major and minor matters together, frequently punctuated by minor "clashes."

It was just like... no, it wasn't!

"Very well, you have plenty to attend to, go busy yourself!" Realizing this, she dared not delve any further into her thoughts and strode toward the inner chamber. "Don't forget to send someone to the Rongguo Mansion to deliver—"

Her feet suddenly felt weak as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, catching her instantly before releasing her.

"You should go rest too!" Lin Rui said, then turned and walked out.

Jia Min stood stiffly for a long moment before finally turning around, feeling utterly at a loss as she gazed at the empty inner courtyard.

Meanwhile, when Lin Rui returned to the central east courtyard, he found that most of his people had already arrived.

"Third Master!" Seeing him enter the main gate, Youer hurried forward to greet him.

"It's fine, go back to unpacking," Lin Rui waved a hand, then looked at the young women who were already beginning to arrange things in various places. "How did you know I would stay in this courtyard? I never said so."

Yousan didn't speak, merely lifting her chin to gesture toward a certain haughty young woman.

"Have you never heard of the 'Crown Prince's East Palace'?" Miaoyu shot him a look of disdain.

Lin Rui stared at her in speechless silence.

"Third Master, the assignment of these courtyards follows certain rules," Xing Xiuyan explained with a smile. "Generally speaking, the head of the household naturally resides in the main courtyard, while the eldest son or heir must live in the eastern side courtyard before anything else is divided."

"And you?" Lin Rui pointed toward the proud young woman arranging items in the east side-room.

This time, even Xing Xiuyan shot him a glance without speaking.

"The main chambers are reserved for the future mistress, so don't we live in the 'side rooms'?" Yousan's tone dripped with sarcasm. "What would happen if we lived in the wrong quarters and ended up beaten to death for it?"

"Speak human!" Lin Rui playfully tweaked her small earlobe in annoyance.

"The eastern side is superior, so naturally Miss Pan lives there," Youer added with a smile.

Lin Rui: ......

Clearly, these arrangements required no input from him; everyone already knew their place.

"What about the others?" he persisted, refusing to give up.

"Miss Lin is staying in the back garden; there is a storied pavilion there," Miaoyu said, her tone carrying a hint of reluctance.

The fully connected compound at the very rear was named the "Back Garden," though by modern standards, "garden villa complex" was a more fitting description. Its area was only slightly smaller than a standard two-courtyard compound, designed not merely for scenery but for habitation.

It lacked the conventional arrangement of main rooms, side rooms, and inverted rooms found in standard courtyards. Instead, several small pavilions were scattered among the trees and landscaping, serving both as residences and scenic spots, primarily used to house female members of the younger generation.

The most famous equivalent of such a setup was the "Grand View Garden" built for the imperial consort's homecoming visit.

Coming from a noble background herself, Miaoyu was naturally accustomed to such living arrangements, though her current situation made it somewhat awkward.

"It's not as if I'm forbidding you from going over there," Lin Rui offered words of comfort, but they had little effect.

"Go tend to your business!" Miaoyu shot him a glance and resumed unpacking.

"Help me write a calling card," Lin Rui remembered his main purpose. "Ah, just a formal notification that we have arrived, so we can inform the Rongguo Mansion. After all, we owe them thanks for helping clean up this estate."

"Didn't they say Second Master Lian from that mansion is right here? Don't they already know?" Youer asked in confusion. "Since the news has reached them anyway, why go through the extra trouble?"

"Matters of propriety require a formal notice," Miaoyu, who understood such protocols better, said as she retrieved the four treasures of the study. She pointedly jabbed a finger at him, then at the inkstone and ink block, before searching for red calling-card paper. "Really, why are you so averse to practicing calligraphy?"

"Don't I have you?" Lin Rui began grinding the ink with a smile. "I get to save myself the trouble."

Having grown accustomed to typing on computers in the modern era, most people's handwriting was mediocre at best, and his was even worse.

Too lazy to argue further, Miaoyu waited until he finished grinding the ink, then picked up the brush and wrote the message in a single, flowing motion.

"Miss Pan has wonderful handwriting!" The You sisters chorused with a hint of envy after taking a look.

Coming from minor official backgrounds, they had received some education and could read, but their calligraphy was nothing special.

"Very well, carry on with your work!" Lin Rui glanced at the card, unable to resist giving the proud beauty an appreciative look. He picked it up, blew on the ink to dry it, and slipped it into his sleeve. "I'm going to check on the arrangements in the front."

The young women naturally raised no objections.

Without further ado, he turned and walked toward the eastern outer courtyard, intending to find someone to deliver the message.

His twenty personal guards would henceforth be stationed right here.