Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 128

"This Phalaenopsis orchid is of excellent quality, and it was picked at dawn while still covered in dew; it's truly top-grade. This young lady is indeed very talented. However, to take it to the next level, she still needs to prune the vines a bit more..."

Not far behind, Daiyu and the others watched intently as the old nanny moved her small scissors along the branches, carefully gathered a few more delicate chrysanthemums, and placed them on top, thus completing a bouquet.

"...In this way, the small opening is covered as naturally as possible, but the color of the orchid cannot be concealed. Only in this way can it be considered to have truly entered the realm of excellence."

"Mom, you've worked so hard. Have a cup of tea."

Seeing that the matter was over, Baochai gave a wink, and Ying'er quickly brought over a teacup to comfort her. Yingchun, blushing, was surrounded by Daiyu and the others, receiving their praise.

"Second sister was really hiding her talents all along. Now that she's learned flower arranging, she's made rapid progress!"

The old nanny in front of me can be said to be the most senior servant of the Gu family. Although she has never been the head of the household, she is the most important person in the entire Gu family.

They are the people specifically responsible for teaching young masters and ladies etiquette. The Gu family has passed down this tradition for so many years and generations, and they must be thoroughly familiar with the etiquette of each dynasty before they can teach it. In terms of etiquette alone, they are probably even better than the Confucian family, descendants of the sage.

Although Daiyu and the others had a general understanding of flower arranging, and had even learned some techniques when they were young, they only realized after learning from this nanny for a while that they had just been dabbling in it before, and that there were not so many intricacies involved.

The old woman thanked her humbly, sat down to rest for a while, and then looked up with emotion and said:

“The girls are all exceptionally intelligent. In my opinion, they have already mastered the basics. From now on, they only need to follow the instructions in the ‘Vase Flower Manual’ and that will be enough.”

After all, for a girl to learn this is just a matter of etiquette and trend; no one would expect to become a master and make a living from it. Reaching this level is enough for a lifetime.

As for the masterpiece "The Book of Vase Flowers," which dominated the flower arrangement world as soon as it was published twenty years ago, it is naturally inseparable from the unassuming old nanny in front of us. That person is her cousin, and they are very close.

"These days the girls have worked hard getting up early to pick flowers and listen to lectures. I just hope they won't complain about this old woman."

"Mom, you're too kind. We should be the ones thanking you."

Looking at the group of beautiful young ladies in front of her, the old nanny felt a deep sense of emotion. They were all beautiful and kind-hearted. If her young master could marry one of them, it would be a blessing after all her hardships!

The only thing that's puzzling is that they listened very attentively when I explained the various etiquette rules, especially the family rules of the Gu family.

But when it comes to things that young women should pay attention to on a daily basis, they seem rather absent-minded, as if they don't care about modesty or reputation at all, which is really strange!

If it were just one person acting this way, it could be explained by their temperament. But if a group of people act this way, she wouldn't dare to pry into the details. She would simply pretend not to know and let it slide, thus reducing her workload by a few days.

"Girls, go back and rest now. The sun has been strong these past few days, so don't get sunburned. Otherwise, I can't bear the consequences if the young master questions me, hehe."

Chapter 88 A true warrior dares to face his own...

Although the villa where Daiyu and the others lived was not far from the main house, Gu Yu couldn't bear to let them be exposed to the sun. Even though it was only a short distance, she arranged for them to be carried in sedan chairs, which made them feel uncomfortable. So they simply stayed a little longer each time, waiting for the temperature to subside before returning home together.

As the sun began to set, the women got up and walked back into the courtyard. Halfway there, an old woman came to invite Mengzhi. The others pretended not to see her and continued walking back with normal expressions, leaving only Mengzhi blushing and excitedly following the old woman to another place.

If there's one thing they've learned most profoundly in the past month, it's this: If any of the sisters leaves the group, they must never ask about it, otherwise, they'll be the ones laughing at others this time, and next time they'll be the ones being laughed at.

After turning past several courtyard walls, as soon as Mengzhi entered the gate, someone pulled her along, took her hand, and a familiar laugh rang in her ears, leading her to the backyard.

"Zhi'er, you'll have to work hard today. A batch of grapes just arrived, and I think they're all of excellent quality. I was thinking of making some wine for us to drink ourselves, so I had someone invite you over."

"Eh?"

Mengzhi looked up in confusion, obediently following Gu Yu. Before she could speak, Gu Yu had already anticipated her question:

"Zhi'er, don't worry, this is quite simple, you'll understand it at a glance—look."

In the courtyard, a dozen pretty young girls were standing barefoot in a basin, stomping on it. The basin was full of plump grapes, but they had already been crushed halfway.

"This is…?"

Mengzhi blushed slightly and tugged at Gu Yu's sleeve. She secretly raised her head and glanced at his gaze. Seeing that he wasn't staring at other people's small feet, she was inexplicably delighted and moved even closer to him.

Gu Yu gently squeezed Meng Zhi's soft little hand, not noticing her little gesture, and simply smiled as she introduced her to Meng Zhi:

"The first step in making wine is to crush the washed grapes, like this, by stomping them with your feet... So naturally, it would be best to use pure young girls—but this year, Zhi'er and you just happened to be born in the same year, so I think..."

Gu Yu turned her head, her gaze fixed intently on Meng Zhi, who seemed to have realized something, a strange smile playing on her lips:

"Would Zhi'er like to give it a try?"

"I…"

A blush crept onto Mengzhi's pretty face. She couldn't help but glance at the girls stomping on grapes. Their fair, delicate feet bobbed in the plump grape flesh. If she were to stomp on the grapes for her brother Yu to drink...

"...Why didn't Brother Yu invite Sister Lin and Sister Xichun to come along?"

Seeing the little girl blush and lean closer to him, Gu Yu knew he had won, and a look of joy appeared on his face. Then, hearing Meng Zhi's question, his face stiffened, and he quickly coughed twice, saying:

"Uh—your little sister Xichun isn't feeling well and can't come over. As for your older sisters Lin and Bao, I asked them to teach Xiangling poetry the other day, so they're naturally not very available either, besides—"

Gu Yu glanced around, then lowered his head guiltily and whispered a compliment:

"In my opinion, it's still Sister Zhi'er's jade feet that are better... cough cough!"

These words were obviously made up. The girls' little feet were all white and smooth, only differing slightly in scent and size. He usually only licked them when he saw them, so he didn't have the energy to make comparisons.

However, if too many people come, there's no need to make a big fuss, and besides, with so many people here, he'd be too embarrassed to take action.

"Brother Yu~!"

Mengzhi's swan-like neck was flushed with a rosy blush. She shyly raised her hand to cover Gu Yu's outrageous mouth. Her eyes were moist, like a young deer in the forest, her wet eyes full of innocence, making Gu Yu even more thirsty.

"Come on, come on, I've prepared everything inside!"

Pulling the shy little girl into the room, Gu Yu made her sit on a chair, then squatted down to take off her shoes and socks, unconsciously caressing her delicate feet.

"It feels amazing..."

"Brother Yu~"

Mengzhi blushed and shrank her feet, subtly squeezing her legs together, which also reminded Gu Yu that she had invited someone to stomp on the grapes.

"Hehe... Zhi'er, I'll leave it to you now."

Gu Yu reached out and easily hugged Meng Zhi. Then she went into the inner room, where there were about ten bowls of grapes on the floor, which looked like a lot.

"Zhi'er will have to work a little harder. This wine isn't just for me to drink alone; it can also be used to feast with my sisters... When we return to the city in a few days, Zhi'er can also present it to Her Majesty the Empress. I'm sure she will be very happy."

Mengzhi's eyes lit up, and she nodded gently, her heart filled with enthusiasm. Gu Yu gently placed her down, standing barefoot in the basin. The novel sensation made Mengzhi gasp softly.

"Ew! It feels a little cold..."

The grapes that were delivered were all strictly selected, each one ripe and plump, and some had even been slit with a knife. As soon as Mengzhi stepped on them, the grape flesh inside gushed out and overflowed between her tender white toes. The sticky feeling made her curl her toes, but she ended up crushing even more grapes.

"oops!"

"what happened?"

Gu Yu was admiring the beautiful, almost glowing white feet hidden by the fruit flesh when she suddenly heard Meng Zhi's cry. Startled, she quickly reached out to support her, afraid that she would fall.

"I...I don't think I washed my feet yet..."

Mengzhi blushed, her heart filled with shame. She had been so engrossed in Yu-gege's hand that she had forgotten about such an important matter. Would Yu-gege think she was an unclean person?

Isn't this part of my plan?

Gu Yu opened her mouth, but she wasn't thick-skinned enough to say that, so she changed her approach:

"This is the normal procedure, Zhi'er, you don't need to worry."

"Brother Yu is lying... I just saw a maid soak herself clean before stepping into the tub..."

"..."

Seeing Mengzhi's beautiful eyes fixed on him, Gu Yu remained silent for a moment before deciding to tell the truth:

"Actually, Zhi'er, you don't know, as far as I know, whether it's you or your sister Lin, they all have fragrant skin and are free of dirt. Even if they don't wash for several days, they still smell sweet. How can ordinary women compare to you?"

Seeing Mengzhi staring at him with wide eyes, Gu Yu, in a fit of pique, added his little quirk:

"And the original flavor is even more fragrant."

"...So, Brother Yu that day..."

Mengzhi stared blankly at Gu Yu's handsome face. When she saw him turn his head away and cough twice unnaturally, she suddenly realized what was happening, blushed, and lowered her head.

That night, Gu Yu did many strange things to her, including holding her feet...

I felt really embarrassed at the time, thinking that it was because Yu-gege found my reaction comfortable that he lowered his pride and even kissed my unclean feet. I never expected...

"I see…"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became strange. Mengzhi blushed and mechanically stomped on the grapes, but the scene before her suddenly blurred. The soft, mushy flesh overflowed from between her toes, and it seemed to resemble Yu-gege's skillful tongue that night—

"Zhi'er?"

Mengzhi's body suddenly went limp, and Gu Yu caught her in time. Before he could ask anything, he saw her wet eyes and flushed cheeks, and his expression immediately became subtle. After letting out a sigh of relief, he felt as if the air had become more lively.

"Zhi'er, relax...we have plenty of time..."

Chapter 89 Are your grapes guaranteed to be ripe?

Inside the quiet room, faint squelching sounds could be heard. The servants, who had been instructed by Gu Yu, naturally did not approach casually, so soon there were some other noises.

"call…"

Gu Yu gently embraced Meng Zhi's waist. As the little girl moved, the room gradually filled with the sweet aroma of fruit. Coupled with the faint sweat on Meng Zhi's neck, he couldn't help but take a deep breath and sigh with satisfaction.

Mengzhi pretended not to hear Gu Yu's voice, placing her hands on his chest and blushing as she earnestly stomped on the grapes. She had almost fallen because she was distracted earlier, so she dared not let her mind wander now... at least not until she was finished.

Although the grapes were ripe and easy to step on, there were still quite a few of them. After Gu Yu carried her and changed them four or five times, the pace finally slowed down.

Hearing Mengzhi's soft, panting breaths, Gu Yu immediately told her to stop for a moment, and then went to the side to pour her a cup of tea and feed it to her.

"How about we ask Xichun and the others to come over and help us with the rest in a few days?"

"No~"

Mengzhi quickly shook Gu Yu's hand, looked up at him coquettishly, and drawled out her words:

"Zhi'er wants to give Sister Lin and Mother a surprise... Brother Yu, please don't tell them yet~"

"But…"

"I'm not tired at all!"

Seeing Gu Yu raise his head and touch her forehead, Meng Zhi quickly rubbed against his palm in a fawning manner, like a little kitten.

“...Alright then, but Zhi’er should rest for a bit first, there’s still time.”

Mengzhi nodded happily, letting Gu Yu pick her up and place her on a chair to the side. Then she swung her fair feet. The grape juice felt sticky when it was exposed to the wind, which made her frown uncomfortably.

"Brother Yu, could you please have the maids bring over a basin of water first?"

Looking around the empty room, Mengzhi blushed and turned to Gu Yu for help again, but Gu Yu pretended to be innocent and turned his head away, saying:

"What? Zhi'er is being too wasteful. It's not like she's taking a bath, why does she need to use water?"

Perhaps the burning passion in his eyes was too obvious, and he didn't even bother to pretend, or perhaps Meng Zhi was too perceptive to notice Gu Yu's intentions at a glance. She immediately lowered her head shyly, only murmuring weakly, "..."

"But I'm feeling a little unwell... Brother Yu... Brother Yu, could you not..."

Before he finished speaking, Gu Yu walked up with a mischievous grin, squatted down in front of Meng Zhi, gently picked up her fair and delicate little foot, and examined it carefully as if it were a precious treasure.

"Since we'll continue later anyway... why don't we just wipe it with a handkerchief?"

"Eh?"

Mengzhi subtly raised her eyebrows, glanced at Gu Yu squatting in front of her, and looked at him with a hint of unexpected confusion in her eyes. Shouldn't Brother Yu be going to...?

"However... let me clean the grape flesh for Zhi'er first!"

This is right!

Mengzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and seemingly unintentionally stretched her delicate toes, attracting Gu Yu's full attention. Her face flushed red as she asked:

"What are you planning to do, Brother Yu—ooh~!"

The next moment, a warm tongue rolled into her sensitive jade foot, instantly making Mengzhi tense up and unable to speak. Her watery eyes stared blankly at Gu Yu, who was tasting her toes with ecstasy, as she endured the intense stimulation on her body.

"Zhi'er...you're still young and don't understand some things. Just remember, if you want your Yu-gege to be close to you, you mustn't be too clingy, understand?"

"Find out what he likes in the meantime, but don't try to please him on purpose. Only when he brings it up should you... Hehe, you've always been smart and you learn quickly, so you don't need your mother to teach you anything else."

"..."

Recalling her mother's words, Mengzhi stared intently at Gu Yu in front of her, her bright blue eyes sparkling as if she had completely grasped her mother's profound meaning. After thinking for a moment, she deliberately stretched out her toes, making Gu Yu work even harder.

"Brother Yu...be gentle..."

Gu Yu could no longer hear the soft whispers. He was already captivated by the delicate, white feet that exuded a delicate fragrance, and now, with the added aroma of fruit and sweet juice, it was truly a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. He couldn't care less about anything else.

Sucking on the soft soles of her feet, Gu Yu found the position awkward, so he simply picked up Meng Zhi and put her on the bed next to him. He then knelt down by the bed and savored her, no longer caring about anything else.