When the boat reached the shore, the old steward thanked the boatman and then had someone notify Lin Yan to disembark.
Lin Yan put on her veiled hat and slowly walked off the boat, supported by her maid.
As soon as they landed, an old woman came forward. "Are you Miss Lin? I am from the Marquis of Huaiyin's estate. I am here on Madam's orders to welcome my cousin into the mansion."
"Thank you for your concern, Aunt," Lin Yan said weakly.
"Thank you for your trouble, elder sister. My young lady has been traveling and is quite unwell. What are the arrangements at the estate?" the governess standing beside Lin Yan stepped forward and discreetly slipped a pouch into the old woman's hand.
Lin Yan's wet nurse had not accompanied her; she and her son were back home managing some of Lin Yan's affairs. The woman accompanying Lin Yan now was her governess.
Her name was Han Ying, a former palace maid who had retired to a private life. Lin Yan's mother had paid a considerable sum to hire her to educate Lin Yan.
Because her maiden name was Fang, Lin Yan called her Mama Fang as a sign of closeness. She had no children and depended on Lin Yan for her old age. However, the original owner of this body had been somewhat afraid of her and was closer to her wet nurse.
Later, when this Mama Fang accompanied the original owner to the Marquis's estate, she did not stay by her side for long before meeting a fellow villager and leaving.
Recalling it now, Lin Yan suspected her Marquis's wife aunt had orchestrated this. With such a governess at her side, the original owner would not have been so easily manipulated.
"Please rest assured, our Madam had the carriage waiting since early this morning. Cousin, please follow me." The old woman was very enthusiastic. She pinched the pouch, feeling the distinct shape of silver ingots within, and her smile became even more genuine.
Lin Yan, supported by her maid, slowly followed the old woman. The old steward, meanwhile, instructed the accompanying servants to organize the luggage.
Seeing that only one carriage had been sent, he immediately sent someone to rent several more from the carriage rental service. At the same time, he exchanged a glance with Mama Fang, both sensing their dissatisfaction with the Marquis's estate's arrangements.
"Eldest Miss, please go to the Marquis's estate with Mama Fang. I will handle things here," the old steward comforted Lin Yan.
"Then please hurry," Lin Yan said, her voice tinged with reluctance but more so with grievance.
The old woman's smile faltered for a moment but quickly returned.
She truly hadn't expected the cousin to bring so much luggage. From the moment Lin Yan was to arrive, they had considered her an orphan whose parents had passed away, nothing more than a fallen noble.
Therefore, no one was particularly eager to undertake the task of fetching her, and it fell to her, a person without connections.
A portion of Lin Yan's commonly used personal belongings was loaded onto the carriage that had arrived first, and it set off for the Marquis's estate with Lin Yan.
The remaining luggage was personally overseen by the old steward and sent to the manor.
When Lin Yan's carriage arrived at the Marquis of Huaiyin's estate, the old woman went ahead to announce their arrival. A side gate was then opened.
Seeing the familiar scene, Lin Yan couldn't help but inwardly complain to the system.
"This part by the author is clearly a copy of Lin Daiyu's arrival at Jia Mansion."
Although Lin Yan hadn't read the entire "Dream of the Red Chamber," the section "Lin Daiyu's Arrival at Jia Mansion" was included in her high school Chinese curriculum. Therefore, she was quite familiar with it.
What's more, her surname was Lin, making the sense of déjà vu even stronger!
"Let me see," a rustling of pages followed in Lin Yan's mind.
"Host, you are correct. This section in the original work shares over 60% similarity with 'Lin Daiyu's Arrival at Jia Mansion'."
Lin Yan didn't know what to say. So, the persona of this cousin was a copy of Lin Mei Mei.
Orphaned, frail, living with her uncle's family. However, she was worse off than Lin Mei Mei. At least that one had a maternal grandmother in the inner quarters to protect her somewhat, and her own father was still alive when she first entered Jia Mansion.
But the original owner had lost both parents. Upon arriving at her uncle's house, no one welcomed her except her uncle.
Thus, when the male protagonist showed her even a little kindness, she was deeply moved. Yet, she knew she was not worthy of her cousin.
Her cousin was not only the heir of the Marquis's estate but also accomplished in both literary and martial arts, with a charming appearance, making him the dream man of young ladies in the capital.
Although the original owner had also dreamt of marrying her cousin and living a harmonious life, her aunt's attitude made it clear that it was impossible.
Even though her cousin treated her well, he wouldn't go so far as to defy his mother. If she were to marry him, she would never be happy.
The original owner came from a scholarly family and held her own principles. Therefore, when she realized this marriage was being forced upon her, she wanted to withdraw.
Unfortunately, in both lifetimes, she had no chance. Both lives ended tragically.
This reborn female protagonist was too filled with malice. In the first lifetime, the transmigration female protagonist had at least offered the original owner a way to live. In the second, this reborn female protagonist offered no such path.
She wondered if she had nightmares at night, having killed the original owner and spending her wealth.
Lin Yan felt she could play along with them. After all, they were all popular tags. Since they had all been brought together, it would be a disservice to the author's setup not to have a good fight.
In any case, Lin Yan was confident in herself and believed she would not lose. Besides, getting personally involved was too troublesome. Watching the spectacle from a high vantage point was the best approach.
When Lin Yan was helped to meet the Marquis's wife, she immediately thought of Wang Xifeng. Her aunt must have been a dazzling beauty in her youth.
Even now, in middle age, her unrestrained charisma had not entirely faded. However, as the mistress of the house, she certainly had to maintain some decorum. Still, the gaze she cast upon Lin Yan was filled with authority.
Lin Yan bowed to her and immediately felt the gaze that scanned her from head to toe, as if trying to dissect her and see what lay within.
Lin Yan maintained her bowed posture, waiting for the Marquis's wife to speak. Only when her body began to sway slightly did the Marquis's wife, seated at the head of the table, finally speak.
"Look at me, I was so captivated that I forgot about Lin girl. Get up, get up quickly. You look so much like your mother, it reminds me of her the moment I see you." The Marquis's wife quickly had a maid behind her help Lin Yan up.
She made no attempt to hide her displeasure towards Lin Yan. This Marquis's wife came from a royal lineage; her father was a prince, and she herself held the title of county princess.
Therefore, she held Lin Yan in low regard, even though Lin Yan's mother was her husband's younger sister.
This marriage had angered her greatly. Her husband caring for his own sister's child was one thing, but why promise the position of his eldest son's principal wife to her?
A daughter of a mere third-rank official's family – even when her father was alive, she hadn't thought highly of her, let alone now that her father was gone!
Yet, he had directly arranged his son's marriage without consulting her. She had had several young ladies in mind from good families and was preparing to ask her son which one he preferred.
And now, he was marrying a girl from a fallen household. Moreover, looking at her frail appearance, as if she could be blown over by a gust of wind, and wondering if she would even live to adulthood. If she were to fall ill and die, wouldn't her son then bear the reputation of being a wife-killer?