The year I moved into the Grand View Garden, Jia Jue, the Rongguo House's most mysterious legitimate eldest grandson, returned.
Unlike refined young gentlemen like Baoyu and Jia Lian, who were as handsome as Pan An, Jia Jue was tall, dark, and strikingly handsome. He commanded respect without even trying, and his gaze was so cold and sharp it felt like a blade. After all, his eldest cousin was a great general who struck terror into the hearts of enemy nations.
* At their first meeting, her deep-browed, handsome eldest cousin glanced at Daiyu... The next day, Daiyu received a bill.
It clearly listed all the gold, silver, jewels, and rare treasures the Lin family had sent over the years. In red ink beneath that was a list of how much of the Lin family's property the Rongguo House had borrowed or appropriated to build the Grand View Garden.
And so, overnight, Daiyu went from a helpless young cousin staying under someone else's roof to the Rongguo House's biggest creditor.
* After reading the bill, Daiyu was deeply moved. She swallowed her fear and went to thank him in person. Her eldest cousin glanced at her again... The next day, Baoyu was forced to move out of the Grand View Garden...
* Xiangyun said Daiyu looked like a little opera performer. Without a word, her eldest cousin bundled Xiangyun up and sent her back to the Shi family. The two marquises, Shi Ding and Shi Nai, were so terrified they came scrambling over to apologize.
Ever since her eldest cousin returned to the manor, Daiyu had become one of the Rongguo House's most honored young mistresses. Unbeknownst to her, she seemed to have gained a powerful backer.
* Everyone in the manor was talking about the golden union. Daiyu was feeling a little sad when she heard that her eldest cousin had been gravely wounded! She had no time for sadness and hurried to see him.
Her usually cold and stern eldest cousin was now frail, pale, and too weak to care for himself, a heartbreaking sight. Daiyu wept, but he struggled to say, "Little sister, don't cry. I won't die. If I die, you'll have no one to rely on..."
Thankfully, her eldest cousin survived, and Daiyu still had someone to rely on.
* But then she heard that the Emperor was going to arrange a marriage for her eldest cousin. For some reason, Daiyu had the strange feeling that her support had just shattered before her eyes.
Daiyu put on a little frown and congratulated her eldest cousin. "I heard the Emperor is arranging a marriage for you, Big Brother. Congratulations."
Jia Jue gave her a half-smile. "I turned it down."
Daiyu looked up. "Why?"
Jia Jue said, "I told the Emperor that since the Rongguo House owes someone money and can't pay it back, I've already offered myself as collateral to the creditor."
Daiyu looked at him.
Jia Jue said, "Little Sister Lin, the manor's coffers are empty, and we may not be able to repay your money. Would it be all right if I served as your collateral for now?"
*
This story is also known as The Big Cousin Came Back, and I Won by Doing Nothing
The Big Cousin Fell from the Sky: Daiyu Makes a Wish
Other People's Lives Are a Struggle Through the Mire, While Daiyu's Are Easy as Pie
A Dream of Red Mansions: Marrying the Male Lead's Big Brother
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The male lead's version of the title: The General Covets His Cousin's Childhood Sweetheart; The Great General's Debt Repayment
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Reader's Guide:
1. A rugged yet thoughtful, dark-skinned general (Jia Jue) * a delicate, frail young lady as lovely as a celestial maiden (Daiyu)
2. Eight-year age gap
3. A sweet romance. The male lead dotes on his wife without limits. If anyone objects, he makes sure they're out of the picture.
4. The second branch, Baochai, and Xiangyun are portrayed negatively.
5. There is more to the eldest cousin's background, and the leads are not related by blood.
Theme: The big cousin fell from the sky, and Daiyu makes a wish
