The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"Okay, I understand, go down."

Where they stayed, Youshi waved away the aggrieved little woman and fell into a brief contemplation.

But then she packed up and went back to the side hall.

When he stepped into the hall, he did not see Jia Lian, but rather a woman in mourning clothes was leaning leisurely next to the table leg.

Youshi was shocked and thought that maybe Jia Lian had an appointment with someone else tonight and that was why he refused her offer?
But she understood it immediately. Although it was just a silhouette from behind, she recognized it was not someone else but her right-hand man, best friend and good wife Qin Keqing.

"Where is Second Uncle Lian?"

Youshi walked to where Jia Lian had sat before and sat down slowly.

Her sudden voice startled Qin Keqing, who was sitting on the ground.

Qin Keqing was suddenly awakened and looked up at Youshi. Her mind had just returned from the sky and she forgot how to reply for a moment.

Her rare dazed look naturally made Youshi look at her sideways.

In Youshi's eyes, Qin Keqing's eyes were dull and her skin was red, and her cheeks, mouth and nose were blurred, not sure if it was tears or something else mixed together.

If she didn't know that no one in the family dared to disrespect her, she would have thought that she was being bullied.

Even so, Youshi couldn't help but wonder, "Why are you here and in such a mess?"

Hearing Youshi speak for the second time, Qin Keqing seemed to wake up. She quickly put away one of her arms that was supporting her body on the ground, adjusted her headdress and clothes, then knelt up and said softly:

"No, nothing. No, I just fell down accidentally..."

"What's wrong with your throat?"

"No, it's nothing. Maybe I got burned by accident while drinking tea. It will be fine after a while..."

Yu looked at Qin Keqing in silence. After a while, she bent down and tapped Qin Keqing's forehead, cursing in a low voice: "You don't even know how to resist, so you just let him abuse you?"

Knowing who you are, you could definitely learn from Qin Keqing's trick.

She finally understood why Jia Lian declined her kindness. Although the young lady was not bad, she was still far inferior to the charming and graceful beauty in front of her.

She suddenly felt a little happy.

Although she was several years older than Jia Lian and already middle-aged, she had never dreamed of receiving Jia Lian's long-term favor. However, she was still quite happy that Jia Lian cared about old friends instead of just pursuing novelties.

Qin Keqing naturally knew that she could not hide the truth from Youshi, and she lied only subconsciously out of shame.

Seeing that she was exposed by Youshi, she stopped trying to cover it up, moved closer, and explained in a low voice: "It can't be considered as abuse... Maybe he was just in a hurry today, so... that's why he was a little rough. Grandma knows how gentle he is usually..."

Youshi lost her temper after hearing these words. She rolled her eyes, took out her handkerchief and wiped Qin Keqing's cheek while asking, "What about him? Has he returned to the city?"

"Um... by the way, he asked me to give this to you before he left. He also said that he would come early tomorrow morning, and if there was anything, he would discuss it with grandma in person."

As Qin Keqing was about to reach for the book on the table, she found that it had already been taken by Youshi, so she was too lazy to get up.

There was no carpet in the hall and the floor was hard. Her knees were sore from the torment she had received from Jia Lian, so it was a good opportunity to take a break.

Youshi took the manual in her hand. She could guess without asking that Jia Lian probably hadn't read it much before, otherwise he wouldn't have specifically asked her to come over early tomorrow morning.

While he was pondering, he caught a glimpse of Qin Keqing at his feet, who was lying on her knees with her chin resting on her hands.

The way he slightly tilted his head and looked at her without blinking was so gentle and cute, and so cute and charming, that even she, a woman, couldn't help but stare at him in a daze for a moment.

She understood more and more why Jia Zhen was willing to risk the whole world's condemnation and find a way to take advantage of her.

Unfortunately, that man was not worthy of enjoying such a beauty, and finally she fell into Jia Lian's hands, which was just what he deserved.

Thinking of this, Youshi's eyes became softer. She put the book down, reached out and touched Qin Keqing's face, and asked seriously, "Are you really willing to live like this, with no name or status, and even have to go through so much trouble to meet her?

Even if he summons me and sends me away at will?"

She was originally looking at Youshi's face with a smile, and felt that her cheap mother-in-law was also gifted. As time passed, not only did her face not show any signs of fatigue, but it became more and more radiant and beautiful.

Her face is already round and smooth, but upon closer inspection, it actually gives a sense of peace and prosperity.

Suddenly being asked such a sharp question, the skills about domestic fighting that she had learned from those novels and storybooks over the past year were passively triggered. For a moment, she just wondered if Mrs. You was jealous of her and wanted to plot against her regardless of their current peaceful coexistence and good relationship?
Her eyes rolled around for a while, and she asked calmly, "Then according to what Grandma said, what should I do?"

As if she had sensed the vigilance in Qin Keqing's eyes, she sighed:
"I have been lucky in my life. From a girl from a poor family, I became the mistress of a duke's mansion. I was satisfied a long time ago.

If there is any regret, it is that I have not given birth to any offspring in all these years, and my life has become somewhat rootless and floating.

Later, his appearance made up for my regret. He gave me a pair of healthy and lovely children..."

When Youshi said this, her eyes suddenly brightened and her whole body seemed to be glowing.

Qin Keqing, who was still lying on her legs, couldn't help showing a bit of envy when she saw this.

"You know, the day Heng'er and Wu'er started calling me mother, I felt that my life had been completely fulfilled. For the rest of my life, I have nothing else to ask for except raising Heng'er and Wu'er and managing this Duke's Mansion for Wu'er."

"But you are different."

"You are still so young, and you have such a beautiful face, which is beyond the reach of thousands of women in the world.

You shouldn't be trapped in this Duke's Mansion for the rest of your life like me.

I ask you, have you ever thought about escaping from this cage and staying with him for a long time in the future?"

The "he" that Youshi mentioned was naturally Jia Lian.

Qin Keqing also saw Youshi's intentions from her tone. But she had already thought about these issues and had a plan in mind, so she said with a smile: "Look at what my mother-in-law said. Now we are the only ones in charge of the Duke's Mansion. There are no elders to restrict us, and we don't have to worry about our living expenses. I don't know how free and happy I am staying here. How can it be considered a cage?
Besides, even if it is a cage, you, mother-in-law, can stay there, but I can’t?
Or is my mother-in-law fed up with me and wants to find a way to get rid of me?"

Qin Keqing pretended to be aggrieved and looked at Youshi. When it came to acting like a spoiled child, she was popular with both men and women.

As expected, Youshi felt a little reluctant to leave, but for Qin Keqing's lifelong consideration, she continued: "Of course I don't dislike you, but I think that if you want to stay with him for a long time, now is your chance.

Now that the master is dead, there is no one in the mansion who can restrain you and me.

I have two ideas at the moment.

One is that I will find a reason to return you to the Qin family and set you free. This way, whether you want to choose another good son-in-law or let your second uncle take you in, there will be a way to do it. "

Qin Keqing was somewhat moved when she heard Youshi say this.

Because she had thought of this idea herself.

Although the rule in large families is that after the husband dies, the wife continues to live as a widow in her husband's family, it is not absolute.

Especially a place like Ningguo Mansion.

Not to mention the previous scandal in Ningguo Mansion, she had no "chastity" to maintain at all.

For example, all the direct descendants of Ningguo Mansion have died, and Youshi has the final say in the entire Ningguo Mansion. If she considers her own children and is determined to send her, the cheap daughter-in-law who is in the way, back to her parents' home, it will be difficult for the whole family to say anything.

Even the Jia family would be happy.

Don't forget that when Jia Zhen and his son passed away, many people in the Jia family clamored to drive her out as she was a jinx.

It is not difficult to return to the Qin family, but the difficult part is how to return to Jia Lian again after returning to the Qin family.

As for finding another good husband, she never considered it.

So after thinking about it, she said, "What about the second method?"

Youshi had not thought that Qin Keqing would adopt the first option, so she said without further ado: "The second option is that after you return this time, you pretend to be sick, and after a period of time, I will announce to the public that you have died of illness.

When you leave the house, you can change your identity and follow your second uncle.

This is better than the first one. At least you don’t have to worry about damaging the reputation of your Qin family and his second uncle.”

Obviously, what Youshi said was all based on helping Qin Keqing to stay with Jia Lian with a legitimate reason.

Qin Keqing could also hear it, so she asked with a smile: "You think others are too stupid. Even if we do it perfectly, as long as I go back to my second uncle, won't it be exposed?

So many people in the two palaces recognize me..."

Faced with the loopholes raised by Qin Keqing, Youshi acted indifferent.

"With Second Uncle's current status and position, even if everyone in the two mansions recognizes you, when you appear next to Second Uncle in another identity, they will pretend not to know you."

Qin Keqing blinked and understood what Youshi meant.

In fact, to this day, she still doesn't know how many people in the two governments know about the relationship between her and Jia Lian.

Even though they did it very covertly every time, there is no impenetrable wall in the world. After a long time and many times, there will always be traces.

Shaking her head to get rid of the meaningless thoughts, she smiled and said, "Actually, there's no need to be so troublesome. I think it's fine now.

There are so many outstanding women around my second uncle. Even if I follow him, I may not be better than them.

But like now, I can see him every now and then, and every time I see him, I feel excited and excited..."

Yu Shi blushed and spat, "Bah, you are so shameless. Do you really think you can keep pretending to be Xiangling? It's fine now if you do it a few times, but when you do it more often in the future, you will inevitably be discovered. Let's see how you end up then."

Qin Keqing suddenly felt embarrassed and didn't even dare to look Youshi in the eye: "You, you know everything..."

"You make it sound like your plan is perfect. Humph, I saw through it the first time I saw Xiangling in the mansion, but I was too lazy to say it out loud."

Qin Keqing said hurriedly: "Actually, that was not my idea. It was Second Aunt Lian who taught me..."

Yu Shi couldn't help but open her eyes wider.

She knew that Qin Keqing and Jia Lian had a good relationship, but she never imagined it was this good?
That notoriously jealous person actually taught her this?
What an eye-opener.

Qin Keqing found it difficult to face Youshi's gaze, so she changed the subject and said, "Mother-in-law's suggestion is very good. I will find a suitable opportunity to talk to Second Uncle about it. When the time comes, I will do whatever Second Uncle tells me to do."

After hearing Qin Keqing's indecisive words, Youshi understood.

Not to mention Qin Keqing, she herself is the same. Whenever she encounters any problem, the first person she thinks of is Jia Lian.

Although she knew that Jia Lian had many women and she might not play a big role among them, she was very sure of one thing, that is, Jia Lian would never harm her.

"By the way, why does mother-in-law always say that about me? What about you? Have you ever thought about being with your second uncle forever?"

Qin Keqing's sudden question made Youshi laugh.

As a woman who is not yet over 30 years old, she has certainly thought about living together with the man she likes.

But she was impossible.

Even if she doesn't consider herself, she will consider her children.

At present, the three of them, mother and son, have a complete Duke's Mansion as their foundation. If they were to catch up with Jia Lian, they would not only have to compete with Jia Lian's other women, but they might not be able to get more than what they have now.

She's not that stupid.

The key is……

She glanced at Qin Keqing with a hint of envy in her eyes.

She used to think that Qin Keqing was a widow like her, married to Jia Lian.

Later she also found out that Qin Keqing had only had Jia Lian as her man from beginning to end, and even gave her first time to Jia Lian.

She was very envious and also felt inferior.

She knew that among Jia Lian's many women, she was probably an outlier.

This was also the main reason why she never expected too much from Jia Lian. It was also the main reason why she said these words to Qin Keqing today.

After more than a year of living together day and night, she has completely accepted the other party.

She couldn't bear to see Qin Keqing just muddle along like this. With her character and appearance, she should have a place by Jia Lian's side. (End of this chapter)