The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Chapter 857 Calling My Cousin-in-Law
Jia Lian left Baochai's room in a fit of rage.

Baochai had traveled all day and arrived here at midnight.

If I make a scene with her again, she might not be able to get out of bed all day tomorrow.

This wouldn't have been a problem in itself, but Jia Lian was thinking, "It's better to attack the mind than the body."

Since Baochai has already been tricked into coming here, why should she be afraid of not being able to get her?
Therefore, with immense perseverance, he temporarily humbled himself.

As he walked onto the porch of his main house, he saw Ah Qin coming out of his room carrying a change of clothes.

When she saw him, a hint of surprise appeared on her charming face.

Seeing this, Jia Lian sneered and walked over to order, "Go and call your sister to my room as well."

Aqin was stunned again.

What's wrong with you, sir?
Yesterday, Jia Lian was tidying up and decorating the room, and he also ordered her to go to the city to buy flower petals for bathing.

After all that effort, tonight is clearly the harvest season, but why do I look like I've returned empty-handed?
Could it be that Miss Xue rejected you, sir?

It shouldn't be.

Even if Miss Xue is reserved, she has come here with you, so it's only a matter of time before she offers herself to you.
Although she couldn't understand it, she knew what Jia Lian meant by calling them into the house.

So she smiled and replied "yes," and happily went to find her sister.

……

After venting his anger on the Aqin sisters, Jia Lian casually told them the time to get up early the next morning and then went to sleep.

The next day, before dawn, Jia Lian was woken up by A Qin scratching him with a strand of her hair.

Still not sleepy, he wrapped the beauty in her clothes and put her on the bed, scratching and rubbing her all over.

"Second Master, get up."

Didn't you say you were going to take Miss Xue to see the sunrise?
I went to the backyard just now and saw that Miss Xue was already getting ready.

If you don't get up soon, someone will corner you in bed, and then you'll be left with no face as their older brother!

Upon hearing these words, Jia Lian immediately became more sober.

He sat up abruptly and asked, "What time is it?"

"It will be dawn in half an hour at most."

Jia Lian immediately jumped off the bed and, without needing anyone to help him, took his clothes from the shelf and put them on.

Seeing this, Ah Qin felt a little jealous, but she still quickly came over to help Jia Lian change his clothes.

A quarter of an hour later, when Jia Lian finished washing up and came to the backyard, Baochai's place was indeed already tidied up.

Good morning, Brother Lian!

A clear and melodious voice instantly dispelled Jia Lian's drowsiness.

Glancing at Ying'er, who was dressed as a pageboy and ready to depart, Jia Lian couldn't help but say:
"As expected, Bao'er is punctual. She went to bed so late last night, yet she still managed to get up so early."

If it were Lin Yatou, she probably wouldn't have been able to see the sunrise today.

Baochai laughed and said, "How dare you say such a thing in front of Daiyu?"

Uh……

Jia Lian glared at Baochai, then laughed and said, "Alright, now that everything is ready, let's set off."

There's no need for breakfast; someone will prepare it for us once we get on the ship.

The headquarters was not far from the seaport.

In no time at all, Jia Lian brought Baochai to his newly built military port.

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Baochai was startled by the sight before her.

Although it was still dark, the entire naval port was filled with lanterns hanging high.

It appears to stretch endlessly at first glance.

By the light, one could see countless ships neatly moored on the dark sea.

The ships varied in size. Some ships even had soldiers conducting drills, their shouts thunderous.

What is most striking is the giant ship in front of her.

Docked at the pier, it resembled a small mountain, making other ships seem like mere dwarfs compared to it.

Moreover, the hull shimmered with golden light under the reflection of the water's ripples, making it impossible to tell whether it was coated with copper or plated with gold.

Baochai was shocked and couldn't help but turn around and ask, "Is this the 'Zhenyuan' warship that Second Brother mentioned earlier?"

The Zhenyuan was the first 100-meter-long warship built by Jia Lian himself, and also the most expensive warship ever built. It was Jia Lian's masterpiece.

Just now, inside the carriage, he couldn't help but show off to Baochai.

Seeing Baochai's reaction, he was indeed shocked, and then he smiled and asked, "How is it? Is it passable?"

Baochai didn't know what to say.

Even though she was a woman and had no interest in war, she still thought about the immense pressure that soldiers would feel on the enemy if they sailed on such a giant ship.

Moreover, it seems that Jia Lian wants to take her on this ship.

Want to watch the sunrise from this boat?
Baochai looked at the huge ship that resembled a tall building, and even though she wasn't vain, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

Just then, several officers ran down from the deck of the ship and knelt down on one knee in front of Jia Lian, saying:
"The five hundred soldiers and crew members requested by the master are all ready and the master can board the ship at any time."

"Okay. Thank you all for your hard work."

Ignoring his subordinates' humility, Jia Lian turned to Baochai and extended his hand.

Baochai hesitated for a moment, but still handed her hand to Jia Lian, letting him lead her onto the boat.

At this moment, several officers who had already stood up also noticed Baochai and her maid.

At first, I was quite surprised.

Rong Gong has been here for so long, and I've never heard of him having this hobby.

Some reacted quickly and tugged at the clothes of the clueless young man.

After Jia Lian stepped onto the boat on the plank, he scolded, "What are you looking at? Can't you tell that it's Rong Gong's beloved concubine dressed up?"

If you don't want to work here anymore, don't drag me down with you.

The group suddenly realized...

The giant ship sailed out of the harbor, slowly heading east by the faint light of its lights.

When the first hint of dawn appears on the horizon, it foreshadows the imminent sunrise.

On the top deck, Ying'er also saw the white light.

She immediately called out to Baochai inside the house, "Miss, come out quickly, the sunrise is about to begin!"

Baochai came out upon hearing the sound and saw this unusual bright spot in the pitch-black world.

Seeing that only Baochai was there and Jia Lian was nowhere to be seen, Ying'er said, "Miss, please keep watch for a while, I'll go and call the Second Master!"

Just as he was about to run away, he was caught by Baochai.

"What's your rush? He's been here for so long, surely he's seen us by now?"

Ying'er thought about it and agreed, so she stopped.

A short while later, Jia Lian came up with Aqin.

Ah Qin was still holding their breakfast in her hands.

"Has it already started?"

As Jia Lian spoke, he walked over to Baochai and together they admired the spectacular sunrise, so different from anything inland.

As the white light grew brighter and brighter, piercing the darkness, a sun began to emerge on the horizon.

At this moment, the white light that was originally rippling on the sea surface also turned into a sky full of gold, extending in a fan shape from the direction of the sun to the horizon.

The sky began to brighten.

Baochai stared intently at the scene, finding it utterly fantastical and realizing how insignificant humans are in this world.

A feeling of satisfaction arose spontaneously.

As the sun gradually revealed its true face at the edge of the sea, the sky brightened considerably.

Baochai also truly saw the magnificence of the boundless sea.

It was completely different from the Grand Canal she saw when she went to the capital.

Finally, the golden sun broke free from the sea's control and leaped into the sky, bringing light to the entire world.

Baochai's eyes sparkled, and she didn't want to blink.

So she didn't even notice that Ying'er had already gone to the side at Jia Lian's signal.

After sending the others away, Jia Lian quietly walked up behind her and gently embraced her.

Baochai enjoyed a visual feast and turned around to thank Jia Lian.

If it weren't for Jia Lian, she certainly wouldn't have been able to witness such a spectacle.

Then she realized that Jia Lian was hugging her from behind.

She said somewhat awkwardly, "Stop fooling around, someone might see us~~"

With a coquettish sigh, she looked around, but Ying'er and Aqin were nowhere to be seen.

Jia Lian had been inhaling the beauty's fragrance for half a day, and when he saw her turn her head, he decisively reached out to capture her red lips.

Although Baochai was extremely embarrassed, she lost her ability to think rationally when Jia Lian kissed her and unconsciously responded.

She only panicked when she realized that Jia Lian was holding a dagger to her.

"Please carry me inside..."

Baochai blushed crimson.

She is so intelligent. Jia Lian let her go last night because he felt sorry for her and restrained himself.

Today she understands that there's no escaping it now, no matter what.

She simply asked Jia Lian to carry her into the house.

This large ship was no different from a house; she had already seen it, and it had all the necessary rooms, halls, and bedrooms.

However, Jia Lian, faced with Baochai's advances, became even more demanding.

He leaned close to Baochai's ear and whispered with a chuckle, "I want to be here."

As he spoke, he tentatively reached out to touch Baochai's trousers hidden under her robe.

Baochai was startled and quickly stopped her, saying, "No, no!"

Baochai was nearly terrified, completely unable to believe that Jia Lian would have such an absurd idea.

She knew that besides Ying'er and the others, there were at least five hundred soldiers on the ship!

Although those people probably wouldn't come up to this floor, the thought of having an affair with Jia Lian in broad daylight, under such a clear blue sky, was simply unacceptable to her.

After all, people in this era still believe in the existence of gods in the world.

She was filled with guilt just thinking about doing that kind of thing under the watchful eyes of the gods.

Sensing Baochai's nervousness and unease, Jia Lian thought for a moment and then let go of her hand.

It's normal to be a little reserved since it's only the second time.

Anyway, he was determined to unlock every part of Baochai's body this time.

If she dares to hide anything, they won't let her go back.

So he wasn't in a hurry and bargained, saying, "I'll carry you in, but you have to agree to one condition."

"Okay, go ahead..."

Sensing that Jia Lian meant to spare her, Baochai agreed without hesitation.

Then Jia Lian said, "From today until you go back, you are not allowed to call me 'Second Brother' or 'Second Brother Lian' anymore."

Baochai was taken aback: "What's it called?"

"Call him brother-in-law."

……

(End of this chapter)