The Second Master of the Red Chamber

Jiaying Hall.

Baochai and Daiyu took the teacups from the maids, presented them to Fengjie, and curtsied respectfully.
"Please have some tea, sister."

"Please have some tea, Sister Feng."

Sister Feng quickly reached out, pretending to support the two women's arms, and said with a smile, "Please get up, my two sisters. You're making me feel too bad."

Even so, he naturally withdrew his hands, took the teacups from the two women, and each took a small sip.

She slowly placed the teacup back on the tray held by the maid, then turned around and seemed to realize that Daiyu and Baochai hadn't gotten up yet. She quickly took Ping'er's arm, helped them up, and said with a smile:
"Look at you all, you're all sisters who grew up together, not outsiders. Why be so polite? Get up quickly."

Otherwise, your second brother—no, now you should call me Second Master.

"If you insist on bowing to me, he'll be upset and upset later."

As she spoke, Sister Feng glanced at Jia Lian, who was sitting next to her "observing the ceremony."

Seeing that Jia Lian remained noncommittal, she turned back and said, "I've been looking forward to this day for a long time. I'm just waiting for the two of you to come in and help me share the burden."

As you all know, I'm an incompetent person, unlike you who have read so many books.

No one in this family, young or old, respects me.

Because of my pregnancy, I haven't been able to take care of things at home this past year, and I don't know how many people have been secretly rejoicing and cheering.

Hmph, they don't like my housekeeping; they say I'm strict.

If it weren't for having so many elders to take care of, and your second uncle being such a hands-off manager, it wouldn't seem like I'd be so happy to deal with all these trivial matters at home.

Now that you're all here, I can finally relax completely, with you sharing the household chores and taking care of the old lady.

Sister Feng has a habit of speaking at length, and if you're not familiar with her, it's easy to get confused by her.

Fortunately, both Baochai and Daiyu were familiar with Fengjie and were able to grasp the key points.

Baochai said, "Sister, you are joking. Although I came to the capital late, I know that you have taken care of this big family over the past few years. Everyone admires and respects you. Even the old lady loves you very much."

Lin Daiyu and I entered the family late and are not very knowledgeable. We hope that you will not hesitate to teach and guide us in the future. We would be extremely grateful.

"We're all family, sisters. Saying things like 'give me your guidance' would be too formal..."

When Fengjie heard Baochai mention Daiyu in her reply, she became somewhat suspicious.

She had long realized that her cousin was no pushover; was she planning to join forces with Lin to rival her mother?
With a smile on her face, Sister Feng said, "We're all family now. As long as you don't mind that I'm a rough person, we can be close to each other from now on, okay?"

Daiyu was clearly not used to this insincere scene, and she simply let Fengjie hold her hand the whole time, keeping her mouth shut and not saying a word.

Jia Lian stood up: "Alright, now that the tea is finished, Zijuan and Ying'er, take your grandmother back to rest."

"You've all had a long day."

Sister Feng pursed her lips slightly, but still let go of the two women's hands and laughed, "Look at me, I was so happy that I forgot you two have been running around outside with Second Master all day. You must be exhausted."
Go home and rest early.

"Oh, by the way, the old lady instructed that Lin's birthday celebration be held at Rongqing Hall tonight. Remember that, don't be too late."

"Yes."

Baochai and Daiyu bowed to Fengjie and then to Jia Lian before leaving with their maids and servants.

Sister Feng saw him off a few steps, then turned back and saw Jia Lian sitting comfortably drinking tea. She stepped forward and said with a smile, "Second Master came back late yesterday, and I didn't have time to congratulate you on finally winning the heart of your beauty."

"Happy together."

"Humph……"

Sister Feng rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

"stop."

"Does Second Master have any further instructions?"

She turned around, smiling obsequiously in a servile tone.

Seeing Jia Lian pat the chair next to her, she hesitated for a moment, but still gave him face and came over to help Ping'er sit down.

She thought Jia Lian was going to scold her again, but to her surprise, Jia Lian just stared at her, making her feel uneasy.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen me before?"

"Ha~"

Jia Lian sneered, hooked his index finger under his wife's chin, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Still feeling uneasy?"

Nonsense, what husband would go to such lengths to take a second wife? Would his first wife be happy about that?

"No, how could I dare? I'm actually very happy."

Sister Feng turned her head and said with a forced smile.

To everyone's surprise, Jia Lian nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with her reaction.

"Tell me, what can I do to make you happier... Hmm, I'm happy today, so I'll allow you to make one reasonable request, and I'll do my best to help you."

Feng Jie was initially unconcerned, but upon hearing the latter part, her eyes lit up and she smiled, "Second Master, are you serious?"

"Children are innocent."

"Then I'll really bring it up..."

Jia Lian made a move to stand up: "If you keep nagging, I'm leaving."

Sister Feng grabbed Jia Lian's hand, and when he looked down at her, she hesitated for a long time before whispering, "Then, can you promise me..."

"Promise me... if I give birth to a boy, you will immediately make him the heir apparent..."

Feng Jie'er's voice grew softer and softer, and she even shrank her neck in fear.

She wasn't unaware that making this request at this time would displease Jia Lian, making him think she was too calculating.

But she's not the kind of person who values ​​face over substance, or who's too embarrassed to ask for help.

The better Jia Lian treated Baochai and Daiyu, the stronger their sense of crisis became, and naturally, this matter became even more of a top priority.

She felt uneasy as long as there was uncertainty.

Jia Lian looked down at Feng Jie, his gaze sweeping over her protruding belly.

Suddenly, he raised his hand and rubbed her head, saying, "Okay, I promise you. As long as this child is a son, he will be the heir of the Duke's mansion when he is born."

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng breathed a heavy sigh of relief, then took Jia Lian's hand and pressed it to her face, saying with some concern, "Is my husband angry?"

"No."

Seeing that Feng Jie seemed unconvinced, Jia Lian stroked her pretty face with his thumb and comforted her, "You are the Duchess of the State, and the first son you gave birth to is my eldest son. He should have been the heir apparent."

Your request isn't unreasonable, so what's there to be angry about?

Upon hearing this, Sister Feng also agreed that it made sense, and wondered if she was overthinking things.

So, she rarely acted coquettishly in front of the maid, saying, "I knew my husband was the best. Don't worry, my husband, I promise to give birth to a son for you in this pregnancy, so that he can inherit your noble bloodline."

Jia Lian nodded, then suddenly said, "By the way, I plan to stay at Xiaoxiang Pavilion tonight."

Seeing that Sister Feng was slightly taken aback, Jia Lian squatted down and explained, "You know, the two of them just came in, so I need to spend more time with them."

Don't worry, I'll make it up to you properly after you finish your postpartum confinement.

"go……"

Feng Jie, who was initially feeling a little sad, suddenly felt embarrassed after hearing the second half of Jia Lian's words.

"You can rest wherever you want, as if nobody cares about you."

"Ping'er, let's go."

……

Over the years, especially after Jia Lian "reformed," he almost never stayed out all night.

The sudden appearance of two people who could rightfully share a room must have made Sister Feng feel a little uncomfortable.

But just as Sister Feng would fight for her rights.

This is Jia Lian's right, and even more so the right of both Daiyu and Baochai.

Moreover, since Sister Feng is currently unwell, he sleeps in the study every night anyway.

It will be easier to get Sister Feng used to it at this point.

After most of the maids and wives had left, Jia Lian tapped the table lightly, pondering a few things, and indeed felt somewhat drowsy.

Thinking about it carefully, he only slept for a little over an hour from yesterday morning to this afternoon.

However, during that time, I did manage to accomplish quite a few things that required a lot of effort and thought.

When you suddenly have free time, it's inevitable to feel sleepy.

After thinking for a moment, Jia Lian stood up and walked towards Hengwu Garden at the back.

There were more people in Hengwu Garden, and they seemed quite busy.

This is because, in addition to the four maids who accompanied Baochai, Aunt Xue also carefully selected four other maids to accompany her.

The dowry servants in large families are usually middle-aged couples from respectable families who are in their prime.

They are the ones who bind their young mistress's interests, and also the important foundation for ensuring that the young mistress is not bullied in her husband's family.

The few extra servants in Hengwu Garden now are Baochai's dowry maids. They are busy counting, organizing, and guarding Baochai's enormous dowry chests.

Upon seeing Jia Lian arrive, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed.

Jia Lian nodded slightly and went directly into Baochai's room.

At this moment, Baochai had just undressed and was waiting for the maids to make up the bed so she could take a nap.

Taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon is quite rare for Baochai, who has a very regular daily routine.

It's clear that she was exhausted after being kept up by Jia Lian until dawn last night and then having to attend a lot of social events.

Hearing of Jia Lian's arrival, she was about to go out to greet him, but Jia Lian had already walked in.

Looking at the room, which was also decorated with the character for "double happiness" everywhere and similar to the main hall's bridal chamber, Jia Lian nodded and said to Baochai first, "Ready to rest?"

"Hmm, I'm planning to take a nap so I'll be more energetic to celebrate Lin Daiyu's birthday later."

"Perfect timing, I was just about to take a nap too. You guys, come over here and help me undress."

"This……"

Baochai instinctively wanted to say something, but suddenly realized that she had already entered the Jia family's gate.

So, it's not only perfectly natural for Jia Lian to sleep in her room now, but it's also a kind of favor?
I feel a bit disoriented and am not quite used to it yet.

Baochai was stunned, but the maids reacted quickly.

One by one, they stepped forward, five or six small hands working together, and quickly dismantled Jia Lian's clothes and placed them aside.

Only after Jia Lian led her by the hand to the bedside did Baochai hesitate slightly before saying, "I...I'll go take a bath first..."

She had only planned to take a nap and had no intention of taking a shower.

But now that Jia Lian has arrived...

Newlyweds, she wanted to give Jia Lian the best experience, so she wanted to shower herself until she smelled nice before going to bed.

Jia Lian laughed, gently flicked Baochai's nose, and scolded, "What's going on in your head, little girl? You're just taking a nap."

By the time you've finished showering and getting ready, it'll be dark. What's the point of sleeping then?

Baochai then realized that she seemed to have misunderstood, and her face showed unusual embarrassment.

After Jia Lian sat down on the bed, she quickly knelt down to take off his shoes and socks to cover up her embarrassment.

The maids covered their mouths and giggled.

Everyone in the Jia family knows what kind of person Baochai is, not just the women in the household.

The girl, who was known for her naivety and simplicity and was considered a perfect person, would only show such a helpless and clueless side in front of Master Lian.

……

The original plan was to have the maid wake him up at a certain hour.

But perhaps due to the change of environment, Jia Lian woke up earlier than expected.

Upon waking, he looked at Baochai, who was lying quietly in his arms, exuding elegance and beauty even in her sleep. He couldn't help but lift a strand of his hair and tease the beauty's delicate nose and lips.

Baochai reached out and tugged at it, then woke up with a soft moan.

When she opened her eyes and saw Jia Lian's teasing smile, it took her a while to adjust to the fact that she had woken up in the man's arms.

She shifted her body, pressing her face against Jia Lian's warm and comfortable chest, and murmured, "Why are you awake, husband? Is it time?"

"It shouldn't be yet, you can sleep a little longer."

"After my husband did that, how could I possibly sleep?"

"Why don't we get up and get ready to celebrate Lin Daiyu's birthday?"

"No rush, no rush. Since you're not going to sleep, let me kiss you. I've been holding back for a while now."

As Jia Lian spoke, he turned Baochai's slender yet voluptuous body over and pressed down on her.

At this point, Baochai had no reason to refuse and let Jia Lian do as he pleased.

Suddenly, a maidservant cleverly walked in from the outer room. She only saw the situation on the bed when she got to the bedside. She immediately opened her mouth wide and stood there stunned.

Jia Lian had his back turned and didn't see it, but Baochai, who was being pressed down by her, quickly noticed this clueless little maid.

He gave Jia Lian a hard push and gestured for him to look behind him.

Jia Lian glanced back, but didn't press the matter further. He sat back down and said somewhat displeasedly, "What are you doing here?"

"This servant has come to wake the Second Master and Miss; it's time..."

It turned out that although Ying'er and the others had taken a short nap last night, they couldn't sleep soundly while guarding outside the bridal chamber.

So they took the opportunity to go down and rest, leaving only Zhen'er in the room, so that she could wake the two of them at the right time.

Jia Lian said irritably, "I know, you can go out now."

"Oh."

Zhen'er felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately turned and ran away.

Seeing Jia Lian's displeasure, Baochai stood up and leaned on his shoulder, saying, "Husband, please don't take it to heart with the little girl. She's still young and needs to be taught."

Moreover, there's no time to waste now.

"If my husband wishes for Chai'er to serve him in bed, it's not too late for him to come after Lin Daiyu's birthday celebration."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian paused slightly, then turned his head somewhat embarrassed and said, "I plan to stay at Xiaoxiang Pavilion tonight."

Baochai paused for a moment, then, meeting Jia Lian's slightly apologetic gaze, she suddenly burst into laughter, covering her mouth and giggling for a long time.

Jia Lian became somewhat annoyed: "What are you laughing at?"

Baochai then calmed down a bit, adjusting Jia Lian's open robe as she said with a smile, "I was laughing at my husband, isn't it tiring to do things like this?"

He must have planned to stay overnight at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and fearing that I might overthink things, he came to keep me company even though he knew it would only be for a short time.

"what?"

Baochai sighed softly, walked around Jia Lian to the front, sat in Jia Lian's lap, and wrapped her arms around Jia Lian's neck, saying, "Actually, my husband doesn't need to worry so much."

Chai'er knew how her husband felt about her and Lin Daiyu.

I want to keep my promise and treat Lin Daiyu and me fairly, striving to be equal and not to hurt either of us.

Even a bowl of water can be unevenly distributed, let alone two people.

If my husband continues like this, either he will become mentally and physically exhausted, or Lin Daiyu and I will be completely spoiled and have increasingly higher demands on him.

We have long known how much our husbands love us and Lin Daiyu.

Since our husbands care about us, we naturally won't hold grudges against them over such trivial matters, lest we damage our relationship.

Holding Baochai's fair and fragrant body in his arms, listening to her tender words, Jia Lian felt extremely content.

So he put his arm around Baochai and sighed, “I am very pleased that you say this. It proves that I have not spoiled you in vain and that all the effort I have put into you has not been in vain.”

Seeing that Jia Lian had taken her words to heart, Baochai was pleased and, after thinking for a moment, continued:

"Chai'er knows that her husband is worried that Lin Daiyu will be jealous, but in fact, her husband is overthinking it. Lin Daiyu is not an unreasonable person."

If my husband doesn't believe me, how about we make a bet?

"Oh, what's the bet?"

"Hmm... Seeing how much my husband has planned to balance things between me and Lin Daiyu, I am truly moved and heartbroken."

Anyway, her husband knows that Chai'er is a good person and doesn't really care about these things.

Let's do it this way: in the future, if there are similar situations or choices that your husband might find difficult, he should prioritize taking care of Lin Daiyu.

We'll bet that, given enough time, Lin Daiyu might take the initiative to ask her husband to take better care of Chai'er or Feng Jie.

Jia Lian gasped, looking down at Baochai as she slowly recounted her story, as if witnessing the birth of a master of palace intrigue.

Jia Lian asked with a slight tremor, "What if Lin Daiyu doesn't speak up?"

"No. I will definitely win."

Looking at Baochai's confident and elegant smile, Jia Lian paused for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Alright, I accept this bet."

Seeing this, Baochai smiled, buried her head in Jia Lian's arms, and said nothing more.

A smile appeared on Jia Lian's face as he embraced Baochai's fair and delicate body.

He also knew that Baochai would definitely win.

Because no one understands Daiyu better than him.

Moreover, similar situations have been verified before.

However, Baochai's way of handling things still amazed him.

This bet, which arose spontaneously and was mentioned casually, without even any stakes, puts Baochai in a perfect and invincible position regardless of winning or losing.

It's unimaginable what would have happened if he hadn't been the referee, and if Baochai's opponent hadn't been Daiyu.

Imagine what would have happened to any other woman. (End of Chapter)