Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 888: Paying Silver to Get Xichun
Rongguo Mansion,
In Rongqing Hall,

The decoration was rich and luxurious. The objects placed in the hall all looked much heavier, perhaps because they were not often seen. On the wall hung paintings and calligraphy by famous people, one after another, showing the wealth of the Jia family. Grandmother Jia sat on the kang, leaning against a soft cushion, surrounded by the women of the Jia family, and stepping on a thick carpet.

How can ordinary people afford it?

Zhang Jinyu sat aside, sipping tea, thinking that it was the emperor's intention that Jia Yuanchun was made a concubine, and then the palace granted her permission to return home to visit her relatives, which was also the emperor's intention. According to royal rules, the Jia family had to build a separate courtyard for visiting relatives, which was the reason for building the Grand View Garden.

The two blueprints in front of me were drawn by some famous craftsman when the Duke's Mansion was first built. Not only do they cover a large area, but once you see them, you can tell that the artist's skills are really amazing.

"This was drawn by a man from the Zhang family, a famous craftsman family in the capital. Later, the two mansions were built together, and the materials used were almost exactly the same. Now the drawings are here, and you two are here, so let's discuss it!"

Seeing that no one was talking, Jia's mother looked at the eldest and second eldest daughters, wanting to ask what they thought. Mrs. Xing wanted to speak, but no one in the room said anything. It was obvious that the old lady was not asking her.
After all, the Second Wife next to him was the biological mother of the Empress in the palace, and she was the real boss. So he simply leaned back and looked at Madam Wang who was sitting next to him to see her reaction.

The second wife pondered for a moment, and seeing that everyone in the room was looking at her, she had to speak.

"What the old lady said is true, but since the two masters are not here, I'm afraid it's hard to say what's going on here."

In her heart, the second wife was quite reluctant. If she wanted to build the courtyard, other things were easy to deal with, as the old relatives and nobles would help a lot. But the only problem was money. In the end, who would pay for the cost of building the garden? If she wanted to pay the bulk of the cost herself, even if she sold all the second wife's property, it would not be enough to make up for it. Therefore, it was not her turn to make the decision.

"They are busy welcoming guests outside, and there is a banquet in the front yard. They have no time to spare. We have discussed this matter thoroughly and will decide it today. Let's tell them without delay!"

Grandmother Jia had a smile on her face, but the tone of her voice could not be ignored. It was obvious that she had already made up her mind and forced them to speak.
Everyone in the room kept silent. It was obvious that these topics were not something they could participate in. Even Jia Baoyu, who was always restless, knew that this matter was important. There was a little imperceptible irritation in his eyes.
The situation in the room was clear at a glance. Mrs. Xing's eyes rolled. Although she still didn't understand what the old lady meant, it was obvious that the two families had to pay the money. In this case, it was obvious which family would pay more and which family would pay less.

"What the old lady said is true. The gentlemen are all busy outside. All the things inside are decided by the old lady. I just don't know how much money it will cost to build this yard. Each family should contribute a little bit. Let's pool together and see how much is left."

Mrs. Xing was smiling and speaking generously. Everyone suddenly felt that Mrs. Xing had changed a lot.

Even Zhang Jinyu was surprised. Mrs. Xing had always given people the impression of being sarcastic and mean. Not only was she petty, but her words were also stingy, like those of a small family.

Being able to say these words now really shows that one should look at people with new eyes after three days of absence. I just don't know whether it is true or not, or whether it is the old lady's instruction.

When Jia's mother heard this, she immediately smiled.
"It makes sense that the old lady wants to build a courtyard. I have asked before, but I want to see how big the courtyard should be. I thought that the affairs of the Jia family are the affairs of the two mansions. It turns out that there is a large piece of open space between the two mansions. Take a look!"

Grandmother Jia pointed and found that on one of the maps, there was indeed a large empty area between the two mansions. If this area was used as the center line and the two mansions gave up some space, the general outline of the garden would be formed.

It is clear from the picture and the place that the old lady had made preparations in advance.
It's nothing more than a matter of the two mansions, and each mansion has more or less things going on. After all, the Lixiang Courtyard and Rongxi Hall of the Rongguo Mansion are both on the east side. The key is that the family school in the mansion is also in the southeast corner, so how should it be arranged?

Not only the two ladies frowned after listening to it, but also murmured in their hearts, if it has been decided, why not say it clearly, but hide it? Could it be that the problem is not with them?

Madam You and her elder sister-in-law Li Wan, who were sitting in the lower seats, seemed to have a sense of each other. They looked at each other and actually knew what the other meant. It seemed that the old lady had made up her mind.
No matter what happens later, this garden must be built between the two mansions. In this case, it is just a matter of money and the space in the mansion to be given up, as well as the amount and size of the garden. It is impossible for the Ningguo Mansion to remain silent just because the old lady has spoken.

Madam You hadn't made up her mind yet. Although she was still the boss of the East Mansion, she was the only one who knew how much she could ask about the inner affairs. So, she wanted to talk about the East Mansion first, but she couldn't say how to talk about it.
She could only look at Li Wan. After all, the account books of the East Mansion had been sent to her a few days ago. The Ningguo Mansion in the future would not be hers. Rarely did she feel a complicated feeling in her heart.
Li Wan was stunned for a moment, but she didn't care. Since the old lady had spoken, if the matter was not resolved, it would probably not leave Rongqing Hall. However, if it left, it had to be clear. The second wife wanted to keep silent, but that wouldn't work. She didn't know if it was because of the resentment accumulated from the last time, or because she wanted to defend Jia Zhu who had passed away long ago. She sat up straight and replied;
"The old lady said it well. If you want to build a garden, all you need is money and land. Since the old lady has chosen a place, let's talk about it."

Li Wan was not timid either. She pointed to several courtyards on the west side of the Ningguo Mansion. They were all side rooms where servants lived. There were quite a few of them, almost occupying most of the front, including Huifang Garden in the middle near Tianxiang Tower. That was where Jia Zhen lived on the west side. It had mountains and water, and a separate gate and courtyard, comparable to the Lixiang Garden in the Rongguo Mansion. The only difference was that it was not connected to the corner gate of the backyard like the West Mansion, which was very inconvenient.

"The land of Ningguo Mansion is almost the same size as Rongguo Mansion, but the backyard occupies a little more. Therefore, if they want to build a garden, both Duke Mansions have to provide land. Rongguo Mansion's granddaughter-in-law has no right to say that. Ningguo Mansion doesn't have much money in its account, but it has more land. The front yard, the west yard, and Huifang Garden are all included, leaving only Tianxiang Tower and the backyard. Sister You, what do you think?"

Not to mention that the others were stunned, even Madam You was surprised. This circle meant that more than half of the land in Ningguo Mansion was used to build gardens, especially Huifang Garden on the west side. Although the things in the house had long been moved out by Jia Rong, there were still pavilions and towers. What was the plan?
Thinking of what Li Wan said, there is not much money in the Ningguo Mansion’s account, so they want to save money.

After hesitating for a while, he nodded and agreed;

"Old Madam, since Li Wan has spoken, how can you not agree? Since you want to build a garden, then build it grandly. If the place is small, outsiders will laugh at you. Although Ningguo Mansion does not have much money in its account, we must have more land. If that doesn't work, take the courtyard of Tianxiang Tower as well."

Mrs. You's next words were so surprising that Mrs. Xing, the first wife, even the second wife stopped spinning the Buddhist beads in her hand. Lady Jia, who was sitting on the kang in front, was also a little surprised and looked at Li Wan and Mrs. You.
Only Zhang Jinyu was secretly shocked. Good thing, it's not his, but it's sold so easily. Li Wan, who has always been frugal, and Madam You, who is good at managing the household, said nice things. If Tianxiang Tower is included, Ningguo Mansion will only have the East Garden and the backyard, and at most a few courtyards in the middle. The Duke's Mansion is empty. It's too ugly to eat like this.

really,

Grandmother Jia sighed and shook her head.

"Ah, it's the maids from the Zhu and Zhen families who are thinking about me. The Tianxiang Tower in Ningguo Mansion was a gift from the Emperor. How can it be moved? If it is moved, what will be left of Ningguo Mansion? It's absolutely not allowed. Since you two have spoken, I will make the decision to include the front yard, the West Garden, and the Huifang Garden. The rest will not be moved. As for Rongguo Mansion, maid Feng, what do you think?"

Wang Xifeng, who had hardly spoken the whole morning, felt a little awkward when asked by Lady Jia. She also looked at the two paintings held by the old lady, but Rongguo Mansion was different from Ningguo Mansion. The better-built courtyards were all in front and behind Rongxi Hall. The Pear Garden where she lived now was also behind Rongqing Hall. If she circled too much, the second and first wives might complain in the future. If she circled too little, she was afraid that the old lady would be dissatisfied.

"Look at what the old lady said. The decision on Rongguo Mansion is still made by the old lady. But weren't the several large courtyards in the southeast corner demolished a few days ago? Now the buffet is being held there. It's quite a coincidence. If this is taken into account, the facade of the villa for visiting relatives will be ready. As for other places, the ladies still need to make the decision." Wang Xifeng was trying to be clever. It was she who ordered the demolition of the courtyards and wing rooms in the southeast corner. One reason was that they were in disrepair, and the other was that they took up space. It would be better to clear them out and build a few warehouses. The reason was that the Chamber of Commerce wanted to rent a few warehouses to store some goods. Since they had to rent them, it would be better to keep the goods in the pot. Over the course of a year, it would make a lot of money. That's why the old courtyards were demolished. Unexpectedly, the empty land was never idle.

"You are lucky. It's a good thing that you demolished the front yard these days. Otherwise, it would be really difficult to deal with it during this busy period. What do you think, second brother?"

Grandmother Jia reached out, took Wang Xifeng's hand, and patted it. She felt embarrassed.
Topic referral,

Everyone in the room who could speak had spoken. The Second Madam didn't say anything, but that didn't mean anything. She clenched the Buddhist beads in her hand and smiled.

"Since we are going to renovate it, we must have a plan. We don't have to rebuild everything. We should change what can be changed, and rebuild the rest. We should tear down the east wall of Rongguo Mansion, and then take down the front yard, the school, and the yards behind the school. We should also move the servants to the west."

Everyone followed the Second Madam's words and looked at the picture held by the maid in front. In this way, the line of Rongguo Mansion was withdrawn a little to the west. Compared with Ningguo Mansion, the part drawn was much smaller. However, if it was drawn too much, Rongxi Hall and Rongqing Hall would be too far to the right, which would be inappropriate. Therefore, the Second Madam's drawing was wonderful.
Zhang Jinyu sat there, unable to see what the point was. After all, he didn't know how it was built. But judging from the outline, the Grand View Garden was not small. He had thought that the two mansions each contributed a little land and occupied the middle position, so it was not small.

Unexpectedly, there is an arc bend to the east and the west, which makes it look even wider. The money needed to build this garden is like a sea. No wonder it is said in the Dream of the Red Chamber that after the Grand View Garden was built, the Jia family was really prosperous for a while. After the imperial concubine came to visit her parents, the Jia family suddenly fell into decline. Even the last thousand taels of silver were taken in a stingy manner. I am afraid that these things have drained the money of the two families, and it is almost impossible to make a comeback.

I seem to remember that when the house was searched, not much silver was found, but boxes of pawn tickets were found, and no one knew whether they were real or not.

Looking inside the house,

Although everyone looked nervous, Daiyu and Baochai, who were sitting in the lowest seats, were different. Their eyes met with each other, and there was a special charm in their expressions.

"What do you think, old man?"

Grandmother Jia nodded in satisfaction and asked again,
Mrs. Xing dared not to disagree.

"Since the old lady has chosen it, then let's decide on it. If it doesn't work, you can add more. It's a great gift from heaven. It will bring honor to the Jia family."

"Well, since everyone agrees, then it's settled. Yuanyang, put the map away. Now that we have the land, we have to talk about the silver as well."

Grandmother Jia picked up the tea bowl, took a sip of the tea, and asked Yuanyang to put the picture away first. It was obvious that she wanted to strike while the iron was hot and settle the general matter.

Zhang Jinyu looked a little puzzled. He had just been watching the excitement. Now he wanted to talk about money, so he didn't need outsiders to be here. So, before the old lady could speak first, Zhang Jinyu stood up and clasped his fists and said;
"Old Madam, these are family matters to be discussed. It's not good for me to listen to too much. Now I will remember what you told me. Tomorrow, no, when I return home, I will immediately send the master carpenter to your house. You can repair it however you want, okay?"

Seeing that something was not right, the women in the room decided to discuss the affairs of the two Jia mansions. It would be inappropriate for a man like him to be here.

But don't know,
The more he wanted to leave, the more Grandmother Jia disagreed. She put down the tea bowl, raised her head, and although her hair was full of silver and her face was wrinkled, her face was radiant and she looked more energetic. She smiled and said:

"Your Majesty, you are being polite. Yu'er has entered your mansion. According to ethics, you are also related to the Jia family. Although there are some difficulties between our two families, I am an old woman. Many things were done wrong by the Jia family, but as a person, have I ever done anything to let you down?"

This was a bit serious. Zhang Jinyu paused for a moment. Thinking about it carefully, the one in the Jia family who was at odds with him was Jia Zhen from Ningguo Mansion. Now Jia Zhen and Jia Rong had already left Ningguo Mansion. As for Rongguo Mansion, although Jia Zheng was a pedantic person, he was honest after all. Only Jia She had something to hide. Unfortunately, he stayed in the mansion and never went out. He was almost invisible except for the big court meetings.
Speaking of which, the old lady in the mansion gave away silver and maids. Qingwen and Yuanyang, one after another, wanted to refute, but they had no excuse. It is said that old ginger is still spicy, which is absolutely true.
"You are too kind, old lady. I have no complaints. It's just that the Jia family's affairs involve the Empress's visit to the palace, which is inconvenient."

"Look at you, it's not inconvenient at all. Even if it's inconvenient, it's easy to deal with. It's said that nobles are one family. Today, I am bold enough to ask the Marquis for another marriage. Xichun girl is getting older and is now raised in Rongguo Mansion. She has lived for a long time. It's been a long time since she was with Yu'er and Baochai. She is more dependent on them. I can't bear to see her alone outside. It's better for her to stay with Yu'er and serve her. It's also good to enter the Marquis Mansion as a concubine. I think Yu'er needs someone to serve her."

Grandmother Jia's words were sincere, and her eyes turned red as she spoke, leaving Zhang Jinyu dumbfounded. How could the time she spent repairing the garden turn into a concubine for herself? He had seen Sanchun before. Compared with Daiyu and Baochai, she was a little inferior, but Sanchun was considered a beautiful girl in the Jia family. The only thing was that she was still young.

Thinking of this,
Zhang Jinyu's mouth twitched. He thought he might as well pay the money first. When he wanted to refuse, who knew that

Lin Daiyu accepted the offer on behalf of the Marquis.

"Don't be anxious, Grandfather. My husband is in a hurry to come here, and he doesn't know the cause and effect. Since Xichun has agreed to follow me, there is no such thing as serving or not serving each other. Just come to the mansion and stay. My husband is busy with official duties, and it is difficult for him to agree to many things."

Zhang Jinyu looked back curiously, but saw Daiyu winking at him. Although he was puzzled, since Yu'er agreed, he thought there must be another reason. He hesitated and bowed to Lady Jia.
"Since Yu'er has agreed, I will temporarily agree to it. The old lady wants to build a garden, and Yu'er and Baochai should contribute. This is 100,000 taels of silver. Don't think it's too little, old lady. Let's make up for it first."

Zhang Jinyu touched the silver in his arms. This was the money he won from writing couplets at the poetry meeting. He had to give it away before it was even warm. He placed ten large bills from Sihai Bank on the square table next to the old lady. Looking at Madam Xing, his eyes became teary.

And downstairs,
Daiyu smiled and sat down again. Baochai beside her had a complicated look on her face. It seemed that her husband still valued Lin Daiyu. Besides, Xichun, although she was still young and ignorant, was lucky to have Daiyu by her side. As for herself, she could only rely on her, after all, there were two other ladies in the Marquis' Mansion.

"Okay, okay, since the Marquis has made it clear, I won't be polite. Feng girl, have someone write it down. Daiyu and Baochai each contributed fifty thousand taels. At the last minute, I, an old woman, actually had to rely on Yu'er's face."

Grandmother Jia sighed deliberately, her eyes turned red and tears fell. She held the brocade cloth in her hand and kept wiping her tears.

(End of this chapter)