The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 495: Run away with the money?

Jia Huan took Ping'er and Mandalin to play in the street for a whole day and returned home near dusk. Just as Jia Huan and others were about to enter the Grand View Garden through the main gate, a man in a cloak flashed out from the darkness. His hood was pulled very low, so his face could not be seen clearly. He coughed to attract everyone's attention, then waved to Jia Huan, and then turned and walked away.

Jia Huan's heart moved, and he ordered: "Sister Ping'er, Mandalin, you go in first, I have something to take care of."

Ping'er glanced curiously at the back of the cloaked man, nodded, and then pulled Mandarin into the garden gate.

Jia Huan then told Mu Ye and Jin Bao to wait where they were, and then he walked towards the cloaked man. Seeing this, the latter quickened his pace and stopped to wait at a corner.

Jia Huan walked closer, stopped, and asked, "What does Brother Qiang want to talk to me about?"

The man slowly turned around and took off the hood of his cloak. It was indeed Jia Qiang. He asked curiously, "How did Third Uncle Huan know it was my nephew's?"

"You coughed just now, and judging from your figure and actions, I guess it was probably you." Jia Huan said.

Jia Qiang said admiringly: "Uncle Huan is indeed very insightful, not comparable to ordinary people. I admire him very much."

Jia Huan said calmly: "You don't have to flatter me, just say what you want to say, don't waste time."

Jia Qiang was slightly embarrassed, and he thought of the past. He did not dare to play tricks anymore, and said bluntly: "My nephew is now a traitor of the Jia family and is not tolerated by the two mansions. Yesterday, I tried to go home to visit Brother Rong's injury, but I couldn't get in the door at all. I was almost beaten to death, so I had to flee in disgrace. Now the only one who can talk to me is Uncle Huan. Can I ask Uncle Huan to visit Brother on my behalf and say hello?"

Jia Huan thought to himself that it seemed that the two brothers had a very good relationship, and nodded, "That's easy. I was also planning to take some time to go see Rong'er. In that case, you wait here for a while. I will go to the East Mansion now and will definitely be out before dark."

Jia Qiang bowed and said happily, "Then I'd like to thank Uncle Huan San here." As he said this, he sneezed.

Jia Huan frowned slightly and said, "Have you been waiting here for a long time?"

"My nephew started waiting outside the garden gate yesterday and did not return until late in the evening. He got up late today and came around noon. He has been waiting until now. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to meet Uncle Huan." Jia Qiang replied.

"Where do you live now?" Jia Huan asked.

"Hongfu Inn in Ping'anfang." Jia Qiang answered truthfully.

Jia Huan nodded and said, "Why don't you go back to the inn and rest first. I'll visit Rong Ge'er and then come to the inn to find you tomorrow."

Jia Qiang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, thank you, Uncle Huan."

Jia Qiang had been guarding here for most of the day and was so cold that he could not stand it anymore. His head felt heavy and his legs felt like they were filled with lead. He felt that the cold had entered his body.

Jia Huan waved to Mu Ye and Jin Bao to come over, and asked the latter to send Jia Qiang back to the inn in the carriage. The latter could not refuse and were extremely grateful. After expressing their gratitude again and again, they got on the carriage and left. Little did they know that Jia Huan was also grateful to him in his heart, and he got rid of Jia She and Jia Zhen, the two black sheep, without any effort.

Jia Huan watched the carriage drive away, and then he took Mu Ye to the gate of the East Mansion. When the gatekeepers of Ningguo Mansion saw Jia Huan, they immediately opened the door respectfully to welcome him in. Third Master Huan was no longer the same as before, so they had to fawn on him.

When Jia Zhen's wife You heard that Jia Huan had arrived, she came out to greet him and said, "Brother Huan is here, come in and sit down."

Youshi is Jia Zhen's second wife. She is only in her early thirties and still has charm. Her eyes are slightly red and swollen, and her brows are filled with worry. After all, her husband has been arrested and it is hard to predict whether he will suffer a good outcome, so it is normal for her to worry.

Jia Huan followed Youshi into the hall and sat down. The latter hurriedly ordered the maid to serve tea. Jia Huan said, "Don't worry, Sister Zhen. I came here to visit Rong'er. I wonder if his injury has improved?"

Youshi sighed and said, "His father was really too harsh on him. He is still in that condition now. I am afraid he will need to rest for a year or so. Although he is not my own child, it still hurts to see him. I am so grateful that you, brother Huan, remembered to visit him."

You Shi thought about her husband being arrested and in danger of losing his life, and her stepson Jia Rong being seriously injured and uncertain whether he would recover. Unfortunately, she herself had no children. If the two men in the family were in trouble, who would she be able to rely on for the rest of her life? For a moment, she silently wiped away her tears.

Seeing this, Jia Huan could not feel any sympathy. Maybe Youshi's character was better than Mrs. Xing's, but she was too cowardly and selfish after all. She knew all about her husband Jia Zhen's beastly behavior (raping her daughter-in-law, raping her sister-in-law, and treating her adopted son as a boy catamite), but she turned a blind eye to it. She could be considered an indirect accomplice, so there must be something hateful about a pitiful person.

Jia Huan comforted Youshi with a few words and then proposed to go to Jia Rong's room to visit him. Youshi naturally had no reason to refuse and took Jia Huan to Jia Rong's residence.

Qin Keqing had returned home from the nunnery a few days ago. She was taking care of her husband Jia Rong by his bedside without taking off her clothes. When she saw Youshi leading Jia Huan in, she quickly bowed and said, "My nephew's wife, I greet Uncle Huan."

Jia Huan nodded, walked to the bed and took a look. Although he was mentally prepared, he was still shocked.

Jia Rong was originally a handsome young man in his early twenties, but now he was so thin that he looked unrecognizable. His eyes were dull, his eye sockets were sunken, his lips were dry, and he lay on the bed dying like a skeleton.

Jia Huan sucked in a breath of cold air. This bastard Jia Zhen was truly a beast. He was so cruel to his own son. Even a tiger would not eat its own cub. This guy was simply worse than a beast.

Jia Rong was obviously still conscious. When he saw Jia Huan, he actually struggled to sit up. Jia Huan quickly held his shoulders and said, "Just lie down, Rong'er. Be careful not to disturb the wound."

Youshi also said hurriedly, "Listen to your uncle Huan San and lie down well." She then asked Qinshi, "Have you taken the medicine?"

Qin Keliao replied, "I drank it a quarter of an hour ago."

Youshi probably felt guilty and didn't want to stay in the room for long. She asked a few more questions, told Qinshi to treat Jia Huan well, and left first.

After Youshi left, Qin Keqing fell to her knees and cried, "Thanks to Uncle Huan's advice, Keqing escaped the disaster. Now Uncle Huan has helped me save your nephew's life. If my wife and I can escape the disaster this time, it is all thanks to Uncle Huan's kindness and virtue."

Jia Huan hurriedly gave him a helping hand and said, "Brother Rong's wife is too polite. Please get up quickly. It will be bad if others see us."

Qin Keqing kowtowed three times, then stood up, wiping her tears. Her delicate and timid appearance was truly touching. Jia Huan quickly looked away, turned around and looked at Jia Rong on the bed and asked, "Brother Rong, how do you feel?" Jia Rong forced a smile and said weakly, "I'm not going to die yet. I'm very happy that Third Uncle Huan can come to see me."

Jia Huan nodded and said, "That's good. Now you can rest and recover from your injuries. You must get better."

Jia Rong said gratefully, "Thanks to Uncle Huan, otherwise my nephew's life would be in danger, and Keqing would not be able to escape the clutches of that man."

Qin Keqing blushed, lowered her head and said nothing.

"By the way, Uncle Huan, do you think that man can still survive?" Jia Rong said gritting his teeth. It was obvious that he hated his beastly father so much that he wished he would die.

This is not surprising. The father-son relationship between Jia Zhen and Jia Rong was originally very weak, and the latter was mostly afraid of the former. This time, Jia Zhen almost beat Jia Rong to death. There was no love left between father and son. They broke up completely and only hatred remained.

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "I don't know, but I definitely can't come back home and act like a tyrant anymore."

Qin Keliao heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this, but Jia Rong said angrily, "If he doesn't die, he will be a disaster in the end."

Jia Huan advised: "Brother Rong should just rest and recover from his injuries. It is useless to think too much. Just wait for the result."

Jia Rong gritted his teeth and said, "My nephew is just too hateful. Well, a son should not blame his father. Now he has deserved his punishment. By the way, has Third Uncle Huan seen Brother Qiang recently?"

Jia Huan nodded and said, "I just saw him. He wanted to go back to the mansion to see you but couldn't come in, so he asked me to come."

Jia Rong's eyes turned red when he heard this and he said, "I still have two thousand taels of silver in my pocket. Please ask Uncle Huan to give it to him. With this money, he can live a good life even if he leaves the capital."

Jia Huan nodded and said, "No problem, but I'm afraid I can't carry two thousand taels, and it would be too conspicuous to carry it out of the house in a box."

Jia Rong said, "Don't worry, Uncle Huan. I have exchanged them for silver notes. I will pay them immediately when I see the notes at the bank. Keqing, go and get the silver notes."

Qin Keqing agreed and turned around to take out a stack of silver bills from the bottom of her dressing box. There were twenty bills worth one hundred taels each, which was exactly two thousand taels. It was probably all of Jia Rong's savings. Now she gave them all to Jia Huan, which showed that she trusted Jia Huan very much.

Jia Huan took the banknote and put it in his arms, then sat for a while and left.

On the second day, Jia Huan went to the Hongfu Inn in Ping'anfang and found Jia Qiang. He told him about Jia Rong's condition and gave him two thousand taels of silver. However, Jia Qiang refused to accept it and said, "Brother is so injured now. The mansion has been emptied out a long time ago. Now that that man is in trouble, those villains in the mansion will stir up trouble. I need silver to protect myself, so I trouble Uncle Huan to return the two thousand taels to brother."

A trace of admiration flashed in Jia Huan's eyes, and he looked up to Jia Qiang even more. This kid was smart, courageous and responsible. It was rare for a good seedling to emerge from the bunch of good-for-nothings in the Jia family. So he put the banknote away and said with a smile, "Since Brother Qiang doesn't want it, I will pay it back for you. But now you are no longer tolerated by the Jia family and have no place to stay. What are your plans for the future?"

Jia Qiang pondered and said, "I cannot leave the capital now, because the Jinyiwei may summon me to testify at any time. When the dust settles, I plan to leave the capital and travel around. Over the years, my nephew still has several hundred taels of savings, which is enough for a few years. I will settle down when I find a suitable place."

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "Wandering around the world is not a solution after all. It just so happens that there is no one to take care of the honeycomb coal workshop now. Why don't you let Brother Qiang take care of it for me? I will pay him five taels of silver a month. If he does a good job, the salary can be increased."

Jia Qiang was very interested but hesitant. Jia Huan obviously saw Jia Qiang's concerns and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Jia Zhen and Jia She will definitely not get away with it this time. They will not have the chance to retaliate against you. As for your second uncle Lian, even if he can get out in the end, I can guarantee that he will not cause you any trouble."

Jia Qiang immediately made up his mind after hearing this, and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your high regard, Third Uncle Huan. I will obey your command respectfully, but I am limited in ability and have no experience in danger, so I am afraid I will not be able to manage well."

"It doesn't matter. You can accumulate experience slowly if you don't have it. You are very smart and will definitely be ten times more capable than your uncle Lian in the future. I am optimistic about you!" Jia Huan patted Jia Qiang on the shoulder and encouraged him.

Jia Qiang's blood immediately boiled in his chest, and he nodded and said, "Then I will give it a try. If I can't do it, you can whip me with your big whip, Uncle Huan!"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "That won't be the case. At most, they will deduct wages or dismiss them from their posts."

Next, Jia Huan took Jia Rong to the honeycomb coal workshop and asked Tie Niu to help him familiarize himself with the process. He then acted as a hands-off manager and went back home, returning the two thousand taels of silver to Jia Rong.

When Jia Rong learned that Jia Huan had arranged Jia Qiang to manage the honeycomb coal workshop, he was naturally very happy and thanked him profusely. I will not go into details here.

In the blink of an eye, it is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The Lantern Festival is one of the most important festivals in the Great Jin Dynasty, and it is even more lively than New Year's Eve. On this day, the whole country celebrates, the city gates are wide open, and the lights are on all night. Young ladies who usually stay at home are also allowed to go out for fun. People inside and outside the city are out enjoying the spring and the flowers.

However, the Jia family's Lantern Festival this year was particularly deserted. Not only were they not allowed to go out for an outing, but even the lantern viewing program was cancelled. It was a very low-key occasion.

The purge in the court became more and more intense. Originally, Emperor Qiansheng's target was only the Ministry of Revenue, and he also wanted to strike a blow against the old noble group. However, the civil servants of the Donglin faction obviously did not think so. They wanted to win the game and constantly fanned the flames, pursued the victory, and even excluded dissidents and fought for power.

As a result, the scope of the attack was repeatedly expanded. Not only were batches of nobles arrested, but even some civil servants who were unwilling to join the Donglin faction were also attacked. For a time, there was panic and everyone was in danger. Fortunately, Emperor Qiansheng reacted and became angry, and the leader of the Donglin Party, Zhao Mingcheng, also realized that enough was enough. The purge was slowly stopped. However, at this time, the Donglin faction had already occupied an absolute advantage in the court.

That day was the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Early in the morning, a maid came to Yueweiju with a message, saying that the Third Master's attendant (Shi Tou) had an urgent matter and was waiting outside the garden gate.

So Jia Huan hurriedly changed his clothes and rushed to the south gate of the garden. Sure enough, he saw Shitou Xingwei waiting there. He went up to him and asked, "Shitou, what's the urgent matter?"

Shitou leaned close to Jia Huan's ear and whispered, "Didn't the Third Master ask me to keep an eye on Lai Da some time ago? Hey, this guy has been busy looking for a broker to sell the house these days."

Jia Huan's heart moved, and he asked, "Sell their house?"

Shitou nodded and said, "Not only Lai Da is selling, but Lai Er is also selling. It seems that he is in a hurry."

Jia Huan could not help but frown. The Lai brothers were just like termites clinging to the big tree of Jia family, eating their fill. Now they suddenly wanted to sell the house. Could it be that they had heard the news and were planning to run away with the money?

(End of this chapter)