The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 535 Win-win cooperation
As night fell and the lights came on, the Rongguo Mansion, which had been bustling all day, finally quieted down. The insects hiding in the dark emerged, chirping and playing the music of the night, as if announcing that they had taken over the world.

In Jia Lian's view, the entire Jia Mansion has now been taken over by Jia Huan. The key to the treasury is in his hands, the head steward Lin Zhixiao is also his man, the servants support him, the old lady and the master trust and rely on him, and even his brothers and sisters revolve around him and are proud of him (except Big-Faced Bao).

Although Jia Huan is not omnipotent in the family today, his status is comparable to that of half the head of the family. The servants are willing to listen to him. On the contrary, his words as the grandson of the eldest son, Master Lian, no longer carry the weight they used to. When it comes to matters that require a decision, the managers are more willing to ask Jia Huan for instructions, which makes Jia Lian feel deeply frustrated.

When Jia Lian walked into the room with a gloomy face, Qin was feeding medicine to her husband Jia Rong. She quickly put down the bowl, bowed and said, "Second Uncle Lian!"

Jia Lian forced a smile and said, "Brother Rong's wife, I'm really sorry to bother you so late at night. I want to talk to Brother Rong alone. Could you please step aside for a moment?"

Qin Keqing's face turned pale, and she looked at her husband Jia Rong worriedly. The latter was also in a state of anxiety at the moment, but he still smiled and said, "It's okay, you go out for a walk, I'll talk to Second Uncle Lian for a while."

Qin Keqing said "oh", turned around and timidly left the room, but did not close the door. Jia Lian walked forward with a sullen face and closed the door.

Jia Rong's heart skipped a beat, and he smiled and said, "My nephew's injury has not yet fully healed, so I'm sorry I can't greet Uncle Lian."

Jia Rong was severely beaten by his father Jia Zhen on New Year's Eve and broke several ribs. Although he luckily survived, he has not recovered after more than two months of recuperation. Although he can stand up and walk normally, he cannot make large movements.

Jia Lian's expression couldn't help but relax a little when he saw Jia Rong's pale and thin face. After all, he was also responsible for Jia Rong's beating. He used Jia Rong to deceive Wang Xifeng that night, but actually went to the brothel to have fun. As a result, Wang Xifeng came to Ningguo Mansion and saw through his plan, which led to Jia Rong being beaten by his father Jia Zhen.

"Rong'er, tell the truth. Was it you who instructed Jia Qiang to accuse Brother Zhen of reselling salt permits?" Jia Lian stared at Jia Rong with a bad look.

Although Jia Lian and Jia Rong are of similar age, Jia Rong is one generation older, so Jia Rong is usually a little afraid of Jia Lian. Now that Jia Lian has come here with hatred after being released from prison, Jia Rong is even more frightened. He stuttered and said, "What do you mean, Uncle Lian? I didn't instruct my brother Qiang."

Jia Lian sneered, "You don't have to deny it. It's either you or Jia Huan. It was probably Jia Huan who ordered you two brothers to do it. Bastard, you caused me to be imprisoned for several months, lost my ancestral title, and my house was raided. If the master and brother Zhen are released, they will skin you and Jia Qiang first!"

Jia Rong's expression changed, and he suddenly straightened his back and said firmly: "That's right, I was the one who instructed Brother Qiang to report that person. I, Jia Rong, will take the responsibility for my own actions. If Second Uncle Lian has any grievances, just come to me."

Jia Lian gritted his teeth and sneered, "Oh, I haven't seen you for more than two months. Rong Ge'er has grown a lot. Although he broke a few ribs, his kidneys have become much stronger. He has also become more loyal. If you have the guts to stick out your kidneys in front of Brother Zhen, I will really admire you."

Jia Rong was obviously determined at this point, and with Jia Huan's support, he was not afraid of Jia Lian's revenge. He said coldly: "Don't mention that beast in front of me, ugh!"

Jia Lian was stunned for a moment, his face full of shock. It was a great act of treason for his son to be disrespectful to his father, not to mention that Jia Rong directly called his father worse than a beast. Tsk tsk, this was really outrageous!

"You...you actually cursed your father!" Jia Lian said with a chuckle.

Jia Rong gnashed his teeth and said, "Bah! Jia Zhen is no longer my father. I don't have such a bastard father. Ever since he killed me that night, our father-son relationship has ended. Jia Zhen is an absolute beast. He even wants to take possession of his own daughter-in-law. I am living worse than a dog."

Jia Lian's face changed involuntarily. Qin Keqing was a beauty of heaven, charming and beautiful, but also weak and easy to bully. He had fantasized about her in his mind, but never put it into action. He didn't expect that Jia Zhen, as a eunuch, would take action against her. What a beast!

For a moment, Jia Lian actually understood Jia Rong a little. His father, Jia She, was also very domineering. He ordered him around and even beat people when he was unhappy, but he was not as perverted as Jia Zhen.

Jia Rong said bitterly, "This is all because of that old beast Jia Zhen. He deserves this fate. As for Uncle Lian and the eldest master being implicated, I was not expecting it. If you want to kill them, please come to me, Uncle Lian, and don't bother Brother Qiang."

Jia Lian took a deep look at Jia Rong and sneered, "Now that Jia Huan is protecting him, Rong'er has really become tough. You have to pray to the gods and Buddhas for protection, so that the master and brother Zhen will never get out."

Jia Rong's face turned pale. Even though he sounded tough now, he would be finished once Jia Zhen was released from prison and returned home. After all, that man was still his father. Under the constraints of feudal ethics, patriarchy was very important. As the saying goes, nothing is greater than the word "filial piety".

"Tell me, is Jia Huan the mastermind behind this? I don't believe you have the ability to grasp the timing so well." Jia Lian asked coldly.

Jia Rong's expression changed for a moment, and he lowered his head and said, "Brother Qiang did ask Uncle Huan for help in order to save me."

Jia Lian gritted his teeth and said, "I knew that no one else had this ability except him. He has a good relationship with Yi Hong, the commander of the Jinyiwei."

However, no matter how much Jia Lian hated Jia Huan, he could not do anything to him. Now that Jia Huan had won six top prizes in a row and was promoted to the sixth-rank Hanlin editor, Jia Lian could not compete with him in terms of status and connections. He did not have the courage to beat Jia Huan in person to vent his anger, as this kid had led troops in bloody battles!

I can’t compete with you in literature, I can’t compete with you in martial arts, and I can’t compete with you in scheming. What can I do?

"Where is that traitor Jia Qiang now?" Since he couldn't do anything to Jia Huan, Jia Lian could only vent his anger on Jia Qiang.

Jia Rong said, "Brother Lian, if you have anything to say, come to me. Don't bother Brother Qiang. He is only helping me."

Jia Lian said with a dark face: "Why are you pretending to be a hero? If you tremble again, I will punch you." He clenched his fist.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded outside the door: "Why are you so angry, Brother Lian?"

Just as Jia Lian was surprised, the door of the room was pushed open and a young man walked in calmly. It was Jia Huan, followed by Qin Keqing and the maid Ruizhu.

Jia Lian's face turned pale, but Jia Rong was overjoyed, as if he had found a savior. He stood up and asked, "When did Third Uncle Huan come?"

Jia Huan nodded and smiled, "I just came out of the master's study and was about to go back to the garden, so I came to see Rong'er's injury. I didn't expect that Brother Lian was here too. I wonder what Rong'er did to make Brother Lian angry?"

Jia Rong hesitated and said nothing, while Jia Lian looked embarrassed and covered up, "I was just joking with Rong brother."

"Master, are you okay?" Qin Keqing walked to Jia Rong and asked in a low voice.

Jia Rong shook his head to indicate that it was all right, and said, "Ruizhu, go prepare some tea to entertain the guests." The maidservant Ruizhu quickly made a pot of tea and poured a cup for Jia Huan and the others. Jia Huan smiled and said, "Brother Rong and his wife, please allow us brothers, uncles, and nephews to have a chat."

"Oh!" Qin Keqing followed her instructions and left the room with her maid Ruizhu, closing the door. With Jia Huan around, she didn't expect Jia Lian to be violent.

"Second Brother Lian, please sit down!" Jia Huan pointed to the opposite side of the coffee table, and then sat down first.

There seemed to be an irresistible aura in Jia Huan's every move. Jia Lian couldn't help but sit down, feeling inexplicably nervous. After all, if Jia Huan could put him in jail once, he could do it a second time.

Jia Huan took a sip of tea and asked with concern, "How is Rong'er's injury?"

"He can walk normally now, but he still can't exert force. It is much better than a month ago. Thank you, Uncle Huan, for your concern." Jia Rong said.

Jia Huan nodded and said, "That's good. It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. Just take care of it. If you need anything, tell Steward Lin. Don't let the disease develop into a chronic disease."

Jia Rong was moved and thanked him. Jia Lian looked at the two of them asking about each other's well-being and felt very embarrassed.

Finally, Jia Huan looked at Jia Lian and said, "There are too many guests today, so I don't have time to talk with Second Brother Lian. Congratulations to Second Brother Lian on regaining his freedom. A lot of things have happened in the Yue Mansion in recent days. I hope you are safe."

Jia Lian sneered in his heart, it was all thanks to you, Third Brother Huan, why pretend to be kind, he said calmly: "Congratulations to Brother Huan for passing the imperial examination and becoming the top scorer. I'm sure that when the master and Brother Zhen find out in prison, they will be happy for Brother Huan."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "They probably just want to tear my bones apart, right?"

Jia Lian was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting Jia Huan to be so straightforward, and blurted out: "You admit it?"

Jia Huan nodded and said, "Why should I not admit it? That's right, it was me who instructed Jia Qiang to report Jia Zhen. This person is worse than a beast. I, Jia Huan, am just killing my own relatives for the sake of justice. Not only Jia Zhen, but also the old man Jia She has brought this upon himself."

Jia Lian was shocked and angry and said, "Jia Huan, why did you do this? My Jia family lost the title passed down by our ancestors and almost ruined our family. Is this what you want?"

Jia Huan said calmly, "As the saying goes, when a viper stings your hand, a brave man cuts off his arm. The Jia family is in huge debt and rotten inside. It has been in a state of terminal illness for a long time. Sooner or later, it will be a situation where the monkeys scatter when the tree falls. I am just scraping the bones to cure the poison in advance. Jia She and Jia Zhen are the rotten maggots and rotten flesh. Only when they are cut out can the Jia family be reborn from the ashes. As for you, Jia Lian and Rong Ge'er, there is still hope. There is no need to cut them out. As for the titles passed down by our ancestors, just let them be lost. There is always a price to pay for curing an illness."

Jia Lian and Jia Rong were secretly shocked and blushed when they heard this.

Jia Huan glanced at the two of them nonchalantly and said calmly, "I'm not exaggerating. With what Jia She and Jia Zhen have done, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens. We're lucky that their families haven't been confiscated or exterminated.

Now, more than half of the foreign debt has been repaid, and the rest is not a problem. More than half of the slaves have been laid off, and the situation of expenditure exceeding income has been reversed. As long as our people don't make trouble, life will naturally get better slowly. It is more than enough to maintain wealth for a few more decades. If everyone works harder, it is not impossible to glorify the family.

Therefore, I need to remind Brother Lian that you can be dissatisfied and hate me, but don’t cause trouble for the mansion. If you dare to betray me and rebel, don’t blame me for being rude. Think about it yourself.”

Jia Lian's heart was filled with fear, and his expression changed constantly. Although he had only been out for half a day, he could see that the family's financial situation had indeed improved greatly. After cleaning out most of the servants, those who remained were relatively loyal and reliable, and the family was unprecedentedly united.

Now that Jia Huan has won the top spot in the imperial examination and has been appointed a sixth-rank Hanlin editor, even a fool can see that he has a bright future. It is highly likely that he will bring honor to the Jia family and continue to be wealthy.

Although Jia Lian has the habits of a dandy young man, he has a good conscience. This can be seen from his attitude towards Shi Daizi in the original novel. More importantly, Jia Lian is not stupid. Naturally, he will not have a good life, but he insists on destroying his own family. Moreover, he really cannot beat Jia Huan, so for the time being he can only swallow his anger.

Jia Lian picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said calmly, "Don't worry. Although I, Jia Lian, am not a good person, I can still distinguish right from wrong."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Brother Lian's words are enough. Brother Qiang is now in charge of the honeycomb coal workshop and is doing a good job. You can lend a hand to him later."

Jia Lian frowned immediately and said angrily, "Huan Ge'er wants me to help him?"

You have to know that he was the one who set up the honeycomb coal workshop in the first place, and now he is asked to be his deputy. It is only natural. In terms of ability and experience, is Jia Qiang worthy of it?

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "Brother Lian, please be patient. The number of honeycomb coal workshops has expanded to 30 and is still expanding. Brother Qiang will definitely not be able to manage them. You can each manage half of them."

Jia Lian was shocked and blurted out, "Thirty households? I've only been in there for more than two months, and you've expanded it to thirty households? Where did you get the money?"

Jia Rong said proudly, "Second Brother Lian, you don't know that the Seventh Prince has invested 50,000 taels, and he owns 50% of the shares. Now that we have money and people, we can expand very quickly. By the end of this year, I'm afraid the workshop will double again."

"The Seventh Prince has invested 50,000 taels!" Jia Lian was stunned and asked quickly, "How will the shares be distributed now?"

Jia Huan said calmly, "The Seventh Prince takes 50%, I take 20%, the palace takes 20%, and you and Rong Ge'er take 10% together."

Jia Lian's face darkened. He originally held 30% of the shares, but now he and Jia Rong only hold 10%. Naturally, he was very unhappy. But when he thought about it carefully, the profits he got might not be less than before, and Jia Huan originally held 60%, but now it has become 20%. He also took out 20% to subsidize the public, which was quite generous.

"Well, but my annual salary is one thousand taels." Jia Lian gritted his teeth.

Jia Huan nodded and said, "No problem, but you have to prove that your ability is worth the price. I'll start with 500 taels in the first year. If you can achieve this year's profit target, I'll raise it to 1,000 taels next year."

"It's a deal!" Jia Lian drank the tea in one gulp, then stood up and left.

(End of this chapter)