The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 538: Late Spring Notes
In the bedroom of Yangxinzhai in Xiyuan, the retired emperor Kangping lay stiffly on the bed, his mouth still crooked and his eyes squinting, his skinny right hand bent like a chicken claw, his eyes dull, staring straight at one place, with sticky liquid hanging from the corners of his mouth. To describe it in Cantonese, it would be "drooling even after the doctor's visit."

In the bedroom at this moment, besides the retired emperor, there was only Emperor Qiansheng. He stood in front of the bed, looking at the dying old man with complicated eyes. That was his father, an old man who had been domineering all his life. Until three years ago, he had lived completely under the shadow of this old man, acting like a puppet emperor.

Finally, on his 70th birthday, this overbearing old man collapsed. He did not fall in his beloved hunting ground, but fell at the banquet for the new Jinshi. His posture was so ugly, so embarrassed, and his dignity was completely gone!
No matter how domineering a person is, he will grow old, and no matter how strong a body is, it cannot resist the erosion of time!
Emperor Qiansheng silently admired Laozi's embarrassed posture for a moment, and suddenly poked the retired emperor's eyes with two fingers of his right hand, with his sharp nails touching his eyelids, but the latter still maintained that posture motionless, without blinking, still staring straight at a certain place.

Emperor Qiansheng withdrew his hand, took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers, muttering to himself: "It is really a good omen for the country. It is time for you to lie down and have a good rest."

Suddenly, a foul odor came to Emperor Qiansheng's nose. He quickly covered his nose with a handkerchief and lowered his head to look for the source of the smell. When he lifted the quilt, he found that the old man had incontinence.

Emperor Qiansheng frowned, took two steps back, and shouted, "Someone come!"

Several palace servants came in hurriedly from outside. Emperor Qiansheng said calmly, "Help the emperor change his clothes." Then he turned and walked out of the bedroom, throwing the handkerchief on the ground in disgust.

…………

The Banquet of Honor and Respect came to an end dramatically, and the news that the retired emperor had suffered a stroke and became paralyzed spread like wildfire. The era of the retired emperor seemed to have come to an end.

When Jia Huan returned home, he first went to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia. The latter wondered why Jia Huan came back so early. After asking, she learned that the retired emperor had suffered a stroke. She could not help but sigh, because she and the retired emperor were of the same generation. In comparison, she was a few years older than the retired emperor.

"Alas, time is merciless. I am old now and I have to accept my age. I am an old woman who has lived to this day..."

Jia Huan interrupted, "That's because the old lady is very blessed. It's natural for her to live a hundred years."

Grandmother Jia said with a smile: "Huan'er is sweet-talking, but he doesn't have to live a hundred years. It would be enough for him to live to see your brothers get married and your sisters get married."

Grandmother Jia smiled so hard that her eyebrows and eyes squeezed together. That look always made Jia Huan feel that it was a bit meaningful. He responded casually, "The old ancestor will definitely see it."

Grandmother Jia laughed and waved her hand, saying, "You must be tired after getting up so early in the morning. Huan'er, go back and rest. Since you still have a month's vacation, you should have a good time. You won't be so comfortable when you go to court every day. I think it's pitiful that you are only fourteen years old and have to go to court like adults."

Yuanyang laughed and said, "Others want to go to court but can't. Not everyone has this ability."

"That's right. Who else except our Huan'er could win six top prizes in a row?" Grandmother Jia said proudly, her old face beaming with joy.

After Jia Huan took his leave, the smile on Jia's mother's face slowly faded. She sighed and thought to herself, "The palms and backs of my hands are all made of flesh. It's really difficult."

It turned out that Mrs. Wang had revealed to her today that her uncle Wang Ziteng wanted to pair Huan'er and Baochai, and Grandmother Jia's original plan was also to pair Baoyu and Baochai, after all, there was the saying "a perfect match made in heaven".

But now that Huan'er has become successful and has become the hope and pillar of the Jia family's future, it is necessary for him to marry a virtuous wife who is well-educated, well-mannered, and has good character and appearance. Bao Yatou is obviously a suitable candidate. They know each other well and are related relatives, so it is a match made in heaven. It can also ease the relationship between Huan'er and his mother.

So at this moment, Grandmother Jia was in a very difficult situation. Emotionally, she definitely doted on Baoyu more, but rationally she tended to favor Jia Huan, so she couldn't make up her mind for a while.

Let's talk about Jia Huan returning to the garden. He first went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion to see Lin Daiyu. The latter was shocked to learn that the emperor had suffered a stroke and became paralyzed at the Enrong Banquet. She was also a little worried. After all, the emperor suddenly fell ill while talking to Jia Huan. This matter could be a big deal or a small one. If the emperor was angry, it was not impossible to punish Jia Huan for the crime of offending the emperor.

Jia Huan could see what Lin Daiyu was worried about, and he felt warm in his heart. He comforted her, "Don't worry, Sister Lin. It's a blessing, not a curse. If it's a curse, it's inevitable. God has allowed me to win six prizes in a row, so I'm sure he won't let me fail on my first day in court."

Lin Daiyu gave Jia Huan a reproachful look and said, "What nonsense are you talking about."

Jia Huan smiled and changed the subject, "Let's not talk about that anymore. How about a game of chess? I haven't played chess with Sister Lin for a long time."

Lin Daiyu felt sweet in her heart and said softly, "You came back from court so early in the morning, aren't you tired, brother Huan?"

"I'm not tired. I'm energetic enough to kill a tiger. But Sister Lin, you have to give me some eyes." Jia Huan said shamelessly.

"You just know how to play rogue. People won't come!" Lin Daiyu said angrily. At the same time, she asked Xueyan to bring the chessboard. The two of them sat cross-legged on the couch and started playing chess.

In fact, Jia Huan's chess skills are still quite impressive, at the level of amateur ninth dan. Unfortunately, there is always someone stronger than you, and Lin Daiyu is obviously better than him. The two sides fought for most of the hour, and finally Jia Huan lost by one point with black.

"What a pity, we almost won." Jia Huan sighed.

Xueyan scratched her face and said to him shamelessly, "Mr. Huan San is shameless. He has to give the white piece three points when he plays black. You lost to the girl by four points in total. How can you say you almost won?"

Jia Huan's face turned red, and he said nonsense: "That's because you don't understand. We don't need to stick to the goal when we play today. I will definitely win if we play another round."

Lin Daiyu burst out laughing: "Since Brother Huan is not convinced, let's play another round."

So the two sides played again. This time Lin Daiyu played black first. In the end, Jia Huan lost only two points. He said proudly, "I won."

Xueyan opened her eyes wide and asked, "Third Master, you clearly lost two points, why did you say you won?"

Jia Huan said calmly, "The black player who moves first has to gain three points over the white player, so in the end, I still won by one point."

"That's not what the Third Master said in the last round." Xueyan pouted.

"The rules of this game are different again." Mr. Jia said again "shamelessly".

Xueyan said with a smile: "As expected, the word 'official' has two parts. As soon as Third Master became an official, he has mastered the art of officialdom. I admire you."

Jia Huan laughed loudly, and Lin Daiyu couldn't help laughing. At this time, Zijuan came in and said, "Miss, do you want lunch?"

Lin Daiyu's beautiful eyes could not help but look at Jia Huan, who hurriedly said, "I will eat with Sister Lin."

Lin Daiyu said with a smile: "Is it because the food here is so delicious that you prefer to eat here? Ping'er will complain later. Why don't you go home?"

"Okay, then I'll go home to eat." Jia Huan stood up and pretended to leave, but his feet did not move. He just looked at Lin Daiyu with a smile.

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Brother Huan, why don't you leave me soon? You'd better leave me now. You'll be happy and at ease."

Jia Huan sat down again and said with a smile, "It's not what you want. Let's eat here. Sister Zijuan, please serve the food quickly. We didn't eat a single bite of food at the banquet, and we are starving. I'm afraid we are the most unlucky batch of new scholars." Zijuan laughed and said, "Wait a moment, Third Master. I'll be here soon."

Soon, the meal was served, six hot dishes and one soup, including shrimp meatballs, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, stewed ham pork elbow, pickled goose feet and duck tongue, fresh bamboo shoots with chicken marrow, minced meat and tofu, plus a bowl of pheasant roe and mushroom soup.

"Huh, it's so rich?" Jia Huan blurted out.

Zijuan said, "Sister Liu, who manages the kitchen, heard that the Third Master was having dinner here, so she added three dishes."

Jia Huan smiled and said to Lin Daiyu, "Look, I'm eating here, and Sister Lin is also benefiting from it. But tell Sister Liu not to make an exception. She must follow the rules and not make any special arrangements."

Xueyan smiled and said, "It's not like I'm doing anything special, I'm just moving Third Master's share over here."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "That's true. I'll start eating then." Then he started chopping big chunks of food.

Lin Daiyu had a small appetite to begin with, and today's dishes were clearly more to Jia Huan's taste, so she ate half a bowl of rice and a few spoonfuls of minced meat and tofu and put the bowl down, then just sat there with her cheeks supported as she watched Jia Huan eat.

After lunch, Jia Huan sat for a while and then said goodbye to Lin Daiyu and returned to Yueweiju.

"Has Third Master had his meal yet?" Ping'er asked softly while helping Jia Huan change into his casual clothes.

"I've eaten at Sister Lin's place. Now I feel a little tired. I need to take a nap. You guys can eat by yourselves." Jia Huan said as he lay on the bed with his clothes on.

Qingwen snorted slightly, "I knew it. From now on, we don't have to prepare meals for you. We can just eat at Miss Lin's every day."

Jia Huan laughed and said, "It's just a meal at Sister Lin's place. I'm grinding my teeth again."

Qingwen immediately slammed the curtain and walked out. Jia Huan sat up and asked in surprise, "It's not even summer yet, why is she so irritable?"

Ping Er rolled her eyes at Jia Huan and said softly, "You've had so many guests these days, Third Master, you've been so busy entertaining them that you don't have time to spare. So today we specially prepared your favorite food and even raised some money to ask someone to buy you a jar of wine. We were planning to celebrate this privately for you, Third Master."

Jia Huan suddenly realized, "Sister Ping'er, why didn't you tell me earlier? Hurry up and serve the food and wine. Even if I can't eat the food, I can still drink the wine."

Another meal was served immediately. Mr. Jia was very flexible and he coaxed Qingwen to sit at the table by calling her sister. Together with Mandarin, the three of them, the master and the servant, drank up a jar of fine wine. Mandarin still thought it was not enough, so she got another jar of red wine. They got drunk in broad daylight and ran back to their room to fall asleep.

Qingwen was also about eight or nine percent drunk, her pretty face flushed, and she went back to her room to rest, leaning on the wall. Ping'er, on the other hand, was steady and only drank a few points. After helping Jia Huan lie down on the small couch, she still had the energy to do needlework beside him.

…………

Xue Baochai has no habit of taking naps. Perhaps this is also a health-preserving concept. The ancients believed that taking a nap after lunch would easily cause food to accumulate in the stomach and become undigested, which would be bad for the body. Therefore, only older people with less energy would take naps. Young people usually find something to do to get through the afternoon sleepiness.

At noon that day, Xue Baochai did not take a nap as usual. She first went to Lixiang Garden to visit her mother, and then returned to the garden to play with Lin Daiyu. Unexpectedly, the latter was taking a bath. So she left Xiaoxiang Pavilion and went to Yihong Courtyard to chat with Xiren for a while before coming out again. Unconsciously, she walked to Yueweiju, hesitated for a moment, and then went in.

At this time, Mandalin and Qingwen had both drunk their wine and gone back to their rooms to sleep, leaving Ping'er alone to look after Jia Huan and do needlework.

"Miss Bao is here." When Ping'er saw Xue Baochai, she hurriedly greeted her in a low voice.

Xue Baochai glanced at Jia Huan who was lying on the couch and asked in a low voice, "Brother Huan, have you drunk too much?"

Ping Er said a little embarrassedly, "We drank a few more cups, and the two of them got drunk and went back to their rooms to sleep."

Seeing a fly broom at Ping'er's feet, Xue Baochai smiled quietly and said, "You are too cautious. There are no flies or mosquitoes in this room. Why are you chasing them away with a fly broom?"

Ping Erh said, "Miss Bao, you don't know. Although there are no flies or mosquitoes, there is a kind of small insect that can get in through the mesh of the gauze and cannot be seen. When you are asleep, it bites you, just like an ant bites you."

Xue Baochai glanced at the window screen and nodded, saying, "No wonder. There is a pond outside this room, and there are fragrant flowers everywhere. Insects like these grow in the center of the flowers and fly when they smell the fragrance."

As Xue Baochai spoke, she looked at the needlework Ping'er had done. It turned out to be a white silk bellyband with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing with lotus flowers embroidered on it. The red lotus and green leaves, and the colorful mandarin ducks were very beautiful. She couldn't help but exclaimed, "What a bright and beautiful work! Who is this for? Is it worth all the effort?"

Ping'er pointed at Jia Huan who was sleeping soundly on the small couch.

Xue Baochai said with a smile: "Brother Huan is so old, and he still wears this?"

Ping Er shook her head and said, "Of course he won't wear it, but summer is coming and the weather is getting hotter. He likes to sleep without a shirt on. If you put this on him, he won't have to worry about cold air entering his belly button at night."

Upon hearing this, Xue Baochai's face turned slightly hot. It turned out that Brother Huan liked to sleep shirtless in summer.

This is not surprising. In the past, there was air conditioning, so no matter how hot the summer was, it was not a problem. But there was no air conditioning in this dynasty. Although there was a cool mat, it was still too hot to sleep at night, so Jia Huan almost always slept naked.

"I drank a few glasses of wine at lunch and my stomach feels a little uncomfortable. Miss Bao, please sit for a while. I'll go out for a walk and be back soon." Ping'er stood up and stretched her arms and legs and said.

Baochai nodded and said, "Go ahead, I'll take your place for a while." Then she sat down.

Ping'er thanked him, then left the house and walked around in the garden.

Xue Baochai sat and admired the bellyband for a while, then suddenly felt itchy and took up needle and thread to embroider it for Ping'er.

Just at this time, Lin Daiyu and Shi Xiangyun came together. Seeing that the yard was quiet and there seemed to be no one, they went straight into the house and looked into the inner room through the bead curtain. They saw Jia Huan lying on the small couch and sleeping soundly, while Baochai was sitting beside him doing needlework, with a fly broom at her feet.

Seeing this, Lin Daiyu quickly shrank her body, covered her mouth and tried to hold back her laughter. Shi Xiangyun almost laughed out loud, but immediately reached out and forcibly pulled Lin Daiyu out of the room.

Xiangyun is good friends with Baochai, so naturally she doesn't want to see her being teased and laughed at by Lin Daiyu. This situation is really too embarrassing.

(End of this chapter)