The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 609 Shocking words
As the saying goes, the longer the night, the more dreams one may have. Jia Huan did not dare to let Xue Pan stay any longer. After about half an hour, he urged Xue Pan to leave.

After this disaster, Xue Pan seemed to have matured a lot. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Aunt Xue solemnly. He also told Baochai, "My dear sister, my elder brother is not pretty. From now on, I can't serve my mother and fulfill my filial piety. I can only trouble you to worry about me!"

Xue Pan bowed to Baochai again, who quickly supported him and said with red eyes, "Brother, don't worry about mother and me. You should take good care of yourself. Don't cause any more trouble when you get to Chang'an."

Xue Pan nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, sister. Brother Huan has helped me so much. If I cause trouble again and implicate him, I am still a human being. I am really worse than an animal!"

Baochai sighed softly, "It's great that you think so. We may not see each other again in this life. Take care of yourself, brother. Bowing to mother from afar on the three festivals and two birthdays every year is also considered to be fulfilling the son's duty."

Xue Pan couldn't help crying when he heard this, and regretted his decision. Aunt Xue and Baochai were reluctant to let them go, but they could only bid farewell with tears in their eyes, watching Jia Huan and Xue Pan disappear outside the door in the cold night.

After closing the door, Aunt Xue couldn't help but hold Baochai's hand and sighed, "My dear Bao, it's hard for Huan'er to take such a big risk, his career and life to save your elder brother. It shows that he really loves you. It would have been great if this marriage had been completed in the first place."

Xue Baochai bowed her head in silence, feeling mixed emotions in her heart. Aunt Xue sighed again and said sadly, "Forget it, things have come to this point, and there is no turning back. It shows that the fate between people is determined by heaven and cannot be forced."

In ancient times, marriage was based on equality of family background. In the past, the Xue family and the Jia family were barely a match, but now the Xue family is nothing. Jia Huan is a talented scholar who has won six top honors in the imperial examinations and holds the fourth-rank official position. It is naturally impossible for him to marry Baochai, who has fallen into the status of a lowly woman. Even if he agrees, Grandmother Jia and Jia Zheng will not agree, and the government and the secular world will not allow it, unless Baochai can put aside her status and become a concubine.

At this time, Baoqin hurriedly tried to smooth things over, saying, "After a day's journey, Auntie must be tired. You should go to bed quickly because you still have to worship Buddha tomorrow."

Aunt Xue looked at Baoqin with bright eyes and white teeth, and she couldn't help but feel sad again. Although Baoqin and Xue Ke were not implicated this time, the Mei family had already sent someone to cancel the engagement. The year before last, Baoqin's parents died. This time when she came to Beijing, she had planned to marry Mei Hanlin's son after the three-year mourning period. Now the marriage naturally could not be completed. Of course, the Mei family could not be blamed for being heartless. It is the instinct of animals to seek good fortune and avoid danger, let alone humans? Xue Pan was a well-known traitor, so it was normal for the Mei family not to take the risk of marrying into the Xue family.

The Xue family was now left with nothing. Their millions of wealth were like a dream. Thinking of Baochai and Baoqin, who had no place to go for the rest of their lives, their son had fled to another place to avoid disaster, and the whole family was living in the Jia family. Aunt Xue could not help but feel grief. She hugged Baochai and Baoqin and wept, "My poor children, what evil did our Xue family commit to deserve such a disaster!"

Baochai and Baoqin were also heartbroken, and they comforted her gently for a while. Only after Aunt Xue fell asleep did the two girls leave and go back to the next room to sleep. However, the two sisters lay in bed for a long time and could not fall asleep.

"Sister Qin, I'm sorry. It's all our family's fault that you've been dragged down. A good marriage is ruined. I feel really sorry for my uncle and aunt!" Baochai sighed softly.

Baoqin turned around and lay on her side, hugging Baochai intimately and said, "What are you talking about, dear sister? We are a family, so why should we distinguish between your family and mine? Besides, the Mei family can cancel the engagement, it's not a big deal, can I, Xue Baoqin, still not get married?"

Baochai smiled bitterly and said, "You are optimistic and open-minded, but given our family's current situation, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find a scholarly family like the Mei family. You have always had high standards, and ordinary people would look down on you."

Baoqin rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Then don't get married. Why do women have to get married?"

Baochai said with a smile: "Isn't it strange that you said that? Men should get married when they are old enough and women should get married when they are old enough. This has been the case since ancient times."

Baoqin sat up and argued, "Things that have been around since ancient times are not necessarily right. Then why didn't Sister marry Brother Huan?"

Baochai's face flushed, and she said angrily, "You are talking about something else. Lie down quickly, or you will catch a cold."

Baoqin lay down and whispered in Baochai's ear, "Sister obviously likes Brother Huan, and she didn't object at first, but suddenly she doesn't want to, is it because of Sister Lin?"

Baochai's heart trembled slightly, and she said angrily, "Don't guess blindly, go to bed quickly, it will be dawn soon if you keep talking too much, and you will be busy tomorrow." After that, she turned away and ignored Baoqin. Now, when she recalled the scene she saw in the peach forest that day, she still couldn't help feeling a pain in her heart.

Baoqin pouted her lips slightly and said, "I heard that Sister Lin's father entrusted Sister Lin to Brother Huan before he died. Is this the reason for Sister Bao's decision?"

Baochai closed her eyes and said nothing, as if she had fallen asleep. Baoqin continued to talk to herself, "Sister Lin is indeed special to Brother Huan, and Brother Huan is also special to her, but Brother Huan is also special to you, sister. In order to save sister, he did not hesitate to use his body as a hostage, and helped our Xue family in times of crisis many times. This time, he even risked his head to arrange for Brother to meet us. Isn't that enough of his deep affection for sister?"

Baoqin sat up again and shook Baochai, who was pretending to sleep, and said, "Sister Bao, why don't you and Sister Lin marry Brother Huan together? If I can't get married in the future, I will just marry Brother Huan too. You can start a poetry club together and don't have to separate. How wonderful!"

After hearing such outrageous remarks, Xue Baochai could no longer pretend to be asleep. She sat up and laughed and scolded, "Are you crazy, girl? You are talking nonsense here. You will not stop until you say something shocking!"

Baoqin said seriously, "I'm telling the truth. Brother Huan is both a man of letters and a warrior, as handsome as Pan An, and has a good personality. I'm afraid there won't be another one like him in the world. If he's willing to marry me, I'd be willing to be his concubine."

Xue Baochai blushed and stretched out her hand to tear Baoqin's mouth, saying angrily, "You silly girl, you deserve to die even more. You are talking nonsense here. If your aunt hears you, she will beat you with a stick."

Baoqin hid in the bed and giggled, "No way, otherwise I will tell my aunt tomorrow that if I can't get married, I will be Brother Huan's concubine. Life is only 30,000 days long, and it's enough to be happy with the one I love!"

"Forget it, just go crazy here by yourself. I'll go over there and sleep with mom." Xue Baochai lifted the quilt and was about to leave. Xue Baoqin quickly hugged her and said with a smile, "My dear sister, don't go. I won't dare to say anything nonsense again." Xue Baochai then lay down again and warned, "From now on, you are not allowed to say a word or make any noise."

Xue Baoqin nodded pitifully and said nothing more. After about an incense stick of time, she fell into a deep sleep. However, Xue Baochai tossed and turned and could not fall asleep.

Then Jia Huan escorted Xue Pan away from Tantuo Temple under the cover of night and waved goodbye to him when they were on the main road.

Xue Pan got off his horse, bowed deeply to Jia Huan, and said gratefully: "Brother Huan, I hope you will take care of my mother and sister in the future."

Jia Huan did not dodge and accepted Xue Pan's greeting. He could bear it and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I will!"

Xue Pan sighed and hesitantly said, "Brother Huan, there is something I have always wanted to ask you."

"go ahead!"

"Do you have feelings for my sister?"

Jia Huan nodded calmly. Xue Pan seemed relieved when he heard this. He got on his horse and said, "I'm leaving now. Brother Huan, remember to treat her well."

"Don't worry, I will never let Sister Bao suffer any injustice." Jia Huan said solemnly.

Xue Pan was completely relieved and rode forward with his horse lightly under the pressure. Lin Zhong and Lin Fu were responsible for escorting him. These two brothers were Lin Zhixiao's sons and their loyalty was absolutely no problem, so there was no need to worry about secrets being leaked.

After watching Xue Pan and his party disappear on the official road, Jia Huan returned to Tanzhe Temple. The next day, the Jia family burned incense and prayed to Buddha for blessings. The complicated ceremony took two days to complete. They did not set off for Beijing until the fifth day of the first lunar month. Before leaving, Jia Huan donated another 1,000 taels of silver, and the monks happily sent them two miles outside the mountain gate before returning.

Ping'er was now a concubine, so she was also provided with a carriage, and Mandarin rode with her.

"Sister Ping'er, why do you keep looking at me?" Mandalin was a little puzzled when she saw Ping'er staring at her belly, so she subconsciously touched her belly and asked.

Ping'er's pretty face was slightly hot. She handed a sachet to Mandalin and said, "Wear this thing. Put it under the mat when you get to Ningyuan. Remember it?"

"Why?" Mandarin asked as she opened the sachet to see what was inside.

Ping Erh quickly slapped her hand and said angrily, "Don't move. Just wear it. It won't work if you look at it."

Mandalin shrugged. "What on earth is this? It's so mysterious. Oh, I'm awake. This was given to you by the great monk when we were worshipping at the Guanyin Temple yesterday. Why don't you wear it yourself? Why are you putting it on me instead?"

Ping'er's face flushed as she said, "I am wearing them. There are two in total, one for you and one for me... You stupid idiot, why are you asking so many questions? Just wear them if I tell you to. It's good for the Third Master!"

"Oh, then I'll wear it!" Upon hearing this, Mandalin quickly tied the sachet to the sweat towel around her waist.

Ping Erh hesitated to speak, and finally said, "When you get to Ningyuan, serve the Third Master well."

Mandalin shrugged again and said, "Jia asked me to go to Ningyuan to make firearms. I'm busy now, so I don't have time to serve him!"

Ping Erh asked unhappily, "Does all you do all day long make firearms?"

Mandarin nodded and said, "When we're busy, it's possible to stay up all night."

Ping Er was so angry that she hit Mandarin on the buttocks and said angrily, "You...ah, you are so stubborn. You have wasted this good fertility body!"

Mandarin: ...

(End of this chapter)