The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 616 Mother-Daughter Bond
In late spring, Feiyan weeps over the withered petals. The spring flowers in the Grand View Garden have all fallen and the summer beauties have not yet bloomed. However, there are no flowers in the Hengwu Courtyard. There are only some exotic vines and herbs that are now growing vigorously, making the courtyard particularly quiet and peaceful.

Xue Baochai was wearing a dress that was neither new nor old, with a bun casually tied at the back of her head. She was sitting under a rattan rack, sewing a shoe sole. Her graceful figure exuded a dignified and quiet temperament that came from the bottom of her heart, which was pleasing to the eye and made people fall in love with her.

In the past, Xue Baochai had to take care of the family business and seldom did needlework by herself. Now that the Xue family's millions of fortunes have all gone down the drain and they are left with nothing, Xue Baochai has some free time to pick up needlework again, both to pass the time and to help with the household expenses.

Now that the Xue family is living in the Jia family, although they will not be badly treated in terms of food, clothing and other expenses, they still feel guilty, so they try to save as much as possible. Xue Baochai usually makes her own clothes, and she never asks for food, but eats whatever the kitchen gives her.

At this time, Ying'er came back from the Pear Fragrance Garden and secretly slipped a letter to Xue Baochai, saying, "Master has sent a letter. Madam asked you to burn it after reading it. Remember it!"

Xue Baochai quickly put down her needle and thread, took the letter and went back to her room to read it carefully.

This letter was sent by Xue Pan from Chang'an, using a pseudonym. In the letter, he greeted Aunt Xue and Baochai, and said that he had settled down in Chang'an under a pseudonym, and that everything was fine, so they should not worry about him. At the end of the letter, it was mentioned that Xue Pan planned to start a small business to make a living while he still had some money, so as not to live on his savings in the future. However, he was afraid of losing his capital, so he asked Baochai what kind of business he should start.

Xue Baochai pondered for a moment and was about to pick up her pen to write a reply when Baoqin came in, fanning herself with a round fan, her pretty face flushed and sweating profusely.

"It's only the end of March, and it's so hot?" Xue Baochai asked curiously.

Xue Baoqin said with a smile: "I just went boating with sister Tanchun in the pond and caught two small crucian carps. We sent them to the kitchen to make soup. The crucian carp and spring bamboo shoot soup is very delicious at this time of year. We will have it for lunch." At the same time, she added: "Sister, you don't need to ask. I paid you. If you don't go to the kitchen, it will be in vain."

Xue Baochai said with a smile: "I didn't ask."

Xue Baoqin smiled and said, "I'm just in case you ask again. In my opinion, although it is true that our family is living under someone else's roof, there is no need to be too reserved. Otherwise, it will seem like the host is treating us badly."

Xue Baochai nodded and said, "You are right, but as the saying goes: There is no filial son for a long-term sick bed. Moreover, we are just foreign guests to the Jia family. It is no problem to stay with relatives for ten days or half a month, but for many years, people will get tired of it. So it is best not to trouble others if you can."

Baoqin sighed, "That's right. Brother Huan is guarding the border city. I don't know when he will be able to return to the capital. He didn't even give me a definite answer. It's really abominable!"

Xue Baochai blushed and scolded, "You are talking nonsense again. You deserve a beating."

Xue Baoqin said with a smile: "My little sister, what nonsense are you talking about? I am worried about you. Think about it, why did Brother Huan risk his life to help you again and again? If he didn't care about you, would he be so desperate? Brother Huan is so decisive in his actions, but he is so indecisive when it comes to his lifelong affairs. It's really annoying. In a few years, you will become an old maid!"

Xue Baochai's heart trembled, and she spat, "You deserve to die even more. You blurt out anything you want to say. You don't act like a girl at all. If you keep talking nonsense, don't blame me for chasing you out with a fly broom."

"Sister, if you chase me away, I won't be able to hear the news!" Baoqin said with her beautiful eyes rolling.

"What news?" Baochai asked curiously.

"News about Brother Huan!"

"You may say it or not, but don't hinder me from writing."

"Then I'm leaving!" Xue Baoqin blinked, turned around and was about to leave the room. Xue Baochai suddenly became anxious and said with a smile: "Good sister, come back!"

Xue Baoqin came back with a smile on her face, looking very proud of herself. Xue Baochai's pretty face flushed, and she said angrily, "You still don't want to tell me? Do you want me to pry open your little mouth with a pen?"

Xue Baoqin then said, "I heard that Brother Huan won another battle and wiped out a whole group of Jiannu cavalry. The emperor was very pleased and has issued an imperial decree to commend him."

Xue Baochai was delighted when she heard this and asked, "Really?"

"It can't be false. It was spread to my uncle's servant Li Shi'er. Everyone in the mansion knew about it yesterday afternoon, and it spread to the garden today."

Xue Baochai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Amitabha, although it was a victory, the fighting and killing always makes people tremble with fear." "That's right. There are 300 people in a Niulu of Jiannu. 300 heads piled together would be a small mountain. It's scary to think about it." Xue Baoqin stuck out her tongue and said, "Hey, is this letter sent back by Brother Pan?"

Xue Baoqin picked up the letter on the desk and started reading. Baochai did not stop her. After all, they were family and Baoqin was an insider.

After reading Xue Pan's letter, Baoqin couldn't help laughing and said, "Brother used to spend money like water, but now he is afraid of losing money? The sun is really rising from the west."

Xue Baochai said with relief: "It's not his turn to be afraid. Brother Huan only gave him two thousand taels of silver. If he loses all of it, he will have to starve and freeze. But this is a good thing. It proves that my eldest brother has become more stable and has truly changed his ways."

Xue Baoqin nodded and said, "Every time you suffer a loss, you learn a lesson. Every time you suffer a failure, you gain wisdom. Those months of hardship were not in vain. If Big Brother can live a down-to-earth life from now on, it will not be in vain that Brother Huan risked his career and life to save him. It's a pity that the price he paid to wake up was too high."

Xue Baochai fell silent upon hearing this, and her heart was filled with knots. Baoqin glanced at her and said softly, "Sister, please take your time writing. I won't disturb you." After saying that, she left the room.

After Xue Baochai finished writing her reply to Xue Pan, she burned the letter from Xue Pan and then left the house and went to Lixiang Garden, intending to give the letter to her cousin Xue Ke to send it out.

Unconsciously, Xue Baochai walked to the vicinity of the Pear Fragrance Garden. The row of pomegranate trees growing against the wall had not yet bloomed, but it reminded Baochai of the summer when the pomegranate flowers were in full bloom. She was mischievous for a moment, tiptoeing to catch butterflies with a round fan, but was happened to be seen by Jia Huan. A gentle smile appeared on her cheek involuntarily.

Suddenly, she recalled the scene in Ao Jing Pavilion that day when Jia Huan held her in his arms wantonly. Xue Baochai felt even hotter all over and overwhelmed with love, and could not help but spit softly.

However, the scene of Jia Huan and Lin Daiyu hugging and kissing each other in the peach blossom forest immediately invaded her mind again. Xue Baochai's heart suddenly sank again, her pretty face turned pale, and finally she sighed softly and walked towards the Pear Fragrance Garden.

"Sister Bao is here!"

As soon as Xue Baochai entered the room, she found Lin Daiyu there, standing up and greeting her with a smile. She asked with a smile, "When did Pin'er come?"

"It's been a while since we came here. Sister Bao doesn't look too well. Is she feeling unwell?" Lin Daiyu asked with concern.

Aunt Xue heard this and hurriedly pulled Baochai over, shook her wrist, and touched her forehead. The latter hurriedly said, "Mom, I'm fine. It's just that my old illness has come back. Take a pill and it will be fine."

Only then did Aunt Xue feel relieved. Xue Baochai sat down next to Lin Daiyu, and the two of them began to chat intimately.

When Lin Ruhai passed away, it was Aunt Xue and Baochai who helped to arrange his funeral in the backyard, so Lin Daiyu treated Aunt Xue especially well. Now that the Xue family has fallen on hard times and has nothing, and Aunt Xue and Baochai have even been reduced to slavery, Lin Daiyu, out of sympathy, has become even closer to Aunt Xue. She comes to Lixiang Garden to visit Aunt Xue every few days, and her relationship with Baochai has become even closer.

Lin Daiyu is undoubtedly happy now. Ever since she received Jia Huan's accurate letter in the peach blossom forest that day and broke the last window paper, she no longer worries about gains and losses. She has become cheerful and just waits for Brother Huan to marry her at the right time. On the contrary, it is Xue Baochai who is worried about gains and losses.

Aunt Xue was very pleased to see Baochai and Daiyu getting along so well. She said with a smile, "I heard that Huan'er won another battle and the emperor has issued an edict to reward him. Huan'er has really done a good job."

Lin Daiyu said: "That was earned at the cost of one's life. Compared to making achievements, I hope that Brother Huan will be safe and sound forever."

Xue Baochai chuckled and said, "Su Dongpo once wrote in a poem: 'Everyone raises a son hoping he will be smart, but I have been misled by my intelligence all my life. I only hope that my child will be simple and rude, and will become an official without any disaster or trouble. Pin'er, do you think you want to learn from Su Meizhou? You are too greedy!"

Lin Daiyu's pretty face turned red, and she threw herself into Aunt Xue's arms and said, "Look, mother, Sister Bao has found a way to make fun of me again. I won't tolerate it unless I beat her again."

Aunt Xue hugged Daiyu and said with a smile: "Mother is uneducated and doesn't know what you are talking about."

"You have no shame. This is my mother!" Xue Baochai leaned on Aunt Xue's other shoulder and said with a smile.

Aunt Xue hugged the two girls, one on each side, and said with a smile, "They are all my good children."

(End of this chapter)