The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 630 Marriage
Jia Huan opened Tanchun's letter and was immediately struck by the delicate and elegant handwriting. The strength of the handwriting had obviously improved. The letter read:

My dear brother Huan, I write to you: It is like seeing you in person. It has been nearly two years since we last parted in the first month of last year. I miss you very much. Recently, I suddenly saw the plum blossoms in the garden, and I realized that another year is coming to an end. I began to feel that the years are like a finger of quicksand. Every time I think of my brother guarding the border and fighting on the battlefield, I am wasting my time in the backyard, which only adds to the years. I feel ashamed. I heard a few days ago that Ningyuan won a great victory and completely recovered Liaoxi. My brother made a name for himself in the world. I am overjoyed, but I only regret that I am not a man, holding a three-foot sword, fighting side by side with my brother, and showing my heroism in front of the battlefield...

Seeing this, Jia Huan couldn't help but smile and said, "Third sister has great ambitions, and she is as brave as a man. Her words are full of heroic spirit."

Qingwen was wiping Jia Huan's face with a handkerchief scalded with hot water, and she said with a smile, "That's right. Everyone says that if the third young lady were a boy, he would definitely be an official. Now he manages the garden in an orderly manner. Not only does the government not have to spend a penny to maintain the garden flowers and trees, but there are also several hundred taels of silver left every year. I don't know who will marry our third young lady in the future, but I'm afraid she wouldn't look down on any other man."

Jia Huan smiled and continued reading. The rest of Jia Tanchun's letter talked about things in the mansion, such as how Jia's mother was getting sleepier and sleepier as she got older, and how her spirit was not as good as before, and that the master and mistress were busy arranging a marriage for Jia Baoyu.

Jia Huan couldn't help but feel moved. After careful calculation, he realized that Jia's grandmother was already eighty-three years old this year, and she was probably almost at the end of her life. Her most doted grandson was Jia Baoyu, and she would probably not rest in peace until she saw Big-Faced Bao get married and have a family before she died. It was normal for Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang to arrange a marriage for Jia Baoyu at this time. Besides, Big-Faced Bao was two years older than him, and he was exactly eighteen this year, which was also the age for marriage.

"Qingwen, is Second Brother Bao going to get married? Which girl has he chosen?" Jia Huan asked casually.

After Qingwen had wiped Jia Huan's face, she was about to take the remaining water away and pour it out. When she heard this, she stopped her lotus steps and said, "I heard that the master and the mistress are arranging this matter. The young lady has also visited many families. As for which one she will choose in the end, I am not sure. Third Master, why don't you ask Caixia? She serves in the mistress' room and knows more than I do!"

At this time, Caixia just came back from outside and asked with a smile: "What do you want to ask me?"

"Master Bao's marriage!" Qingwen said this and went out of the house with the basin of water. Her slender waist swayed gracefully as she moved.

Caixia's sleeves were still rolled up, and her fair hands were red from the cold. She must have just come back from washing clothes. Jia Huan hurriedly said, "Sister Caixia, come over here and sit by the fire. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Caixia was secretly delighted. She sat down next to Jia Huan, put her hand over the stove, stamped her feet and said, "It seems to be colder here than in the capital."

"Jinzhou's latitude is higher than the capital, so it's naturally colder!" Jia Huan said as he picked up the pot of rice wine that was warming on the stove and poured a glass for Caixia.

"Thank you, Third Master!" Caixia felt sweet in her heart. She took the rice wine and drank it all. She was secretly glad that she came to the right place this time. Third Master Huan was still so approachable. That was great!

It is said that when Jia Huan was still a nobody in the mansion, Caixia began to "covet" Jia Huan. Later, when Jia Huan gradually came to the fore, she became more determined to become Jia Huan's roommate, and even boldly "invited" Jia Huan to eat the rouge on her lips when no one was around.

This time, the old lady wanted to send two maids to serve Jia Huan, one of whom was Qingwen, and the candidate for the other vacancy had not been decided. Caixia boldly recommended herself to Mrs. Wang. As Jia Huan became more and more powerful, Mrs. Wang had obviously completely lost the determination to suppress Jia Huan and only wanted to repair the relationship between the two sides, so she immediately agreed and took the initiative to propose it to Lady Jia.

Naturally, Grandmother Jia was happy to see Jia Huan and Lady Wang break the ice. Since Lady Wang took the initiative to show goodwill, she naturally supported it. So Caixia came to Jinzhou with Qingwen.

To be honest, Jia Huan had a good impression of Caixia, because she was being suppressed by Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng at the time, and everyone else avoided her, but she took the initiative to approach him and actually helped him several times. Of course, Jia Huan also knew that this maid had "impure motives" and just wanted to become the master of his house, but as the saying goes, people go to high places and water flows to low places, it is normal for a maid to have such thoughts, so Jia Huan did not mind. In fact, he also had the idea of ​​using Caixia as Lady Wang's spy, with the same "impure motives".

Now that this maid had the courage to come to the front line to join him, Jia Huan would naturally not begrudge her the title of "a man in the house". To be honest, Jia Huan quite admired the maid's perseverance after she had set her goal.

Let's get back to the point. After Caixia drank a glass of wine, two charming red clouds appeared on her fair face. Her black and white eyes were watery. She tilted her head slightly and looked at Jia Huan and said, "Third Master, what is latitude?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "This involves knowledge of astronomy and geography. I will teach you slowly later. By the way, has Brother Bao's marriage been decided? Whose family is the girl from?"

Caixia smiled and said, "I haven't decided yet. I have visited seven or eight houses. The one that Madam likes, Old Madam doesn't like. The one that Old Madam likes, Madam doesn't like. Finally, Old Madam and Madam both like it, but Master Bao doesn't seem to be happy about it."

Jia Huan frowned secretly. Could it be that Big Face Bao was still targeting Sister Lin? As for Sister Bao, she was still a lowly woman. Even Mrs. Wang, who was originally keen on "golden and jade marriages", would probably not be interested in Baochai anymore, not to mention Grandmother Jia. As long as it wasn't Daiyu or Baochai, Jia Huan didn't care which girl Big Face Bao married.

In fact, Jia Huan's worries were a bit in vain. Ever since Baoqin said in public that Baochai was interested in Jia Huan, both Jia's mother and Mrs. Wang no longer had any idea about the so-called "golden and precious match", not to mention that Baochai was now classified as a slave.

As for Lin Daiyu, before Lin Ruhai died, he clearly intended to entrust her to Jia Huan, and anyone with a discerning eye could see that Jia Huan and Lin Daiyu were closer than other sisters. Mrs. Wang originally disliked Lin Daiyu's personality, and with Jia Huan's relationship, she naturally would not pair her own precious son with Lin Daiyu, even though she knew Baoyu was interested in Lin Daiyu.

Caixia glanced at Jia Huan secretly and chuckled, "Third Master only asks about Second Master Bao's marriage, why don't you ask about your own?"

Jia Huan was slightly surprised: "Myself?"

Caixia hid her smile and said, "I'm afraid the good news between the Third Master and Miss Lin is coming soon."

Jia Huan's handsome face turned red as he asked, "Who told you that?"

Caixia leaned close to Jia Huan's ear and whispered, "One night, I heard the master and the mistress discussing that after Master Bao's marriage was settled, they would arrange for Master San and Miss Lin. But Master San is stationed at the front and has no time to go home, so they don't know how to arrange it."

"Really?" Jia Huan blurted out.

Caixia nodded and thought, "I usually see that Third Master and Miss Lin are very close. It seems that there is indeed a secret relationship between the two. How will poor Miss Bao deal with it? Listen to what Miss Qin said in public, although Miss Bao refused to marry Third Master Huan, she actually has a secret crush on him."

(End of this chapter)