The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 747: Returning in the Snow
Jia Huan set off for the capital on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, escorting Gao Yingxiang and other leaders and key members of the uprising army in a prison cart, totaling 108 people. This made up exactly 108 "heroes of Liangshan". They traveled day and night, braving wind and snow, for a full half month.

On this day, the caravan finally entered Juyong Pass, only about a hundred miles away from the capital. However, the weather turned against them, and it started snowing heavily again.

However, even the heaviest snow could not stop the traveler from returning home. Jia Huan had been away from the capital for two years and was eager to go home. So after resting briefly at Juyong Pass, he ordered the journey to continue without waiting for the snow to stop.

Fortunately, the snowfall was not heavy, and the convoy stopped shortly after setting off again. In the afternoon, the sky even cleared up, and several wild plum trees by the roadside bloomed bravely in the cold, their fragrance filling the air, looking exceptionally vibrant.

At this moment, several horses came galloping through the snow, but were stopped by the strong soldiers who had cleared the way from a distance. They shouted, "Governor-General Jia of Shaanxi is coming to the capital to present prisoners. All irrelevant people, please get out of the way immediately. You will not be able to bear the consequences of bumping into the commander-in-chief's carriage."

“Sir, please calm down. I am a servant of the Jia family of Rongguo Mansion. I have come here specifically to welcome our Third Master Huan. Please inform him.” The man who looked like the head steward bowed.

The man who looked like a steward was none other than Lin Zhixiao, the head steward of the Rongguo Mansion. Beside him was a handsome young man, none other than Jia Qiang, and two other servants followed.

Upon hearing this, the leader of the elite soldiers dared not delay and hurriedly reported to the rear of the caravan. Before long, Jinbao and Muye arrived on horseback and immediately recognized Lin Zhixiao and the others. They quickly dismounted and went forward to greet them.

The guards leader, seeing that they were indeed servants of the Jia family, quickly let them pass. Jinbao and Muye then led Lin Zhixiao and Jia Qiang to Jia Huan's carriage to pay their respects.

Since the prison carts were being transported along the way, the journey was slow to begin with, and the weather was cold. So Jia Huan took a break this time and rode in a horse-drawn carriage the whole way, warming himself by a charcoal fire, which made it less strenuous.

"This servant has come to welcome Third Master on the orders of the Old Madam and Madam. May Third Master enjoy a long and healthy life!" Lin Zhixiao and two servants knelt on the snow and bowed respectfully.

Jia Qiang also knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Nephew greets Uncle Huan."

The Jia family was originally very hierarchical, with strict rules of seniority and hierarchy. Especially in the Ningguo Mansion, Jia Rong and Jia Qiang had lived under the tyranny of Jia Zhen since childhood, so the idea of ​​hierarchy had long been deeply imprinted in their minds. In addition, with Jia Huan's current prominent status, Jia Qiang did not hesitate to perform the kneeling ceremony.

Jia Huan lifted the sedan curtain and said, "Steward Lin, Qiang-ge'er, get up quickly, the ground is very cold."

Only then did Butler Lin and Jia Qiang dare to stand up.

"How are the old lady, the master, the mistress, and the aunt?"

Lin Zhixiao laughed and said, "Everything is fine. The girls and boys are all well. They are looking forward to your return to the manor, Third Master. Yesterday, the old lady sent me and Qiang-ge to Juyong Pass to welcome you. But we encountered snow on the way, which delayed us for half a day. It's really terrible!"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Steward Lin and Brother Qiang. Mu Ye, here's a reward!"

Lin Zhixiao and Jia Qiang repeatedly said they dared not accept such a reward. Mu Ye took out a bag of silver coins and gave them to Lin Zhixiao and the two servants. Jia Qiang, being the master, naturally accepted the reward.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jia Huan invited Jia Qiang to sit in the carriage with him, but the latter dared not. Now, Uncle Huan was the governor of a province, holding both military and political power. He had just wiped out hundreds of thousands of rebels, and upon returning to the capital, he would likely be promoted, perhaps even becoming the Marquis of Dingyuan.

How could Jia Qiang dare to ride with Jia Huan? So he politely declined. Seeing this, Jia Huan did not insist and ordered the caravan to continue. The next morning, the caravan finally arrived at the port gate in western Beijing.

The common people under the emperor's nose were exceptionally well-informed and loved watching the spectacle. Knowing that the Shaanxi Governor-General Jia Huan was escorting Gao Yingxiang and a gang of bandit leaders to the capital to present them as prisoners, they had already secured their spots near the city gates, ready to "watch the show." Therefore, the city gates, the roadsides, and even the balconies of shops along the streets were packed with onlookers—a veritable sea of ​​people, the streets practically deserted.

Obviously, everyone was eager to see what this guy who dared to dig up the emperor's ancestral tomb looked like, and whether he had three heads.

…………

At the Jia Mansion, the red plum blossoms at the Green Bamboo Nunnery were in bloom, their shadows stretching across the ground, defying the cold and snow, just like in previous years. But everything had changed, and the original owner had moved away long ago.

Lin Daiyu gently pushed open the gate of the nunnery, sighing softly. Looking at the empty courtyard and the plum tree in full bloom, the ever-sentimental Lin Daiyu couldn't help but feel sad again, softly reciting: "Things are as they were, but people are not; everything is over, and before I can speak, tears flow..."

Lin Daiyu walked gently to a plum tree, raised her pretty face covered by a hood, and stared intently at the pale yellow stamens on a red plum blossom. Her bright eyes and white teeth complemented the white snow and red plum blossoms. At this moment, the poem "In the North, there is a beautiful woman, living alone in the world" seemed to come to life in an instant.

After standing there for a long time, Lin Daiyu couldn't resist reaching out and plucking a branch of red plum blossoms. As a result, she was covered in snow from the tree and exclaimed in surprise, hurriedly stomping her feet to shake it off.

Just then, a soft laugh came from behind her. Lin Daiyu turned around and saw Qingwen, who was giggling and supporting her slender waist.

Qingwen smiled as she walked over to help Lin Daiyu brush the snow off her clothes and hat, saying, "I thought it was someone else, but it's Miss Lin. There's no maid with you. Sister Zijuan is usually so clever and thoughtful, but now she seems to be neglecting you. The roads are slippery in the snow, and you've made Miss Lin come out all by herself."

Lin Daiyu said, "Chunxian was originally with us, but when I saw that the red plum blossoms in the nunnery had bloomed, I sent her back to get scissors, intending to cut some to take home and put in a vase for decoration."

Qingwen raised the flower basket she was carrying and said with a smile, "What a coincidence, I just happened to bring scissors. Let me cut a few plum blossoms for you, Miss Lin." She quickly cut a few plum blossoms and put them into the flower basket.

Just then, a maid with her hair in two buns rushed in. It was Lin Daiyu's maid, Chunxian, who was panting heavily.

Lin Daiyu frowned and asked curiously, "Are you being chased by jackals or tigers? Did you bring the scissors?"

Chunxian stuck out her tongue and said, "I met someone on my way back and completely forgot about the scissors!"

Qingwen sneered, "You little hussy, you must have been playing somewhere wild, forgetting all about your master's important business. If you were doing errands in Third Master's room, see how I deal with you!"

Chunxian protested, "Sister Qingwen, I'm so wronged! I wouldn't dare run around like that. I really did take the scissors, but I happened to run into Zhou Rui's wife on the way. She said that Third Master Huan has already entered the city, and I just wanted to tell Miss Lin this good news as soon as possible, so I forgot about the scissors... Uh, Miss Lin, Sister Qingwen, what about you?"

Before Chunxian could finish speaking, Lin Daiyu had already lifted her skirt and run out of the nunnery. As for Qingwen, she didn't even bother with the flower basket and plum blossoms, and quickly followed Lin Daiyu out.

Watching the two figures disappear outside the temple gate, Chunxian was stunned. After a moment, she muttered, "What's the rush? Third Master still has to go to the palace to see the Emperor. I'm afraid he won't be back until evening."

Chunxian muttered to herself as she picked up the scissors from the ground, cut a basketful of plum blossoms, and then left with the basket.

(End of this chapter)