The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 752 The medicine cures the disease
Last night, the crabapple blossoms were touched by the first rain, a few delicate petals seeming to whisper secrets. The spring breeze has gently caressed the mandarin duck pillow several times, and the beauty rises at dawn, the quilt still warm…

The morning after the snow was exceptionally quiet, with the occasional soft patter of snow falling from the trees outside the window.

Jia Huan opened his eyes in his deep sleep. The first thing he saw was the simple and elegant canopy. He reached out and touched the side, but there was nothing there. It turned out that Baochai had gotten up sometime earlier and was not in the room. He had no idea where she was. The charcoal stove by the bed was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy.

Jia Huan sniffed the fragrant brocade quilt, confirming it was Baochai's unique scent, not just a dream. Last night, snow fell all night, and Jia Huan felt as if he had wandered through a sea of ​​flowers all night, surrounded by fragrance.

As Jia Huan lay quietly on the bed, savoring the moment, Xiang Ling tiptoed into the inner room. Reaching the bedside, she lifted the bed curtains, presumably to check if Jia Huan was awake. However, their eyes met, and both of them were slightly startled.

Xiangling's fair face flushed red, and she quickly lowered the bed curtains, saying, "Oh, Third Master is awake. This servant will go and call Miss in." After saying that, she quickly slipped out of the room.

A moment later, Baochai entered, already dressed in a brand new red dress. Her hair was piled high, adorned with a pearl and gold hairpin, revealing her swan-like, graceful neck. She was dignified and elegant, exuding grace, and looked every bit the part of a married woman.

"Huan Di is awake," Xue Baochai said softly as she lifted the bed curtains.

Jia Huan sat up and asked, "Sister Bao, what time is it now?"

“It’s almost 9 a.m.,” Baochai replied.

Jia Huan secretly sweated and thought, "When did Sister Bao get up? She didn't even call me."

"Huan-di only arrived at the manor yesterday, and he must have had a long journey. He even... I was worried you were too tired, so I let Huan-di sleep a little longer." Xue Baochai recalled the tender moments she shared with Jia Huan the previous night, and her face flushed crimson. Her shy and radiant appearance was breathtakingly beautiful.

Jia Huan's heart fluttered, and he gently pulled Baochai around her slender waist. She gasped and fell into his arms.

After savoring Baochai's sweet cherry lips, Jia Huan finally released his grip with satisfaction and laughed, "The rouge on Baochai's lips must have been mixed with rose dew."

Xue Baochai's starry eyes were half-closed from the kiss, her mind in a daze. She couldn't help but glare at the person with shyness. She didn't usually wear rouge, but even without it, her little lips were still bright and luscious. Perhaps this was what was called natural beauty, with makeup all by herself.

At this moment, Xiangling and Ying'er came in, one carrying hot water for washing up and the other carrying a set of brand-new clothes. Seeing Baochai sitting on the edge of the bed, the young couple were very affectionate, so they quickly lowered their eyes and dared not look too much!
Xue Baochai stood up shyly, lightly rolling up her sleeves to reveal two delicate, snow-white arms. She personally wrung out a hot towel to wash Jia Huan's face and then helped him put on his new clothes. Her meticulous tenderness almost melted Jia Huan's heart. Truly, "On the third day, she entered the kitchen, washing her hands and preparing soup—a scene brimming with ritual!"

While Baochai was helping Jia Huan wash up, Xiangling was tidying up the bed. As soon as she lifted the brocade quilt, she saw that the originally plain bed sheet was stained with several bright red "plum blossoms". She was stunned for a moment, and then her face burned. She hurriedly put the bed sheet away and hid it.

Baochai's pretty face also flushed. She secretly glanced at Jia Huan, but fortunately, the latter had his back to the bed and did not notice anything unusual. Little did she know that he had already seen it when he got up.

Now, after Jia Huan finished washing and dressing, Ying'er insisted on pulling him to sit down in front of the dressing table, applying some powder to his face, drawing his eyebrows and applying lipstick. After she finished, Ying'er herself was stunned.

Jia Huan was already handsome with red lips and white teeth, and bright eyes. With a little makeup, he became even more handsome than Pan An and Wei Jie. His composure and calmness, honed by years of battlefield experience, were also unparalleled.

"How infuriating! I feel like Third Master has outshone me!" Ying'er covered her mouth and giggled, pushing Jia Huan in front of Baochai.

Xue Baochai looked at the "exquisitely handsome" young man in front of her and couldn't help but gleam with admiration. Xiangling's heart was pounding, and she thought to herself, "Looking at him like this, it seems that even Master Huan has outshone Master Bao."

However, our Governor Jia relies on hard power, not good looks, and he thought the makeup was a bit too effeminate. He frowned and said, "It feels awkward. Let's wash it off."

Ying'er laughed and said, "That won't do. I spent half a day making it. If I wash it, wouldn't it be a waste of my good intentions?"

Jia Huan smiled wryly and said, "Then I really must thank you properly."

"No need for that, it's what a servant should do!" Ying'er giggled.

Just then, someone outside said, "The concubine and Miss Qin have arrived."

A moment later, Aunt Xue, arm in arm with Baoqin, strode in with a menacing air. It turned out that Baoqin had stayed at Pear Fragrance Garden with Aunt Xue the night before.

"Mother, Sister Qin!" Baochai stood up and curtsied, her eyes lowered, not daring to look at her mother, like a child who had done something wrong.

Aunt Xue clearly knew that Jia Huan had stayed in her daughter's room the night before. Seeing Baochai's attire, she immediately understood what had happened and gave a cold, indifferent "hmm."

"Good morning, Auntie!" Jia Huan bowed respectfully. Even though he wasn't shy, he couldn't help but feel his face burning and his heart pounding. After all, he had secretly taken advantage of that beautiful young woman without her consent, and he felt somewhat guilty. Aunt Xue, with a stern face, snorted and said, "What did Huan-ge'er call me just now?"

Baoqin gave him a meaningful look, and Jia Huan hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your son-in-law greets Mother-in-law." He then bowed three times firmly.

Aunt Xue was initially quite angry, since the two had slept together before they were officially married. She, who always valued her reputation, naturally couldn't accept it. But seeing Jia Huan's forehead red from kowtowing, she felt a little sorry for him and sighed, "Get up quickly. You must treat Bao'er well from now on."

Jia Huan said sincerely, "Mother-in-law, rest assured, Huan'er will definitely cherish Sister Bao in the palm of his hand. If I treat her badly in the slightest, may I, Jia Huan, be struck by lightning and pierced by a thousand arrows..."

Xue Baochai's delicate body trembled, and before Jia Huan could finish speaking, she covered his mouth and said in a trembling voice, "Brother Huan, don't talk nonsense."

Aunt Xue was deeply moved. You see, the ancients' concept of ghosts and gods was different from that of modern people. They firmly believed that there were gods watching over them. Especially for a devout Buddhist like Aunt Xue, seeing Jia Huan make such a solemn oath naturally shocked her.

He hurriedly put his hands together and said, "Amitabha Buddha, it's the New Year, why must Huan-ge make such a vicious oath? As husband and wife live together, hand in hand until old age, it's inevitable that there will be times when we quarrel. Does that mean..."

Amitabha Buddha, Huan-ge'er is young and ignorant, and spoke without thinking. The oath he just made doesn't count, it doesn't count!

Jia Huan laughed and said, “Mother-in-law, don’t worry. You know Bao’s personality well. She is gentle, virtuous, and kind. When have you ever seen her get angry or argue with anyone around her? I respect and love her so much that we will never have the chance to quarrel in this life. If we do quarrel one day, it will definitely be my fault. I deserve to be struck by lightning. I only ask that the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning not kill me. Just spare my life to apologize to Bao’s sister.”

Everyone laughed when they heard him say something funny, but Baochai's nose tingled, her eyes reddened, and she turned away shyly, though she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Aunt Xue couldn't help but chuckle. Then she remembered how Jia Huan had risked his life to save Baochai and all the kindness he had shown to the Xue family. Her displeasure vanished. She called Jia Huan aside and said seriously, "Huan-ge'er, your marriage to Bao-yatou can't be delayed any longer. The sooner it's settled, the better, so as to avoid any gossip."

Jia Huan nodded and said, "Auntie is right. Huan'er returned to the capital this time intending to marry Sister Bao and Sister Lin. However, Sister Bao fell ill, and her condition seems quite serious, so..."

Aunt Xue's face flushed, and she asked with some surprise, "How did you know?"

“Brother Pan told me this when he was in Hami.”

"Oh, I see." Aunt Xue said with a sudden realization, "Then there's no time to lose. I'll bring up the marriage with the old lady and the madam today. But I'll make it clear beforehand that it was agreed that Huan-ge'er would marry Bao-ya-tou with the respect due to a second wife. Otherwise, I won't agree."

Jia Huan happily replied, "Of course, everything is up to Auntie to decide."

Aunt Xue left satisfied. Xue Baoqin leaned closer to Jia Huan and asked playfully in a low voice, "Brother Huan, what did your auntie whisper to you about?"

"We didn't talk about much. Sister Qin, have you written any new poems recently? Why don't you take a look and read them?" Jia Huan casually changed the subject.

Xue Baoqin grinned, showing her small white teeth, and snorted, "No." Then she stormed out of the house.

Jia Huan touched his chin, puzzled, and said to Baochai, "It seems that Qin-meimei's temper has grown since I last saw her two years ago."

Xue Baochai glanced at Jia Huan meaningfully, then changed the subject, saying, "Ping'er came by this morning, and the clothes Huan-di is wearing were brought by her."

After Baochai finished speaking, her face flushed slightly. She was afraid that Daiyu had found out that Huandi had stayed at her place last night.

At this moment, Jia Huan secretly observed Baochai's complexion. He saw that her pretty face was fair with a rosy glow, her beautiful eyes were bright and clear, and her breathing was smooth and natural. She seemed to have recovered. He was secretly pleased. It seemed that what the bald-headed monk said was true. Baochai's illness was a heat toxin that she had brought from her mother's womb. After getting married, her yin and yang would be balanced, and she would be cured without treatment.

"Why is Huan looking at me like that?" Xue Baochai asked, her pretty face slightly flushed as she saw Jia Huan staring at her intently.

Jia Huan pulled Baochai's soft hand and asked in a low voice, "Baojie, are you still feeling unwell?"

Xue Baochai shook her head and said shyly, "These past few days, I've felt a bit tight in my chest, but it seems to be fine now."

Jia Huan finally felt relieved and said with a smile, "It seems that the bald-headed monk didn't lie. Why don't I stay here with Sister Bao tonight?"

Xue Baochai clenched her fist and punched Jia Huan.

(End of this chapter)