Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

Although it was a clear day, the bright sun melted the snow on the ground, and the air was filled with biting cold.

Under the south window of the main room, there was a warm kang covered with large red felt strips. Sister Feng was sitting on the kang, with her back resting on a brocade backrest and her left hand supporting a red silk pillow.

He was holding a Ru kiln doucai round flower porcelain bowl in his hand, which contained steaming bird's nest and lotus seeds, and was drinking it slowly.

Ever since Jia Cong handed over the household affairs of Rongguo Mansion to Wang Xifeng, as Mrs. Wang moved out of Rong Xitang, she no longer had any authority over the household affairs of Rongguo Mansion, and it was impossible for her to check and balance Wang Xifeng on household affairs.

For Wang Xifeng, it was really a blessing that her daughter-in-law was still young and she had outlasted the housekeeper and mother-in-law. She felt very refreshed and clear-headed these days.

As for Mrs. Wang moving to the East Courtyard and Wang Xifeng's mother-in-law, Mrs. Xing, moving back to Rongguo Mansion, Wang Xifeng didn't care at all.

Because Mrs. Xing is now a widow and unemployed, and she has also lost her imperial title, she cannot compare to Lady Jia's status as a super-ranking national lady. She can only stay in the back house and is not allowed to show up in public too much.

In addition, she has been good at bullying the third son Cong since she was a child. The legitimate mother and the illegitimate son have long been like enemies, but they only respond to the false courtesy on the surface.

Now that the third son of the Cong family is in charge of the family business and ensures that his stepmother has no worries about food and clothing, this is the last bottom line. The eldest wife has neither the courage nor the status, nor the means to interfere in household affairs.

For Wang Xifeng, the past few days were quite turbulent. Except for the bad thing that Jia Lian was exiled to Liaodong, everything else went surprisingly smoothly.

After marrying into the Jia family for several years, she was still pregnant. Because the legitimate bloodline was not passed on, Wang Xifeng was forced to resort to trickery and send away Jia Lian's two maids.

Otherwise, one of them would get pregnant by Jia Lian, and the first line of succession to the legitimate heir would be lost, and she would not be happy as the head of the family in the future.

Unexpectedly, this time a blessing in disguise came out of a disaster. Although Jia Lian was exiled, Wang Xifeng unexpectedly became pregnant, which resolved the knot in her heart that had been bothering her for many years.

Not only did she turn things around and become the mistress of Rongguo Mansion again, she also had Ping'er and Wu'er as her helpers. On a daily basis, she only had to take care of the pregnancy, and her work was done very smoothly and easily.

……

Wang Xifeng was talking about miscellaneous matters in the mansion with Ping'er when she heard the maid Feng'er say that Aunt Lin had come to see the Second Mistress.

Wang Xifeng thought of the fact that Xiaohong was driven away by Lady Wang, and that Lin Zhixiao's wife was coming now, probably for no reason, so she asked Feng'er to invite her in.

There was a soft red curtain with scattered flowers hanging outside the door. Feng'er opened it and a woman in her thirties came in. She was neatly dressed, had clean and regular facial features, and behaved in a measured manner.

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "How come you have time to come here today? There have been a lot of changes in the mansion recently. Are you done with the things outside?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled apologetically and said, "Today's affairs have all been sorted out. The most important one is the cleaning and decoration of Rongxi Hall. According to Miss Liu's wishes, all kinds of furniture and furnishings are ready.

Miss Liu said yesterday that she would invite the Third Master to come over today to take a look. If everything is in order, then this matter will be settled."

Wang Xifeng said, "This is the best. Now that my third brother has inherited the title and is in charge of the family, he must be thorough in his work and not make any mistakes. If you give respect to my third brother, you will have respect in the mansion."

When Lin Zhixiao's wife heard what Wang Xifeng said, she felt a chill in her heart. Now the third master of the first house has obtained the title and is in charge of the family.

The second master and the second mistress even had to avoid etiquette and had to move to the east courtyard. The mansion was truly a different place.

The Second Madam and the Third Master are from the same room. The Second Madam is reminding herself that today is different from the past, and who is the real master of Rongguo Mansion!

……

Lin Zhixiao said quickly: "Second Madam's words are all reasonable. Third Master is a young hero. Not only is he famous in the capital, he is also famous in the whole world. He deserves the title of being in charge of the Rong family business.

We, the servants born in the family, have found such a good master. Our family business will last for a long time, and we will live a peaceful life for several lifetimes.

We all have great respect for the Third Master and would never dare to violate the family rules and etiquette.

Don't worry, grandma. I will lead the people below to take care of the Third Master and Second Grandma's affairs, and there will be no mistakes.

This time I came to see grandma for her health, and also to ask her for help with something. Now that grandma is in charge of the household chores, this matter can only be settled with her permission."

By looking at Lin Zhixiao's expression, Wang Xifeng guessed what she wanted to say.

She put down the Ruyao Doucai Tuanhua porcelain bowl in her hand and asked, "What's so important that you'd make a special trip?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife said with a bitter face, "Second Madam, although my wife and I are responsible for the internal and external affairs of the mansion, we have always worked diligently and dare not have the slightest intention of taking advantage of others.

My daughter Xiaohong had reached the age to take up a government post, so we did not dare to take advantage of her convenience to promote her to a higher position. We only allowed her to work in Master Bao's room as a third-class maid who tended flowers and fed birds.

Xiaohong has always been smart and has never made any mistakes. The day before yesterday, she met the Third Master who was without a maid, so he asked her to run errands.

I don't know who was so evil-minded that he went to the Second Madam to spread rumors about Xiao Hong, making her bear the bad reputation of being unfaithful and lazy. The Second Madam was so angry that she kicked Xiao Hong out.

In fact, Xiaohong was driven away by Mrs. Wang not only because she ran errands for Jia Cong, but also because she ran errands for Wang Xifeng.

However, Lin Zhixiao didn't dare to mention this in front of Wang Xifeng, otherwise he would embarrass Wang Xifeng on the spot.

……

Lin Zhixiao wiped his tears with a handkerchief and continued, “We are all servants born in the family. With the grace of the old lady, we two have been appointed as the stewards of internal and external affairs.

Although there is not much we can do, we can only try our best to repay the old lady's kindness. Although we don't make much contribution in daily life, we have worked hard and we should have some face left for ourselves.

My Xiaohong has always been careful and disciplined in doing things. The Third Master is now the head of the mansion and just happens to want to use Xiaohong. Can we say no?
The second wife drove Xiaohong out just like that. Our Xiaohong was really wronged. How can she face people in the future? She has been making a fuss at home these days and I really have no way to deal with her.

Now the family is managed by the Second Grandma, so she shamelessly comes to beg her, asking her to show mercy and assign Xiaohong another job so that she doesn't have to be kicked out.

Please save some face for us two, otherwise we will never be able to see anyone again."

Wang Xifeng seemed to ignore the sadness on Lin Zhixiao's wife's face. She turned around and glanced at Ping'er, who nodded to her.

Yesterday, Wang Xifeng asked Ping'er to find out the reason why Xiaohong was driven away. When she saw Ping'er's expression just now, she knew that what Lin Zhixiao's wife said was true.

Wang Xifeng sneered in her heart, thinking that the madam was really getting old and confused. Now she had to move to the east courtyard.

She was still filled with resentment towards the third brother Cong. If it weren't for Baoyu's incompetence and the ruin of his reputation, their second branch wouldn't be where they are today.

Now the madam does not think about making more good connections and leaving some way out for the future. Instead, she kills the little girl just because Xiaohong did such a trivial thing as running errands for the third brother Cong.

I don’t know who the lady is putting on this show for. Could it be that the third son of Cong would care about such things?
Apart from offending Lin Zhixiao and his wife, she would not get any other benefits. This couple is the chief steward of Rongguo Mansion.

If my wife continues to make trouble like this, she will really cut off all the escape routes for the family.

Although Wang Xifeng was calculating in her heart, she said, "As a rule, the maids in each courtyard only do the work of their respective masters. It is not surprising that Baoyu and his wife are angry about this.

But Xiaohong was only running errands for the third brother because it just happened. She couldn't let the third brother, a man, run errands by himself. That wouldn't work.

I have met your daughter. She is a very smart child. She is young and knows what is important. Even if she makes some mistakes, it is not a big deal.

You should go home and try to persuade him. It's just a small matter, it's not worth committing suicide.

But there is really no vacant job in the mansion right now, and even if there is, Xiaohong cannot be assigned to it at this juncture, otherwise the lady will lose face.

You don't have to rush into this matter. Wait until this storm is over and I have a vacancy. We can talk about it then. Let your daughter stay home and have fun for a few days."

Lin Zhixiao's wife was dumbfounded after hearing what Wang Xifeng said. Although she was usually cautious and didn't talk much, she was actually a scheming person.

As the chief steward of the inner courtyard, she was a very respectable person in front of the servants. But now her daughter was driven out by Mrs. Wang, and her old face was torn off.

Not to mention, now Mrs. Wang is not even the legitimate master of Rongguo Mansion. How can she swallow this anger in her heart?

She also estimated that since the eldest wife was in charge and Wang Xifeng and Mrs. Wang were not getting along, she wanted to use Wang Xifeng's influence to find a new job for her daughter and also take the opportunity to regain her lost face.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xifeng was so shrewd that she didn't fall into her trap at all. Her words were vague and she neither said that Mrs. Wang was wrong nor that her daughter deserved to be driven out.

He also tried to make the matter sound clean, saying that he would talk about it after this period. In short, he was like an iron chain across the river, neither going up nor down, and not offending anyone inside or outside.

Lin Zhixiao's wife was very disappointed, but Wang Xifeng finally left her with something to say, so she could only say a few more words of gossip and then leave in disappointment.

……

Wang Xifeng said to Ping'er beside her, "I used to say that she was dumb and had a saw-mouthed gourd, but I underestimated her. Now she has set her sights on me and is actually trying to harm me and my wife."

Ping Er smiled and said, "She is also a steward of the inner courtyard, and she has a good reputation. She thinks that Madam is easy to fool, so she is also playing tricks on her. It's just that the mother loves her daughter too much."

Wang Xifeng sneered, "Mrs. Lin Zhixiao was giving me some face just now by cutting off half of her words. In fact, when Madam chased Xiaohong away, it wasn't just because she was doing things for Third Brother. I'm afraid I was also involved."

Ping Erh said, "It's just an excuse. Even if it wasn't Grandma's fault, Xiao Hong would have been driven away anyway. I got Grandma's instructions and have already inquired about the matter privately.

The day before yesterday, when there was no one in Baoyu's courtyard, Xiaohong poured him a cup of tea, which made Qiu Wen unhappy. She thought Xiaohong had something up her mind and was afraid that she would get over her in the future.

Qiu Wen happened to know that she ran errands for the Third Master and Grandma, so she would gossip about her in front of the Madam. The Madam was very angry, so Xiao Hong suffered because of this."

Wang Xifeng sneered, "The people in the second room have been influenced by the madam. They can only see three inches in front of them from their eye sockets. Even though Baoyu is like this, the maids in his room still treat him as a treasure, as if everyone is trying to snatch him away."

Wang Xifeng asked, "Why didn't I see Wu'er come this morning?"

Ping Erh replied, "When we returned home at sunset yesterday, Wu Erh told me that this morning she would take the Third Master to see the renovated Rong Xi Tang to see if there was anything else that needed to be added."

Wang Xifeng said, "You should also go to Rong Xi Tang and have a look. Wu Er also heard about Xiao Hong being chased away yesterday. Third brother must have known about it too, but he doesn't know the reason.

When you get closer, you can tell my third brother about Xiao Hong's situation. He can handle this matter better than I can."

Ping'er looked embarrassed and said, "Grandma, why bother Third Master with such trivial matters at home?

After the New Year, when my wife moves to the East Courtyard, you can also arrange a job for Xiaohong, and this matter will be over."

Wang Xifeng sneered and sneered, "Alas, you haven't even married yet, but you're already so stubborn. I guess all these years I've been treating you in vain. You become weak at the mention of the third brother. You're such a heartless person!"

Ping'er's face turned red because of what she said, and she defended herself, "Grandma, that's not what I meant..."

Wang Xifeng said angrily, "Don't be ungrateful, little girl. I'm not trying to pick on your man.

He is a man and the head of a family. If he doesn't establish his authority and win people's hearts, how can he keep the family business secure? Someone might get on the stool or the table, and he will be even more annoyed in the future!"

When Ping'er heard this, she also felt that it made sense, and said, "Madam, what you said makes sense. I'll go right away, isn't that okay?"

Wang Xifeng saw Ping'er hurried out of the room and touched her belly which had not yet bulged.

He grumbled in dissatisfaction, "This damn girl, I was thinking of letting her blow my pillow wind in the future, but now it seems that she has been beaten by the dog."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongxi Hall.

Rongxi Hall is the main hall of Rongguo Mansion. It is a large courtyard at the end of the straight road from the Rongguo Mansion Gate built by imperial decree.

Entering the courtyard, there are five large main rooms, with side rooms on both sides with deer-roofed ear rooms that go into the mountains, leading to all directions and looking majestic and magnificent.

Although Jia Zheng moved into Rong Xi Tang at that time, he was the second son after all, and he only inherited the family business, while the title was inherited by his elder brother Jia She.

Therefore, even though he moved into Rongxi Hall, he did not dare to move into the five main rooms, but lived with Mrs. Wang in the east courtyard next to Rongxi Hall.

But Jia Cong is different from Jia Zheng. He inherited the country's fortune by imperial decree. His title and property are integrated, which makes him more legitimate than Jia She and Jia Zheng in the past.

Therefore, he could move directly into the five large main rooms.

……

Jia Cong and Wu'er walked into the courtyard. He seemed to feel that in this courtyard, which represented the rise of power in the Rong State, there was a heavy atmosphere of time.

Back then, the first generation of Duke Rong followed Taizu in fighting all over the world, pacifying the country and establishing a government. How magnificent and glorious it was.

Now that I also live in this Rongguo Zhengsui Hall, can I also create unprecedented achievements like the ancestors of the Jia family...?

Standing in the majestic and magnificent courtyard, the slim and pretty Wu'er seemed even smaller and weaker.

She couldn't help but turn her head to glance at Jia Cong. She saw that his eyes were like bright stars, his eyebrows were like distant mountains, and he stood there like a handsome man. The morning breeze blowing from the eaves of the courtyard made his robe sleeves flutter slightly.

He seemed to have a strange fit with this courtyard, as if he was born to be the owner here.

Wu'er thought of Jia Cong's difficult struggle in the East Courtyard back then, and she never thought that he would be able to make it to where he is today. She felt admiration and indescribable tenderness in her heart.

At this time, light footsteps were heard at the gate. (End of this chapter)