Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Sisters Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xichun and others went to Lixiangyuan to visit Aunt Xue, and then went to Rongqingtang to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia.

A few people were chatting with the old lady when the maid outside came back and said that the second wife had brought Nanny Xia to pay a visit to the old lady.

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she felt a little surprised. She didn't know where Nanny Xia was from.
Sisters such as Yingchun, Daiyu, and Xichun naturally didn't know the truth.

Among those present, only Tanchun knew clearly that the Xia family's nanny must be from the Guihua Xia family.

But Tanchun was also confused. Yesterday, the mother and daughter of the Xia family were invited by the lady to be guests in the East Courtyard. Why did the lady bring her nanny to see the old lady today?
After a while, the curtain at the hall door was opened, and Mrs. Wang appeared with a warm smile on her face, followed by a maid with a clean face and exquisite clothes.

Behind them were five or six maids from the inner courtyard and servants, who carried in three boxes of gifts, filling up half of the empty space in Rongqing Hall.

Seeing this, Jia's mother asked in surprise, "What's going on?"

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, “Let the old lady know that yesterday I invited Mrs. Xia and Miss to visit the East Courtyard, and the two families had a very good chat.

Mrs. Xia is a very polite person who likes to receive generous gifts. After returning, she sent some gifts in return to show the good relationship between the two families. Knowing that our old lady is very old, she also sent some gifts as a tribute. "

The maidservant beside Madam Wang said with a smile, “My wife is grateful for Madam Jia’s kindness, so she prepared a small gift in return. Knowing that Madam Guo is here, she is old and noble, so she dare not be impolite.

Here are two top-quality bonsai potted plants, five pots of rare orchids, a green jade incense burner, two pairs of antlers, and a pair of high-grade wild ginsengs. They are given to Madam Guo for her enjoyment and not much more than a token of respect.

When my young lady came, she was treated warmly by the third young lady in the mansion. She also learned that there were several other young ladies in the mansion, all of whom were outstanding people, and she admired her very much.

So I sent all kinds of silks, hand towels, fans, incense pendants and other small items for you girls to enjoy. If you have time in the future, I will invite you to visit Xia Garden so that we can have frequent exchanges. "

……

Grandmother Jia didn't care about these gifts. Ever since Jia Cong became more and more powerful and became the head of the East and West Mansions, it seemed that all the glory of the Jia family was monopolized by him.

Last year, many old friends and relatives came to visit and wish him a happy new year, but in fact, they all came to visit him because of his grandson.

As the wife of a super-class country lady, I seem to be on the decline and no one cares about me.

However, Mrs. Xia knew the importance of the matter. Although she had never seen her before, she was thinking of giving her a gift. This alone made Lady Jia happy.

Grandmother Jia smiled at the old woman and said, "Your wife is too polite. Go back and tell her how much I thank her."

She asked Hubo to take the reward money to the old woman for a drink, and said to Yuanyang with a smile: "Tell Feng girl to prepare a return gift for me."

After receiving the reward, the old woman was taken away by Lin Zhixiao's wife to rest.

Grandmother Jia was also a worldly-wise person. She knew that the Xia family had been discussing marriage with the Xue family. It was said that the young lady of the Xia family was very beautiful...

The old lady was still thinking about Baoyu and Daiyu. Last year, she asked Jia Zheng to write a letter to Lin Ruhai to mention this matter, but Lin Ruhai declined on the grounds that Daiyu was young and weak.

But Grandmother Jia did not give up. She felt that what Lin Ruhai said made sense. After all, her granddaughter was being raised by her side, so there was no need to rush. She could just wait until Daiyu reached the age of 15 before discussing the matter.

At this moment, Mrs. Wang suddenly became friendly with the Xia family. Grandmother Jia had some guesses in her mind, so she naturally would not sit idly by.

……

After a few small talks between Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang, the topic gradually turned to Baoyu.

She said, "This April, Baoyu will be old enough to dance with an elephant. As his mother, you will have to worry about him. In my opinion, he is weak and will have to wait a few more years before everything is ready."

Yingchun, who was present at the meeting, heard the old lady suddenly mention Baoyu, and the implication was Baoyu's marriage. It was not convenient for unmarried girls like her to listen in.

She said, "Madam, I will take my sisters to the garden for a stroll so as not to disturb you and Madam."

Grandmother Jia was just about to remind Lady Wang to prevent her from being at a loss about Baoyu's marriage. Since Yingchun and other granddaughters were not present, it would be more convenient to talk, so she naturally agreed with a smile.

Yingchun took Daiyu, Tanchun, Xichun and others out of Rongqing Hall. Only Daiyu looked back at Grandmother Jia with some worry before leaving.

But I immediately thought that my third brother was here, and if anything went wrong he would be able to resolve it...

……

Mrs. Wang naturally understood what Grandmother Jia meant. She remembered that her sister had clearly stated that since Xue Pan was still unmarried, it would be inappropriate for Baochai to go beyond the rules and propose marriage.

The marriage between Xue and Xia failed, and the marriage between Baoyu and Baochai also failed.

Moreover, that day, Mrs. Wang learned that Baochai and Jia Cong were living together in a lonely room, and that Baochai even came back wearing Jia Cong's cloak. Although she did not give up, she had a shadow of doubt in her heart.

In short, no matter what the reason was, Mrs. Wang knew that the matter between Baoyu and Baochai would not be resolved quickly.

She said, "What the old lady said makes sense. I have the same idea. Although Baoyu has reached the age for marriage, there is no need to rush to talk about it this year."

Grandmother Jia asked, "Why have you become so close to Mrs. Xia recently?"

Mrs. Wang had just heard Lady Jia mention Baoyu's marriage and something about how much older he was. She thought that Lady Jia was just saying it casually, and that Lady Jia had said before that Baoyu was not suitable to get married early.

Now, when she heard Lady Jia asking her why she was so close to the Xia family, she suddenly came to her senses.

Mrs. Wang suddenly thought that ever since the marriage between the Xue and Xia families began, things had gone through many twists and turns, and everyone in the mansion knew that the Xia family had a young lady with outstanding looks. The old lady must have heard about it a long time ago.

It turned out that the old lady thought she wanted to discuss marriage with the Xia family...

Mrs. Wang suddenly thought of the beautiful appearance of Miss Xia, and her manners were those of a lady from a noble family. She couldn't help but be moved in her heart, but she immediately denied the idea.

In the past few years, she has been thinking of marrying her niece Baochai as her daughter-in-law. This idea is almost deeply rooted, and she will not change it easily even if there are some twists and turns.

But Mrs. Wang was reluctant to tell Lady Jia about this, so she deliberately made friends with Mrs. Xia in order to gain the emperor's favor in the palace for her daughter Yuanchun.

Because of Yuanchun's matter, Jia Cong, Jia Zheng, Jia Mu and others in Rongqing Hall discussed and decided that day that for the long-term interests of the Jia family, they would no longer be involved in this matter.

If Mrs. Wang revealed the Xia family's background, everyone would be embarrassed. After all, what she is doing now is contrary to the family's public opinion.

Said: "I just chatted with Mrs. Xia a few times, and we got along very well. There is nothing else."

……

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia felt relieved. After all, Mrs. Wang was Baoyu's mother, and the saying of a perfect match was still there. It would only create more trouble if the Xia family came into the picture.

Grandmother Jia said, "The current situation at home is very different from before. The second wife has moved out of Rongguo Mansion and her position has also declined. At my age, how many more years can I live?

The one I am most worried about is Baoyu. If he wants to be more secure in the future, he must find a marriage partner with a well-established family, so that he can stand firm in the Jia family."

After hearing what Lady Jia said, Mrs. Wang became slightly alert, thinking that the old lady still loved Baoyu after all, and now that the second branch was in decline, she thought of using Baoyu's marriage to improve and stabilize the second branch's status.

Grandmother Jia continued, "I know what you have been thinking. When you and Zheng'er were still in Rongxitang, it would have been possible to find a rich and noble daughter for Baoyu to be close to.

But in the current situation, it would be more useful to find a marriage for Baoyu with an official family than with a daughter of a rich family."

When she heard what Lady Jia said, she knew that the old lady was not happy with the control and was still determined to bring her granddaughter Lin Daiyu together.

Mrs. Wang knew that Daiyu's father, Lin Ruhai, had been a top scholar in the imperial examination and was now a fourth-rank imperial censor of the Lianghuai Salt Inspectorate. His future career was much brighter than that of her own master.

Moreover, the Lin family of Suzhou is a family of marquises for five generations, and its family background is not much worse than the four major families in Jinling.

Originally, Mrs. Wang was the mistress of the Rongguo Mansion. She was very arrogant. Since she had a high social status, there was no need for her to rely on her daughter-in-law's social status to elevate her status.

Finding a daughter-in-law like Xue Baochai, who is outstanding in appearance and character, generous and polite, and is also a blood relative, will be more conducive to her controlling the family's power and wealth. This is what she should consider.

But now that the Second Branch has fallen into disgrace, Mrs. Wang is no longer as arrogant as before. She has to admit that in terms of family background, the Xue family is far inferior to the Lin family.

If Baoyu could marry Lin Daiyu instead of Xue Baochai, whom he likes, it would probably be more beneficial to the second wife's establishment of a family.

But although this is the truth, it has completely changed in Mrs. Wang's heart.

When Mrs. Wang first married into the Jia family, she was just a well-behaved daughter-in-law. Jia Min was the apple of the Rongguo Mansion's eye and the precious daughter of a duke. The two sisters-in-law did not get along well with each other.

This estrangement and resentment did not disappear with Jia Min's death, and she even disliked Jia Min's daughter.

Although Mrs. Wang knew that Lady Jia's plan made sense, she couldn't help feeling disgusted when she thought of Daiyu, who was pretty and beautiful, like Jia Min resurrected.

Even those girls in the mansion who were similar in intelligence and beauty to Daiyu, such as Qingwen who was pretty and strong-willed, and Wu'er who was delicate and graceful, were all despised and looked down upon by her...

……

Seeing that the second daughter-in-law listened to her words but remained silent and did not express her opinion, Jia Mu obviously preferred Daiyu, but her daughter-in-law still disagreed. This made Jia Mu frown. Her second daughter-in-law was strong-willed, cruel, paranoid and inflexible. Sometimes she was just a blockhead and stubborn.

The second branch has fallen to this point, but she still can't forget the little things that happened to Yu'er's mother.

However, his grandson's marriage would be decided by his father. He only needed to find a husband for his son Jia Zheng. There was no need to rely on his daughter-in-law for everything.

The mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law exchanged some bland words and then went their separate ways. Grandmother Jia asked Yuanyang to help her into the inner hall to rest.

Mrs. Wang had heard long ago that her sister was bedridden due to the anger she felt because of her son Xue Pan over the Xia family's marriage proposal. Now that she had moved into the Rongguo Mansion, she naturally wanted to go visit her sister.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

Baochai was chatting with Aunt Xue when the maid Jinchuan came in with a smile on her face and said, "Madam, the third master just entered the inner courtyard and came to visit you."

Baochai's face lit up with joy when she heard this, and Aunt Xue also smiled and said, "That's great. I haven't seen Cong for a long time. Please come in and bring me some more good tea."

Jia Cong was led into the inner room by Jin Chuan. Aunt Xue said with a smile, "I haven't seen you for a long time, Cong. People say you are busy taking the imperial examinations and studying at home. Why bother to come and see me?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "In fact, I heard this morning that my aunt was not feeling well, so I wanted to come and visit her with my sisters, but something happened to us and we were delayed."

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "They are just minor problems, not worth worrying about. You can get better by lying down at home for a few days."

She saw Jia Cong wearing a round-necked robe with a moon-white brocade pattern and silver bamboo patterns, and a beamless white jade crown on his bun. He had a handsome face and a clear demeanor, like a god. He was truly a first-class person.

Aunt Xue recalled that it wasn't that long ago that Jia Cong passed the imperial examination and became the top scholar.

At that time, she felt that even though Jia Cong was extremely talented, he was ultimately a bastard. The title and property of the Jia family had nothing to do with him, and his fate was to leave the house and set up his own household in the future.

Even if he passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer, he would be just a poor Hanlin.

At that time, Aunt Xue was in love with Jia Cong and tried every possible means to obstruct her daughter. She wished she could marry her daughter to Baoyu as soon as possible so that she could truly satisfy her daughter.

Now, only one year has passed, and the situation of the Jia family has changed dramatically. Not only has Jia Cong been granted a title, he has also inherited the hereditary title of Rongguo Mansion, becoming the head of the East and West Mansions of the Jia family.

However, Baoyu, whom he had always been optimistic about, became infamous, and the second branch of the Jia family even lost its status as the legitimate heir and was forced to move out of the Rongguo Mansion.

Jia Cong, who was once looked down upon by Aunt Xue, has now become too high for the Xue family to reach...

……

Aunt Xue looked at her daughter standing beside her with a smile on her face, looking very charming. She thought that she must be very happy to see Jia Cong coming, and she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

Jia Cong chatted a lot with Aunt Xue. Aunt Xue saw that his status was becoming more and more noble, but his words were warm and easy-going, just like before, and she felt that his mind and manner were rare.

After they chatted for a while, Jia Cong stood up to say goodbye and said, "I see that my aunt looks fine, but she is having some blood problems. I heard about Brother Xue's story.

Marriage is both determined by heaven and man. Brother Xue missed this one, maybe it's not his destiny yet, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Who knows, there may be a better match in the future. Aunt, you should relax.

Last year, we collected some excellent wild ginseng from the farm in Liaodong. I went back and asked someone to send some over to help my aunt replenish her body and relieve her qi. It will definitely be of some benefit.”

Jia Cong's status is very different now. In Aunt Xue's eyes, even his words have become weighty. When she heard him say that it was not necessarily a bad thing that his fate had not yet come, she actually felt that it made a lot of sense.

Although Miss Xia seems to be a rare lady, she is not rare in the world. The Xue family is wealthy and their son is still young, so they can find someone better later.

After hearing Jia Cong say that her brother's failed marriage was not necessarily a bad thing, Xue Baochai thought that what he said made a lot of sense when she thought of the hot and ambiguous look Miss Xia gave Jia Cong.

Aunt Xue was moved when she saw Jia Cong saying goodbye, and said, "Bao girl, it's inconvenient for me to walk, so please see Cong off for me."

Baochai smiled and said, "That's good. I guess my second sister and the others have probably returned home from Rongqing Hall. I was just thinking of going to talk to them."

When they were about to leave, Ying'er came out and said, "Miss, the road is hard to walk on in the rain, so you'd better change into the new pair of thick-soled embroidered shoes you bought."

Baochai smiled and said, "It's so delicate there. The East Palace is only a few steps away. There's no need to go to such trouble. You stay and take care of the lady, and Jinchuan can just follow me."

……

Jia Cong and Baochai walked out of Lixiang Courtyard. It was still raining outside, so they both held umbrellas. Qingwen and Jinchuan also followed behind with umbrellas.

The two of them walked in the silk-like water curtain, with the sound of rain all around them, continuous and continuous, and cool breeze blowing on their faces, making people feel refreshed and comfortable both physically and mentally.

Baochai glanced at Jia Cong standing upright beside her, feeling a little pleased, and said, "There is only a month left before the Spring Examination. Brother Cong has done an excellent job in the examination, so he must have had a plan in mind."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I think I'm quite diligent in my studies. I think as long as I don't do too sloppily in the exam, the chief examiner will give me some face and let me pass the exam."

Baochai smiled and said, "Brother Cong is too modest. He is the top scholar in Yongzhou, his talent is well known in the scholar community, and he has a famous teacher like Master Liu to teach him.

Even if he is the number one scholar, he has the potential to win the first prize. How can it be said that he is just ranked first? "

Jia Cong said with a smile: "If I were still a commoner, I would have hoped to pass the imperial examination. But now that I have a title and I am competing with poor candidates, I will attract some attention.

The reason why I am taking the imperial examination next spring is that I want to complete my studies from beginning to end. After studying for so many years, I should give an account to myself.

Master Liu has been very kind to me. I have received his instruction for many years. All of his disciples have been ranked on the gold list, and everyone in the world knows about it. I cannot be like him and fail to even pass the imperial examination, which would be a disgrace to his school.

It may not be difficult to win the provincial examination, but the imperial examination is a place where talented people from all over the world gather, with many outstanding figures.

There has never been a first in literature, and even the Liu Sect disciples do not dare to easily hope for a top-class place, so being able to enter the top-class is actually the fulfillment of one’s wish.”

The reason why Jia Cong said this was because he now held two titles, and both his reputation and status had reached a height that was difficult for the children of the same generation from aristocratic families to reach.

Everything in this world, like boiling oil on a hot fire or blooming flowers on a brocade, is as bad as too little.

In his current situation, he really does not need the glory of passing the imperial examination to add icing on the cake. As long as he passes the imperial examination, it will be enough for him to repay his teacher's kindness and open up a path for his official career. This will be enough for him.

……

Baochai was born into a royal merchant family. Compared with Daiyu and Tanchun, who were daughters of officials, she knew more about the world and people's hearts. Naturally, she understood the principle of "too much is as bad as too little" in his words.

She thought of Baoyu, who was the same age as him, and was still hanging around in the backyard, unable to even take the imperial examination to study. However, Jia Cong was already thinking about passing the examination, hiding his cleverness and being simple-minded, and biding his time...

Baochai looked up at him and said with a smile, "Brother Cong, if you put your heart into everything, everything will surely go smoothly and you will get what you want in the end."

At this moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew and the rain fell sideways, catching everyone off guard. The umbrella in Baochai's hand was blown to one side, and a corner of her dress on her shoulder was wet.

She hurriedly tried to straighten the umbrella in her hand, but her mind was distracted and she slipped and fell to the side. She could not help but scream, and Qingwen and Jinchuan behind her also changed their expressions.

Fortunately, Jia Cong had practiced martial arts for many years and was very agile. With a quick reach of his right hand, he had already hugged Baochai's slender waist tightly, and with a little force, he pulled her in front of him.

Jia Cong felt something soft and warm in his hand, with a sweet fragrance that permeated his body and made him feel warm to the touch, which moved his heart.

Baochai was held in his arms in a moment of crisis. She had never been so close to a man before, and she froze there for a moment. She even forgot to break free and let him hold her...

……

Qingwen, who was standing behind them, felt dizzy. She was worried that Bao-niang would get hurt, but she didn't expect it to turn out like this. Seeing the looks of Jia Cong and Baochai, Qingwen blushed.

I was confused and thought to myself, Third Master is really quick, but I don’t know how to touch a man’s head or a woman’s waist easily…

It would have been fine if the Third Master hugged Miss Bao, as he had to act in an emergency. But he shouldn't have hugged her and been reluctant to let go. How shameless!
When Jin Chuan saw this scene, her face turned red and her eyes suddenly turned, as if she thought of something.

Pulling Qingwen back a few steps, he said softly, "Qingwen, you are so rude. This is too much to watch. Turn around."

Qingwen had a stubborn temper and her mind was a little dazed at this moment. She subconsciously followed Jinchuan and turned around.

But something felt wrong in their hearts. Why did the two of them turn around? Was the Third Master going to hold me for a long time...?

……

At this moment, Jin Chuan's heart was moved, and Qingwen's stomach was upset. Neither of them noticed that not far away, Lady Wang was standing with Caiyun, looking over here.

After leaving Rongqing Hall, Mrs. Wang was heading to Lixiang Courtyard to visit Aunt Xue. Just as she reached the gate of Lixiang Courtyard, she accidentally saw a scene not far away that made her heart tremble with fear.

Jia Cong actually held Baochai in his arms, and the two men's personal maids both turned around and avoided him, as if they had a tacit understanding and indulged their masters in their mischief!
Mrs. Wang was so angry that she was shaking all over. She felt ashamed and angry. What a little beast! She actually guessed it right. It was so bold of him to treat her niece so frivolously.

In such bright and clear sky, he actually prostituted himself in broad daylight. He was totally shameless. Baochai was a good girl, but she was toyed with by him like this. How could she be clean? (End of this chapter)