Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

After Jia Cong made these bold words, the three people in the study room fell strangely quiet.

It was also possible to hug a girl's waist at will, but this was a serious violation of moral ethics. In a secluded village, the man would be paraded through the streets and the woman would most likely be thrown into a pig cage.

Even if they did, no one would be as outspoken as Jia Cong. Perhaps in his subconscious, this was not a big deal...

Qingwen secretly laughed when she saw the Third Master speaking so arrogantly in front of Miss Lin.

Seeing that Jia Cong was not paying attention to her, she sneaked out of the study, not thinking that this was an accident caused by her rashness and quick words.

However, Qingwen would not worry about Jia Cong. All the maids in the yard knew that the Third Master was very good at coaxing people with his words, and he was especially familiar with coaxing Miss Lin, so there was no need to worry about him.

Daiyu blushed slightly after hearing what Jia Cong said, and said, "Third brother, you are really shameless. You still talk about such things so loudly. Look at how capable you are.

If others heard this, it would really ruin Sister Bao’s reputation.”

Jia Cong was slightly stunned, and said awkwardly: "Sister is right, I was too abrupt just now, I won't say it again in the future."

Daiyu narrowed her eyes slightly and asked with a smile, "Third brother, do you think Sister Bao is very beautiful?"

Jia Cong said casually: "She is pretty, but my sister is prettier."

Daiyu asked in disbelief: "You want to say nice things to coax me, but I didn't ask you to say anything about me. What did you do today..."

Daiyu felt a little embarrassed when she said this, her face flushed, and she managed to utter: "You... hugged Sister Bao, tell me honestly, do you feel happy in your heart..."

Jia Cong said without hesitation: "It's beautiful there. I even got half of my body wet in order to help Sister Bao."

Then he laughed and said, "Sister, why do you feel happy when you hug your waist? It's a strange thing. How about I give it a try?"

As he said this, he pretended to move forward and put his arms around Daiyu's slender waist, but before he touched Daiyu's belt, she was so frightened that she ran away in a hurry. Jia Cong chased after her, laughing.

Daiyu dodged around the desk, her figure nimble as a butterfly flying through flowers.

While laughing angrily, he said, "Third brother, you are so unruly. You are getting older and older, and you still can't stop me. If you do this again, I will be really angry..."

Qingwen was embroidering in the corridor outside the study. After a while, she heard Miss Lin laughing and talking in the study, the light and shadows swaying on the window lattice, and the sound of hurried footsteps.

Miss Lin didn't seem annoyed at all when she heard this, but rather seemed quite happy.

I thought to myself that I was right. The Third Master was really good at coaxing people. He did such a romantic thing, but he didn't make Miss Lin angry and cry. He even made her laugh. It was really strange. I wonder how he did it?

……

After being teased by Jia Cong, Daiyu's original doubts were mostly dispelled, but she still gritted her teeth and pinched Jia Cong's hand.

She could naturally sense that Jia Cong's laughter just now was just to prevent her from thinking too much. In fact, even if she thought too much, it would be meaningless.

Among these sisters, Daiyu, Baochai and Xiangyun are all girls from other families, and Jia Cong is so proud and outstanding.

Baochai stands out among the sisters, with elegant manners and is quite attractive, so Daiyu naturally pays more attention to her.

She was naturally smart and sensitive, and had actually long since sensed that the way Baochai looked at her third brother was quite unusual, and only she could sense that difference.

Although Sister Xiangyun is also very close to Brother San, and her eyes are always shining when she looks at him, that is mostly out of her admiration for him. Sister Bao's eyes are different...

But as long as this kind of thing is not revealed, nothing will happen. Moreover, Daiyu can see that her third brother treats Baochai no differently from his other sisters.

Moreover, Baojie's daily interactions with her were not as close as those between her and her third brother. Thinking of this, Daiyu felt a little proud.

Smiling, he walked to the guqin and played the piece that Jia Cong had just played again. The melody was harmonious, with smooth transitions, and it was much more pleasant to the ear than Jia Cong's.

As the sound of the piano became soft and melodious, lingering in the air, Daiyu saw a smile on Jia Cong's face, handsome and clear. She listened attentively, her heart trembling slightly, and she felt a peace and beauty she had never felt before.

She suddenly remembered the secret text engraved on the bottom of the zither. Although she didn't know the deep meaning of it, it was so lingering and intoxicating, and seemed to fit her current situation.

She couldn't help but recite along with the sound of the piano: On the edge of Xuanwu, on the top of Luofeng, the closure is beautiful, and there are many sorrows in the world. The destiny of heaven cannot hide the fragrance, and the bond of life and death is deep and profound.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

When Aunt Xue came back from the east courtyard, she saw Baochai had already changed her clothes, washed and dressed, and was talking to Qingwen.

Aunt Xue knew that Qingwen was Jia Cong's personal maid, so she did not dare to look down on her.

Moreover, Qingwen was present at today's events. Jia Cong asked Qingwen to send his daughter back, probably because he was worried that something might happen to his sister, and he wanted to leave Qingwen behind to be an eyewitness.

Aunt Xue was also a worldly-wise person. In front of Qingwen, she told her mother-in-law that she had promised not to mention the matter to anyone.

After hearing this, Baochai and Qingwen both breathed a sigh of relief, but Jinchuan's eyes flickered and she felt a little disappointed.

In Jin Chuan's opinion, it would be better if Mrs. Wang made a big fuss about it. The Third Master was much more responsible than Baoyu. Maybe he would marry his daughter to her. That would be a good thing...

After Qingwen got the confirmation, she said goodbye to Aunt Xue and hurried back to inform her third master.

Only after Qingwen left did Aunt Xue sigh, looking rather troubled.

Baochai asked, "Mother, since Auntie has promised not to make this public, what do you have to worry about?"

Aunt Xue said, "Your aunt is convinced that you and Cong are involved, and what she said was quite unpleasant."

Baochai's face turned red and white, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Brother Cong and I are innocent. He just helped me up when I fell. We have a clear conscience and don't care what others think."

Aunt Xue said, "I said a lot of nice things and finally managed to coax your aunt into silence, but she mentioned something else that was a bit tricky.

She said that she had already moved out of Rongguo Mansion, and our family was still staying in Lixiang Courtyard, which was actually quite inconvenient, so she advised us to move out as soon as possible to avoid trouble in the future.

After hearing this, Baochai's face turned a little pale. If the Xue family moved out of Rongguo Mansion, it would not be easy to see him in the future.

My relationship with him was already weak, and I'm afraid it will become even more distant. What hope can I have in the future...

Baochai knew in her heart that her aunt had some ill intention in saying this.

His second wife had moved out of Rongguo Mansion several months ago. Why didn't he bring up this topic earlier, but only after what happened today?

It was probably because my aunt had hoped that I would marry Baoyu, so she never mentioned the Xue family moving away. Now she must have guessed what I was thinking, so she wanted to hinder me and make me give up the idea...

Although Baochai was unwilling in her heart, what Mrs. Wang said made sense and it was difficult to refute.

For a moment, both mother and daughter were silent. Mrs. Wang brought up the topic. It would be embarrassing for her family to stay in the Jia family any longer.

……

At this time, heavy footsteps were heard in the outer room. Xue Pan opened the door curtain and came in. He was slightly surprised to see that his mother and sister both had ugly expressions.

Asked: "Mom, why are you and your sister so sad? What happened?"

Aunt Xue scolded her, "You are like a horse without a bridle. You wander around outside all day long. You never worry about the affairs of the family."

Xue Pan said unconvincedly: "Mom, although my son likes to go out, it is also to make more friends, which is also good for the family. I am much better than Baoyu who is always domineering at home."

Aunt Xue smiled bitterly and said, "What's the use of the friends you make? Today, your aunt said that her status has changed drastically, and asked us to move out of Rongguo Mansion as soon as possible to avoid any disputes or resentments.

You should be quiet these days. Tomorrow you can arrange for someone to tidy up and clean our villa. Once everything is done, we can pack up and move in."

When Xue Pan heard this, he looked unhappy and said, "We are living here well, why do we have to move out for no reason? Anyway, I am not moving.

Mom, what's the matter with my aunt? Why did she suddenly ask us to move out? There must be a reason, right? "

Aunt Xue was worried that her son would get into trouble and cause trouble because he refused to move out, which would create embarrassment among the relatives. So she told Xue Pan what happened in the morning.

Also, Xue Pan was asked to restrain himself during this period of time, so as not to leave any room for gossip when he was about to move away, and make his relatives and old friends laugh at him.

Unexpectedly, after hearing the whole story, Xue Pan did not get discouraged, but instead smiled brightly.

He said to Baochai, "Sister, what did Conggeer do to help you today that you could make your aunt go crazy? It turns out that Conggeer is also a sensible person and he actually has this trick..."

Baochai's face turned red with anger at her brother's words. She was worried that her brother would say something nonsense again and that she would be embarrassed to death by him. She got up in anger and went into the inner room, refusing to come out again.

Aunt Xue was also annoyed by her son's nonsense. She picked up the unfinished shoe soles in the sewing basket and slapped Xue Pan on the head.

He cursed, "You bastard, how dare you talk to your sister like that? Your brain has been ruined by the poison, and you can't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth!"

Xue Pan touched his head with a grin, frowned and said: "Mom, your hand is too strong, I said it's okay to spit, but your son is just advising you to think about this matter carefully.

In my opinion, today's incident must have made my aunt realize that my sister has feelings for Cong'er, and my aunt knows that she can no longer try to find a perfect match for her.

She must be full of hatred, so she used lies to frame you and force us to move out of Rongguo Mansion, trying to ruin the relationship between Cong and my sister. She really hurts others but does not benefit herself."

When Aunt Xue heard her son talking about good things, she felt uncomfortable and shouted, "What good or bad things do you mean? You are so eager to let your sister be your mistress, you have no conscience!" Xue Pan said with some earnest words, "Mom, why did you forget what I said? The Queen is the Emperor's wife, but the Imperial Concubine..."

But before Xue Pan could finish his nice words, Aunt Xue smacked him on the head with her shoe and yelled at him in a low voice: "Just shut up! You're asking for death by saying these stupid things again!"

……

Xue Pan rubbed his head in distress and said, "Mom, you don't like to hear nice words, so I'll tell you something serious. It's true that we were able to stay at Rongguo Mansion because of my aunt's favor.

But the situation of the Jia family is very different now. The real master of Rongguo Mansion is Cong Ge'er. To be honest, my aunt has nothing to do with Rongguo Mansion anymore.

This land doesn't belong to my aunt, so why should she ask us to move away? Only Cong Ge'er has the right to say this. Mom, don't you think this is the truth?

Now if mom moves out of Rongguo Mansion just because of what aunt said, Congge'er, the head of the family, will become a mere decoration. Mom, aren't you deliberately hurting Congge'er's reputation?

Besides, my son has also heard some rumors that my aunt lost her title because of the second house, and she and Congge'er are not getting along. Now Congge'er is seducing my sister..."

Xue Pan spoke without thinking, and was just thinking about it. Seeing Aunt Xue's eyes wide open and her shoe sole raised, he hurriedly changed his words and said, "Mom, I said the wrong thing again. It was Cong'er and my sister who were suspicious.

My aunt has lost her sister as her daughter-in-law, and she and Cong'er have become more and more aggressive. If they have a fight, it's their business. There's no need for my mother to get involved.

If you move out at this time, it would seem like you are helping your aunt to make a protest, and wouldn't that be an embarrassment to Brother Cong in front of him? Why bother? Can't we both not help each other and not offend anyone?
So, according to my son's idea, we should live here steadily, that is the right thing to do, maybe we can even earn a good future for my sister in the future..."

Baochai had been standing behind the curtain in the inner room. Although she knew that her brother's words were vulgar, he was determined to bring her and Jia Cong together. Although it was also out of his own selfishness, his actions did not go against his own wishes...

So Baochai also wanted to hear what he would say. When she heard her brother's twisted logic, she almost laughed out loud. But when she thought about it carefully, it seemed to make sense.

Aunt Xue was also stunned after hearing her son's words. Xue Pan saw his mother's expression and knew that she had been persuaded by him, and was quite proud of her extraordinary performance.

After a long while, Aunt Xue said, "What you said is not without reason, but since your aunt has brought up this topic, it has been left unsolved and there will surely be others who will bring it up in the future.

We must find a way to resolve this matter, otherwise our Xue family will be left with a lot of gossip..."

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Mom, what you said makes sense. As long as you don't let your aunt coax you into moving out of the Jia family, it will be fine. In my opinion, if Congge knew about this, he would not be willing to let his sister go like this.

He must want us to stay. As long as he opens the door, it will be useless even if my aunt is worried to death."

Baochai, who was standing behind the door curtain, heard her brother's blunt words, saying that Jia Cong couldn't bear to leave her. She couldn't help but blush and spit.

Xue Pan hesitated for a moment when he said this, and then asked, "Mom, I have one more question. Is there really no follow-up to the matter with Miss Xia?"

When Aunt Xue heard this, her brows slightly frowned. She didn't expect that her son was really infatuated with Miss Xia.

However, hearing that he asked cautiously and didn't try to be too aggressive with her, Aunt Xue's heart softened a little.

She said, "How can mom still coax you? I asked a senior monk to tell my fortune. He said that the two of you are not compatible in fate. If you force a marriage together, it will only bring disaster and no result.

You should calm down and let this go. There are many good girls in the world. Mom will definitely find you a more pleasing one."

……

Time flies and it is already the end of February. March is in sight. The weather is getting warmer. The dry branches in the garden are beginning to bloom with new green. The early swallows are returning in spring, and all things are full of vitality.

The thick cotton curtains in Rongqing Hall had been removed, the bronze incense burners had been put away, the refreshing glass screens had been unfolded, and the couches and chairs had been replaced with light cushions and pillows.

Although the Rongguo Mansion underwent drastic changes this year, Grandmother Jia's comfortable life did not change at all. She still sat firmly in the hall every day, chatting and joking with her daughters-in-law and granddaughters, and lived a carefree life.

That day, Wang Xifeng came over to pay her respects to Lady Jia, with her somewhat bloated body.

Since she became pregnant, she has not been able to move around as well as usual, but the imperial physician has advised her that given the age of the fetus, she needs to move around frequently, which will reduce the risks of future childbirth.

Wang Xifeng is now very precious in Jia Mu's eyes. Although Jia Lian was exiled to Liaodong, the fetus in Wang Xifeng's belly is the eldest son of the eldest son.

Wang Xifeng was supported by Ping'er as she entered Rongqing Hall, followed by her maid Feng'er, an experienced old woman who came with the dowry, and two servant girls waiting outside the door. It was quite a grand ceremony.

As soon as she entered the hall, Grandmother Jia prepared for her the armchair that she had used in previous years, and covered it with a thick and soft cushion.

The two of them had just sat down and chatted for a few words when Mrs. Wang came in to pay her respects. Since Wang Xifeng was not feeling well, she did not need to perform any greetings and just exchanged some verbal pleasantries.

In fact, ever since the second house moved to the East Courtyard and Wang Xifeng resumed management of the West Courtyard's household affairs, the aunt and niece had already been treating each other with cold respect, so everyone just kept fooling around for the sake of appearances.

Although Mrs. Wang moved to the East Courtyard, Jia Zheng sealed the small gate of the East Courtyard, making it very inconvenient to travel between the two places.

But Mrs. Wang still came to the house every day to pay her respects to Lady Jia. Now that the second house was in an awkward position, she felt more and more that she had to show her face and speak in front of the old lady often, so that the West House would not forget her.

She looked at Wang Xifeng's bulging belly and her more plump and pretty face, and couldn't help feeling a little envious and jealous.

Although Jia Lian was exiled to Liaodong and would not be able to return for more than ten years, once Wang Xifeng gave birth to a boy, he would become the great-grandson of the eldest son.

The positions of the two of them in the West Mansion became more and more stable, and the position of the second branch in the family was somewhat weakened...

Grandmother Jia looked at Wang Xifeng's plump waist and rosy complexion, and she looked very happy.

He smiled and said, "Nowadays, you should try not to worry too much about household chores and let the people below you take care of them. If the people around you are not capable, I will assign you a few experienced ones and you can use them temporarily."

When Mrs. Wang heard this, she was slightly moved. Could it be that the old lady wanted to take advantage of Feng's health and arrange for her confidant to be the housekeeper?
Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "The old ancestor is indeed considerate of me. However, I have Ping'er and Wu'er by my side. Ping'er is used to running the household with me, and Wu'er has been personally trained by Brother Cong for many years.

They are both very capable, so I don't have to worry about anything. Lin Zhixiao and his wife are here to take care of things, so everything at home is in good order. There's no need to send anyone else over."

After hearing this, Jia's mother had no choice but to give up. Although she had some thoughts in her mind, she was not too obsessed with it. After all, she was old now and it was too late for Gao Le to make too many plans.

Mrs. Wang was a little disappointed after hearing this. She naturally hoped that the water in the West Palace would become more muddy.

However, Jia Cong not only sent his trusted maid Wu'er to watch the scene, he also promoted Xiaohong, the maid he had driven out, to be the maid in charge of Rong Xi Tang, thus winning over Lin Zhixiao and his wife.

In just a few months, the Xifu family business became his iron empire, and even the old lady was left in limbo.

This kid is not only good at being an official outside, but also very cunning and treacherous at home at such a young age, which really makes Mrs. Wang feel helpless...

……

Grandmother Jia continued, "It is almost spring now, and it is the busiest time of the year for household affairs. If you have things to do, assign them early so that you don't have to rush around and worry less."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Daily household chores have been assigned in the past two days, and capable people have also been sent to supervise the spring plowing of the fields of the duke's property. There won't be any mistakes.

But in the next two months, there are two important household matters that I need to tell the old lady about.

This year, brothers Cong and Bao have both reached the Dancing Elephant Year. Brother Cong was born on March 21st, and brother Bao was born on April 18th.

According to our family's estimation, when a man turns fifteen is a big day, and there are many things that need to be taken care of.

Now that Brother Cong’s status is different, I wanted to hold a celebration banquet for him, and maybe some old relatives would come to visit.

But Brother Cong did not like to show off, and he was about to take the imperial examination, so he did not want to spend too much time on it. So he would just set up a few tables of banquet behind closed doors and invite the old lady and family members to drink, and that would be it.

As for how Brother Bao will arrange it, we will naturally wait for Madam’s opinion.”

When Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang heard this, they both felt uncomfortable. Their son Baoyu was turning fifteen, and they had wanted to give him a grand celebration.

But Jia Cong, as the head of the family, was so careless about this matter. Compared with the two, if Baoyu made a big fuss, it would seem a little inappropriate...

Wang Xifeng continued, "They have another important matter: when a man in the family turns fifteen, two girls should be arranged to serve him in his room.

This matter has been mentioned twice before, and now we have to start thinking about choosing those few to move into our respective rooms.

In Baoyu's room, the old lady and the lady make the decisions. Brother Cong has many outstanding and caring people in his room. In my opinion, just let him make his own decisions, and the old lady will have less worries."

When Lady Jia heard what Wang Xifeng said, her heart moved slightly and her eyes unconsciously looked at Yuanyang.

Seeing Wang Xifeng's bright eyes roaming over her, she was afraid of revealing her true feelings, so she said casually, "Yuanyang, go get me a cup of hot tea."

When Yuanyang heard that Jia Cong had reached a certain age and would have a young girl to serve him in his room, her heart was involuntarily moved.

She thought of what Lady Jia had said that day: "I will always make you happy", and her pretty face felt slightly hot.

After hearing what Grandmother Jia said, I went to take the cup of tea to change it, but found that the cup was still hot. I felt strange. The tea was still hot, so why did the old lady ask me to change it?

Grandmother Jia said: "Although Cong is a capable man, matters like opening the inner chambers of the palace must be handled by the elders in the family. It is a bit unpleasant for him to deal with it himself.

His master has passed away now, and his wife is not a very smart person. Naturally, it is only you, his sister-in-law, and me, his grandmother, who have to take care of him together.

Although the ones in his room were also outstanding, they were either too young or childish and not experienced enough, so I was afraid they might not be able to provide attentive service.

In my opinion, Zhishao is the only girl who is pleasing to the eye. Besides, she was given as a gift by the Queen, so she should have a status both internally and externally. If we choose another steady girl, everything will be fine."

At this time, Yuanyang took the tea tray, held a cup of boiling tea, and gently placed it on the table next to Jia Mu, just in time to hear Jia Mu's last words.

Wang Xifeng had sharp eyes and saw from behind that Yuanyang's ears had turned red, and her phoenix eyes couldn't help but light up.

At this time, the maid outside the house passed on the message that the concubine of the Xue family came to pay her respects to the old lady... (End of this chapter)