Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

As night falls, tile lanterns hang under the eaves, with bright candlelight flickering quietly.

The white magnolia in the yard is now full of white buds, and the air is filled with a refreshing fragrance.

In the bedroom in the main house, the pink brocade quilt on the side couch was lifted, and Qingwen, wearing a red shirt and red silk pants, jumped off the bed nimbly and put on red slippers.

She ran to the window like a horse, her beautiful eyes flashing with charm and cleverness. Through the window lattice, she could see the study on the left, which was still brightly lit.

Jia Cong was reading at his desk under candlelight, writing a few words from time to time, and he also saw the graceful figures of Yinglian and Lingguan walking around.

Sometimes they helped Jia Cong change the tea, and sometimes they helped him find books on the bookshelf.

Qingwen looked at the Western clock in the room and calculated that it would take more than half an hour for Jia Cong to go back to his room to rest.

It won't be long before the Third Master will take the imperial examination. He has been studying even harder these days, and I'm afraid he will finish his studies even later than usual.

Originally, Qingwen was a straightforward person with a carefree mind, and she never had any worries.

Because she slept well and moved lightly at night, every time Jia Cong got up to sleep or drink water during the night watch, she would wake up to serve him.

And every time she entered the room to keep watch at night, because Jia Cong was usually still reading in the study, she would help Jia Cong make the bed or warm the quilt, and then she would go back to lie down on the side couch, touch the pillow and fall asleep.

But today she lay down and couldn't fall asleep. Seeing Jia Cong still reading in the study, she could only wander around the bedroom bored, with a lot of thoughts in her mind.

She was still thinking in her heart, today the Second Mistress suddenly asked the Third Master to talk, and specifically mentioned that she was underage and childish, what did this mean.

Although Qingwen has a straightforward temper and sometimes lacks wisdom, she is not really stupid. Having stayed in the Jia Mansion for so many years, she naturally knows a lot about the mansion.

For example, when a man of the Jia family turns fifteen, he has to follow the rules for his first marriage...

She became Jia Cong's maid at the age of ten. Although she had not yet reached the age of marriage, she had already begun to fall in love. During this year, she was much more sensitive and thoughtful than before.

Wu Er knew the reason, so she could guess the whole thing. Although Qing Wen didn't know the reason, she had some perception and vaguely guessed what Jia Cong meant by his joke in the morning...

She frowned, sat down on Jia Cong's bed, and cursed softly: "You shameless little bitch, always thinking about this, doesn't anyone want you, you are so shameless..."

While talking to herself, she threw herself on Jia Cong's bed in a fit of anger, turned over, and covered her head with the quilt.

Anyway, she often made the bed and warmed the quilt, and had long been accustomed to sleeping on Jia Cong's bed.

There was still the scent of Jia Cong on the bedding. Qingwen had all sorts of distracting thoughts in her mind, and she felt even hotter and more embarrassed.

She couldn't fall asleep on her own couch, and now she rolled up Jia Cong's quilt. She felt dizzy and fell asleep with her head covered in a daze.

I don’t know how much time has passed, and I don’t know why, but Jia Cong’s bed seems particularly comfortable.

Although Qingwen was sleeping soundly, she still had the habit of being alert when sleeping. In a daze, she suddenly heard footsteps in the corridor, and she recognized it as Jia Cong's footsteps.

She woke up suddenly with a start, her face flushed. She hurriedly tidied Jia Cong's bed and lay back on the side couch.

When Jia Cong returned to his bedroom, he saw the flickering candlelight and total silence. Qingwen was lying on the couch beside him, wrapped in a brocade quilt, and seemed to be in a deep sleep. He felt a little strange.

Usually, Qingwen was on duty at night, and when he finished reading and returned to his room, Qingwen would usually be asleep.

But she was alert at night, and as long as she pushed the door open, she would wake up, help herself undress, lift the quilt and open the curtains, and did her maid's work meticulously.

But she slept very soundly today. Although Jia Cong was a little surprised, he did not wake her up. He took off his clothes and went to bed.

When I went to bed, I found the bedding was a little messy. I touched it with my hand and it was warm and fragrant, with a charming and soft scent.

Every winter before going to bed, his bedding would be warmed by the maid first, so he naturally knew what was going on.

But now it is March, the weather is already very warm, and there is no need to warm the quilt. Is Qingwen confused today?

……

Suddenly, I saw the slender figure wrapped in the quilt on the couch, and it seemed to move uncontrollably.

As a maid who had been with him day and night for many years, Jia Cong naturally knew her temper very well. She was not asleep at all, she was clearly pretending to sleep.

Otherwise, why would she be so soundly asleep considering the noise she made when she went in just now?

He smiled and joked: "Qingwen, you are really diligent today. You even went out of your way to warm the bed for me."

Qingwen, who was lying on the side couch, blushed, stopped pretending to be asleep, and sat up suddenly.

Jia Cong was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "What's wrong with you? You're acting weird. Who has provoked you?"

Qingwen's pretty face flushed red, and after holding it in for a long time, she said, "Third Master, I don't agree. I am the same age as you, so what right does Second Madam have to say that I am childish?

I have to raise her for another year or two. I have become a little girl. You are just slandering me!"

Jia Cong almost laughed out loud when he heard this, and said, "It was just a joke I made this morning, and you still remember it."

Qingwen's eyes turned red, and she said unconvincedly, "I know that you treasure all the others, but I have a quick temper and am careless, so you dislike me."

Jia Cong didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "How could I dislike you? Didn't my second sister-in-law say that you were pretty and proud? That was a compliment. She never praised other maids like that."

Jia Cong knew that Qingwen was naturally straightforward and somewhat competitive.

But the maids around him, Zhishao and Wu'er, were both kind-hearted, and Yinglian was innocent and gentle. In such an environment, Qingwen's temperament had become much gentler.

She gets along well with the sisters in the hospital on a daily basis. She rarely gets angry because of her naturally explosive temper. It is truly the case that she has made up for all the sorrows of her past life in this life.

But she had been in the mansion for many years and must know the rules of the young master of the Jia family's elephant dance.

She has served me for so many years, and whether it is psychological dependence, the first love, or the longing in my heart, it has long been difficult for them to let go of each other.

She is not a fool. It must be the joke in the morning that made her realize something and she felt an unconcealable loss in her heart, which is why she behaved so abnormally.

Jia Cong took a closer look at Qingwen. She was wearing a bright red top and silk pants, which set off her fair skin and delicate face, making her look even more beautiful and eye-catching.

Although she is not yet fifteen, she has a slender figure, and has already developed a graceful and charming figure...

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "Qingwen, you know that the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty stipulate that men can dance elephants at an advanced age, and women can get married when they reach the age of marriage.

That is to say, men can only get married when they are sixteen years old, and women can only get married when they are fifteen years old.

Qingwen was originally angry, but when she heard Jia Cong suddenly talk about marriage between men and women, it was as if Jia Cong had guessed what she was thinking, and her pretty face suddenly turned red.

But she was a bit shrewd and bold, and she muttered, "The government officials are so idle. They want to control other people's marriages. It's unreasonable..."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "The government's regulations are not unreasonable, but very particular.

Because it is not until a man or a woman reaches the age of fifteen or sixteen that their bones, flesh, essence and blood are firmly developed and stabilized, and only then can they marry to achieve harmony of yin and yang without harming their lifespan and fortune.

If you want to be more appropriate, you need to be older, especially if women want to reproduce and go through the hurdles of life and death, so it is safer to be older..."

Jia Cong was lying on the bed, patiently teaching the little girl, who was less than fifteen years old, basic physiological knowledge. Of course, the more embarrassing details were all glossed over in a Spring and Autumn style.

Even so, Qingwen felt weak all over after listening to it. She could no longer sit still and had already laid down on the couch again. She was so embarrassed that she covered her pretty face with the quilt.

But she still showed her beautiful eyes with a curious look, listening to Jia Cong talking there, and seemed to be enjoying it very much.

But I thought in my heart, Third Master is really shameless. He said such embarrassing things without even changing his expression. Could it be that there are such things in the examination books?
……

Jia Cong explained it in a roundabout way, and said earnestly: "Now you know why my second sister-in-law said that Qingwen should be taken care of for one or two years.

You must have heard that the maids in the mansion are not allowed to marry until they reach a certain age, and it is the same reason..."

Qingwen suddenly threw back the quilt and cried, "Third Master, you can't support me for a year or two, but you want to send me out to marry a boy. I'd rather die than leave this house!"

Jia Cong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This straightforward girl had a different way of thinking from ordinary people.

She said angrily, "Who said I'd send you out to be with a boy? I won't suffer this loss. You have to be my servant for the rest of your life. You're not allowed to go out even if you want to!"

Qingwen burst into laughter and jumped up from the couch, saying, "Third Master, what you said is very true. You are not allowed to regret it. You'd better go to bed early. You have to get up early to study tomorrow."

She was suddenly no longer the lost little girl, but turned back into a diligent and pretty maid. She diligently helped Jia Cong tuck in the quilt and let down the bed curtains on both sides.

When Jia Cong saw Qingwen's graceful and charming figure swaying back and forth above his head, with her alluring fragrance, he suddenly felt the urge to hold her in his arms.

However, the popular science character that I just spoke earnestly and earnestly was too noble and glorious. In order not to damage the image, I had to endure it...

……

The brocade couch and red dress were half covered with snow, the quilt was soft and fragrant, and I had a deep sleep without saying a word all night.

The morning light was rising in the east; the curtains of Jia Cong's bed were disturbed, and Qingwen quickly got up.

She was half-dressed in her red slippers, her hair was a little messy, and she had no time to put on her skirt. She helped Jia Cong put on his clothes and tied his belt, and also helped him tie his hair into a bun.

Jia Cong couldn't help yawning, but saw Qingwen's face was rosy and she looked energetic, which made her even more beautiful. It seemed that she had slept comfortably last night.

She smiled and asked, "Third Master, why are your eyes red? Did you not sleep well last night?"

Jia Cong was a little listless and replied, "Yes, I talked a lot with you last night and coaxed you into a good mood, but I didn't sleep well myself, while you slept very soundly."

Qingwen chuckled, and thinking of what Jia Cong said last night, her heart felt warm and at peace, and she was filled with pity and love. She took the comb and combed his hair carefully.

The warm spring sun shone through the window onto the two of them. Qingwen's soft silk red dress turned into a fragrant, soft, and bright red cloud of fire in the sunlight.

Jia Cong felt the comb on his head, as if gently massaging his scalp, and the slender fingers supporting his neck, with a soft and tender touch, which made him feel sleepy and drowsy. After an unknown amount of time, footsteps were heard in the corridor outside the door, followed by a knock on the door, and Jia Cong woke up from the sweet and soft feeling.

He saw Wu'er coming in with a copper basin of hot water, and in the mercury dressing mirror, he saw Qingwen's pretty face, her rosy face, and her watery eyes looking at him, so charming and beautiful.

Qingwen was very good at combing hair, and he actually fell asleep for a moment just now...

……

After I finished washing up and went into the main room for breakfast, I saw the table filled with all kinds of food. It seemed that there were many more varieties than usual, which seemed a little different.

One of the plates was a plate of square-shaped naan cakes, which were uniquely shaped, baked to a golden brown color and exuding an enticing aroma.

Another plate of white soft cakes, cut into thumb-sized pieces, neatly arranged, exuding a pleasant sweet smell...

Several plates of emerald green pickled vegetables, golden and fat pickled goose eggs, smoked and dried fruits, and all kinds of exquisite food were laid out on the table.

Jia Cong curiously took a piece of naan and found it crispy and delicious, with tender mutton and vegetables stuffed inside. It tasted very refreshing and delicious.

Wu Er smiled and said, "I know that the Third Master will soon take the imperial examination and will have to stay in prison for nine days. The food and sleep will not be as good as at home.

It is now past March and the weather is warm. Fresh dishes cannot be kept for long, so Lingguan and I got up early in the morning and made some new foods that are easy to store.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Uncle San eats this kind of flatbread imitating the Ili naan sold outside. The fresh mutton inside is slightly marinated in salt water, so it can be kept for several days without any problem.

And this plate of ginseng and poria cake, the rice flour used is compacted, it is filling and sweet, and can be stored for seven or eight days, so it can be used as dry food for the Third Master...

Other side dishes such as pickled vegetables and smoked eggs can be preserved for many days. San Ye will taste them and if he likes some of them, we will prepare more so that he can bring them in to satisfy his hunger.

No one in my family had taken the imperial examination for many years, so I asked my mother to go out and ask around. She said the food in the Imperial Examination Hall tasted terrible and was expensive.

We thought it would be better to prepare enough for ourselves. It would be terrible if the Third Master ate something unsatisfactory and delayed his writing for the imperial examination."

Jia Cong saw that Wu'er and Lingguan both looked sleepy, and thought that they had been busy since before daybreak.

He tasted all the new food on the table. Of course, everything was delicious. He was not trying to please them, but they were all really delicious. "

Jia Cong picked up a piece of naan for Wu'er and Lingguan, and said with a smile: "Please prepare two thicker bamboo tubes for me. Fill them with cold boiling water before going on stage. They can be used for a few more days.

You don't know that the Imperial Examination Hall doesn't hold examinations once a year, and the well there has been unattended for a long time. It is filled with fallen leaves and dust, and the water in the well is very unpalatable. Drinking it might even give you an upset stomach.

Please prepare a small stove for me so that I can bake some dry food in the cell.

Although the dishes at the Imperial Academy are unpalatable, the rice is the same. I will just buy the rice, and with the food you prepare, there won’t be any problems.”

Lingguan suddenly said, "Third Master, I heard from the maids in the inner courtyard that a new southern goods store has opened in the north of the city. The owner is from Jinling and specializes in selling smuggled goods from the southern seas and lakes.

Let's go buy some top-quality pickled fish and sea vegetables. I often see these when I'm in the south. They're fresh, fragrant and delicious, and they last for months.

Before the Third Master enters the arena, he will first steam and dry it in water, then bring it into the cell and bake it in the stove before use."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Southern seafood is good stuff. Let's do as you wish and ask the housekeeper to pick out some good ones so that we can try them first.

But, aren’t you guys buying too much? I’m going to take the next spring exam, and my food and supplies are almost as much as at home.”

The words made the dinner table burst into laughter...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

In the main hall, Wu'er had not come from the East Mansion yet, Lin Zhixiao and Ping'er were reporting the accounts, and Wang Xifeng was leaning on the Luohan bed listening.

As mid-March is approaching, the West Mansion's expenses for this month need to be calculated. After the 20th, all expenses must be closed and controlled, and the monthly allowance for each room must also be distributed one by one.

Since Jia Cong was demoted to the rank of second-class general, the title and property of Rong state were also downgraded and reduced by 500 shi.

Even though Wang Xifeng made a significant reduction in the population of the West Palace as Jia Cong wished, the monthly public revenue and expenditure were only barely balanced, and it was almost a one-time transaction every month, with a very meager surplus.

If there is a major expense in the household this month, the funds will basically be withdrawn from next month.

This situation of tight cash flow in the company was quite oppressive for a household manager like Wang Xifeng.

As the saying goes: It is better to eat every meal in a hurry than to eat too full.

Therefore, she would often rack her brains to donate and reduce expenses from various sources.

As Lin Zhixiao reported the expenses of various places, Wang Xifeng did not say anything after reading the previous items until Lin Zhixiao reported the monthly expenditure of Baoyu's room.

Wang Xifeng frowned and asked, "I heard that the monthly allowance for Baoyu's room is very high, almost catching up with the old lady's room.

I have not studied this matter in detail in the past, but now that the Cong brothers have inherited the title, the mansion has lost a large amount of income from the title.

If we are not careful about everything and have no discipline in spending money every month, the Rongguo Mansion will be impoverished in less than two years. We cannot just sit there and do nothing.

Lin Zhixiao, can you tell me what is going on with this detail? "

Lin Zhixiao's wife said: "The monthly allowance for Master Bao's room is large, mainly because he has too many people under him.

There was one first-class maid, Miss Xiren, and seven second-class maids, namely, Sheyue, Meiren, Qiu Wen, Bihen, Qixian, Tanyun, and Xiaoyan.

In addition, there are six third-class maids, namely Jiahui, Zhuier, Zixiao, Lianger, Zhuaner and Chunyan.

There are fourteen of them in total. The monthly salary for a first-class maid is one tael, the monthly salary for a second-class maid is one tael, and the monthly salary for a third-class maid is five hundred coins."

Ping'er was a little surprised when she heard this. She also knew that Baoyu had many maids around him, but Baoyu had always been the treasure of Rongguo Mansion, so she subconsciously did not calculate it carefully.

Now, after hearing Lin Zhixiao's family enumerate all of them, I was really shocked. According to this number of people, the monthly allowance for the maids in Baoyu's room alone would cost more than ten taels of silver."

Wang Xifeng sneered slightly. She was not as kind as Ping'er. She had been thinking about this matter since the first day Jia Cong asked her to be the housekeeper.

It was just that the Rongguo Mansion had just changed its master, and they immediately started a reckoning, which was not good for both sides, so it was delayed for several months. She didn't mention the matter at all, which was considered polite enough.

……

Because Baoyu was favored by his grandmother, his expenses were always extravagant. In the past, even if someone in the family had some complaints, they would just keep it to themselves.

But now the Rongguo Mansion has changed. What Wang Xifeng can see, can't Wu'er and Jia Cong see it? They just see through it temporarily but don't say it out loud.

When Jia Cong handed the management of the West Palace to Wang Xifeng, he had already agreed that the money flow and expenses of the two palaces would be managed by each of them and would not be related to each other.

In other words, if there is a deficit in the West Palace's expenses, the West Palace can only find a way to make up for it itself. There is no reason for the East Palace to fill the hole for the West Palace.

This is because Jia Cong saw through the West Mansion's long-term extravagant spending. It is said that it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. If this continues, the West Mansion will eventually fall into a difficult situation.

He didn't ask for the title of the West Mansion, but he did it because of the imperial decree. He didn't want to create a mess that would hold him back.

Jia Cong established the family rules of dividing the East and West Palaces to prevent the West Palace from being extravagant and self-disciplined, and instead encroaching on the East Palace.

Wang Xifeng was extremely shrewd and naturally understood Jia Cong's intentions very well. From the perspective of the long-term continuation of the family business, she also agreed with Jia Cong's intentions.

She believed that as someone who had been in charge of the household all her life, Lady Jia must have seen what was going on in Baoyu's room, but Lady Jia never mentioned it.

It was nothing more than Grandmother Jia's doting on Baoyu, and the old lady's habit of living a life of luxury and extravagance, which she took for granted.

……

However, after Wang Xifeng took over the management of the West Mansion, she could not turn a blind eye to it forever, because in the long run, the deficit of the West Mansion would increase, and she had to find a way to fill the hole.

If she couldn't fill this hole, how could she have the face to continue being the housekeeper of the West Mansion.

If Jia Cong sent a unfamiliar housekeeper over to serve the old lady, what mercy would anyone else have?
Having lost her power as the steward of the West Mansion, what can Wang Xifeng, a wife of a soldier, count as in the Rongguo Mansion...

So, after holding this matter in for several months, she had to speak up eventually, regardless of whether she could be brought down or not, and whether Lady Jia would interfere.

However, as long as she brought this up, at least she would have an explanation to Jia Cong...

Lin Zhixiao's wife was also an extremely shrewd person. She knew the details of the household affairs better than even Wang Xifeng.

In addition, Mrs. Wang drove her daughter Xiaohong out, and the couple had a feud with the second wife.

Now, after hearing what Wang Xifeng said, it was unclear what she wanted to do.

She smiled slightly and continued, "Second Madam, what I just said was just the expenses for the maids in Master Bao's room. There are other expenses in his room, which are not small items."

Wang Xifeng understood and said, "Just tell me in detail so that we can discuss it together."

Lin Zhixiao's wife said, "In addition to these fourteen maids, Master Bao also has ten servants who serve him inside and outside the house.

They are Mingyan, Chuyao, Saohong, Moyu, Yinquan, Saohua, Tiaoyun, Banhe, Shuangrui and Shuangshou respectively.

The monthly salary of these servants is the same as that of a maid, which is ten taels per month."

Even Wang Xifeng was a little stunned. She knew Mingyan and Chuyao, the two servants who often went in and out with Baoyu.

She couldn't even remember all the names of the other people.

Every time Baoyu's room distributed monthly allowances, she noticed that the expenses were extremely high, but she was the eldest wife after all, and she was not clear about all the messes going on.

But Lin Zhixiao's family was a proper housekeeper's slave. She knew all the servants in the mansion and which family they belonged to. She made the attack with great accuracy and cruelty...

Wang Xifeng was surprised for a moment, but she laughed out loud and said, "Brother Bao's show is really beyond words!" (End of this chapter)