Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

Wang Xifeng sneered: "The current situation in the mansion is different from the past. If everyone still supports such a grand show, it will be difficult for this family to run.

Ping'er, Brother Cong is the same age as Baoyu, so he should have the same expenses as Baoyu. Now he is the head of the family, and I didn't remember the maids and servants in his room carefully. What is the current situation?"

The last time in Rongqing Hall, Mrs. Wang asked Lady Jia for Yuanyang, wanting her to be Baoyu's concubine, which made Wang Xifeng alert.

She knew that even if the second branch fell into such a situation, her aunt would still not give up and would still be thinking about the one acre and three mu of land in Rongguo Mansion.

According to common sense, Baoyu is now a concubine and should have moved to the East Courtyard with his parents long ago. However, because of the old lady's love for him, he has been living in Rongguo Mansion until now.

Because Baoyu was a young commoner, unlike Jia Zheng, who was a court official and had no concerns about official statements, Jia Cong didn't bother to care about it, and the family didn't care too much about it.

Wang Xifeng originally ignored the matter, but Mrs. Wang was still so evil-minded that she had to make a fuss about it to establish the prestige of the eldest wife in the household.

Because of Lady Jia's reasons, even if I want to send Baoyu back to the East Courtyard, I'm afraid it won't be possible for the time being.

But using Baoyu's excessive spending as an excuse, she could make a big fuss about it and dampen her aunt's arrogance, so that she wouldn't have any inappropriate thoughts.

……

When Ping'er heard Wang Xifeng suddenly mention Jia Cong, she was slightly stunned, but although she was gentle in nature, she was also a very intelligent person and understood Wang Xifeng's intention to some extent.

He smiled and said, "The Third Master lives in the East Palace, so we may not know what happens in his room, but I often go there, so I know everything.

Anyway, these things are all obvious, and you can find out if you ask around.

The people who serve the Third Master in his daily life, clothing and food include Zhishao, Wu'er, Qingwen, Yinglian, and Lingguan, who just came last year and also takes care of some affairs.

However, they cannot all be considered as the Third Master's maids. For example, although Miss Zhishao has served the Third Master since she was a child, because of life and death accidents in previous years, everyone in the mansion thought she was dead.

Even her slave status in Zhen'an Prefecture was revoked. In addition, Miss Zhishao was favored by the palace, so she was no longer a slave of the Jia family in name.

When she was still in the West Mansion, the old lady set a monthly allowance of two taels for Zhishao, the same as that of the other girls and concubines in the mansion. She was not considered the Third Master's maid, but was a proper member of the household.

Yinglian and Lingguan were both brought back from Jiangnan by the Third Master, and neither of them were servants of the Jia family.

They also have monthly allowances, but they are taken from the Third Master's own monthly allowance and do not take money from the East Palace. In fact, the two of them are supported by the Third Master himself.

The only two maids who had legitimate reasons to serve the Third Master were Wu'er and Qingwen.

After the two of them moved to the East Mansion, because the Third Master was the master of the East Mansion, according to the rules of the Jia family, they were promoted to first-class maids and received a monthly salary of one or two taels.

The Third Master also needs two maids, Si'er and Juan'er, who were also his old servants in Qingzhizhai, Xifu, and have been with him for many years.

Ping Er smiled at Lin Zhixiao's wife and said, "I was confused. The Third Master now has a big maid, my mother's daughter Xiaohong.

Xiaohong was a second-class maid in Rongxi Hall, earning one hundred yuan a month.

Therefore, the maids around the Third Master were only two first-class, one second-class, and two third-class, a mere five in total, much less than that of the Second Master Bao.

The Third Master has only one servant, named Jiang Liu. Jiang Liu is the only one who runs errands for the Third Master.

This is really incomparable to the ten servants who serve Master Bao.

Moreover, the number of maids around the Third Master will only decrease in the future, not increase.

Because, according to the Third Master's idea, after his birthday this year, Wu'er will marry into the Third Master's family, so the only first-class maid left to him is Qingwen.

According to Wu'er's personality and Sanye's preferences, they probably won't add any more people, and Wu'er will still take care of Sanye's daily life and food."

……

Wang Xifeng said to Lin Zhixiao's wife, "Listen, Brother Cong is the head of two mansions, holds two titles, and is a fifth-rank official in the court.

But the maids and servants who serve him are not even a fraction of Baoyu's. If this word gets out, it will be very unpleasant. People outside will definitely say that the Jia family has no rules.

Moreover, according to the rules passed down by the ancestors of the mansion, only the elder head of the family can employ first-class maids.

Originally, only the old lady, the eldest master, the eldest mistress, the second master, and the second mistress employed first-class maids in the family.

Even I am not worthy. Like the young master and the young lady, I can only use a second-class maid.

The old lady loved Lin Daiyu so much back then, but seeing that she had no capable person to serve her, the maid Zijuan assigned to Lin Daiyu was only a second-class maid. This is the reason.

Brother Cong became the master of the East Palace because of his title and the imperial palace. Only then could his Wu'er and Qingwen be promoted to first-class maids. This was the rule of hierarchy in the mansion for several generations.

The old lady gave the first-class maid Xiren to Baoyu, which was truly a rare show of favor to Baoyu.

Even so, Xiren's monthly allowance was hung in the old lady's room, because Baoyu was not supposed to use the first-class allowance, and this was also to comply with family rules.

A few days ago, the lady wanted to ask the old lady for Yuanyang, and wanted to put her in Baoyu's room. Even after the first-class maids, Yuanyang was outstanding, and no one dared to compete with her.

Although the old lady heard it, she did not agree. Otherwise, if this really happened, outsiders who didn't know the truth would hear it and would probably laugh at the Jia family's chaotic rules..."

After hearing what Wang Xifeng said, Lin Zhixiao's eyes flickered and she seemed to be thinking about something.

He echoed, "What grandma said makes sense. A master like the Third Master in the family, who is in a high position but still manages the household frugally, is the sign of a long-lasting family business.

If all of us follow the Third Master's style and temperament, there is no reason why the two governments will not prosper."

Wang Xifeng said: "I have to find a free time to talk to the old lady about this matter. Although the old lady and the lady love Baoyu, it is always better to be restrained in some things.

Firstly, it will save some money at home, and secondly, it will save me from being criticized outside. Please also help me find out where the mansion is still short of manpower so that I can make adjustments in the future."

Lin Zhixiao's wife understood what she meant and said, "Don't worry, grandma. I will definitely take this matter to heart."

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

It is almost mid-March, and in the few days before and after, the capital city has been hit by continuous spring rain.

The grass and trees in the yard are lush, and the winding paths extending from outside the yard are shining with crystal water on the bluestone slabs.

The Thai blue eaves point quietly to the gloomy sky, and the blue-black carved tiles keep splashing water from the eaves. The pleasant sound of water adds a special tranquility to the spring afternoon.

Daiyu and Lingguan were sitting side by side on the table in the main hall of the courtyard, writing.

One has an elegant and graceful figure, with watery eyes and graceful manner; the other is a young girl, pretty and bright, with graceful manners.

Moreover, their eyebrows, eyes and demeanor are surprisingly similar, like twin sisters, complementing each other very well. Anyone who sees them will take a few more glances.

As Jia Cong would be taking part in the imperial examination in a few days, Daiyu selected a few top-quality purple-hair brushes and prepared for Jia Cong to bring them to the examination room as use.

Even a top-quality brush will feel rough when used for the first time. Daiyu comes from a scholarly family and is immersed in literature, so she naturally knows this truth.

As the time for Jia Cong's death is approaching, Daiyu comes every day for the past two days and takes Lingguan to get ink for her new pen.

This kind of high-quality purple-hair brush can be used with the delicate hand strength of a girl to write two or three hundred words with ink, and the brush hair will reach the best state of flexibility.
After that, they can be cleaned and packed, and Jia Cong can take them to the next stage to write their essays, and they will be first-class good things.

Lingguan wrote honestly, using the copybook that Jia Cong gave to Yinglian.

Daiyu wrote casually, copying back and forth several old poems written by Jia Cong.

After a while, light footsteps were heard in the yard. Tanchun came in holding a paper umbrella, followed by her maid Shishu, and holding a wooden box in her hand.

Daiyu looked up and asked with a smile, "What good things did Third Sister bring?"

Tanchun took the wooden box from the secretary and said with a smile, "I brought a piece of top-quality Duan inkstone, which the master had bought for me at a high price for my birthday a few years ago. I have never been willing to use it.

Last year, my third brother came back from Jinling. I guessed that he would take the imperial examination this year, so I took this inkstone to use.

Later, the eldest master passed away. It was thought that the third brother would not be able to take the imperial examination. Fortunately, the palace showed mercy and allowed the third brother to take the exam.

This inkstone has been on my desk for half a year. The roughness has gone away. Now that I have sharpened it, it is at its most fluent.

Tanchun took out an exquisite Duan inkstone from the wooden box. The inkstone was not large in size, and had a smooth gourd shape. It was polished to a smooth surface like jade and had a dark glow.

There is a light yellow stone eye at the head of the inkstone, which is carved into a bright moon, and under the moon there is also a delicate pattern of clear springs and osmanthus trees engraved.

Daiyu fiddled with the inkstone and said with a smile, "It's a really good thing, and its shape is also light, which is just right for my third brother to take with him. And the meaning of the pattern is also good, winning the first prize in the imperial examination, and you have kept it for half a year in advance. My third brother must have used your inkstone to pass the imperial examination. My third sister is really thoughtful."

……

Behind the study, Yinglian was arranging the books on the shelf, putting back the books that Jia Cong had read daily and had not had time to put back.

Jia Cong sat at his desk, flipping through his notes. He was wearing an ivory satin robe with a dark pattern, a turban on his head, and a pair of brand new thick-soled black Buyun boots on his feet.

This pair of new boots was just made by Yingchun, specially for Jia Cong to wear when he took the spring examination. Because she was worried that the new shoes would rub his feet, she specifically asked him to wear them a few days early.

As the spring imperial examination was approaching, Jia Cong no longer practiced writing eight-legged essays and policy essays as frequently as usual.

Instead, I turned to pondering the exercises and notes of the past six months to further consolidate the results of six months of hard study.

Reducing the amount of article writing now can also help alleviate the feeling of familiarity and fatigue accumulated from long-term essay writing.

This will allow you to maintain a sense of freshness and enthusiasm when you take the imperial examination in spring, which is also the experience gained from taking examinations in later generations.

However, he went to Luocang Mountain more frequently than before during this period. After two days of self-study, he went to Liu's house to ask for advice and solve the doubts in his heart.

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

He put down his notes and asked, "Yinglian, where did you put the books I brought back from Jinling?"

Yinglian, who was busy, replied, "They are all on the left side of the third shelf. Master San has read these books once before. Do you want to read them again now?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, “Before I went to Jinling, my teacher specially listed these books for me to study carefully, so that I could use them as the basis for my policy essays.

The teacher is a master of the imperial examinations, and the books he recommends must make sense. Before taking the exam, I will take a look at them again, and it will always be a good idea. "

He walked to the bookshelf, took out five or six books from the left side of the third shelf, returned to the desk, and randomly picked up one of them to read.

When he felt a little tired of reading and was about to get up to stretch his hands and feet, he heard footsteps at the study door and Tanchun came in with a smile.

Jia Cong smiled and put down the book in his hand. Tanchun handed the inkstone to Jia Cong and explained its origin and purpose.

She saw that Jia Cong's desk was filled with writings and notes, and the book he had just put down was inscribed with "Liu Jichuan's Writings", which must be a book about the imperial examination.

……

Tanchun laughed and said, "Third brother really stays at home reading books of sages and philosophers, and doesn't pay attention to what's happening outside the window."

Jia Cong was slightly startled, and seeing Tanchun's charming smile, as if she was saying something else, he said with a smile: "The East Palace is managed by my second sister, and the West Palace is watched by my second sister-in-law, so why should I meddle in other people's business?

What story did my sister hear? "

Tanchun looked a little hesitant, Jia Cong smiled and said, "What's wrong, Third Sister? There's nothing wrong with the two siblings talking."

Tanchun said, "Because of what happened some time ago, when Sister Lin went to the West Mansion, she only went to Rongqing Hall to pay her respects to the old lady. She didn't go anywhere else and was always in a hurry.

The second sister has been feeling unwell these days and has not been to the West Mansion, so they probably don’t know much about what has happened in the past few days.

Whenever I went to pay my respects to the old lady, I would also visit Baoyu, so I heard some things.

Yesterday, Baoyu's two servants, Chuyao and Tiaoyun, were gambling and ransacking the outer courtyard, and they even got into a fight.

When Sister Feng heard about this, she immediately ordered Lin Zhixiao to arrest the two men and beat them each with fifteen boards. They were then tied up and locked in the woodshed.

The old lady who was working in the field of medicine asked someone to bring a message to Baoyu. He was scratching his head and didn't know what to do. This matter would probably be reported to the old lady. That would be fine. If the old lady knew, there would be more problems..."

After hearing this, Jia Cong felt a little strange and said, "When I lived in the West Mansion, I knew that Baoyu had been favored by the old lady since he was a child, and he was accompanied by many maids and servants.

His room is famous for having many people but little work to do. Back then, Wu'er was young and sickly and could not do heavy work. Sister Liu heard about this benefit and wanted to let Wu'er go to Baoyu's room to work. This shows how capable he was.

My sister often stays in the inner courtyard of the house and doesn't know many things about human nature. Once a person is too idle and relaxed, he is bound to cause trouble.

Not to mention Baoyu's servants, who are all young and hot-blooded and are at the age of causing trouble.

Apart from attending the clan school, Baoyu was able to go out a few times. His servants were usually too idle, and because of Baoyu's name, others did not dare to assign them tasks casually. It would be strange if nothing unexpected happened.

But this kind of thing has happened before, I'm afraid, but I've never heard of my second sister-in-law getting so angry."

Tanchun also looked a little embarrassed, and said with a wry smile: "I said that Third Brother was studying behind closed doors and didn't care about what was happening outside the window, so he naturally didn't know about the gossip that was circulating in the West Mansion recently."

Jia Cong looked curious and said, "Second sister-in-law is a decisive person. The servants in the mansion have always respected her. Is there anyone who is gossiping about her for no reason?"

Tanchun sighed, "Sister Feng is indeed a powerful person, and these gossips have nothing to do with her, so they are spread.

These days, the old maids and servants in the West Mansion were gossiping privately, saying that the master and the mistress had moved to the East Courtyard, and even the eldest sister-in-law and Lan'er had followed.

Even out of filial piety and courtesy, Second Brother Bao should have moved there earlier. Now he continues to live in Rongguo Mansion because of the old lady's sympathy and compassion.

But now Second Brother Bao has more than a dozen maids in his room and ten servants outside, and his situation is even more grand than that of the old lady.

It is also said that the third brother has a title and an official position, and is now the head of the family. With such a noble status, the maids and servants he has around him are only a handful, not even a fraction of what the second brother Bao has.

In comparison, Brother Bao's display was a bit too presumptuous...

No one knows who first brought up this topic, but it's now circulating among the various houses in the West Mansion, and now its origin cannot be traced.

In addition, there are many people in the second brother's room, and the maids and servants often gossip and quarrel with others, so once they start talking, there will be even more discussions. "

……

When Tanchun said this, she actually sighed in her heart. Although Baoyu's residence in the West Mansion was against the family etiquette, it could not be considered a sin. After all, it was just the old lady's doting on him.

The third brother is a man who does great things. Besides, he lives in the East Palace and doesn't go to the West Palace often, so naturally he doesn't bother to pay attention to these trivial matters.

However, his ignoring of the matter does not mean that others can ignore the family etiquette involved. After all, the West Mansion is now the family business of his third brother.

The old lady is the ancestor and has the status of a grandmother. If she doesn't bring up these things, others can't say much.

But Madam is now the mistress of the East Courtyard and Baoyu's biological mother. With Madam's thoughtfulness and shrewdness, how could she not know these etiquettes, and how could she not care about them?

If the Madam was alert and capable enough, she could have reduced the number of maids and servants around Baoyu early on, thus reducing the waste in the West Mansion.

Even if Baoyu violated etiquette and lived in the West Mansion, his third brother would not pay any attention to it and others would not be able to find any fault with it for the time being. But now that the matter has been exposed, it will be difficult to deal with.

Third brother asked Sister Feng to look after the West Mansion, and Sister Feng has always been a resourceful person...

Tanchun said in a low voice, "In fact, I had already guessed that something like this would happen sooner or later.

I heard that Sister Feng went to discuss the matter of Third Brother's house with the old lady a few days ago.

It just so happened that the wife also came to Rongqingtang and asked the old lady for Yuanyang, so that Yuanyang could marry into Bao's second brother's room.

When she heard that Yuanyang knew about this, she said that she would absolutely not agree to this and would serve the old lady for the rest of her life.

Sister Yuanyang is very popular among the servants in the West Mansion. Maybe someone feels sorry for her and therefore finds fault with Brother Bao. Who knows..."

When Jia Cong heard this, he was slightly stunned.

Tanchun looked at him and said with a half-smile, "Third brother, Sister Yuanyang made shoes for you. After hearing about this, you don't want to do anything about it?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister Yuanyang has made up her mind. Besides, the old lady is here, so this matter cannot be accomplished. There is no need for me to intervene and make trouble."

Tanchun's eyes were slightly confused. Although she was smart and shrewd, there were some things she didn't know, so naturally she couldn't understand what Jia Cong said.

Jia Cong said: "Baoyu seldom goes out, he lives in the inner courtyard, how can he have much to do? It is indeed a bit wasteful to have so many maids and servants around him.

Ever since I inherited the title of Rong, the West Mansion has lost a large amount of property, and the public treasury has also lost a large amount of income. My second sister-in-law is in charge of the West Mansion's family business. She considers the profit to be stable and the long-term future.

Even if we take advantage of the situation and use this opportunity to eliminate redundancies, it is not unreasonable.”

Jia Cong looked at Tanchun and said with a smile, "I know that Third Sister is worried about Baoyu because of her brotherly love for him, but she is powerless to do anything. I understand your feelings.

Even if the second sister-in-law did what you and I guessed, on the one hand, it makes sense to tidy up the family business, and on the other hand, it is not without benefits to Baoyu.

Sister, don't be upset about this, just let Second Sister-in-law take care of it..." (End of this chapter)