Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall, backyard.

The water system of the West Mansion's back garden runs through the backyard of Rongqing Hall and converges into a quiet and elegant pond. The waterside is planted with orchids and flowers, all of which are in full bloom in the spring of March.

Grandmother Jia was a person who enjoyed life, and the waterside garden behind Rongqing Hall was where she often played.

Every spring, the fresh flowers and plants displayed in Rongqing Hall are picked from this small garden.

On the curved corridor that runs across the pond, Yuanyang is wearing a water blue round-necked jacket, a murray green cross-collared vest with a flowery collar, a water blue long skirt, and an embroidered sweat towel around her waist fluttering in the spring breeze.

The bright afternoon sun shines on the water, and the ripples are reflected on the bluestone slabs of the curved corridor, swaying like a turbulent mood.

It was afternoon now. After Yuanyang had helped Lady Jia take a nap, she went into the backyard to relax.

In her hand she held a bunch of fresh flowers, all of which had just been picked from the waterside. They were red and yellow, with bright colors, which set off her youthful and delicate face, making it even more pretty and bright.

Such bright spring sunshine and the quiet garden should bring people a good mood.

However, she was holding flowers in her hands, her brows were furrowed, and she was feeling a little bored and depressed, strolling back and forth on the water corridor.

At the beginning, Jia She and Lady Xing forced her to take them as a concubine, and finally forced her to cut her hair to show her determination. Fortunately, Jia Cong stopped her in time. From then on, Yuanyang also put her worries to rest.

That day in Rongqing Hall, Wang Xifeng and Jia's mother talked about Jia Cong's bedroom affairs, saying that Jia Cong wanted to choose Zhishao and Wu'er to enter his room.

Yuanyang felt quite disappointed when she heard this, but when she thought about it carefully, it was actually common sense for Jia Cong to choose people in this way.

Zhishao and Wu'er were both his confidants who had served him for many years and they had a deep friendship for each other. It was only natural for him to take these two people into his room.

I have no feelings towards him at all, so how could he think of choosing me? This is simply impossible.

Yuanyang also knew that the old lady wanted to give herself to him, but that was not to make herself happy. The old lady had her own thoughts...

The Third Master is such a smart person, how could he not see the old lady's plan? Just because of this, I'm afraid the Third Master would stay away from me.

In fact, mandarin ducks will not complain about these troubles. It is just their fate and destiny. Maybe it is just like that.

Now, what was giving her a headache was another matter...

……

Yuanyang was a little absent-minded, and when her mind was wandering, she suddenly heard a gentle voice behind her: "Sister Yuanyang, how come you are out walking alone? It's a coincidence that we meet. "

When Yuanyang heard the voice, she knew it was Baoyu without turning around. She felt uncomfortable and annoyed, and thought to herself that it was true that enemies met on a narrow road.

In fact, it was understandable that Jia Cong chose someone else to marry into the room. Although Yuanyang was a little disappointed, she could do nothing about it.

At the moment, what made her feel depressed and worried was the day when Mrs. Wang asked the old lady for her.

In the past, in Yuanyang's eyes, Baoyu was just the old lady's most beloved grandson. Although he liked to play around with the maids since he was a child, it was none of her business.

In Yuanyang's heart, Baoyu is a boy who is overly spoiled, and she has no obvious likes or dislikes towards Baoyu.

It was not until that time when Baoyu caused a big incident by teasing Jin Chuan with words in front of Lady Wang's bed, but he did not take any responsibility at all, forcing Jin Chuan to commit suicide by jumping into a well.

Also, Yuanyang, Xiren, Ping'er, Amber, Zijuan, Yuchuan'er, Sheyue, Jinchuan and others are all sisters who have grown up together.

Therefore, because of Jin Chuan's embarrassing experience, Yuanyang developed contempt and alienation towards Baoyu.

It's just that because Baoyu is doted on by the old lady, she never shows it on her face.

In the past two years, she has always been thinking about Jia Cong...

When Mrs. Wang asked Lady Jia for permission to be Baoyu's concubine, her previous contempt and estrangement suddenly turned into disgust.

Xiren came over to visit two days ago. They were both Jia Mu's maids, and they were very familiar with each other, so it was normal for them to visit each other.

But I don’t know if Yuanyang is being too suspicious, but when Xiren walked around at that critical juncture, I always felt that she had some ulterior motives.

So, she took the initiative to bring up the topic, saying that she was unwilling to be married and would serve the old lady until she was old. She made it clear in advance and waited for Xiren to go back and pass on the message.

After a few days of peace and quiet, Mrs. Wang did not mention the matter again, but Grandmother Jia did not respond decisively, and the matter seemed to be hanging there again...

……

Yuanyang saw Baoyu approaching from behind, frowned and walked away a few steps, blocking the flowers in front of him, and said, "Why is Mr. Bao coming here in the middle of the day? The old lady is sleeping."

Xiren suddenly came to Rongqing Hall that day because she knew about Lady Wang's request for Yuanyang, and she just came to test Yuanyang's opinion.

After hearing Yuanyang's cold words, Xiren naturally told Baoyu everything when she returned.

However, Baoyu thought that Yuanyang had vowed never to marry because of Jia She's forced marriage, and she must have said those words to Xiren because she couldn't save face for this.

Baoyu thought that he was young and handsome, and how could he be compared with the old master who was white-haired and decadent.

He was somewhat fed up with Xiren and Bihen, the people in his room with whom he had spent time together, and his extravagant hopes for Daiyu were cut off, so he felt empty and bored.

Ever since she knew that Mrs. Wang wanted to ask Yuanyang for herself, she thought of the old lady's maid, who was fair-skinned, beautiful, brave and pretty. She was one of the best maids in the mansion.

Baoyu's somewhat withered and dispirited heart seemed to be instantly injected with a spring of vitality. The thought of the charming appearance of Yuanyang made Baoyu return to his old ways and become obsessed with wild thoughts.

Therefore, even though Xiren poured cold water on him, Baoyu would not give up easily.

He felt that he was a playboy and could not give up. If he could not win the favor of Daiyu, how could he not win the affection of a maid? He just couldn't believe it.

He was doted on by Lady Jia on a daily basis, so naturally he knew her habits best. His appearance in the back garden of Rongqing Hall at this time was just an ulterior motive, but he didn't expect to run into her.

……

Baoyu ignored Yuanyang's indifference and said with a smile, "It's OK that the old lady is asleep, but wouldn't it be better if I met you? It would be more fun for us to talk alone."

Yuanyang felt even more annoyed when she heard Baoyu's ambiguous words.

I think that Baoyu teased Jinchuan in the same way that day, and that silly girl was not very careful and just teased him a few times, and as a result, she almost lost her life.

Yuanyang said: "Master Bao, what you said is true. You are a master, and I am just a servant. What can I say?

I advise you to go back to study and stop hanging around here. I'm going back to take care of the old lady. She might wake up by now."

Baoyu listened to Yuanyang's cold words, which seemed to be filled with anger, and his face couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.

However, he had been close to maids since he was a child, so it was common for him to be ridiculed and mocked by them. But as long as they were a little proud of themselves, he would accept it calmly and not care at all.

Not to mention a person like Yuanyang, who is feeling quite passionate right now, so he won't be scared away.

She showed more sincerity and said, "Sister, why do you have to say these cold words? I think you already know what the mistress and the old lady said, and they want you to go to my room.

I know that my sister had always felt very aggrieved because of the matter of the eldest master. The eldest master was gray-haired and it was really wrong for him to desecrate a beautiful woman...

I am indeed different. My sister knows that I love girls the most. I respect all the beautiful girls in the world, not to mention those who are more gentle than my sister.

As long as Sister Yuanyang goes to my place, I will definitely cherish her for the rest of my life and never let her suffer any injustice, which will be worthy of my love."

……

Yuanyang originally had a lot of estrangement and resentment towards Baoyu because of the matter of Jinchuan, but now after hearing his confession, she felt a little nauseous.

Her face turned red, and she said coldly: "Second Master, you can talk to Xiren about these nonsense. What's the point of talking to me in broad daylight?
I have said in front of others that I will never marry in this life. The old lady also knows what I am thinking. I am not worthy of the second wife's attention.

Master Bao, don't say such things in the future. If anyone forces me again, I will die before I can do what she wants!"

After hearing Yuanyang's strong words, which even involved life and death, Baoyu felt a chill in his heart and his face turned pale.

Somewhat unconvinced, he said, "Sister, why do you have to say such cold words? If you think there is something wrong with me, can't I change it?"

Yuanyang replied: "There is no need for that. I am just a servant girl."

When she said this, she couldn't help feeling sad and a little self-pitying, and her voice was choked with sobs.

My heart was churning. I thought of the day when I cut my hair to show my determination, and the hands that held mine at that moment, so gentle and powerful. My eyes were slightly moist...

When Baoyu saw Yuanyang turning around to leave, he sighed narcissistically, "There is no man in the world who can catch my sister's eye."

After hearing this, Yuanyang paused unconsciously and blurted out, "That may not be the case. As long as that person can make me calm, it doesn't matter what happens!"

As soon as these words came out of her mouth, Yuanyang's face turned red, and she felt ashamed. She regretted being so shameless and speaking without thinking...

After hearing what Yuanyang said, Baoyu thought that her heart had softened. His eyes lit up and he said, "Sister, just tell me how to do it. If others can do it, I can do it too."

Yuanyang was troubled and spoke out her heartfelt words. The shadow of Jia Cong flashed through her mind, but she suppressed her pounding heart and boiling blood.

I thought to myself, let it all out, it’s just the beginning of my story, so what if people find out and laugh at me, the worst that can happen is I won’t get married and become a nun in the future!
She thought of the day when Baoyu had caused such a huge fuss because of Daiyu's matter.

And the ridiculous things he did, the handsome Bao Erye in front of him, is no different from the old master...

When she saw Baoyu was about to catch up with her, his behavior was infatuated and his eyes were burning, she couldn't help blushing in embarrassment and felt disgusted and nauseated.

She suddenly remembered the story of that day and said with a hint of sarcasm: "If he wants to pass the imperial examinations and stabilize the country, I will be his slave for the rest of my life, without a word!"

When Baoyu heard Yuanyang also talking about civil and military affairs, he was suddenly struck by lightning and froze on the spot.

Yuanyang heaved a sigh of relief, clutching the bunch of gorgeous flowers tightly, and hurried into Rongqing Hall. In the bright afternoon sunshine, Baoyu stood sluggishly on the curved corridor of the pond, looking at the clear sky, his face pale, his expression aggrieved, as if he was about to cry.

He was quite speechless and asked the heavens why the girls in the mansion were all so corrupt and always said such dirty words.

Everyone is drunk but I am sober. In such a big family, I am the only one left naked and innocent...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

It is spring and sleepy in March. According to the custom in previous years, Lady Jia would take a nap at this time of year. But today, even though Yuanyang was waiting for her to rest, Lady Jia had difficulty falling asleep.

This was because before noon, news came from the outer courtyard that two of Baoyu's servants had a fight over gambling and were severely punished by Wang Xifeng. Not only were they beaten with more than a dozen boards, but they were also now locked up in the woodshed.

In previous years, because Baoyu was favored by Lady Jia, he was the golden nugget of the Rongguo Mansion. Even the maids and servants around him were superior to others and were never easily blamed.

Now Wang Xifeng's anger was so great that it seemed a little unusual no matter how you looked at it. Having been immersed in the back house for her entire life, Grandmother Jia soon realized that something was wrong.

In addition, there were some gossips circulating in the mansion these days, all of which were slandering Baoyu. When these rumors reached Grandmother Jia's ears, she naturally had some thoughts in her mind.

Therefore, Yuanyang served her a nap. Although Grandmother Jia said nothing, she felt quite uneasy in her heart and could not fall asleep no matter how hard she tried.

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

When Yuanyang entered Rongqing Hall from the back garden, Grandmother Jia heard familiar footsteps and called her in to help her get up and dress.

She also thought of Wang Xifeng, who was pregnant and had difficulty walking, so she thought of going to her courtyard and asking about things in the outer courtyard.

She had just walked into the front hall when she heard the maid who was drawing up the curtains come to report that the second mistress had come to pay her respects to the old lady.

When Lady Jia saw Wang Xifeng being supported by Ping'er and Feng'er and came in, she smiled and said, "I thought it was inconvenient for you to move around, so I was just about to ask Yuanyang to accompany me to stroll around your courtyard, but I didn't expect you to want to come."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "It is really a blessing for me that the old ancestor cares about me. Although I am a little lazy now, I am not to the point where I cannot walk.

If I move around more, it will be more convenient in the future, which can save the old lady a few steps of hard work.

I came here today to pay my respects to the old lady and to talk to her about something.

I think the old lady has also heard that brother Bao’s two servants didn’t know the rules and got into a fight over gambling in the outer courtyard, so I punished them according to the family rules.

This matter is actually quite common, but it cannot withstand the gossip behind it.

The old lady also knew the truth. Brother Bao was born with a jade in his mouth. Everyone in the mansion loved him very much. He had many servants to take care of him since he was a child.

This was common sense in previous years, and everyone at home and outside knew about it, so it was not a big deal.

But the old lady was so blessed that not only did she raise a filial grandson like Baoyu, but she also raised an even more remarkable brother, Cong.

The old ladies are all in the inner courtyard, so they don't hear much about what's going on outside. Now that I'm in charge of household affairs, I often have conversations with people outside.

Since the Cong brothers inherited the family business, held two titles and had a great reputation, the Jia family's reputation is now much higher than before, and old relatives and friends also respect and honor them more.

This is all thanks to the presence of a man like Brother Cong in the family. Since he inherited the family business, he has been fair and low-key in his actions. The servants in the family all respect him very much..."

When Jia's mother saw that Wang Xifeng was a clever talker, she started talking about Baoyu, but now she suddenly changed the subject and was wholeheartedly praising her younger brother-in-law.

She suddenly felt something was wrong, and she felt that her granddaughter-in-law seemed to be setting a trap...

……

Wang Xifeng was a quick talker, and she praised Jia Cong so much that his head seemed to be blossoming.

Suddenly, he changed the subject and said, "Recently, there has been gossip among the servants in the house that Baoyu has eight big maids and six small maids in his room, and the scale of his service is comparable to that of the old lady.

And because there were so many people and so little to do, some of the gossipy maids often caused friction with others in the garden and said a lot of unpleasant gossip.

I asked Lin Zhixiao's family to investigate thoroughly, but since there were so many people talking, we couldn't find out where this rumor came from.

It happened that Baoyu's servants were gambling and fighting in the outer courtyard. I was worried that the gossip about Baoyu would get more and more serious, so I severely punished the two bad guys and took this opportunity to put an end to the bad habits in the family.

I went back and inquired about the matter in detail, but I didn't expect that it was my negligence as the eldest sister-in-law.

I asked about the situation in the East Palace, and only then did I know that there were only five maids serving Brother Cong, who were honest and fair and received monthly allowances from the government.

Among them, there were two first-class maids, one second-class maid, and two third-class maids. Among them, Xiaohong was the manager of Rong Xitang and did not serve the Cong brothers.

In total, there were only four proper maids around him, which was only a fraction of the number in Brother Bao's room.

Moreover, he only has one servant with him, while Brother Bao has ten servants. It is even more incomparable. No wonder that nagging dog servant would bring these up to make trouble. "

When Grandmother Jia heard this, her expression changed slightly. She had always been happy and would never pay attention to how many maids Jia Cong employed. She really didn't expect there to be such a huge disparity between them.

Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "This Cong brother is also a man without any sense of propriety. Now he is the lord of two houses, but he only uses these few people around him, making his life so simple and shabby, and he doesn't care about the dignity of his family.

Feng girl, how old is he and he is still single, how much can he know about the rules and regulations of the family?

As the eldest sister-in-law, you should give more advice. He only has a few people serving him, so how can it be successful? You should pick out a few outstanding ones and send them to his room to serve him.

I can't let down the status of the Lord of Rong State. If I really can't pick a good girl, I will give her to anyone I have around me who is special."

……

Yuanyang, who was serving beside him, couldn't help but brighten his eyes after hearing this...

Wang Xifeng was such a smart person that after hearing what Lady Jia said, she had no idea that the old lady was trying to take advantage of the situation.

On the surface, she said that the third brother Cong had too few servants and that it was not decent, and that he should be given more maids and servants. On the surface, she was just trying to cover up Baoyu's extravagant spending.

Moreover, the old lady not only wanted to add people, but also asked to use her own people. This was to take advantage of the situation to plant obstacles around Cong Lao San. It is true that the old is still the wisest. Although she is old, her brain is not out of date.

Wang Xifeng's eyes turned involuntarily and looked at Yuanyang standing next to Jia Mu.

Seeing her graceful figure, smooth skin, beautiful face, and bright eyes, she is truly a beautiful lady in her prime. This Cong Lao San is really amazing...

Wang Xifeng thought about what she had heard yesterday. Yuanyang knew that Lady Wang wanted her, so she said that she would serve the old lady until she was old and would never marry anyone else for the rest of her life. Her words were fierce and firm.

If the old lady gave her to the third brother Cong, let’s see if she can still keep her mouth shut.

……

Wang Xifeng said, "What the old lady has thought of is what I have thought of a long time ago. I mentioned this to Brother Cong yesterday.

But he said that the maids around him were his confidants who had served him since childhood and he was very happy with them. He was unwilling to hire anyone else and would not listen to any advice.

I'm afraid he can't bear the old lady's kindness...

It would be fine if Brother Cong was simple and honest, but he is the head of the family now, and others cannot cross his path too far. I get a headache just thinking about this.

Besides, the world outside seems to be much more chaotic than before, and so many strange things have happened at home in the past year.

Last time, the Second Master just stayed in Rong Xi Tang for a few more days, but he attracted so many nosy officials that they jointly impeached the Second Master.

Baoyu had only said a few jokes in the inner courtyard, but they were spread to the palace. Prince Zhongshun from the clan affairs office even sent people to his house to make a fuss.

When the granddaughter-in-law thinks about it now, she is still very scared. Now gossip about Brother Bao is spreading in the house again.

I am worried that some evil-minded person will spread these things outside and accuse Brother Bao of usurping the title of the head of the family. I don’t know what kind of trouble this will cause…”

……

When Grandmother Jia heard this, her heart trembled and her face changed expression.

Not to mention that her son Jia Zheng was impeached by court officials, just because of the clan house, Baoyu was almost beaten to death by his father. Grandmother Jia is still frightened when she thinks about it now.

Wang Xifeng saw Lady Jia's expression and said, "Although the Cong brothers have inherited the title, the West Mansion has been downgraded and has lost a lot of property, so the family is not as well-off as before.

The old lady doesn't know that I have been cutting back everywhere in the past six months, moving things here and there, and I don't know how many people I have offended behind her back. But no matter how difficult it is, I can't shortchange the old lady and my family.

As long as the old lady can understand the difficulties of my grandson's wife, I will be willing to suffer more."

After listening to Wang Xifeng's complaints, Jia's mother looked a little embarrassed. She had been the head of the household for a lifetime and knew that what Wang Xifeng said was not false.

She just spoiled Baoyu all his life and kept him in the West Mansion so that he could enjoy more.

Could it be that she really had no idea that the West Mansion was now the property of the first wife's family, and it was inappropriate for Baoyu from the second wife to have such a grand ceremony? She just pretended not to know and muddled along...

But now that the matter has been exposed, it can no longer be covered up.

Since Jia Cong was unwilling to add maids and servants, he could only lay off the people around Baoyu. Otherwise, if the matter got out of hand, the servants would spread the news and who knows what kind of incident would happen...

Grandmother Jia said: "I have been a housewife myself, so I understand the difficulties you are talking about. We have no choice but to dismiss Baoyu's maids and servants to avoid any gossip and make everyone live in peace.

But there has to be a method for how to cut down, and it’s appropriate to cut down a few people.”

Wang Xifeng had already made up her mind and said, "In my opinion, of Baoyu's fourteen maids, we can cut eight and keep only six, four of whom are senior maids and two are junior maids who do rough work.

The original ten servants are no longer sufficient, so we can just reduce them to one."

After hearing this, Jia's mother took a deep breath and asked, "Does my Baoyu still have any dignity?" (End of this chapter)