Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

The scale of the cuts Wang Xifeng proposed was quite large, and even Yuanyang, who was standing by, was a little surprised.

Grandmother Jia was unhappy and said, "Feng girl, your cuts are too severe. How can Baoyu only keep these people to serve him?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "You are worrying too much, old lady. We are also served by maids and boys on a daily basis, so we know what to do. Baoyu only has these people to assign to him.

In the past, there were too many people in his room but not enough work to do. Many people were idle and easily caused trouble. Now, after the layoffs, the remaining people have plenty of work to do, so there is no difference.

Besides, I am just following the usual practice to pay for Baoyu's expenses, because Brother Cong is now the head of the family, and it is not easy for children of the same generation to go beyond him, not to mention that Baoyu is still in the West Mansion...

Among the people around the Cong brothers, Yinglian and Lingguan were not slaves, nor did they receive a share of the public income, so they could not be considered maids.

Even if Miss Zhishao received a monthly salary, she could barely be counted in the count. The Cong brothers also had four big maids, two small maids, and only one servant.

Baoyu's expenses are already the same as those of his brother Cong, which is quite respectable. We can't spend more, otherwise it will make the house look ugly."

Grandmother Jia smiled bitterly and said, "This dismissal may make us look good outside, but I'm afraid it will cause trouble at home. How about we think about it?"

When Wang Xifeng heard what Lady Jia said, she knew that the old lady was talking about the east courtyard.

She sneered in her heart. Now the world has changed, and the old lady still wants the first and second houses to restrain each other, while she, the old feudal lord, sits alone on the Diaoyutai.

But when it comes to my aunt facing Cong Lao San, she is simply not cut out for it. How can these two be the same?
The old lady wanted to continue in this confusion, so she simply exposed the matter. Wang Xifeng glanced at Yuanyang.

She said, "The old lady is worried that the people around Baoyu will be laid off, and the second wife will have something to say. This is also human nature. After all, she is Baoyu's biological mother.

This is a simple matter. Just ask the second wife to come over and talk. No matter what, since it is a family matter, it is always right to discuss it together.

I will go and invite Brother Cong as well. He is the head of the family now, so he cannot ignore everything. After all, the West Mansion is his property, so he should also say something and cannot always let my sister-in-law be the bad guy."

Grandmother Jia's heart skipped a beat. Her grandson was now studying at home and didn't care about the household chores. Only then could the West Mansion live in more peace.

If Baoyu's people cannot be laid off now, Feng girl will give up her job and really call Cong Ge'er out to talk. With this boy's cold and harsh temper, what good words can he say?

Most of Baoyu's people will probably be laid off. Even if his second daughter-in-law comes forward, with her small belly, she will probably end up in disgrace.

By that time, it would be embarrassing for me as an ancestor...

……

Wang Xifeng looked at Lady Jia's expression and probably guessed what she was thinking. She looked at Yuanyang meaningfully.

Yuanyang and Wang Xifeng's eyes met, and she immediately understood something. She hated that Mrs. Wang had feelings for her, and she thought of Baoyu's expression in the back garden.

It was reasonable for the Second Mistress to cut down on redundant staff, and since he was now the head of the family, Yuanyang felt that he didn't need to get involved in such trivial matters...

Smiling, he said, "Second Madam, I have no right to interfere in this matter, but I feel that it seems a little inappropriate."

Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up and she secretly praised her in her heart, thinking that she was indeed a clever girl.

Said: "Sister Yuanyang, there is no need to talk nonsense. You have been taught by the old lady and have always had some knowledge. If you have anything to say, just tell me. The old lady and I can also discuss it."

Yuanyang smiled and glanced at Lady Jia, who nodded.

Yuanyang then said, "The Third Master only employs a few maids. This style cannot be more low-key and simple. I think if he is invited to speak, he will definitely agree to the layoffs.

The Third Master is about to take the imperial examination, so why bother disturbing him?

Besides, those who were laid off were the maids and servants in the West Mansion. The Second Madam is now the mistress of the East Courtyard. Asking her to give advice on the affairs of the West Mansion would be a difficult task for the Second Madam.

This kind of layoff and assignment of staff is a common thing in the family. It is enough for the old lady and the second grandmother to make the decision. Things can be done smoothly and easily, and the people below will be convinced when they see it. "

Wang Xifeng praised in her heart, what a great maid, her words were clever and clever, and precise, even more flawless than what she had said.

She said this openly to save the Second Wife's face, but secretly to prevent her from getting involved. Although she was wholeheartedly supporting the Third Brother Cong, it was exactly what she wanted.

Grandmother Jia nodded helplessly and said, "Yuanyang's words make sense. Let's do it this way. As for those people to be laid off, let Baoyu choose the ones that are suitable for him."

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

There were several piles of books neatly stacked on Jia Cong's desk. These were the titles of the books that Liu Jing'an had compiled for him to study over the past six months.

Except for a small number of private collections of contemporary essays, the rest of these books are various works on literature, history, agriculture, law, military, etc.

These works were carefully selected by Liu Jing'an. They served as the basis for Jia Cong's essay writing and were of great help to him in the imperial examination.

He had taken time to study these books when he was on official business in Nanjing, and after returning to the capital, he also spent a lot of time studying them.

Now that the exam is approaching, he has reread these books. Recently, when he went to Luocangshan to seek advice, most of the questions he asked were from these books.

Although they were all books he read again and again, he read some of them very quickly, but for others he read very slowly, repeatedly pondering over them to comprehend them thoroughly.

There are not many days left until the exam on March 18th. Jia Cong's study is closed, and except Yinglian and Lingguan, no one else goes in or out, so that he can prepare for the exam with peace of mind.

In the main hall of the courtyard, an examination box that had already been cleaned was placed on the Luohan bed under the south window.

Daiyu and Zhishao were talking there, and they had already begun to pack Jia Cong's belongings for entry.

There were several purple-hair brushes that had been used to prepare the ink, a top-quality gourd Duan inkstone, several pieces of used top-quality Song Dynasty ink, and a pair of lychee frozen rulers.

This pair of precious rulers was specially sent by Zhen Fangqing, who was on mourning at the imperial mausoleum in the east of the city a few days ago, to Liu Xian's family and presented to Jia Cong as a gift for his entry.

Qingwen picked out two sets of clean clothes and put them in the examination box for use.

Zhishao took out a camel down mattress and a bear fur cloak, and folded them and put them into the examination box.

Jia Cong had to spend nine days in the examination room, monitoring the students and sleeping there at night.

Although it is now the end of March, the spring nights in the capital are still quite chilly, and the necessary items for sleeping and keeping warm are indispensable.

Under the eaves outside the corridor, there is a pair of thick bamboo tubes hanging. They were carefully scrubbed by Lingguan and Douguan, boiled in boiling water, and hung under the eaves to dry.

When Jia Cong enters, the two bamboo tubes will be filled with cool boiled water, enough for Jia Cong's daily drinking water in the cell.

As they put their things away, everyone was chatting and laughing, and they were all looking forward to Jia Cong's success in the imperial examination.

……

Before they knew it, it was almost noon. Jia Cong walked out of the study to take a short rest and chatted with Daiyu and others.

I saw Wu'er entering the main room, and it looked like he had just returned from the West Mansion.

When she saw Jia Cong, she said, "Third Master, Second Madam has informed the old lady about the reduction of the number of servants in Second Master Bao's room. The original fourteen maids have been reduced to six, and only one servant will be kept."

Daiyu said, "Now that the West Mansion is short of income, it's not easy for Sister Feng to be a householder. There are too many maids around Baoyu, all of whom are idle. This should have been done long ago."

Jia Cong snorted slightly and said, "It's because the old lady didn't mention this topic that Second Sister-in-law couldn't say anything at the moment. Now that Baoyu's people are causing trouble again, there's no need to cover it up anymore."

Wu Er asked again, "Second Madam also asked me to ask Third Master if he wants to use the maids and servants that were laid off, or to fill the vacancies in the East Mansion?"

Jia Cong replied: "We are not short of manpower here in the East Palace. Tell my second sister-in-law that the maids who are laid off should be assigned according to the old rules of the family. Those who are willing to be married can be married, and the younger ones will be sent to work in various places first.

As for the servants, they will be arranged to work in the farms and shops in the West Mansion, so that they don’t have to sit idle in the mansion. If they gamble or fight again, they will be kicked out..."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

For the entire day, the yard was shrouded in a cloud of sorrow and sadness.

People were coming in and out of Baoyu's room, and maids of all sizes often came in to beg Baoyu, crying and tenderly, just to be able to continue staying in the courtyard.

Baoyu sighed and groaned. He felt reluctant to part with that one and felt pity for that one. He was so overwhelmed by the maids, big and small, that he had no idea what to do.

Finally, Xiren couldn't stand it anymore, so she asked Sheyue to kick everyone out and close the door.

Then he said to Baoyu: "My good Second Master, Second Mistress and the old lady have both spoken about the layoffs, and there is no way to avoid it.

The Second Master and these maids are crying and whining, but it's of no use at all. What's the use? These people are going to disperse anyway.

Please give the order as soon as possible, so that those people can stay and those who can leave can go more easily for us to do our work.

Baoyu thought of those maids who came to look for him, each of them with tears in their eyes and begging him so softly and sweetly. He had never realized before that each of them had such moving qualities.

Now that all these people have been sent away, Baoyu is very reluctant to let them go. He said in tears: "Why do they want to lay off the population for no reason? They have not offended anyone, but they are so cruel."

After hearing this, Xiren was also very troubled. She thought her second master was really ignorant and had no idea about the ways of the world.

He said, "Second Master, ever since Third Master was demoted to inherit the title, the West Palace has lost a lot of income, so how can it support so many people?

There are rumors in the mansion now that the Third Master Cong is now a noble and an official appointed by the court, but he only has four or five maids around him, while the Second Master has more than three times as many maids as him.

According to family rules and etiquette, the Second Master's expenses should not exceed the Third Master's, and it is only a matter of time before the Second Master's family is reduced in size."

Baoyu cried, "This is another incident caused by Jia Cong. He wants to be a parasite and gain fame and fortune. It would be fine if he just talked about a career in politics and economics.

Why does he still cause trouble to others every day? These delicate girls are of no concern to him, yet he treats them like this."

Baoyu thought of Wu'er who kept hiding from him at a distance of eight feet, Xiaohong who always talked about official career and economy, and Yuanyang who loved to talk about the ways of literature and martial arts.

All these good maids were corrupted by the talk of corrupt officials, discussions about official careers, and thoughts about civil and military affairs.

It turns out that the things I originally hated and the customs I disliked were really not wrong at all. It's a pity that there is no one in this world who understands me, and all my feelings have been wasted.

……

When Xiren saw Baoyu scolding Jia Cong again, she felt a little amused. The Second Master was also confused. The Third Master studied in the East Palace every day, and he was thinking about the important matter of getting his name on the imperial examination.

The one who would care about the trivial matter of dismissing the maids, this was just a trap made by the Second Mistress...

Besides, the people of the Second House live in the mansion of the First House, and the monthly wages of so many maids and servants have to be allocated from the public funds of the West House. Why should they help you maintain such a grand occasion? However, Xiren couldn't say this to Baoyu, so she could only listen to his nagging.

Baoyu suddenly asked, "Why doesn't Madam say anything about this? Doesn't she know about it?"

Xiren smiled bitterly and said, "Second Master's servants were gambling and fighting in the outer courtyard, which aroused Second Madam's anger, so she wanted to dismiss the people around Second Master.

This was originally the family affair of the West Mansion. Now that the Third Master has inherited the family business, the West Mansion is the territory of the First House. That servant would be so foolish as to tip off the Madam.

I guess this matter hasn't spread to the East Courtyard yet, so the madam must not know about it yet, otherwise people would have come here long ago.

In fact, even if the Madam knew, what could she do? Now that the Madam was from the East Courtyard, she had no right to take charge of the household affairs of the West Courtyard.

Master Bao, please listen to my advice. If we still want to live in the West Mansion, we should follow the wishes of the old lady and the second wife and lay off the people as soon as possible.

The old lady loves the Second Master so much, even if there are fewer maids around her, can it be that the Second Master will be short of people to serve him? Let's get through this first and think about it later."

After being comforted by Xiren, Baoyu put away his sad thoughts and made some plans in his mind.

She said, "Except you, the eldest maid will keep Bihen, Qiuwen and Sheyue, and the young maids will keep the other two. It's up to you."

……

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

Xiren was unhappy after hearing what Baoyu said, but it would have been fine if she had kept Musk Moon. When Xiren saw Musk Moon interacting with Xiaohong, although she had some doubts, she didn't take it too seriously.

Besides, when Xiaohong was still in Erye's courtyard, she was already good friends with Sheyue, so it was normal for them to have some interaction now.

What's more important is that Xiaohong is now the capable maid of Mr. Cong Sanye, and her parents are the housekeepers of the West Mansion. This foundation is very strong.

If Sheyue and Xiaohong become good friends, it will be like having one more connection in the Second Master's room...

But why did the Second Master leave behind those two sluts, Bihen and Qiu Wen?

Bi Hen had slept with the Second Master a long time ago. Qiu Wen was vicious and wanted only to flatter the Second Master, hoping to climb into his bed.

The Second Master chose to keep these two bad ones. Wouldn't it have been better if he had kept the honest and hardworking ones like Qi Xian and Tan Yun?

However, since Baoyu had already spoken, Xiren, a maid, had no reason to object, otherwise it would be inconsistent with her reputation as a virtuous Xiren.

Baoyu had decided on the candidate for the head maid, but Xiren had already made up her mind which of the two younger maids to keep. She decided to keep Jiahui and Chunyan, as she liked these two and they were very obedient and hardworking.

Here, Xiren told the maids whether to stay or leave, and sobbing sounds were heard in the yard.

These maids had stayed in Baoyu's room for two to three years at the least, and five to six years at the most. It was not a short time for them to stay there. Once they were laid off, they were naturally sad. It was only human nature.

What's more, in the past, Master Bao's room was the place most coveted by all the maids. It was a matter of honor for these maids to be able to squeeze in back then. Now that they have failed, they are naturally unhappy.

But there were also some clever ones among them who knew that things had changed in the two mansions and Master Bao was no longer the most proud one.

Leaving the Second Master's place now is not a bad thing, but there is no hope if I go somewhere else. Everyone knows that the threshold of the East Palace is extremely high, and it is not something that can be crossed by ordinary people...

Therefore, many maids who were laid off were extremely envious of Xiaohong, who was driven away by the mistress. She was a blessing in disguise and had an extremely good fate.

When Xiren saw the eight maids who were laid off sobbing, she felt a little bit reluctant.

She said, "You don't have to be sad. This is how we maids are supposed to be. We are not supposed to stay in a man's room for our whole lives. When we get old, we have to go out and get married.

You are just a little early, and if you go to other places now, it may be better than here, and we don’t know for sure.”

Xiren had talked about gossip and wanted to know the truth about this matter as soon as possible, so she asked Musk Moon to take these maids to Wang Xifeng's courtyard and ask the Second Mistress to reassign their fate.

……

Musk Moon, accompanied by a large group of weeping maids, walked through the houses and alleys of the Rongguo Mansion, like a strange sight, attracting many passing servants to point and stare.

She listened to the sobbing and the messy footsteps behind her, and her bright eyes couldn't help but turn red.

These maids are sisters she has known for many years. Among them, the senior maids such as Qi Xian and Tan Yun are all honest and kind people, and they have always been on good terms with her.

However, as the maids in the mansions grow older, they are bound to be separated from their masters as they rise and fall in status.

Xiao Hong was driven away before, and now these eight maids have been laid off. I don’t know when it will be my turn in the future…

When that time comes, who can tell whether I will be as lucky as Xiaohong, or as helpless as Qixian, Tanyun and other sisters?

Musk Moon brought the eight maids to Fengjie's courtyard, where Fengjie and Lin Zhixiao's family would arrange for their resettlement. After Musk Moon heard clearly where they were going, she left alone.

She left Fengjie's courtyard and was passing by the side door of the back building of Rong Xi Tang when a graceful figure came out of the door and called her.

Musk Moon looked back and saw the person smiling sweetly. It was indeed Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong smiled and said, "I heard from my mother that Master Bao's room has laid off maids and they are going to remove some of them today to reassign them. It is not convenient for me to go to your courtyard to ask, so I will wait here.

I didn't expect to actually wait until Sister Musk Moon came over."

Seeing that Musk Moon's eyes were red, she sighed, "We were all sisters from the same courtyard. Sooner or later, we will have to separate. Sister, don't be too sad."

She sighed again, looked at Sheyue and said, "I had guessed that Sister would definitely be able to stay. Now it seems that I was right. It's a pity."

Musk Moon laughed and said, "Are you crazy, girl? I wasn't laid off, I wasn't kicked out, but it became a bad thing. Why don't you tell me what's the logic behind this?"

……

Xiaohong took Sheyue into the back building of Rongxitang and found a quiet place to sit down.

She said, "Sister knows best how Sister Qianxue was chased away, how I was chased away, and what happened to Sister Jinchuan.

Master Bao is not a bad person, but there are some things that he does. I don’t say bad things about him in front of my sister. In fact, my sister knows it in her heart, but my wife is a powerful person...

During the past six months, things have changed in the two mansions. The second master and his wife moved to the east courtyard, but Master Bao was able to continue living in the west mansion because he was favored by the old lady.

But sister, think about it carefully, Master Bao is already old enough to dance like an elephant, and he is about to get married and start a family.

When he gets married, will he still be able to stay in the West Mansion? Now the West Mansion is the property of the eldest wife.

The second master has always attached great importance to etiquette and filial piety. He is also a man who cares about his reputation, so he will definitely not allow it.

By then, Master Bao will have to move back to Dongluyuan to settle down. Dongluyuan is not a big place, and my sister will have to live under the watchful eye of the mistress, and life will not be easy.

I thought that I had been close to my sister in the past, and I didn't want her to suffer in the future, so I shamelessly said some things that I shouldn't have said.

As long as my sister is willing, I will go talk to my mother and ask her to tell Second Grandma to find a good job for my sister in Xifu. I think Second Grandma will definitely give her the face.

My mother could also have a say in front of Mr. Bao and Xiren, and always found a way to get my sister out of the situation.

If it really doesn't work, I can still ask Third Master for help. Anyway, there will be a way. As long as Sister says a word, I will do my best to do it. "

……

Seeing Xiao Hong's sincere words, She Yue felt a little warm in her heart. She stretched out her hand to stroke Xiao Hong's hair and said, "I know that my sister is a loyal person and she is thinking about me.

However, things in the world are not that simple. I have been a maid in Master Bao's room for many years, so I naturally know his temper. No matter how he treats others, at least he has never treated me badly.

If he chooses the head maid this time and I am not among them, I will be dismissed from the family like Qi Xian and Tan Yun, and I will leave with a clear conscience.

But Master Bao didn't chase me away, and I felt uncomfortable leaving on my own. Even if I got a good job, I wouldn't feel at ease doing it. "

Musk Moon smiled slightly and continued, "I can't say much, but sister, have you ever thought about what would happen if I really took the path you mentioned?

Sooner or later, others will know that it was you who helped me. You are the maidservant of the Third Master, and I am the maidservant of the Second Master Bao.

As soon as this matter gets out, the dismissal of Second Madam's maids and servants by Second Master Bao will be fabricated into gossip by those with ulterior motives.

It doesn’t matter what others think of me, but if the Third Master is involved, it might damage his reputation, and I won’t be able to live with it.

I am just a servant girl, a stupid person, without any great ambitions. I just want to live one day at a time, as long as I feel at ease and not panic. "

……

When Xiaohong heard what Musk Moon said, she felt a little shocked. She wondered why she hadn't thought of this. If she really did that, she would be able to rescue Sister Musk Moon.

Someone must be making trouble for her, and then sent the Second Wife to reduce the population, and it turned out that she was the maid who plotted against Baoyu for the Third Master.

This is a harsh statement, it will tarnish the reputation of the Third Master...

There is no such person in the West Mansion, but there must be one in the East Courtyard, such as the Second Wife...

When Musk Moon saw Xiaohong's expression change slightly, she knew that she understood what she meant, so she smiled slightly and said nothing.

Xiao Hong said: "Sister is a truly kind person, I oversimplified the matter, but it's not a big deal.

Even if my sister goes to the East Courtyard in the future, I will be able to hear her if I shout. If anything goes wrong with my sister, I will definitely not just stand by and watch!"

Musk Moon smiled brightly, hugged Xiao Hong's shoulders affectionately, and said, "I will remember what you said. When I have problems, I will wait for you to fly over and save me."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

After Musk Moon and Xiao Hong chatted for a while, they returned to Baoyu's courtyard and saw Mrs. Wang's maid Caiyun also hurried into the courtyard. It seemed that she came from the east courtyard.

She asked curiously, "Why is Sister Caiyun here? Is Madam going to pass on a message to Master Bao?"

Caiyun replied, "Mrs. Xia is visiting the East Road Courtyard today. She asked me to come and see. If Mr. Bao is not in school, please invite him to meet the guest."

Baoyu was filled with sorrow and resentment because he had lost many of his maids. When he heard voices outside the door, he felt annoyed and had no mood to think about anything.

He said impatiently to Xiren: "Whoever comes here wants me to go see him? It's really boring. Just say that I'm not feeling well today and I won't go!"

As he spoke, he threw himself on the bed and covered his head with the quilt, as if this could block out all his worries.

Xiren sighed, came out of the room, and said to Caiyun with a smile: "Second Master is not feeling well and is lying down to rest, so he didn't go to school today. I'm afraid he won't be able to go." (End of this chapter)