Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Jia Zheng led the servant into the main hall of the outer courtyard. The guests in the hall came forward to greet him one after another. While Jia Zheng was responding to them, he felt very unhappy.

This time, as Jia Zheng was organizing a ceremony for Baoyu's fifteenth birthday, he thought it would be enough for the family to just gather together for the banquet, and there was no need to be too extravagant.

But the grand birthday party that Wang Xifeng hosted for Jia Cong made Mrs. Wang feel very decent.

She also realized that Baoyu and Jia Cong were both descendants of the Rong state and were of the same age.

Although Baoyu couldn't overstep his bounds in terms of Jia Cong's status, he still had to maintain the proper decorum, otherwise it would be too shabby and crude.

Therefore, the guest list for Baoyu's birthday banquet this time almost copied the specifications of Jia Cong's birthday banquet...

Jia Zheng originally felt that something was not right. The arrangement of Jia Cong's banquet was because he was now the head of the family and had a formal title and official status, so some etiquette and pomp should not be too simple.

But Baoyu was just a family-born son with no achievements and no reputation outside. Moreover, the second wife was now a concubine of the Rong Kingdom, so it was not appropriate to have an ostentatious birthday party for Baoyu.

Otherwise, in the eyes of others, they would probably think that the Second Branch of Rongguo did not know their duty and lacked the humble and prudent demeanor.

Although Jia Zheng had his own ideas, Grandmother Jia, who doted on Baoyu, fully supported Mrs. Wang's idea and even used her own pocket money to celebrate Baoyu's birthday.

Although Jia Zheng was humble and self-disciplined, he did not want to go against his grandmother's wishes, nor did he want to cause the couple to be unhappy over such a small matter, which would cause unrest in the family and would not be worth the loss.

Therefore, Jia Zheng was somewhat unenthusiastic about Baoyu's birthday banquet today. He only showed up once in the main hall of the outer courtyard in the morning and then went to the West Mansion to pick up Jia's grandmother for the banquet.

After Lady Jia entered the main hall of the inner courtyard, he went to the study alone, leaving only his wife and the steward to take care of things.

Later, the family came to report that the two marquises' wives had come to the mansion to present gifts, and among them Marquis Zhongjing was a close relative. Jia Zheng went to the main hall of the inner courtyard to show his face and pay his respects.

As soon as he left the inner courtyard, he felt a little worried, so he went to the main hall of the outer courtyard.

But before he reached the main hall of the outer courtyard, his personal servant came to report that the seven noble and elderly relatives who were invited to the banquet had only sent gifts, but for various reasons no one came to the banquet.

After Jia Zheng entered the main hall, he saw the unpopular visitors and felt indescribably depressed and disappointed. He could have just kept a low profile as he wished and did not have to be humiliated like this.

Jia Cong saw Jia Zheng's expression and could guess what he was thinking. He invited Jia Zheng to one side and said, "Master, the nobles and relatives who have not yet arrived have all sent gifts, which is considered politeness.

It's getting late now, so we should start the feast as soon as possible. If we delay it for too long, it will only lead to something to talk about..."

Jia Zheng sighed softly, "It can only be done this way. This matter should not have been publicized. It is better to end it as soon as possible."

So Jia Zheng ordered the steward of the East Courtyard to start the banquet immediately and invite the guests in the main hall of the Outer Courtyard to be seated. He also asked the servant to pass the message to the Inner Courtyard to tell Lady Jia to ask the women in the Inner Courtyard to take their seats early.

The maids and servants in the entire East Courtyard, as well as the cooks and helpers in the kitchen, suddenly became busy.

In fact, all the guests present today are related to the Jia family, and few of them are stupid. They had heard that Mrs. Wang was holding a grand banquet and had invited many nobles and wealthy families to attend.

But today, not a single person was seen in the main hall of the outer courtyard. Everyone could guess what was going on, but they just saw through it but didn't say it out loud.

When the male guests from the outer courtyard started to eat, some of them kept silent, drinking and eating to fill their stomachs, while others drank quietly and talked about some vague topics.

Anyone who is well versed in the ways of the world in this world is bound to behave in a way that curries favor with the powerful. When they see others being humiliated and embarrassed, they always feel lucky that it is not them.

In short, the atmosphere at the table was weird. It lacked the festivity of a birthday party, but instead had a bit more of the hidden affectation and the ridiculousness of the discussion.

……

At the men's table, everyone was acting very arrogant except for one person who was laughing and talking enthusiastically, seeming quite at ease.

Xue Pan sat down next to Baoyu at some point, spoke to him in a nice way, and urged him to drink, making the whole table lively.

In the past, Xue Pan disliked Baoyu a little, thinking that he was a useless man who only knew how to hang out in the inner courtyard all day, flirting with the maids.

In such a huge Jia family, everyone gives in to him, he is just like a bullshit Bao Tianwang.

But everyone said that he was well-behaved, and his mother even used Baoyu to teach him a lesson. Xue Pan was very dissatisfied.

What made Xue Pan even more angry was that his aunt was always plotting against his sister, using some bullshit about a perfect match, and trying to trick his sister into marrying her stupid son.

Just now Xue Pan asked Jia Cong and learned that his aunt had also invited Mrs. Xia and Miss Xia to the banquet. He also heard that his aunt was very close to the Xia family now and the two families often visited each other.

Miss Xia is a beauty who is so beautiful that it makes people feel soft and tender that you can pinch water out of her. Such a girl often walks around in the East Courtyard. How can she be good in the eyes of Baoyu, a lecher?

Ever since Xue Pan discussed marriage with Miss Xia, although the marriage between the two families failed, he fell in love with Miss Xia's charm and beauty and never forgot her.

He had also heard a lot of rumors recently that his sister had been involved with Cong'er, so his aunt had given up on the idea and was now busy looking for a wife for Baoyu.

My aunt is so close to the Xia family, and Miss Xia is such a pretty girl, how could my aunt not have some concerns about her?

When Xue Pan thought of this, he became jealous of Bao Tianwang in front of him, and had a lot of anger in his heart that he had no place to vent.

In the past, with his domineering and bully-like behavior, if he saw someone he didn't like, he would bring his servants to beat him up and not let the person go to the dyeing factory. He would not be the fool Xue.

But he and Baoyu are cousins, so this kind of trick can never be used.

Otherwise, even Jia Cong would not let them stay at the Jia family any longer, as this would ruin Xue Pan's family's plans. A little impatience can ruin a big plan...

……

However, it was fine at the banquet right now. Xue Pan couldn't help but want to do something bad. He wanted to get Bao Tianwang drunk half to death and make him look bad at his birthday party so that he could vent his anger.

It would be best if he could lose face in front of Miss Xia and let this beautiful woman disgust him from now on. That would be the best thing...

Baoyu has always been fond of wine, and this is not new in the Jia family.

Grandmother Jia often told Baoyu's wet nurse, Li Ma, to persuade Baoyu to drink less when he socialized with his relatives.

He also once got drunk and kicked Xiren until she vomited blood...

In addition, Xue Pan was used to hanging out in places of wine and women, so this social method of persuading people to drink was very slick and honest.

Baoyu stays in the inner house everyday, has little knowledge and a shallow mind. How can he resist Xue Pan's deliberate flattery and deception?

Not long after he sat down at the table, Xue Pan persuaded him to drink one cup after another, and gulped down half a pot of wine.

Jia Zheng noticed Baoyu's drunken state and anger appeared on his face. Today was Baoyu's birthday banquet, and his son didn't know how to entertain the guests and got drunk himself. How disgraceful!

It was not until Wang Ziteng noticed something was wrong and glared at Xue Pan that Xue Pan stopped doing bad things with an embarrassed look on his face.

Although Xue Pan is a stupid bully who does things unscrupulously outside, he is very afraid of his uncle Jia Zheng and uncle Wang Ziteng at home.

However, Xue Pan was more afraid of his uncle Wang Ziteng, because he knew that his uncle was not only crueler than his uncle, but also more evil-hearted...

Until the end of the banquet, Jia Zheng treated Baoyu's misbehavior with a cold eye and did not have a good expression at all. If it were not for today's banquet, he would have definitely given Baoyu a strict reprimand according to the family rules.

Although Baoyu was drunk, after he left the table, he still remembered that his sisters were still in the inner courtyard, and there was also Sister Lin whom he had been thinking about day and night...

Seeing that Baoyu was very drunk, the servant Mingyan helped him all the way to the inner courtyard. When they reached the gate of the inner courtyard, Mingyan was unable to go in, so Baoyu went in with exaggerated steps.

……

Although the women's banquet in the east courtyard had ended, Grandmother Jia still felt uncomfortable, and Mrs. Wang was even more indignant.

Today is Baoyu's birthday banquet. Mrs. Wang sent invitations to all the noble families according to the list of guests that Jia Cong had invited that day.

Unexpectedly, the only noble ladies present at the banquet were Marquis of Zhongjing Li and Marquis of Chengyang Xu.

The other seven noble families all showed up in person but were not polite. Their avoidance and estrangement from the second branch of the Jia family were so obvious that Mrs. Wang was completely embarrassed.

It was just that at the table just now, perhaps others did not know the truth, or perhaps everyone knew it, but no one said it. Mrs. Xia was also a talkative person. With just a few words, she not only made the old lady happy, but also made the atmosphere at the table much more harmonious, which made Mrs. Wang feel relieved.

Mrs. Wang finally waited until the banquet was over and sent the other female guests away.

While Grandmother Jia was still chatting with Aunt Xue in the main hall of the inner courtyard, Mrs. Wang asked Tanchun to accompany Miss Xia for tea, and she herself made an appointment with Mrs. Xia to go around the garden to talk about that important matter.

Daiyu was originally sitting in the hall, and she saw Miss Xia sizing her up with a burning gaze, with a strange look on her face, and seemingly some hostility.

Daiyu felt a little unhappy, so she took Zijuan out of the main hall and sat idly on the corridor outside, fiddling with the Rubik's Cube in her hand. She waited for Jia Cong to return to the inner courtyard, and then went back to the East Palace together.

The magic cube that Jia Cong gave Daiyu was very much to her liking. She was having fun playing with it when she suddenly heard someone calling out, "Sister Lin, you are here."

As soon as Daiyu raised her head, she smelled a strong odor of alcohol and saw Baoyu standing in front of her, drunk.

Daiyu frowned slightly and said, "Baoyu, you have drunk so much wine, so you should not stand in the wind. You should go back to your room and rest."

Baoyu was drunk at the moment and seemed not to hear Daiyu's words. He stared blankly at the shining Rubik's Cube in Daiyu's hand.

He suddenly felt dissatisfied and said, "This thing Jia Cong gave me is so fun. What's so rare about it? I'll find something more interesting for my sister tomorrow."

Seeing that Baoyu was drunk and his speech was slurred, Zijuan became worried and involuntarily moved closer to Daiyu.

Daiyu's pretty face darkened when she heard Baoyu's words. She said, "Second Master Bao, what are you talking about? Third brother gave me something, how come I invited you to do it?"

When Baoyu heard that Daiyu no longer called him by his name, but called him Master Bao in a distant manner, and called Jia Cong "Third Brother" in an intimate manner, he felt even more pain in his heart.

He said in a drunken tone with a sad and angry look on his face: "My sister came home when she was six years old. At that time, Jia Cong was still hiding in a corner of the east courtyard, and we didn't even know about him.

What a good time it was back then. My sister wasn't as distant as she is now. It was all because of Jia Cong!"

When Daiyu heard this, her pretty face turned red with anger, and Zijuan had already blocked Daiyu's way.

Baoyu was getting drunker and was about to express his deepest feelings to Daiyu.

……

Suddenly, a clear voice came from behind, saying, "Master Bao is getting married soon. I advise you to speak more solemnly, lest others hear you and ruin your reputation and lose your marriage."

Baoyu was just about to get drunk and show off his affection when he was suddenly told in front of Lin Daiyu that he was about to get married. He also said that it was messing up his marriage. It was really too shameful...

The infatuated behavior he had just planned was like being slapped in the face and the stage was dismantled. He couldn't help but feel angry and embarrassed.

He turned around and saw that the person who was speaking had a pretty face and a slim figure. She was wearing a thin black silk jacket and a red satin vest with dark patterns on the outside. She looked clever and agile. It was the maid Xiaohong.

When Baoyu saw Xiaohong, he couldn't help but frown. That day in Rongxi Hall, Xiaohong talked to him about official career and economics. After that, whenever he saw Xiaohong, he felt a little uncomfortable.

Now Xiaohong appeared out of nowhere and embarrassed him as soon as she opened her mouth. He felt very wronged and angry.

Said: "Xiaohong, how can you say such nonsense? When will I get married? Where did you get the chance to say that?"

Xiao Hong walked quickly to Daiyu and said, "Of course I won't say anything nonsense. Now everyone in the family knows that the Second Madam and the Xia family are very close, and Miss Xia is an outstanding person.

The Second Madam is planning to arrange a marriage for the Second Master and Miss Xia. Just now I saw the Second Madam and Mrs. Xia walking around the garden alone. They must be discussing the marriage of the Second Master Bao. If you don’t believe me, go and ask them yourself.”

Baoyu was stunned when he heard this. Thinking of Miss Xia's beautiful and attractive appearance, he was intoxicated...

But he suddenly came to his senses and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly marry Miss Xia? She is not as good as Miss Lin..."

……

Although Baoyu took advantage of Daiyu's words of persuasion to study and pretended to be crazy and stupid, he wanted to win Daiyu's favor.

Unexpectedly, he ended up making things worse and his father Jia Zheng put an end to his delusions about Daiyu. There was no possibility of their so-called marriage anymore.

But even so, this was something Baoyu had coveted for many years, so it was not something he could just give up on. He was usually sober and restrained.

But today, Xue Pan tricked him into getting him drunk, and as the saying goes, alcohol makes cowards brave, so he reverted to his old ways...

Xiaohong was worried that Baoyu would say something unpleasant again, which would make Daiyu even more embarrassed, so she quickly interrupted Baoyu.

He said, "Master Bao, there is no need to argue. What I said is the truth. You are about to get married, and you are still talking nonsense. What does it mean? If you don't believe me, go to the back garden and ask."

When Daiyu heard Baoyu say, "How can Sister Lin be as good as her?", she became so angry that her face turned pale.

Seeing that Baoyu was drunk after hearing what she said, Xiaohong muttered, "There is absolutely no such thing. I will go to the back garden to ask the lady now."

Taking advantage of Baoyu being frightened by her words, she temporarily diverted his attention, supported Daiyu and said softly: "Miss Lin, let's not stay here anymore. Zijuan and I will go back with you."

Although Daiyu was angry in her heart, she was very clear-headed. She nodded, turned around and left without saying a word. Xiaohong and Zijuan hurriedly followed.

……

On the way, Daiyu asked, "Xiaohong, is it true that Second Aunt wants to arrange a marriage between Baoyu and Miss Xia? If so, it will save him from talking nonsense in the future."

Xiao Hong chuckled: "The Second Madam wanted to propose marriage to the Xia family, but she wouldn't tell me. I was just guessing.

Miss Lin, think about it, we have come to Dongluyuan for banquets twice recently, and each time, the mother and daughter of the Xia family were the guests of honor, which shows that they have a very good relationship with the second wife.

We all know that Master Bao made a big fuss last time, and Second Madam even ignored Miss Bao. I heard from the maids in Baoyu's room that Second Madam is anxious to arrange a marriage for Master Bao.

How could such a pretty girl like Miss Xia not attract the attention of the Second Wife?

Today, the Third Master went to the outer courtyard to attend the men's banquet and asked me to follow him and serve the young ladies. I was in the hall paying attention to the look that the Second Madam gave Miss Xia, and this was probably what was going on.

I just went out to relieve myself, and happened to see the Second Madam and Madam Xia walking towards the back garden. They were not followed by any maids, but seemed to be discussing something.

"My words to coax Master Bao were just my blind guesses. Otherwise, how could I distract him? If he got drunk and pestered the girl, and the girl suffered, Master San and I would not be able to explain ourselves."

Zijuan laughed and said, "What a courageous girl! You dare to make up stories about Master Bao's marriage? Be careful that the Second Madam will come to her senses and cause trouble for you."

Xiao Hong said nonchalantly: "Although telling lies is wrong, in a situation like this, in order to avoid being at a disadvantage, I have to tell a lie."

Daiyu praised: "What a good girl! I said that Third Brother has good taste. There are so many maids in the West Palace, but he chose you to be the maid in charge of Rongxi Hall.

If you hadn't been smart just now, you wouldn't have been able to help me out. Even if you said something, it would have been irrelevant.

You are from the West Mansion, and you are the maid of the Third Brother. The Third Brother is a very protective person. With him protecting you, you don’t have to worry about anyone making things difficult for you. I will also protect you in the future…”

The three girls walked lightly and disappeared in a short while.

……

When Baoyu came to his senses from his drunken state, he found that his sister Lin had gone somewhere...

At this moment, he was still thinking about the topic that Xiaohong had brought up. The only thing he remembered in his mind was going to the back garden to find his wife and ask her why he was going to get married.

Although he likes wine, his alcohol tolerance is average. Today, Xue Pan tricked him into drinking too much, and he is still a little dizzy and confused.

Ever since Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang moved to the East Courtyard, Baoyu has been living in Rongguo Mansion. He actually doesn't move around the East Courtyard much on weekdays.

The place he was most familiar with in the East Courtyard was probably Jia Zheng's Mengpo Zhai Study, because every time Jia Zheng called him to the East Courtyard, he would be tested on his homework in the Mengpo Zhai Study in the back garden...

Baoyu walked dazed and treading on cotton all the way. He wanted to go to the back garden to find Mrs. Wang, but after getting drunk, he was confused and didn't know where he was going.

Suddenly, a figure passed by. Baoyu, who was still drunk, bumped into the figure head-on. His right hand touched a bunch of things, plump, soft, sweet, fragrant and elastic... (End of this chapter)