Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

When Ping'er heard what Wang Xifeng said, she was shocked. Perhaps because of the relationship between Jia Cong and the girl from the Zhen family, Ping'er subconsciously did not want anything to happen to the Zhen family.

He asked, "Second Madam, I heard that the eldest master of the Zhen family is a high-ranking official in Jinling, and his rank is higher than that of our Third Master.

The third daughter of the Zhen family grew up in the palace. She was not only loved by Old Lady Zhen, but also valued by the Supreme Emperor, who specially granted her the grace to observe mourning at the imperial mausoleum.

These are all what our old lady said herself. How could such a family like theirs have such a big problem?"

Wang Xifeng said: "Madam said in the letter that the third young master of the Zhen family's first branch was involved in a major case of illegally manufacturing firearms and died in an unclear manner. In short, it's very scary.

But even though everyone was dead, the Jinyiwei refused to let the matter go and kept finding fault with the Zhen family. They also closed the Zhen family’s shops and searched the Zhen family’s mansion.

This matter sounds very dangerous. I’m afraid something big is going to happen to the Zhen family.

Otherwise, his eldest wife would not have such evil tendencies and would not have packed more than ten boxes of valuables and traveled thousands of miles to the capital to send them.

The outside world is in such a mess right now. In Jinling, even a family like the Zhen family is going to suffer. How can a family have everything going smoothly? It makes me nervous just to hear that."

Ping Er asked curiously, "Second Madam, isn't it said that the four most famous families in Jinling are Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue?

Among them are our family, grandma's family, old lady's family, and Miss Bao's family. The Zhen family is not among them. How can grandma say that the Zhen family is more powerful than the four major families?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, “You gave it to me halfway, and you are not a high-ranking official in the south, so you don’t know what’s going on in Jinling.

However, I often heard the elders in my family tell stories since I was a child, so I know some details about the Zhen family.

It is said that the ancestors of the Zhen family were also founding ministers and had made many contributions. However, before Taizu established the country, his ancestor suddenly retired from the army and no longer served as an official.

Perhaps it was for this reason that when Taizu established the country, the Zhen family did not have a good time. The other four families were given official positions and titles, but the Zhen family became penniless.

However, the Zhen family has produced many outstanding sons and daughters in previous generations, and even among the boudoir, there are figures like the old Concubine Zhen.

Later, the royal family, remembering the merits of Zhen's ancestors, granted his family a hereditary official position in Jinling. However, after this setback, their family's prestige could not catch up with that of the Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue families.

When it came to the generation of the first and second masters in our family, they could only rely on the blessings of their ancestors to inherit official titles and maintain the family business.

But the Zhen family is better than our Jia family in this regard. It seems that their family can produce top figures in every generation.

You know Miss Zhen San, she almost became my brother's wife. She is a capable girl who can manage a whole family business.

The reason why Miss Zhen is so outstanding is probably because of her family background, because she has an even more outstanding father.

It is said that Master Zhen Er was also a talented man when he was young. He passed the imperial examination and became a scholar before he was twenty. He is quite as talented as our third brother.

Later, I don’t know what happened or what stimulation he received, but he suddenly stopped studying and taking exams, and actually started doing business.

This incident became a laughing stock among the major families in Jinling at that time. They said that the Zhen family had raised a prodigal son who had the ability to pass the imperial examination and become an official, but he chose to degenerate and engage in menial business.

But no one expected that the second master Zhen was actually a business genius. He had earned a house full of gold and silver for the Zhen family in less than ten years of running the business.

It also earned the Zhen family the elegant nickname of Zhen Half City. Although the Zhen family did not have an inherited title, at that time, in terms of wealth and money, they were no less than the four major families.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. When Master Zhen II was at the peak of his career, he was suddenly killed in a shipwreck at sea, leaving behind a huge fortune that was now managed by Miss Zhen III.”

Wang Xifeng laughed again and said, "I originally thought that the Zhen family's second branch only had Miss Zhen San as its only child.

If my third brother had married her, he would have married a golden ingot, but it was a pity that the wedding didn’t happen.”

Ping Er asked, "Second Madam, the Third Miss of the Zhen family is so capable, why didn't Mrs. Zhen ask her for help? Why did she send the things all the way to the capital?"

Wang Xifeng sneered, "This is just a trick of the rich. Miss Zhen is capable, but she is the second daughter of the second wife. Madam Zhen would rather trust others than her.

The dozen or so boxes of things she brought were all valuables and furniture from the Zhen family's eldest branch.

Mrs. Zhen asked my mother's wife to intercede for me to help and temporarily store these boxes in the Jia family.

In case something happens to his family, it would be good to leave a way out, but this matter is a bit tricky, I still need to think it over carefully..."

……

Ping'er felt a little worried after hearing this.

He said, "Second Madam, if his family is really convicted by the court, and our Third Master is now an official, will we be implicated if we collect his property?"

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "You are making a fuss about nothing. This kind of thing is not uncommon among wealthy families.

The moon has its phases of waxing and waning, people are subject to ups and downs at any time, and there is no undefeated family in the world.

No matter how wealthy and powerful a family is, they could be in danger of disaster at any time. It is common for them to plan ahead, store gold and silver, and leave a way to survive for their descendants.

I grew up in Jinling, a place where wealthy and powerful families are numerous. I have heard countless similar stories.

I still remember the scene about fifteen or sixteen years ago. At that time, I had just learned to walk and jump. I can't remember any major events, but I just remember that it was noisy outside all day long.

When I was a few years older and often heard the adults in my family gossiping about what happened at that time, I began to understand some of the reasons.

It is said that something unexpected happened in the capital at that time. A prince caused trouble and caused chaos everywhere. Many civil officials and military officers were implicated.

Many families of imprisoned officials fled far to the south of the Yangtze River, taking their gold, silver, treasures and children.

They also deposited much of the gold and silver they brought with them with their wealthy relatives in Nanjing, leaving themselves a way out for the future.

At that time, there was a rumor in Jinling that among the twelve founding marquises, there was a marquis named Geng, whose family was the richest and had accumulated countless rare treasures throughout the generations.

He was also involved in the incident that year and fled to the southern province with his family and property, but was later executed by the court.

It is said that many of the treasures he brought to Jiangnan were also deposited at his old in-laws’ home, and in the end, no one knew who got the benefit of it…”

Ping Er was quite interested when she saw Wang Xifeng talking about anecdotes and gossip, and even had a hint of envy...

She had followed Wang Xifeng since she was a child, so she naturally knew her grandmother's temper. She was smart and capable, and had a clever mind, needless to say, but she also liked money and other valuables.

Wang Xifeng suddenly asked, "Why is Wu'er not here?"

Ping'er said, "Today I have to check the accounts with the maids in the outer courtyard. Because the doctor came to see grandma for the pregnancy, Wu'er asked me to come and take care of her. She is busy alone."

Wang Xifeng said, "Now it's just that the Madam has sent a letter, and no one knows where the Zhen family is. This is still a matter of no return.

You should also not tell anyone else about it for the time being, so as to avoid making a fuss and then having nothing to say about it. It would just give you more things to talk about..."

……

As the two were talking, Wu'er lifted the door curtain and came in.

She wore a green cross-collar jacket embroidered with orchids, a white embroidered horse-face skirt, and a blue and gold hairpin inlaid with pearls in her hair. She looked elegant, beautiful and charming.

Because of the hot summer, she was walking outside and a thin layer of sweat broke out on her fair forehead.

She took a handkerchief and wiped it gently, poured herself a cup of cold tea to quench her thirst, and handed the account book to Wang Xifeng.

She said, "Second Madam, I have checked the accounts for the past half month with the housekeepers. All the expenses are in order. I have made notes of any increases or decreases."

Wang Xifeng casually flipped through the account book and saw a page. She asked, "The expenses in Baoyu's room were originally more numerous and the waste was greater than elsewhere. Have they been reorganized?"

Wu Er said, "The expenses of Master Bao's room have been sorted out, and most of the servants around him have been laid off, saving more than 20 taels per month, which is nearly 300 taels per year.

Master Yuan Bao, Master Huan, and Lang Ge'er received an additional eight taels of silver every year for paper, pens, and snacks when they attended the clan school.

Therefore, their monthly salary has increased, and according to Second Madam’s opinion, this item has been cancelled.”

Ping Erh said, “Besides these, because the old lady loved Baoyu in previous years, she also gave him extra money for his studies every month, which he used to give as pocket money.

Later on, all funds were taken from the public treasury. If these things were not counted carefully, the monthly outflow would not attract any attention.

I asked Wu'er, even though the Third Master was so learned and his tuition was quite expensive, he only spent two taels of silver on paper and pens every month.

The Second Mistress said that the family is no longer the same as before, and the expenses of the gentlemen in the house cannot exceed those of the Third Mistress, so as not to break the rules of hierarchy.

Therefore, the allowances for Mr. Bao's studies have been cut in the past few months, except that one tael of silver for paper and pens has been added to the two taels of silver per month. "Wang Xifeng smiled slightly and said, "Baoyu is not the kind of person who deserves such a reward. When I talk about his studies, I feel like laughing. In fact, this tael of silver for paper and pens can be donated.

Even if he took it to his room, the money was spent on gambling and playing cards with the maid.

Not to mention Baoyu, Huan'er, this little frozen kitten, is even less suitable for studying. Spending paper, pens and money on them is just throwing it into the water.

In their second house, only Lan'er is somewhat good. The eldest sister-in-law disciplines her strictly on a daily basis. Maybe she can study hard and make a difference in the future..."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Ever since Baoyu was punished by Jia Zheng to kneel, his knees were almost broken. Thanks to the treatment of Zhang Youshi and the recuperation for more than half a month, he is now fully recovered.

Although Baoyu was able to move around, when he thought about it carefully, he realized that the huge West Palace was no longer what it used to be, and now there was no place for him to go.

The sisters in the family have been living in the East Palace for a long time. Except for paying respects at Rongqing Hall every morning, they usually do not show up in the West Palace.

The threshold to the East Palace was too high, and Baoyu couldn't cross it at all.

Since Jia Cong settled in the East Palace, he has never been to the East Palace again, except for one time when he held a family banquet due to his promotion and Baoyu went to the banquet.

Every time the old woman guarding the small gate in the east palace saw him coming, her old faces became longer than those of the horses in the stable.

This made Baoyu feel that the two maids guarding the small door in the East Palace seemed to be specially prepared for him...

Originally, he liked to go to Fengjie's courtyard, because there was not only the beautiful and kind Ping'er.

There is also Wu'er, who has a bit of Lin Daiyu's charm, with a delicate and pretty appearance and graceful manners.

However, every time Baoyu went to Fengjie's courtyard, Wu'er would stay away as soon as she heard the news. Even if they met occasionally on weekdays, she would pretend not to see him, and would not say a word and walk away.

This made Baoyu feel very humiliated. From childhood to adulthood, he was the phoenix of the Western Palace, born with a jade in its mouth. Everyone praised his appearance and character, saying he was outstanding.

Why has it become like this now? Am I actually so terrible that I am hated by others? But as soon as this thought flashed through Baoyu's mind, he flatly denied it.

I am filled with the fresh breeze and bright moon, with no worries about coming and going. I was born with a jade in my mouth, and I am extraordinary and unworldly.

When others see me, they will only feel ashamed. How can I be so shameless...

Although he absolutely did not believe it, he no longer had the desire to visit Fengjie's courtyard.

Because, although he looked down on Jia Cong and thought he was a parasite.

But he wasn't really stupid. He knew that although the old lady still doted on him, the other people in Rongguo Mansion were different and would not think that he was still a phoenix...

Now Jia Cong is the patriarch of the West Mansion, and he is not someone he can afford to offend.

What made Baoyu even more heartbroken was that the very pretty Wu'er was already serving tea to the old lady in Rongqing Hall and had become Jia Cong's serious woman.

Although Baoyu was sad that she had stepped into such a mortal trap, given her current status, he dared not get involved with her.

A lot of things have happened over the years, and Baoyu has heard about them all. Jia Cong is an outstanding person, but he doesn't seem to have a broad mind.

For example, that year I cut my cousin's hair with a knife, which scared him so much that he became incontinent. It is said that he still has incontinence today.

And that year, he broke Wang Shanbao's legs in front of everyone.

In short, although Jia Cong has outstanding looks and demeanor, he is actually a bit fierce and stubborn inside, which makes Baoyu feel that he is a bit rough and vulgar.

Therefore, if I make any mistakes in this regard, I am afraid that he will not care about the dignity of the family and will definitely drive me out of the West Mansion.

At that time, not only would he lose face, but he would also be afraid that he would never see his sisters again. Wouldn't that be a heartbreaking thing?

Moreover, if the master knew about this, not only would he not pity me, but he would probably think that I had lost his face and would beat me to death in anger.

Baoyu weighed the pros and cons. Although he was filled with grief and indignation and had no place to vent his innocence, he was actually a brave man who knew how to adapt to the changing times.

Therefore, in order to stay in the West Palace peacefully, he had to endure the humiliation and never go to Fengjie's courtyard again.

They could only turn a blind eye and lament the hardships and injustices of the world, allowing those talented and beautiful people to be entangled and ruined by Jia Cong.

……

Now, the only place in the West Palace he can go, and the place he likes to go, is Lixiangyuan.

Because there is a fairy-like sister named Bao, who is gentle and tolerant, and never gives people a bad face. Baoyu thinks it is really rare nowadays...

But Baoyu knew in his heart that every time he saw Sister Bao, she was indifferent to him and had nothing to say to him. Could it be because they were older?
But the last time he went to see Sister Bao, he saw her concentrating on copying calligraphy. He didn't know when she had become like her third sister.

Baoyu remembered that Baochai's room was always simple and elegant, but there were many calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, one of which was "Man Jiang Hong" written by Jia Cong.

Although Baoyu did not like the formal writing for the imperial examination, he was quite confident in his spiritual talent. He was quite familiar with making couplets and composing rhyming poems.

He felt that girls were precious and should be treated with more flattery and care. Since Sister Bao liked writing, he might as well accommodate her a little, and they would have something to talk about.

Baoyu felt somewhat proud when thinking about this, and just then he saw Qiuwen packing clothes in the house.

Said: "Qiu Wen, go and get my paper and pen, I need to write."

Qiu Wen smiled and said, "Second Master is in a good mood today. I haven't seen you write for a long time."

As he spoke, he took paper and pen from the bookshelf, soaked the brush, ground ink with water, and spread out the rice paper.

Baoyu took the brush and looked at the rice paper. He frowned and said, "I have used this brush for a long time. It is time to change it. This rice paper is too rough and cannot be used for writing.

Isn't it that every month you can receive two top-quality Huzhou purple-hair brushes and four pieces of top-quality silver-grained snow-wave paper, but you have good paper and pens but use these inferior things instead? "

Qiu Wen was a little unconvinced and said, "Second Master doesn't usually care about trivial matters, so he doesn't know the current situation at home.

The Second Mistress always said that the mansion had less property and was short of income than in previous years, so they could not be as extravagant as before and needed to increase revenue and reduce expenditure.

Last time, we laid off the second master's maids and servants, but it still felt not enough. All the income that can be reduced in this courtyard has been targeted by someone.

Wu'er from the East Mansion and Ping'er who was beside the Second Madam checked the accounts every two or three days, and whenever they felt there was any unnecessary expense, they would find ways to reduce it.

The two top-quality Huzhou purple-hair brushes, four-knife Xuelang paper, and a piece of Song Huizhai gold-scented ink that the Second Master was supposed to have every month were all taken away by them.

Just this expense alone takes away seven taels of silver from the Second Master every month, which is more than eighty taels a year. They are so evil-minded!"

……

Baoyu was angry after hearing Qiu Wen's words.

He said in a sad tone: "Ridiculous! Stupid! Reading and writing are elegant things, how can you be so stingy and mean? It's disgraceful!
They were both beautiful girls, how could they have fallen to this level now, doing such petty things, how vulgar they are!"

Qiu Wen couldn't help feeling proud after hearing Baoyu's words.

Ever since Wu'er became the housekeeper of the West Mansion, Qiu Wen had become jealous and envious, and she disliked her more and more.

She wanted to become Baoyu's maid as soon as possible. At that time, Wu'er was still doing odd jobs in the kitchen. She was a sickly little girl since childhood and could not even get a proper job in the mansion.

But in just a few years, this sick girl had actually cultivated herself into a spirit, and became one of the most important stewards and maids in the two mansions, and she was in charge of the West Mansion with dignity.

She also became the woman in the room of Master Cong Sanye. Master Cong Sanye was so handsome, held an official title and was even a Hanlin scholar. How could this sick girl be so lucky!
When Qiu Wen thought of this humiliating thing, her heart was burning with anger. Even if the Third Master of the East Palace met her at the mansion, he would not even look at her...

The group of shameless maids and old women in the West Mansion followed her all day long, calling her "Miss Liu" all the time, which made Qiu Wen feel sick.

She had wanted to climb onto Baoyu's bed for a long time, but before there was Xiren, and now there was Caiyun, making it difficult for Qiu Wen to fulfill her ambition...

So she focused all her attention on Baoyu, so that she could find some opportunities and excuses. Naturally, she knew what the Second Master was thinking about when he kept going to the Second Lady's courtyard.

Now Qiu Wen made up stories to accuse Baoyu of something wrong, which aroused Baoyu's disgust and anger, and defeated his plan. She felt very proud of herself.

He said, "Second Master is right. Some people have a nice appearance but a dirty heart. They take advantage of Second Master's good temper and bully him."

As soon as Qiu Wen finished speaking, a sharp voice rang out from the door: "Just shut up. Saying these words will provoke the Second Master. If it gets out, we will suffer anyway!" (End of this chapter)