Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the fifteenth year of Jiazhao, on the seventh day of the seventh month, in the Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

In the early morning, the sun was shining obliquely, the scorching heat had not yet arrived, and the calm surface of the Taiping Jar reflected the bright and clear sky.

From the water room on the right side of the courtyard, the scent of cypress leaves and peach branches wafts out, filling the courtyard with a refreshing and pleasant smell.

On the corridor in the courtyard, Qingwen, Yinglian and Lingguan, all with their wet hair loose, sat in the vent to dry their hair and chatted.

Wu'er washed her hair the earliest, so she had already dried her hair and went into the room to do her makeup.

Under the eaves, Jia Cong was using cypress leaves, peach branches, and soapberry to clean Zhishao's hair, and then rinsed it with warm water.

I used my hands to wring out the water from her large clump of hair, and then used a large piece of cotton cloth to gently wipe it.

Douguan chewed his fingers and looked envious as he watched from the side.

When Jia Cong stopped, Baba said, "Third Master, you have washed them all, so it's time for you to wash mine, right?"

Yinglian and others couldn't help laughing after hearing this.

Qingwen teased, "Douguan, you are so smart. Wait until you grow to half the height of the pillars before you ask the Third Master to wash your hair."

Douguan was quite unconvinced after hearing this, so he ran to the column to compare his height, and was disappointed to find that he was indeed not even halfway there.

She looked up at the towering pillars, hesitant and sighing. Her funny expression made Qingwen and the others laugh.

Lingguan smiled and walked over to her, pulling her and saying, "Today is Girls' Day, and the Third Master has to go visit the girls. I'll wash you."

Jia Cong smiled and touched Douguan's head, went in to change his clothes, and then went out to Yingchun's courtyard.

Not long after he left the house, a maid ran hurriedly into the yard.

Judging from her appearance, Zhishao and others knew that she was not a maid from the East Palace, but should be from the West Palace.

The maid asked as soon as she entered the room: "Is Miss Liu home?"

Wu'er, who was combing her hair in the room, heard the noise and hurried out to see what was going on.

When the maid saw Wu'er, she ran up to her and whispered something in her ear. When Wu'er heard the words, her expression changed slightly.

She hurriedly put her hair together and followed the maid out...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Yingchun Courtyard.

In the yard, Shi Xiangyun and Xichun were laughing and chasing each other. They had just washed their hair, and their slightly wet hair was tied with hairbands. They were hanging things on the tree.

Use cypress and peach branches to boil the juice to wash your hair, and hang small colorful items on the trees.

These are all customs of the ancient Girls' Day, and both are meant to pray for blessings and a harmonious marriage.

After working for a while, the two of them collected exquisite small items such as silk velvet flowers, carved combs, yellow paper talismans, peach wood ruyi, and colored paper skirts.

The branches are filled with a dazzling array of flowers, adding a festive atmosphere to the yard.

The two were having fun when they heard a knock on the door.

The gate of Yingchun Courtyard is usually open, but today is Girls' Day, and girls have the custom of washing their hair in the morning.

Because it would be indecent to be seen with disheveled hair, the courtyard doors were kept closed even though it was bright outside.

When Xichun heard the knock on the door, she ran to open it.

Shi Xiangyun shouted from behind, "Fourth sister, don't open the door. You will look ugly if your hair is disheveled."

Xichun peeked through the crack in the door and said with a smile, "Why are you shy? It's my third brother who's here."

Before she could finish her words, the door opened with a bang. Xiangyun screamed and hid back in her room with disheveled hair.

Jia Cong saw the door was wide open, and Xichun, with her beautiful hair loose and her face as delicate as jade, shining with a tender and crystal luster, was smiling sweetly at him.

"Third brother, why do you come here so early today? Don't you have to go to the government office?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Today is a holiday and it is also the Girls' Day, so I came here naturally to take a walk. Fourth sister just washed her hair, so don't run around before it's completely dry, or you'll catch a cold."

As he spoke, he walked to the veranda, stood at the door of the main house and asked, "Has the second sister gotten up yet?"

Yingchun's voice came from inside: "I'm getting up, Brother Cong, come in and talk."

Jia Cong then pushed open the door and saw a large copper basin on the basin rack in the room, filled with hot soup with the fragrance of cypress leaves.

Xiu Ju was helping Yingchun comb her hair. The morning sun shone through the window lattice, filling the room with dazzling light.

The sunlight shines on Yingchun's tall and graceful body and her shiny waist-length hair, making her look quite breathtaking.

Although Jia Cong and Yingchun are very close siblings, this is the first time he has seen her dressing up, and it seems that she is planning to wash her hair for the festival.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Second sister is planning to wash her hair. Do you want me to help you wash your hair?"

Yingchun blushed and said with a smile, "What nonsense! How can I ask you to wash my hair so early in the morning? It will make people laugh.

In my opinion, you should go to Sister Xiuyan's room and help her wash her hair.

The old lady and the first lady have already established their relationship. Sooner or later, sister Xiuyan will be yours. Don’t neglect her on the Girls’ Day.”

Jia Cong and Yingchun chatted for a while, and when he saw Xiu Ju was going to wash Yingchun's hair, he left Yingchun's room.

He thought of Yingchun's words just now, turned around and walked along the corridor to the second room on the right.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard the sound of water coming from inside the room. The maid Zhuan'er came out with a washbasin.

When she saw Jia Cong, she quickly bowed and said, "The Third Master is here. Our girl is in the room and has just washed half of her hair. I was just about to go get some water."

Jia Cong said, "Then you go ahead and do your work. I'll wait."

Zhuan'er seemed to realize something, stuck out his tongue slightly, and walked away with the basin.

Xing Xiuyan heard Jia Cong's voice in the room and asked timidly, "Is it my cousin outside? It's getting sunny outside. Come in and talk."

After hearing this, Jia Cong pushed the door open and entered the room. The room was filled with the fragrance of cypress leaves and peach branches.

Seeing Xing Xiuyan's pretty face blushing, she stood up from a recliner, her hair dripping wet, and she was wiping it with a cotton towel.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Today is Girls' Day. I came to see my sister. It's a pity that I came at such a bad time that I disturbed my sister while she was washing her hair."

Xing Xiuyan said, "It's nothing. I wanted to wash my hair and then go talk to my cousin. I remembered the date and my cousin is at home on a day off."

As she spoke, she suddenly recalled the story of Jia Cong's Qiqiao Festival that she had heard Daiyu talk about a few days ago, and her heart was slightly moved.

She wanted to ask something but was too shy to do so. At this moment, the maid Zhuan'er brought in a large basin of hot water.

The little girl looked at Jia Cong, then at her own girl, and was a little confused for a moment. Xing Xiuyan's face became redder and redder.

……

Jia Cong finally realized that Xing Xiuyan's family was tricked to Shenjing by Madam Xing, and Madam Xing had some ulterior motives.

Unexpectedly, Grandmother Jia had seen through her thoughts early on, and the old lady performed a magical operation and gave Xing Xiuyan the status of a concubine.

This plain-looking woman in cloth clothes and a hairpin skirt is destined to be entangled with me for the rest of my life.

However, Xing Xiuyan was still in her teens, very young, and was raised by Yingchun like a child bride.

Her parents were both mediocre people who were content with just having enough food and clothing. They left their daughter in the East Palace and rarely came to take care of her.

Fortunately, Xing Xiuyan was born with a simple and indifferent personality, she was peaceful, calm and introverted, and she was very popular among the sisters in the East Palace.

But even so, such a family background and background, and the helplessness and confusion at a young age, are inevitable.

Yingchun and Xing Xiuyan live in the same courtyard. She is kind and considerate, so she can naturally clearly perceive the other person's thoughts.

Jia Cong suddenly understood the meaning of what his second sister had said to him...

He took the copper basin from Zhuan'er's hand and said, "This basin of water is not enough. Go get another one."

Zhuan'er was a little confused after hearing this. He saw his girl's face getting redder and redder, but she didn't say a word.

She suddenly understood who had been there, responded quickly, and immediately rushed out of the room.

When she came back with the water, she did not push the door open, but peeked inside through the crack in the door and saw the embarrassing scene.

Seeing his girl lying on the recliner, the Third Master was rolling up his sleeves and gently rubbing her hair, his movements looking quite skillful.

The girl's pretty face was flushed, and she looked much prettier than usual. She placed her hands on her chest, entangled in a somewhat helpless manner.

While the Third Master was busy with his hands, he said something nice that made the girl laugh from time to time.

Zhuan'er's face turned red when she saw this. She knew that her daughter and the Third Master had already had a relationship, but her daughter was still young and it was not time for that yet.

She just couldn't understand it. Although the girl didn't talk much, she was very determined in her mind and was not someone who was easy to coax.

Just now, the Third Master just took his own hot water. What did he say afterwards?

He tricked the girl into lying down and letting him wash her hair so quickly...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Baoyu knows more about the Girls' Day than Jia Cong, and he started making preparations in the yard yesterday.

She assigned maids to hang prayer objects on the trees in the yard, put pictures of the Goddess of Qiqiao on every door, and set up an incense table in the courtyard.

He wrote the sacrificial text with great seriousness, recited the prayer silently, and worshipped the Weaver Girl on the Magpie Bridge, with a face full of the bright moon and the clear breeze, and a heart full of deep affection.

Although he is not a girl, he is more enthusiastic than the other girls and maids in the courtyard when celebrating the Girls' Day on the seventh day of the seventh month.

Last night he led the maids to worship the moon and pray for a harmonious marriage.

Xiren and the others were puzzled. The Second Master had already been engaged to Miss Xia and would be getting married at the end of the year, but he was still looking for a marriage partner...

Only an outsider like Musk Moon can see things clearly and know what this gentleman is thinking. He definitely does not want him to be together happily with Miss Xia.

Most likely he was greedy and was secretly casting a curse on the East Palace...On the night before Chinese Valentine's Day, Baoyu was in a state of delirium and tossing and turning, and the maids didn't go to sleep until almost midnight.

When she woke up early in the morning, Musk Moon was still yawning. She took two maids to cook the liquid, and then went to the backyard to wash her hair to celebrate the festival.

She had only washed half of her hair when she saw Qiu Wen coming over with a mean look on her face, and she kept peeking into Baoyu's room.

Seeing her expression, Musk Moon couldn't help but frown and said, "Why do you look so early in the morning? It's as if someone owes you five hundred taels of silver."

Qiu Wen said unconvincedly: "Do you know who was on duty for the Second Master last night?"

Sheyue thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be Caiyun, because she just entered the Second Master's room and saw that the Second Master had injured his knee and had been recovering for more than a month.

Xiren was worried that she was new here and the Second Master was injured and had difficulty moving, so she was not familiar with the service and how could she serve him. So Xiren and I were on duty during this period.

Now that the Second Master has recovered from his injury, last night was Caiyun's first night watch. I remember it correctly."

……

Qiu Wen curled her lips and said, "I'm not asking you that. Last night, just before midnight, I went into Second Master's room to change the tea..."

Musk Moon said, "Earlier last night, I changed the night tea in Second Master's room. You really did that in vain."

Qiu Wen said, "Don't interrupt me, that's not what I'm talking about. When I entered the room, Caiyun was not sleeping on the side couch, but was being pressed down on the bed by the Second Master..."

After hearing this, Musk Moon's face turned red and she said, "Pah, you are in such a good mood at this late hour to see such scenery, aren't you afraid of getting stye?

Caiyun has served tea to the old lady, and she is a regular servant of the Second Master. It is none of your business what happens to them."

At this time, Xiren also came over with a basin to wash her hair. Seeing Sheyue and Qiuwen, she asked casually, "Why haven't Caiyun and Bihen come yet?"

Qiu Wen said: "Bihen has been feeling unwell these days, so he won't get up so early. As for Caiyun, she is having a good time.

Xiren, you didn't let Caiyun take night shifts recently, so why are you willing to let her come on stage now?"

Xiren heard Qiu Wen's harsh words and frowned, saying, "You should control your mouth. You keep talking nonsense all day long. One day you will definitely get into trouble!"

At this time, the back door of Baoyu's room opened, and Caiyun, with a pink complexion, tied a bun on one hand and a washbasin in the other, went into the backyard to wash her hair.

Qiu Wen couldn't help but yell, "Hey, Auntie, get up. Did you have a good time last night?"

Xiren said to Caiyun, "Don't pay attention to Qiu Wen's bad mouth. You were very happy last night. After washing your hair, go back to your room and rest. You don't have to do anything."

Caiyun's face flushed, and she looked embarrassed. She said, "Don't bother. I'm not tired. I'll just do what I need to do."

Xiren chuckled and said, "Oh, that won't do. If I ask you to work today, people will say I'm mean if they find out."

Qiu Wen laughed at the side: "Caiyun, what do you mean by that? You said it as if the Second Master is incapable and didn't torture you severely."

Musk Moon couldn't bear to listen any longer and poured a basin of water at Qiu Wen's feet.

He scolded, "Since you love to say these obscene words, send you out to be with a boy sooner rather than later. You will be more proud then, and I will let you say as much as you want."

……

Xiren was about to scold Qiu Wen after hearing what she said, but suddenly she saw Caiyun's face turned ugly and strange after hearing what Qiu Wen said.

She couldn't help but feel a little cold in her heart. Seeing that Sheyue and Qiu Wen were arguing with each other, she quickly pulled Caiyun to a secluded place in the front yard.

Asked: "Caiyun, there was something wrong with the Second Master last night."

Caiyun's face turned red, and she seemed to be looking for a crack in the ground to crawl into. She stammered and was unable to speak.

Xiren frowned and said, "We are both second master's bedmates, there is nothing wrong with talking about it. This is a matter of a lifetime, you tell me so that I know what is going on."

Caiyun's face flushed, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Sister Xiren, when you served the Second Master before, was he like this too?"

Xiren's face turned a little ugly after hearing this, and she asked, "What exactly is it like? How can I know if you only say half of it?"

Caiyun said angrily, "When I returned to the room last night, the second master got excited as soon as he closed the door, and he dragged me to the bed and wanted to do that.

Qiu Wen happened to come in to change the tea, and this bitch saw it, it was so embarrassing..."

After hearing this, Xiren couldn't help but rubbing her brows. This damn girl kept nagging for a long time but never got to the point. She was really a stupid girl.

Caiyun continued, "When Qiu Wen was scolded out by the Second Master, the Second Master was furious and started to make a fuss.

He tore off all my clothes and came over to me, but once he touched my body, he couldn't move.

Last night he tossed and turned alone for half the night. I was almost asleep, but he was still scratching his head, sighing, and finally fell asleep holding me in his arms.

I am like a normal person, I have been given a bad reputation for nothing, how can I rest..."

……

When Xiren heard Caiyun's words, her heart went cold.

Ever since Caiyun entered Baoyu's room and Baoyu happened to have injured his knee, she found excuses to prevent Caiyun from keeping watch at night to prevent her from getting close to Baoyu.

No one cared at first, but as time passed, not only did Qiu Wen start gossiping, but even Sheyue became suspicious of her.

Others just thought that she was jealous and didn't want other women to get close to Baoyu, but in fact Xiren had her own grievances but couldn't express them.

Ever since Baoyu held a birthday banquet with a dancer in the East Courtyard, and then for some unknown reason he broke his head, he stayed in the East Courtyard for a long time.

Others don’t know the truth of the matter, but Xiren is Baoyu’s secret lover. This matter can be hidden from others, but it is difficult to hide it from her.

In bed, she only showed a little tenderness and made Baoyu reluctantly tell her what happened that day.

Although Xiren blamed Baoyu for being absurd, the thing had already happened and it was useless to blame him.

With the marriage of Baoyu and Miss Xia, the matter was covered up.

But Xiren never expected that Baoyu's absurd behavior would not just end there...

As Baoyu's only pillow companion, she soon realized that Baoyu was becoming increasingly powerless in bed...

Later, she whispered at night and gradually found out what Baoyu had said. That day, he was doing something ridiculous in the master's study and was caught by the master and Mr. Cong Sanye.

I was filled with such shame and fear that I was frightened for a moment and broke out in a cold sweat.

At this critical moment, the slut who was with the Second Master was suddenly caught in an affair.

She was so frightened that she kicked the Second Master away. At that time, the Second Master was only afraid of the Master and didn't feel anything.

Only afterwards did he realize that the bitch was kicking the other person. He was in pain for many days but was too embarrassed to tell anyone.

Later, the pain gradually subsided, and the matter was forgotten. Later, Xiren found that he was gradually becoming useless...

Xiren was a virgin outside and dared not ask anyone about such secret sexual matters. She advised Baoyu to see a doctor to see if there would be any improvement.

Baoyu was afraid that the scandal would spread and everyone in the two mansions would know about it, and even all the fairy sisters in the family would know about it.

How can he be an innocent person in the future? How can he share his sorrows with his sisters? How can he tell about his romantic affairs in front of his daughters? It would be better for him to die.

So he would rather die than see a doctor, and also strictly ordered Xiren to keep her mouth shut.

Xiren had only done it with Baoyu, and that wasn't something she could tell anyone about, so how much knowledge did she have about sex?

Baoyu was unable to do it for the first time, and then he became more and more unable to do it...

But his enthusiasm not only did not diminish, but was even more enthusiastic than before. However, every time he started, he gave up halfway and never got anything done.

The two of them could only keep the matter a secret and neither of them dared to tell anyone.

Because if people knew about this, it would probably cause a big disaster.

Not only will Baoyu's scandal of molesting Xia's maid be exposed, but Xiren's seduction of the young master will also be exposed. It is estimated that both of them will have a bad ending...

Later, Caiyun entered the room, and Baoyu became interested in her and teased her many times.

Xiren tried secretly many times at night and found that Baoyu's condition was getting worse and it was no use at all.

She was worried that if she let Caiyun sleep with her husband, Baoyu's affair would be exposed immediately.

At this time, Baoyu happened to injure his knee, so she took advantage of the situation and left Caiyun out to dry, keeping Baoyu's scandal a secret for a long time.

During this period, Xiren tried every trick every night, but couldn't get Baoyu to work again...

Once Baoyu's knees were strengthened, she had no other reason to conceal the matter.

In addition, Xiren had now become Baoyu's roommate with full legitimacy, so even if Baoyu's affairs were exposed, she would have a reason to shirk responsibility.

She saw that Baoyu was indifferent to her, but was very interested in the new Caiyun.

Maybe Caiyun will see some improvement after trying it once. If she can really handle Baoyu, it will be a good thing for her as well.

But Xiren really didn't expect that the Second Master would still be in the same attitude towards Caiyun, this new girl. Could it be that the Second Master is really hopeless?

……

When Caiyun saw that Xiren turned pale and said nothing after she had told her private message, she couldn't help feeling anxious.

"Sister Xiren, I have told you everything. Can you give me some advice? Are you and the Second Master the same way?"

"It's all the same. What can I do?"

Caiyun's face instantly turned ugly after hearing Xiren's words. She thought the lady valued her and that she was a magpie climbing a high branch, but she didn't expect it to be a dead branch without flowers...

She said quickly, "Sister Xiren, we can't keep this a secret. We have to tell Madam quietly that if the Second Master is ill, he must be treated.

The Second Master is going to marry Miss Xia in half a year. If this disease cannot be cured, it will cause big trouble.

The Second Master is the only legitimate son of the Second House’s Yu generation. Wouldn’t it mean that his legitimate lineage will be cut off? The Madam will be so worried that she will die…”

The two were talking in private, each feeling extremely nervous and anxious.

At this time, a maid came in from the gate of the courtyard. She was dressed exquisitely and had pretty eyes and eyebrows. It was Caixia, the maid from the second room.

When Xiren and Caiyun saw that it was her, their faces changed. Seeing Caixia in the West Mansion, the lady must have come too. She really didn't need to be naggard... (End of this chapter)