Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

After hearing the conversation outside the door, Wang Xifeng knew that Baoyu's maid, Musk Moon, had come to visit. She knew without a doubt that it was about the monthly payment.

After Feng'er came in to tell the story, Wang Xifeng asked Sheyue to go into the room and talk.

In the past, when Yuanyang, who was beside Lady Jia, Qingwen, who was beside Jia Cong, and others came to visit, Wang Xifeng would either choose a seat for them or pull them to sit on the Luohan bed to talk.

She would never act like a master's maid in front of them, but Musk Moon was Baoyu's maid, and Baoyu behaved like that, so she naturally didn't have the face to do so in front of Wang Xifeng.

Since Musk Moon entered the room, Wang Xifeng had not been polite at all, nor had she moved to look for a seat. She just let her stand while talking.

Among the maids around Baoyu, Wang Xifeng is most familiar with Xiren. Although she is familiar with the other maids, they do not have any conversations on a daily basis.

Wang Xifeng also knew Sheyue, but she didn't have much impression of her. She only knew that she was the head maid beside Baoyu.

It was not until one day when Lady Jia happened to mention that Musk Moon, who was by Baoyu's side, was a clever and intelligent maid, that Wang Xifeng had an extra impression of her.

At this moment, he could not help but take a closer look at her, and found that although she was not as outstanding and proud as Wu'er and Qingwen.

But she also has pretty features and a slim figure. She is a very neat-looking girl, looking neat and tidy from head to toe, and pleasing to the eye.

Wang Xifeng asked, "I wonder what Xiren asked you to tell me?"

Musk Moon smiled and said, “To answer Second Madam’s question, it’s actually not a big deal.

There are quite a few people in the Second Master's room now, including five or six maids and a servant.

Most of these people were family-born children, and they came from small families with many people, and they relied on their monthly salary for support.

In the past, the regular silver would be paid on the tenth day, but now it has been the thirteenth day and there is still no movement, so the little girls in the yard are starting to murmur.

Sister Xiren was also at a loss, but we did not dare to rush the matter.

Now that Third Master Cong has inherited the family business, he is diligent and frugal in everything he does. The West Mansion has a large population, and Second Madam is in charge of the household chores, so there are always difficulties in maneuvering.

Sister Xiren just asked me to ask the reason so that I can go back and talk to the girls in the courtyard, and just muddle through these days."

……

When Wang Xifeng saw Musk Moon coming to talk about something, she was bound to mention the delay in the monthly allowance, and there might even be a hint of complaint in her words.

If the conversation got out of hand like this, it would just suit Wang Xifeng's wish. She would just deal with Baoyu piecemeal and leave him alone to see how long he could stay in the West Mansion.

She didn't expect that Musk Moon's words were so tactful and sincere, and there was nothing wrong with them. She couldn't help but look up to her.

I thought that although the old lady was old, she had a good eye for people. This Musk Moon was eloquent, thoughtful, and worldly-wise. She was truly a character.

It's a pity to have a master like Baoyu and serve under him.

……

Wang Xifeng said, "You are also a family-born child, so you must know the current situation in the prefecture.

Although Third Master Cong inherited the family business, most of the family property was gone and it was not as affluent as in previous years.

Last month, another large amount of summer tax was paid. Now the government is struggling to make ends meet and there is a famine.

But no matter how difficult it is, the old lady's room must not be short of supplies, and the second master of the East Courtyard needs to be a respectable official, so it is naturally not easy to neglect it.

The housekeeper and servants in the outer courtyard guard the gate and manage the business, and need to take care of everything.

Now I can only take care of myself. Not to mention the delay in the regular salary paid by Baoyu Courtyard, even the maids and servants in my room have not received a single penny this month.

Go back and tell Xiren that money will definitely be tight in the next two months, as the regular salary will be delayed.

Let Xiren take care of the maids and boys below. If anyone loses patience and speaks nonsense without knowing the seriousness of the matter, I will not tolerate it if I hear it. "

Musk Moon said, "I'll remember what grandma said. I'll go back and tell Sister Xiren that I won't delay grandma's meal. I'll take my leave now."

She performed the formalities again and then left the room.

……

When Sheyue left the room, Ping'er said, "Grandma, why doesn't Sheyue come here to talk about anything? Sheyue seems to be just going through the motions.

She didn't even ask when the monthly allowance would be paid, and she just left like that?"

Wang Xifeng said with a smile: "Don't be fooled by her bland words, this girl is a smart person.

How could one keep secret what happened to Baoyu in Rongqing Hall? Xiren herself didn't dare to ask, so she asked 阿月 to take the blame.

Even if I don't get my monthly allowance, will I still be unable to survive?

It is not up to us to decide when the monthly allowance will be paid. It is useless to ask, so she simply did not ask.

This Musk Moon is no simple person. I see that she doesn’t want to get involved in this matter at all and just wants to stay away from it.

She was only receiving instructions from Xiren, and she couldn't refuse, so she came here to respond to the occasion.

The old lady still dotes on Baoyu, and the maids she assigns to him are all of note, except for his master, who is of no avail. "

……

As soon as Musk Moon walked out of Feng Ji's courtyard, she sighed helplessly and hurried towards Baoyu's courtyard.

She passed by Rong Xi Tang and saw a maid coming out of the hall, calling her name from afar.

She looked back and saw that the maid was wearing a scarlet bodice with an embroidered collar, a pink thin jacket with a half-breasted collar, a light blue long skirt, and a blue lotus-colored embroidered handkerchief.

In the afternoon sunlight, she was pretty, clever and charming. She was Xiaohong, the maid in charge of Rong Xi Tang.

Musk Moon hurried over and scolded with a smile: "In broad daylight, you are yelling and shouting. What's the point of it if others hear you?"

Xiao Hong smiled and said, "I haven't seen Sister Sheyue for a few days. Where did you come from?"

Musk Moon replied, "I just came back from talking to Second Madam."

Xiao Hong's eyes narrowed slightly, and she said, "I heard rumors that Master Bao's monthly salary has not been paid yet.

My sister rarely visits Second Grandma's courtyard, so she is not going to talk about this now, is she?"

……

Musk Moon smiled bitterly. Good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news travels far and wide.

Master Bao had done something foolish in Rongqing Hall and offended Second Mistress. How could he hide it from others?
Although the fact that his Second Mistress was trying to bully him hasn't been made public yet, rumors will inevitably spread because the maids in the courtyard haven't received their regular wages.

Xiaohong is now in charge of Rong Xi Tang, and she has maids and old women working outside, so it is difficult to hide this matter from her.

Musk Moon smiled and said, "You really have a sharp ear. You can find out everything. You are talking about this matter."

Xiaohong pulled Sheyue under the shade of a tree and said, "Sister used to be a smart person. They are fighting among the gods, so why do you have to get involved?

I'm not saying anything weird, but the Third Master wanted to take a woman into his room, and they both agreed to it, so it took Second Master Bao to stop him.

I really don’t know what Master Bao is thinking. Does he think he can still control Master San?

Not only did no one pay attention to him, but he also caused misfortune to those around him. Now there are so many people in the mansion laughing at him."

When Musk Moon heard this, her face turned red. Baoyu had gotten into trouble and as she was Baoyu's maid, she naturally felt ashamed.

Moreover, after what happened to him, he still wanted women from others. This is really a bit...

……

In fact, Musk Moon didn't want to get involved in this matter at all. After all, it was Master Bao who started the trouble, and she was not in the right, so it was no wonder that others didn't give her face.

Anyway, the regular pay will be distributed later, and others are anxious, but she doesn't care at all, and her family won't wait for her to get the regular pay.

Originally, Musk Moon wanted to stay out of it, stay away from it, and have some peace and quiet.

Unexpectedly, Xiren asked her to go to Wang Xifeng to talk about the matter, and said that she was poor at speaking and not as eloquent as herself.

Musk Moon had always gotten along well with Xiren, and now that she had become the second wife's concubine-to-be, she had to save some face and couldn't just deny it.

That was why she agreed to do the thing, just to save Xiren's face and to go through the motions to fulfill a wish.

Second Madam is such a powerful person. Musk Moon didn't think that just by saying a few words she could get her monthly allowance. That was simply not possible.

That's why she only spoke briefly to Wang Xifeng just now, and as soon as Wang Xifeng finished her polite words, she took the opportunity to leave.

She knew that Xiaohong's reminder was well-intentioned, and said with a smile: "I know you are smart enough, and I am not so foolish.

But if I help Xiren ask a few common questions, which are not worth it, how can I offend others?"

Xiao Hong said, "Master Bao is gossiping about Sister Ping'er now. You can tell what he is thinking. I'm afraid he has had it in his mind for a long time.

When Second Bao's wife comes into the family next year, Second Master Bao will have someone in charge of the inner chambers. Will he still meddle in the affairs of the women in the first house?
Not to mention Sister Ping'er, even if she becomes your legal wife in the future and is an old friend of a noble family, it is not impossible for her to become a relative of yours.

Could it be that Master Bao is also going to behave like this, speaking without restraint and saying whatever he wants? Who knows what kind of joke he will make.

Fortunately, my sister is not like Xiren and Caiyun, who have to work in the same pot all their lives. She will have her own way out in the future..."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard. Sheyue chatted with Xiaohong for a few words, then hurried back to the courtyard, but she felt a little depressed because of Xiaohong's words.

Originally, she just wanted to do her job as a maid, live a peaceful life, and then be released when she was old enough.

Now it seems that things are not that simple. In the past six months, Master Bao has been doing a lot of ridiculous things, one after another, without any interruption.

Now, even the matter of Third Master Lian Cong taking a concubine is getting involved without knowing the seriousness of the matter.

On the surface, it seemed that he had only offended the Second Mistress, but Third Master Dongfu Cong knew about this and he would not be in a good mood towards the Second Master.

The Second House is not only a side branch, but also far inferior to the First House in terms of ability and capability. It has also offended everyone. It will probably have a hard time in the future...

Musk Moon walked into the yard with some worry on her face. When Xiren saw her coming back, she quickly pulled her aside.

He asked, "Muyue, what did Second Madam say? When will the monthly allowance for the courtyard be paid?"

Musk Moon repeated to Xiren exactly what Wang Xifeng had said, word for word.

Xiren looked unhappy when she heard this and said, "Second Madam is just making excuses. It's obvious that she wants to hold up the monthly allowance for Second Master.

You didn't ask a few more questions, even if the monthly salary is delayed, there must be a definite date?"

Musk Moon replied, "Sister Xiren, who can't see now that the Second Master's behavior of stopping Ping'er has angered Second Mistress, and she is angry about the monthly salary.

This is a warning to the Second Master not to interfere in the affairs of the First House. Now we are living in someone else's mansion, so we have to swallow our anger.

Right now, Second Mistress is very angry. If I keep asking for confirmation about the monthly salary, do you think she will be happy about it? I'm afraid she will even create more obstacles.

It is better not to ask. It is almost half a month already. No matter how delayed it is, it will only be more than ten days. Could it be that the monthly salary will be gone?

Instead of worrying about Yueyin, sister, you might as well persuade the Second Master that it is always better to be more cautious in what you say and do in the future.

The affairs of the Third Master of Dongfu Cong are not something we can control, and there is no need for us to say anything. Let’s all live in peace from now on.”

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard someone snort coldly behind them, and they were both startled.

The man said, "What a good girl! She acts like a frozen cat in front of others, but she can teach men how to behave. She has no rules or respect for others!"

……

When Xiren and Sheyue looked back, their faces changed. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice that Mrs. Wang had entered the yard at that moment.

Qiu Wen was still standing behind Mrs. Wang, with a gloating and mean smile on her face.

Musk Moon and Xiren didn't need to ask, they knew why the lady suddenly came to the West Mansion.

Last time, Mrs. Wang learned that Xiren heard Jia Cong's sharp words, but because of Musk Moon's instigation, she kept the words in the dark and dared not spread them.

She is a paranoid and narrow-minded person, even though Lady Jia said that Musk Moon did the right thing.

However, she privately felt that Musk Moon had ulterior motives and that deceiving her master was an act of disloyalty.

But because of what Lady Jia had said, she couldn't make a fuss about it at that time. However, her suspicion towards Musk Moon took root.

Today she received a message from Qiu Wen, and learned that Baoyu's courtyard could not pay the monthly allowance. She felt extremely humiliated and rushed here regardless of anything.

She didn't dare to go directly to Wang Xifeng. After all, the power of the family business was in the hands of the eldest wife, and she still had some concerns.

She thought about going to Baoyu's room first, asking Xiren about the matter, and then making plans. After all, she didn't completely believe Qiu Wen's words...

Just now, Mrs. Wang took a shortcut and entered the yard through the side door, so Xiren and Sheyue didn't notice it.

It just happened that she heard the conversation between the two, and there was nothing wrong with what Xiren said.

But in Mrs. Wang's eyes, the intention of instigation and deception in Musk Moon's words was obvious.

……

All her life, Mrs. Wang hated women with clever temperaments the most, not only because such women were contrary to her temperament.

Moreover, I feel that this kind of woman is born restless and will cause trouble sooner or later.

At first, she was jealous of her sister-in-law Jia Min and later she also disliked Jia Min's daughter Lin Daiyu, because they were both smart and clever, which made Mrs. Wang unable to hide her inexplicable dislike.

Even though Xiaohong was just a maid, she was disliked by Lady Wang because of her lively and active nature, and was driven out of the yard for some trivial matter.

Now that Musk Moon was so clever and shrewd, and had a sharp tongue and was straightforward, and had instigated deception several times, it was natural that Lady Wang would have evil thoughts.

But Xiaohong was only a third-class maid at first. Even though she was Lin Zhixiao's daughter, Mrs. Wang could drive her out at will.

Musk Moon is different from Xiaohong. She is the head maidservant beside Baoyu. She is well-known in the West Mansion and has left an impression on the old lady.

If Mrs. Wang chased her away easily, it would cause too much noise, Baoyu would lose face, and the old lady would also be unhappy when she heard it.

Besides, the present is different from the past. Baoyu's maids have been largely laid off, and he is short of manpower to serve him...

Although Mrs. Wang had already developed a dislike for Musk Moon, she couldn't lose her temper at this moment, so she scolded Musk Moon harshly in front of Xiren.

When Baoyu heard the noise outside, he hurried out of the house to see what was going on. He saw the lady scolding him harshly and Musk Moon crying with her head down.

After listening to a few words, Baoyu realized that it was because her monthly period had not come, and she felt upset.

Seeing that Musk Moon was as tearful as a pear blossom in the rain, he felt somewhat soft-hearted and wanted to say a few good words for her. However, seeing that Mrs. Wang had a gloomy expression, he did not dare to act rashly.

He shook his head helplessly, feeling that the people around him were all deeply mired in corruption, engaging in petty intrigues every day and only involved in mundane economic matters.

How could they know that they would never see the pure and noble world in this world in their lifetime? How sad and lamentable...

Mrs. Wang had no idea of ​​her son's strange thoughts. After scolding Musk Moon, she no longer took it to heart and was only thinking about how to help Baoyu regain his face.

The best solution she could think of was to go to Rongqing Hall to talk to Lady Jia and ask her to rectify the increasingly corrupt family traditions in the West Mansion...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

This day happened to be a Friday holiday, but the construction work at the firearms workshop would not be suspended.

Jia Cong went to the workshop early in the morning as usual and was busy for most of the day. He returned to the mansion after noon, which allowed him to have half a day of leisure.

Not long after he entered the inner courtyard, he saw Yingchun's maid Xiu Ju coming over and said, "Third Master, the young lady wants you to come over and talk."

When Jia Cong entered the main room of Yingchun's courtyard, he saw a pile of gifts on the round marble table in the courtyard. Yingchun was carefully examining them.

Jia Cong saw that she was wearing a long jacket embroidered with pink magnolia branches and a pleated skirt embroidered with palace ornaments. She had a slender figure and an elegant posture.

The ruby ​​phoenix hairpin on her head shone brightly and beautifully in the afternoon light.

Yingchun saw Jia Cong coming in and said with a smile: "Today is a day off. I haven't seen you since early in the morning. You must have gone to the workshop again."

Jia Cong smiled and asked, "What did Second Sister want to talk to me about?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "Come and take a look at these wedding gifts and see if they suit your taste."

On the table Jia Cong saw several rolls of bright palace satin, a hibiscus bed curtain, a pair of red satin and feather gauze pillows, two brocade quilts with a picture of a hundred children, and a box of top-quality jewelry.

Yingchun smiled and said, "The old lady has already set the 17th for Ping'er to have the ceremony of entering her bedroom, so we have to make some preparations here.

Zhishao and Wu'er have been by your side since they were young, and have always been valued and loved by you, so they are naturally different from others.

Ping'er is different from them. She has never been with you for a day, and she is the personal maid of the second sister-in-law, so she was given by the eldest sister-in-law.

She is new to our East Mansion, so she is also a new member of the family, so we must prepare some etiquette to bring good luck and make the occasion more lively."

Jia Cong naturally knew about this. He thought about the time when Jia She died suddenly and Jia Lian was convicted, and the family was in turmoil.

When Wang Xifeng was in trouble, Ping'er was promised to her without knowing it in order to get her support.

No matter how Jia Cong viewed this matter, for a maid like Ping'er in a big mansion, her fate was beyond her control, and he had become her only lifelong reliance.

He recalled the day when Ping'er came to give a return gift, and the sudden intimacy between the two...

Jia Cong smiled and said, "These gifts are all very good. Second sister took the trouble to prepare them. You are the head sister, so you can make the decision."

Yingchun said, "I heard a rumor this morning that the monthly allowance was supposed to be distributed on the tenth day in the West Palace, but it has not been distributed in Baoyu Courtyard yet.

That day, the second sister-in-law and the old lady were discussing Ping'er's entry into the room. Baoyu wanted to stop them, which annoyed the second sister-in-law. Brother Cong must have heard about it."

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "The affairs of Rongqing Hall can never be kept secret from anyone, so I naturally know about it.

Since I entrusted the management of the West Mansion to my second sister-in-law, I naturally have to give her the power of housekeeper. Managing a household is like leading an army. Without trust, nothing can be accomplished; without authority, it is difficult to do things.

Second sister-in-law naturally has her own intentions and purposes for delaying the payment of monthly allowance to Baoyu. I will not interfere in everything and will let Second sister-in-law plan it herself.

Second sister, you also know that Baoyu is still living in the West Mansion, which is actually inconsistent with filial piety and family etiquette.

It's just that for the sake of the old lady and the master's reputation, I don't want to spend energy to get involved.

But during the past six months, Baoyu had behaved in many strange and absurd ways, and a lot of gossip had arisen in the West Mansion.

Since the old lady and the second wife are too doting, it would be a good idea to let the second sister-in-law discipline her.

If the Second Wife has anything to say, I will naturally come forward to explain the reason... (End of this chapter)