Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

The words "foreign man" in Lin Zhixiao's words were like a knife stabbing into Baoyu's heart, and all his deep affection and self-pity were pierced.

He was furious and his mind was in a mess.

His eyes were dull, and he muttered to himself: "Only Jia Cong is not a stranger, but I am a stranger. How can this be absurd! How can this be absurd!"

In fact, Baoyu was not completely confused. He was born in an aristocratic family and he knew deep down that what Lin Zhixiao said was reasonable.

But he didn't have the confidence to refute the other party's words, because he vaguely knew that if he refuted it, it would leave room for criticism and cause a lot of trouble.

But he just didn't want to admit that he had always been the legitimate son of the Jia family, the old lady's favorite grandson, and that he was born with a jade in his mouth...

Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he said indignantly: "Madam, what you said doesn't make sense. I know that Lang Ge'er has entered the palace, so isn't he a waifu?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife couldn't help laughing when she heard Baoyu's words: "Look at what you said, Master. Although Lang'er is a boy, he is not the eldest son of the family.

But Lang'er is only seven years old this year. He is not a foreigner, but just a child.

Besides, he is still a junior, and the Second House’s Grandmother led him into the hall hand in hand. A young man like him still needs to avoid the female relatives.”

Baoyu was also filled with anger, which was why he spoke without thinking. After hearing Lin Zhixiao's wife's slightly teasing words, his face became even more red like a weeping bloody moon.

Lin Zhixiao's wife seemed to be speaking from the heart, and said: "Second Master is different now, he has grown up and is no longer old enough to dance like an elephant.

He has been engaged this year and is a married man. Not only should he avoid the women in his same room, but he should also avoid the women in other rooms at all times. This is how a young master behaves.

Otherwise, if your words and actions are too rude and someone hears it outside, they will say that Rongguo Mansion has no etiquette or rules. "

……

As Baoyu listened to the old woman's increasingly vulgar words, he felt so depressed that he wanted to die, and his face gradually turned pale.

I am an outstanding and honest person, but I am only in my 60s, and I still have a lot of youth to do. It's time for me to spend my leisure time in the inner house with my sisters.

It was only out of helplessness that he was involved in the rotten matchmaker affair. He was deeply distressed that he was slandered as a married man.

How can a person like me who is not ordinary and noble stand such a married man's nonsense? It is really too vicious and vulgar.

How can I be honest and close to my sisters in the future?

People like Lin Daiyu and Bao Jiejie, hearing such a filthy name, don't know how to feel sad and regretful for themselves...

Although Lin Zhixiao's wife didn't know Baoyu's strange thoughts, when she saw that he looked ashamed and embarrassed after hearing what she said, she knew that she had hit the nail on the head.

She became more and more excited and said, "Second Master Bao should understand that Third Master has worked hard to build the family business. Now the Rongguo Mansion is a family of Jinshi and Hanlin.

Married men should avoid the women of other families. This kind of family rules and etiquette is much more important than before. This kind of face must not be lost..."

Lin Zhixiao's words seemed sincere, but the meaning behind them was very vicious, and she did not give Baoyu the slightest bit of face.

Even if her words were heard by Lady Jia and the old lady would be unhappy, she would not be too afraid.

Now the Rongguo Mansion has long since changed. She is clinging to Jia Cong's job and has fallen out with the second wife.

Her daughter Xiaohong is Jia Cong's capable maid. She is very much liked by Jia Cong for her daily behavior, so she naturally knows how to stand in the right position.

A few days ago, the Second Mistress stopped paying Baoyu's monthly allowance, which was no small matter in the inner house, but Third Master Cong said nothing about it.

Lin Zhixiao's wife has lived in the mansion all her life, so she can see that the Third Master and the Second Mistress are of the same mind, and she must be fed up with Second Master Bao.

She saw the underlying situation clearly, so why would she hesitate to speak to Baoyu?

……

After hearing the old woman's continuous attacks, Baoyu was stunned, his face turned pale, and his whole body was shaking with anger.

The title of a married man already made him feel ashamed, and the words "from a Jinshi family" and "from a Hanlin family" were like tearing his skin and bones apart.

He even had an illusion in his mind that the ground of the West Palace where he was standing was scorching hot, making it almost impossible for him to stand, and he wanted to turn around and flee.

But he was unwilling to accept it, and couldn't help rolling his eyes. He also felt that it was not appropriate in this situation, so he hesitated...

……

The atmosphere in Rongqing Hall was warm and lively. When Jia's grandmother saw Ping'er in her new clothes, which looked pretty, exquisite and charming, she couldn't help but like her.

She suddenly felt a little sad. No wonder Baoyu was like that that day. It was a pity that Baoyu didn't have the blessing to be with such a person.

She took the tea from Ping'er with a smile, and gave Ping'er an ebony makeup box filled with fine jewelry as a return gift.

He smiled and said some common words. Aunt Xue and others either sent gifts or said some auspicious words of congratulation.

Suddenly I heard some noise outside the hall and could vaguely hear people arguing.

Grandmother Jia frowned and asked, "What's going on outside? It sounds a bit noisy."

Wang Xifeng's face changed slightly. Unlike Lady Jia who was old and hard of hearing, she could already hear the faint voice of Baoyu outside.

Now she also understood Baoyu's character. He always regarded himself as the phoenix of the mansion and liked to talk nonsense in front of the female relatives to show that he was different from the common people.

But if a great talent like Brother Cong was present, he would become guilty and timid, not even daring to fart. His behavior was really disgusting.

Wang Xifeng also guessed that Ping'er was paying respects today, and Baoyu was used to going in and out of Rongqing Hall, so he might come to join in the fun today.

If he was jealous, reckless, and said some unpleasant things, both Ping'er and himself would lose face.

So before Wang Xifeng entered the hall this morning, she asked Lin Zhixiao's wife to guard the entrance of Rongqing Hall.

It's because Lin Zhixiao's family is the manager of the inner courtyard, and he is very mature in his work and speech. No one else can do this.

She had only given a few vague instructions beforehand, and Lin Zhixiao's wife knew everything immediately. Now that there was a noise outside the hall, Wang Xifeng guessed what was going on.

She winked at Feng'er beside her and said, "Go out and see what's going on. Don't disturb the old lady."

Feng Er came back soon after he left and said, "The one talking outside is Master Bao, he is clamoring to enter the hall.

But today is the day for the women of the first house to perform the rituals, and according to the rules of etiquette, the men of the second house must avoid the women, and the second master is making a fuss. "

……

After hearing Feng'er's words, the women in the hall all had strange expressions on their faces.

Aunt Xue had a blank expression on her face. She picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea without saying a word. Her expression was unusually cold.

Aunt Xue and Mrs. Wang are sisters. According to the common sense of their relationship, she should have said a few words to Baoyu at this moment. Her expression is quite thought-provoking.

The female members of the inner house perform etiquette when entering the room, while the male members of the other rooms avoid the room according to etiquette, and a strict separation between men and women is required in a large house.

At this time, Baoyu was clamoring to enter the hall, behaving quite awkwardly. From Aunt Xue's expression, everyone could see that she didn't want to get involved, so as not to lose face.

Li Wan looked a little embarrassed. After all, the ones causing trouble were from her second wife, so she felt a little embarrassed.

She felt a little resentful in her heart that Baoyu was too ignorant of the seriousness of the matter. The women in the inner house were going through the ceremony of marrying into the Fang family, so why did he come to join in the fun?

The family is no longer the same as before. He lives in the West Mansion in a dishonest manner and does not know how to be filial to his master.

How could such a fool of himself happen at such a critical moment? Feng girl just interrupted the conversation and asked her maid to go out and see what was going on. But no matter how she looked at it, it seemed strange.

The words that Feng'er said when she came back sounded as if she had been instigated by someone, and she was just short of scolding Baoyu for not knowing the rules.

Baoyu is an adult, can't he see that the first wife doesn't like him? The wife is also a powerful person, why doesn't she give her son advice from time to time?

Li Wan felt somewhat dissatisfied. The Second Branch had such family education. No wonder the First Branch had to come to the fore and now ended up in this situation.

She couldn't help but hug her son to her side, thinking that she must discipline her Lan'er strictly to prevent him from following Baoyu's path.

Yu Shi, who was standing aside, also had a strange expression on her face. She had interacted with Wang Xifeng's sister-in-law in the past years and knew her temper well. After hearing what she said just now, she knew that she was not in a good mood.

After all, they lived in the same mansion, and she also heard the rumor that the monthly allowance was delayed. This was a fight between the first and second wives, a common dirty thing in big mansions.

Baoyu doesn't know how to advance or retreat. The Rongguo Mansion is in such a bad situation now, and he is still rushing around like this. Sooner or later, something will happen.

……

As soon as Feng Er finished speaking, Wang Xifeng said, "Madam, Brother Cong is not at home today because he is at the government office. Ping Er will come into the room to pay his respects.

At present, the West Mansion is different from before. Everyone says that it is a family of Hanlin scholars and a noble family. Many people stare at it with curiosity.

If I cause trouble and make a fool of myself in front of others, I won't be able to face Brother Cong again.

After all, Baoyu is a man from outside the family, so it is inconvenient for him to interfere in the affairs of the women in the first house. He is the grandson that the old lady loves the most, so she still needs to be persuaded. "

Wang Xifeng's words were tactful and polite, but when Lady Jia heard them, her face turned red and she blamed Baoyu for being ignorant and coming at this time.

Feng girl was already angry with Baoyu, and Baoyu took advantage of her anger, which gave her a chance to be criticized.

Girl Feng even tried to smooth things over for herself, which made Bai Luo feel very uncomfortable.

Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "Yuanyang, go out and tell Baoyu that the women in the hall are now greeting each other and asking him to come back to eat with me at noon."

The women in the hall all understood what Grandmother Jia meant. She was trying to smooth things over for Baoyu and not to embarrass him too much. After all, the old lady still doted on him.

……

Outside Rongqing Hall, Baoyu was so angry that his face turned red, but he couldn't explain anything. Lin Zhixiao's face was smiling, and he didn't listen. Baoyu was a coward and didn't have the courage to force his way into Rongqing Hall. The two of them were in a stalemate for a while.

At this time, Baoyu saw the door curtain of the hall was lifted, and Yuanyang came out pretty much, looking at him.

Baoyu was delighted: "Sister Yuanyang, did the old lady hear me coming and ask you to call me in?"

Yuanyang's face stiffened slightly and he suppressed the discomfort in his heart.

She said calmly, "The old lady asked me to tell Master Bao that the women from the main house are going to pay their respects, and because of family etiquette, Master Bao, please step aside for the time being.

Come to Rongqing Hall again at noon and have lunch with the old lady."

When Baoyu heard this, he felt as if someone had choked him by the neck. His face turned red with embarrassment and he was burning with anger.

He really didn't expect that the old lady who had always doted on him would actually want to drive him away.

He felt wronged and angry. Who had he offended? Why did everyone treat him so badly?

At this time, Caiyun was rushing over. After Baoyu left, she became a little restless, fearing that Baoyu would cause trouble again in Rongqing Hall.

If I offend the Second Mistress again, she might not only withhold my monthly allowance but also resort to some other ruthless tactics.

By then, the Second Master's face will be trampled on the ground, and he may no longer have the face to stay in the West Mansion.

If the wife were to investigate the matter, those of us in the house would be accused of not knowing how to give advice.

The more Caiyun thought about it, the more worried she became, so she hurried to Rongqing Hall to find out what was going on, and happened to hear Yuanyang's words.

Baoyu originally wanted to say a few words to Yuanyang, otherwise it would be too shameful to leave like this.

But Yuanyang had already spoken, and regardless of whether Baoyu left or not, she bent her slender waist, lifted the door curtain and went back to the hall, without giving Baoyu a chance to speak.

Caiyun saw Baoyu standing there stiffly, and Lin Zhixiao's wife standing like a door god, neither positive nor negative at the entrance of Rongqing Hall. She couldn't help feeling a little headache.

These people were obviously colluding to ridicule the Second Master, but the Second Master didn't wake up and back off from the limelight earlier. He was just standing here foolishly and embarrassing himself.

He stepped forward and said, "Second Master, let's go back first and come back to have lunch with the old lady at noon. Don't waste time here..."

Although Baoyu was unwilling in his heart, he had no choice but to be pulled and coaxed back to his own yard by Caiyun.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

Today, Ping'er is performing family ceremonies in Rongqing Hall. Xiren and Sheyue are both maids, so naturally they are not qualified to enter Rongqing Hall to watch the ceremony.

Although Xiren had entered Baoyu's room, Baoyu had not yet married and she had not given birth to any children, so she only had the title of concubine and was still a maid to outsiders.

Xiren, Sheyue and Ping'er have been good friends since childhood, so naturally they would come to see her off today, just waiting for her to return from Rongqingtang to congratulate them, so as to make good their many years of sisterhood worthwhile.

Ping'er's room was a little empty, with several boxes on the floor. Her clothes, jewelry and other items had been packed yesterday.

Even if Xiren and Sheyue came, there was nothing they could do to help. They just sat in the room and chatted.

Musk Moon smiled and said, "We, Ping'er, Amber, Zijuan, Jinchuan, Yuchuan'er, Cui Mo, and the other ten have been close friends since childhood.

Unexpectedly, Ping'er was the most proud in the end and won the first prize.

I often hear people talking about Master Cong Sanye. He is not only capable and good-looking, but also very caring towards girls, and he is also protective and responsible.

Ping'er is very lucky now, and she will definitely live a smoother life than the rest of us in the future."

Xiren felt a little sad when she heard this. She tried her best to coax Baoyu into bed, and finally got her wish and became Baoyu's concubine-to-be.

I originally thought that she was the most successful and proud among the maids, but I didn't expect Ping'er to have such a blessing.

Although she was determined to be with Baoyu all her life, she knew in her heart that Master Bao could not be compared with Master Cong.

Putting aside the vast difference in their talents and official positions, this Third Master Cong and the Second Master seem to have something in common: they both care deeply about girls.

But even this one was very different.

At the beginning, Jin Chuan was forced to jump into a well because of the shame and grievance caused by the Second Master. The Second Master was helpless, and it was the Third Master Cong who saved Jin Chuan's life.

Most of the maids around Master Cong Sanye nowadays are not born in the family, but were brought in from outside by Master Cong Sanye. Their stories are very touching.

Things in the world are the most incomparable. Sometimes Xiren is a little shaken. It seems that the Second Master's kindness to girls is not as good as that of the Third Master...

……

Xiren felt a little dissatisfied when she heard Musk Moon praising Jia Cong while she was following Baoyu.

I couldn't help but tease, "How come you also like the Third Master? Why not let Ping'er be your matchmaker? Maybe you can get what you want."

After hearing this, Sheyue blushed and spat at Xiren, saying, "I thought you were a decent person, yet you say such shameless things.

The Third Master has always been outstanding and proud. I am not the only one who would say that. If the maid in the mansion doesn't say that, can they all be the Third Master's concubines?

I know my own worth very well.

You have seen the maids around the Third Master before. They are all literate and look like they came out of paintings.

We cannot compare to them in terms of looks, and we are even less able to compare with them in terms of destiny and fortune. Why do you have such wishful thinking? You will be laughed at.

I just thought that when I was old enough, Ansheng would let me go home, where I would have parents, brothers and sisters, and live a stable life. "

Xiren and Sheyue had been together for many years, so she naturally knew what she was thinking and said with a smile, "It is naturally very good that you have this ambition.

But you are a house-born child, and your future is largely in the hands of your wife. There is nothing else to worry about, but there is one thing you must be careful about.

When you get older, I'm afraid your wife won't want all the money to be wasted, and it would be terrible if she marries you to a guy from another courtyard.

You and I both know best what kind of people those guys in the outer courtyard are.

After being driven out, Tan Yun was assigned to be a driver in the outer courtyard, where he was beaten black and blue every few days.

She secretly approached me several times, and originally wanted to ask Second Master for help, but she was married to someone else, so how could others interfere? It was really a sin..."

……

When Musk Moon heard this, her face turned pale. She was of course aware of Tan Yun's affairs, but who could say for sure whether she would be Tan Yun in the future.

Xiren saw that Musk Moon looked unhappy and knew what she was thinking. Although she had just teased Musk Moon, what she said at this moment came from her heart.

Because she knew best in her heart that Musk Moon's long-cherished wish was to be released when she reached a certain age and live a normal life.

Since Musk Moon had no intention of being a concubine and had done no harm to Xiren, she hoped that she would leave safely...

Although Musk Moon's appearance was not outstanding among the maids in Rongguo Mansion, she was a standout figure outside.

As long as she can find a suitable family and marry into one, or become someone's concubine, the family will be kind and may mercifully return her indenture.

In the future, Musk Moon's descendants will not have to be slaves and can live upright lives. Such a thing has happened in Rongguo Mansion.

When Musk Moon entered Baoyu's room, she was more or less hoping that Baoyu would be favored by the old lady and that she could help him get such favor.

But does she still have such hope now?
……

Xiren said, "Everything was fine originally, but I didn't expect Qiu Wen to be so wicked and say something bad in front of Madam.

The mistress suddenly came to the second master's yard and happened to hear us talking. The mistress scolded you that day, and I saw that she was very angry..."

Musk Moon's face was pale, her pretty face was tense, she bit her lip and said, "I also know what happened that day, and sooner or later I will have a bad ending.

If you really send me to marry a boy from the outer courtyard someday, I will kill myself and never let anyone get their way. Then we'll see who has the nerve to do it!"

Xiren's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. Musk Moon was smart and capable, with a sharp tongue. She was naturally not a gentle person and had a very fierce temper at heart.

She would say such things, but Xiren didn't think she couldn't do it.

He quickly advised: "Don't be so ruthless now. There are still one or two years left. There is a long time to come. If you try to please your wife, you will be able to win her back.

I will also be wholeheartedly on your side, and I won't say much for you. When the time comes, I will ask the old lady and the wife to ask for help, and it will definitely work out."

Musk Moon was more shrewd and insightful than Xiren. After hearing what Xiren said, she smiled bitterly in her heart.

Given my wife's temper, she already hates me now, so how could she tolerate me for another year or two? I'm afraid that one day she will have an attack if she gets a reason.

As for Xiren's suggestion to let Baoyu speak up, Musk Moon had seen a lot of things in this year and was familiar with Baoyu's character, so she didn't believe that he would be of any use.

He didn't save Jin Chuan, nor did he save Qianxue, let alone Tan Yun. Why would he save himself? This is nonsense. How can I believe it?

The two chatted and looked at the boxes and crates in the room that Ping'er was about to move away, each of them having complicated and unspeakable thoughts in their minds.

There may be envy, sighing, or worry...

At this time, a little maid ran into the room, and the two recognized her as a maid in Baoyu Courtyard.

The little maid said breathlessly, "Sister Xiren, Sister Sheyue, the Second Master is making a scene in the room, and Sister Caiyun can't handle it.

I told you to go back and take care of it quickly. If you disturb the wife, something bad will happen..." (End of this chapter)