Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

A group of female relatives, all in gorgeous clothes, with fluttering skirts, shining hairpins and glittering hairpins, and sleeves filled with perfumed rouge, followed one another into Sister Feng's courtyard.

Wang Xifeng took Ping'er to Rongqingtang to pay family greetings and returned. Not only Yingchun, Wu'er and others from the East Palace were also accompanying them.

There were also Yuanyang, Amber and other maids who had been Ping'er's good friends since childhood, who came to see her off at her new residence.

The group of people were chatting and laughing. After they entered the courtyard and the main hall, Wang Xifeng asked the maid to serve them tea.

When Yingchun came, she brought a few maids from the East Palace and arranged for Ping'er's personal luggage to be moved to Jia Cong's courtyard.

Many maids and old women passing by were standing at the gate of Fengjie's courtyard. They watched three or four large boxes being carried out of the courtyard, whispering to each other with envious expressions on their faces.

Wu Er whispered in Ping Er's ear: "Zhi Shao and Qing Wen have already prepared your room for you, and you can go there and settle down when the time comes.

The Third Master will be able to return home at sunset, and we will hold a banquet to welcome you over. I'll trouble you to keep watch for the Third Master tonight."

Ping'er's face turned red after hearing this. This was the first time in her life that she had to keep watch for a master...

Wang Xifeng asked Yingchun, Wu'er, Yuanyang and others to sit for a while, and took Ping'er into the inner room.

She took out a rosewood jewelry box from the cabinet and said with a smile, "These headwear items were selected from my dowry box and saved for you.

You usually serve your third brother with these items, and it would be a bit ostentatious to wear them. Who knows, others might gossip and get jealous.

It's just right to wear it during the New Year and other festivals. You're the one who left my house, so you should have something to look presentable."

Ping'er saw the glittering jewelry box filled with fine items, and her eyes turned slightly red.

She said, "I have been with grandma for so many years. Now that I am moving, I will never forget her kindness. Without her, I would not be where I am today."

Ping'er said this sincerely. Although Wang Xifeng had a fierce and aggressive temper, Ping'er had a gentle and kind nature. The master and servant had been together since childhood and had a tacit understanding with each other.

Even though there is a difference in status between the two people, there is a true friendship between them.

Ping'er's fate as Wang Xifeng's maidservant during her dowry was limited by her status, if Wang Xifeng had not decided to marry her to Jia Cong.

Even if Ping'er secretly had feelings for Jia Cong, she could only keep it in her heart and would never be happy in her entire life.

Just for this one thing, Ping'er was deeply grateful to Wang Xifeng. A huge amount of money is not as good as having someone to rely on for life. It is even more precious and rare to have a long-cherished wish come true.

Wang Xifeng touched Ping'er's temples and sighed, "I will remember your words. When you enjoy the glory and success with your third brother, don't forget our friendship.

It was a long time before our second master came back from Liaodong, and my eldest sister was about to be engaged by then.

For so many years, in this family, who else can I rely on besides you? "

Perhaps because her personal maid who had been with her since childhood was about to leave her side, Wang Xifeng seemed a little depressed and sad.

No matter how strong Wang Xifeng was, she was still a woman after all. Having lost the support of her husband, she felt deeply confused and uneasy, just like other women.

Ping Er said, "Don't worry, Madam. You are the eldest sister-in-law of the first house. Now that the two houses have the support of the Third Master, he will definitely not let you suffer any loss or grievance."

……

Wang Xifeng took out another small package from the closet. Ping'er opened it and found a piece of white chiffon silk inside, which was so white that it was dazzling.

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "These are the things that girls bring with them when they get married. Since there is no one in your family, naturally I will prepare them for you."

When Ping'er saw the piece of white silk, her pretty face turned red with shame and she dared not say a word.

Wang Xifeng said: "Brother Cong is a man of integrity, not like those men out there. Wu'er has been with him for many years, and she has never seen him get impatient.

You have never spent a day with him before, so I guess he won't be that eager for you. I'm afraid you won't be able to use this thing for the time being.

This is also good, it will last for a long time, if you serve him wholeheartedly, he will definitely spoil you in the future, my own girl will be fine."

Ping'er felt a little warm in her heart when she heard this. This was because her grandmother knew the Third Master's temper very well and was giving her some advice and reminders so that she would be aware of the situation.

She hoped that she would be favored sooner, and told herself not to be too hasty, which was very thoughtful.

Ping'er felt more and more at ease. She was both excited and delighted to be with Jia Cong day and night, and grateful for Wang Xifeng's meticulousness.

……

After the two of them finished their private conversation, they returned to the main hall. Yuanyang said, "Xiren and Sheyue said they would come to see us off, why haven't they shown up yet?"

Feng'er came in to refill the tea and replied, "I heard from the little maid that the two of them came here a long time ago and sat in Ping'er's room for a while.

Later, someone came to Master Bao's room and told them something, and he looked very anxious, so they hurried back, because it sounded like Master Bao was causing trouble."

When Yingchun and others heard this, they remembered that Baoyu was stopped at the door by Lin Zhixiao's wife when he wanted to enter Rongqing Hall just now.

Baoyu was used to being spoiled by the old lady and had never experienced such a setback. Naturally, he felt very uncomfortable, and it would not be surprising if he went back and lost his temper.

But I don’t know what big thing has happened that even Xiren and Sheyue are so panicked and rushing back to deal with it?

Wang Xifeng said to Yingchun, "Second sister is more capable than me. You have managed the huge East Mansion perfectly and there has never been any gossip.

Unlike the West Palace here, there are many people, many things to do, and many disputes. I worry about it every day until my head hurts, and Baoyu is the most troublesome one.

Seeing that their masters were lax, the servants in the mansion also relaxed their efforts, disrupted the rules, and made the control even more chaotic. "

Wang Xifeng said to Feng'er, "Go to Baoyu's room and see what they are doing. Come back to me right away and don't make any more trouble."

Yingchun, Yuanyang and others present were all smart people. They could hear the serious meaning behind Wang Xifeng's words and were afraid that they would not let Baoyu do whatever he wanted.

Ever since Lady Wang asked Lady Jia for her to be a concubine for her son Baoyu, Yuanyang hated both mother and son.

In addition, Baoyu's words were frivolous and narcissistic, and his mind was dirty and vulgar, which made her look down on him. She didn't care if Baoyu was disciplined by others.

Although Yingchun is gentle and kind-hearted, and has watched Baoyu grow up, she would not deliberately watch him being embarrassed by others.

But everyone has their own priorities. Yingchun's heart is filled with her brother Jia Cong. To her, nothing is more important than her brother.

Today, his younger brother Cong was taking in a concubine and was performing the family rituals in Rongqing Hall, but Baoyu ignored the etiquette and made trouble, simply not giving his brother face.

Yingchun was protective of her brothers and had long noticed that Baoyu was not kind to her younger brother Cong, so how could she not be annoyed with Baoyu.

Besides, every word Wang Xifeng said just now made sense. Now that the West Mansion is managed by Wang Xifeng, she naturally would not say anything more.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Xiren and Sheyue received the news from the little maid, and without even waiting for Ping'er to come back, they hurried back to Baoyu's courtyard.

On the way, Xiren asked what had happened, and the little maid told her everything about why Baoyu had caused the trouble.

Baoyu was actually not allowed to enter Rongqing Hall. That was an unprecedented thing and it was impossible to hide it from anyone.

He was dragged back to his own yard by Caiyun, and within a quarter of an hour, the shameful incident had spread throughout the house.

Although the little maidservant did not hear Caiyun mention it, she heard several people whispering while she was delivering the message to Xiren and Sheyue, and she thought it was a joke.

Musk Moon frowned and said, "Second Master, why don't you wake up? You hit a snag last time, and now you're rushing to fall into a trap again, making people laugh at you for nothing."

Xiren said, "Don't say such depressing words now. Go back and keep the matter under control. Otherwise, if the news gets to Madam's ears, who knows what will happen."

Musk Moon didn't say anything after hearing this. She just felt that this matter could not be suppressed. From now on, it would be even more difficult to stay in the West Palace.

She was not only worried, but also felt that if Master Bao was forced to move back to the East Courtyard, the Madam would have the final say in that one and a half acres of land.

Ever since she was scolded by Mrs. Wang that time, she had a vague feeling that it was not just a few idle chats between her and Xiren, but there must be other reasons.

Although Musk Moon couldn't guess what it was, she knew that the difficulty she was facing was probably no less than what Xiao Hong had experienced.

If I really move back to the East Courtyard with the Second Master, and my wife disciplines me, I will be helpless...

……

The two of them came back in a hurry. Just as they stepped into the courtyard, they heard the sound of things being smashed in the main room, as well as Caiyun's pleading and dissuading words.

Xiren ran into the room in small steps. It was a mess. The pens, ink, paper and inkstone on the table were scattered all over the floor, and the tables, chairs and benches were all tilted.

Most of the furnishings on the antique display cabinet were smashed by Baoyu, and the ground was littered with debris, as if the house had just been ransacked.

Xiren stepped forward and held Baoyu, admonishing him, "Second Master, if you are angry, then you are angry, but why do you mess with these things and make a noise that will only cause gossip?"

She picked up a piece of pink crystal from the ground and said distressedly, "The furnishings in the house are all valuable items, each of which is worth several years of our money.

This pair of agate plates originally belonged to the old lady's room. The second master liked them so much that he begged for them. Now he smashed them to pieces in anger.

If the old lady asks us about it, we don’t know how to fool her. If we are found to be wrong, our life will be even more miserable.”

Baoyu burst into tears: "I treated them with all my heart, wishing I could give them my whole heart, yet they bullied and humiliated me like this. How can this be justified in the world?

You only care about these dead and mundane things, but you don't know my heart at all. I really have no place to complain, so I just smashed them all!"

Despite Xiren and Caiyun's pleas and dissuasion, Baoyu not only did not calm down at all, but became even more unbridled and reckless.

He ran to the antique display cabinet crying and raised a vase from the previous dynasty, then smashed it to pieces, becoming even more furious.

Xiren and Caiyun rushed over and pulled and tugged, but Sheyue stood aside without moving, as if she was watching a foreign show.

Because she was more insightful than Xiren, she knew that given Baoyu's personality, it would be impossible to persuade him by just forcing him.

He said, "Second Master wants to smash things, but he should know what's going on. When the master and his wife moved to the East Courtyard, all the belongings of the second house were handed over and moved away.

Now, the items in this room are probably all considered the property of the West Mansion. Since Second Madam is such a meticulous person, I don’t know how to write them in the public accounts.

The Second Master is quite happy with what he has done now, but I wonder what the Second Mistress will say about it?"

……

At this time, Baoyu picked up a small jade incense burner with the inscription of longevity and fortune and was about to smash it.

This jade incense burner is more valuable than an agate plate. If it is smashed for no reason, even if the Jia family is a wealthy family, people will definitely talk about it.

Xiren and Caiyun both held Baoyu's hands tightly, trying to snatch them from him as the three of them were pushing and shoving each other.

When Baoyu suddenly heard Musk Moon's cold words, he couldn't help but shudder. Thinking of how powerful Wang Xifeng was, he loosened his grip.

Caiyun took the jade incense burner from his hand and hurriedly moved away several steps, fearing that Baoyu would go crazy again and snatch it away.

Seeing that Baoyu was frightened by her two words, Musk Moon felt a little disappointed and annoyed. She picked up a broom and lowered her head to sweep up the crumbs on the ground.

Xiren also breathed a sigh of relief, and was glad that Musk Moon was smart and had a sharp tongue, and that she was able to control Baoyu with just a few words, otherwise she really didn't know what would happen.

……

At this time, the voice of a little maid sounded outside the door: "Isn't this Sister Feng'er? How come you have time to hang out here?"

Feng Er said, "Second Madam heard rumors that there was some movement here at Second Master Bao's place, so she asked me to come over and see what was going on."

When Xiren and Sheyue heard Feng'er talking, their faces changed. What they feared came true. They really brought the Second Mistress here...

The maid Feng'er usually doesn't show off her talents, but Xiren and Sheyue, both old people in the mansion, know that this little maid is no ordinary person.

Because of Wang Xifeng's jealous nature, she bullied and dismissed all the maids who came with her as a dowry in her room, including Jia Lian's personal maid, and some died or dispersed.

Now only Ping'er and Feng'er are left. They can get along with a person like Wang Xifeng for a long time without making any mistakes. They are both people who do things in a very organized way.

Ping'er helps Wang Xifeng with housework and is usually very prominent, which is known to everyone in the mansion.

Feng'er was only in charge of miscellaneous affairs in Wang Xifeng's courtyard, delivering things, passing messages, and running errands. Although she was much more low-key than Ping'er, she was second only to Ping'er in terms of Wang Xifeng's respect.

Since Wang Xifeng replaced Lady Wang as the housekeeper of the West Mansion, the status of Feng'er, the little maid, naturally rose.

At this time, Feng'er came to check on things on Wang Xifeng's orders. She didn't sound like a good person, so Xiren and Sheyue were a little nervous.

……

At this time, a figure swayed at the door of the room, and a little maid came in. She had a round face, delicate eyebrows and eyes, and was wearing a red silk jacket, a green satin vest with lace, and a white silk pleated skirt.

Xiren smiled apologetically and said, "It turns out to be Sister Feng'er. How come you have time to come here today?"

Before Feng'er could reply, she was startled to see the mess in the room. She kept looking at the museum shelves and the debris on the floor with her round eyes.

She said, "I heard that there was a noise in Master Bao's room, and Madam was worried that something might happen, so she asked me to come over and take a look. How could it be like this?"

Xiren said quickly, "It's all our fault. We just made the Second Master angry and knocked over a few things. It's not a big deal. We were just about to clean it up."

Feng Er said, "That's fine, I'll go back and give you a reply."

Xiren saw that Feng'er didn't say a word and was really tight-lipped, so even if she wanted to say a few words to plead for mercy, she couldn't find any loophole.

Baoyu had just been acting recklessly and smashing things for great pleasure. He just wanted to give free rein to his grief and indignation and live up to his feelings of injustice and innocence.

Now that Wang Xifeng sent Feng Er over, he suddenly lost his momentum, and felt timid and uneasy...

Musk Moon looked at Feng'er's swift departure and said, "This Feng'er is like the shadow of Second Madam, a very smart person.

I just saw her carefully examining the museum shelves and the debris on the floor, and I was afraid things were going to be bad."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

Wang Xifeng sent Ping'er out of the courtyard. Ping'er, holding Wu'er's hand, followed behind Yingchun, looking back from time to time, her bright eyes always rosy.

Seeing Wang Xifeng's red eyes, Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled and said, "Second Madam is too sentimental. Miss Ping only went to the East Palace, which is only a few steps away.

After that, we still saw each other every day, just like before. Miss Ping had a good home, and everyone in the mansion praised the Second Madam for her kindness and righteousness. "

Wang Xifeng sighed and said, "You are right. She just moved to a new place, but I still see her every day. This is very good."

At this time, Feng Er was coming back from Baoyu's courtyard. Wang Xifeng asked, "Have you gone to see what Baoyu has done?"

Feng Er said, "Second Madam, Xiren said that they made Second Master angry, and he smashed everything in the house.

I looked carefully, and there are only a few complete items left on the antique display shelf."

Wang Xifeng's pretty face darkened and she said, "Go back to the room and show me the account book. Aunt Lin should come in with you."

The three of them entered the room, Feng'er found the corresponding account book from the cabinet and skillfully opened one of the pages.

She said, “Most of the furnishings in Master Bao’s room were given to him by the old lady because she loved them. They are all top-quality items.

The last time the second wife moved to the East Courtyard, Aunt Lin and I counted the items in the account together. I remember all those things very clearly.

Today I looked at the museum shelves and the debris on the ground, and found that a total of six items were smashed by Master Bao.

Among them are a pair of pink agate plates of Fu Lu Shou, a Ru kiln rain blue vase from the early Song Dynasty, and a Begonia frozen stone banana leaf cup..."

Feng'er spoke in a clear voice, listing five or six antique items in one breath. Lin Zhixiao's family, who was standing nearby, had counted these items before, so they naturally knew their weight.

He took a deep breath and said, "Oh my God, Master Bao really has the heart to do this. He really doesn't feel any pain in his heart when his son sells his father's land.

Just these few items are enough for our entire West Mansion, hundreds of people, to chew on for several months."

Wang Xifeng's face was as gloomy as water, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Baoyu is really spoiled, he is too wasteful, he has destroyed our property in the West Mansion.

If everyone continues to waste things like him, no matter how wealthy our family is, it will be squandered by him. We can’t just let this matter go, otherwise it will become even more lawless in the future.

Since Xiren said that they made Baoyu angry and that's why he smashed these things, for the sake of the old lady, I will give Baoyu some face.

But maids like Xiren did not serve properly, did not know how to advise Baoyu, and wasted the property of the West Mansion. There is no way they can excuse their mistakes.

Starting from next month, the maids in Baoyu's courtyard will be exempted from three months' salary, and they will not be paid this month.

Aunt Lin went to the antique shop to estimate the market price. Since the monthly salary was not enough to offset the loss, she recorded the shortfall in the account and would calculate it later.

Go call Xiren over and explain everything to her."

……

Lin Zhixiao's wife asked, "Second Madam, your solution is reasonable, but it's a big deal to have to pay four consecutive months' salary.

I'm afraid if I call Xiren to talk, the Second Madam of the East Courtyard will know in no time."

Wang Xifeng said, "Let me ask you, are those six antiques worth four months' wages for these maids?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife said, "Look at what Second Madam said. Even if we pay her forty months' wages and sell them all, they are still not worth this price."

Wang Xifeng said, "That's it. Some things are always hidden, and everyone pretends to be confused, so they will never be clear in their lifetime.

If Baoyu had smashed it in the past, it would have been smashed, as it was also something that the second house had the final say over.

But now, Brother Cong has been ordered to inherit the title and the business, and what Baoyu smashed was Brother Cong’s property!
He is not a robber. How can he destroy other people's property and act as if nothing happened? How can such a thing be justified in this world?

If such things were allowed to happen and no one said anything, even murder and arson could be committed, and the eldest wife would become a laughing stock.

If the Second Madam is dissatisfied, just let her come and talk to me. We will go to the Old Madam and talk about the rules and principles.

I can also guess what will happen next. If we don’t take drastic measures, I’m afraid that after Baoyu gets married, some things will be entangled and not decent...” (End of this chapter)