Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 724: Marriage is a Tribulations

Earl's Mansion, Dengxian Pavilion.

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the breeze is blowing, and the fragrance is subtle, it is so pleasant.

After Tanchun left, only Jia Cong and Daiyu were left chatting and laughing. The bright yellow courtyard wall on the slope was extremely eye-catching in the sun.

Daiyu suddenly became interested, and the two of them left Dengxian Pavilion and climbed the steps along the south slope.

Seeing that Daiyu was a little out of breath, Jia Cong took her hand and walked up the stairs.

Daiyu's pretty face blushed. Although it was daytime, the stone steps were cold and shaded by trees, so no one could see her. She did not struggle and let Jia Cong lead her.

The two of them walked to the top of the hill and saw old women and maids coming in and out of the courtyard. Zhishao was assigning orders for the placement and display of things.

She had practiced in Panxiang Temple for two years and knew her master and senior sisters' daily living habits best, so naturally she arranged the interior and exterior of the house very appropriately.

Jia Cong looked at Zhishao who was busy running back and forth, and suddenly seemed to think of something.

He said to Daiyu, "Third sister is always calm and composed, but she left in a hurry just now. I wonder what happened in her room?"

Daiyu thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "I can probably guess some of the reasons. My third sister and I grew up in the West Mansion, so we know her affairs best.

The third sister is smart and cheerful. She has been loved by her grandmother since she was a child. Even her second aunt values ​​her and there is no estrangement as there is now.

The third sister is good in every way, except for her aunt, who is sharp-tongued, unwilling to suffer any loss, and has an unforgiving personality. She always causes trouble and embarrasses the third sister.

Although she was sometimes sharp-tongued, she was actually concerned about Aunt Zhao and Brother Huan. She could handle other things well, but this one made her feel at a loss.

However, the Huan brothers had no contact with their third brother since they were young and had never visited the East Palace. The third brother's family rules were very strict and outsiders were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard.

But Aunt Zhao is different. She is the biological mother of the third sister. The third sister is so anxious to return to her room. Could it be that Aunt Zhao came to visit her?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister, you are very careful and intelligent. Nothing can be hidden from you. Your divination must be accurate. But why did Aunt Zhao suddenly come to see Third Sister?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "Third brother, don't worry about third sister. The things Aunt Zhao mentioned are mostly trivial matters in the inner house. There is no big problem."

Jia Cong thought of Aunt Zhao's gossipy and mischievous nature, and felt that what Daiyu said made sense, so the two changed the subject.

……

Daiyu continued, "Yesterday I received a letter from my father, saying that I will be coming of age next year, and he and Aunt Chen miss me very much, so they asked me to go back to Yangzhou to visit my parents.

I really want to go back to visit my father, but I don’t know how long I will be away, and I won’t be able to see my third brother on a daily basis, and my sisters won’t be able to talk to him or keep him company.”

Jia Cong was stunned when he heard this and said, "My sister came home when she was seven years old. She hasn't been back for so many years. Your uncle must miss her very much. This is human nature.

It's time to go back and visit my uncle and fulfill my filial duty. My sister, please set a time to return to the south and tell my second sister and me as soon as possible.

I will definitely prepare everything properly for my sister, so she doesn't have to worry about anything."

Daiyu was originally reluctant, but after hearing what Jia Cong said, she pursed her lips.

He said, "Look at what Third Brother said. It sounds like he's eager for me to leave. Am I really that unlikable?"

Jia Cong laughed and scolded, "Nonsense, whoever said you are not lovable must be blind. Sister, go back to the south to accompany your uncle for a year or so, and I will go to pick you up."

Daiyu laughed and said, "You are trying to coax me with nice words. You say you will go to court every day, leave early and come back late, and you can travel thousands of miles to pick me up. But I don't believe it."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You also know that I went to Nanjing to take care of my old affairs. Maybe the emperor will send me south again in the future. When I return to Beijing, I will bring my sister back with me."

Daiyu said angrily, "Nonsense, I am not a thing that can be carried around."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "What's wrong with having a thing? You can keep it by your side every day. It's smart and cheerful, just like my sister."

Daiyu's pretty face flushed red because of his teasing, but she felt quite happy and pleased in her heart, but suddenly she thought of something.

He tilted his head to look at Jia Cong's expression and said, "I know that Third Brother has traveled a lot, has a wide range of friends, and knows a lot of people.

Tell me honestly, have you ever said such nice words to other sisters before? Otherwise, how could you say it so smoothly..."

Jia Cong looked thoughtful and said hesitantly, "I need to think about this. Who else have I coaxed?"

Daiyu was furious when she heard this and punched Jia Cong's shoulder twice. She snorted and muttered, "Now he is becoming even more annoying."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Good sister, let's stop making trouble. Let's go to Third Sister's place and see what's wrong with her. I can help her resolve the situation."

Daiyu was also a little curious, and Jia Cong took the opportunity to hold her hand. The two of them went down the stone steps together and went to Tanchun's courtyard.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

As the autumn wind grew stronger, the buds on the pear tree at the gate of the courtyard had all fallen, and most of the leaves had also fallen, leaving behind bleak shadows all over the ground under the bright sunshine.

A slender and nimble maid walked under the shadow of the tree and quickly entered Lixiangyuan.

Shishu has been with Tanchun for many years. Not only has she learned her shrewdness and competence, but she is also very efficient in her work.

She received Tanchun's instructions and happened to have some free time, so she took the rhodonite ring given by Tanchun and went for a walk in Lixiangyuan in the West Palace.

When she passed the gate of Lixiangyuan and turned into Baochai's boudoir, she found the room quiet, the bed curtains were empty, and the embroidery frame was silent.

Baochai was not to be seen inside or outside, only Jinchuan was doing needlework alone, which was exactly what she wanted.

Seeing the secretary come in, Jin Chuan smiled and said, "How come you have time to come and stroll around today? Don't you need to serve your young lady?"

Shishu and Jinchuan were both maids in the second room, so they were naturally very familiar with each other.

But when Jin Chuan was in Lady Wang's room, Shishu and Jin Chuan did not interact much because of concern for Tanchun's status as a concubine's daughter.

However, after Jin Chuan returned to Baochai, she frequently went in and out of the East Palace because Baochai had a good relationship with the sisters in the East Palace.

As a result, Jin Chuan and Shi Shu became closer than before. Whenever they met, they could chat about many topics without any concerns they had when they were in the same house.

So when Tanchun expressed her doubts, the secretary immediately thought of Jin Chuan and used the relationship between Jin Chuan's sisters to help Tanchun find out the news.

The secretary took out a bright red ring and said with a smile, “Our girl got some rhodonite rings, although they are not too expensive, they look exquisite.

Let me give one to you girls to enjoy. The other girls have also received one. Why is Miss Bao not in the room? "

Jin Chuan didn't care after hearing that. She took the rhodonite ring, played with it for a few moments, and then put it in Baochai's jewelry box.

……

Jin Chuan smiled and said, "The young lady has gone to the Second Mistress' room for a walk. I don't know when she will be back. Please sit down and talk with me. If you can't wait for the young lady to come back, I will pass it on to you."

The two sat down and chatted for a while. The secretary mentioned Caixia in a roundabout way. Jin Chuan responded with a few words and became a little concerned.

Although Caixia and they all came from the second branch, it was not strange for them to gossip about each other.

But the secretary did not know the truth. Jin Chuan learned that Caixia and Jia Huan were suspected of doing something wrong because of gossip with her sister.

She was worried that her sister Yuchuan would be implicated and would suffer in the future, so she carefully reminded her sister to stay out of it and not say anything.

Since she had given her sister such advice, she would naturally not leak any information. At this time, when Shishu suddenly mentioned Caixia, how could she not be alert?

The third girl is Mr. Huan Sanye's biological sister, and she is usually the closest and most valued by Mr. Huan.

He had to tell the news to the maid. The third lady knew the truth and was worried that her brothers would get into trouble, so she would definitely be involved.

If Caixia and Master Huan Sanye had done something shameful, it would be hard to clean up once the scandal got out. Master Huan loved the third young lady, so he might be involved as well.

Jin Chuan didn't want to see such a result. She valued Jia Cong very much and naturally didn't want him to get into trouble and suffer.

She kept her thoughts deep in her heart and never told anyone. Only Baochai guessed some of them, but she kept them to herself.

With these thoughts in mind, Jin Chuan found the secretary's words more and more strange, and he seemed to be hinting at something.

With his mind alert, he naturally kept to himself and responded carefully to the secretary's words, not letting a word slip out.

Although Shishu was clever, she was already overwhelmed when she met Jinchuan, and there was no way she could get her mouth open. The two chatted for a long time, but she still didn't care.

Shishu was somewhat disappointed and left Baochai's boudoir in a dull mood. Seeing Xue Pan coming towards her in the corridor, she bowed hastily and left Lixiangyuan.

……

Xue Pan walked into the main room and said to Aunt Xue, "Mom, why is my sister not at home? I'm looking for her for something important."

Aunt Xue glanced at her son and said, "What serious business do you have that requires the help of your sister?"

Xue Pan was a little unconvinced and said, "Look at what you said, mother. How can your son be so careless? I am much more serious than Baoyu.

Many people praise the North City grain store I run. Even the New Year grain for this mansion is purchased from me. Sister Feng also says that I am doing a good business. "

Aunt Xue said with a smile: "Look at how impatient you are. You still refuse to accept my words. You have done a good job in handling the grain store business.

The old lady praised me a few words yesterday, and finally she showed me some respect. I don’t want you to stand out, but you have to be more real than Baoyu.

You used to hang out all the time and made a bunch of bad friends, none of whom were useful. They were just there to keep you company and eat and drink.

Now I finally made some capable friends. These past few days I was walking around Rongqing Hall and met some old relatives of the Jia family who came to visit.

Every household bought their grain from the North City Grain Store. When talking about the owner of the North City Grain Store, Duan, they all said that he was very good at dealing with people, very good at doing business, and a great person. "

Xue Pan finally got praised by his mother, and he couldn't help but feel a little proud, and said: "The friends my son makes are naturally good.

Even his mother said that Duan Chunjiang was amazing, which showed that her son was right. Making friends with such a person would be of great help in the future.

I have something important to discuss with my sister today, and it has something to do with this period of shopkeepers."...

Aunt Xue felt unhappy when she heard this and said, "I just praised you for a few words and you started talking nonsense. You are talking nonsense again.

Your sister is an unmarried girl, the daughter of the Xue family, what does she have to do with that Duan!"

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Mom, don't get angry yet. Listen to what your son has to say. It's not too late to get angry. This is really a good thing.

You know that Duan Chunjiang was originally from Datong and had always been doing business in the Nine Borders. When Cong Ge'er pacified the Jurchens in Liaodong, he had heard of his great name for a long time.

But in the past, the north and the south were separated, and he didn't have the connections or power, so he had never been lucky enough to meet Cong Ge'er.

The imperial court was currently regulating border trade in the nine frontiers, and he could no longer make a living in Datong, so he came to Shenjing to run a grain shop business.

He also learned that our family and the Jia family were related by marriage and had a very close relationship, and that we now lived in the Rongguo Mansion, so he was overjoyed.

Because he admired Cong Ge'er's reputation, he begged me to introduce him to him several times, and my son was really embarrassed.

Mom, it's very important for my son to behave decently when he is out there, otherwise he won't be able to make friends.

I can't even do such a thing. Duan Chunjiang will definitely think that the Xue and Jia families are not real relatives, but just casual acquaintances. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for our family?

It’s just that my son was confused before, and he had a falling out with Cong’er because of Suyun’s matter. I want to ask him to come out, but I’m afraid he will ignore me.

But my sister is different. She is now in love with Congge'er. As long as she asks, Congge'er will definitely agree. "

……

When Aunt Xue heard this, she was so angry that she took out the unfinished soles from her sewing box and slapped Xue Pan on the head.

He cursed, "You rotten-mouthed thing, your sister is an innocent person, when did she have an affair with anyone?

There is a brother like you in this world, making things up, trying to ruin your sister's reputation. How could I have given birth to a bastard like you?"

Xue Pan ran around the room with his head in his hands, trying to avoid being beaten by Aunt Xue's shoes, begging for mercy.

"Oh my god, my son was too quick to speak and said the wrong thing. My sister and Cong are not in love, they are meant to be together.

Our two families are real relatives, and brothers and sisters in the same family should be close to each other. That is the right thing to do, and it is always right."

Aunt Xue saw her son begging for mercy, so she stopped this time and scolded him, "You just said you were trying to save face for me, and now you're doing something unreliable.

You are born into a wealthy family, but how come you don't understand the ways of the world and accept all kinds of random favors?

Brother Cong is a fifth-rank official and a Hanlin scholar, what a big title. The guy named Duan is just a grain merchant. How can they be compared?

These two people are so different from each other, and they are from the same place. It’s not embarrassing to talk about their random acquaintance.”

Xue Pan was not convinced and said, "Mom, you can't say that. As the saying goes, heroes don't ask where they came from, and those who are righteous are often butchers..."

He was speaking with some passion when Aunt Xue spat in his face.

He said angrily: "You are born and raised in a rich family, but you still say such nonsense to deceive ordinary people. Don't you think your waist will hurt when you talk while standing?
If you ask your sister to ask Congge'er, an uncle, to go and drink with some useless grain merchant, it's no wonder that Congge'er won't even pay any attention to you.

Even your sister will be looked down upon by others. Family background is so important in this world, but it is a threshold that cannot be crossed."

Aunt Xue sighed and continued, "If you make it sound so easy, I wouldn't have to worry so much about your sister's marriage.

Just go to Rongqing Hall and tell her directly. I think considering your sister’s appearance and character, Brother Cong will definitely like her…”

……

Xue Pan was still a little unwilling and said, "Mom, what you said makes some sense, but it's not that serious.

I also pay a lot of attention to it every day. Brother Cong hangs out with people from the market and poor students in the academy who have no academic titles."

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "How can they be the same? Duan's rice business is booming right now, and many wealthy families in Shenjing know him.

If word gets out that Congge'er is making friends with him, who knows what kind of gossip will spread. They have no relatives or friends, but if officials and businessmen make friends, it will leave room for gossip.

You'd better keep quiet and don't cause trouble for Congge for no reason.

There is no need to mention this to your sister. She is more concerned than I am and will definitely not help you pass on the message. Give up on this idea as soon as possible."

After hearing what Aunt Xue said, Xue Pan felt a little sour.

She said, "Mom, you really don't like your own son. Cong Ge'er hasn't even become your son-in-law yet, and you're making plans for him like this without even considering your son's face."

Aunt Xue became furious when she heard this. She picked up the shoe sole on the table and was about to punish this rebellious son again.

Xue Pan screamed strangely and fled from the room. Aunt Xue heard her daughter's voice coming from outside: "Brother is getting irritable again, why are you running away for no reason?"

Aunt Xue heard her daughter's sweet voice, threw the sole of the shoe in her hand back on the table, and felt helpless...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

A strong smell of medicine came from the side room in the yard. Sheyue and Qiu Wen, who were hanging out clothes to dry, saw Caiyun walking out of the side room with boiling hot medicine.

Then he watched her enter Baoyu's room, from which he heard a few complaints from Baoyu.

Not long after, the two saw Caiyun coming out with an empty bowl, and put it back into the ear room. After a while, she went out with a bag of medicine residue.

Qiu Wen said to Sheyue beside her: "Sheyue, the last time the Second Master went back to the East Road Courtyard to study, he said that he couldn't sleep well at night, so he started taking medicine.

But he has been taking this medicine for three months without stopping. Second Master must be sleeping very restlessly. It's really scary to see.

But when I look at Second Master’s expression every day, he doesn’t seem to have trouble sleeping at night. In fact, he has gained weight in the past two months.

In the past, Jiahui and Chunyan would just watch the fire for such trivial matters as decocting medicine, but in the past few months, Xiren and Caiyun have been decocting the medicine themselves.

Even though neither of us had to get involved, when did they become so diligent?

Moreover, every time the Second Master used the medicine, they would take out even the dregs themselves, and no one knew where they threw them. It seemed a bit sneaky.

Musk Moon, you said that the Second Master really just has trouble sleeping, could it be that he has some other illness?

Anyway, they are the only ones who know how the Second Master slept with them, so they can say whatever they want..."

Musk Moon felt annoyed when she heard Qiu Wen nagging and looking unsatisfied.

He said, "Just shut your damn mouth and don't let us do anything. This matter has nothing to do with us. Why are you worrying about it?

If someone doesn't want you to know something, don't rush to know it. If you want to die, don't choose a good time.

Last time, you were beaten so badly by Second Grandma that you couldn't get out of bed. Have you forgotten the reason? You only remember the food and not the beating.

If you want to get into trouble by talking too much, just take the blame yourself, but don’t get in my way or I’ll get into trouble too.”

After saying this, Musk Moon turned around and went back to her own room, too lazy to bother with Qiu Wen anymore.

At this time, a figure swayed at the gate of the courtyard, and Mrs. Wang walked into the courtyard with Yuchuan. Qiu Wen immediately stepped forward and bowed attentively.

Mrs. Wang just nodded to her, asked Yuchuan to stay in the yard, and went into Baoyu's room alone.

After a while, Mrs. Wang came out of Baoyu's room and went into the side room next door, followed by Xiren and Caiyun.

Qiu Wen saw the three people just entered the side room and closed the door, which made Qiu Wen even more confused.

But Mrs. Wang left Yuchuan in the yard, which was equivalent to arranging an eavesdropper. Even if Qiu Wen wanted to eavesdrop, she didn't dare to do it.

……

The doors and windows of the side room were closed, the light in the room was dim, and Mrs. Wang's face looked even more gloomy.

He asked, "I want to ask you two, Baoyu has been taking the medicine for three months, has he improved recently?"

After hearing this, Xiren and Caiyun both blushed and felt uncomfortable.

Ever since Master Bao fell ill, they felt like animals, and the dignity they had originally hoped for as concubines turned into a joke.

Every time my wife came over and talked to them privately, she would ask them bluntly about their sex life. Even though they were both women, it was still too embarrassing.

Xiren said, “During this month, although Doctor Hu came to see me again, Madam secretly changed the prescription to that of another famous doctor.

But after Erye took the new medicine, there was still no improvement in the room. Erye complained every day that the medicine was bitter, and we were always there to comfort him carefully. "

Caiyun said, "I'm not afraid that Madam will be angry. Although Second Master has been taking medicine for three months, he is worse than before. I think Second Master himself is tired..."

Mrs. Wang's face turned pale. She looked at Xiren, who lowered her head and said, "It's the same here."

Mrs. Wang felt disheartened and trembling all over. No matter how many ambitions she had, this one alone could destroy them all.

She couldn't help shedding tears when she thought of her despair. The room was dead silent.

After a while, Mrs. Wang said, "It seems that Baoyu's illness is getting serious and the situation is urgent.

Baoyu's marriage is about to be arranged. If Baoyu is ruined, I will be ruined too. You are his family members and you will never have a good ending in your life!"

Xiren and Caiyun sensed the viciousness in Mrs. Wang's words, and felt a chill in their hearts.

Mrs. Wang said, "If we want to save everyone's dignity and lives, we can't just waste time like this. We have to have a plan and a plan..."

(End of this chapter)