Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 725: Beauty Jie Miaoqing

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

It is October and winter is about to arrive. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. It is almost dawn and it is still dark outside the window. There is no sign of dawn and it feels like midnight.

Ping'er gently stood up from the side couch, glanced at the lacquered bed with low curtains, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and walked quietly to the clothes rack in her slippers.

She quickly put on her light blue pleated skirt, put on a satin long jacket with a chrysanthemum pattern, and walked to the dressing table under the south window, letting her long hair down.

The green gauze lanterns under the eaves outside the window swayed gently in the night breeze. The faint light leaked into the room, outlining Ping'er's graceful and beautiful curves.

She took a green jade comb from the dressing table and pinned it casually on her hair, then picked up her hairpins and jewelry box and went to the outer room to dress up so as not to wake Jia Cong.

She took just two steps, then turned back to her dressing table, picked up a white-glazed, thin-necked Xuan kiln porcelain vase, and then lifted the door curtain and left the inner room.

He entered the outer room of the main house, placed the things in his hand on the table beside the door, and with the help of the light from the lanterns on the corridor, used a tinder to light the candle in the outer room.

He turned around and closed the door curtain tightly to prevent the light from leaking in.

She opened her makeup box again. The box was elegant in style, with carvings and shell inlays, and exquisite workmanship.

Opening the lid of the box, there is a bronze mirror embedded inside, which is bright and clear, and has a translucent yellow color, perfect for dressing.

Wang Xifeng regarded Jia Cong as her supporter, and she was also a person who loved to be respectable. Ping'er, as her personal maid, was like her own outfit.

When she saw Ping'er off, although she was not the main wife, in order to enhance her own reputation, she had a considerable amount of things with her.

Not only did she give Ping'er a lot of high-quality jewelry to keep in her closet, she also picked out exquisite items for her daughter's daily use.

……

Ping'er sat down in front of the table and opened the white-glazed, thin-necked Xuan kiln porcelain vase, which immediately exuded a refreshing fragrance.

She picked up a lily stick from the makeup box, dipped it into the bottle, dipped it a little, then rubbed it on the green jade comb, and began to comb her long hair in front of the makeup mirror.

After she had done her hairdo and put on her hairpins, and before she had time to pack her things, she heard a noise coming from the inner room, so she quickly opened the door and went in.

Seeing that Jia Cong had already opened the bed curtains, Ping'er smiled and said, "Did I wake up the Third Master just now by getting up?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "No, it's just past the hour of Mao now. I wake up at this time every day and I'm used to it.

Sister Ping'er, when she was with my second sister-in-law, she certainly didn't get up so early, but now she has to get up early and go to bed late like me."

Ping Er smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just got up half an hour earlier. In the Second Mistress's courtyard, we get up before dawn every time we are busy at the end of the year."

Jia Cong went to the clothes rack and took the robe. Ping'er hurried forward to help him put it on and helped him button it one by one.

The two men got closer, and Jia Cong smelled a rich fragrance that was refreshing.

He couldn't help but sniff Ping'er's black and shiny hair. Although he did it lightly and inconspicuously, Ping'er still noticed it.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister Ping'er put on hair oil today, and it smells really good, with the scent of jasmine."

Ping'er smiled, her pretty face flushed pink, but she didn't mind Jia Cong's intimate behavior, and even felt a little sweet and happy.

She said: "It is almost winter now and the weather is getting drier. My daughter has too much hair and it is too dry to take care of, so I used some hair oil.

This is the new Nine-steamed Jasmine Hair Oil from Mo Yun Fang in the city. It is baked with fresh jasmine flowers this summer. My second grandmother gave me a bottle the day before yesterday.

This is my first time using it today, and Master San likes the smell, so I will use it from now on, okay?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I'll ask someone to go to Mo Yunfang tomorrow and buy you some more."

……

Two months had passed since Ping'er entered Jia Cong's room. She often stayed on duty in Jia Cong's room at night. The two of them sat and lay down together, whispering to each other, and became increasingly familiar with each other and intimate.

She was originally a beautiful and outstanding woman, with a lifelong trust and a determined status, and she served Jia Cong very attentively.

Jia Cong also liked her gentle and kind nature, and the two of them naturally became closer day by day.

Although they have not slept together and made love yet, the intimate conversations and laughter in the bedroom are as normal as before.

Jia Cong asked, "Has everything been going well at the West Mansion recently?"

Although Jia Cong handed over the management of the West Mansion to Wang Xifeng, he rarely asked about it. He went out early and came back late every day, and even went to the West Mansion only once every few days.

But because Wu'er and Ping'er assisted Wang Xifeng in managing the household, whenever the two of them were on night duty, Jia Cong would often chat about household chores and gossip, so he was not completely ignorant of the affairs of the West Mansion.

Ping'er helped Jia Cong comb his hair, and looked at him in the mirror from time to time. She saw that he looked energetic and more handsome in the morning, with a smile on his face.

As he spoke, “As the year draws to a close, the price of grain has risen. The West Mansion has purchased grain from the Duan family grain store three times, which is enough to last until February next year.

Second Grandma has made a plan for all kinds of New Year items that can be stored for a long time, and has started purchasing them in the past few days to avoid wasting money on price increases at the end of the year.

The backyard of the East and West Chuan Halls of Rongqing Hall and the three small main rooms in the east wing of Rongxi Hall have all begun to be repaired and are expected to be completed by early next month.

Because craftsmen were entering the inner courtyard, curtains were hung everywhere, and the material craftsmen entered and exited through the side door in the back street, which was next to the Qingzhizhai.

In order to avoid suspicion, Xiaohong and her maids and old women in Rongxi Hall temporarily moved to the right side of the west flower wall, which was originally the courtyard of the grandmother.

After these two places are repaired, Second Grandma will arrange to repaint the rest of the old places in the West Mansion so that there will be more fresh air during the New Year.

Second Mistress said that Third Master's career is now very successful, and this year's New Year's Eve visits to West Mansion will surely be more lively than in previous years.

Wu Er and I have compiled a list of guests for home visits and receptions, as well as gifts for New Year holidays. We have sorted them into categories to prevent omissions and to avoid embarrassing Third Master."

Ping'er had been Wang Xifeng's housekeeper for many years and was familiar with the household affairs of the West Mansion. She spoke clearly and eloquently in her sweet voice, and Jia Cong was quite engrossed in listening.

……

Ping Er continued, "There has been a special event in the West Mansion recently. Mr. Bao's wedding is imminent, and the matchmaker from the Xia family came to the East Courtyard the other day.

The two families were already discussing the gift of money for the marriage proposal, and the old lady also sent a trusted maid to the East Courtyard every day to help out and take care of things.

I heard that Master Bao’s wedding is expected to be in the spring of next year, and the date will be set in the next few days…”

When Jia Cong heard this, he felt strange. He had met Xia Jingui several times before, and judging from her appearance, she seemed to be a good person, a graceful and dignified lady from a noble family.

But no one in the Jia family knew his inner thoughts except him. Even Jia Cong was not sure whether this person would follow the original trajectory.

After all, he is living in the current world, and due to many known and unknown reasons, many of the original events have undergone tremendous changes.

Therefore, his attitude towards Xia Jingui has always been to just wait and see, stay away from her, and just mind his own business.

After Baoyu got married, no matter what the clan etiquette or family rules allowed him to do, he could no longer hang around in the West Mansion. From then on, he could live a much more peaceful life.

Thinking of the story of Xia Jingui and Xue Pan in the original trajectory, only God knows whether this woman is really so fierce and vicious.

……

After Qingwen brought in the hot water, the two of them washed up and went into the main room to eat. They saw that everyone in the yard was there except for one person.

Jia Cong asked, "Why can't I see Zhi Shao?"

Wu Er, who was busy arranging the dishes, said, “How could Third Master forget that the courtyard on the south slope of Dengxian Pavilion had been cleaned up a few days ago.

Early this morning, Zhishao and Miss Xing went out to the Muni Courtyard to pick up Master Xiushan and Miss Miaoyu to enter the mansion. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have been busy these days and forgot about this matter. But I have to go to court early in the morning, so I am sorry for that."

Wu Er smiled and said, "Master San, please go and do your work. We will take care of you at home and will not neglect your distinguished guest."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

As Baoyu's marriage proposal had arrived, two red lanterns were hung at the gate of the courtyard to express joy.

In the main room, Baoyu paced back and forth, his face full of sorrow and resentment, his heart filled with grief and mixed emotions.

He was wearing a bright red sleeveless round-necked gown with a golden lotus pattern. He had recently fallen in love with this gown, and he didn’t know why…

He wore a purple gold crown inlaid with jade and a big red pompom on his head. With his heavy steps, the big red pompom on the crown swayed unsteadily, as if it was about to fall off.

Baoyu has been in a very sad mood recently. He was cruelly tortured by his master and had to copy the Book of Filial Piety for more than a month, which made his life a living hell.

In the end, whenever he faced the Book of Filial Piety, he could not help feeling nauseous and retching, as if he was under a curse.

Whenever I raised the brush to read the Book of Filial Piety, my arms would subconsciously stiffen, and it would take me a while to relax. It was extremely painful.

He really didn't expect that the master's methods were so cruel, even more vicious than the beatings with sticks in the past.

Because in the past, whenever the master wanted to beat her, as long as he made some noise, the old lady would come to the rescue.

Nowadays, this kind of torture of corrupt officials is silent and painless, and even the old lady can hardly stop it. Every time Baoyu thinks of it, he feels terrified.

After spending the last ten days copying the scriptures, he finally got Jia Zheng's approval. Baoyu felt relieved and escaped from the disaster.

Unexpectedly, just as one wave of troubles was over, another wave of troubles arose. Just as the matter of the pig and dog filial piety book was settled, the master went to ask Jia Cong to let him go to the Imperial College to study. Jia Cong not only agreed, but also sent someone to the Imperial College to register on the same day, so that he could enter the academy to study earlier. He was so vicious.

It would be fine if he was corrupt and unclean, but he chose to drag himself into the filthy quagmire.

It's a pity that he is so handsome, but he doesn't become a good man. His stomach is full of nonsense.

……

Baoyu originally thought that the times were critical, that he would be killed by swords and axes, and that his grief and indignation would be as vast as the sea and as high as the mountain. However, he did not expect that it would be far more than that.

The incident at the Imperial College had just come out, and I hadn’t yet recovered from my despair.

That damn matchmaker from the Xia family came into the house again and brought up the bullshit matter of asking for the marriage date.

Although Baoyu thought of Miss Xia's outstanding beauty and charming and graceful figure, which made him more envious and moved than Xiren and Caiyun.

But how could the world be so beautiful as this? Compared with the fairy-like beauty of Lin Daiyu and Baochai, she is somewhat inferior.

Whenever Baoyu thought of this, he became very conflicted and hesitant, lamenting that there were so many beautiful girls in the world that he was overwhelmed.

Although I am now decadent in bed, I thought that God had mercy on me and allowed me to be a more innocent person.

However, he had not expected that life is hard and that, according to the matchmaker's words, the marriage would be a couple and he would become a married man and it would be difficult to maintain his innocence from then on.

Even though he was sad, he put down the burden of copying the Book of Filial Piety and remained devoted to it. He was eager to go to Rongqing Hall to visit and be closer to his sisters at home.

Unexpectedly, he met the maids and wives of the inner courtyard along the way. Everyone congratulated him on his marriage, which was really disgusting.

When I entered Rongqing Hall and met the sisters, I heard their congratulations, but no one understood my heart.

Baoyu didn't dare to leave the yard these days, for fear of hearing words of happiness for a long marriage or words of early birth of a son, and he was in a state of panic every day.

……

Just as he was sitting in his room in a state of worry, he suddenly heard someone talking in the yard. It turned out to be the little maid Chunyan.

She was mumbling, "I just got orders from sister Xiren to go out and do some errands, and I was passing by Rongqing Hall.

It's really a rare thing to see. You didn't see it. When I first met Miss Zhishao from the East Palace, I thought there was such a beautiful person.

I didn't expect that she has a senior sister, who is a rare figure in the world. Her appearance is like the Guanyin in the painting. It's really hard to describe how good she is."

After hearing the words of his senior sister, "rare in the world", and "Avalokitesvara in a painting", Baoyu's heart suddenly became lively, and all his sorrow and hatred just now disappeared in an instant.

He pushed open the door and saw the little maid Chunyan talking to Huixiang, with an expression of surprise and curiosity on her little face.

Baoyu asked quickly, "Chunyan, who is the Guanyin in the painting you mentioned, and why is it seen near Rongqing Hall?

She is Sister Zhishao's senior sister. Could she be a person who lives in seclusion? Is she really so proud of her life?"

Chunyan was slightly surprised to find that her gossip had attracted Baoyu, as Baoyu had been in a very bad mood in the past two days.

She saw Baoyu asking a long string of questions, and his expression was a little anxious.

He said quickly, "Second Master, I just passed by the entrance of Rongqing Hall and saw the Second Miss of the East Palace accompanied by a teacher, heading towards Rongqing Hall.

Thinking that they must be visiting the old lady, Miss Zhishao from the East Palace was also accompanying them, as well as a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old, who was as pretty as a fairy.

I heard the old woman running errands outside the hall say that they were Miss Zhishao's master and senior sisters, and were distinguished guests invited by Master Cong Sanye.

Second Master, I don't know what a person from outside the world means, but the new girl is a nun who practices Buddhism with her hair untied."

Baoyu was delighted to hear that another distinguished guest had come to his home, but when he heard that it was Jia Cong who invited the guest, he couldn't help feeling unhappy.

Jia Cong, a parasite, should not have such good fortune. How come all the good-looking women have a relationship with him? Does he deserve this?

Baoyu ran quickly into the inner room, adjusted his clothes and hair in front of the dressing mirror, and then hurried out.

Xiren chased out the door and asked, "Second Master, you are so impatient, where are you going?"

Baoyu replied, "I will go to Rongqing Hall to pay my respects to the old lady."

As he spoke, he walked out of the yard without looking back. Chunyan behind him immediately came to her senses and stuck out her tongue at Huixiang.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

The atmosphere in the hall was harmonious. The Arhat bed in the middle hall had been removed and replaced with a high-backed rosewood armchair. Jia's mother sat upright in the chair with a smile on her face.

Sitting below her was an old nun with an extraordinary demeanor. Her eyebrows were grey and her face looked tired, but her eyes were bright and lively, without any sign of old age. She was not to be looked at directly.

Next to the old woman sat a young lady with a slender figure and beautiful face, but judging by her attire, she looked like a nun practicing Buddhism with her hair uncut.

She wore a Miaochang bun on her head, a moon-white plain jacket on her body, a long vest with paddy field blue satin trim, a Qiuxiang-colored silk ribbon tied around her neck, and a light ink-white satin skirt tied around her waist.

It was because the Muni Temple had started renovations that Zhishao brought Master Xiushan and Miaoyu into the mansion today to stay temporarily.

Although Master Xiushan was a secular person, because her disciple Jinghui was now a member of the Jia family, she also followed secular etiquette and went to visit Lady Jia's house.

Because they, the master and disciple, were not only Zhishao's relatives, but also distinguished guests invited by Jia Cong, Yingchun received them on behalf of her brothers and was very polite.

Because they were master and disciple visiting Lady Jia, Yingchun brought Zhishao and Xing Xiuyun to accompany and introduce them.

Daiyu came along because Miaoyu had once recited scriptures to her to ease her worries, and Tanchun also had a good conversation with Miaoyu, so she came along.

……

As Grandmother Jia was old, she had respect for people who lived in seclusion from the secular world. When she heard that Master Xiushan was an accomplished nun, she felt reluctant to neglect her.

News came from the East Palace early in the morning. In order to show solemnity, Jia's mother asked Yuanyang to remove the daily Luohan bed and replace it with a formal rosewood armchair.

When Master Xiushan entered the hall, Grandmother Jia saw that she had a noble bearing, elegant conversation, and a hint of Zen, and she was indeed an accomplished person.

While they were entertaining the guests, Aunt Xue came with Baochai. The hall was full of people and the atmosphere was prosperous and harmonious.

When Grandmother Jia saw Miaoyu, she was pretty and beautiful, and was not inferior to her precious granddaughters in any way. She was an extremely outstanding person.

It's just that such an outstanding girl has to become a nun at such a young age, which really makes people feel pity and sympathy.

……

Although Miaoyu was living in a nunnery, she knew that Jia Cong had won the second place in the imperial examination and was appointed as an imperial scholar, and the news spread throughout the city.

Although she was a semi-nunnery, she was born into a noble family, so she naturally knew how successful Jia Cong was today and how noble and honorable he was, and she was happy for him.

Ever since the master used the innate divine numbers to calculate that Jia Cong's fate was strange and his life and death were unpredictable, Miaoyu was disturbed and she actually recited scriptures and prayed for him all night.

That day she was taken to the Jia family by Zhishao. She had been to the East Mansion once, but this was her first time to the West Mansion of Rongguo.

She knew that this was also Jia Cong's home and where he grew up. She paid much attention to the legend of Jia Cong's childhood and was very familiar with it.

Since entering the mansion, I have been browsing the various places, and my mind has been disturbed, and I have felt a sense of closeness.

Even though she was always aloof, now that she was in the hall filled with female relatives, there was no noise at all and the coldness on her face faded a little.

……

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "I have heard from my elder relatives and their wives that last year a Taoist master, who is proficient in innate numbers and can predict the past and the future, was registered at the Muni Temple.

I am old now and no longer care about my fate, but I love all the granddaughters here very much.

Since Master Xiushan has supernatural powers, could you please give me your Dharma Eyes and tell me whether my granddaughters will have a peaceful and smooth future?"

Master Xiushan smiled and said: "The rumors out there are mostly false information, so I don't believe them completely.

I have been a monk for many years and have devoted myself to Buddhism. Although I am very pious, I am just an ordinary monk or nun. How can I be so strange as you say?

It’s just that I am like the old lady, an elderly person who has seen a lot in life. I dare not say anything about the past or the future, I can only take a brief look at the complexion.”

As Master Xiushan spoke, her eyes casually glanced around the hall. Jia Mu, Aunt Xue and others sensed something and felt inexplicably nervous.

Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun and others only felt that Master Xiushan's eyes were as bright as light, as if she could see through people's hearts, which made people feel uneasy.

Although Master Xiushan was upset, her expression was as kind as usual.

He smiled and said, "I see that the young ladies in your house are in very good spirits and have a good fate. Although they may have some setbacks, they will eventually turn into good fortune.

The old lady is a very blessed person, she doesn't need to worry too much, the young ladies have the support of their brothers, as long as they are well educated and brought up, everything will be fine. "

Although Lady Jia and Aunt Xue could not understand the true meaning, they knew that it was a very nice thing to hear. After all, it was also for the sake of good luck. Although they were happy in their hearts, they did not care too much.

At this moment, everyone heard heavy footsteps coming from outside the hall. The door curtain was suddenly lifted, and a figure covered in red came in.

His voice was filled with excitement and joy, and he said, "Old lady, I wanted to come over to pay my respects to you, but I didn't expect that there would be a distinguished guest in the hall today..."

(End of this chapter)