Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

There were seven or eight dishes on the dining table, a dazzling array of delicious and colourful southern dishes that made people very hungry.

Jia Cong was once a southerner. After visiting Nanjing twice, he became accustomed to the freshness, fragrance and sweetness of southern cuisine.

The servants in the East Palace were all hand-picked by Qin Keqing from Jiangnan, and among them was a cook who was good at cooking southern dishes.
In addition, after Lingguan entered the mansion, she often cooked southern dishes for Jia Cong, and southern cuisine began to become popular in the East Palace.

The maids around Jia Cong were all born and raised in the north, and gradually they followed his example and got used to the taste of southern cuisine.

Jia Cong sat in the middle, and the girls and maids, both young and old, sat at the table together. The youngest, Douguan, sat next to Jia Cong.

Because she was small and had short hands, she couldn't reach the dishes in the middle of the table, so Jia Cong helped her pick up some food with his chopsticks from time to time, appearing very casual and relaxed.

At the dinner tables of the masters of the East and West Mansions, Jia Cong was definitely the most unruly one.

Since they moved into Qingzhizhai, during one of their mealtimes, Jia Cong said that it was tasteless to eat alone, and that he had to have his maids sit with him.

At the beginning, Wu'er and Qingwen were still hesitant, but they were coaxed and instigated by Jia Cong and gave in without knowing it, and soon they got used to it.

Someone heard about this and spread the gossip to Lady Jia.

It is nothing more than saying that Jia Cong does not have the upbringing of a young man from a wealthy family, indulges maids, does not distinguish between superiors and subordinates, and is unruly.

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she also frowned, but at that time she had many barriers against Jia Cong, and Jia Cong was beginning to emerge, which made others feel cautious.

As long as this grandson doesn't cause trouble, Grandmother Jia is too lazy to interfere. No matter what he does behind closed doors, she just pretends not to see it and lets him do whatever he wants.

The customs of Qingzhizhai were naturally brought to the East Palace. Wang Xifeng, Yuanyang and other people who often walked around and delivered messages were inevitably surprised and puzzled when they saw this shocking scene.

When Ping'er first arrived, she was quite curious about the dining situation in the courtyard, but she soon began to enjoy it, chatting and laughing at the table, having a lot of fun.

But today, she and Wu'er seemed to have nothing to say. They just lowered their heads to eat. Yinglian and Lingguan were also quiet as usual, and the atmosphere at the table was a little quiet.

Only Qingwen was in a good mood. She ate her food and drank tea with gusto, as if she had just achieved something.

Jia Cong was curious and wanted to ask such a quick question, but Ping'er and Wu'er were avoiding the question, so he did not open his mouth.

He saw Qingwen eating with her watery eyes that seemed to be able to speak. She glanced at him from time to time, as if she was eager for him to ask her some questions.

Jia Cong thought of Qingwen's angry words and refused to be fooled by the little girl. He just ate slowly.

Seeing that Jia Cong didn't say anything, Qingwen felt somewhat bored and disappointed as her mischievous plan failed to succeed.

Seeing that Wu'er and Ping'er didn't bring up the topic, she thought of how she often eavesdropped on the old women's chats, and seemed to have guessed the reason.

Those old women often say that men love to be respectable, and that having more children brings them face. If they cannot raise children, it means that the children have a disease and they lose face.

Master Bao and Master San got married in the same month. The maid in his room was pregnant, but there was no news from Master San's side.

If others don't say that the Third Master's maid is useless, most of them will say that the Third Master is sick, which would be terrible and shameful.

No wonder Wu'er and Ping'er didn't bring up the topic, it turned out they were worried that the Third Master would be embarrassed if he heard it.

When Qingwen thought about this, she felt somewhat relieved that she didn't provoke the Third Master to ask her any questions, otherwise the Third Master would have felt uncomfortable.

And this matter definitely cannot be blamed on the Third Master. It must be because Wu'er and the others are useless. Qingwen felt very aggrieved.

She put a chicken leg in Jia Cong's bowl and said, "Third Master, eat a chicken leg. It will make you stronger and more energetic!"

Seeing Qingwen's serious expression and her big eyes full of pity, Jia Cong felt strange, wondering why this girl was so weird.

He smiled and put another chicken leg in Qingwen's bowl, saying, "This chicken is stewed very well. You should have a piece too. It will help you gain strength."

Qingwen frowned as she looked at the chicken drumstick. She would only gain weight if she ate it, and even if she gained strength, she would have nowhere to use it...

Suddenly her pretty face turned red and she picked up the chicken leg and started chewing it angrily.

Ping'er's eyes moved between Jia Cong and Qingwen. Suddenly, she understood what Qingwen meant. She wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. Her pretty face turned red.

After everyone had finished dinner and the maids had cleared the table, Jia Cong strolled in the yard to digest his food.

I went back to the study and carefully reviewed the drawing I had drawn in the morning, modifying several places until I was completely satisfied.

When the western pendulum clock in the study reached the hour of Hai, he asked Yinglian to go back to her room to rest, and he also returned to the main room.

……

Nowadays, unlike in later times, the nightlife is bright and rich. When it is almost midnight, the yard is completely silent and the lights in the rooms on both sides are turned off.

Only in the main room was the candlelight still flickering. Jia Cong pushed the door open and saw Wu'er sitting in front of the dressing table, doing needlework by candlelight.

The jewelry hairpins on Wu'er's head had been taken off, and her hair bun had been undone and tied up loosely with a hair tie.

She was wearing a pink cross-collar top with hidden patterns and loose pajamas of the same color, exuding a fresh and pleasant homely vibe.

When she saw Jia Cong enter the room, she quickly put down her needlework, helped Jia Cong take off his outer robe, changed into soft pajamas, and undid his hair to comb his bun so that he could sleep peacefully.

Jia Cong asked, "Wu'er, what were you guys whispering about just now? Qingwen was so weird, what happened so quickly?"

Wu Er's pretty face turned red, and she couldn't help laughing, saying: "Third Master, you only heard half of it, how come you took it to heart? It's actually not a big deal.

This morning, Second Madam came back from Rongqing Hall and said that Caixia in Second Master Bao's room had just seen a doctor today, who said she was pregnant."

Jia Cong was stunned when he heard this, and blurted out: "How can it be so fast? This is too amazing."

Wu Er couldn't help but burst out laughing, her face was charming and beautiful, she said: "Why does the Third Master have the same tone as Qing Wen? It's all that girl's fault."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I heard Third Sister mention Caixia last time. She has been in Baoyu's room for only a month. It's a bit unexpected that she is pregnant so soon."

Wu Er said, "I heard that Caixia's period was seven or eight days late. The doctor said that if she didn't have her period for the next five days, it would be confirmed. I guess it's just a coincidence."

After all, people like Wu'er, Ping'er, Qingwen, etc. are too young and have not seen the dangers of the world, so they don't have too many evil thoughts in their hearts.

So in their opinion, Caixia was just extremely lucky and had an easy life of giving birth.

Wu'er, Ping'er and other girls who entered the palace all wanted to have children. Apart from feeling a little envious, they would not think of anything else for the moment.

But after hearing Wu'er's words, Jia Cong was somewhat skeptical.

……

If he had not heard Tanchun's story, he might not have been suspicious, because it is not uncommon to get what you want.

However, Tanchun had mentioned to him last time that Aunt Zhao, who seldom came to the East Palace, suddenly came to the East Palace to ask Tanchun for favors.

Although ostensibly she was asking for a place in the Imperial College for Jia Huan, Aunt Zhao did not get to the point before she begged Tanchun to help Jia Huan ask for Caixia.

Tanchun became suspicious of this matter at the time, and later Jia Huan was severely punished by the family rules because of Jin Rong's incident.

Even though Jia Huan was seriously injured, he still begged Tanchun to help him ask for Caixia.

After these two incidents, Tanchun had become deeply suspicious about this matter, and at this moment Mrs. Wang gave Caixia to Baoyu.

When Tanchun and Jia Cong talked about this matter, they were worried that their brothers would be disgraced in the inner house and bring about a terrible disaster.

Jia Cong gave her an idea. He suggested using the unused places in the Imperial College to allow Jia Huan to study there next year and stay away from trouble.

Although Tanchun had strong doubts about the relationship between Jia Huan and Caixia, she had no concrete evidence.

But Jia Cong was familiar with the original context of the incident. He had long known the secret relationship between Jia Huan and Caixia, and now he knew all the reasons.

As a man, after seeing Jia Huan's actions, he concluded in his heart that Jia Huan and Caixia must be having an affair.

However, Tanchun was still a virgin, and Jia Cong was not in a position to talk much about this matter in front of his cousin, for fear that she would be too deeply involved and her reputation would be damaged.

Moreover, on the day when Jia Huan was punished by the family law, news spread that Caixia had entered Baoyu's room, and it was Mrs. Wang who was in charge of the matter.

Jia Cong also realized that this matter was strange and most likely involved danger in the inner house. He also reminded Tanchun to be cautious about this matter and not to get too involved.

Now something strange has happened again. Caixia has been in Baoyu's room for only one month, but she is found to be pregnant. There are not so many coincidences in the world.

He was very puzzled as to why Mrs. Wang, a smart housewife in the inner chamber, was unaware of this and allowed Caixia to enter Baoyu's room.

Jia Cong sorted out the causes and consequences and used the most sinister and vicious ideas to privately speculate on the matter.

If things were really as he imagined, once they were exposed, the harem would be filled with debauchery and the upside-down human relations, and both Jia families would be disgraced.

Tanchun is the daughter of the second wife, and her reputation will be damaged if she is involved. I am afraid that her cousin, who has been close to her since childhood, will never be able to get married.

Moreover, scandals in the inner house are most easily expanded and exaggerated. I am afraid that the reputations of other precious sisters in the family will be damaged and it will be difficult to clean up.

Therefore, Jia Cong hoped that his speculation was wrong.

If there was any misfortune in the rumors, or even if there was any clue that day, for the sake of Tanchun and Jia Zheng's reputation, it would be very difficult to deal with the matter...

At present, the relationship between Baoyu and Caixia has been confirmed, and everything is just speculation without any real evidence.

There was nothing he could do, nothing he could do, he could only wait and see, hoping that things were not as bad as he imagined.

……

Wu'er saw that Jia Cong's face became solemn and he remained silent after hearing what she said, as if he was uncomfortable.

She was worried and said, "Third Master, this is not a big deal. He is still very young. It is us who are useless. In the future..."

At the end of her speech, her face turned red with shame, and she was too embarrassed to continue. Jia Cong was originally in a heavy mood, but after listening to Wu Er's soft and consoling words, he knew that she had completely misunderstood, and he couldn't help laughing out loud.

Said: "Wu'er, what are you thinking about, you little brat? Others are pregnant, but we are not, and you still care about your affairs.

If something goes wrong, it’s usually the man’s fault, not the girl’s. The man should be ashamed.”

Wu'er was half-believing and half-doubting, but although he was too embarrassed to say more, he couldn't help but be curious.

He asked, "What the Third Master said is true, then why should a man divorce his wife if he has no offspring?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Most of the time it's because the men themselves have problems, but they are selfish and want to save face, so they throw dirty water on women, which is extremely shameless.

Do you think I look sick?"

Wu Er thought of their past love, her pretty face flushed, and she said, "Third Master is fine. Others may get sick, but Third Master definitely won't."

Jia Cong said with a smile: "I have you guys, and I have a long time to live. I don't have to worry about not having children. There is no need to envy others."

Wu Er's face was still flushed, and she said softly, "Actually, Caixia is quite amazing. I've never heard of anyone who is so easy to give birth to."

Jia Cong teased, "Are you envious of others and want to get pregnant soon?"

Wu Er's neck turned red when she heard this, and she blurted out, "Third Master, you are talking nonsense. I am not envious. Caixia is not as lucky as me."

Jia Cong felt intoxicated after hearing this. He really didn't expect that Wu'er could say such sweet love words.

Said: "Wu'er, come here."

Wu'er felt a burning sensation in her chest when she saw Jia Cong's burning eyes, and realized what he was thinking.

Jia Cong stepped forward and said with a smile: "Silly girl, why are you standing there? Don't you want to be pregnant? How can you be pregnant if you don't come over?"

As he said that, he leaned over and pecked her neck. Wu'er giggled and quickly ran away.

While begging for mercy, he said, "Third Master, you are teasing me. You know that this is where I am most ticklish, but you still insist on touching it. It's really abominable."

Jia Cong was unwilling to give up, so he stood up and tried to grab her, and the two chased each other around the room.

……

After a while, Xiaoyu choked with sobs, had nowhere to go, and rolled off the brocade bed.

Jia Cong walked forward and whispered in her ear, no one knew what he said. Wu'er lightly hit him twice, her face flushed, she was confused and shook her head without responding.

Jia Cong bewitched her with sweet words and coaxed her everywhere, but Wu'er covered her ears and tried not to listen. Finally, she could not resist anymore and nodded shyly in a daze.

Wu'er has thick, beautiful hair that falls to her waist and falls behind her, revealing her pink back muscles.

Only when she was exhausted as mud did Jia Cong hold her in his arms, and he rested his arms around her neck and dozed off, breathing her sweet breath.

Jia Cong chuckled and said, "Wu'er, you want a daughter, but a son is also good."

Wu Er's voice was confused: "Whatever the Third Master says, we will have the baby..."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You were unwilling just now, why are you so obedient now?"

Wu Er's pretty face was burning hot, she rubbed it against his face and said softly, "It's no use not to listen, you will be fooled by the Third Master anyway."

Jia Cong smiled and hugged her tighter, filling his arms with her sweet, soft fragrance, intoxicating him.

He tried to tease Wu'er with some gossip, but she was as tired as cotton. After saying a few words in a hurry, she fell asleep in Jia Cong's arms.

Outside the window, it was dark as ink. Time flew by. The moon sank and the sun rose. There was no conversation all night until dawn.

……

Before the dawn, Jia Cong dressed and washed up, and went into the main hall early, preparing to have breakfast before going out to court.

Wu'er followed behind him, her pretty face was illuminated, her bright eyes were shining, and she was radiant.

Lingguan was busy in and out with two maids, and the round table in the main hall was filled with all kinds of snacks.

There are also bowls of hot rice porridge, the aroma of which whets your appetite.

Jia Cong picked up the bowl of porridge and took a sip, praising it: "This green-stemmed rice tastes so good and mellow, much better than the one sent by the Liaodong farm last year."

Lingguan smiled and said, "Third Master is really good at talking. This was sent by Miss Bao a few days ago. It is the top-quality goods newly received by Duan's grain shop in the north of the city.

Uncle Xue from their family got more than ten bags and distributed some to the East and West Mansions so that everyone could have a taste of the new food.

I heard that this rice comes from Yutian County in northern Zhili. It is the latest harvest of late rice this year and is hard to buy outside. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "This grain trade is quite extensive. The weather has not been good this year. I have read the government bulletin, and the grain harvest in Northern Zhili is worse than last year.

This kind of high-quality green-stemmed rice is a rare commodity nowadays, and you may not be able to buy it even if you have money.

The Duan family grain shop used it as a favor. I didn’t expect Xue Pan to be so respectable outside.”

Wu'er put a piece of salted egg yolk into Jia Cong's bowl, but saw him holding the bowl in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking about.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

Lixiangyuan was the place where Duke Rong spent his old age in seclusion. Although the place was not large, it had more than ten houses, including a front hall and a back room.

Compared with Qingzhi's house where Jia Cong originally lived, it is even more spacious and has a door leading directly to the back street, making it convenient for men to enter and exit. Although it is small, it has everything.

Aunt Xue has been living in Lixiang Courtyard for many years. Although she felt unfamiliar with the capital at first, she sought protection from the Jia family.

But it is also because Lixiangyuan is quiet and spacious, the houses are exquisite, the flowers and trees are lush, it is convenient to enter and exit, and it is comfortable to live in.

She was born into a wealthy family and married into a wealthy family, and had always lived a life of luxury. If Lixiangyuan was really ordinary, it would be impossible for her to live there for many years.

In addition, although the Xue family was renting out Lixiang Courtyard, all daily expenses for food and rice were provided by the Xue family themselves and did not take a penny from the Jia family.

Aunt Xue was even more worldly-wise. During every New Year's Day, she would present gifts to Lady Jia as a younger generation's courtesy and show filial piety. At least when it came to money, the Xue family stood tall.

Early in the morning, the maids had already placed various breakfasts in the living room, including several bowls of fragrant green stem rice porridge.

Aunt Xue and her daughter were having dinner when they saw Xue Pan come in yawning, looking as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "You just started working in the Duan family grain store, but you only had the energy for a few days, and now you go out and hang out every day.

Look at you, you seem to be still sleepy so early in the morning. At this time, Brother Cong is already fully alert and ready to go to court.

Tell me when you will be more aggressive and worry less about me."

Xue Pan grumbled, "Mom, you can nag me if you want, but why are you comparing me with Congge? You think too highly of your son.

Don't talk about your son, I, that guy in Shenjing City can compare to him. Even if your son is not good enough, he is better than Baoyu. I feel at ease. "

After hearing what her brother said, Baochai smiled slightly and said nothing. In short, her brother also said good things about Brother Cong, and she was happy to hear that.

Aunt Xue said casually, "Look at your achievements. What's the point of being better than Baoyu?"

Xue Pan smiled and said, "Mom has become a wise person now. Our family has escaped the disaster. We just need to wait for good days to come."

Baochai had a small appetite, so she was full after drinking a bowl of green-stem rice porridge. Seeing that the mother and son were chatting happily, she smiled and went back to the inner room.

When Xue Pan saw his sister leave, he said to Aunt Xue, "Mom, have you heard that Caixia in Baoyu's room is pregnant after one month of living there?"

Aunt Xue frowned and said, "You are becoming more and more out of tune. It is you who should ask about and show concern for the fact that the maid in Baoyu's room is pregnant."

Xue Pan said: "Mom, you misunderstood. What Baoyu gave birth to has nothing to do with me. I don't care.

I heard that Congge and Baoyu are both in the same room as Yuejin. Baoyu has some in his room now, so I think Congge must be here soon."

After hearing this, Aunt Xue felt a little depressed.

He said: "You are not talking nonsense. Cong is the same age as Baoyu. He is not only a scholar, but also a cavalry general, a man of vigor and vitality.

The maids around him are all top-notch, much better than those around Baoyu. Whether there is happiness in his room or not is only a matter of time."

Xue Pan said: "My son still remembers clearly the imperial decree that granted the title to Cong last time.

His title of Earl of Weiyuan is inherited by the legitimate sons, and the title of Rongguo can be inherited by both the eldest son and the eldest son of the concubine."

Aunt Xue said impatiently: "This is all old news. Why do I need to bother you with this?"

Xue Pan shook his head and said, "The maids in Baoyu's room are all pregnant, and sooner or later, Cong'er's room will be pregnant too.

I don't know which girl will be hit by a mountain of gold, and the child she gives birth to can become a lord of the Rong Kingdom. This is really a great fortune. I don't know how many people will envy her to death.

But the old lady has been noble all her life, she must be ashamed to death, even if she had ascended to heaven earlier, I am afraid she would be so angry that she would come back to life, hehe."

Aunt Xue scolded, "You should be more careful with your words. Be careful not to get sores in your mouth or your teeth will ache."

Xue Pan said: "My son thought of this matter because he saw Baoyu was pregnant in his room. How come you don't understand what I mean?

If the illegitimate son who inherits the title of Rongguo in the future is not born to a maid in the mansion, but to a woman from a wealthy and famous family, you think the old lady will be very happy. "

When Aunt Xue heard this, her eyes lit up slightly... (End of this chapter)