Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, South Slope Courtyard.

Miaoyu stood at the door of the Zen room, watching Zhishao sewing clothes with her head down. She was suddenly filled with emotions and was in a daze.

Zhishao looked up and saw her, and said with a smile: "Senior sister has finished her homework, and was so absorbed in her needlework that she didn't see you come in.

Seeing that it was getting late, I went to the kitchen and told them to prepare dinner early. A few days ago, refrigerated wolfberry sprouts and artemisia were delivered to the mansion.

Just stir-fry it lightly with salt and oil and it will become a top-notch vegetarian dish. The chef will definitely love it, and the senior sister will also like it.

It's windy outside, let's have dinner early so we can rest and talk. You sit for a while, I'll be back soon."

Miaoyu smiled and nodded, watching Zhishao gracefully leave the room, feeling empty in her heart.

The candlelight in the room flickered, reflecting the dancing waves in her bright and clear eyes.

Her gaze involuntarily turned to the clothes that Zhishao had placed on the bed, staring at them intently.

It was as if everything around him had silently faded away, leaving only the half-finished undergarment.

She walked lightly towards the bed, bent down and sat down beside it, reached out to pick up the undergarment, and subconsciously stroked the soft and fine fabric.

Thinking back to the day when he came, they washed sweet potatoes together in a basin. Even though her hands were soaked in muddy water, she didn't care at all.

It was a simple, clear warmth, an unsettling happiness that seemed within reach, yet fleeting, so illusory and out of reach.

She suddenly thought of something, spread the clothes on the bed, and measured them back and forth with her slender fingers.

Then she picked up the clothes, pulled out the needle and thread stuck on it, and started sewing along the stitches sewn by Zhishao.

……

Although she had two maids and a woman serving her, neither of them was skilled in needlework.

Miaoyu grew up in wealth and was accustomed to a life of fine food and clothing. She was also born with a cleanliness quirk and sewed all her own underwear. She was good at sewing.

She continued sewing following Zhishao's technique. Her stitches were as dense and delicate as Zhishao's. The two were indistinguishable, as if they were one.

With each stitch, she gradually fell into calmness and concentration. The emptiness and helplessness in her heart seemed to gradually dissipate as she guided the needle and threaded the thread.

The dense stitches not only sewed up the clothes, but also seemed to sew up the emptiness and darkness in her heart, and then gave rise to an unprecedented fullness and joy.

That was a feeling she had never experienced in her ten years of living a secluded life. Thinking about her junior sister sewing this dress, she must have felt the same way as herself...

Time passed very slowly, yet also seemed to pass very quickly. The seated statue of Guanyin enshrined in the room was illuminated by the curling smoke of sandalwood incense, appearing unusually solemn and kind.

I don't know how much time passed before footsteps were heard outside the door.

Miaoyu was startled and her finger was pricked by the needle. A little bright red blood oozed out and she couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

She put her finger into her mouth and sucked it, and heard Zhishao calling from outside: "Senior sister, the dishes have been delivered, come out and eat quickly."

When Miaoyu heard Zhishao's voice, she felt a little flustered. She responded quickly and put the underwear in her hand back on the bed.

Just as she was about to go out, she turned back and arranged her inner garment in the same way as Zhishao had done, but there was a large extra stitch on it, which could not be covered up after all.

She was a little discouraged and felt a little shy that she had never felt before. Hearing Zhishao urging her outside, she had no choice but to give up and quickly left the room.

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

Tanchun was comforted by Jia Cong. She found out that as for Caixia's matter, anyone who knew the details would probably be able to uncover the truth if they dug deeper.

But no matter whether it was my third brother or myself, or even my aunt who had a rough temper, as long as they knew the pros and cons, they were unwilling to touch it easily.

Perhaps only in the inner houses of aristocratic families would such a balance of power and hidden danger appear. Although it is a bit strange and bizarre, it can at least relieve worries for the time being.

Especially what Jia Cong said: If anything happens, I will definitely protect my third sister and won't let you suffer.

This sentence can calm Tanchun's mind better than any strong intervention or blind intervention.

As soon as she sat down at the table, Jia Cong teased her with a few words and picked up a few of her favorite dishes for her with his chopsticks. Her worries soon disappeared.

The meal took half an hour. The two siblings began to talk and laugh, and Tanchun's mood gradually became brighter.

By the time Jia Cong sent Tanchun back, the sky outside was pitch black and the north wind was blowing stronger.

Shishu and Qingwen each held a lantern, lighting the way in front and behind, and when they arrived at Tanchun's yard, Tanchun invited Jia Cong to have tea and sat for a quarter of an hour before leaving.

When they came back, the wind was getting colder and colder, and the lantern in Qingwen's hand was swinging wildly in the wind.

Relying on her youth and vigor, she did not change into cotton clothes, but just wore a double-breasted jacket when she went out. She shivered when the wind blew, and had to stamp her feet from time to time to keep away the cold.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You knew it was going to get cold today, but you went out so smartly. Aren't you afraid of freezing your face?"

Qingwen shivered and said, "Who knew the weather would be so cold? I didn't feel it much when I lit the fumigation basket in the room just now."

Jia Cong took the lantern from Qingwen's hand, spread out his bright red gorilla felt cloak, and wrapped Qingwen's delicate body in the cloak.

Qingwen's pretty face flushed, her body felt warm, and her bright eyes were filled with joy.

Said: "It's still warmer in the Third Master's cloak, it's better than relying on a hot water bottle."

Jia Cong laughed and scolded: "What are you talking about? Do I look like a soup pot lady?"

Qingwen laughed and said, "That's impossible. The Third Master is much more handsome than Tangpozi."

Jia Cong held Qingwen's slender waist in his cloak, feeling her soft and tender body, and walked forward with her, holding the lantern steadily in his right hand, lighting up the road ahead.

The north wind was howling, but it was warm inside the cloak. Perhaps because others could not see, Qingwen did not mind being hugged by Jia Cong and gently put her hand on his arm.

……

The two of them returned to the yard together, and just then they saw Douguan rushing out from the main room.

She had two buns on her head and wore a blue satin double-breasted fur jacket with floral patterns. The cuffs and collar were decorated with snow-white rabbit fur, which made her look very smart and cute.

Seeing Jia Cong wrapped up in his cloak, she couldn't help laughing, "Sister Qingwen is so kind that she wants Third Master to carry her home after going out.

Next time I will also carry a lantern for Master San and let Master San carry me back."

Qingwen blushed when she heard this, and she emerged from her cloak, scolding with a smile, "You are just a half-grown girl, and you are thinking of letting the Third Master hold you, you really have no shame.

You dare to tease me? You are really rebellious. Come here and let me tear your mouth apart."

As he said this, he started chasing Douguan with his claws and fangs bared. The two of them chased each other on the corridor, dodging, jumping and laughing.

Wu Er came out of the room and said with a smile, "Stop making trouble. Tomorrow is the beginning of the twelfth lunar month. Let's all go take a bath and change clothes for good luck."

At this time, Yinglian came out of the bathroom, her hair tied up on top of her head, she was wrapped in a cotton jacket, and her pretty face was rosy and beautiful after bathing.

He smiled and said, "You are the only ones who know how to cook mushrooms. I have already washed them."

Douguan stopped walking and shouted, "Don't fight with me, I'll wash first, I'll wash first."

As she spoke, she ran into the room, and came out a few moments later with a change of clothes in her arms, and ran to the bathroom.

Qingwen laughed and scolded from behind, "You are such a disgusting maid, climbing up the roof to tear off the tiles, and going down to the river to fish. You really don't waste time on anything."

……

Earl's Mansion, South Slope Courtyard.

Zhishao and Miaoyu accompanied Master Xiushan for dinner. After cleaning up, she took a bath, changed her clothes and returned to her room.

Just when I was about to take the half-finished undershirt and finish a few stitches before going to bed, I found an extra row of dense stitches on it.

The only person in this courtyard who could help her with needlework was naturally her senior sister Miaoyu. Zhishao seemed to have thought of something and could not help but smile.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside the door. She quickly hung her inner clothes on the hanger and saw Miaoyu slowly walking into the room.

Her face was flushed after bathing, as if a rare flower had received dewdrops, with a bright sunset. She was rubbing her slightly wet hair with a cotton towel in her hand. She was pretty and elegant, and one could not look at her closely.

She looked at the bed with her bright eyes, and then involuntarily looked at the clothes rack, feeling shy and guilty.

Zhishao stepped forward and took the cotton towel from Miaoyu's hand, helped her rub the water stains on her hair, and then took the comb to help her comb her hair.

Miaoyu felt the comb sliding gently on her hair and closed her eyes comfortably.

Her hair was as black as ink, and her pretty face was serene and peaceful, no longer as cold as before.

The plain cotton nightgown on her body could not hide her slender and graceful body, which was extremely eye-catching and attractive.

……

In the eyes of outsiders, Miaoyu is cold, aloof, eccentric, out of place, and even an unpopular monk with untied hair.

Only in the inner chamber of the boudoir, free from the constraints and repression on one's body, can one reveal another extraordinary side.

Apart from Zhishao, even Master Xiushan rarely sees a daughter like this.

Zhishao helped Miaoyu comb her hair, and then put her beautiful hair into a bun, pinning it with an ebony hairpin. The two of them got on the bed hand in hand again, the candlelight on the candlestick flickered, the north wind whistled outside the window, and the bleak shadows of tree trunks and dead branches swayed randomly on the glass window lattice.

The bed had soft bedding, loose sleeves, snow-white skin, orchid-like fragrance, and a sweet, intoxicating aroma of my daughter.

Zhishao turned sideways on the pillow, facing Miaoyu, who was lying on her back in a daze.

She smiled and said, "Sister, I've never seen you sew before, but you're quite good at needlework."

Miaoyu blushed and said, "When the sun sets, you go to the kitchen to pass on the message. I helped you sew a few stitches. You won't blame me for being nosy, will you?"

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "How could that be? I would be more than happy if you could help me do it.

Senior Sister, I need to make another set for Third Master. I have already done half of this one. Why don’t you help me finish it? I can save a lot of effort.”

Miaoyu said, "Nonsense, you should be the one to take care of him, but I am different from you, I am a monk.

I just did it for fun today, how can I make clothes for Yu Zhang properly? "

Zhi Shao smiled and said, "Senior Sister is just helping me. No one else knows about it, so it's not a big deal."

Miaoyu blushed, thought for a moment, and said, "Well, I'll help you with the trouble, but you are not allowed to tell anyone else, not even the master."

……

Zhishao reached out and held Miaoyu's hand, saying, "Sister, you were not in good health when you were a child, so you became a nun and practiced Buddhism with your hair uncut.

Now that I am well again, it would be too lonely to spend my whole life with the Buddha and the green lamp."

If someone else said such words in front of Miaoyu, she would probably be angry and would even regard the person as frivolous and immoral.

But since these words were said by Zhishao, it felt different to her. Not only did she not find it strange, but she was also moved by Zhishao's words, and her eyes became a little dim.

He said: "I was weak and sickly when I was young, and my family was in trouble. I originally bought two substitutes to become a monk, but it didn't work out in the end.

My family was worried that I would lose my piety, anger the gods and bring disaster upon myself, so they asked me to become a Buddhist.

I have long been unacceptable to the secular world. If I were to have any thoughts about the secular world, I would probably not end well..."

Miaoyu pretended to be self-deprecating and said, "Now that you have found your ideal husband, you come to distract me and don't even mind being blamed by the Buddha."

Zhishao pretended to be relaxed when listening to Miaoyu's words, but the sadness, self-pity and unwillingness in them were still clearly discernible.

Zhishao felt sad in her heart. She was intelligent and quick-witted, so she naturally heard the hidden meaning in Miaoyu's words.

Even though they were close sisters, Miaoyu had some secrets that she never mentioned to Zhishao, and Zhishao didn't dare to ask too much.

Zhishao said, "Sister, the renovation of Muni Temple is almost finished, and you and Master will move back. I really can't bear to leave you.

Last time, Third Master said that the Nanpo Courtyard will be left vacant in the future, and you and Master can come and stay here anytime you are free."

Miaoyu smiled and said, "Yuzhang is thoughtful. Please help me thank him. In fact, both places are very convenient. The carriage will take less than half an hour.

When you left Panxiang Temple that year, I thought we would be thousands of miles apart and would never meet again, but I never expected that this day would come.

Not only can I be with you all the time, but I can also chat on the same bed at night. The sisters in Yuzhang's family are also elegant people, and they are very graceful in dealing with people.

Now everything is going well, the Buddha has blessed me greatly, I should be satisfied..."

The two of them were chatting casually on the couch. The remaining candle on the candlestick burned out, and the room gradually fell into darkness. After a while, they both fell into a deep sleep.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Jia Cong's courtyard.

Because tomorrow is the twelfth lunar month, according to the old custom in Shenjing, people need to bathe and change clothes on the day before the twelfth lunar month to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year.

There were quite a few people in Jia Cong's yard, and the girls' family was always more complicated. By the time they were all done bathing, half an hour had passed.

The corridor is often filled with the sound of silver bell-like laughter, graceful figures walking around, and the sweet and warm fragrance that permeates the air after a girl takes a hot bath.

Qingwen's voice is the most pleasant and she seems to be full of energy. Douguan's voice is the loudest. I guess she has been practicing opera since she was young, so her stamina is particularly strong.

Various sounds intertwined together, exuding a joyful and fusion of fireworks.

Jia Cong did not feel any noise at all, but when he heard or saw it, he felt a strange sense of fulfillment and peace in his heart.

Ping'er and Wu'er boiled some hot water again and helped Jia Cong take a bath in the water room. Then the two of them went back to their rooms.

……

Jia Cong carried a copper water bottle filled with hot water and covered with a scald-proof cloth, and walked across the corridor back to his room.

He pushed open the half-open door and saw a person wrapped in a quilt on the bed.

Although the quilt was gorgeous, thick and soft, it still outlined her slender and graceful figure.

Just now everyone was bathing and laughing outside, but Yinglian was nowhere to be seen. I guess she must be on duty today, so she came early to warm the bed.

As soon as Jia Cong entered the room and locked the door, the brocade quilt on the bed was lifted up, and Yinglian, wearing a pink floral dress, sat up with sleepy eyes.

She stretched her slender waist slightly, revealing her beautiful and soft curves, which seemed like a stunning glimpse, making people feel refreshed.

Yinglian rubbed her eyes, jumped off the bed, and said, "Master, are you going to rest? I'll warm the bed for you."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "The north wind started blowing at sunset and it hasn't stopped yet. It must be very cold tonight.

You have warmed up my bed, but yours is still cold. Don't catch a cold. I'll fill a hot water bottle for you and put it in your bed to keep you warm."

As he said this, he walked to the side couch, lifted Yinglian's quilt, and stuffed the hot water bottle covered with a cloth bag into it.

Yinglian hurried to the outer room, picked up the charcoal basket and went into the inner room. She added red peat into the fumigation cage and put a few pieces of lily petals in it.

Then he carried the charcoal basket back to the outer room and opened the small window in the outer room a little to allow for ventilation.

In recent years, the weather in Beijing would suddenly turn cold in the twelfth lunar month, and charcoal fire would be indispensable in the fumigation cage in the room at night.

When Jia Cong got on the bed, she went over to tuck in the corners of the quilt for him, gently lowered the gauze curtain, smiled through the curtain, and went over to blow out most of the candles on the candlestick.

Bring the remaining two short candles to the outer room to make the light in the inner room dimmer, so that Jia Cong can sleep peacefully.

Jia Cong saw Yinglian busying around. Although she was obviously younger than himself, her care for the trivial daily life was delicate and considerate, which was not in line with her age.

Jia Cong said, "Yinglian, get into bed quickly, put on some light clothes and walk around, be careful not to catch a cold."

Yinglian responded, got on the side couch, lifted the quilt and lay down. The quilt was already somewhat warm.

She brought the hot water bottle covered with a cloth bag to her side, feeling the intimate warmth emanating from it.

Listening to the whistling north wind outside the window, she felt warm all over and a smile appeared on her face. After a short while, she fell asleep.

……

There was no conversation that night, and both of them slept soundly, with only the faint red light of the charcoal fire in the incense burner.

In the early morning of the next day, Yinglian woke up slowly. She thought it was still dark outside at this time.

I didn't expect that when I looked through the hazy window, I saw a dazzling light, which made me alert. I thought I had overslept today.
She sat up, got out of bed, put on her slippers, and asked Jia Cong to get up.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she moved, she woke Jia Cong up and said, "Yinglian, I forgot to tell you yesterday that today is a day off. You don't have to get up early. Go back and sleep for a while."

Yinglian heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, and ran to the window, opened the curtains, and looked out from the glazed window. It turned out that it was not sunlight, but a heavy snow had fallen all night.

Everywhere was covered in white. The slightest glimpse of morning light in the east reflected the surrounding area, making it dazzlingly white.

The snow still hadn't stopped, and the ground had piled up to more than a foot thick. The sky was still covered with dense, scattered snowflakes like cotton wool.

Yinglian shouted happily: "Master, it snowed heavily last night. It snowed heavily."

She was anxious to wake Jia Cong up, but she was only wearing a small outfit, which was too thin.

At this time, I opened the window drawer. Although the window was closed, I still felt the cold air on my face and couldn't help sneezing.

Jia Cong opened the curtain and said, "It's so cold, you're running around in such a small outfit, be careful not to catch a cold, come to bed and cover yourself up."

Yinglian didn't think much about it. She hugged her shoulders, hunched her waist, and sat on Jia Cong's couch, covered by the brocade quilt he had opened.

The two of them smiled and snuggled together, the quilt filled with warmth and softness.

After a while when her body was warm, Yinglian got up and put on her clothes, and then helped Jia Cong to dress and wash.

The candles in the main house were lit again, and the whole courtyard seemed to be inspired. The doors of the left and right wing rooms opened one after another, and graceful figures came in and out from time to time.

Mixed in with Douguan's cheers, the yard began to be filled with the sound of someone stomping on the snow.

There were knocks on the door a few times, and Wu'er came in with hot water, smiling. Footsteps were also heard in the main room. It seemed that Lingguan and Qingwen were preparing breakfast.

It is the twelfth month of the fifteenth year of Jiazhao, and the new year of the sixteenth year of Jiazhao is just around the corner... (End of this chapter)