Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

In the main room, Jia Cong had finished washing up. Since he had a day off today, he didn't need to wear official clothes. Wu'er was choosing winter clothes in the wardrobe.

There was a shadow at the door, and Ping'er also entered the room, wearing a long satin jacket with a dark blue background and a floral pattern, and a phoenix hairpin inlaid with blue pearls on her head.

The cuffs and collar of her long coat were decorated with sable fur, which made her pretty face look delicate and fair, and her figure was charming and graceful.

He smiled and said, "Third Master, it snowed all night last night. It's very cold outside this morning. You must wear something warm and be careful not to catch a cold."

She went over and searched for clothes with Wu'er, picked out an indigo floral fur-lined round-collared robe, and went forward to help Jia Cong put it on.

This is the new dress that Qingwen had made last month. Not only is it made of the finest material, but it is also lined with precious fur from Liaodong. It is perfect for wearing on snowy days.

She also helped him put on a belt inlaid with gems and jade of the same color, and put on thick-soled leather boots with black velvet and cloud patterns to keep out the snow, and also gave him a pair of cotton-lined brocade hand-me-downs.

After they had dressed and packed, Jia Cong took Yinglian, Ping'er and Wu'er out of the main house and onto the corridor.

I saw that the bluestone floor in the yard was covered with a foot of snow, and there were several clear rows of footprints on it.

The flowers and trees in the courtyard, the railings and window corners, and the blue-gray tile eaves are all covered with silver and filled with bright white snow, which is a feast for the eyes.

As soon as they entered the main room, they saw two more fumigation baskets in the room. Qingwen and Douguan were adding charcoal to the baskets.

Both of them were wearing brand new cotton coats and skirts, and Douguan was even wearing rabbit fur earmuffs on her head, which made her look a little funny.

Just as they sat down around the table, they heard the sound of footsteps on snow in the yard. Lingguan, wrapped in a fur cloak and with a blushing face, walked into the yard.

The black-soled embroidered cotton shoes on her feet were covered with snowflakes. Behind her were two maids and a woman servant, carrying several food boxes in their hands.

As soon as she reached the door of the main room, she stamped her feet lightly, shook off the snow on her cotton shoes, and asked the maids to prepare breakfast.

Qingwen smiled at Lingguan and said, "Your skin is too thin, you need to wrap yourself in a big fur cloak when you go out.

It can also be as cold as a frozen cat, with its little face all red. "

Lingguan said, "I also spent the winter in Shenjing last year, but it wasn't this cold. This is really strange. Will it be even colder next year?"

Jia Cong said with a smile: "The weather has been like this for the past few years, getting worse every year. Come over and warm yourself by the fire, or you'll get frostbite."

Lingguan ran to sit in front of the fumigation cage, took off her fur cloak, spread it on the bamboo cover of the fumigation cage, and dried the moisture from the snowflakes on the cloak.

……

Soon the table was filled with various breakfasts, including steaming green rice porridge, freshly fried cream-filled noodles, and freshly made date paste and yam cake.

There were also two plates of freshly-baked tofu skin buns filled with enoki mushrooms, black fungus, chicken and other fillings, which were loved by everyone at the table.

There are also side dishes such as honey-brewed quail eggs, sliced ​​seafood and southern food, and chopped salted dried fruits to go with the porridge.

Just as everyone sat down to have breakfast, Douguan ran over and opened the door, and a cold wind blew into the room.

Qingwen laughed and scolded, "What are you doing? Are we going to have breakfast or eat the northwest wind?"

Douguan chuckled and said, "This snow scene is so rare. When we were in the south, we didn't see snow in winter for several years.

Eating breakfast while looking at the snow is such a pleasant thing.

There are two extra smoking baskets in the room, so it's hot everywhere, and it's cold everywhere."

Ping Er laughed and said, "A little girl like Douguan actually likes this tune. She is quite good at finding her own fun. It's really rare."

Douguan seemed to be unconcerned about Ping'er's teasing. She picked up the bowl of porridge and drank it with a slurp. She grabbed a tofu skin bun with her right hand and stuffed it into her mouth.

He kept looking at the snow scene in the yard with a very comfortable expression, which made everyone at the table laugh.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Life should be like Douguan, where you can find fun for yourself and never worry."

……

After everyone had breakfast, Wu'er and Ping'er went out in the wind and snow, and went to the West Mansion together to take care of the housework.

Wu'er wore a cloak with a silver-red satin fur lining, Ping'er wore a cloak with a pine green feather gauze and a gray squirrel lining. The cold wind blew, rolling up two floating clouds, and they staggered away on the ground covered with white silk.

Jia Cong only had a day off every five days and usually seldom went to the West Mansion on the pretext of attending court or government offices. But today he had to go to the West Mansion with his sisters to observe formalities.

After breakfast, she put on a casual lotus green feather satin cloak, took Qingwen with her, and went to Daiyu's courtyard first.

When they got out of the courtyard, they saw several maids and old women sweeping snow and clearing a path. When they saw Jia Cong coming, they all bowed to him.

Looking around, it's all white. In the distance you can see lush green pines, and further away are the dark green outlines of pavilions and towers. In the misty and cold air, it seems like a palace in heaven.

When we got near the Dengxian Pavilion, a cold fragrance spread in the wind, refreshing our hearts.

He looked carefully and saw that in the distance at the foot of the southern slope, dozens of red plum trees transplanted from Xuanmu Mountain were all blooming in the snow. Their red color was like rouge, reflecting the light of the snow, and they looked particularly enchanting.

Jia Cong could not help but stop and watch from afar for a while, then moved his gaze to the small courtyard on the south slope, thinking that Zhishao and Miaoyu must have gotten up.

They all came from Panxiang Temple in Suzhou. The plum blossoms in the garden were in full bloom, and they must have been happy to see them.

After admiring the red plum blossoms in the snow for a while, he went to Daiyu's courtyard. When he entered the courtyard, he saw lush green bamboos with leaves on the branches dotted with snow.

The bluestone corridor leading to the main house of the embroidery building had been cleared of snow early in the morning, making it very convenient to walk along the way.

When Chia Cong entered the outer room of the main house, he saw the maids and old women clearing away the dishes. He guessed that Daiyu had just finished her breakfast.

He called out, "Sister Lin, I'm coming in."

When he entered the inner room, he saw Xueyan holding the washbasin. Daiyu was turning around and rinsing her mouth with her mouth half covered, and then she took Zijuan's towel to wash her face.

She turned around and saw Jia Cong coming in, and said with a smile: "I calculated that Third Brother is on leave today, so he will probably come out for a walk.

It was also a good time, as it happened to be the first heavy snowfall of the year.”

Jia Cong smiled and said, "When I came here, I saw red plum blossoms blooming at the foot of the south slope. They were the ones transplanted from Gusu. They looked quite spectacular."

Daiyu said happily: "Those are the plum blossoms from Xuanmu Mountain in Gusu. I can't get enough of seeing them every year."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Let's go to the West Mansion with the sisters to pay our respects first, and then we can appreciate the plum blossoms carefully when we come back."

Daiyu said, "Even if the old lady gets up now, she probably hasn't had breakfast yet, so there's no need to rush.

Zijuan, go serve tea to Third Brother. Use that Siamese tribute tea and make it as light as possible. Third Brother has already had breakfast, so drinking it after dinner won’t hurt his stomach.”

Then he smiled and said, "Brother San, have some tea first. I'll go in and change my clothes, and then we'll go out together."

Jia Cong took the tea from Zijuan and waited for less than a quarter of an hour before he saw Daiyu coming out from the inner room.

She wore a jacket with light gold embroidery and scattered flowers on the upper body, a pink plum blossom origami horse-faced skirt on the lower body, a red feather gauze crane cloak with white fox lining, and a snow hat of the same color on her head.

Zijuan changed into a light purple double-breasted cotton jacket, carried an oil-paper umbrella in her hand, and followed Daiyu.

The group of four walked in the snow, first went to Tanchun's courtyard, invited Tanchun in, and then went to Yingchun's residence.

As they walked around, all the sisters in the garden gathered together. Except for Jia Cong and Daiyu, all the sisters were wearing the same bright red gorilla felt and feather satin cloaks.

From a distance, a group of people are reflected against the snow-covered sky, just like red clouds passing through the sky, or like fragrant clouds stepping on the snow. It is extremely beautiful to the eyes. Although it is in the human world, it is better than being in the human world.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Baoyu woke up in the morning and noticed the dazzling light on the window frame. Then he found that the door was full of snow, and his mood suddenly became better.

After she finished dressing, she ran to the veranda to admire the snow scene in the courtyard. Xiren, Bihen, Caiyun and others became interested and followed her out to admire the snow.

At this time, the door of the left wing opened, and Caixia, wearing a black and gray mouse fever cloak inside and out, also came out to watch the snow scene.

The cloak she was wearing was no ordinary item. An ordinary maid would not be able to wear it decently. It was a reward from Lady Jia a few days ago.

Because Caixia was pregnant and would be the first child of Baoyu, Jia's grandmother was worried that the severe winter was approaching and pregnant women would be afraid of the cold, so she specially gave her this cloak with fever-resistant inner and outer layers.

When Caixia saw Baoyu standing on the corridor, she subconsciously bowed to him, but she was afraid to approach them.

When Xiren saw Caixia's behavior, she felt a little strange. Logically speaking, since Caixia was pregnant with Erye's child, she should be closer to Erye than them.

Not to mention what happened in their room, whenever they met outside, Caixia was always polite and considerate. Xiren vaguely felt that Caixia was a little afraid of the Second Master.

But although the Second Master was a little confused, he didn't look like the kind of person who would scare girls.

Xiren thought about it twice, but couldn't get the hang of it.

I have heard that when a woman is pregnant, her mind is much heavier than usual, and Caixia is probably because of this.

……

Baoyu saw Caixia bowing to him, which was a thoughtful move, but his face did not show any kindness or approval, but only a hint of embarrassment. Originally, Caixia was submissive and accommodating on the bed, and she became pregnant after one month of entering the room, which made Baoyu feel proud and honorable in front of outsiders.

It was as if he had always boasted in his heart about how outstanding he was and how pure his feelings were, and he had given himself too much self-suggestion, and even believed it to be true.

Therefore, when Caixia just received the good news, Baoyu felt happy and pity for her, which was considered true love.

However, when the good news spread in the room, the originally bright and beautiful elegance turned into a rotten and smelly smell.

Whether he met Aunt Xue, Wang Xifeng, or sisters such as Yingchun, Daiyu, and Baochai.

Everyone congratulated him on the birth of a child and on becoming a father, which made Baoyu feel ashamed and heartbroken.

He realized that he would also become a dead fish eye and lose the favor and love of all the girls in the world. Rather than suffer such misery, he would rather die.

He was born to be an extraordinary person, and anything that would tarnish his innocence should be abandoned by him, so as to live up to his birthright...

In short, the pride that Caixia initially brought him gradually turned into a dirty and embarrassing humiliation that he was really unwilling to endure willingly.

However, he never told anyone about his strange thoughts, not even Xiren knew about it.

But Caixia was pregnant and more anxious and sensitive than ordinary people. She could clearly feel Baoyu's growing coldness, and she didn't know whether she was happy or sad.

Amid the charming scene of snow falling all over the sky, her thoughts were churning, her chest felt dizzy, and she held onto the railing, retching violently.

……

When Baoyu saw this situation, his brows furrowed and he felt annoyed.

When Xiren saw Caixia's movement, she felt sad and for a moment she forgot to go forward and ask.

When Bihen saw Caixia retching, the jealousy and resentment in his eyes were naked and not concealed at all.

Only Caiyun and Caixia, both maids of Lady Wang, have been together day and night for many years and have stronger friendship with each other than others.

Although Caiyun was a little jealous of Caixia, it was only natural. She hurriedly went over to support Caixia and gently rubbed her back.

She said, "You are suffering from morning sickness now. You should not be exposed to the wind when you know you are pregnant. I will help you go back and rest."

When Baoyu saw Caiyun helping Caixia back to her room, he sighed with some dissatisfaction, as if he was filled with idle sorrow and old grudges.

He looked at the snow falling all over the sky and said, "The snow is beautiful today. The old lady likes the hustle and bustle, so she must be happy.

Most likely she will ask the sisters to come over to talk, and I will also go to Rongqing Hall to pay my respects to the old lady. It would be boring to stay at home."

……

As Baoyu spoke, he went out of the side door along the Fengyu Corridor and went straight to Rongqing Hall.

When Xiren heard that he went to Rongqingtang, she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Recently, the Second Master had become more and more confused, often saying strange things in Rongqingtang and causing a lot of trouble.

Now that the girls from the East Mansion are here to visit, Second Master must not say anything unpleasant, which would make things even more embarrassing for everyone.

Thinking of this, Xiren went into the house, got a bright red gorilla felt cloak, and quickly chased out of the yard.

She walked quickly in small steps and finally saw Baoyu's figure in front of her. She slowed down a few steps and was about to enter Rongqing Hall.

He quickly called out, "Second Master, please walk a few steps slower. It's such a cold snowy day, and you don't wear a cloak. If you get caught in the cold wind, it's no joke."

Baoyu stopped and Xiren hurried forward to put his cloak on him and helped him fasten the buttons.

She kept muttering, "Most of the girls from the East Mansion will be here at this time, so please don't talk nonsense after Second Master enters the hall.

Say more kind words to soothe others, and the sisters will be happy to hear them, and they will naturally treat you the same as before. This is an important matter, so remember this."

Baoyu knew that Xiren meant well, and he hummed a few times vaguely.

Xiren continued, "It is now the twelfth lunar month, and the government offices will be closed more often. It is possible that the Third Master will come to pay his respects to the old lady.

Second Master should speak nicely to Third Master when he meets him. Third Master regards you as his father. You two should be closer than other brothers.

Now that the Third Master is gaining momentum outside, even if the Second Master doesn't like to study, he is always the older brother, and it is not shameful for the Second Master to ask him for advice and get to know him better.

Who knows, the Third Master might be able to help the Second Master in the future. Even if we don't talk about what's happening outside, life will be more interesting if the brothers and sisters are harmonious in the family.

Putting aside other things for now, with such a beautiful snow scene today, the scenery in the East Palace is three times better than that in the West Palace.

The Second Master usually speaks pleasant and pleasing words, so the Third Master and his sisters will also be close to him and often invite him to the East Palace to enjoy the snow and the scenery.

Even if nothing happens today, we will get closer and get along better with each other in the future, and we will naturally visit each other more frequently. Second Master will be able to get closer to the sisters, so he must be very proud."

……

At first, Baoyu listened to Xiren's nagging with some patience. He was also very willing to let Xiren and his sisters give in and speak nicely.
But later, when he heard Xiren say that she wanted to ask Jia Cong for advice and become close to him, he felt it was vulgar and disgusting.

She also said that the snow scenery in the East Palace was beautiful, and that only by being close to Jia Cong could she go to the East Palace more often and get close to the sisters. What nonsense!
Before Xiren could finish her nagging, Baoyu's face suddenly darkened and he said, "I don't know where you learned this nonsense from, but you are also saying it now.

Why should I ask him for advice? I despise official career and economic affairs the most in my life. Dongfu is a place full of corrupt officials. Even if I am invited, I will not go!"

Baoyu's words were powerful, upright and strong, and even he himself felt a little proud of himself.

Others said that Jia Cong was successful in the imperial examination and was appointed as a Hanlin, which they thought was the greatest honor in the world.

Only I am a sober person who can see through his selfish and greedy face. Once you see through the things in this world, they are actually nothing!
He felt that Xiren would be shocked to hear his warning, so he looked at her face with pride, and indeed, she looked pale and frightened.

But why was Xiren staring behind her?
……

Baoyu looked back and his face turned slightly pale. A group of people were walking towards him from the corner of the corridor.

The two people in front were Jia Cong and Yingchun, and those following behind them were naturally the sisters at home.

Jia Cong was looking at him, but his face was as gloomy as water, which made people feel a little scared.

The second sister Yingchun was always the most gentle and docile, but at this moment her brows were slightly furrowed and she looked very unhappy.

The corner of the corridor was only ten steps away from here. Could it be that they just happened to hear what I said...

Jia Cong just glanced at Baoyu without saying a word, then turned around and walked into Rongqing Hall. The other sisters followed him in.

Except for Xiangyun who looked at Baoyu with a reproachful look, Daiyu and other sisters didn't even look at him.

As quick-witted and reckless as Baoyu had been just now, he now felt embarrassed and panic-stricken, and felt a chill running from the soles of his feet straight up to his head.

It's not that he really knows everything, but he has been spoiled since he was a child, and the idea that he is extraordinary is deeply rooted in his mind. He is addicted to it and unwilling to extricate himself.

Xiren, who was standing by, looked anxious and said, "Second Master, why are you talking nonsense again? You speak too quickly. It just so happened that Third Master and Second Miss came over."

Baoyu was as dumbfounded as a wooden chicken. Thinking of his sisters at home, almost all of them had cold faces. He felt panic and regret in his heart, and wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

When Xiren saw Baoyu's pale face and dizziness, she regretted why she had advised the Second Master with these words.

As the Second Master's woman, I was destined to serve him all my life, so naturally I wished him success with all my heart.

But the Second Master is becoming more and more unreasonable now, like a wooden fish that cannot be struck. It is useless to worry about him.

Erye is stubborn in words, but his luck seems to be particularly bad. Every time he gets carried away, he always bumps into the edge of a knife without knowing it.

The last time I was scolded by the clan officials, it was just like this. Now I was just gossiping at home and the victim happened to hear it...

Baoyu thought of what had just happened and felt a little angry and ashamed. He looked at Rong Qingtang reluctantly, tore off his cloak and threw it to the ground.

He looked up and sighed, "Forget it, forget it, I will never see these people again."

He was just about to flee and return to his own yard to hide from the stench when suddenly Amber came out from Rongqing Hall.

When she saw Baoyu and Xiren, she hurriedly called out, "Second Master Bao, Third Master Bao and the girls, come over and pay your respects to the old lady.

The old lady was just asking you to come over so that the brothers and sisters can have fun together, and she asked me to pass the message to you, and it just so happened that you came.

Mr. Bao, please come in quickly. The old lady is waiting for you."

Xiren said quickly, "Amber, tell the old lady first, we'll be in right away. The second master's cloak fell off, and I want to help him put it away."

Amber glanced at them and thought they both looked strange, but she didn't want to ask any more questions since she had already conveyed the message.

When Xiren saw Amber enter the hall, she hurriedly picked up the cloak, patted it a few times and helped Baoyu put it on.

He said, "Second Master, the old lady wants you to go in, you can't hide, or else you'll cause trouble again.

The Third Master and the Second Young Lady are both sensible people, they won't say anything in front of the old lady, you go in first and talk, but don't say anything weird, I'll be waiting outside the hall."

Baoyu thought of Jia Cong's cold eyes and Yingchun's unhappy expression, and felt that he might as well die... (End of this chapter)