Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Baoyu was ashamed because of what had happened before and was too embarrassed to see anyone, but he still thought about his sisters at home.

Knowing that they frequented Rongqing Hall every day, surrounded by beautiful women as fair as fairies, yet he could not see them, he could not help but feel sorrow in his heart.

Originally, the second sister was an unknown blockhead, but now she is completely different. Not only does the old lady value her, but her sisters in the family also respect and love her.

That day, even his usually gentle second sister looked at him with such a cold gaze, which made Baoyu's heart ache terribly.

With the second sister's estrangement from me, I fear the other sisters will also subtly influence me and develop resentment towards me.

Baoyu hadn't expected this, and felt frustrated and resentful. It was all Jia Cong's fault for meddling. How much better it would have been if his second sister had stayed in the West Mansion.

It was he who forcibly took my second sister to the East Mansion, exposing her to the vulgarity of officialdom every day, which corrupted her.

The girl who used to be gentle and kind has now become so stiff and cold, and doesn't understand my feelings at all.

These past two days, Baoyu has been at a loss, both concerned about his reputation and unwilling to easily break off relations.

But he also longed to go to Rongqing Hall and chat and laugh with his sisters, but how could a person as innocent as him possibly do such a shameless thing?

Unexpectedly, the old lady still loved her the most, inviting her sisters to stay for a meal at Rongqing Hall and even thinking of having her join them. It was truly a blessing in disguise.

Baoyu said happily, "Thank you for coming to deliver the message, sister. I'll change my clothes and go."

As he spoke, he asked Xiren to fetch his clothes, his favorite set at the moment, a bright red round-necked robe with a golden lotus pattern, which he was particularly proud of.

She then asked, "Sister Jade, in the dead of winter, the forest is covered in snow. Where did the old lady get all this wild game?"

Jade smiled and said, "It was given to Third Master by officials from the Huitong Hall. They must be friends of Third Master in the officialdom. Third Master is famous now, and everyone gives him face."

Baoyu was initially overjoyed, but upon hearing that the officials from the meeting hall were also Third Master's friends in officialdom, he was immediately filled with nausea.

Jade didn't notice Baoyu's expression and said, "Grandma is setting up a banquet, and I have to go over there to help. Second Master, please hurry up and come over, don't keep Grandma waiting."

……

After Emerald left, Xiren brought out the bright red round-necked robe with a lotus pattern, and was about to help Baoyu put it on.

Seeing his second master looking indignant, he couldn't help but worry and asked, "Second Master, the old lady is calling for dinner, why are you unhappy again?"

Baoyu said, "How come Jia Cong is everywhere in the mansion? The old lady invited me and my sisters to dinner out of the blue."

There was no need for Jia Cong to send pheasant and venison. It would have been fine if he had sent them, but they were filthy things he had gotten through his connections in officialdom.

It's utterly disgusting and repulsive; it truly tarnishes my and my sisters' reputation!

Upon hearing Baoyu's words, Xiren's expression immediately changed. She quickly went to close the door and said, "Second Master, why are you saying such foolish and angry things again?"

I've advised you so many times. Second Master, have you forgotten what happened at Rongqing Hall a few days ago?

Even if Second Master wants to say something in anger or complain, let him be, just don't involve Third Master in his words.

As the saying goes, walls have ears. Even if we don't catch it in person, someone might steal it and secretly tell Third Master, which would make everyone look bad.

Baoyu retorted angrily, "If everyone were as cautious and timid as you, what would be the point? I wouldn't dare say you're upright and indomitable, but you should at least be open and honest!"

Xiren felt a headache coming on. She thought to herself, "I wonder what kind of books Second Master has been reading. What kind of twisted logic is this? He speaks ill of people behind their backs, and he's quite open about it..."

Baoyu said, "I'm just so angry. Whenever there's something good happening in the manor, Jia Cong has to get involved and spoil the fun."

Back when he was still at the East Wing Courtyard, my sisters and I were so close. How different it is now that Lin Daiyu ignores me completely.

If he hadn't come to the West Mansion back then, all the good things in this world would still be here. Why would he need to disturb people's peace and quiet like this?

Having read so many books, he must have some profound understanding and a heart as pure as the moon and the breeze, unburdened by worldly affairs.

Yet they spoil the mood in every way, showing their ignorance and lack of knowledge; they are truly pitiful and lamentable.

This proves that my earlier statement—that rote learning is useless and that pursuing officialdom and economic gain is harmful—was ultimately correct.

As Xiren listened, she became increasingly alarmed and quickly said, "Second Master, why are you getting more and more serious? Even if you don't like reading, you pretend to like it."

Others will have less reason to gossip. To say in broad daylight that studying is useless—if that gets back to the master, it'll cause trouble. Second Master, you'd better be careful.”

Upon hearing Xiren's words, Baoyu's fair and round face instantly changed color, and his passionate, melancholic words suddenly fell silent.

Just then, Caiyun pushed open the door and overheard Baoyu's words, saying, "Since you're feeling uneasy, Second Master, why don't you skip the meal at Rongqing Hall?"

Otherwise, if something unpleasant happens, the Second Master might say the wrong thing again, which would only cause more trouble.

Xiren said, "Caiyun is right. If Second Master is unhappy, it's best not to go out."

I went to tell the old lady that Second Master had caught a cold, took some medicine to dispel the chill, and was sweating it out in bed, so he wouldn't go over to eat, lest he pass on his illness.

The old lady will definitely agree. At worst, we can just send Yuanyang over to take a look, and we can all get away with it.

"I'll go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare a few of the dishes Second Master likes. Caiyun and I will dine with him."

Caiyun quickly advised, "Sister Xiren is right. There are too many people and it's too noisy over there. It's much better to have Sister Xiren and me with you. The three of us can enjoy peace and quiet here."

……

When Baoyu heard the two speak in unison, his expression immediately changed from righteous indignation to troubled expression.

She simply disliked Jia Cong, but not her sisters. She had a falling out with her second sister over the previous incident.

This time, the old lady finally treated me to a meal, which gave me a great opportunity to save face.

Who knows when such an opportunity will come again? It would be such a pity to miss it like this.

This way, I can get closer to my sisters without having to tear off my mask.

Although he disliked Jia Cong, he was unwilling to bow down to the corrupt officialdom.

But he treated his sisters differently; no matter how much they pleaded and begged, he was always happy to oblige…

Baoyu hesitated and said, "Although I don't like Jia Cong, I can't just think of myself. Not to mention that the old lady invited me to dinner, it would be unfilial of me not to go."

My sisters haven't seen me in a long time, so I should go and visit them, so they won't worry about me.

Upon hearing Baoyu's words, Xiren felt a strange sensation in her heart. When did the Second Master become so righteous...?

Upon hearing Baoyu's words, Caiyun broke out in goosebumps on her arm. Was the Second Master feigning confusion or truly confused?

Why do I feel like the girls in the East Mansion are interested in him? That Third Master Cong is more handsome than the Second Master and is also so capable. The girls are so happy to see him every day.

Why are they still thinking about the Second Master and so eager to see him? Are they just as foolish as he is...?

But when Baoyu spoke out of filial piety, neither Xiren nor Caiyun dared to stop him anymore.

The two helped Baoyu put on a bright red robe with a round collar and a pattern of golden lotus flowers, and put on a purple-gold crown inlaid with jewels to tie his hair. A large pom-pom trembled on his head, which was very delightful.

Xi Ren had been by Bao Yu's side for many years and knew that he had a fondness for red, and it was common for him to go out dressed in bright red.

However, lately, it seems that the Second Master is becoming increasingly fond of fame, and his daily preferences and spending habits are becoming more refined, for some unknown reason...

As Caiyun helped Baoyu straighten his robes, she thought to herself, "Second Master isn't going to a wedding banquet. Why does he need to go out all dressed up in red? It's a bit too ostentatious."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Lin Zhixiao's wife, accompanied by maids and servants, set up a marble round table in the hall, just enough for more than ten people to sit together.

When Baoyu entered the hall excitedly, Grandmother Jia smiled and asked everyone to take their seats.

Because Yingchun was the eldest among her sisters and now the eldest daughter of the East Mansion, Grandmother Jia let her sit in the first seat to her right.

Daiyu sat down next to Yingchun. Baoyu was moved and looked up, wanting to go over and sit down next to Daiyu.

He hadn't spoken intimately with Lin Daiyu in a long time, but he had only taken two steps when he saw Tan Chun sway slightly and sit down next to Daiyu with a nimble figure.

Baoyu felt annoyed. His third sister hadn't sat down earlier, but when she saw him coming, she sat down as if it were intentional.

However, Baoyu was willing to sit next to his third sister.

Just as he was about to go over, a figure flashed beside him, and Shi Xiangyun had already sat down next to Tan Chun.

Xichun skipped over and plopped down next to Xiangyun, leaving no space for Baoyu at all.

Xichun held up a floral cloth doll in her hand and said with a smile, "Second brother, isn't my doll pretty? Third brother bought it for me from Yingxizhai."

Baoyu felt uncomfortable upon hearing this, and his face involuntarily fell into a sour expression.

Xi Chun said, "Second Brother, Grandmother loves you the most. Go sit next to her. You don't need to hang out with us." Actually, neither Tan Chun, Shi Xiangyun, nor Xi Chun took Bao Yu's place. The sisters in the family were arranged according to age, and that was the natural seating arrangement.

However, Tan Chun was perceptive and had just seen through Bao Yu's thoughts. But she knew that Dai Yu disliked Bao Yu and would not be pleased with his actions.

Although Tan Chun and Lady Wang were not on good terms, Bao Yu was, after all, her brother from the same father, and she did not want Bao Yu to embarrass himself in front of his sisters.

Although Xichun was young, she had no other thoughts and sat down next to her third sister, a habit she had developed since childhood.

Whenever Xiangyun arrives, she sits next to her, as her second sister had instructed her to do so long ago.

Unless her third brother was present, she would not change her ways and would only stick to sit next to Jia Cong.

……

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Fourth Sister is the most clever. Baoyu, come and sit next to me."

Baoyu looked helpless and had no choice but to sit down next to Grandmother Jia.

Once everyone was seated, several maids from the outer room stood by, each carrying a whisk, a rinsing bowl, a towel, and other items, attending to them.

Lin Zhixiao's wife, along with several of her stewardesses, brought up dishes in a steady stream, skillfully and efficiently setting the table.

Dishes such as golden and silver venison, salt-roasted venison, and braised venison with wild mushrooms were served, along with more than a dozen other specialties that the kitchen was good at.

Sika deer are relatively large, and although venison is a highly nutritious food, it inevitably has a fishy and unpleasant smell if the deer is not bled from a live animal.

However, the cooks in the Rongguo Mansion's kitchen were all old servants who had passed down their skills for generations, and their culinary skills were quite remarkable.

Although Jia Cong obtained a hunted deer, the kitchen carefully cooked it, and the several venison dishes had no unpleasant smell and were very fragrant.

Grandmother Jia smiled and picked up a piece with her chopsticks first. Yingchun followed suit and picked up a piece as well, and then the other sisters started eating.

Even though Xichun is young and usually jumps around, she still behaves well at banquets, having been taught etiquette and manners of a wealthy family since childhood.

Baoyu only picked up a few pieces of meat with his chopsticks, and he kept circling around the plates of venison, seemingly quite self-disciplined, yet somewhat absent-minded.

After Grandmother Jia asked a few casual questions, Baoyu cautiously inquired, "Sister Lin looks quite well; she must be feeling much better lately."

Yingchun frowned slightly upon hearing Baoyu's words; they sounded strange.

What do you mean by "you're much better"? It sounds like they're hoping Lin Daiyu gets sick, but they don't even ask her anything nice.

Xiangyun, standing to the side, said, "Sister Lin is different now. She's much stronger and more agile than I usually am."

He never coughs, not even a sneeze, even in the freezing cold.

When Baoyu heard Xiangyun's carefree words, he felt a tightness in his chest, especially when Xiangyun praised Daiyu for being strong, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.

The usually delicate and frail Lin Daiyu was actually described as having a robust physique, and Xiangyun was so tainted by such rudeness, it was truly a spoilsport.

However, he dared not openly mock Xiangyun, because Xiangyun was different from the other sisters. The other sisters either ignored him or avoided him.

Only Xiangyun had been raised by Grandmother Jia since childhood, and given her straightforward and cheerful nature, she never hid anything.

When they were on good terms, they would laugh and talk together; when they were on bad terms, they would argue and quarrel. Xiangyun would never go along with Baoyu.

Therefore, the two had a disagreement, and Baoyu did not dare to offend Xiangyun easily, because she was more eloquent and spoke faster than him.

He had finally managed to come up with a topic, but Xiangyun interrupted him like this, leaving him feeling quite helpless and frustrated.

After eating a few bites of food haphazardly, he asked, "Does my sister still sleep well at night? I heard from the maid that she can't sleep through the night."

This can harm your health in the long run. Are you sleeping better now?

Baoyu thought he was being thoughtful and considerate, but Daiyu found it extremely irritating. Did he really expect her, a young lady, to tell him how many nights she slept?

Seeing that the conversation at the table was not going well, Tan Chun asked Bao Yu a couple of questions, but Dai Yu ignored her and didn't reply to a single word.

He quickly stepped in to smooth things over, laughing and saying, "Ever since Third Brother found a divine doctor to treat Sister Lin and prescribed the Three Lives Nourishing Soul Pill..."

Sister Lin has been taking her medicine as prescribed and has recovered well. I spent the night in her room a few days ago.

We talked until midnight before going to sleep, but Sister Lin didn't get up until half past 7 a.m., she slept longer than me.

"Is it because I'm such a warm bed warmer that you slept so soundly?"

Daiyu said, "Even if you don't come, I still sleep like this every day. I've never had a peaceful year since I was a child."

My third brother knew my schedule, and whenever he was off work or at home, he would only come to my courtyard after 7 a.m.

Tan Chun smiled bitterly upon hearing Daiyu's words. She had wanted to distract Baoyu from the fire, but Lin Daiyu was in a bad mood and wouldn't let it go, wanting to add fuel to the fire.

……

When Baoyu heard Shi Xiangyun say that Daiyu was robust, and when Tanchun said that Daiyu could sleep for three hours a night, he was extremely displeased.

This was the Lin Daiyu he admired, delicate and pitiful, sickly like Xi Shi, how could she have turned into this...

If it were only these things, Baoyu could still bear his disappointment, until Daiyu said that Jia Cong knew her daily habits, so he would only come to her room after 7 a.m.

Upon hearing Daiyu's words, Baoyu felt as if a sharp blade had pierced his heart; jealousy and hatred surged within him, and he felt as if he were dying from the pain.

Why isn't Jia Cong the one who's forbidden from entering the East Mansion, yet freely goes to Lin Daiyu's room to smell her fragrance and chat? He should be the one to belong to her.

Heaven is so unjust, trampling on me like this; my pure and innocent heart can only be poured into the ditch.

Baoyu always focused his attention on Daiyu, so he was more perceptive of her words and actions than others.

Daiyu's words just now seemed to contain hidden emotions. Others might not have noticed, but Baoyu sensed her implicit intimacy towards Jia Cong.

Baoyu felt a great sense of injustice and felt an urge to scold and question. He was about to blurt out: "Sister, please don't let Jia Cong fool you."

Just as he was about to throw caution to the wind and reveal his innermost thoughts, Grandmother Jia noticed that he was somewhat dazed, holding his chopsticks and not knowing whether to put them down, as if he didn't know what to eat.

He laughed and said, "Baoyu, the venison Cong-ge'er got is excellent, how come you didn't taste a single bite? Didn't you used to love eating venison?"

Baoyu's pent-up courage was interrupted by Grandmother Jia's words, leaving him momentarily confused.

Thinking that this venison was some kind of filthy stuff that had been obtained through officialdom, his tone turned cold, and he casually said, "Venison is fishy and smelly, and hard to eat."

Upon hearing this, Yingchun, Daiyu, and the other sisters all frowned slightly. The venison was obtained by Jia Cong from outside, and Baoyu's words were far too rude.

Xiangyun said in a crisp voice, unconvinced, "Second brother is talking nonsense. This venison is very delicious, and the kitchen has prepared it very well. How can it be fishy or smelly?"

Grandmother Jia looked somewhat embarrassed. She knew all too well that Baoyu's words had displeased her granddaughters.

He quickly said, "Baoyu, are you not feeling well today? If you're not sure what the venison tastes like, then eat something light first."

"After you finish this meal, have the kitchen prepare some more for you. How much venison does Lin Zhixiao's family have left?"

Lin Zhixiao's wife, who had been serving at the table, was also extremely dissatisfied when she heard Baoyu say that the venison was fishy and smelly.

The old lady is having a venison feast today, but she has arranged for the kitchen to clean the meat. If the venison isn't clean, it will have a strong, unpleasant smell.

Where could she put her old face in front of the old lady and all the young ladies?

She quickly replied, "Reporting to the old lady, the second young lady sent a whole deer leg, and only a little over half of it has been used up; there's still plenty left."

I had it hung under the eaves of the kitchen; it was frozen solid and looked very fresh.

The venison was cooked by Sister Zhang in the kitchen. She's been working in the kitchen for half her life, and her skills are no less than Sister Liu's in the East Mansion.

"There's definitely nothing wrong with this braised venison. Miss Shi grew up in the manor and has a very discerning palate; if she says it's delicious, it must be true."

Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "What are you panicking about, you old fool? No one said you messed up the job. It's just that Baoyu doesn't have a good appetite today."

I enjoyed the venison; it was worth it for Cong-ge and Er-ya-tou's filial piety."

Daiyu, Tanchun, and the others all understood that the old lady was giving Baoyu a way out, and also praising her third brother and second sister for their filial piety. She was very considerate and her thoughts were very smooth.

Grandmother Jia continued, "Go back and tell Zhang Sao to make a serving of venison for Feng Yatou at dinner time, with some ginseng slices and goji berries, so that she can nourish herself."

Then, according to Baoyu's taste, make another portion and send it to his courtyard so he can eat it slowly later.

Make another light dish, without frying or deep-frying, just simmer over low heat. This kind of dish is nourishing, and I'll send it only to Caixia.

Lin Zhixiao's wife was slightly moved by Jia Mu's words; she was a worldly-wise person.

Having just overheard Baoyu's words involving Daiyu, it's easy to see what he's thinking.

This Master Bao is a man who has a wife and children, yet he is so disrespectful and still has the audacity to fantasize about Miss Lin. He's truly blind.

He was rebuffed by Miss Lin, and then he started assigning me the wrong job. This is like someone who picks up their rice bowl, puts down their chopsticks, and then starts cursing! (End of Chapter)