Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

When Baoyu saw Wang Xifeng present, he was already feeling a bit guilty. When she brought up the matter of the purse again, he became even more alarmed.

Her heart was filled with sorrow and indignation. She was just playing with a maid, and she was from her maternal family at that. It had nothing to do with Sister Feng.

She's so stubbornly clinging to this; we're all family, why are we fighting like this?

Why are all people like this? Are their hearts all black? Is there really no place for someone with my kind of sentiment?
When Xiren heard Wang Xifeng suddenly mention the purse, she knew that Wang Xifeng had ill intentions.

Second Madam probably saw through Second Master's thoughts and was worried that he would pester the Old Madam, so she asked the Old Madam to persuade him to stay at the West Mansion.

That's why he spoke threateningly, saying he would never let the Second Master have his way. Since the First Family dislikes the Second Master so much, why should the Second Master still beg to stay?

Seeing Baoyu's embarrassed expression, frightened by Wang Xifeng's words, Xiren was stunned, blushing, and speechless.

She knew that Baoyu was already in great distress because he had moved out of the West Mansion, and now that he was being bullied by Wang Xifeng, if he went mad, it would be difficult to control.

If something were to happen when I entered Rongqing Hall with Baoyu, my wife would surely blame me.

……

She quickly said, "It's all my fault for being careless and not taking good care of Second Master's belongings. It's all thanks to Aunt Lin who found them."

"There's no need for Second Madam to send someone to deliver it. I'll come back and get it myself once Second Master has moved to the East Courtyard and settled in."

After hearing Xiren's words, Wang Xifeng realized that Xiren understood her subtle hints after the move.

Thinking that Xiren was quite sensible, and remembering how she had pleaded for Baoyu that day, he felt it was a pity that she had followed Baoyu, so he said no more.

Grandmother Jia heard the profound meaning in Wang Xifeng's words, and Baoyu's face showed panic. Xiren hurriedly tried to cover it up, concluding that there was something more to the purse than met the eye.

Recalling Yuanyang's words earlier, one knows that there must be something unclean behind it, which has always been a taboo in the inner courtyard of a mansion.

The Jia family had experienced something similar back then, causing such a huge mess that even Grandmother Jia still feels lingering fear.

Now that their own precious jade is involved, Feng'er gave her a warning, and her daughter-in-law hurriedly moved the jade away, each keeping their conversation to themselves.

Grandmother Jia knew that this matter was far from trivial, so she dared not expose it in front of others. She only hoped to deceive everyone for the time being and make plans later.

……

With a smile on her face, Grandmother Jia said, "Baoyu, you've grown up now. Moving to the East Courtyard to prepare for marriage and starting a family is a joyous occasion."

When you return to the East Courtyard, remember to be filial to your parents, devote more time to your studies, and don't upset your father. If you do that, I can rest assured.

Although I am also reluctant to part with you, a son has grown up and cannot be kept by my side forever. The east courtyard is only a short distance from the west mansion, just a matter of a wheel turning twice.

It's very convenient for you to come see me and my siblings. Now that it's almost time, you should pack your things. I'll have Jade go with you to help you put them away..."

Baoyu noticed that although the old lady spoke warmly, she didn't say a word to persuade him to stay, as if she couldn't wait for him to move out.

Baoyu felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. Why was everyone so heartless? His heart was filled with bitterness and sorrow, and he felt as if his heart was about to break.

Although he had a lot to say, with Wang Xifeng watching him intently from the side, he dared not be presumptuous.

If you anger Wang Xifeng, she will definitely strip herself bare and expose your shameful secrets.

Although Baoyu acts irrationally, he is not truly foolish; he does possess some discernment…

Seeing that Baoyu looked sad and dazed after hearing Grandmother Jia's instructions, Xiren worried that he might cause trouble again, so she quickly tugged at his sleeve.

Baoyu then came to his senses and realized that the matter was beyond repair. Not wanting to suffer any further losses, he could only offer a few perfunctory words to Grandmother Jia.

Seeing that the situation had been smoothed over, Xiren took Baoyu back to make arrangements. She just wanted to move out of the West Mansion as soon as possible and put an end to this deadly dispute.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Baoyu Courtyard.

Baoyu followed Xiren and Emerald back to the courtyard, feeling dejected. He thought about how he had grown up in the West Mansion and enjoyed the wealth and glory of the Duke's mansion.

From the moment I was born, I was born with a jade in my mouth, noble and extraordinary, praised by everyone, surrounded by admirers, and enjoyed a carefree life for more than ten years. Looking back now, I realize how much I truly benefited from it.

I originally thought that this kind of life would continue forever.

She laughed and joked with her sisters every day, making Lin Daiyu, Baochai, and other outstanding young ladies only know their own merits and regard others as worthless trash.

Only when I die and they bury me with their tears will I be worthy of my innocence and have lived a life without regret.

Unexpectedly, ever since Jia Cong emerged from his family and devoted himself to studying for an official career, everyone has praised him.

To have someone as pure and outstanding as myself go unappreciated, to have my brilliance wasted, to have the bright moon shine only on a ditch—there is no greater pain or sorrow in the world than this.

As if Heaven wasn't satisfied with tormenting him like this, it forced him out of the West Mansion and into the cramped and confined East Courtyard.

How could that place compare to the Rongguo Mansion? It's a waste of his noble birth as a prince, not to mention that the master watches over him every day; who knows how he'll be humiliated to death...

……

Sitting in the main room, Baoyu felt as if his heart was being torn apart by a knife, his mind filled with sorrow, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He sat down to grieve for only a moment before people rushed into the courtyard like dogs chasing each other. Lin Zhixiao's wife, accompanied by three maids and two old women, came in in a flurry.

Xiren smiled bitterly to herself. These people had come yesterday to pack up the Second Master's belongings.

The Second Master had barely left Rongqing Hall and hadn't even warmed his seat when he summoned them all.

It must have been Second Mistress who sent them the message, that they're in such a hurry. It seems like Second Master can't stay in the West Mansion for even a moment longer...

When Lin Zhixiao's wife saw Baoyu sitting in the main room, weeping sadly, she felt a pang of unease in her chest.

This second master was having a great time pleasuring the maids in the side room, shamelessly ruining the reputation of all the women in the mansion. Now he's pretending to be a liar, crying and wailing for whom?

She said to the maids and servants, "You all need to be quick and efficient. Hurry up and move the Second Master's luggage, pack it into boxes, and arrange it properly."

If you miss the auspicious time for Second Master's move, Second Madam will skin you alive!

As soon as Lin Zhixiao's wife finished speaking, several maids and servants rushed into the room like rabbits chasing dogs.

Yesterday, they helped pack the luggage. They all knew where the items were and lifted them up very skillfully.

However, the scene was rather unsightly, with a chaotic and hurried atmosphere, as if people were being ransacked and driven away, exuding a sense of dejection.

Hearing these casual remarks, Xiren felt bitter. She blamed the Second Master for acting and speaking according to his own whims, offending people both inside and outside the family, and now he was so disliked.

However, since it was a foregone conclusion that Baoyu would move back to the East Courtyard, Xiren couldn't wait to move out so she wouldn't have to put up with other people's attitudes here.

She summoned Caiyun, Chunyan, Jiahui, and others, and assigned several other maids and servants to transport Baoyu and everyone else's luggage to the second gate and load it onto a cart.

……

Just then, footsteps came from the courtyard gate. It sounded like there were quite a few people coming, but they were light and elegant, unlike the hurried footsteps of the maids and servants.

Baoyu, who was shedding tears, felt something and stood up abruptly. Today was a day of extreme sorrow, but there was one thing he looked forward to.

This must have been the scene he longed for the most. He gracefully stepped out of the room and, sure enough, saw Yingchun, Tanchun, Xiangyun, and others enter.

Baoyu was delighted; his sisters were the most considerate in the family, and indeed they all came to see him off.

He also saw Yingchun holding Xichun's hand, the little girl yawning as if she had just been dragged out of bed.

A figure flickered behind Shi Xiangyun, and it turned out to be Xue Baochai.

Baoyu was completely captivated, his round face beaming with joy, all his sorrow vanished, and he exclaimed happily, "Sister Bao, you've come to see me off too!"

Seeing Baoyu's infatuated expression, his shining eyes, and his beaming smile, Baochai couldn't help but tremble and subconsciously took a step back.

He smiled and said, "Brother Bao, congratulations on your move! Of course I had to come and see you off."

In fact, according to Baochai's own wishes, she did not want to get involved with Baoyu. The thought of his absurd and boring behavior made her feel uneasy.

The two families are close cousins, and the reason why the Xue family was able to stay at the Jia family's residence was because of Lady Wang. When Baoyu moved out of the West Mansion, it was only natural that they should come to see him off.

Others may not show their faces, but if Baochai doesn't come over either, it will surely leave room for gossip.

……

However, when Baochai and her sisters came together, Baoyu treated Yingchun and the others with the usual indifference.

Only when he saw himself did he become overjoyed, his eyes twitching and his eyebrows flaring, his gaze filled with lust, without the slightest attempt to conceal it.

Baochai felt a little ashamed and regretted coming over. She exchanged a few perfunctory words and then pretended to talk to Tanchun, subtly avoiding Baoyu.

Yingchun found Baoyu's behavior and demeanor toward Baochai frivolous and unrestrained, with a wanton gaze, very distasteful and displeased.

She knew a little about Baochai's thoughts, and although the matter was still unresolved, she treated Baochai differently, and out of love for her, she protected her.

Actually, she didn't want to come today, but her brother would never come, and besides, there are many visitors during the year.

If she herself didn't come to see them off, it would seem that the eldest branch of the family was too cold, too obvious in public, and would easily give others cause for gossip. She had to save face for the eldest branch. Besides, the brothers had a bond with the second master, and she also had to consider her third sister's feelings. Even if Yingchun didn't like it, she still had to come.

When I got up early this morning, I woke up Xichun and asked the little girl to come along and make a scene.

……

Xichun was at the age where she loved to sleep, and was woken up early in the morning by Yingchun. She didn't want to get up, but Yingchun said that Congdi didn't like lazy girls, so she reluctantly got up.

Just then, he was feeling a bit grumpy upon waking up. Hearing Baoyu's loud and boisterous chatter, he was complaining about the noise when Yingchun pinched his hand, which immediately cheered him up.

She frowned and said, "Second brother, all of us sisters came to see you off, but you greeted Sister Bao and ignored me completely."

Am I really that bad, not even a fraction as good as Sister Bao? Tell me, what's the logic behind that?

Baoyu originally wanted to strike up a conversation with Baochai, but he was somewhat embarrassed when Xichun questioned him with a crooked face.

He quickly smiled apologetically and said, "Fourth sister is the best, thank you for coming to see me off, second brother is very grateful for your kindness."

Xichun said shamelessly, "It's good that you know. I got up early to see you off, dressed and combed my hair, and now I'm still sleepy."

After being interrupted by Xichun, Baoyu could no longer easily get close to Baochai and talk to her.

He looked around among the sisters and didn't see Jia Cong, but he didn't care at all; the two were never meant to be.

But Daiyu was nowhere to be seen. Baoyu was shocked and filled with resentment. Even the joy he felt at being seen off by Baochai vanished in an instant.

The sorrow of moving away from the West Mansion washed over her again, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Why hasn't Lin Daiyu come over?"

……

Seeing Baoyu's grief-stricken expression, Shi Xiangyun couldn't help but frown. Her second brother had already gotten married, yet he was still thinking about her all the time.

With such a blatant disrespect, who wouldn't see through him? If word gets back to Sister Lin, she'll probably avoid him for the rest of her life.

Xiangyun is straightforward and outspoken. She and Baoyu both grew up with Grandmother Jia, and she has always been frank with Baoyu, often arguing and bickering.

Feeling uneasy, he was about to speak, but finding the words offensive, he swallowed them back and simply sighed inwardly.

Tan Chun felt quite helpless seeing Bao Yu's true colors.

Yingchun said, "This morning, Lord Liu, the deputy director of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, came to visit. He is not only Cong's deputy colleague, but also a very close friend."

Cong Di naturally had to receive him personally, as he couldn't come to escort Brother Bao to his new residence. This time, Lord Liu came with his wife.

"Sister Lin has to help entertain the female relatives, so she can't come to see you off. Anyway, around the fifteenth of the first lunar month, the West Mansion will be hosting a family banquet, and the sisters will be able to meet again."

Upon hearing this, Baoyu turned pale. It turned out that it wasn't that Lin Daiyu didn't want to see him off, but that Jia Cong, that corrupt official, was so absurd that he had a young lady help him entertain the wives of officials.

It's one thing for him to be so engrossed in his official career, but he also deliberately tarnished the reputation of his sisters, making a young woman like Lin Daiyu sink into depravity with him. What was he thinking?

Suppressing her anger, she said, "Sister Lin is not yet married and is a proper young lady. How can she entertain outsiders? Second sister is the head of the household and should help Brother Cong entertain them."

……

Upon hearing this, Tan Chun's expression changed slightly. Bao Yu was about to move out of the West Mansion, so why was he talking nonsense again? He was going to offend his sisters in the end. He had really messed things up.

He's already engaged, yet he still thinks about other women every day. How can he not see at all what Sister Lin feels for Third Brother...?

Just as Tan Chun was about to speak to stop her, Ying Chun said calmly, "Madam Liu comes from a prominent family in Yangzhou, and her father and Uncle Lin have a good relationship."

Given the close relationship between our two families, it was only because Lin Daiyu asked me to see her off that she was able to receive the female relatives on behalf of Cong Di. This was a perfect match.

Lin Daiyu came from an official family, and she was much more adept at entertaining the ladies of the bureaucracy than I was.

Brother Bao and the Xia family are engaged. Miss Xia looks exceptionally beautiful, and I can't help but feel envious.

"If my younger brother Cong marries in the future, I hope he finds an outstanding woman. If she is even half as beautiful as Lin Daiyu, I will be content."

……

Upon hearing this, Tan Chun's heart sank. Bao Yu's words were muddled, and he had angered her second sister.

Everyone could see through Baoyu's thoughts. He didn't know that his second sister was very protective of her own. How could she feel at ease after hearing his nonsense?

The fact that Third Brother invited that sister to entertain female relatives was none of Baoyu's business, yet he dared to point fingers and gesticulate in front of Second Sister.

……

When Baoyu heard Yingchun's last sentence, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His mind was filled with the thought, "How could she say such a thing?"

Jia Cong can get married, but how can he be compared to Lin Daiyu? It's outrageous! I absolutely will not allow it...

Xichun scratched her temples, looking puzzled, and said with her fingers, "Second sister, look how complicated you're making it, going around in such a big circle."

When my third brother gets married in the future, his wife must be outstanding and proud, just like Sister Lin. I'll tell my third brother to find Lin…”

…………

Before Xichun could finish speaking, Tanchun reached out and covered her mouth, but no one else could understand what she meant.

When everyone saw Tan Chun looking at Bao Yu with a worried expression, they all followed her gaze.

Baoyu's face was pale, his eyes were glazed and blank, and his whole body was trembling slightly, making him look somewhat frightening.

Tan Chun called out, "Xi Ren, Xi Ren, have all the items been moved? Come here for a moment."

Xiren heard the panic in Tanchun's voice and hurriedly came out of the room. When she saw Baoyu's expression, she was startled.

He said, "Second Master's things have all been put away and loaded onto the cart outside the second gate."

Tan Chun said, "Second Brother is a little tired. You should help him into the carriage and settle him in at the East Courtyard so he can rest early."

Xiren immediately understood Tanchun's meaning. Although she didn't know why Baoyu was acting this way, today was the day of moving, and the Second Master was going to cause trouble again, which would be difficult to handle.

Besides, Xiren was already feeling guilty, and the Second Mistress was still holding a grudge about the side room. If something else went wrong now, the Second Mistress might misunderstand and think the Second Master was being silly...

Xiren had made up her mind. Regardless of her reasons, it would be best to have the Second Master go to the East Courtyard as soon as possible.

She hurriedly called Caiyun over, and the two of them helped Baoyu out of the courtyard, their steps hurried, without even turning their heads.

Tan Chun finally breathed a sigh of relief, released Xi Chun's mouth from being covered, and hurriedly followed Xi Ren out the door. Shi Xiangyun hesitated for a moment, then followed Tan Chun out as well.

Xichun pouted and kept muttering, "That third sister is so mean. She was just talking nicely, why did she shut me up? I hadn't even finished speaking yet."

Yingchun smiled and said, "Young lady, you blurt out everything. There are some things you shouldn't say. Aren't you afraid of causing trouble?"

Xichun was quite unconvinced and said, "Second sister, you were the one who said you were as smug as Sister Lin..."

……

At the entrance of the inner courtyard of Rongguo Mansion, four carriages were already parked, with the last two filled with boxes and trunks.

Baoyu was practically carried by Xiren and Caiyun as they walked, both panting heavily, until they reached the inner courtyard, where they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Baoyu looked dazed and kept muttering, "I want to be as outstanding as Lin Daiyu, as proud as Lin Daiyu..."

Suddenly, she cried out in a sorrowful voice, "Sister Xiren, Second Sister said that Jia Cong is getting married, how can she compare him to Lin Daiyu? She's being unreasonable. I won't allow it."

When Xiren heard Baoyu shouting nonsense, she was almost scared to death. If others heard this, it would cause another trouble.

Even now, Second Master is still delusional. He's a married man, so whoever Miss Lin is, it has nothing to do with him.

She was worried that Baoyu would say something crazy again. They were still at the second gate, where there were many eyes and ears coming and going. What if someone overheard them?

When the news reached Third Master's ears, it also implicated Miss Lin's reputation, offending everyone involved.

He quickly coaxed, "These are just casual remarks from them. How could you take them seriously, Second Master? You're really being foolish."

Second Master, have you forgotten that last time Master Lin from Suzhou wrote that Miss Lin had reached marriageable age and was to be brought back to Suzhou for a wedding?

How could it possibly have anything to do with Third Master? Besides, Third Master is famous and has a grand presence; even the old lady can't make decisions about his marriage.

Last time, the marriage was arranged by imperial decree. If the master hadn't passed away, they would have been married long ago.

"Things in the palace are all governed by imperial edicts and decrees; once spoken, they cannot be taken back. The Third Master's marriage will be arranged by the palace; how could he possibly be involved with Miss Lin?"

Upon hearing this, Baoyu's dazed state vanished, his madness disappeared, and he instantly came back to life.

Her face, which had been pale, suddenly flushed red, and she laughed, "Sister is the wise one. How could I have forgotten this reason?"

I originally thought that arranging a marriage was foolish…

Xiren trembled and hurriedly stopped him, shouting, "Second Master, you mustn't talk nonsense!"

Baoyu looked embarrassed but couldn't hide his excitement, and continued, "Now it seems that the bestowed marriage is a good thing, truly wonderful! Wonderful!"
Jia Cong, a parasite on officialdom, deserves to be betrothed by the palace. He is not worthy of messing with someone like Lin Daiyu or Baochai; he is overestimating himself.

"My second elder sister and fourth younger sister actually had such foolish thoughts; they've both been bewitched by Jia Cong..." (End of Chapter)