Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 186 Jia Zheng Beats Baoyu
……

"you guessed right."

Jia Rong put the "marriage certificate" into his arms, leaving only a corner of it exposed, and smiled slightly, saying, "This is not a marriage certificate, it's just some calligraphy I wrote for fun."

After hearing what Jia Rong said, Lin Daiyu believed it even more. The main reason was that the girl had never seen a marriage certificate before, and she didn't know what was written in it. She was very curious.

"Calligraphy? What's written on it? Can't you let me see it? All the poems and songs I wrote are for you to see." Lin Daiyu said as she quietly approached Jia Rong.

Jia Rong was unaware of this and continued smiling, "Call me good brother and I will show it to you."

Lin Daiyu smiled sweetly.

"OK……"

Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked towards the door.

"Sister Bao?"

"Ok?"

Jia Rong hurriedly turned around to look.

Where is Baochai?
"Hehe! Bring it here!"

Lin Daiyu had already arrived in front of Jia Rong. She raised her hand, pinched a corner of the "marriage certificate", and snatched it from Jia Rong's arms.

Then he glanced at Jia Rong with pride.

Idiot, your aunt lied to you!

Jia Rong turned around and said, "You're kidding me!"

Lin Daiyu said seriously: "No!"

Jia Rong asked, "Where is your sister Bao?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "I wonder if Sister Bao is here? No, right?"

Jia Rong: “…”

Lin Daiyu raised her neck proudly: "What? Do you miss Sister Bao? Go find her, she is free at home." As she spoke, she picked up the 'marriage certificate' and looked at it, and was immediately dumbfounded.

Where is the marriage certificate!
It's obviously...

A red copybook.

It is said: I examine myself three times a day...

"You lied to me!"

Lin Daiyu glared at Jia Rong angrily.

Jia Rong smiled slightly: "Why do you say that? I just said that I just wrote this calligraphy for fun."

Lin Daiyu threw the calligraphy onto the table.

"annoying!"

"I'm leaving now, you study hard."

Jia Rong: "Hey, wait a minute."

"What else?" Lin Daiyu turned around.

"This is for you." Jia Rong picked up a book on the table and said, "I bought it on the street. It looks good."

Lin Daiyu's eyes lit up, and she took the book and rolled it up carefully.

Hidden in the sleeve.

"Thank you."

"Good brother!"

After he finished speaking, he covered his face with a handkerchief and left.

After Lin Daiyu left, Jia Rong sat on a chair and continued to read the imperial report. He saw that there was nothing big in the report, just that there was a disaster in a certain province and the court appointed someone as an imperial envoy to investigate the people's sentiments and provide relief to the victims.

After reading it, Jia Rong placed the report on a corner of the table, where there was already a thick stack of papers.

Jia Rong reads the Dibao every day. From it, he can learn about the recent current affairs of the court. There are also some miscellaneous stories and articles by famous writers mixed in, which is very helpful for his eight-legged essays, policy essays, and topic judgments.

Not only Jia Rong, almost all the students who passed the imperial examination used the money they received from the court every month to buy subsidies from the court. This is the reason why they say that a scholar knows everything about the world without leaving his home.

"Master, the second master of the Xue family has come home and said he is waiting for you outside." Qingwen ran into the study and whispered.

"it is good."

……

Lin Daiyu left Jia Rong's courtyard. Because she was holding a book, she didn't look around and went straight to Rongguo Mansion.

Because of the large-scale construction at Ningguo Mansion, there was a lot of noise from the coming and going of people, and even most of Huiyuan was demolished. Xichun, Daiyu, Baochai, and Baoqin, who originally lived there, all moved to Rongguo Mansion to live temporarily.

This made Baoyu, who was originally uninterested, very excited. He went in to pay his respects to Lady Jia eight times a day just to meet his sisters by chance.

But nowadays, the sisters are very reserved. When they occasionally meet, they just greet each other politely. There was even one time when they met, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baoqin directly called Baoyu "Second Uncle Bao", which made Baoyu vomit blood on the spot.

"Girl Lin."

When Lin Daiyu was halfway there, she suddenly heard someone calling her. She turned around and saw that it was the person she had just used to deceive Jia Rong... Sister Baochai.

Baochai was wearing a white dress with a goose yellow double-breasted blouse on top, and had her hair in a girlish bun. She walked down the corridor in a graceful and elegant manner.

"Chai girl, what's the matter?"

Lin Daiyu replied unwillingly.

Baochai stepped forward and said with a smile, "You are walking so hurriedly, where are you coming from? Where are you going?"

Lin Daiyu tightened her sleeves and smiled nonchalantly, "Of course we come from where we came from and go to where we are going. Where are you going, Sister Bao?"

Baochai also laughed when she heard this and said, "I am the opposite of you. I will go back to where you came from."

Lin Daiyu's heart tightened: "Where's Rong'er?"

Baochai smiled and said, "So you were at Rong'er's place just now."

Lin Daiyu said stubbornly: "I didn't say that."

Baochai laughed and said, "Then why are you talking about Rong'er for no reason? Are you thinking about something?"

"Bah, Sister Bao is talking nonsense!"

Lin Daiyu found that she was a little bit at a loss for words when she heard Baochai speak. In addition, the "novel" was still in her sleeve, and she was afraid that the clever Baochai would find out, so she turned around quickly and walked away pretending to be shy.

Baochai smiled slightly from behind: "Wait a minute, Lin girl, I'm just about to go look for you."

Lin Daiyu didn't even turn her head: "Aren't you going to where I came from? Why are you following me?"

Baochai took two quick steps and asked curiously, "Aren't you from home? Could it be that... you really came from Rong'er's place?"

Lin Daiyu: "I..."

"Of course it comes from home."

Xue Baochai: "Isn't that it?"

Lin Daiyu: "..."

Baoqin, come and take your sister home!
Perhaps Lin Daiyu's call worked, Baoqin really came over and said with a smile: "Sister Lin, I just went to look for you to play, but I didn't expect you to be with Sister Chai."

Xue Baochai smiled but said nothing.

Lin Daiyu said: "Maybe... you came just after I left."

Baoqin stepped forward, took Lin Daiyu's hand, and said with a smile, "It's the beginning of winter today, shall we have a party?"

"it is good."

Lin Daiyu nodded.

Is it the beginning of winter today? She hasn't noticed yet.

Baochai smiled and said, "Ask them if they are free. I will go to Ying's place to see the maids, Qin's will go to see Miss Xing, and Sister Lin will go to ask Sister Xichun on the way, and then go home to prepare and wait for us."

Amitabha.

Lin Daiyu couldn't ask for more.

Fortunately, Baoqin pulled her right hand just now, otherwise it would have been exposed.

Daiyu: "I'll go back first."

Baochai: "Wait."

Lin Daiyu: "What?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Why don't you invite your good students?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "At home. That silly girl studied until three o'clock last night, and then she went to rest with Zijuan."

Baoqin said: "Xiangling has become obsessed with studying poetry and has gone home without knowing it."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "She said that she would not go home until she learned how to write poetry. From now on, she will follow me."

Baoqin smiled and said, "Brother Rong is at a loss. He wanted to be lazy but ended up losing the girl."

Baochai laughed and said, "Silly girl, Rong'er is very careful in his calculations. He sent a maid away, and got back a well-educated, well-mannered young lady who can write poems. How can he lose anything?"

"Hey, what my sister said makes sense."

As they were talking, the three of them dispersed and each went to invite someone else.

……

Backyard, small Buddhist temple.

Mrs. Wang hugged Baoyu, stroked his neck, and said with pity: "Baoyu, why has your face become thinner recently? Did you not eat well? Has anyone in the mansion bullied you?"

Baoyu shook his head: "Madam, don't worry. I have been eating well recently and no one has bullied me. But Madam, are you eating well here? Have you been bullied by those unruly old women?" Mrs. Wang smiled and comforted him: "I am fine. No one dares to bully me. You must study hard outside and become an official in the future. Mother will also enjoy the glory with you."

Jia Baoyu agreed with an embarrassed look on his face.

It's just to deal with Mrs. Wang.

In fact, he didn't want to read those damn sage books at all, especially the eight-legged essay. He couldn't hear a word the teacher said. Recently, he simply skipped classes and played with Qin Zhong. He hasn't been to school for more than half a month.

The mother and son talked for a while. Mrs. Wang was afraid that Baoyu would be delayed in his studies, so she urged him to go back quickly and study hard.

Jia Baoyu was afraid that his mother would worry, so he nodded and agreed: "Don't worry, Madam, I will go to school and study hard when I go back, and I will get a good score in the imperial examination in the future."

"Good good!"

"My Baoyu has grown up!"

Mrs. Wang was delighted and relieved. She quickly called Jin Chuan'er, who was serving beside her, and said, "Quick, take out some of my silver and give it to Xiren. Ask her to buy some elixirs from outside and serve Baoyu to take them every night before going to bed."

"Baoyu was weak to begin with, and now he has been out of action for more than half a year, and has become even thinner. We must make up for it no matter what."

All this money was secretly saved by Mrs. Wang when she was the housekeeper. She was reluctant to give it to her brother Wang Ziteng, and left it specifically for Baoyu.

Jia Baoyu tried to refuse twice, but couldn't persuade Mrs. Wang, so he had to accept it.

It just so happened that he had been short of money recently, so sometimes he had the audacity to ask Qin Zhong to treat him when they went out to eat.

It's really embarrassing!

The young master of the Duke's Mansion has lost all his dignity.

It’s all because of that dead-eyed housekeeper, Madam Xing, who was so stingy. Originally, the master was paid five taels of silver a month, but now he only has two taels left, and it’s been half a month’s delay.

How could a young master like Dabaoyu, who was born with a jade in his mouth, have ever suffered such pain?
Jia Baoyu held the heavy silver in one hand and stroked the jade hanging around his neck with the other, and his mood became increasingly heavy!
He did not give the silver to Xiren.

Because although Xiren is still serving him, she is no longer on the same page with him.

He understands this very well.

Besides, he didn't want to take any expensive medicine.

After hiding the silver, Baoyu took a five-liang silver ingot, changed into a set of half-worn clothes, and went out to find Qin Zhong.

"Brother Bao!"

"Brother Jing Qing!"

The two hugged each other as soon as they met.

half an hour.

Baoyu took out the silver and said with a smile, "Come on, you treated me last night, so I'll treat you today."

Qin Zhong's eyes lit up: "Brother! Let's go to Jinxiangyuan. This money is enough!"

"This……"

"Not so good?"

Baoyu was a little hesitant.

This was the money his mother had worked so hard to save for his health. It wouldn't be a big deal if he used it to treat a guest or repay Qin Zhong's favor, but if he used it to visit a brothel...

"Let's go! What are you hesitating about?" Qin Zhong dragged Baoyu and laughed, "I heard that the sisters there are all beautiful and very obedient. They will do whatever you say. They are gentle and affectionate, and will obey your every command..."

Jia Baoyu was moved and half-heartedly agreed.

The two went upstairs.

Although five taels of silver is not a lot, it is enough for him to have a feast with beautiful women.

However, there was not enough money for an overnight stay.

As the sun sets, the two of them have had their fill of masturbation and go home drunk and satisfied.

……

Let’s talk about Mr. Zheng of Rongguo Mansion.

Things have been going wrong lately.

All the guests who used to chat with him left. Seeing that he had lost his power, his former good colleagues ignored him and even closed the door to him. Jia Zheng was unwilling to teach in the clan school, after all, he was a fifth-rank official in Beijing!

I have been waiting for a reply from the young eunuch in the palace, but he has not shown up yet, and recently I can't even get in touch with him.

With so many troubles added up, Jia Zheng could only drink alone every day to drown his sorrows.

Tonight, he plans to go out for a drink again.

Just as he reached the back corner door (he didn't dare to go forward as he always felt the servant was pointing fingers at him from behind), a man came towards him.

Who is this person?

It was his son, Da Baoyu!

"Beast!"

"What were you doing drunk? And what's that on your face?"

Jia Zheng looked at Baoyu's appearance and heard the fragrance emanating from his body. Even though Jia Zheng was usually very serious and never went to places like those, he understood where Baoyu had been.

There was a raging anger in his eyes.

Baoyu quickly raised his sleeve to wipe his face, and the original rouge mark immediately left a long streak on his face.

Baoyu looked at his sleeves and his heart skipped a beat.

Sober now.

Finished!

Not wiped clean!

"Master, I, I..."

"Snapped!"

Baoyu was slapped by Jia Zheng and turned half a circle on the spot, then fell to the ground.

Groaning in pain.

"Ouch, ouch."

"You beast, I'll beat you to death!"

Without asking anyone to bring ropes or sticks, Jia Zheng just raised his foot and started kicking Baoyu hard.

Baoyu rolled on the ground and kept saying “ouch, ouch”.

At one moment, a few maids and old women passed by and hid far away, covering their mouths and laughing.

"Look, the fool Bao Er is getting beaten again."

"Go and ask the wife to come and see."

"Which lady?"

"Stupid, of course she's our first wife."

"Whee!"

A few maids and old women passed the message around, and soon more and more people came to watch the fun.

Jia Zheng just felt that kicking was very satisfying and much more enjoyable than using a stick.

The main reason is that no one came to mediate.

After a while, he saw Baoyu lying on the ground motionless. He was tired of kicking, so he yelled, "Don't pretend to be dead, you beast. Go to school tomorrow. I'll find someone to carry you there!"

After saying that, he walked back with his hands behind his back.

I'm no longer in the mood to go out for a drink.

Go to sleep.

The servants, maids and old women who had gathered outside to watch the fun quickly dispersed.

Only a large jade was left there.

"Woooooooo..."

A low sobbing sound was heard.

Soon, a few little maids who were gloating over other people's misfortune came, leading Xiren and Sheyue, two maids.

"The Second Master was kicked by the Second Master. He has been lying on the ground for a long time without any movement. I don't know what happened to him. You should go and have a look."

The two of them looked at Baoyu, who had rolled into a dirt egg on the ground.

Surprised!

She hurriedly lifted her skirt and squatted forward: "Second Master, Second Master, wake up!"

"Hurry, go and call our ancestor." Baoyu said as he breathed his last.

Seeing that he was still breathing, Xiren heaved a sigh of relief and said, "The old master is gone, so why call him ancestor? Let's take the second master home and take care of him."

"Do not."

Baoyu shook his head weakly: "Let the old ancestor see me like this, otherwise what should I do if the master asks people to carry me to school?"

Simultaneously.

Baoyu was still thinking that his sisters should all be with the ancestors, and it would be great if they could come over to see his miserable appearance and shed a few tears.

This beating is worth it!

Xiren: "..."

(End of this chapter)