Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 201 Gift Ring

……

Amid the hustle and bustle, most of the Spring Festival had passed, and in the blink of an eye it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This was the day Xichun had been looking forward to for a long time, but today she did not disturb Jia Rong.

Little Xichun sat in front of the window, propping her chin with both hands, and said leisurely: "It's not easy for Rong'er to study. I won't go out to play this year. I'm waiting to see his name on the list of successful candidates."

Ruhua came over from outside and said with a smile: "It takes a lot of people to have a Wenquxing who gets his name on the imperial examination. Our great grandfather is one, but our old master is not. Fortunately, our old master Rong is very hardworking and is born to be a scholar. He is a Wenquxing who has come down to earth."

Xichun suddenly burst into laughter after hearing this.

Ruhua asked, "What's wrong, girl?"

Xichun smiled and said, "When you mentioned the seed of learning, I remembered that year when the old lady said Baoyu was also a seed of learning."

"Pfft."

Ruhua couldn't help but laugh.

"He is really a good student, but he has been spoiled over the years. Our Master Rong studies so hard. I heard from Qingwen and the others that he studies until very late every day recently. Don't worry, young lady, he will definitely pass the exam!"

Xichun thought for a moment and said, "Why don't I cook for Rong Ge'er myself and make him some delicious food to replenish his body."

Ruhua said hurriedly: "Actually...it's not necessary."

It sounds nice when a rich lady cooks, but it’s hard to say how it tastes.

“Why not paint a picture of Uncle Rong studying hard, and then paint a picture of him passing the imperial examination,” Ruhua suggested.

Xichun's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, "This is great. When Rong'er wins the first place in the imperial examination, I will draw another picture of him. When we put several pictures together, it will be called 'Rong'er Passes the Imperial Examination'!"

Ruhua chuckled and said, "There is still one missing."

Xichun asked, "What's missing?"

Ruhua smiled quietly and said, "It's a picture of the wedding chamber."

"Bah, you shameless girl! You even dare to make fun of Rong'er." Xichun smiled and pinched Ruhua's cheek.

Ruhua begged for mercy: "Miss, please forgive me this time. I was just joking."

Xichun smiled softly: "But what you said is also possible..."

Just as he finished speaking, someone walked in from outside the door.

It was Lin Daiyu, who was wearing a lotus-colored Xiang skirt and a white fox cloak, holding a heater in her hands, and was followed by Zijuan and Amber.

"What are you so happy about? Tell me quickly, I'm happy too." Lin Daiyu said with a smile.

Xichun smiled and said, "I heard that Rong'er has been studying very hard recently. I want to paint a picture for him." As she spoke, she ordered Ruhua to prepare paint, brushes and ink.

Lin Daiyu suddenly remembered that her fate with Jia Rong seemed to have started with a painting, which was also painted by Xichun.

Xichun whispered, "Let's go and see how Rong'er studies at home, and then start painting when we get back, and Sister Lin will write on it."

"it is good!"

Lin Daiyu nodded and thought as she walked:

The first one is "Rong Ge'er Lying Drunk in the Shade of Peonies".

The second painting is called "When Rong Ge'er was studying hard"

The third picture...

The two came to Jia Rong's courtyard. Qingwen was quietly doing needlework in the corridor, while Xiangling was reading a book with great concentration.

"girl……"

"Shh, don't make any noise, let's just take a look."

"Oh."

Qingwen nodded and continued to sit in the chair and do needlework.

Xichun Lin Daiyu quietly looked into the room from the window and saw Jia Rong writing an article with great concentration.

A man who concentrates on studying is the most handsome, especially Jia Rong, who is already very handsome.

half an hour.

Xichun: "Hehe, Sister Lin."

Lin Daiyu: "What are you laughing at?"

Xichun: "You were stunned just now."

Lin Daiyu raised her hand to tidy up her temples and covered it up by saying, "I don't! What's so good about him? He's not even as pretty as Sister Xichun."

Xichun smiled happily.

"Really? Am I that good-looking too?"

Lin Daiyu nodded heavily.

"My sister is the prettiest."

"Cuckoo..."

Xichun pursed her lips and smiled.

Lin Daiyu reminded quietly: "Keep your voice down, you will be discovered."

As he spoke, he pointed inside.

Xichun quickly covered her mouth and said, "I know, let's watch quietly for a while."

Lin Daiyu said, "Well, that's about it, let's go back and paint."

If you look again you will be discovered.

It will be so embarrassing to be shy at that time.

"Ok."

……

Lixiangyuan.

Baochai and Baoqin were playing chess out of boredom.

"I heard that Rong'er has been studying hard at home recently." Baochai said casually, holding a chess piece in her hand.

Baoqin lowered her head and said, "I know."

Baochai smiled: "Don't you want to go and take a look?"

Baoqin blushed and said shyly, "Didn't my sister say... that we can't go now?"

Baochai pinched Baoqin's cheek and said with a smile, "I'm afraid that if you don't go and see me, you'll get lovesick. Look at this chess game you're playing. Is it in your old style?"

"Let's go, I'll go take a look with you."

Baochai threw a chess piece into the box and said.

Baoqin said shyly: "Sister, please wait for me first."

Baochai wondered: "What are you going to do?"

Baoqin ran into the inner room and said, "It will be fine in a moment."

Baochai:"……"

This girl actually went to look in the mirror!

While thinking about it, he went over and looked at the mirror quietly.

A young girl in her teens doesn’t actually need too many flowers or powders, nor does she need hairpins or rings.

There is a saying: The lotus emerges from clear water, naturally without any embellishment.

……

At one point, the two of them packed up and went out. Just as they reached the gate of Jia Rong's yard, they saw Dao Xichun and Lin Daiyu quietly coming out of the yard.

Xichun was still better, but Lin Daiyu's face turned a little red.

"Sister Bao, girl Qin, you are here too." Xichun walked forward and greeted the two of them with a smile.

Baochai smiled and said, "I heard that Rong'er studied very hard behind closed doors, hanging his head from the beam and piercing his thigh with a needle. I have only seen him in operas before. Today I have come to see how difficult it is to take the imperial examination."

Seeing that Baochai did not hold on to her small mistake, Lin Daiyu felt even more grateful to Baochai. She stepped forward, took Baochai's hand, and said with a smile, "It's really not easy. Sister Bao, go and have a look. The nerd is inside."

Baochai: "What about you?"

Xichun said hurriedly, "We just looked at it from the window and went back to paint. It's too late to forget it."

Baochai pulled Baoqin aside and said, "Then we won't go over to disturb Rong'er. Let's just watch you paint."

"what?"

Baoqin was a little unhappy.

come all come...

Lin Daiyu smiled and took Baoqin's hand and said, "You two go back to paint first. I'll talk to Qin."

"it is good."

Xichun nodded and walked back, already thinking about how to paint.

Baochai looked at Baoqin, then at Lin Daiyu, and the two of them held hands and whispered to each other, seeming closer than sisters.

A little sour.

"Sister Bao, are you coming too?"

Lin Daiyu smiled.

"No." Baochai waved her hand and said, "I'm going to watch Xichun painting. You two can play."

As he said this, he caught up with Xichun.

Here.

Baoqin looked at Daiyu and said shyly, "Sister Lin, shall we?"

Lin Daiyu said, "Since you are here, come in and have a cup of tea."

Baoqin asked, "Will it disturb Brother Rong's study?"

Lin Daiyu thought for a moment and said, "More haste makes waste. Although there is an autumn examination this year, we can't push ourselves so hard all at once. Let's go in and persuade him."

"Ok!"

Baoqin nodded. "Brother Rong is indeed too tired."

The two of them entered the yard again.

This time he didn't stand under the window, but went straight into the house.

Inner room.

I saw Jia Rong still writing furiously.

Each exquisite small regular script appears on the silk paper like flowing clouds and water, smooth, silky, neat, without the slightest delay.

Reading break rolls, getting a God.

Nothing more than that.

If Lin Daiyu could still comment on Jia Rong's articles two years ago, now she can only look up to Jia Rong when it comes to eight-legged essays.

It’s not that she is much worse than Jia Rong in terms of academic performance, but that this kind of rigid and stiff article about the teachings of sages is not suitable for her.

It's like writing poetry.

She is also several levels better than Jia Rong.

"Hoohoo!"

After finishing another article, Jia Rong rubbed his sore wrist, put down his pen, took a sip of the hot tea prepared on the table, and picked up the pen to continue writing the next article.

“The sea of ​​learning is endless and the journey is hard!”

Jia Rong shook his head and sighed.

"Xiangling, go get another ink stick."

"Where is the ink stick?"

"exist……"

Jia Rong suddenly heard something wrong, and when he looked up, he saw two pretty girls standing in front of him, with joy and distress in their eyes...

And a little bit of admiration.

This is purely Jia Rong's own fantasy.

"When did you come?"

Lin Daiyu said, "I've been here for half a day."

Jia Rong was stunned: "Half a day? What time is it now?"

Baoqin said, "It's almost 3 p.m."

"It's afternoon!" Jia Rong put down his pen and said, "No wonder I feel a little hungry."

The recent period has been the most hard-working time for me in all these years. Not for anything else, just to become famous in this year's provincial examination and let the world know!
For myself, for my grandfather, and for Ningguo Mansion to become a true family of poetry and literature, a family of scholars.

Lin Daiyu stepped forward and took away Jia Rong's paper and pen, and said with a slight frown, "What else can I say? Qingwen came in to urge you several times, but you ignored her. Have you become dull from studying? You don't even know how to take care of yourself."

"How could such a smart person be so stupid now? He doesn't even understand the principle that haste makes waste. Besides, we don't have to pass the imperial examination this year. My father passed the imperial examination in his thirties."

"Ugh."

Jia Rong stretched lazily.

"Aunt is right. I have been a little dull lately, and a little eager for quick success."

"Eat first and take a rest."

Qingwen hurried in from outside and said with a smile, "The lunch has just been taken back and will be here soon. Miss Lin and Miss Qin haven't eaten yet, so I asked for some more."

"Oh? You two didn't eat either?"

Jia Rong looked at the two of them.

Baoqin smiled and said, "I was so busy watching Brother Rong write that I forgot to eat."

Jia Rong laughed and said, "Then you are also stunned."

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Well, being with you two idiots makes me feel a lot smarter all of a sudden."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Maybe he will stay with us."

"Hey, I won't do that!"

Soon, eight side dishes were brought in from the kitchen. In order to allow Jia Rong to rest more, Lin Daiyu took the initiative to suggest drinking wine.

"Go and get two pots of plum wine, the kind that's a little older than last year's." Lin Daiyu instructed Qingwen.

"Okay girl."

Qingwen agreed and went out to get some wine.

Jia Rong asked curiously, "You still want to drink?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "We'll eat with you. Why don't you want to?"

Jia Rong said, "I couldn't ask for more!"

The so-called happiness of having a family of seven is just like this. What else is there to ask for?
Baoqin smiled and said, "After drinking, you should take a good rest. Brother Rong, please don't study today."

"No."

Jia Rong shook his head and smiled, "I feel more inspired after drinking, which is perfect for writing."

Studying is like rowing against the current, so we must not slack off this year.

Lin Daiyu said: "It's not like I'm writing a poem, do I need inspiration?"

Jia Rong shook his head and said, "You don't understand. Writing also requires inspiration. Some people are very talented and shine in every literary gathering, but when it comes to the real provincial examination, they often fail. Why is that?"

"It's because I was too nervous about the exam and lost my inspiration, so the essay I wrote was mediocre, just like writing a poem without soul."

"And some people who are usually not very impressive and mediocre can make a splash in the provincial examination and become famous overnight, just because they suddenly get inspiration during the examination."

Baoqin nodded thoughtfully: "So that's it."

In fact, she didn't understand anything about the article, she just followed what Jia Rong said.

In Baoqin's heart, articles are the teachings of sages, can only be read by men, and can be used to govern a country and the world.

Poetry is nothing more than the pleasure of women in the boudoir. The two are worlds apart and cannot be compared.

This is also the perception of most people today.

Lin Daiyu waved her hand and said, "You are right. Let's have some wine first."

The aged plum wine had been placed on the table by Qingwen. Baoqin stood up and poured the wine, and the three of them each took a small sip.

"correct."

Jia Rong suddenly said, "I have two things for you."

Second girl: "What?"

Jia Rong went inside and took out two boxes from the box. He smiled and said, "Take a look."

The two of them opened the box carefully.

Baoqin said in surprise: "Gem ring!"

“Is this a diamond from the Western Region?”

Baoqin picked it up and looked at it carefully.

Lin Daiyu also picked it up and looked at the sparkling diamond in the sunlight.

"Quite good looking."

Jia Rong smiled.

At that time, rings did not have as many symbolic meanings as they do in later generations. They were mostly decorations, just like in the original novel, Xiangyun took a bunch of rings and gave them to sisters everywhere, even Xiren had one.

"It's rare that you still think of us despite your busy schedule, so we'll accept it."

Lin Daiyu actually knew that after the two of them left shyly that day, everyone shared some hairpins, rings and jewelry.

Jia Rong didn't make up for it to her either.

I was depressed at home for several days because of this.

In fact, Jia Rong certainly didn't dare to make up for it.

What should I do if someone asks me what is left over by others?
"Drink."

Jia Rong raised his cup and said, "Drink this cup to the full."

Lin Daiyu took a sip and said, "Just drink it up. We are just accompanying you."

It would be inappropriate if you get drunk.

Lin Daiyu still had an idea in her mind.

Baoqin was more obedient and took a big sip, but she couldn't handle the alcohol and her face turned red unconsciously.

"Sister Lin, I..."

"It's okay." Lin Daiyu waved her hand gently and said, "Follow me home and rest later. Don't go look for your sister yet."

"it is good."

Baoqin nodded quickly.

I'm sure to get a lecture when I get back.

Seeing the two getting along harmoniously, Jia Rong couldn't help but feel happier. He drank a few more glasses of wine and felt a little dizzy and his eyelids were drooping in the afternoon.

Lin Daiyu quietly asked Qingwen to come over and whispered, "We are leaving. Your master drank too much. You should wait on him and let him rest."

"Okay." Qingwen nodded and said, "I study until three o'clock every day, so I should rest early today."

……

"Master, it's getting dark, take a rest."

After Lin Daiyu and Baoqin left, Qingwen came and urged Jia Rong to rest.

Jia Rong waved his hand and said, "Stop coaxing me and turn on the lights. I just got an idea right now."

Qingwen: “…”

……

(End of this chapter)