Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 246: Baoyu, Baolu Borer
……

Amid the hustle and bustle, the New Year's Eve of the seventh year in Anping arrived quietly.

Both the Ning and Rong mansions have been replaced with brand new door gods, spring couplets, and big red lanterns from the outside to the inside.

Everywhere is decorated with lights and filled with joy.

There were a few new maids serving outside Jia Rong's yard. He couldn't even remember their names clearly, but he still gave them the red envelopes they were entitled to.

Looking at a large group of maids bowing to him, especially Qingwen who was winking at him, it seemed that she was reminding Jia Rong of her contributions last night and that she should get more red envelopes.

Jia Rong was very proud.

He couldn't help but think of Da Baoyu, who was also the 'Phoenix' in the East and West Palaces.

It is said that Dabaoyu has been particularly diligent and hardworking recently.

Especially after being beaten, even if he had a limp in one leg, he would insist on going to school every day and coming back only at night.

Moreover, he did not rest even during the annual holiday, but went to school every day.

Looks like he's ready to study hard!

Could it be that he suddenly realized his mistake after seeing his success in the imperial examination?

Are you ready to be a parasite?!
Pooh!
Precious jade, precious insect.

I'll have to go see how he is doing some other day.

"Master, what are you thinking about? You look so stupid?"

Qingwen came over and asked with a smile.

Jia Rong looked up and saw that everyone had gone about their business, so he pulled Qingwen aside and said with a smile, "I miss you."

Qingwen's face suddenly turned red.

She knew why Jia Rong missed her.

"Bah, I'm not serious anymore."

"How can you say those things in broad daylight?"

Her shy look was in stark contrast to her passionate and bold appearance last night.

"hey-hey."

Jia Rong smiled and whispered something in Qingwen's ear. Qingwen was so embarrassed that she covered her face with her hands and ran out.

"My master is a bully."

"I'm not coming."

As he ran, he happened to bump into Xiangling who was coming in.

"Oh."

The two almost fell together.

"What's wrong? Why are you running so fast? Is there a tiger inside that wants to eat people?" Xiangling asked with a smile.

Qingwen giggled and pushed Xiangling inside: "Serve me well, Master said he will give you food tonight."

Xiangling blinked and asked Jia Rong, "What's delicious?"

Jia Rong said seriously, "Don't listen to Qingwen's nonsense. It's not true."

Xiangling became more and more unconvinced, and she came forward with a pouty mouth and said, "Master, please tell me, you can't be partial to Qingwen only."

Jia Rong was helpless.

"Well, since you want to know..."

"Come and serve me at night, and I will tell you in secret."

Xiangling immediately smiled.

"Really!"

Jia Rong smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, a gentleman's word is his bond."

"The Master's words about gentlemen are so powerful that a horse's speed is not as fast as his tongue." Xiangling added with a smile.

It seems that Xiangling has been reading a lot recently and has even mastered "The Analects of Confucius".

At this time, someone came to report that Mr. Lian and others who had gone to Yangzhou to propose marriage had returned, and they were accompanied by Xue Ke, Jia Yun and others from Nanyang.

Jia Rong was overjoyed and hurried out to meet him.

……

"Rong'er, I worked very hard this time and finally I have fulfilled my mission and completed the task successfully." As soon as they met, Jia Lian began to take credit.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Lian."

"Do you have the marriage certificate? Let me see it."

I've grown up but I've never seen what a marriage certificate looks like.

Especially the marriage certificate with Aunt Lin...

How would you write it?

Jia Lian shook his head and said, "It's a little late. I've already sent it to the master."

"Ok."

Jia Rong was slightly disappointed.

But not too disappointed.

You can secretly look through it at your grandfather's place.

"Has the wedding date been set?" Jia Rong asked again.

"No."

Jia Lian was speechless.

"You are too impatient, aren't you? You should at least wait until she is fifteen years old and has reached the age of marriage."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry. I'm just asking casually."

Jia Lian chuckled. "I understand."

Then he whispered in Jia Rong's ear: "Second uncle is an experienced person, and he will teach you a lesson. It is better to get married later, otherwise you will be hindered and cannot enjoy yourself to your heart's content. Now your aunt Lin is only thirteen, she can at least have two more years of fun."

Jia Rong touched his head awkwardly.

"Uncle, don't talk nonsense. What's Aunt Lin?"

"Haha." Jia Lian patted Jia Rong on the shoulder and said with a smile: "I understand. You don't have to pretend in front of me."

Jia Rong: “…”

Jia Lian added: "Oh, there is one more thing you have to arrange for me."

Jia Rong: "What's the matter?"

Jia Lian pulled Jia Rong's clothes and said, "Come on, I will tell you in detail."

The two arrived at Jia Lian's courtyard in Ningguo Mansion.

Several maids hurriedly served tea to the two of them.

Jia Lian sat on the chair, took a sip of the fragrant tea, smiled and said: "Did you arrange for Xue Ke to go to Nanyang to do business? How much silver does he make a year?"

Jia Rong sipped his tea and said calmly, "A few million taels, maybe."

Jia Lian already knew it, so he didn't lose his composure at this time.

I just secretly felt envious and jealous in my heart for a while.

"Can you give me some of your property? I, your second uncle, am so poor now that I can barely make ends meet." Jia Lian looked pitiful as he spoke.

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Is that so? I heard that you spent five or six days in Taohua Tower enjoying yourself. You must have earned more than a thousand taels of silver, right?"

"Cough cough."

Jia Lian choked on his tea and coughed for a long time before he recovered. He asked in surprise, "You, how did you know?"

Jia Rong laughed and said, "I guessed. Who wouldn't go to Taohua Tower when they go to Suzhou?"

Jia Lian smiled and agreed with Jia Rong's words.

After all, his visit to the building was extremely secretive, and only a few trusted servants around him knew about it. And those servants were already his people, so it was impossible for them to spread his affairs around.

Besides, there was no need for Jia Rong to follow him.

If it's Sister Feng, then it's possible.

In fact.

Although Jia Rong did not go to Suzhou, various news along the way were continuously reported back.

The cross-intelligence network formed by salt merchants and honeycomb coal sales throughout the country has gradually taken shape, and now all parts of the country can understand a little bit of it.

For example, which place is rich and has a large population.

Which place is barren and has a small population.

For example, which place is dry and rainless this year, which place is rainy this year...

Things like this, although not very useful at the moment, are extremely important to businessmen.

……

"Brother Rong, don't say too much."

"Hurry up and give me some of your Nanyang property. It won't take much more than a year. Just a few hundred thousand or eighty thousand will be enough."

Jia Lian said seriously.

Jia Rong shook his head decisively.

"No."

"why?"

"Because brothers should settle accounts clearly."

Jia Lian was disappointed for a moment, but then he heard Jia Rong laugh again and said, "But if Second Uncle is really short of money, he can go to Nanyang and be an official. Then he can make a lot of money, right?"

Jia Lian was stunned.

"Being an official in Nanyang? What kind of official?"

"Ahem, you know, I'm only a fifth-rank official who donated money. I'm not like you guys who are from the imperial examination system. I'm afraid it's not easy to get a real job, right?"

Jia Rong laughed and said, "What does it matter where you go? Here in the capital, you are a fifth-rank official and you can't even get a real job. In Nanyang, you are more than qualified to be a prefect. After all, no one is willing to go there, and no one is competing for it."

Prefect!

Jia Lian's heart was pounding.

Can he, a fifth-rank official who was donated, also become a prefect?

It's entirely possible!

After all, Nanyang is a barbarian land, and even a fool would not want to go there.

but!

Thinking about the foreign beauty brought by Xue Ke, Jia Lian felt that he could go there even if it was a den of wolves.

What's more, you can make money.

Xue Ke and Jia Yun both earned millions.

As the prefect, what else could he do without?
"I'll think about this matter carefully when I get back and tell you in detail later." Jia Lian said, his heart already impatient.

Jia Rong nodded: "Okay."

He knew that Jia Lian was already moved.

Definitely going to go.

Hehe, I fooled another one.

In a few years, Nanyang will be ruled by the Jia family.

Isn’t the money rolling in?
……

(End of this chapter)