Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 255 Lantern Festival
……

"Aunt, have some tea."

Baoqin personally brought a bowl of tea to Xichun.

Xichun took it and said with a smile, "You're too polite, Qin."

Baochai smiled and said, "Qin girl, pour me a bowl too."

Baoqin said aggrievedly: "Look, little aunt, my sister is bullying others."

Xichun said with a stern face: "Bao girl, please don't bully our Baoqin, or I won't allow it."

Baochai hurriedly bowed and said with a smile, "I respect the order of my little aunt."

"Giggle."

The three of them laughed together.

After a while, everyone got tired of joking.

Baoqin combed her temples and said, "Aunt, what do you want to see us about? Do you want to treat us to a meal?"

Xichun said: "That's a good thing, but I'm not inviting you to be the host."

Baoqin asked, "Are they going to watch a play?"

Xichun shook her head and said, "That's not right!"

Baochai thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Could it be...going out to play?"

Xichun's eyes widened immediately: "How did Sister Bao know that?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Because today is the Lantern Festival, I heard that Rong'er often took you out to see the Lantern Festival lanterns in the past."

"Sister Bao is amazing!"

"Just to watch the Lantern Festival lanterns."

Xichun was a little excited, and pulled Baoqin and asked, "Qin girl, are you going?"

Baoqin glanced at Baochai quietly and said, "Are you going, sister?"

Baochai smiled and said, "I have seen Lantern Festival lanterns in the streets when I was in Jinling before. I wonder if there is any difference between the styles in Kyoto and Jinling."

Baoqin smiled and said, "Just go and take a look and you'll know."

Baochai smiled and said, "Then go ahead and remember to come back early."

"Ok!"

Baoqin nodded quickly.

"Where's my sister?"

"I……"

Baochai looked a little uncomfortable, and forced a smile, saying, "I feel a little unwell, so I won't go this time."

Xichun pulled Baochai aside and said, "Sister Bao, why don't you come with us? It only happens once a year. We'll have to wait until next year for the next time."

Baochai hesitated for a moment.

"……OK then."

It would be fine if she followed.

I can keep an eye on Baoqin to prevent her from losing her sense of propriety and being bullied.

……

Soon, night falls.

Jia Rong changed his clothes and took Xiaoxiao outside.

There were already three people standing in a row at the door.

Baochai wore a plain white dress and a goose down cape. The gold hairpins in her hair were also simple and concise, without any frills, giving her the feeling of a lotus blooming in clear water.

Baoqin was wearing a flowery dress, a red fox cloak, a pearl hairpin with dangling tassels on her head, and a silk ribbon tied tightly around her waist, making her look so slender that she could be held in one hand.

Little aunt...nothing to say.

Only three words.

best looking.

"Little aunt."

"Miss Bao."

"Qin girl."

Jia Rong called them one by one.

Baochai smiled and said, "Rong'er, remember to call me Aunt Bao, or you can follow Baoqin and call me Sister Bao."

Jia Rong smiled and asked, "Is it my eldest sister-in-law?"

Baochai blushed: "Yeah."

"Brother Rong."

Jia Rong: “Yeah.”

Xichun couldn't wait any longer and stamped her feet, saying, "Stop making noises, the sky is already dark, hurry up and leave!"

"Go, go, get in the car!"

The spacious carriage had been prepared long ago, with a heater, foot warmer, table, low couch, etc. It was like a small living room, and it was very warm.

The front of the carriage was lit with the signature official lantern of Rongguo Mansion, and behind it followed the Ningguo Mansion's personal guards.

There is no curfew tonight.

Along the way, we saw soldiers from the Five Cities Army coming and going, patrolling all night.

But it's just turning a blind eye and pretending to be blind.

Every year during the Lantern Festival, there are countless people losing their wallets and children, so Jia Rong was extra careful and only took a few people for a walk outside and looked at the street lanterns from a distance.

I didn't even dare to go in.

It’s too crowded!
If Xichun was the only one around, he could still barely cope with it, but with the sisters Baochai and Baoqin, he would not dare to take any risks.

Even when looking at the lights outside, there were still people looking over here with ill intentions, but when they saw the guards around the few people, they quickly looked away.

It’s not easy to provoke, I dare not provoke, and I can’t afford to provoke.

Baochai was very steady and said to them, "Let's just look at it from outside. If we really don't feel satisfied, we can wait until the second half of the night. There will be fewer people then, and we can take a carriage to go in and have a good look."

Seeing Jia Rong looking at her in confusion, Baochai smiled and said, "It was like this when we were in Jinling before. We didn't dare to go early, so in the second half of the night when there were fewer people, the adults at home took us out for a walk and enjoyed the sights."

Jia Rong smiled and said, "That makes sense. Why don't you go and let's go to the carriage to rest for a while, and then go down and enjoy the lanterns when there are fewer people."

"it is good!"

Xichun was very energetic at this time and was not afraid of feeling sleepy in the second half of the night.

So the three of them returned to the carriage. The guards had already retreated far away, and only Xiao Xiao was guarding beside them.

Xichun got on the carriage first. Baochai looked at Baoqin standing still, so she could only roll up her skirt and bend down to get into the carriage first.

Baoqin then winked at Jia Rong and wanted to go up as well.

Jia Rong pulled him and whispered, "Walk with me outside for a while?"

Baoqin looked inside the curtain and whispered, "No, my sister is waiting for me inside."

Jia Rong said, "It's alright, we're just talking and not doing anything else, so we're not afraid of her."

Baoqin lowered her head and thought for a while: "Well, okay."

At most you'll get scolded when you get home.

Just be patient and it will pass.

Jia Rong led Baoqin for a walk on the path beside the carriage. They were really just admiring the scenery and chatting. At most, he would go a little too far and hug her slender waist which made people feel a little pity.

……

"Sister Bao, what are you looking at?"

"Ahem, I didn't see anything."

Baochai quickly lowered the curtain, her heart beating like a deer and her face flushed with embarrassment.

Fortunately, it was night and I couldn’t see clearly.

Xichun leaned on the heater and said with a smile, "I wonder where Rong'er and Baoqin are. They didn't come up to rest."

"They... I don't know either." Baochai shook her head and calmed her heartbeat: "They are probably still outside enjoying the lanterns."

"How playful!" Xichun pouted and said, "Let's take a break. When they are too tired to walk, we can have some fun."

"Ok!"

Baochai nodded absentmindedly, but her mind was full of the scene of the two of them being affectionate outside.

After a while, there was a slight sound outside the carriage.

It turned out that the two people who were taking a walk had returned.

Baoqin lowered her head and got into the car silently.

Jia Rong followed behind and after entering, he found that Baoqin was actually sitting next to his aunt.

Maybe he was afraid of being lectured by Baochai.

Jia Rong had no choice but to sit next to his sister-in-law Baochai.

When Baochai saw Rong Ge'er sitting over, she subconsciously moved to the side. She felt her face burning again and her heart was pounding.

How could I have the heart to preach to Baoqin?

"It's only the second watch. Do you want to take a nap? Otherwise you'll be exhausted from watching the lanterns later." Jia Rong said.

"Uh-huh."

Xichun, Baoqin nodded.

Leaning together and narrowing their eyes.

Baochai was embarrassed and didn't know what to do.

Jia Rong stood up and said, "It seems that there is not enough charcoal. I will ask someone to bring some over."

Then he got off the carriage.

Baochai quickly covered her chest and gasped.

……

(End of this chapter)