Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 308: Follow Jia Rong closely
……

Lixiangyuan.

Sisters Baochai and Baoqin were drinking tea and playing chess in the shade under the window.

"Sister, I heard that Brother Xue is coming back soon? He brought back his sister-in-law and nephew with him. Congratulations." Baoqin casually picked up a white piece and placed it on a corner of the chessboard, saying with a smile.

Baochai also casually placed a piece and said with a smile, "It was all Rong'er's help. I have to thank you."

"Thank me? What?" Baoqin was a little confused.

"Of course thank you," Baochai said with a smile, "I guess my brother's affairs can go so smoothly because the master must have done more for your sake. After all, you are the future daughter-in-law of the Jia family."

"Sister is making fun of me again!"

Baoqin's face turned red with embarrassment.

"How is that a joke? I'm just telling the truth."

As Baochai spoke, she dropped another move.

Baoqin was so upset by what she heard that she quickly lost the upper hand and was doomed to failure.

"Woo woo, my sister is bullying me."

"Who told you not to concentrate?" Baochai laughed and said, "I heard Rong'er is going to Southeast Asia."

"Ok, I know."

Baoqin nodded and threw the chess piece into the box to admit defeat.

Baochai knew from her expression that there must be some little secret between them that she had not discovered, so she smiled quietly and said, "Did Ronger write you a letter?"

Baoqin shook her head: "No."

"Oh, then I know. Where did you go yesterday afternoon?" Baochai said with a smile.

Baoqin's face suddenly turned red: "I just went for a stroll in the garden. Sister, let's talk about Brother Xue."

Baochai said with a straight face, "What can he say? He has been getting married and having children in the northwest these years, so mother and I don't have to worry about it anymore."

Baoqin sneered, "Sister, you are not sincere!"

"To tell you the truth." Baochai continued, "I heard that Rong'er will not leave for another few months. It would be best if I could take my brother out to see the world, so that he would not behave badly at home and I and mother would not be able to control him."

……

"What, you want Pan'er to follow Rong'er to Southeast Asia? No, no, he has suffered in the Northwest and wants to return to Kyoto to enjoy himself. How can he go to Southeast Asia and continue to suffer?" Aunt Xue shook her head quickly after hearing Baochai's suggestion.

"Mom, as the saying goes, 'When God wants to give a man a great responsibility, he must first make his mind suffer and his body hungry.' At your age, it is time to endure hardships and make progress. Staying in Beijing can bring you happiness, but it is very likely that you will become a spoiled child. You don't want your brother to be like Baoyu, do you?"

"Besides, Ningguo Mansion is now at its peak, and many people want to work with Rong Ge'er. Brother still has some relatives' favors, otherwise Rong Ge'er would never take him with her."

Xue Baochai carefully analyzed the current situation and talked about Xue Ke's future. Aunt Xue finally made up her mind.

Anyway, the eldest grandson is already there, so let my son suffer a little.

Unconsciously, Aunt Xue had transferred her doting love for her son to her eldest grandson whom she had never met.

"Okay, that's it...you go and talk to Rong'er?" Aunt Xue said casually.

"Yes." Baochai lowered her head and said softly, "It just so happened that the shop assistants brought some fresh fruits yesterday. I'll send some over."

"it is good."

Aunt Xue looked at Baochai with a smile.

Baochai felt that her mother's eyes were strange, so she looked up and asked, "Mom, why are you looking at me like that?"

Aunt Xue took Baochai's hand and said with a smile, "In the blink of an eye, you have grown up. Now your brother has returned, married and has a son. I have finally fulfilled one of my wishes. As for your affairs..."

"Mom, I'm still young..."

Baochai quickly interrupted her mother and ran into the house with her face covered.

……

Early the next morning.

Baochai brought her maid Ying'er to Jia Rong's courtyard.

At that time, Jia Rong was practicing sword with Xiao Xiao.

After two years of continuous training, Jia Rong has become strong and powerful, and has excellent swordsmanship, which makes him more masculine than ordinary weak scholars. "I used to think that Master Rong was good at studying, but now I see him practicing swordsmanship, and I see how heroic he is." Ying'er, who was holding the agate plate, said with a sneer, looking at Jia Rong without blinking.

Baochai spat softly and said angrily, "Close your eyes quickly and stop being so shameless here. I feel ashamed for you."

Although she was angry with Ying'er, she did not blame her in her heart. Even when she first saw Jia Rong's heroic figure holding a sword, her heart was beating fast.

"Miss Bao is here!"

Xiao Xiao quickly stopped sword dancing and stepped forward to meet him.

Jia Rong also put his sword aside, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile: "Excuse me, Baomei."

Baochai dodged a glance.

When Jia Rong said "Baomei", his words sounded a little frivolous.

But since Jia Rong is the eldest son now, Baochai doesn't mind it too much.

"Rong'er, are you preparing to be both civil and military?" Baochai said with a smile.

"And exercise to keep fit." Jia Rong raised his hand, rolled up his sleeves, and showed off his powerful biceps.

This made Ying'er stunned.

Baochai quickly gritted her teeth and pinched Ying'er, signaling with her eyes: Look at me again, and I will give you to Rong'er!

Ying'er blinked: "Ah? Really!

Baochai: Of course, it’s fake!

Ying'er: "..."

"Yesterday, the guys from the south brought us some fresh fruits. Although they are kept cool with ice, they will go bad quickly. We might as well share them and eat them quickly." Baochai took the agate plate from Ying'er's hand and handed it to Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Xiao quickly took it and said with a smile: "Thank you, Miss Bao, come in and have some tea."

Baochai didn't act pretentiously and followed him in.

Ying'er at the back asked curiously, "What did Master Rong do in the back?"

Xiao Xiao smiled and said, "It's easy to sweat when practicing martial arts in such hot weather. I'm afraid of offending the girl, so I'm going to take a shower in the back."

"Oh."

Ying'er nodded.

In fact, she did not think Jia Rong was rude. Instead, she thought Jia Rong looked very majestic when practicing martial arts. The sweat on his body showed his heroic spirit!
I guess the girl thinks so too, right?
Ying'er looked at her girl with a smile.

Baochai glared back at her. She knew that this girl was probably thinking about some messy things again!

"Girl, have some tea."

At one moment, Xiaoxiao brought the teacup.

Baochai thanked her, and Ying'er took Xiaoxiao outside to talk.

Xiaoxiao naturally understood that Miss Bao wanted to talk to their master, but she didn't point it out and followed Ying'er to the corridor outside.

"Sister Xiaoxiao, I think the tassel on your sword seems to be very old. Why don't you replace it with a new one?" Ying'er looked at Xiaoxiao's sword, her eyes full of the heroic figures of the two of them dancing with swords just now.

Xiao Xiao said: "This one is not easy to change."

"Why? It looks easy to make." Ying'er reached out and fiddled with the sword tassel, but didn't feel anything different. If she had to say something different, it would be that the silk thread used for the sword tassel was too thin.

Very thin.

"You see it as a sword tassel, but actually it is..." Xiao Xiao pulled it gently, and the sword tassel flew away with the wind, scattering very far away.

It turned out to be a long silk thread!

"Secret weapon!"

"what!?"

Ying'er opened her eyes wide.

……

(End of this chapter)