Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 34: Grandmother Jia: Eat more to grow plump and white

……

"The medicine is here, the medicine is here..."

"Baoyu, take your medicine..."

Baoyu took the pills and finally stopped coughing.

"Where's Sister Lin?"

After recovering, Jia Baoyu opened his eyes wide and looked around, but he didn't see the person he wanted to see. The original noisy scene over there was gone, and only Yingchun and Tanchun were left.

Mrs. Wang had changed her clothes and came back. She smiled and said, "Your sister Lin saw that you were ill, so she didn't want to disturb you. She will go back first."

Jia Baoyu was stunned for a moment, and cried, "Why can't you disturb me? When did Sister Lin and I become so estranged?"

Isn't it just a quarrel?
How did it come to this!
Wasn’t it okay to quarrel every day before?
The more Baoyu cried, the sadder he became, and his tears fell uncontrollably.

Grandmother Jia hugged Baoyu distressedly and comforted him, "There is no estrangement. She is still your sister Lin. Take the medicine well. I will take her back when you recover. Okay?"

"Really?"

Baoyu stopped crying immediately, with tears sparkling in his eyes.

"Of course." Grandmother Jia smiled confidently and said, "After all, your sister Lin is from our family. Where else can she go if she doesn't come back?"

Baoyu was overjoyed when he heard what Grandmother Jia said. He smiled with tears in his eyes and said, "I am in good health now. Grandfather, please go and bring Sister Lin back."

"Haha."

Sister Feng smiled and said, "Brother Bao, if you stand up and take a few steps, we will treat you as us and go over to get your sister Lin back now."

"Okay! I'll get up right away... Ouch." As soon as Baoyu moved, his whole body felt like it was falling apart.

After all, he was beaten with thirty or forty sticks! Although Master Zheng showed some mercy, it was still not something a child could endure easily. He couldn't get out of bed for at least a hundred or eighty days.

Grandmother Jia glared at Sister Feng and scolded her with a smile: "Your brother Bao is already like this, and you are still his sister-in-law, but you only know how to say sarcastic words. Be careful or I will punish you!"

"Ouch." Sister Feng was startled and begged pitifully, "I won't dare to do it again. Grandfather, please forgive me this time."

Grandmother Jia deliberately put on a stern face and said, "Your brother Bao must forgive you."

Sister Feng laughed out loud: "Brother Bao is so happy to hear what I said, how could he blame me? Isn't it, brother Bao? Take the medicine well and get better soon, so that the old ancestor can go and take Sister Lin back."

"well!"

Baoyu seemed to have made up his mind and shouted, "Give me another pill. I want to get better soon!"

Grandmother Jia said: "What good things are there? Pills cannot be taken casually. Eating more will not help. Only by eating more can you get better quickly and grow fatter and whiter!"

Baoyu said, "Then I will eat. Bring me some food quickly!"

Madam Wang hurriedly said, "Go get the braised venison and the chicken soup. They are good for your health."

Xiren immediately brought out a plate full of venison and a bowl full of phoenix chicken soup and fed them to Baoyu herself. Baoyu began to eat with big mouthfuls.

Sister Feng clapped her hands and laughed, "That's good! What is the old lady worried about?"

As expected, Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang were relieved.

……

"Uncle Rong, Grandpa wants you to go back to school."

Just now when everyone went to see Baoyu, a maid from the East Palace came over.

"and many more."

As soon as he reached the door, Lin Daiyu chased out.

Jia Rong stopped and waited for Daiyu to come up, then asked with a smile, "Aunt Lin, what's the matter?"

Lin Daiyu raised her hand to tidy up her temples that had just been messed up with Xiangyun, and said, "I just took a few books from you, I will return them to you in a few days."

"…What book?"

"Something like the Annotated Four Books."

"You?" Jia Rong looked Lin Daiyu up and down, and asked suspiciously, "What are you looking at?"

Lin Daiyu glared at Jia Rong and said, "What are you looking at? Can't I just watch for fun?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Of course, but why don't you read some Tang and Song poems? I have a few rare and precious books that are not available outside."

Lin Daiyu chuckled and said, "Why? We women can't read books by sages?"

"I didn't say that."

"That's it?" "You're not trying to make a fuss about it?"

"Haha, can't you?"

"Okay, sure."

"Do you know how to do it? Do you want me to teach you?"

Lin Daiyu, who can write eight-part essays,

I wonder how Baoyu should deal with this?
"No, I've learned a little from my father and teacher before, I can just read the book myself first."

Jia Rong: “…”

The two of them walked very slowly, and soon Xichun caught up with them, followed by Zijuan, Ruhua and several other maids.

"Sister Lin, Brother Rong, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, how's it going over there?"

"I don't know. It's so noisy and messy."

"Then let's go back."

"Uh-huh!"

After returning home, Lin Daiyu and Xichun went back to their residence, while Jia Rong went to the East Crossing to take a look first.

Pei Feng said with a straight face, "The master has already rested, so please don't go in and disturb him."

Jia Rong hurriedly smiled and said, "As the young lady wishes."

"Master, you didn't go out today?"

"no."

"I can rest assured that."

"If you feel relieved, then leave quickly. You won't be kept for tea so late." Pei Feng said as she pushed Jia Rong out.

……

East Palace, Jia Jing's study.

Jia Jing was still handling some official business of the court and usually could not rest until three o'clock in the morning.

Jia Rong served tea at the right time.

"Master, although you are busy with official duties, you should also take care of your health."

This family really can’t do without Jia Jing!

It's not just Jia Zhen. Take the West Mansion's Grandmother Jia for example. Because of her high seniority, no one dares to discipline her. She takes the lead in leading the whole family to eat, drink and have fun all day long without any ambition. She doesn't even pay attention to the education of the younger generation. The first Baoyu was spoiled by Grandmother Jia!
Only Jia Jing,

Can subdue Lady Jia!

Take control of the Jia family, as stable as Mount Tai!
Jia Jing put down the official document in his hand, took the teacup and said with a smile: "I heard that you went to the literary gathering in Mu Garden today?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "I went for a walk with my classmates."

"Yes!" Jia Jing nodded and said with a smile, "You can attend more literary gatherings like this. By exchanging ideas with each other, you can improve faster... I heard that Li Minzhi is there today?"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "Yes, he gave some pointers to our younger generation's writings."

Jia Jing took a sip of tea and chuckled, "Humph, that old fox has lived in Jiangnan for a long time. He must have other things to do when he came to Beijing this time. He was just giving you instructions as a side job to cover up his tracks."

"As for the officialdom, you will understand it when you have more exposure to it in the future. Go study now, but don't study too late. You are still young, don't ruin your health."

"I understand, Master."

Jia Rong bowed and prepared to leave.

"Wait." Jia Jing suddenly called Jia Rong again.

"Grandpa, is there anything else?"

Jia Jing smiled and said, "You are fifteen years old this year, right?"

Jia Rong said, "After your birthday, you will be fifteen."

Jia Jing nodded and said, "I have seen how hard you have worked in the past few years. Now that you have finally grown up, as the grandson of the Ningguo Mansion, you can't be too wronged. After you pass the examination, I will let the two maids in your room serve you. But remember, don't make a fuss and delay your studies!"

……

(End of this chapter)